A Death in Durango by Doug Twohill

Author:Doug Twohill
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781632995599
Publisher: River Grove Books
Published: 2022-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

13

THE RANSOM

Sean McClintock felt lucky to be alive. After his parents died, and now saddled with trying to maintain and run their small farm, he had left his sister, Charlotte, at the homestead and headed to Ridgway for supplies. Disoriented and lost in the vast mountains and wilderness, he wandered to the brink of exhaustion and starvation. He only survived because the Steed family happened upon his nearly dead body as they passed through on their way to join the Brigham Young Mormons in the valley of the Salt Lake. Delirious and near death, Sean remained unconscious for his first two weeks with the Steeds, and for a few more weeks thereafter he was too weak to be much good for anything. Slowly, they nursed him back to health.

The Steeds were a good family, and they treated Sean well. Second cousins to Brigham Young, they were prosperous and well connected. They settled into a combination farm and ranch just outside town. In the two years after their arrival, they’d made a good start for themselves. Martin Steed was a devout Mormon, a solid citizen, and seemed to always prosper. His three wives, Bonnie, Naomi, and Ruth, had borne him six boys and six girls. Far from resenting Sean as an interloper, the Steed children welcomed Sean with the open arms of Christian charity. Though not considered family, they treated him as though he was. Martin Steed took Sean on as a hired hand and paid him generously for his contribution to the success of the family enterprise.

Sean showed his gratitude at every opportunity. He worked hard and lived thriftily, saving every penny he could so he could provision himself for the journey back to Colorado to see what had become of his sister. In due course, he saved enough money for a horse and pack mule, as well as a rifle and traveling supplies. With the full support of the Steeds, he planned to depart on the long journey back home.

On the day before his departure, a small, aggressive band of Chiricahua Apache arrived at the Steed homestead. The band of six was led by Scar, one of the fiercest of the Apache. They had come to trade. Ordinarily, trading with the Apache was a common part of life in Utah at the time. Desired goods were exchanged and acquired, and relationships were built. Most times, trading was good for everyone. But this day was different. Scar had come to sell two white sisters, ages eight and twelve, whom the Apache had abducted from their family in New Mexico. When Scar’s intentions were made clear, Martin Steed adamantly refused to buy the girls, as human trafficking was strictly forbidden in his church.

Infuriated by the lack of cooperation, Scar threw the younger girl onto the ground and, with stunning ferocity, bashed her brains out with the butt of his rifle.

“You have no heart to let her die,” Scar challenged. Pointing to the remaining girl, who trembled in fear, Scar yelled, “You

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