Comanche Sunset

by Rosanne Bittner

  “Why?” she asked, her voice thin with fear.

  “He ain’t sayin’ why, lady. But I’ve got a good idea. Are you that Wade Morrow’s woman?”

  Her cheeks felt hot. “Woman?”

  “You know what I mean. It’s just us now. Might as well get this straight. Two Hawks says you’re Morrow’s woman. That true?”

  She raised her chin slightly. “Yes,” she answered. “Now tell me why Two Hawks wants to take me to Wild Horse. Will they let me help Wade?”

  The man looked away from her almost sheepishly. “Not exactly.”

  Two Hawks barked at the man again, waving the knife.

  “I think he’s got an idea how to help Wild Horse make Wade Morrow fight him.” He glanced at Jennifer. “My guess is he figures Wild Horse can use you for bait. If torture won’t make Wade Morrow fight, maybe the threat of harm comin’ to you will.”

  Her eyes widened. Seth didn’t have to explain to her what the statement meant. “You…you aren’t going to let them take me!”

  The man turned away. “Ma’am, there’s eight Comanche out there. Only thing that keeps me alive is I’m married to Two Hawks’s sister, but if I help in breaking Comanche law, I’m a dead man, sister or no sister. For me, the Comanche come first, and I don’t hardly know you. If I refuse, Two Hawks will shove that knife through my gut and take you anyway. I see no reason to die over it.”

  Never had Jennifer felt such terror, or such utter devastation at a man’s cowardliness; and never had it been driven home so painfully that she was utterly alone.

  “Do you realize…what will happen to me if…if Wade should lose?”

  “He will lose. That’s not my business. It’s not my fault you picked my station to hole up in. Maybe you’ll get lucky.” He turned to meet her eyes, his own looking sad but resolute. “Maybe this Wade Morrow will strike up some kind of deal with Wild Horse for your safety.”

  Her eyes teared more as she trembled with anger and fear. “And I’m supposed to believe Wild Horse’s word can be trusted?”

  The man nodded. “If Wade Morrow can get him to make certain promises, he’ll keep them. He’s a lot of things you don’t understand, but he speaks the truth and he keeps his word.”

  She swallowed back a lump in her throat. “Well, that’s a comfort, isn’t it? That makes it all easier for you.”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry. Maybe by God’s grace your Wade Morrow will defeat Wild Horse.” He looked at Two Hawks and said something in the Comanche tongue.

  Two Hawks shoved his knife into its sheath, and the Comanche woman grinned. Two Hawks said something excitedly to the others, and they all seemed to become more excited. Two Hawks appeared to be feeling quite proud, and Jennifer knew with dread that it was because he would be bringing Wade Morrow’s “woman” to Wild Horse. She was so full of ugly memories and terror that she hardly felt it when Two Hawks marched over and pulled her hands behind her, binding her wrists tightly with rawhide strips. He touched the gauze on her hands, and she grunted with pain. Two Hawks said something to Seth.

  “He wants to know what’s wrong with your hands—where you got the bruise on your face,” Seth interpreted. “That true about the soldier you were supposed to marry gettin’ rough with you?”

  She looked at him with angry eyes. “No. The truth is another man at the fort attacked me, because I happen to love a man who is part Indian. I fought back. It is true that I threw boiling water at him and burned my hands. He got burned much worse. He might not even live.”

  Seth explained, and Two Hawks grinned and said something to the others, grasping Jennifer’s hair and yanking slightly on her head. The others grinned in return, all muttering something, nodding their heads as though to approve.

  “They think you’re a brave woman,” Seth told her. “They like brave captives.”

  “So I’ve heard,” she said dully. She told herself she had to remember that, sensing that to fight them would only make matters worse for her. She was in enough pain already. Somehow she had to survive long enough to see Wade once more. God only knew what Wild Horse would do to her to make Wade fight him.

  Two Hawks ripped the straw hat from her head and pushed her forward. She knew it was ridiculous to worry about bringing her bags. Where she was going, she was not likely to return. She wondered if Seth would give her clothes to his Comanche wife, and keep all her money for himself, knowing she would never come back to reclaim it.

  “I’ll report this to Captain Howell at Fort Stockton,” the man told her before she went through the door. “That’s the best I can do.”

  She glared at the man. “See that the money I had with me is given to the men from Morrow Freighting. They’ll be coming through this way soon, and most of the money belongs to Wade. Tell them what happened. I take it I can trust you to do that much,” she sneered.

  The man nodded. “Like I say, that’s all I can do. I can’t stop this, Miss Andrews.”

  She looked him over scathingly. “Of course you can’t.”

  Two Hawks grasped her arm and pulled her outside, half dragging her to his horse. Her leg was still too sore to walk fast. He grasped her about the waist and plunked her on his horse, mounting up behind her and grasping the reins. Her ears hurt and her blood chilled when he let out a victorious war whoop. He and four others rode off, leaving the other three behind to collect their food and tobacco. Two Hawks obviously did not want to wait. He was anxious to bring his “prize” to Wild Horse and win the man’s praise.

  It was a hellish journey for Jennifer, who was not accustomed to riding. Two Hawks rode well into the night, and the other Indians from the way station caught up with him before Two Hawks stopped for the night. The man grabbed her down from the horse and finally cut the bindings at her wrists. He took her arm and led her a few feet away from where the others proceeded to make camp.

  To Jennifer’s shock, Two Hawks pulled aside his loincloth and relieved himself. At his first move Jennifer thought the worst, then turned away when she realized what he was doing. In the next moment he tapped her on the shoulder, making motions to indicate that she should take care of her own necessities. To her relief he walked off and left her there alone. She quickly answered nature’s call, terrified they would all come back and take advantage of her; but nothing happened.

  She stood there a moment then, considering trying to run off; but she decided it would be fruitless. She was in desolate, unfamiliar country, and there was no way she was going to outsmart any Comanche warrior in his own home territory. She would be caught, and perhaps receive much worse treatment than she was getting now. She returned to camp, deciding that no matter what happened, at least she would get to see Wade again.

  She sat down wearily in some grass, a few feet back from the campsite, wanting to draw as little attention as possible. Two Hawks brought her a piece of dried meat and a canteen, and she ate quickly, surprised she was being fed at all. From tales she had heard of other captives, she decided she was being treated better than most. So far the worst had been the painful wrist bindings and the long, arduous ride on horseback. Her thighs and bottom burned, and she was sure she was getting blisters. But most of her pain was from the injuries James Deaver had inflicted rather than Two Hawks.

  She drank down some water, not caring for the moment that Two Hawks’s own lips, or perhaps one of the other’s, had drunk from the same vessel. She needed the water badly. When she was through, Two Hawks came over and grabbed her wrists, pulling out her hands and unwrapping the gauze on them. She wondered if he was going to find some way to torture her with the burns, but he searched through a beaded parfleche and drew out a leather pouch. He dipped his fingers into it, gathering some kind of a crude-looking salve. He began applying it to her burns, and to her amazement a good deal of the pain vanished.

  “I wonder why you’re doing this,” she said, knowing he didn’t understand her. “You’re saving me for Wild Horse, aren’t you? You’ll let him decide what to do with me.”
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  Two Hawks met her eyes, and she wished she could read his thoughts through his wild, dark eyes. It seemed strange to think what he and the others would probably normally do to her, for so many other white women had died so violently by some of these men. Yet she knew the same men were capable of caring for their own women and children, caring so much that losing them brought this awful revenge.

  And then there was Wade, a perfect example of how people of the same race can be radically different. Wade could be so gentle and loving. Surely men like Two Hawks could also be that way, but making war and seeking revenge and conquering the land and any strangers who came into it were all part of daily life for these people.

  “You humiliate and torture and kill your enemy because that’s the code by which you live, isn’t it? It’s all you’ve ever known. You think nothing of it because that is how it has always been for you and your ancestors.”

  Two Hawks just scowled and finished applying the salve. To her disappointment, he retied her wrists, which were already raw. He spread out a blanket and indicated she should lie down on it. She accepted the invitation gratefully. It would not be a comfortable night’s sleep, but for the moment she was too weary to care that her bed was nothing but a thin blanket on the cold, hard ground. How she managed to drift off to sleep, she wasn’t sure; but when she awoke at dawn, someone had covered her with another blanket.

  Jennifer’s heart raced when she saw the village ahead. She immediately began searching for Wade, dread and disappointment filling her when she saw him nowhere in sight. Was he already dead? Had something happened that Two Hawks didn’t know about? And if he was dead, what would happen to her?

  Someone began drumming, and war whoops filled the air as Two Hawks came closer. He joined in the shouting, and Jennifer cringed at his wild voice near her ear, his fierce strength bumping against her. Someone came out of a tipi, and Jennifer gasped. “Wade!” she cried at first glance.

  Two Hawks dismounted and jerked her down from the horse, dragging her over to the man who she at first thought was her beloved. Upon a closer look, she realized there was a wildness about this man’s countenance that Wade did not possess. Two Hawks spoke to him in the Comanche tongue, and she realized with a sinking heart that she was looking into the eyes of the infamous Wild Horse. It seemed incredible he could be such a replica of Wade, yet be so different. His eyes moved over her appreciatively as Two Hawks carried on in the strange tongue that made them all seem even more fearsome. Jennifer supposed he was telling Wild Horse who she was and how he had found her. A look of great joy and victory began to spread over Wild Horse’s face as he slowly walked around her, while the camp quieted slightly, women and children staring at Jennifer.

  Wild Horse touched the bruise on her face, then picked up her wrists and studied her hands. Finally he turned to Two Hawks and put a hand on his shoulder, saying something that was unmistakably some sort of praise. He barked something at a woman standing nearby and she hurried off, leading a fine-looking gray gelding when she returned. She handed the reins to Wild Horse, and he in turn handed them over to Two Hawks. Jennifer realized Wild Horse was apparently giving the man a gift for bringing him such a prize.

  Wild Horse turned his eyes to her, a sly grin moving across his face. She met his gaze boldly, thinking with chilling reality that here, but for a young girl’s choice so many years ago, could be Wade; while this man might have been raised by Lester Morrow and know nothing of this strange, aboriginal life.

  “Where is your brother?” she asked, keeping her voice steady and demanding. “Where is Wade Morrow?”

  His eyes lit up at the name, and she knew that he understood what she had asked. His nostrils flared as he looked at her almost challengingly. He suddenly grabbed the hair at the back of her head and pushed her along with him then, leading her to a tipi, pushing down on her head so that she bent to go inside. Her first thought was that he intended to immediately humiliate her in the worst way, but as soon as she was inside the tipi she saw a man lying on his back, his arms extended past his head and his wrists tied to a stake. His body was covered with bruises and wounds, and when their eyes met, her heart went out to him.

  “Wade!” she cried.

  She rushed to him, and he opened his eyes. They widened in horror. “Jenny! What are you—” He looked past her at Wild Horse. “What is she doing here?” he growled in the Comanche tongue.

  “I think you know, my brother.”

  Wade’s eyes filled with fury, and he jerked on his bindings.

  “Oh, Wade, I thought you were dead,” Jennifer groaned, touching his wounds gently. “What have they done to you?”

  “It’s what they intend to do to you I’m worried about,” he said angrily. “How in God’s name did they get hold of you?”

  “I was at a stage station. It’s a long story, Wade. Two Hawks saw me there. He recognized me. The station attendant just let him take me away with him.”

  Wade looked up at Wild Horse. “Take her back!”

  Wild Horse just grinned wickedly. “She is much too valuable, my brother. I have already given Two Hawks my best horse for this fine prize.” The man walked over and jerked Jennifer up, clamping a strong arm around her chest and whipping out a knife. He held it at her throat, then trailed it down over one breast. “If you will not fight me for your own honor and for Comanche law,” he sneered, “perhaps you will fight me for your woman!”

  He shoved the knife back into its sheath, keeping a firm grip on a terrified Jennifer while he pushed his other hand into her hair, gripping it so tightly it made her wince. “She is a fine-looking woman, young and strong. I think perhaps I would not kill her. It would be much more enjoyable to make her a slave in my tipi, don’t you think?”

  “Let her go,” Wade growled, yanking on the ties again.

  Wild Horse threw back his head and laughed. He let go of Jennifer and shoved her aside so hard that she fell. “Tomorrow, my brother. You have had two days of rest and food. Tomorrow you will fight me, because tonight I will claim your woman. I will be no kinder to her than I would be to any other white captive.” He looked down his nose at Wade challengingly. “And if I get tired of her, I will turn her over to the others. If she lives through that, the women can play games with her, like they did with you. Now I will let you have a last moment alone with her.”

  The man turned to leave. “Wait,” Wade growled. Wild Horse turned. “I’ll fight you, you bastard, but only if you leave her untouched, and only if you promise she goes free even if I lose! And not just Jennifer. That little white girl captive. Let her go with Jennifer!”

  Their eyes held. “So quickly you decide to fight me now. The woman means that much to you.”

  “Enough to die for! Enough to kill my own brother over! You’ll not lay a hand on her! I wouldn’t be fighting for my life. I’d be fighting for hers! And for the little girl, too!”

  Wild Horse glanced at Jennifer, then back at Wade. “I agree to only part of your demand. Whether you win or lose, she and the child go free; but only if you fight to the death. The fight is all I want, Wade Morrow, not your woman.” He puffed his chest proudly. “As for tonight, I cannot make any promises. You will give me a better battle if you truly hate me, my brother, and now that I know how much you care for the white woman, I can think of only one way to make you hate me so much.”

  Wade’s eyes blazed. “How do I know you’ll keep your word to let her go once the fight is over?”

  Wild Horse held his chin proudly. “When I give my word, I keep it. You should know that much about the Comanche.”

  “I want your promise that you won’t just turn her and the child out to die. I want them taken somewhere where they’ll get help. And I want you to tell your people that if I win, neither Jennifer nor the girl nor I have to worry about the rest of your people turning on us. You tell them you’ve given your word.”

  Wild Horse grinned again. “You will not win, my brother, but I will tell them. Even if you should win, they
would not turn on you. They would see you as the stronger spirit, and they would respect you for it.” He glanced at Jennifer once more before meeting Wade’s eyes again. “I will leave her here until sunset. Tonight she sleeps in my tipi.”

  “Like hell she will,” Wade growled, yanking on his ties again. “Right now, Wild Horse. We’ll fight right now!”

  Wild Horse just laughed. “Finally I see in your eyes a desire to kill. Finally I see hate in your eyes. I will let you think about it, and wonder about it, my brother, through the night. It will give you more strength, more hate. It will be a good fight.”

  The man ducked outside, and Jennifer collapsed beside Wade and put her head on his chest. “Oh, Wade, what’s happening?”

  “Jenny,” he groaned. He breathed deeply of the scent of her hair. “If I don’t fight him, he’ll have you treated like any other white woman captive. And tonight…he’s taking you to his tipi.” He drew his lips back in a sneer, looking as wild and fearful as any other warrior. “Bastard,” he growled, yanking at his bindings again. “My God, the son of a bitch has finally found the one thing that can make me hate him. I never wanted you to get involved in this, Jenny. Damn him! Damn all of them!”

  Jennifer sat up, touching his face. “Oh, Wade, look at you! You can’t fight him! Not like this!”

  “I don’t have any choice. I only have until tomorrow morning to decide, but I’ve already decided. He said you can stay here until dark, then he’s taking you away, and I have to just lie here…” He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as he jerked on the ties again. “My God, Jenny. All I can do is hope he’s bluffing about you.”

  Jennifer breathed deeply for control, a sick terror engulfing her. She forced herself not to show it. “I’ll survive, Wade. Somehow we’ll both survive this and we’ll be together. We’ll find a way to put all of this behind us. We have to.” Tears made white streaks down her dirty cheeks. “I’m not afraid of anything now that I know you’re alive. Oh, Wade, look at you!” She touched his wounds lightly. “Look what he’s done to you. I don’t understand any of this. It’s so wrong.”