Outlaw - Born & Bred

Chapter 3 - Fear is the Key

She closed her eyes, and drifted back to sleep.

Susan Grimshaw stormed into Dutch's tent.

"Dutch?" She thundered, "you really need to do something."

Dutch looked at Susan, "what's the matter?"

"That damn sheriff, not only did he beat the poor child up, but he stole off of her too".

Dutch stood up, "what did he steal?"

"Apparently," she said, "a necklace, a keepsake I think. We really need to have words."

"We most certainly do," he agreed. "I will deal with this personally, in the morning."

"Thank you Dutch." Susan Grimshaw, was satisfied, and returned to her tent.

The next time Casie woke, it was dark, except for a lantern, hanging from the ceiling. If you could call it a ceiling. You couldn't actually see the ceiling. But she knew it was there. After all, the lantern wasn't floating in thin air, so it was up there somewhere.

She looked where Tilly had been sitting. There was a different woman there now.

"Tilly?" she asked.

The woman spoke in a gentle voice.

"No, Miss Tilly has gone to bed, I'm Mary-Beth," she said, smiling.

"Do you need a drink?"

Casie nodded.

Marie-Beth tilted the young girls head, and put the cup up to her mouth, to drink.

Casie was confused. All these different people, who were they. She thought she was in the same place where she'd been a few nights ago. Or at least, before she'd had the run in with the sheriff. She wasn't sure how long she'd been laying here, and if that law-man was here, she had to get away.

She thought for a minute.

"Is there anything to eat?" She asked.

Mary-Beth smiled. "You must be feeling better, I'll go find you something."

As soon as she left, Casie tried to sit up.

The pain almost took her breath away, but she was determined. No Law-man was gonna take her to Strawberry, to be hanged.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, and slid to a standing position. A burning stab of pain shot through her chest, making her gasp. She slid her feet into her boots, and walked to the door, using the edge of the bed, as support. I've got to fight through this pain, she thought, once I get out of here, I'll find somewhere to lay down.

She staggered out the tent, trying to be quiet, and holding the side of her chest, with her hand. The effort was exhausting. She made it half way across the camp, then her knees buckled, and she fell to her knees.

She knelt there, trying to catch her breath. She just needed a few minutes, then she'd get up, and try again. Her lungs felt like they were on fire.

Arthur Morgan couldn't sleep. He got up, and looked out of his tent.

"What the hell?"

He saw Casie, dropped to the floor. On her knees, trying to catch her breath.

He ran over.

"I don't think you should be out of bed, kid," he muttered.

He gently picked her up, and carried her back to the tent.

At the same time, Mary-Beth came back with a bowl of stew,

"I thought you were supposed to be watching her?" He scolded.