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peaceful scene didn’t please her. Then, just as she was about to withdraw, four men approached the area of her tent. Four? Kane had doubled the guard? Where would they station themselves? What was she to do now?
    She watched again as the new guards poured themselves cups of coffee before taking their places. Suddenly she realized that one of the newguards was Jim. That explained why he hadn’t contacted her. It would be safer for him to do so while he was playing guard.
    She let the tent flap fall and reviewed her packing, wanting to be completely ready when he did come. Then she sat down, wrapping her arms around her knees and waited.

Chapter Four
    Jim had decided to err on the side of caution. So he waited until 2:00 a.m., when the other guards would be less alert, and with any luck, have dozed off. Heart pounding, he made his way to Patience’s tent.
    His heart went into overdrive when he found the slit he’d made at the back of her tent had been lengthened and the tent empty. She’d already gone? She hadn’t waited for him? Where was she?
    Jim took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. They couldn’t have left without leaving tracks in the snow. Sure enough there was a single set—she was obviously carrying Tommy—leading away from the camp. How far had she gone?
    She and the boy had made it half a mile fromthe camp when he caught up with them. “Patience! Why didn’t you wait for me?”
    “Because you didn’t come,” she said.
    “I wanted to be sure we could make it.”
    “ I made it! You can go back and play soldier. You seem to be having so much fun!”
    “When did you leave?” he asked.
    “About one.”
    “You’ve only come this far in an hour? We’ve got to move faster.” He looked around and said, pointing, “Sit on this log. We can’t walk out of here.”
    “But I can’t rest. I have to—”
    “Just listen to me. I’ll go back and get horses. But I have to be able to find you. So stay here.” He waited until she nodded. “Promise me you will.”
    “I promise.”
    He found the camp, including the guards, asleep as he crept up to it. He circled the tents until he reached the rope corral. Quietly, he undid the rope. Then he moved silently among the horses until he found the two he’d brought with him. He’d chosen them because they were sure-footed and fast. As he led them out of the corral, several other horses followed, realizing they were free. He found his two saddles where he’dleft them. He led the horses a few feet away from camp before he saddled them. Then he led them to the base of a big tree where he’d stowed some supplies.
    Once he’d loaded all he could on the horses, he mounted one and checked his watch. Having to backtrack had cost him time. By the time he reached Patience and the boy again, it would be three o’clock. That gave them only an hour before the next shift of guards came on duty and the alarm would be raised.
    But he knew better than to ride faster than a walk. He had to be sure he found Patience again. He picked up her trail, but soon he realized there was another set of adult-size footprints in the snow that occasionally appeared outside Patience’s tracks—and they weren’t his.
     
    P ATIENCE HAD DOZED OFF. Her first warning that she’d been discovered was a gruff voice ordering, “Stand up!”
    She jerked awake, her arms encircling her child who lay sleeping against her stomach. As she struggled to her feet, she was afraid her shaking knees wouldn’t hold her. She recognized her captor. It was Benton, the nastiest of the three lieutenants.

    “What are you doing here?” Benton demanded, his rifle pointed at her.
    “I…I had to go, uh, take care of business, and I got lost.” Weak, but the best she could come up with.
    “Likely story,” he snarled. “Why do you have the boy with you?”
    “Uh, he doesn’t like to be left alone.”
    “Well, get up. I’m taking you both back to camp.”
    “I don’t know how to get back, you