Out of nowhere, a four-legged form appeared. Snarling and biting, Blaze tore at Geist’s leg.
The pressure on Zach’s throat eased as Geist twisted to confront the new threat.
Zach swooped his hand to his hip and drew his bowie. He cleared the sheath and drove the tip down into Geist’s boot and was rewarded with a shriek. He streaked his other hand to his waist and jerked a pistol even as he twisted around. Geist’s head was thrown back, his mouth wide open in a howl. Zach rammed the muzzle of the pistol between Geist’s teeth and fired. The top of Geist’s head spewed hair and brain matter.
Whirling, Zach scrambled toward the sputtering fuse. It was barely a foot from the keg. He slashed with his bowie, but cut the fuse behind the sparks, not in front of them. The fuse was still burning. He threw himself forward and arced the big knife down. The sparks finally fizzled, scarcely inches from disaster.
Winded, and every muscle aching, Zach leaned against the bluff. The wolf’s nose touched his cheek, and it licked his neck. “Blaze,” he said softly.
High above, someone screamed.
The horses were hidden on the far side of the bluff. Near them was a game trail to the top.
Nate King drew rein and was off his bay while it was still in motion. He raced up the slope, dreadfully aware that every second of delay increased the chances of his son being slain. He wasn’t concerned for himself, only for Zach. He pumped his legs like steam engine pistons and flew over the top with his Hawken to his shoulder, but there was no one to shoot—he saw grass and brush and a few boulders, but that was all.
Nate took several more steps. Metal glinted beside a boulder, and he flattened as a rifle went off. He felt a tug on the whangs of his buckskins. Rolling, he came up next to the boulder, and next to Petrie, who had dropped his rifle and was grabbing for his pistols. Nate rammed the Hawken’s stock into Petrie’s gut. That would double most men over, but all Petrie did was grunt and take a step back. There wasn’t space for Nate to level his rifle, so he swung it at Petrie’s legs. With a nimble bound, Petrie leaped up and over while simultaneously unlimbering his flintlocks. Nate threw the Hawken at Petrie’s face, but Petrie ducked under it. Nate lunged and tackled him. They grappled and rolled. Nate was a lot bigger, but Petrie was solid muscle. Suddenly Petrie had a hand free. He pointed a pistol at Nate’s face and fired. Nate jerked his head aside, barely dodging the bullet. The blast sent pain up his ear, and his hearing dimmed. Petrie clubbed him and his vision swam. They rolled to a stop with Petrie on top.
Nate’s head cleared. His right hand closed around the handle of his tomahawk. He jabbed a finger at Petrie’s eye, but the man shifted and the finger missed. Petrie was focused on avoiding the jab, as he had intended, and Nate took advantage of Petrie’s distraction to sweep the tomahawk up and around. The edge bit into Petrie’s head behind the ear and cleaved skin and flesh and bone as a knife would cleave wax. Blood spurted. Petrie stiffened and screamed like a stricken bobcat, a high, piercing cry of denial and disbelief, and then his body collapsed atop Nate’s.
Nate pushed the body off. He slowly rose, his side sore, his shoulder throbbing. He moved to the edge and gazed down at his son, who was gazing up. “Are you all right?”
“Fine, Pa. Blaze saved me. You?”
“As soon as I get my tomahawk out of his head, I’ll be right down.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
Half a moon had passed.
Chases Rabbits lay on a buffalo robe, his head and shoulder bandaged, and gazed forlornly at the smoke rising through the hole at the top of the lodge. The flap was open so anyone could enter, and someone did.
Other than a few fading bruises on her face and neck, Raven On The Ground showed no sign of the ordeal they had been through. She came and knelt beside him, placing her hand on his arm. “How do you feel?”
“I heal slowly.”
“Maybe because you think that you do not have a reason to heal fast.”
“I have disgraced myself in the eyes of our people,” Chases Rabbits said. “When I am up and about, they will shun me.”
“You are mistaken.”
“Two women died because of me.”
“The whites with no hearts killed them, not you.”
“They made a fool of me.”
“They fooled Grizzly Killer and Stalking Coyote, too. But now they are dead, and the trading post is still there. The man they call Toad has sent word that he still wants to trade with us.”
“Toad has a good heart.”
“So do you.” Raven On The Ground clasped his hand. “The council has decided. They would like for you to be the mouth of the Apsaalooke.”
“After the shame I have brought?”
“Grizzly Killer has talked to Long Hair and the others. He has told them how even though you had been shot, you tried to save Flute Girl and me. He says you have as much courage as anyone.”
“Grizzly Killer is a good friend.”
“Your shame is only in your own head. The rest of us forgive you. You must forgive yourself. You can start by taking a wife.”
Chases Rabbits started to rise, and winced. “You would want a man like me?”
“I want no other.” Raven On The Ground grasped both of his hands and held them to her bosom. “What do you say? Will you take me as your wife, or do I need to seek a husband elsewhere?”
“Here is good,” Chases Rabbits said.
The Wilderness series:
#1: KING OF THE MOUNTAIN
#2: LURE OF THE WILD
#3: SAVAGE RENDEZVOUS
#4: BLOOD FURY
#5: TOMAHAWK REVENGE
#6: BLACK POWDER JUSTICE
#7: VENGEANCE TRAIL
#8: DEATH HUNT
#9: MOUNTAIN DEVIL HAWKEN FURY (GIANT EDITION)
#10: BLACKFOOT MASSACRE
#11: NORTHWEST PASSAGE
#12: APACHE BLOOD
#13: MOUNTAIN MANHUNT
#14: TENDERFOOT
#15: WINTERKILL
#16: BLOOD TRUCE
#17: TRAPPER’S BLOOD
#18: MOUNTAIN CAT
#19: IRON WARRIOR
#20: WOLF PACK
#21: BLACK POWDER
#22: TRAIL’S END
#23: THE LOST VALLEY
#24: MOUNTAIN MADNESS
#25: FRONTIER MAYHEM
#26: BLOOD FEUD
#27: GOLD RAGE
#28: THE QUEST
#29: MOUNTAIN NIGHTMARE
#30: SAVAGES
#31: BLOOD KIN
#32: THE WESTWARD TIDE
#33: FANG AND CLAW
#34: TRACKDOWN
#35: FRONTIER FURY
#36: THE TEMPEST
#37: PERILS OF THE WIND
#38: MOUNTAIN MAN
#39: FIREWATER
#40: SCAR
#41: BY DUTY BOUND
#42: FLAMES OF JUSTICE
#43: VENGEANCE
#44: SHADOW REALMS
#45: IN CRUEL CLUTCHES
#46: UNTAMED COUNTRY
#47: REAP THE WHIRLWIND
#48: LORD GRIZZLY
#49: WOLVERINE
#50: PEOPLE OF THE FOREST (GIANT EDITION)
#51: COMANCHE MOON
#52: GLACIER TERROR
#53: THE RISING STORM
#54: PURE OF HEART
#55: INTO THE UNKNOWN
#56: IN DARKEST DEPTHS
#57: FEAR WEAVER
#58: CRY FREEDOM
#59: ONLY THE STRONG
#60: THE OUTCAST
#61: THE SCALP HUNTERS
#62: THE TEARS OF GOD
#63: VENOM
#64: DEVIL MOON
Copyright © 2010 by David L. Robbins
