With one hand on the reins, the other gripping his rifle, Josh’s body tensed like granite, his mind consumed with rage. How could he have been so stupid? He could have easily shot and apprehended Douglas several days ago when he caught up with him and his men. A few well-aimed rifle shots had disarmed the lot of them, and they’d run like scared rabbits. His shot at Douglas hadn’t missed its mark. In hindsight, he should have aimed a little higher.
He simply hadn’t confirmed at the time if Dawn was truly Douglas’ daughter, or if Dani wanted to marry him. Even while his mind was overrun with jealously, Josh wouldn’t have denied the baby her true father. His crimes as a poacher would have earned him little or no jail time, and the army would simply discharge him dishonorably. Nothing a man couldn’t overcome.
Douglas wasn’t about to get a second chance this time. If he harmed Dawn in any way, Josh’s mind conjured up countless ways to torture the man before he killed him. He wouldn’t allow himself to even think that Dawn was already hurt, or worse. This hellish race through the countryside was dangerous for the fragile baby. Douglas would not take the infant’s safety into account.
That he was riding straight into an ambush had already occurred to Josh. Dawn was merely the bait. As long as he kept his focus on the tracks on the ground, he could read them for any indication in the horse’s change in speed. He would be ready.
No sooner had the thought occurred to him, and the tracks veered off the road into the open sagebrush heading in an easterly direction. Josh slowed his heavily breathing horse, and scanned into the distance. Snow-covered mountainous terrain loomed ahead of him, taking over from the rolling sagebrush-covered landscape. A man could hide among any number of canyons and gullies up ahead. It was also a prime area for an ambush.
Shots rang out in the distance. Josh pulled his horse to a stop. He listened. Several more shots rang out. He kicked his horse into a fast lope, his eyes and ears trained on his surroundings. Who the hell was shooting out here, and at what? What was Douglas up to?
Josh had his answer a half hour later. He brought his horse to an abrupt halt at the top of a grassy rise. In the shallow valley below, scattered amongst the snow drifts, a small herd of bison bellowed. Several dead animals littered the ground. Men on horseback sat their mounts, shooting senselessly into the herd. Since these bison were not within the boundaries of the national park, they were fair game to anyone. This would not be considered poaching. Josh sneered in disgust at the needless killing.
His eyes scanned for the familiar figure of Jonathan Douglas. His tracks had led straight to here. Josh had no doubt his nemesis was close by, and those were his men in that valley. The question was, where was Dawn? Josh clenched his jaw in frustration, trying to decide what to do next. This display of carnage was surely for him, to draw him out.
Josh counted six men. One of them wore a soldier’s uniform, but he distinctly saw the brand of the US cavalry on all of their horses’ shoulders. Douglas had seven men under his control. The three Josh had left tied up at his cabin were surely among them.
Slowly, he guided his horse down the ridge. He didn’t bother to conceal his presence. He’d been lured to this exact spot, and he wanted to end this game as quickly as possible. At least three of those men had bullet holes in their arms, a gift from him from several days ago. He doubted they would be all too quick on the draw. Where the hell was Douglas? And more importantly, where was Dawn? It disturbed Josh that he couldn’t hear a baby’s cry. His blood boiled with the thought that any harm had come to his daughter.
As he drew closer, guiding his horse around the bison herd, he raised his rifle. He was well within shooting range now. A shout erupted from the men. Josh scoffed. It took them long enough to finally notice him. Two steered their mounts in his direction. Josh aimed his rifle. Shots fired. Both men dropped from their horses like sacks of potatoes. He ignored the hot pain in his left arm where one of the bullets grazed him.
Josh quickly dismounted his horse. Crouching low to the ground, he used every shrub and boulder for cover. A third rider came galloping toward him. Josh dropped to the ground. He aimed his rifle and fired. The man fell just like the others. Josh waited. The remaining riders huddled together, and Josh sensed they were undecided as to their course of action. One yanked his horse’s reins around, and took off at a fast gallop in the opposite direction. These men were nothing but cowards. The last stood his ground, but made no move to come within shooting distance.
Behind him, Josh heard mocking laughter, and a man slowly clapping his hands. Josh sprang to his feet, and aimed his rifle.
“Well done, half-breed.” Jonathan Douglas stood twenty yards away, a wide leer on his face. “Guess it’s just you and me now.”
“Where’s the baby?” Josh shouted.
Douglas laughed. “You’ll never find her. The only use I have for that screaming brat is to get her mother to cooperate with me. Right now, I need you out here, so I can finally finish you off. You’ve interfered with my operation long enough.”
Josh clenched his jaw. The urge to rush the man, and pound his fist into Douglas’ face, overwhelmed his senses. A quick shot to end his life would be too easy. His blood boiled with rage. The man’s mind was deranged, but he couldn’t end his life until he knew where Dawn was.
“Go ahead and shoot me, Douglas. You’re not gonna get another chance,” Josh taunted.
Douglas raised his pistol. “Once you’re gone, that Injun-loving whore of yours will be mine. She’ll do anything to protect that brat of hers. Once I dispose of her father, I won’t have to ride these hills, killing bison anymore. That should give you some peace.”
Josh dropped to the ground, and rolled quickly behind a large rock. Douglas fired his pistol repeatedly, sending up chunks of dirt all around him. In his frenzy, his aim was off. Josh counted the gun blasts. When he heard the sixth one, he quickly pushed himself off the ground and aimed his rifle. Douglas roared when the bullet entered his left shoulder, and he dropped his weapon.
“That’s for the wound you or one of your cohorts inflicted on me two months ago,” Josh said calmly. He threw his rifle on the ground. There would be no satisfaction in killing an unarmed man. He was determined to win this fight on even terms. He also needed to find out where the bastard was keeping his daughter.
Douglas’ eyes widened in sudden fear. He clutched his arm, his eyes darting around, probably hoping one of his cowardly men would come to his rescue. Slowly and with his face set in a fierce determination, Josh closed the distance between them. Douglas stumbled backwards, and Josh caught him by his shirt. He balled his hand into a fist and took a hard swing. Douglas’ head snapped to the side from the impact. Blood gushed from his nose.
Josh threw the man to the ground, and waited for him to get up.
“Where’s the baby?” he said between clenched teeth. Douglas scrambled to his feet, and sneered. He wiped his arm across his face. Then he laughed. He backed up slowly. Josh sensed the instant the coward decided to bolt. Unconcerned, Josh kept walking. He could play this game all day. Let the fool wear himself out. He rotated his aching shoulder, and glanced at the flesh wound on his arm. Luckily, the shot from one of Douglas’ men had only grazed him this time.
“You fool!” Josh shouted when he realized Douglas ran straight for the group of bison. The beasts had been undeterred, even as gunshots had felled them like nothing more than timber. This small mountain group must have been untouched up to this point by the hands of men.
Too late, Douglas realized his mistake. Josh could only watch in silent horror when a large bull obviously saw the human as a threat. With his head lowered, the massive beast charged at Douglas, scooping him high up in the air, and tossing him like a ragdoll. Douglas screamed, and landed with a loud thud ten feet away from the enraged bison. His body moved, and he tried to push himself off the ground. The bull charged again, tossing him over his head. This time, Jonathan Douglas did not get up. His limbs lay in grotesquely disfigured arrays in t
he dirt.
Some ancient, primordial echo in Josh’s mind told him that the bison was extracting revenge on this man for the injustice that had been done to his kind. Josh couldn’t agree with the animal more. Douglas’ death, however, left him with a sinking feeling in his gut. How would he ever find Dawn now? Worse, could he face Dani without the baby?
*****
Danica paced the floor in the living room. Her nails were chewed to the quick. Her eyes felt gritty, and hurt each time she blinked. Even the tea that Sarah Russell had made her hadn’t been effective to calm her frazzled nerves. The clock on the mantle chimed five times. It had been more than sixteen hours since Douglas kidnapped Dawn. Danica glanced out the window. The stark darkness from outside seemed to wrap itself around her heart.
Danica couldn’t stay optimistic anymore. Her breasts ached, swollen with milk. Dawn had to be starving at this point. Douglas had no patience for the baby. Once she started crying, what had he done to her to keep her quiet? Danica’s hands shook when she reached up to swipe her palm across her eyes. She glanced at every member of the family. They were all gathered in the living room, each of them absorbed in their own thoughts.
Little Ashlynn lay asleep, cradled in her father’s arms. Kate sat next to her husband, her head leaning against his shoulder. Their daughter was the only one without a care in the world. Visions of Dawn as a happy, carefree toddler seeped into Danica’s mind, and the tears spilled down her cheeks. Was it too late for her daughter? The waiting, the not knowing, was driving her insane.
“Would you like me to go upstairs with you, so you can lay down for a while?” Sarah asked gently, and stood from her seat next to her husband on the settee. Danica vigorously shook her head.
“I can’t sleep, not without knowing . . .”
“Some more tea, perhaps? I’ll go make us a fresh pot.” The old woman shuffled toward the kitchen without waiting for an answer. Danica knew Sarah was overcome with guilt over Dawn’s kidnapping. She had assured Sarah that she was not to blame.
The clock on the mantle ticked away the minutes, the sound amplified by the stillness in the room. The darkness outside took on a grayish hue, as night slowly gave way to the coming of a new day. The walls in the room seemed to close in around her, and Danica couldn’t breathe. She had to do something! She couldn’t stand the wait any longer.
A sudden loud crash sounded in the kitchen, like glass shattering on the floor, startling everyone. Chase leapt from his seat, his agility belying his age, and he rushed through the kitchen door. Samuel followed quickly on Chase’s heels. Kate sat up straight, and exchanged a worried look with her husband.
A loud gasp, then a cry of joy came from Sarah in the kitchen. She uttered Josh’s name. Danica’s heart leapt up into her throat. The veins in her temples pulsed, and her ears rang. She stood rooted to the spot. As if in slow motion, the swinging door from the kitchen to the living room opened, and Josh emerged. Danica’s hands flew to her mouth, and tears spilled down her face. In his arms rested a bundle wrapped in red lace and satin.
Their eyes met across the room. Danica didn’t dare move. The bundle didn’t move, either. In the deepest recesses of her mind, she wondered at the red material.
Slowly, Josh’s weary eyes brightened. A slow grin spread across his face. Dirt covered every inch of his clothing. Grime smeared his face, and his hair hung in limp strands down the sides of his cheeks. His left shirtsleeve was ripped, and stained dark with blood.
Danica finally found her legs again, and rushed to his side, her body shaking. Josh quietly held the bundle out to her. One glance told her the baby was sound asleep. The air left Danica’s lungs, and she gathered the infant in her arms. She held her daughter close, sobbing and kissing the baby’s face. Dawn grimaced in her sleep, and squirmed. Apparently she couldn’t figure out what the fuss was all about, and seemed annoyed by the disturbance to her rest.
Josh wrapped one arm around Danica’s shoulders, and pulled her close. He kissed the top of her head, drawing in a deep breath.
“Let me take the baby,” Kate offered, and held out her hands. Danica looked toward Sarah, standing next to Kate. Her hand was fisted at her mouth. Tears rolled down the old woman’s face. Danica took a step forward, and held her precious bundle out for Sarah to take. The old woman’s eyes widened in surprise, then she carefully took Dawn from her. Danica smiled, and Sarah nodded. Danica turned toward Josh. With a loud sob, she fell into his arms. He crushed her to him, his own body trembling.
“It’s over,” he whispered into her hair. Danica clung to him, as understanding of his words dawned on her. Jonathan Douglas was dead. He would never harm her or her daughter again. Danica sniffed, and sobbed into his shoulder. She looked up and gazed into his eyes.
“You smell like a brothel,” she whispered.
“I came from a brothel.” He grinned, and kissed her mouth. She pulled back, and narrowed her eyes at him.
“Douglas didn’t kidnap Dawn. He had someone else do it,” Josh explained. “One of his men grabbed her from her bassinet, while another man rode out of town. The first man took her to the Industrious Ladies at the other end of town. He was to wait there until Douglas returned . . . after he killed me.”
Danica stared wide-eyed at him.
“After Douglas died, the last of his men, a young private named Harvey, turned himself in to me. He told me everything.”
“He was nice to me after Douglas made me come with him,” Danica said. “What did you do to him?”
“I let him go,” Josh said, caressing Danica’s cheek. With a long, weary sigh, he added, “I’ll tell you the rest of the story later. Right now, I could use a bath.”
“I love you, Josh,” she said, refusing to let him go just yet. “I’m glad we had that shotgun wedding.” She smiled broadly.
He grinned. “You think we should go see your pa and thank him?”
She shook her head, and linked her hands behind his neck. Josh kissed her gently. “I think I’m ready to take my family home,” he whispered.
“Time for things to get back to normal?” She raised her eyebrows.
“As normal as it’s ever gonna be with you, Kumaa ekon nawipin.” Behind him, the first golden glows of the morning sun streamed through the window. It promised to be another glorious Yellowstone Dawn.
Dear Reader
I hope you enjoyed the fourth installment in the Yellowstone Romance Series. Here is the “real story” behind some of the events in the book. After Yellowstone became a national park in 1872, Nathaniel Langford was appointed the first superintendent. He served for five years but was not paid for his services. He had no funding for the park, and no staff. Without formal policy or regulations, he had few legal methods to enforce protection of the natural resources. This left Yellowstone vulnerable to poachers, vandals, and others seeking to raid its resources. It is estimated that during the winter of 1874–1875, not less than 3,000 buffalo and mule deer were killed for their hides.
In 1880, Harry Yount was appointed as a gamekeeper to control poaching and vandalism in the park. Today, he is considered to be the first national park ranger. However, his efforts still proved to be insufficient in protecting the park.
During the 1870s and 1880s, Indian tribes were effectively excluded from the national park. A number of tribes had made seasonal use of the Yellowstone area, but the only year-round residents were small bands of Shoshone known as “Sheepeaters”. They left the area under the assurances of a treaty negotiated in 1868, under which the Sheepeaters ceded their lands but retained the right to hunt in Yellowstone. The United States never ratified the treaty and refused to recognize the claims of the Sheepeaters or any other tribe that had made use of Yellowstone.
The Nez Perce Indians passed through Yellowstone National Park in thirteen days during late August 1877. They were being pursued by the U.S. Army and entered the national park on their flight to Canada. Some of the Nez Perce were friendly to the tourists and other people they encountere
d in the park, some were not. Nine park visitors were briefly taken captive. Despite Joseph and other chiefs ordering that no one should be harmed, at least two people were killed and several wounded.
Ongoing poaching and destruction of natural resources continued until the U.S. Army built a fort near Mammoth Hot Springs in 1886. With the funding and manpower necessary to keep a diligent watch, the army developed their own policies and regulations that permitted public access while protecting park wildlife and natural resources. The National Park Service was created in 1916, and the army handed over control of the park to the park service in 1918.
Titles in the Yellowstone Romance Series:
Book 1 Yellowstone Heart Song
Book 2 Yellowstone Redemption
Book 3 Yellowstone Awakening
Book 4 Yellowstone Dawn
Book 5 Yellowstone Deception
You can find all my titles by visiting my Amazon author page:
http://amazon.com/author/peggylhenderson
What’s next?
I am currently writing the first book in a new time travel series, which I am calling The Second Chances Time Travel Series.
Book 1 is tentatively titled Come Home To Me
I’m looking at a Fall, 2012 release for Book 1
I also have a trilogy in the works, called the Teton Romance Trilogy
Yup, set in the Grand Teton area of the Rocky Mountains, just south of Yellowstone. Strictly historical, without time travel elements.
Yellowstone Dawn (Yellowstone Romance Series Book 4) Page 23
