you mean, she’s gone?” von Hausen roared.
“I mean she’s vanished,” Marlene screamed at him. “One minute she was there, the next minute she was gone. The tracks lead straight north.”
“Break camp,” von Hausen ordered. “Jensen’s got her.”
The men had found most of their horses and repaired the cinch straps. They quickly saddled up and broke camp. Dick Dorman could sit a saddle. But he had to have help dismounting. He gritted his teeth against the pain and rode. Joe Elliot’s left arm was in a sling, and he was hurting something awful, but he followed along, riding Frank’s horse. Searchers had found Terry’s horse and brought it to him.
Henry Barton was riding a pack horse that had the worst gait of any animal he had ever tried to ride. Sandy Beecher rode a mule that tried to bite him every time he mounted and tried to kick him every time he dismounted.
“You are the most despicable man I have ever met in all my life,” Andrea told Smoke. “This is outrageous. I have never been treated like this in my life. This is kidnapping. I will have you arrested.”
“Shut up,” Smoke told her.
He had tied her hands to the saddlehorn and was seriously considering wrapping a sack around her mouth.
“I suppose you intend to violate me,” Andrea said.
Smoke looked back at her. “You have to be kidding! I’d sooner bed down with a skunk.”
She spat at him. She wasn’t a very good spitter. With spit on her chin, she said, “You are certainly no gentleman. You are a brute and a boorish oaf.”
“Lady, shut up.”
She screamed so loud it hurt Smoke’s ears.
“Go right ahead and squall, lady. No one’s going to hear you. In case you’re interested in geography, that’s Roughlock Hill right over there.”
“I hate you, I despise you, I loathe you!”
“This is really going to be a fun trip. I can sense that right off.”
“Where are you taking me, you pig?”
“To the mountains, lady. I’m glad you had sense enough to bring a coat with you. You’re going to need it.”
“Why did you kidnap me?”
“So the others will follow.”
“I shall have you whipped to death, you barbarian.”
“Right, lady.”
“If you attempt to violate me I shall give you no satisfaction.”
“You’re as safe with me as you would be in a nunnery.”
“Don’t you find me beautiful?”
“In the same way a rattlesnake is pretty.”
“These bonds are too tight. My hands hurt.”
“My ears hurt.”
She cussed him.
“You have a very dirty mouth, lady.”
“I’m hungry.”
“We’ll eat this evening.”
“I have to go to the bathroom.”
“Later.”
She cussed him.
“I’m not so sure this was such a good idea,” Smoke muttered.
On the third night out, Andrea finally got it through her head that Smoke was not going to violate her precious wonderful flawless perfect body. And that made her madder than the kidnapping.
The man was infuriating. He seemed to sleep with one eye open. She could not escape because Smoke tied a rope around her waist and the other end to his arm before they went to bed. Three times she’d tried to slip away. Three times Smoke had jerked her back to the ground so hard her eyes crossed, her teeth rattled, and her butt hurt from the impact.
While the fire burned down to coals, Andrea asked, “Why don’t you sleep with me tonight?”
“I’m married, lady.”
“She isn’t here.”
“Yes, she is. In my mind.”
“Is she beautiful?”
“Yes.”
