The American Bride - By Karla Darcy Page 0,39

Miss Farraday, please come."

Cara knelt down in the dirt holding the girl's trembling body, waiting for the rasping breath to ease. It was obvious that something had frightened Belin and Cara worried that Richard might be in trouble. Cara bit her lip biding her time until the child could control her breathing enough to speak.

"Oh, Miss Farraday. You've got to come," Belin gasped out. "He's caught in one of the traps."

"Richard?" Cara asked in horror.

"No. Pennyfeather. Hurry."

The child, near hysterical with fear, grabbed Cara's hand, dragging her along the path deeper into the woods. It was only a matter of moments before they came upon the scene of the accident.

A white-faced Richard knelt beside Pennyfeather whose leg was caught between the teeth of one of the poaching traps. Beside the old man was a shotgun and a brace of rabbits. The shrewd brown eyes in the sun-bronzed face looked up into Cara's horrified ones.

"I told the wee ones to leave me to meself, mum," Pennyfeather rasped.

"Hush, Pennyfeather. I'm glad they came for me." Cara moistened her dry lips and asked, "How bad is it?"

"Thank the Lord, it's an old trap. I don't think it's broken my leg but it's swole up mighty fine."

Cara knelt beside the old man, examining the ancient cast iron trap. The trap was a cruelly ingenious device used by many gamekeepers to discourage poachers. To arm the device the two half circles lined with teeth were laid flat and set in place. Covered with leaves, the trap lay dormant until stepped upon. Then the circles sprang up, settling their teeth in the poacher's leg. The trap itself was chained to a tree so there was no possibility of carrying the man away without first loosening the trap.

"How long before the gamekeeper gets here?"

"'Bout another fifteen minutes. Thirty at the most."

Despite the fact that a poacher stayed on the move when he was hunting, the shots were generally heard by the gamekeeper. Then a group was formed to check the woods. If caught, the consequences for the poacher would be dire. By Pennyfeather's reckoning there was not much time left. Looking across the recumbent man, Cara stared into Richard's tear-filled eyes. Behind her, Cara could hear Belin's pathetic sniffling.

"Richard, I want you to take the gun to Pennyfeather's cottage. If you run into anyone just tell them you found it." Cara searched the boy's face for signs of understanding but his eyes were fastened on the injured man, oblivious to her voice. "Richard! You must listen to me."

The boy’s glazed eyes focused on Cara's face and she repeated her instructions until she was sure that he had fully understood. Shaking his head to clear it, he staggered to his feet.

"Take Belin with you. It won't help matters if you're found here. Get along now," she ordered as the children hesitated.

Richard picked up the gun, moving as though his whole body was weighted down. The boy stood beside Cara looking forlornly at his friend. Then biting his lip he reached out his hand to Belin and trudged toward the path that would lead to Pennyfeather's cottage.

Once the children were taken care of Cara fought to free her mind so that she could think clearly. If it could be avoided she wanted to keep Pennyfeather out of the hands of the law. Standing up, she searched around the brush until she found a stout branch. She smashed it against a tree trunk until it broke into two pieces. Although she was aware of the time ticking away she fought to keep her movements slow and steady. Taking one of the pieces of the branch, Cara slid it between the two sets of teeth. Keeping the stick parallel with the ground she stood up and placed her feet on either end of the branch, pinning the one side of the trap to the ground.

Cara's stomach lurched with nausea and sweat broke out on her upper lip but she steadied herself as the poacher's brown eyes lifted to hers. If she acted impersonally enough she would be able to close her mind to the blood and torn flesh on Pennyfeather's leg. Ignoring the pain etched into the giant's face, she spoke matter-of-factly.

"I'm going to try to use the other branch as a lever. Will you be able to pull your foot out?"

The old man pushed himself up to a sitting position taking most of the weight on his hands. He put the boot on his free leg against the edge of