Bridget didn't know how long they were riding, but she thought that Sully would never find her there.

Finally, the robbers stopped and began to build a fire. Amos released Bridget's hands and put her on the grass. They didn't pay much attention on her - she couldn't run away.

The robbers ate, then sat on the log, and puffed their cigars.

"What are you going to do now?" Amos asked, nodding to Bridget.

"Kill her." Sam answered "Or just leave here. The wolves and coyotes will do the job…"

"What if somebody finds her?" Amos objected.

"You're joking! You need to be a damned Injun to find anybody in these woods!"

("You don't know Sully!" Bridget thought vindictively.)

"What if we take a ransom for her?" Amos offered.

Sam just laughed:

"Just look at her. Nobody will pay for the cripple."

"We can try!" Amos insisted, "We can kill her anytime if it doesn't work."

While they argued, Bridget crawled away a little. There was the reason - she noticed something moving through the bush.

She barely uttered a scream of joy, when she saw Sully and Wolf hidden there…Sully put his finger on his lips, Bridget nodded, and lifted two fingers, showing him there are two robbers.

Amos and Sam stopped arguing, and Bridget urgently returned to her place.

"Where are you going?" they yelled at her.

"I..I need…" she muttered, "Please, would you carry me there, to this bush?"

Amos unwillingly got up, and walked to her, while Sam put out the fire.

"Turn away, please!" Bridget asked, when the robber carried her to the bush. "Turn away, I'm ashamed…"

Amos didn't realize any trick in her words, and obeyed. He wasn't even aware of what happened, as Sully jumped on him from the bush. Within a minute the robber laid on the ground motionless. Wolf stood near, showing his teeth and growling softly.

Sully leaned to Bridget:

"Are you OK?" he asked with concern, momentarily losing his vigilance.

He turned back as soon as he heard someone moving behind him - but it was too late.

Sam pushed him down with his fist, but he lost his balance and tumbled himself. They began to fight. Bridget watched their fighting, and it was clear to her that the robber would win this battle.

She saw that Sully was hurt, there was a wound on his forehead that was bleeding badly. The blood didn't allow him to see his rival clearly. Besides, Sam was bigger and stronger than Sully. Bridget crawled to them and grabbed Sam by his ankle. He quickly threw her off.

As she landed, she suddenly noticed that she was lying right next to Amos' horse, and there was a rifle sticking up from the saddlebag. She sat up and tried to reach it, but she couldn't…

Bridget watched the fight again. She felt a touch of icy horror as she saw that Sam took the knife from his boot and lifted it…

Bridget wasn't even aware of how she jumped up on her feet, snatched away the rifle from the saddlebag, cocked the gun and shouted:

"Don't move - or I'll shoot you dead!"

The robber turned away instinctively, and Sully took advantage of the situation. He grabbed the robber's hand and pushed him with all his strength. Sam lost his balance and slumped down. He hit his head on the stone as he fell and stayed on the ground unconscious.

Sully stood up catching his breath and then ran to Bridget. She was still standing, holding the rifle.

"Buddy!" Sully said quietly, "I can't believe…It's a miracle…You did it! You did it and saved my life!"

He hugged her tightly and caught her as she finally fell down - there was no more strength in her legs.

Now she understood what happened, and suddenly began to cry.

"I don't know how I did it!" she muttered, "I was scared.. I was afraid he'd kill you!"

Sully wiped the tears from her cheeks:

"Don't cry, Buddy. It happened - you'll walk again! Can you feel your legs?"

She tried to move them. It was not easy, but she could do it. Then she felt something else - a pain in her ankle, where was a large bruise. Bridget had some bruises before, when she fell from her chair, but she didn't feel the pain . Now she enjoyed it…

Sully smiled at her, his blue eyes shone with joy:

"Fine! I'm very proud of you!"

She leaned her head against his shoulder and thought she could stay like this forever… But Sully stood up and said:

"Buddy, wait for few minutes, I need to tie up these guys, while they can't fight…I'll ask Daniel to put them in jail…"

Bridget suddenly remembered that Sully was hurt, and looked at him with concern:

"Sully, you're bleeding…"

"It's nothing." he said, wiping the blood from his forehead, "Just a scratch…"

He tied up the robbers before they regained consciousness, and then put Bridget on the horse's back in front of him. "Let's go home! We have good news!"

A few hours later they stopped to get some water. Bridget bent down to the creek, and filled the canteen. When she returned, she saw Sully sitting on a log, his eyes closed, and his face unusually pale.

"Sully, are you OK?" Bridget worried.

"I'm fine." he answered, "It's time to go."

He tried to stand up, but reached up his hands to his head and winced in pain.

"You're not OK." Bridget said, looking with sympathy, "Perhaps, you need some more time to rest…"

"No!" he protested, "It's just a headache, nothing serious. I want to be home before night."

"Let me bandage your head." she asked, "You're still bleeding."

"Thank you." he agreed, and she pulled off a piece of her petticoat and bandaged his head, trying to do it as gently as she could.

Then they moved again., and reached the town in the gloaming.

There was a small crowd near the sheriff's office, the townsfolk were going to form a search party. Bridget noticed Dr. Mike and Grandma Katherine on the clinic porch.

Michaela was ready to join the search party when she saw Sully and Bridget.

"Praise the Lord, you're alive!" she and Mrs. Bray exclaimed at the same time, running toward them.

"Buddy!" Michaela asked, "How are you? They didn't hurt you?"

"No, they didn't!" Bridget answered, "Sully rescued me!"

"Did you catch them?" Daniel asked Sully.

"They are tethered to the tree in the woods near Cripple Creek. You can arrest them, I saw their faces on the board near your office."

"Good. Thank you." Daniel carefully took Bridget from the horse.

Michaela noticed Sully's bandaged head, and asked worriedly:

"Sully, are you hurt?"

"Nothing serious," Sully answered. "Just a scratch."

He was going to tell Michaela about Bridget, but suddenly felt a strong wave of dizziness as he dismounted. Unable to stand on his feet any more, he sat on the clinic porch.

"Sully!" Michaela asked with great concern, "What happened? Let me check on you!"

"I'm OK!" he weakly protested, trying to stand up.

"Don't try to stand up yourself!" Michaela said, "Matthew, please, help him. I need to check you at the clinic…Daniel, would you please carry Buddy to the recovery room upstairs?"

Bridget was worried about Sully, so she didn't even try to tell anybody about the great event that happened to her.

"You're not "OK", Sully." Michaela declared, "You need to stay in bed for about a day or two."

"But, Michaela…" he began.

"You nearly collapsed on the porch!" she said, "and you're still bleeding. I need to stitch the wound and then watch you for about two days."

"Why?"

"You may have a concussion, from when you hit your head. Your pupils are still normal, but I need to be absolutely sure. I remember what happened to Brian, and I don't want the same thing happening to you."

"You'd better look for Buddy." he offered, "It was a miracle that she jumped up on her feet…"

Michaela stopped:

"WHAT? What did you say?"

"She stood up on her feet and took the robber's rifle. She saved my life."

"Cloud Dancing was right!" she whispered, "She had another traumatic experience, and it healed her! Certainly, I'll visit her as soon as I can, after I examine you."

"There's no need…" he protested again, but the piercing pain in his head forced him to moan.

"I'll give you some laudanum for the pain." Michaela said, "How much time has passed since you hit your head?"

"Five or six hours…"

"Good…Now you need some rest, after I finish stitching your wound. Your head will bother you for about two more days, but then you'll be better."

"I still can't believe she did that!" Sully said.

"Me neither!" Michaela agreed, "Now I'm sure she will walk again!"