out. She said a little prayer, that he’d be ok. She worried about blood poison and gang green. She had seen men die from both. This country was wild and up until a year ago they hadn’t even had a doctor. The doctor they had wasn’t very good, but he was all they had. Any doctor was better than no doctor.
While Jax slept, Virginia worked on moving the dead Indian out of their camp, and went to look for the other one. She hid them in the brush and covered their bodies with leaves and underbrush to cover them and keep them hidden.
Chapter Seventeen
Reeves rode out before daylight. He was heading southeast after talking to the sheriff. He found out that one of the men had been captured and revealed the location his sister had been taken. He took the time to gather supplies and comfort his grandmother, but as soon as morning came he headed out. He intended to find his sister if it was the last thing he did. He didn’t know the man his grandmother had hired, nor did he understand why the man went after Virginia. He’d heard one story after another about how dangerous the man was ever since he’d rode in. That bothered him almost as much as the fact that she’d been taken.
He rode hard all day and half the night before making camp. His horse was worn out, but he was a fresh horse. He left his gelding in Chugwater and rented this one from the livery.
As he lay in his bedroll, his mind revolved around thoughts of Virginia. He remembered the day she was born. She screamed at the top of her lungs until their father laid her in his arms. She took one look at him and quieted. She’d been his shadow ever since. He thought about her and Craven , when the Indians attacked, burning down their barn. She was quiet and Craven huddled with her in the corner of the room, to stay safe. That was the first time he’d ever killed a man and he’d do it again to save his loved ones.
He drifted off and fell asleep. As soon as it was morning he jumped up with a start. He saddled his horse and rolled up his bedroll. He didn’t take time to eat breakfast; he just ate a piece of jerky on his way.
He rode all day without a person in sight, so it took him by surprise when he came upon a fire that night. He left his horse hitched to a tree, and taking out his rifle, he made hi way through the woods. He eased up quietly, careful not to make any sound, so it caught him off guard when he heard the rifle cock behind him. “Stop right where you are mister. Drop that gun and turn around slowly where I can see you.” Reeves knew the voice as soon as he heard it but he also knew he would have his head blown off if he didn’t do as he was told.
He dropped the gun and slowly turned around. “ Reeves ,” Virginia threw her arms around her brother. “I can’t believe it’s you. How , did you get here?” “I had a gut feeling my sister needed me and I came back to find I was right.”
Virginia picked up Reeves s rifle and led him into the camp. Jax laid close to the fire wrapped in his bedroll, shivering. “He has the fever, and I don’t know what to do for him. We were attacked by two Indians last night and he took an arrow in his leg. I’ve done all I know to do.” “I take it he’s the trusted man, Granny sent after you.” “He is.” “ Let me take a look at his leg.”
The leg was infected but it could be saved. “We’ve got to get him to a doctor as soon as possible.” “I know but he can’t ride like this. ” “We’ll have to make a travois. Help me find a couple of small trees to cut into poles. Then we’ll take a few smaller limbs and tie them off making him a bed. We can lay my bedroll over it then put him on it. The quicker we get it done the better. We can’t waste any time.”
Reeves and Virginia worked through the night, building the
While Jax slept, Virginia worked on moving the dead Indian out of their camp, and went to look for the other one. She hid them in the brush and covered their bodies with leaves and underbrush to cover them and keep them hidden.
Chapter Seventeen
Reeves rode out before daylight. He was heading southeast after talking to the sheriff. He found out that one of the men had been captured and revealed the location his sister had been taken. He took the time to gather supplies and comfort his grandmother, but as soon as morning came he headed out. He intended to find his sister if it was the last thing he did. He didn’t know the man his grandmother had hired, nor did he understand why the man went after Virginia. He’d heard one story after another about how dangerous the man was ever since he’d rode in. That bothered him almost as much as the fact that she’d been taken.
He rode hard all day and half the night before making camp. His horse was worn out, but he was a fresh horse. He left his gelding in Chugwater and rented this one from the livery.
As he lay in his bedroll, his mind revolved around thoughts of Virginia. He remembered the day she was born. She screamed at the top of her lungs until their father laid her in his arms. She took one look at him and quieted. She’d been his shadow ever since. He thought about her and Craven , when the Indians attacked, burning down their barn. She was quiet and Craven huddled with her in the corner of the room, to stay safe. That was the first time he’d ever killed a man and he’d do it again to save his loved ones.
He drifted off and fell asleep. As soon as it was morning he jumped up with a start. He saddled his horse and rolled up his bedroll. He didn’t take time to eat breakfast; he just ate a piece of jerky on his way.
He rode all day without a person in sight, so it took him by surprise when he came upon a fire that night. He left his horse hitched to a tree, and taking out his rifle, he made hi way through the woods. He eased up quietly, careful not to make any sound, so it caught him off guard when he heard the rifle cock behind him. “Stop right where you are mister. Drop that gun and turn around slowly where I can see you.” Reeves knew the voice as soon as he heard it but he also knew he would have his head blown off if he didn’t do as he was told.
He dropped the gun and slowly turned around. “ Reeves ,” Virginia threw her arms around her brother. “I can’t believe it’s you. How , did you get here?” “I had a gut feeling my sister needed me and I came back to find I was right.”
Virginia picked up Reeves s rifle and led him into the camp. Jax laid close to the fire wrapped in his bedroll, shivering. “He has the fever, and I don’t know what to do for him. We were attacked by two Indians last night and he took an arrow in his leg. I’ve done all I know to do.” “I take it he’s the trusted man, Granny sent after you.” “He is.” “ Let me take a look at his leg.”
The leg was infected but it could be saved. “We’ve got to get him to a doctor as soon as possible.” “I know but he can’t ride like this. ” “We’ll have to make a travois. Help me find a couple of small trees to cut into poles. Then we’ll take a few smaller limbs and tie them off making him a bed. We can lay my bedroll over it then put him on it. The quicker we get it done the better. We can’t waste any time.”
Reeves and Virginia worked through the night, building the
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