Read Online Hoofbeats of Danger by Holly Hughes - Free Book Online

driver said. “Let’s move him inside.” He turned and motioned to three passengers standing behind him. “Give us a hand here, fellas. You there, take his feet.” The skinny man in spectacles hastened to obey. The two gray-haired men eased their hands under Mr. Dawson’s shoulders.
    Nate Slocum gently cradled the stationmaster’s injured head in his palms. “One, two, three, lift,” Slocum said. The team hoisted Annie’s father shoulder high and began to shuffle in step toward the station house. As Annie sprang out of their way, she noticed Davy and the boy named Horace silhouetted in the firelit doorway, watching with frightened eyes. Seeing the men carrying the limp body toward him, Davy whimpered and scurried out of the way. Annie felt a stab of sympathy for her little brother, overlooked amid all the confusion.
    As her father was carried inside, Annie stayed behind, feeling useless. She stared around the bare station yard, washed by the morning’s first rays of thin sunlight. She saw Jeremiah and Billy standing by the fence, looking too shocked to tend to their chores. The stagecoach guard stood a little ways beyond them, his hands hanging at his sides.
    Behind Annie, Redbird started to move silently toward the station house. Ambrose lunged forward and grabbed her by the shoulder. “You’re the cause of this trouble. You stay right here,” he declared.
    Redbird froze.
    Annie angrily thrust herself between the guard and her friend. “I brought Redbird here,” she protested. “We were hoping to help Magpie. If that gunshot of yours hadn’t scared her off—”
    The guard tightened his grip on Redbird. “Are you sure she aimed to help that horse, Miss Dawson? You can’t trust an Injun. They’re all out to ruin the Pony Express.”
    Redbird stood still under his grasp, but her voice quivered with anger. “My mother’s people have always been friendly to whites,” she said with icy calm. “They welcomed my father into their village, even though he is a white man. Later my father helped build this very station house. We consider the Dawsons our neighbors—and our friends.”
    Ignoring Redbird, Ambrose turned to Annie. “Weren’t you told yesterday not to bring this Injun down here? Don’t you listen to your pa? This is a serious infraction of regulations. I hate to do this, but it’s my duty to report it to headquarters. The Overland Express can’t have stationmasters who fraternize with Indians.”
    â€œWhy not?” Annie snapped back.
    The guard drew himself up to his full height. “Why, I’ve never heard such impertinence. A pretty little girl like you ought to have better manners. Seems clear we can’t expect Dawson to run a station right. He can’t even keep his family in line.” He pursed his lips and shook his head regretfully. “This’ll cost him his job, all right.”
    Annie defiantly crossed her arms, but she bit back her words. Why had she been so rash? she silently chided herself. It was more and more clear that this man was a spy for the Overland’s bosses. Would her family have to leave Red Buttes now?
    Just then Annie noticed that her mother had come up behind her. Ma shot Ambrose a dark look. “You’re in no position to threaten others,” she told him in a low, dangerous voice. “You’re the one who fired your gun recklessly. You caused a stationmaster to be injured, and allowed a valuable pony to escape. If anyone gets in trouble, it should be you.”
    She pushed his hand from Redbird’s shoulder. “I know this girl; she’s no threat to the station. In fact, we’ve always relied on the Wilsons for help. I need her help now in treating my husband. I’ll thank you to let her go.”
    The guard frowned and shook his head, but he stepped away from Redbird. She turned and followed Mrs. Dawson into