didn’t you.’’ It was more statement than question. ‘‘That’s what you have nightmares about. Not about your ma dyin’, but about what they did to her.’’ Amy seemed to ponder that a moment. ‘‘I wonder why they do such mean things? How would they like it if we did the same back?’’
Loretta closed her eyes, appalled by the thought. White men would never retaliate in kind against the Indians. And therein lay the difference between human beings and animals. A picture of Hunter’s dark visage flashed in her mind, his blue eyes glittering. For a moment such an overwhelming fear swamped her that she couldn’t breathe. Oh, God, what did he want with her?
The sun was setting that same evening when Henry stomped in from the fields and announced that Loretta could take care of the horse and mules for him that night. Loretta clanked the lid back on the pot of beans and whirled from the hearth. She wasn’t afraid of work, but it was liable to get dark if she started the chores so late. This morning she had written a message on Amy’s slate about Hunter’s nocturnal visit. Had Henry forgotten?
‘‘You can’t send her out alone,’’ Rachel cried. ‘‘Those Indians might be nearby.’’
Loretta made fists in the gathers of her skirt and pulled the material taut against the backs of her legs.
‘‘If there was Injuns out there,’’ Henry hissed, ‘‘they’d have showed themselves by now. Tom’s got you girls all upset over nothin’. Loretta had a nightmare last night, that’s all. I checked the yard below her window for hoof marks, and there ain’t a sign of nothin’ out there. I’m flat tuckered. You got no idea what it’s like workin’ them dad-burned fields in this heat.’’
Rachel glanced out the window uneasily. ‘‘Couldn’t we leave the animals in the pasture for tonight?’’
‘‘And have ’em git stole?’’ Henry snorted with disgust. ‘‘That’d be dandy, right when Ida’s finally gonna foal. And what would I do without them mules? You think I’m gonna pull that plow by myself? It ain’t gonna hurt that girl to pack a little water and pitch some straw. That mare could drop anytime, and I want her in a clean stall when it happens.’’
‘‘I’ll go along and help.’’ Amy, who was laboring over her nightly spelling lesson, glanced up from her slate with an eager smile. ‘‘I’m almost as good as Loretta with the pitchfork. And if we see anything, I can holler and she can’t.’’
‘‘Some help hollering would be,’’ Rachel said. ‘‘Those Indians’d be after you girls like bears after honey.’’
‘‘I just said there ain’t no Injuns out there,’’ Henry growled. ‘‘Don’t you listen, woman? Lord A’mighty, I been out there all day! If there had been a Comanche within a mile, I’d be a dead man. I got Loretta’s welfare at heart, too, you know. I wouldn’t send her if I thought she’d come to ill.’’
Not wanting to be the cause of a fuss, Loretta headed for the door. Her aunt Rachel would get the worst of it if tempers flared. There was nothing to be scared of. The barn wasn’t that far from the house. Besides, if Hunter wanted to kill her, he had already had opportunity last night while she lay sleeping. No, he had other plans for her. Probably something far worse than dying, but she wouldn’t think about that right now.
‘‘Loretta, you wait,’’ Rachel called. ‘‘I’ll get the rifle and come along.’’
‘‘Oh, tarnation!’’ Henry exclaimed. ‘‘Damned fool woman, you’ll work me into my grave yet.’’ Reaching to the door peg for his hat, he dusted it on his trouser leg and clamped it on his head, falling in behind Loretta as she stepped over the threshold. ‘‘I’d like to have my dinner sometime before midnight, if it’s all the same to you. I’ll go with her. At least it won’t take so long with her helping.’’
‘‘Oh, thank you, Henry.’’
Henry grunted and turned to shut the
Loretta closed her eyes, appalled by the thought. White men would never retaliate in kind against the Indians. And therein lay the difference between human beings and animals. A picture of Hunter’s dark visage flashed in her mind, his blue eyes glittering. For a moment such an overwhelming fear swamped her that she couldn’t breathe. Oh, God, what did he want with her?
The sun was setting that same evening when Henry stomped in from the fields and announced that Loretta could take care of the horse and mules for him that night. Loretta clanked the lid back on the pot of beans and whirled from the hearth. She wasn’t afraid of work, but it was liable to get dark if she started the chores so late. This morning she had written a message on Amy’s slate about Hunter’s nocturnal visit. Had Henry forgotten?
‘‘You can’t send her out alone,’’ Rachel cried. ‘‘Those Indians might be nearby.’’
Loretta made fists in the gathers of her skirt and pulled the material taut against the backs of her legs.
‘‘If there was Injuns out there,’’ Henry hissed, ‘‘they’d have showed themselves by now. Tom’s got you girls all upset over nothin’. Loretta had a nightmare last night, that’s all. I checked the yard below her window for hoof marks, and there ain’t a sign of nothin’ out there. I’m flat tuckered. You got no idea what it’s like workin’ them dad-burned fields in this heat.’’
Rachel glanced out the window uneasily. ‘‘Couldn’t we leave the animals in the pasture for tonight?’’
‘‘And have ’em git stole?’’ Henry snorted with disgust. ‘‘That’d be dandy, right when Ida’s finally gonna foal. And what would I do without them mules? You think I’m gonna pull that plow by myself? It ain’t gonna hurt that girl to pack a little water and pitch some straw. That mare could drop anytime, and I want her in a clean stall when it happens.’’
‘‘I’ll go along and help.’’ Amy, who was laboring over her nightly spelling lesson, glanced up from her slate with an eager smile. ‘‘I’m almost as good as Loretta with the pitchfork. And if we see anything, I can holler and she can’t.’’
‘‘Some help hollering would be,’’ Rachel said. ‘‘Those Indians’d be after you girls like bears after honey.’’
‘‘I just said there ain’t no Injuns out there,’’ Henry growled. ‘‘Don’t you listen, woman? Lord A’mighty, I been out there all day! If there had been a Comanche within a mile, I’d be a dead man. I got Loretta’s welfare at heart, too, you know. I wouldn’t send her if I thought she’d come to ill.’’
Not wanting to be the cause of a fuss, Loretta headed for the door. Her aunt Rachel would get the worst of it if tempers flared. There was nothing to be scared of. The barn wasn’t that far from the house. Besides, if Hunter wanted to kill her, he had already had opportunity last night while she lay sleeping. No, he had other plans for her. Probably something far worse than dying, but she wouldn’t think about that right now.
‘‘Loretta, you wait,’’ Rachel called. ‘‘I’ll get the rifle and come along.’’
‘‘Oh, tarnation!’’ Henry exclaimed. ‘‘Damned fool woman, you’ll work me into my grave yet.’’ Reaching to the door peg for his hat, he dusted it on his trouser leg and clamped it on his head, falling in behind Loretta as she stepped over the threshold. ‘‘I’d like to have my dinner sometime before midnight, if it’s all the same to you. I’ll go with her. At least it won’t take so long with her helping.’’
‘‘Oh, thank you, Henry.’’
Henry grunted and turned to shut the
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