Yellowthroat by Penny Hayes

Author:Penny Hayes [Hayes, Penny]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 1988-01-09T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

By mid-afternoon the following day, a single white curtain trimmed with a three-inch strip of lace hung from the window of the cabin. The material was cut not from Margarita's dress, but from her pettiskirt. With skillful fingers, Julia had sewn the little curtain while Margarita had found a willow slim enough to act as a rod. Making the curtain was only a way to fill in the time until Sam arose. The domestic activity was something more positive to do than sit and wonder and worry about what the immediate future held for Julia now that he was back.

Toward evening Sam strolled in. He inspected the cabin. "Fetchin'. Very fetchin'," he said and then walked back outside.

Margarita followed him. "How was your trip?"

"We got problems," he replied. He looked toward the cabin, making sure Julia was out of earshot. "We can't operate with just the two of us. There's extra guards on all the stages now. Wells Fargo's pissed as all hell. They ain't lettin' up for a while. Months probably." He rolled a smoke, lit it, and inhaled deeply. "I don't know what we should do."

"Who told you this?"

"Jim Nelson. I saw him in Loma Parda. Saw the stage and its guards, too. It's loaded for coyote."

"More likely, outlaws."

“Yeah." Sam crushed the half-smoked cigarette beneath his boot and tucked his hands in his back pockets. "We could get another gang together. We'd need a lot more men."

"Not much point in it is there? We never made big money with four of us. It would be even less with more men."

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know, Sam. I wanted to buy a piece of land. We've been robbing stages for two years and I'm only about half way toward having enough money. But I'll tell you something honestly. I didn't like watching Bill go like that. It scared the hell out of me."

"Probably scared him, too," Sam answered. "Right up until he died ... if he knew he was dyin'." He paused and then said, "Might go see my wife. Been a long time."

She wondered if Sam was dropping a broad hint that they disband. She wanted to bad enough. Still, the very idea gave her a crushing sense of defeat. She knew of no other way to earn the large amount of money that she needed. And how was she to continue taking care of her family?

"We still gotta deal with Julia, too," he added. "I'm glad to see you're both here."

Even though the words were expected, they came as a titanic blow. Yes, a rational decision did need to be made concerning their captive; some solution arrived at.

He left her standing there with her fearfully imaginative thoughts and walked toward his dwelling. Margarita barely noticed.

Filled with foreboding, she returned to her cabin and took Julia in her arms, burying her face in the graceful curve of her neck. She inhaled a lingering, musky odor still clinging to both of them. They hadn't slept for more than an hour last night, had driven one another wild until dawn.

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