water as he fell. He could hear no water now. But last night’s heavy rain could have created a flood that ran its course through the wash. It was possible that only the massive tree stump had saved him from being swept away and drowned.
What if he was trapped here, with no way to get free? How long would it take him to die?
But he wasn’t going to let that happen, Joe told himself. He had too many things to live for—finding Sarah again, building a solid future, and avenging himself on Benteen Calder, who’d cared more about his damned cattle than about taking time to save a man’s life.
Joe knew that if he wanted to get out of this death trap, he would have to act soon. The longer he lay here, the more his strength would be sapped by thirst and hunger, until he became too weak to move.
He heard the flapping wings as the first buzzard settled on the body of the dead horse and began tearing at its tough hide. A second bird lit next to it, and the two began to squabble, hissing and grunting as they fought for the choicest spots. It occurred to Joe that between the feasting birds and the hot, drying rays of the sun, the horse’s body would become lighter over the next couple of days—perhaps light enough for him to shove aside.
But the notion of waiting for that to happen, under awful conditions, was unimaginable. There had to be another way.
Think!
Joe cursed out loud. His mind was dulled by pain and exhaustion, but waiting wasn’t going to make him any sharper. He needed to focus his scattered thoughts and come up with a plan.
In a fury of frustration, he struck the damp mud with his fist. The surface softened under the blow, leaving the imprint of his knuckles in the russet earth.
Suddenly everything became clear.
Ignoring the pain that shot through his body with every move, he began clawing away the sandy soil with his bare hands.
* * *
By the time Joe had finished digging himself free, the broiling Kansas sun had reached its zenith. His hands were raw and bleeding, his skin salty with sweat under his muddy clothes. The pain around his ribs was so severe, it was all he could do to keep from screaming.
Exhausted, he forced himself to stay on his feet. He couldn’t remain here. He had to get out of the wash and find some kind of shelter. But right now, what his body needed most was water.
More buzzards had gathered on the dead horse. Picking up a rock, Joe flung it into their midst. They scattered, lifting off on their wide, black wings to circle overhead or perch nearby, watching him with curious, beady eyes.
His canteen was on the horse, the strap still looped over the saddle horn. He took it, along with his rope, then rummaged through the saddlebags for anything else that might be of use. There wouldn’t be much. His gun and knife had been left behind in camp because of the lightning. His clothes and other personal items were in his bedroll, stowed in the chuckwagon.
In one of the saddlebags, he found a soggy biscuit and a thin slice of jerky wrapped in a bit of cloth. There was nothing else worth taking—not even the saddle, which he was too weak to carry. He took a careful swig of water from the canteen, which was less than half-full. Then he bound his ribs with his shirt, leaving his underwear to protect him from the sun. His hat was long gone. All he had was the bandanna around his neck. Pulling it off, he tied it around his head. It wasn’t enough to keep his face from burning, but it would have to do.
Leaving the horse to the buzzards, he forced himself to walk. As the sun crawled across the sky, he trudged along the bottom of the wash, looking for a place where he could climb out. He could see the high-water marks on the walls. Those marks told him he wasn’t in a safe place. Another rainstorm, even far upstream, could send enough water gushing down the wash to drown him.
Here and there, in low spots, drying puddles of water remained from last night’s storm. Since the water appeared clean, he drank as much as he dared, then splashed his face, cleansed his bleeding hands, and soaked the bandanna before retying it around his head. The coolness helped