Introduction

Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read my scribblings. I hope you enjoy reading Saving Alice as much as I enjoyed writing it. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll be encouraged in someway or another. I love feedback, so if you would like to post a comment or two as you journey through the story, please do so. I get a spasms of joy every time I see a comment!
One last thing, if you enjoy the book, please post a link to it on your Facebook page. I would love to for this story to travel far and wide.
So, without further ado, click here to go to chapter one: http://paulblais.blogspot.com/2011/07/saving-alice.html

Saving Alice Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

Chet stared on in disbelief at Matthew’s incredible skills in fighting. All of his feelings of repulsion for the weakness of this man melted into a new respect. He had thought both Matthew’s and Chet’s life would be shortly over once Jack had batted the gun from Matthew’s hand. Instead Matthew had saved them.

Chet saw Matthew breathing hard as he stood looking down upon Jack. Then Chet remembered Matthew’s wife. They had come all this way. Jack’s own words proved him to be lower than Chet could have imagined. His heart went out to Matthew and his loss.

Matthew turned to Chet and looked at his fallen partner. Without a word between them, Matthew stepped over to his gun, picked it up, and handed it to Chet. Then he turned on his heels and left to find his wife.

Fear flooded his heart as he slowly walked toward the hiding place of his wife. He refused to believe that Jack had spoken the truth about Alice, but fear kept his feet from moving too fast to find the truth. Tears welled in his eyes at the sight of her blue dress. He froze in his steps as he looked on from a distance. Everything in his being longed to see it move, to see the stirring of life, but it lay motionlessly.

Hesitatingly he began his movement for her again, each step fraught with agony of heart. What would he do now if she truly was dead? How would life ever have the same meaning and joy? He pushed the bushes apart as he stepped through them.

A sob broke from deep within himself when his eyes looked into the eyes of his love. She was looking back to him through tears of her own. Her mouth had been gagged and her arms tied behind her with a rope that looped down to her ankles.

Matthew fell to her side, his hands fumbling to undo the gag. His lips pressed to her face as he both kissed and cried upon his wife. “I am so sorry,” cried Matthew, “I am so sorry, my Love.”

Alice could only cry as Matthew tore at the ropes that bound her. Words had escaped her in the flood of relief that flooded through her tormented mind. The nightmare had ended.

When Matthew finally was able to remove the ropes, she flung her arms around Matthew’s neck and pulled herself against him. The two lay on the ground together, tears mingling together upon their cheeks while they embraced.

“I thought you were dead,” Alice said between sobs.

“I was while you were gone. And if I didn’t find you, I would have stayed dead.”

They kissed and hugged and kissed.

“I will never lose you again,” promised Matthew. “I will die and kill before anyone gets to you again.”

Matthew felt Alice’s lips move upon his ear as she said, “I will love you through this life and into eternity.”

And then she said, “Thank you, Jesus. Thank you! Oh, thank you, Jesus.”

Finally Matthew pulled himself away from Alice. “Did they hurt you?”

“Not too badly. I think I have a black eye.” That much was true. Matthew had seen the swollen eye when their eyes first met. “I slapped him last night at the cabin, and he rewarded me with a punch. Beside that, no. He was nervous last night because one of his men that he had been left behind to shoot you never came back. All night long Jack and his last man stood by windows looking for their other man, or an attack.”

 “That’s because Chet killed their other man.” Then Matthew remembered the current condition of Chet, “We have a new friend, and he’s been hurt. We need to go and help him.”

Chet saw the two coming to him from around the rock that had blocked his view into the hollow. His eyes widened at the sight of Alice. “I knew that sorry son of a…” He checked himself mid sentence remembering his manners. “I knew he was lying,” Chet said, himself now lying.

He had propped himself up to a rock. Blood had soaked the front of his shirt and the left leg of his pants. Both Alice and Matthew hurried to his side.

“Alice,” said Chet, “you are a sight pretty ‘an your husband here gave you credit for. My name is Chet.”

“This is Chet Garret,” said Matthew as Alice immediately began carefully tearing Chet’s shirt open to get a good look at the wound.

“Thank you for all you’ve done,” she said as she paused to look into his eyes. “We are in the deepest of debts to you.”

“Ain’t nothin’,” replied Chet. “Any decent man would’ve done similar like.”

Alice tore a strip of cloth from the bottom of her dress and used it as a cloth for cleaning. Then she asked, “Matthew, there is a canteen on the horse and a small flask of whiskey in the saddle bag. Would you please get them for me?”

Matthew looked over his shoulder at the still body of Jack.

“He ain’t doin’ no harm no more,” said Chet. “I suspect his throat done swelled all the way shut. He stopped breathin’ while you was gone fetchin’ your Alice.”

On his way to the horse Matthew stopped to check on Jack, putting the back of his hand beneath Jack’s nose. Nothing. A strange feeling fell on Matthew. He had hated this man, but he didn’t want this. He deserved it, but not from Matthew.

Chet had been watching Matthew as Alice cleaned his shoulder wounds. “Looks like you got a ghost of your own now.”

Matthew hung his head, and he understood Chet now.

When Matthew returned with the canteen Chet said, “I didn’t believe you when you said you used to be a fighter when you was just a pup. I ain’t never seen nothin’ like it.”

“It’s not something I do anymore,” replied Matthew.

“Kind of reminds me of David and that giant feller,” said Chet. “Just about makes all that God stuff sound just a bit more possible.”

“Chet, God brought us through all this,” said Matthew. “I don’t know why He let it all happen, but He saw us through. And like I said yesterday, He truly loves you.”

Chet gave that some consideration, “Maybe so, but I ain’t able to be seein’ me all sure fire ready to embrace it all like you did, so to speak. I gots to give it some more thinkin’.”

Chet flinched in pain as Alice dribbled a little of the whiskey on the wound.

“I think,” said Matthew, and then paused “I think we’ll be going back to Chicago.”

Alice’s hand froze and her eyes turned to Matthew. Then quietly she offered Chet a drink of both water and whiskey. “I don’t think that my troubles ought to change the plans of God.”

Matthew was quiet, and Chet tried not to look at either of them. “But,” said Matthew, “this land isn’t safe for women.”

“Maybe not, but where does it say that following God is supposed to safe? I will follow you wherever you go, but my vote is for staying out here, where God called us.”

Chet had lost his resolve to tell Matthew to go home. Instead he said, “You could do a mite bit worse than stayin’ out this way. Like I said, not all men are as bad as that man.”

Matthew said nothing for a time. Then he said, “I’ll have to give it all some thought. But first we’ve got to get you into some town to get you some help.”

Alice, having bound up his shoulder turned her attention to his leg.

“That one was from your fool of a husband,” said Chet. “From the minute I saw him shoot that gun, I knew I was goin’ to get shot by him.”

“I think that this can’t be fully blamed on me,” Matthew said in defense.

“No you’re partly right there, but then again I do remember tellin’ you not to get that gun out till I was dead.” Chet’s lips curled into a smile.

“I just about thought you were dead.”

“It were close at that.”

Matthew got a puzzled look on his face. “I was watching you and Jack from up on the hill. I have a question for you- Why did you start jumping around when you had your gun on Jack?”

A shudder visibly ran through Chet’s body. “A snake. It came out of the rocks right at me.”

“A snake made you jump away?!”

With a shake of his head and shudder running through his body, Chet said, “I hate snakes.”

Saving Alice Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

The voice came from behind Jack. Instinctively Jack knew that no one would have approached him without a gun in hand, so Jack froze.

“I heard what Chet told you the first time about dropping your gun. Let’s start by you getting your hands up,” commanded Matthew. His voice did not betray his anxiety. Instead he spoke with the tone of authority. “You need to turn around just as slow as that turtle Chet was telling you about. Then remove that gun and drop it on the ground.”

Chet had never been so glad to see Matthew than right now, as a wave of relief washed over him. He couldn’t resist the urge to jibe Jack. In a strangled voice Chet said, “Kinda looks like the tables done turned again.”  Chet attempted a menacing chuckle, but flinched in pain instead.

Jack did as he was told. Slowly he turned with his hands held up to his shoulders. The first act of his eyes was to confirm there was a gun. He saw that there was indeed a gun just ten feet away pointed right at his gut. His eyes then climbed from the gun to the face of the gun’s holder.

“You!” Jack’s mouth nearly dropped open upon seeing Matthew. “It’s the preacher. Well if that don’t beat just about all.” A smile started to spread across his face while he looked upon Matthew. In his mind was running the scene of the day before.

“Don’t tell me you’re all sore about that punch in to your gut yesterday are you?” Jack repeated his growlish laugh at Matthew.

Matthew, not replying to the taunt, felt his anger racing in his veins. He felt the weight of the gun in his hand. He thought it would be so easy to just tighten his finger.

Jack saw a ruby flush darken Matthew’s boyish face. His eyes searched Matthew from head to toe. Disheveled hair, the obvious wound on the scalp, trail worn clothing, torn pants, tattered city shoes… This boy was thoroughly out of his territory. With a little luck, Jack thought he could overpower this wisp of a boy.

“Didn’t I shoot you yesterday? I’m absolutely sure I saw your sad little carcass fall off that horse of Willy’s. My aim must have been off. I usually don’t miss twice.”

“You haven’t dropped that gun of yours yet. I heard how Chet told you how to drop it. You need to do it just like that.”

“I seem to be forgettin’ how he said to do it,” taunted Jack. “You remember?”

“You’re just a half a finger twitch away from dying,” said Matthew. “You drop that gun very slow, and we’ll take you into Denver for a fare trial. But if you want to test my resolve, go ahead. I think my finger is faster than your whole arm.”

Jack knew that there was a lot of truth there. So in an unconcerned attitude, he reached down with his left hand to get his gun.

“Just his first finger and thumb,” reminded Chet from his place in the dirt.

“No problem,” said Jack with half a smile while he took hold of the gun and dropped it by his feet.

“Kick it away,” said Chet. Jack kicked it away.

“You took my wife,” was all that Matthew said.

“Was that your wife?” Jack donned a look of surprise and concern. Then in an exaggerated look of remembrance, “Ah, that’s right. You did mention somethin’ of that nature. You were lying nearly underneath that coach weren’t you? She was so pretty, I couldn’t resist the… what do you preachers call it? …temptation. You were a lucky…” Jack paused dramatically making it obvious that he was changing his next word. Instead of saying man, he said, “boy to have had such a woman.”

 “What do you mean that I was lucky?” asked Matthew his eyes narrowing.

Jack’s scarred face crinkled into an evil smile as he wagged his head, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your little wife didn’t survive the trip.”

Matthew took a step forward, the gun extended and pointed to the man’s face. “You’re a liar. I just saw her in the bushes back that way. I saw her dress move. She is alive.”

“It must have been the wind, or some animal feeding on her. When I saw your friend here getting close, I decided that if I was going to lose her, then so would whoever it was who was chasing me.”

“It’s a lie!” Matthew’s mind tried to search his memory. Did he see her move, or was it just her dress that moved? The world around him melted into a blur with nothing left but the hideous face of this man. His hand, turning cold and moist with sweat, was trembling in fury. He was longing to pull the trigger, and run to his wife, to end this nightmare. But fear raged like a tempest within- he feared that killing this man would not end the nightmare, but only confirm the man’s words.

“Can I tell you what I did?”

Matthew was so consumed with the possibilities, that he didn’t hear Chet’s warnings, “Don’t get so close!” But it was too late. Jack had made a quick step forward and backhanded the gun down and away out of Matthew’s hand. The gun went off when Jack hit it, sending a bullet beneath Jack’s arm and continued its path and hit Chet, putting a hole through Chet’s calf muscle.

Matthew was stunned at the sound of the explosion and Chet crying out with the new leg wound. The world around Matthew was rudely ushered back into focus as he stood before the grinning brute before him.

Jack looked down on Matthew. “You done lost your chance… boy. You should have just shot me in the back instead of entering into conversation with me.”

Jack narrowed his eyes and asked, “Do you know what I’m going to do now?”

Matthew’s eyes widened and he tried to swallow, but his mouth had long since gone dry.

“I’m going to kill you,” said Jack as death danced in his eyes. “But I promise you that I won’t be quick about it, like with a gun. I am going to twist that little head of yours around till you see behind you. Have you ever heard a neck snap? If not, it’ll be the last sound you hear.”

Jack swung the back of his hand across Matthew’s face. Matthew twisted around and fell face down in the dirt. Casually Jack stepped to Matthew’s side. “I think I remember something like this happening to you yesterday. Does this remind you of when your pretty little wife was doting on you?” Jack shifted his feet and kicked at Matthew’s side.

Matthew had laid still during Jack’s approach and comment. When he saw from the corner of his eye the shifting of Jack’s boot, he waited for the last second and rolled away from the kick which went wildly into nothing.

The momentum of the unlanded kick threw Jack off balance. He nearly fell down and had to flail his arms to keep upright. By the time he had gained his balance Matthew was up and on his feet once again. The sight of blood flowing from Matthew’s nose brought a smile to Jack’s face.

“Looks like you can roll around okay,” said Jack as he stepped towards Matthew to take a swing at him. His right fist was like a bear claw. It was a fast, well aimed, and wide swing at Matthew’s temple. But the knockout blow found itself doing nothing but moving air as Matthew ducked and took a step back. Jack’s anger flared at this nuisance. Matthew was proving to be a little quicker than Jack had expected.

Matthew’s mind had cleared of it anger and fear. In their place settled the alertness of battle as adrenaline rushed into every muscle. He was prepared for a fight.

Matthew kept his hands by his side, not wanting Jack to know his fighting skills yet. He saw that the confidence in Jack’s face was being replaced by anger as the sinister smile dissolved to a sneer. Matthew held his ground waiting for the brute to make another move.

Laced with curses, Jack said, “You’re the luckiest piece of refuse I done ever seen. You just don’t seem to have the sense to know when its time to lay down and die.”

Jack moved in again, this time he threw his weight into this first punch, which was another wide right. Matthew rolled with this punch, skillfully dodging it, but the second punch, which was a left coming up low, found its mark on Matthew’s chin. The punch snapped Matthew’s head back, and he fell hard to his back.

But Matthew didn’t wait for Jack. He allowed the momentum of his fall to carry himself into a backwards roll, thus avoiding another of Jack’s kicks. Matthew found his feet once again and had to sidestep to his right as Jack came barreling at him.

Jack had intended to bowl the preacher over and land on top of him. Instead he went right on past Matthew. As was Jack turning to make a new attack, Matthew was beside him. In disbelief Jack saw Matthew’s fist coming decisively at his face. It was Jack’s turn for his own head to jerk back. Jack found himself being laid soundly upon his back.

Matthew was now standing before his fallen adversary who looked up at him in a mix of obvious surprise and mounting anger. Matthew readied himself for the man’s inevitable attack. It came in the way of a kick at Matthew’s legs.

Jack had pushed himself up to his butt with his hands planted on the ground, but instead of going all the way to his feet he lashed his left leg out in a sweeping motion. The effort proved to be effective as it connected with Matthew’s legs and knocked him from his feet.

With a speed that belied his bulk, Jack was to his feet and reading a kick at Matthew. Matthew took the kick in his thigh and pain seared through his body. Matthew saw a second kick coming so he rolled toward Jack. Jack had expected  Matthew to roll away, so he had stepped forward for his second kick. The resulting kick didn’t have the same power, and it also put Jack slightly off balance. Matthew took advantage of this and wrapped his arms around Jack’s leg and twisted his body into a roll.

This last move of Matthew effectively finished the job of putting Jack completely off balance. Jack fell forward and over Matthew, falling front first to the ground. During the fall Matthew pushed Jack’s legs up, putting more pressure on Jack’s arms when he hit the ground. Jack’s hands slipped out from beneath himself causing his face to grind into the rocks and dirt.

By the time Jack was able to gather his feet beneath himself, his lip was split open and he was spitting bits of earth and mingled with blood. Fire burned in his eyes as he put Matthew in his sights. He was blinded to anything but killing Matthew.

Matthew had made it to his feet also and was readying himself for the next attack. He saw a look of insanity wash over Jack’s face; Jack’s eyes seemed to swell from their sockets, his breathing was hard and punctuated with growling sounds, and his hand had transformed into writhing talons.

Jack snarled at Matthew, “I’m going to break your neck like I did to that little wife of yours.”

With a roar Jack sprang for Matthew. Instead of stepping out of the way, Matthew stepped into Jack’s oncoming charge. Matthew swung his right hand up from his waist landing a solid hit to Jack’s chin. Matthew’s left fist came wide and landed a smashing blow to Jack’s temple. He followed this with a lightning right-handed punch to Jack’s throat.

Instantly Jack fell to the ground clawing at his crushed windpipe. He was struggling to get air into his lungs. Matthew stepped forward, and, using all his strength, he kicked Jack in the face. Jack fell hard to his back and lay unmoving while his unconscious body continued its struggle to bring air through its hopelessly compressed esophagus.

Saving Alice Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

Matthew jumped at the sound of the first gunshot. Then he heard another shot that quickly followed, and then three more quickly timed shots. He had reflexively jumped to a standing position to get a better view, even though there was no way of being able to see anything from where he was.

He stood there debating what to do. Were those the gunshots of Chet or Jack, or were they gunshots from both of them. Was it over? Who had won?

Another shot rang out telling him that it wasn’t over yet. He wanted desperately to investigate, but he also didn’t want to cause any problems. Suddenly he heard two more shots that sounded different from the earlier gun. A barrage of two different gun sounds played through the air, and he understood that the previous shots were from one person. Whoever had been shot at was now returning fire.

He could stand it no longer. He had to at least get into a position where he could observe what was going on. Instead of taking the route that Chet had last taken, Matthew chose to make his way along Chet’s first path.

Chet had landed hard on the ground, grinding his face through the pebbles. Blood rose to the surface from the rash that had been formed on his forehead and cheek around his left eye. Across his chest there was burn mark of the bullet that had cut across the skin, but was not serious. All in all, he was no worse for the wear.

He wasted no time or movements or sounds. He put his back against the rocks and soundlessly reloaded his gun. He raised himself up and peeked through the bushes to get a bead on his enemy. But Jack was gone.

Chet cast his one good eye about looking for movement and he saw nothing. After a minute of looking he was about to reposition himself, when he saw Jack move. Jack had moved down to a bush that was closer to Chet, and was now making another move in the same direction and he saw that Jack had a gun in one hand and another in its holster.

Chet didn’t make a move. He assumed that Jack must have thought that Jack’s last bullet hit its mark, and he was cautiously coming to confirm it. Otherwise, Chet reasoned, Jack would have patiently waited as he did before. The best thing to do now was to let Jack get closer. Then, when he was on the way from one concealment to another, Chet could make his move.

Jack stepped out from behind a shrub and was beginning to dart to the next one when a gunshot rang out. Jack’s hand felt his gun get hit as it flew out of his hand, causing him to reflexively jerk his hand back to his chest. This also put his forward movment in check.

Chet had been aiming for Jack’s chest, and he was surprised to see the branch from the shrub he was shooting through jump. Chet had accidentally shot through a branch, which changed the path of his bullet. Chet was further amazed to see the gun fly from Jack’s hand. It was not Chet’s target. He knew that a shot like that could not be planned, but, nonetheless, Chet hit it, out of nothing but shear luck.

Chet was about to trigger off another shot, but he held his finger in check when he saw Jack stop in his tracks. Instead he called out, “Jack, I got you dead to rights. You take a step, and you’ll be just as dead as a rock.”

Jack didn’t move.

“Keep those hands right up by your pretty little face. I’d hate to see you get some kind of twitch in your hand. That’d make me want to deliver three little holes in your chest faster ‘an you could sneeze.”

Chet waited for half a moment to be sure that Jack was subdued, or at least was obeying for the time being. Chet slowly stood to his full height and stepped back from the rocks. His lower half of his body was still behind the rocks and bush, but his chest and head were now in sight of Jack. Chet wasn’t ready to entirely leave this position from behind the rocks just yet, so he gave his next instructions from this vantage.

“Now I’m goin’ to be tellin’ you a few things, and if you are of the mind that you want to see that sunset, then you got to do just as I say.

“You still have a gun strapped to your side there. Before you even blink, I want you to listen to every word I say, and then I want you to do it. But you wait till the tellin’s done. You start too soon, I’ll just end this little conversation real quick like.”

Chet paused for a couple of seconds before continuing. “Now then, real slow like, and I mean slow like a turtle just wakin’ up from its winter sleep, I want you to take your left hand, and reach down to your right side. Using just your first finger and thumb, pull that gun from its resting spot, and then extend your arm all the way out in front of you and drop it on the ground.

“Now then, do you got all that?”

Jack hesitated and then slowly nodded his head.

“Don’t forget, just the first finger and the thumb. Any other fingers try to get in the game, and I’ll end the game.”

Very slowly Jack began to lower his left hand, moving it exaggeratingly slow, but that was okay for Chet. He knew that Jack could move like lighting, so he kept his eye on Jacks right hand while his own trigger finger was ready to move.

Just then a movement caught his eye. It was down by the base of the rocks he was standing behind. A snake slithered its way out from beneath the rocks and was moving in Chet’s direction. Irrationally he jumped back, picking his feet up high and wildly.

Jack saw Chet’s distraction and instantly dropped his right hand to his gun. In a flash it was out and he had fired two shots. Both shots found their mark. Chet’s gun fell to the ground as he fell to his back.

Matthew had made his way around the hillside. He was using all of his freshly learned skills in moving quietly as he moved behind a bush. From this vantage he could now investigate what was happening in the hollow before him. The first thing that caught his eye was the blue of Alice’s dress. An impulse to run to her rumbled through his whole being. Painfully he kept the desire in check.

He forced his eyes away from her and searched the area for the other two men. He saw the big back of the man who had stolen Alice crouched behind a rock not more than a hundred feet from him. Matthew’s hand made its way to the gun on his hip. He gripped the handle and slowly pulled it out.

His mind raced trying to remember what it was that Jack had said about shooting the gun as he raised it up and aimed it into the back of his enemy. But before he could pull the trigger, the man darted out from behind the rock and was making his way to a bush some thirty feet further to his left.

Matthew’s confidence of hitting his target diminished even more at this point. He looked on wondering how he could get to him. Then he thought, that maybe he should try to circle around and get Alice while Jack was distracted. This idea sounded like it was the best plan, and the one that he desperately wanted to implement. 

Matthew thought of what Chet would want him to do. But, if he had done that, then he would still be sitting back behind the hill. Matthew was already pushing it by being here, and the absolute last thing he wanted to do was mess up Chet’s plans yet again. So Matthew decided that what he would do was just stay put and see how things unfolded.

Just then he saw that Jack was making a move from his latest position and a shot rang out. Matthew was amazed to see Jack’s gun jump from his hand and land a few feet away.

“Jack, I got you dead to rights,” he heard Chet say. “You take a step, and you’ll be just as dead as a rock.”

Matthew’s heart sprang as he realized it was finally over. Chet had overcome this rouge man. Matthew was about to show himself when he heard Chet speaking again. Matthew thought it was best for him to just stay out of the way for the time being while he watched on. Besides, Chet obviously was in control.

While he listened to Chet give his instructions to Jack, Matthew’s eyes darted back to Alice. He thought he could see through the bushes her dress move. Matthew figured that Jack must have tied her up, or else surely she would have made a run for freedom. This idea caused his blood to boil at the thought of his wife being bound.

With fire in his eyes he looked back down to the two men. Chet was now standing, his gun leveled on Jack who stood a mere twenty feet from Chet. Matthew longed to see Jack make a move. He wanted to see Chet pull the trigger on this man who had…

His thoughts were interrupted by seeing Chet suddenly jumping back. To his horror he watched helplessly as he saw Jack pull his gun and shoot Chet twice. He would have yelled out, but all the air in his lungs locked up as he watched Chet fall to his back.

Jack had not stood still. He had run around the rocks with his gun extended in front. He saw Chet lying on the ground clutching his shoulder, blood escaping from between his fingers. Both shots had entered his right shoulder within a half-inch of each other.

“Well, well,” said Jack with his gravely voice. “Looks like things got all turned around on you. Didn’t it.” A low laugh like the growl of animal emitted from Jack.

Chet said nothing as his eye focused in on the barrel of Jack’s gun. He could feel the final seconds of his life slipping by. There would be a flash, and it would be over.

“Now, I’ve been wondering,” said Jack. “Who in blazes are you?”

Chet didn’t say a word as Jack moved around him and kicked Chet’s gun out of reach.

“Come on, Pard, let’s be friends,” said Jack as he reholstered his own gun. “We’ll start by exchangin' names. I’m Jack Higgs. There you go, now you know me, and I want to be knowin' you. I want to know who it is that’s been chasing after me these past couple of days. So then, tell me, what’s your name?”

Seeing that Chet wasn’t answering, Jack stepped over, picked up his foot, and gave Chet a vicious kick with the heel of his boot to Chet’s crotch. Chet grunted in pain and rolled up in a ball, his air escaping his lungs.

“I hate to be impolite and all,” continued Jack, “but I’m asking you a question.” He kicked Chet again, this time in his back with the point of his boot.

Chet lay in the dirt; his teeth set while groans of pain escaped his mouth. But that was the only sound that came from him. He wasn’t going to give in even on this minor point.

“Well, when it all comes right down to it,” said Jack circling around Chet again, “I’m guessing it really doesn’t matter that much. I can kill you without knowing your name. But I am curious how you came to following after me so quick like. I had it figured that it would take a good day or so for anyone to head out after me, but there you were that same day.”

A voice spoke up from behind Jack, “It was me.”

Saving Alice Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

Chet had been afraid that Matthew would say something like that again. He had hoped that the recent mishaps would have subdued Matthew, but Chet hadn’t expected such a vehement response. And in spite of Matthew’s shortcomings, Chet had to give him credit for tenacity. Chet also knew that it was true that Matthew would be willing to pay whatever the price and take whatever the risk to rescue his wife. This caused pity to rise up in Chet’s mind and overpower his frustration for this man whom Chet knew did not have the capacity to do what was needed to accomplish the task. 

Reluctantly he agreed, but not without warning him, “Okay, but do exactly as I say.” Realizing he had said this before, Chet shrugged his shoulders at himself and said, “Ah, what’s the use. Just try not to kill me. I’m on your side.”

Matthew gave Chet a smile, “I won’t even take my gun out until you’re dead.”

“That’s a small comfort,” replied Chet. “Lets get a move on.”

The two men took to the trail in eager anticipation. They rounded the first of the two hills that separated them and then came to a stop so Chet could point things out to Matthew.

“I seen ‘em sitting right there on that hill.” He was pointing to the right side of the next rolling hillside.

“The way I see things shaping up,” continued Chet, “He ain’t got ‘nough horse to be runnin’ no more, and that cur Jack knows it, and he knows that we know it cause we done caught up to him again.

“The best thing to do for him is to take to ground, and see if he can get himself all set up for an ambush on us. Leastwise, that’d be what I’d be thinkin’.”

“So if we go straight on after them,” asked Matthew, “we're bound to get shot up?”

“Yup. And that Jack is not known for missin’ his targets. He is quick on the draw, and deadly in the pointin’.”

“What do you suggest?”

Chet gave this a considering thought. “He don’t know if you can shoot. Fact is, he don’t even know if there is still two of us cause he only saw me back yonder, but he’ll be plannin’ on two of us. We can ride up over that hill and see if he’s got himself a good ‘nough hidin’ spot. But I can give the best of assurances that by the time we find that out, one of us will be fallin’ out of the saddle, and the other about to do the same. Then he’ll be havin’ three good horses.

“I’m of the mind that we don’t play into his hand like a couple of greenhorns at a poker table. We are goin’ around and gettin’ ahind him, or leastwise on his flank. That’ll give us a better chance and the advantage of him not knowin’ which way we is comin’.”

So they moved off, sloping their horses to the left. Instead of just coming over the hill on the left side, Chet skirted this hill and went over three hills, keeping themselves in the trough between hills. Stopping their horses Chet and Matthew dismounted their horses.

Speaking softly Chet gave Matthew some more instruction. “Keep your head down, stay right behind me till I say otherwise, and don’t make no sound.”

They moved out on foot following the trough between hills, now approaching from nearly the exact opposite way they had been earlier

Chet was once again moving with the same fluid movements that Matthew had observed before. Matthew kept to his position behind Chet and kept his head low as instructed and concentrated with intensity on keeping his footfall as silent as his leader’s.

They moved slowly and cautiously until they reached the place that Chet had calculated should be about the area that they should find their quarry. He motioned with hand signals for Matthew to hold his position.

Chet moved out very low and very slow, heading toward a bush in which to get cover for his search. He laid himself flat on the ground, his eyes cutting over the terrain searching for his man. He remained as still as a fawn and waited for any sign, any movement, anything that would give his man away.

Matthew had lost sight of Chet and was tempted after ten long minutes to go a little ways and see if he could see what was going on. But the memory of a snapping branch kept his feet glued to their exact spot. He didn’t lift either foot to find a better, more comfortable position. He was concentrating on just breathing as quietly as he could when he saw, but didn’t hear, Chet returning.

Chet put his mouth to Matthew’s ear and explained quickly that Jack wasn’t there. They needed to circle around the next hill and see what they could see. Just as quietly they made their move, taking the long way around, keeping low.

Following the same process Chet left Matthew to wait when they had gained a new position. Slowly Chet made his slow and tedious progress to an appropriate spot. Lying once again on his belly he crept to his bush of choice. When he got there he looked down into a little hollow within the hills. It was like a small amphitheater with the slopes of three hills enclosing it. The side he would have come into this hollow was lower than the rest of the hollow and it slowly slopped and widened up and away from there.

Off to the left he caught a movement with his eye. With out moving his head, he turned his eyes in the proper direction. He saw the swoosh of the horse’s tail. Its head hung low, and the animal had the appearance of a horse that was completely spent. It would have been just out of the sight if he had been coming from the other direction. 

Slowly and methodically Chet started to dissect the land before him with his eyes, trying to find his man. It was Alice that he saw, or at least her blue dress. She was hunkered down behind some rocks and hidden behind bushes. He could also see that if he were to be coming from the other direction, he would probably have been able to spot her from that approach also. She wasn’t completely hidden. She was a decoy.

Chet didn’t move a muscle as his eyes continued their probing, examining every bush and shrub. He investigated rocks and grass. His examination was thorough and still he didn’t see his man.

Having been searching for about ten minutes, he decided that he could risk a repositioning. Slowly like a breath of air he worked his way backwards from his position until the little hollow was complete out of his sight, and made his way back to Matthew.

“I done seen your Alice,” he breathed into Matthew’s ear. “That cur has got her set up as a decoy, hopin’ we’ll make a move or somethin’ for her, and then all fancy like, he’ll just pick us off.”

“You saw him too?”

“Not a hair. That’s why I come back. I got to get around to where his horse is hid and take a look from that side. I ain’t goin’ to see nothin’ from this here side.

“You stay put. It won’t be long now.” And Chet scrambled off around their side of the hill.

Matthew’s heart was a combination of thrilled and terrified, knowing that his wife was just over the hill within an easy two minute walk, and a half second bullet. He longed to move, to just peek over the edge of the hill, to see her even if just for a second. So intense was the longing that he could almost feel his feet demanding to go. With sheer determination he beat his body and mind into submission, but his body trembled in protest just to emphasis that it was not happy with this decision.

It took Chet nearly fifteen minutes to work his way to within sight of the horse. He didn’t want to startle the horse causing it to whistle and give warning of his location, though he thought that the poor creature was beyond caring, so he kept higher upon the hill and worked his way towards a position to see down into the hollow. There was a small cluster of rocks he was aiming for. From there he would be in a better position for his search.

He had just got into position, having taken great care to remain undetected. He slowly raised his head to peer between two rocks that made a v between them. Suddenly the rock to his right exploded into fragments of flying bits of stone. Chet flinched and reflexively pulled his head down to safety, but his right eye had picked up a fleck of stone. His eye burned at the foreign object and he was temporarily blinded as another bullet pitched up the ground near his foot.

He found himself rolled up in a near ball position trying to keep all of his body parts from being hit. A volley of three more shots rained in around him, hitting the ground and the rock. Chet had no idea where the shots were coming from yet, and squinting though his one good eye, he could see that he didn’t have the ability to retreat without getting into the line of fire. To make a move it would require that he got up off his belly, which meant getting his feet underneath himself, which would in turn make himself too tall for cover for this set of rocks, which would make himself a perfect target.

He had been keeping track of how many shots were fired, but, in this short pause, he also knew that his enemy could refresh his gun’s chambers, and he also realized that he didn’t know how many guns the other man had. He was stuck.

There was one more certainty that played through his mind- if he stayed where he was, he was destined to be killed. The other man just had to move positions and Chet would become a clear target, and he was sure that that would be Jack’s next move.

He rubbed a hand at his watering right eye trying to work the stone out, but to no avail. He also looked around with his good eye to see if there was anyplace he could get to that would be better and safer. As he was looking, another shot was fired, pitching up the dirt just to his right. The direction of the flying dirt told him at least which way the gunfire was coming from. It had to be very near the location that he himself had been the first time he looked into this hollow.

He also spied to his right, about thirty feet away, there was a tumble of stones that would offer better cover. From there he would be able to at least return fire with his feet under him. Also, in front of the rocks was a stand of bushes that grew taller than the rocks. Those would help to break up his own outline. The only problem now was actually getting to the rocks.

The time was now. He had to move if he was to survive. He threw his gun hand up over the rocks and blindly triggered two shots in the general direction that bullets had been coming from. In the same instant, he also put his feet beneath himself to make his move down the hillside. Once on his feet and on the run he fired two more shots wildly. Then he saw the flash of gunfire. Bullets screamed their way past him hitting the ground just beyond him. Chet, now knowing the location of his assailant, redirected his last two shots. Neither bullet hit home, but he saw that the first one had pitched up some of dirt in front of his man, and he heard the second bite into a rock.

He was nearly to the rocks when his foot hit some hillside debris, pitching him into the air. At the same time he felt a searing pain biting into his body.

Saving Alice Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

Chet had dismounted and examined Matthew’s horse again. He determined that the horse had a deep bruise just below the shoulder. With a few days rest Chet figured that the animal ought to be doing fine, but there was no way that they could pull it along with them. He decided it would be best to escort the animal down to the river and leave it to heal on its own. After he dealt with the situation at hand, he would try to come back and check on the horse.

“Time to get a move on,” said Chet as he turned to his black and white horse. “Too much of the day is been wasted as it is.”

“What should we do with this saddle?”

“Ain’t much we can do with it. Leave it and get yourself up on a horse. We got to get this horse to water.”

Matthew took the two saddlebags and did as he was told, while Chet took the reins of the lame horse and slowly made his way in the direction Jack had been fleeing. When he came up to the dead man’s horse, he gave the animal an expert glance as they passed and saw that the front hoof had been slit and a sizable piece of the hoof had been broken off. Chet shook his head in disgust at the treatment of such a beautiful animal.

Chet was looking for an easy trail down to the river bottom and soon found one. This also turned out to be the very place that Jack had chosen to go. So down they went taking all the time needed for the wounded horse. When they finally reached the bottom Chet dismounted his horse and stripped the bridle from the lame horse.

Not especially wanting to hear Matthew’s voice yet, Chet thought it best to explain himself before he was questioned. “I’m goin’ to leave the horse down here where it can get water, and there is plenty of things for it to much on. He’ll be okay down this a way.”

Matthew took Chet’s explanation as a thawing of his companion and felt like things between the two men was now on the mend. He felt safe to break his own self-imposed silence. “Won’t he need someone to take care of him?”

Chet shook his head at Matthew, but didn’t make eye contact, “There’s all sorts of horses gone to the wild out here. If I thought he didn’t have a chance, I’d shoot him and put him out of his misery.” Under his breath he said to himself, “Being shot is ‘bout the best way out.”

Matthew didn’t make the last words of Chet, but he had sense enough to know better than to ask what Chet said. Instead he asked Chet if they were going to go back up the hill to get back after Jack.

“I’ll be guessin’ you didn’t see,” said Chet as he climbed back into the saddle, still not looking at Matthew, “that cur wolf came on down this a way.”

Matthew hadn’t seen it, but now that he was aware of the information, he looked to the ground and saw that there were indeed tracks heading toward the water.

Chet kicked his horse into motion and started to follow the tracks once again. The lame horse whistled to the departing horses, but stood its ground after taking a few tentative steps. The tracks lead strait to the waters edge and it appeared as though the horse had made a couple of turns as though the rider was trying to determine which way to go. Then the tracks disappeared into the water.

“He done crossed the river here,” mused Chet as he peered across the river to the other bank that was about fifty yards across.

“Alice doesn’t know how to swim,” interjected Matthew.

Chet gave Matthew a cold glance, “How bout you?”

The question was not seeking information, but rather putting Matthew through a test. Matthew understood the deeper meaning of this perfectly. Not wanting to fail yet again, and somewhat frustrated that he was being put to the test again, he answered, “I can’t say that I’ve ever tried to swim, but I might just prove to be a fine swimmer at the first opportunity.”

“Figures,” said Chet looking away. “Well here’s your opportunity.” Then after some thought, and not wanting to see a good horse drown, he went on, “Once you get that horse in the water up to your knees, then slip off and hold onto the saddle horn and let yourself just drag a long side the horse. When you feel the horse get its footin’, then you can pull yourself back into the saddle as he is climbin’ out of the water.”

Without confirming that Matthew caught and understood it all, Chet spurred his horse into the water. Matthew held his horse in check for a moment as he watched Chet move deeper into the water. The idea of being dragged beside this horse now horrified him. Finally the horror of failing at yet another thing today got the better of his fear of drowning. So he tremulously set his horse in motion, with the second horse in tow.

He tried to remember Chet’s instructions about slipping off, but forgot when he was supposed to do it. As soon as the water hit his calf, he forced himself to fall out of the saddle. Instead of being smoothly transitioned from horseback to horseside with the helpful buoyancy of the water, his legs splashed into the water dragging the rest of his body down while his hands lost grip on the saddle horn. Down into the water, both body and head, went he. Kicking his feet frantically to get his head above water, and attempting to get a breath while still underwater, his feet found purchase on the river bottom. He shot his head above water.

Coughing and spitting, Matthew found himself to be about chest deep in the frigid water. Seeing that his horse was now out of reach, he turned to see that the other horse was just passing him. Desperately he grabbed for the saddle horn and missed, his hands slipped over the rest of the saddle, and were now running over the horse’s rump as they desperately searched for a hold. Finally his hands found the tail, and he gripped it with all his might as he was pulled off his feet and dragged through the water while the horses made their way across the river. His head kept dipping below the waterline as he occasionally rolled from side to side trying to find his equilibrium. Mouthful after mouthful of water was being ejected from his mouth as he struggled to get enough water out of the way so Matthew could get air into his lungs and still keep the water out. He was not fully successful.

Chet sat in his saddle on the other side of the river watching as the two riderless horses made their way to shore. He stared as Matthew, coughing and sputtering, was dragged like a drowned cat from the water. Chet disgustedly nodded his head in verification of his assessment of Matthew. 

Chet dismounted from his horse and took his boots off and drained away the water. He also routed out all the guns and gave them a quick cleaning and drying.

During all the activity Chet had lobbed a one-sentence judgment at Matthew. “Son, I don’t think you are made for all this.”

Matthew, having let go of the horse’s tail as soon as he was on dry ground, had nothing to say in reply as he laid for moment clearing the last of the water from his lungs. Eventually he pushed himself up from his stomach and wearily dragged his legs under himself so he could sit on his backside. Matthew looked over at Chet who was just finishing replacing his boots on his feet. When Matthew saw that Chet was about to look at him, Matthew quickly cut his gaze in the other direction.

He had survived, but he had failed. And he didn’t know which was worse.

Matthew had no need to remove his tattered city shoes for they would easily be drained of their watery contents through the hole in his right shoe, and the flapping soul of his left shoe. Every new challenge was being thwarted by the redundancy of failure due to his utter lack of experience.

Wearily he gained his feet, and went after his horses. Remnants of coughing accompanied as he gained the saddle once again and followed dejectedly behind Chet.

The trail proved to be easy to follow for Chet. He knew that Jack’s horse had to be getting close to being spent after two days of such heavy labor. Chet could tell that the Jack was switching between walking the horse for a spell and then galloping for another. Where the horse walked, Chet could see how the horse was dragging its hooves between steps, rather than picking them up, and Chet knew that was the sign of a horse that was nearly spent.

Meanwhile, their own horses were still relatively strong and had kept up a solid pace since they had emerged from the river bottom. They had been traveling north across the high plains for over two hours when there came into view a set of hills that rose up from the prairie. In another half hour they were cresting the first of the hills and came to a stop to take in the view of what lay ahead.

The entire journey had been made with a load silence. Matthew heard the words that were not being said, and he argued wordlessly with what he knew Chet would be saying if Chet were talking to him. Chet felt Matthew riding behind him and Chet chewed on scene after scene of the past two days and kept coming to the same conclusion of the childly man in tow. How Matthew could have ever proved to be man enough to win a wife was beyond Chet’s understanding.

Finally, Chet reluctantly broke the silence. “I’m s'posin’ that we’ll be comin’ upon them any time now. They been ridin’ that horse real hard like, and its got to be plumb tuckered by now, especially now that they is back in up-and-down hill ridin’.”

He turned his attention to Matthew, “Look here now. You got to keep your ears on and listen to what I’m tellin’ you to be doin’. No more stompin’ and ridin’ where I tell you not to.”

Having argued silently with Chet for their entire ride, Matthew now had nothing to say in retort or defense. The only response Matthew could muster was a simple nod of the head while he looked away.

Chet felt like his words were somehow falling on deaf ears, so he shook his head and set out once again.

Fifteen minutes into the hills and Chet reined his horse to a stop while staring at the ground. Chet saw the telltale signs of a stumble being left in the dirt. This mark was half way up a hill that they were now climbing. The trail that Chet and Matthew had been following was not going straight up and down hill after hill, but rather was coming up and around the hills following a meandering shoulder to shoulder approach to the hills.

Chet told Matthew to wait there as he spurred his horse to the top of the hill so he could get a better view. Cresting the hill, he saw his quarry just two hills out. Jack was just rounding another shoulder of the grass and shrub covered hill. Chet watched as the man came to a stop and look back. Though too far away to distinguish facial features, the two stared at each other for a moment. It was Chet who broke off the stare and turned his horse back down the hill and rode to Matthew.

“I saw ‘em.”

Matthew’s heart forgot all of the frustrations of the past two days with the news. “How far away are they?”

“They ain’t far, and that horse ain’t got much left in it to make a good run for it. I got the idea that it ain’t goin’ to take much to be getting to ‘em.”

Chet eyed Matthew, “There is goin’ to be some pretty hot shootin’ comin’ up. I don’t want that Alice of yours gettin’ hurt.” With a certain amount of reluctance added to his voice, Chet continued, “And I don’t want to be seein’ you gettin’ all shot up.”

“Okay,” said Matthew, waiting for the shoe to drop.

“I want you to stay out of the way. How ‘bout you wait here. I’ll come get you after it’s all done.”

Matthew’s boyish face flushed scarlet. “There is no way in heaven, hell, or earth that I’m staying here. I know I’ve made a few mistakes, but that’s my wife out there. I’ll walk through a thousand bullets, get dragged through an ocean, and travel a thousand miles to get to her. I will not sit back here like some cowardly dog. I’m going. I’ll stay out of your way, I’ll do as you say to a point, but I’m going.”