Ask No Tomorrows (23 page)

“
Will someone rescue us?” the woman finally
cried out.

“
They’ll discover the stage not arriving on
time. And then they’ll send out a posse, I’m sure of it,” her
husband reassured her with a sense of authority.

“
That may be, but we need water and food and
rescue could take a day or two,” Sam replied as he cut the last of
his own ropes and began freeing Riley.

In
less than a half hour they were all loose from the trees, but it
was obvious the travelers were not experienced in self-survival.
They stood around in a circle, all talking at once, and making no
sense. The woman gave a hopeless shrug, the men shifted from one
foot to the other restlessly as though they really didn’t know what
to do now.

Sam took
charge quickly, Riley noticed. And despite his color they all
listened to him for he was the only one offering any solutions to
the problems they now faced.

“
Something I gotta do before we leave
here.”

“
What?” Riley asked.

“
Bury my dog…” Sam informed her.

Riley nodded. “Need some help?”

“
That would be nice.”

The
others stared at them, as though they’d lost their
minds.

“
You’re worried about a dead dog…at a time
like this?” the woman huffed.

“
Yes ma’am, I’ll be back and then we’ll
travel toward Dallas and a creek,” Sam insisted, tipping his
hat.

Riley followed
him.

“
Are you sure he’s…dead?” Riley
asked.

“
I’m sure.”

Sam
stared at the stage, the door flopping open in the whistling wind,
and Nodog slumped on the ground not far behind the stage. He’d been
shot and killed.

Sam drug him
to the side of the road under a shade tree and checked the back of
the stage for a shovel that was always handy. In an hour they had
buried him.

“
Lord, he was a good dog, I’m sure you can
take care of him now,” Sam uttered.

“
He was a very good dog, Sam,” Riley said,
putting her hand on his arm.

Sam
looked down at Riley and sent her a passionate glance.
“Thanks…”

They slowly
walked back to the others who were still milling about, and
arguing.

“
We need to push on as it will be dark soon.
We need to find water. The Trinity should be close now.”

“
We have to walk?” The woman stood still and
waited for the answer.

“
‘
Fraid so, ma’am. We
need to be near water by nightfall,” Sam
instructed.

“
Why can’t some of you men go get some and
bring it back? Or one of you go for help?” she demanded, her hands
on her hips.

Sam
sighed heavily. “Ma’am, no one man can carry enough water back for
all of us and we can move closer to the river for our own needs.
Water is our first priority, then food.”

“
But leaving the stage…wouldn’t it be wiser
to stay here so they can find us?”

“
Depends on how thirsty you are, ma’am. No
tellin’ how long it will take for someone to realize the stage is
late and get out here.” Sam glanced at the woman as though she’d
lost her mind. “I guess if you’ve a mind to, you could stay. But
you might get awful thirsty.”

“
But walking…in this heat, with no
water…”

“
Yes ma’am, I realize it is a strain, but
we’ve got to try,” Sam insisted.

“
Is your man servant always so pushy?” The
woman looked straight at Riley accusingly.

Riley gathered what little gear she had and turned on the
woman. “My man servant will save our lives, ma’am. He’s done it
several times. It’s best if you listen to him. He was raised with
the Indians; he knows more about survival than any of us, I’m
sure.”

The
woman scowled, but gathered her things.

“
The less we carry the better,” Sam informed
them.

The other men
nodded, and insisted the woman did not need her luggage. They would
come back for it later, once they were safe. The woman ignored them
at first and tried to drag her luggage but soon gave it up along
the way.

The heat of
the day weighed on them, but night fall would help.

Riley tried
her best to stay up with Sam, and the others followed.

“
Sam, I saw something familiar on one of
those outlaws,” Riley whispered.

“
What?”

“
His spurs. Harry had fancy silver spurs
like that, they jangled the same way.”

Sam
stopped for a minute. “Are you sure…?”

“
No, not completely, but enough to suspicion
him,” she admitted. “I couldn’t be sure from his voice as it was
muffled by his kerchief over his mouth. But he was built like
Harry, and those spurs sure caught my attention.”

“
Well now, why would he pull such a hold-up
when he’s got hold of the biggest ranch in the territory?” Sam
argued.

“
I don’t know. I guess it doesn’t make much
sense, does it?”

“
Not to me, but that don’t mean nothing.”
Sam shook his head. Then as though he considered something else, he
replied, “Could mean he needs money though.”

“
You don’t suppose he’s paying the taxes on
the land so he can keep it legally, do you?”

“
That might explain it.” Sam nodded. “He’s
sure trying to get that property if he is going to this much
trouble. And there seems no end to the crimes he’s willing to
commit to get it, killing your hired hand, chasing you, now
possibly holding up a stage. Yes sir, I would say he is determined
to have that land one way or another, and greedy enough to try
anything. We can’t underestimate him again, Riley.”

“
Sam…you said you weren’t a gunman, but just
how handy are you with a gun?” Riley asked as they trudged through
brambles and underbrush.

Sam
stopped for only a second to smile at her. “It isn’t how fast you
are Riley, but how little you hesitate to pull the trigger that
really counts.”

“
And your hesitation?” She smiled
back.

“
Let’s just say a black man can’t afford to
hesitate.”

Riley relaxed
then, knowing that Sam could handle almost anything.

By
evening, the woman was dragging herself and ready to keel over.
Unused to walking, she nearly fainted when they came upon some
shade and collapsed there.

Sam
heard the rush of water and knew they were near enough so he didn’t
push them any further.

They all had
water and Sam had some jerky wrapped in his kerchief so he shared
that with the rest.

“
I’m sorry about Nodog, Sam,” Riley said as
they lay down on the warm earth.

“
Yeah, he was a good dog. I’ll miss him,
that’s for sure. I’ve had him for a long time, he was getting
old.”

Sleep came easily to them all and only a horse’s neigh brought
them awake the next morning.

A
cowboy passed and saw them. “Hello folks, what has happened here?”
he asked.

“
Stagecoach was held up,” Sam
answered.

“
Well, where is it…the stage, I mean?” he
asked as he chewed his tobacco and eyed them with open
curiosity.

“
A few miles down the road. We walked to the
river for water,” Sam explained.

“
Well, I’ll be. Guess I better ride back and
tell someone to come pick you folks up,” the man said, holding his
reins in his hands.

“
Could you take me with you? This heat is
really getting to me,” the lady cried.

The
cowboy hesitated. “Well…I guess so. If’n you don’t mind riding
behind me, ma’am.”

“
Really Laura, don’t you think you could
wait with me until he returns?” her husband asked with
frustration.

“
No…I can’t,” she persisted. “I don’t mind,
I don’t mind at all. This heat is killing me…” she protested and
went to move toward the cowboy.

The
cowboy pulled her up behind him, tipped his hat and hollered, “I’ll
be back soon, folks.”

Not
more than a couple or three hours later, a wagon approached; they’d
been rescued.

Chapter Fourteen

By
the time they set foot in Dallas, it was nearly dark and they all
had to give an accounting of the robbery. Riley didn’t mention that
she thought she knew one of the culprits. She wanted to be sure
before she incriminated Harry. After all, it would only be another
stepping stone for him, if she were wrong. The deputy took their
statements, as the Sheriff went to collect the stage and get any
clues he could before nightfall.

Hot, thirsty,
and hungry, Sam and Riley headed for the nearest place to
eat.

Feeling the
pull of Sam leaving her, Riley ate her dinner quietly.

“
You’re kinda quiet tonight, you that
tired?” Sam asked.

“
I am pretty tired. Just thinking on all the
things that have happened and wondering how it’s all gonna end.”
Riley sighed heavily.

Sam
wiped his mouth, and sat back in his chair. “It’s gonna end in your
favor, of course. You are the lady here. You are the one that was
wronged. By tomorrow afternoon this could all be over for you. I’d
think you’d be very happy about that.”

“
I get to thinkin’ about it and it all seems
like some kind of dream. Harry suddenly wanting my ranch, and doing
all he did. Us pulling off this charade. The tornado that nearly
took us, meeting Mavis, now it’s all come to a head, like a
festerin’ sore. The only thing I wasn’t expecting was that hold-up
and them shooting Nodog.”

Sam
eyed her. “And as you know all sore’s must be opened to drain of
the bad stuff, and to heal. Why didn’t you tell the Sheriff your
suspicions about Harry and the hold-up?”

“
If I was wrong, it might help Harry
convince others I’m crazy. Thought I’d wait and see if the Sheriff
got any leads. Maybe I’ll mention it to him before I leave, I don’t
know. But…It’s been a real adventure with you, Sam,” she said and
looked up.

“
It has.” He smiled.

“
I don’t know how to begin to thank you, for
all the help,” Riley began as tears clouded her vision, but she
didn’t let them spill.

“
No thanks needed, Riley. Friends help
friends, it’s an unwritten law.” Sam cleared his throat.

“
So I guess you’ll be headed west soon…” she
mumbled.

“
I reckon…” Sam didn’t meet her searching
gaze. “You still a mind to sell the ranch?”

“
Yes, I am. After all this, ranchin’ is
sorta dull…” She almost choked on her unexpected
laughter.

Sam
sent her an appreciative glance and a big smile. “I guess it
is…”

“
So…how does Ethan Morgan measure up?” she
asked with a laugh.

“
Quite the gentleman…you’ve grown into
yourself, Riley.” Sam’s voice lowered a notch.

“
Ethan…” she quipped.

“
Ethan.” He laughed.

“
You didn’t eat much of your steak.” Sam
eyed her plate.

“
Too tired. All I want now is to go to
sleep…” She sighed.

“
Yeah, a good night’s sleep is what we both
need,” Sam agreed.

When they found a hotel, Riley didn’t want a double room, and
asked for separate rooms from the clerk, but the clerk shook his
head. “Cattlemen’s Association is having a big conference here
tomorrow, we’re full up. Most of the hotels in town will be full.
Got a double, that’s the best I can do fer ya, mister,” the short,
beady-eyed desk clerk muttered.

Riley sighed heavily, she didn’t want to spend maybe her last
night with Sam in his room. She loved the man, and staying her
distance had been hard the last few days. She hungered for another
kiss, and talking him into staying with her. But the reality told
her she wouldn’t win this one. Sam was bent on going west, and he
must not love her, despite how she felt.

Riley nodded
to the clerk and they got their key.

As
they walked down the hall though, they passed Harry. Riley’s eyes
widened and Sam watched her cover her face with her
hand.

Harry didn’t recognize her, he was half-drunk and boasting
about something to his partner who was once her lawyer.