Lost in Laredo by Vivi Holt

Author:Vivi Holt [Holt, Vivi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Lab Press
Published: 2018-02-24T16:00:00+00:00

9

The afternoon light gleamed golden on Lotte’s face, and Antonio couldn’t help the happiness that filled his soul at the sight. He’d found her.

They crouched by the bank of the huge Red River as he wondered where they could cross it. He filled all three of his canteens with clear, fresh water, and she did the same with the canteens she’d found in the lieutenant’s saddlebags. “I can’t help thinking about all those people,” she murmured, her eyes fixed on the water at her feet. “Couldn’t we go back? Just to see if anyone needs help.”

He frowned and thought. It didn’t make sense to backtrack now, not with those scoundrels likely to still be close by. But if someone had survived the attack and was all alone … “Si, we can go back.”

She smiled, and his heart lit up. He stood and pushed the cork stoppers into the tops of each canteen, then slid them into his saddlebags.

Lotte did the same, then climbed back onto the bay after shortening the stirrup leathers to better fit her shorter legs. “I think I will call him Elmo,” she said.

He chuckled. “Elmo?”

“Yes. It means ‘protector’.”

Antonio arched an eyebrow. “Then it is a perfect name.”

She grinned and patted Elmo’s smooth neck. “Let us go back.”

As they turned south again, he mulled over the contents of Elmo’s saddlebags. The cad who’d owned the horse before had obviously robbed plenty of people – he had a purse full of coins, a Colt revolver and a Remington six-shooter in his holsters, and a Henry rifle in the scabbard on his saddle. The saddlebags also contained a Bowie knife with a fourteen-inch blade and sheath and a whetstone for sharpening, soda crackers, salt pork, cans of beans, a bag of chicory coffee, another bag of snuff, and the makings for at least a dozen cigarettes.

And then there was the money. He hadn’t counted it yet, but it looked to be about twenty dollars’ worth in coin and another fifty in greenbacks, more than enough to get them through the Indian Territory. It felt as though a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

They rode slowly back to where the travelers had been ambushed. It was quiet and the sun was low, sending shadows like black cloaks behind every bush or shrub. Bodies lay scattered around the road, some shot, some with slashed necks, all lifeless. Lotte covered her eyes with her hands and he heard her sob. He just stared grimly at the scene. He never could understand what drove a man to act that way. He’d been desperate enough times in his life to know how it felt, but he could never do this to a person.

He dismounted and moved between the victims, checking them and closing eyes as needed.

“Any alive?” came Lotte’s voice, high and thin.

He shook his head. “No. And everything of value has been taken. The horses are gone, the purses, wallets, jewelry.” He sniffed, his hands on his hips. “¡Cerdos sucios!”

Lotte climbed down from Elmo’s back and joined him.

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