arm, the muzzle practically brushing Toad’s shoulder.
“How do you do, gentlemen?” Toad said. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“Forget that,” Zach said, and pointed at the blackened circle. “What happened? Where are the women?”
“Where Raven On The Ground?” Chases Rabbits specifically demanded.
“We had a fire, obviously,” Toad said. “A lamp was knocked over. We did what we could, but it wasn’t enough to contain the flames.”
“And the women?” Zach pressed him.
“Raven On The Ground?” Chases Rabbits said.
Geist stepped past Toad and good-naturedly clapped Chases Rabbits on the arm. “Don’t fret, my friend. The women are fine. They got out in plenty of time and ran to us for help.”
“Where they now?” Chases Rabbits anxiously asked.
“They’ve gone back to your village.”
Chases Rabbits almost fainted with relief. But that wouldn’t be becoming of a warrior, so he adopted a stony expression and said simply, “Good.”
“We plan to rebuild,” Geist said. “Then we’ll send for the women again, provided they’re still willing to work for us.”
“Me bet they be,” Chases Rabbits said, remembering how eager Raven On The Ground was to acquire some red cloth and beads.
“We’re just glad they weren’t hurt,” Geist said.
Toad cleared his throat. “Mr. King, how about a drink on the house?”
“I don’t drink,” Zach said flatly.
“Not ever?”
“No.”
“How about a meal, then?”
“I’m not all that hungry.”
“Some coffee and a biscuit, perhaps? You’ve ridden a long way.”
Geist shifted toward Toad and lost some of his smile. “You heard him. He’s not hungry and he’s not thirsty.”
“I just thought…” Toad said.
“Me thirsty,” Chases Rabbits said. “Can me have water?”
“Of course you can,” Toad answered. “Come inside.”
“There’s the stream right there,” Geist said, and pointed.
“You make it difficult to be polite,” Toad remarked.
Chases Rabbits was about to lead the pinto to the stream when he realized he was forgetting something. “Oh. Me sorry not bring Grizzly Killer. Stalking Coyote come instead.”
Toad smiled an odd smile.
“What was that?” Geist asked.
“Grizzly Killer,” Chases Rabbits repeated, then realized the white man might not know whom he was referring to. “Nate King. Mr. Toad ask me fetch him urgent.”
“He did, did he?”
“Yes.”
“Did he say why?”
“I was wondering that myself,” Zach said.
Toad opened his mouth to say something, glanced at Petrie, and hesitated. “I merely wanted to have your father invite the Shoshones to pay us a visit. None have been here yet, and I’m counting on doing business with them.”
“I’ll have my mother ask them for you,” Zach said.
“I would be very grateful. Thank you.”
Geist rubbed his hands together. “Well, then. We have work to do. If you’ll excuse us…” He nodded at Petrie and Toad, and Toad walked off with Petrie behind him. Geist smiled and trailed after them.
“Him nice man,” Chases Rabbits said.
Chapter Twenty-one
Elihu Levi was his birth name. When he was little, his family took to calling him “Pudgy” and he hated it. By his tenth year, his bulging eyes and squat build sparked a cousin to one day laughingly call him a toad, and the nickname stuck. He hated that even more, and had disliked his cousin ever since.
His schoolmates teased him mercilessly. His relatives weren’t much better. Small wonder he felt like an outcast, even among his own kind. He shunned people and devoted himself to his passion—business. For a few years he worked with his family in dry goods, but his dream was to own his own store. Thanks to his grandfather, who had left him a few thousand dollars in his will, he moved from Indiana to St. Louis and set up a mercantile.
His family was against it. Why St. Louis? they asked. Toad explained that it was the gateway to the frontier, that it was the supply point for freight trains and wagon trains streaming to Santa Fe and to Oregon Country, and there were riches to be made. His mercantile flourished and he was content, or he would have been, if not for the tales.
From the freighters and frontiersmen, Toad heard endless stories about the mysterious lands to the west, about nigh-endless prairie, majestic mountains, and a host of wonders to dazzle the eyes; about friendly Indians, hostiles, and beasts galore. The tales took root. He began to want to see some of the wonders for himself. The desire built and built until it couldn’t be denied.
So it was that one day, Toad promoted one of his assistants and left the man to oversee his St. Louis store while he ventured off into the great unknown. He was determined to have the first-ever mercantile west of the Mississippi River. He advertised for adventurous men willing to brave the dangers of his employ, and Geist was one of the first to respond. It turned out that Geist knew of four others, and before Toad knew it, he had the helpers he needed.
Now, standing alone behind the counter late in the afternoon, his insides in turmoil, Toad berated himself for being so gullible. He’d hired a viper and not realized it. A pack of vipers who’d taken over his store, murdered a Crow maiden, and imprisoned her friends in the storeroom.
Toad had no illusions about the outcome if the Crows found out. The mercantile would become a smoldering ruin. Worse, the Crows might vent their wrath on him. He’d heard that some tribes were fond of torture, and he could do without being staked out and having his skin flayed.
Toad came to a decision. He was going to rescue the maidens. He would sneak into the storeroom, free them, and help them slip away before Geist or any of his men caught on. But no sooner had he come around the end of the counter than Geist and Petrie stepped from the hall, barring his way.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“Out back,” Toad said.
“No, you’re not.” Geist pushed him. “You’re not going anywhere. We have some talking to do.”
Toad had to swallow to say, “What about?”
“That urgent business you sent Chases Rabbits on. You sent for Nate King to warn him about me, didn’t you?”
Toad glanced behind him to see if the aisle to the door was clear. It wasn’t. Dryfus and Berber were behind him.
“Any redskins outside?” Geist asked them.
“A few Flatheads, is all,” Dryfus said.
“You told them the rule that all Indians are to be gone by dark?”
“I did. They said they’d be back in the morning to trade.”
Geist gave Toad a vicious smile. “We’ll wait until they leave.”
“I’m no threat to you,” Toad said.
