Savage Conquest (32 page)

Jim started undressing, hopping around on one
foot as he removed the boot from the other. Unable to
pull his eyes from Anson as he fumbled to find the.
waistband of her bloomers, Jim pulled off the other
boot and his pants, tossing his clothes and gun in a
pile. He unbuttoned his longjohns and was attempting to yank. them off.

The air was silent but for the heavy breathing from
three people and Miranda's grunts as she attempted to keep Anson from removing her bloomers. Unable
to stop herself, she yelled at him, "You bastard!
You'll pay for this! Get off of me! Touch me and I'll
kill you!"

Suddenly, loud and ferocious growls offered more
noise and threat than a violent thunderstorm. Anson
ceased his attack to shout, "What was that, Jim?"
Both men stiffened as small trees to their left moved
violently as something awesome headed in their
direction.

"I hope it ain't what I think," Jim replied hastily,
frantically trying to free his arms from his last
garment. He lunged for his discarded weapon,
wishing he had his Springfield rifle from the boat.

Jim tossed clothes and boots in all directions and
located his Army-issue revolver, but it jammed
during the panic of the moment as he fired wildly
into the trees. He cursed as he fumbled feverishly to
get it working. If only he had that new Colt he had
been promised.

Anson made a rolling dive for his weapon, but it
was too late. A large, dark blur had surged from the
concealing trees, heading for Anson who had tripped
on the pants around his ankles. Still fully clothed,
Miranda scrambled to lower her skirt and to avoid
attracting the bear's attention. She hastily pressed
herself against a large rock and attempted to control
her noisy respiration.

Miranda had never seen a bear so large. His head
and body were massive. When he growled, she could
see long, sharp teeth, as well as the saliva which drooled from his mouth. Although his eyes appeared
very small, he seemed to have no trouble locating his
prey. He moved swiftly and formidably, not at all like
the clumsy performing bears back east. His furry coat
was a thick yellowy brown. As he agilely ambled
toward the two men, Miranda froze in terror.

The creature suddenly raised himself to his full
height of over seven feet, seven feet of powerful
muscle without fear. She realized his arms nearly
reached his groin. At the ends of those forelegs were
two sets of claws longer than her fingers!

During the initial flurry of action, the two soldiers
had shouted back and forth. "Forget the gun and
clothes, Jim! Let's run, run. It's a grizzly." But Anson
had fallen forward as his trembling hands couldn't
pull his pants from around his shaky ankles. The
grizzly was on him in a flicker of an eye. Those
gaping jaws ripped flesh and clothes, sending bits of
both flying in all directions as the beast viciously
mauled him.

When Jim tossed the useless gun aside and was
about to leave all behind to flee to safety, the
monstrous animal left the severely wounded Anson
to pursue him. The man didn't get far before the
grizzly came to full height again, waving his paws
and growling. Jim made a fatal error when he turned
to see how close behind the bear was. With a
lightning flash of one paw, the bear made a lethal
slash across Jim's throat. Jim was dead before the
silence returned after his agonizing scream.

When the groggy and pain-riddled Anson began to moan, the bear's attention became focused on him
again. The smell of blood overwhelmed the fresh air,
and the stench of slaughter gradually joined it.
Miranda's brain was too dazed to order her to f lee this
ghastly sight. With a rolling gait, the bear nonchalantly returned to Anson's scarlet-covered frame.
Anson screamed and sobbed, rolling to his stomach
to protect his face and vulnerable belly, forgetting to
play dead until the bear lost interest and left. As
Anson shuddered and wept, fear permeated the air,
an emotion which encouraged and pleased the
enormous animal.

The grizzly rolled Anson to his back with one
forceful swipe, tearing flesh and clothes with those
sharp instruments of death and destruction. Miranda
was grateful the fuzzy body prevented her view, as she
seemed unable to look away.

How she wished she couldn't hear the sounds of
torture and death. Her heart pounded so forcefully
that her chest and throat ached. Nausea churned her
stomach and assailed her throat. Her gaze seemed to
go out of focus, and lightness filled her head. Her
mouth was dry. She was so cold, her body felt like
stone. She feared she would faint, yet she couldn't
scream in terror, or cry in fear, or even babble in
hysteria. All she could do was sit petrified, unable to
move. She, or Lucas, would be the next victim.

A warm hand clamped over her mouth and shifted
her head. Her eyes enlarged and misted as they took
in the most beautiful and encouraging sight she had
ever viewed. Blazing Star pressed his finger to his lips, commanding silence. His keen eyes glanced at
the bear whose attention was on the dead soldier.
Without making a sound, he took his knife and
severed her bonds.

Uncontrollably and ecstatically, she flung herself
against his coppery chest and burst into alerting sobs
as her arms encircled his waist. Fo:r a moment, the
warrior's arms embraced and comforted her. Instantly the bear's attention was seized'. and the massive
head turned in their direction. Blazing Star stiffened,
coming to full alert. As the animal slowly lumbered
their way, the warrior gently shoved Miranda aside
and shifted his knife in his grip.

The bear was considered a warrior of the forest by
the Indians, a symbol of wisdom. A, bear was never
killed lightly. When necessary, it had to be done with
skill and daring, in hand-to-paw combat. Only a
warrior who had slain a bear could. wear the claws
around his neck. The warrior didn't wish to slay his
brother of the forest, but he had no choice. He could
easily flee danger, but the girl couldn't.

To draw attention from Miranda, Blazing Star
jumped to his feet and rushed to a small clearing,
sending forth Indian whoops. The warrior crouched
and awaited the answer to his challenge, one which
was sure to come. The grizzly headed. for the warrior,
ignoring the girl who was gaping in sheer terror.

Miranda knew she was to blame tfor endangering
their lives. But no power could enable her to take
back her rash mistake. She prayed as she had never
prayed before. But what could a knife do against such imposing strength and ten lethal claws? Should she
run? Was the warrior only distracting the beast for
her to escape? But what about Lucas? What if her
escape movements attracted the bear's attention?
What about the man who was risking his life for her?

She watched the intrepid warrior and the large
creature as each sized up the other. She couldn't
suppress a scream when the bear swiped at the
warrior with those deadly paws. But the warrior was
agile and quick, and the bear's attack was unsuccessful. As they moved and slashed at each other, it
became a deadly dance of death. She wondered how
long the warrior could avoid those destructive
weapons. Surely his six-foot frame was no match for
such height and weight.

If possible, Miranda's terror had increased with the
warrior's involvement in this drama. She saw blood
on the knife; yet the warrior's virile body revealed no
cuts. She witnessed confidence and determination in
the warrior's expression and movements. He exuded
physical prowess. Was it possible he could win such a
fierce battle?

Weapon ... She recalled the soldier's guns. She
forced her wobbly legs to crawl toward them,
desperately trying to keep her gaze off two grim
sights. Her eyes darted around as she failed to locate
either pistol. It was as if they had vanished. But
Miranda hadn't seen the bear's paw fling them into
the bushes during his two attacks.

She hurried to Lucas's prone body, placing her ear
on his chest to find his heart still beating. She struggled to free him, finally succeeding. But she
couldn't arouse him. With luck and prayers, the bear
might overlook him, so she left Lucas where he was.

When she entered the open area once more,
screams of horror were torn from her throat as the
warrior fell backward to the ground and the grizzly
charged at him with claws curled ominously.
Miranda shouted and stomped the hard ground,
trying to pull the bear's attention from the warrior
until he could regain his footing and balance. She
avidly sought items to seize the menacing foe's eye,
tossing rocks and small limbs at the huge body of
dark fur. The bear ignored her and continued his
charge on the fallen and weaponless Indian. Unable
to witness this man's death, she screamed an echoing
"no" and slipped to the ground as protective and
merciful blackness engulfed her.

Blazing Star was given the split second needed for
victory when the bear whirled toward the loud noise.
The bear was fatigued from his previous killings and
the battle with the warrior. He was distracted and
sluggish. Already weakening from a speedy loss of
blood from the wounds in his chest and throat, the
animal was doomed as Blazing Star sent his lethal
blade home. The bear staggered and slowly sank to
the blood-spattered ground.

Blazing Star rushed to Miranda's side, dropping to.
his knees to pull her into his arms. Clearly she had
tried to draw the creature's attention and attack to
her, to save his life. She had been willing to die for
him. That reality stunned his senses but thrilled his heart. She was so pale and cool. Blazing Star sat down
and cuddled her in his embrace. He placed kisses on
her face and lips. He thanked the Great Spirit for
bringing him here to save her life. His mission was
over; the two soldiers were dead. For some inexplicable reason, he was glad he hadn't been compelled to kill them before her lovely eyes. It was time
to return to his people. He fretted over the feelings he
was experiencing: loneliness, desire, and indecision.

Miranda's eyes fluttered and opened. She was
bewildered. She was lying on her back in the forest,
gazing at the movement of leaves overhead as the
wind slipped through them. But for the singing of
birds and the soft rustle of leaves, it was so quiet and
peaceful. She sighed tranquilly and stretched her
limp body. Abruptly she bolted to a sitting position
and looked around her. Lucas was lying near her, his
head bandaged with strips from his shirt. They were
alone, in a different spot!

Voices caught her attention in the distance. She
realized they were near the river, near the anchored
steamer, near help. But who had brought them here?
Where was the warrior?

Her heart thudded with suspense and hope. Did
this mean he wasn't dead? She tried to awaken Lucas
but couldn't. She had to go back to see if the warrior
lived! Whatever the danger, she had to know his fate!

Breathing raggedly, she burst into the small
clearing where the rank odor of violent death stung her nostrils. Her hand Hew upward to cover her nose
and mouth. She inched past the mutilated Jim and
Anson, then halted in disbelief. The bear lay dead,
without his furry coat and lethal paws and massive
head. There was no sign of the warrior who had saved
her life and removed her from this grim setting.

Clamping her hand over her mouth to keep from
retching, she commanded her feet to take her back to
Lucas. She had her answer; he had survived, survived
with the strength to take a bloody trophy. As she
fought against fainting again, she leaned against a
tree to regain her control and wits. She murmured
softly, "Thank God, you're alive. I couldn't live with
your death on my hands. Will we ever meet again? I
don't even know your name. I didn't even get to
thank you."

She cried for a long time, releasing her anguish
and tension. When she walked away, she was
unaware of the somber black eyes which followed
her. He mastered the impulse to capture her, for she
offered great danger to his emotions and pride. It was
wrong for him to take a white woman, so why was he
tormented by such desire for her? Why did her
sadness and tears pain him more than a knife wound?
Why did it take all of his control to keep himself
hidden from her, denying both a farewell? Who was
this girl with such potent magic that she could have
such stirring and forbidden effects on him? Why did
he want her at his side under the sun as much as he
wanted her beneath him at night? These were new and baffling feelings, feelings he must conquer and
forget.

Forget, he scoffed to himself as she vanished from
sight. How he wished he had never seen or touched
her, for he could never forget her now. But it would
be worse if he had shown himself, if he had joined her
body to his. Would he be as stirring and haunting to
her? If only she weren't so rare, he would take her
prisoner and sate his lust for herl But she was, and
such treatment would destroy her. For a few
moments beneath the sun, they had touched and
kissed. He could allow nothing more, for she was
more dangerous than any peril or foe or beast he had
ever confronted.

At Lucas's side, Miranda tried to arouse him once
more. When she failed, she cried out for help, which
came swiftly. When Lucas was carried aboard the
steamer to a doctor who was heading for Fort Sully,
Miranda told him they had been attacked by a grizzly
and that she and Lucas had been rescued by a strange
trapper dressed in buckskins. After slaying the bear
which had killed the two soldiers, the man had
helped them get this far and then returned to skin the
bear before someone else found it. She added that the
trapper said he would see to burying the two soldiers.
She didn't know what she would do if they checked
out her story and found the two soldiers nearly nude.
What if there was evidence it was an Indian warrior?
They would force the humiliating truth about the
foiled rape from her. They might even suspect she knew the warrior.