Birdie's Nest Read Free Page B

was odd. The sun drifting down behind the trees in Cameron Park cast mottled rays of light across the rippling water. An eddy formed in the path of the setting sun, swirling deeper, seeming to absorb the shadow of the cloud, the closer it got to the boat. Creepy! Birdie shuddered and straightened.
    Just as the boat reached the bridge, a bolt of lightening shot from the cloud hitting the whirlpool. An explosion of light hit Birdie, spraying her with water, just as a footstep sounded behind her. Before she could turn, pain exploded in her head and she sank into the deep.
    * * *
    June, 1, 1890 Waco, Texas
    Thaddeus Lockhart stood under a big oak beside the Brazos and viewed a couple of boys fishing from the bank. As a boy, he’d caught his share of crappie. He’d cleaned them on the grass, and then fried them over his campfire. The hot grease had burned his fingers as he picked the meat from the bones. He sighed. Those carefree days were over. His life now revolved around running the family ranch, caring for his sister and mother.
    Today he’d walked over from the Katy depot where he’d supervised the arrival of his new bull from Kansas. The animal hadn’t been amenable to being unloaded from the cattle car, and Tad ended up joining in the fracas and getting his suit filthy. Hopefully the bovine brute would use some of his attitude to impregnate a lot of his cows, and next spring the pasture would be loaded with calves.
    The river was up from the recent rains, but the mud had settled enough to make the water blue. Always traveling south, the current carried small bits of wood and other debris. Though just a hundred yards wide, he’d hate to drive a herd of cattle across the expanse. Undercurrents could sweep away animals and humans alike. Then there was the occasional water moccasin. He shuddered. Darn snakes! The suspension bridge loomed tall to his right. It had been a godsend to commerce in the area, and the five cents a head to take a herd across was well worth the price.
    He stomped out his cheroot and turned to go.
    “Help! Mister, help us!”
    Tad turned to spot one of the boys up to his neck in the water. He struggled to pull a body to shore. The other boy tried to reach the distance and grab his friend’s hand.
    “What the hell?”
    He bounded down the bank and splashed knee-deep into the water. A woman lay face down, her voluminous skirt, bustle riding on top, floating up around her. He grabbed the boy, tossed him onto the bank, and reached down for the lady. Hands under her arms, he hauled her up and placed her face up on the grassy bank. He dropped to his knees, leaned down, and placed his ear near her mouth. No breath and her lips were blue. If they didn’t get help soon she might die, if she wasn’t dead already.
    “You boys run, get help.”
    They were off like a shot. He flipped the woman over and yanked on the bodice of her dress sending buttons flying. With his pocketknife, he cut the ties on her corset… damned torture devices... and then pressed on her back . Come on, woman, cough. When nothing happened, he half stood straddling her body, lifted her at the waist with hands locked, and bounced her several times. Water spewed from her mouth. He breathed a sigh of relief as she hacked and gagged. He eased her down and rolled her to her back.
    Her eyes flew open. Beautiful blue eyes stared at him. “Who… are… you?” Her question turned into a cough. She rolled to her side and threw up more water.
    “Tad Lockhart, ma’am. Don’t talk right now. Help is on the way.”
    “What…what happened?”
    “You’ll have to tell us. We just fished you out of the Brazos.”
    She struggled to sit up, grabbed the base of her head and fell back in a dead faint. He rolled her to the side and lifted the long strands of hair. A lengthy gash across the base of her skull dripped blood onto the grass. Damn, looked like someone tried to kill this woman, and then dumped her into the river. He stood and looked up