Savage Dawn by Cassie Edwards

Author:Cassie Edwards [Edwards, Cassie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
Published: 2012-01-22T18:48:32+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Lingering longer beside the morning campfire than usual, Sam Partain glared into the flames.

He gulped down a cup of coffee, then he cut himself a plug of tobacco and shoved it into the right corner of his mouth, sucking on it angrily. How had Nicole Tyler managed to elude them?

No, it made no sense, whatsoever. How could someone who was born and bred into the genteel life of the rich in St. Louis manage to keep herself alive out there in the wild? Why, he doubted she even knew how to shoot a gun, much less defend herself.

“I just don’t understand it,” Sam said aloud, drawing the attention of the other men his way. “Where the hell can that tiny thing be? We’ve looked in every nook and cranny, except…”

“The mountain,” Ace said, finishing Sam’s sentence. “We’ve avoided goin’ on that mountain. Maybe it’s ’bout time, don’t you think, Sam?”

Tom spoke up quickly, arguing against the suggestion. “Look at the color of those leaves on the aspens,” he said, nodding toward a stand of aspens nearby. “Yeller. They’re damn yeller. Don’t that tell you somethin’? Don’t it say that winter is not far behind? I wouldn’t want to be stranded on that mountain when the snows set in. And then there’s those damn Navaho. Chief Eagle Wolf would have all of our scalps, don’cha know? He and his warriors protect that mountain like it’s made of gold!”

“Oh, shut up,” Sam slammed right back at Tom. “You make me want to puke. I ain’t never seen such a coward as you. If you weren’t so good with a gun, I’d never have asked you to ride with me and the others. I depend on a quick trigger finger, and by gum, you’ve got the best. But I don’t like the yellow side you show too often. Get a grip on yourself, Tom. Prove to us for a change that you’re a man, not a dog with its tail tucked between its legs.”

“Those are fightin’ words,” Tom said, as he jumped to his feet and glared down at Sam.

“Well, then, if’n it’s a fight you want, you’ve chosen the right man,” Sam said, himself leaping to his feet.

He spat a trail of tobacco juice over his right shoulder, some of it landing on his red plaid shirt, soiling it even more.

He then took a step closer to Tom and glared at him. “Put up your dukes,” he growled out. “Now let’s just see how much of a man you are. Are you going to fight, or are you all talk?”

Tom paled and stepped back away from Sam. “Sam, you know I was only pullin’ yore leg,” he said, his voice drawn. “Come on now. Let’s get back to what we should be discussin’. We shouldn’t be fightin’ ‘mongst ourselves. We’ll not gain anything by doin’ that.”

“Then shet yore mouth, you dumb bumpkin, and sit right down and behave yoreself,” Sam said.

Sam lowered himself back down beside the fire, ignoring the stares of the other men.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.