started to follow Cloud up a somewhat steep and rocky path.
“That’s true. They’ve already tested me and found me inedible. Spit me right out.” He cast a grinning look at James, who could not fully restrain a laugh.
Emily gave Cloud a look that clearly revealed her annoyance, then concentrated on leading her reluctant mount along. They seemed to be going to a great deal of difficulty simply to find a place to rest. Emily decided it might be best not to ask why, ifonly because she was sure she would not be calmed by the answer.
Once at the cave, Cloud and James thoroughly inspected it for animals, then ceremoniously proclaimed it bear-free and safe. She ignored their jests as she entered the cave. After so many weeks of travail, a bear was the least of her worries.
Chapter Seven
“ A bout that mire you mentioned, Cloud?”
Looking up from the coffee he was brewing, and which he was trying yet again to show Emily how to make, Cloud frowned. “Indians?”
“Well"—James glanced at Emily—"yeh.”
Frowning even more, Cloud absently told Emily, “Try to make it strong.”
He strode to James’s side at the opening to the cave. Things had remained peaceful for several hours, long enough for all of them to get a little sleep. Cloud supposed he should be thankful for that bit of luck. Nevertheless, what he saw below them made him curse their seemingly dismal luck, a luck that seemed to worsen each step of the way.
“Renegades,” he hissed. “Looks it. A nasty mix of outlaws and outcasts.”
“Murdering bastards with no morals and less mercy. They know we’re up here.”
“I think I would’ve preferred a horde of Indians, bows taut and warpaint on.”
“Yeh.” Cloud cursed softly. “At least then we’d have known what we were dealing with.”
“Think we can hold them off from up here?”
“We’ve got a strong defensive point, but they’ve got more men.”
Knowing Cloud was merely thinking aloud, James continued in the same tone. “Each of them has to come straight into our line of fire.”
“Night will be the worst time.”
“So we try to drive them off before the sun goes down.”
“We’ve been together too long, James. Save two bullets no matter what,” he said softly.
Looking back at Emily and Thornton for a moment, James sighed and then looked at Cloud. “For them.”
It was impossible to say the words so Cloud simply nodded, then said through clenched teeth, “I’ll do the same.”
A little surprised to perceive strong emotion in a man who had never displayed it before, James spoke softly and somewhat gently. “It’ll hurt them a lot less and youknow it. Just keep remembering what that scum’d do to them.” Cloud nodded and James, knowing his own reluctance to even think of what they might have to do, grimaced. “I’ll do the same.”
Emily finally stood up and moved towards the two men. She did not really need to see their frowning faces to know that whatever was out there pleased them very little. It was clear to read in their taut posture and the checking of their guns. Without a word, she knelt between them and looked out, frowning when she did not see what she had expected to.
“Those are not Indians.” There was the lilt of a question to her voice for she thought some of the men below did bear some resemblance to Indians.
“Some of them are.”
“I thought perhaps they were. They are nothing to do with the Indians who snatched Thornton, are they, Cloud?”
“Nope. These are renegades.”
“Not friends.”
Deciding that she might as well know the full truth, Cloud solemnly nodded agreement. “I doubt they’re friends to anybody, even each other. The Indians with them have been tossed out of their tribes and that doesn’t usually happen for a small crime. There’s some that are a mix of Indian and white and take the worst of both races. The whites are outlaws, probably with more than one noose waiting for them somewhere. I can see aMexican or two
“That’s true. They’ve already tested me and found me inedible. Spit me right out.” He cast a grinning look at James, who could not fully restrain a laugh.
Emily gave Cloud a look that clearly revealed her annoyance, then concentrated on leading her reluctant mount along. They seemed to be going to a great deal of difficulty simply to find a place to rest. Emily decided it might be best not to ask why, ifonly because she was sure she would not be calmed by the answer.
Once at the cave, Cloud and James thoroughly inspected it for animals, then ceremoniously proclaimed it bear-free and safe. She ignored their jests as she entered the cave. After so many weeks of travail, a bear was the least of her worries.
Chapter Seven
“ A bout that mire you mentioned, Cloud?”
Looking up from the coffee he was brewing, and which he was trying yet again to show Emily how to make, Cloud frowned. “Indians?”
“Well"—James glanced at Emily—"yeh.”
Frowning even more, Cloud absently told Emily, “Try to make it strong.”
He strode to James’s side at the opening to the cave. Things had remained peaceful for several hours, long enough for all of them to get a little sleep. Cloud supposed he should be thankful for that bit of luck. Nevertheless, what he saw below them made him curse their seemingly dismal luck, a luck that seemed to worsen each step of the way.
“Renegades,” he hissed. “Looks it. A nasty mix of outlaws and outcasts.”
“Murdering bastards with no morals and less mercy. They know we’re up here.”
“I think I would’ve preferred a horde of Indians, bows taut and warpaint on.”
“Yeh.” Cloud cursed softly. “At least then we’d have known what we were dealing with.”
“Think we can hold them off from up here?”
“We’ve got a strong defensive point, but they’ve got more men.”
Knowing Cloud was merely thinking aloud, James continued in the same tone. “Each of them has to come straight into our line of fire.”
“Night will be the worst time.”
“So we try to drive them off before the sun goes down.”
“We’ve been together too long, James. Save two bullets no matter what,” he said softly.
Looking back at Emily and Thornton for a moment, James sighed and then looked at Cloud. “For them.”
It was impossible to say the words so Cloud simply nodded, then said through clenched teeth, “I’ll do the same.”
A little surprised to perceive strong emotion in a man who had never displayed it before, James spoke softly and somewhat gently. “It’ll hurt them a lot less and youknow it. Just keep remembering what that scum’d do to them.” Cloud nodded and James, knowing his own reluctance to even think of what they might have to do, grimaced. “I’ll do the same.”
Emily finally stood up and moved towards the two men. She did not really need to see their frowning faces to know that whatever was out there pleased them very little. It was clear to read in their taut posture and the checking of their guns. Without a word, she knelt between them and looked out, frowning when she did not see what she had expected to.
“Those are not Indians.” There was the lilt of a question to her voice for she thought some of the men below did bear some resemblance to Indians.
“Some of them are.”
“I thought perhaps they were. They are nothing to do with the Indians who snatched Thornton, are they, Cloud?”
“Nope. These are renegades.”
“Not friends.”
Deciding that she might as well know the full truth, Cloud solemnly nodded agreement. “I doubt they’re friends to anybody, even each other. The Indians with them have been tossed out of their tribes and that doesn’t usually happen for a small crime. There’s some that are a mix of Indian and white and take the worst of both races. The whites are outlaws, probably with more than one noose waiting for them somewhere. I can see aMexican or two
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