Finding Promise Read Free Page B

at each other, both at a loss as to what to do next. Jake got to his feet. “I guess I’d best get back to bury those people.”
    Shorty scrambled up behind him. He was so lacking in stature that he didn’t need to crouch down like Jake inside the wagon. “You ain’t plannin’ on leavin’ me alone with her, are you?”
    Jake glanced down at the motionless woman. “I don’t think she’ll give you any trouble.”
    Shorty let out a loud snort. “You know that ain’t what I’m sayin’! What if she . . . well . . . what if she . . . ,” he said, his voice quavering. “You know . . . goes to meet her Maker?”
    Jake placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re the best hope she has, and I need to get back there before animals get to those folks. They deserve a decent burial, and I’m hoping the trail of those killers won’t be totally washed away. You know that in her condition I can’t take her all the way back to Dodge right now.”
    â€œI’ve tended plenty of sick cowhands, but hellfire, I ain’t never tended a woman,” Shorty complained, raking a hand through his thinning white hair.
    Jake didn’t have the time to reassure his cook, but he tried. “You’ve stopped the bleeding, and that’s about all we can do for her right now. I think it’s a good sign she doesn’t have a fever.”
    Shorty nodded, wanting to hold on to that thread of hope. “Yeah, that’s good.”
    Grabbing his slicker, Jake opened the canvas flap and jumped from the wagon, with Shorty right behind him. “Just check on her every few minutes in case she wakes up. After what she went through, she’ll likely be scared to death. And stay alert, there are killers afoot, and I doubt they are too far away.”
    â€œWill do, boss.”
    â€œIf you need anything in a hurry, have someone ride to get me. It’s doubtful I could hear gunshots.”
    â€œYou need to eat before you go back there. You ain’t had nothin’ since breakfast,” Shorty reminded him like a worried parent.
    â€œNo time. I’ll eat when I get back. Keep that coffee hot.” With that said, Jake donned his slicker before making his way to the makeshift corral where the two wranglers kept horses saddled at all times. He figured Preacher had earned some rest, and it was going to be a long night getting those people buried, so he had Billy, one of the wranglers, pick out a fresh horse for him.
    â€œI already brushed, fed, and watered Preacher,” the young man told him. He knew how his boss valued that horse, and it was the first time Jake hadn’t cared for Preacher himself. He always did that first thing when he rode in, even before he saw to his own needs. And every cowboy on the drive knew they’d best follow suit.
    â€œThanks, Billy. He deserves a good rest. Wipe his face off a few times tonight,” Jake said.
    â€œSure will, boss.”
    Jake patted Preacher before he took the reins of another animal. The rain was coming down in sheets by the time he gathered Cole and three other men to ride with him. Their progress was slow since they took an extra wagon for any belongings they could salvage for the woman. The other men could have ridden ahead of the wagon, but Jake didn’t want to leave one man to his own defenses with killers and Indians in the area.
    When they reached the wagon train, despite the pelting rain every man took off his hat in a sign of respect for the deceased.
    â€œWhat kind of men did something like this?” Ty asked when they dismounted and saw the carnage.
    â€œJust plain mean,” Cole answered.
    â€œThey must be plumb crazy,” Ty added.
    â€œ Diosito ,” Rodriguez said softly, reverently.
    They turned to the vaquero and watched him make the sign of the cross before he dismounted.
    â€œKeep your eyes peeled for those Indians,” Jake told them.