Laura: Clover Springs Mail Order Brides 5

by Rachel Wesson

  “Where we going, Boss?” one of the men asked Coleman. “Seems to me like we’re heading in the wrong direction if we’re aiming to go to Boston.”

  “Who said we’re going back to Boston? That’s exactly the direction the posse will take.”

  “But you told Jed and Sam to meet us in Denver.”

  Coleman’s eyes glistened dangerously at the belligerent tone the man had used. The man coughed and spat into the ground, not backing down from the challenge.

  “Jed and Sam know they were to create a diversion. I don’t discuss every decision I make. Now you got any more questions?” Coleman’s hand rested on the pearl handled revolver sticking out of his belt.

  Still, the man ignored the signs. Laura wondered if he couldn’t see in the darkness or he was just so wound up and liked playing with fire.

  “So where we going then?” The man’s tone was slightly less challenging this time.

  “There’s a mining town further up the mountain. We will lie low there for a couple of days. There’s plenty of entertainment for you boys. I will be busy entertaining our guest.” Coleman winked at Laura.

  Oh no you won’t. She didn’t react but pretended she hadn’t understood his meaning. She sensed he was disappointed. So he likes baiting me. She had to think of a way to slow them down. If they got to the mining town, they would be able to hire guns. There were always those unsuccessful miners who would do anything for a few dollars. Coleman put a rug on the ground for her to sleep on. He tied her legs loosely together but her hands were bound more tightly.

  “Sit tight and get some sleep. We will be riding hard tomorrow.”

  He kissed her hard on the lips.

  “I can’t wait to find out what had Johnny smiling so much.”

  Laura had to swallow hard not to vomit, but she didn’t want to anger him.

  “I’m going to scout ahead, but don’t try anything. Billy has orders to shoot anything that moves, including you, my dear.”

  Billy raked her with his eyes, earning a clip around the ear from Coleman.

  “She’s mine. You don’t lay as much as a finger on her, you hear?”

  “Yes, Boss. Sorry, Boss,” the man mumbled, rubbing his head.

  Chapter 36

  Coleman was leaving camp for a couple of hours. This was her chance. She had to escape. She closed her eyes until she sensed he had left. She couldn’t run, as her legs were bound. How could she get away? She couldn’t. But she could try to send a signal to the posse she hoped was tracking them. She had to start a fire. But how?

  The ground was dry. Little Beaver had taught the school children how to make a campfire using only stones and some dry leaves. She closed her eyes, remembering the lesson. It had been part of her plan to encourage greater communication and trust between the children. She felt around the ground with her hands. It was difficult with them being bound, but at least Coleman had bound them in front of her rather than behind. Billy hadn’t taken long to start snoring—obviously thinking she was going nowhere.

  She moved slowly, not wanting to alert him. She worked at the rope using her teeth to help make it looser. She couldn’t remove it completely, but it got loose enough to let her move her hands some more.

  Using her feet, she pushed together some leaves, twigs and anything else she could reach, thanking God it was so dry. If she could make a spark and her prayers were answered, it shouldn’t be difficult for the flame to catch. She kept one eye on the sleeping form of the man who was supposed to be watching her.

  Taking two stones, she rubbed them together. The grinding noise sounded so loud she was sure it would wake Billy or bring someone else, but it didn’t. Billy grunted a few times but didn’t wake up.

  It wasn’t working. She had to try harder. Biting her lip, she rubbed the stones together harder. Her skin was chaffing, but she ignored the pain. She had to do something. She would die before she’d let Coleman or anyone else touch her. Anyone but Paul. Closing her eyes, she thought of her sweet, kind husband. Why hadn’t she told him she loved him? Why had she stayed in town to talk to Emer instead of going home and showing her husband how much she cared for him? By waiting, she had put Emer and her baby in danger as well as blowing what might have been the only chance for her to show Paul how grateful she was.

  Angrily brushing the tears from her eyes, she worked the stones harder. A spark. One spark. That was all she needed. Billy grunted again, but it wasn’t that sound that made her work harder. It was the tremor on the ground made by horses’ hooves. Coleman and the others were coming back. This was her last chance.

  She prayed hard. One spark quickly followed by another and some of the bundle in front of her started to smoke. She blew on it, trying to fan the flames. Sweat poured down her back as the noise of the returning horses came closer. She blew again and again, rubbing the stones harder now. Nothing mattered now but making the fire. The flame caught just as Billy woke up. He shouted at her, but in his haste to get up, he fell over his own feet. She kept going, fanning the flames and piling on some green leaves as they produced more smoke than the dry kindling. The flames took hold much quicker than she believed possible.

  “Put out that darn fire. What did I tell you about building a campfire?” Coleman’s voice preceded him.

  Billy pushed her away from the fire forcibly, causing her to fall backwards and jarring her arm. She screamed as loudly as she could. If it hadn’t been so dangerous, she would have laughed at the look on Billy’s face. He couldn’t make up his mind whether to gag her or put the fire out. She kept screaming as he kicked dirt over the fire, trying to douse it.

  “Don’t throw water on it, you fool!”

  Before Coleman could stop him, Billy threw his canteen of water on the fire, causing smoke to billow in all directions. She’d done it. Even if the posse didn’t see the smoke, they would find traces of the fire when they came looking for her. That’s if they come this way and don’t follow the false trail Coleman set up for them.

  Coleman slapped her a few times, but she kept screaming until he pulled out his pistol and held it to her head. She didn’t care if he shot her. He seemed to read her mind as he turned the gun on the hapless Billy.

  “Shut up or I’ll kill him.”

  Laura stopped screaming. She didn’t like the outlaw, but she couldn’t be directly responsible for a man dying.

  “What in the blazes were you thinking of? I told you to watch her.”

  Billy opened his mouth, but he didn’t get a chance to say anything.

  “Clear the camp now. Everyone mount up. We got to get away from here now.”

  Coleman pulled Laura roughly to her feet. She shrank back from him as he held his face close to hers. “I’ll enjoy making you pay for that little stunt. Just you wait.”

  She couldn’t stop her mind reliving some of the ways Johnny had made her pay for past mistakes. Shivering, she forced herself to breathe slowly and deeply to work her way through the dizziness. She wasn’t going to black out from fear. She had to use her emotions to strengthen her resolve. She had promised not to let another man use her that way again. It was a promise she intended to keep regardless of the consequences.

  Chapter 37

  “Those tracks are as plain as day. They are headed to Denver.” Charlie Stanton got back on his horse.

  “No, they aren’t. They want you to think that. It is too obvious.”

  The sheriff rubbed his jaw. Paul looked from Charlie Stanton to Little Beaver.

  “Stay here. I won’t be long.”

  Before anyone could say anything, Little Beaver had raced off in the direction of the tracks.

  They all watched him for a few seconds before the sheriff spoke.

  “What do you think, Kelley? I know your wife was afraid of some men from Boston, but I’m inclined to agree with the Indian. Those tracks are mighty clear for a group of men trying to hide.”

  Paul didn’t know what to think. He itched to be moving, not standing here. He couldn’t help t
hinking of what could be happening to Laura all the time they were waiting around. But it wouldn’t make sense to ride off in the wrong direction. Shouts broke into his thoughts. Little Beaver came racing back.

  “Those tracks are only two horses and two riders. If they had Miss Laura, one horse would be making stronger tracks carrying a heavier load. It’s a…what do you call it?”

  “A ruse? They are trying to get us to follow these tracks?” the sheriff asked.

  “Yes, sir. That’s exactly what they are trying to do.”

  “Sheriff, are you going to take the word of a boy? This is the first strong lead we got since leaving town. I think we should go this way,” Charlie Stanton protested loudly.

  Paul looked at the other men in the posse, some of whom seemed to agree with Charlie. He saw the anger on Little Beaver’s face, although the Indian did his best to hide it.

  “Sheriff, I say follow Little Beaver. It seems mighty convenient those tracks are so clear. A little too helpful.”

  “I agree, but I can’t force any man to follow me. If you men want to follow Charlie, go now. But be careful. They could be leading you into an ambush. The rest of you follow us. Little Beaver, we are right behind you.”

  Little Beaver sent a look of thanks to Paul before riding off. Some of the men broke away to follow Stanton, but the majority fell in behind the sheriff. Paul looked in the direction Little Beaver was taking. It headed straight into the mountains. Where on earth were the kidnappers taking Laura?

  They rode hard, but not as fast as Paul wanted to move. He closed his eyes, picturing Laura as he had last seen her. She’d been laughing as she told him about her lesson plans for the day. He’d ached to kiss her properly, but instead he had simply grazed her forehead with his lips. He thought sometimes she was ready to become his wife in every way, but then other times she still looked scared.

  He’d been patient. She was the love of his life. His woman. He’d sworn to protect her and look at how that had ended up. His stomach heaved as he thought of what she might be going through now. His fingers gripped his gun, thinking of how much he wanted to put a bullet into the men who had taken her. He, who hated violence, now wanted to rip their heads off and feed them to the ants.

  Up above, Little Beaver had jumped off his horse once more. He walked for a while, gazing intently at the ground. Paul rode up near to him.

  “Can you see anything?”

  “I think so, but I wish my grandfather was here with me. He is a much better tracker than I am.”

  “Your grandfather trained you well, Little Beaver. Have faith.” Please hurry. Paul bit down on his impatience, knowing the boy was doing his best. It wasn’t going to help Laura if he threw him off his work by demanding he move faster.

  “This is a puzzle. For a while now, we have been tracking one horse.”

  “One? What on earth?” Was Charlie right all along? Why would the Indian track only one horse when it was a group that took Laura?

  “Yes, one horse with one rider moving very quickly following four other horses. But now there are only four riders and one loose horse.”

  “What are you saying? Another diversion?”

  “There’s blood on the ground. It’s fresh.” Little Beaver didn’t look at Paul, but continued to scrutinize the ground closely.

  Paul fought not to go racing off ahead. Blood? Was it Laura’s? Had they decided to dump her to throw them off? He gripped his reins so tight, his knuckles gleamed. Little Beaver sent him a glance of sympathy before running off in the direction of some trees. Paul made to follow, but the sheriff stopped him.

  “Let him go. Some sights a man shouldn’t see.”

  “You think it’s her, don’t you? She’s dead.”

  “Paul, you and me both know a good woman like Laura might think that was the preferable option. Don’t go looking at me like that. We don’t know whose blood it is.”

  Paul tried to keep a grip on his temper. It wasn’t the sheriff’s fault he was putting Paul’s thoughts into words. Every man and woman in Clover Springs would be thinking the same thing. Why else would a woman be kidnapped? Oh, why hadn’t he acted on his impulse and kissed her properly that morning? Made her stay home from school. Kept her safe with him. Because she isn’t a prisoner and you are not her jailer. She loved that job. Loved being a teacher. Don’t go writing her off now. She’s a fighter. Look at what she had already survived.

  “Paul.”

  His gaze followed the sheriff. Little Beaver was coming back. He had something in his hand.

  “It wasn’t Miss Laura. It was a man. He was wearing this.”

  “Joe Duffy had a scarf like that. Was it him?”

  “I don’t know this Joe Duffy. He’s dead, though. His body is up in those trees. Looks like they dragged him over there.”

  The sheriff rode in the direction Little Beaver indicated, followed by a couple of men. He came back alone. “It was Joe Duffy all right. The men are going to dig a grave for him. Wonder what he was doing out here?”

  “Know him well? I can’t say I remember him.”

  “Bit too well. He’s a drinker, so he landed in the cell a few times. Nothing serious, though. He was relatively new to town. Said he came down from one of the mining towns when his luck gave out.”

  Paul couldn’t concentrate on what the sheriff was saying. It wasn’t Laura. She was still alive. Up there somewhere. He looked toward the mountain. Someone had lit a fire. It wouldn’t be the group they were looking for, since they’d know the smoke would be seen.

  “Do you see that? Looks like a small fire. Maybe some hunters. They might know something.”

  “Won’t hurt to ask. We’re going that direction anyway, aren’t we, Little Beaver?”

  Little Beaver nodded, but his face wore an expression Paul couldn’t decipher.

  “What?”

  “Could be nothing.”

  “Tell me. Please.”

  “I think that fire could be Miss Laura. I taught her how to make a fire in class. See how much it smokes? Hunters wouldn’t make so much smoke.” Little Beaver’s cautious excitement was contagious. “I think Miss Laura is trying to send us a signal.”

  Laura was using smoke signals. Was there anything his wife couldn’t do? Laura wasn’t going to let this gang beat her, so neither was he.

  “Come on, men, my wife is up there.”

  Renewed with hope, the men rode harder than they had before despite the difficult terrain. They soon came to the site of the fire. As Little Beaver had said, it was too small to be an effective campfire. As if to prove it, Little Beaver jumped to the ground and picked up something. He handed it to Paul.

  “It’s from Miss Laura’s dress. She was here.”

  Paul grinned at the Indian. Laura was alive and leaving tracks for them to find her. He was filled with wonder and awe for the bravery his wife was showing.

  “We must be more careful now. They are not far ahead. We don’t want them to hear us coming and kill Miss Laura.”

  The sheriff nodded.

  “What do you suggest we do, Little Beaver?”

  “We should leave the horses here with one or two of your men. I will take my horse. She is more familiar with tracking. She won’t make as much noise.”

  The sheriff dismounted, despite the muttering from some of the posse. Paul hopped off his horse too.

  “I’m going with you.”

  “You should stay with the horses. I don’t want doc to have to dig any more bullets out of you.”

  “Sheriff, that’s my wife out there. I’m going with or without you.”

  “We must move as silently as possible. The trail is difficult for their horses, so they will not be moving quickly either. We will catch them soon.”

  The men filed into a line behind the sheriff, who followed Little Beaver as they climbed up the mountain. The Indian walked beside his horse, examining the ground closely. They moved as silently as a band of cowboys could. Soon they heard some horses, the sound comin
g from further up the mountain.

  “We need to spread out. If we continue as a group, we are a bigger target.” The sheriff ordered the men to split off into twos and threes. Paul stuck as near as he could to Little Beaver.

  “Miss Laura is still alive, Mr. Kelley. See, she leaves patterns for me to find.”

  Paul looked at where Little Beaver was pointing, but he couldn’t see anything. It just looked like a couple of leaves. But the boy seemed to read something into it, so he had to take his word for it. His mind couldn’t contemplate a life without Laura.

  Chapter 38

  Laura forced herself to take shallower breaths. The further they got up into the mountain, the more difficult breathing became. She continued to pick leaves as often as she could, dropping them after her. She didn’t know how much longer they would keep riding. She felt Coleman stick his spurs into his horse again, her heart breaking for the poor animal. Coleman was an idiot. The horse couldn’t go any faster, given the rough terrain.

  Laura strained her hearing, hoping to hear someone giving chase, but the valley and forest behind them yielded nothing. Did Paul know where she was? She prayed, even though it didn’t seem like God was listening. But he had to be. Father Molloy said God never denied anyone who was in trouble. If being stuck up a mountain with a gang like Coleman’s wasn’t trouble, Laura didn’t know what was. But you got yourself into this mess. If you hadn’t been so eager to marry Johnny, you would have seen him for what he really was. Laura kicked herself mentally. It was pointless thinking about the past.

  She had to find a way to slow their progress. Out of the corner of their eye, she saw Coleman was preoccupied. She looked around her. The terrain was slightly less rough than before. There were fewer rocks. She wanted to hinder their progress, but she wasn’t quite ready to kill herself yet. Taking a deep breath, she whispered a quick apology to the horse before kicking it. The animal reared in surprise, throwing Laura and Coleman off the mount just as she had planned.