Read Online The Outcast by David Thompson - Free Book Online
Authors: David Thompson
Tags: Fiction - Western
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everyoneâs. Now he had more lines on his face, but his eyes held the same twinkle. To her he was the handsomest man alive. She would never tell him that, of course. He would boast of it forever.
It was a mystery, love. Part of it was plain to understand; two people met, they were attracted, they wanted to be together. But another part, the deeper part, was a mystery to her people and, she had found, to the whites, as well. It was fine to say that love happened when one heart reached out to another. But why that particular heart out of all the hearts in the world?
Blue Water Woman stopped knitting and chuckled. Here she was, thinking thoughts more fitting for a girl who had seen but sixteen winters.
The sitting had made her stiff. She got up, put her knitting on the rocking chair, and went out. She took her rifle, as she always did, and strolled to the lake. A haze hung over it, as was common in the summer.
The lake teemed with water birds. She liked to watch them swim and dive. She particularly liked the couples, and the mothers with their little ones.
Blue Water Woman regretted not being able to give McNair children. Sheâd told him she didnât, but she did. Had they wed when they were young, she would have delighted in having babies until she couldnât have had them anymore.
Blue Water Woman stretched. She gazed across the lake, toward Zach and Louâs cabin, barely visible on the far side. She thought she saw two people come out. One had to be Louisa; she was wearing a dress, unusual for her, as Lou preferred buckskins. The other figure was a manâand he appeared to be pushing Lou ahead of him.
Blue Water Woman blinked, and the pair were gone around a corner. She moved to her left to try and see them again, but couldnât. Alarm spiked through her. The man couldnât be Zach. Zach was off with Shakespeare. And anyway, Zach would never push Lou, not for any reason.
She told herself she must be mistaken. There had been no sign of strangers in the valley. But she couldnât deny her own eyes. Quickly, she hurried to the corral and brought out her dun. She didnât bother with a saddle. She had no need of one; she had been riding bareback since she was old enough to straddle a horse.
Mounting, Blue Water Woman jabbed her heels and brought the dun to a gallop. The wind on her face and in her hair felt nice. She glanced to the north, but she still couldnât see the two figures.
It was a long way from her cabin to Louâs. She passed Nate and Winonaâs at the west end, and then flew along the north shore until she reined up in a swirl of dust.
The front door was wide open.
Alighting, Blue Water Woman leveled her Hawken. âLouisa? Are you in there?â When she got no answer, she warily stepped to the doorway.
Inside, it was neat and tidy, as Lou always kept it. Pans and a bowl were on the counter. Nothing looked out of place. Blue Water Woman saw no signs of a struggle. She saw Louâs rifle propped near the door. That puzzled her. If Lou had been taken by hostiles, they would surely have taken it. Guns were as highly prized as horses.
Blue Water Woman went around the corner. The thick woodland that bordered the lake was an unbroken wall of green.
âLouisa! Where are you?â
Again, no answer.
Her dread climbing, Blue Water Woman shouted several more times. When she still got no response, she came to a decision. She moved to the waterâs edge, raised her rifle over her head, and fired. The shot would carry a long way. Shakespeare and Zach had not been gone that long. They were bound to hear it and fly back.
Blue Water Woman reloaded. She debated whether to stay and wait for them or to go after Lou by herself. She really had no choice. Lou must be in trouble. The more time that went by, the greater the chance that whoever took Lou would get away.
Blue Water Woman climbed back on the dun. She reined toward the forest. Once more she called out to
It was a mystery, love. Part of it was plain to understand; two people met, they were attracted, they wanted to be together. But another part, the deeper part, was a mystery to her people and, she had found, to the whites, as well. It was fine to say that love happened when one heart reached out to another. But why that particular heart out of all the hearts in the world?
Blue Water Woman stopped knitting and chuckled. Here she was, thinking thoughts more fitting for a girl who had seen but sixteen winters.
The sitting had made her stiff. She got up, put her knitting on the rocking chair, and went out. She took her rifle, as she always did, and strolled to the lake. A haze hung over it, as was common in the summer.
The lake teemed with water birds. She liked to watch them swim and dive. She particularly liked the couples, and the mothers with their little ones.
Blue Water Woman regretted not being able to give McNair children. Sheâd told him she didnât, but she did. Had they wed when they were young, she would have delighted in having babies until she couldnât have had them anymore.
Blue Water Woman stretched. She gazed across the lake, toward Zach and Louâs cabin, barely visible on the far side. She thought she saw two people come out. One had to be Louisa; she was wearing a dress, unusual for her, as Lou preferred buckskins. The other figure was a manâand he appeared to be pushing Lou ahead of him.
Blue Water Woman blinked, and the pair were gone around a corner. She moved to her left to try and see them again, but couldnât. Alarm spiked through her. The man couldnât be Zach. Zach was off with Shakespeare. And anyway, Zach would never push Lou, not for any reason.
She told herself she must be mistaken. There had been no sign of strangers in the valley. But she couldnât deny her own eyes. Quickly, she hurried to the corral and brought out her dun. She didnât bother with a saddle. She had no need of one; she had been riding bareback since she was old enough to straddle a horse.
Mounting, Blue Water Woman jabbed her heels and brought the dun to a gallop. The wind on her face and in her hair felt nice. She glanced to the north, but she still couldnât see the two figures.
It was a long way from her cabin to Louâs. She passed Nate and Winonaâs at the west end, and then flew along the north shore until she reined up in a swirl of dust.
The front door was wide open.
Alighting, Blue Water Woman leveled her Hawken. âLouisa? Are you in there?â When she got no answer, she warily stepped to the doorway.
Inside, it was neat and tidy, as Lou always kept it. Pans and a bowl were on the counter. Nothing looked out of place. Blue Water Woman saw no signs of a struggle. She saw Louâs rifle propped near the door. That puzzled her. If Lou had been taken by hostiles, they would surely have taken it. Guns were as highly prized as horses.
Blue Water Woman went around the corner. The thick woodland that bordered the lake was an unbroken wall of green.
âLouisa! Where are you?â
Again, no answer.
Her dread climbing, Blue Water Woman shouted several more times. When she still got no response, she came to a decision. She moved to the waterâs edge, raised her rifle over her head, and fired. The shot would carry a long way. Shakespeare and Zach had not been gone that long. They were bound to hear it and fly back.
Blue Water Woman reloaded. She debated whether to stay and wait for them or to go after Lou by herself. She really had no choice. Lou must be in trouble. The more time that went by, the greater the chance that whoever took Lou would get away.
Blue Water Woman climbed back on the dun. She reined toward the forest. Once more she called out to
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