Woman of Courage (19 page)

W
a-a-a! Wa-a-a! Wa-a-a!

“It’s Little Joe,” Mary said to Amanda. “I need tend to him.”

“It’s fine, Mary,” Amanda replied. “Go do what you need to do.”

Seth, apparently unmindful of the baby’s cries, gulped down his plate of stew. Dribbles of the sauce clung to his beard as he picked up the dish to lick off what was left. This man ate like an animal, and the putrid smell of him had become overbearing.

The baby’s cries grew louder, so Mary hurried to the bedroom to feed him.

Seth looked at Amanda. “So she’s got a baby, huh?”

She gave a quick nod.

“Boy or girl?”

“Mary and Jim have a son.”

“Ah, I see.” Seth sneered at Amanda in such a way that it caused her to shudder. “What’s a purty little thing like you doin’ in a place like this?” he asked.

Trying not to let him see her anxiety, Amanda asked, “Didst thou get enough to eat?”

Seth rubbed his belly. “Oh yeah, but I could always use more.”

Amanda took the bowl and started toward the stove. “I will get thee more stew.” Before she could get there, Seth reached out his calloused hand and grabbed her arm. “Forget about the stew for now. I wanna talk to you, purty lady.”

“About what?” she squeaked. “And please, let go of my arm.” Amanda thought about saying she had a husband who was out for a walk, hoping that might cause Seth to think twice about touching her, but she’d never believed it was right to tell an untruth and doubted she’d be convincing if she did make up a story. If she lied to Seth, he’d probably catch on to the truth, and that might make matters worse.

“Well now, ain’t ya jest the high and mighty one?” Seth tightened his grip and squinted his beady green eyes at her. “You ain’t really in no position to be givin’ orders.”

Amanda’s eyes burned, but knowing she needed to remain strong, she would not give in to her tears. She could smell the man’s disgusting body odor even more clearly as he held her firmly in his grip. Her stomach churned.

“I’d be happy to serve thee more stew, or maybe some biscuits?” she said, trying to keep her voice steady so he wouldn’t know how frightened she was.

“It ain’t just food I’m hungry for,” Seth said, jiggling his shaggy eyebrows.

Amanda twisted her body, trying to free herself from the evil man’s grasp, but he held her tightly. She couldn’t pry his fingers loose from around her arm. She gasped when he pulled her roughly against his side and then onto his lap.

“Let woman go!” Mary shouted, rushing into the room.

“Shut up, Injun!” Seth hollered. “This ain’t none of your business!” He grabbed Amanda’s chin, twisted her head toward him, and gave her a smothering kiss.

Amanda nearly gagged as she struggled to free herself from his grasp. She had never smelled anything so repulsive as this man’s rancid breath. And she could only hold her own breath for just so long or she would surely pass out.

Mary leaped forward and clawed frantically at the man’s neck and face. That only seemed to anger him further. “You’re a real wildcat, ain’t ya, you little heathen? Well, I can tame ya. I’ve taken on mountain lions that had more fire in ’em than any Injun, and I always won!”

Seth let go of Amanda, and jumped up, hurling the chair aside and knocking Amanda to the floor. He raised his arm, and
whack!
He backhanded Mary’s face so hard that her head jerked to one side. Clasping his hands around Amanda’s neck, he pulled her up and pressed her tightly to his chest.

She squirmed, coughing and gasping for air.
Oh dear Lord, help us, please!

Mary bit the man’s shoulder. He let out a yelp and released his hold on Amanda. The commotion woke Little Joe again, and he began to howl. Mary started for the bedroom, but Seth tripped her and she fell to the floor, hitting her head on the corner of a chair.

Amanda started crawling across the floor. If only she could get to the kettle of stew. It was still hot, and she might be able to use it as a weapon. She was almost there when Seth’s bulky hand grabbed hold of her arm, and he commanded her to stand.

“Where do ya think you’re goin’, missy?” Seth buried his face in Amanda’s hair, which now hung freely around her face. “Tryin’ to sneak off, are ya?”

Amanda screamed when she looked over at Mary and saw blood running down her face. “Mary! Mary, art thou all right?”

“Aw, she’s fine. Just a little whack on the head.” Seth, breathing rapidly, kissed Amanda a second time. Turning her head away from his crushing lips, she tried to free herself from his grasp, but he was much stronger than she. He held her in a vise-like grip, and Amanda felt as if her spine was about to snap.

The cabin door flew open, and Buck burst into the room. “What’s goin’ on?” Looking at Seth, Buck rushed at the man and knocked him to the floor, but Seth didn’t break his grip and took Amanda down with him.

Then, pulling Amanda up with him, the big man got up, grabbed his knife from its sheath on his leather belt, and held it against Amanda’s throat. “Come at me again, and this woman is dead!” he bellowed.

Mary scooted across the floor to the bedroom, where Little Joe now whimpered. She hoped he would go back to sleep. Turning to watch the challenge between the two men, Mary wondered how she could help. Should she make a noise, hoping Seth would look her way? That might give Buck an advantage. Or should she find something to hit him with? If she could sneak up behind the crazed man and knock him out, they would be okay.

Too many times Mary had seen attacks like this one on women captives in the Blackfoot village. She was not about to let it happen here in her home. Not if she could help it.

Mary looked over and saw the kettle of hot stew. Steam rose readily from the top. Feeling more confident as she inched her way closer to the stove, she planned her attack.

Buck stood rigidly, trying to decide his next move. The crazed man meant business. If Buck didn’t comply with his wishes, he would probably slit Amanda’s throat. Buck had come across this type of man before, and his kind had no morals or conscience.

“Put down the knife,” Buck demanded. “The woman’s done nothin’ to you.”

“No way!” The man shook his head. “I aim to take what I want!”

Behind the attacker, Buck saw Mary edging closer to the kettle of stew. He knew what she was thinking, and he had to do something quick because she could end up getting hurt. Jim would never forgive him if he let anything happen to Mary or the baby.

Buck was about to pull his own knife out of the sheath, when the big man hollered, “Better not! You do like I told ya now, or the women will pay.”

Amanda’s face was paler than snow, her eyes wide with fear, as she hung limply over the intruder’s arm.

Reluctantly, Buck placed his knife on the kitchen table, stepped back, and raised both hands, to show the other man his good intentions.

“That’s better. Now open the door and stand aside,” the man ordered gruffly.

“Just let the woman go.” Buck’s hands itched to lunge for his knife, but he couldn’t risk Amanda getting hurt.

The man snorted loudly. “You ain’t in no position to be tellin’ me what to do. I’m takin’ this woman as well as one of them pack mules I seen outside, and there ain’t nothin you can do about it. Now open that door and stand aside!”

“Do what man says,” Mary spoke up. “Don’t let him hurt Amanda.”

Buck held his breath, but the man didn’t seem to notice that Mary had moved. Reluctantly, Buck edged his way toward the door and gave it a hard yank. It swung open, letting in a blast of warm air. If he was going to save Amanda, he’d have to do something quick.

The big brute maneuvered his way across the room, pulling Amanda helplessly along. Just as they stepped through the open doorway, Buck called, “Get him, dog!”

Thunder, who had been lying on the front porch, leaped to his feet and, with a piercing, wolf-like snarl, dove straight for the enemy’s leg.

Caught off guard, the man let out a yelp and dropped the knife. Then he staggered and fell to the ground, taking Amanda with him.

Buck bent down and grabbed the knife. “Hold him there, Thunder!”

The dog bared his teeth, and his hair bristled as he hovered hungrily over his prey. Unless the man had no common sense, he wasn’t going anywhere.

Buck bent down to check on Amanda, who was sobbing uncontrollably. Pulling her gently to her feet, he said, “Go back into the cabin.” He then dropped to his knees and held the tip of the knife against the man’s throat. “You hurt Amanda, and now you’re gonna pay with your life.”

Looking up at him with pleading eyes and trembling lips, the man begged for mercy. “Please don’t kill me, mister. Your woman came on to me.”

“You’re lying—I know better than that!” It was all Buck could do to keep from taking the man’s life right there on the spot. “I’ve seen your kind before. You take what ain’t yours and don’t care how ya get it. I oughta kill ya right this minute and be done with it!”

“Please, don’t do it,” Amanda pleaded from the porch. “God’s Word says ‘thou shalt not kill.’ It wouldn’t be right.”

“If ya spare my life, I’ll leave this place and be gone without another word,” the big man said. “Honest, I will.”

Reluctantly, Buck slowly lowered his knife. “Get up, ya filthy animal, and get outta here before I change my mind!”

The man rose slowly to his feet. “What about that mule I’m needin’? Ya know I can’t make it outta here on foot.”

“You’ll be gettin’ no mule. Now get going!” Buck shouted.

“But I need some form of weapon. My knife’s all I got now that my gun and all the supplies I had are at the bottom of the river. Ya wouldn’t send a man into the wilderness without some form of protection, would ya?”

Buck grunted through clenched teeth. “You ain’t much of a man. You oughtta be grateful I spared your life.”

The big fellow limped off, cursing under his breath, “I’ll get even with ya someday; just see if I don’t. You’ll get your just reward.”

As Buck watched the man disappear into the woods, he muttered, “It ain’t me who’s gonna get their just reward.” Looking down at Thunder, he said, “Good boy! Now, stay out here and stand guard till Jim gets home.”

Thunder looked up at him and whined. Then he took his place on the front porch. It wasn’t likely that the intruder would return, but if he did, Buck wouldn’t let him off so easy.

M
e fine,” Mary said after Amanda had tended to the wound on her head. “Bleeding stopped now. No hurt.”

Amanda smiled. “You’re a woman of courage, Mary. You stood up to Seth Burrows and didn’t back down.”

“I think you were both pretty brave fightin’ off a man of that size,” Buck said, picking up the chair that had fallen over.

Mary’s forehead creased. “Me not always a woman of courage. Once, when try to run away from Blackfeet, I scared of everything. But now, with baby son, I would fight like she-cat to protect him.”

Amanda placed her hand gently on Mary’s arm. “Would you mind telling us how you tried to escape the Blackfeet?”

“I tell you all about it,” Mary said, glancing toward the room where her son now slept peacefully. “Many weeks I gather supplies for journey. When left alone in the tepee, I gather dried pemmican, buffalo jerky, and kouse cakes. Hid them under bedding. Put each in different place, so no lumps show through top of sleeping mat.” She grimaced. “Winter come soon. I know if going to escape, it need to be then. Make choice to leave that night.”

Amanda and Buck listened as Mary leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and relived the past.