Chapter Four

They began walking through the desert. The spurs on his boots tinkled as they stomped on the hard, cracked Earth. She trailed behind him, falling him through the unknown Australia.

"We should..." She trailed, stopping in her tracks.

"What?" Eugene croaked, his throat drier than the desert they were in.

She pulled up the bottom of her dress, following him again. "I remember once my granddaddy told me about how when you're lost in the desert you should sleep during the day and walk at night." She explained.

"Your granddaddy tell you that?" Eugene asked, his arm resting on his rifle that was perched on his shoulder. Rapunzel stopped, taking off her hoop from under her dress as he continued to talk. "He also tell you we'll die in the desert without those horses?"

"Well, what good are horses if we die first?" She asked, following him again.

"Once in a while she actually makes a little sense." Eugene muttered to himself.

She walked up to his side, titling her head to look up at him. "What did you say, Jack?" She asked.

"Never mind."

They continued walking through the day and into the night. Sometime around midnight, she pulled him to a stop. She reached over and grabbed the bandolier from his shoulder. It was a belt that was heavy from holding the bullets for his rifle. She slipped it onto her shoulder and they kept on their journey.

They continued into the next day, never stopping once. They had to find water or those horses. Without hem, they were going to die in the desert. As the sun began to rise again, it was clear that they were both sun burnt like crazy.

His skin was a light pink, but hers was a deep red, almost purple. All she had to protect herself was a small sunhat. Her bare shoulders and upper chest had been exposed to the sun for too long.

As they walked down a small hill, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell to the ground. She was exhausted, dehydrated, and overheated. Eugene stopped, heading her body splat against the dirt.

Flys buzzed around his face as he turned around. Neither one of them was in very good shape. He walked over to her and slipped the bandolier from her arms and slung it over his shoulder.

He started to walk away again, leaving her alone.

But then he stopped.

He couldn't leave her here. She would die from the dingoes, ants, or dehydration. And honestly, none of them sounded good.

So he turned back around and slung her body over his open shoulder. He struggled to get to his feet again, but somehow managed to carry on. He was going to get them to safety if it killed him.

By night, he had passed out from exhaustion himself. Both of them laid in a heap, a trail showing they had tumbled down a steep hill. Dingoes howled in the distance.

xxx

Back on Gaston's homestead, the group of redcoats rode into the front yard. Gaston narrowed his eyes, seeing the body bag being carried on the back of a horse. His deed had been done. Eugene was dead.

"Good morning, Major." Gaston greeted.

"Gaston." He replied. He swung his leg around and hopped off of his horse. He walked up to Gaston, standing straight.

"What can I get for you? Some refreshment?" Gaston offered.

"That's very kind, sir. But I'd be obliged if you would identify for me two dead bodies." Major Ashley-Pitt said. The two men started walking towards the back of the army. Gaston decided to make some simple talk.

"Two men absconded." Gaston said, slowing his walking pace. "But I imagine this is a couple of newcomers who wandered off together recently." He continued. He looked at the major for some hints, but he said nothing. "A man and a woman?"

"Nah." Major said. "Two men."

This stopped Gaston in his tracks.

"One has been stabbed and one shot through the head." Major explained. Gaston couldn't process this through his head. Major was supposed to come back with Eugene and Rapunzel's dead bodies.

"Coogan and Miller." Dobkin answered, lifting the bags to see the men's faces. Those were the men Gaston had sent to get rid of Eugene. It would seem they had failed him.

"Well, it would appear that the man and the woman are still missing." Major said, looking at Gaston.

Gaston took a deep breath. "Yes, it would, wouldn't it?" He said. "Oh, don't worry, Major. I have no doubt I'll find them."

xxx

The sun was bright in the sky and Eugene and Rapunzel hadn't moved yet. While they were unconscious, a group of Aborigines found them. They huddled over their bodies, speaking their Aborigine language. Men began chanting as Eugene opened one of his eyes.

For some reason, Eugene couldn't find any energy to swat the Aborigine's hand away when he reached out and closed Eugene's eye.

They carried the two through the desert, neither one of them stirring. The sun was setting in the west, casting a light orange and purple sky.

When they opened their eyes, they couldn't tell where they were. They had a rhythmic clicking and the sound of someone playing some type of instrument. Eugene tilted his head, seeing Rapunzel just an arm's length away. "Hey, lady." He called out. She turned her head, blinking her green eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Think so." She said. Slowly, Eugene sat up, holding his aching side. Rapunzel sat up as well. "What are they gonna do to us?" She asked, spotting the Aborigines.

"I reckon they already done it." Eugene answered, rubbing his head. "They gave us water."

He let out a sigh, looking around. Just beside him, he spotted his rifle and his bandolier leaning against a rock. "But that don't make sense." He mumbled. They should have taken that away from him. "They let me keep it when every white man with a rifle's trying to kill 'em."

"Except for you." Rapunzel said looking around.

"They don't know that."

"Don't they?" She asked. She let out a sigh and shook her head. "Something tells me you and I were on the shady side of dead. This is a special place." She explained, looking at the painting on the walls. They wouldn't take two strangers they didn't know and bring them here. They must know something. "Bet they used magic on us."

Eugene looked over his shoulder. "That old man over there, looks like he's some kind of chief, of medicine man or something."

Rapunzel tapped Eugene's shoulder, getting his attention. She pointed to her forehead, her eyebrows furrowed. "What's this?" She asked, her fingers pointing to his then hers again. "There."

Eugene felt his forehead then looked at his fingers. "More than likely something that came out of the south end of a northbound kangaroo." He said.

"You mean kangaroo shit?" Rapunzel asked, looking at her hand. Eugene laughed, slightly that's exactly what he meant.

A group of woman and children came over to them and neatly sat around them. The oldest woman held out a rock, shaped like a small plate. On it were four white, crawling bugs. They looked similar to caterpillars, but without the fuzz.

Eugene sent them a smile. There was no way they could get him to eat one of those.

The woman took one and bit off half then returned it to the plate. She offered it back to them, which Eugene took. He smiled and nodded his head, but wasn't sure what to do.

"Very kind." Rapunzel spoke up. She tilted her lips to speak only to Eugene. "Do you think they're safe to eat?"

"You got a better idea?" He asked.

The children watched them, waiting to see what would happen. Not wanting them to think they were ungrateful for their offer, Eugene smiled and held out the plate to Rapunzel. Ladies first.

She looked down at the plate, cursing out Eugene in her head. She gently picked up one of the slimy creatures with a smile then popped it into her mouth. She sat still, her mouth unmoving, even though the bug crawled inside her mouth. She restrained herself from freaking out.

"Much obliged." Eugene nodded.

The children giggled, pretending to grab off a plate and bring a bug to their mouths. They wanted Eugene to eat some too.

Rapunzel elbowed his side. "Go on." She mumbled through her full mouth.

"I don't eat things that are still moving." He said.

Rapunzel moved the bug in her mouth so she could talk. "Gonna shoot it first?" She said, trying her best not to glare at him. She wasn't going to be the only one eating this bug.

She looked back at the group and smiled.

Realizing he had no choice, Eugene picked up the moving creature. He tossed it into his mouth and loudly hummed. The group laughed and giggled to each other. They couldn't believe they got them to eat those bugs.

~~~~~~~~~~