Double The Bounty

Chapter XXVII

When Brent Foxx’s head moved, Brian rushed over to the doctor and shook him awake.

“What?”

“He’s moving!”

“That’s because he’s alive,” the doctor said testily. He stood up, stretched, and then walked over to the man lying on the table. He put his hand on his head, then checked his eyes and held his wrist.

“No fever. I got the bullet out clean.”

“Is he awake?”

“Not really. He’ll probably sleep the rest of the night, and that’s what you should do, too, especially if you plan to leave in the morning.”

“That’ll depend on my brother, Doc.”

“I suppose so.”

“Do you have any rope?”

“Rope? Why would you want—oh,” Petrie said, realizing what the rope was for. “Look, there’s really no need for that.”

“I am not in any shape to be argued with, Doc. Either I tie you up or I knock you out. The choice is yours.”

Petrie nodded and said, “I’ll get the rope.”

After he had tied and gagged the doctor and left him in a corner of the examining room, Brian went over and looked down at his brother as he lay on the table.

To Brian’s eye his brother looked pale and some-how smaller and younger. This was the first time either one of them had ever been shot, and Brian didn’t mind admitting that he had been very frightened—but damn it, it was Brent’s own fault, so why did he feel such guilt over it?

He put his hand on his brother’s forehead and was gratified to find that it still felt cool. The doctor had done a good job, and he thought that he’d leave the man some money when they left.

If Brent didn’t kill him.

He’d had no intention of falling asleep, and as he came awake with a start he looked around the room in a semipanic before he realized where he was.

He stood up and rubbed his face, then checked on the doctor, who was still asleep.

“It’s about time you woke up,” Brent said from the table.

“You’re awake.”

“A lot longer than you. How about coming over here and helping me sit up?”

Brian went over and gently eased his brother into a sitting position.

“How do you feel?”

“Fine. Just get me on my horse and we’ll be on our way.”

“I don’t know, Brent. Maybe we should stay here a day or two.”

“Brian, we really don’t know if there’s a posse on our tail or not. If you want me to stay here I will, but you go on ahead.”

“Oh, no. We either stay together or we go together.”

“In that case, we’d better get going. Let’s settle up with the doctor and move.”

Brian frowned.

“I mean pay him something,” Brent said. “He did a good job.”

“All right,” Brian said. He was relieved that he wasn’t going to have to argue his brother out of killing the doctor. “Let me wake him up and untie him.”

“He’s asleep. The man’s got a lot of guts.”

“I know.”

Brian went over to where the doctor was seated on the floor and shook him awake. After he untied him, the doctor stood up and moaned.

“Stiff,” he said, stretching.

“Sorry about that, Doc,” Brent called out, “but my brother’s the cautious type.”

“I can see that. How are you feeling this morning?”

“Fine. You did a great job. Pay the man, Brian, and see if you can’t buy me one of his shirts so we can get going.”

“I’ll get you a shirt, no charge,” Petrie said, “but you really shouldn’t be moving.”

“Just give us some extra bandages, Doc, and we’ll get out of your life,” Brent said.

Petrie gathered some bandages and put them into a sack, then went into the other room.

“Brian,” Brent said a moment later, buttoning the shirt the doctor had gotten for him, “why don’t you get the horses while I settle up with the doctor.”

Brian frowned at his brother.

“I’m fine, Brian. The doc’s not gonna try anything, are you, Doc?”

“Not after I saved your life.”

“See?”

“All right. I put the horses around back last night after I tied up the doctor. I’ll wait for you out there.”

“You’d better tie him up again before you go. Somebody’ll find him soon.”

Brian retied and gagged the doctor, who didn’t bother resisting.

“I’ll be right along,” Brent said, still working on the shirt buttons. “I want to ask the doctor a couple of things.”

Brian nodded and went out the back way to get the horses ready.

Brent finished buttoning the shirt and tucked it in, wincing as he did so.

“You taped me up pretty good and tight, Doc. I appreciate that.”

The doctor nodded.

“Remember what I told you about my brother being real cautious, Doc?” Brent asked, going over to the doctor’s bag. “Well, sometimes he just ain’t cautious enough.” He took out a bottle of alcohol, looked at it, and put it back. “Sometimes,” he said, finding what he wanted, “I got to be cautious enough for the both of us.”

He turned away from the doctor’s bag and Petrie saw the sharp instrument in his hand.

“Sorry about this, Doc,” Brent said, leaning over the doctor, “but I got too much at stake, you know?”

The doctor’s eyes widened as he realized what Brent was going to do, and he tried yelling to no avail. The gag was good and tight and muffled his voice, totally.

Brent grabbed the doctor by the hair and pulled his head back so that his neck was exposed. He took the knife and cut the doctor’s throat in one swift, clean motion, then pulled his hand right away real quick and jumped back to avoid getting blood on the nice clean shirt he’d borrowed from the doctor.

Well, actually the doctor had sort of willed him the shirt.

“How much did you leave him?”

“A hundred dollars,” Brent lied. “I figured that would keep him from talking.”

“Good idea. Come on, I’ll help you get on your horse.”

Once Brent was in the saddle, Brian mounted up.

“Okay?”

“I’m fine,” Brent assured him. “Hey, Brian.”

“What?”

“I wanna thank you for bringing me to the doctor, even though I was stubborn about it.”

“That’s okay, Brent. That’s what I’m here for. To take care of you.”

“Yeah,” Brent said. “You usually know best.”