Originally posted by SlickRick69
"Food, blankets, oil, lamps, dishes, pots... marching-dice! Pa says we got the best marching-dice for sale in 3 counties!" Ben thought he was getting it all right, so didn't occur to him that he didn't know what he was talking about.
"I see... You run along now, boy, while we finish talking to Senor Cavendish," Luis said.
Greg rode quickly across the plains, looking for Lily. As he neared the place where Catori's tribe had been, he saw a pillar of smoke rising from the flat horizon.
He spured the horse faster, speeding toward the smoke. When he saw the charred remains of the Indian village, and the burnt remains of the people, he couldn't believe his eyes. He slowly made his way throught the camp, looking for any sign of what had happened, though, he could already guess who had done it. His assumptions were proven correct when he saw the remains of U.S Calvary intermixed with the Indians.
Greg gave up on trying to find Lily, and headed for the edge of the camp. "If she was here, there's no way she escaped," he said to himself. Just as he was about the leave the camp, a ripping pain shot through his torso. He could feel the blood running from the bullet wound in his back, and through his stomach. He turned to see the coward who had shot him in the back. Through his tear blurred eyes, he could see the outline of Jericho on his horse. "I knew someone would come back. I had hoped it would be Buddy, but I will settle for the gun slinger." Greg choked on his own blood.
"You only wish you could get me. Shooting me in the back. You’re nothin’ but a coward.”
Jericho raised his gun. “Go to hell gun slinger.”
Greg smiled through the pain. “You first.” He quickly jerked his pistol out and fired. Because of the pain, he was only able to hit Jericho in the shoulder, but it was enough to keep him busy. Greg turned his horse around and spurred him in a sprint. Pain shot through his body, but he tried to focus on getting to New Hope. Buddy and Catori would already be there.
The whole ride Greg slipped in and out of consciousness. By night fall, he saw New Hope lights about 5 miles out. He patted the horse’s neck. “Good boy.” He had lost huge amounts of blood. He had been able to stuff a piece of shirt in the would to try and keep it from bleeding, but the horse back ride hadn’t helped it at all. When he was sure he would make it to New Hope safely, Greg gave up, and slipped into unconciousness
For once, Buddy could not give Catori what she wanted; he would not risk her life, or his own life, to go back into the Comanche camp as it was overrun and no doubt burned to the ground by the invading US Army.
"I'm sorry, Flower.." he whispered, as he spurred his horse into town.
"Good luck, Lily..." he prayed.
They arrived in New Hope and Buddy rode immediately to the Cavendish Unlimited Enterprises office, to sign whatever needed signing, and to request a meager advance on his first week's pay.
"I am flat broke busted, and we'll need room and board over to the hotel at least for the night, possibly longer, while Catori recovers from fever..."
Cavendish started to haggle a bit, but paused as he noticed the pale and sickly expression on the Indian princess' face.
"How's $25 apiece sound?" the elder man looked from Buddy to Luis to Nat. It was undoubtedly more money than any one of them had seen doled out at one time, for any job, let alone in advance. "I take you all at your word, you work for me now... I will have official contracts done up by the week's end, for your signatures, but as of accepting this money, you are all on my payroll and in my debt..."
Buddy thanked his benefactor graciously, and helped Catori from the office. "Luis, if you wouldn't mind, tending to the horses, then meet me over to the hotel... Greg's going to need some help, if he's not already dead..."
Little Bennet ran back to the mercantile and cried out to his Mom when he found the girl, Lily bleeding on the front stoop. He helped his mom by fetching water from the well while she removed Lily's shirt and salved and wrapped her chest in loose cloth bandages.
Li'l Ben sat with Lily all morning, holding her hand and watching over her, when his Ma tended the store downstairs. The curious and lovestruck little lad even managed to sneak a peek under the loose bandages, 'checking the wounds' at the same time he caught a glance at her perfect small round mounds just starting to sprout on her chest.
"Benny!" his Ma's voice startled him from making a grope, and he tucked the bandages back in place and took the girl's hand in his again.
"Yeah Ma?" he called back over his shoulder as his Ma appeared at the door to the spare bedroom.
"You'll need to run fetch the doctor up the dry creek bed to Bucksville... take the shotgun, and some water. Ooh, I wish there were others who could tend to this with you! It's a long ride, and you're so little..."
"I'll manage just fine, Ma.." Ben was bolstered by his first look at bare breasts. "Look after the store while I'm gone, OK?" then he was gone, to the stables, to tend his horse for the journey.
Catori sighed. She wanted up. She wanted to help her tribe. For all she knew they could all be dead. This made Catori sliently cry. she turned on her ed so she was facing away from Buddy. Her parents and brothers could e dead. Miko could be dead! This was all her fault! She had led the whiteman's army there.
Buddy lay on the bed next to Catori, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close, keeping her safe, in bed.
"Rest now, Flower..." he whispered. "Please get well..." he waited until he was certain Catori was fast asleep, then kissed her tenderly on the cheek and left the room, to meet Luis and go check on the progress of the approaching Army. If they could make it out of town, he would bring back news from the Comanche camp...
Just about then, the 'Scorpions' storm the town, shooting up the place, scattering and locking the town down. "Nobody enters or leaves without our knowing!" the Leader demands, and his fellow follower blue bandanna boys scatter throughout the town.
A few of the Scorpions move to the jailhouse, while others lock down the hotel, saloon, mercantile and other local hot-spots, securing the stables and containing all modes of transportation out of town.
(leading up to SpikeSpeigel's scene...)
Leo had been sitting in his cell, as he had done for the two other days since he had been imprisoned. His hands were cuffed together, and his face was once more covered in stubble. He got up and walked to the cell bars. The sheriff was sitting in his chair writing some things down on a sheet of paper.
"Sheriff, could I please have a glass of water?" Leo asked.
The sheriff got up and grabbed a glass and filled it with what seemed like water, albeit a bit dirty. He then walked over to the cell. As he did, and as Leo reached out for the water someone slammed open the sheriff's doors and shot at the sheriff. Leo had the time to shove the sheriff out of the way and jump back. The bullet hit the cell door and it swung open. Before another shot could get out Leo had leaped from his cell and shoved the chains on his cuffed hands against the assassins throat, and him against the wall. The assassin soon fell down dead. Taking a quick look outside Leo saw more men.
"Quick uncuff me...and hand me my stuff." He pleaded with the sheriff who was just getting up.
Sheriff Sanders stumbled toward Leo, fumbling for the keys to the handcuffs, as another series of gunshots rang out. Sanders collapsed, shot 3 times in the back, the keys falling from his grasp at Leo's feet.
"Well, well... Leo the Lion... caged and tamed..." it was Wolf Raines, and he stood between Leo in the open jail cell and Leo's pistol and belt on the wall across the room. "You got but two choices, brother: Join us, or DIE!" Wolf had both his pistols trained on Leo, at deadly close-range.
Buddy wandered downstairs and poked his head outside just in time to see Greg's horse trot through town.
"Oh my God!" Buddy raced into the street and reigned the horse in, tying off at the hitching post and moving to unseat Greg from the saddle.
Just then, Little Bennet Sisco ran by, on his way to the stables to recover his own horse for the ride to Bucksville.
"Holy cow! Is he dead, Mister?" Ben gaped as Buddy hefted Greg over his shoulder.
"Not yet he aint! Help me with the door to the hotel!" Buddy ordered, and Ben obeyed. Buddy lugged Greg up to his room, and caught Catori sitting up.
"Flower?! What are you doing---" he began. "Nevermind! Greg's been shot! It's bad... we're going to need a doctor for this! Hurry!"
"I was on my way to Bucksville to collect the Doc any ways..." Ben babbled. "That pretty new spit-fire, that dancer from the saloon, Lily, the porcelain doll... she's tore up something awful, like a mountain lion got her..."
Holy crap! Catori's feverish! Greg's shot! Lily's tore up! and Leo's about to be executed! Where are all the heroes?!?
Catori stood. "He can have the spare bed. Mine is not suitible." She said pulling out a cot for Greg. She set up ignoring any protests Buddy would give. "There." she said helping lay Greg on the cot. (That really doesn't sound right 😈 ) "I'll go get a bowl of water and a washcloth." she said walking to the kitchen.
Greg snapped back to concienceness and looked up at the blurred roof. When everything came into focus, he saw Buudy. "Ah, friend, good to see you alive." He saw Catori walking around. "And Miss. Flower, good to see you are up and about." Greg winced at the pain in his stomach, however, he didn't lose his care free, charming attitude. "Sorry that you had to catch me like this."