Savage Desire (Savage Lagonda 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

razor-sharp and sliced through the leather ropes with surprising ease. When her hands were free she quickly cut the straps that bound her ankles together, then last of all the straps that bound her to the tree.
    She was free!
    Quickly she rubbed her ankles, trying to restore circulation to them. Then she rose to her feet. Mara felt weak and shaky, and her heart was racing erratically. Any moment she expected one of the men to awaken and discover her.
    She was frightened and a long way from home, but for the moment she was free.

 
    THE HILLS AND RIVER CLIFFS WHICH WE PASSED TODAY EXHIBIT A MOST ROMANTIC APPEARANCE. THE BLUFFS OF THE RIVER RISE TO THE HEIGHT OF FROM TWO TO THREE HUNDRED FEET, AND IN MOST PLACES PER PENDICULAR. THEY ARE FORMED OF REMARK ABLE WHITE SANDSTONE WHICH IS SUFFI CIENTLY SOFT TO GIVE WAY READILY TO THE IMPRESSION OF WATER.
    — Meriwether Lewis
     
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    As Mara leaned against the tree trunk for support, fear made her want to flee into the dense forest and lose herself among the thick undergrowth, but reason prevailed. With extreme caution she moved one foot in front of the other, taking care not to step on anything that would make noise and wake the Indians. Fear was her worst enemy at the moment. She knew if she gave in to that fear she was lost.
    When she was far enough away from the camp that she was sure the two savages could not detect her movements, she broke into a run. It did not matter to her in which direction she fled as long as it was away from her captors.
    Mara ran until she was exhausted; then she stopped only long enough to rest before continuing on her way once more. Once she stopped long enough to eat the dried meat she had been saving. She knew she was going to need all of her strength if she was to continue her pace. She wished she would come across a stream, for her throat was parched and ached painfully.
    She became so weary. Sometimes she would fall to the ground, only to drag herself up by sheer will power and continue on, running, stumbling, and falling. At last she fell to the ground, her last bit of strength spent. Tears of self-pity spilled down her face. Even if she was free of the Indians, she was hopelessly lost, so alone, and very frightened.
    As dark descended, she curled up underneath a tree, too tired to even care that the night was cold, or to worry about the presence of wild animals.
    Before dawn she awoke and wandered aimlessly through the forest. At last her footsteps lagged, and she was sure she could not go another step; but she was wrong. Mara heard a rustling among the bushes not far from where she stood. Then her heart stopped when she saw the older of her two Indian captors running toward her.
    Fear gave wings to her feet. She could hear the man gaining on her. Seeing a clearing through the trees, she ran toward it. Losing her footing, she stumbled and fell, rolling down the steep incline. When she reached the bottom she felt stunned. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the Indian had been joined by his friend, and they were both upon her before she could stand up. The older man grabbed her by the hair and yanked her painfully to her feet. With a strength she did not know she possessed, she jerked herself free of his grasp, vowing she would never be taken alive.
    Mara whipped the knife from her sash where she had hidden it, and faced her tormentors. The younger man was circling her. She watched him warily, ready to plunge the knife into him if he came too near. She saw the older man out of the corner of her eye. He was moving slowly toward her. She saw him lunge at her, and moved to sidestep him. Bringing the knife forward with all of her strength, she felt it make contact. The man yelled out in pain as the knife slashed across his upper arm. Then the younger Indian grabbed her and twisted the hand that held the knife behind her back. Pain shot through her arm. As she dropped the knife to the ground the man she had wounded struck her a stunning blow with