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He shot her a quick smile, "Now, you hold the gun, while I wrap this rope around him and pin him to that tree." Matt instructed her.
She took the gun and pointed it toward Jake. The gun was heavy, so she held it with both hands. Jake leaned toward her.
"That's your first mistake." Jake laughed.
"What?" Matt asked.
"Not killing me." He laughed.
Matt stared at Jake as he finished tying him to the tree. "I don't want to kill you Jake. It's all the killings that's making me do this. I just didn't want you raping the girl. Nor killing that man back there at the store. It wasn't necessary, and you know it."
"She's not a girl, she's a squaw kid, and you need a lesson in people. Indians aren't people. The man in the store drew first, I had to kill him. He wanted the squaw. She must be pretty good for him to risk his life for."
"So, what are they. They walk on two feet, they talk English even. Thy breathe the air, they eat to stay alive. I think they are people. And I'll treat them as such. And maybe the man had a right to save her."
Snow Bird flashed him a strange glance.
Jake made a face. "You still don't understand do you kid. They ain't people like us. Taking her ain't like takin' a white woman. She's a stinkin' injun. I dare say she's probably been taken three or four times already. What difference would it make?"
"That's the difference between you and me, Jake. It would matter to me, and I don't have time to explain it to you. I gotta feeling you'd never understand it. Let's move," Matt encouraged her.
"You know Toby's gonna come after you, for this, don't ya?" Jake hollered.
Matt turned to face Jake. "For what? I'm not taking the money. You can have the damned money, I'm through with this kind of life. After you killed that clerk in the General Store, I'm through. Murder is not something I want to hang for. This isn't the life I want. I'm just sorry it took me this long to figure it out."
"I told Toby you had too much religion. He didn't believe it. Well, he would now. You keep harpin' that I kilt a man, well hell kid, he was going for his gun. I had to kill him. And this squaw, she's nothing. You don't think Toby stole her for the hell of it, do you?" Jake snickered. "We could both have a go of her before he gets back. I wouldn't tell him about it."
Matt's forehead wrinkled with disgust. "No thanks. I'm done Jake. It just isn't working for me."
"It's a damned waste," Jake hollered trying to watch them.
"She doesn't belong to you Jake, or me!" Matt informed him. "She doesn't belong to none of us. I want no part of you. You killed that clerk, at the General Store. Now you're trying to molest this woman, right in front of me. I want no part of it, you hear me. You can have my share of the money too."
"Well, you walk out like this, we'll naturally take your share, but Toby will come after you." Jake assured him. "He'll have to, you know us, you might decide to get really righteous on us and tell the law. We both know why you joined up with us. Looks like some of that religion took, now don't it."
"Maybe it did, a little late, but better than never, I guess. Look Jake, you were once a pretty good man not so long ago. I can't begin to understand why you changed so much. And if Toby comes after me, he's a fool." Matt declared. "Just go your own way Jake, and I'll go mine."
"You just gonna leave me like this?" Jake hollered.
"'Fraid so, Jake. See ya. Toby will be back late tonight or in the morning. The worst that could happen is the wolves get you."
"Dammit boy, your dead meat. Leaving me like this."
"If you wouldn't follow, I might have left you alone."
"I won't follow until Toby gets back." Jake promised.
"I wish I could be sure of that. After what you just pulled, just be glad I didn't blow your head off." Matt told him.
"Thought you didn't like killins'." Jake bellowed.
"Usually I don't. Only if there's a real need. And you following would be a real need." Matt muttered unclenching his fists. "Good luck to you Jake, and if I was you, I wouldn't be killing anymore. They hang you for that, you know."
"Kid, you're making a big mistake…." He hollered at them. His eyes blazed once more, his voice strained.
"Then it's my mistake. Tell Toby I'm sorry, just don't have the guts to be an outlaw, Jake. And for what it's worth, I hope you don't kill any more."
The squaw got his horse, and Matt took the reins in his hands. When they took her from the store, she'd rode double with Toby. Toby pulled another horse behind him with the money, and supplies they needed for camping in the mountains. But thinking on it, Matt loosened the reins on their horses and let them scatter. "You'll come along with me now." He told Snow Bird.
