Savage Courage

The murky clouds suddenly split apart to show shiny, blue-white stars, and the moon now silvered the crest of distant spruces.

Shoshana could see much around her, for everything was splashed by the white reflection of the moonlight. It was such a clear, bright night now, it was as though night had turned to day.

“Here we are,” Mountain Jack said, interrupting Shoshana’s thoughts as he rode up beside her. “Cast your eyes yonder, squaw, and you’ll see my hideout.”

She gazed at a newly built log cabin well hidden in a narrow canyon, trees on each end hiding the entrance and exit.

Unless one knew that it was there, it would not be found.

“Especially by the cavalry,” she whispered to herself dismounting and being forced to enter the cabin first.

After he lit a kerosene lantern, Shoshana gasped and felt bitter bile rise into her throat as she fought back the urge to vomit. The cabin was filled with stacks of scalps, as well as three hanging from hooks in the ceiling, with fresh blood on them.

“Come here, squaw,” Mountain Jack said as he dropped his saddlebag to the floor.

Shoshana hesitated, then felt her insides tightening when he came to her with a long chain.

“What are you going to do with that?” she asked faintly.

“What do you think?” Mountain Jack said, chuckling. “You’re my prisoner, ain’t you? Well, let me show you how I treat my prisoners.”

He twisted the chain around her waist, locked it in place, and then attached another part of it to her wrist.

“See how long it is?” he said, smiling at her as he stepped away from her. “That’s so’s you can be free enough to roam outside. I know a woman has private duties to tend to. I’d rather you do them outside, not here on my floor.”

He threw his head back in a fit of laughter, then sobered again and glared at her as he stepped closer and yanked the red bandanna from her hair. “Mighty fine hair, squaw,” he said, his eyes gleaming as he dropped the bandanna and moved his hand toward her head again. “Yep, that’s mighty fine hair.”

With her free hand, Shoshana grabbed his wrist and thrust his hand away just before he got a chance to touch her hair. “As long as my hair is still mine, I’d rather your filthy hands aren’t on it,” she said tightly. She shoved his hand away. “But I doubt that you want to scalp me just yet. Surely you have other . . . other . . . sordid plans for me first.”

“Rape?” Mountain Jack said, walking away from her. He removed Major Klein’s scalp from his bag and held it out before Shoshana.

She turned her head away, again fighting not to vomit.

“You have me all wrong,” Mountain Jack said, placing the scalp on another hook in the ceiling. “I don’t want your scalp, nor do I want to rape you.” He chuckled. “Not yet, anyways.”

He stepped around so that she was forced to look at him. “I’ve chores to do,” he said. “Chores I’ve got to take care of before decidin’ what to do with you.”

When she turned away from him again, he stepped directly in front of her. He glared into her eyes. “I only wish I could get pleasure from your body as I used to get pleasure from squaws before I scalped ’em,” he said thickly. He leaned his face into hers. “But you don’t have to worry about me fornicatin’ with you. Some time back, when I went by my real name, Jackson Cole, I was a major in the cavalry. I was injured in the worst possible place by an Apache brave. Because of that injury, I can no longer function as a man in that particular way. But it doesn’t keep me from enjoyin’ the company of a beautiful squaw, now does it? I’ve been terribly lonely. ’Cept for my pen of wolves, which I breed and raise for their skins, I’m totally alone.”

He stepped away from her. “While you’re here, you’re going to behave like you’re my bride,” he said. He laughed a strange sort of cackle, then again gazed into her eyes. “You’re gonna cook and clean for me. You’re gonna care for my wolves. That’s the other reason why the chain has been left purposely long. You’re to feed my wolves when they get hungry.”

“I won’t do anything for you,” Shoshana said bitterly. “I won’t clean. I won’t cook. And I most certainly won’t go into a pen of wolves and feed them.”

Mountain Jack shrugged. “Then you’ll starve,” he said. He walked away from her and began placing logs on the grate in his fireplace. “It’s up to you.”

After he got a good fire going, he went to Shoshana and again spoke directly into her face. “I’ll be leavin’ real soon to take my scalps to the buyer,” he said stiffly. “While I’m gone, by God, you will feed my wolves. If you don’t, and any of ’em die, I’ll kill you immediately when I return. And I’ll be movin’ my hideout again as soon as I return. That’s how I’ve been successful at eludin’ everyone, by stayin’ on the run, by buildin’ new hideouts in the most remote places.”

Seeing how insane this man truly was, Shoshana ran from the cabin, but she got a rude reminder that she wasn’t going far, not as long as the chain held her prisoner.

Mountain Jack ran after her. He grabbed her by the wrist and swung her around to face him.

“You do as I say, squaw, or by God, your scalp’ll join those that I’m takin’ to sell tonight,” he warned. “Promise that you’ll obey me. Promise me now! Tell me you’ll feed my wolves. Tell me now that when I return you’ll cook a good meal for me.”

Knowing she was risking her life, yet feeling that she was a dead woman anyway, for she doubted that anyone could ever find her so far up in the mountains, she spat at Mountain Jack’s feet.

He raised a fist, but didn’t hit her.

He lowered his fist to his right side. He laughed.