Samantha looked back over her shoulder as she climbed in her window. That man was crazy if he thought she was going to do anything he said. Well, she was going to return to the cliffs, with her daddy's rifle. She would show her daddy, Josh and everybody else that she could take care of herself. She snuck out of her room and quietly walked down to her parent's room. She opened the door slowly, pausing when the door creaked, she didn't hear any movement from anywhere in the house so she stepped into the room and shoot the door behind her. She smiled when she saw her father's rifle on his gun rack. Samantha walked over and carefully took the gun off the rack. After removing the gun she walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer. She smiled when she saw the shells. She grabbed two or three and shoved them in the pockets of her britches. Samantha loaded the rifle and walked over to the window. She climbed out onto the roof and walked over to the edge. She jumped off and let herself hit the ground and roll a few feet before standing up and running toward the trees.

It didn't take Samantha long to run back to the brushes beside the cliff and saw the man sitting with his legs dangling over the edge and his back to her. Samantha crept quietly up behind him, cocked the rifle and pointed it straight at the man's head.

When Chavez heard the gun being cocked her jumped up and turned around quickly, slipping his pistol out of it's holster. His eyes widened when he saw the person holding the rifle that was pointed directly at him.

"I'm back," Samantha replied, glaring at him. Chavez laughed but Samantha stood her ground. In fact, she stepped forward and shoved the end of the barrel of the gun against his chest. Chavez winced and stared at her, growing angrier at each passing second.

"Miss Allen, if your gonna pull that trigger you better do it now," Chavez said, staring down into the girls eyes. Chavez knew she wouldn't be able to do it and when she didn't he grabbed the rifle away from her and hit herin the head with it, knocking her unconscious. Chavez threw the rifle in the river and picked the girl up off the ground. He slung her over his shoulder and started back through the woods toward where he had left his horse.

It was dusk before William Allen and the ranch hands made their way back up to the house for supper. William stopped short when he saw his wife, Elizabeth, sitting on the bench he had made for her on the front porch. She was staring out at him with tears running down her cheeks. William ran quickly up onto the porch and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up to face him.

"What's wrong, Elizabeth?" William asked, a demanding tone to his voice. Elizabeth sobbed and held onto her husband like he was the only thing keeping her from collapsing to the floor and he pretty much was at the time.

"It's Samantha. She came home and I sent her up to her room to clean up. She never came back so I went up to check," Elizabeth's sobs interrupted her and William held herout from him at arms length and shook her gently to get her attention.

"What happened to her?" William asked, knowing his wife wouldn't get so upset over something small.

"She's gone, William. Her bedroom window was open and our bedroom window was open," Elizabeth cried. William smiled at her and shook his head.

"Elizabeth, honey, you know Sammie, she probably just ran off because she was mad at me," William said. Elizabeth shook her head and pulled away, glaring at him angrily.

"No, William, no! Your rifle is gone and so are some of the cartridges," Elizabeth said. She knew that she had finally gotten through to him when she saw the fear in his eyes. William let go of his wife and turned to his men.

"Joshua, you and some of the hands take the north side of the land and the rest of you come with me to search the south," he said, the men all nodded, William glanced back at his wife and then back to the cowboy that had worked with him ever since he had first settled there, "Luke, you stay here with Elizabeth. If Sammie comes back come find us and let us know." Luke nodded and walked up on the porch. Luke wrapped one of his arms around Elizabeth's shoulders and led her back into the house. William, Josh and the other ranch hands climbed back onto their already tired horses and headed out in search of Samantha.

Chavez stared across the fire at the girl he had laid on the only bedroll he had brought with him. He hadn't really meant to hit her but the girl really hadn't given him any other choice. He didn't think she would have shot him but he couldn't be sure. He was still staring at her when her eyes opened and she started to sit up. She cried out in pain and rubbed her forehead with her hand.

"Don't try to get up," Chavez said, receiving a glare from the girl, "it won't help." He took a long drink from the whiskey bottle he had in his hand.

"Did you really have to hit me?" Samantha asked, staring at the man across the fire from her. The pain in her head was almost unbearable but there was no way she'd make the mistake of letting him know that, at least not again. Chavez laughed and looked at her like she had just grown an extra head.

"We're you really gonna shoot me?" Chavez shot back. Samantha glared at him.

"Maybe," Samantha replied, sticking her chin up at him defiantly. Chavez nodded.

"Well, then maybe I really had to hit you," Chavez replied before taking another long drink from his bottle. Samantha rolled her eyes.

"You know, drinking is a really unattractive habit," Samantha replied. Chavez laughed.

"'Unattractive'. That's a mighty big word coming from such a little girl," Chavez replied, ignoring the hard look he got for it, "Besides, your not really one to be talkin'," Chavez glanced at her pants and Samantha rolled her eyes.

"I'm not a little girl and I'm not trying to be attractive," Samantha shot back. Chavez couldn't keep the smile from his face as he looked over at her and then back down at the fire.

"Good damn thing," Chavez whispered, smirking as he took another drink of the whiskey.