Beside Still Waters (4 page)

“I’m sorry, boy. You must have hit a rock and bruised your hoof. We’ll get you fixed up in no time.”

Blowing out a breath, Eva glanced down the road, then back toward the direction in which she’d come, debating whether to walk the rest of the way to town or go back home. The distance would be about the same. But in town she’d be able to get the flour Ma needed for Pa’s birthday cake. And she could visit the livery stable and have Patches reshoed. She could rent another horse for the ride home and leave Patches there while he healed up from the bruise.

Her mind made up, she took hold of Patches’s reins and led him toward town. The September day brought a mild breeze. As Eva walked along the road, she lifted her face to the wind, enjoying its soothing caress.

Normally autumn was her favorite time of year, but dread had been her constant companion all summer. The closer harvesttime came, the more aware she was that Jonesy’s time in Oregon was almost over. She tried not to think about it, tried to just enjoy their time together. Taking long rides along the river’s edge, sitting in the gazebo while Jonesy read poetry to her. She was even learning to tolerate some of the wounded-heart cries from scorned loves.

Jonesy had made a valiant attempt to read one of her dime-store novels, but he’d declared it to be the downfall of cultured literature.

Eva smiled at the memory. She’d tried not to show how much she was beginning to love him. Of all the men who had courted her, professed love for her, sought to marry her, Jonesy was the one who had finally caused her to surrender to love. And her heart belonged to a man who loved his dream of owning a ranch in Texas more.

Familiar daydreams began to filter through her mind….

Her wearing a wedding gown. Jonesy reading poetry aloud at the end of a long day of working in the fields. But he had his own dream. And that dream didn’t include marrying a girl who would tie him down to a land he didn’t love.

What Jonesy apparently didn’t realize was that Eva would follow him anywhere. To Texas or the ends of the earth. Besides, there was something exciting in the possibility of scratching a living in a new land. Building from the ground up. Starting with nothing and ending up prosperous, the way her parents had.

Of course, her ma had been wealthy when she’d met Pa, but they still had to work together. Pa was a craftsman, not a farmer. His furniture sold widely, and now they were one of the most prosperous families in the state. He’d done that on his own, Ma’s money notwithstanding. And though Eva’s older half brother, Greg, and twin half brother and sister, Billy and Betsy, all had large inheritances from their own pa’s estate back in Chicago, Eva’s inheritance would be just as great. Her pa had seen to that.

Caught up in her thoughts and the enjoyment of being outdoors in the cool fall day, Eva didn’t notice the sound of horses’ hooves until it was too late to duck into the woods and hide herself. She stopped and waited as three men approached.

Please, Lord, let them go on past
.

“Well, look at this, boys. What do we have here?”

Eva’s stomach churned at the man’s gruff voice. He spat a stream of tobacco juice and narrowly missed the hem of her skirt. Her knees grew weak under the lecherous scrutiny of the three men.

Still, if there was one thing Pa had taught her about dealing with precarious situations like this, it was to never show fear.

“You fellas lost?” Her voice trembled only slightly. She prayed they hadn’t noticed.

The second speaker, a younger, thinner man with a scraggly red beard and a mouthful of black or broken teeth, leaned forward in his saddle. “Well, now, what makes you ask a question like that? Don’t we look like we belong in these parts?”

“I’ve lived here all my life and have never seen you. That’s all I meant.”

Eva felt the third man’s dark gaze raking over her. “If we was lost, would you help us get unlost?”

The innuendo in his tone sent warning bells ringing through Eva’s mind. She’d heard whispered rumors of what could happen to a woman caught alone on an abandoned road. Her pride had kept her from thinking anything harmful could happen to her. She’d always figured Patches would get her safely wherever she needed to go. He’d only been outrun by one other horse ever: Lady Anne. But there was nothing either of them could do now to avoid what was possibly to come.

Eva tried to form a plan of escape. With Patches injured, running would be futile. If only she carried a pistol! Pa had given her one, but she hadn’t bothered to carry it with her. She prayed her arrogance wouldn’t get her killed. Or worse.

“Whatsamatter with your horse, little lady?” the first man asked, nodding to Patches.

Eva shrugged, attempting nonchalance. “He threw a shoe. I think he must have a stone bruise, because he keeps limping.”

The hulking man dismounted. Eva caught her breath at his sheer size up close. He loomed over her, taller by more than a foot, she was sure. Her stomach dropped. There was no way she could fight off this man. Not in her own strength.

A silent prayer formed in her mind.
Lord, I’m not ready to die. Please send help
.

His meaty hands slid over Patches. “Yes siree, this is one fine horse. I bet he’d bring a good price.”

“My horse is not for sale,” Eva said, summoning enough courage to give the man a cold tone.

The man turned steely eyes on her. “He ain’t, huh?” He gave Patches a pat on the neck. In a flash, a knife appeared in his hand.

Eva gasped and backed up. If she ran down the road, they’d catch her easily on horseback. In the woods, there’d be no chance of anyone finding her and coming to her rescue.

Oh, Lord, what do I do?

He reached his fat hand to her locket and yanked it from her neck.

“Hey! My pa gave me that.”

“That was real nice of him. But you won’t need it where you’re goin’.”

“I—I won’t?”

“Now, you be a good little girl and be still, and this won’t hurt a bit.”

“Wh–what won’t hurt?”

He gave a wicked laugh. “Don’t worry, honey. I only want the horse.”

Somehow, knowing she wasn’t about to be violated gave her a sense of dignity. She lifted her chin. If there was to be no escape, she would at least die well. Like the Indians Pa so loved and admired. Closing her eyes, she waited for the end to come.

Jonesy took his ma’s list of supplies and his pa’s instructions to pick up the new wagon wheel from the blacksmith’s shop and flapped the reins at the team of horses. The wagon jerked forward and rattled down the road. Jonesy noted the cool air, and his mind began to wander.

Harvest was approaching rapidly. Before long, all the crops would be in. He’d be ready to head home to Texas soon. His brother Theodore was keeping an eye on the one hundred acres of land Pa had given to him—part as inheritance, part in payment for coming to Oregon and helping get the farm started. His end of the arrangement was almost fulfilled.

Jonesy’s stomach churned with excitement as it always did at the thought of his own ranch. He’d saved every dime he’d earned as a cowhand on Pa’s farm, working since he was sixteen years old. He now had enough to start with a small herd of his own.

The sound of an approaching rider captured his attention. He glanced over his shoulder and waved as he recognized Nathan Compton, a newly married young man with a small ranch a few miles south. He pulled his horse to a stop. Heavy breathing and a wild look in the man’s eyes caused Jonesy to tense with anticipation. “What’s wrong?”

“My father’s ranch …” He gulped in a mouthful of air.

“Take it easy,” Jonesy interjected. “Slow down and tell me what happened.”

“Thieves.” Nathan swiped the back of his hand across his forehead. “Two of Pa’s hands were murdered. One got away.”

“Did he say how many there were?”

“Said he counted seven.”

Seven men shouldn’t be too hard to find, provided they stayed together. “How many of your horses did they make off with?”

“No more than five, near as we can figure.”

“Five shouldn’t be too hard to track.”

“These fellas are wily. They’ve stolen from at least a half-dozen families over the past year, and no one has been able to catch them.”

“Then it’s time someone did. You headed to the sheriff’s office?”

Nathan nodded. “Times like this, I think the farmers have the right idea.”

“Why’s that?”

“Nothing to steal. Unless you’re a bird.”

“I’d rather take my chances on a ranch any day.” Jonesy flapped the reins, and the horses moved forward. Nathan’s mare kept pace.

“Me, too. But seeing Shem and Booker dead like that sure shook me up a mite.”

“No one could blame you.”

Nathan frowned as he glanced at the road ahead. He jerked his chin. “What’s going on up there?”

Jonesy’s heart nearly stopped when he noticed Patches standing at the side of the road. Three men, two on horseback. A third one standing over Eva, brandishing a knife, poised to …
Oh, Lord, help me
.

“You packing a rifle?” he asked Nathan.

“Yeah, and a pistol, too.”

“When I give the signal, fire into the air. Once. Just to get their attention.”

Jonesy pulled his pistol from his holster and urged the wagon forward. “Now, Nate.”

Gunfire blasted the air. Eva’s would-be attackers swung around.

“Throw down your weapons,” Jonesy warned the men. He aimed his pistol at the man on the ground next to Eva. “Step away from the lady and drop that knife before I send a bullet into your skull.”

“Take it easy now, mister,” the man said, tossing his knife into the dirt near his feet. “We didn’t mean the girl no harm.”

“You filthy, stinking liar!” Eva’s outrage shot through the air. “Don’t believe him, Jonesy. He was just about to slice my throat.”

The man glared at Eva. “You ain’t got no proof of that.”

“What I saw was proof enough,” Jonesy said. “Eva, kick that knife far from his reach, and then come to the wagon.”

She did as he instructed. Relief spread through him when she came close enough for him to confirm that she was unharmed. He hopped down and helped her to the seat. He handed her his pistol. Then he pulled some rope from the back of the wagon. “Cover me.” He walked halfway to where the three men were—two still on horseback, the other standing in the road.

He looked first at the scraggly-bearded redhead on the black-and-white paint. “All right, Red, slowly dismount and make your way over here. And don’t try anything. Nate wouldn’t hesitate to shoot.”

“Neither would I,” Eva called.

Jonesy’s lips twitched.

The burly man dismounted, and Jonesy tied his hands behind his back. Jonesy eyed him carefully. “Slowly walk to the wagon.”

With a snarl, the bound man shuffled toward the wagon.

“Nate, once he’s in there, tie his feet.”

“I’ll do it,” Eva piped up. “Nate needs to cover you.”

“No, Eva. Stay away from him.” When Jonesy turned to reiterate his words, the other horseman kicked his horse’s flanks and took off at a gallop, nearly knocking the third man to the ground.

“Stop!” Nate fired into the air, but the rider didn’t slow. “Want me to go after him, Jonesy?”

“No. I’m going to need your help getting these two to the sheriff.” He grabbed the knife off the ground, stuffed it into his waistband, then tied up its owner with the remaining rope.

“You’re making a big mistake, fella,” the man said, squirming. “You ain’t got no proof that I did anythin’ wrong.”

“I saw you standing over this young lady with a knife in your hand.”

“He’s a horse thief, too.” Eva’s voice was filled with anger. “I can testify to that.”

“Your word against mine, little girl.”

“Who do you think my brother, the sheriff, is going to believe?” Eva shot back.

That silenced him.

“And another thing,” Eva said, glaring. “Give me back my locket.”

Jonesy turned to the thief. “Where is it?”

“In his shirt pocket.”

Jonesy reached inside the pocket and retrieved Eva’s prized possession.

“It’s worthless junk anyway,” the man said, spitting on the ground.

Eva gave a sniff. “Then you’re a stupid thief.”

Jonesy smiled with satisfaction. Eva was one spunky girl. Once, he’d thought he preferred the kind of soft-spoken, demure woman depicted in his beloved poetry. But that was before he met Eva.

The thought of this man threatening her sent anger shooting through him. He finished tying his hands, a little tighter than necessary, then gave him a shove toward the wagon. “We’ll get these two situated in a cell, where they belong. Then we can go after the other one. Unless I miss my guess, the one that got away will most likely lead us straight to the rest of the horse thieves.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, mister,” the redheaded man said. “The rest of the gang’s long gone by now.”

“Shut up, you idiot,” the apparent leader growled.

“That’s real interesting information,” Nate said with a nod. “I’m sure the sheriff’s going to be grateful. He’s been trying to catch you rattlesnakes for some time.”