Read Online Tales of Western Romance by Madeline Baker - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Madeline Baker
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the answer on the other end of the
rifle pointed at Gray’s head.
The bounty hunter had found them.
The man in the frock coat tossed a pair of
handcuffs at Gray. “Put those on, real slow.”
A muscle ticked in Gray’s jaw as he picked up
the cuffs and locked them in place.
“ Get up, real easy,” the hunter said.
“I’ve saddled your horses. Mount up.”
Bonnie did as she was told, ever aware of the
long rifle in the bounty hunter’s hands. She knew, as sure as she
knew her own name, that he would kill her and Gray without turning
a hair. His next words confirmed her worst fears.
“ The flyer says dead or alive. Dead’s
easier.”
Gray nodded curtly. He glanced briefly at
Bonnie, then grabbed the saddle horn in his cuffed hands and swung
up onto the bay’s back.
Bonnie took up Relámpago’s reins and pulled
herself into the saddle.
The bounty hunter threw a loop over the bay’s
neck and secured it to the pommel of his saddle. After sliding the
rifle into the saddle boot, he mounted his horse and moved out,
heading west.
Bonnie and the stallion trailed behind. She
had the distinct feeling that the bounty hunter didn’t care if she
followed or not.
They rode without stopping for hours. Gray
had always taken time to rest the horses and give her a chance to
stretch her legs, get a drink, and take care of nature’s call.
After six hours, she decided the hunter was a robot or something.
He didn’t seem to need to rest, or eat, or relieve himself. He just
kept going, like the Energizer Bunny.
She would have stopped but she knew he
wouldn’t wait for her.
It was late afternoon before he halted
alongside a narrow stream to let the horses drink.
With a groan, Bonnie slid off Relámpago’s
back. Hoping her legs, which felt like rubber, would hold her, she
staggered toward the stream and buried her face in the cool water.
Never had anything tasted so good!
When Gray started to dismount, the hunter
said, “Stay put, ‘breed.”
Bonnie looked up at Gray; then, keenly aware
of the hunter’s cold brown eyes watching her every move, she
plucked the canteen from Gray’s saddle horn, carried it to the
stream and filled it with water, then carried it back to Gray.
He took it from her with a faint smile.
She stared up at him as he drank. How could
he look so calm, so unconcerned? Surely he realized the danger they
were in.
“ Mount up, woman,” the hunter growled.
“We’re leavin’.” He didn’t wait to see if she complied. Swinging
into the saddle, he clucked to his horse.
Bonnie took a moment to relieve herself, then
quickly pulled herself onto Relámpago’s back and hurried
after Gray.
Her back and shoulders were aching by the
time the hunter decided to make camp several hours later. She
groaned as she dismounted. She was so stiff and sore, she was
certain she would never walk normally again.
“ Undo his cuffs,” the hunter said,
handing Bonnie the key. With his rifle trained on Gray, he then
ordered her to cuff Gray’s hands behind his back. When that was
done, the hunter lashed Gray’s ankles together and secured the rope
to a tree. After that he unsaddled the horses and turned them out
to graze.
It soon became obvious to Bonnie that the
hunter had no intention of feeding her or Gray. Again conscious
that the hunter was watching her, she rummaged in Gray’s saddlebags
and pulled out several pieces of jerky and a can of peaches. She
stared at the can, wondering how she was supposed to open it
without a can opener.
Setting it aside, she went to sit beside
Gray. “Here,” she said, and held the jerky to his lips. He
hesitated a moment and she knew he was embarrassed at having to be
fed. “I know you’re hungry,” she said, “I can hear your stomach
growling.”
He glared at her, but took a bite.
Bonnie looked up, startled when the hunter
thrust the can of peaches at her.
She muttered, “thank you,” as she took it
from his hand, surprised to note the fork jutting from the
rifle pointed at Gray’s head.
The bounty hunter had found them.
The man in the frock coat tossed a pair of
handcuffs at Gray. “Put those on, real slow.”
A muscle ticked in Gray’s jaw as he picked up
the cuffs and locked them in place.
“ Get up, real easy,” the hunter said.
“I’ve saddled your horses. Mount up.”
Bonnie did as she was told, ever aware of the
long rifle in the bounty hunter’s hands. She knew, as sure as she
knew her own name, that he would kill her and Gray without turning
a hair. His next words confirmed her worst fears.
“ The flyer says dead or alive. Dead’s
easier.”
Gray nodded curtly. He glanced briefly at
Bonnie, then grabbed the saddle horn in his cuffed hands and swung
up onto the bay’s back.
Bonnie took up Relámpago’s reins and pulled
herself into the saddle.
The bounty hunter threw a loop over the bay’s
neck and secured it to the pommel of his saddle. After sliding the
rifle into the saddle boot, he mounted his horse and moved out,
heading west.
Bonnie and the stallion trailed behind. She
had the distinct feeling that the bounty hunter didn’t care if she
followed or not.
They rode without stopping for hours. Gray
had always taken time to rest the horses and give her a chance to
stretch her legs, get a drink, and take care of nature’s call.
After six hours, she decided the hunter was a robot or something.
He didn’t seem to need to rest, or eat, or relieve himself. He just
kept going, like the Energizer Bunny.
She would have stopped but she knew he
wouldn’t wait for her.
It was late afternoon before he halted
alongside a narrow stream to let the horses drink.
With a groan, Bonnie slid off Relámpago’s
back. Hoping her legs, which felt like rubber, would hold her, she
staggered toward the stream and buried her face in the cool water.
Never had anything tasted so good!
When Gray started to dismount, the hunter
said, “Stay put, ‘breed.”
Bonnie looked up at Gray; then, keenly aware
of the hunter’s cold brown eyes watching her every move, she
plucked the canteen from Gray’s saddle horn, carried it to the
stream and filled it with water, then carried it back to Gray.
He took it from her with a faint smile.
She stared up at him as he drank. How could
he look so calm, so unconcerned? Surely he realized the danger they
were in.
“ Mount up, woman,” the hunter growled.
“We’re leavin’.” He didn’t wait to see if she complied. Swinging
into the saddle, he clucked to his horse.
Bonnie took a moment to relieve herself, then
quickly pulled herself onto Relámpago’s back and hurried
after Gray.
Her back and shoulders were aching by the
time the hunter decided to make camp several hours later. She
groaned as she dismounted. She was so stiff and sore, she was
certain she would never walk normally again.
“ Undo his cuffs,” the hunter said,
handing Bonnie the key. With his rifle trained on Gray, he then
ordered her to cuff Gray’s hands behind his back. When that was
done, the hunter lashed Gray’s ankles together and secured the rope
to a tree. After that he unsaddled the horses and turned them out
to graze.
It soon became obvious to Bonnie that the
hunter had no intention of feeding her or Gray. Again conscious
that the hunter was watching her, she rummaged in Gray’s saddlebags
and pulled out several pieces of jerky and a can of peaches. She
stared at the can, wondering how she was supposed to open it
without a can opener.
Setting it aside, she went to sit beside
Gray. “Here,” she said, and held the jerky to his lips. He
hesitated a moment and she knew he was embarrassed at having to be
fed. “I know you’re hungry,” she said, “I can hear your stomach
growling.”
He glared at her, but took a bite.
Bonnie looked up, startled when the hunter
thrust the can of peaches at her.
She muttered, “thank you,” as she took it
from his hand, surprised to note the fork jutting from the
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