put a touch of scorn in his voice.
“Because of Gray Cloud, Mescalero stay in hills.” A look of cunning came into the dark eyes. “I will trade mare for rifles and talk to my brothers, the Mescalero.”
Luis had no doubt that he could draw and kill Gray Cloud and at least one of the braves. But if there were Mescalero in the hills and if Gray Cloud did have influence with them, there was a chance they would seek revenge on the train. He studied the situation carefully before he spoke.
“I thank you, my brother Gray Cloud, for holding off the Mescalero. Come to the place near my lodge and we will trade horses for food, blankets, tobacco. We have traded together many times. Your chief is a friend to the whites of the stone house. We will be friends and barter as before.” Luis purposely omitted mention of the rifles.
The expression of hatred appeared again on the Indian’s face.
“Soon we will kill all whites and take your pale-skinned women. I, Gray Cloud, will lead my braves against the stone house and take what you have.” He paused, but Luis knew he was not finished and waited for what he knew would come. “I will kill Sky Eyes and take his woman to be my slave.”
Without waiting for Luis to reply, the Indian wheeled his horse around and trotted back down the trail. His braves fell in behind him.
Luis waited a full five minutes before moving his horse out. Gray Cloud and his men didn’t worry him, but the information about the Mescalero did. He headed his horse into the hills, scouting the area with care until he found a spot where six ponies had been tied to a few clumps of brush. The leaves on the brush had been freshly cropped, Luis determined, which indicated that the Indians, riding unshod ponies, had definitely been trailing the wagons.
Mounting up, he took the most direct route to the train, to warn Red of the possibility of an attack. He considered it would be no more than harassment if only the six riders were involved, but there was a chance that they were part of a larger party.
* * *
The freight wagons circled once again for the night. Johanna and Jacy had kept up a steady flow of conversation all day, and the time had passed so quickly that they were surprised to notice that night had fallen.
The drivers squatted around and ate the meager meal the cook prepared over the tiny semblance of a campfire. They talked in hushed tones. Johanna and Jacy’s wagon had been drawn closer inside the circle, and gradually Johanna came to realize that something peculiar was happening. As time passed, she became more and more uneasy.
“Mr. Redford?” Her voice was low but managed to reach him.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Is something wrong?”
The old cowboy took off his hat and scratched his head. “You might say that, ma’am. Luis spotted Mescalero in the hills. Might be they’ll try to steal horses. If it comes to it, and I ain’t a-sayin’ it will, I want you women to stay down in the wagon, keepin’ your heads below the sideboards.”
“Are the men still following us, Mr. Redford?” Johanna felt a sudden spurt of worry for the three white men and their Arabian horse.
“They’ve pulled up a mite closer.” Red grinned. “They be all right. You go on to bed and don’t be worryin’ none.”
“It’s hard not to worry.”
Johanna glanced at her sister, dreading to see fear in her face. To her surprise, Jacy was calm.
“We’ll be all right, Johanna.”
“That’s right, little lady,” Red said gently. “We’ll all see to it that nothin’ happens to you.”
* * *
It was dawn when the sound of gunfire woke Johanna from a sound sleep. Her first instinct was to jump up and see what was going on, but remembering Red’s words, she hugged Jacy to her and lay flat on the floor of the wagon. Her heart beat rapidly with fear and she felt a flash of guilt for having brought her sister into danger. She prayed that God would protect them and the men who were
“Because of Gray Cloud, Mescalero stay in hills.” A look of cunning came into the dark eyes. “I will trade mare for rifles and talk to my brothers, the Mescalero.”
Luis had no doubt that he could draw and kill Gray Cloud and at least one of the braves. But if there were Mescalero in the hills and if Gray Cloud did have influence with them, there was a chance they would seek revenge on the train. He studied the situation carefully before he spoke.
“I thank you, my brother Gray Cloud, for holding off the Mescalero. Come to the place near my lodge and we will trade horses for food, blankets, tobacco. We have traded together many times. Your chief is a friend to the whites of the stone house. We will be friends and barter as before.” Luis purposely omitted mention of the rifles.
The expression of hatred appeared again on the Indian’s face.
“Soon we will kill all whites and take your pale-skinned women. I, Gray Cloud, will lead my braves against the stone house and take what you have.” He paused, but Luis knew he was not finished and waited for what he knew would come. “I will kill Sky Eyes and take his woman to be my slave.”
Without waiting for Luis to reply, the Indian wheeled his horse around and trotted back down the trail. His braves fell in behind him.
Luis waited a full five minutes before moving his horse out. Gray Cloud and his men didn’t worry him, but the information about the Mescalero did. He headed his horse into the hills, scouting the area with care until he found a spot where six ponies had been tied to a few clumps of brush. The leaves on the brush had been freshly cropped, Luis determined, which indicated that the Indians, riding unshod ponies, had definitely been trailing the wagons.
Mounting up, he took the most direct route to the train, to warn Red of the possibility of an attack. He considered it would be no more than harassment if only the six riders were involved, but there was a chance that they were part of a larger party.
* * *
The freight wagons circled once again for the night. Johanna and Jacy had kept up a steady flow of conversation all day, and the time had passed so quickly that they were surprised to notice that night had fallen.
The drivers squatted around and ate the meager meal the cook prepared over the tiny semblance of a campfire. They talked in hushed tones. Johanna and Jacy’s wagon had been drawn closer inside the circle, and gradually Johanna came to realize that something peculiar was happening. As time passed, she became more and more uneasy.
“Mr. Redford?” Her voice was low but managed to reach him.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Is something wrong?”
The old cowboy took off his hat and scratched his head. “You might say that, ma’am. Luis spotted Mescalero in the hills. Might be they’ll try to steal horses. If it comes to it, and I ain’t a-sayin’ it will, I want you women to stay down in the wagon, keepin’ your heads below the sideboards.”
“Are the men still following us, Mr. Redford?” Johanna felt a sudden spurt of worry for the three white men and their Arabian horse.
“They’ve pulled up a mite closer.” Red grinned. “They be all right. You go on to bed and don’t be worryin’ none.”
“It’s hard not to worry.”
Johanna glanced at her sister, dreading to see fear in her face. To her surprise, Jacy was calm.
“We’ll be all right, Johanna.”
“That’s right, little lady,” Red said gently. “We’ll all see to it that nothin’ happens to you.”
* * *
It was dawn when the sound of gunfire woke Johanna from a sound sleep. Her first instinct was to jump up and see what was going on, but remembering Red’s words, she hugged Jacy to her and lay flat on the floor of the wagon. Her heart beat rapidly with fear and she felt a flash of guilt for having brought her sister into danger. She prayed that God would protect them and the men who were
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