Part 1b

Chris could just make out the voices above him, but there was nothing he could say or do to help Ezra Standish. In the time since his fall, his body had become a mass of agony that seemed to escalate with each breath he took. He’d tried to take inventory and cursed when he realized there was no point.

“J...just count w...what d…doesn’t hurt,” Chris rasped as he shifted and finally managed to use the wall of rock to help him sit up. The world around him shimmered and shifted with his blurring vision and he barely had time to turn his head as he lost the contents of his last meal. He lifted his head and looked up to the top of the cliff, but dizziness made it impossible for him to make out the distance. There was no way he could make his way to the top, let alone help Standish. Closing his eyes Chris tried to form a plan, but his mind refused to focus on anything but the tremors of pain that surpassed anything he’d ever felt before. He fought the encroaching darkness, but soon lost the battle and was swallowed up by the black void of unconsciousness.

Ezra leaned forward a little and looked out over the plateau in hopes of finding Chris Larabee. The fact that Cross had not used him as a bargaining chip told Ezra that they didn’t have the gunslinger, but that gave wake to another question. Where was Chris Larabee? The answer came as quickly as he thought the question and he looked towards the edge of the plateau.

“Please, God, no!” he whispered, ducking quickly as a bullet struck too close to home. Things were happening too fast and Ezra knew he had to find out what happened to his friend. He looked towards the back of the outcropping and wondered if there was a way he could work his way to the top and maybe get the upper hand against Cross and his men.

“Ya got two minutes, Standish!”

“Two minutes,” the gambler whispered and quickly made his way towards the back. The two horses blocked his way, but he managed to squeeze past them and made his way deeper into the pass. The sky had begun to lighten up and he knew he’d have to make his move soon or he’d be trapped here.

“One minute!”

Ezra made it to the opening and quickly looked around. His pursuers were still unaware of this opening and he looked around without hearing any gunshots. The pass he was in opened up on the edge of the cliff and he looked down, closing his eyes as a wave of dizziness washed over him.

“Time’s up! Ya gonna hand over my money?”

Ezra turned away from the edge and moved towards the entrance once more before calling out. “You’ll have to give me a couple of minutes to converse with Mr. Larabee!”

“Converse? What the hell’s that mean?” Jacob shouted, frowning as he listened to the gambler’s words.

“Means he’s gonna talk ta him! I’ll give ya five more minutes and if’n the money’s not out here then I’ll jest have ta kill ya both and take it from ya!”

“Five minutes should just about do it,” Standish thought as he looked around. He hurried past the horses and again searched the area around the back entrance. There seemed to be a serviceable pass leading down to the valley floor and he knew it was probably the only way out other than squaring off with the men waiting for them. If it was only the money, Ezra would gladly give it up, but he knew his life and Chris’ were also at stake. He glanced upwards and tested the rocks that had fallen into a short crevice and knew he could probably make a small slide that would cover the opening, but would it also bring the whole thing down on top of him and the horses.

“Ya got four minutes, Standish!”

“Does this guy ever shut up!” Ezra mumbled as he reached for the horse’s reins. He knew he would have problems with the horses, but if he could get them through the pass and onto the path then he might just be able to pull it off.

“Okay, let us endeavor to make this a joint effort shall we?” Standish began.

Chris forced the darkness away as his eyes opened once more. He had no idea how long he’d been out, but it couldn’t have been that long as the moon was just going behind the mountains and dawn was beginning to bring the promise of another day. Shifting slightly, his arms quaking with the effort it took to move at all he glanced above him once more. This time the world didn’t shift, but he could see nothing that could tell him what was happening.

“Jesus, Ezra, what the hell’s going on up there?” Frustrated by his own inability to help, Chris turned on his right side and tried crawling towards what looked like a trail leading upwards. Each inch he gained cost him more than he could afford and he began to realize just how badly he’d been injured in the fall. Cursing under his breath he struggled to stay awake as he continued to do the impossible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ezra finished getting the horses clear of the opening and again closed his eyes as dizziness assaulted his senses once more.

“Three minutes!”

“Three minutes,” Standish repeated as he reached for a thick stick and used it to prod the rocks above his head. He knew it wouldn’t take much to dislodge them. Reaching for the rope on his saddle he tied it around the stick and shoved the stick into a crevice between the stones. Gripping the end of the rope tightly he began leading the horses down the treacherous path. 

“Two Minutes!”

Chris heard the countdown and wondered what it was for. He knew he had to keep going, but every muscle in his body ached with a fierceness he’d never felt before. Every nerve ending screamed in protest as he tried to stand, but his left leg gave way before he could put any weight on it and he slammed into the ground once more. The air was driven from his lungs as again the call of darkness was too much and he fell into the welcoming arms of oblivion.

The trip down the cliff face was slow as Ezra maneuvered the two animals down the path. As he reached the end of the rope he heard Cross’ voice once more and tugged sharply on the rope. He watched the stick move and prayed it wouldn’t break as it bent against the weight of the rocks. Taking a deep breath he pull harder and was rewarded with a small trickle of stones and other debris. With one last effort he pulled with everything he had left and cursed as the stick broke, leaving the dam exactly where it was.

“Damn it!” Standish cursed as he made to move past the animals, but was brought up short by a sharp creak and the sound of rocks and debris cascading from atop the outcropping. The horses whinnied and shied away from the noise and almost sent Standish over the edge, but he managed to stay on his feet. He looked down once more, before starting his journey down the cliff.

“Times up, Standish! Throw out my money!” Andrew Cross shouted and fired a warning shot towards the hiding place. There was no reaction at first, but the sudden shifting of rock at the back of the crevice caused him to frown. He fired once more and signalled for the two men to follow him as he rushed towards the hideout. He stopped to reload before hurrying to the entrance.

“Ya hear me, Standish?”

“Maybe they got away, Andy!” Hank suggested.

“How? We’ve had the entrance covered!” Cross told him.

“Clyde’s dead,” Jacob said as he joined the two men.

“Least now we only gotta share the money three ways!” Andy said with a sly grin as he moved towards the entrance once more. “Standish, this is your last chance!”

Ezra smiled as he heard the voice above him and knew the man was in for a rude awakening when he discovered the blocked entrance. He knew he had to concentrate on the trail as the horses continued to slip and slide on the loose stones and gravel.

“Slow and steady, Ezra,” the gambler berated himself as they continued down the rough trek. He knew he could not afford to make a mistake or it would send him and the horses over the edge. With painstakingly slow steps he led the animals down the steep grade and silently prayed they’d make it to the bottom in one piece.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That bastard!” Andrew Cross cursed as the opening vanished before his eyes. Rock, shrubbery and other debris collapsed at the end of the outcropping and quickly obliterated the other end.

“Maybe we can catch him on the other side!” Hank suggested.

“Not much chance of that Hank! The other side opens out onto the cliff. Wait a minute, Andy, there’s an old trail leading down into the valley on the other side. We could follow him down!”

“Good plan, Jacob, except yer fergettin’ the only access is through this pass. Damn fools made sure we couldn’t follow them. Come on, maybe we can still head them off by going back the way we came.”

“That’ll take us hours just to make it around to this side of the valley,” Hank complained.

“I know that, but we’ll have the advantage of knowing the old trails. We’ll make a wider arc and come out in front of ‘em b’fore they reach Kalley’s Meadow!”

“Ya sure we can do it?” Jacob asked.

“Ain’t steered ya wrong yet, have I?”

“No, but seems ta me ain’t nothin’ gone right since we started out!”

“Well, Jacob, why the hell don’tcha just ride on back ta Swift Creek and leave me and Hank ta catch up with Standish and Larabee. Hell, that might not be such a bad idea would it, Hank? Split the money two ways steada three?”

“Sure, if’n Jacob don’t wanna stick ‘round he don’t deserve his cut of the money.”

“Ain’t sayin’ I’s leavin’. Just saying maybe we better think ‘bout what we’re doin’. Standish and Larabee seem ta know what they’re doin’.”

“Yer givin’ ‘em too much credit. They’ve been lucky so far, but ain’t know way their luck’s gonna be all good. I got me a couple of bullets just waitin’ fer ‘em. Come on boys, lets go grab ourselves a couple of cheatin’ bastards!” He raced back to his horse and quickly mounted as his partners joined him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ezra had no idea how long it took him to reach the bottom of the plateau, but he could give you the exact time of each missed step and how many feet he’d traveled on his butt before coming to a stop. Twice his grip on the horses had slipped and he’d had to grab for the ropes in order to stop his own fall. Pony was as surefooted as he always was, but Ezra’s unfamiliar mount grew more skittish.

Once he reached the bottom he glanced up and realized he’d traveled over one hundred feet at a steep grade. He turned his attention to the area he thought Larabee might have fallen and was somewhat relieved that the cliff wall didn’t seem nearly as steep, but it still terrified him that Chris might’ve fallen over the edge.

“Chris!” he called as he led the horses away from the trail. Receiving no answer he called again and was rewarded by what sounded like a weak moan from his left.

“Chris, where are you?”

“H...here, Ez...o...over here!”

“Just stay where you are and I’ll find you!” Standish said and hurried towards the sound of Larabee’s voice. The sun was barely over the horizon when he spotted a patch of black against an otherwise unbroken sea of greenery. He tugged on the reins and quickly pushed aside the thick brush and foliage in an effort to get to his fallen friend. He looped the reins over a twisted branch and hurriedly knelt beside the blond. Chris laid on his right side, his head on his left arm and his eyes clenched tightly as if his body was wracked with pain.

“Chris, that must have been some fall!”

“Y...yeah, watch out for that first step it’s a real bastard!”

“I bet. Where are you hurt?”

“E...everywhere!”

“Yes, well, that’s probably the truth, but where is the worst of the pain localized?”

“Back...”

“You hit your back?”

“No...shot. S...shit.”

“Not now, Chris, I have enough to clean up.” Standish heard a raspy chuckle and smiled at his injured friend.

“Ez, don’t make me l...laugh. O...okay?”

“Sorry, I’ll try not to subject you to any sort of levity until such time...”

“Ez, please...h...head can’t h...handle a...any bullshit.”

“I apologize, Mothah always said I could talk the ears off, damn, sorry, Chris. Okay, so you’ve been shot in the back. Now before I move you is there any other pressing injury I should know about?”

“P...probably broke a couple of r...ribs. H...hard to breathe. Right arm’s not in the best of shape either.”

“All right, let me take a look...this will probably hurt. Perhaps it would be best if I removed your weapon before going any further?”

“Afraid I’ll s...shoot you?”

“The thought has crossed my mind,” Standish said light heartedly.

“Ma always said not to bite the hand that feeds you...in this case the hand that aids you. I won’t shoot you, Ez. Might try and hit you a few times though.”

“I shall consider myself warned. Now, try to lie as still as possible!”

“O...okay...ah....shit!”

“Sorry, but I believe you're right about the broken ribs. There are at least two that I can feel.”

“D...don’t feel ‘em anymore!” Larabee warned.

“As you wish, but I will have to bind them before I get you on Pony!”

“Pony? Where is he?” Larabee asked, eyebrows furrowing as he shifted slightly. “How did you get down here? Where are those bastards?”

“I came down a trail I found at the end of the pass. Our pursuers cannot come down the same way.”

“How can you be s...sure?” Larabee asked, wincing as Standish touched his right arm at the elbow.

“I sort of closed off their only avenue of making it onto our trail.”

“You what?”

“I caused a small landslide and blocked the only entrance.”

“Well done, Ez...Sssshit!”

“Sorry, Okay, it does appear to be broken.”

“No shit!”

“Yes, well, we’re going to need to immobilize it, but first I think I’d better take a look at the bullet wound. Did it go...”

“No, damn thing’s still in there!”

“All right. I’m going to grab the supplies Mr. Jackson sent along and see if I can make you comfortable.”

“Ezra, just do what you can. We need to get out of here before they get on our trail again.”

“Chris, there’s no way I am going to put you on a horse until your wounds have been properly taken care of.”

“Gettin’ downright bossy, Ezra!”

“Yes, and please remember that as of right now I am in charge!”

“Damn!”

“Lie still!” Standish warned as he hurried to the horses and dug through the saddle bags. He found several small packets and his own silver flask. He knew the healer made sure they had everything they needed in case of an emergency and had made sure they all knew what the herbs were for. ‘Thank you, Mr. Jackson,’ he thought before rushing back to his friend’s side.

“F...find a...anything use...ful.”

“Affirmative, Mr. Jackson sent along everything we might need.”

“A...any whiskey?”

“I’m afraid that was something he neglected to supply.”

“Damn!”

“I, however, have this!”

“E...Ezra, remind me just how much I owe you!”

“I’ll gladly remind you when we return to our humble abode. Take a long drink, Chris!”

Larabee nodded and accepted the flask. Taking a deep breath he lifted the flask to his mouth and took several long swallows of the fiery liquor. Not wanting to get drunk Chris handed the flask back to his friend and turned slightly onto his left side. He grunted as his injured ribs came in contact with the hard ground and readied himself for the onslaught of new pain to come. He felt Standish ease him out of his duster and gritted his teeth as the movement jarred his arm.

“Sorry, Chris, but...”

“It’s o...okay, Ez. N...not your fault!”

Ezra hardened his heart to the muted moans emanating from the blond and quickly realized there were newly forming bruises covering most of Larabee’s body. There were several shallow scratches along the blond’s chest that would need cleaning and Larabee’s forehead was a mottled collection of blues, blacks, and reds. The man needed a doctor, but right now all he had was a conman who did not want to gamble with this man’s life.

“Ez, you okay?”

“Oh, sorry, Chris, I was lost in thought,” Standish said as he succeeded in removing the duster and rolled it into a makeshift pillow which he placed under the blond head.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” the gambler said, cursing as he spotted the red stain encompassing most of Larabee’s shirt.

“That bad?” Larabee mumbled tiredly.

“Well, in our tracker’s words. Ain’t pretty! Just hold still while I take a look.” Standish opened the packet that held bandages and placed them within easy reach before tackling the shirt once more. It took some time before he finally caught a glimpse of the angry wound and he knew they would need to get to a doctor as quickly as possible.

“Ez?”

“Hold on, Chris. I’m going to clean it and put a bandage on it until we can get you to a doctor!”

“O...okay,” Larabee whispered and held his breath as the conman pressed something wet against his wound. He gasped and drew his legs up as the pain threatened to throw him back into the waiting abyss. Chris tried to remain still, but the pain escalated until he cried out and tried to draw away from the helping hands at his back. He heard Ezra’s sharp apologies, but cursed him anyway until he felt the younger man’s hand on his shoulder.

“I’m going to sit you up a little, Chris.”

“J...just shoot me...”

“I would, but I’m afraid you are already suffering from lead poisoning and I do not want to endanger you further.”

“Ah, hell, Ez, asked you not to make me laugh!”

“Sorry, my apologies once more. This is going to hurt like a”

“...sonofabitch!” Larabee cried out as he was lifted into a near sitting position. He felt the other man’s hands as they wrapped a tight bandage around his waist and tied it tightly. He knew by the uncomfortable lump at his back that Standish had padded the wound.

“Chris, I’m going to bind your right arm to your chest and use the bandages to wrap your ribs as well,” Standish explained.

“Just do it fast!” Larabee ordered through clenched teeth.

“I shall endeavor to do my best,” Standish blustered as he reached for another thick piece of material. Again he maneuvered the bandaging around his friend’s upper body before finally tying it off and holding Larabee against his chest as the man finally passed out. Taking a deep breath he looked at the horses and wondered how he was going to get Larabee on Pony and then keep him there. Easing the man back to the makeshift pillow he looked towards the brightly shining sun and wondered if there was anyplace close enough to supply them with the help they needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rose Cross watched her husband and knew the man had too much on his mind. Since inheriting the ranch he’d taken on the responsibility of not only the land and the men who worked for him, but also that of a wife and a younger brother. She knew he was strong and that he believed in working the land with his own hands, yet he was soft when it came to Andrew Cross. The younger sibling had done things that could have landed him in jail, but Billy and several of his hands had stepped in to keep Andy out of jail. Now it looked like more trouble was brewing since Andrew Cross had not returned with the paper that would confirm the payroll deposit. She pushed open the door and hurried over to the barn where Billy was talking with two of his men.

“Chet, you and Ryan take the south trail to town and see if you can find out what happened to him. I’d go myself, but I need to make sure the fence in the north pasture gets mended before any more cattle get stuck in that bog.”

“No problem, Billy. What do you want us to do if he’s still in town?” Chet Miller asked as he placed his hat on his head and smiled at Rose Cross. “Good morning, ma’am.”

“Good morning, Mr. Miller, Mr. Graham.”

“Ma’am,” Graham tipped his hat to his boss’s wife.

“If he’s in town tell him to get his ass back here or he can collect his pay and get the hell out of my sight!” Cross explained.

“Billy, are you sure you want to do this?” Rose asked as she linked her arm through his.

“Yeah, Honey, I’m sure. If that lazy good for nothin’ brother of mine has done something he shouldn’t have then it’s high time he honed up to it and I stepped back. I’ve been helping him outta his troubles for so long and I think maybe I’m at fault for some of it, but Andy just doesn’t seem to understand what it mean to care about anything. Maybe some time on his own, away from here, will teach him what I haven’t been able to.”

“You’ve done more than any man I know, Billy. Most people would have wrote him off long ago,” Ryan explained. The three men had been friends since they were first able to hold a fishing pole and had remained that way through the years. Billy came to them for advice and the two often gave it freely and accepted anything he said in return.

“Thanks, Ryan, I just hate thinking Andy is doing this because he thinks I let him down.”

“If he thinks that, Billy, then Andy is a bigger fool than I thought,” Rose assured her husband.

“Thanks, Rose. Are you going to be okay here until I get back?”

“I’m a big girl, Billy, I’ve been alone on the ranch more than once. What makes you think this time will be any different?”

“Nothing, Honey, it’s just...well, if Andy does return...”

“I’ll tell him where you are and that you want to talk to him. Okay?”

“Sounds good. Chet, you boys let me know as soon as you find out anything!”

“Sure, Billy. We’ll see you later.” The two men nodded and tipped their hats before mounting up and riding out of the yard.

“Billy, how bad is it if Andy took off with the money?” Rose asked, knowing her husband would not lie to her and hoped the news would not be as bad as she thought it would be.

“It’ll put us in a bind, but it won’t break us. I only gave Andy half the payroll. Seems I have a wife who keeps telling me about not keeping all my eggs in one basket,” Billy explained, holding her close once more.

“Yes, well, Mama never raised no fools,” she countered as he kissed her forehead.

“I love you, my wild Irish Rose!”

“And I you, Billy Cross,” she said as they walked arm and arm towards the house.