Chapter One

 

April, 1844

Utah Territory

 

Thad King and the two ranch hands with him had worked a fourteen-hour day. He figured Bart and Pick were as tired as he was. As they rode in, he noticed the barn doors were open wide.

He rode Goldie to the barn and dismounted. The ranch’s four most important stalls were empty. That meant the four horses they’d groomed for breeding were missing.

His employer and friend, Colin Ross, would never leave the barn in this shape. From the hoof prints, he saw that several strange horses had driven the four prize horses from the ranch. Where was Colin when this happened?

Thad King ran to the house, looking for Colin. In the hallway, the battered body of his friend lay twisted on the floor. By some miracle, he was alive.

Thad called to the two ranch hands with him. “Bart, you and Pick get a door or…  I don’t know—something flat—quickly so we can get him to bed.”

Bart took the door separating the kitchen and parlor off the hinges and laid it on the floor beside Colin.

Thad eased his boss’ shoulders onto the door. “Easy, he’s likely bleeding inside.”

Pick scooted Colin’s legs while Bart slid his hips onto the door. Slowly, they got the injured man upstairs and transferred him onto his bed. He moaned but didn’t appear conscious. Thad sent Pick to town for the doctor.

Thad and Bart cut away Colin’s clothes so when the doctor arrived he would be able to treat the injuries.

When Thad saw the extent of the bruising, he gasped. “What was the point of this? They must have been crazy to beat him this badly.”

In spite of his healthy tan, Bart turned pale. “Oh, man, I almost lost my last meal. Thought I was going to have to stick my head over the chamber pot.”

As gently as they could, Thad and Bart bathed the cuts and bruises on their employer and then covered him with a sheet and a blanket.

Thad scooted a chair near the bed. “I’ll sit with Colin. You might as well get something to eat and turn in.”

Bart paused at the doorway. “I’ll be back and bring your supper. Later I’ll take a turn, depending on what the doctor says. Way the boss looks, I reckon we’ll need to have someone with him round the clock.”

While he was waiting, Thad bathed Colin’s face again and talked softly to him, not knowing if the man could hear him. “I’ll get who did this, Colin. I promise you I’ll find the men who hurt you and make them pay.”

Colin’s only response was a groan that sounded as if he tried to talk.

Thad leaned closer. “What did you say?”

The rancher managed a raspy whisper, “Three… men…horses.”

“Three men did this to you then took your horses? Is that right?”

“Yesss….” Colin’s voice went from whisper to a puff of air as he returned to unconsciousness.

The doctor arrived an hour later. His fast ride had caused his white hair to blow upward on his hat brim. Without his hat, he looked as if he was wearing a white bowl on his head.

He opened his medical bag and went to work. “Appreciate you having him ready for me. You did right sponging off the blood.”

“We did our best. Colin’s a good man and there was no reason to treat him this way.”

“You’ll need to help me turn him on his side so I can check his back. Any idea who did this?”

“No, but they stole four horses and I can follow the tracks once Colin is better.”

The doctor met his gaze and Thad almost wept at the message he saw in the other man’s eyes. “I doubt Ross will last a week. On second thought, I know he’s got sand so he may linger longer, but he’ll never walk again.”

Thad didn’t want to believe the prognosis. “How can you be sure?”

The physician pointed at Colin’s back. “Look right here where the spine is broken. Imagine that hurt like a son of a gun if he was conscious when they inflicted that blow.”

Thad didn’t need to be a doctor to see where Colin’s spine separated beneath skin bruised almost black. How the skin didn’t tear was a wonder. How Colin survived with his spine in bits was a mystery.

Thad’s knees threatened to give way and his stomach churned. He balled his hands into fists. He wanted to strike the men who did this to his friend, shout obscenities at them, then shoot them.

The doctor put his hand on Thad’s shoulder. “Calm down, son. I don’t need two patients. Save your anger for when it will do some good.”

What point was wishing he could rid himself of this overwhelming feeling to get revenge? Wishing he could help Colin? Wishing his friend had never been hurt?

He exhaled and forced himself to rein in his rage. “You’re right. I can’t do anything right now. I can ride out in the morning to follow their trail, though.”

“Aren’t you the foreman? With Ross laid up, you’ll have a full time job taking care of Ross and running the ranch. I know he depended on you, thought of you like family. I’ll have to depend on you, too, unless you have someone who can nurse him or his kin can sit with him.”

Thad looked at the doctor. “I don’t know anyone who would nurse Colin and do a good job. We have a woman who cleans and cooks but she wouldn’t agree to be a nurse. Chances of his kin coming are slim to none. In spite of that, I’ll have someone ride to town and send them a wire in the morning.”

The doctor applied salve to some of the wounds. When Colin moaned, the physician gave him laudanum. He corked the bottle and set it on the washstand beside the salve container.

“No point trying to bandage him. He’d look like a mummy. Man’s likely bleeding inside. His pee will have blood in it, so be prepared. If you can get anything down him, make sure he drinks as much water as he will. Broth will help temporarily.” He snapped shut his medical bag.

“Temporarily? You gonna tell me how often to use the salve and laudanum?”

“I have to prepare you, son, you’re fighting a losing battle. Keep him as comfortable as you can until he passes. If he survives a month it’ll be a miracle. I’ll be back in a couple of days.”