Stryker's Woman by Chuck Tyrell

Author:Chuck Tyrell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: native americans, shoot outs, chuck tyrell, the old west, matt stryker, cheyenne indians, us frontier life, 1800s old west, charles whipple
Publisher: Piccadilly Publishing

Chapter Eleven

People tended to underestimate Swayback John Williams. His S-shaped spine shortened him to about five-four, but his shoulders were an axe handle and a half across and while his hands came down to his knees, his arms and shoulders would have done Paul Bunyon proud. His legs were long and muscular, fit for a man half again his height. But others tended to see only a short disfigured man in beaded buckskins instead of the strong mountain man Swayback John was.

Nearly forty years Swayback John had roamed the plains and mountains of the west. Before the war, he’d trapped beaver. During the war, he’d lived with Hunkpapa Sioux and hunted buffalo. After the war, he went up north to Canada for a couple of years, then drifted back into Montana where he scouted for the Army and lived with the Crow. He married Moon Child, sister of Black Eagle, and had two sons.

Cat saw Swayback John ride in. She ducked lower into her bevy of dogs.

The strange-looking man on the dapple gray horse never even glanced her way. Still, Cat got the feeling she’d been seen. The man was white. Should that not be a good thing?

The old bitch Maman growled deep in her throat.

Cat’s jumble of dogs lay nearly outside the circle of teepees that comprised Black Eagle’s camp. The warrior and his cohorts put on army-blue coats some days after bringing Cat to the camp. That was many days ago, and Cat could only guess where they had gone. Still, all those men had worn blue army shirts. Black Eagle’s uniform shirt even had sergeant’s stripes. What had Stryker said as they sparred at Savate? Watch the Crow. He’ll often be a scout for the Army, but there is no warrior more vicious than a Crow. I see one coming, I’ll shoot first, ask questions later.

Snuggled in among the camp dogs, Cat dozed. The strange man went into Black Eagle’s teepee and did not come out. Besides, the dogs guarded her.

Maman growled and Cat’s eyes snapped open. She could see Black Eagle’s teepee through the cluster of dogs in front of her, and the strange man stood there with the woman Cat thought of as Black Eagle’s wife. He was no taller than she, but his legs were two-thirds the length of his whole body, and his broad shoulders seemed to perch atop his torso.

While talking with the woman, the strange man glanced toward the clutch of dogs. His eyes nailed Cat’s. She knew he saw her. Maybe recognized her. Without conscious thought, she held her breath. Would he take her away? Should she do something to show she saw him? Show him she was a white woman who’d been made into an animal? He looked away before Cat could make up her mind about what to do.

He said something to the woman. She laughed, putting her hand over her mouth to cover her crooked teeth. She shook her head emphatically. The man nodded, climbed on his dappled gray, and rode off, not looking back.

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.