drunken buffalo hunter?”
Boone nodded his dark head. “The other one is Selmon’s sidekick. Since the hide trade has droppedoff, Selmon and Rance Lewis have taken whatever work they can get. Legal or not.”
Jonah rose to his feet and pulled Boone up beside him. “Did you catch the names of the two men who have been chasing us?”
“Jesse Gibbs and Beau Newton,” Boone reported. “I figured you might need someone to watch your back, so I followed you from the Flat this morning.”
Jonah arched an amused brow. “I thought you weren’t too thrilled with the idea of encountering the lost spirits of the Comanchería.”
“I’m not,” Boone acknowledged as he ambled over to fetch his horse. “But I got to thinking that I’d probably have to face the past sooner or later.” He swung gracefully onto the saddle. “Figured I might as well face it with someone who feels the same way I do.” He extended his hand to Jonah. “Climb aboard, Danhill. Better find your wife before she gets herself lost.”
Jonah settled himself on the roan gelding. “I wondered why I had such a hard time flushing you out,” he said, chuckling. “Damn Kiowas always did steal the Comanches best tricks.”
“Steal? Hell!” Boone scoffed in mock offense. “The Comanche learned stealth and cunning from the Kiowa.”
“Glad to have you along,” Jonah said after a moment. “I’ve met some tough and capable men among the battalions of Rangers, but they aren’t—”
“Breeds,” Boone finished for him. “I know. And you’re damn good, too, Danhill. Took me a long time to figure out that you’d put a decoy on that devil horse of yours. At first I thought one of those four men onyour trail had caught up with me while I was guarding your back.”
Jonah smiled curiously as they trekked through the trees. “How’d you figure out that it was me?”
“Didn’t know until you jumped me,” Boone admitted. “I figured it was Selmon or Lewis, and I decided I might as well lessen the odds against us while I had the chance. But I can tell you it is damn hard on my pride to have you get the best of me. I don’t usually find myself outsmarted. But at least a damn paleface didn’t do it. That would’ve been the ultimate insult.”
Jonah was mighty relieved to have Boone on his side. Two-to-four odds were acceptable. Plus, the Kiowa would serve as a buffer between Jonah and Maddie. With Boone along for the ride maybe Jonah could avoid the temptation that was always within arm’s reach.
Maddie jerked upright when she heard the faint hoot of an owl behind her. But just to be on the safe side, she shifted sideways in the saddle so she could point her pistol west, then grabbed one of Jonah’s Colts to aim in the direction she’d come. Relief washed over her when Jonah, his clothes clinging to his muscular body like wet paint, emerged from the underbrush near the river.
“Did you find out who was following us?” she asked.
“Yup, and don’t shoot him,” Jonah cautioned before he motioned for Boone to lead his horse from the brush.
Maddie blinked in surprise when Kiowa Boonestepped into view. “What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t want to tramp through this area any more than Jonah did.”
Boone smiled slightly. “Don’t. But I decided my Comanche cousin might need help, since the number of men following you has doubled.”
“ Four men?” she chirped incredulously.
“’Fraid so.” Jonah strode over to resituate his gear behind the saddle, then retrieved his boots. “Ever heard of Jesse Gibbs and Beau Newton?” he asked.
Maddie frowned pensively, trying to place the names. She noticed that Jonah was watching her astutely. He still didn’t trust her completely, she realized, disappointed. He was waiting to see if recognition registered on her face.
“I don’t know anyone by those names. Who are the other two riders?”
Jonah filled her in as he mounted his black gelding.
“I don’t
Boone nodded his dark head. “The other one is Selmon’s sidekick. Since the hide trade has droppedoff, Selmon and Rance Lewis have taken whatever work they can get. Legal or not.”
Jonah rose to his feet and pulled Boone up beside him. “Did you catch the names of the two men who have been chasing us?”
“Jesse Gibbs and Beau Newton,” Boone reported. “I figured you might need someone to watch your back, so I followed you from the Flat this morning.”
Jonah arched an amused brow. “I thought you weren’t too thrilled with the idea of encountering the lost spirits of the Comanchería.”
“I’m not,” Boone acknowledged as he ambled over to fetch his horse. “But I got to thinking that I’d probably have to face the past sooner or later.” He swung gracefully onto the saddle. “Figured I might as well face it with someone who feels the same way I do.” He extended his hand to Jonah. “Climb aboard, Danhill. Better find your wife before she gets herself lost.”
Jonah settled himself on the roan gelding. “I wondered why I had such a hard time flushing you out,” he said, chuckling. “Damn Kiowas always did steal the Comanches best tricks.”
“Steal? Hell!” Boone scoffed in mock offense. “The Comanche learned stealth and cunning from the Kiowa.”
“Glad to have you along,” Jonah said after a moment. “I’ve met some tough and capable men among the battalions of Rangers, but they aren’t—”
“Breeds,” Boone finished for him. “I know. And you’re damn good, too, Danhill. Took me a long time to figure out that you’d put a decoy on that devil horse of yours. At first I thought one of those four men onyour trail had caught up with me while I was guarding your back.”
Jonah smiled curiously as they trekked through the trees. “How’d you figure out that it was me?”
“Didn’t know until you jumped me,” Boone admitted. “I figured it was Selmon or Lewis, and I decided I might as well lessen the odds against us while I had the chance. But I can tell you it is damn hard on my pride to have you get the best of me. I don’t usually find myself outsmarted. But at least a damn paleface didn’t do it. That would’ve been the ultimate insult.”
Jonah was mighty relieved to have Boone on his side. Two-to-four odds were acceptable. Plus, the Kiowa would serve as a buffer between Jonah and Maddie. With Boone along for the ride maybe Jonah could avoid the temptation that was always within arm’s reach.
Maddie jerked upright when she heard the faint hoot of an owl behind her. But just to be on the safe side, she shifted sideways in the saddle so she could point her pistol west, then grabbed one of Jonah’s Colts to aim in the direction she’d come. Relief washed over her when Jonah, his clothes clinging to his muscular body like wet paint, emerged from the underbrush near the river.
“Did you find out who was following us?” she asked.
“Yup, and don’t shoot him,” Jonah cautioned before he motioned for Boone to lead his horse from the brush.
Maddie blinked in surprise when Kiowa Boonestepped into view. “What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t want to tramp through this area any more than Jonah did.”
Boone smiled slightly. “Don’t. But I decided my Comanche cousin might need help, since the number of men following you has doubled.”
“ Four men?” she chirped incredulously.
“’Fraid so.” Jonah strode over to resituate his gear behind the saddle, then retrieved his boots. “Ever heard of Jesse Gibbs and Beau Newton?” he asked.
Maddie frowned pensively, trying to place the names. She noticed that Jonah was watching her astutely. He still didn’t trust her completely, she realized, disappointed. He was waiting to see if recognition registered on her face.
“I don’t know anyone by those names. Who are the other two riders?”
Jonah filled her in as he mounted his black gelding.
“I don’t
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