Free Luke's Gold by Charles G. West

swallows of coffee on the ground and went down to the river to rinse the cup.
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    It was sometime in the wee hours of the morning when Loco’s welcoming whinny awakened him. Alert at once, Cade rolled out of his blanket and picked up his rifle only to find it was just Luke coming back, and Loco’s welcome had been for Sleepy. He rose up on one elbow to watch his progress, and from the look of it, it was apparent that Luke was lucky just to have stayed on the horse. Sprawled forward in the saddle, he was holding on with both arms wrapped around the horse’s neck. The horse, with no direction from her master, walked up to the campfire and stopped.
    Cade got to his feet. “You all right?”
    â€œCade?” Luke asked, not sure where he was. “I’m drunk as a cross-eyed hog.”
    â€œDamned if you ain’t,” Cade agreed. “Here, I’ll help you down. Let go.”
    â€œI can’t, Cade. Ever’ time I let go of her neck, the damn horse starts spinnin’ around.”
    Cade shook his head. “Well, she’s standin’ still right now,” he said. “Let’s get you offa there quick before she starts spinnin’ again.” Then without giving Luke time to think about it, Cade reached up and dragged him from the saddle, catching him on his shoulder like a sack of corn.
    â€œOh, Lord,” Luke groaned. “Lemme down—my insides is comin’ out!”
    Not wanting to get Luke’s evening consumption of alcohol down his back, Cade immediately granted his request. Kneeling quickly, he rolled Luke off his shoulder onto the ground. Luke immediately struggled up on all fours only moments before the retching began. Once it started, it seemed there was no end to it. Cade could do little more than feel sorry for him as Luke heaved over and over again, crawling from one fresh spot to another, until there was nothing left to lose. Still his stomach convulsed until tears started streaming from his eyes. He was as sick as Cade had ever seen any man.
    When it was finally over, and the evil spirit was done with him, Luke flopped to the ground like a limp rag, totally spent. Cade let him lie where he dropped, covered him with his blanket, then unsaddled his horse. That done, he looked up at the sky where there was now a thin streak of light peeking over the horizon to the east. Might as well stay up, he thought. After taking another look at Luke, who was sleeping peacefully by then, he built up the fire before going down to the water’s edge to fill the coffeepot. He’s damn sure going to need some coffee when he wakes up—if he wakes up.
    It was a couple of hours past sunup when Cade came back from watering the horses and saw the body under Luke’s blanket stirring. He paused at Luke’s feet to watch the rebirth as Luke cautiously pulled the blanket from over his head and peeked timidly out at the daylight. “I reckon you’re the second man I ever heard of that was raised from the dead,” Cade commented. “What was that other fellow’s name? Lazarus or somethin’?”
    Cautiously aware of a head more fragile than a bird’s egg, Luke slowly rolled over and managed to sit up. “Damn,” he swore, “for a while there I thought I was gonna get sick last night.” Cade merely shook his head, amazed. “Is that coffee I smell?” Luke asked then. Cade poured him a cup and handed it to him. Luke, his hand shaking slightly, reached for it gratefully. “Boy, that’s what I needed,” he said, drinking the hot liquid in quick sips. Gradually, he began feeling as if he might live, and with the second cup he was ready to talk again. “Cade, boy, you shoulda gone with me. I ain’t never had such a good time in all my life—Belle and Lucille, and I don’t remember the other’n’s name—I mean, they was all fine. And whiskey! They had some of the smoothest