“You truly be the one got her with child?”
“Let’s just move along with our planning.”
Pim smiled. “How much should I tell them?”
“Tell them everything.”
“Hester might not want me if she knows my past.”
Jack took a moment to survey his friend’s appearance. “You think you could sink lower in her eyes?”
Pim shrugged.
Jack said, “Tell them what you like. But make sure they’re safe.”
“You got a plan?”
Jack nodded. “I’m working on it.”
Pim nodded and said, “Okay then. I guess we’ll go together and listen for your whistle.”
Jack walked over to Abby and cupped her chin in his hand. They kissed quickly, and when he broke away he looked her in the eyes. “I must warn my friends,” he said.
“I’m coming with you.”
“You can’t. I’ll have to ride hard. Also, I expect to pass your step-father on the road, searching for you. So look sharp and stay with Mr. Pim.”
Abby’s face went white. “If Philip finds me he’ll kill me.”
“Mr. Pim won’t allow it.”
“You don’t know Philip.”
“And he don’t know Pim. Okay, I’m off.”
Chapter 14
Jack galloped out of town and had gone about a mile when he ran into Philip Winter. Philip angled his horse across the path and held his musket across his chest, bidding Jack to stop.
“Who might you be?”
“Henry Ames. And you?”
“Philip Winter.”
“You the man sold his wife an hour ago?”
“The same. Now I’m looking for my daughter.”
“You planning to sell her too?”
Philip Winter sized Henry up. “Who knows you around here, Mr. Ames?”
“You do, for one.”
Philip aimed his musket at Jack’s face and pulled back the action.
“I’ll have your horse, Henry, and you on the ground, face down until I decide what to do with you.”
“I don’t think so.”
Jack jerked hard on his reign while kicking his horse’s ribs. His horse slammed into Winter and Jack ducked below the gunshot. By then, Jack had his flintlock out and cocked in one hand, and Winter’s reigns in the other.
“I don’t know why you’d wish to shoot a fellow traveler, or steal his horse, but it concerns me enough to ask you to dismount.”
Winter reluctantly stepped down from his horse.
“What do you intend, sir?”
Jack wasn’t sure. His first instinct was to kill Winter. But what would he do with the body? He didn’t have time to deal with this right now.
“I’ll take your horse with me,” Jack said. “You’ll find it at the river crossing, tied to a tree.”
“I have urgent business. My daughter is missing.”
“You’ll have to delay the search. I’m sorry.”
Winters nodded. “If I see you again, I’ll kill you.”
“In that case, I hope not to see you again. But since I’m bound for Georgia, I doubt our paths will cross.”
“You’re heading the wrong way for Georgia, sir.”
“I’m making a detour. I’m a scout for
“Wait! Why didn’t you say this earlier? I’m part of the plot.”
“What part is yours?”
“Why, creating the diversion so all the locals would be in town during the roundup.”
