Chapter 26

• The sheriff and two other men turned Riggs onto his back, tearing open his shirt to reveal the dark, relentless trickle of blood. Victoria, undeterred by the grim scene, leaned over with a basin of water in a vain attempt to stem the crimson flow. Jack brushed them aside, gathering the limp head of his companion into his arms.
• “Sam!” he moaned, desperation laced with unwavering loyalty. “Sam, open your eyes, partner! I’ve got him for you_ alive! Look at him! Wake up!”
• In response to the Grimwood plea, Sam Riggs’s eyes fluttered open, wide and haunted, as if trying to dispel a long-enshrouded fog. His voice, cracked by pain yet edged with finality, whispered, “Jack_ Trillin’ Jack, I see you from miles away. Partner, I’m done for.” His admission, stark and sudden, sent a shudder through Jack’s very soul.