Collier's Creek: 3 - Caution and Curiosity by Annabel Howarth

After about another quarter of a mile, or so, we approached the scene of the circling vultures with caution, Hannah having reined back Daisy-May to a walking pace and Billy slowing to her side. Soon, we could see a dark heap on the ground ahead. I kinda hoped it would prove to be the fallen mass of a longhorn, partly because I hadn't eaten since breakfast, but mostly because of the way Hannah said with such certainty "someone's in trouble". Like she knew that it was a person, rather than an animal in danger, before we could even see what was ahead. The way she'd tilted her head back, inhaling deeply, like she could smell it, had unnerved me.  I could now see the body. It was no cow. It was much smaller.

"Whoa, Daisy-May," Hannah cried, pulling right back on the reins and leaping out of the wagon before it had fully stopped. She ran with an unexpected speed toward the body on the ground. She seemed panicked, rather than excited now. I stayed back, frozen with astonishment, as, with her slight frame, she knelt down and heaved up the body, twice her size, and carried it back toward the wagon.

"Can't one of you git your asses over here, and help me?" she screamed. "It's Hank!"

I started, but Billy was down off his horse before me, running towards Hannah. I watched as his body buckled slightly, as the dead weight was passed to him. He staggered back to the wagon and rolled the body into the back.

Hannah jumped into the back too, rolling Hank onto his back and lowering her head over his face.

"He's breathing...just...Hey Slick, make yourself useful and pass me that canteen over," Hannah shouted to me.

"Not so quaint now," I thought. 

She looked real mad, as I glanced back after scrabbling around to no avail. 

"It's here," bellowed Billy, gruffly, as he snatched up the canteen from right beside me.

"Here you go, Miss Hannah."

"Thanks, Billy."

In between talking to Billy, Hannah spoke gently to Hank, in a way inaudible to me, as she leaned over him, dripping water onto his sun scorched lips and face.

"You know, when I first saw Hank there, I thought, hell, he's a gonner for sure...but if we can get him to Aunt Margaret's real quick, I think he could make it."

Every so often, Hank moaned a little.

"I could really do with your help, Billy. Hank is dehydrated, and.."

"But, surely we're better heading back to Collier's Creek?" Billy protested, "it's closer, and I don't like our chances heading into that..."

"No Billy, we need Aunt Margaret, she'll know what to do with this!"

Hannah pointed towards Hank's leg and it was then that I noticed the wound across Hank's thigh, like four claws had dragged down his leg, ripping through his pants and into the flesh. I noted, that there wasn't much blood.

"Please Billy," Hannah looked up at him, imploringly. I was as surprised by her vulnerability as I had been by her strength, moments before. 

"Okay Hannah, I guess I will have to come. This city slicker ain't gonna be any use to you, if you come up on more trouble." Then he laughed. "I guess you got your wish at last. All this time you've been trying to get me up to your Aunt's place. Hell, there was no need to stage something like this!" He winked at her and she smiled back, demurely. 

Whispering comforting words, Hannah rolled Hank onto his good side and climbed back up front. She didn't speak to me. Billy remounted his horse and for a while rode beside Hannah again. As they talked, I tried not to listen.  Growing to like, Hannah, even in such a short time, I couldn't stomach much of their minor flirtations. I watched the landscape evolve, a little greener, and the sky ahead continue to darken, while I mulled over the confusing happenings of the past few hours. 

When Billy at last agreed to ride ahead to warn Aunt Margaret that we were on our way, I ventured to speak again.

"So, who is Hank?"

"Hank? Why, don't you know?...Hank's my brother."

"I see...and, what do you think happened to him?"

"Isn't it obvious, Mr Investigator?  We were hunting the black wolf!"

"Well, no. It's not obvious."

"What d'ya mean?"

"Well, there's a few things that bother me, Hannah."

"Uh-huh, like.."

"Well, like I said, I'm no expert but wolves usually hunt in packs..."

"Uh-huh"

"...and they're not known generally to attack people..."

"Uh-huh"

"...or to attack any animal by slashing at them, like that...it just makes no sense. That wound, can only be a surface wound."

"Oh, so you're a doctor now...Forgive me, Mr Samuels, isn't it? But my only concern right now, is getting help for my brother, and... Hang on, do you mind holding the reins for me a moment?"

I smiled at her, a big broad smile, and she returned that smile, dropping her eyes down and, I thought, blushing slightly.

"Sure, no problem," I said, as I took hold of the reins. "At last, maybe I'm winning her trust," I thought, as she leaned into the back of the wagon, and...

Thwang! - was the last sound I heard.  I felt a dull, heavy, throbbing pain in my head. "Maybe she doesn't trust me, after all" was my last thought, before the world suddenly went black.