the baroness. Chance was bone-deep certain that she wouldn’t do something so foolish as to get herself lost in the middle of the wilderness. And if she hadn’t gotten lost . . . His mouth had thinned.
There were several reasons why the women could have disappeared so inexplicably, and he didn’t like any of them. And if his suspicions were correct, Sam and Jonathan werewasting their time looking for them in this area. By now, they would be, if still alive, miles from this spot.
After a hasty consultation among themselves, it was decided that Morely would stay with the Walker party and the horses and that Chance and Hugh would begin their own search. They would do so afoot, a common enough way of traveling through the vast untracked wilderness of the Colonies, carrying with them the supplies that they would need. A bow was slung across Chance’s broad chest, and some arrows were in the quiver on his back; he’d be able to hunt silently and not betray their presence to others. Chance wasn’t sorry to leave the horses behind; in the virgin wilderness through which they would travel, there were many places a man on foot could go that a horse couldn’t.
Sam and Jonathan arrived back at camp just as Chance and Hugh were on the point of departing. Even under the circumstances, Jonathan was not happy to see Chance. Sam was delighted. And after listening to Chance’s theory that there were only two explanations for the disappearance of the baroness and her sister, Indians or outlaws, Sam sadly concurred. Sam also agreed with Chance’s plan: Chance and Hugh would undertake to pick up a trail and find the two women while the others continued on their journey to Walker Ridge.
Jonathan had been furious that he had been excluded from the search party. Bitterly conscious of the prearranged meeting between Simmons and the Thackers in this area, he had already surmised what had happened to the women, but his lips were sealed. Knowing the men involved, he was certain the women were dead—or worse. While he intended to take his vengeance, he had already decided if this whole farce was not to be a total failure he had to wait until he had received the profits from the trading venture to move against the Thackers. The loss of the women was a terrible blow to his ego, and his private rage against the Thackers was very great—perhaps even greater because he could not give vent to it.
Staring across at Chance, his emotions carefully hidden,Jonathan had simply demanded that he be allowed to come with the other two.
Coolly, Chance had looked him up and down and said flatly, “You have spent too many months in London to be much help. You were never one for the wilderness anyway. I doubt you would last a day at the pace we will set. The last thing we need is a London dandy to worry over.”
Jonathan’s fists had clenched and he had taken a menacing step toward Chance. “By God!” he had exploded. “I ought to teach you some manners toward your betters.”
Chance had smiled, a cold glitter in his blue eyes. “Any time,” he had said softly. “Any time you think you are my
better
. . . .”
Jonathan had frozen, and with his mother crying and clinging to his arm, begging him not to risk his life in a brawl with Chance, he had spun on his heel and left the field to Chance. Once again Chance and Hugh prepared to leave.
Despite the scene with Jonathan, Sam had shaken Chance’s hand and said, “I pray God that you are successful.”
Chance had smiled. “I usually am, sir. If the women can be found, Hugh and I shall do so. Rest easy on that fact. Worry instead as to the state we will find them in.”
Sam had nodded grimly, and then, with Hugh at his heel, Chance had melted into the forests. Picking up the trail was not easy. Sam and Jonathan had trampled over many of the signs of the passage by the two women and their abductors. It took the two men several hours of searching in everwidening circles before they discovered what
There were several reasons why the women could have disappeared so inexplicably, and he didn’t like any of them. And if his suspicions were correct, Sam and Jonathan werewasting their time looking for them in this area. By now, they would be, if still alive, miles from this spot.
After a hasty consultation among themselves, it was decided that Morely would stay with the Walker party and the horses and that Chance and Hugh would begin their own search. They would do so afoot, a common enough way of traveling through the vast untracked wilderness of the Colonies, carrying with them the supplies that they would need. A bow was slung across Chance’s broad chest, and some arrows were in the quiver on his back; he’d be able to hunt silently and not betray their presence to others. Chance wasn’t sorry to leave the horses behind; in the virgin wilderness through which they would travel, there were many places a man on foot could go that a horse couldn’t.
Sam and Jonathan arrived back at camp just as Chance and Hugh were on the point of departing. Even under the circumstances, Jonathan was not happy to see Chance. Sam was delighted. And after listening to Chance’s theory that there were only two explanations for the disappearance of the baroness and her sister, Indians or outlaws, Sam sadly concurred. Sam also agreed with Chance’s plan: Chance and Hugh would undertake to pick up a trail and find the two women while the others continued on their journey to Walker Ridge.
Jonathan had been furious that he had been excluded from the search party. Bitterly conscious of the prearranged meeting between Simmons and the Thackers in this area, he had already surmised what had happened to the women, but his lips were sealed. Knowing the men involved, he was certain the women were dead—or worse. While he intended to take his vengeance, he had already decided if this whole farce was not to be a total failure he had to wait until he had received the profits from the trading venture to move against the Thackers. The loss of the women was a terrible blow to his ego, and his private rage against the Thackers was very great—perhaps even greater because he could not give vent to it.
Staring across at Chance, his emotions carefully hidden,Jonathan had simply demanded that he be allowed to come with the other two.
Coolly, Chance had looked him up and down and said flatly, “You have spent too many months in London to be much help. You were never one for the wilderness anyway. I doubt you would last a day at the pace we will set. The last thing we need is a London dandy to worry over.”
Jonathan’s fists had clenched and he had taken a menacing step toward Chance. “By God!” he had exploded. “I ought to teach you some manners toward your betters.”
Chance had smiled, a cold glitter in his blue eyes. “Any time,” he had said softly. “Any time you think you are my
better
. . . .”
Jonathan had frozen, and with his mother crying and clinging to his arm, begging him not to risk his life in a brawl with Chance, he had spun on his heel and left the field to Chance. Once again Chance and Hugh prepared to leave.
Despite the scene with Jonathan, Sam had shaken Chance’s hand and said, “I pray God that you are successful.”
Chance had smiled. “I usually am, sir. If the women can be found, Hugh and I shall do so. Rest easy on that fact. Worry instead as to the state we will find them in.”
Sam had nodded grimly, and then, with Hugh at his heel, Chance had melted into the forests. Picking up the trail was not easy. Sam and Jonathan had trampled over many of the signs of the passage by the two women and their abductors. It took the two men several hours of searching in everwidening circles before they discovered what
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