The Cat

Once back at the cabin, Slim searched for two long poles, finding some in the rails of the corral. Some of the horizontal pieces were nothing more than sapling trunks. He used those, some shorter boards, and the extra rope he had brought with him to fashion a travois, covering the bed with a layer of blankets, and throwing more blankets on top for covering Jess with later. He then ran into the cabin and started the stove, lighting a full load of kindling, and quickly adding logs for a roaring fire. He did the same in the small fireplace. Hopefully, the cabin would be warm by the time they returned. He pulled the rungs off of the back of one of the old wooden chairs to use as splints.

Back outside, he shoved the splints into his rifle scabbard, then he fastened the travois to the saddle of the extra horse, running the poles through the stirrups and tying them off with lengths of rope. He then swung up onto his own horse, and led the second horse slowly back to where Jess lay about a mile away.

He took the terrain faster than he should have dragging the delicate travois, and much faster than he would be able to once he got Jess on it. The ground was rocky and covered with brush. The trip back would be slow and tedious.

He swung off his horse and grabbed the splints and some rope. Making his way over to Jess, he stooped down at Jess� feet and laid two splints along either side of his leg, not touching it yet.

�Jess. � He waited for a response and got none. �Jess I�m going to splint your leg so I�m going to have to touch it. I�ll try not to hurt too much.�

He took out a length of rope and used his pocketknife to cut it into sections about eighteen inches long. He then carefully laid the splints up against Jess� pants leg and slid one end of a rope underneath. He had to raise the leg slightly to get it under. Holding just onto the cloth of Jess� pants, he lifted just a tiny bit, watching Jess� face the whole time. His eyes were already closed, but they squeezed shut even tighter now, but he didn�t utter a word.

Before going any further, Slim returned to his horse and pulled a bottle of whisky out of his saddlebag and brought it back over to Jess. Daisy had placed it there, almost as an afterthought just before he rode out this morning. He had almost forgotten about it. He stooped again beside Jess and held the back of his head, placing the bottle to his lips. He intended to get Jess very drunk in the next couple of hours. He might as well start now.

Jess accepted the whisky without comment, swallowing several big gulps before waving Slim off with his hand. Slim returned to the ropes. He placed a second and third piece of rope, spacing each about six inches apart. Then he began to tie the ropes. Starting with the one at the top, he tied a square knot and then slowly tightened it, drawing the boards tightly up against the leg. Jess moaned and clenched his teeth, but did not move.

Slim next tied the bottom rope and finished with the one in the middle, all the while whispering, �I�m sorry, I�m sorry.� He was hurting his friend and he wish that he could take the pain himself.

Jess� eyes were squeezed so tightly shut that tears were squeezed out and a few ran down his cheeks. Slim offered him another drink, which Jess accepted without hesitation.

In the years that Slim had known Jess, he�d only seen him drunk a couple of times. Jess enjoyed a drink, but usually did not overindulge, nor did he drink at home, only in town, in the saloon. The few times that he had overindulged, he had paid dearly for it the next morning. Slim was sure he would this time as well, but in this case, the benefits would be worth it.

This bottle, Daisy kept for medicinal purposes. She had never opened this one, but there was an open one at the house that had been used a few times. The time Mike fell through the ice on the pond in February last year. The time Slim had that bad rope burn on his hand. Daisy had used it both externally and internally that time. When Jess had broken several ribs when a tree fell on him last winter, she had given him a few shots each night to help him sleep. She had a little bit of laudanum that the doctor had left, but Jess wouldn�t take it, so whisky was the next best thing.

Slim finished with the splint and laid a hand on Jess� shoulder. �You alright, Pard?�

Jess didn�t answer, but nodded his head, keeping his eyes closed and his hands clenched.

Slim picked Jess� gun up off the ground and took it over to his horse, pushing it into his saddlebag. Then he returned to Jess and unbuckled his gun belt, carefully pulling it from around him and putting it in the saddlebag as well.

�Okay, Pard, I�m gonna get you on this travois. I�ll be as easy as I can.�

First he had to get Jess out of the rocky niche where he had wedged himself. He slipped an arm around Jess� back and the other under his thighs and pulled him as gently as he could out from the rocks and helped him to lie down, taking Jess� hat off and laying it aside. Then he returned to the travois and pulled the extra blankets off, taking them and spreading them on the ground next to Jess.

Slim stooped right next to Jess and unconsciously rubbed his shoulder while he talked. �You think you can move over onto these, Jess?�

Jess rolled his head to look at the blankets next to him. He nodded. �I�ll try.� Slim offered him another drink first. Afterward, Jess rose up on his elbow as much as possible and slid, inch by painful inch over. Slim lifted and pushed the blankets under him as much as he could, trying his best to keep Jess� leg steady.

Finally Jess collapsed onto the blankets and Slim moved his legs over onto them as well. Then he took the extra blankets and spread them out over Jess, tucking the edges under him and then putting his hat next to him.

Slim lead the horse over and positioned him close and then stooped to pick up the corners of the blankets. �I�m gonna pull you onto the travois now Jess. I�ll go slow.� He lifted and pulled the blankets, sliding Jess up onto the travois. Every movement sending excruciating bolts of pain up his leg.