Chapter 24

Mary was beside herself with happiness. Everything, simply everything was going so well. No longer did she find herself fretting about her future. The daylight hours sped by in anticipation of the night. When she found a handful of dainty, yellow daisy-like blooms tucked against the rock canyon wall just down the trail to Jenny's corral she searched the small lean-to at the side of the cabin for anything that might hold water and flowers. An old rusty tin lay discarded in a corner. Her step sprang lightly as she tipped the tin into the goats' drinking pool and carried the flowers into the cabin. Once arranged to her satisfaction, she placed her desert bouquet on the window sill, within Lou's line of sight from the bed. Now a visible sign of her happiness would remind him of the love that never faltered in her.

So many reasons for joy filled Mary's thoughts. Lou no longer pulled away from her caresses. Lucifer and Mother no longer spoke to her. For the past three days the only voices she had heard were Lou's and her own. Everything was coming together, just as she had hoped.

It was the end of their meat supply that signaled the beginning of a new problem, one that Mary was not prepared for. She had not thought too much about it when it happened. She'd cooked and served the last of the meat, tidied up the cabin and gone to bed. In the morning would be soon enough to worry about butchering another goat.

Bright and early Mary caught up one of the goats with a halter rope and secured it to the same rock Lou and she had used for tying up the last goat they butchered. Confidence running high and hatchet in hand, she was prepared. It wasn't anything difficult, after all. She would simply hit the goat on the head, just as Lou had done. And she had done an adequate job of skinning the last goat after Lou had dispatched it. The only complication she could think of was how she would hoist the goat to the cabin rafter. She brushed the problem aside. That could be dealt with later. But as soon as Mary had the hatchet raised above her head, tracking the movement of the restive goat on its tether to level the lethal blow, she lowered the hatchet back down. A tremendous amount of blood had poured from the goat Lou killed. She slipped out of her lace and pink ruffle dress and laid it clear of potential harm. Now she was ready.

Walking back to the goat, Mary stood beside the animal just as Lou had done, raised the hatchet above her head in a two fisted grip and brought the blade down with as much power as possible. She was aiming for the back of the animal's head where, as Lou had explained, death would be quick and painless, but the animal shied to the side, causing her to miss the mark. The hatchet struck the goat at the base of his large, floppy ear. With a wild jump, the goat leapt to the end of its tether and jerked itself off its feet. Mary stepped forward to make up the difference in distance and swung again. This time the hatchet hit the now frightened, bleating animal alongside its neck. Bright blue-red blood immediately began pumping out in a long, thin stream. The first arcing surge struck Mary's forearm.

The unexpected rush of excited thrashing from the dying animal brought Mary to a shocked standstill. She stood transfixed by the frantic movement, eyes wide, heart pounding. Blood continued to gush from the goat, splashing against her bare skin, running down her legs, pooling on the ground. Each time the creature bounced against the end of its rope it came smashing back toward her, throwing blood against her body. She stood stock still, frozen, watching the gruesome, noisy death taking place in front of her.

"Oh my Heavens," she gasped, one hand automatically raising to cover her open mouth, the other still grasping the bloody hatchet. It was then that she caught sight of the smears of dripping red that covered her hand. A shriek of horror died in her throat. Throwing her hand down, her eyes traveled the length of her naked body where blood splashed by the thrashing goat had painted her in gory red. "Oh... , oh... , oh my Heavens!" she exclaimed.

Suddenly Mary was a blur of motion. Hatchet still clutched in a vise like grip, she ran to the shack. Hanging on the door frame, certain she had no strength to stand on her own, she shouted across the cabin's small interior. "You've got to help! Oh my Heavens, you've got to. The blood... the blood is everywhere. The poor goat's gone crazy. I can't... please. Oh please, help me. I can't even get close to it." Her words ran in an unbroken, fear-filled stream, one after the other.

Lou arched against his blanket bonds, "Quickly then. Let me loose."

Mary stuttered to a standstill. Her hands flitted about, unable to decide what to do with themselves. "I... I can't let you loose. You know I can't."

Recognizing his chance, Lou arched again against his blanket bonds. "The shotgun, take it up. If I don't do exactly like you want me to, you can shoot me in the leg." Lou rattled off his words at a quick pace hoping to push her into action without gaining time to think.

"The shotgun? Yes. That will work." Mary rushed to the far corner of the room and snatched up the gun. Bringing the stock up under her bare armpit, she clumsily grasped the fore stock and looked down at the weapon. She started back towards Lou and suddenly stopped short.

A bloody hand pushed a straggling lock of hair out of her face. Looking from Lou to the gun in her hands and back again she blurted, "I never shot a gun in my life. I don't even know how to make it work."

"You need to pull the hammers back. That's them hog legged looking things on top, just behind the barrel," Lou directed. "No, not that lever. There's two of 'em." Lou worked hard at keeping his voice calm but hurried. He could hardly believe that Lucifer wasn't jumping in and stopping her. If my luck can just hold a few minutes longer, he prayed.

Mary's brow knit in concentration as she fumbled with the gun. She found the hammers and cocked both back into ready position. "The triggers are underneath," she heard before even looking up. She found the triggers.

"All right, I've got them."

"All you got to do now is point that thing at me and cut the stitching loose with the other hand. Believe me, I'm not going to go up against a scatter-gun. Soon as I've taken care of the goat I'll come right back and you can stitch me back in here." Lou could hardly hear through the rush of blood pounding in his ears. He could feel the sweat forming on his back.

Mary's head turned toward the frenzied bleating of the goat. Lou held his breath. Would she go for it? Was she frantic enough to let him loose?