Clint still wasn't sure whether or not the mountain man and his partners could be trusted. He didn't even know what they might do if they spotted him. What he did know was that they would be a lot more use to him if Clint could see what they were doing without them knowing they were being watched.
More importantly, Clint's instinct told him to give those men a wide berth unless he wanted another fight. They'd already stepped up to him once with guns drawn. The next time was bound to end up a whole lot messier.
Clint had plenty of time to think about these things while waiting to hear or see another sign of Crow. All he heard was the wind rustling through the trees and all he saw was hundreds of branches swaying to a rhythm of their own.
TWENTY-THREE
As Clint headed back to where he'd left Eclipse, he stayed low and kept his rifle at the ready. The Darley Arabian was waiting patiently as if he knew only too well how important it was that he stay quiet. Eclipse barely even made a sound as Clint took his reins and led him back along the path they'd already taken.
As night drew closer, it was easier for Clint to find the other three men. The woods were getting denser to the north and it was impossible for three men to move through them without making a sound, no matter how skilled they were.
After tying Eclipse up again and scouting ahead on his own, Clint caught sight of a tiny flicker of light. He crawled on his belly through a thick mess of weeds and bottom-dwelling insects before finally catching sight of the other men's campfire.
The mountain man and Crow were huddled over the flame, which was barely large enough to produce enough heat to warm their hands. Something was cooking over the flame and after all the crawling he'd done, Clint looked at that cooking critter as if it were a king's feast.
He was forced to lie there and watch those two men eat their supper for half an hour. Clint knew there was another Indian somewhere out there. Since he hadn't felt a knife in his back or been dragged off his feet just yet, Clint assumed he hadn't been spotted. That meant he had to stay put until he spotted that other Indian.
Finally, like a bobcat slinking in from the shadows, the other Indian stepped into the dim glow of the campfire and sat down. He spoke in a voice too soft for Clint to hear, while glancing up anxiously at every flutter of a bird's wing or rustle of a leaf.
The first opportunity Clint got to move was when the Indian stopped talking and started eating. Slowly, Clint backed away.
As hungry and cold as Clint was, he knew better than to build a fire when he got back to the spot where he'd left Eclipse. Even a flame half the size of the three men's paltry cooking fire would probably be enough to catch their attention.
Before long, Clint realized that just sleeping too close to their camp was taking a hell of a risk. Ignoring the gnawing in his belly and the chill digging underneath his skin, Clint took Eclipse's reins and led the stallion even farther back along the tracks they'd already put down.
He found a nice spot just over a quarter mile away that backed against a cluster of trees; not even a snake could get through. In front of him were more trees and bushes that started to look like one solid wall to Clint's tired eyes.
In the end, he wound up sitting with his back propped against a rock and a stick of jerked beef in his hand. He was almost too tired to chew the leathery meat, but it still felt good to get something in his stomach. With his rifle laying across his lap and his hand upon the grip of his Colt, Clint allowed his eyes to close and he drifted off to sleep.
Clint's eyes snapped open and his fingers tightened reflexively around the rifle when he heard something moving nearby. Even though his blood was racing in his veins thanks to the way he'd been pulled from his sleep, Clint felt as though he couldn't have drifted off for more than a few minutes.
Taking a glance upward, however, he saw the first hints of dawn spreading across the sky. Clint noticed Eclipse not too far away. It was clear the stallion wasn't in the spot from which the noise had come.
After getting his legs beneath him, Clint worked his way across the small clearing and into the thicker trees. Once there, he stopped and focused his eyes and ears to take in everything around him.
Although more birds and animals were moving about in the early hour of the new day, Clint couldn't hear anything big enough to cause him any concern.
He could see even less.
The trees were just as gnarled as they'd been the previous night and the ground was covered with just as much mulch. Other than that, the only difference was the hazy light filtering in through the branches over his head.
Clint thought back to what he'd heard and knew something had been stalking him. Something bigger than a rabbit or possum had made that noise, he was sure of it. For the moment, however, it was gone.
Realizing he had to be even more careful than he'd been before, Clint went back to the clearing, had a quick meal of dried oats for breakfast and got to work catching up with those other three men.
TWENTY-FOUR
Clint caught sight of the other Indian fairly early in the morning. With more than enough time to think, he remembered the mountain man calling that one Three. All Clint had to do was watch Three for a few minutes to figure out which way the Indian was traveling. After that, he led Eclipse a little ways back and then climbed into his saddle.
The woods had thinned out to make way for another section of Snake River. Now that he'd gotten a little breathing room as well as the noise of running water to cover him, Clint rode along the river and headed north into Oregon Territory.
Once he'd ridden for a few miles and figured he'd put some distance between himself and those Indians, Clint dismounted just long enough to do some hunting. He had no trouble whatsoever killing a few rabbits and he slung the animals over his saddle before moving on. The hardest part was not stopping right away to cook up the fresh meat.
When he did stop for the night, Clint made sure there was enough light in the sky to be of some use. There wasn't much more than a dark orange glow overhead, but it was bright enough that he didn't have to build a fire to see. He did pile up some rocks around a small pit which he dug out of the dirt to make a fire just large enough to cook the rabbits.
After getting some real food in his belly, Clint began to feel like a human being again rather than some animal scampering through the woods. Things were easier to see and his thoughts became much clearer as well.
All in all, he was doing fairly well. He should be able to reach the cabin the next day, which also meant Ordell shouldn't be too far away. If the other man didn't show up, Clint could always head for the nearest town with a telegraph office and ask Lisa Ordell for any more ideas.
For the moment, however, Clint was satisfied with what he was doing. He'd gotten the taste of that jerky out of his mouth and was convinced he'd gotten ahead of the mountain man and his two Indian partners. Clint even managed to wash his clothes in the river since they were caked with enough dirt and ants to start his own colony.
Letting out a breath and feeling the warm air brush over his chest, Clint actually started to let his muscles relax. Before he could get too comfortable, he heard the familiar sound of something moving through the trees. In fact, it reminded him of the very same sound that had woken him up that morning.
This time, Clint didn't act as if he'd heard it. He stayed right beside the cooking pit and prodded the piece of rabbit he was roasting as if nothing else was on his mind. Absently reaching for his canteen, Clint drew his pistol instead and twisted around to get a look behind him.
He found a slender, dark-skinned woman behind him, frozen like a deer caught in a hunter's sights.
“Come here,” Clint ordered.
The woman did so without question. She was crouched down so low that her long, coal-black hair nearly brushed against the ground. Over her shoulder, there was a leather pouch decorated by a few beaded designs. Her clothes were made from smooth animal hides, which wrapped around her body like a second skin.
Her eyes were deep, dark brown and wide without displaying fear. The color of her skin as well as the angles of her features marked her clearly as an Indian. She moved toward Clint while straightening up just a bit until she saw Clint motion for her to stop.
“Who else is with you?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nobody. I am alone.”
“And you're just wandering around out here all by yourself?”
“Right now . . . yes. That is, until I found you.”
“How'd you find me?”
“I saw you before,” she said. “You rode away and I didn't find you again until now.”
“So you've been following me?”
“Just for the day.”
“Why?” Clint asked.
She looked away from him and started to sit down. Before settling in, however, she looked back up to Clint. He nodded and sat down as well since there wasn't a sign of anyone else in the area.
“Crow is my brother,” she said. “I came to bring him food and blankets because the nights are getting cold.”
“So he knows I'm here?” Clint asked, already dreading the answer.
To his surprise, she shook her head. “I did not tell him because they might hurt you if they knew you were near. They asked if I had seen a white man when I brought the food, but that was before I saw you. I know who the man is that they seek and it's not you.”
“They're after a man named Mark Ordell.”
“That's right. He is the white man who worked for the soldiers and killed many of our people. He killed most of my family. Howlett says you are after the same man.”
“Howlett? Is he the man who travels with Crow and Three?”
She nodded and also smirked.
“What's so funny?” Clint asked as he found himself grinning as well.
The Indian woman's face was already pretty, but she turned absolutely beautiful with that little smile. “His name is Three Eyes, but Howlett only calls him Three. If he knew how close you were, Howlett might just call him One.”
“That's funny. Speaking of names, what's yours?”
“In your tongue it would be Rain.”
“That's very pretty.”
“I brought you some food, but I can see you don't need it.”
“You're welcome to some,” Clint offered. “It's not bad, if you like rabbit.”
She reached into her pouch and took out a few cakes that were about the size of biscuits. Handing them over, she allowed her fingers to brush against Clint's hand and slowly drag along his skin. She felt even softer than she looked.
TWENTY-FIVE
“The man my brother seeks is looking for him, Howlett and Three Eyes,” Rain said. “I do not think he is looking for you. If you are seeking this same man, I think you will have an easier time finding him.”
“If that's the case, I just might.”
While Rain nibbled at a piece of the cooked rabbit, Clint ate one of the cakes she'd brought. It was a sweet mixture of corn, flour and sugar that melted in his mouth.
“The man is at a cabin not far from here,” she said. “I think he'll be there for a while.”
“I know where that cabin is. You're sure he's there?”
“Yes. I saw him there myself on my way here. I was not sure if I should tell my brother about it. He has been craving blood ever since my family was slaughtered. Part of me wants to go with him and kill the man who did those terrible things. Another part just wants to keep my brother from getting himself killed as well.”
“Revenge tends to lead to a lot more blood being spilled.”
“And you are not after revenge?”
Clint shook his head. “I'm out to learn what happened. All I know is that a lot of innocent folks were killed and if this man was the killer, I can't just let him go about his business.”
“He is the killer,” Rain said. “I know because I saw him kill my people and cut the scalp from their heads. But that was a long time ago and no white men seem to care about it anymore.”
“I care,” Clint said. “Why else would I be out here in the woods when I could be in a warm bed by a roaring fire?”
“Because white men were killed, too,” Rain replied. “That's why Howlett is on this hunt.”
“Well, I'm not Howlett. No man deserves to be hunted and killed like an animal. No man and no woman, no matter what color their skin is. You hear me?”
Slowly, she nodded. The smile returned to her face, along with something else that Clint recognized. That extra something was the look of someone who'd just found what they'd been looking for. Clint had examined enough people's faces to know when he was being studied. And he could see that he'd just passed her test.
“I will help you,” she said while nodding. “But only if you promise to not harm my brother.”
“I've got no fight with your brother, but all of those men seemed ready to make a fight with me. I can promise to hold up my end, but I won't allow them to kill me.”
“That is all I can ask.” Holding her chin up, she said, “My brother will know better than to start a fight with an honorable man.”
“Then there won't be a problem.”
Rain got to her feet. “I must go back. Our village is a long way from here.”
“Do you have to go so soon?” Clint asked as he stood and took hold of one of her hands.
Rain seemed hesitant at first, but then looked up at Clint with that pretty little smile. “It will be a cold night. Perhaps it would be better if I stayed to keep you warm?”