A Heart So Wild Read Online Free PDF

managed to say, “She was good. Not much meat on her, but she pleasured me real well. I was the last to have her. She died under me, with my—”
    The howl came from deep in the warrior’s soul, cutting off Elroy’s taunt. One of the others tried to stop the young warrior but couldn’t. The pain was minimal for Elroy, bringing to a crescendo all the rest of the pain. It was the shock of seeing the severed flesh he had beenabout to mention raised high in the Comanche’s hand that killed him.
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    Three miles away, Courtney Harte stared dismally at the scattered contents of the wagon, ripped clothes, smashed china, food staples ruined. She couldn’t cope with deciding what to salvage. She couldn’t cope with anything right now, unlike Sarah, who was looking through their goods as if nothing much had happened.
    To Courtney, just being alive was a shock. Worse, her father was gone.
    Berny Bixler, Elroy Brower’s closest neighbor, had seen the smoke from Elroy’s fired house and come to investigate. He found the two dead bodies behind the house and Sarah and Courtney in the feed box. There was no sign of Dallas, Elroy Brower, or Edward Harte. But Courtney’s father had been there because his horse was in the cornfield and there were spots of blood on it. Had Edward been wounded?
    â€œWould’ve seen him if he’d got away and headed toward Rockley for help,” Berny told them. “More like the Injuns took him and the other two away. Probably felt a couple of strong captives wouldn’t hurt to have around till they can find another tribe to live with.”
    â€œWhat makes you say that, Mr. Bixler?” Sarah demanded. “I thought women were the ones usually taken captive.”
    â€œBeggin’ your pardon, ma’am,” Berny said. “But if an Injun looked at you and the youngun here, he’d figure you wouldn’t last long on the move.”
    â€œOn the move? You keep seeming to know what these Indians plan to do,” Sarah snapped.“I don’t see how you could know. It’s just as likely they have a camp near here, isn’t it?”
    â€œOh, they did, ma’am, they surely did. That’s just it. This weren’t no livestock raid. Lars Handley’s boy John come tearin’ into Rockley two nights ago, telling how he and Elroy and Peter joined up with some Wichita men to wipe out this band of Kiowas down south of here that was plannin’ to attack Rockley. He claimed we wouldn’t have no trouble now, ’cause they killed every last man, woman, and child. Well, looks like they missed a few. The bucks who struck here must’ve been out huntin’ or somethin’ and come back to find all their kin dead.”
    â€œPure supposition, Mr. Bixler. Kiowas can’t be the only Indians around here.”
    The farmer showed his annoyance enough to say, “John Handley also bragged about what he done in that Indian camp—somethin’ I can’t mention to ladies.”
    â€œOh, for heaven’s sake,” Sarah said, sneering, “So they raped a few squaws. That doesn’t mean—”
    â€œYou go on out there and take a look at Peter’s body if you want to know what it means, lady,” he said hotly. “But I wouldn’t recommend it. What they done to that boy ain’t pretty. Didn’t touch that other fellow at all. His wound was clean. But I’m likely to have nightmares for a long time ’bout what they done to Peter. And I reckon we’ll find Elroy somewhere hereabouts, done up just as ugly. It don’t take a smart man to know they was only after them two and why. You’da been took if they was interested in women. No, it was revenge and nothin’ else.”
    â€œYou see if John Handley don’t take off fromthis area real quick too, ’cause it ain’t over. Them Injuns won’t stop till they get every last one of the men