Dancing with the Devil

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Ladies?" Old Man Thompson called as he rushed from the woods and toward them at a fast pace. 

Audrey took one glace at his harried appearance and worry in his eyes and tensed. "What's going on?" she asked. 

"We uh..." Old Man Thompson glimpsed over his shoulder and that's when Audrey heard the hoof beats pounding toward them. "Y'all need to get in that house and stay there," Old Man Thompson encouraged. "We've got company a'comin'!" 

***

Ance gnawed on his jerked beef as he fought to stay awake in the saddle. He'd been riding hard since leaving Old Man Thompson's the night before and it was growing later in the evening with every minute. He'd have to stop soon before his mare collapsed beneath him. 

Ance wished he didn't need rest. He wanted all of this settled and done as quickly as it could be. But he wouldn't be any good in a fight if he didn't rest a bit along the way and the journey would take a hell of a lot longer if he pushed his mare until she died. 

With a sigh, Ance led his mare down into a sheltered draw. He slid from her back, removed her saddle and let her quench her thirst in the runoff stream. Ance did the same before wetting his bandana and cooling off the back of his neck. 

He and his mare would rest for a few hours before continuing on their way. If Ance continued at this pace he could be out of Indian Territory and hunting Barnaby by tomorrow night. 

Riding with Audrey and Penelope had taken much longer because he hadn't pushed them too hard. He'd stopped at least twice a day and every night. The trail sure was quiet without them... Ance had always been a man who loved the silence but he guess he didn't mind the noise so bad when it was those two ladies causing the racket. 

Ance grabbed a hardtack biscuit and went to the top of the hill to scan his surroundings. Five figures on horseback were illuminated by the glowing sun in the distance and he paused. It would seem the Indians were keeping an eye on him. 

Ance raised a hand in greeting and to let them know he knew they were there and meant them no harm. One of the figures raised a hand back and they all turned in unison and rode out of sight. Ance wasn't too concerned for his safety. Indians weren't the savages that the government seemed to want folks to believe...at least not all of them. Hell, Ance trusted them more than he did most other folks.

He would certainly not let his guard down completely during his rest but he didn't foresee any problems. It had only been a scouting party was his guess, and they'd been curious about his presence. He was a lone man out here riding through and of no threat to them. 

Darkness had settled around Ance's resting place when he realized that perhaps he hadn't been as correct about the Indian's lack of interest as he'd thought. Suddenly two of them were appearing at his side which meant at least three were hiding somewhere in the dark. 

"Good evening, y'all." Ance waved his arm toward the small campfire. "Have a seat and rest a while." 

Without a word both men crouched down across from him. Ance studied them out of the corner of his eye as he poked at the fire with a stick. They were young braves, probably early twenties, and they were calm and didn't seem to be looking for a fight. 

"Are you hungry?" Ance asked. "I don't have much but you can have some hardtack and jerked beef if it suits you." Ance knew that when dealing with the Indians it was best to be as polite and welcoming as you could. They were used to being treated poorly and respect meant everything to them. 

"No," one replied quickly in accented English. "I am Running Deer and you are in our territory." 

Ance nodded. "I know. I'm only passing through. I don't mean anyone any harm." 

"We get many that say they only pass through. And they kill our braves and force our women." 

Ance shook his head. "I have no interest in killing anyone unless they attempt to kill me first and I got enough problems caused by women without adding yours to them." 

The braves leaned in close to one another and whispered quietly in their language. Finally they turned back to Ance and the only brave who seemed to speak nodded. "You have been in our territory before. Your face is one we know." 

"I come through from time to time," Ance admitted. "I like the peace and quiet I find here." 

"But it is not peace and quiet that brings you this time," the brave noted pointedly. "You are in a rush. Why?" 

Ance pulled a cigar from his shirt pocket and dug in his pants pocket for his matches. "No disrespect meant, gentleman, but my business is exactly that. I like my privacy."

"When in our territory you have no privacy. There are too many men riding through. We want to know why." 

"I have no idea," Ance shrugged. "I'm by myself."

The brave raised a thick black brow. "You have no idea why a big group of men on horses is going in the direction you came from?" 

Ance  felt his stomach drop into his feet. A big group? It couldn't be....Surely if Barnaby was riding toward Old Man Thompson's, if the man had been trailing them, Ance would have known..... 

"You wouldn't happen to know any of those men on horses, would you?" 

"They are after your woman and child, are they not? The ones you left with Old Man Thompson?"

Ance pushed himself to his feet, panic in it's rawest and purest form gnawing at his gut, though he worked hard to maintain a stoic expression. "You say those men were heading the way I just came from?" 

"Yes. They appeared to be in a hurry. Barnaby Wallace does much business with our people here in the territory. We recognized him among them. I do not care for this man or his business ways and thought you would appreciate knowing of his presence." 

Ance didn't waste time replying as he grabbed his saddle and tossed it over the mare's back. The Indian's rose as well.  "You have never caused our people problems and that is why we told you of what we saw. We will part ways now and wish you the best of luck with your woman and child." 

Ance merely offered a curt nod before adding his saddlebags to the horse's back and letting out a yell to urge her into the fastest gallop she could manage. If he had left Penelope and Audrey like sitting ducks for that fat bastard... if Barnaby had taken them, or worse, killed them.... Ance dug his heels deeper and prayed he hadn't made such a mistake.