Part 43 (2/2)
”I did no such thing,” I said.
”No call to fib about it.”
”It's the truth, Jesse. But you go ahead and think what you wish. I'd be quite a wealthy chap if I had a dollar for every time I've been wrongly accused of this and that. It's as ordinary as daylight.”
”Liar. I seen you.”
”Did not.”
”Did, too.” She pointed a thumb over her shoulder at the rocky height behind her back. ”Right up there. So you might just as well fess up.”
All of a sudden, the bottom seemed to drop out of my stomach. I jumped to my feet, pulled a Colt, rushed past Jesse and went charging up the slope.
”What in tarnation?” she called after me.
I paid her no heed, but raced upward, leaping higher and higher, my mouth gone dry, my heart thudding fit to bust. I wasn't so much scared as outraged. Some b.l.o.o.d.y scoundrel had gone and spied on Jesse. He'd watched her bathe in the creek. No telling why he hadn't gone on down and attacked her. Maybe he aimed to bide his time and take us by surprise later on. Well, he wouldn't get the chance.
I bounded over the top of the rocks, all set to shoot him dead.
And that's just what I would've done, but he wasn't there.
I wandered about, searching behind every rock, peering into crevices, circling around the few tangles of mesquite thick enough to hide a man. By and by, I judged he must've skedaddled.
From my perch, I had a mighty fine view of the creek. Anyone up here would've had just such a fine view of Jesse. I was in a fit to shoot him. But he wasn't down by the creek, nor hurrying down the slopes. I studied the low land all around us, but couldn't spot him or any horse other than General. There were hiding places everywhere, though. Dry washes, boulders, jutting heaps of rock, cacti and bushes and a few stunted trees. Not many places for concealing a horse, though a man on foot could disappear in any of a thousand places.
I might've stayed up there longer, hoping he'd show himself, but then it came to me that I'd left Jesse alone.
What if he'd circled around?
What if he'd jumped her?
Quick as I could, I hurried along the top of the rocks till our camp came into sight. There stood Jesse, arms folded across her chest, gazing up at me. And wasn't I glad to see her!
Before starting down, I scanned the area. n.o.body appeared to be lurking about. I could see the wagon trail off in the distance, but n.o.body was in sight on it.
”He got away,” I called, and commenced to make my way toward the ground.
”Who got away?” Jessie asked.
”The b.l.o.o.d.y cur that spied spied on you!” on you!”
She frowned some. ”He wasn't you?”
”Certainly not. Did he look like me?”
”Well, I didn't see him up close. He was only just peeking down outa the rocks.”
”We'll have to keep a careful watch,” I said, and leaped to the ground in front of her. ”I shouldn't have let you go off by yourself. That was a bad mistake.”
”Well, nothing come of it.”
”Not this time. From now on, we'd best stay together.”
”I need me some private times, Trevor.”
”What you need is me standing guard. No telling where this fellow might be, or what's on his mind. I don't aim to see you attacked or killed for the sake of your modesty.”
”I can take care of myself, I reckon. Just let me take along your Winchester, I'll get along dandy.”
I couldn't see a good argument against that. She ought to be fairly safe, armed with the rifle. ”Perhaps that'll do,” I told her. ”We ought to stay together, regardless, unless you're fixing to...bathe or the like.”
”Sounds good to me.”
She got into her socks and boots. Then we roamed about the area, gathering stray bits of wood and roots for our fire. I kept my eyes open for the stranger, and also for game. Neither appeared.
Jesse seemed uncommon quiet the whole time.
After we made our fire, she kneaded some flour into dough, jammed wads of it onto sticks, and cooked them over the flames while I heated up a pot of beans.
After we finished our meal, we took the pot and spoons over to the creek. That's when I noticed how still and quiet things seemed. The air had a yellowish cast to it. Looking off to the west, I saw that the sun was gone behind somber mountains of cloud.
”Do you suppose we'll have a storm?” I asked Jesse, who stood nearby with the rifle.
”Could be. Just as likely not. Doesn't appear as how they get much rain in these parts.”
We didn't pay it any more mind. I cleaned off the pot and spoons. Afterward, we spent a while scouting about to gather more fuel. When it got too dark to see, we quit that. We led General back to camp, and I hobbled him so he wouldn't go wandering off too far during the night. Then we sat down by the fire.
Jesse still wasn't talkative. Pretty soon, I asked, ”Are you worried about that chap you saw in the rocks?”
”You might say that.”
”He hasn't shown himself yet. Why, I suppose he dodged off long ago. All the same, we'll need to take turns standing watch. Can't have him sneaking up on us while we sleep, you know.”
”Oh, he ain't likely to sneak up on us.”
”One can't be too careful. It's when you're least expecting trouble...”
”I never did see him, Trevor.” She flung a stick, rather briskly, into the fire. It hit and tossed up a spray of sparks. ”I didn't see n.o.body. I only just let on.”
I gaped at her, flabbergasted.
”That's the way of it. I'm right sorry I went and got you so worked up about him.”
”He wasn't there at all?”
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