Part 15 (1/2)

Then his thoughts turned to Ariana. He had no reason to think that White Eagle would have had any trouble getting the girl to the safety of the hidden cave. The sentry posted on the ledge would not have been able to see the brave and the girl, and certainly would not have heard them creeping through the cover of darkness. The rest of the gang members would pose no threat. They much preferred their bunks or the card table during the hours of night.

It seemed to Laramie that the first part of the mission had gone as planned. The hardest part was still to come. He had to backtrack and lead the girl from the cave to further safety. That would mean getting her out almost beneath the noses of the gang, and they were bound to be stirring about like a nest of disturbed hornets.

Laramie set his jaw and pushed on. If only the second part of the plan worked as well as the first.

Laramie watched as White Eagle separated himself from the overhanging spruce and moved forward. Without a word to the waiting brave, Laramie swung out of the saddle. Three ponies stood ground-tethered in the shadows. The horses exchanged whinnied greetings and stomped in impatience.

White Eagle began to undo the girth of the pack saddle even as Laramie began to uncinch the belly straps of the riding saddle, still warm from his body.

”Any signs?” asked White Eagle.

Laramie shook his head. ”Didn't see a soul,” he replied. ”The storm made sight and sound nigh impossible.”

”They follow,” White Eagle informed him. ”Five.” He pointed his hand straight up, and Laramie understood that he was saying the five men had not ridden out of the camp until near noon. That had given him even more time than he had counted on. For one moment he wished his plans had not included the trip to the cave. He should have just taken the girl and headed right out. But how could he have known that a spring storm would move in? How could he have known that the camp would not stir and discover the missing horses, then the girl's empty cabin, until noon? No, it was better that they had played it safe. But nowa”?

”What do you think, White Eagle?” he asked his friend. ”Do you think it is safe to keep on riding, or should we change horses as planned and wait?”

White Eagle looked at the clear sky overhead. Laramie followed his glance and knew what his friend was thinking. The storm was over. Now there would be no advantage of being hidden by a winter storm or of having the trail covered by falling snow. There would only be drifts of whiteness on the ground. It would be impossible to cover one's tracks.

”Wait,” said the young brave. ”Send horses. Wait.”

In spite of his similar a.s.sessment, Laramie wanted to argue. He had hoped White Eagle would a.s.sure him that it would be days before the men at his back would be able to sort out his trail. After all, they would not be expecting him to head straight to the Indian village.

And he had hopeda”had just hopeda”that he might not have to lose his buckskin. He had a great deal of affection for the animal. He would have liked to have left the saddle on the horse's back and just ridden out of the encampment the way he had ridden in.

Besidesa”things looked good right now. But what if something happened they had not antic.i.p.ated? It could mean a long delay. Ariana was waiting. She would be restless, fearful. Wondering.

He hated to wait.

”I watch,” White Eagle spoke again. ”I take you to hiding place. Then I watch.”

”Do yer people know I'm here?” asked Laramie.

”They know,” said White Eagle solemnly. ”My father say, *Leave to White Eagle white brother.' They know. You safe. But for other mena”my people not like white man.”

Laramie knew that to be an understatement. There had been bad blood between the little pockets of outlaws and the Indian people. Raidsa”especially of horsesa”took place back and forth and often resulted in bloodshed.

”What if someone elsea”from another tribea”discovers me?” he asked his friend.

White Eagle shook his head. ”I take you to sacred mountain,” he said in a conspiratorial tone. ”No Indian go there. Afraid.”

Laramie nodded and removed the bridle from the buckskin. Without comment he ran his hand over the soft neck, the sleek back of the horse. He sure would miss him. He hated to let him go.

”Take care, partner,” he whispered under his breath, and then he gave the surprised mount a slap on the rump with the flat of his hand. The startled animal leaped forward at the same time as the big bay who had been turned loose by White Eagle. Both animals started off at a gallop, the little roan fast on their heels. The Indian ponies stamped in impatience, their heads tossed high, their nostrils flaring, and pulled against their tethers.

The two men stood and watched the driven horses gallop on through the woods.

”He go back to ranch?” asked the Indian about the big bay, who had quickly taken the lead.

”I sh.o.r.e do hope so. He's tried to head thet direction each time I take him out,” replied Laramie.

”Maybe he go,” nodded White Eagle.

As the three horses disappeared from sight, the two men turned their attention to the other mounts.

”These fellas broke to saddle?” inquired Laramie as he carried his saddle toward them.

For the first time, White Eagle laughed. ”We see,” was his response, and Laramie guessed they might have a bit of a rodeo show in store.

Ariana had worked her way through Genesis. When she came to portions that she had not memorized, she filled in accounts with her own version of events. Then she moved on to Exodusa”easily recalling many of the stories and even quoting some of the scriptures. She reviewed each of the Ten Commandments, studying thoughtfully each one in a way that she had not troubled to do in the past. On to Leviticus. She found she had a difficult time untangling the laws and rules for living, wors.h.i.+p, and sacrifice. Numbers. Deuteronomy. ”I'm going to have to study those books more,” she chided. ”I haven't paid close enough attention.”

She began her mental journey through Joshua, marveling how G.o.d led His people to victory time after timea”whenever they were walking in obedience.

Occasionally she stopped to wonder how many days had pa.s.sed. How many more meals the little store would provide. How long her supply of candles would last. At times fear gripped her and she wanted to scream against the confines of her quarters. Was her present circ.u.mstance really that much better than her former state had been? At least in the cabin she had had the blessing of seeing daylight. At least she had known whether it was day or night.

Then she would determinedly force her thoughts to other things. It would not do for her to get despondent. To give up. She must keep fighting for survival. She must eat her daily rationsa”must light her candle. And she must fight the urge to stumble her way out of the dark cave and into the sunlight. Her very life depended upon it.

Laramie chafed with the delay. It wasn't that he feared for his own safety. White Eagle had led him to a well-hidden spot close to the Indian settlement. It was not likely that the men from the gang would search for him here, and White Eagle had a.s.sured him that Indian braves stayed well away from the ”place of the angry G.o.ds.”

Still he paced restlessly. Shouldn't he be on the trail? Shouldn't he have picked up Ariana and galloped off while the men searched for him in the other direction? What was keeping White Eagle? Had something happened to the young brave?

It was all Laramie could do to hold his post. His agitation seemed to take hold of his very being. He had never been so troubled before.

Would Ariana be facing the same doubts? Would she be as restless? As irritated? Would her impatience drive her to do something foolish?

Laramie had to hold himself in check. He felt it would be easier to face a herd of stampeding buffaloa”a nest of rattlersa”than just to sit and wait. At least then he would feel that his destiny, to some measure, was in his own hands.

Just as he was about to explode from the tension, White Eagle slipped quietly into the little camp.

Chapter Fifteen.

Terror Laramie moved eagerly forward to meet the young p.a.w.nee. ”What's the news?” he asked impatiently.

White Eagle shook his head, and Laramie feared the word was not good.

”Red horse not go,” he answered evenly.

Laramie stopped midstride. ”Did they find 'im?” was his next question.

White Eagle nodded in reply.

Laramie licked his lips. He felt confuseda”betrayed by the animal.

”What happened?” he asked.

”They backtracka”close to village,” responded White Eagle.