Disclaimer: This story is the copyright of nesciri and are published for others to read. Any abuse or infringement of the author's rights will be governed by Swedish law. The characters have been borrowed from the TV-drama "The Young Riders" . This has not been done in order to violate the copyright of the authors of that show, however, if an infringement has been done, please notify nesciri and this page will be removed.

Part 26

Rachel hummed softly as to ease her feelings about the road ahead of her. When Teaspoon had returned to the station and asked her to accompany him to Blue Creek to pick up Buck, she had been hesitant. She didn't know why - maybe because the trip would end in Buck being locked up and accused of a crime Rachel knew in her heart that he hadn't done. It didn't matter much that she would be able to stop worrying about how he was or where it was - her feelings told her that instead of bringing Buck away from danger, they were on their way to bring him closer to it. She glanced over at Teaspoon, wondering if he shared her feelings or not, but the older man's face showed her nothing. Finally she had to voice her concerns.
"Are you sure we're doing the right thing here, Teaspoon?"
"I ain't sure," Teaspoon admitted. "But there ain't anything we can do about it."
"Maybe we can tell them that he got away?" Rachel suggested.
"And get another reward on his head?"
Rachel sighed. Of course Teaspoon was right, but she was still reluctant to see it. To keep herself from the disturbing thoughts she decided to change the subject.
"I hope that Ike is all right. He wasn't too pleased when you told him he couldn't come."
"Noah and Kid will keep an eye on him. They knew better than letting him get into trouble too."
"At least we can count on Noah to do that," Rachel admitted, "but I'm not so sure about Kid. Remember his face when you told Cody and Lou to stick together?"
"He has to see reason," Teaspoon explained. "If Lou wants to keep her identity a secret, then she better play the part that the whole town think she has. Thompkins heard Colter refer to her as Cody's girl, which means it was all over town an hour later."
"Poor Lou," Rachel smiled. "I don't know whom of them that took it most badly - Lou or Kid." Then her smiled slowly faded.
"You think that everything will be all right?" she asked softly.
"It has to be," Teaspoon replied grimly.

It was almost evening when they finally reached Blue Creek. Without a word Teaspoon took the wagon into the back streets and hitched it up to the rear entrance of the sheriff's office. He didn't want to make too much of a scene when they got Buck back. He quickly helped Rachel down and grabbed her small bag, in which she had hastily placed a few things that she might come in handy.
"You want me to join you?" she asked as they walked up to the main street.
"I think it might be best," Teaspoon replied. "We need to know if Buck's in need of some doctoring or not."
Rachel nodded as Teaspoon opened the door.

"Marshal Hunter." The man behind the desk rose at their entrance with a relieved look on his face. Teaspoon immediately recognised the deputy.
"Garinger," he greeted and extended his hand. "Where's Ericson?"
"He was killed two weeks ago - trouble at the saloon on pay day and one of them had a knife. I was appointed in his place - well - at least until the town could find a assessor."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Teaspoon said truthfully. Ericson had been a good man, which had made him rather surprised to hear that he'd arrested Buck. Faced with the truth, he understood it better. Garinger was a good man, but he lacked the sharp mind of his former boss.
"I understand that you've got one of my riders here," he stated, not wanting to delay their departure.
"Yeah," Garinger agreed. "Strangest thing that ever happened to me. This 'ere bounty hunter showed up with'im, showing this wanted poster in my face and demanding money. I told him to go to Sweetwater, but he said he wasn't willing to do that - something about being followed. I wasn't sure of what to do, so I locked him up and told that bounty hunter to collect his money elsewhere. Guess he must have turned up in Sweetwater, he? You here to collect him?"
"Yes, we are." Teaspoon wasn't ready to get into a details. "I got the feeling that he was injured. Has there been a doctor to see him?"
Garinger shook his head. "No, he didn't look too bad - guess I didn't think about it."
"Well, I would appreciate if you could get one here now," Teaspoon suggested. "I'll keep an eye on your office in the meantime."
"Oh, yes, of course," the other man stuttered and reached for his hat.
"Can we see him?" Rachel asked, in fear that the man would leave with the keys.
The man looked at her and then down at the keys that hanged of the chain on his trousers.
"I ain't sure," he said, "I'm not suppose to leave the keys…"
"I'll take care of them," Teaspoon stated and reached out his hand.
Still reluctant, but unable to resist Teaspoon's firm demand the man handed over the keys.
"I'll be right back," he promised. As soon as he was out the door, Teaspoon and Rachel headed to the rear part of the office where the cells where, separated from the office by a wooden wall. Rachel was tightly behind Teaspoon as they entered the dimly lit up row of cells and she bit her lip as she saw the young man lying motionless on the bunk in the first cell.
"Doesn't seem to be anyone else in here," Teaspoon muttered as he tried the keys to the cell. As soon as he got up the door, Rachel pushed herself pass him and kneeled by the boy. She held back her tears as she took in his appearance. His hair was tousled and he was dirty beyond description. He looked awfully paled and when she gently removed a few strands of hair from his face she felt his warm and flustered skin.
"He's got fever," she whispered to Teaspoon as she reached for his hands under the dirty blanket. They were dirty too, but what made her eyes widen in shock was the rope that still was bound around his wrists. She heard Teaspoon curse softly under his breath.
"I'll get a knife," he stated and walked out.
Rachel slowly folded back the thin and worn out blanket that obviously was the sole source of warmth for the prisoners. Buck was dressed in an old shirt that looked too large for his thin body and Rachel seemed to remember Lou saying something about the other one being ruined. Not that she cared - she wanted to know how badly hurt he was. She started to unbutton it, when Buck stirred in his sleep.
"Buck?" she said softly as she caressed his face. Buck slowly opened his eyes and stared unseeingly at her until his vision cleared.
"Rachel?" he whispered weakly.
Rachel smiled at him as she heard Teaspoon return.
"Yes, both me and Teaspoon are here," she said as she moved away to give Teaspoon enough room to cut off the offending rope.
"How are you feeling?" she asked as Teaspoon had finished his task. Rachel reached out for one of his hand and holding it between her hands she gently massaged it to get the blood back into his hand.
"I'm fine," Buck croaked as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling that her massage brought to his numb fingers.
Rachel crooked an eyebrow and looked at Teaspoon, who smiled sadly.
"You know you'd get that answer," he replied silently. Rachel frowned at him as she switched hands, trying to get circulation back into Buck's other hand as well.
"Hey, Buck?" she asked again and was rewarded as he opened his eyes once more. "Tired?" she asked gently.
"Little," Buck admitted. "How…"
"Colter showed up in Sweetwater," Teaspoon said. "Told us he left you here."
Buck frowned. "Lou," he mumbled. "He left Lou…somebody should…"
"Don't worry, son," Teaspoon stated. "Lou, Jimmy and Cody are all back at the station."
"Teaspoon, could you get me some hot water," Rachel asked softly. "I want to get some of this dirt off him."
"I'll do that - and I'll see what's holding Garinger and the Doc too."
Teaspoon left and Rachel turned to Buck again, content that he was getting some life back into his hands. "I'm gonna have a look at that wound," she said.
Buck just nodded his reply. He was too tired to really care and his headaches had returned with renewed force. Colter hadn't let them rest for more than a short time, in fear that Lou and the others would find them. And although Buck had made a fruitless effort to get away, all that it rendered him was dirty hands and clothes in the struggle with the bounty hunter. And the time he had spent in the cell hadn't been much better. He had tried to sleep but sometime during the night the temperature had soared and the mattress under him had been damp with his sweat when he had woke up. He had sat up in bed, shivering. The sweat that had been coursing off his lean, muscled back congealed in the sudden chill that gripped him. Panting, he had realised that it was not the outside temperature that had risen, but his own. His flesh had crawled with bumps from the cool, early morning air, but the cell still seemed hot and heavy, stifling his breathing and holding him down. Unable to do anything else he had dropped back onto his soggy mattress, pulling the one quilt back up around his throat. And he didn't feel any better now. His eyelids were heavy and scratchy, his throat dry. He still wanted to sleep, but so far sleep had only been random as he had been drifted in and out of his fever dreams, leaving him without any sense of reality.

Rachel smiled at him as she continued to unbutton the shirt. She tried to hold back a gasp as she saw the dirty bandage and the large red stain on it. "Oh Buck," she mumbled under her breath. She was uncertain if she would remove it or if she would wait for the doctor. Lou hadn't said anything about the wound being open, so Rachel could only assume that the wound had been reopened during the trip to Blue Creek. Still uncertain of what to do, she sighed with relief as she heard voices from the office declaring that the deputy had returned with the doctor. She leaned forward and stroke Buck over his forehead.
"We'll take you home," she mumbled. "Don't you worry."

When Ike left the office he had no clear plan in mind nor did he knew what he should do. All he knew was that he couldn't stay in the office any more. He couldn't listen to Teaspoon saying that he would have to arrest Buck and keep him locked up. He knew that it wasn't the answer. He knew that it was wrong. The only reason for Buck being arrested was the colour of his skin and that just wasn't right. And he definitely didn't like the lawyer's, Carter, talk about a trial. He wanted to believe in the judicial system, he needed to believe in it as he had been taught, but his faith had taken a sever blow when it had failed to protect him and his friends when he was called as a witness to a murder. The systems failure had almost cost him his best friend's life and he would not let another failure on it's part end it this time. Ike stopped in his track, for the first time looking up and seeing where he was. He was down by the blacksmith's and collected himself he headed back to the livery. He had to get away from the town for a while - he needed time to think. There had to be something he could do - and all he had to do was finding out what.

An hour later he was no closer to a solution and desperation was creeping into his mind. He couldn't stand by silently and watch his best friend getting tossed in jail for something he hadn't done. Ike needed to do something. His hasty retreat from town and the violent ride had brought him to the pond. Normally he managed to find peace and quit there, but not today. He couldn't even sit down. Instead he paced to and through along the soft bank of the water. He couldn't think. Instead he clenched and unclenched his hands in a desperate attempt to get control over his emotions. He feared that he was loosing his mind. He didn't want to see Buck in jail, but more than that, he didn't want to see his friend hang. And that was what he feared it would end with. He tried to shake the gruesome image of Buck hanging from a rope from his mind, but failed. Somehow Teaspoon words that he would make sure he stayed in office to keep an eye on things only served to upset him more. If even Teaspoon felt obliged to follow the law, then who would be there for Buck? He knew that he could count on his fellow riders to do anything for their friend, but he didn't want them to risk their lives either. It all came down to the same thing. There was really just one person that could do anything. And it was Ike. He was the one that had to do something. He couldn't ask of his friends to share the risk. If Buck was considered guilty then everybody helping him would be considered guilty as well. He tried to imagine what life on the run would be and the thought abhorred him. Life hadn't been easy for him and Buck before the joined the Express, but to be looking over your shoulder for every minute of the rest of your life wasn't exactly how he had envisaged his life. But if it come to that, it would still be better than a life without Buck. Exhausted he sat down on a fallen log. He had to get Buck out of his trouble, but how would he be able to get Buck out of jail? Without involving any of the other it was impossible. He couldn't hurt Teaspoon or any of the others. Nor did he think that he could threaten them - they would never believe him. He could try and steal the key, but for some reason he had a feeling that the others would be keeping an eye on him. He sighed. There just had to be something he could do. Wrestling the matter over and over in his mind, he suddenly came upon the solution. With a determined look in his face he rose and returned to his horse that calmly was grazing not far from him. Mounting, he quickly turned around the animal and headed back to Sweetwater.

Noah sighed as he dismounted outside the marshal's office. He took one look down the street in hope of see the one he was searching for but there was no one he recognised.
"Did you find him?" Kid asked as he stepped inside.
Noah shook his head. "No, not a sign." He sank down on a chair. "I've been everywhere. The blacksmith said he saw him ride out of town, and since then nobody's seen him."
Kid looked worried at him. "Where can he be?" he asked with a frown.
"I don't know - I hope he's all right though."
"You don't think he's followed Teaspoon and Rachel to Blue Creek?"
"Why would he do that? He knew what Teaspoon said about him coming with'em."
"Then where could he be?" Kid asked again.
"If you ask me that once more, I won't be held responsible for my actions," Noah said tiredly.
"Sorry," Kid mumbled. "I'm just worried, that's all."
"I know - ain't too fond of the situation myself. Where are the others?"
"Jimmy headed over to the hotel to see if he could talk to the boy. Seems as Carter arranged for the family to stay there for the time being. Lou and Cody went back to the station."
"Lou didn't like the idea of prancing around town as Cody's girl, he?" Noah asked with a hint of a smile.
"It ain't funny," Kid murmured with only caused Noah's smile to widen.
"Well, in one way it is," he stated in a low voice, which Kid chose to ignore.
"Well, since nothing seem to be happening here, I might as well head back to the station," Kid stated and rose.
Noah sighed. "Lou's fine, Kid, but I suppose if you have to you have to."
"What are you going to do?" Kid asked, trying to keep the frown away from his face.
"I'll stay here in case Ike shows up."
"See you tonight then." Kid nodded and walked out. Noah looked after him and then he placed his feet up on the table. He hoped he wouldn't have to wait for too long before Ike showed up again. And he desperately hoped that he wasn't in trouble.

It was late when Ike returned to the town. He saw the light burning in the marshal's office and he carefully avoided the building. He didn't want to drag anyone else into his and Buck's trouble. Instead he hitched his horse behind the saloon where it wouldn't be seen to easily and begun his vigilance. It was closer to midnight before he was rewarded as a drunk Ambrose Emery walked out from the saloon. Ike knew exactly where he would go - Ambrose had followed the same routine for the last days when he and Noah had been following him. He would stagger over to his horse, clumsily trying to get up and then head over to the shack that he called his home. It was outside Sweetwater, close to the old mine that he claimed hold a fortune but so far hadn't given him more than he was able to sustain his drinking. Seeing him getting up on his horse, Ike silently unhitch his own and silently followed Ambrose out of town.

Ambrose Emery pulled the rain on his horse.
"Whoa," he mumbled as he swayed in the saddle, "not too fast, beast." Steadying himself for a few seconds he then let go of the rains and urged the animal forward, knowing that the horse knew her way back just as well as he did, maybe even better. Instead he grabbed the saddle horn in an effort to steady himself in his drunken stupor. When he felt secure, he raised his voice into a song that sounded falsely over the plain. Not that it seemed to matter to Ambrose, instead the sound of his own voice only made him increase his efforts. Behind him, well hidden, Ike grimaced at the sound and hoped that he would stop soon. His tensed nerves weren't ready for the singing attempt. Fortunately for Ike, and the surrounding, the singing ended as soon as the man had reached the shack that he called his home. More falling than dismounting, Emery left his horse to tend for itself as he stumbling made his way over to the shack. Tripping, he managed to turn over a sack of corn that leaned against the porch. Muttering the drunkard kicked it with the result that the sack broke and a stream of corn ran out over the ground. Staggering, Emery ignored it and went inside, closing the door with a bang. Ike watched silently from his hiding place as the man went inside and then closed the door behind him. Ike didn't know what he should do - he wasn't even sure of the reasons that had brought him quit here. All he knew was that Emery knew more about Craven's death than what he was saying. In fact, Ike was quite convinced that Emery had killed Craven himself. He would never be able to prove it, nor had he any evidence. He just knew. He knew that Buck couldn't have killed the man, and the only one that they knew had been out there was Emery. So therefore Emery was the guilty one and all Ike had to do was to prove it. Dismounting, he slowly approached the shack. As he came closer he drew his gun and then, the gun ready in his hand, he opened the door. It was dark inside and it took a few seconds before his eyes had adjusted to the dim light inside. There was only one window in the shack and it was dirty beyond description. As his eyes adjusted he soon could make out Emery snoring loudly where he lay across his bunk. Slowly advancing, Ike walked up to him - uncertain of what to do. Finally the need to help Buck prevailed and he reached down and hit Emery on the shoulder with his gun.

"What? What?" The drunken man exclaimed as he unsteadily rose and watched wildly around him. It took him some time to realise that he was not alone and he squinted uncertainly at Ike.
"Who are you?" he growled, when he noticed the gun aimed at him. His eyes widened as his drunken mind took in this new information. "What do you want?" he asked, his mind still not able to take in the danger he was in. Slowly he raised his eyes from the gun to the man behind it. He stared at Ike for what Ike thought was an eternity. He wanted to be pout of the dark and smelly shack, away from the man that reeked of cheap whiskey. He stared angrily at the man, direction all his fears and frustration at the man. The cobwebs of Emery's mind slowly cleared and he looked suspiciously at Ike.
"You're one of those Express riders, ain't you?" he asked, and Ike nodded.
"Why are you here?" Emery continued dumbfounded. Ike took out the note he had prepared earlier and handed it over to the man.
"I don't read," the man sneered and refused to touch it, and Ike realised that the man couldn't. not that it should have surprised him, but still it was a miscalculation from his part. How would he now be able to confront Emery with his suspicions?
Accusingly he pointed his finger at the man ando then he drew the finger across his neck, indicating death. Emery stared at him, but somehow, maybe because of his drunken state that made him more open to Ike's facial expressions, he spoke.
"I haven't killed anyone," he muttered. "You've got the wrong man, son, so why don't you get out of here and let me sleep."
Ike remained where he was. Again he made the signs and this time he pointed over in the direction over Craven's homestead.
"I ain't done killing nobody!" Emery yelled. "Get out of here!"
Then he seemed to remember him. "You're that dummy," he gasped. "You're the friend of that half-breed."
Ike just nodded, his lips tightly shut together into two thin lines in his face.
"I didn't kill Craven," Emery sneered. "Your friend did that - everybody knows that - the boy saw him!"
Ike shook his head and once more pointed accusingly at him.
"You ain't gonna pull this on me," Emery wheezed. "I wasn't even near that place."
He smiled evilly at Ike. "Besides, ain't nobody gonna believe you - that boy says the half-breed did it and ain't nobody that's not gonna believe him. Your friend's gonna be hanged, dummy - and it ain't nothing you can do about it."
Emery grinned satisfied at him. "So what are you gonna do now, idiot?" Kill me? That would be nice - then the town can hang both of you - you ain't worthy to live anyway."

Ike had had it. The anger and frustration he felt over the fact that Buck was about to get arrested and the fear that his friend might get hanged got the better of him. He rose his arm to strike, but Emery must have seen the danger and with a speed that was surprising considering his condition, he wriggled away and rolled onto the floor. He reached for something under his bed and in the next second a shot shattered the silence, scaring the few field mouse outside that had gathered to collect the spilled corn.

Noah heard the shot and urged his horse into a gallop. He had lost track of Ike half an hour earlier, but at the sound he realised where he was. The shot had came from the shack that he and Ike had realised was the home of Emery. And the shot could only mean one thing in Noah's mind - that Ike was in trouble. He reached the hut a few minutes later and hastily dismounted he reached for his gun before he burst through the door. The scene before made him stop abruptly. Emery was leaning against the wall staring terrified up at Ike . blood was oozing from a wound in his upper leg and Ike's gun was steadily aimed at his chest. There was nothing that indicated that Ike would lower it either.
"Don't do it, Ike," Noah said carefully, seeing that his friend was to far gone.
<He killed Craven and he's gonna let Buck hang for it.>
"Buck ain't dead yet," Noah reasoned. "You can't kill a man for something that ain't happen yet."
<He knows that Buck didn't kill Craven. He's going to tell everyone else.>
Noah looked at Ike. He was well aware of the desperation his friend felt, but at the same time he was realistic. There was no way Emery ever would do anything to help them, the man was so full of hate that he would let Ike kill him before he helped a half-breed. Noah had met enough of those men to recognise them. And he had seen it in Emery from the first time he saw him. Ambrose Emery lived on hate, for the hate. Without it he would rather die, since it was the one thing that justified his presence on this earth - at least in his eyes.
"He's not gonna do it Ike." Noah spoke softly, knowing that his anger would not help anything right noe.
"He's right," Emery spat, "I ain't gonna say nothing to help a damn Indian. Get that, dummy?"
The bullet hit the wall less than two inches from Emery's head and Noah jumped backwards. He had never expected Ike to actually pull the trigger. Slightly pale he stared at his friend.

Emery shivered and stared with glossy eyes at the gun, not daring to look into its holder's face. A mixture of hate and fear shown in his face. Ike turned to stare at Noah for a second and before any one could react he turned and stormed out of the shack. Emery's hysterical laughter followed him out.
"I know you were crazy!" he yelled after him, when Noah grabbed him and pushed him against the wall. "Not a word," he hissed. "If I see you even near us again, I swear I will kill you myself."
He dropped the man in the ground and left, eager to catch up with Ike.

He managed to do that by the water hole. Ike sat on a fallen log and looked despairingly at the water. Noah dismounted and joined him.
"What do you think you're doing?" he asked with a hint of irritation in his voice. "Where you trying to kill him?"
Ike didn't respond.
"Ike? What's wrong?"
<They're going to kill him.>
"Who?"
<The town - they're going to hang him.>
Slowly it dawned on Noah was Ike was talking about.
"Teaspoon ain't gonna let that happen," he said confidently.
Ike shook his head. He wasn't so sure. Of course Teaspoon would do his best to prevent it, but it wouldn't be enough. The town would not let the murderer of a father of two children get away and as long as everybody believed that Buck was that murderer, what could Teaspoon do? Ike turned to Noah.
<You know that Teaspoon might not be able to do anything,> he signed slowly. <You've seen the people in town. They're all riled up over this and some of them can't wait to get Buck hanged.>
"That doesn't mean that Teaspoon won't be able to do anything," Noah replied.
Ike scowled at this and Noah realised the futility in trying to convince Ike. In fact, he didn't believe his own words either. He'd seen town getting all riled up over a fugitive slave, hell, he'd even seen family men and fathers grab whatever weapons they had before joining the hunt. No, he didn't believe that Buck would stand a chance either. Still with a hint of hesitation, he nodded.
"I know," he said softly.
In surprise Ike turned and placed his gaze on his friend's face. Noah smiled sheepishly.
"So I was trying to convince myself just as much as I was trying to convince you," he admitted. He sighed. "Buck doesn't stand much of a chance if the town get its will, he muttered as he reached for some pebbles by his foot. Thoughtfully tossing them into the water, he continued.
"So what do we do now?"
A hint of a smile passed over Ike's pale face before he shook his head.
<You won't do anything,> he signed determinedly.
"What do you mean?"
<This doesn't concern you - you should stay out of it…out of trouble.>
Noah looked suspiciously at him.
"What are you planning to do?" he asked sternly.
Ike shrugged.
"If you plan on breaking him out, you'll be living as a fugitive from the law for the rest of your lives," Noah objected. "There won't be anybody that will believe that Buck is innocent in that case. You'll be running from marshals and bounty hunters with no way of getting out of it."
Again Ike only shrugged.
"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Noah more stated than asked.
Ike threw him a side glance and Noah didn't had to repeat the question. The answer was plainly written in Ike's face. Noah took a deep breath and looked out over the calm water.
"So how do you plan to do it?" he asked.
<Don't know.>
"You don't know." Noah saw an image before him of Ike bursting into Teaspoon's office, gun in hand and demanding that Buck be released.
"Don't do it Ike," he said earnestly. "at least not without thinking it through first. What if something would go wrong? What if somebody gets hurt - or worse killed?"
Ike looked despairingly at him.
<I can't let Buck die!>
"None of us can. But that doesn't mean we'd rush off without thinking. Like now - what were you planning to do? Kill him?"
Ike grinned foolishly at him. He hadn't really thought about what he would do - all he had been able to think about was that Buck would be freed of the charges of murder.
"You getting arrested is not the way to help Buck," Noah continued.
<I know, I know. But what shall I do?>
"Wait until Teaspoon's back. Then we'll see just how bad Buck is. Then we make our plans accordingly."
A brief smile appeared on Ike's lips, lighting up his weary face, as he showed his appreciation. They would find a way to get Buck out of this mess - they had to.

"We should pass by doc's first," Rachel suggested as Sweetwater came into sight. She glanced at Teaspoon. "Maybe he should stay there," she continued, "at least until he's better." Rachel sincerely hoped that there was a way they could avoid placing Buck in one of the cells at the jail. It wasn't fair.
"That's just one problem with that, Rachel," Teaspoon replied. "Should anything go wrong, we'll have no means of defending him or us over there. I don't like the jail any better than you do, but let's face it, it the safest place for him right now."
Rachel didn't reply. Instead she let out a soft sigh and turned to look at the rider, who covered in several blankets was resting uneasily in the back of the wagon. She wasn't sure if he even was aware of his surroundings and she hated the thought that he would come through only to find himself in jail.
"This is not right, Teaspoon," she stated for the umpteenth time during the trip. Like he had the last four or five times, Teaspoon didn't bother to reply. There was nothing to say anyway.

They continued in silence for a few more minutes. Rachel was about to say something, when she spotted two riders approaching them.
"We've got company," she said as to alert Teaspoon, but she soon found out that Teaspoon already had his eyes on them.
"So I see," was all he said as he made sure that the rifle was easy accessible. As the riders approached , both Rachel and Teaspoon sighed with relief. It was Noah and Ike. Even so, Teaspoon face darkened as the riders reached them.
"What are you doing out here?" he growled, although his face revealed his true feelings.
"Just making sure that everything is all right," Noah replied casually, "and that you weren't in trouble."
<How is he?> Ike signed quickly when a swift smile told them that there would be no more reprimands from Teaspoon on the subject..
"He's fever and he lost a lot of blood," Rachel replied. "Give him time and plenty of rest and he'll be just fine. At the news Noah exchanged a quick glance with Ike as both of them tried to hide their disappointment.
"Where are you taking him?" Noah asked offhandedly.
"To the office - he'll be safe there. Anything happened while I was gone?"
"Nothing," Noah replied quickly, perhaps a bit too quickly, as Ike shook his head. Teaspoon looked suspiciously at them. He hadn't missed the look that passed between them earlier and he suspected that there was something that they weren't telling him, but he refrained from saying anything. He thought he had a pretty good idea of what it was and in his heart he couldn't blame them .

They almost managed to get Buck inside without stirring up any trouble. While Noah and Ike had chosen the main road into town, Rachel and Teaspoon had chosen a less conspicuous route; using the alleys and less used parts of the town. They met inside the office where they together carried Buck inside, where Rachel made him as comfortable as possible inside the cell. Doc joined them a few minutes later, but there weren't much he could do or say. Teaspoon was still conferring with the doctor, when shouts outside told them that trouble was coming. Seconds later a bloody and bruised Emery burst through the door.
"They tried to kill me!" he yelled loud enough for the curious crowd outside to hear, in fact his voice carried a good way down the street. As to clarify his statement, he pointed at himself and continued.
"Look what they did to me! They beat me up and left me for dead - it's pure luck I'm alive!"
"Calm down," Teaspoon barked as he placed himself before Emery. He had no wish letting the man see that Buck was there. The others too placed themselves in such a manner that the cells were hidden behind them. "Now who are you saying did this to you?"
Several of the most curios of the townspeople were now craning their necks outside to get a glimpse of the commotion.
"The dummy and the nigger!" Emery shouted and pointed accusingly at the two riders. Behind him Carter was making his way through the crowd. Teaspoon quickly threw a glance over his shoulder only to see the disdain in the two accused faces. When Noah saw Teaspoon's look, he subtly shook his head. They might have roughed Emery up some, but not to the extent he was in now anyway.
"And when should this have happened?" Teaspoon stared at Emery. The man looked awful, but Teaspoon knew that his riders wouldn't have done it. This was just another scheme of some sort.
"Yesterday - they followed me home and tried to kill me!"
"Why would they do that?" Teaspoon asked tiredly as Carter managed to join them.
"Maybe because they know that I have proof that their half breed friend killed Craven," Emery spat.

Next