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The big one, the one who came to the station, dismounted and stepped closer. His arrogance walked with him. He held his reins in his hands, his other hand on his hip, close to his gun. His gun was ready but the look on his face was perplexed. "You there in camp."
Chase didn't move and motioned for the others to stay hidden. "What do you want Captain?"
"Come out of there, now. You are all under arrest." Authority echoed from the Captain's voice.
"All…?"
"All."
"But Captain we have a woman, a wounded boy and a soldier, surely you can't mean all of us. Isn't it me, you want?" Chase insisted meeting the Captain half way. "And if I come peaceable like, wi
ll you spare the others."
The Captain pulled his hat down over his eyes. "I want the woman and the boy for questioning. The soldier you speak of is either a turncoat or a prisoner of yours. And then there is you…the real renegade. But I'm taking you all in….understood?" The Captain stood his ground proudly, as though he knew he had some upper hand.
"We cannot allow that Captain," Chase answered with a slight smile.
"You are outnumbered. There is no way you could challenge us…" The Captains' smile had a bite.
Chase saw in the distance behind the troop the movement that assured him of a quick escape. The Comanche had followed too. And before they dealt with them, the Comanche would swoop down on them like a pack of flies.
"Captain, you better look behind you." Chase warned.
"Behind….me" he turned and as he did, an arrow whizzed by his ear. He aimed and shot a Comanche from his horse. Surrounded by Comanche a battle of bow and arrows and guns consumed the small canyon. Smoke and dust united to form a cloud so it was hard to see the victors of the battle. But the element of surprise was on the Indians side. The sun bore down from the east and made it hard to see the enemy.
Swords were drawn, and clanged loudly in the midst. The cracking of bone, the whir of the bows, the guns going off at random marred the still air. Gunpowder perfumed the air, as dust and blood met.
Blood splattered upon the rocks as the troops sought shelter. Soldiers fell, scalped in seconds. The Indians gave a whoop for each scalp. Horses reared and neighed loudly as pure fear stoked them.
It was not time to watch the bloody scene unfold. It was time to escape and putting Josh on his shoulder, Chase motioned for Katherine and Lee to follow him.
"There is an old adobe shack not far, come we will find shelter for the night."
"But…" Katherine's eyes widened in terror. "Shouldn't we stay and help them?"
Chase bowed his head, took a deep breath then stared at her long and hard, "We cannot help them. This is not our battle."
***
His voice was so final, so flat, so lacking emotion. Katherine stared nonplused at him.
The sound of the clatter and guns made Katherine shiver. She tried to put her hands over her ears. She couldn't bear to listen. There were screams and moans and whoops and hollering. There were yelps of pain and sighs of death and what was once brown with patches of green turned red.
The four of them moved swiftly away from the battle scene, trying to ignore the smell of sweat and blood mixing, and the death they were leaving behind. Katherine lagged, and Chase urged her forward. Yet none of the four could ignore it. With grim foreboding, they moved away swiftly.
As they approached the old adobe shack, they quickly scrambled inside and barred the door. Abandoned long ago, the room reeked of dust and dirt, filled with cobwebs. The windows were small and well shuttered. Obviously the owner waged many battles from the huge holes in the walls.
But for now it was refuge.
Sounds of the battle echoed in their heads. The battle raged for at least thirty minutes then a loud silence prevailed. Were they all dead?
"D-do you think any survived?" Katherine asked as they all fell to the floor to rest.
"Maybe. It is possible a few might," Chase said checking his gun. He wasn't looking at her face gone pale. He was making ready for any skirmish they might meet.
"Will they follow us?" she looked wide-eyed at him.
"I doubt they'll have the strength to worry about us. The Indians will move on, if there are soldiers, I do not know."
