Chapter 12: Thunder

                "You've given me a problem, you know," Logan grumped as they started on their way home.

                Jubilee looked at him wide-eyed. "What did I do?"

                "I ain't sure Storm's gonna like havin' another stallion around. He tolerates Dark Star here 'cause Star's a gelding, an' not a threat ta him an' the herd. Yer horse, on the other hand…" he raised an eyebrow as Thunder twitched an ear at him. "Thunder an' Storm's two of a kind. Cut outta the same cloth. Ain't neither one's gonna tolerate each other."

                Jubilee blinked. "Why not build a separate pasture for Thunder like you made one for Storm?"

                Logan almost groaned at the thought of cutting and carrying the rails for a whole new fenced pasture. "Kid, ya got any idea how much work that is?" he said, exasperated.

                "I'll help," she said in a small voice. Logan smiled and ruffled her hair.

                "Nah, ya don't gotta. I'm just grousin', is all." He shook his head at the thought of her struggling to drag a rail into place. "I'm jus' thinkin' o' all the work I'm gonna have ta do. I ain't real upset. An' it's worth it, thinkin' o that little Indian puppy's face when ya went up an' tol' him ya was gonna take Thunder."

                Jubilee wrinkled her nose. "What did he say? Was he mad? Should I have taken that mare you wanted me to take?"

                "Yeah, ya shoulda, but it's kinda late now. No, Soarin' Eagle was happy ta get this outlaw off his hands but he wasn't real happy that ya could ride Thunder when he couldn't. He says to me, 'Your daughter has much spirit. She and the horse belong together or he would never have let her ride him. They both will be happier with another brave, one who can tame the wildness in both.' Ya know what that means? Means he thinks yer too much woman fer him ta handle, and he ain't gonna come callin' here fer yer hand." Logan leaned back in the saddle. "That was worth everything I'm gonna have ta go through in order ta get this horse o' yers settled in."

                He stopped at the edge of a hilly meadow and dismounted. "We're gonna take a rest here," he said. "I'm gonna go get us some dinner. Can ya set up camp an' get a fire started?" She nodded, sliding off Thunder.

                He was up on another hill trailing a deer when he heard the sound of bits and spurs jingling. When he turned the corner around a tree, he saw three of the army's blue-coated soldiers riding bay horses down a deer trail.

                He tipped his hat to them, feeling uneasy, and was about to go on when the soldier in front said, "Stop a minute, friend. Where are you headed?"

                "Findin' my dinner," Logan said easily, though his muscles tensed under his shirt. What were soldiers doing out here?

                "Might you perhaps be the rancher John Logan? We stopped at his place back there, but it was empty." Logan was about to respond in the affirmative when he saw something in the man's saddlebag. It was the battered iron slave collar Jubilee had worn when he bought her.

                "If yer askin' the question means ya need the answer. What ya lookin' fer John for?" Logan narrowed his eyes.

                "We had reports he might be sheltering a fugitive slave over at his place. We looked in his cabin and found this." The man held up the slave collar. "We're from out of Fort Jackson; the man from Jackson who brought the news said he got it from someone over in Jonesboro whose slave had taken off. We don't know who it is or what he looks like. We're heading over to Jonesboro. But we thought we might just check and see if you'd seen any strange darkies around here."

                Logan relaxed. So they were looking for a black man. Good. He could hide Jubilee until he could get her papers. That suddenly became his number one priority. "Nope, ain't seen any 'scaped slaves round here," he said. "That there slave collar is from John's new girl, he's freed her."

                The soldier tipped his hat. "Mighty obliged to you, Mister," he said. "We'll just be on our way." The horses walked off down the deer trail as Logan turned Dark Star aside into a copse of trees. Dismounting, he sneaked back through the underbrush and tracked the three men until they were well past the place he'd chosen for their noon camp.

                Dinner forgotten, he went back to Dark Star and remounted. Taking a different track, he laid a wide trail back through the underbrush and vegetation until he broke out of the forest on Soaring Eagle's side. That ought to fool the soldiers. Then he retraced his steps to the shallow stream and rode Dark Star down the stream, which was fast-flowing enough to cover up his horse's tracks without roiling up the water, and came up out of the stream not two feet from the fire she had built.

                Despite his urgency, he had to stop and watch. Her hair had come undone, and streamed out behind her as Thunder galloped in circles around the glade. A distant part of his mind noted the horse's good qualities as the stallion ran, and was already figuring which mares he'd breed the stud to…but the main part of his mind was absorbed in the wonder and beauty of the girl in front of him. She had shed the horse's saddle, and was riding him bareback; he had a thin loop of rope around his upper jaw and run through his teeth, and she had the ends of the rope in her hands. The horse was responding to her body signals and voice only; he wore no tack, yet she was controlling him precisely. He felt a twinge. She was a wild girl. She belonged out here on a wild horse. She had no business wearing a slave collar and doing menial work.

                He hated to interrupt her, but he had to get her hidden. "Jubilee!" he called when she was close enough to hear him. With a whispered word to the horse, she turned him aside and stopped in front of him, her face lit from within by happiness. "Yes?"

                Logan's face turned grim. "Change of plans. We're headin' fer Running Wolf's camp, okay?"

                She smiled brightly, but there was worry in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

                "Nothin'," he said grimly. "Come on. Break camp."

                They reached Running Wolf's camp by late afternoon, and Running Wolf came to greet him. His eyes widened as he saw the stallion Jubilee was riding, and he hurried up to Logan's saddle. "Is that not Soaring Eagle's outlaw stallion, the one no one has been able to ride?"

                "Yeah," Logan grinned. "He was just waitin' fer the right person. C'mon, Running Wolf. I gotta talk ta you an' Red Doe 'bout something." He turned to Jubilee. "Play out here for a bit, okay?" She nodded, having no other choice. Half the Indian village's children were clustered around her and Thunder, and she couldn't have dismounted in the press even if she'd wanted to.

                Red Doe met them at the tent flap, noted the worried look on Logan's face instantly, and invited him in. Logan stepped in and turned to them. "There's soldiers out lookin' fer an escaped slave. I dunno if they lookin' fer Jubilee, or if they're lookin' fer another slave, but they went to my cabin and found her old slave collar. I wanna hide her here fer a few days while I get ta Jackson an' get the papers that'll make her a free woman. They ain't gonna look for her in an Indian camp. Will yoa do this fer me, old friend?"

                Running Wolf nodded. "Yes. We will be happy to have her as our guest for a couple of days. When will you return?"

                "Gonna get back ta the cabin tonight, start out tomorrow mornin', early. Be back tomorrow afternoon, at the latest. I'll come get her tomorrow evenin'. Can ya put her up fer that long?"

                "Yes. Logan, what should we tell her if she asks why you have gone?"

                "I'll talk ta her. I gotta go. Thanks, Running Wolf." Logan stepped out of the tipi and mounted Dark Star. At his approach the children scattered, and he reined in close to Jubilee. "Yer gonna stay here with Running Wolf and Red Doe tonight, okay? There's somethin' I gotta take care of, I'll be back fer ya tomorrow evenin'."

                She looked at him with those penetrating blue eyes, and saw the tale in his eyes that he didn't want to tell her. "He's looking for me." It was a statement, said in a low whisper that conveyed her terror. Logan reached out suddenly and crushed her to him in a fierce hug.

                "I don't know if he's lookin' fer ya or another slave. But I wanna be safe. I'm ridin' into town ta pick up freedom papers an' I'll bring em' back fer ya. In the meantime, I don't want them ta find ya at the cabin and jump ta conclusions. Stay here, okay? You'll be safe with them. If soldiers come here lookin' fer ya, Running Wolf will hide ya. I'll be back fer ya tomorrow evenin', I promise. Will ya stay here, an' listen ta them, an' be good?"

                She nodded, eyes big, and hugged him tightly, fiercely, back. Then she kissed his cheek gently. He brushed his lips against the top of her head and turned Dark Star around, heading for home. She watched him leave, then dismounted and walked after Running Wolf to the herd of Indian ponies.

                Logan took his time getting back, letting Dark Star choose his own pace and turning the horse around in wide circles, wandering up and down deer paths until he was sure no one would be able to follow his backtrail back to the Indian camp. When he finally came in sight of his cabin he was tired and looking forward to going home.

                Then he saw the light inside his cabin.

                He almost turned and rode away, but he was hungry, Dark Star was thirsty, and the animals needed to be watered and fed. He went in the gate, closed it, and started untacking Dark Star. The horses in the corral whinnied a greeting to him, and Snow barked from the barn where he'd been tied earlier.

                The cabin door opened, and a head poked out. Logan tensed. It was Hunt.

                "So the missin' rancher finally returns," drawled the general store manager. "Hey, stranger. Been a while since we seen your mug around town."

                Logan growled low in his throat as he went on rubbing down Dark Star with a burlap sack. "Didn't wanna go back," he said angrily. "Not after what all happened the last time I was there."

                Hunt sighed. "That was a little much," he said. "That Railmaster's one mean bastard, I'll tell you for nothing. I don't like him, I just figure it wasn't none o' my business. Then some soldiers ride into town about maybe an hour ago, and they said they heard about an escaped slave. That Railmaster, he went out and talked to them, and they showed him the slave collar you got off her. He tells them that's the slave he's looking for, that she escaped. I figured I'd bring you some stuff you might need, 'cause you're going to want to steer clear of town fer a while." He gestured to the sacks of flour, sugar, salt, and coffee sitting by the door. "And this," he dug an envelope out of his pocket and held it out. Logan took it from his hand before the older man could say anything, and looked in it. "These are…" He couldn't say a word for a moment.

                "Papers," Hunt said. "Papers that says she's free."

                Logan narrowed his eyes as he shoved the envelope in his pocket. "Why ya doin' all this, Hunt? What's in it for you?"

                Hunt spread his hands wide. "Who says I want nothin'?"

                "'Cause ya never do nothin' 'less it'll profit ya some way."

                The man grinned. "Yeah, ya caught me. So yeah, there's a favor I want ya ta do me in turn for them papers. I paid for 'em, ya know. A dollar."

                "Ya want the money back?" Logan was about to reach into the jar he kept his money hidden in (well, a portion of it) but Hunt stopped him. "Naw, don't want money."

                "What do ya want then?"

                "Well…" Hunt stopped. "Well, I seen you ain't gone to visit Miss Becky's since you got the girl here. I figure if you're not getting it from Miss Becky's, you're getting it here from her. What I wanted to ask was if you'd let me spend a little time with her here in exchange for them papers. Not a lot, just an hour or so every couple of weeks. I figure she's got to be grateful to you for rescuing her from that Railmaster enough to obey you when you tell her she's got to split her time between you and me--"

                Seconds later Hunt was sitting dazedly on the ground in front of Logan's cabin door, and Logan was standing over him furiously rolling up his sleeves. "What, ya been starin' at Elizabeth Redmond long 'nuff that yer hungerin' fer little girls an' ya figure I'll be happy 'nuff ta have my supplies delivered that I'll order my daughter ta spread her legs fer ya? Yer disgustin'." He went back in, dug three dollars out of his jar, and came back out, throwing them at Hunt. "Here. Fer the groceries and fer the papers. Git on out of here, and don't come back. I never wanna see ya again."

                Hunt grabbed the money, stuffing it into his trouser pockets as he stood up. "Look, I understand if you want to keep her for yourself. But maybe you won't mind if I watch sometime?"

                Logan grabbed the man's collar and gave him a hard shove, sending him through the gate into his property. "Get the hell offa my property," he growled. "I ain't never touched her like that. She's fourteen, for God sakes. She ain't old enough ta be used like that, an' even if she was I wouldn't let her sleep with the likes o' you. Not that she'd ever touch ya anyway. I adopted her, she's my daughter now, an' thanks ta these papers ya brought, she's a free girl and ain't nobody gonna touch her 'thout her wantin' that touch. Git off my land, Hunt. I don't never wanna see ya again." Logan turned and headed back into his cabin.

                Hunt ran toward the gate and rattled it angrily. "She's still a slave till those papers get filed! I can still order her to take me, and she'll have to obey or I'll give her a whippin'!"

                Logan grabbed his gun and ran back outside. "Come anywhere near her, ya ain't never touchin' no woman with that ugly thing o' yers again! Ya ain't touchin' her!" He cocked his rifle and fired at the ground between Hunt's legs, causing the man to stumble back a few steps. "Now git on outta here!" Hunt turned, scrambled on his old horse, and headed off into the night.

                Logan returned to the cabin, almost too angry to speak. He'd known Hunt liked his girls young; he'd never dreamed the man would take his girls as young as Jubilee was. He grabbed the sacks and moved them out of the way for a time, then reached up on a shelf and got down his quill pen and a bottle of ink. Pulling the lamp close to him, he looked at the printing on the sheet of paper.

                "'Name of Slave Being Freed'," he read. Carefully he wrote 'Jubilation Lee' in the blank, then went on down the page, filling in the blanks. Several questions stumped him. "Height? Weight? Beats the hell outta me," he grumbled, but took a guess and filled it in. "Identifying scars/marks? Well, she's got a whole lot of em on her, and they ain't all gonna fit in this little space." He finally put 'five whip lashes on back' in the blank, then signed his name in the blank for 'owner of slave' and did the same to the copy that was to be filed. Then he sat back, satisfied, feeling a great weight lift from his shoulders. He'd go and get her tomorrow, have her sign her name to the paper, and take them to the registrar's office in Jackson. Then she'd be free.

                He did the rest of his chores quietly, cooked himself a quick mess of flapjacks and bacon, then went to bed, hoping the morning would hurry up and come.