Page 14 of Return to Telegraph Creek

“I won’t.I’ll stay here.”

I was trying to joke, but he didn’t seem to think ’twas funny.He got up and moved in the direction I’d indicated.

I was certain that he and the animals would be fine if he went that way, so I lay back and returned my gaze to the sky.Fluffy clouds drifted across the blue expanse, and I focused on how pretty ’twas, praying that this injury wouldn’t delay us.We needed to get to Telegraph Creek more’n ever now.I didn’t want to look at the wound again, because the sight of the blood would only make me fret more, and I was already feeling queasy and lightheaded.

I sent another prayer up to a God I didn’t even know if I believed in and waited for Oscar.

He was back in no time and seemed a mite calmer, so I figured the animals had got down from the ledge okay.

“I’ve got the kit.Now what do I do?”

“How’s the bleeding?Has it slowed at all?”I lifted the wadded-up shirt away from the wound.

Oscar bent his head to have a look.“Maybe?It don’t seem to be gushing no more.”

“That’s good.”

“Are you in a lotta pain?”

“I’ve had worse.Now, get some of them long bandages from the kit.You’ll have to help me to sit up, then you gotta—” I gasped as a twinge hit me.“I’m okay.You gotta wind it around me a few times, then tie it so it keeps the pressure on the wound.Is there another bandage in that kit?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“You’ll have to wad that clean bandage up and put it in place of this shirt, underneath the bandage.You think you can do that?”

“I reckon.”

Oscar helped me into a sitting position.’Twas painful, but I kept his shirt pressed firmly on the gash.It hadn’t completely soaked with blood yet, so I took that as a good omen.

I tried to take deep breaths, but every movement of my torso hurt.Oscar’s forehead wrinkled with concentration as he did as I’d instructed.I held the clean, folded up bandage to the gash while he wrapped the other one around me a couple of times, then tied it off with a good knot.

“How long do you reckon we have to travel still?”he asked.

“I’m thinkin’ ’tis about five or so hours.We can make it before dark if we ride hard,” I said.“But we’ll rest here for a bit longer.”

“How the hell you gonna ride hard with a slice outta you, Jimmy?”

“I’ll manage.Dixie’ll do most of the work.”

“I know, but you gotta stay on her.”

“I will,” I said.

Chapter Five

The Angel

Oscar looked doubtful.

“Oscar, I been riding since I was five.I can do it.I could probably ride that horse with one hand tied behind my backanda gash in my side.”

That made him laugh but he rolled his eyes.“All right, all right.”

“Help me into the shade o’er there where the horses are grazing.I need to sit against one of them trees for a bit.And cover the blood that’s on the ground here with some dirt.The last thing we need is to attract the local wildlife.”

Oscar went a bit pale.He helped me into the shade then went back to cover the evidence of my injury.He went o’er to his horse and spoke to her in quiet whispers, scratching her behind her ear.Then he came and sat down beside me.

“How long we gonna rest?”