The drum of hooves was louder.
Raven On The Ground was going as fast as she could, but she couldn’t outrun horses. She and the others needed somewhere to hide. A thicket appeared, but the whites could surround it and they would be trapped. She raced on, and suddenly the woods thinned, revealing a slope littered with boulders before them. She barely slowed. Lavender was farther back, wheezing with every stride. There was no sign of Flute Girl.
Raven On The Ground stopped. She refused to leave her friends. Wheeling, she waited for Lavender to reach her. Lavender was flushed and swayed unsteadily.
“I can’t go on.”
“Rest a moment.”
“I need more than that.”
Raven On The Ground looked for Flute Girl, but she didn’t appear.
Out of the woods exploded two riders.
Whirling, Raven On The Ground took flight, but she had only taken a few bounds when a blow to her shoulder slammed her to the earth. She heard Lavender cry out. Dust got into her eyes and nose as she rolled across the ground. Above her loomed Geist on a stallion. He pointed a rifle at her and said something. Although she didn’t understand the words, his meaning was clear.
Sitting up, she saw Lavender on the ground in Petrie’s grasp. She punched at his chest, but it had no effect.
Raven On The Ground bowed her head in sorrow. She had been so sure they would reach their village. Geist’s saddle creaked and iron fingers seized her by the hair. She was thrown down again and kicked. The pain was terrible, but it hurt worse to be thwarted in their escape.
Petrie bound Lavender’s wrists behind her back and then tied Raven On The Ground.
By then Dryfus had joined them, Flute Girl walking in front of his horse, a bloody smear on her forehead.
Last to arrive was Berber, leading the extra horses. One by one, the women were thrown roughly over a mount. Berber held onto the lead rope.
Geist growled at Dryfus, who listened and translated in sign.
You make bad mistake. You make us mad. Now we hurt you. We hurt you much.
Chapter Twenty
Chases Rabbits never thought he would be grateful to Utes, but he was. The war party had gone off to the south and nowhere near the pass into King Valley. So now he and Zach were riding hard for the trading post, the wolf loping tirelessly beside Zach’s horse.
Chases Rabbits couldn’t wait to get there, couldn’t wait to set his eyes on Raven On The Ground. He missed her with all that he was, although he would never tell Zach that.
Early on the morning of the third day, they wound down out of the foothills toward Mud Hollow. Chases Rabbits rose in his saddle to try and see the trading post, but they weren’t close enough yet.
“We almost there.”
“Toad gave you no notion why he needed to see my pa?” Zach asked.
“No. Him only say it urgent. Urgent mean hurry up quick, yes?”
“Pretty much,” Zach confirmed. He stiffened suddenly and said, “What the hell?”
The hollow had come into sight.
Chases Rabbits felt his heart leap into his throat. Where the lodge for the women had been was a wide black spot and charred wood. “What that be?” he wondered without thinking.
“The building burned down,” Zach said. He bent and motioned to the wolf. “Sit.”
To Chases Rabbits’s amazement, the wolf did.
“Stay,” Zach commanded, and used his heels on the dun.
Chases Rabbits followed suit. Fear for Raven On The Ground filled him. He was close behind the dun when Zach drew rein in a flurry of dust next to the spot where the burned lodge had been.
A few Nez Perce were in front of the trading post. A couple of Pawnees were there. Two of the whites, Berber and Gratt, were lounging at the hitch rail, and when they saw Chases Rabbits and Zach ride up, they hurried inside.
Chases Rabbits swung down and stared at the pile in dismay. “Raven On The Ground,” he said softly.
“I don’t see any bones,” Zach said.
“Sorry?” Chases Rabbits couldn’t think of what bones had to do with it.
“Bones don’t always burn up.”
“Oh.” Chases Rabbits didn’t find that particularly encouraging.
“Come on,” Zach said. He wheeled toward the mercantile, then stopped short.
Toad, Geist, and Petrie were walking toward them, Geist smiling, and Petrie with his rifle in the crook of his arm, the muzzle practically brushing Toad’s shoulder.
“How do you do, gentlemen?” Toad said. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“Forget that,” Zach said, and pointed at the blackened circle. “What happened? Where are the women?”
“Where Raven On The Ground?” Chases Rabbits specifically demanded.
“We had a fire, obviously,” Toad said. “A lamp was knocked over. We did what we could, but it wasn’t enough to contain the flames.”
“And the women?” Zach pressed him.
“Raven On The Ground?” Chases Rabbits said.
Geist stepped past Toad and good-naturedly clapped Chases Rabbits on the arm. “Don’t fret, my friend. The women are fine. They got out in plenty of time and ran to us for help.”
“Where they now?” Chases Rabbits anxiously asked.
“They’ve gone back to your village.”
Chases Rabbits almost fainted with relief. But that wouldn’t be becoming of a warrior, so he adopted a stony expression and said simply, “Good.”
“We plan to rebuild,” Geist said. “Then we’ll send for the women again, provided they’re still willing to work for us.”
“Me bet they be,” Chases Rabbits said, remembering how eager Raven On The Ground was to acquire some red cloth and beads.
“We’re just glad they weren’t hurt,” Geist said.
Toad cleared his throat. “Mr. King, how about a drink on the house?”
“I don’t drink,” Zach said flatly.
“Not ever?”
“No.”
“How about a meal, then?”
“I’m not all that hungry.”
“Some coffee and a biscuit, perhaps? You’ve ridden a long way.”
Geist shifted toward Toad and lost some of his smile. “You heard him. He’s not hungry and he’s not thirsty.”
“I just thought…” Toad said.
“Me thirsty,” Chases Rabbits said. “Can me have water?”
“Of course you can,” Toad answered. “Come inside.”
“There’s the stream right there,” Geist said, and pointed.
“You make it difficult to be polite,” Toad remarked.
Chases Rabbits was about to lead the pinto to the stream when he realized he was forgetting something. “Oh. Me sorry not bring Grizzly Killer. Stalking Coyote come instead.”
Toad smiled an odd smile.
“What was that?” Geist asked.
“Grizzly Killer,” Chases Rabbits repeated, then realized the white man might not know whom he was referring to. “Nate King. Mr. Toad ask me fetch him urgent.”
“He did, did he?”
“Yes.”
“Did he say why?”
“I was wondering that myself,” Zach said.
Toad opened his mouth to say something, glanced at Petrie, and hesitated. “I merely wanted to have your father invite the Shoshones to pay us a visit. None have been here yet, and I’m counting on doing business with them.”
“I’ll have my mother ask them for you,” Zach said.
“I would be very grateful. Thank you.”
Geist rubbed his hands together. “Well, then. We have work to do. If you’ll excuse us…” He nodded at Petrie and Toad, and Toad walked off with Petrie behind him. Geist smiled and trailed after them.
“Him nice man,” Chases Rabbits said.