FIRST SOME STORY NOTES:

This story starts up after the aftermath of the twister in the episode of “DEATH WIND”.  Well now, we just “got” to do more with that situation that Jess went through, more than JUST have him save the day for everyone at the end of that episode! (Jess is the only one that doesn’t make it into the storm cellar!).  So, I use it here as a memory trigger that joins more episodes of Jess Harper’s life from other Laramie episodes listed below, with needed fill-ins to join it all smoothly and still make it believable. (Also figured something must have taught him to be brave and set his face to get through all those bullet wounds in “LARAMIE” without complaining, he must have had a firm foundation having to bear-up somewhere along the line.)

All these events in this story are connected to the twister, civil war, or the army, eventually leading Jess to someday realize he may have to deal with one memory in particular that he chose to “rake so deep” that he would never have to deal with it again. Seems it’s the one thing he never told Slim. AND … by the way that Slim speaks to Jess about this situation, we can correctly reach that conclusion, also knowing that Jess has already come to a point in his life where he can and has, freely shared his life's past with Slim. And most likely about everything else that is of importance.

EPILOGUE NOTE:

This memory is finally dealt with in the episode of “THE REPLACEMENT”, which is mentioned in the epilogue of this story, along with some more follow ups for Jess’ life that would continue after this story, as well.

FOR THIS STORY I USED THINGS MENTIONED IN:

STAGE STOP

GLORY ROAD

CIRCLE OF FIRE

FUGITIVE ROAD

GENERAL DELIVERY

45 CALIBRE

FOR THIS STORY I USED THINGS MENTIONED AS BEING PART OF JESS HARPER LIFE.  THINGS THAT HE HAS MENTIONED AS BEING IN HIS PAST, SO WE DO KNOW THEY EXIST AND CAN BE MENTIONED IN THIS STORY… but REMEMBER THAT THESE EP’S HAVE NOT BEEN UNFOLDED YET.  THEY COME AFTER “DEATH WIND” in the series of episodes: 

MEN OF DEFIANCE (HIS FAMILY)

RIMROCK (SMELL OF NARCOTICS FROM A HOSPITAL)

BITTER GLORY (HIS SGT. BILLY)

MEN IN SHADOWS (GUN SHOT OUT OF HIS HAND)

THE REPLACEMENT (HIS UNIT BEING CAPTURED…ETC.)  

THESE ARE NOT IN THE STORY, BUT ARE JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND HELP TO KNOW MORE ABOUT JESS FOR THE STORY:

THE MAN OF GOD (JESS’ COMMENT ABOUT THE ARMY)

THE PASS (JESS’ BEHAVIOR WITH THE ARMY AS A SCOUT)

WOLF CUB (JESS PERSONAL CONVICTIONS VERSES ARMY)

AMONG THE MISSING (JESS’ ATTITUDE AND COMMENTS OF THE WAR)

WAR HERO (JESS’ COMMENTS OF THE WAR)

THE LAST BATTLEGROUND (JESS’ PERSONAL ATTITUDE VERSES ARMY’S)

*not war/army related: NO SECOND CHANCE (JESS’ FONDNESS FOR NEWFOUND PHRASES)

                                       GLORY ROAD (JESS’ USE OF A COMMON PHRASE)

                                       LICENSE TO KILL (JESS’ USE OF THE SAME COMMON PHRASE)

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT JESS BELIEVES HIS SISTER FRANCIE IS DEAD, BECAUSE OF THE “FUGITIVE ROAD” EPISODE … AS THE “SHADOW OF THE PAST” EPISODE HAS NOT YET OCCURRED. 

ALSO, LAST NOTE…ALL OF MY STORIES ARE LARAMIE PUZZLE STORIES:

SO, I USE MY OWN STORY-VERSION (IN: ROARING FIRES AND ACHING BONES AND ASHES LONG SINCE GONE) AS TO THE “THIRD” HARPER SAVED FROM THE FAMILY FIRE, HERE IN THIS STORY, AND USE IT IN ALL MY OTHERS AS WELL. (*There may be an episode, that mentions more about who that person was, but I have not seen it.)

AND I USE MY OWN STORY- VERSION (IN: I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD…TWICE) AS TO WHY THERE APPEARS TO BE “TWO CONFLICTING FRANCIES IN LARAMIE EPISODES, AS JESS’ SISTER, BUT WHEN IN REALTY THERE IS ONLY ONE. OTHERWISE NONE OF MY STORIES WOULD CONNECT TO LARAMIE CORRECTLY. THANK YOU. HAVE FUN!

HERE IS THE STORY:

(Dedicated to Barb…as I had not planned to do another story…AGAIN…BUT yet, she knew how to get one! Along with two treats in it, just for her, think she’ll know what they are.) 

“SOME THINGS, A MAN DON'T WANT TO FACE ... 'TIL THEY HIT HIM FROM BEHIND…”

BY NEEBEESHAABOOKWAY 

---CHAPTER ONE---

---A STEP BACK IN TIME---

Jonesy stepped back and admired the fine job that Slim had done on the porch.  The post felt firm and solid as he gripped them and gave them a hard nudge.  He took a breath of the evening air. It was hard to believe there had been such turmoil earlier that morning just before noon.  As the twister had barely touched down and then veered off in another direction, the house and barn were still left standing. The livestock was, for the most part, still alive and well in the nearby hills.  Slim had since gathered the horses and sent the stage on its way, with what was left of the odd assortments of passengers. 

It was now near sunset and the evening was calm and lovely.  The tiny hint of approaching darkness hid the mess of the yard and the last rays of the visible previously hidden sun was just highlighting the porch as Jonesy continued to admire it.  It also highlighted Slim’s face, which at the moment had an odd look of concern … for a man that had just done such a fine job.

“Slim, what’s wrong…you didn’t hurt yourself did you?” Jonesy approached with serious concerns.

“No, it’s Jess!”  Slim was quickly off the porch and approaching Jess’ side, behind Jonesy, as Jess was lowering himself to the dirt with an outstretched hand to stop his descent.  His other hand was on his head.  By the time Jonesy turned, he saw Slim helping Jess up, Jess seemed to be the one with the odd look of concern on his face now.

“What’s wrong here now!  Seems I must be at fault as to not taking better care of you, Jess.  I thought you had a nasty bruise and lump on your forehead … why it looks like a bull eye, clear as clear can be.  I was a complete fool to believe what you said, as to you being just fine and all.” 

Jonesy knew to keep an eye on Jess.  After he put two and two together … he figured out that from Jess’ last memory of being face to face with the barn door and not knowing why or what happened next, that he must have been hit in the head by it, face on.   Jess had been unconscious as the twister passed through and had no knowledge of the severity of the whole situation, and Jonesy was worried there could have been some concussion damage.  The problem was, they were all so engrossed in Slim setting the porch up, Jess included, that they all forgot to watch out for any warning signs that Jess may have some bad after effects from that incident. 

He had been sitting down a spell when Slim went looking for horses for the stage, but with the passengers, some now prisoners for the laws sake, and getting everyone ready to leave … somehow Jess’ condition was overlooked.  He seemed to be floating through it all just fine, Jonesy had thought then … but now, ‘floating’ did more recently seem to be the right word and in a much more truer sense.

Jess opened his mouth up with his best face-saving talk he could do. “I said I was just fine, Jonesy, now would I lie to you?  I’m just dizzy or something, I don’t know…maybe I was just daydreaming or something and tripped over my feet …or something.  Did Slim get back with the horses yet?”

“Jess, that’s Slim holding you up there, boy…here now, let me take a look, you don’t get dizzy by tripping over your feet, now let me see,” he said as he neared the two men.  “Hmm, your eyes don’t look too good, not real bad though, but still … not too good.”

Jess slowly closed his eyes with a sick feeling in his stomach, he leaned his face into Jonesy’s hands with a sigh, slipping towards the ground as Slim got a firmer grip on him.

“Well, that’s good then…Slim found some horses for the stage…now, I need to sit down somewheres Jonesy. And right here suits me just fine… I ain’t feeling so good… sure is no wonder now with you all crowding me here, blocking out the sun and all …”

Jonesy looked at Slim and shook his head as he said to Jess, “You best come in and lay down, you shouldn’t have been running around like this.  Sure don’t know whose the bigger fool here, you or me.”

“Or just maybe, it’s me,” Slim said, with regret.  “I should have just put the stage off ‘til tomorrow, but I just had my fill of all this nonsense that’s been going on …with nothing being what it’s supposed to be, ever since that twister came with in range.  Seemed like it was finally time for that whole parlor game to end, and when that twister took off, I just figured ‘the players’ might just as soon go along with it.”

“Well how about you getting the door for us three fools, Andy…seems we need a man around here to look after us.” Jonesy called out to Andy, who was already on his way to oblige them.

As they took Jess to the room through front door, they passed the table where Jonesy spied a bowl of water and a wet rag.

“Well, now boy…seems you knew you were having some trouble and you didn’t confess-up.  I’d ask what the heck’s wrong with you, except I’d have too many answers to pick from now.”  Jonesy just shook his head in disgust.

Slim rode off for the doc, just in case, and Jonesy sure wasn’t going to object to a second opinion at this point.  It would be nightfall before he got back.  Jonesy and Andy sat down by Jess, who by now, had confessed to having a very bad headache and was feeling mighty sick inside as well.  Jonesy sent Andy to make some cold rags and bring them for Jess.

“Is he alright Jonesy?” Andy asked as he peeked in.

“I’m still in the land of the living, Andy.  Just as long as I don’t stand up, I reckon I’m okay…ain’t I, doc Jonesy?” Jess said with a grin.

“This is no joking matter Jess…now then, Andy, go start up some cold supper to go with these here cold rags.  You and me could all be using some nourishment …sooner the better.”

Jonesy looked down at Jess as he lay there with the rags on his head, and said, “we can make all the jokes we like, AFTER we find ourselves in the clear, and NOT BEFORE, that’s what my ma always said…and she always knew best.  Why, I remember a time when…”

“You just had to set loose ol’ Slim for the doc, didn’t you Jonesy … now I’ll be looking at four walls for sure.”  Jess writhed in the bed a bit, more from disgust, but deep inside he had to admit, the ache in his head sure ran a close second to the disgust. 

Dad-gummed barn door sure laid me flat…well, at least the barn was saved, he thought...dad-gummed barn door, sure bit the dust, taking me along with it...but just for a bit...dad-gummed barn door…

“Jess, can you hear me?”

“What? … What’s going on…” Jess looked up at the doc. “Where’s Jonesy?”

“Well, what’s everyone staring at?” Jess was wondering, but his brain seemed to wandering, and he couldn’t quite fetch it back. Seemed like he was talking to Andy and Jonesy and the barn door got in the way and now he was the center of attention … and just a mite uncomfortable.

“You’ve been giving us a bit of a scare, Pard.” Slim answered. “Seems you been in and out of reality all night and talking about that sorry barn door as if it jilted you at the altar…think you can forgive it?” Slim smiled down at him, with a gentle laugh.

“Aw Slim, quit messing with me.” As Jess looked around and saw the sunlight through the window, he moved to sit up a bit on the pillows.  “Say…have I really been out all night?”

“Yes, you have and it’s a good thing Slim came for me, Jess.  The way I hear it, you’d be up running around again if I wasn’t here to stop you.  Now, looks like this head injury was the

start of something serious but you’re pulling through just fine now.  I don’t want you up yet, and that’s as serious as Mort’s orders when he’s fixing to make room in his jail for an

offender…do you understand me Jess?” The doc sat back and watched him, for any form of a protest.

“Yeah.” Jess replied with a wry smile…  “I reckon I do Doc…seems you’re fixin’ on having Mort arrest me for unlawfully walking the streets with a headache... or walking the streets while having a public headache unlawfully…”

“Oh, Jess … I sure don’t think the doc really meant he’d have Mort arrest you,” Andy jumped in with concern. “He’s just being serious, because...”

“I know, Andy...” Jess said with a smile, “I’m just trying to be a public nuisance, shut up in this private room right now and all.  Seems like otherwise, I just won’t be having much fun for a bit.”

“Why, say, I’ll keep you company Jess.” Andy quipped, “why we can talk about all sorts of stuff!”

“Seems your forgetting about the mess this place is in Andy,” Slim laughed a bit. “By the time we get it set back in shape, why, Jess will be back in the saddle…course…we could go in to town, as they need some helpers there mighty bad and are calling out for all hands.  If we do that, why then we’d still have work here to do when we come back and ol’ Jess will be well enough to do it with us.  Then we’ll all have a right nice time talking about all sorts of stuff!   What do you say?”

“Sure sounds like an adventure to me Slim, that is if Jess don’t mind…well, Jess?” Andy looked a bit flustered for a moment and longingly looked for Jess’ approval.  He felt a bit of a

traitor though, for jumping off in mid-stream, but just as the words were out of his mouth he knew he was free to turn course.

“Sure, Andy…never turn town an adventure to go in to town, I always say.”  Jess looked up at the doc and Slim and said, “So now, is this my reward for staying in bed…a heap of yard

work to owe up to?  Just when I was thinking I’d try and be a good boy for you all.  Dad-gummed barn door…is all I got to say…now get out of here and let me get to resting up and

facing that debt your leaving me with.”

After the worried group felt the warmth of good cheer from Jess and the assurance of the doc, Andy and Slim set about to getting ready as the doc left.  Jonesy left Jess’ side last, with the assurance that he’d be back after a spell to have some of that “talking about all sorts of stuff”…after he cooked and fed the soon to be ‘in-towners’.

Seems that the ‘just a bit’ kept taking longer and longer and with a quick sneak peek, Jonesy saw Jess was sleeping.  Just, as well, Jonesy thought, boys with banged up heads need a few hours of pillow pounding.  He knew he had his hands full with the stage due, and a few other chores, he set to it.

Now finished, Jonesy took in a pot of hot coffee, along with some cups and laid it on the nightstand which had set up near the bed the other night, and left.  On his return, he was greeted

by a pair of heavy and half-closed eyes, peering from the pillows.

“I smelled the coffee.” Jess said, as he lay there without moving and watched Jonesy. “Didn’t know I was feeling so poorly that I’d fall asleep…seems like a pot of coffee to wake up to

sure makes a man feel good inside, even if it ain’t morning.  Just what time is it now?” Jess said, wondering a bit as he began to rise up some and take note of the window light.  

“Near abouts supper time, seems I finally have time to pay you a visit.  Worked out for the best …you see, Doc was right. You needed to get some healing done on that thick head of

yours.  Here …thought you might like some soup and biscuits, if you’re up to it. Doc said, eat light first.  If it sets right with you … why, you know I can pull more tricks out my hat with

just a holler.”

Realizing he was feeling a bit nauseous in the pit of his stomach he said, “Thanks Jonesy, mostly for the company though…don’t really feel like eating for some reason.” Jess stretched

back into the pillows and listened to the stillness.  His thoughts moved on to the twisters passing.  “Sure looked like a war-zone out there didn’t it Jonesy?”

“War-zone minus the casualties.  I myself still have some bad recollections myself … yes sir, I myself sure do…I truly do.” Jonesy said, as he lowered himself onto the stool that was set

near the nightstand and Jess’ bed.  “Of twisters like this, AND, of the war.” 

Jonesy had been taking care of the stage and just sent it on its way for the second time that day, this one going in the opposite direction than the morning one and he was really over due

to sit down. He was ready to camp here a spell and Jess’ bedside suited him just fine now.  All this stage work, plus the earlier cooking, set his mind to thinking and remembering what Slim had promised and what he had said about a man named Ben.

“You know a man named Ben, Jess … Slim said he came back here to Laramie about a month ago?  Well, Slim said he’s going to send him over here to help with the stage while he and

Andy are in town … seems Ben is a great ranch hand from way back, lost his wife and family though during the war.  He’s been working his way back to his roots here ever since, little by little.  Since coming back, lots of folks that knew him and his pa from trail drives have been letting him stay on here and there, as long as he likes.  He’s staying at a friend of Mose’s just

out of town a bit…should be along anytime now…well…have you run into him?”

 “Could be, Jonesy, seems I seen a new face last time I was in town for supplies with Slim…also seems Mose was pointing him out for some reason.  Didn’t hear what was said, as I was

across the street at the time.  A bit old for a ranch hand, I would think, but later I heard Slim speaking highly of him in the saloon.  Seems he actually heard someone in the supply store bragging on the great job that ol’ Ben did.  Said he didn’t look like much, but was full of determination and right on track…sounded more like he was talking about the south-bound train to me, though,” Jess said with a quiet smile.  He continued, as he looked up at Jonesy with a hint of sorrow. “So he lost his wife and family in the war, huh?  Seems that war still haunts many a

man.”

“Say, Jess…you being a drifter and all…just how and what got you into that war.  Most drifters rode as far in the opposite directions as they could just to tear any roots loose from what

still might be clinging to any north or southland soils they had once claimed.  Did you have family left behind that began to haunt your conscience…after that experience we had with

Bud Carlin, I learned first hand that you got one, when you went to help Slim.”

The word haunt hit Jess a bit unexpected and hard and he turned his gaze from the casual fun of visiting with Jonesy, to a heavy sullen stare of the floorboards.  “My family haunts me Jonesy, but not in the way you’re meaning…and as to the war…I had my reasons for staying OUT of the war, as I had business to attend to, PERSONAL BUISNESS.  Oh, it was connected to the war all right, in the form of raiders…but this gang started before the war, and they continued raiding helpless homesteaders and sharecroppers, all along the war torn areas as well.  So being a man of conscience as you said, I did find reason to finally get into the war eventually.  I had left Francie behind when I was drifting, left her with some that knew our kinfolk, farther out in the Panhandle. There was a few old no-good Harpers that were spread out there also, but they never cared for none but themselves.   As I told Slim back when we were trailing Gil, there were lots of us Harpers then and I left her with them, but they’re all gone now.  Was too young to think straight, to set her right before I left, as I had thoughts only for Bani-.”  Jess pulled his reins in tight as he bit down hard on his last word.  “ As you know now Jonesy, she later had been trusting that Gil, back before he showed his true colors.  Seems he was just as bad a

soldier for the gray then, as the blue recently…and we all learned he was just as rotten at being a husband.  Well, Francie and I had a brother still alive out there in Texas…”

Jess stopped, as he remembered that last night he ever saw him…he was looking down at Jess and Francie.  Jess had just come out of the burning house with Francie and laid her near

a tree, near by where Johnny had just stood up.  Jess was just starting to get up to run back to the house and could see Johnny standing, he was now silhouetted in front of the burning house.  As his brother Johnny had already gotten sick with the knowledge that he had only saved himself, in pain and bitterness he looked down at them, and he took off into the night.  Jess had no time to get the ‘well, ain’t you gonna’ help me Johnny!’ out of his throat, as he now saw the house was already burnt to the ground.

“Are you alright, Jess?”

“Huh…? Oh…yeah…  Francie and I had a brother still alive out there in Texas, and after some of my very important business leads fell through, so to speak…and I freed my self up from

some other troubles here and there and… ”  Jess smiled wryly at Jonesy as he continued with a confession, “You see, I was a bit of a ‘cultivator’ and could plant crops of trouble in any ol’ dried up dirt bed, when it seemed nothing else would grow … why, I cultivated them just fine.  Too fine, at times, I reckon…seemed I could get my self in a heap of trouble.”

“Yeah, sure as the sun comes up in the morning, I saw your cultivating tool strapped on all right, that first time you rode up looking for that Pete Morgan.  So you freed yourself up from

other troubles here and there, and then what…you got into the war looking for your lost brother, am I right?” 

Jonesy watched Jess stretch out a bit in the bed and kicking the covers some, seeking some comfort in the blankets.  As he watched he then reminisced a bit on their first meeting, with

smile, as he thought of this stray critter Jess Harper, that Andy had befriended.  “Here have some coffee, Jess.”

Jess turned and reached over to the table, “Thanks Jonesy.  Yeah, I heard tell from my travels that someone had spotted Johnny joining up to go fight, but didn’t even know if he was still alive though, or where he was.  At that point I realized I just couldn’t let him disappear again without setting him straight, that is, as to the fact that I didn’t want to loose him as my

brother.  You see Jonesy, he may have had reason to think I blamed him for something…something …well…” Jess looked over at Jonesy with a sad far-away look haunting his face, “something you don’t need to be a asking me about right now Jonesy…if you know what I mean.” Jess took a deep swallow of his coffee, and warmed his hands on it.  It was just warm enough to drink and not too hot.  Just like his communication with Jonesy.

“Sure Jess, oddly enough, I purely understand.”  Jonesy reached for the coffee, “think I’ll have some of this brew myself.”  Seeing as I understand the pot this is all being poured from,

he thought to himself.

“Jonesy, I went off looking for my brother, and all I found was fields full of sorrow and misery.  Some time in January ’64 I joined up as a Confederate scout and volunteered to ride

dispatches too.  Just so happened I heard of a group of men in Arkansas heading for Alabama.  Heard from some Texans headed into Arkansas way, so I went along with them.  We joined up in Arkansas and later headed south.  Funny thing too, Jonesy, they had family out there somewhere too.  Guess we made a pretty good match-up.  One was just a young kid, at that.  By

the time we were readied- out and sent out to join up with the real fighting though, it was mid spring.  We had a mighty bad winter getting into the heart of it all there.  It was basically that

we were just such a small poor unit joined along side with some real soldiers.  We just fought it out as best we could with them, and saw some really bad confrontations in our neck of the woods, though we heard there was lots worse going down farther east with thousands of more men than we had.”  Jess shook his head as he remembered the night stories of gleaned

gossip for other troops.  He just couldn’t imagine what could be worse, AT THAT TIME.  Bu t now, after what he had been through, he could pretty much guess and he shuck loose of it

hard and fast as he bit down tight with his jaw and continued.

“Well, as I said …with our share of battles, we got through the spring and summer and on into fall, ALIVE to say the least, and then … well … for us … sure don’t mean to slight anyone Jonesy, now … but then for us … all hell broke loose one day.  It was right towards the end of the war when we got ambushed, beginning of Dec. ‘64, and I ended up in a field hospital

before I knew the full devastation of that war.  By the time I was getting hauled out of the field hospital and hauled back to the fighting, only half ready to fight as it was, I had only near finished my first week or so back, back with the unit of men I knew … and …”  He paused but quickly moved on.  “And … well … our patrol we were leading one day, was captured, seems the enemy just appeared out of trees, more soldiers than I ever seen in my life.  That’s when I got my full taste of it all …”  Jess stopped cold and his face was flooded with anger, as the tide

had quickly turned.  He had said more than he had intended and couldn’t take it back.  He halfway slammed the coffee cup down on the nightstand as he harshly said, “War’s over Jonesy, has been for some time now you know it and I know it.  Some of its best not mentioning…once dead and buried, it sure don’t belong raked up. We all came out of hell’s terrain, and hoped

to find some peaceful grazing land somewheres so we could plant a new crop of sunrises.”

Jess calmed a bit as he got a foothold against the onslaught of his emotions and said in a frank friendly manner, “Guess scouting and dispatching were good for me.  After the war I had something to offer the blue later on, as they needed my skills for their Indian troubles, so signed on for a bit.  Sure can’t take too much of the army, Jonesy, sure ain’t in my bones. My new Sergeant Billy was right happy with me though; there in the Union Army… it kept me out of trouble, well, some anyways.  But as you know, Gil had a hard time with the Union Army hating his Confederate soldier-days. They wouldn’t let him forget how they felt about the southerners.  Seems I learned that as well, not with Billy though, it was something we ran into later on my

last job for him.”

“Rightly so,” Jonesy agreed. “I remember Gil pleading with us about his troubles.  I’m sorry you had to learn the hard way about him, yes sir, and what he did to Francie.  I truly am.  And

I’m sorry about you loosing your brother too Jess.  Why just maybe you ending up in that field hospital is what kept you alive, by keeping you from a worse battle latter to come.”

“I don’t doubt that for one bit, judging by stories I heard later” Jess replied thoughtfully, and it kept me alive alright… right there and then, because of one of the doctors there that I’ll

never forget, but it took me a bit to fully realize it.” 

“Why even your patrol getting capt-…” Jonesy had just felt he sipped from the wrong cup, as his words came to a halt.  There was stillness in the air, and both men were aware that it had grown a bit dark, in more ways that just the soon-setting sun.

“You ain’t fixing on going into the raking business while Slim’s in town, now are ya’ Jonesy?” Jess’ words seemed to hang in the air like a bit of cool evening fog.

Jonesy knew just how to cut this fog though, and with his special remedy for dispelling the pain of wounds, he answered Jess. “Now boy, you know me better than that…why, we just

took a step back in time together, with a good pot of coffee, for to set a spell.  We didn’t sign up for any historical diggings.  Say now, just how did you end up in that field hospital…

sure bet you didn’t know I used to help out in one too, in my days…didn’t have access to all my medical ingredients then, sure was a shame too.”  He slowly shook his head.  “Best I

could do was to hold a few hands and pray.”

Jess noticed that his faithful companion of the last few hours was now lost in his own forlorn world.  Looks like we could use a fresh pot of coffee, as this ones gotten a bit stale, Jess

sadly thought.

“And PRAY I did,” Jonesy smiled “I do declare, Jess, the most amazing things happened, they surely did.” Jonesy stretched out his arms and shoulders and looked at the rejected biscuits and soup. “Think I’ll get us a fresh pot of coffee, and just maybe you can tell me an amazing story yourself, as to how your life was saved…and of course, how you didn’t realize it at first.”

Well, I’ll be, thought Jess…looks like a fresh pot manifesting before my eyes, one of Jonesy’s hat tricks no doubt and I didn’t have to give a holler…I think I owe him a fresh story, too, since I don’t see a rake in sight.  Jess lay back and soaked in the comfort of the pillows and thought of the comfort of his friend. Now it was his turn to remember how they first met.  As

he drifted off to sleep, somehow the step back in time didn’t hurt as bad anymore.  He would tell Jonesy about how he ended up in the field hospital, but it would be with morning’s fresh- brewed coffee.

---CHAPTER TWO---

---“FAST AND SMOOTH AND ON THE MOVE”---

Jess woke up hungry and looked over at the nightstand…the biscuits and soup were gone and so was the coffee.  He wasn’t sure if he woke up from a knock on the front door, or because he was so hungry.  He hadn’t eaten the day of the twister, neither had Slim, although Jonesy and Andy had, and later some of the odd assortments of guest had.  He hadn’t eaten the day he woke up from the after effects of a bad concussion either, although he had coffee with Jonesy, he just wasn’t up to eating.  He had just finished his first day of bed rest and wasn’t fondly wanting to face another and was seriously thinking it was about time he get up, SO being hungry SURE must be a good sign. He hadn’t eaten for two days though and was admittedly a

bit weak. So who’s going to stop me?   Slim?  Doc?  Well now, Doc did make some serious threats, and Jonesy seemed quite prepared to back them up, hmm…possibly some trouble

here. But when is he coming back to set me free of this load of covers anyways, thought Jess.

He started to get up and was startled at how dizzy he was and caught himself before he fell.  Now that’s just great, thought Jess. “Dad-gum it” he muttered as he socked the bed a good

one, with a frown, and followed up with one last thought on the matter, sure hate it when I’m wrong.

As Jess began to lean back and contemplate his next plan, his attention focused to the doorway.  Jonesy came into the room with the same meal from the day before, as Jess eyed him

and the meal with a steady gaze.  “So now its stale hard biscuits and cold soup for the prisoner today, huh Jonesy…looks like the longer I’m locked up the worse things get.”

“Now boy, didn’t your ma ever teach you not to pout?” Jonesy added with a smile, “aw, stop your grumbling Jess, it’s made fresh…except for the soup, but it’s flavored up more and nice

and warm…same as the biscuits, now eat up, before you find yourself weak and dizzy.” Jonesy sat on the stool near the bed again, “you sure can’t expect to get out of bed that way, now

can you?”

“I’m not sure I can expect to anyway, with you there, now can I Jonesy?” Jess smirked at him, “besides…I already tried.  I figure I should be ready by tomorrow for sure, I reckon I just

need to eat is all. Hey now, did I hear someone at the door just a bit ago, or was it my imagination?”  Jess took the plate as Jonesy handed it over to him and he leaned back on the pillows

with it.  After rearranging it all a bit, he fixed up a right nice table of blankets and enjoyed every bite of his ‘prison fare’.

“I’ll get the coffee and we’ll set a spell, seeing as I got me some help now…that was Ben arriving he’ll be getting ready for the stage.”

“Say, Ben saw Mose last night, he said to tell us that Doc will be by tomorrow.  Slim and Andy got their list of chores, seems everyone in town has some kind of list to work on too.

” Jonesy poured the coffee at the nightstand, and stretched out a bit…”seems like my chores are cut in half, sure do appreciate Slim sending Ben along.”

“Well, Jonesy…not that I like piling up chores for myself…but seeing as painting these walls with my eyes over and over ain’t changing the scenery none, I reckon I could use some kind

of a chore right about now, seeing as I cleaned up this plate.  Say, why don’t you bring me my gun that’s put up in the chimney, time I took care of it a bit again.”

Jonesy took up the meal dishes and came back with the gun, and he and Jess enjoyed the morning sun as it streamed in the window in the form of a narrow to medium sized line.  Small

dust particles were slightly visible in the stream of light and as Jess held up his gun looking through the site, he chanced on noticing it, and thought a bit. He remembered when as a kid

he first noticed that, and how his ma explained it was God’s way of showing us how the angels dance.  ‘We just can’t see them, until the heavens are lit up with HIS glory…just like we

don’t see that fine dust, until the sun lights it up’, she had said. He remembered how whenever he noticed this small wonder, he’d sneak up on her with a hug from behind, and say

‘throw a look, ma, your angels are dancing again!”

“You know Jonesy, there was a time I didn’t think I’d ever see them angels dance again.” Jess said thoughtfully as he lowered his face, as well as his gun, and proceeded to rub the gun

with a soft cloth.

“What angels you talking about Jess?” Jonesy took a look towards what Jess’ gaze had formerly been drawn to.

“Is that what your ma told you?  My ma told me that was the good Lord lighting up all our mistakes, so’s we could fix them each day…and we better get to work on it before nightfall, or

it’d be too late ... as it’s not to our best, if we let them pile up.  Just like getting ready for judgement day, she said ... get rid of the mistakes today, or get judged tomorrow.   She sure got

me to wanting to live clean each day, all right … smart woman, my ma.  Specially seeing as I lived this long now, just think what a big dust cloud I could have hanging in that sunlight

there now, if I never listened to my ma.” Jonesy smiled, as he thought on it, and watched the dust in the stream of light, “angels dancing…sounds right nice, Jess…you’re m-…”

 “You were getting ready to ask if I’m mighty thirsty for some more coffee, right Jonesy?”

“Mighty slick on the draw Jess…mighty slick… fast and smooth and on the move, I’ll say… ”  Bit off target this time though … and moving right on to the next, Jonesy thought, as

he was tempted to add on to his words.   But he knew this was a target not to be shot at, not now, and maybe not ever.  Bet your ma was a right nice lady, Jess, Jonesy thought to himself, as he poured Jess another cup of coffee, and took a deep slow swallow of his own.

“Now,” Jonesy eased up a bit closer and eyed Jess in a prodding way, “what made you figure you’d seen the last of those dancing angels?”

Remembering their talk from the other night, about the yard looking as a war-zone, Jess worked on the inner mechanism of his gun and slowly open his own inner mechanism as well,

ready to allow some polishing on the barrel of his past in order to shoot time with a new and trusted friend. 

“Well, Jonesy…before I got into the war…that’s just what I was…fast and smooth and on the move.  But as I said, I had business to attend to and no one was going to stop me.  I found

out right from the start I needed a gun for that business, and I sure better know how to use it.  Seeing as I figured it was better to be too fast than too slow, I made that my first priority…trouble is …trouble’s there before you’re ready for … and I soon found my self in trouble.  Oh, I got out of it each time, and I learned to be more and more on guard, and I got faster and smoother … but cause of it, I needed to keep moving.  The drift was the only way to keep the kind of past I was building from catching up with me.” 

Jess dared to delve back a bit deeper. “Once, as a kid, Johnny and me were helping out pa’s boss man during target practice with his various collection. He’d like to take pot shots at this

new fangled windmill they just had set up, seems they were starting to pop around the panhandle and such.  Well, Johnny was fetching a gun, he had dropped and it went off and made

a near graze along the top of my arm. Well, that was the first time I was ever close to being shot Jonesy, it just a minor graze, though a bit bloody and needless to say, I was a bit shocked.

It was so unexpected and the blood came so fast, sure burned as close to hell-fire as I could imagine.  I decided there and then, that I was aiming to never be shot again if I could help it. Funny … the things you decide as a kid.  Well, little did I know that one-day in the near future, that same thought would match up along with my other personal business I would soon be taking up.  A business I neither expected or wanted, a business I would need to pack an iron for.  Just a young green kid, and I was soon to have some man sized decision-making going

on.”

Jess stopped rubbing his gun, and flipped it back into place, and rolled the barrel a bit.  “I shot men, Jonesy …first, with other guns, and later with this one.  Was still young and green

though, but building a name for myself, unintentionally, although my big mouth sure helped me a lot.  But my goal was and still is a man I’ll never forget or let loose of until my business matter if done.   In the meantime, I was nearly shot for the first time in my life, could have been shot dead from a man named Dixie Howard…one of those things my big mouth got me into.  Would have put a halt to my business plans too, but he just shot my gun out of my hand.  Didn’t do me much damage, just barely grazed me, nothing that wouldn’t be fixed with in a

weeks time…sure did knock some sense into me.  Sense enough to respect the man and ride with him and learn to shut up a bit, but not sense enough to quite toying with that fine line between wanted posters … along with jail warnings …and … the freedom to face the local law with a drink and a smile.”

“Nice to know that you quit toying with that fine line now, feels good, don’t it son.”  Jonesy preached.

“Moving on … fast and smooth and on the move, didn’t help me this time, Jonesy.  It was just after I was into the war and heard Johnny had been dead for near two years already.  Rumors from some enlisted Texans we later met up with that were mixed with another unit …but I was in now and trying to make the best of it for the men in our unit, sure just couldn’t leave them, Jonesy,” Jess said with sorrow.  “Didn’t get much of a chance to do any good though, as just barely a year in and didn’t even fight for almost near that first half, marching all over

moving towards our goal, marching in our sleep even, it seemed. By the time we did start seeing the real fighting, by then we were ambushed somewhere near the southern part of Alabama. Guess the area where we were fighting was near on the way to Mobile, least wise I think it was as we were making tracks that a way… never really had much chance to think on it,

everything just started to blow up in our faces.  I never knew what hit me.  First there were explosions all around us, our horses were rearing with fright, and we were getting hit with

shrapnel pieces and getting shot at. My horse was shot out from under me, as I was shot up as well, and went down right along with it.  Lay there for the longest time in agony, heard my friends dying, couldn’t figure what happened at first.  That is, until I reached over and felt my warm blood leaking out all over the place, and me laying on the bitter cold ground.  Now I

knew for sure what it was like to get shot, Jonesy.  I had seen my bullets hit many a man in the past, but now I was hit.  Say now though, I always had remorse, Jonesy, never shot a man

that wasn’t gunning for me…and this time too, I had remorse.  OH, I had lots of remorse all right.  I had remorse that I was bleeding to bad to help my self or anyone, and it was my fault

the others were dying, as I was the one that scouted us along …right into the ambush.  Don’t know why, but it got awful dark awful fast and I was too confused to know where I was or

what was happening anymore. I woke up in a field hospital, laying in the midst of dying men, some of which were maybe even my own friends that I had failed to keep safe.  I couldn’t

see, and didn’t know why.  I thought I was in hell, Jonesy. All I heard was dying men, and I realized I was one of the ones moaning just as loud, ‘til I passed out again.”  Jess holstered his gun, and looked at Jonesy, “fast and smooth, and on the move, as any of us that lived through the war knows…it sure don’t save a man.  That job belongs to SOMEONE else, right

Jonesy?”

“You know Jess, I worked with dying men in my time, during the war and in trail drives.  Ain’t no fun for dying men when their lives are hanging in the balance and they don’t know which way they will be swinging, or how soon they’ll be feeling the scales tilt ‘til there’s nothing left.  Sometimes you got to tell a man and sometimes you just don’t know if you should.”  Jonesy looked over at Jess as he remembered his own views of war’s hell.  “Go on with your story son.”

“As I lay there, hearing men die, I’d come in and out of my senses. Quite a few times I heard someone come up and say I was dead…and they had already checked me out…and for them to get me out off the way.  It felt like I was in a dream, as my thoughts weren’t quite right. I was too helpless to respond, but I could feel them move me aside somewhere, then I could feel

someone else moving me again…seemed to go on forever as did my hurting and passing out.  Then finally someone came up to me and was checking me better. He started wrapping me up around my wounds, first pulling out whatever was stuffed there to stop the blood, and yelled out that I wasn’t dead yet and he could save me … and that I shouldn’t be laying here with these men.  I couldn’t think straight, but there was a few things I knew now, I was alive, I couldn’t see, and I was in burning pain and too weak to move or talk and someone was now trying to save me. I kept trying to grab at my wounds then to make the pain go away, and someone I couldn’t see kept pulling at me to stop, before I knew it he was smothering me with something

awful and I fell into a deep heavy darkness.  When I woke up I was still hurting mighty bad and couldn’t see, but I heard this man talking to me.  He said he was a doc here in the field

hospital and he was taking care of me, and as they were too full up, he usually got the dying men.  I was the first live patient he had for months and he was in such deep despair he was

near ready to start thinking about killing himself Jonesy.  If it wasn’t for me being there that day, he was near ready to do it.  He was a fine doc, he said, from out in Boston.  He got

tricked into helping out somewhere and they dragged him along farther and farther each move.  He had to leave his pregnant wife and home back in Boston.  Here he was given the dead

to sort through and the dying, on the rare chance that he may find a man in a hundred that would live.  He had the skill and knowledge to know who would and what to do, and the

army, well they needed every man they could save.  Trouble was he never got to see any success, or at least hadn’t in those few months. Now don’t that beat all Jonesy…first time

I get shot up, and who’s waiting for me…the best in the business…now don’t that beat all Jonesy?  The fastest, smoothest doc in the place, on the move, for me, Jess Harper.”

Jess wrapped up the gun with tender care and said softly, “here Jonesy, you can put this up for me now… Yeah, my first time shot up, sure didn’t like it none, not one bit Jonesy, but

I knew that doc, whoever he was, took some tender care with me. Both with getting them bullets out, and repairing the damage.  Got shrapnel out too and wrapped me up just fine. Kept

close to my side as much as he could and when he couldn’t he sent someone to watch me, just so’s I’d know I was going to be okay.  Seems I like about lost track nearly of where I was,

as they found ways to quiet us down that took all our senses away as well.  It became really eerie and quiet there Jonesy, like we were in another world.  We were all so numbed-up most

the time later on… from whiskey, narcotics and whatnot, that by the time we finally knew what happened to us, we were near likely to forget … ‘til it wore off and we started all over again.  Like a trail-drive death’s fog, there was only the low sounding soft moans, drifting in around and about us.  We seemed to be like a lost herd of sorrowful cattle, trying to settle ourselves with a few soft calls in the night.”

“Was it cause you thought you were dying Jess, or was it cause you couldn’t see… about the dancing angels, remember?  You thought you’d never see them dancing angels… sure see

you had plenty of cause to think that way.  I noticed you said that, a few times now anyway, how is it you couldn’t see?”  Jonesy asked as he looked over where the stream of sunlight

had been.  It was now only a softly lit window and the stream was gone…there was no more tiny dust particles left to be seen.  It was as if they were never there…just a warm friendly lit window, nothing wondrously floating about.  It was still and quiet.

“Jonesy… I was shot … three times. Sure don’t advise anyone to meet their first bullet the way I did, a single is bad enough.  Once in the shoulder-chest area, just missing most of my

lung, but still ripping me up some inside …also got hit on the side of my hip near the bone.  That doc kept me really still, so’s I couldn’t move around much, something about nerves and muscle or tendons or something, he kept saying.  Pained me really bad, thought I wasn’t going to walk again, but he kept assuring me he’d make me well.  These new rifles did a lot of

damage, as you know, but they were hitting us from a far off grove of trees, so I was luckier than most.  I lost so much blood though, that’s why they thought I was dead, plus most chest wounds I was later told, were mortal wounds and even most of the wounds a bit similar to my hip wound, as well.  This field hospital was so full up, they never checked just where in my

chest I was bleeding from, as they had other more useful men to tend to, I was just passed over as a lost cause. But the more serious reason they thought I was dead was all the blood

on my head and the side of my face.  It wasn’t near as bad as it looked, but no one knew how to tell that.  I got the third shot on the side of the head near my eye, not a full hit. Had

shrapnel there too, as it was from blowing up in our faces, all around the horses.  The doc bandaged my face up and my eyes, but he kept assuring me I was just fine.  Trouble was

Jonesy, I just didn’t know who to believe any more…they kept saying I was dead, when I wasn’t…and then said I was dying, sure felt it was a toss up though.  But then, as I was still

laying there still breathing, the coin must have flipped in my favor somewhere …  near as I could tell.”

Jess looked up at the ceiling and thought back to the dim light of the makeshift tent of the field hospital.  He had only seen it during the end of his healing, when he had been moved on

over to another tent to see it he was fit for fighting or needed to stay laid up.  That was a drab dreary day and his hip ached with each step he fought to take, here was his first view of

all the men he had heard around him the last three weeks during the time he couldn’t see. Most were all men that had run out of luck or were on final flip of the coin.

Jess then shook his head and muttered as he felt the comfort of this room that was now his as well as Slim’s. “One thing a ma never thinks to do, is to tell her kids not to end up gambling

in a field hospital Jonesy.  They warn you about gambling in saloons and all, guess they just never figured on that bloody war.” 

“Now, wha-…” Jess floundered a moment as he caught his place, returning to sounds and sights that had been unseen at a point in time, by his eyes.  “Oh…yeah… Seems someone must have painted a target on my left side that day.  Three hits on me, there … and someone took home the prize.  Well, I truly needed to recover and I was a mess and I knew that much. So

how did I know if it was true that I’d be walking again, or seeing again…all I knew is that everyone else was dying, so how would it be any different for me.  Many of them getting arms

and legs cut off, so I heard later, as I lay there. They weren’t going to bother cutting off my leg since the wound was back along the hip bone, as if I became one of the unfortunates with infection spreading, as nearly most were, I would have died from it no matter if they cut the whole leg of or not.  Looking back now, this doc sure knew his stuff Jonesy.  But when I was a laying there and first conscious to my surrounding, I had no trust in anything I heard, only in the death I smelled.  Maybe this doc didn’t really even know I was going be just fine

someday, maybe he was just saying it to make himself feel better cause he couldn’t save me.  Or dad-gum, maybe he was just trying to even make me feel better, I just sure didn’t know,

but I was really bad off Jonesy and I knew it with every breath I took.” 

Jess stretched back into the bed and unkinked his shoulder and neck. It felt really good to lay there as he thought of the story he had unfolded to Jonesy.  He was for the first time

thankful in a much deeper way for what an unknown face, an unknown Boston doctor, had done for him.  How the heck this ‘Doc-Boston’ got to be loyal to the south and working on southern soldiers sure was a mystery to him though.  He stretched his legs out, looking up at the ceiling.

Jess looked over at Jonesy, seems he’s looking for me to hand him some crumbs off my cake or something, Jess thought, guess I left him hanging a bit. As Jess started to continue on

with his story, he and Jonesy opened they’re mouths at the same time.  All they got for their trouble was two jumbled sentences and some good laughs as they sounded a bit like two

singers that missed the mark.

“Well now go on … just to make sure you make sense this time, I’ll shut up.  So … you didn’t think you’d ever see them angels dancing again.” Jonesy said, as he backtracked a bit.

“ I could hear over that first three weeks, that some of the soldiers were scared because they were dying and they knew it.  Some couldn’t see and knew they never would again.  Some couldn’t move, others had lost arms and legs… hell, some were moaning so strange and quiet, I don’t think they knew a dad-blamed blasted thing!  And me… I couldn’t see a dad-blamed thing for myself!  I was really GETTING RAMMED-UP into the walls of that boxed canyon Jonesy, and NO WAY OUT.  All I could do was lay there helpless in the dark and hear it

all …and smell it all.  Men dying, and that awful smell of medicines… narcotics.  This doc was really high quality, Jonesy, he never let me get hooked on it, seems he knew something

about keeping infections at bay as well.”

Jess looked over at the softly lit window and then over at his carefully wrapped gun as Jonesy had gathered it near, ready to take it to the other room in due time. Soon it’d be hidden away again…in its special resting spot, hidden in the fitted rough rocks that formed the chimney which put forth warmth and friendly flickers of light many a time in their home.  There it stayed, known only to those in this inner circle of Jess’ life, surrounded by walls of trust.

“Don’t know when it was, or how long it took for me to start coming around better, but I do remember shreds of it … bits and pieces.  You know, Jonesy, like rips on a good shirt, ya’ can’t for the life of you place all the details as to them rips, but you remember it happening just the same and all them awful ripping noises that go with it all.  Well … 

Seems I kept rambling desperately to the doc one night, out of my head, I was.  I knew I would never see the dancing angels again, he was holding my hand and praying, helping me get through a high fever. I must have really been in a bad way, as I kept after him with such distress … as to the way he told me of it later.  I was telling him it was my only way of remembering

my ma’s face.  Yeah, at first I was so out my head, didn’t really know what I was saying, then a day or so later as I came around to my senses, he kept promising me that I would see again

and I remembered his voice…will never forget it.  I also remember he was missing most all of the little finger of his left hand.  I never knew who he was Jonesy. As when they unwrapped my head, during my struggle to see and get used to the light, I kept asking for him … but he wasn’t there, seemed he was no where to be found.  And then as they started helping me move around, there were so many wounded pouring in that they just herded us up and moved us away to the ‘dismissing tent’ to wait a bit more.  They said I had been laid up three weeks

already, and seems I had about another month to go, as they were afraid of me ripping up my wounds and bleeding inside.  To tell the truth Jonesy, it seems there wasn’t much left of me,

after that mess.”  Jess marveled as he thought back to how well he had finally healed up.  Good ol’ Doc-Boston…he smirked a bit…I salute you, with high honors … wherever you are. 

Jess stared hard and long at Jonesy.  So hard and so long, that at first Jonesy was near to feeling a chill, and looked to the window to see if the weather had dramatically changed!

 “Well sure enough, I could see again, but my joy was soon overshadowed with what I saw.  I tell you Jonesy, it near made me sick.  I wasn’t prepared for it at all.”  A deep sadness seemed

to start at Jess’ head and slowly lower itself down as a soft fog cloud descending.  It seemed to have over whelmed him with its sorrowful presence.  “It was just before Christmas Eve

Jonesy … and then a few days later … I even saw  …   those dancing angels.  I reckon I learned a lot laying there in the dark for three weeks all shot up… I reckon I learned a lot.”  The

silence hung in the air as Jess remembered the day the bandages were removed, and reflected on the dust particles that followed days later ... all because of a rip in the tent, the dancing

angels came.  The stillness was almost too strong for Jonesy, and he near felt he was floating, as part of it, when ... Jess reacted.

Quickly though, the joy short lived as it was, that Jess Harper had felt that day … APPEARED NOW, as he remembered that victory in the dim light long since gone and the face-weary attendant that he was looking at with seeing eyes.  It now brightened his face with intense gratefulness.  A sparkle sprang up in his face, as Jess said,  “But honest, don’t get me wrong Jonesy, after those forlorn weeks of darkness and wondering what was going to become of a crippled-up blind Harper…. Why, I was as thankful as a pup in a kid’s lap with a face to lick!”

“I sure don’t doubt that Jess, sure don’t at all! A grateful heart does a man good, amen. An honest heart too.  And seeing as we’re on the subject of dismissing, as well…seems I should

be dismissing some guilt, from years back.  Bet you didn’t know that I worked out helping in one of those ‘dismissing tents’ Jess, but for the north, and you may not know it to look at me now, but I could be mighty ornery back then …yes sir… It was pure hatred between me and those officers … dragging them kids off to war, kids that were near half dead just weeks before.  They threatened to shoot me more than once, I was sure a mean one then, Jess.”  Jonesy dropped his head, and then respectfully looked up, as if gazing through the ceiling itself.  “God above, forgive me.  I sent many an officer on a wild goose chase just to stall for time as I moved men away from them and their orders, was just trying to help them kids in anyway I

could.” Jonesy said sadly, as his voice trailed off.

“Yeah, I barely moved up a notch from that first filthy hole, as they dumped me for a bit in the next tent.  The buzzards were circling all right, those officers were constantly in and out.

They were showing no mercy and pushing us hard to get us back into the fighting.  Spent a month or so in that tent, more of less, who knows, like I said, I just don’t rightly remember.  I couldn’t walk alone yet, as I could barely use my leg and was really weak, but kept making progress… by the time I got back out and was on the move, it was February, I knew that much.

 A large group of us were marching out, some of us on horses, made bad time trying to get to my old unit, along with some officers that supposedly knew what they were doing.  Was

just back in with them for near one week, near abouts mid March they said, off the record.  For the record they just wrote March … and how they made record time.  We weren’t

impressed one bit.  The war was near over now, but naturally, we didn’t know that … YET. ”

Jess shook his head a bit, with a slight smile, as he thought back, remembering how the men were having to push him up into the saddle of one of the few horses they had left in the unit.

 We sure were a sorry sight, us three men.  Not tin soldiers even, more like rag-dolls going out to get tossed and tore up again. Come to think of it, the rest of our buddies weren’t

looking so sharp either. Yeah, my mounting-up leg was being mighty rebellious with pain… didn’t take to horse riding or dismounting at that.  Sure never knew that the hop I

used to get in the saddle, as they gave me a boost, would lead to a life-long habit, though.  Sure does help my hip to this day, who’d have ever thought. Jess shook his head again.

“Jess?” Jonesy questioned.

“Aw nothing, Jonesy…don’t ask…some habits die hard, that’s all …just thought of one I’ve grown fond of, is all.  Well, now…In the ‘dismissing tent’ I met up with the only two soldiers

that had lived from that ambush and I near choked up for joy.  They were laid up as well, and went back with us, when I was well.  One of the men, that kid that I first met up with.  Just

a kid if truth be known… only fifteen, he was… but a friend of mine.  Well… he really looked up to me…he tried to make me feel better and said it was good that I had split us up into

thirds that day we were hit. As he was in better shape than I was, as we lay on the field, he had heard the rest of our unit come around full force. After our disaster they had a clear view

and a clean sweep, he was sure they wiped them out as he passed out.  They must have sent help our way, but by then he didn’t know …

Well there was something we all REALLY knew NOW … we were going back into the war, into part of our own unit again. Like I said, once we met up with my unit I was only back in

for barely a week, and a sorry sight of a soldier at that, and then, that was the end of it all for me…in some ways, that is.”  A heavy northern-chilled thought swept down harshly, with

dark bitterness through Jess’ mind, I was trapped in a worse box canyon than the one I just came out of. Jess stopped harshly, sharply, with such a deep furrowed look on his face,

that he gave Jonesy a bit of a shudder.  It was then that Jonesy suspected there was more to Jess’ war story …something he wasn’t about to tell …at least not yet, if ever.

“I aim to bake today, now Jess, not to rake” Jonesy said with a shrewd look on his face and undertones all his own, “just in case you had a notion to a wondering…now go ahead on,

boy.” 

Jess pulled his thoughts back in line, “That doc, why he’s like a hidden piece of my life, stashed away somewhere.  Any time I ever ran into a doc for any reason I looked at their hands,

but never found the man.  Once, though…I really thought I found him…sounded just like him, but he was in another room.  Never got a look at him.  Barely saw him through a doorway

and I called to him.  He never looked up and by the time I got there he was gone.  He’s hidden away some where, Jonesy…or maybe even dead now.” 

Jess looked up into Jonesy’s understanding face, with a pained earnest look of a debt owed, and finished with a slightly faltering voice, “He offered me comfort in that filthy field

hospital, Jonesy.  Some kind of light in the darkness, something to warm my heart while others were left with coldness and death, and taken away to mass graves, or piled outside and waiting.”

“Sure looks like you got a bit more personal business to take care of son…some more like the rewarding type business, than, lets say…” Jonesy slowly stood, and tucked Jess’ gun

under his arm, patting it with his other hand as he did so.  “…then the previous retribution type, that I suspect the other is more of the nature of.”

 As Jonesy started to leave the room, he looked back at a tired Jess.  “Seems like we’ve done quite a bit of traveling for today…ol’ Slim sure don’t know what he’s missing out on

here…this is a mighty powerful adventure we’ve just been on Jess…mighty powerful indeed.”

“No need in passing it on to him, Jonesy…Slim and I …well, we get to sitting in the late evenings as you know…and we get to jawing …when the times are set up right, well