“Pigs may fly.” It stood to reason—at least to my reason—the tracks had been blown up to make an opportunity to get the crate. It had happened between towns, when the tracks ran through fields, where there wouldn’t be many witnesses. Maybe the plan had been made up on the spur of the moment, but that was what its goal had been.
“The derailment might have been an accident. Or an equipment failure. Or something on the tracks,” Ritter said, like she’d made a promise to be fair.
“Something on the tracks like dynamite.” Sarah started pacing, her hands jittery around her guns. Her traveling bag was on the ground.
Was mine somewhere close? I had to look for it. Where was my rifle? Though I was worried, I couldn’t seem to get up just now. I would. Real shortly.
“Travis has gone to get his shoulder popped back in place and to gather information,” Ritter told us, though we hadn’t asked.
“You want a drink of water?” Sarah knelt beside me.
More than anything. “Yes.”
She slid an arm under to lift me a little and put a canteen to my lips. The first gulp, though warm and metallic, was just what my throat needed.
“Thanks. You look in good shape,” I said after she’d put my head back down.
“I landed on the asshole we had the talk with—man who hit his wife? Broke his fucking neck, which saved me.”
“Justice,” I said. “Listen, can you look for my bag? Do I have my rifle and my Colts?” Suddenly, I decided to sleep a little.
I woke up, alone, in the same spot. I felt a little bit better. There were more bodies laid in the line on the slope, which seemed very far away. Women wearing white nurse uniforms were going around from one bandaged person to another. Some men had almost completed setting up a tent to shelter them.
I could not spot Sarah Byrne or Harriet Ritter. I could not see anyone I knew over by the tent. By the sun, it was afternoon. I turned my head to the left and discovered Maddy, who had a bandage around her left thigh. It was stained with blood. Her eyes were open.
“Where’s the crate?” I said.
“Under Jake’s arm. He’s propped up against that tree yonder.” She pointed.
I followed her finger to see Jake maybe twenty feet away, kind of behind me and to my left. He was under a big tree, which was smart, since the sun was beating down. There was a bandage around his head. The crate was by his side.
“My guns,” I said.
“You’re still wearing ’em. That gal with the scab put the rest of your stuff over by Jake. He’s got my bag, too. He was scared someone would steal our things while we were out of it. That Harriet Ritter helped me get over to you, keep an eye out.”
“Think we could go over there?” It felt wrong, being away from the cargo and my Winchester. Would be nice to have my extra clothes, too, considering I was spotted in blood.
“We ought to,” Maddy said. “But I’m scared about walking on this leg. It stopped bleeding. Don’t want it to start again.”
She was white as a sheet and sweating. She looked bad. “They should have taken you to the wounded tent.”
“Couple of men said they’d come get me, but I guess they forgot. Lots of hurt people here.”
I rolled to my hands and knees and slowly pushed up to my feet. Didn’t feel too bad. I held out my good arm to help Maddy pull up.
Maddy was heavier than me, but between us we got her upright. “Don’t put weight on that leg,” I said. We hobbled and hopped over to the tree. I helped her to sit by Jake. It was a big tree, so she got a share of it to lean against.
“Might as well change from the Lucky Crew to the Cripple Crew,” he said by way of hello.
“I guess we’re lucky we ain’t all with Charlie over there on the slope,” Maddy told him.
“True enough.” Jake made a weak try at a smile. He looked like death warmed over.
“Is the crate okay?” I said.
“Have a look.” Jake eased away so I could see.
A few slats were broken. What was in the crate was an old chest. I was only able to make out a little, but the dark wood looked heavily carved and had some gold glinting on it.
We’d been guarding a box that held another box.
“It weighs the same,” Jake told us. “I was out for a bit, but it sat exactly where it had been when I came to.”
“Last I knew, I was on top of it,” I said.
“I was by the side of it. After you got clipped on the head, some farmworkers came in who’d seen the wreck. They were helping people out. Right away, the two men who’d been about to take the crate pretended they were there to help people too. They were going to lift you off first, so they could get a chance to grab it, but a doctor came in just then with that Ritter woman and Seeley, who had their guns out. The doctor got the farmhands to take other people out first. The gunnies lost their chance. By the time the farmhands carried you and Maddy out, I was myself enough to wrap my arm around it. The men who carried me out carried out the crate too. Then Ritter and Seeley got that Sarah Byrne to sit with me. But she said she had to walk to town after you came to, and that’s what she did. Ain’t seen the other two since then. So here we are.”
“Then we’re okay. We’ve done good.” Maddy gave a firm nod.
I wasn’t too sure about that. “We killed some people,” I pointed out. “You think we’ll get called out on that?”
That wasn’t necessarily something the law would get us for at home. We’d been doing our jobs. But the law in Dixie could be different.
“I don’t think any of the other people in our car are in any shape to call the sheriff on us,” Jake said. “Most of ’em are up there on the hill.”
“Where’s Rogelio?” Maddy glanced around.
“See that tent over there?” Jake said, pointing. It was all fixed up now. “That’s the wounded. You should be over there. They’re doing good for a little town, one not expecting this to happen. I wished they’d come get you, Maddy.”
“What about you, Jake?” I said. “You need some doctoring, seems to me.”
“After we get Maddy some help, we’ll figure out a way to get me and the crate to town together.”
They’d left the side flaps up on the tent. Lots of movement inside it. A big wagon was pulling up to it now, and I figured they were going to load up the ones who needed to go to the hospital. I could just hear a distant siren. There must be an ambulance, and it had already gone. Maybe it had made several trips. Didn’t know how long a time I’d lost.
“We’re close to Sally?” I looked at the landscape as if that would tell me, but the plain was broad and featureless except for a few low, rolling hills.
“We almost made it to town. This is the second time the wagon’s come back to fetch wounded to take ’em there.”
“I will go see what’s happening with Rogelio,” I said, pushing myself to my feet. I had to do something. I reloaded my guns, put ’em back in their holsters. I started to sling my rifle over my shoulder, but I hesitated. I was doing good to take one step after another, much less carry any more weight than I had to.
“Jake, I’m gonna leave the rifle and the bag with you,” I said. “I’ll be back for ’em.”