Dashing Druid (Texas Druids) (42 page)

“That’s all right.” Lil crooked her lips. “We’re sort of related now, and you never know. I might need a shoulder to cry on sometime, too.” She hoped it wouldn’t be soon.

Jessie smiled at Reece, still sound asleep in Lil’s arms. Twisting the kerchief in her hands, she raised red-rimmed eyes to Lil’s. “David wants me to stay here because of Reece and the baby.” She stroked the mound of her belly as if caressing the child growing within. “But I can’t stand not knowing what’s happening. And I-I need to be near my Nora. Will ye help me get out there?”

Common sense told Lil to say no, but recognizing Jessie’s desperation and identifying with it because of her fear for Tye, she listened to her instincts. “Can you sit a horse?”

“I think so.” Hope bloomed on Jessie’s face. “Mounting up might be a bit awkward, but once I’m in the saddle, I’ll be fine.”

“Let’s go ask the kitchen crew to take care of this little fella,” Lil said, getting to her feet. “By the way, how’s Reece Senior?  I haven’t seen him at all today.”

“Oh, Lil, he’s in terrible pain. ’Tis as if something’s eating him up inside,” Jessie said as they entered the house. “We’ve started giving him laudanum. I just gave him a dose a while ago, so he should sleep for a few hours at least.”

“I’m sorry he’s doing so poorly.” Not knowing what more to say, she handed little Reece over to his mother. “You see to him. I’ll get the horses and meet you out front.”

* * *

With Lil leading the way, they followed the well trodden path along the creek with no trouble, pausing to exchange a few words with Thea and the other two women who were on their way back to the house. By the time they reached the campsite, the men had all finished eating and had gone back to work in the cave, except for those assigned to emptying the heavy buckets and barrels that were passed man to man from within. Sul Smith was among them. Spotting Jessie, he hurried over to help her off her horse.

“Miz Jessie, what are you doin’ out here? This is no place for you,” he chided.

“I had to come, Sul,” she replied, patting his arm. “I need to be here when they bring Nora out. Are they making good progress, d’ye think?”

The old cowhand rubbed his grizzled jaw. “Well now, it’s kind of slow goin’, Miz Jessie, what with ’em havin’ to shore up the top every little while so’s it don’t come down on their heads like . . .” He stopped, catching Lil’s signal not to mention Tye’s near miss.

“Why don’t we sit for a spell,” Lil quickly suggested, pointing to a log that had been dragged near the fire. “That coffee smells good.”

* * *

When Sul passed the word to David that Jessie had ridden out to the camp site with Lil, he uttered a string of choice cuss words and stormed out of the cave, determined to make her go home. He returned a few moments later looking like he’d enjoy breaking someone’s noggin.

“That woman is as stubborn as a mule,” he barked for Tye and all the others to hear. “She’s bent on staying here until we bring Nora out.” Retrieving his pick, he took his exasperation out on the obstacle standing between him and his daughter.

“Ye knew what she was like when ye married her,” Tye pointed out, grinning despite the dire circumstances.

“Yeah, well, what if we’re too late? I don’t want her to . . .” David’s voice cracked. “. . . to watch me carry Nora’s body out of here.”

Tye sobered instantly. “Pray God that won’t happen.” Saying nothing more, he put all of his strength into tearing down the stone barrier.

They finally broke through around midday. Tye and David hurriedly gouged out a large enough opening for a man to crawl through. No sound came from beyond the wall of rock, and not a word was spoken among the men as David squeezed into the black crypt. Tye held his breath, waiting and praying. He heard David move cautiously in the dark and call Nora’s name. For a moment there was no response. Then Tye heard a tiny sound, possibly a child’s whimper.

“Nora?” David called louder.

“Dada!” came the shrill reply.

“She’s alive!” he cried. “Where are you, pumpkin? There you are! Daddy’s got you!”

Tye hoarsely repeated David’s happy news and cries of gladness rang out back along the tunnel. Giving quiet thanks, Tye pulled David and Nora, who refused to let go of her father for a second, out of the black cavern. As he did, it hit him that his wretched fear had vanished. At some point in the past few hours, he’d finally thrown off the demon.

“I’m thinking we should seal up this damned hole,” he said grimly.

“So am I,” David replied, heading up the tunnel toward the light.

* * *

After Jessie’s adamant refusal to obey David and go back to the house, ending with him stomping back into the cave, Lil sought to calm her agitated sister-in-law. Just getting her to sit down was difficult. Then, noticing how Jessie shifted constantly on their hard log seat, Lil unsaddled her horse and convinced the pregnant woman to stretch out for the baby’s sake if not her own, using the saddle to rest her head. They talked about anything and nothing for a while, but eventually Jessie’s voice drifted off and she fell into exhausted slumber.

Choosing to sit on the ground with her back against the log, Lil gave in to her own lack of sleep and dozed off. How long she sat like that, she didn’t know, but it must have been a fairly long time because she woke with a crick in her neck. At first she didn’t realize what had awakened her. Then she heard the sound of excited shouts coming from the cave. Heart pounding, she reached over to shake Jessie’s shoulder.

“I think they’ve broken through,” she said as soon as the other woman opened her eyes.

“Oh God! Is my baby alive?” Jessie cried, scrambling awkwardly to her feet.

“It sure sounds like it.”

Jessie clasped her hands and muttered a string of prayers. Standing beside her, Lil did some praying herself. Their prayers were answered when David ducked out of the cave with Nora in his arms. The little girl clung to him, arms locked around his neck.

“Saints be praised!” Jessie shrieked. Tears streamed down her face as she ran to meet her husband, whose dirt-coated face also bore wet tracks of joy.

Tye emerged a few steps behind David. He looked tired and dirty, but he was in one piece, all Lil cared about. He grunted when she rushed to throw herself upon him, then laughed.

“I’m glad you’re happy to see me, colleen, but I’m getting ye filthy.”

“I don’t care. Just hold me.” He obliged her, and they only separated when Jessie approached holding Nora, with David at her side, arm around her.

“Brother dear, how can I ever thank ye? If ye hadn’t reached out and touched Nora, we might never have found her. I know what it cost ye and I’m more grateful than I can say.”

“Same goes for me, Tye,” David said. “We owe you for our daughter’s life.”

Tye shook his head. “There’s no owing among family. I’m thankful I could help.”

“That may be, but I won’t forget what you did.”

Nora, who had a strangle hold on Jessie, now complained, “Mama, I hungy.”

Jessie laughed. “Well then, we’d better get ye fed, aye?” Catching Lil’s eye, she asked, ”Will ye come back to the house with us?”

“Ye may as well, love,” Tye urged. “We’ve a bit of work to do, but ye needn’t stay.”

“What kind of work?” she asked uncertainly.

“We mean to block up the cave so nothing like this happens again, that’s all.”

“Right. It shouldn’t take more than an hour or two,” David added.

Standing nearby dusting himself off, her father said, “Come on, girl, Jeb and me will see y’all back to the house on our way home.”

“All right, I’ll go.” Stomach churning as it often did of late, Lil glared at Tye. “But I want your word you won’t do anything crazy out here.”

He gave a devilish grin and held up his hand. “Upon my honor, I wouldn’t dare.”

* * *

A short while later Tye found himself back in the cave.
The friends and neighbors who’d helped out had all headed home,
with
David’s gratitude, and he’d told his own men to get some rest, all except Dewey and Shorty. He’d sent them to fetch
black powder left over from blasting out stumps. Now they were stringing fuses while Tye helped David pack powder into crevices along the tunnel. Compared to drilling neat holes in the ore face of a silver mine and carefully packing in blasting powder as he’d once done, he couldn’t help frowning over this haphazard job, but with the rock already loosened by the landslide, he agreed it ought to do the trick.

Once everything was set David lit the main fuse and all four of them took cover outside. They waited but no explosion came.

“
Damnú!
The fuse must have gone out.” Situated closest to the cave mouth, Tye snatched the burning brand David had hung onto. “I’ll relight it.”

 “Tye, wait! It could still blow,” David shouted as Tye ducked into the cave.

Ignoring the warning, he limped along the tunnel until he found the problem. As he’d expected, the main fuse had died out, probably due to dampness. The break lay only inches from the place where the branch fuses connected to the main line. This was going to be tricky. He’d have to make a run for it once he relit the fuse. Considering his bad leg, it might have been wise to let David do the job, but he was here now and he’d see it through.

He crimped off the bad section of cord, made ready to run and lit the fuse. The second it caught fire he made a dash for the exit, gritting his teeth against the pain in his leg. He was a few feet from escape when the first blast went off, rocking the ground, causing him to stumble and fall. Another explosion followed almost immediately, then another and another. The cave collapsed behind Tye as he crawled toward daylight. He was almost there when a falling rock struck his head. He saw a burst of bright colors. Then the world went black.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Tye awoke in darkness with a dull ache in his head. When he tried to move, the ache became a knifing pain. Groaning, he squeezed his eyes shut.

“Tye? You’re awake!”

“Lil?” he croaked, unable to see her in the blackness.

“I’m here,” she whispered thickly, gripping his hand.

“My head’s pounding.” He reached up with his other hand and found a thick bandage wound around his head.

“I just bet it is. That’s what you get for playing hero.” She made a choked sound.

“Hero? What d’ye mean?”

“Don’t you remember running back into the cave to relight the fuse?”

“Aye, but what happened then? I can’t recall. Did we seal the cave?”

“You sealed it, all right, and almost got yourself killed. The powder charges went off before you made it out. You were hit in the head and half buried. David and his men dug you out. That was three days ago.”

“Three days!”

“Yes. You haven’t opened your eyes or spoken or even moved the whole time. I was s-so afraid I’d l-lost you.” Her voice broke and he heard her weeping softly.

Tye tightened his hand around hers. “Don’t cry, love,” he rasped.

“I’ll cry if I want to, you loco Irishman,” she said thickly, making him laugh, which in turn made him groan again.

“Argh! Don’t make me laugh, woman, and light a lamp so I can see ye at least.”

Her weeping ended with a gasp. There was a long silence. Then she said, “You . . . you can’t see me?”

“Of course I can’t. It’s pitch dark in here.”

“Oh God!” She clutched his hand with both of hers. “N-no, it’s broad daylight.”

“What! I can’t see a . . . a thing.” Seized by panic as the implication of what he’d said hit him, he freed his hand from Lil’s and fingered his eyes. “I’m blind, is that what you’re saying? Or are ye jesting, paying me back for the fright I gave ye?”

“No! I’d never do that!” Her voice shook. “Oh, Tye, the sun is streaming in the window only a few feet from this bed. I swear.”

Tye knew she was telling the truth even before she denied his panicky accusation. Her concern for him flooded his brain. He might have lost his sight but his
gift
remained with him.

He rubbed his eyes briskly, reopened them and saw only the black of night. “I’m truly blind then,” he mumbled, letting his arms fall to the bed as the realization settled over him like another, even more stygian darkness.

“It could pass.” Holding his hand again, Lil stroked his cheek. “You’ve got a nasty cut on your forehead. Maybe when it heals you’ll be able to see.”

“Aye, maybe,” he said despondently, not believing it.

* * *

Tye insisted on getting up the next morning. Lil knew his head still hurt and argued that he’d do better staying in bed for another day or two, but he was cranky as a cornered longhorn and refused to listen. She closed her ears to his snarled complaints as she helped him dress, knowing his foul mood came from his inability to see and do things for himself, not from anger at her.

David and his men had brought Tye to the main house after the accident, carrying him into one of the extra bedrooms. He’d been there ever since. Lil had barely left his side while he lay unconscious, the three longest, most terrible days of her life. Leading him from that room now, she thanked his God and the gods of her Cherokee relatives for giving him back to her.

“Get me out to the porch,” he said, leaning on her to steady himself.

“All right.” With her arm around him, she walked him outside. “Do you want to sit?”

“Aye. ’Tis all I’m good for now, isn’t it.” His tone was laced with self-pity.

“That’s not true. There’s plenty you can do once you’re stronger. Besides, you’ll see again. I’m sure of it,” she said, helping him to one of the porch chairs.

He collapsed into the chair. “Are ye then? Well, I’m not, and I’m thinking you’d be far better off without me.”

“Don’t you start that again, Devlin! You tried to run away from me once, and I tracked you down. I’m not about to let you go now.” Temper rising, Lil drew a breath and plunged onward. “You gave me your word, on your honor, that you wouldn’t do something crazy out at that cave. Well sir, you broke your word, and now you’re paying for it. We both are. And by criminy, we’ll do it together! You hear me?”

“Aye. I expect everyone on the place heard ye,” he said, frowning.

Lil hadn’t realized she was shouting. She glanced about and saw Sul Smith and two other men staring her way from near the corral. They were grinning. Feeling her face heat, she whirled and marched into the house, leaving Tye sitting there. She nearly collided with Jessie in the front hall.

“Lil, I heard ye shouting all the way back in Reece Senior’s room. What’s wrong?” Jessie asked in concern.

“Sorry for yelling.” Lil blew out an angry breath. “I just told your ornery brother he’d better not try running away from me again.”

“He wants to leave when he can’t see a blessed thing? Ye must be joking.”

Tossing her braid back over her shoulder, Lil shrugged. “He didn’t exactly say he was set on leaving, but he said I’d be better off without him.”

“Oh. Oh dear! Ye don’t think he means to do harm to himself, do ye?”

Lil caught her breath. She hadn’t thought of that. Spinning around, she dashed back outside with Jessie on her heels. Both of them halted when they saw Tye sitting where Lil had left him. Hearing them, he turned his head.

“Lily?”

“Yeah, it’s me and your sister. Tye, I . . . I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you,” she said, walking toward him.

“No, don’t be sorry. You’ve a right to be angry with me. I did break my word to ye.” He held out his hand, searching, and she quickly grasped it.

“Um, I’ll just go check on Nora and little Reece,” Jessie said. “They’re safe on the patio, but Nora doesn’t like to be left alone for long since the cave.”

“Aye, you’d best go to her then,” Tye said, raising Lil’s hand to his lips. He kissed it as the door closed behind Jessie, then smiled crookedly. “I didn’t mean to upset ye,
mavourneen.
I was merely feeling sorry for myself.” Pulling her close, he drew her down onto his lap. “Now then, we’ve something else to discuss. I’m thinking we’ll be having callers before long.”

“Judd Howard, you mean,” Lil said, laying her head on his shoulder. It felt so good to be held by him again. She never wanted to move.

“Aye. We mustn’t forget him. I’m sure he hasn’t forgotten his desire for revenge.”

“If you think I’ll let him take you away from me, you’ve got another think coming. And so does he.” Lil wrapped her arms around him.

Chuckling, Tye nuzzled her brow. “Ah, colleen, you’re a fierce one, but I don’t want ye hurt, love. So I’ll ask ye for the same promise ye demanded of me. Tell me you’ll not do something crazy when Howard shows up.”

Lil lifted her head. “Sure, I’ll promise you that and I’ll keep my word the same as you did,” she vowed, looking into his sightless eyes.

* * *

Tye’s prediction that they would soon have callers came true in an unexpected way the following morning. He was out on the porch again, keeping out of the women’s way while they swept and mopped the floor inside. Half loco, as Lil would put it, from constantly sitting, he rose unsteadily and fought to gain his balance. Ignoring his persistent dull headache, he cautiously walked the length of the porch, using the wood railing as a guide. Then he turned and retraced the same path.

He’d paced his short route several times when the sound of a buckboard bumping over the ground caught his ear. Halting, he listened to it approach and heard Sul Smith holler howdy. A reply rang out in Del Crawford’s deep voice. Wondering what he was doing here, Tye made his way to the front door and stepped inside.

“Lil, your father’s come to call,” he announced.

“I’m right here,” she replied from the parlor. He heard her set her broom aside and walk toward him. “Pa’s here? I wonder why.”

“Perhaps he’s come to see what a useless beggar you’re tied to,” he scoffed.

“Don’t talk foolish. Come on, let’s go say howdy.” Latching onto his arm, she led him back outside as he heard the buckboard pull up out front. Lil stopped abruptly, causing him to stumble. As she steadied him, he absorbed her shock and understood its cause when she said, “Howdy, Pa. Hello, Ma.”

Tye’s astonishment matched his wife’s as he stood there blindly waiting for Rebecca Crawford to spew her hatred at him.

“Mornin’, missy,” Del said. “Tye, I’m glad to see you on your feet. We heard what happened and, uh, about you losing your sight. Sure hope you get it back.”

Tye nodded. “As do I.” Hearing the wagon springs squeak, he realized the pair were climbing down. Seconds later, they mounted the porch steps.

“I made soup,” Rebecca said. “For Reece. He is not well, is this true?”

“Y-yeah. He’s real sick.” Lil disengaged her arm from Tye’s, and he guessed she was accepting a kettle of soup from her mother. It smelled good. “Would you like to come in?” she asked tentatively.

“Sure would,” Del replied. “Think I could say howdy to Reece?”

“If he’s awake. Jessie’s been dosing him with laudanum for his pain. He sleeps most of the time now.”

“Mmm. I’m damn sorry he’s doing so poorly.” As he spoke, Del grasped Tye’s arm. “Come on, son. Lil’s got her hands full. Let me be your eyes.”

A short time later, Tye sat tensely in one of the parlor chairs. Jessie had escorted Del to Reece Senior’s room and they hadn’t yet returned. Left alone with Lil and her mother, Tye longed to escape to the barn or the corral, anywhere but here – if only he could see to do it.

Lil was wishing much the same thing. She’d taken the soup out to the kitchen and now stood next to Tye with her hand on his shoulder, feeling tense and uncomfortable in her mother’s presence. They hadn’t exchanged more than a dozen words since entering the house. Clearing her throat, she searched for something to say, but her mother beat her to it.

“This salve is for him,” she said, darting a glance at Tye as she pulled a small jar from her pocket and offered it to Lil. “Your grandmother’s people use it for healing.”

Astonished, Lil stepped forward and accepted the gift. “Th-thank you.” Uncapping the jar, she sniffed it’s contents, recognizing the scent of wild herbs. She smiled. “I remember this. You used it on me many times when I was little.”

Ma nodded, and Lil caught the small twitch of her lips. “You were always getting cut or skinned up. The salve is good for such things. If you put some on his wound, it will heal faster.”

“’Tis thoughtful of ye to bring it, Mrs. Crawford,” Tye said. “I thank ye for it.”

Watching her mother study her tightly clasped hands, Lil hoped her surprising show of kindness would not turn bitter. Finally, Ma raised her head and gazed first at her, then at Tye.

“My husband has told me much about you, Tye Devlin. I did not wish to hear how you saved our daughter from drowning or how you defended her against Frank Howard, but he made me listen. Now he tells me your sister’s child was saved because you knew where she was and that she still lived. Del does not know how you knew these things.” Ma paused briefly before continuing, “But my mother’s people, the Cherokee, believe there are those who see things that others cannot see. I think you are such a one. Is this so?”