Miles found Lark Collins, maybe frozen, on the floor of an old miner’s shack. If he was breathing it was so shallow that Miles couldn’t tell, so he wrapped him in a blanket and tied him on the back of Two-Bits and was heading back to Hermosa. The cold was bitter with the wind blowing a little harder kicking up the snow that had fallen. Will Miles bring in a frozen corpse, or will Collins live to stand trial? Let’s go back to those days of yesteryear.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A little over an hour later I was bringing the body, dead or alive, into the little community of Hermosa. It was only a hour or so but with the cold and wind it seemed like three. I felt near frozen myself as I untied Collins from the back of Two-Bits and carried him inside the small hotel.
Upon entering the clerk, snarled, hollered, “Is he dead?”
“Get some blankets and place them by the fire,” I ordered and he hurried off to find some. Shortly he returned then laid down two in front of the fireplace and I laid Collins on top of them. “Stoke that fire up some,” I ordered again and he quickly went to the task while I covered Collins with two more blankets.
“Watch him while I take care of my horses,” I said, then was up and back out the door into the cold.
Upon arriving at the livery, I didn’t bother to see if the hostler was around, I opened the large door and led my two horses inside out of the wind. It was some warmer, the proprietor had a small pot-bellied stove over to one side that warmed the room up some. Immediately I began to unsaddle Two-Bits even before putting him in a stall. Having her bridle and saddle off I led her toward the middle of the room, I didn’t want to get too close to the stove, but I wanted to warm her up as I rubbed her down. She stood there, enjoying being out of the weather while I unsaddled Hawk, placing him in a stall.
I worked on Two-Bits for about fifteen minutes when the hostler came in and began to complain. I was in no mood for his nonsense and told him so. “Get over here and grain these horses,” I commanded. He took offense when I opened my coat and he saw my badge and pistol. “They both need water so take care of that first, then make sure they’re fed properly. I want this mare rubbed down some more. She spent the night out in the cold.”
Buttoning up my coat, I watched for a few minutes while the hostler got busy. “I take it you found your man,” mumbled the hostler as he started to pour water in the trough from a bucket.
“Found a stiff body, I don’t know if he’s dead or not. I need to go back to the hotel to check on him. You do right with those horses, you hear!” I warned him then strode outside.
When I entered the hotel, I glanced at the clerk who gave a little shrug with his shoulders. After taking off my coat and laying it on a chair I stooped down to check on Collins. He still looked lifeless. His fingers had turned black and one cheek was discolored. Shaking my head I went back to the clerk. “Today is Tuesday, right?” I asked to which he nodded. “By chance could I get some coffee? I need to warm up.”
“Uh, I don’t have any here in the lobby. I could, maybe go next door and get you some,” he stuttered.
Heaving a sigh, “Then why don’t you maybe go do it. Bring a pot back.” With that he scurried off to find a coat then rushed on out the door. “Today is Tuesday,” I said to myself, “if I can leave tomorrow I can be back in time to help Molly and those at the diner with the Thanksgiving dinner she always prepares.”
Looking at the body on the floor in front of the fire. “Lord,” I whispered, “I don’t know what else to do for him.” Then I seated myself in one of the chairs waiting for the clerk to arrive with the coffee. Ten minutes later, he came through the door. Very efficiently he poured a cup for me, setting it on a table then placed the pot by the fire to keep it warm. I nodded a “thanks” to him.
I must have dozed off and saw that it was almost dark. My stomach was reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Getting up I went to look for the clerk who was nowhere to be found. I didn’t want to leave the man to go next door to eat, so I checked the coffeepot and poured the rest of the brew into my cup. I had just sat back down when I heard a faint sound. A groan coming from the blankets.
Moving to the lump on the floor, I knelt down next to him and thought I saw his eyelids flutter. His lips twitched. I got up quickly and poured a glass of water from a pitcher that was in the lobby. Bringing it back I took my finger, wet with water to his lips. He licked them with his tongue. He was alive, but I wasn’t sure what shape he was in. I wet my fingers again, moistening his lips. His eyes opened and he jerked away.
“You must feel sorta like some of those men you handcuffed to the hitching posts in the winter who froze to death,” I remarked. He didn’t say anything, but his eyes were open wide now. “Let me get you uncovered and check how much of you is frost bitten.”
Taking the covers off, I started with his boots. He moaned loudly as I tugged them off. I was worried some that his toes might come off with the boot. They were in bad shape, some of them black. I already knew he had one hand with fingers blacked. He needed a doctor or gangrene was going to set in. The closest one was Doc Jones back in Durango.
“Mister,” I spoke calmly, “if you want to live we have to travel to Durango no later than tomorrow.” I looked down at his feet. “I don’t think you’ll be able to sit in a saddle…