Through Darkest America-Extended Version (15 page)

Pardo paused a minute. "Now listen careful and don't
git
nothing wrong. What you done was right and ain't anyone can take it from you. You ruined him good and I figure you had call for it. Only what you done back there in the hills
weren't
right. You lied to me, boy. An' maybe I can see you had cause, but that don't change nothing. I could have taken you into camp first time I went down, and left Klu and Jigger behind. I thought serious on it, but
somethin
' told me better. So where'd I be if we'd ridden in with them army fellers still there—and some of '
em
maybe the ones after you? Just where'd I be, boy? You answer me that."

Pardo shook his head and scratched his beard. "You're just damn lucky you got caught by a feller that's a lot
scareder
a'me
than he is of them soldiers. 'Cause they sure as hell want your head in a sack, boy, and they're willing to pay for it. Reckon I'd be a sight better off if I sold it to '
em
!"

"
Whyn't
you do that, then," Howie said darkly. "Wouldn't surprise me, none."

"Reckon I won't," Pardo told him. "For now, anyways."

"And I reckon I'll just get out of your hair so you won't come to no more trouble. That'll suit me well enough!"

"Well, it don't suit me," said Pardo: "Just get that out of your head."

"Why!" Howie exploded. "What you want
me
around for? I ain't anything but trouble, you said so yourself. An' I don't want to be here no
more'n
you want me to!"

Pardo looked off in the dark toward the river. "Guess you better get down to the creek and wash up and get some sleep. You'll likely be sore come morning, and I don't want you
mopin
' around none."

He started down the hill, then stopped. "I reckon you've earned this right enough.
Considerin
' how you come by it."

Something flashed between them and landed at Howie's feet. He picked it up, and felt Jacob's pistol and holster.

"We
git
some time," said Pardo, "I'll show you what to do with it, 'sides
struttin
' around looking all rough-like. Mean feller like you can likely use some gun-learning."

Chapter Sixteen

G
etting cleaned up for bed was about the last thing on Howie's mind. If he could make his body move up the hill and back to camp, he knew exactly where he was going— and it didn't have anything at all to do with working his tail off another day for Pardo.

He felt better about having the pistol back—Pardo, of course, hadn't given him any cartridges for it. He never would, either, Howie figured. That business about teaching him to shoot was so much talking. Pardo was real good at
sayin
' and not doing, unless it fit his needs.

The idea made Howie so mad he near forgot his aches and pains. Was
that
what Pardo thought? That he'd be so dang excited about getting his gun back he'd just run and hop in bed like a good boy? After near getting beat half to death? Well old Pardo could just think on that some more. Howie didn't intend to be around long enough to care.

The camp was in a small hollow on the far side of the hill, protected from the wind. He was relieved to find both Klu and Jigger off somewhere. Getting by those two wouldn't be the easiest thing in the world.

It didn't take long to gather up his few belongings from the
leanto
. Most important of all was the good ash bow. He'd kept it wrapped from the weather in his old jacket, and there were even half a dozen good arrows left. And until he could shoot…

He wondered what Pardo had done with his rifle. It'd be a good thing to take if he could find where it was hidden. He dismissed the thought, knowing Pardo would have it stashed in a good place. Along with cartridges and other valuables.

He hadn't even thought about where he'd go. It didn't really matter much, long as it wasn't east. Just about everyone seemed to be after him back there. West, maybe. '
Cept
there was fighting. And in the north, too, most likely. Maybe he'd head south. Whatever was there couldn't be worse than anywhere else. And it stayed warmer longer in the south. For someone on the run, camping out—

A twig snapped just behind him. Howie froze, then turned quickly and threw himself to one side.

"
Lordee
, Burt. You sure are a jumpy one!"

Howie sat up, feeling foolish. "Aimie. What you
doin
' out here?"

"Looking for you, silly. What you think?"

"Listen, that's fine, only . . .”

Aimie fell down beside him and drew herself close. "Boy, your pa sure was mad. Was it 'cause of me, Burt?"

"It didn't have nothing to do with you. It was
somethin
' else. Between me and him. And he ain't my pa, Aimie."

"He's not?"

"No. We're not kin at all, and I'm grateful enough for that."

Aimie looked at him curiously. "I don't have no idea what you're talking about, Burt. But I don't much care." Her face brightened. "Thing is, I found you again."

"Yeah. You did that. Only—
ow
!"

Aimie drew back. "Now, what?"

"It ain't nothing you did," Howie explained. He felt his side gingerly. Something seemed to slip back and forth over his ribs. "I just got busted up some, is all."

Aimie looked pained, then thoughtful. "Burt?" "What?"

"It doesn't hurt . . .
there
, does it?"

"Oh, Lord, Aimie!" Howie almost jumped out of his skin. Aimie worked skillfully at his trousers. He could feel her breath on his cheek, in quick little bursts like his own.

"You just can't . . . get a girl all worked up . . .
 
and then run off and . . . leave her, Burt . . .”

"I didn't exactly . . .
 
go on my own . . .
Aimie
. . .
 
Aimie!
"

Lying back, she spread her skirts and pulled him to her. "God, you ain't no boy at all, Burt. Burt, honey, I can't
wait
no more!"

In the dim starlight he could see the flash of creamy skin. His legs met the inside of her thighs, his hardness touched incredibly warm softness, and the whole world exploded in his loins.

Aimie sat up and stared. "Oh, Burt, you didn't!" Howie swallowed and looked away. "I couldn't help it, Aimie, I just—"

"You just
nothin
'
is what!" she snapped, pushing him off. She turned from him briefly, then stood up smoothing her skirts. Howie helped her. His hand brushed against her breasts and she jerked away.

"You done about all the playing you're going to for now," she said hotly. "Such as it was!"

Howie's embarrassment turned to anger. "Listen. You didn't
have
to follow me up here, Aimie. Nobody asked you to. What'd you want to bother with me for, anyway? You got plenty of others to spread out for, the way I hear it!"

He was sorry the minute he said it. He'd lost none of his desire for her at all. If anything, looking at her now, he wanted her more than ever.

"Aimie. I didn't mean that."

"It don't matter." She looked away, down the hill. "I '
spect
it's true enough."

"
Aimie
. . .”

She looked back, faced him. "You want to know why I come after you, Burt? Truly? I wasn't
lyin
' about … what you done to me. I was all hot and ready and . . . I mean it, Burt, it ain't like that with me. Not a lot, anyway. Only it was with you, and …"

"And what, Aimie?"

She bit her lip. "And . . . I knew you hadn't had anyone before. I could tell that. And,
Lordee
, it was something
knowin
—"

Howie hit her. He didn't want to, but a second before it happened he knew he couldn't stop. And then he was on her, tearing cloth and tossing it aside until she was naked under

the sky. He gazed at the awful whiteness of her, loving and hating what he saw, holding her tight against the ground. She stared up at him, eyes wide with fright.

"I ain't nobody's prize fool," he said harshly, "you hear?"

"Burt!"

He slapped her hard, then thrust into her savagely. She cried out and he stopped her with his' mouth. He let his hands sink into her breasts. Her nails raked at his eyes, clawed his back. He tore into her again and again.

Aimie fought him. She bit at his mouth and flailed out with her legs. Her hands tore at his flesh. In a moment, though, he knew something strange and different was happening. Aimie still struggled against him, but it wasn't the same. She pulled the pain from him, drank it in thirstily. And when she was certain there was no more there, she triumphantly drew the last he had to give and he exploded in her again. She threw herself up to meet him and he watched in wonder as her mouth opened slackly in a low moan of pleasure.

"Aimie. Aimie, I. I . . .”

Her eyes opened and a smile creased the corners of her mouth. "Burt, if you start in
tellin
' me how
sorry
you are 'bout something or other, I'll . . . I'll . . . ." She stopped, and her expression made him laugh with her. He moved down to take her up in his arms and she came to meet him.

He held her a long time, not saying anything. He didn't want to talk and spoil the wonder of what had happened there. It was something you just couldn't say right with words. Finally, he bent to kiss her and found her sleeping, a funny smile on her lips. Maybe she was thinking the same thing, he decided. Maybe…

The sound rolled up through the valley and climbed the low hills, cutting the chill night air like a knife. Aimie sat up, frightened. Howie held her close. He felt suddenly tired and empty; visions of riding off on a stolen horse—maybe even with Aimie, now—vanished and fell away. Someone had blown a
warhorn
at the river, and every driver who heard it knew
Lathan
was finally on their heels.

Chapter Seventeen

T
he rider who stumbled late into camp and started the war- horn wailing killed his mount getting there, but the warning he brought was worth more than a good horse. The rumor was true
Lathan
was definitely on the move. A strong element—nobody knew just how strong—had broken out of Colorado, streaked boldly through government territory, and was now less than two-hundred miles away in Old Missouri. Nobody doubted that the big herd was their target.

The news came as no surprise to anyone. Trouble had been expected all along, which was why the army was on its way across Arkansas Territory to meet them. The only real question was: who'd find them first?

"Don't know any other way it could be," Pardo observed stoically. "
Lathan's
hungry, and there ain't hardly nothing he can do but try an' fill his belly."

Everyone agreed that was so. But even if you knew for certain the river was high and flooding, you could always hope it wouldn't get there.

When the drive began, most of the owners had said that no matter what happened, the herd would be kept together. There was, after all, strength in numbers. Pardo disagreed with this and had made
him self
heard since joining the drive. Why bunch up and make it easy for
Lathan
to get all the apples in one neat basket?

"I ain't got no say in this maybe," he told them, "since I don't own anything and won't lose
nothin
' whether we make it or not. '
Cept
maybe my hide, which ain't likely worth much. But it appears to me that it's a sight better to
git
something 'stead of nothing. Which is what you're
fixing
to do."

Pardo's friend Jess argued violently against the idea. "What you're figuring on is exactly what
Lathan
wants us to do," he said. "Divide one strong force into three or four weak ones, strung out from here to nowhere. Hell,
Lathan'd
be herding us to the slaughterhouse same as if we was meat!"

Jess fought until he was blue in the face, but nothing came of it. Pardo had done his homework well. Owners and drivers alike respected his judgment. And the truth was, most everyone said, the herd wasn't all that strong anyway—not against trained soldiers who'd all be mounted and carrying firearms and not worrying about fighting and keeping scared meat together at the same time. The only real chance they'd ever had was the one still open to them now. Don't get caught by
Lathan
in the first place. Nothing had changed that.

At sunup the herd divided into three rough sections. One, loosely guarded, headed straight south, following the eastern bank of the Big River. The south was safe government territory and, though a long march would weaken it, the drivers could turn the herd back north and west as soon as the army made contact with the upper segments.

The other two elements headed west across the river. One of these, led by Pardo, would go straight and fast for the army. The other, with a large part of the herd, would move along a southwesterly route not too far away, with minimum protection, and would join Pardo's group as soon as the army was sighted. This left Pardo with what amounted to a diversionary force: more guards and less meat. It was the section of the herd
Lathan
would have to hit first, the one with the most strength and the least to lose.