Blue Bonnet Read Free Page A

make coffee, Hannah.
We can’t do dishes until we fetch more.” Billie put her elbow on
the table and stuck her fist under her chin. her focus was on the
timber beyond the cabin’s open door. “You think it’s safe to go
after the water right now?”
    “I cain’t say fer sure.” Hannah
blew on the coffee and took a sip.
    Billie’s brow wrinkled in worry.
“Don’t it seem to you them Indians are more restless of late? I
don't remember ever seeing as many batches of them passing back and
forth across the ranch as they have recently. Makes me wonder what
has happened.”
    Hannah kept her eyes on her cup.
“We've sighted a might more Indians I know since Bat left which is
a might worrisome. I just keep thinking that don't mean much.
Indians aren't about to let us see them until they attack if they
on the warpath.”
    Hannah missed her husband the
minute he disappeared from her sight over the knoll, leading the
pack mules. Just mentioning him, made her miss him more. Every
night, she crawled into their bed and threw her hand over into
Bat's hollowed out spot in the straw mattress. The spot was stone
cold. It would be until Bat came home, and each day she grew more
uneasy. Something was a foot with the Indians which might mean
Billie and she was in danger. Hannah wished he was there with
her.
    She listened to the coyote packs
yip as they ran through the hills. At least, she hoped what she
heard was coyotes and not Indians. She was so uneasy worrying about
the what ifs it took her awhile to fall to sleep, then she always
hated to get out of bed the next morning.
    As the long days passed, it seemed
to the women that Indians lurked behind every hill, tree and bush.
With each half naked savage they saw, Hannah wished fervently that
Bat was there with her and Billie.
    The morning they were out of water
Billie was thinking the same thing. Only she spoke her thoughts out
loud. “All I can think about is, I wish Bat was back already. I
been noticing one tall, tough looking, skinny Indian. I've seen him
enough now that I recognize him on sight. He stops to watch me hoe
in the garden when he sneaks by.” Billie looked over at Hannah.
“Ever think about what we should do if Indians was to catch us and
try to carry us off?”
    “Plenty of times,” grunted
Hannah.”We don't want that to ever happen I reckon. We've heard
enough stories about what happens to women captives. Horrible
nightmare tortures for the unlucky women that get caught by those
savages.” She drummed on her tin cup with her fingers.
    “That's why I'm thinking maybe we
should talk about some for instances so we're prepared,” stated
Billie. “We need to face the fact us getting captured by Indians
just might happen some time or other. We’re here by ourselves for
quite a spell this time while Bat is gone. This won't be the last
time my brother has to leave us alone.”
    “Could be if the Indians don't
figured out we're here without a man around, they will soon be done
with all the spying on us. We're just a passing fancy. They have
more worrisome problems that's keeping them on the move.” Hannah
blew out a breath.
    Billie shook her head. “That's
only wishful thinking. You've heard talk just like me. You know
what happens when those savages get a hold of a white woman. It's
the most brutal way to die or live if one of the braves decide to
keep you for a squaw.
    I'm being truthful with you when I
say you just aren't any white woman, Hannah. You should be worried
more than most women about being a trophy for an Indian. That
fireball red hair of yours makes you a prize catch for any Indian
or Comancheros. I reckon that skinny chief that's been peeking at
us from the bushes would like to have your mop of hair on his
breech cloth band. That's a fact.”
    Hannah stiffened slightly. “I
hadn’t thought of that.”
    “Sorry to be so
blunt, but we need to face facts,” Billie said.
    “I best be
wearing my bonnet when we're outside to hide my hair. I don't