Outlaw Vices (third in The Crane Gang Series)manxman

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

The next day was tense and Ezekiel hated it. He'd honestly hoped that having a trip alone with Craig might open the other man up and let them begin a friendship—which could possibly lead to more.

But now?

Now Craig was pissed at him and Ezekiel was pissed at the Craig as well. Craig had known that Ezekiel wouldn't want him drinking whiskey; that's why he'd been sneaking it at night.

Ezekiel had never been much of a drinker but he understood that unexplainable urge to self-destruct. He had once been very much that man himself. But Craig seemed determined to keep up a wall and not heal from whatever was holding him down. He wouldn't listen to Ezekiel or Edison. He was a stubborn, infuriating man.

They'd spent most of the day apart, working in separate areas to find the scattered herd and bring them all to the land surrounding the field shack.

Daylight was already fading and Ezekiel knew they'd be spending another night alone in the shack. He was no longer quite so excited.

He glanced to the east and saw Craig riding in, leading a small group of cattle including a few calves. They had managed to find most of the herd. There were still a few head unaccounted for but Ezekiel figured they might have fallen victim to predators or one of the mud pits that tended to form when they had a rainy season like the one they'd had this year.

"I think we've got all we're gonna get," Craig stated as he rode in closer. "But we've taken the whole day and don't have time to drive them home before dark."

"And we can't work in the dark."

Both men knew what that meant and it was clear to Ezekiel that neither of them were happy about it. Craig sighed. "We'll just have to leave them here and hope another storm doesn't come through in the night and scatter them."

As the two men started on their way toward the shack, they heard a ruckus kick up from the cows behind them. Ezekiel couldn't see from here what was causing it, so he dug his heels in and sent his horse racing toward with Craig right beside him.

As they neared the situation, it became clear to Ezekiel that it was bad news. "Damn," he muttered, pulling up on the reins.

"Oh hell," Craig agreed, coming to a stop as well. They were at the edge of a large mud pit and a young cow had somehow managed to land itself toward the middle. The mud was deep—nearly swallowing the cow completely and it was stuck fast.

"I think it's still sinking," Craig noted.

Ezekiel nodded. "Those mud pits can be deeper than a man is tall....." His gut twisted but he knew what had to be done. "Shoot it, Craig. Put it out of its misery."

The young cow let out a panicked cry and began thrashing harder, which only made it sink deeper.

"Hell no I'm not gonna shoot it!" Craig argued. "We have to save the thing."

Ezekiel shook his head. "You can't save it. I've seen this before. You can't go in after it because there's a good chance you'd die too. You'd never get out under your own power."

"I won't kill it," Craig insisted as he jumped off his horse.

Before Ezekiel could reason with him further, Craig slipped off his gun belt and leapt into the mud pit. Somehow, Craig managed to make it to the young cow, but it was clear, once he arrived at the thrashing beast, that he wasn't going to be able to make it any further.

He held on tight to the cow and Ezekiel watched in horror as that critter pulled Craig lower faster.

If Ezekiel didn't do something, Craig was going to die.

He jumped from his horse and grabbed the rope from the saddle. Thank God his Appaloosa was smart and well trained. There were no trees or rocks to tie the rope off to but there was a saddle horn.

Moving quickly, Ezekiel secured the rope to the saddle horn before tying it off to his waist. He could hear Craig trying to calm the cow but knew it was no use. If Ezekiel didn't get out there to them—and his horse didn't help pull them back out—all three of them would die today.

Craig's eyes met his across the mud and Ezekiel saw the raw fear. It was clear Craig thought he was about to die.

Not if Ezekiel could help it.

Drawing a deep breath to steady himself, Ezekiel leapt into the mud. Sheer brute strength and desperation propelled him through the slippery substance attempting to cling to him, drag him down and trap him beneath it.

When he reached Craig, Ezekiel had sunk to his thighs. Craig was chest deep.

"What are you doing?" Craig demanded. "You could get stuck in here too!"

"You risked your life for a cow," Ezekiel reminded him. "You shouldn't be surprised that I'd risk mine for you."

Wrapping one strong arm around Craig's upper chest, Ezekiel closed his other hand around the rope. "Leave the cow, Craig. I don't know if the horse can pull all three of us out."

"I can't leave her," Craig countered, hardening his jaw. "I already told her everything was going to be okay."

Grumbling under his breath, Ezekiel nodded. He gave a tug on the rope and let out a sharp whistle. Instantly the big Appaloosa began to move back.

Ezekiel's muscles bulged, strained and screamed in protest as he used every ounce of his strength to assist the horse and pull them inch by painstaking inch toward firm ground.

Craig's gripped the rope with his free hand and did all he could to help as well while his other arm was wrapped firmly around the struggling cow's neck. Ezekiel realized that even the cow seemed to sense they were rescuing it and was trying to aid in the attempt.

When his hand hit firm ground, Ezekiel grabbed hold and hauled himself, Craig and the cow out of the mud pit.

The exhausted men flopped, panting and mud-covered on onto their backs. The cow, her legs wobbling, let out one more loud moo before hobbling off toward the herd.

Silence reigned between Ezekiel and Craig for a long while as they lay beneath the evening sky. Finally, Craig cleared his throat. "I should have thought to use a rope."