The seven magnificent horses had a meeting of the minds. Or so it would appear. Following the mighty storm, they broke off into groups, partnering up much the same as their human counterparts would. The more adventurous of the four – that is the animals belonging to Chris, Vin, Buck and JD, galloped off towards town, driven by instinct, fear, or fate. Josiah’s steed led the way for the other two, back to the vicinity where the men had left them.

As the four ambled their way into town, they took no notice of the commotion they caused. Concern that the seven might have been caught in the storm, turned to fear at the sight of the lonely horses.

The people of Four Corners had seen the terrible black funnel as it skipped along the horizon, and they were grateful to have escaped its destructive powers. However, they realized that some of their neighbors might not have been so fortunate. Nettie Wells had been one. She and Casey had taken cover in a low-lying ditch, and were miraculously unhurt, but their cabin was destroyed. They’d taken shelter at Mary Travis’s home, until the seven returned. Nettie knew that they would help her rebuild – knew that Vin would do it by himself if he had to.

She and Mary had off-handedly discussed the possibility that the men could have been surprised by the storm, but both had quickly dismissed the thought. Between Vin’s oneness with nature, and Chris’s level head, they had surely found shelter in time. They may have missed the storm all together, since no one knew exactly where they’d gone. Both being practical women, they’d shoved their concerns aside, and thought the best.

Until the four horses sauntered in.

Several men, led by Judge Travis, quickly assessed the stray animals, and determined that, though they were a little worse for the wear, their condition was good. It was disturbingly obvious, however, that the animals had weathered the storm, which meant the men they belonged to had done the same – and apparently not as successfully.

Within the hour, a search party was organized and on its way. Mary, Nettie, and Casey were left to wonder and worry. Times like these, the three strong women hated the fact they were females. They longed to join the men on their search, and in fact, they’d practically had to hold Casey back. But the fact was that, the men could return to town hurt – or any of the homesteaders could come into town hurt – and they would be needed. They locked arms as they watched the group ride off, linked in their apprehension and their affection for the missing peacekeepers.

++++++++++

Nathan had to get away. For just ten minutes, he had to get away. He said he was looking for food – fruit or maybe the remains of some unfortunate animal – but really he just wanted to be somewhere else. He just wanted to forget for a few moments the brutal reality of the responsibility that had been thrust upon him. Climbing the sloping hill that lay south of the creek, he stopped at the top to get his bearings. He noted a crop of trees several hundred yards away, and realized the storm had not touched there . . . half a mile from where his friends lay. A damn half a mile was all that had separated them from disaster and safety. He rubbed his heavy eyes, and looked a bit closer. Something moved among the trees - several things. Horses?

He was running then, down the hill and across the glen, his heart leaping with the first rays of hope. Please, God, let one of them be his. Not for his selfish affection for the animal, although there was that, too – but for the supplies his gelding held in its saddle bag. Nathan had kicked himself all night for not taking the bag with him when they went to the ground. It would have only taken a few extra minutes to untie it and take it with him, but in the urgency of the moment, he hadn’t thought of it.

He knew within minutes that his prayer had been answered. He saw not only his mount, but Josiah’s and Ezra’s, as well. The animals milled around him skittishly, but relaxed at the sound of his gentle voice. After briefly checking for any severe wounds, he breathed a sigh of relief and climbed up into the saddle. He couldn’t help the broad grin that split his handsome face, as he grabbed the reins of the other two horses and headed back to his friends. Things were definitely looking up.

The five men lay dozing fitfully as the mid-day sun shone unmercifully upon them. With no shade or shelter, the heat was stifling, and only added to their misery. But all looked up in sweet surprise when they saw Nathan approaching with the three horses. For the first time in twenty-four hours, smiles abounded all around the semi-circle of friends.

"Look what I found!" Nathan exclaimed gleefully.

"Any sign of the others?" JD asked hopefully. He didn’t want to say it, but he was really worried about what had happened to his own horse.

"No, ‘fraid not, JD. But at least we got these three, and we got my medical supplies back."

The injured men looked at each other, trying to decide if that was a good thing or not. It meant Nathan would be poking and prodding and fixing them all. At least with Ezra’s steed in tow, they knew they’d have some whiskey to make it all go down a bit easier.

Nathan dropped his bag to the ground, and stooped down to go through his things, rubbing his hands together as he did so.

"Brother Nathan looks right excited by his find," Josiah observed skeptically.

"Yes, he does appear a bit . . . animated," Ezra added.

"Which one of us you reckon he’s gonna get to first?" Buck asked.

"Not me. I’m doing fine now," JD offered.

Nathan looked up at him with a frown, before speaking. "Actually, you need to be first, JD. Need to get that wound cleaned out and stitched up. You’ll be next, Buck."

"Don’t mean to be telling you your business, Nathan, but I’d appreciate it if you could rub some of that smelly ointment you carry around on my back first, so I can get up and get going," Chris said.

Nathan looked at their leader and stated firmly, "Yer not goin’ anywhere."

"Fine. Then I’ll go without your help." Now that he had a means to travel, nothing would stop him from finding help for his men, not to mention finding their missing tracker. He leaned to his side and tried to get up on hands and knees, thinking that position would cause less strain on his back. His head spun wildly, and he nearly screamed in agony as his injured back muscles tightened. Falling back to the ground heavily, he moaned in despair. Nathan was right. He wasn’t going anywhere.

Jackson merely huffed as he made his way over to JD. It took several hours to get to them all, but he felt the weight lift from his soul when he was done. All had been sewed up, wrapped up, and medicated with laudanum or whiskey or both. By the time he’d finished, it was late afternoon, and he found that he was suddenly, ravenously hungry. Searching the saddle bags, he found enough dried beef and some old biscuits to make at least a meager meal for the gang. They’d be spending another night in the open, but now they had blankets and bedrolls to share, and come morning, new hope for rescue.

As Nathan once again built a fire, he listened to the others discuss their options. Each reasoned they were the best choice to ride into town – sure their partners had been injured more severely.

Nathan shook his head, then calmly explained the cold, hard facts.

"Josiah, there ain’t no way you can sit a horse with that leg and you know it. We’re gonna have to take you back same as Chris – on a travois or in a wagon. Ezra, you try riding a horse right now and yer likely to push one of them broken ribs right through yer lung. Buck, you can’t even sit up without throwing up. And JD’s lost too much blood. He’d make it about a mile before he fell off the damn horse."

"Well then, what do you suggest, Mr. Jackson?" Ezra asked.

Actually, Nathan hadn’t thought of the answer yet himself. He was the only one who could physically manage the ride to town, but he didn’t want to leave his injured friends alone.

"Ain’t sure yet, Ezra," he answered. "Maybe Vin will be here by morning."

What should have been a hopeful statement was met with a resounding silence.

Chris understood that the men harbored different feelings about the situation. He’d heard Josiah and Ezra talking, and knew they were concerned for Vin’s physical wellbeing. He worried greatly for his friend, as well. If Tanner were healthy, he’d have walked all night and rode all day – and he’d be here by now. He’d heard JD express his doubts and his disappointment. Buck had offered a half-hearted attempt to defend Vin, more to ease the kid’s mind than anything else. And Nathan had been strangely silent about the whole affair.

Chris had asked himself if he was disappointed in Vin. He had lain flat on his back for a day and a half and thought of little else. The nagging worry that had pricked at his subconscious had finally come to the forefront. He envisioned his best friend’s face before the winds hit, remembering the look of utter desolation and remorse reflected there. And he’d done nothing – said nothing.

No, the disappointment lay squarely with his own self. What if he had died? How could he go to his grave knowing he’d let his friend take responsibility for something he had absolutely no control over? Or worse yet, what if Vin had died carrying that unnecessary burden. What if Vin died yet? He caught his breath at that last thought and cursed his injured body. If he were ten years younger, there was no way he’d let this keep him down. He felt the energy leaving his body again, and wondered vaguely if Nathan had given him an extra measure of laudanum just to keep him from even trying to go after Tanner. Closing his eyes with a weary sigh, he saw again the terrible fear on Vin’s face. He wondered sadly if that was to be the last vision he would ever have of his friend.

++++++++++

The cool air of the early evening caressed the slack features of the burdened tracker, gently teasing him awake. Vin stirred, and tried to curl into himself as he felt chills race through his aching body. A sharp pain in his leg stopped him from further movement, however, and caused him to awaken with a deep groan. Sitting up abruptly, he nearly toppled back over before catching himself by lowering his right hand to the ground. Oh God, what had he done now?

It took only moments for his vision to clear and the stark reality of the situation to slam into him. He’d passed out again. He’d let them down – again. He remembered the look Chris had given him just before chaos erupted. Larabee had depended on him, and he’d failed. Even if they all survived this nightmarish "time off", he would never forget the disappointment that had shown clearly in his friend’s eyes. And now he’d done it again. He’d been stupid and weak, and he’d let them down.

Gathering his wits, and the little strength he still possessed, he struggled to stand. His left leg, having finally suffered enough abuse, gave out on him and the injured man once again crashed to the ground. Landing with unfortunate accuracy on his damaged left side, he cried out in pain and frustration. Vin lay for a moment, wondering how his life had gotten so out of control, before taking a deep breath and looking at the situation again.

All right, so he wasn’t as smart as Chris and Ezra and JD, and he wasn’t at strong as Josiah and Nathan and Buck. But he was resourceful, and he didn’t give up. He didn’t waste time feeling sorry for himself, either. Managing with some difficulty to scoot himself over to the remains of Nettie’s house, he searched for the perfect piece of lumber. He’d fashion himself a crutch. "Should’ve done that in the beginning," he mumbled. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of that, couldn’t believe how scrambled his brains were. Of course, Nathan hadn’t thought of it, either. That gave him some comfort. Then again, the healer was pretty angry with him. Still, Nathan would never want him to hurt, would never make things harder for him.

As he raised himself up on the crudely fashioned crutch, he realized he’d have to use his bad arm. Hell, nothing was easy. But he managed a few steps, and few more after that. It would be dark soon, and he was already cold, but maybe the exertion would warm him up. The moon would be bright enough again to light his way, and if he walked all night, he’d be in town by morning. His friends would have to spend another night on the ground, though, and he had to hold back the bile that threatened to come up at that thought. He’d make it this time. He had to. He just prayed they’d hang on until he got there.

+++++++++++

The sun had just come up the next morning when Nathan made his decision. Ezra and JD were moving about a bit more, so he would ride like the wind back to Four Corners. A new energy filled the air as the men watched the dark-skinned man ride off. Finally they were doing something. This would all be over soon, and they agreed it would be a long while before they attempted another get-away.

Their good spirits were tempered with concern, however. Where was Vin? With each passing hour, the possibility that the sharpshooter lay injured somewhere along the way became more likely.

Nathan had thought about taking a spare horse, just in case he came upon Tanner. He could move more quickly alone, however, and he really wanted to believe that the man had made it to town. In fact, he hoped to meet the rescuers along the way. For that reason, he stuck close to the main trail.

As much he hoped for that scenario, he was still surprised when it actually happened. He had just topped a crest when he spotted a half dozen men riding towards him. As they approached, he noticed Judge Travis leading the way.

The judge greeted the dark-skinned man with a smile and a warm handshake.

"Sure am glad to see you, Nathan. Where are the rest of the boys?"

Nathan looked perplexed as he answered, "They ain’t up for riding just yet, Judge."

"I’m sorry to hear that. Good thing we brought the wagon then."

Nathan was puzzled Vin hadn’t told them to bring two. "Guess we can get ‘em all in the one. It’ll be tight, though."

"None of them able to ride then?" Judge Travis asked.

"No. Didn’t Vin tell you?"

"Vin? We haven’t seen him. Isn’t he with you?"

Nathan’s heart sank. So he hadn’t made it. He was hurt worse than he had thought – than he had hoped. But where was he? He sighed deeply as he explained to the Judge, "Vin went for help two days ago. I was hopin’ that was why you came lookin’ for us."

"I’m sorry, Nathan. We came because four of your horses wandered into town."

"I gotta go find him," Jackson said distractedly, as he turned his steed around.

Travis grabbed his arm and said sympathetically, "Nathan, right now you need to lead us to the others. Later, we’ll look for Vin."

Nathan nodded absently. Why hadn’t he stopped Tanner? Why hadn’t he checked him closer? He dreaded telling Chris the news, but the sooner they got to the others, the sooner he could search for Vin.

++++++++++

Chris saw them coming. He ignored the burning sensation that traveled between his shoulder blades all the way down his legs as he propped himself up on one elbow. Squinting into the mid-day sun, he tried to make out the faces of the approaching men. Judge Travis and Nathan were easy to spot – almost as easy to see as the glaring absence of a certain slouch hat.

Nathan dismounted and immediately came to stand before Chris. The healer’s face said it all, but he put the truth into words anyway. "No sign of him, Chris."

"Nathan, get me the hell on that horse," Larabee demanded.

"We been over this. You ain’t in no condition t’ ride."

"Is it gonna kill me?" the gunman asked honestly.

Nathan hesitated and looked away as he answered, "I reckon not, but it’ll hurt like hell. Yer bruised head t’ toe, and you banged yer head up good, too. And besides – you’ll just slow me down."

"You’re planning to go after him?" Chris asked, surprised that Jackson would even consider leaving the care of the others in someone else’s hands.

Nathan turned to look the blond squarely in the eye. "Yeah. I am."

Chris heard the emotion behind the affirmation, and he wondered at the reasons behind it. But for now, he merely responded, "Well, so am I."

In spite of the presence of a dozen men, quiet pervaded as all listened discreetly to the men’s conversation. At Chris’s calm declaration, the stillness was broken. The rescuers set about the task of moving the ailing men into the wagon for the journey back to town.

Buck was moved first, as he needed to lay down flat. The rogue continued to suffer excruciating headaches and nausea, as well as blurred vision. He knew the ride back would be more than miserable - his aching head howling with every stone and pothole they traveled over. But he also knew plenty of tender, loving care lay at the end of the journey, and he smiled in anticipation.

They loaded Josiah next, mindful of the splinted limb. The preacher bit back a groan as he stretched out next to Buck. He’d broken bones before, but this was a bad one, and he knew it would be long weeks before he’d be up walking. He offered a tentative grin to the man next to him, a shared knowledge that the road ahead would be long and painful.

JD and Ezra both insisted on sitting up in the wagon. There wasn’t room for them to lie down, and Ezra especially, felt more comfortable in an upright position. Nathan fussed that JD would break open the stitches in his back, but the kid stuck to his guns. He was sick and tired of lying down and couldn’t wait to get back to civilization.

It had taken two men to get the stubborn gunslinger on his horse. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of verbally expressing how terribly it hurt, though. Sitting up straight was impossible, so he draped his upper body across the saddle horn and flat out denied the spinning in his head. He could do this. He had a hunch Vin had endured worse in his efforts to help them.

As Nathan and Chris prepared to ride on ahead of the others, the healer gave a list of instructions to Travis. He knew the men would be in good hands until he returned, but still it was difficult to let go of their care.

"Make sure Buck keeps down," he directed before shooting a look and a comment to Wilmington. "And I don’t care how pretty she is – yer doing absolutely nothin’ for a good week."

Now matter how bad he felt, Buck could always muster a smile, and he sent a huge one Jackson’s way.

"And JD’s running a low fever, you’ll need to keep an eye on that. Make sure he drinks a lot – and I don’t mean beer, JD."

The young man merely rolled his eyes and looked away. What Nathan didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

"Ezra seems to be all right, I don’t think he’s got any internal injuries – but you never know, and he ain’t likely to say if he gets to havin’ problems. You’ll need to keep a close eye on him, too – make sure he stays out of any card games that are likely to turn ugly."

"Why Mr. Jackson, I am stunned. Surely you don’t believe me to be so foolish as to jeopardize my well-being over a hand of cards?"

With that, all of the men turned to look at the gambler, and Ezra decided he’d best just keep quiet.

"Any advice for me, Nathan?" Josiah questioned.

"Like you would listen to it anyway?" Nathan sighed. He really wasn’t happy about this, but he had to be the one to find Vin.

"Go find our lost sheep, Brother. We’ll look after each other," Josiah responded softly.

Nathan nodded and turned away before the others noted the moisture in his eyes. Chris rode Josiah’s steed, and as the healer reached over to take a hold of the reins, Larabee shot him a glare.

Nathan glared back and stated, "Now don’t be fussin’ with me, Chris. We’re goin’ slow and easy and yer takin’ my help."

Chris was too miserable to argue. As long as they were moving he didn’t care what Nathan said or did. He just needed to find Tanner.

The pair had moved on ahead when JD turned to Buck and asked, "How come they didn’t find Vin on the way here? How could they have missed him?"

"Don’t know. Maybe he took another way back. You know how Vin is. Might have found a short cut."

"Well, obviously not, since he never showed up." JD was silent for a moment before he spoke out loud the thoughts that had been bothering him. "Maybe he didn’t go to town at all. Maybe he feels bad for what happened to all of us."

All three men looked at JD incredulously. Ezra, for once, spoke plainly and pointedly to the youth. "Are you trying to suggest that Mr. Tanner left us here purposely?"

JD stammered, "No . . . maybe . . . I don’t know. I just think it’s strange that no one saw him along the way. I mean, what could have happened to him?"

Buck was sure now that his head was going to explode. He tried to think of the right thing to say to his young friend, but found he needn’t bother – Josiah was doing it for him.

"JD, you’ve ridden with Vin for over a year now. You know the man. Use your head. Buck’s the one who got his brains knocked loose – not you. Think about what you’re saying."

Dunne hung his head and mumbled, "I’m sorry."

This time Buck responded, "Don’t say it if you don’t mean it, Kid. We may not agree with you, but you got a right to think what you do."

"Thanks, Buck - but I do mean it. I know Vin wouldn’t leave us like this – but if he didn’t, then it means something happened to him. Guess in a way, I’d rather think he ran out on us than think he’s dead."

There was no answer to that – neither of those options being acceptable. The wagon pulled forward with a lurch, causing a chorus of moans and groans. It would indeed be a long, tiresome trip.

Next.....