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Joshua looked at his sister with something akin to regret.
"He's right. We gotta get outta here," Josh cried out to her.
The young soldier looked at him. "And me, what about me?"
"You will have to come with us, my friend.(,)" Chase rasped. "There is little choice— it is that, or be killed."
"The troops will be looking for me tomorrow when I don't show up," he reminded them.
"Maybe, or maybe they'll assume we didn't make it," Chase replied, collecting their guns and rolling them up in a blanket.
"If they find us, I'll be marked as a deserter…."
"Desertion is still better than death…" Chase said and stared into the young soldiers eyes. "But it's your choice."
The soldier nodded as the color drained from his face. Reluctantly he made his choice.
"Prepare yourself for a long journey," Chase demanded of them all.
"Where will we go?" Katherine asked her voice unsteady.
"Far away from here," he sighed, "so prepare and rest until I tell you we must go."
Katherine looked at Josh, then around her. She knew she could no longer stay here and it saddened her to leave her folks.
But she had to think about Josh now.
Chapter Twelve
The night was much louder than Katherine had ever imagined. Crickets and grasshoppers warred for territorial rights of the barren land, as eager buzzards circled above, waiting. The only beauty was the velvet blanket of stars on the horizon, in a nearly moonless sky.
An owl hooted from somewhere distant and the lonely howl of a wolf awakened Katherine to the new fears.
Prairie dog holes covered the dusty earth beneath them.
Chase had fashioned a neatly tied knapsack on each of them so they could equally carry the supplies they would need.
Katherine had donned her mothers boots she used to garden in. They would come in handy for they rode high on her legs to help protect her from the scratches of brush. Her long skirt still splattered with blood swept against the parched land. She brought leather gloves for her hands, in case they became raw or blistered.
Hours passed, as the land swallowed them up, and only the stars and bright moon lit their pathway. The air barely stirred. Tumbleweeds brushed against each other, as they walked for what seemed like forever. The earth was still hot from the burning day, Katherine’s feet ached, but she would not complain. She was alive after all.
Long before daybreak Josh slumped to the ground, unable to go on. Chase didn’t hesitate to lift him up to his shoulder and carried him like a sack of potatoes, adjusting his backpack so he could carry both. Katherine marveled at his strength and endurance.
She worried about her brother, noting the extreme loss of blood, and the paleness of his face and eyes. She couldn't bare thinking about anything happening to him. It would be unthinkable to lose him, so she pressed onward, not dwelling on the possibilities.
The soldier lagged behind her, looking backwards most of the time. No one followed. At least no Indians or soldiers followed. But Katherine had a feeling someone was following, someone she hadn't told Chase about.
Prairie dog holes made it difficult to travel without stumbling. Chase glanced over his shoulder at her several times when she grunted from their traps.
"Follow my steps. Stay up the best you can. There are snakes, and prairie dog holes everywhere."
"Snakes?" she shrieked, gasping for breath.
"Follow in my steps, and you will be safe." He watched her with amusement. "You killed one at the station…you told the Captain you did, and now you are afraid of them?"
"I did, but I…" she couldn't find the words to explain.
"You were not yourself, perhaps?"
