LeClerc 01 - Autumn Ecstasy (4 page)

The old trapper moved from his place on the porch and headed back into the cabin. He quickly returned, his pack firmly on his back and his rifle cradled in his arms. Covering the ugly scar on his head with his cap, he elbowed his way through the men until he was standing at the tree stump.

“I’m a buyin’ ‘er,” he said quietly, but firmly enough for everyone to hear.

Jeb saw his visions of great wealth fade away. “Now wait here just a damn minute — “

“I left two dollars inside with Big Jim.” As the old man bent and picked up Linsey’s cape, his eyes never left Jeb’s “Two dollars!” Jeb smirked. “Ya think I’ma gonna let ya take her for two dollars when I ken make me lots more’n that?”

“Ya ain’t got no choice.” He turned so that the rifle, still cradled in his arms, pointed directly at Jeb. “Ya ain’t got no way a stoppin’ me.” He patted the gun with his free hand. “Molly here speaks with a loud voice. Now untie the girl.”

Keeping a wary eye on the rifle, Jeb untied Linsey, his mind working feverishly. Reputation or not, somehow he had to prevent the old man from stealing her away.

“Down here, girl,” the trapper said quietly, offering her no help as she jumped from the stump and reached for the cape he held out. “Turn around.”

She drew the cape around het shoulders, grateful for its concealing thickness, and turned her back. Kaleb deftly untied the gag with his free hand. He pulled it from her mouth and looked at the filthy, dirty scrap of material. His eyes spoke volumes as he wadded it up and threw it into Jeb’s face.

Free of the ropes and gag, Linsey stepped behind him, careful not to get between Jeb and the gun. The idea of belonging to the old man no longer seemed repulsive. Almost anything had to be better than Jeb’s idea of selling her to all of the men. Perhaps this man would take her back to Philadelphia; maybe he was her salvation.

The other trappers backed away from the old man. They would let Jeb fight his own battles. They, too, knew his reputation and would wait for the outcome. The girl was not worth dying for.

The trapper turned his back to Jeb and Zeke and pushed Linsey toward the river. They had taken only a few steps when Jeb’s angry bellow reached them. “Ya cain’t just walk off with my prop’ty!”

Pulling Linsey to a stop, the old man turned and stared at Jeb. Silence filled the camp. Four words were spoken in a quiet voice that thundered through the air. With each one, Jeb seemed to shrink into himself, growing smaller before her eyes.

“She’s for the Bear.”

CHAPTER TWO

Linsey watched the reactions of the trappers with bewilderment. As if the name Bear was an incentive, they suddenly seemed eager to return to their own affairs. They had drifted away from the stump during the argument between Jeb and the old man; but now some went inside the cabins, and a few shouldered their packs, making signs of leaving the settlement. They appeared totally unaware of Jeb’s anger or Linsey’s presence.

Zeke no longer stood quietly near the stump. He sidled close to his brother, his eyes darting from one spot to another as if he expected to see someone — or something — appear magically from the shadows. Jeb’s look of fury melted to one of barely hidden fear.

“Ya cain’t take her to the Bear,” he whined.

The old man said nothing at first, his observant eyes noting the actions of the other trappers. “I’m beholdin’ to the Bear.” His voice was soft — deadly soft. “Kaleb Smith ain’t a’owin’ no man.”

He turned his keen look to Linsey, seeing the apprehension and fear in her eyes. He remembered her fiery red hair and the soft, creamy flesh now hidden by the cape. He turned back to Jeb. “Hit’ll be a makin’ us even.”

“But … but I brung ‘er all the way from ‘delphie. I pertected ‘er, kept ‘er alive. Ya cain’t just walk off with ‘er!”

“I paid for ‘er. Now she’s belongin’ to the Bear.” Kaleb grinned sarcastically, startling white teeth sparkling between snearing lips. “If’n I ‘members right, you tangled with the Bear a couple year back. Are you a’wantin’ to try your luck with him agin by takin’ his prop’ty?”

Jeb stepped back at the mention of the fight he’d had with the Bear. Not that it had been much of a fight. He remembered that with one mighty swing of a powerful right arm the Bear had sent him flying across the room to land in a heap against the far wall. His ears had rung for three days, and his head had hurt for over a week.

“We’ve got a debt to settle,” Kaleb said quietly, his voice ringing with threatening promise. “After I see the girl to the Bear, I’ll be back fer you. Ya can run far and fast but keep lookin’ behind ya ‘cause I’ll be there.”

Jeb’s face whitened until it totally lacked color. Next to the Bear, Kaleb Smith was the last person he wanted to cross. All the rumors about the two men were firmly founded in fact. And somehow, somewhere, he had done something to cause Kaleb to hold a grudge. Jeb cared little about what he’d done, his prime concern was to get away before Kaleb could return and begin tracking him.

Kaleb turned and once again pushed Linsey down the trail toward the river. He settled her in the front of a well-made canoe, placed his pack and gear in the center and pushed away from the shore. He swiftly jumped into the rear, picked up the paddle and guided the craft into the current.

Jeb watched his chance for riches disappear downstream. He made no attempt to stop them, even though Zeke could have easily shot the old man from that distance. There were too many witnesses that Kaleb had bought the girl for the Bear, and Jeb had no doubt that somehow the Bear would hear about it and come looking for her. Jeb decided to run from Kaleb’s threat rather than have to face the Bear some future day. Only a stupid man knowingly tangled with the Bear. He had been stupid once.

“The Bear, Jebby,” Zeke whined. “Where’s the Bear?” His wildly moving eyes searched the area. “Zeke don’t want to see the Bear. Don’t let him hurt Zeke, Jebby.”

“Shet up, Zeke,” Jeb snarled, for once losing his patience with his brother. “The Bear ain’t here. The old man done took our gal to him.”

“Zeke scaired of the Bear, Jebby.” He moved closer to Jeb, cowering at his side. “Ken we go somewhere’s else?”

“The Bear ain’t here!” Jeb looked at his brother with disgust and walked toward the cabin, mumbling with each step at the loss of the woman and at the building fear of reprisal from the old man. He felt that it had something to do with the women he regularly stole and sold to the longhunters. Everyone had to make a living, he justified to himself as he hastily made plans to leave the trading post.

Traveling in the well-maintained canoe was vastly different from the decaying flatboat. Linsey no longer had to worry about keeping her feet dry since water didn’t trickle into the bottom of it. She felt her legs stiffen because of the folded position she was forced to use but Kaleb had not tied her, and Linsey relished the freedom.

Not content to drift with the current as Jeb had been, Kaleb paddled with a steady, powerful rhythm, putting mile after mile behind them.

Linsey tried not to think about her new fate. Obviously the old man had no intention of keeping her for himself, but no amount of questioning enlightened her to his plans. She knew only what she had heard him tell Jeb. He was taking her to the Bear.
Who, or what, is the Bear,
she wondered. The very mention of him had been enough to prevent Jeb from stopping them.

Tired beyond anything she had ever felt, exhausted by the weeks of travel and fear, Linsey let her mind drift as aimlessly as the gray clouds overhead. The river was alive with the sounds of nature: the raucous squawking of jays, the chattering of squirrels. Rounding a bend, they startled a buck at the river’s edge. His proud head rose at their unexpected approach. He observed them for a moment before bounding away in a graceful flash of reddish brown.

Ever present was the hypnotically soothing rhythm of Kaleb’s paddle rising and lowering to the water, moving them rapidly closer to their destination. The temperature dropped steadily as the afternoon grew later, and she began to shiver beneath the woolen cape.

“Take this, girl.” Kaleb handed her a blanket from the bundle in the bottom of the canoe.

Linsey wrapped it around her head and shoulders. It was old, well used and smelled of wood smoke; but nothing crawled out of the folds, and she was grateful for its warmth.

When darkness made traveling dangerous, Kaleb guided the canoe to the riverbank and jumped out. He made no effort to help her, and Linsey found her legs stiff and movement difficult after the long hours of sitting.

Kaleb ignored her as he went about setting up camp. She moved closer to the fire he lit and warmed her hands in its welcome heat. She watched him expertly prepare their meal from the food he had stored in the bottom of the canoe.

“Where are we headed?” she asked, hoping he would give her an answer this time. She had asked the same question numerous times already, but he had chosen not to answer.

“North.”

Linsey sighed. It wasn’t much of an answer. Accepting the plate he held out to her, she wondered if she was any better off with him than she had been with Jeb.

After they had eaten, Kaleb extinguished the fire and handed her a thick fur that was softer than velvet. “It’ll be a long day tomorrow. Best be gettin’ some sleep.”

She took the fur, wrapping it and the blanket around her so that only her nose was exposed to the cold night air. From the sounds in the darkness, Linsey could tell that Kaleb was following his own advice.

“Aren’t you going to tie me?”

“Nope.”

Linsey’s heart increased its tempo. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll try to escape?”

“Nope.”

Freedom! She could almost taste its sweet flavor! Immediately, plans for escape began to formulate in her mind. She would wait until he was asleep, then quietly leave camp. Snuggling beneath the fur, she made a mental list of the things she would need to take along to assure survival. She had little fear of getting lost. Jeb had followed the river, so all she would need to do was keep it in sight. She didn’t try to fool herself; it would not be easy to travel the distance by herself, but she had to try.

Food would be a major problem. She had no knowledge of hunting, cleaning or cooking wild game. In fact, she had no idea how to start a fire. Linsey decided she would have to depend on finding berries. It would be monotonous diet, but she’d manage if it meant she’d be going home! Almost at its inception she discarded the idea of using the canoe as a means of transportation. Since she had no idea of how to paddle or guide it, the canoe would be a hindrance rather than a help.

Kaleb shifted in the darkness, abruptly bringing Linsey back to the present. She would have to pretend she was asleep so that he would relax and sleep. Otherwise she might lose her only chance to escape.

“Don’t forget a knife.” Kaleb’s soft voice shattered the stillness. “Hit’s in the canoe.”

“What?” Linsey asked, startled.

In the darkness, Kaleb smiled to himself. He would have been disappointed if the girl hadn’t planned escape; he’d figured her for a spunky thing. If he’d had the time, he would have let her travel by herself for a day or so, staying just far enough behind her so that she wasn’t aware of his presence. Even a day or two alone in the wilderness taught invaluable lessons.

“Won’t give ya much pertection, but hit might be a help.”

“Protection?” He couldn’t know of her plans! She had said nothing to alert him of her plans for escape.

“Watch out for snakes.”

“Snakes?” Linsey shivered, drawing her feet beneath her and trying to search the dark.

“Yep. They don’t take too good to bein’ stepped on when they’s sleepin’.”

Linsey listened to the sounds of the wind rustling through the leaves on the ground. Or was it the wind? Could it be a snake slithering ever closer to the warmth of her body?

“Knife might do on a snake if’n ya get close ‘nough and aim real careful-like, but hit’d be like pissin’ in the wind if’n ya meet up with a bear.”

“Bear?”

“Yep. Bes’ thin‘ to do is climb a tree — if’n there’s one close ‘nough.”

“Oh, my God.”

“‘Course a tree won’t do ya no good a’tall if’n hits an Injun you’re runnin’ from.”

“Indians… .” Linsey’s voice lowered to an agonized whisper.

“Best mind ya don’t get lost and wander to their huntin’ grounds. Them Injun bucks surely would like that there hair of yours.”

Stillness settled around her; even the wind quieted its whisper. She could not escape. She was as much of a captive as ever, even without the rope bindings.

Knowing sleep would be elusive, Linsey snuggled into her coverings, relishing their welcome warmth.

“Good night, Kaleb,” she sighed dejectedly.

“‘Night.”

In the early afternoon of the third day of traveling the river, Kaleb beached the canoe. He pulled it fully onto the sandy shore, unloaded a portion of its contents and covered it with branches and leaves. Without speaking to Linsey, he shouldered his pack, cradled his rifle and started walking. As the bitterly cold wind played with her long skirt, she had no choice … she followed.

For two days Linsey tried to keep up with the taciturn old man who spoke only when giving directions. By the end of the first full day of walking, she no longer asked about their destination. Her only concerns became putting one foot in front of the other and not losing sight of Kaleb.