Indian one time too many, but then Sissy surprised her by stepping between her and the furious man.
"I don't mind no slop jars," she said. "I'll take care of it."
Even though Sissy had already started for the cabinet, the savage still looked as if he might come after Josie and do her bodily harm. Just as she reached behind her and began fumbling with the latch on the door, Daniel spoke up, diverting the Indian's attention.
"Yessir, Brother," he said with a laugh. "Picking this woman for me was a mighty fine idea. Why, she's turned out to be what I would call the perfect gift. Mercy."
The savage kept one evil eye on Josie, but a smile tugged the corner of his mouth as he said to Daniel, "Perhaps if I beat this perfect gift of yours, she will be even more perfect."
"Perhaps," Daniel agreed, drawing a gasp from Josie. "But I'm too tired to listen to her caterwauling tonight. Beat her in the morning, if you must. For now, I think we could all use a little sleep."
Josie wasn't sure if her punishment had been delayed or if she'd earned a complete reprieve, but she was relieved when Long Belly went along with the suggestion. After Sissy returned with the empty stop pail, the savage chased her up the slender ladder that led to the loft—his lair, Josie assumed—then returned to the main room with one final order for the night.
"You," he said, pointing to Josie and then the bed, "will join my brother now."
"I can sleep, in the chair just fine," she answered, not feeling nearly as brave as she sounded.
"In this, you will obey."
Faster than she thought any human could move, the savage was on her. Gripping Josie by the arm, he dragged her to the edge of Daniel's bed. "You will warm my brother and you will do it now."
"If she'd rather not," Daniel said. "I don't care where she sleeps."
That reprieve lasted only a moment. Still hanging on to her, Long Belly objected violently. "This she is trained for, is she not?"
With a shrug, Daniel had to agree. "From what I've seen of her, I would say it's probably the only thing she can do.''
"Do you deny that you long for this female beside you?"
Daniel eyed her with a look that gave Josie a case of goose flesh. "It'd sure beat the hell out of getting cow-kicked."
"Then it is settled. I have paid for this woman's services," said the savage. "And in this, she will submit."
With that he flung Josie onto the bed beside Daniel. Then he blew out the lantern and added one last order in the darkness.
"Call to me, my brother, if this perfect gift does not use her training in ways that please you. I would be happy to beat her tonight if she fails in this."
Chapter 4
The following morning when Daniel awakened, his first thought was the same thought he'd had for at least three weeks running—why bother to wake up at all? He was sick of lying in bed, sick and tired of the stink of the sheet beneath him, and sick to death of his own useless body. He'd had other injuries in the past, including bullet and arrow wounds, but never had he been so completely debilitated, so helpless and utterly useless.
Mostly Daniel hated being confined by these four log walls. As a man who'd always lived in the out of doors—in a hastily erected lean-to, tipi, tent, or more often than not, right out under the stars on his bedroll—being stuck inside was giving him a powerful case of the jimjams.
He shifted his hips, seeking fresh mattress lumps to squash with his worthless body, and connected with something soft, a surprisingly warm object he initially mistook for his down pillow. Then he remembered the woman, Long Belly's perfect gift. He glanced her way, pleased to see that her expression was free of the hatred he'd seen yesterday.
Daniel shifted a little, testing the depth of Josie's slumber. She didn't move so much as an eyelash. Thanks, no doubt, to the arduous and sudden trek she'd been forced to make, she was dead to the world. Rolling slightly onto his right side for a better view
"I don't mind no slop jars," she said. "I'll take care of it."
Even though Sissy had already started for the cabinet, the savage still looked as if he might come after Josie and do her bodily harm. Just as she reached behind her and began fumbling with the latch on the door, Daniel spoke up, diverting the Indian's attention.
"Yessir, Brother," he said with a laugh. "Picking this woman for me was a mighty fine idea. Why, she's turned out to be what I would call the perfect gift. Mercy."
The savage kept one evil eye on Josie, but a smile tugged the corner of his mouth as he said to Daniel, "Perhaps if I beat this perfect gift of yours, she will be even more perfect."
"Perhaps," Daniel agreed, drawing a gasp from Josie. "But I'm too tired to listen to her caterwauling tonight. Beat her in the morning, if you must. For now, I think we could all use a little sleep."
Josie wasn't sure if her punishment had been delayed or if she'd earned a complete reprieve, but she was relieved when Long Belly went along with the suggestion. After Sissy returned with the empty stop pail, the savage chased her up the slender ladder that led to the loft—his lair, Josie assumed—then returned to the main room with one final order for the night.
"You," he said, pointing to Josie and then the bed, "will join my brother now."
"I can sleep, in the chair just fine," she answered, not feeling nearly as brave as she sounded.
"In this, you will obey."
Faster than she thought any human could move, the savage was on her. Gripping Josie by the arm, he dragged her to the edge of Daniel's bed. "You will warm my brother and you will do it now."
"If she'd rather not," Daniel said. "I don't care where she sleeps."
That reprieve lasted only a moment. Still hanging on to her, Long Belly objected violently. "This she is trained for, is she not?"
With a shrug, Daniel had to agree. "From what I've seen of her, I would say it's probably the only thing she can do.''
"Do you deny that you long for this female beside you?"
Daniel eyed her with a look that gave Josie a case of goose flesh. "It'd sure beat the hell out of getting cow-kicked."
"Then it is settled. I have paid for this woman's services," said the savage. "And in this, she will submit."
With that he flung Josie onto the bed beside Daniel. Then he blew out the lantern and added one last order in the darkness.
"Call to me, my brother, if this perfect gift does not use her training in ways that please you. I would be happy to beat her tonight if she fails in this."
Chapter 4
The following morning when Daniel awakened, his first thought was the same thought he'd had for at least three weeks running—why bother to wake up at all? He was sick of lying in bed, sick and tired of the stink of the sheet beneath him, and sick to death of his own useless body. He'd had other injuries in the past, including bullet and arrow wounds, but never had he been so completely debilitated, so helpless and utterly useless.
Mostly Daniel hated being confined by these four log walls. As a man who'd always lived in the out of doors—in a hastily erected lean-to, tipi, tent, or more often than not, right out under the stars on his bedroll—being stuck inside was giving him a powerful case of the jimjams.
He shifted his hips, seeking fresh mattress lumps to squash with his worthless body, and connected with something soft, a surprisingly warm object he initially mistook for his down pillow. Then he remembered the woman, Long Belly's perfect gift. He glanced her way, pleased to see that her expression was free of the hatred he'd seen yesterday.
Daniel shifted a little, testing the depth of Josie's slumber. She didn't move so much as an eyelash. Thanks, no doubt, to the arduous and sudden trek she'd been forced to make, she was dead to the world. Rolling slightly onto his right side for a better view
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