Evelyn had him in her sights. She’d expected the scalp men to charge to the attack. Panic had set in when they went to ground. She had never been in a situation like this; she didn’t know what was best to do. Now here was the head scalp hunter, saying he wanted to talk. It must be a ruse. Maybe, she told herself, she could use it to her advantage. “Go away, Mr. Venom. We don’t want to have to kill you.”
“Ahhh.” Venom stared at the spot the voice came from. “Show yourself, girl. Neither me nor my men will shoot. You have my word.”
Evelyn stayed on her belly behind a log. “I wasn’t born yesterday,” she responded.
“It’s good you’re cautious,” Venom said, and went on smiling. “All I want is to find out what happened to one of my men. We came across him a ways back. We’re buffalo hunters, you see. He was my best tracker and…”
“You’re what?” Evelyn asked in surprise.
“Buffalo hunters.” Venom’s lie hadn’t worked with the freight train captain, but he figured the girl was bound to be more gullible.
“That’s not what I was told. I heard that you’re scalp men, that you lift hair for bounty money.”
Venom feigned shock. “Wherever did you hear such a bald-faced lie? I’ve got more decency in me than that. No, girl. We’re buff hunters and only buff hunters.”
“Plenty Elk said different.”
“Who? You don’t mean that Arapaho buck we found buried with Rubicon? Hellfire, he fed you a pack of lies and you believed him.” Venom chuckled in as friendly a fashion as he could manage.
“Suppose you explain your side,” Evelyn said skeptically.
“There’s not much to tell. A war party jumped me and my men. We fought them off and a couple of bucks escaped. I sent Rubicon after them. He killed one and was about to kill the other when you and your friends came along. He didn’t know what to do so he came and told me. I sent him to follow you and make sure the Arapaho didn’t lead you and your friends into a trap.” Venom was pleased with his lie. He told it so well, he almost believed it.
Confusion swamped Evelyn. She tried to remember if Rubicon ever admitted to being a scalp hunter. “I saw the warrior your tracker killed. He had been scalped.”
“That’s normal out here, girl. Injuns scalp us. We scalp them. It doesn’t make us scalp hunters. Rubicon took it as a trophy, is all.”
Evelyn refused to believe him. “What about Mr. Logan? Where does he fit into the scheme of things?”
“You’ve seen him?” Venom thought fast, wondering how much, if anything, Logan had told her. “I booted him from the outfit a few days ago. Caught him trying to steal from one of my other men. He’s nothing but a thief. He even stole a horse.”
Evelyn bit her lower lip, uncertain what to do. Everything the man said was plausible. “You want me to believe that you came after us to help us?”
“We came to see if you were safe. You being a white girl and all, we were worried.”
“I’m perfectly safe, thank you. So you can go find those buffalo you claim to be after.”
Venom raised his voice. “You heard the little lady, boys. Show yourselves. Let’s leave her and her friends be.” He grinned as his men all stood and gave him questioning looks. “Mount up,” he commanded. “I’ll be right with you.”
They turned and made for the horses, Potter scratching his head and muttering.
“There!” Venom said to the girl. “We’ll be on our way. Now do I get to see you? It’s the least you can do after I went to so much trouble.”
Evelyn reluctantly rose. She kept her rifle trained on him and said, “I still don’t know whether to take you at your word.”
“It’s smart not to be too trusting.”
The man was acting so friendly that Evelyn felt embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I just can’t take the chance.”
“Don’t worry. There’s no hard feelings on my part.” Venom went to leave. “Say. I don’t suppose you’d care to tell me your name?”
“Evelyn King.”
Venom touched his hat brim. “Pleased to meet you. What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere, anyhow?”
“Hunting buffalo, like you.”
“You don’t say? If you want, when we find a herd I’ll send one of my men to let you know.”
“We’ll manage on our own, thank you.”
“I understand,” Venom said with feigned politeness. “Well, my men are waiting. It was nice to meet you.” He touched his hat again and strolled off, whistling.
Evelyn watched them ride away with mixed feelings. Part of her still didn’t trust them and another part thought she was being silly. “Oh well.” She shifted the Hawken to the crook of her elbow and called out, “You can come out. I guess they weren’t scalp hunters, after all.”
Waku and his family emerged from their hiding places.
“You think he spoke truth?” Waku asked.
Evelyn shrugged. “I’m the first to admit I’m not much good at judging people. He seemed nice enough but you never know.”
“Do you want your pistols back?”
“Tihi and Teni can hold on to them for a while, just in case,” Evelyn said. She stared at the retreating figures, relieved no blood had been spilled. Then she stiffened. “Wait. Where’s Dega? Shouldn’t he have been back by now?”
As if in answer, a shriek pierced the air from the direction Dega had gone.
Chapter Eighteen
Degamawaku fought with all his strength. He had hold of the white man’s wrist to keep the man from clubbing him while at same time he sought to bury his knife. The man called Logan had hold of his wrist, and locked together, they rolled this way and that, each straining to their utmost.
“Damn you, boy!” Logan hissed through clenched teeth. “I am going to bust your skull wide-open.”
Dega stayed silent. He concentrated on sinking his knife, and nothing else. They rolled again, and suddenly he was on top. Bunching his shoulder muscles, he thrust down. The razor tip of his blade dipped toward Logan’s heaving chest. Logan swore, and bucked, and Dega was almost thrown off. Grimly, Dega exerted all the strength in his sinews.
“Nothing is going to stop me, boy,” Logan hissed. “Not a snip like you, that’s for sure. That girl will be mine, you hear?”
A chill ran down Dega’s spine. The man intended to hurt Evelyn. Newfound fury pulsed through him and his body became as iron. The tip lowered another fraction and pricked Logan’s shirt.
“Not by no boy!” Logan snarled, and drove his knees up and in.
Pain exploded through Dega. Sudden weakness caused him to sag. He tried to keep Logan pinned under him, but a blow slammed into his ribs and another low in the stomach. Next he knew, he was flung through the air and landed hard on his back. The knife was wrested from his grasp. He felt a sting on his neck, and blinked. Logan had the knife to his throat.
“Any last words?”
Dega swallowed. He tensed to grab the man’s wrist even though he felt as weak as a newborn fawn.
“The girl was right, you know. I figure to circle around and see who is left after the shooting is done. It should be easy for me to pick them off and have her to myself.”
“You bad man.”
Logan snorted, and nodded. “You’re about to die and that’s the best you can come up with? Hell, yes, most folks would call me bad. But do you know what? It’s how I am. I’m just being me.” He paused. “I didn’t make the laws and rules about what’s right and what’s not. Were it up to me, there wouldn’t be—” He stopped and glanced up sharply. “What the hell are you doing here?”