Tales of Western Romance by Baker Madeline

Author:Baker, Madeline
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: native american, time travel, western romance, madeline baker, anthology single author
Publisher: Western Trail Blazer

Chapter 11

“So, you’ve finally decided to rejoin the land of the living!” the doctor boomed. “How do you feel? Head still hurt?”

Culhane blinked against the light, his eyes focusing on the face of the man standing beside his bed. “Where am I?”

“The stockade at Fort Hays.”

“What happened? How’d I get here?”

“You don’t remember?”

Culhane frowned as he rubbed his forehead. “There was a fight. I don’t remember much else. How long have I been here?”

“A little over a week. You took a nasty blow on the back of your head. You’re lucky to be alive.”

“Yeah,” Culhane muttered. “Lucky.” He glanced at the iron-barred window. “Why am I in the stockade?”

The doctor gestured at Culhane’s buckskin leggings. “I’d say those Injun duds might have something to do with it. How’d you come to be dressed like that?”

“It’s a long story, Doc. Do you mind if we save it for another time?”

The doctor grinned as he headed for the door. “No, get all the rest you can.”

Culhane swore softly as he glanced around the narrow cell. From outside came the familiar baritone of Sergeant Mulligan’s voice as he drilled the troops. He heard the sound of a hammer striking steel as the blacksmith forged a new set of shoes for one of the cavalry horses, the obscene holler of a muleskinner as he loaded an ornery mule.

With a sigh, Culhane closed his eyes against the dull ache in the back of his head. So, he mused, he was back at Fort Hays, back with his own people. Back where he belonged. The thought did not please him as it should have.

Two days later, the doctor pronounced him well enough to get out of bed. The supply sergeant brought him a new uniform and boots, and the following morning Culhane stood at attention before the company commander.

“I’m surprised to see you, Culhane,” Major Harvey remarked. “We thought you’d been killed with Frye’s patrol last year.”

“No, sir.”

“What happened to the rest of Frye’s men?”

Succinctly, Culhane related the details of the ill-fated skirmish between Frye’s command and the Cheyenne.

“And you were the only survivor?”

“Yes, sir.”

Harvey nodded. Placing his elbows on his desk, he made a steeple of his fingers and rested his chin on it. His sharp green eyes studied the man standing before him.

“Why were you dressed as an Indian when you were found?”

“I’d been living with them, sir. My uniform was confiscated.”

“I see. Perhaps you could tell me why you were riding with them?”

“The Crow had attacked our horse herd, and I rode out with some of the men to try and get them back.”

Major Harvey lifted one eyebrow. “Our horse herd, Sergeant?”

“I meant the Cheyenne horses, sir.”

“I see.” Harvey raked his hand through his hair. “Renegade is an ugly word, Sergeant.”

“I’m no renegade, Major. I was taken prisoner by the Cheyenne, tortured by their women. I was lucky enough to be spared death at their hands. For a time, I was a slave.”

“Slaves don’t ride with the warriors.”

“No, sir. I saved the life of a child, and the medicine man adopted me.

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.