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"The thing is, you're a squaw. Easy take. So, you see, we got a score to settle with Matt, that's all." His brow went up a notch as he eyed her. "And we still intend to have you. And we might as well do that now."
"No settling scores. You must leave now. Or I will shoot." She told him. "Take your money and leave us alone."
Toby turned to Jake and laughed, "Did you hear that, she's gonna shoot me." Toby started to sling his arm toward her, but a shot rang out instead, and he slowly fell to the ground like a weighted fish. Blood oozed from his chest wound.
Jake hollered, "What the hell…...?"
The bullet hit Toby in the chest at close range. Blood splattered all over her. And one look in his unseeing eyes and she knew he was dead. Blood flowed against the white of snow now, as the ground was nearly covered with it.
"You killed him!" Jake shouted, his anger rearing at her like a prancing cat about to take his prey.
"Yes, I did. I warned him. He didn't listen." She told Jake now as she aimed the gun at him. "I have two bullets, one killed him, the other will take you down if you do not listen."
"You're asking for trouble, squaw. Now, I don't want to hurt you, but you killed my partner, and I can't have that, you see? Although, it would mean more money for me, I suppose." He started to move in on her, but she cocked the gun, wiped the blood from her face and stared at him, determined not to let him have any advantage.
"You come any closer and I'll kill you too," She promised.
"I can't believe you killed him dead!" Jake stared at Toby's body, as his eyes stared aimlessly now. Jake started to move toward her. She backed up and pointed the gun at his middle.
"If you want to live, you will sit down and wait until the others get back to camp." She told him, holding the gun so tight it looked like she might break it into.
Jake stared. "I can't believe you did that! You're are just a little woman, a squaw, and you killed him." Then thinking on what she said he twisted his head, "What others?"
"There are five trappers with us. They are on a hunt. And, you should believe it. You will not have me, and you will not hurt Matt. Now sit down, make yourself comfortable. All will be well if you do not move."
She glanced at the stew cooking on the fire and she sat down in front of Jake and held the gun tight in her hands. It was hard to sit so her dress didn't ride up her hip, but she held her legs together, so he could not see her. It seemed forever before Matt and the others returned.
They approached the camp with caution as it was just too quiet.
All eyes went to the dead man in the snow. Ferg looked from the body to Snow Bird who was still holding the gun on Jake. Her face was pale, she didn't even look at them, she stared at Jake as though something terrible might happen if she turned loose of the gun or looked away.
Matt went over to her and tried to take the gun from her hands, but she was holding it so tight he had to pry it out of her hands, one finger at a time. "It's okay, I'm here now. You can let go of it. We'll take care of Jake."
She swallowed hard, tears cluttered her vision, but she didn't let them fall. At least not at first.
Ferg drew his rifle and held it on Jake as Matt got the gun and took her into his arms.
"Toby wouldn't listen. I had to kill him." She muttered miserably. "I did not want to kill, but he wouldn't leave me alone. He said he would kill you and have me. I could not let him do that."
She practically fell into Matt's arms, she was so shaken. "It's alright now, honey."
"Who are these critters," Ferg asked as the others picked Toby up and moved him away from the camp.
"Well, Ferg," Matt came toward him, his face a mixture of emotions. He propped himself on a rock. "I'd hoped I wouldn't have to tell anyone, but you got to know the truth of it. I fell into some bad company on the way up the mountain. Thought it was in my past, but the past has a way of catching up to folks." Matt held Snow Bird as he spoke. "They robbed the General Store down in the valley and killed a man, they took Snow Bird hostage and Jake there, tried to rape her. That's when I parted their company. I took Snow Bird with me."
Jake studied Ferg, "Who the hell are you?" He asked, staring at Ferg and the others
"Ferguson, a trapper, and these here are my friends, including Matthew and Snow Bird. We don't much care for the way you snuck into our camp and tried to take over. Glad Snow Bird had the sense to use that gun."
"She had no call to kill him."
"Oh, I think she did, since you are the one that tried to rape her." Matt defended.
Two of the boys hauled Toby off, and made a quick, makeshift grave for him. They dug a shallow grave and covered it with rocks. Coon said a few short words over him and they made a stick cross and tied it with rope and placed it at the head of the grave. Coon's words echoed in Matt's head. "He ain't worth much Lord but bless him anyway."
"What do you think we should do with him?" Matt asked Ferg.
"Tie him to that tree over yonder, and listen mister, you cause any more trouble in our camp and you'll be joining your partner there. Understood?"
