by Kit Morgan
“I coughed so hard I couldn’t follow. Couldn’t get help. But seems to me they headed south.”
South? If that were the case he should have passed them on the road when he came riding into town moments before. Unless they left the road and headed across the prairie. “Are you sure they went that way?”
“I’m pretty sure. I didn’t see them pass in front of the house. If they didn’t take the road then maybe one of those cow trails. When me and the other girls first came to town, we sometimes followed them out to the prairie to pick flowers.”
Harrison stood as he thought. There were two main cow trails. One led out onto the prairie. The other actually led back toward Harrison’s farm. Could it be? He’d had his suspicions before but ... “How many men did you say? Two?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you Ms. Mitchell. Now you sit here. I’ll get Grandma and she’ll be along to take care of you.”
“Harrison?” she rasped. “Find my little girl. I just got her back. I can’t stand no thoughts of losing her again. And I know you feel the same.”
He gave her a look of deep compassion, and then smiled. “In that you are right. And don’t worry. I’ll find her and bring her back.” And he had a pretty good idea where to look.
He ran from the house, swung up onto Romeo and galloped back toward the crowd of people down the street. He brought the horse to a skidding stop.
“What’s the matter Harrison? There another fire?” The Sheriff shouted up at him.
“Has anyone seen my brothers?”
Everyone looked about. “No. Ain’t seen em.” Wilfred Dunnigan offered.
“I was afraid of that.” Harrison said to himself.
“What’s going on, Harrison?” Grandma asked.
“Ms. Mitchell needs you back at the house. She saw two men take Sadie and ride south.”
The Sheriff, who’d been sitting on the porch steps of his office with Mr. Mulligan, jumped to his feet. “Are you saying Sam and Jack took her?”
“Everyone within five miles of town has been here fighting the fire! I know they were in town earlier but from the looks of it never came home.”
“They left our place when we closed the saloon a couple of hours ago.” Mr. Mulligan added.
“Sam and Jack? Now don’t that beat all. Sorry to hear it, Harrison.” The Sheriff said. “Give me and some of the boys a minute to get our horses and let’s go round em up!”
“That’s exactly what I was hoping, Sheriff. Now hurry! I have a pretty good idea where they might be taking her!”
The men sprang into action and quickly got their horses and guns. Grandma and Doc hurried back to the house to tend Teresa and prepare for any wounded that might be brought back to town. Who knew what the night’s outcome would be. In the mean time Doc and Grandma were going to do one of the things they did best. Pray.
Eleven
The Lord be praised! The idiots had placed her and the mailbag on the same horse! Now she might have a chance. They had bound her hands in front of her, not behind her back. If she was very careful and her captors continued to be careless, she could leave a trail of mail. This way when Harrison or anyone else came looking for her, they could follow the pieces of mail to the outlaw’s hideout. Harrison knew where it was, but if her guess was right, no one else did. Anything would help and the sooner she was found the better chance she had of staying alive. If her situation weren’t so precarious she might find it amusing. Once again her life was held in the balance by a piece of mail.
“Ain’t ya gonna blindfold her?” The one called Jack asked. By now she had learned their names. They were indeed Harrison’s stepbrothers and from what she’d gathered from listening to their conversation, their father hadn’t a clue his two sons were in over their heads with a band of outlaws. Seemed the man’s sons kept him liquored up most of the time to avoid too many questions or inquiries as to their whereabouts and thieving ways. Harrison in the mean time was so inundated with farm work he didn’t have time to be nosy. She heard enough to figure out they rustled cattle for Jeb while he and some others stuck to robbing stages and the smaller wagon trains that passed through to the south. It made things look like there were two separate outlaw gangs to some while in reality it was just the one.
“What for? She ain’t coming back.”
They laughed. Sadie ignored them and eyed the mailbag hanging from the saddle horn. If she leaned forward enough while they rode across the prairie, she might be able to pull out a letter or two at a time and drop them, thus leaving a trail. The darkness would shield her work and hopefully some one would see them. If it wasn't too dark, that is. Please Lord, let it be light soon!
“Let’s go! The sooner we get up to the hideout the sooner we can have ourselves a little fun!” Sam yanked her against his chest. “I’m gonna take you first, missy.” He whispered, his breath hot and rancid. She turned her face away and cringed. He laughed, kicked his horse and they galloped out of the barn and up the road.
After a few moments Sadie leaned forward but the man pulled her back against his chest. She strained against him to lean down enough to reach into the mailbag. Panic began to take hold. If she couldn’t leave something for Harrison or any others to follow it could take them much longer to find her. As soon as the outlaws were done with her, they were sure to kill her. Especially if Jeb the leader was there. She could identify all of them for the most part. A witness wouldn’t be tolerated. The only thing that would buy her any time would be their use of her. And who knew how much time it would give her. And did she really want to endurethat? Perhaps death was a viable alternative to what was to come...
Oh Lord, please ... please save me!
The arm around her tightened as her captor laughed then licked at the side of her face. She screamed into the gag and struggled but his grip was too strong. Out of pure desperation Sadie did the only thing she could think of. She kicked his horse. Hard.
* * *
Harrison, the Sheriff, and what men were able, (six in all) rode out of Clear Creek as if their lives depended on it. But in this case, it was Sadie’s life at stake and Harrison was determined to save it. He’d often wondered over the last year if his step-brothers had anything to do with the current outlaws plaguing the area, not to mention the unsavory events that led to his two older brothers, Duncan and Colin’s, arrests nearly a year and a half ago. Until recently he’d hadn’t anything with which to prove their innocence. Jack and Sam had always had some sort of alibi when livestock went missing over the last few years and it was obvious Duncan and Colin had been lured into the wrong place at the wrong time and framed for cattle rustling off a wagon train. Harrison had managed to find out new information about six months ago from his stepfather that sent Harrison on the trail of the real bandits. But none of that mattered now. What did was rescuing Sadie.
They reined in their horses a mile out of town at his signal. “We should split up. They may have gone back to the farm, or if my guess is right, they’ve gone to the cabin above the ridge. But we can’t be sure which.”
“Henry, you take three of the boys and check Harrison’s farm.” ordered the Sheriff. “The rest of us will follow Harrison up to the ridge.”
“If they’re at the farm be ever so careful. Ride after us and fire off a few shots to signal you’ve found her. We’ll come join you.”
“Will do, Harrison!” Henry said as he spun his horse around and took off toward Harrison’s farm.
“If she’s there, Henry’ll know what to do.” the Sheriff reassured.
Harrison nodded, turned his horse along with the rest of the men and they began the race across the prairie. After about ten minutes he signaled for everyone to stop. They listened intently for gunshots, and when none were forthcoming, once again sped toward the line of pine that bordered the prairie. Harrison had guessed right. They’d not taken her to the farm, but were more than likely heading to their cabin hideout. He prayed in earnest as they rode in the pre-dawn light. Firstly,
that the outlaws had only the one hideout, and secondly, they would reach Sadie before any of the dirty bandits had a chance to touch her. The thought of any of them, especially his stepbrothers, touching so much as a single hair on her head made him want to hang them from the highest tree and shoot them until there was nothing left. But such murderous thoughts could cloud his thinking and he needed his wits about him. He settled for thoughts of pistols at dawn and dueling with sabers to fuel his angst until they reached the tree line. By the time they got there, he’d imagined more than several clever ways to exact justice on his stepbrothers and noticed the sun had come up.
“Which way?” Breathed the Sheriff as they brought their horses to a stop.
The animals were breathing hard; their loud snorts and steaming bodies reminded Harrison that they would need their strength to make it up to the ridge. “Best to walk the horses for a bit. It’s probably about two, maybe two and a half miles up through the trees. There’s a stream nearby. We can leave the horses there.”
The Sheriff nodded and they set off, Harrison in the lead. He let Romeo pick his way along a deer trail that led through the pine and alder trees. But soon the deer trail faded and the horses had to find their own way through the ever-thickening trees and brush. Occasionally they would stop and listen for any sounds of other horses crashing through the wood. But there were none. His brothers must have had enough of a head start to have already reached the cabin. Sweat popped out on Harrison’s brow with the thought. He risked the noise he knew the horses would make, and pushed Romeo a little harder.
Soon he heard the sound of water. They headed for it and when they reached the stream found a suitable spot to leave the horses. The men dismounted and checked their guns. Harrison studied the trees around them. “There was a stand of alder several hundred yards from the cabin. It shouldn’t be far from here. If we head upstream we’ll come to it.”
The men nodded and followed. Sure enough, they came upon the stand of trees Harrison remembered and began to cautiously pick their way along another deer trail that led through the trees and away from the stream. Before long they reached their destination.
Harrison dropped to his belly on the ground behind a fallen pine and signaled the rest to do the same. The cabin could be seen through the trees. Smoke rose up from the chimney like lazy blue tendrils. “We’ve got to get them away from her somehow.”
The Sheriff peeked over the tree along with Harrison. “I don’t suppose one of your animal calls is gonna work this time?”
Harrison cracked a slight smile. “Jack and Sam may not be the smartest, but they do have decent memories. They’ll not fall for that twice.” He surveyed the area around the cabin. Two horses were in the make shift corral. All was quiet. A good sign. He thought he would go mad if he heard Sadie begin to scream.
“We could set the cabin on fire.” Harrison suggested as thoughts of Jack and Sam screaming came to him instead.
“That’s not a bad idea. It would get them out of there quick like.”
“There’s a back door. I’ll make my way around to it; you set the cabin on fire. When they become distracted I’ll run in and get Miss Jones.”
“They won’t hurt her will they? Use her as a shield?
“Not if I know Jack and Sam. They’ll rush to save their own skins. Neither of them will think quickly enough to use Miss Jones to barter with.”
The Sheriff nodded then quickly relayed the plan to the rest of the men. They smiled, nodded, and went to work to make some torches out of what ever they could find.
Within moments they had what they needed and each man began to put himself into position. Harrison all but crawled on his belly the entire time as he circled his way around through the trees to the back of the cabin. It had been much easier the last time when it was dark. Now that the sun was up he had to be extra careful not to be seen. As soon as he was out of sight, the men were to set the cabin on fire. Several crawled and slunk their way to the structure until they were close enough to do the job. As soon as they were, they lit their torches of dried pine branches and threw them on top of the cabin’s roof. In moments the fire licked its way across the wooden shingles and engulfed the roof in flames.
Harrison, his gun drawn, glided up to the back door and listened. Nothing. Not a sound. Only the fire that sparked and cracked overhead. In fact, it was turning into an outright roar and he heard some of the roof beams snap. Good Lord! What if they were all asleep or his brothers were passed out drunk and Sadie lay bound upon a bed?
Harrison sprang into action and burst through the back door. By now the cabin was full of smoke and the flames on the roof had made their way inside. “Sadie! Sadie, where are you?” He called through the haze. He coughed, unable to breath, and pulled his bandana over his nose and mouth as he frantically searched the main room. Nothing. He ran into the room he first saw Sadie bound to a chair. There was less smoke in here, but no Sadie. He burst through the door into the smaller third room. Still nothing.
“Oh Lord, no.” he whispered as realization dawned. Harrison ran back into the main room and opened the front door. The Sheriff and his men stood outside, their guns aimed at him. “Don’t shoot! It’s me, Harrison!”
They lowered their guns. “Where in tarnation are they?” The Sheriff called over the roar of the fire, confused.
“They’re not here!” Harrison managed between coughs as he ran from the porch.
“But what about them horses?” One of the men asked.
Harrison silently cursed himself for his stupidity. He looked at the two horses running about the small corral in panic. “Those are not Jack and Sam’s.”
“Well if no one’s here, and those horses aren’t Jack and Sam’s, then where are they?” The Sheriff lamented.
Harrison brushed past the Sheriff as he immediately began to scan the area. “I wish I knew.”
* * *
Tears fought for freedom as Jack roughly carried Sadie through the trees. They’d not gone to the cabin where they held her captive the first time. At least not to stay. No, they reached it at sun up but only stayed long enough to get a few things.
The cabin had been stripped bare. Jack and Sam gathered some blankets that were left and a cast iron kettle, and then headed off into the woods to travel further up the ridge. Apparently some of the other outlaws were still nearby, their horses in the small corral, a fire slowly dying inside the cabin from early that morning. A note had been left telling those who were able, to meet up at the “other” hide out where they would make plans for their next job. Sam had un-gagged her long enough for her read it before they set off.
They rode for at least a half an hour before they came to another makeshift corral. But there was no cabin to be seen and Sadie wondered how far it could be from where they left the horses. She let go an occasional grunt when Jack stumbled on a rock or root, but tried to hold her own during the rough trek to where ever it was they were going. Sam had nearly torn her arm off when she’d kicked his horse as they crossed the prairie. He’d been so mad he stopped the horse, yanked her off and put a knife to her throat. They had both been almost thrown from her action, she almost killed, if Jack hadn’t talked his brother down out of his rage that is. Sam was so mad he tried to pull a knife he had in his boot out before he’d gotten off the horse. It had caught on something, the saddle flap she supposed, and he’d fallen off instead. Once he had her on the ground however, he’d gotten his bearings and was ready to kill her. Jack, deeming her defilement much better if she were still alive, got Sam to see his logic and he threw her over the saddle. Unfortunately the mailbag was at the wrong end of her and she had to endure the rest of the ride knowing she still wasn’t able to leave a trail and Sam occasionally smacking her on the rump. Right before he regaled her with all the dire things that awaited her upon their arrival to their destination. And now they were here.
Jack’s heavy breathing slowed as he dropped her onto the hard ground. He bent over her and tried to catch his breath
as Sam, mail bag over one shoulder, blankets rolled up and slung with a rope over the other, set the kettle down next to her.
Sadie looked at it then glared at him. Maybe if she acted bravely she’d feel the same way.
Sam leered at her. “You’re mine, missy. And I’m gonna enjoy every inch of you.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Hey what about me? I carried her all the way up here. I should get her first!” Jack argued.
“You’re too tired. Besides, you don’t want her first. I’ll get her all warmed up for ya. She’ll be sweeter broke in a little.”
Sadie’s attempt at bravery began to falter as Jack pulled her to her feet. “I want her first.”
Sam shoved him and she fell to the ground. They had re-tied her ankles. Apparently they didn’t want to chance her escaping on foot. Perhaps they weren’t the best runners. She forced the small bit of information to the back of her mind as Sam reached for her. He yanked her up and hefted her onto his shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Jack grumbled, picked up the rest of their effects and followed along like an obedient dog. After a few moments they went around a small stand of trees and came upon what looked like the entrance to a mine. Sadie caught a glimpse of it as Sam turned to look around before they entered the darkness. Inside the air suddenly became still and cold. Sadie didn’t like the way the darkness swallowed them up so quickly and began to struggle.
“Stop that! Mind yourself!” Sam scolded as he slapped her hard on the rump.
His large hand stung and she stilled her movements. Unable to help her self, the tears finally broke free. At least in the pitch-blackness they wouldn’t be able to see her fear. Maybe she’d get lucky and there would be no light when they performed their heinous deeds to her body and then murdered her. Perhaps it would all be easier to stomach in the dark ...
Oh Lord, help me.
