Quicksilver Passion (211 page)

Cherokee winked at Silver.
Now I wonder where she learned that.”

Then all three of them were in each other’s arms, hugging and wiping away tears. After a long moment, Silver looked at all the jewels Wannie wore and kept pulling from her nightgown pockets.
Oh, Cherokee, what should we do with this? The stuff is worth a fortune!”

As much as my gold that’s gone with the Duchess?” he asked.
Maybe we’ve got a right to keep the jewelry.”

This is for Silvery,” Waanibe said importantly, and taking off the gold nugget bracelet, she handed it to Silver, who smiled as she put it on.
Silvery, are you mad about me playing dress-up with your shoes?”

Silver hugged her and shook her head.

A family,” Cherokee sighed, looking toward the horses.
Well, almost a family. First I’ve got a man to bury.”

They buried Jake in the clearing, but they left the silver-handled whip twisted around his neck. Silver couldn’t bear to touch it, and Cherokee said since it had killed men, it was cursed.

As he said,
I don’t always believe in Indian superstitions, but I think his spirit deserves to be trapped. He was such an evil hombre, we wouldn’t want it haunting the wilderness.”

But Silver paused to say a proper word for Jake. Even an evil man needed the hope of God’s mercy.

She examined Cherokee’s arm and the cut across his face. Neither were as bad as they had seemed at first. The arm was only badly sprained.

Silver said,
What about the Cheyenne?”

It’s out of our hands now,” Cherokee sighed.
Nothing else we can do. We can only hope they listen to Iron Knife when he tells them the soldiers are coming, or that the troops decide not to go when Jake doesn’t arrive to scout for them.” he paused thoughtfully.
We’ve got one more stop to make in Denver.”