“I climbed one not long ago. A bear convinced me to try my hand at it.”
He nodded. “I reckon climbing trees ain’t something ladies are supposed to do.”
“No. After all, it might allow a gentleman to peek up your skirts.” She smiled when he giggled. “Willie, if Big Jim and his men get too close, I want you to take care of yourself and not worry about me.”
“But I came to save you.”
“And you might yet succeed. You will do me a greater service by not allowing yourself to get captured if Big Jim starts to run us down. If you remain free, you can tell Ballard what has happened, who has me, and where I am.”
Willie nodded. “That be sound thinking, ma’am.”
“Thank you.” She exchanged another brief grinwith him, then tensed when he went still, listening. “Big Jim?”
“Reckon so. Come on, ma’am. Time for us to be taking that crooked trail.”
As they ran, Clover heard, and occasionally caught sight of, Big Jim and his two men searching for them. The trees and thick underbrush impeded the men’s progress, for they were inebriated and on horseback. Slowly dusk settled over the forest. It became harder and harder to follow Willie’s twisting journey through the wood. She knew the lengthening shadows aided their escape, however, and struggled to keep pace with the boy. Some time later, badly winded, she stumbled over a root and landed hard on her backside, the breath knocked out of her.
“You all right, ma’am?” Willie asked as he crouched by her and helped her up.
“I will be in a moment. Do you think I can take a small rest again? I do not hear Big Jim.”
Willie sat down next to her. “Reckon he ain’t wanting to get too much closer to your man’s land. It ain’t fully dark yet and if Big Jim rides after us much further, he could get himself seen by MacGregor.”
“Are we that close?” Clover could not believe they had covered so much ground. “I do not see the house.”
“Too many trees. We ain’tthatclose, but close enough so Big Jim might stumble into the open if he keeps after us.”
“Oh, thank God. I feared I was slowing you down and putting us both at risk.”
“You ain’t done too bad, ma’am. Fact is, you kept up real good. I reckon ladies don’t do much running through the woods.”
Clover smiled and shook her head. “None at all.” She struggled to her feet. “Well, if we are that close to home, let us continue. I can rest when I get there.”
“You got spine, ma’am, you surely do,” Willie said as he led the way.
“Thank you—I think.”
The trees thinned, and at last Ballard’s house came into view. Clover wished she had enough energy left to run. She hoped Ballard was home. He might be able to catch up with Big Jim and put an end to their troubles before they got any worse.
“It just ain’t smart to go any closer,” Poonley said, shaking his head when Big Jim let out a stream of curses. “Fact is, I think we be close enough to MacGregor’s place that you ought to be thinking on being a mite quieter.”
“We had her, curse it all to hell! How the hell did the demmed bitch get loose?” Big Jim tried to turn his panting horse and slapped it on the head when it failed to move quickly enough to suit him.
“I reckon someone cut her loose,” Poonley said, and nodded.
“Think it was MacGregor?” asked the other man.
“You just ain’t got no brain in that head, do you, Toombs,” snapped Big Jim. “If MacGregor had come after us, he would never have left us standing there scratching our arses. Whoever helped her just cut her loose and ran.”
“I reckon Dillingsworth ain’t gonna care much how she got away, just that we ain’t got her no more,” said Poonley.
Big Jim cursed again and headed his horse backto his cabin, Poonley and Toombs falling in behind him. “And since we ain’t got her no more, Dillingsworth ain’t gonna give us our money. Well, if he thinks he’s so blasted clever, he can just come up with a new plan. We got her once. We can get her again.”
