Chris scanned the camp below. Dickie and his men were celebrating their victory with booze, song and dance.

“Bit premature, wouldn’t you say?” Josiah muttered.

“Yeah.”

Nathan and Ezra returned from scouting the perimeter a few minutes later.

“As you suspected, Chris. He's split his force. There's another group on the other side of that ridge.”

“Once we attack this lot, they’ll ride in here. We’ll be badly outnumbered.”

“You got a problem with that preacher?” Larabee growled. His mood had deteriorated badly since Vin had lost consciousness.

“Nope. Saw some crows this morning. Reckon today may be the day,” Josiah chuckled happily.

“Well, I would prefer to survive today, so, any ideas?” Ezra asked.

“A good shot from that ridge could pin the other group down until we’ve dealt with this lot,” Chris murmured. His eyes pinched. He turned toward the ridge. He had a stirring deep down in his soul. “Vin.”

“I agree that it would have been the perfect job for Mr. Tanner. Alas, our sharpshooter isn‘t here. I would be happy to stand in.”

“No. You’d be a sitting duck up there, Ezra,” Buck muttered. Ezra was a good shot, but he didn’t hold a candle to Vin on long range shots. Vin and Vin alone would have been able to carrying out the assigned task and as Vin was absent, it was a plan that they couldn’t implement. They'd just have to worry about the second group later. “We're never gonna reach 'em from up here,’ Buck pointed out, taking out a stick of dynamite.

Ezra smiled and handed Buck a sling shot. “Well, perhaps this will help. The dear boy lent it to me.”

“And the other group?” J.D. asked, as Ezra lit a stick of dynamite.

“We’ll just need to clean this lot up first,” Buck chuckled, loading the stick in the sling shot. High on adrenaline and the thought of impossible odds, they exchanged grins.

“Throw down your weapons!” Larabee bellowed. O’Shea’s men paused and then drew guns.

Yeah, we're gonna send you into next year!” Buck yelled.

Dickie O’Shea, confident he had the gunfighters from Four Corners outnumbered called, “There's no quit in Dickie O'Shea.”

Wilmington smiled. “I was hopin' he'd say that.” He let the stick of dynamite fly. It landed in the middle of the camp. Ezra lit several more in quick succession and Buck sent each on its way. The smoke and confusion provided the distraction the boys needed.

“Hyah! Come on, boys, let's get after 'em!” Chris cried, urging his horse down the steep incline. The others followed, firing with accuracy.

Alerted by the explosions, the men on the other side of the ridge raced for their horses to back up their comrades.

Several well aimed shots sent them scurrying for cover. Chris’ head jerked in the direction of the shots. He‘d sensed it earlier. “Vin.”

“It’s Vin!” J.D. yelled. The youth fired at man who had the drop on Ezra.

“It would appear he was in the same mind as you, Chris,” Josiah called, wounding another.

Chris smiled with relief. “Looks that way.” Larabee turned his attention to O’Shea. The man in the top hat was running with his tail between his legs. “Where you runnin', Dickie?! I thought there were no quittin' in Dickie O'Shea.” Larabee fired a bullet that landed in front of O’Shea‘s left foot. The leader of the gang stopped, his eyes darting to his defeated men and then to the right where he was hoping reinforcements would appear any second. Another shot from above followed by a final wave of shots from the other side of the ridge and then the sound of hoofs confirmed they weren't coming. The cowards were running.

O’Shea swallowed. “All right. All right, Gunfighter. Here.” He produced a small bulging bag from his pocket. “You take the gold.“ He tossed it, at the same time, lifting his revolver. Chris leaned to the right and fired, hitting O’Shea high in the chest. The plump man was thrown backwards and died instantly.

Chris stared down at him and exhaled slowly. It was over. He lifted his eyes to the ridge. “Vin?“ He waited. “Vin?!” The silence was deafening. All of the other boys directed the attention to the ridge. "VIN?"

“Oh no,” Buck muttered, reining his horse around. He sent his grey racing up the side of the mountain, Chris and Nathan on his heals.

Josiah, Ezra and J.D. remained still, watching as Buck reached the ridge first. “Vin!”

**

Buck raced to his friend who was on his backside, slumped back against a boulder, his eyes shut. “Vin!”

“Hey, Buck.” It was casual.

“You hit?” Wilmington cried, searching Vin’s body.

Vin opened his heavy lidded eyes. “Nope. Just restin’.” Behind Buck, Nathan and Chris appeared.

“He’s okay,” Wilmington informed the pair with a wide grin. “He’s just ‘resting’.” Buck stepped back to allow Nathan and Chris access.

Jackson crouched down beside his patient. “What the hell did you think you were doing riding out here?”

Tanner rolled his head toward Chris and smirked. “I was tryin’ to be dependable.”

Chris Larabee smiled and bent down offering his hand. Vin's slid along it in a full forearm grip of brotherhood. “That right?”

“Yeah, Cowboy.”

Nathan frowned and exchanged a curious look with Buck. Wilmington shrugged. He had no idea what they were talking about.

“Is he all right?” Ezra called from below.

“Yeah, he’s fine,” Buck replied, turning and leaving. Chris and Nathan had things in hand here.

“Can you stand?” Chris asked Vin.

Tanner thought about it. “Reckon I could use a hand.”

“Hang on,” Nathan warned. “Don’t hold his shoulder.” Between them, Chris and Nathan eased Vin to his feet.

Tanner gasped and his ashen features tightened with discomfort. “Yep, that hurt.”

“You’ll have to ride with me,” Chris murmured. There was no way Tanner would stay in the saddle.

“Like hell I will.”

“You want me to give you an order.”

“Ha!”

Ten minutes later, Vin got his own way and was assisted onto Peso for the painful journey back to the wagon train.

**********

THE SETTLERS RETURN TO CLAIM THEIR LAND

JOSIAH ESCAPES FROM MATRAMONY.

**********

Charlotte watched from afar as Nathan and Mary fussed about Vin who was seated on the ground leaning back against the wheel of a wagon. The young woman bit down on her bottom lip and summing up some Dutch courage, walked across to the trio.

Nathan looked up as the woman stopped a few feet away. “Well, I guess I should go and pack the rest of my things. We’ll be leaving in the next hour.”

Mary nodded, also noting Charlotte. “Yes. I have a few things left to do to. Will you be all right, Vin?”

Tanner nodded, his eyes on Charlotte. Nathan patted Vin’s good shoulder and then led Mary away.

“Vin I... I...”

Tanner smiled. “How’s Richmond?”

“He’s okay. I... um...”

“It’s a nice spot. You two should be happy here.”

Charlotte smiled. “Yes. Vin... thank you.”

Tanner winked. "Glad to be of service, Ma 'am."

“I... I better be going.”

Vin watched her go, sighed, rested his head back against the wheel and shut his eyes.

**********

NATHAN AND EZRA DISCUSS THE LAND

GERARD AND MARY SAY GOODBYE.

**********

“Look after her, Mr. Larabee,” Gerard stating, approaching Larabee and Sanchez. Chris followed the line of Gerard’s gaze to Mary who was saddling her horse.

“Mary is more than capable of looking after herself.”

“Yeah, but... you know what I mean.”

Chris smiled and offered his hand. “Yeah, I know what you mean. We’ll be staying in town for a little while to keep an eye on things. Best of luck here. If you ever need us, you know how to find us.”

“Yeah.”

Ezra’s and Buck’s raised voices wafted across the camp. The pair were trying to convince an uncooperative Vin to ride in a small uncovered wagon they had borrowed, stacked with bales of hay and covered with blankets to make it a comfortable ride.

“You can barely stand up.”

“Won’t be standin’. I’ll be ridin’.”

“You’ll fall out of the saddle before we get a mile.”

“You want to make a wager on that, Ez.?”

Chris shook his head. “Excuse me,” he muttered, striding across to the quarrelling trio.

“I guess now we see who’s really in charge,” Gerard chuckled.

“Oh, I can tell you that, Brother. It’s Nathan.”

Gerard watched as Chris and Vin argued for a few moments before Nathan approached the group. Jackson’s voice was too low to hear, but within seconds, Vin dropped his chin in obvious defeat and then strode across to the wagon where his friends assisted him to climb into it.

“Who would have believed it?” Gerard laughed, shaking Josiah’s hand.

**********

Chris mounted his horse and rode up beside the uncovered wagon. “Okay?“ he asked Vin.

Tanner simply snorted. Larabee smiled.

**********

“You know, Buck, I still can't find that letter.” J.D. complained.

Buck grinned, producing the document and reading, "My darling lover...thought I'd post it for you, JD”

“Give that to me,” J.D. cried, attempting to snatch it back.

“I love the taste of your rosy red lips... and sway of your hips,” Buck continued.

**********

Nathan pulled a blanket up over Vin and then climbed from the back of the wagon. “He’s sleepin’ thanks to that laudanum you told me to lace his breakfast with, Chris.”

*************

“Vin, you’re riding in the wagon,“ Chris growled.

“You like it so much, you ride in the damn thing.“

Nathan joined the arguing group. “Sorry, Vin. That gruel you had this morning was laced with laudanum. That’s why you’re feeling sleepy. You won’t last 20 minutes in the saddle.“

Vin glared from Nathan to Chris and back again. With a long sigh he dropped his chin. “Damn you both.“

Chris winked at Nathan. “More than likely.”

Vin knew he had little choice. The effects of the powerful drug were already upon him and he sensed Nathan was right. It was only a matter of time before he lost the battle to remain awake. Tanner shook his head. However, he wasn’t really annoyed. Being outsmarted by those who care wasn’t such a bad feeling. In the last few months, Vin had learned how to trust .

“You two ain’t heard the last of this.”

“Didn’t for a moment think we had,” Chris chuckled as he and Nathan settled the annoyed tracker in the back of the wagon.

***********

The Present

Chris lowered his gaze to Vin who was sleeping peacefully. Rest easy, Cowboy. “All right, boys. Move out.”

The seven men from Four Corners set off for home... happy and content.

**********

SCREEN FADES

I hope you like my version of the episode "Wagon Train".