For personal use and select distribution only © 1998 by Rebecca Burkhart

CHAPTER SEVEN

Roberta was preparing for bed in the boarding house where she had managed to secure a room. Although she was exhausted from the exertions of the day, she knew it would be difficult to sleep. Her mind was so full of all that had happened - the people she'd met, the stories she'd heard. The last few hours spent with Dorothy had given her a rich background on the characters in the drama that was being played out in this town.

They had walked together to a place called "Grace's Cafe" where they'd been greeted by an ebullient black woman who assured Dorothy she had just what they needed and proceeded to pack up enough food for an army. Dorothy had introduced her to Grace who acted only minimally taken aback at her appearance. She chatted briefly in a low voice with Dorothy - something about her husband, Robert E. who ran the livery, being worried about having procured some horses for Sully right before the uprising. Then they had headed off, back out of town, across the little bridge by the church to the open meadow, a great place for a picnic. On the way there they had encountered "Dr. Mike", as Dorothy introduced her, on her way in from a call.

She appeared pale and distracted to Roberta, yet she shook hands and greeted her warmly. She did comment on Roberta's appearance but only to express concern. "Those are very bad burns. Are they recent?"

"Well, more or less. A house fire about a year ago."

The doctor, sensing she might not want to talk just then replied, "Well, if they need attention or anything, my clinic is right in town."

Roberta thanked her and Dorothy told her not to expect her at the homestead for supper.

They walked the rest of the way to the meadow in silence, Roberta overwhelmed, once again, with a feeling of "connectedness" to another human being. She almost felt as if she had known this Dr. Mike before and that they had been destined to meet again. It made her all the more eager to hear the story Dorothy had to tell her.

They spread a blanket on the grass and sat down to some of the best fried chicken, biscuits and potato salad Roberta had ever eaten in her life. And there was apple pie, as well. By the time they finished eating, dusk was falling, so they had begun their talk on the walk back to the Gazette office and finished there, late in the evening. The story of Dr. Mike and Sully was a remarkable one.

Roberta smiled as she thought about the unlikely match of the silver- miner turned outdoorsman and the proper lady from Boston, but the stories Dorothy told left no question of their devotion to each other. Indeed, they seemed destined to be together. The death of Sully's first wife was sad, but the way Cloud Dancing and the Cheyenne helped him find his way again made it clear why he was so indebted to the Indians and why he called Cloud Dancing "brother". She also had a better idea of why Sully was resistant to some of the changes going on- changes that were called "progress" but which had ruined the Cheyenne way of life and were also ruining some of the beautiful natural wonders of this part of the world.

Roberta had seen how the cities back East seemed to be taking over the surrounding countryside. The stories of Dr. Mike's and Sully's efforts to stem this tide of progress before the old ways were lost forever, were very moving. Sully's being appointed Indian agent for the area seemed a ray of hope but it soon became clear that he was just being used as a powerless pawn in a system bent on annihilating the Indians. Roberta was shocked at some of the stories of deception - of the government's repeated efforts to starve, weaken, sicken and slaughter the Indians.

The many hardships, however, served to strengthen the relationship between Michaela and Sully as they went from friendship to courtship, engagement and marriage. It was a slow progression as both were recovering from past losses - Sully's wife and Michaela's fiance. It actually took Michaela's being called away to Boston to tend her sick mother for Sully to come to his senses and admit the feelings he'd always had for her. Roberta thought it was terribly romantic of him to have gone all the way to Boston after her.

Michaela's courage in coming there in the first place was amazing. She had hoped to escape the prejudice against women doctors that she'd found in Boston but it had taken a long time for her to find acceptance even here on the frontier. It seemed that Sully and a woman named Charlotte Cooper were the only ones to accept her at first. Then Charlotte had died of snakebite, leaving her three children in Michaela's care. And through it all, Sully had been there for them, letting them live in his old homestead, bringing them food and firewood. Dr. Mike helped Sully out at the Indian reservation. They had saved each other's lives.

Now they had been married two years and had a little girl of their own who had just turned one. Sully had built them a beautiful homestead with his own hands and since being fired as the Indian agent last year, had turned his hand to hunting, trapping, carpentry and other odd jobs.

Roberta shuddered when she heard of the family's encounters with Sgt. O'Connor which included his roughly shoving a very pregnant Michaela and stepping hard on Sully's broken ankle. His hatred for Sully and his family was obvious and incomprehensible to Roberta.

It was evident that Michaela and Sully both cared very much about helping people - all kinds of people. And now they needed help themselves.

Dorothy was afraid that Sully's body would never be found, which was too bad because Michaela still harbored hopes that he was alive. This was just about impossible as far as Dorothy was concerned.

Roberta had her own theories as to whether or not the body would be found and had asked for a description of Sully. She smiled to herself now as she remembered. Best get some rest now. Tomorrow she would make plans for another little hike into the woods.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Another morning had dawned and Colorado Springs was coming to life. On the walkway in front of the Gold Nugget saloon-keeper Hank Lawson, barber and mayor Jake Slicker and storekeeper Loren Bray stood together staring out at the street, watching the townspeople begin their days.

Over at the livery, Robert E. was firing up his forge and the cafe was beginning to fill up with the breakfast crowd. Across the street, Dr. Mike rode up and tied her horse, Flash, to the rail in front of the clinic, while her son, Brian, waved goodbye and continued on his horse, Taffy, to the school.

"There she is," Jake drawled, nodding toward the clinic, "actin' as if things're the same as always."

Hank puffed on a cigar. "Things are the same as always. Sully's off playin' Injun and Michaela's just bein' ... Michaela. I am kinda surprised she ain't gone off lookin' for him yet."

Jake raised his eyebrows. "She's probably mad 'cause Sully kept her in the dark about what he was up to."

Hank grinned and blew a puff of smoke. "Never heard her complain before about Sully keepin' her 'in the dark' if you get my meanin'."

Loren turned red to the roots of his hair. "Now Hank! Don't you go talkin' like that. There's decent folk here!"

Hank puffed smoke at Loren. "Where?" he asked insolently.

"Ahhh!" Loren waved off Hank and his smoke with a gesture.

"Who's that?" Jake asked. A slender young woman was striding purposefully down the road, turning in at the telegraph office.

"Some friend of Dorothy's I think" Loren replied. "At least they went off together last night, talkin' together thick as thieves!"

"Wonder what they're up to" said Jake.

"Ahh, who says they're up to anything?" asked Loren.

"Everybody's up to somethin'" Hank said, tossing away the stub of his cigar.

"Well, it ain't none of our business" Loren said irritably.

"Maybe it is and maybe it isn't," said Hank, eyeing Jake.

"Maybe we oughta go see how Horace is doin'" Jake said with a smirk.

"Oh, he won't tell you anything! He ain't allowed to," blustered Loren.

Hank grinned. "Maybe he won't. And maybe he will." Hands in pockets, he and Jake ambled down the street toward the telegraph office.

*****************************************

Michaela stepped out the door of the clinic and surveyed the early morning activity on the street. Across the way, Hank, Jake and Loren were standing with their heads together, gossiping away. Honestly, those three were worse than any women she'd ever known.

Standing out here like this brought back memories of her and Sully. Memories that went back even to their pre-courtship days when she'd come out of the clinic to find Sully there. She smiled. He'd always made a great effort to act as if he'd just "happened by" or he would ask about a patient or their weekly trip to the reservation. Her heart would always skip a beat at finding him there and she'd have to remind herself that their relationship was only a friendship. Yet he'd always been there for them - starting from the time he offered to let her live on the homestead he'd abandoned and not set foot on for two years. After that he spent a lot of time there, doing repairs, splitting wood, sharing meals with them. She'd give anything for him to be here right now ...

" 'morning Dr. Mike," Sheriff Matthew Cooper, her adopted son, stepped up beside her, bringing her out of her reverie.

"Good morning, Matthew. How are you?" She'd been worried about him since the renegades had burned the old homestead that Sully had given Matthew. It pained her to think of her first home in Colorado Springs being burned to the ground and doubly so when she thought of Matthew's pain over losing his home. She knew he blamed Sully and that pained her, too. "Matthew ... "

"Dr. Mike, I need to talk to you."

"What is it, Matthew?"

Matthew took a deep breath and rubbed his hand over the back of his head. "Dr. Mike, I'm real sorry about everything that's happened, but..." he paused, as if he were trying to find the words to say. "Some of the soldiers are beginning to think Sully didn't die out there at the canyon. Now, if you know anything you're obligated to tell what you know."

"Matthew ... "

"Now Dr. Mike, I did what I did back by the homestead - I let him go because of Cloud Dancin'. I could lose my job because of that. If you know anything and are holdin' back, I might have to bring you in."

"Matthew, Sully ... "

"I got nothing to say to him. He broke the law. Again. An' my job is to uphold the law. He crossed the line, Dr. Mike, he went too far this time, even for him."

Michaela was distressed at the tone she heard in his voice. He and Sully had had many fallings out during Matthew's struggles for independence but Sully had always been firmly on Matthew's side and had often restrained Michaela from being overprotective. But the anger she heard now went far beyond any petty disagreements. It was as if Matthew and Sully were on completely opposite sides.

"Matthew, I believe Sully is still alive, but it is just something inside me that tells me that. I have no solid proof."

"Well, if you hear from him, you be sure to let me know."

Michaela drew herself up and said, "Matthew, if I hear from him I will do everything in my power to make sure he gets away safely."

Matthew removed his hat and smoothed his hair. Then he replaced his hat and looked Michaela in the eye. "If you do and I find out about it, I will put you in jail, don't think I won't." Then he turned away from her and strode up the street.

***************************************

As Roberta left the telegraph office she prayed that her husband would understand the somewhat cryptic message she had sent and would come to Colorado Springs right away. The telegraph operator assured her he had "taken an oath" and no one else would ever see the words she sent. He also spent a great deal of time commenting on various aspects of her message - he'd had an "Uncle Hiram" once back in St. Louis, but it really wasn't his uncle ... wasn't it a coincidence that her uncle had known a family named Sully back East just like their Sully here except he didn't have any kin that anybody knew of and besides, no one was really sure what had happened to him ... Roberta was glad to get away and shook her head hoping this Mr. Bing was true to his vow and didn't accidentally let something slip when talking to his customers.

She decided to head over to Grace's Cafe to see if she served breakfast. As she entered the pleasant area of tables covered with brightly checkered cloths, she heard a voice call, "Roberta! Over here!" Dorothy was waving from one of the tables and Roberta went to say good morning. "Sit down, have breakfast with me" Dorothy invited. "Have you decided what you're going to do?"

Roberta sat across from Dorothy and replied, "I just wired my husband to see if he and the children will come out here for a few days."

"Oh, that's real nice." Dorothy smiled. "I know you'll enjoy seeing them again. How old are the children?"

"Samuel's eleven and Bonnie is nine." Roberta had told Dorothy her own story last evening as she listened in quiet sympathy.

"Well, I think it will be good for all of you to get away for awhile. Maybe even spend some time in Denver while you're all out here."

"That would be nice" Roberta nodded.

"Miss Dorothy!" A handsome young man wearing a badge pinned to his vest came over to their table.

"Good mornin', Matthew. Matthew, I'd like you to meet Roberta Taylor, all the way from Philadelphia. This is Matthew Cooper, our sheriff. He's one of Dr. Mike's sons."

Matthew acknowledged the introduction, then went on, "Miss Dorothy, I need to talk to you about Dr. Mike ." He sighed. "I told her the soldiers were beginnin' to think Sully's out there somewhere alive an' I asked her to let me know if she heard anything ... "

"Why Matthew, do you think Michaela would do somethin' to hurt her own husband?"

"Miss Dorothy, it's for his own good I asked her. If the soldiers find him, they'd as soon hang him as look at him. As soon as they can get posters made, there'll be a bounty on his head - $500 dead or alive. With soldiers and bounty hunters out after him, he won't stand a chance. If I can get to him, at least he'll be safe in jail until we can get a judge to come."

Roberta had been trying hard to seem more interested in her breakfast than she was in the conversation but there were things she had to know. "Sheriff Cooper, may I ask you something?"

He looked surprised, but said "Sure!"

Roberta went on, "It's just that my husband is a lawyer and he's always interested in how these things work throughout the country. You say if the soldiers or bounty hunters find this man they have the right to kill him?"

"Well ... " Matthew looked uncomfortable, "they can if they can make a case that he resisted them. And I imagine they could do that."

"What about if you found him or if, say, he just walked in here and turned himself over to you?"

Matthew laughed. "That ain't likely to happen, but if it did I'd put him in jail and wire for a circuit judge to come and hear the case."

"And would the case be open and shut or would witnesses be called?"

"I expect people could be called to speak for both sides."

"How long does it take to get a judge around here?"

"Well ... normally we can get one in two, three days. But since it's spring and things're just startin' to thaw out, the winter backlog might make it a week or more."

"Very interesting. Thank you, Sheriff." Roberta noticed uncomfortably that Dorothy was staring at her intently and she busied herself with her breakfast.

"Matthew," Dorothy said, "I'll speak with Michaela, but you know how stubborn she can be when it comes to protectin' the ones she loves ... " She shrugged and looked at Matthew.

"All I'm sayin' is that for him to be here might be what's best for him." With a tip of his hat, Matthew went on his way.

Roberta immediately steered the subject to Dorothy and her problems with Preston so she wouldn't have a chance to question her about her interest in the legal system in Colorado Springs. She had a feeling, though, that she wasn't fooling Dorothy for a minute.

As they talked, a noisy group of soldiers came into the cafe and seated themselves around a large table near where Dorothy and Roberta were sitting. They were talking about a manhunt and a bounty and searching the woods and Roberta wished she could swivel her ears to the back of her head so as to hear better.

"Cap'n Fogarty out to the Reservation said he'd have a word with them Injuns as is left out there. Said he'd 'persuade' 'em to do some trackin'" one of the soldiers was saying.

"You think they can find him? I hear he's real good at hidin' in the woods and not bein' found 'less he wants to be" another soldier declared.

"Where'd you think he learned how?" drawled the first soldier.

"That half-breed lived with them, learned their ways. Now they're gonna help us find him."

Roberta looked up to find Dorothy staring at her again and realised she hadn't heard the last few things Dorothy had been saying to her. "I'm sorry" she tried to improvise. "I guess I was just thinking about Peter and the children coming and got lost in my thoughts."

Dorothy smiled sympathetically and if she thought Roberta was lying, she kept it to herself. "So what will you do while you're waitin' for them to come?"

"I've been thinking about that. I'd really like to see some of the local countryside. I thought I'd check the livery to see if I could rent a horse and maybe do a bit of riding around and exploring."

Dorothy was eyeing her speculatively. "That could be dangerous. I mean, if you don't know where you're going. Would you like me to go along and show you around?"

"Oh, um ... no thank you. Another time that would be wonderful but this time I really need to be by myself for awhile. I've ridden a lot and I should be all right."

"I understand," Dorothy replied. "Come on over to the Gazette, though, before you leave. I can give you some hints about where to go and where not to go and help you pack a little "survival" kit, just in case. I always carry one when I go out riding to get a news story or to the Reservation." Roberta agreed to meet her later and hoped that doing so would be a good idea. She had a feeling that Dorothy might just have an ulterior motive.

****************************

Horace had just finished sending Roberta's telegram when Jake and Hank ambled into the office. Horace wasn't sure whether or not he was glad to see them. They seemed to want to be friends only when there was something in it for them and the rest of the time they treated him like a freak and an outcast. Still, Jake had been real nice to Horace recently when he was going through his depression over his divorce. He'd even offered money from the town treasury for Horace to go to some fancy place to recover.

"What can I do for you fellas?" he asked with only a trace of suspicion in his voice.

"Nice day, Horace" observed Hank.

"Lotta strangers in town" put in Jake as he leaned on the counter. "I guess a fair number of them come in here."

Horace pursed his lips and gazed at them reproachfully. Obviously they were here to pump him for information. They knew he wasn't permitted to divulge the contents of messages outgoing or incoming. He'd taken an oath! They must think he was really stupid.

"That woman that just left here, for instance" continued Jake. "She some relative of Dorothy's?"

"I wouldn't know" Horace bent over some mail he was sorting.

"Seems kinda strange her comin' here all the way from Chicago" put in Hank.

"Philadelphia" Horace corrected without thinking. He winced, but saying where the woman came from did not go contrary to his oath. He was just upset about the way Hank had tricked him was all. Hank knew it, too. He was grinning knowingly at Jake who was struggling to keep a straight face.

"Philadelphia, that's right. We're kinda gettin' overrun with ladies from the East. Think she'll set up some kinda business like Michaela? Or ... maybe she'd like to help out in mine"

Horace gave him a black look. "She's not your type, Hank."

"Oh. And I guess you would know what that is, seein' you were married to one of my girls once."

Horace was getting angry. "Do you have business here, 'cause if you don't you'd best be movin' on."

"Now, Horace," Jake said calmly, "we're just tryin' to keep track of the type of folks comin' into our town. We don't want strangers just coming in taking over. We were just trying to figure why a lady from Philadelphia would come alone all the way to Colorado Springs."

"Well, she won't be alone long. She just sent for her husband and ch ... " Seeing the triumphant looks on Hank's and Jake's faces Horace realized he had done it again. Looking grim he said, "I'm going to have to ask you two to leave!"

"We were just gettin' ready to" Jake said.

"Hey, what's this?" said Hank, picking up a poster from a pile on the counter. "Well what do you know, a wanted poster for Sully. '$500, Dead or Alive' " He and Jake exchanged glances. "You gonna put this up?"

"When I get around to it" Horace said darkly.

"We could take care of it," Jake volunteered. "After all, I am mayor!"

"Yeah. We all wanna see justice done, now don't we" said Hank. "Thanks for the information" he smirked. "You will ... ah ... keep us posted, won't you?"

Picking up the poster, Hank and Jake moseyed out the door while Horace stared after them, longing to throw something.

Once outside, Hank folded up the poster, putting it in his pocket. "Feel like doin' a little huntin', Mayor?"

CHAPTER NINE

Dorothy left the cafe and headed down the street to the medical clinic. Clouds were building up over the peak and it looked like rain. The farmers would be glad.

Michaela wasn't busy yet and was standing in the door of the clinic with a distant look on her face.

"Good morning, Dorothy. I'm sorry I missed you at the homestead this morning. Did you enjoy your visit with your friend last night? I didn't realise you knew anyone from Philadelphia."

"Actually, we just met. Roberta was burned in a housefire last year. It was set as some sort of revenge thing against her husband. Their baby daughter died. It was felt the mountain air and hot springs would be beneficial to Roberta so she came out to stay at the Springs Chateau."

"Let me guess" Michaela put in dryly, "Preston asked her to leave. He doesn't want anyone up there with something really wrong with them."

"You're so right, Michaela. Roberta walked all the way down from the resort and then she came to see me. She said she was not going all the way back East without seeing something of our town. In fact, she's wired her husband to have him and their children come out and spend some time."

"Why did she come to see you?"

Dorothy looked solemnly at Michaela. "She'd heard a lot of rumors up at the resort about the goings on here and she wanted to see if I had some news articles that would tell her the truth."

"What did you do?"

"I told her the truth."

"Do you think that was wise?"

"Michaela, there was something about her ... I can't put my finger on it, but she was feelin' something too. Like she was meant to be here. I don't know what, if anything, will come of it but I saw no harm in settin' her straight."

"So what is she going to do now?"

"While she's waitin' for her family, she wants to rent a horse and do a little explorin'. That's one of the reasons I came to see you. Could you make up one of those little kits like you do for me when I ride out after a story? You know, bandages, herbs and the like. Your 'just in case' kit, I think you call it?"

"Certainly" Michaela replied. "Does she know how to ride?"

"Apparently. She grew up on a farm. In fact, she told me the hardest thing for her would probably be learnin' to use a saddle."

Michaela laughed. "Come on inside. I'll put it together right now-and I'll include some of my special 'saddle sore' salve."

Dorothy stepped into the clinic with Michaela and watched as she filled a haversack with bandages, ointment and packets of herbs marked for use against pain, fever or infection. She also put in some candles and matches for emergencies. She worked quietly as if deep in thought then turned and handed the kit to Dorothy.

"Dorothy, are you busy this afternoon?"

"I've got nothing to do that can't wait, why?"

"I need to talk to you."

"What is it, Michaela?"

"Not here. Privately. Would you meet me this afternoon? I want to ride out to the Red Rocks. Maybe we won't be followed and we can talk then."

"Of course. Is everything all right, Michaela?"

"I don't know. Let's meet after lunch." Michaela handed Dorothy the haversack. "And tell your friend to be careful."

They agreed on a time to meet and Dorothy set off for the Gazette office.

*************************************

Roberta laid her newly-purchased saddle bags on the bed in her room and began filling them with the supplies she'd gotten at Loren's store - blankets, candles, matches, dried beef, potatoes, some fruit, hard candy. She wondered if she would arouse suspicion if she asked Dr. Quinn for some medical supplies. She had a feeling she might need them. She had also purchased a lantern which she felt might come in handy.

She had spent the better part of the morning, before her trip to Bray's Mercantile, getting acquainted with Colonel, an older but surefooted brown horse and familiarizing herself with the intricacies of saddle and stirrups, amenities she had eschewed when riding on the farm.

Robert E., who ran the livery, had seemed reluctant to lend her a horse until she had gotten on and proven she could, indeed, ride. Good thing she'd kept in practice on her visits to the farm which was now run by two of her brothers.

She'd also stopped by the Cafe to talk with Grace who promised to have some cold chicken, biscuit and a jar of cider packed for her to pick up early the next morning.

She laid out the riding skirt, blouse and vest she planned to wear and placed the wide felt hat she'd bought on top of the pile. She liked that hat. She'd never been crazy about wearing things on her head, especially bonnets. Growing up she'd run outside hoping to avoid her mother's cry of "Don't forget your bonnet!" But this hat was different, with a string tie so she could hang it down her back when she didn't feel like wearing it. She folded a poncho into a neat bundle that could be hung by the saddle to be handy in case she needed it.

Her packing done, she decided to go get some lunch at Grace's, then stop by the Gazette office to see what Dorothy had for her.

On the way to the newspaper, Roberta stopped at the telegraph office to see if there had been a reply to her telegram. To her delight, Horace had a telegram for her. Peter was coming! As she left, she saw something lying on the counter that made her more than ever feel the urgency of her task.

When she got to the newspaper office, she could see Dorothy was inmidst of packing. She was being helped by a handsome young boy of 12 or 13. "Roberta!" Dorothy exclaimed, "I'm glad you stopped by. Oh, Roberta Taylor, this is Brian Cooper. You met his brother this morning."

"The sheriff, of course. So you must be Dr. Mike's son, too."

"That's right. I'm pleased to meet you, Miss Roberta." Brian wiped his hand on his pants before offering it to Roberta to shake.

Roberta felt her throat tighten. So this was the boy who might become fatherless a second time unless ... She just hoped her hunch was right and that her little plan would be successful.

"I had Dr. Mike put this together for you" Dorothy explained, handing over the haversack. "She always makes one up for me when I go out ridin' after a story or whatever. The instructions are written right on the packets ... matches, candles, whatever you might need in an emergency." For a moment Dorothy's blue eyes looked directly into Roberta's green ones and Roberta had the uncanny feeling that Dorothy knew or at least suspected more than she was letting on. Roberta said nothing, however, just thanked Dorothy, said good-bye to Brian and headed back to the boarding house. She would be up early and needed her rest tonight.

**********************************

Hank and Jake paced about Loren's store arguing about the supplies they needed for their little 'expedition'. "Lanterns, matches, candles, dried beef!" Loren exclaimed. "Seems like everybody's in here buyin' up survival supplies!"

"Like who?" Hand asked.

"Ohhh ... the new gal, that Roberta was in here just this mornin', buyin' all the same stuff. Somethin' goin' on I don't know about? It's a shame about her face, ain't it? If I were her I guess I'd go off in the woods and hide, too!"

Jake and Hank eyed each other. This was news. "What about her face?" Jake asked.

"Oh, it's all burned up, like that fella came through here couple years back, the one Dr. Mike operated on!"

Jake and Hank exchanged glances again. "We need some ammunition, Loren," Hank said.

"Ammunition! Why, you know you ain't allowed to carry a gun in town!"

"Who said anything about bein' in town?" drawled Hank.

Jake shot him a warning look and said, "Besides, Matthew can't expect us to hold to that with the threat of Indian raids every minute."

"That's what the soldiers are here for!" Loren replied impatiently.

Jake looked skeptical. "Soldiers never did a very good job of protectin' us before. We aim to do what we can to protect ourselves." They paid for their purchases and left the store.

"Now, what do you suppose a woman wants with them kind of supplies?" Jake remarked to Hank as they strolled towards the Golden Nugget. "Do you think maybe she's a bounty hunter?"

"A lady bounty hunter?" Hank grinned. "Now there's an interesting idea."

"More likely it's her husband" Jake said. "Didn't Horace say she'd sent for him?"

"Well, we won't have to worry about him" Hank replied. "He won't be here for at least a few days. We can leave day after tomorrow."

"Why not tomorrow?"

"Because Charlie can't watch the Saloon until the day after tomorrow!"

"In that case, I'm gonna open up the barber shop for awhile. I could use the money."

"Coupla days, we won't have to worry about money" Hank assured him.

***************************************

Dorothy and Michaela rode out to the Red Rocks in silence, each lost in her own thoughts. They had opted to take the wagon and Michaela drove skillfully over the narrow path. Dorothy had never been out that way before, but Michaela had been there a number of times with Sully.

When they arrived, Michaela braked the wagon and they sat, staring at the magnificent geological structure. At last, Dorothy broke the silence. "It's beautiful!"

"Sully says there's no place like it on earth" Michaela replied. "He brought Brian out here last November to work on a project for school. Then he 'kidnaped' me and brought me here so we could have some time alone. It was here he told me he was turning down the Yellowstone job, that he wanted to stay and fight for this land." Michaela sighed. "Now I wish he had taken that job."

"And what good would that have done?" Dorothy asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Michaela, you can't run away from your problems, they're the same wherever you go! And you know you didn't want to leave your friends and part of your family, your practice and all you've worked so hard for here."

"But Dorothy, if we had gone there, Sully wouldn't be in the trouble he is now. If he is alive. None of this would have happened!"

"You don't know that, Michaela. Things might've been all right for awhile. But the government hasn't been too great about keeping its promises, as you well know. What if you got up there and they suddenly decided to sell all that land, or kill all the buffalo?"

"Sully said the people wanting to create the park had convinced the government that the land was useless for homesteading! And there are Cheyenne living just north of there in Montana! Living under treaty that says whites can't even come there!"

Dorothy looked at Michaela. "Don't you know I think about that every day? You know that's where Cloud Dancin' was headed. And you also know that every treaty we had with the Indians has been broken."

"Oh Dorothy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean ... "

"Of course you didn't, Michaela. I'm only sayin' that even if you'd gone up there, your problems would have followed you eventually - the railroad, the soldiers, the killin' ..."

"I'm going to look for him" Michaela said abruptly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Sully. I'm going out looking and I'm not coming home until I find him. I've got a full day at the clinic tomorrow, but the day after I'm going to search for Sully."

"Michaela ... "

"Don't try to talk me out of it, Dorothy, my mind's made up!"

"Michaela, have you forgotten the soldiers are watchin' you every minute?"

"I have a plan, Dorothy, but I need your help. That's why I wanted to come out here for privacy. I don't know if we were followed here, but I brought a little picnic supper to make it look like this is just an outing. Let's set it up and I'll tell you my plan."

As they munched on goodies from Grace's Cafe, Michaela outlined her plan. It seemed simple. Dorothy would arrive at the clinic for an 'appointment'. Michaela would appear at the door to greet her. Once they went inside, Michaela would immediately and quietly go out the back of the clinic and sneak into the woods where she would have had Brian hide Flash who would be already saddled and supplied. After a reasonable time, Dorothy would exit the clinic, calling good-bye to Michaela who would, of course, by this time, be long gone.

It seemed a simple enough plan but there were so many things that could go wrong. Dorothy reluctantly agreed to help, and also to keep an eye on the children while Michaela was away. But as they packed up their picnic and headed back to town, she prayed the plan would never need to be used.

CHAPTER TEN

Roberta rose early, washed, dressed and headed over to Grace's. As promised, Grace had food packed up for her. From there she went to pick up Colonel at the livery. Rain had fallen during the night, but it looked as if the day was dawning clear and bright.

"Where you plannin' on ridin'?" Robert E. asked her. Seeing Robert E's hesitancy at handing over the reins she added "I know how to mark a trail. I won't get lost." I hope she thought to herself.

"Y'all just be careful" he said. Roberta promised. Back at the boarding house she added the food and the 'emergency kit' to her bulging saddlebags and placed the rolled blankets behind the saddle. She strapped on the knife she had bought - not as prodigious a weapon as the man in the woods had wielded, but sufficient for her needs, nonetheless. There was a chill in the air, still, so she wore the poncho. Murmuring a prayer for guidance she headed off.

There didn't seem to be any soldiers around, but just in case she left town by a different route from the way she'd come in, planning to circle back once she reached the shelter of the woods.

A horse is quicker than foot travel and even with doubling back to cover her tracks, Roberta reached her destination just shortly after noon, by her calculations. It was a little stand of trees she'd come across in her wanderings earlier, just above where she'd met the stranger. She tethered her horse and tried to make him comfortable, grabbed the haversack of emergency supplies, added to it the food she'd brought and set out on foot.

When she came within sight of what had been the man's campsite, she paused and peered out from behind a tree. The place appeared deserted but she knew better than to rely on appearances. She stepped from behind the tree and whistled 'bob-white' as her older brother Paul had taught her when he used to take her camping. There was no sound or movement from below. She whistled again, then proceeded quietly and cautiously. Upon reaching the former campsite she paused and looked for any sign of recent occupancy. She walked around the area looking for tracks, bits of food, anything to show that he was still here. She had just about decided that he had moved on when she heard a sound like a moan.

Over by some rocks, a pile of brush caught her attention. There, hidden under the brush was the man she'd met before, the one who'd told her how to find her way back to town.

"Oh, dear God!" she cried. She pulled the brush away and knelt by him, feeling his neck for a pulse. He was alive, at least, but he was burning up with fever. She glanced around, saw his canteen lying close by, picked it up and shook it. Empty. Removing her poncho she folded it and placed it under his head. Taking the canteen, she headed toward the sound of running water where she found the stream. Reaching under her skirt she ripped off a good piece of her petticoat, soaked it in the stream, then she looked around for the spring. Finding it, she filled the canteen and headed back around the rocks.

Quickly she unbuttoned the man's shirt. He moaned a little but did not open his eyes. As gently as she could, she began to sponge his face and chest with the wet rag. She re-wet the rag from the canteen and occasionally raised his head, trying to give him a few sips of water, taking care not to choke him.

Unexpectedly, his eyes fluttered open. They were unfocused and bleary with fever. He reached up his hand and touched her arm. "Michaela?" he asked weakly.

Roberta was surprised to feel her eyes fill with tears.

"No ... " she had to swallow. "No. She's fine. And you're going to be fine, too." Then she remembered. The medicines. She placed the newly soaked rag on his head. "Wait right here" she said unnecessarily. She delved into the haversack and brought forth the packets of medicine, sorting through until she found one for fever and pain; 'willow bark tea'. Reading the instructions, she realised she'd need to build a fire. Oh no, she'd left the matches in the saddlebags. But no, Dr. Mike, bless her, had included matches in the emergency kit. Roberta gathered stones, tinder and sticks and soon had a fire going. Then she had to climb back to the horse, after all, to fetch the coffee pot and cooking vessel she'd brought with her. She filled both at the spring and set the coffee pot on the fire. Following the directions on the packet, within short order she had prepared some of the Indian fever tea. She poured it into a tin cup and hurried back to the man. His eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow. She slipped her arm under his shoulders and sat him up so she could give him some sips of the tea. He swallowed automatically and his eyes drifted open again. "Who are you?" he asked hoarsely.

"Roberta. We met before." She set him back down carefully and began sponging his head and chest again, re-wetting the rag in the soup pot of water she had filled. She alternately sponged him and fed him tea for about an hour until his breathing evened out and he seemed to be asleep. Checking the emergency kit again, she found the packet that was marked as medicine for treating wounds. There was a cut on his arm she didn't like the looks of and there were many other cuts and bruises. She made up the medicine according to the instructions and applied it to his wounds, tying on the bandages that Dr. Mike had packed. As she completed the last one, the man stirred again.

"Shouldn't be sleepin'" he mumbled. "Gotta watch in case someone comes ... "

Roberta sponged him again, then rebuttoned his shirt. "You need to sleep." she told him. "I'll watch. You sleep. No one's coming. You sleep." It was almost a lullaby. She got one of the blankets and wrapped him in it, rolling him back against the wall of rocks, then she covered him up with the brush again. Good. He was virtually invisible. If anybody did come along, and she doubted they would tonight, they would think she was alone here. She went back up the hill and led Colonel down, fixing him up, feeding him and making him comfortable.

When this was done, she refilled the cooking pot with water and placed it on the fire, then opened the packet of food Grace had prepared for her. Chicken, and praise be, it appeared to be roasted, not fried. She didn't think her patient would be up to eating too much, but with roasted chicken, the potatoes she'd brought and whatever wild vegetables and herbs she could forage, she could make a pot of lovely soup. She mentally blessed her brother Paul for all the many things he'd taught her about survival in the woods.

While the soup simmered and the man slept, Roberta sat by the fire and thought about what to do next. She didn't think she'd been followed or that anyone would be coming by here, but she kept her senses on the alert just in case.

She was worried about the man. She'd nursed her children through many a fever and infection, but this was worse and she really didn't have the expertise to deal with it. She was sure that this was Sully, Dr. Mike's husband and she wanted to do everything in her power to help. She remembered something Dorothy had told her about this man, how he would always go out of his way for anyone he cared about - for his family, his friends or anyone weak or innocent. "Roberta," she had declared, "that man would raise himself from the dead to protect his loved ones!" Right now Roberta hoped that was true. She had the feeling he was going to need a miracle.

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Dorothy closed up the Gazette office and hurried over to the livery to pick up her horse. She had worked longer than she meant to and darkness was already coming on. She wanted to stop at the Cafe to pick up a pie as her contribution to tonight's supper. She knew Brian loved pie.

Robert E. was finishing up some last minute things when she arrived and began saddling her horse. He wandered over to her, wiping his hands on a rag. "Miss Dorothy - you know anything about that lady from Philadelphia?"

"Roberta?"

"Yeah, I guess that was her name. She came in here, borrowed a horse for today - said she wanted to go 'explorin''."

"Yes, she told me she was thinking of riding around today, getting a look at the area."

"Yeah, well, thing is, she ain't back yet."

"Who isn't back?" Michaela had just arrived to pick up her wagon.

"Oh Michaela, Robert E. is worried because Roberta isn't back yet with the horse she borrowed!" Dorothy explained.

"Well, now, it ain't just the horse that concerns me," Robert E. said, "It's the idea of a city woman out there in the woods alone at night."

"Perhaps we should get some of the men to go looking for her," Michaela suggested.

Dorothy wondered what to say. If Roberta were indeed lost in the woods, the best thing they could do would be to send out a search party right away. On the other hand, certain things Roberta had said, things maybe only a reporter would pick up on, had led her to believe that Roberta had a specific reason for riding out into the woods. Her interest in Dr. Mike and Sully, her wanting to know the 'real truth', the questions she asked including wanting a full description of Sully led Dorothy to believe something was up. Dorothy was good at reading attitudes and facial expressions. Yesterday Roberta had been a little too interested in the soldiers who were discussing something about tracking someone and her questions to Matthew under the guise of her husband's being a lawyer were just a little too pointed. Was Sully alive, after all? Did Roberta know where he was? Was she trying to help him? If so, she should be given time. She realised Robert E. and Michaela were looking at her.

"Tell you what," Dorothy said. "You go on back to the homestead, Michaela, the children need you, and your family needs you, too, Robert E. I'll go over and talk to Matthew about maybe puttin' together a search party. I have an idea of where Roberta meant to go and I can help them start in the right direction. I can give 'em a description, too."

They finally all agreed on this course of action with Dorothy promising to keep the other two posted as to what was happening. Michaela and Robert E. set off for their respective homes while Dorothy, who had no intention of talking to Matthew, tried to decide whether or not to wait until morning to search for Roberta.

***************************************

It was getting close to sunset and Roberta decided she'd better check on her patient. The soup had been bubbling away merrily for a few hours and smelled delicious if she did say so herself. She had managed to sponge him down a few times as he slept, carefully replacing the brush over him when she was through. He seemed restless and occasionally cried out in his sleep. She figured a little prayer wouldn't hurt and as she worked she quietly sang the little prayers she sang to her children when they were sick.

Now she poured another cup of the fever tea and walked toward the hiding place of the man she figured to be Byron Sully. As she did, the brush that was covering him stirred as he rolled over, emerged from under it and tried to sit up. He looked at her groggily as she approached. "You" he said with recognition. "Thought you'd've gotten back to town by now."

Roberta smiled and felt his head. "Your fever seems to be down, but you'd better keep drinking this tea to be on the safe side." She handed him the cup. He sniffed it suspiciously, then looked surprised.

"Willow bark?" he asked.

She nodded. "Drink that down. Best keep drinking water, too." She indicated his canteen. "I just refilled it at the spring. You've got to keep drinking, especially when you've had such a fever."

"You a doctor?" he asked drily.

"No, a mother" she retorted. "I've dealt with more fevers and illnesses than I like to think about. You need water. And nourishment and rest, too." she added.

He drank some tea before replying, "You sound like my wife."

Roberta was silent for a moment before she said, "She's awfully worried about you, Mr. Sully." For a moment they stared at each other, then Roberta went on, "We have to talk. There isn't much time."

"I guess everyone in town knows I'm here, by now" he said.

"I don't think so," Roberta replied. "You didn't tell about me?"

"Of course not!" Roberta said indignantly. "I said I wouldn't!"

"Then what did you mean about not having much time and how'd you find out about me? What do you know?" Suddenly he winced and sat back, the effort of speaking taxing his meager store of strength.

Roberta got a high-sided tin plate from her pack and filled it with soup from the pot. She handed the plate and a spoon to the man. "Try to eat this and I'll explain."

He sniffed the soup and took a small spoonful. He looked surprised and gazed at Roberta speculatively as she told him of her trip to town. She tried to explain the rapport that had grown up between Dorothy and her and how she had asked few questions, but Dorothy seemed to know just what information to give her.

"Dorothy always did talk too much" Sully muttered, though not unkindly.

"I don't think it was that" Roberta hastened to reply. "It was more of an instinct, a feeling. Everything seemed to have gone wrong for me here - being asked to leave the Chateau, getting lost. But after I met you I began to have this feeling that this was how it was supposed to be - and meeting Dr. Mike, even though it was only for a moment, only reinforced that feeling - it was like a feeling of connectedness - as if I was meant to be here, meant to help." She paused, at a loss for words. "I think Dorothy understood that. Do you?"

He nodded slowly. "The Cheyenne say the spirits send us to each other, to give each other help in times of trouble."

"I would've put it a slightly different way, but I believe basically the same thing. More soup?" she asked, seeing that his plate was empty.

"Thank you. Where'd you learn to make soup like that?"

"My brother, Paul"

"Your brother?"

"He used to take me camping in the woods near our farm. The rule was we brought no food along so we'd have to fish, hunt, trap or forage whatever we ate or go hungry. He thought it was important to know how to survive. He taught my two other brothers, as well."

"He taught you well."

"Roberta smiled as she handed him a fresh plate of soup. "I cheated this time. The chicken is Grace's and the potatoes I got at Bray's store." Then she repeated, "Mr. Sully, we have to talk. I told no one you were here, it's true, but I figure by tomorrow, day after at the latest, there won't be a place in this territory you'll be safe."

"Why's that?"

Then she told him about what she'd heard - that the soldiers were going to bribe or threaten the Indians into tracking him. "Not only that," she added, "when I was in the telegraph office there was a poster offering $500 bounty on your head. I figure every bounty hunter for miles around will be out combing the woods for you."

Sully looked like a beaten man. He put aside his unfinished plate of soup. "So what am I supposed to do now?" he said.

Roberta sighed. This was going to be hard. "Sheriff Cooper was talking to Dorothy the other day when we were having breakfast at Grace's. He said if the soldiers find you they'll most likely kill you right off, but if he takes you in you'll get a fair trial with a judge and everything. He said both sides will be given a chance to speak."

"What good'll that do? What I did was treason, pure and simple. No defense against that."

Roberta looked at him intently. "Do you believe what you did was wrong?"

Sully looked at her then looked away. "I don't know. I never meant for all the shootin' and burnin' to happen. I just ... I just wanted to help the Indians before it was too late. Now everything is a mess." He turned to her again. "I can't see that any good can come of me turnin' myself in."

"What good can come of staying here? At least the other way you'll have a chance ... "

"A chance of what? Hangin'? Life in prison?"

"Look. My husband is a lawyer and he's on his way to Colorado Springs. I think he can help you. At least talk with him before you give up." She could see that Sully, in his weakened state, was close to tears. "You can't run, you can't hide anymore. You need medical attention. Let me bring Sheriff Cooper and Dr. Mike out here. Come back to town, talk with my husband. Please?"

Sully shook his head and his eyes were moist as he spoke. "Even if your husband could help, what good would it do? The town's a mess, most of the Indians are gone, people are all riled up ... nothing can ever be the same!"

Roberta looked at him steadily. "That's true. But that doesn't mean they won't be better."

After a moment's silence he looked back at her, taking in the burned face and hands. She raised her eyebrows questioningly and he nodded.

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