He was still amusd. A--and pleased.
He must have thought I was a potato farmer and that he bartered himself
for a few dusty acres! Tess decided. Well, he should be pleased.
The front door burst open as the wagon reached the clearing. Hank Riley,
Joe's foreman, came hurrying down the st~s, followed by Janey Holloway,
who had worked for them since Tess had begun to work at the paper. Hank
was as tall and skinny as a young oak sapling, with a weathered face so
browned and crinkled that he sometimes looked like an Indian. Janey was
young and plump and pretty, with sandy hair and soft gray eyes.
Jane stared from Jamie to the wagon, then screamed with joy, clutching
her heart when she saw Tess. Hank didn't make a sound. He came hurrying
down the steps of the porch and over to the wagon and reached right up,
catching hold of Tess and swinging her down. He lifted her up and swung
her around again, a smile crinkling his face to 119 even greater depths.
'Tess! The Lord be praised, but that man told us you were dead!'
'I'm not dead, Hank, I'm fine.' Hank had set her down. Jane was crying
softly.
'Jane!' Tess took the young woman in her arms to comfort her.
'It's all right! I'm here. I'm alive, I'm well!'
'Oh, Miss. Tess! Miss. Tess, it's just so wonderful to see you! He said
he was coming back tonight~ and at first we thought that you were him
coming back a little early. He had the sheriff with him, you see, and he
said as how everyone had heard that both you and your uncle had been
killed in an Indian raid, and that the land would go up for public
auction. Hank and me and the hands were to clear out. Well, the hands
could stay on until the actual auction, but' She paused, gasping for
breath.
Hank, casting a curious glance toward Jamie and Jori, continued the
story indignantly.
'He said that since Jane and I might think ourselves too close to the
family, we'd have to get out before we started stealing property from
the deceased!'
'He--who the hell is he?' Jamie demanded, dismounting.
Hank frowned, not about to answer the question until he had a signal
from Tess.
'Well, Miss. Tess, I'll answer him about who the hell he is--once this
fellow tells me who the hell he is himself!'
Jamie's eyes narrowed, and his face started to look like thunder.
'Hank,' Tess said quickly.
'This is Lieutenant Jamie Slater, he's with the cavalry. And Mr. Jon Red
Feather..
Hank, they've been gracious enough to see me home'--' Then Joe really is
dead,' Hank said miserably.
She nodded.
He swallowed hard, looking into the distance.
'I'd kinda hoped, seeing you and all ... Then he really did get it from
the Indians.'
'No. From von Heusen.'
'Him again,' Hank muttered.
'He--him,' Jamie interjected.
