from limb and watch them die in horrible agony. Chavez had taken that
away from him. For the good of his soul, maybe it was just as well. It
was hard for a man to live with that kind of hate. He knew. He'd watched
it fester in his brother Cole, and it had nearly cost him his wife,
Kristin. Then there had been Chavez.
He'd never seen Chavez, except from the mountaintop. And watching the
Comanchere shoot the men in cold blood had kept him from feeling the
least remorse when Chavez had fallen beneath his blade. The fight
between them had been cold, both men knowing that it was life or death.
Jamie had been a little quicker, and Jon had managed to come around with
the horses before the Comancheros knew that their leader had been
visited, much less killed. The bound woman on the bed had never moved,
and she hadn't seen anything. They were done with the Comancheros--for
good, he hoped.
He smiled suddenly. He would have to ask Tess how the woman had come to
be bound and tied on that bed. It would surely be an interesting story.
But when they had fled the Comancheros camp, Tess had been nowhere to be
seen. They had tracked the trails up and down all night, calling softly
to her. He hadn't been willing to admit that they had helped her elude
the Comancheros only to send her into the arms of the Apache. But Jon
knew the territory, and he knew something of Nalte. And in the end they
had decided that the only way they could deal with the chief was to lay
their cards on the table. Jamie was going to have to count on his
reputation with the Indians. Jori would change into his buckskin attire
to approach Nalte first, then Jamie would ride in. It had been risky for
them both. The Apache were a warlike people, and Nalte was known to hate
the white man. But he had a reputation, too--one for upholding his own
sense of honor and hospitality.
Besides, it was obvious from the out skim of the village that some big
ceremony was going on, and a chief like Nalte didn't usually like blood
on his hands during such an occasion.
And so they were here, and still waiting. Darkness was falling upon the
water. The moon glittered gently upon it, and the easy melody of the
running water was gentle.
It was a beautiful sight, this valley within the beginning of the fierce
mountain ranges.
A beautiful place to die, Jamie thought.
Nalte had promised his decision about Tess as soon as the festivities
for his sister had ended. Jon seemed to believe that the Apache chief
had already determined he would return Tess, at some cost, of course,
but he would return her.
But what if he did not?
Jamie knew he would never leave without her.
If Nalte decided against him, he would have to fight the chief. And if
he won, the Apache would probably slay him in vengeance anyway. He might
well die in this beautiful place, then there would be nothing more that
he could do for Tess.
I'm sorry! he thought. i never should have become so involved. Falling
in love with a beautiful angel has surely been the downfall of many a
man. I couldn't let you go that morning. I had to make you see that the
