“Remind me to have you start training our horses,” Ina said as they neared the ranch. “I am impressed with your mount!”
“No problem,” Adoette stated.
He jumped down from his horse and ran ahead to open the gate, so the cattle could be herded inside. A few moments later, both Dohate and Ezhno were guiding their groups in, but Cooper and Chogan were nowhere to be seen.
“You men go ahead and get cleaned up,” Ina said. “I’m going to stay here a bit and wait for Cooper and Chogan to bring the rest in.”
“I’ll stay with you,” Adoette offered.
“I’ll see to your horse,” Hudson said. “I noticed it was limping and you weren’t on it. I was pretty worried until I saw you riding up with Adoette.”
“He tripped in a prairie-dog hole. I hope it doesn’t make him go lame.”
“I’m not much of a cattleman, but I do know a little about caring for horses,” Hudson told her. “I used to have to take care of our own horses since we couldn’t afford to keep a groom or stable hand,” he admitted.
“It seems to me you are turning into a pretty good cattleman,” Ina praised. “I will trust you know what you are doing to care for the horse,” Ina said, discovering yet another thing that surprised her about Hudson.
Hudson grinned.
“I’ll take both those things as a valued complement,” he said.
“They were meant to be,’ Ina returned, liking the way Hudson’s grin spread across his face and made his eyes shine.
Ina watched Hudson ride towards the barn, where her horse had headed when it came in.
“Are you sure you want to stand out here in the rain waiting?” Adoette asked.
“No. I would rather ride out and look for them, but I don’t want to saddle a new mount,” she said, feeling worried.
“Then let’s get back on my horse and hunt them down. We’re soaked anyway. Couldn’t get any wetter,” he smiled.
Ina swung up onto Adoette’s horse and he leaped up behind her, clicking his tongue, which caused his horse to pick up speed. Ina felt his arms coming around her as he kicked his horse into a gallop and directed his steed with his legs, as most Indians did.
“How can you do that?” Ina asked.
She turned her head, her hair whipping in her face, as she spoke to Adoette.
“It comes from the old days when we hunted the buffalo. Our horses had to be directed by our legs so our hands would be free to use our weapons as we rode down on the buffalo. We can’t hunt buffalo now, considering they have been destroyed by the white man, but the way to train horses has been handed down from those who did.”
“I see Chogan up ahead,” Ina said, and Adoette turned his horse in that direction.
“Where’s Cooper?” Ina asked.
She noticed Chogan was not herding any cattle, but merely heading back to the ranch.
“I lost him. He took off after a group of strays, and then the rain hit and we got separated. I figured he knew how to bring them in, so I decided to head back after waiting for him to bring the strays back in this direction, so I could help him, but he must have come back a different way.”
“He never showed up at the ranch. Adoette and I will go look for him,” Ina said.
“You sure you want to stay out in this storm? He may have decided to take shelter someplace.”
“That’s all the more reason to find those strays, and bring them home. If he is sheltering someplace, it is a sure thing those steers are on their own, wandering around in the storm.”
“You are probably right. You want me to come?”
“We can handle it,” Adoette broke in. “No use for all of us to stay out in the storm. That group of strays didn’t look very big to me. Cooper should have been able to handle them on his own, which makes me wonder why he isn’t herding them back to the ranch by now.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Ina mumbled, remembering the number of cattle that had been marked off as lost strays, in the ledger books she had examined.
Chogan continued back to the ranch, while Adoette urged his horse in the direction they were already heading.
“If we don’t find him within the next hour, I suppose we should head back too, and when he returns to the ranch demand explanations,” Ina muttered.
“Chogan said your mother never trusted him,” Adoette said. “Maybe she had good reason not to.”
“Only Pritchard secured his position here so he thinks he can do as he pleases.”
They continued to ride and the rain continued to beat upon their slicker-clad backs, causing rivers of water to run off the brim of their hats and roll down over their slickers. Only Ina had gotten soaked when she fell from her horse, so all her slicker did was keep her from soaking up more water than already saturated her clothes.
“I can’t understand where he could have gone,” Ina stated, as they continued to ride without any sight of Cooper.
“I think I see something ahead,” Adoette stated. “Could be Cooper and the cattle gathered under the shelter of that clump of trees.”
“Why would he just park the cattle under the trees? He should have brought them back to the ranch,” Ina grumbled.
Adoette slowed his horse and turned in a different direction.
“What are you doing?” Ina demanded.
“I don’t think he is with those cattle alone. There are some other riders with him. We know it is not any or our hands, so I am wondering just who he is meeting out here? Maybe someone else out herding their cattle, but until we know, I want to skirt around, leave my horse behind that rise over there, and go in on foot until I am close enough to see what is going on.”
“What do you mean you are going to go in? You forget I am the one in charge of things here.”
“I figured it would be easier for one person to sneak up on them than two. I’m going to get rid of the slicker so I will blend in. You know full well that an Indian can be invisible if he chooses to be,” he smiled.
“You may be right, and since I do trust you, I suppose I will let you have your way. Only, just don’t do anything until you come back and check with me.”
“I just hope they aren’t carrying any weapons.”
“Take my pistol,” Ina offered, holding out her six-shooter. “I don’t know why you don’t have a gun?”
“They don’t let us have them on the reservation,” he shrugged.
“Oh,” Ina said as he took the gun from her hand.
“Do you even know how to shoot it?” she asked.
“No, but if I need to, I think I can figure it out.”
“Just don’t shoot yourself!” she warned, wondering if it was a good idea to let him take the gun?
She didn’t have time to change her mind since Adoette had already headed in the direction of the trees, as Ina watched from a distance. It seemed like forever before Adoette returned. He didn’t look very happy. Besides the water running from his hair, over his face, and his clothes soaked and muddy, he had a grim expression on his face.
“The crook is selling your cattle to someone,” Adoette informed her.
“I think they had made arrangements to meet but hadn’t counted on the storm or the fact that you were going to bring all the cattle in today. They’re waiting for someone else to show up, who must be part of the deal or maybe has the money. What do you want to do?”
“For now, nothing, I don’t intend to get shot over a few head of cattle. I had my suspicions about Cooper from the beginning when I learned cattle were disappearing. Did you catch any names?”
“No, just single names like Zack and Charlie.”
“Zack and Charlie…they are the Blackwell brothers. They are nothing but trouble. They have a little spread a few miles from here, but it has never done very well since they spend most of their time drinking and raising hell. We’ll head back to the ranch for now, but when the storm lets up, I’m going into town to talk to the sheriff. I’m going to have that cattle stealing cowpoke put behind bars and a
nyone else that he is associated with!”
“A lot of those young cattle didn’t have a brand. You won’t be able to prove they belong to you.”
“They change the brands around anyway, when they steal cattle, branding right on top of the old brand, but making some change to it, so it won’t be recognized. Only we are witnesses to Cooper taking my cattle and turning it over to someone else.”
“Trouble is, no one is going to believe an Indian. You know how the ranchers around here feel about the Comanche.”
“All we can do, is try.”
“Thanks for the use of the gun,” Adoette mumbled, handing the gun back. “I guess we had better return before we both end up getting chilled to the bone.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to feel chilled, and I am beat,’ Ina admitted.
“Then I had better get you back,” Adoette said, as he lifted her up onto his horse, put his slicker back on, and then swung up behind her.
They didn’t talk on the way back. Ina was feeling depressed at the fact that Cooper had taken the cattle, and she would have to report him to the sheriff. Just confronting Cooper was going to be hard to do. Besides she was feeling tired and stiff. She found herself leaning back against Adoette’s strong, hard body, and didn’t realize it when she ended up falling asleep.
Ina jerked awake when she felt Adoette pulling her from the horse and carrying her in his arms, but then let her head fall back onto Adoette’s shoulder. Her head was splitting, and she didn’t want to open her eyes.
“What happened?”
It was Hudson’s, voice. He was standing on the front porch when Adoette approached the house, and he sounded concerned.
“Is she hurt?”
“No. I think she is just worn out. We discovered Cooper selling the strays, but we didn’t confront him, since he had some other men with him, and they had guns. She said she was going to report him to the sheriff, once the storm lets up.”
“I’ll take her,” Hudson offered. “You look beat, and half drowned.”
“Take her slicker off first, so you don’t track too much water through the house,” Adoette suggested, and Hudson started removing Ina’s slicker.
“Why are her clothes wet and muddy?” Hudson wanted to know.
“Must have happened when she fell from her horse, and I didn’t think about her clothes being so wet. No wonder she said she was feeling chilled.”
“She needs a hot bath,” Hudson mumbled, looking to Adoette for support. “I kept the water hot for the two of you, for when you returned. We can’t just put her to bed all muddy and cold. She looks dead to the world.”
“Maybe my uncle, Chogan, should take her to the bathhouse,” Adoette suggested.
“Yeah, she might get upset if we do anything like that.”
“Or we could wake her up, once we get to the bathhouse. I’m sure she could manage it on her own.”
“Sounds like a better idea. I wouldn’t want her giving us, all, the boot for being improper,” Hudson agreed.
The bathhouse had a covered porch leading to it, so it could be gotten to easily even during bad weather. It was connected to the porch of the main house, and the two men walked there as Hudson carried Ina, and Adoette followed, opening the bathhouse door, once they arrived.
Hudson gently lowered Ina to the floor and supported her against his shoulder.
“Ina, you need to wake up and take a bath,” Hudson whispered in her ear as he gently shook her, trying not to shock her.
Ina slowly opened her eyes.
“Where are we?” she asked, seeming to have lost her bearings.
“You are home, in the bathhouse,” Hudson mumbled.
“This isn’t my home,” she said, looking around with a strange expression on her face. “I live in a big beautiful house with an inside bath.”
“You are at the Circle P Ranch. Don’t you remember?” Hudson prodded.
“The Circle P Ranch?”
She looked a little confused.
“Yeah, we just brought the cattle in so we could count and brand them.”
“Why am I in the bathhouse, then?” she asked looking puzzled.
“We were out in the storm you fell off your horse and got all muddy and wet. You said you felt chilled and…” Hudson pushed the wet, muddy hair out of Ina’s eyes as he spoke. “Hell!” he spouted, as he pulled his hand away. “She’s burning up! I think she has a fever!”
“I’ll get my uncle. You put her in the tub and clean her up. Don’t make the water too warm though.”
“Me!” Hudson bellowed, but Adoette had already left to get his uncle.
Ina did not seem to want to stand, so Hudson gently lowered her to the floor, leaning her up against the wall as he started running water into the tub. It was a good thing he had thought to keep the fire going in the wood stove that the water pipes ran through after everyone else had a warm bath. He had kept an eye out for Adoette and Ina’s return, to let them know the water was hot and waiting for them.
Once the water was gushing into the tub, Hudson turned to Ina. He hesitated, then drew in his breath and tried to undress her, without actually looking at her body. But he had to lift that nude body and place her in the tub. He was surprised at how light she felt in his arms, and how her hand naturally lifted and clung to his neck, as he carried her over and lowered her into the tub.
Ina’s eyes tightened, as though she was in pain, and Hudson wasn’t sure what to do, but he had the presences of mind to throw a towel over her body before Adoette and Chogan arrived.
“What should we do?” Hudson asked Chogan when he came into the room.
“Not much to do,” Chogan muttered. “Wash her hair, and make sure there is no grit left on her body, then take her up to her room and put her under the covers. Make her as comfortable as you can but don’t dress her. It may be necessary to cool her down if she gets too hot. It’s tricky because we don’t want her to get too chilled, but we also don’t want her to get too hot. One of us should sit by her bed to watch her until the fever breaks.”
“I’ll take the first turn,” Hudson offered.
“In the morning, I’ll sit with her,” Adoette said.
“I’ll take care of running the ranch until Ina recovers. When the storm lets up by morning, we will ride out and tell Connor about her,” Chogan suggested.
“Did Adoette tell you about Cooper?” Hudson asked.
“Yeah, I felt something was out of place when he didn’t return with those strays. However, I suggest we don’t say anything to Cooper when he returns, except ask him what happened to the strays, if he doesn’t bring them back. We will let Ina and Connor decide what to do about Cooper once she recovers. As long as Ina is sick, I don’t want anything to stress her.” Chogan glanced at the two young men. “We won’t say anything to anyone else. It will just be between the three of us until Ina is well enough to take over again.”
“Sounds good to me,” Hudson agreed.
“I’ll leave you to take care of Ina on your own, Hudson. We don’t all need to be witnessing her helpless state, and the fewer of us handling her, the less upset she will be once she wakes up. In the morning, if she hasn’t gotten better when I ride out to the Double C, I’ll see if Connor wants to send for a doctor.”
Chogan and Adoette turned and left Hudson on his own. At first, he felt alarmed that he would be left there to care for Ina, while he barely knew her. What would she say, once she learned that he had handled her when she was helpless and unable to agree to his caring for her? There was no way to get out of it, though, he realized. Someone had to step up, and if he was the one who had to do it, he might as well get to it.
He knelt down beside the tub and started washing the mud out of Ina’s hair. Once that was done, he took the sponge and ran it over her body, beneath the towel. Although he could not see her body, the very feel of it, made him fear he was overstepping his bounds. He pushed the worry aside and continued.
Eventually, there was no putting it off. H
e had to drain the tub, and then remove the wet towel so he could dry her off. The whole time she had barely opened her eyes and the only sound she made was a soft moaning from time to time. He wrapped her wet hair in a towel, and then threw another dry towel over her, lifting her up in his arms, and carrying her to the house. He hadn’t dried her, but he figured the towel wrapped around her, would absorb most of the water, by the time he got her to her room.
Once there, Hudson pulled back the covers and then lay her on the bed. He pulled the covers up to her chin and removed the damp towel out from under the covers. He felt a little easier, knowing he had preserved her modesty as much as he could, under the circumstances. He worked at drying her hair and then laid it out around her shoulders.
It was then that Hudson stopped and looked down on Ina beyond a quick glance. She looked so beautiful laying there with her damp, golden hair hovering around her face like a halo. He had disliked the fact that she was taking over his uncle’s ranch and was the one that would be ordering him around, but now all he could see was a helpless angle, that he was expected to care for. He reached his hand out and felt her forehead. It still felt hot, and he wondered if he should try to cool her down, the way Chogan had suggested?
Hudson went to the picture and bowl on the dressing table, and wet a washcloth there. He slowly pulled the covers back, averting his eyes, and started to smooth the washcloth over her skin, when he felt her start to shiver he replaced the covers again, and settled down in a chair beside her bed.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Is Shanny still feeling ill?” Callie’s mother asked as they sat talking in the drawing room while both Callie’s father and Chayton had their faces hidden behind their separate newspapers.
“It has been three days now, and she refuses to leave her bed,” Callie murmured. “She doesn’t have a fever, but she seems listless and uninterested in anything. The only person she will allow to attend to her is Joey. They had been at odds during the whole trip over here, and suddenly they don’t want to leave each other’s side.”
“Has she told you what ails her?”
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