Quicksilver Passion (210 page)

The pistol and the knife! If only she could find them in the darkness while the two men fought! Confident of his advantage, Jake tossed the whip to one side as the two went down, the injured man on the bottom.

Jake swore.
Now, ’breed, I’m gonna strangle you with my bare hands!”

She had to do something quick! Silver sat the sobbing child on a log and got down on her hands and knees, searching frantically in the moonlight. Behind her, she heard Cherokee gasping for air and struggling as the giant scout laughed and slowly throttled him.

Surely the knife or gun might reflect the moonlight! Silver dug through the dead leaves, looking for a weapon. Metal gleamed its reflection. With a glad cry, Silver grabbed it up, then realized she held the big whip, its silver handle catching the moonlight. What could she do? If she swung it at Jake, he’d only chase her down and take it away from her.

She had to save Cherokee. He was still struggling, but weaker now, gasping for air in the silence while Jake laughed and choked him with powerful hands.

She did the only thing she could do. Running up behind the crouching scout, she looped the lash over his head and twisted it around the big handle. She didn’t have much strength, but she had her old skills as a dancer, and like quicksilver, she turned and turned, twisting the lash around his thick neck.

Jake shouted in sudden surprise, trying to get his fingers under the deadly lash that cut off his air. Cherokee seemed forgotten now as he tried to stumble to his feet and get to Silver. But she stayed behind him where he couldn’t reach her as she twisted the noose tighter. Jake gasped and struggled, his breath coming in strained gasps, as he fought to get his hands under the whip lash.

If he killed her, she wouldn’t let go. Like a small snapping turtle, she hung on while her giant prey crashed about, literally yanking her off the ground. Both her hands ached from hanging on to the whip handle, but she was determined not to let go.

Vaguely she was aware that Cherokee had staggered to his feet and was searching through the leaves for his pistol. It wasn’t needed. Even as he found it with a glad cry, Jake took one last, agonized breath, pulling at the thin leather cutting into his thick neck, then stumbled and crashed to the ground like a falling tree. As he fell, the whip pulled from Silver’s aching hands, but it was too late for the villain. Jake Dallinger’s spirit was forever trapped in his dead body.

Cherokee ran over and knelt by the still form. For a long moment, only the sounds of Cherokee’s labored breathing and Waanibe’s sobs broke the stillness. As Cherokee stumbled to his feet, Silver ran into his arms and clung to him, dissolving finally into tears.

He patted her hair.
It’s all right, sweet darlin’. Everything’s all right now. You saved my life.”

She looked up at him and saw her face mirrored in his eyes. And the love she saw mirrored there, not the scars of the reflection, were all that mattered.
Oh, Cherokee, I’ve been such a vain fool!”

I love you, sweet, and you’re here. That’s all that matters now.”

The little girl came over slowly and looked up at them.
Bad man’s dead?”

Yes, honey.” Silver patted her dark hair.

Waanibe looked up at Cherokee with curiosity in her dark eyes.
My mama said my daddy was a half-breed. Are you my daddy?”

Silver winced. She couldn’t expect Cherokee to take this orphaned child, yet she couldn’t desert her. What would she do?

But Cherokee knelt and put his arms around the little girl.
Do you want me to be your daddy? If you do, I’d like to be.”

Waanibe grinned and looked at Silver.
Can Silvery go with us?”

Cherokee smiled gently.
Oh, we can’t go without her! I’m going to marry her, you know.”

Then I’ve got a treasure for you,” the child said solemnly, and she took Cherokee’s big hand and kissed the palm, folding his fingers over it.
Put that in your pocket to save for when you need it.”