“Not so bad I think. I got a hole in my side that needs looking to,” Pommel said as he sat at the base of the tree.
“Where’s Colredge?” Sam asked as he kneeled and pulled back Pommel’s vest to examine the wound.
“Floating down the creek. He killed my stud.”
“Looks like he came close to killing you.”
Pommel smiled and adjusted himself uneasily for Sam to look at the wound. “He missed every shot. It was Fellows that filled me full of holes. It’s always the one you don’t expect.”
Sam shook his head. “I can’t tell about this bullet hole in your side and that hip wound looks bad. That’s a lot of blood. I need to get you to a doctor, pronto.”
Pommel nodded. “The blood ain’t black and it seems pretty far over to the side. I don’t think he got anything vital. We’ve both been shot up worse than this.”
“Still, I think I better get you to a doctor. That lead’s got to come out. I’ll get the buggy and we’ll head for Pampa.”
“Before you do that, get my saddle out of the water, fetch the whiskey in the saddle bag, and see if you can find my Winchester,” Pommel said. “I’ll stuff some of this shirt in the holes while I’m waiting.”
As Sam removed the saddle, Pommel slowly pushed the strips of cloth into the bullet hole in his hip. It hurt and he stopped to catch his breath. He let his eyes drift to the stream. The water glimmered in the sunlight. He closed his eyes and rested. He thought of the first time they came to the Palo Duro, the births of Temple and Reese, the way she looked in the moonlight, and the way she trembled when they made love.
END
The Red River Ring Page 15