There was a calm tension at the ranch as the men there...waited. They'd done everything they could think of so that the Pikes nor the hands with them would have anything to worry about when they got back.
When Pecos Pete came roaring back into the yard, accompanied by a woman, Justus ran out to meet them, catching to bridle of the woman's horse. "Ma'am." He gave her a nod, figuring the best Pete could do for now was a nurse, but that had been fine for when Wheeler was born, and hopefully there would be no need at all. "I'll see ta yer horse." He glanced at Pete. "They're not back yet..."
Best give me the baby, Mrs Pike
Sis was in a bad way by the time the Rockin' P came into sight, and horse beneath her considerable weight wasn't doing a lot better. The girl, who due to her height and obesity, looked older than she was, was pale through loss of blood, and unused to horseback riding; she slumped forward, hanging on to the poor animal's neck which distressed the beast. It was an interminable, painful ordeal and because of her crime of trying to take Wheeler off Mrs Pike, she was treated to no sympathy or kind words.
Not that it would have made much difference to the girl's mental state anyway as she periodically lapsed into unconsciousness and was then jogged awake by the rhythm of the horse: she had fallen into the hands of the hated Pike; although she had not been so incensed as Clem by Tom Love's descriptions of Pike's hatred toward her and her brother, she was still terrified to have ended up in his power - wounded and too weak to defend herself against whatever awful tortures the Devil Incarnate had planned for her.
The Devil Incarnate whom Thomas Gage Love had lyingly told her... was her Father!
"Ma'am." He gave her a nod, figuring the best Pete could do for now was a nurse, but that had been fine for when Wheeler was born, and hopefully there would be no need at all. "I'll see ta yer horse." He glanced at Pete. "They're not back yet..."
"I'll ride out an' see if they need any help." Pete said, "Mind the Doc here, she's new ta town."
"I'll manage," Angie said with a grin. "Never saw a female doctor before?" The question to Justice Gibbs came with a smile, as she dismounted. "This is really a nice place they've got here." She watched as Pecos Pete galloped off. "So, what seems to be the problem out here?"
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Pecos didn't have to ride far before he saw Missus Pike on the boss's horse, and the others not that far behind her. He pulled up beside her. "Ma'am? You alright?" He asked, noting that Pike was on a borrowed mount coming up fast. "We got the- whot in tarnation, is that a woman boggin' down that poor horse?" He wanted to know, getting a full view of Sis.
"I'll manage," Angie said with a grin.
"Yes, ma'am." And manage she did, swinging to the ground with the same graceful ease that Mrs. Pike had.
"Never saw a female doctor before?"
"No, ma'am, can't say as I have." He wasn't really sure how he felt about that, but then, the remote west as an odd place, and there were plenty of women here who did jobs that would be forbidden in more civilized places. And maybe that was why she was here.
"Hey, Pete!" he called to the wrangler, "there's some fresh saddled horses, grab a couple ta take with ya!" Hopefully, this would be over soon, but the men and the mounts that were out had to be getting exhausted, so having Pete pony some fresh horses with him made sense.
"This is really a nice place they've got here." She watched as Pecos Pete galloped off. "So, what seems to be the problem out here?"
"Mrs. Pike's horse come back without her," Justus explained, "an' she's got th' baby with her. We don't know if she's hurt or not." He reached to take the doctor's bag. "There's coffee in th' house, or some tea if ya like?"
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Pecos didn't have to ride far before he saw Missus Pike on the boss's horse, and the others not that far behind her. He pulled up beside her. "Ma'am? You alright?"
"Yes, thank you, we're fine." While Emeline was getting a little tired of answering the question, but she knew this was just the beginning! The people on the ranch had become a family, and it was like having a dozen big brothers to look after her, and she really did appreciate that. Now to make sure they didn't coddle her so much that they suffocated her. "Just want to get home."
"We got the- whot in tarnation, is that a woman boggin' down that poor horse?" He wanted to know, getting a full view of Sis.
"I believe so," Emeline muttered wearily. She wanted just to sleep, but it was going to be a long night.
"Mrs. Pike's horse came back without her," Justus explained, "an' she's got th' baby with her. We don't know if she's hurt or not." He reached to take the doctor's bag. "There's coffee in th' house, or some tea if ya like?"
"I didn't catch your name. I'm Doctor Angelique Laurant. I'll be on staff at the new hospital with Doctors Danforth and Boone." She said, introducing herself. "Now I have yet to meet the Pikes, but you say her horse can back without her. I hope she's not hurt, or maybe worse. This place looks like an armed camp. Are you expecting an attack, Indians, desperados?"
Angie had heard of outlaws in the area, and there were Indians about as well. Savages that had destroyed the Seventh Cavalry were still roaming the plains. It was an unsettled time in an unsettled land, but the beauty of it had captured her heart. This was where she would make her home. She inadvertently looked around at the yellow and white house, the waterfall, the giant tree, the outbuildings, corrals, barn, and the bunkhouse where an older man and a young lad were walking toward her.
"Ma'am?" Nate asked, wondering just who she was. "I'm Nate, Nate Ambrose, but these hoimbres call me cookie, and this here's Danny Baker. We run the bunkhouse and the chuck wagon when out on the trail. Did I hear right that yer the Doc I sent for?" Banny
"I am Doctor Laurant, but most just call me Angie, and pleased to meet you both." She replied. "Now, is it usual to send for a doctor in this situation? Oh, Boone and Danforth thought I should come, get to meet people out here."
"Well, Ma'am, the Misses has young Wheeler with her, not all that old, and we ain't talkin' no chances with either of 'em. Ain't that right, Gibbs?"
"
"Need ta get you back to the house," Pike said. The horses that Lorado and Ames had rode in on were now taken by Pike and the wounded woman. Lorado had used a neckerchief to bind the shoulder wound, so the mounds that Pecos was leading in would be theirs until they got back to the ranch; no need to be swapping out horses at this stage. Everything seemed to be in order now. Although there were a lot of questions that remained.
Lorado had given Pike a detailed account of the abandoned camp and the tracks leading away from it. So in total, there had been at least five people, including the dead man and the girl. This had been some sort of a setup deal, and the target had been Emeline and Wheeler. Foer whatever reason. Well, between him and Speed, they would ferret out some answers to this mystery.
"Well, Ma'am, the Misses has young Wheeler with her, not all that old, and we ain't talkin' no chances with either of 'em. Ain't that right, Gibbs?"
"Yes, ma'am, it's a long ride ta town, so we thought it best ta have ya here, in case." Justus nodded, then shrugged. "No tellin' what happened, horse could'a just spooked, there's Indians have camps in th' area, can't say there aren't bandits..." There were dozens of possibilities and dozens of outcomes, so it was best to be prepared. "I'm Justus Gibbs, ma'am...Doctor." He pulled off his hat and raked his fingers through his hair. He grinned. "If nothin' more, ya get ta meet everyone, an' like as not get a sample'a Cookie's cookin'."
After all, it was getting late, long shadows were telling the coming of dusk, and Mrs. Pike, like as not, wasn't going to be cooking supper for her and the boss tonight.
"Looks like someone's comin'."
Even though the house wasn't in sight yet, the aroma of smoke told the weary riders that they were getting close to the ranch compound, and in good time, too. The Sun had already dropped below the ridge line, there was a chill setting in, and soon it would be dark, and Barnabas' roan stud had picked up the pace, although he wasn't chomping at the bit, so Emeline wasn't having any trouble with him. As it was, carrying the baby and wearing a skirt were troublesome enough, but at least her temporary mount was savvy enough to know that his burden wasn't his master and he needed to take care.
All the better for Emeline, who was worn out in body and spirit. She just wanted to be in the safety of her home, to have this past her, and...well, have things back to normal, although she knew that would likely never happen...she had killed a man.
Best give me the baby, Mrs Pike
Sis was unaware of all of this, all she was aware of was her immediate bodily sensations of swaying on the horse, of the pain in her shoulder, of feeling sick, of drifting in and out of consciousness, strange delirious dreams that seemed to last an age but in reality lasted just the second it took before she was woken up again by the movement of the steed beneath her.
In these dreams a kaleidoscope of images, sounds repeated again and again like the flickering pictures of a zoetrope: the shot that killed Clem confounded in her memory with that which wounded her, Tom Love's warnings, Pike hates you... BANG!... he's laughing at you... him and that wife... BANG!... you gotta kill her Clem... teach 'em a lesson... BANG! He's your father, but he was ashamed of you both... can I kill the baby, Tom?... BANG! No! BANG! Better give me the bay, Mrs Pike... Better...
Suddenly was being lifted off the horse by grunting cowhands, doing their best not to swear in front of the Boss's wife and the baby! Phew, the outsize girl must weigh two fifty at least.
The plump giantess gave a great shout as they brought her down off the horse and tried to carry her inside.
"AAHHHHH! AHHHH! IT HURTS!!! AHHHHH! AHHHH!!!" bellerin' like a bull calf stuck in a bog hole, as one hand later described it.
Pike rode next to his wife and son as the small cavalcade of riders followed behind. They closed on the compound while dusk began to settle over the Montana territory and the Rockin' G Ranch, where the ranch yard seemed to be filled with people awaiting their arrival.
Will and Lorado flanked the girl to ensure she didn't fall off the horse she clung to the horse she was clinging to. They had come off the higher ground and reported what they had found to Barnabas, though they were unable to ferret out a reason what the attack had been laid out to kidnap Wheeler, or to kill Emeline. To the pair, that had been the plan, but little else could be discovered at the camp.
"I'll have you and Wheeler to home and resting. I know this has been a long, hard day for you, and believe me, I will get to the bottom of this. I want to know what all of this means, and who went to such lengths to carry out this plan." He said to her as they rode along. He was aware that she did not want to talk about it; she had just killed a man, self-defense, but she had taken a life.
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"Looks like someone's comin'."
Cookie, Nate Armstrong, was already back in the kitchen preparing supper for the hands, the Pikes, and their guest. He always prepared more than enough food, just in case, and this evening it would come in real handy. A large chunk of beef had been slow cooking for a good part of the afternoon, a big pot of beans was simmering, along with pots of potatoes, and ears of corn, and it looked like they were going to need it!.
As the family and their riders entered the yard, the huge lady on the house was ked to the hitch rail and her escorts dismounted, waving for some help. Bodine, Dallas, Lorado, and Will all began the job of taking her off os the horse.
"AAHHHHH! AHHHH! IT HURTS!!! AHHHHH! AHHHH!!!" bellerin' like a bull calf stuck in a bog hole, as one hand later described it.
"Hush now, you ain't stoved up that bad, girl!" Bodeen told her. "Where you want her boss?"
Pike looked at Em, then back to the scene being played out as the men took her down from the horse. "The house."
"Excuse me, I'm Doctor Laurant, and I would like to see your wife and child first, make sure they're alright, then I'll have a look at this other woman."{