Colorado Sam by Jim Woolard Page A

I haven’t been privy to. But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate proper manners when I encounter them.” 
    Â Â  The female scarecrow lifted a roll of white gauze, a pair of scissors, and a small blue can from her satchel. “We’ll need to remove the old bandage and replace it, Mr. Tanner. A doctor must examine a wound first-hand to treat it.”
    Â Â  Unwinding the old bandage proved awkward. Nathan found holding his head off the pillow while Ellie Langston ministered to him strained the muscles of his neck and provoked a new wave of pain. The last few rounds of bandage took the longest. “We need to be careful here, Mr. Tanner. We don’t want to disturb the scab, what there is.”
    Â Â  Regardless of Ellie Langston’s physique, her touch was softer than a caressing feather. “Hmm, the swelling’s diminishing already. Mr. Tanner, you are an extremely lucky young man. The blow didn’t shatter your skull and the cut it made in your skin is knitting together. And there’s no sign of proud flesh.”
    Â Â  Ellie Langston discarded the old bandage and gingerly applied salve that stunk like blazes in the area of Nathan’s greatest pain. Unrolling fresh white gauze, she placed a square of the material directly on the open wound, then bound it place by rewrapping his head. 
    Â Â  With a pat of Nathan’s shoulder, the female doctor rose and returned leftover gauze, scissors, and the salve can to her satchel. She snapped the satchel closed and trained her owlish eyes on Nathan. “I provided the Chinaman with laudanum for you if the pain becomes too great. You must rest as much as possible. I don’t want you even walking down the hall to the necessary. Mr. Ming will provide a chamber pail for your bodily functions. I can’t stress enough, Mr. Tanner, how important bed rest is to your recovery.”
    Â Â  “How long will I be laid up?”
    Â Â  “Until you can stand on your feet with no dizziness, however much time that requires. If all goes well I’ll let you try to stand in a day or two.”
    Â Â  Ellie Langston lifted her satchel from the bed.  “Constable Allred of the Alamosa Police Department is waiting in the hallway. He has some questions dealing with the assault on your person. He’s been here a number of times and if you’re not too tired, I’ll allow him to speak with you. I’ve cautioned him he’s not to stay more than five minutes.”
    Â Â  Despite his pain and discomfort, Nathan was anxious to learn what, if anything, the Alamosa police had uncovered in their investigation. “Send him in.”
    Â Â  The female doctor departed and Constable Allred eased into the room. Where Sam had ignored Ellie Langston, he was on his feet and growling in a flash.   Constable Allred, carrying a straight-backed chair, stopped in his tracks. “Forgot the big bastard was with you,” he whispered. 
    Â Â  The chunky constable looked ridiculous standing tipped-toed, clutching the chair as if it were made of eggs. It gladdened Nathan to observe another person petrified of Sam, but wishing the constable no embarrassment or harm, he copied Alana Birdsong and ordered Sam to “Stay!” 
    Â Â  Though he remained on his feet, Sam licked his chops and ceased growling. The relieved constable set his chair down as far away from the huge dog as possible and lowered himself onto its seat. “Thank you,” he said, doffing his braided police cap. “I’m not partial to fanged animals.”
    Â Â  Nathan found this incongruous, for the constable’s sunken eyes, pug nose, bulging upper lip, and heavy jowls matched those of an English bulldog. Nathan would have thought it perfectly natural had the constable growled back at Sam. Neither was it a surprise that his voice was a wheezing rasp. “I’m Constable Jack Allred, Mr.