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Many thoughts ran through his mind in a matter of seconds.
He knew that she had not wanted an escort to Mattoon.
But he had thought that she had accepted the fact that she would be better off in the company of a man who could offer protection.
Had he been wrong?
Did she, in truth, resent his presence so much that she would shoot him to rid herself of him?
He had even thought there was a bond, even a mutual attraction that had formed between them.
How could he have been so wrong about so many things? he despaired.
Dancing Cloud started to make a deep dive to get away from the bullets she might fire at him.
But he was not quick enough.
He heard the report of the gun.
As though in a daze, thinking that he would feel the sting of the bullet at any moment now, Dancing Cloud continued to gaze up at Lauralee.
As far as he knew, she would be the last thing that he would see before dying....
Then his gaze shifted just as the bullet made a splash in the water on his right side. His insides grew cold when he now realized what she had been truly shooting at.
A water moccasin!
And she had missed!
The snake was still making its way toward him.
“Dancing Cloud!” Lauralee cried, her heart skipping a beat when she realized that her aim had not been accurate enough.
And how could she have thought that it would be?
She was not at all familiar with firearms. The people in charge of the orphanage certainly did not take the time to teach their children such things.
Dancing Cloud was filled with many emotions. Relief that Lauralee had tried to save his life, and fear that he might not be quicker than the snake this time. Often he had grabbed a snake around its head before it had struck with its fangs.
But this time he was in water.
He had nothing on which to anchor himself.
Where he was treading water the river was deeper than his height.
The only way to possibly save himself was to take a deep dive, them come up behind the creature.
Without further thought he dove deeply into the water and swam a short distance.
Just as he surfaced the snake turned and faced him.
Dancing Cloud made another deep dive and this time came up behind the water moccasin. With the speed that might be compared to a lightning strike he grabbed the snake around the scaly flesh of its neck and held onto it as it struggled to get free. He did not want to kill the creature. He just wanted it out of his way, and Lauralee’s.
With the snake still struggling within the powerful grip of Dancing Cloud’s hand, he swam with one arm to the opposite shore from where Lauralee awaited him.
When he reached the shore and was able to place his feet on the pebbled bottom of the river, he took a mighty swing with his arm and tossed the snake as far as he could onto the land.
Knowing that the snake might be dazed only for a mom
