Read Online Liberty Belle by Patricia Pacjac Carroll - Free Book Online

sit up, but his body told him to take it slow. He hadn’t ached like this since that brawl with the Jayhawkers in the saloon.
    The rain had stopped. The dark clouds rumbled north and east. Wade raised his head and scooted to the side of a wagon. He assumed it was the one they had been under, but now it was upright again and several feet from where he’d crawled under before the storm.
    “I think I’m in one piece, kid. Just give me a minute to find my legs and arms and I’ll get up.” He didn’t have to wait, the pain found them for him. Blood oozed from a cut on his right arm, but it was his left leg that throbbed for attention. A piece of wood protruding from his thigh answered why.
    “You’re bleeding.” Mark’s voice shook.
    “Yeah … tell you what, take my knife and find some clothes in the wagon and cut strips for bandages.”
    The boy slowly nodded and some of the fear left his eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”
    The kid did a good job. Soon Wade had his arm bandaged, but the leg was going to be a different story. From what he could tell, the chunk of wood hadn’t hit bone. That was the good news. Bad news, it was still sticking out of his leg.
    He took hold of the boy’s arm. “Listen. I’m going to pull out that oversized splinter. When I do, you wrap that bandage around my leg and tie it as tight as you can. Okay?”
    Concern creased his young face, but he nodded
    Wade worked his way to sit up straight and brace himself. He glanced at the kid.
    Mark’s eyes were closed and hands folded.
    The boy was praying.
    Wade couldn’t remember the last time he’d prayed, probably a smarter thing to do than curse like he’d done when Banjo ran off.
    Finished, Mark nodded. “I’m ready, Mr. Wade.”

Chapter 8
     
     
    Wade opened his eyes to a new morning. His leg still throbbed but that meant he was alive. Yesterday’s events flashed in his mind, wagons, bodies, and the crude grave with the makeshift marker. He bolted upright and scanned the area until he saw what he was looking for huddled in the corner of the upturned wagon. The boy.
    Relief squared off with Wade’s frustration. Two-years-worth of hate and his quest came down to this? He’d never felt so empty. Perhaps the day he’d stood over the graves of his parents, sister, and brother, but even then he’d had the revenge that burned in his heart. Now there was nothing.
    Thirst grabbed him, and he searched for a canteen. Right beside him. Wade stared at Mark. The boy had tied a good tight bandage on the wound and made sure he had water nearby. Smart kid. After several gulps, Wade moved his leg. Sore but he could manage. He figured they were maybe two days from the stage road but that  had been on horseback.
    “Mark. Wake up. We need to get started.” Wade pushed to his feet and tested the leg. The bleeding had stopped, but he’d limp.
    “Let’s go.” He chided himself for not speaking in a more gentle tone to a boy who’d just lost his father but considering who that father was justified his reason for limited patience.
    The boy stirred and rubbed his eyes. He jumped up, gazed at his father’s grave, and back to Wade. “You’re alive. I was afraid—”
    “You did good. We’re going to have to make it to the stage road and then on to the camp house. We’ll find help there, maybe even that crazy horse of mine. But I don’t know how far we’ll have to walk.”
    Mark ambled toward him.
    Wade frowned. The boy appeared frail and favored his weak leg with a noticeable limp. “Think you can walk that far?”
    The boy’s face reddened. “My leg is getting better.” He gave a shy grin and pointed at Wade. “Can you?”
    Some of the ice in Wade’s heart melted. “Good point. Between the two of us, we have one sound pair of legs.”
    After jerking his hat down on his head, Wade pointed northwest. “I’ve got the canteen. Look around and see if you can find another. Water can be scarce.”
    Mark scrounged in the wagon