The Gunfighter and the Heiress - By Carol Finch Page 0,83
whether she had come to harm.
After the teenager walked away, Van slammed his right fist into his left hand, wishing he could bash in all three of the Harpers’ plain-looking faces. “Damn them to hell!”
“Van?”
He lurched around to see Bart at the head of the steps, carrying a basket of food in his uninjured arm. “I picked up three supper specials. There’s plenty of food… What’s wrong?”
“Everything,” Van growled furiously as he waved the note in the air. “The Harpers have Natalie. I’m supposed to wait until morning to find out where to meet them.”
Bart glanced down at the food basket. “Suddenly I don’t feel a damn bit hungry.”
“I don’t want food. I want to kill somebody. Starting and ending with those goddamn Harper brothers!” he raged.
“I’m sorry,” Bart mumbled inadequately. “I’d gladly exchange places with her if I could.”
“I will change places with her,” Van vowed as he stormed to his suite. He halted to glance grimly at his trusted friend. “Get her out alive, Bartholomew. No matter what else happens tomorrow, promise me that she’ll have the chance to enjoy the grand adventure she’s dreamed about.”
He didn’t have to add that he would gladly become the sacrifice needed to ensure Natalie’s safety.
Bart understood exactly what he meant.
Chapter Sixteen
Natalie was not surprised when she realized the Harpers had descended into the labyrinth of canyons south of Taloga Springs to hide out. The outlaws found a cave large enough to accommodate them. They removed her from the tarp and dumped her in the corner. After building a fire near the mouth of the cavern, they commenced celebrating their scheme by opening two bottles of whiskey. To her vast relief, they passed out and didn’t bother her.
With her feet curled up beside her, Natalie discreetly retrieved the dagger Crow had given her. Even though her hands were tied behind her back, she was able to saw at the ropes wrapped around her wrists. She nicked her skin and drew blood but she was determined to free herself. It was tedious work and she stopped countless times to rest her aching arms. Fortunately she had all night because the Harper brothers were sprawled on the stone floor, their greasy heads propped on their saddles, snoring up a storm.
It took several hours to free herself. The golden light of dawn spilled into the cavern by the time she slowly rose to her feet. After long hours of being tied up and hanging upside down over the horse, it took several minutes before she felt steady. She removed her cumbersome petticoats, then drew the back hem of her gown between her legs to fashion makeshift breeches. Since she didn’t have a belt to hold up the yards of fabric, she tiptoed over to make use of one of the holsters the men had tossed in the back of the cavern near a small tunnel. Natalie did not intend to follow it to see if it was an escape hatch or dead end. She was using the large exit—if she could leave without alerting the sleeping desperadoes.
Plus, she was not leaving without taking their arsenal of weapons with her, though she knew they had other weapons stashed on their person. But at least they wouldn’t have extra pistols and ammunition to blast away at her if they awoke and realized she was gone.
She didn’t want to repeat that unnerving fiasco of dodging bullets with Marsh and his goons.
When Georgie Harper rolled to his side and groaned Natalie froze to the spot. She hardly dared to breathe, for fear the sounds would echo around the cave and wake the bandits. She didn’t want to fight her way to freedom as she had yesterday.
Sweet mercy! she thought as she plucked up the six-shooters and tucked them into the folds of her skirt-turned-breeches. She had crammed so much danger, excitement and new experiences into the past two weeks that it seemed like six months of living.
This is what Crow’s life is like, she realized with a start. He faced perilous situations constantly. Every day tested his physical stamina, heightened his acute senses and sharpened his wits. If she could become one-fourth as capable as Crow she would be well pleased with herself.
Her thoughts scattered when Willy Harper moaned groggily and squirmed in his sleep. Natalie glanced anxiously toward the mouth of the chamber. She was as far from the exit as she could get and there were three burly outlaws standing in her way—lying in her path was