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Chapter 38

Demons and Settlers

The way West wasn't as easy as just going West. They went North for two days, with the mountain ridge on their right, their peaks covered in snow. They followed the Old Spanish Trail for a day, and then headed North once more. Until the desert was behind them, and the endless grasslands of the frozen prairie covered the ground they walked on. The gang no longer talked to eachother that much. Everyone was saving their energy for the journey. Eleanor had been given the old horse she had taken from the stables of Standing Faith herself. Benjamin was slow, his saddle didn't fit him properly and he held his head low to the ground as if he was permanently exhausted from life itself. In all that, he wasn't much different from Paluxy. But she had been small enough people would call her a pony. Benjamin had once been quite the majestic beast. Tall on his legs. The other horse, taken from one of the mercenaries, now named Socks, was used as a pack horse and carried the items needed to set up camp. Items nobody wanted on their own horse for their weight would slow them down.

She rode in the back with Frank and Kyle. No matter what happened, they were always kind to her. And the small interactions she shared with them were mostly about animals they encountered. Butch rode up front, sometimes with Ray right next to him. But usually, the leader was a few feet ahead, and expected everyone to follow in his trail. He knew where to go. He knew this land like the inside of his coat pocket. Barret, riding behind him closely, possessed a map he sometimes pulled out to get a glimpse inside Butch's head, and the way they were going. Folded out over the knob of his saddle, he'd study it with a pair of Gold rimmed spectacles balancing on his nose, looking more like a doctor than ever before. A title he refused to take no matter how many wounds he mended and illnesses he cured.

No more traces of the law on their trail was encountered. They went too far North for the Rangers to follow them. And the agents, though greedy for their bounties, were wise enough not to track them into more inhabited lands, where witnesses to their deeds could report to the local law enforcers that bounties were taken with brutal force and disregard to the missing woman.

They covered ground on a daily base like Butch felt Elton's hot breath in his neck still. And winter was closing in fast. Most settlers left in the beginning of spring, to hopefully arrive at their destination in the early days of autumn. But the gang travelled the road during a season not recommended by most who had done it, or knew it by studying maps. The horses grew tired fast from breathing in frozen air all day long, but little attention to their discomfort was given at the end of each day. On the fourth day of their silent journey, Butch commanded the group to stand still, and he turned his horse to face his gang.

"Oregon trail starts here." He said. There was no sign to support his words, but no one seemed to doubt his ability to decide their location, and no one said a word in response either. Before them, no change in the environment was visible. Just a flat open space of ice crystal covered grasses and weeds. The tall mountains now a small ridge in the distance. Eleanor's expression must have betrayed her uncertainty, for now the leader of the gang was staring directly at her. "Ye don't believe me?" he growled, raising his eyebrows. "Look down."

She dropped her gaze past the tip of her boot in the stirrup, to the ground below, and found her horse was standing on an old but visible track of wagon wheels. She followed the two dug in lines in the dirt until they disappeared on the horizon. She blinked against the light, and looked at Butch, but he no longer granted her his attention and continued addressing his gang.

"From here we go west. Any wagon train we find we rob. If we don't do it, the injuns will." He turned his horse back around. "Keep yer eyes up fer them redskins. If ye feel a sudden pain in yer chest, don't worry. Ye been struck with a Lakota arrow and yer worries are over." She felt herself swallow thickly at his words, and shared a few worried glances with Frank, who equalled her in bravery in these sort of situations.

By the fall of night they were still walking, and she felt herself doze off every now and then by the gentle swaying of her horse. The sounds of the prairie after the sun had gone were all too familiar to her, and they lulled her to sleep despite her resistance. Crickets, birds that stayed up past their bedtime to make the outmost of every second of light they had left, coyotes in the far distance, announcing their hunt. Prairie dogs, bringing their pups up from their dens now that birds of prey had returned to their nests. And the soft sound of deer hooves, not afraid of the horse riders passing by, gently grazing in the safe cover of darkness.

But suddenly a sound joined the others that made no sense. And her eyes flew open, thinking it was her mind playing tricks. She waited, then heard it again. The gang halted when Butch raised his hand. The sound of a little girl, humming a tune and giggling echoed eerily across the plains. Her voice, though innocent, made the horses restless for her to be there was so out of context, even the animals sensed its oddness.

"What in te hell.." Ray growled, pulling out his gun. She could hear him readying it, but his figure was too dark to make out. "Goddamn Devil out er' te make us pay fer our sins." He hissed in a panic. "Ah says that's a Demon and we hightail it back outta these parts."

"Ah, Ray." Butch mumbled softly, not at all alarmed. "Ye see Demons everywhere."

"Ah don't see shit!" Ray barked back, quickly hushed by Barret when the bone chilling giggling of the child returned. The heavy breathing of the gang was the only thing audible for a moment, after the girl's voice had died out again. "Demons!" Ray continued again.

"Settlers." Barret corrected him. "God fearing settlers about to die at the hands of Lakota's, animals or bastards like us." In the dark, Butch chuckled.

"Skinny, fix the lantern."

She heard Kyle next to her rummaging through his saddlebags till he found what he was looking for. He struck a match, and everybody flinched against the bright light. The lantern was lit, and he spurred up his horse to hand it to their leader carefully. Breathless, the rest of the gang remained behind as Butch made his horse slowly walk forward, the lantern stretched out over the animal's ears to alight the ground as far as he could. He halted a few steps ahead of the group.

A little girl, with long blonde hair, in a little white dress peered up at him, squinting against the light of the lantern. In her arms, a kitten with a little red bow around its neck.

"There ye are, little demon."

The kitten mewled, and she clutched it tighter against her chest. "She ran off." The girl explained. "I had to go find her."

Butch turned his horse around, holding up the lantern so he could see the cowering group of criminals behind him. "Ahh, look at yer faces. Alright, ye babies! Git over here. Aint no Demon to be seen. Just a lost child." When the group approached, it was Eleanor who dismounted first, hurrying up to the girl to wrap her in a thick blanket and picking her up to speed up the heating process.

"You alright? Are you hurt, sweetheart?" Eleanor spoke to the girl, who still seemed more occupied with making sure her kitten didn't get away than her own disposition. But she shook her head at the question. "Where are your parents, sweetheart? Are they close?"

"We would've seen a campfire if they were close." Butch answered gruffly when he walked passed her with long strides, barking orders at the rest of the gang.

Eleanor held the girl protectively, brushing the dirtied strands of long hair from her small, round face. "It's alright, we'll find them. We'll find them." She whispered gently. The kitten mewled again. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Rosie." The girl answered. "This is Dixie." She looked down at the kitten and smiled. "Daddy gave her to me before we left. He said a farm needs a cat." Eleanor said nothing, simply saddened by their new discovery until Barret came to her side.

"She's frozen solid." Eleanor said to his impassive face, barely visible in the darkness. "She needs to warm up. We need to set up camp so we can start a fire and get her looked after."

"We're not stopping yet." Barret explained calmly, and reached out to feel the girl's forehead with the back of his hand. "She's not running a fever. If we push on we might find their parents. Stopping here won't do her any good."

She stared at him in disbelief, though she wasn't sure he could see her anger in the absence of light. "She needs to rest!" she protested.

"I don't run this gang." Barret shot back, and walked away. No help came from the stern army doctor, so she decided to heed his advice and address the man making the decisions. She found Butch tending to his mare while discussing plans with Ray, both about to climb back into the saddle to resume their way. The outlaw leader gave her bored look when she came into the light of the lantern hanging from the knob on his saddle.

"Ah suppose it won't do me any good tellin' ye te leave that child behind?" he grumbled, pulling on a strap of his horse's gear to tighten the saddle. The horses were losing weight. She said nothing, just gazed at him pleadingly, which only seemed to make matters worse. "We can't help her." He said, finally turning to face her. "If ah find er' folks.. ah plant a bullet in both of their brains and take everythin' they got. Is that what ye want?" she frowned in shock, pressing the little girl against her tighter and covering her ears so she might not hear what Butch had to say.

"You won't do that." She argued softly.

He clicked his tongue and pulled himself up into the saddle. "Wanna bet?" But he didn't wait for her answer, he clicked his spurs against his horse's flanks and walked past the girl without another word.

"I'll take my chances." She whispered to no one in the dark. Ray, Barret, Jesus and Skinny followed on horseback in close pursuit. But Frank came up to her leading both her and his own horse by their bridles. He stared wide eyed at the sleeping little girl in Eleanor's arms for a moment, before giving her an unsure look.

"Easier findin' thangs in daylight." He finally said, causing her to smile at his silent support. "Just a few more hours till te sun's back." She nodded, and allowed him to help her onto her horse with Rosie clutched tightly against her chest, wrapped snugly in the scratchy horse blanket.

The lantern was put out, to avoid unwanted attention from those travelling the plains as well. And their tiring journey continued into daybreak. The sun rose behind them, slowly illuminating their path. The child and her pet slept uninterrupted for the duration of their trip, and it wasn't till the birds lit up the sky with their winter songs that the horses were once again brought to a standstill. Facing a grass covered hill side, she could hear a dog bark in the distance, just over the hill no doubt.

"Eleanor!"

Butch's raspy voice left no room for negotiation and she trotted up to his side as the other cleared the way to let her through. He gazed at her impassively, though she could see he was as tired as anyone after two days of uninterrupted travel. "Ah bet mah right hand these folks are hers." He nodded at the sleeping child. "Ahm gonna sent Kyle up to count them, and then ahm gonna hold mahself te mah promise." The dog continued barking, and children could be heard playing as she stared back at him with a forlorn expression. "Ye want er' te have front row tickets te that show ye can sit her down on top of that hillside." He added cruelly. Her face had turned to anger, and he grinned. "Yer gonna hit me again, are ye?"

"I don't believe you." She mumbled tiredly, shaking her head. "I can't.. If I believe you now, what's the point in following you around anymore? You will protect me, but destroy this child's life?" she shook her head again. "It doesn't add up. It makes no sense."

He stared at her, tilting his head at the girl trying to understand the motives of half a man, and as she got more and more upset, he averted his eyes back to the hillside, rubbing his chin and flexing his stiff jaw. It never mended properly after getting that bottle smashed into his face.

"I know you're tired." Eleanor continued gently. "And I know you're getting sick again. You're still recovering from your wound and I know all this travelling isn't doing it any good." Beneath him, Annabel turned restless, sensing her master's uneasiness. "I would have it differently too, if I could. But you're suffering for me, so how do you expect me to believe you will slaughter this child's entire family while you're capable of saving lives as well? Explain me that before you go over there emptying your gun." She watched him lean over the knob of his saddle, trying to stretch his back, and peer up at the blue sky. "You once told me you find me to be nicer to you when you're sick. But that's only because you're nicer to the world when you are. I don't know anything about the illness that you have, or what I can do about it. Sometimes it's like there's two of you."

"Alright, enough." Butch snapped at her, giving her a warning look. "Ye got five minutes." She stared at him in confusion, and he nodded toward the hillside. "Get rid of that child before ah change mah mind." She didn't know how fast she had to spur up her horse until his voice stopped her. "Eleanor." She turned to face him. "Be careful. Ye don't look like no prairie dove no more." she looked down at herself. Her trousers, shirt, and long coat taken from the trapper's cabin. A gun belt around her waist, and her face covered in cuts and smudges of dirt. She resumed her way in a slow trot, hearing the voices of the rest of the gang asking Butch what was going on. But he said nothing, and simply watched her go.

Three covered wagons came into view over the hillside. A line was spun between two of them, and freshly washed laundry swung in the cold wind. They had been here for a while. And judging by the broken wheel of one of the wagons, they would be here for a while to come as well. Eleanor gathered her courage together, and let her horse walk up the wagons in a slow pace. The dog was the first to notice her. But it was tied up, and all it could do was run to the end of its rope and bark, alarming the families. None of the men seemed to be present, two women were gathered around the fire making breakfast. They got up and huddled together when they saw her approach, and before she knew it, a boy that couldn't be a day over twelve jumped in front of her, and held her at the end of a double barrelled shotgun.

"Ye stop right there or I'll blow yer head clean off!" he yelled.

Her horse whinnied restlessly, taking a step back. Eleanor stared down at the boy. "You'd hit my horse instead." She explained calmly, causing him to lower his gun.

"Yer a girl." He stated in disbelief. She nodded, and watched the boy turn to the women. "It's a girl, momma!"

The child in Eleanor's arms started stirring at the sound of the loud voices that she obviously recognized. "Mommy?" she rubbed the sleep from her eyes while she tried to peer up out of the thick blanket she was still rolled up in, seated in front of the young woman dressed in men's clothes.

"Rosie!" The boy cried out excitedly and turned to face the women. "Momma, they got Rosie!" While one of the women rushed up to them, Eleanor gently started preparing the child to lower her into the now awaiting arms of the woman, frantically crying in relief. She watched the reunion from atop her saddle, feeling like she had just walked into a stage play in which she had no part.

"Rosie! Rosie!" the woman repeated, tears running down her cheeks. "Thank you!" she looked up at the woman on top of the horse. "thank you! Please.. please come and.. atleast get some coffee. For your troubles."

Eleanor started shaking her head. "No.. No it's quite alright. I have to go." But the woman refused and reached out to place her hand on Eleanor's leg.

"Please." She begged. "Please. I'm not.. I'm not her mother. I'm her aunt. Her father is out looking for her with my husband, she.." she had to swallow to calm herself for a second, while the child wrapped her arms around her neck. "How can we ever repay you? We're.. we're in quite the pickle but.. this is God's blessing. I have to believe he send you to find our Rosie. I have to.. you understand?"

Eleanor gazed at the woman. Her dress torn. Her hair in a long, messy braid. Her face covered in dirt. The wagons broken and stuck in the frozen ground in the middle of this Godforsaken land. She seemed completely deranged. The trails of her tears making white streaks on her dust covered, gaunt face. Her eyes red and puffy from worry and exhaustion. So Eleanor decided to nod in understanding, abandoning Butch's words and silently hoping he had found something else to occupy himself with. She dismounted stiffly, rubbing her hands against her thighs and fixing her hair in an attempt to look decent in the company of the first honest, God fearing folks she had seen in weeks.

"Thank you." The woman whispered, wrapping one arm around Eleanor's shoulders like she had just found her long lost best friend, smiling from ear to ear. "I'm Betty. Betty Clark.. Levi by marriage. This is Jacob." She gestured to the boy with the shotgun. "My oldest. He's been a big help on this trip." She nodded to emphasize her own words while guiding Eleanor into the camp. "This is Hannah."

The other woman, younger in years but less naïve in her eyes, stood tall and seemed almost arrogant. She looked Eleanor up and down, raising a disapproving eyebrow at the young woman's attire.

"She and her husband Isaac joined our wagon train and were nice enough to stay behind when our wagon broke down." Betty continued. A silence fell.

"I'm Eleanor." It felt strange introducing herself. Like she did it for the first time. "Eleanor Christina Hartley."

"Hartley?" Hannah finally said, looking from Betty to Eleanor and back again. "The wanted girl? You went missing weeks ago. Remember that pamphlet, Betty? Of that girl that got herself abducted by a gang of outlaws?" she narrowed her eyes. "There's 800 dollars on your head, young lady. Something about.. killing a railroad agent? Or was it two?" she tilted her head in mock question.

"Hannah!" Betty exclaimed in shock. "Who cares who she is?! She brought back Rosie! Here, see?" she handed her the tired child, and Hannah took it with obvious displeasure. "She could be the Devil himself, for all I care. She brought us Rosie." She turned back to Eleanor with the same deranged smile on her face, taking both the young woman's hands fondly. "Were there Angels in your vision?"

"Oh for the Lord's sake." Hannah whined, and strut off holding the child. "Don't mind ol' Betty, miss Hartley. She's been in the sun without her bonnet for too long and it shows!"

Eleanor tried to chuckle at the small joke, but Betty seemed less than pleased by the insult and turned to her son to tell him to start up with some coffee. She looked around awkwardly, her eyes straying toward the hillside and praying Butch didn't get impatient. A cup of fresh coffee was pushed into her hand not much later, and Betty had obviously forgotten about the insult for she was smiling again. She had given her son orders to water Eleanor's horse, and it was being fed hay as she sipped on her coffee in pressing silence. Three other children, two girls and one boy, all not much older than little Rosie, crawled out of the back of one of the wagons, still in their pyjamas and joined the adults around the campfire. They gazed at the mysterious woman in curiosity, but somehow didn't ask question.

"These are my two girls." Betty started happily like they were at a tea party and Eleanor was new in the neighbourhood. "This is Maggie. And this is Alice." She placed her hands on each of the little girls' shoulders for a moment. "Girls, this is miss Hartley. She found Rosie for us last night." She winked at Eleanor and let out a small giggle. The girls coughed up their shy hello's at the same time, and the scene was getting more grotesque by the second.

"And this is my other nephew. Rosie's brother Luke." Betty continued, placing her hands on the little boy's shoulders. "Miss Hartley found your sister, Luke. Ain't that something?"

"I don't like my sister." Luke said dryly. "She wets the bed."

Betty burst out in nervous giggling. "Oh dear. You silly boy. Don't mind him, miss Hartley. Their mother Rachel don't pay much time to teach her children proper manners." She leaned in close. "She's unwell, you see. In blessed circumstance as they say but I don't think she's got God's blessing right now. If you know what I mean." She whispered. "It's her second husband. My husband's brother." She whispered even softer. "That's why she's moving west. No one knows her there. No one knows of her.. divorce."

"Unless you'd tell them." Eleanor said, gazing sadly at the children huddled together for warmth.

"Right." Betty nodded in understanding and sat down on of the logs used for seating. "Well, God knows. He's the only witness she ever needs." Eleanor said nothing. "I'm so happy you're here." Betty continued, smiling again as she reached out to pat Eleanor's hand. "I can't wait for you to meet my Nathaniel. Honest and straight to boot he is. He's going to love you so much."

Eleanor bit her lip in uneasiness, gazing down into her coffee. Only one thing could make this situation worse. And that was a couple of armed men showing up asking her questions and recognizing her face.

R&R