This Loving Land - Dorothy Garlock [81]
Slater closed his eyes in relief, opened them again. The Apache was still there.
“How?” It was one word, but it was enough.
“We see horse. Know it is horse of Tall Man. We follow.”
“Thank God!”
Slater knew they had given him a pain-killing drug. Apaches were masters at living off the land, knowing the effects of the leaves and the berries, the roots and the dried pods on the bushes. With supreme effort, he forced himself to stay awake.
“Bad white men come to take woman who helped you.” Slater thanked God, again, for his knowledge of the Apache language. “You must go. Tell men to keep watch for Mexican who betrayed us. They will know of whom you speak. Take my horse and go swiftly. Two days before they come.”
Bermaga nodded gravely, and turned to speak rapidly to the other warriors. They got swiftly to their feet and began scurrying around. It was all too much for Slater to understand. He sank back and let the darkness envelop him.
Thirteen
Summer stood on the porch and waited for the approaching buggy to reach the yard. She didn’t smile. She would rather Ellen had come to visit at another time. Slater had been gone three days longer than he’d said he would be, and the acute fear that something had happened to him had her nerves strung almost to the breaking point.
The drovers who escorted the buggy swung off toward the corrals, and the handsome animal pulling the buggy came on to halt beside the rail that protected Summer’s flower beds. An older man, with iron-gray hair, tied the reins to a post before going back to help Ellen down.
“Thank you, Tom. You’ve been ever so nice to drive me. Hello, Summer. Are you surprised to see me? I couldn’t stand that ranch another day. Jesse has gone trekking off with the army and Travis is heaven knows where. He’d rather be out in the line shacks with the drovers than at home with his mother.” Her trilling laughter was soft, feminine. “So I decided to call on you, the next-dearest person to me in the whole world.”
“It was nice of you to make that long, hot ride to see me, Ellen. Won’t you come in?” Summer tried to put enthusiasm into her welcome.
“Yes, it was a long, dusty ride,” Ellen said, taking off her hat, “but knowing you’d be at the end of it made it worthwhile.”
Summer took her hat and small bag and opened the door leading into her bedroom. Sadie had screeched when she saw who was coming. She grabbed Mary and went out to the bunkhouse to wait for Jack, who was sending men out to look for Slater.
“I’ve come to take you home with me. Please, don’t say no! I thought of it just last night. I thought: If I don’t go over to the Keep and bring you home with me, the summer will be gone. Time passes so quickly. Seems only a week ago I drove over to see your mother.” She patted her high-piled hair in place and dabbed daintily at the moisture on her face with a lace-edged handkerchief.
“Let me get you a cool drink, Ellen. Or would you rather have a glass of cold buttermilk?”
“Buttermilk sounds marvelous, dear, but don’t fuss. I’m just so happy to be here with you. We can have a nice chat. Where is that little brother of yours?”
“He spends most of his time with Jack and Pud when Slater isn’t here. He’s learned a lot this summer. For the first time in his life, I’m not afraid to take my eyes off him.”
“That’s nice.”
Ellen’s lips smiled sweetly, but her eyes didn’t match her lips. They were busy taking in everything about Summer, from the top of her shiny black hair to the soles of her high-laced shoes. The girl had changed, matured, become a woman in every sense of the word. Lord, she was in love! She couldn’t have fallen in love with Slater! Travis had said she was friendly with him and seemed to welcome his visit. And he’d also said he was sure he could win her. Well, if the little fool had fallen for Slater, she was in for a bad jolt. Ellen was immeasurably glad she had tucked the letter into her bag at the last moment.
Summer returned with the buttermilk.
“It’s freshly churned, Ellen, and should be cool.”
“Thank you, dear. Come and sit with