Chapter 49

We headed down the first finished spoke toward the first of the slaver's places we had captured. It was more of a straight shot than the other road had been and we were covering the ground with the trot we were using. Still, the road was new as there was basically nothing to see on it. Nothing at all in fact. No doubt people would stake out claims for farms after a while, but for now there was nothing.

Around noon we stopped to give the horses a blow and to have a bite to eat. Kala had made sure I had plenty and it looked like she had done a good job for Conroe too. After we'd finished we mounted up again, but we walked the horses for nearly an hour before we started trotting them again. Frankly I was surprised when we came to the place the road had started from. It was ours now, and we were well met. We took the horses over to the barn, removed the tack, and turned them into the pen with the other mounts.

Conroe and I walked up to the back door and entered, going directly into the kitchen where the same woman who'd been here when we took over the place was holding forth. She was already working on supper, but it was over an hour away. Conroe asked her after Ben and Jerry.

"They went off to the next ranch down the road to see the foreman there, but they'll be back in time for supper," she said.

Conroe and I just hung around until they got back and then he asked them how things were going. They said the plans for taking the next place over were in place and they thought the men were ready to take it on as soon as they got some good guidance. Conroe and I ate supper and then took to the bedrooms we were assigned. We planned on getting things moving early the next morning.

Conroe and I were up early, and we were happy to see breakfast was about to be served. Ben and Jerry came in and it was obvious they were surprised to se us up so early.

"You don't intend to take them on this morning do you?" Jerry asked, and I told them no.

"We're going to slip over there and get a look at things for ourselves and then we'll probably come back here and take a nap. We've had good luck attacking them at night and we'll probably do it again that way this time."

"We both thought that would be the best way too. Most of the armed men stay in one of the outbuildings and the slaves are all held inside the house in a large basement."

"If that's so we'll probably try to pen the armed men up in their outer quarters and then pick off the men from in the house as they come outside. It'll be easier that way instead of going inside the house and trying to root them out."

After eating breakfast Conroe and I saddled our horses and rode that way. We cut into the woods at a place Ben had told us about and we made our way through them until we could get a good look at the set up. The bunkhouse was apparent and I was glad to see it was sturdy and only had one entrance. There were high windows around it, but we should be able to take care of any leaks with archers stationed outside. You usually only had to shoot a few trying to slip out a window to get them all to stop.

It was really about all we could discover about the place without getting close enough to be seen, so we headed back after a couple of hours and shared our plan with Ben and Jerry. We didn't let the troops in on the plans because we didn't want to take the chance of word getting out.

We had lunch, went to bed, and tried to sleep. I didn't think I'd be able to, but I did lie down and close my eyes to get all the rest I could.

We got up in time for supper and then just sat around for a few hours. We still hadn't let any of the men in on the secret, but about midnight we went out to their bunkhouse and rousted them out, giving them the news then.

All of them seemed enthusiastic about the plan and by two AM we were all saddled up and heading out. We were in place in the woods with the horses tied off by four AM. We slipped though the woods and encircled the bunkhouse first. There was a stout door and it was easy enough to close it for the duration. Then we waited.

The sun was maybe an hour before rising when two men came out of the house to wake the others. We captured them easily and tied them up, gagging them securely. About forty-five minutes two more men came out yelling for the ones who'd gone missing. Conroe and I kept our bows trained on them because they were wearing swords, but six of our men rushed them, knocked them senseless with short clubs and then dragged them back behind the bunkhouse to bind and gag them also.

Fifteen minutes later a man came out with a crossbow and I just went ahead and shot him because of the danger of trying to capture him armed as he was. He was dead when we reached him and so we signaled the men to come up to the back door with us and then we went inside with me leading and Conroe right behind me. The others followed him.

It didn't take long to round up the other four men inside. They were in the kitchen eating and when about a dozen of us rushed inside with swords drawn they didn't do anything stupid. The obvious leader started yelling for help to come, but one of the men with us put a stop to the noise with his club.

The four were bound, gagged, and ushered outside while the rest of us sat at the table and encouraged the cook to bring more food.

"Serving would be faster if you would let some of the other girls out of the room where they are being held," she said.

It reminded me of what I was here for in the first place and after getting directions from her I left, taking two of the new men with me. As soon as I opened the door I spotted the Damsel Terlita at once. I went to her and told her I was Hero Jack and had come to rescue her and she threw her arms around me at once, squealing.

I took time to tell the others they had all been freed and then explained the cook needed some help in the kitchen. I told all the others they were free to go and I explained we would help them get home if they wanted to go or we would help take care of them if they needed it.

Most of them didn't even consider going back home. The youngest two, a boy and a girl who were brother and sister, told me their parents had been killed when the slavers took them. I told then they could go to Jacksville and live with Bill and his wives.