Sea to Shining Sea by Michael Phillips

Author:Michael Phillips
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Fiction;FIC042030;FIC042000;FIC026000
ISBN: 9781493413478
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2017-08-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 31

The Most Unusual Breakfast in the World

They must have known they’d gotten one of us when only two guns were firing at them instead of three. Then when Juan stopped to reload, the Indian had jumped through the silent window, and the next second Pa was staring down the barrel of a Paiute gun.

Pa could have tried to shoot him, of course. But then they’d both have been dead, and there would have been a dozen more Indians following right after the first. Not only would it have been pointless, Pa didn’t want to shoot anyone anyway. I saw him glance over at me, all blood-stained like I was, as he set his rifle down. I knew he would have killed to save me if he needed to. But now it looked as if we were all going to die together! And the look of futility on his face said there wasn’t much he could do about it.

By now one of them had opened the door, and more Indians were pouring into the cabin, some holding bows, others rifles, talking in a strange language, making gestures and signs, looking around, taking stock of the inside of the station. They didn’t seem to pay any attention to my being a woman, which I know was the main thing on Pa’s mind. I don’t suppose I looked all that attractive to them in the condition I was in!

A few of them started taking things—some tools and supplies, what food they could carry—while two of the others talked among themselves. Then one of them gave what sounded like an order, and another ran outside and returned a minute later with several strands of buffalo rope. He threw one of them to his companion, and the two of them grabbed Juan and Pa and started to tie them up. Then one of them approached me, grabbed at my arm, and pulled me over against one of the two support timbers in the middle of the cabin. He yanked my hands behind my back and tied me up too. He was none too gentle, and he smelled horrible. I tried not to cry out, but he hurt my wrists as he twisted the rope around them and yanked it tight.

I don’t know what danger they thought Mr. Tavish was going to be in his condition, but one of them dragged him by the feet over next to me, then pulled him viciously to his feet and tied him up behind me. We could feel each other’s hands but couldn’t see each other.

“I’m sorry about this, little lady,” Mr. Tavish groaned softly. “These blamed Pai—”

A blow across the side of his head and face put an end to whatever he had been going to say.

Meanwhile, the Indians who were taking things seemed to have gotten all they wanted out of the cabin and had left. Outside we could hear movement and rustling. The door was still open and I could see them dragging brush and bales of straw from the stables over toward the station.

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