have told me,” Perkins said, cupping himself. “I’d be glad to give you a poke.”
Slag simply glared.
Judging by the racket, half the settlers were crashing through the undergrowth. A few more moments and the clearing was hemmed by farmers and their wives. Victor Gore was with them.
“What is the meaning of this? What was that scream we heard?” Lester Winston and his wife pushed through. At the sight of Rachel, both stopped in shock. Then Lester solicitously helped his daughter to stand, saying, “Are you all right? Was that you we heard?”
“I’m fine, Pa,” Rachel declared. Now that she was dressed, she had regained her composure. Waving her hand at Rinson, Slag and Perkins, she said bitterly, “These three ruffians attacked Mr. Fargo.”
“Attacked, hell,” Rinson said. “We were defending your girl’s honor.” He turned to Victor Gore. “I noticed Fargo, here, was missing, so I asked around. One of the kids saw him and Miss Winston walk off together so we came looking for them.”
“And found them here, doing I don’t need to tell you what,” Perkins related with lecherous glee.
Gore said harshly, “That will be enough.”
“Didn’t you hear me?” Perkins asked. “The scout and her came out here to fool around. I’m trying to be polite but if you want me to spell it out, I will.”
“Enough,” Victor Gore said again. “What the young lady does or doesn’t do is her affair.”
“Not if it makes trouble for us,” Rinson broke in. “How can we protect them if they don’t listen? You told them not to wander away from the wagons at night, and what did she do?”
“We can’t force them to listen,” Gore said.
Perkins swore. “I can’t believe my ears. You’re siding with them against us? When we were only doing what you told us to do?”
“To hell with this,” Rinson said, and spun on a boot heel. “From now on these dirt-pushers can do as they please. I won’t lift a finger to help them.” He stalked off and Slag followed.
Perkins was bubbling like an overheated pan about to boil over. He stabbed a finger at Fargo. “This son of a bitch has a reckoning coming, and nothing you can say or do will change that.” He stormed after his friends.
“I’m sorry,” Victor Gore said to Lester. “Sometimes they forget they work for me. I’ll give them a while to simmer down and talk to them again.”
“I don’t think they like us much,” Lester said.
Martha was staring at Rachel, her arms crossed. “As for you, young lady, I can’t say as I approve of your antics. Coming out here to be alone with a man you just met today. What will everyone think?”
“I don’t care,” Rachel said flatly. “I haven’t done anything to be ashamed of.”
“Is that the truth, daughter?”
“All we did was stroll about and admire the stars,” Rachel fibbed. “Then those awful men attacked us.”
“It won’t happen again, miss,” Victor Gore assured her.
“I hope not,” Lester Winston said. “Not if they want the rest of their money. Our agreement was half in advance and half when we reach the Payette River Valley.”
“I’m well aware of the terms we agreed on. And so far I’ve honored them, haven’t I? This incident was regrettable. But my men were only trying to protect your daughter. If they were too zealous, I apologize.”
If Fargo was any judge of character, Victor Gore was sincere. And if that was the case, then there was more going on than met the eye. Unraveling the mystery could take a while. The only thing was, Fargo didn’t have a lot of time. In four days they would reach the Payette River Valley.
And then all hell might break loose.
8
Everyone was up an hour before sunrise. Hasty breakfasts were gobbled and washed down, in Fargo’s case with four steaming cups of coffee. The teams were hitched, mounts were saddled, the children climbed into the wagon beds and the farmers and their wives perched on the front seats. Outriders were sent ahead
Slag simply glared.
Judging by the racket, half the settlers were crashing through the undergrowth. A few more moments and the clearing was hemmed by farmers and their wives. Victor Gore was with them.
“What is the meaning of this? What was that scream we heard?” Lester Winston and his wife pushed through. At the sight of Rachel, both stopped in shock. Then Lester solicitously helped his daughter to stand, saying, “Are you all right? Was that you we heard?”
“I’m fine, Pa,” Rachel declared. Now that she was dressed, she had regained her composure. Waving her hand at Rinson, Slag and Perkins, she said bitterly, “These three ruffians attacked Mr. Fargo.”
“Attacked, hell,” Rinson said. “We were defending your girl’s honor.” He turned to Victor Gore. “I noticed Fargo, here, was missing, so I asked around. One of the kids saw him and Miss Winston walk off together so we came looking for them.”
“And found them here, doing I don’t need to tell you what,” Perkins related with lecherous glee.
Gore said harshly, “That will be enough.”
“Didn’t you hear me?” Perkins asked. “The scout and her came out here to fool around. I’m trying to be polite but if you want me to spell it out, I will.”
“Enough,” Victor Gore said again. “What the young lady does or doesn’t do is her affair.”
“Not if it makes trouble for us,” Rinson broke in. “How can we protect them if they don’t listen? You told them not to wander away from the wagons at night, and what did she do?”
“We can’t force them to listen,” Gore said.
Perkins swore. “I can’t believe my ears. You’re siding with them against us? When we were only doing what you told us to do?”
“To hell with this,” Rinson said, and spun on a boot heel. “From now on these dirt-pushers can do as they please. I won’t lift a finger to help them.” He stalked off and Slag followed.
Perkins was bubbling like an overheated pan about to boil over. He stabbed a finger at Fargo. “This son of a bitch has a reckoning coming, and nothing you can say or do will change that.” He stormed after his friends.
“I’m sorry,” Victor Gore said to Lester. “Sometimes they forget they work for me. I’ll give them a while to simmer down and talk to them again.”
“I don’t think they like us much,” Lester said.
Martha was staring at Rachel, her arms crossed. “As for you, young lady, I can’t say as I approve of your antics. Coming out here to be alone with a man you just met today. What will everyone think?”
“I don’t care,” Rachel said flatly. “I haven’t done anything to be ashamed of.”
“Is that the truth, daughter?”
“All we did was stroll about and admire the stars,” Rachel fibbed. “Then those awful men attacked us.”
“It won’t happen again, miss,” Victor Gore assured her.
“I hope not,” Lester Winston said. “Not if they want the rest of their money. Our agreement was half in advance and half when we reach the Payette River Valley.”
“I’m well aware of the terms we agreed on. And so far I’ve honored them, haven’t I? This incident was regrettable. But my men were only trying to protect your daughter. If they were too zealous, I apologize.”
If Fargo was any judge of character, Victor Gore was sincere. And if that was the case, then there was more going on than met the eye. Unraveling the mystery could take a while. The only thing was, Fargo didn’t have a lot of time. In four days they would reach the Payette River Valley.
And then all hell might break loose.
8
Everyone was up an hour before sunrise. Hasty breakfasts were gobbled and washed down, in Fargo’s case with four steaming cups of coffee. The teams were hitched, mounts were saddled, the children climbed into the wagon beds and the farmers and their wives perched on the front seats. Outriders were sent ahead
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