“All right, but don’t wander too far.”
Becky darted behind the rocks and moved into the crevice. A skull, with leering, broken teeth, stared at her. Screams spewed from her throat, bouncing off the rock walls and creating an eerie echo.
Ryan dashed up. “What in tarnation…”
“Sk…skull.” Her teeth chattered and shafts of fear and revulsion speared into her.
“Let me take a look.”
She staggered back a few paces as Ryan squatted down next to the skull. He used his hands to dig into the piles of leaves and dirt. It didn’t take long for him to unearth the whole skeleton.
“Going by the boots, it’s a man,” he said.
Becky peered over his shoulder. The man’s boots were dried out, brittle looking yet easily recognizable. Rotted remnants of clothing clung to the skeleton. A leather thong was tied around his neck, dangling from this was a small draw-string leather bag.
Ryan tugged at it. The bag split open and gold nuggets poured on to the ground. He gathered them up and weighed them in his hands. “Probably worth a thousand dollars or so.” He pulled out a grubby handkerchief and emptied the nuggets into it and tied it up.
“We can’t keep this gold; it isn’t ours?”
“No point leaving it here, this poor devil can’t use it. There’s nothing on him to say who he is or where he came from, I’ve already looked. This will be a good stake for us.”
“I’m being foolish, but the poor man died out here all alone, we’re sort of robbing him.”
“If I knew who he was, I would try to track down his relatives, but there’s nothing here.” He kept poking around in the gravel as they spoke.
“What do you think happened to him?”
“He doesn’t appear to have any injuries, well not that I can see, anyway. He might have come from the shack, or maybe he was sick and came in here to die. Do what you have to.” He stood up. “I want to get away from here, it’s eerie.”
She sent up a quick silent prayer for the man’s soul and moved away. She would not desecrate his final resting place by relieving herself near him.
Ryan must have realized her dilemma. “I’ll go check how full the rag is. I just wish I’d had time to grab the canteen.”
After relieving herself she returned to Ryan. “We were lucky to get out.” She shuddered. Even if they eventually perished here, it would be better than being blown to pieces by dynamite. They took turns to suck moisture from the rag.
On and on they trudged, climbing higher. The backs of her legs ached with the strain. She was panting by the time Ryan decided they could rest.
“We’ll never get out of here,” she wailed, slumping to the ground.
“We will,” he stated confidently. “There’s fresh air coming from somewhere, I can feel it every now and again. We’ve just got to find the opening.”
“I feel like we’re in the bowels of the earth.” She rubbed the damp cloth across her forehead. Between them they had sucked the dripping cloth almost dry.
“We’ve been climbing and there are plenty of twists and turns. Goddammit, I don’t know where we are, but we have to come out sometime soon.”
They shared another stick of jerky. “I’ve got two left,” he said. “Come on.” He took her hands and pulled her upward, and she stumbled against him. He held her for a moment or two, his breath stirring her loosened hair.
“Come on brave little Becky, we have to keep moving.”
She trudged along behind him, staring at his back. Instinctively she knew he had deliberately shortened his stride to make it easier for her to keep up. They turned a corner. A gust of wind swept in.
“There’s an opening here.” He whooped his excitement. “We found it. I knew we would.”
Becky followed him out of the passageway and gasped in shock. They were stuck up the side of a mountain a couple of hundred feet above the ground. The cliff walls were sheer. No way could they climb down into the canyon floor below.
“We’re trapped, Ryan.”
“No, there’s a ledge leading down.”
Becky had always hated heights. “I can’t walk on that.” It couldn’t be more than two feet wide. One slip meant death.
“You have to. I’ll help you. We can edge our way around, keeping our backs to the cliff face.” He gnawed his lip. “Take your gown off.”
“What!”
“Take your gown off. Your petticoat too.”
“You want me to strip off in front of you?”
“Yeah. I don’t mean naked.” He gave a devilish laugh. “We’ll save that for when we get hitched. You…you do have underclothes on?” His lips pursed.
“Yes.”
“Well, you’ll be decently covered.”
“But.”
“No buts. There is no way you can move along this ledge with a billowing gown and petticoat. We’ll take them with us, and when we get down from here you can put them back on.”
What he suggested was sensible. He averted his eyes as she took off her gown and petticoat and rolled them up. “Here they are.” She handed them over. He ruthlessly tore off a strip from her petticoat and tied it around the bundle before tossing it away. Shocked, she watched her clothes spiraling downward.
“We can pick them up when we get down there.” He clasped her hand. “We’ll have to move sideways. Don’t look down, and keep your back against the wall.”
Becky gulped. “I don’t think I can. I’m afraid of heights.”
“If you don’t want to move, we’ll stay here and die.”
“No, no,” she wailed. “You go. Save yourself.”
“I’m not going without you, so it’s your choice.”
“All right.” She couldn’t let Ryan die up here because of her cowardice. “I’ll try.”
“Don’t look down. I won’t let go of your hand, Becky. No matter what. If you go over the edge, I’ll be coming with you.”
She took a shuddering breath. I can do this. I have to for Ryan. I can’t let him sacrifice himself.
“Ready?”
She nodded. What little moisture she had in her mouth dried up. Her heart slammed against her ribcage as Ryan clasped her hand and they edged their way toward the safety of the canyon floor. She wanted to close her eyes, but dared not in case she missed her step. Perspiration broke out on her body, she could feel it trickling between her breasts. “You can do this. Do it for Ryan, the man you love,” she inwardly whispered.
She loved Ryan Mulligan, had probably always loved him if truth be known. Would always love him.
Heat bouncing off the stone wall burned through the thin cotton of her undergarments. They had once been white, but were now a dirty brown color. Would she ever feel clean again?
“You’re doing well,” he said. “I’m proud of you.”
His praise spurred her on. In a couple of places they had to crawl over heaped up rocks. Finally, when she was trembling with distress and exhaustion, they made it down from the tortuous ledge.
“We’re not that far away from the shack,” he said.” We’ve been travelling around in a semi-circle.” He put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “We made it.”
They both sank to the ground. “I know it’s unlikely, but those varmints might have left my horse nearby. He let out a piercing whistle and waited. Nothing. He whistled again.
Becky heard hoof beats, and from around the corner Ryan’s horse trotted toward them.
“Brandy, you son-of-a-gun, it’s good to see you.” He was still saddled, but looked none the worse for wear.
“Wait here,” Ryan instructed. “Sit under that ledge out of the sun. I’ll go and retrieve your clothes, and I want to take a look around. My guess is there’s water around here somewhere. The outlaws seemed to have plenty of water, they would have had to refill their canteens a few times, and I never saw a wagon. Did you?”
She shook her head. “Not after we arrived here. What if they’re still here?”
“Th
ey’ll be miles away by now. They think we’re dead. Wes didn’t pay up, so it stands to reason they would vamoose and not look back.”
Before Ryan mounted Brandy, he handed her his water bottle. “Have a drink, darlin’, you won’t get much out of it, probably just about empty. I’ve got a couple of tins of beans in my saddle bags, so we’ll have a feast when I get back.”
Where did the man get the strength from? He was tough and resilient, ruggedly handsome. Such a man would have no trouble finding a woman. Was it possible he really did love her? Wes called her ugly, said she would repel most men, and was a fool to have spurned Vaughan’s marriage proposal. She should have been grateful.
She shuddered with remembrance. The incident was engraved on her mind. Grateful? Letting that horrible old man violate her. She would have preferred death.
Ryan and Jase must have taken after their mother as neither of them looked like their father. Her head ached and she closed her eyes to blot out the burning sun. The rays seemingly bouncing off the canyon walls made it even hotter.
She heard horse’s hooves on the rock hard earth, swallowed the dust as Ryan rode into view. He dismounted and strode toward her. “There’s a rock pool behind that ridge. We’ll get cleaned up and have something to eat before we head off”
“To Blackwood?”
“No, we’ll head in the opposite direction and go to Broken Hills. They’ve got a decent hotel where we can stay. More importantly, they’ve got a church so they must have a preacher. We can get hitched there.”
He hoisted her up into the saddle. “I’ll lead, it’s not far. I don’t want Brandy carrying double until he’s had that saddle off for a while.”
Within a short time, they reached a small rock pool. A few scraggy bushes grew around it, the green foliage dulled by a coating of dust. Ryan lifted her down and she dashed over to the sparkling water. Kneeling down, she splashed it over her face, then cupping her hands, scooped up the crystal clear liquid and drank her fill.
Ryan knelt down next to her and scooped up a few mouthfuls. “Brandy and I have already had a drink, and I’ve filled up my canteen. If you want to have a wash I won’t peek.”
“Thank you. I have never felt so filthy in my whole life. Um, what about my gown?”
He grinned. “I’ll go get it.” He strode off and returned within a couple of minutes.
Once he left her she ripped a strip off her petticoat. There wasn’t much of the poor garment left now. Soaking the cloth in the water she washed as much of her body as she could. The water was cold, obviously coming from an underground spring, perhaps connected to the water running down the walls of the passageway they had passed through.
By the time she made it back to Ryan he had a fire going and the beans heating. Coffee. She sniffed the aroma appreciably.
“Hot coffee, I can’t believe it.”
“I always carry a small coffee pot in my saddlebags. Only got one mug so we’ll have to share.”
Hot coffee. She savored every mouthful. Warmed up beans were much nicer than the cold ones the outlaws had fed them.
Stretched out on the ground with his head resting on his saddle, Ryan looked relaxed. None the worse for his ordeal except for the nasty red gash on the side of his head. “What I wouldn’t give for a nice juicy steak.”
After making sure the fire was out, he saddled Brandy, lifted Becky up into the saddle and swung up behind her.
“We’ll be in Broken Hills in about four hours. I want to take it easy with Brandy carrying double.”
Chapter Nine
Broken Hills. A strange name for a town Becky thought as they rode down the main street. It didn’t look much different to Blackwood or any other small western town. Mercantile, Sheriff’s Office, saloon, livery stables and a diner. They received a few interested stares, but most people seemed oblivious to their passing.
After they dismounted at the livery, Ryan tossed the stable boy a coin and told him to take extra care of Brandy. He slipped his arm through Becky’s and they walked up the street.
“What are you doing here, Ryan?” A middle-aged man standing in the doorway of the mercantile called out.
Ryan stopped. “I’m aiming to get hitched.” He grinned at the look of shock on the older man’s face. “Becky, meet Alf Greenwood, owner of Broken Hills best mercantile.”
“The only one,” Alf shot back. “Howdy Miss. Never thought any gal could get a leg rope on this cowboy, and a few of them have tried real hard over the years.”
“I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Greenwood.”
“Call him Alf, everyone else does. Where’s the preacher live?”
“In the white house next to the church.”
“Could Maude spare you for a few minutes so you can act as a witness for us?”
“Sure, be proud to. The preacher has a wife so she can be the other witness.”
“You need two?” Ryan queried. “I didn’t know that.”
“Ain’t you ever been to a wedding before?”
“Nope, and I don’t plan to be going to another one, either.”
“Have you got your gal a ring?”
“A ring?” Ryan exclaimed.
“A wedding ring, you dang fool.”
“Oh, do you sell them”
“Yes, come inside and let your bride pick one.”
“Can’t you just grab one for her?
Becky gasped at his cavalier attitude.
“I want to get this over and done with. We’ll be leaving tomorrow morning.”
“Please, I’d like to choose my own ring.” She touched Ryan’s arm. “It’s important to me.”
“Oh, all right, if it means that much to you. We’re heading for Montana, I aim to buy a ranch there. I’ll need a few things for the trail.”
They walked into the well-stocked store. Alf produced a tray from under the counter. There wasn’t a great selection, but she found one she liked and it fit perfectly.
“Put it on my account please, Alf. I’ll fix it up when I buy the other things I need. Wear the ring now, so it won’t get lost,” he instructed Becky. “You can give it to me at the preacher’s house.”
A plump, middle aged woman waddled up to them. “Well, if it isn’t Ryan Mulligan.”
“Howdy Maude.” Ryan grinned as he introduced the two women.
Maude gave Becky a hug, and she immediately liked this friendly lady.
“What are you getting married in?” Maude asked.
Becky glanced down at her grubby, torn gown. “This I suppose, I don’t have anything else.”
Maude pursed her lips.
Briefly Ryan explained what had happened to them, and the kindly woman let out a shocked gasp.
“I’ve never in my life felt so dirty and disheveled.” Becky shuddered. She must look dreadful.
“We’re planning on staying the night at the Palace Hotel, so we’ll have a bath there after we’re hitched.”
“Ryan Mulligan. You will not, nor will this pretty little gal.” Maude wagged her finger at him. “I’ve got a bath out back; Becky can use that. And you, my boy.” She stabbed him in the chest with her forefinger. “Take yourself off to the barber for a haircut and shave. You can have a bath over there, too.”
Becky was surprised when Ryan meekly nodded.
“I’ll select a gown suitable for you to get married in.” Maude turned her attention to Becky.
“Please, Maude, it’s kind of you, really it is. I’m so grateful to have a bath, it will be enough. I don’t have any money, nothing but the clothes I’m wearing.”
Maude gasped. “My dear…”
“Becky does need clothes,” Ryan agreed, “but we’ll be travelling on horseback for the next few weeks so she’ll need pants, a shirt and a jacket. Oh, and a hat. I’ll see about getting her a mount at the livery.” He waved his arm around. “Female frippery is out of the question now, we’ve got a long way to travel.”
“But…” Maude protested.
“Ryan is right, w
e discussed it before we arrived in town, easier and safer for me to dress like a man.”
“You’re not going to get a wagon?” Alf asked.
“No, not to start with. The first part of the journey we’ll do on horseback. Maybe later.” He gnawed his bottom lip. “If it gets too much for Becky.”
She immediately bristled at the insinuation that she was weak and needed pampering. “I’d prefer to ride, I’m used to it. I can outride most men,” she went on indignantly.
“That’s true.” Ryan nodded his head.
“It’s unseemly,” Maude said. “Besides, what if he gets you with child straight away? You won’t be able to ride then.”
Becky was surprised to see embarrassed red run into Ryan’s cheeks. “Um. We’ll worry about that if it happens.”
“Please.” Becky tried to hide her own embarrassment. She hadn’t thought about it, but her life would be complete if she had Ryan’s baby. “I know you’re trying to be kind, but I prefer to travel on horseback, a gown would be too cumbersome.”
“Well, at least pick out something a little flattering.”
“I’ll leave her in your capable hands.” Ryan grinned. “I’ll be back when I’m cleaned up. Don’t keep me waiting Becky, as you know I’m not a particularly patient man. Buy what you need, I can fix Alf up for everything in the morning.” He sauntered off.
“What an infuriating man he can be sometimes. Select what you want. Alf, you get the tub prepared.” Maude issued her instructions like a military general.
“Yes Ma’am.” Grinning, Alf gave her a salute.”
The two women selected undergarments, brown pants, two blue shirts and a fringed buckskin coat. Becky fingered the soft leather. She had never worn anything as fancy as this before. She chose a wide brimmed, tan colored hat.
“That’s enough, thank you, Maude. We have to travel light.”
“I don’t like the thought of a pretty gal like you wearing boy’s clothing to get married in.”
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