Longarm and the Mustang Maiden by Tabor Evans

Author:Tabor Evans
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Chapter 11

Longarm didn’t know what to expect living in the humble little Paiute village. He knew that it was a very different life from the one he’d always lived, but he couldn’t remember enough of his past to know how different. What he did know for certain was that he was in poor shape with a set of broken ribs, a bum knee, and a badly twisted ankle. He also knew that he was covered with scabs and would have appeared a terrible fright to townspeople. But out here somewhere in the wilderness of northeastern Nevada among Paiutes, no one paid him any mind after their initial curiosity had been satisfied.

For the first week of his stay in the village, he did nothing but sleep, rest, and try to rebuild his stamina and endurance by taking increasingly longer walks into the hills. Often, he saw mustangs, wild burros, and mule deer. He even joined a rabbit hunt staged by the Paiutes one morning. They all formed a very long line and slowly beat the brush, advancing and closing in on their terrified quarry until the rabbits were caught in a very small circle. Then there was a great deal of laughter and excitement when the women and children rushed in and brained the rabbits with rocks and heavy sticks.

Most days, Keana and Ta’oie would leave in the morning and ride out to spend the day scouting various bands of mustangs. At the end of the first week, Longarm asked the young woman about her plans.

“We have a long-standing catch pen about five miles from this village,” she told him. “It feeds into a canyon where we corral the mustangs. What Ta’oie and I are doing is scouting out which band we want to capture next.”

“What happens once that’s decided?”

“Wild stallions lay claim to their own ground and they will protect it to the death. If the band we choose does not have its territory near where we have our catch pen, then we’ll have to move everything and rebuild a new trap.”

“A lot of work.”

“But worth it,” Keana told him. “Would you help us?”

“Me?”

“It would be appreciated ... but do what you want. Come or go away. There are no holds on you.”

“I know that,” Longarm said. “And when I figure out exactly what I need to do next, I will be on my way. But I don’t want to go off half-cocked and make another bad mistake.”

“How do you know you made a mistake?”

“I wound up almost being killed. Sheriff Benton was killed, and I expect I had something to do with his death.”

“I hope not,” Keana replied. “Tomorrow, Ta’oie and I will be leaving for a few days. You can come along, if you feel strong enough.”

“I’m getting a little restless here. I appreciate the rest and food, but I’d like to earn my keep. I’ll go with you. Where are we heading?”

“That way,” she said, pointing to the north. “There is a chestnut stallion that I have been thinking about for a long time.

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