“They might . . . if I challenge Stone Bear to single combat with all our lives as the stakes.”
Lieutenant Curry said, “I don’t see how that would work. Even if you kill Stone Bear, won’t some other warrior just take over as chief and order that all of us be killed?”
“That could happen,” Jamie admitted. “But an Indian’s word means a lot to him, Lieutenant. That’s why they get so upset when we break treaties right and left. They don’t like being lied to, and they don’t like lying. If Stone Bear agrees to the deal, he’ll insist that all his warriors agree to it as well. And there’s at least a chance that if they do, they won’t go back on it.”
Sutton shook his head. “That will never work. Von Kuhner won’t allow Stone Bear to agree to such a bargain.”
“The baron might try to talk him out of it,” Jamie said, “but from what I’ve seen, Stone Bear might agree just because von Kuhner tried to talk him out of it. Those two may have worked together in the past, but it doesn’t seem to me that they get along all that well.”
“I don’t know . . .” Sutton shrugged. “You might be on to something, Jamie. At any rate, I don’t have any better suggestions to make.”
“Neither do I,” added Curry.
“The Blackfeet won’t do anything until morning,” Jamie said. “I’ll ask to talk to Stone Bear and put my proposition to him. I think he’ll take me up on it.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then we’ll probably all be dead by tomorrow evening. But one way or another, I intend to die fighting.”
* * *
Reese Coburn turned quickly and raised the gun in his hand. “Who’s there?”
“Rest easy,” said Preacher as he stepped out of the thick shadows at the bottom of the ravine. He made a bulkier shape than usual because of the load he carried in his arms. “It’s just me. I’ve brung some things from Stone Bear’s village . . . and brung a friend, as well.”
Another tall, bulky figure followed Preacher and Dog under the bank’s slight overhang.
Katarina stepped hesitantly toward the newcomers and said, “Helmuth . . . ?”
“Countess,” Helmuth said. “It is good to see you again.”
She threw her arms around him, heedless of the robes he was carrying. “All these years, I believed you were dead. I am so sorry you were abandoned.”
“He wasn’t exactly abandoned,” Preacher pointed out. “Everybody figured he was dead. If things hadn’t happened that way, there’s a good chance he wouldn’t have survived this long.”
“That’s true,” Helmuth said. He seemed a little more rational, now that he was among other human beings and Stone Bear’s village was a couple of miles away. “So many of the others died.”
The other women crowded around, each of them hugging him in turn. The barriers between aristocrats and a former servant were gone.
Preacher and Helmuth passed around robes, leggings, and moccasins to the half-frozen women, who pulled them on gratefully and wrapped the robes around themselves.
Katarina asked, “Where did you get these?”
Preacher chuckled. “This is the stuff that belonged to you ladies. I figured that since you’d escaped, the Blackfeet wouldn’t be watchin’ the lodge where you’d been stayin’. I was right. It was easy to slip in there and gather up these things. Luckily, they hadn’t cleaned nothin’ out of there yet.”
“What about your friends?” Coburn asked. “Did you see them?”
Preacher’s voice grew solemn as he said, “I caught just a glimpse of ’em as they were bein’ herded into one of the lodges, but that was enough to tell me Jamie’s still alive. I knew he would be. Looked like him, Colonel Sutton, Lieutenant Curry, and a few of the soldiers survived von Kuhner’s ambush. That lodge where they’re bein’ kept is right in the center of the village, and Stone Bear posted a dozen guards around it. No way for me to get to it.”
Coburn sounded wary as he said, “You brought somethin’ else back with you.”
“Yeah, I did.” Preacher picked up a bundle he had set aside earlier while they were handing out the clothes and robes. He untied the strip of rawhide he had tied around several bows and passed them out to the women as well.
“What am I supposed to do with this?” Countess Marion von Arnim said.
“You’ve been around the Blackfeet for five years, ma’am. I reckon you’ve seen them usin’ bows plenty of times.” Preacher unslung a quiver that was slung over his shoulder. “I’ve got a couple dozen arrows here. Gathered ’em from here and there in the village, along with the bows, in the hope that they wouldn’t be missed too soon.”
“Wait a minute,” said Coburn. “You expect these ladies to attack the Blackfeet with nothing but some bows and a handful of arrows each? No offense, Preacher, but that’s loco!”
“I don’t figure they’d win any real battles, no. But spread out on that ridge, they might be able to make the Blackfeet believe we’ve got a bigger force on our side than we really do. When I give the signal, you’ll all fire an arrow down into the village. You don’t have to hit nothin’, just show Stone Bear that you’re there.”
“And what will that accomplish?”
“I’m hopin’ it’ll make ’em hold off from killin’ me when I walk in there, bold as brass.”
Katarina gasped, “Why in the world would you do that?”
“Because I’m gonna challenge Stone Bear,” Preacher said. “A fight to the death with your lives, and the lives of Jamie and the other prisoners, ridin’ on the outcome.”
Chapter 39
By the time the storm came to an end not long before dawn the next morning, it had dumped a foot of the white stuff on the mountainous landscape. As winter weather went, that was fairly mild. Considering that, according to the calendar, it was still autumn, it was a significant snowfall, even though the later ones would be worse.
The temperature was well below freezing, causing Jamie’s breath to fog in front of his face as he was led through the village toward Stone Bear’s lodge. He glanced along the creek where von Kuhner and the rest of the Prussians had made camp a short distance from the Blackfoot lodges.
Near the tents, several of the soldiers stood guard with rifles in their hands. The men looked nervous, as well they might. Knowing the Blackfeet outnumbered them, if the Indians decided not to honor the truce, the white men wouldn’t have much of a chance, even well armed as they were. The best they could hope to do was inflict considerable damage on the Blackfeet before they were all slaughtered.
Von Kuhner emerged from one of the tents, with Feldwebel Herman Becker following him into the frosty morning. Jamie’s eyes narrowed at the sight of Becker. He’d wondered what had happened to the man. The fact that Becker had rejoined his countrymen might mean something about Preacher’s fate.
Stone Bear pushed aside the entrance flap of his lodge as the warriors brought Jamie to a stop in front of the dwelling. The chief regarded Jamie coldly and said, “I am told you wish to talk to me, white man. Have you come to beg for your life?”
“No,” said Jamie. “I want to find out what yours is worth to you.”
Stone Bear scowled at him. “What do you mean by that?”
“I’m challenging you, Stone Bear. Fight me, man-to-man, just the two of us. If you kill me, you can do whatever you want to the other prisoners.”
“I can do whatever I want to the other prisoners anyway,” Stone Bear pointed out.
As if he hadn’t heard the chief, Jamie went on. “If I kill you, all of us go free, including the captives you had from before, the ones von Kuhner turned over to you five years ago. You haven’t found them yet, have you?”
The angry flash in Stone Bear’s eyes told Jamie he had guessed correctly.
Stone Bear said dismissively, “They are helpless slaves. Even if we do not find them . . . we have not searched for them yet . . . they will die. They will freeze to death or be eaten by wolves.”
“Sounds like you don’t val
ue them very highly. You wouldn’t have a lot to lose, would you? Other than your life, of course.”
“You cannot defeat me,” Stone Bear snapped.
“Prove it.”
Stone Bear sneered. “This is just the sort of trickery I expect from white men, who lie every time they take a breath.”
“No tricks,” Jamie insisted. “Just a plain, simple challenge. My life against yours, with the fate of all those others added into the bargain.”
Moving closer as Jamie spoke, Baron von Kuhner was near enough to hear that last, straightforward declaration. He hurried forward and exclaimed, “No! Do not agree with him.”
He had reacted to the challenge just as Jamie expected him to. Whether or not that worked to the prisoners’ advantage remained to be seen, but Jamie didn’t figure the revelation would be long in coming.
Stone Bear’s cold eyes flicked toward the Prussian. “You do not give me orders . . . Baron.” The chief ’s use of the title was full of contempt.
Von Kuhner flushed angrily, but he made a visible effort to control his emotions and said, “This man and the others with him should all be killed. They cannot be trusted. Once they’re dead, you should hunt down the others and kill them, too.” In an attempt to sound reasonable, he added, “This course of action will be best for both of us, Stone Bear.”
“The slaves who escaped are no threat to me. This one”—Stone Bear nodded toward Jamie—“looks like a formidable foe. There would be much honor in defeating him.”
“But don’t you see, he’s counting on you feeling that way—”
Stone Bear slashed the air with his hand and said, “No one makes decisions for me! I do what I want, and now I will—” He stopped short as cries of alarm and surprise went up from some of the warriors gathered around his lodge. His eyes widened as he peered over Jamie’s shoulder.
That reaction made Jamie swing around to find out what in blazes was going on. He couldn’t have predicted the new development, and yet once he saw it, he wasn’t the least bit surprised.
Tall, straight, and unafraid, Preacher strode through the Blackfoot village toward them with Dog pacing along beside him. The big cur’s teeth were bared in a snarl as his massive head swung slowly from side to side.
Becker charged forward with his hand going to the saber at his side. Several of the Blackfoot warriors leaped to bar his path, reaching for their knives.
Von Kuhner flung out a hand and called, “Becker, no!”
At the same time, Stone Bear spoke curtly to his men, who, with obvious reluctance, didn’t draw their blades. As a result, Becker was surrounded by tense warriors, gripping his still scabbarded sword’s handle while staring in hatred at Preacher.
Other warriors tried to block Preacher, but Stone Bear ordered them to stand back.
The mountain man walked up to the gathering in front of Stone Bear’s lodge, grinned, and said as if he didn’t have a care in the world, “Mornin’, Jamie.”
“Morning, Preacher,” Jamie replied. “Have a good night?”
“Tolerable.”
“What are you doing here?”
Still grinning, Preacher said, “Why, I came to see if ol’ Stone Bear here would be willin’ to fight me, man-to-man.”
The chief said, “You come here alone to make this foolish challenge?”
“Oh, I never said I was alone.” Preacher lifted his arm and dropped it again in an obvious signal, and a flight of arrows soared out from hidden bowmen on the ridge, arching over the village and dropping from the overcast sky, causing several of the warriors to leap aside hastily to avoid the missiles.
“I’ve got plenty of warriors up there ready to join in this fight if they have to,” Preacher said. “But I’d rather settle things just between the two of us, Stone Bear, like honorable men.”
“You can’t do that,” Jamie said.
“And why in blazes not?”
“Because Stone Bear is going to fight me.”
Preacher’s grin widened. “Well, I’ll swan. I remember my old pard Audie, who used to be one of them professors, sayin’ that great minds think alike. I reckon you and me got great minds, Jamie.”
“Stop it!” von Kuhner burst out in utter exasperation. “Stop this foolishness!” He pointed at Preacher. “Another enemy has placed himself in your hands. Kill him! Kill them all! Or else—”
“Or else what, white man?” Stone Bear cut into the Prussian’s rant, phrasing the question in a low, dangerous voice.
Von Kuhner swallowed. “It is the only thing that makes any sense. They are here. You want them dead. Kill them. It is as simple as that.”
“It seems that you are the one who wants them dead,” Stone Bear observed. “Their fates mean little or nothing to me.”
“Sure wish you’d let me fight him, Jamie,” Preacher said.
Stone Bear snapped, “I have not agreed to fight either of you. Why would I agree to such a bargain?”
“Because your honor has been challenged,” Jamie said, “and we both know you’re an honorable man.”
Silence stretched for several long, tense seconds, then Stone Bear nodded and said, “It is true I am an honorable man . . . and a great warrior. If I fight you . . . either of you . . . you will die.”
As Preacher shrugged, Jamie said, “I’ll take that chance.”
“You.” Stone Bear’s eyes were dark slits as he stared at Jamie. “How is it you are called?”
“MacCallister. Jamie Ian MacCallister.”
Stone Bear’s nostrils flared slightly as he drew in a breath. Clearly, he had heard of Jamie.
“And I’m called Preacher,” the mountain man put in, “even though you didn’t ask me.”
At the mention of Preacher’s name, all the Blackfeet within hearing reacted. He was a legend among them—and not a good one. The Ghost Killer, the White Wolf... they had many names for him, all representative of the fact that he and the Blackfeet had been at war with each other for many, many years.
Finally, Stone Bear said, “To be the warrior who killed Preacher would be a very great honor. But MacCallister challenged my courage and skill first. I must fight him.”
Jamie nodded emphatically. “I’m glad to hear you say that, Stone Bear. You agree to the terms I mentioned earlier?”
“No!” von Kuhner cried.
Stone Bear ignored him and said solemnly, “I agree, MacCallister. If you defeat me, you and all you claim as friends will go free. None of my people will harm you as you leave our hunting grounds, or elsewhere.”
“Your warriors will abide by that bargain?”
Stone Bear called sharply in the Blackfoot tongue, and one of the warriors responded, trotting over to join them. He and Stone Bear spoke for several moments. The warrior nodded solemnly.
“This is my brother, Beaver Tail,” Stone Bear said to Jamie. “He will be chief if I die. He knows the bargain and will abide by it. Is that agreeable to you?”
“Of course,” Jamie answered without hesitation. “I know the brother of Stone Bear will be just as honorable as he is.”
“Very well. The bargain is struck.”
Obviously furious, von Kuhner said, “This is a mistake, Chief. You cannot trust these men.”
Stone Bear regarded him coolly. “From what I know of this business, the only one who has proven himself untrustworthy is you.” He turned away from von Kuhner in dismissal and raised his voice, speaking to his people.
They headed for the snowy bank of the creek, where they drew back and formed a circle to wait for the combatants.
Stone Bear stalked toward the makeshift arena. Jamie and Preacher followed at a more leisurely pace.
Jamie asked quietly, “Who’s really up there on that ridge?”
“Those six gals, Reese Coburn, and ol’ Helmuth.” The mountain man chuckled. “Not much of a war party, is it? But that’s what we’ve got.”
“If I can kill Stone Bear, maybe we won’t need one.”
“Not to deal with the Bla
ckfeet, maybe, but there’s one other problem we’ve got to consider.” Preacher rubbed his chin. “Even if the Blackfeet are willin’ to let us go, von Kuhner ain’t. He’s gonna do his level best to kill us all . . . and Stone Bear didn’t promise not to let him.”
“Yeah, well, you might be right,” said Jamie. “But we can only stomp one snake at a time.”
Chapter 40
Stone Bear walked around and kicked snow out of the way, clearing an area where he and Jamie could do battle. Several warriors joined him in the task. Satisfied, he faced Jamie and asked, “How would you fight, MacCallister? Knives? Tomahawks?”
“How about both?” Jamie suggested.
Stone Bear’s dark eyes glittered with anticipation. He jerked his head in a nod and motioned to one of his warriors. The man stepped forward and offered his own knife and tomahawk to Jamie.
“I’m much obliged to you,” Jamie told the warrior as he took the weapons. He studied them, weighed them in his hands, then nodded and told Stone Bear, “These’ll do.”
The chief had drawn his own knife and tomahawk. He raised them in front of him, then made a beckoning gesture with the knife.
Jamie glanced at Preacher and said, “If I don’t make it out of this, you know what to do.”
“Damn right. Von Kuhner?”
“Yep.”
Preacher nodded. If Jamie failed and was killed, all their lives would be forfeited, but Baron Adalwolf von Kuhner would die first. Preacher was damned fast on the draw and could put a ball from that Colt on his hip through von Kuhner’s head before anybody could stop him.
With the knife in his right hand and the tomahawk in his left, Jamie advanced toward Stone Bear.
The fight erupted with blinding speed. Stone Bear lunged, sweeping the tomahawk at Jamie’s head, but it was just a feint. At the same time he sent a low, wicked thrust with the knife at Jamie’s midsection.
Jamie didn’t bite on the feint. He leaned back to avoid the tomahawk and twisted aside so that Stone Bear’s knife missed him. His tomahawk swept down and cracked across Stone Bear’s forearm as the chief tried to snatch it back out of the way.
When All Hell Broke Loose Page 25