Chapter 2

Zach reined his horse onto a low rock shelf that had been exposed by the elements and continued East for miles. When the horse finally stepped off the shelf onto the desert floor, Zach spurred the animal into a fast lope. Kathleen had relaxed her hold on Zach as they rode slowly over the shelf but now she renewed her death grip as she bounced around on the horse's rump.

They rode at the lope for about 20 minutes, slowed to an easy walk for 10, and then increased their speed to a lope again. The third time they slowed down, Kathleen leaned forward.

"This isn't the way back to Phoenix," she said. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Nope, it ain't," Zach replied.

"You must take me back to Phoenix." It was Lady Kathleen speaking. "Father will be waiting."

"The Comancheros probably followed you out of Phoenix. If they come back they'll figure you headed back that way and follow you again." Zach pointed toward the east. "We'll head to Tucson to throw them off our trail. You can telegraph your father from there."

"But won't those ruffians follow our trail east?"

"Hope not. That's why we rode so long on that rock shelf. Only an expert tracker or a magician could follow us across that. And if they do find our trail, I hope to outdistance them to Tucson."

"Why would they follow a single horse? They don't know I'm with you."

"They know all right," Zach answered back over his shoulder. Your hiding trick wasn't gonna work much longer."

"What do you mean?"

"Did the kidnappers make you ride in the false bottom all the way from Phoenix to the water hole?"

"No, we were a day out of Phoenix when they let me ride on the wagon seat with one of them. They said they didn't want me to be too tuckered out."

"Like I said, the Comancheros probably followed you from Phoenix. They do that sometimes, especially if it's a small group like only two wagons. Anyway, I'm sure they saw you when you were on that wagon seat."

Zach walked his horse around a big group of Creosote bushes. "Didn't want to say anything to you back at the spring but I saw tracks going away from your wagon back toward Phoenix; probably looking for where you got out of the wagon. When they don't find you, they'll come back here again; they left a lot of things behind including the wagon. They'll discover that open false bottom and be on our trail damn quick. Those ruffians, as you call them, might be bandits, killers, or worse but they're not dumb."

He kicked Buck back into the lope and they rode hard for 20 minutes. When they slowed to a walk, Zach took off his hat, held it up to shade his eyes, and looked at the sun's position. He rode into a grove of Palo Verde trees next to another butte and stopped. He threw his leg over the front of his saddle and slid to the ground. Turning he helped Kathleen to dismount.

"Why are we stopping?" She asked. "Shouldn't we keep going?"

"Got to rest Buck." He looked around and stepped over to a spot between two of the trees. Taking a metal plate from his saddle bag he knelt down and started to dig in the soft ground beside the trees. Zach used the plate and his hands to scoop out a hole about 24 inches wide and close to 18 inches deep. Kathleen watched, puzzled as to why or what he was doing.

Zach stood, took a canteen and handed it to Kathleen. "Take a mouth full, swish it around and then swallow it. After a bit, we'll drink some more." He watched her carefully and pulled the canteen away from her before she could take more than the one drink.

"But I'm still thirsty," Kathleen objected.

"You can't drink too much at one time or you'll just bring it back up." Zach followed his own instructions, put the top back on the canteen and hung it from a tree branch. "We'll have more later."

"Why did you dig that hole?"

"Come look," he answered.

Slowly water was seeping into the hole. When it got near the top, Zach led Buck over to it and allowed the animal to drink. The water was muddy and full of grit but Buck didn't mind; he needed water after the hard ride. After the animal had water, Zach unsaddled him. He put the horse on a long lead and let him graze on the meager grass growing around the Palo Verde.

"Palo Verde trees can live where there's not much water but if there is a spot where it's close to the surface you'll always find a bunch of them grouped together," Zach explained. "I figured what with all these trees, the ground water must be near the surface."

"Shouldn't we keep going?"

"It's better than a 100 degrees by now. Can't ride all day, in this heat or we'll kill Buck. We'll rest here until just before dusk and then head out. It'll be easier ridin in the cool of the night."

"Won't those bandits catch up to us?"

"Maybe so but I don't think they'll pick up the trail any time soon. Sides, if we keep ridin hard during the heat they'll just catch us out in the badlands." Zach could see that "Lady Kathleen" was about to make an appearance and complain. "We've only got the one horse," he continued before she could speak. We're ridin double, and their animals are probably fresher. If we push too hard Buck could founder, break down and then we'd be on foot."

He turned, found shady spot, and sat down leaning back against a tree. "Best get some rest. We'll be ridin hard again at dusk. Here you can take another drink," he said as he handed her the canteen. Zach watched and was pleased that this time Kathleen followed his instructions.

Every so often, Zach would get up and go to the hole he'd dug. He'd scoop out some of the dirt, the water would seep back into the hole, and he'd lead Buck over and let him drink. Kathleen watched him and the next time he got up she went to help. She took the plate from him, dropped to her knees and dug; motioning for Zach to bring the horse.

The first two times he would limit the amount he let the horse drink; after the third time, when Buck had had time to cool down, Zach let the horse drink the hole dry. Each time he would tie the horse on a long lead to another spot he would step to the edge of the trees and look back along their trail.

He looked for the Comancheros and not seeing any sign, would go back to his shady resting place. Every time he would get up, Kathleen would go and do the digging. Then she would sit back in her own spot of shade and use a small branch or twig to get the dirt from under her finger nails.

"I mustn't waste water by washing them," Kathleen muttered to herself. "They'll have to wait until we get to this Tucson."

She may be full of her title and herself, but she's doing alright, Zach thought. Not much complaining, she's trying her best to keep "a stiff upper lip" as the English say. He chuckled at Kathleen's attempt to clean her nails.

As the sun set to the west, they could feel the heat of the day wash away in the light breeze that had came as the sun went down. Just as the sun began to set behind the high mountains behind them, Zach watered Buck one last time and saddled him. The days were long this time of the year and it was close to 7:30 before Zach and Kathleen hit the trail.

"Time for us to go Kathleen," he said as he put the few things away that he'd taken from the saddle bags. "I don't see any sign behind us, so we'll take it a little easier this evening."

"How can we see to ride at night?" Kathleen asked. "It is cooler now, but how can we see?"

Zach pointed to where the moon could be seen rising into the sky. "Going to be a Hunter's Moon tonight."

"What's a Hunter's Moon?"

"I forget that you're not from around here. That's a full moon. It's called a Hunter's Moon because it throws enough light for people to see to hunt and travel by its light."

Zach stepped onto the saddle, extended his hand and helped Kathleen to once again mount behind him. They rode as they had earlier; a lope for 20 minutes, then an easy but fast walk for 10. After the third walking period, Zach dismounted leaving Kathleen on the horse.

"Slid forward onto the saddle," he said. "Put your feet in the stirrups and grab onto the horn." As she settled, Zach took off his boots, donned a pair of soft Indian moccasins, and put his boots in the saddle bags. "These are a mite more comfortable for walking," he said pointing to his new footwear. Zach took hold of the lead rope on the bridle and started walking toward the east, leading the horse.

"What are you doing? I can walk too if we need to rest the horse, I mean Buck," Kathleen offered in a proud voice.

Still 'Her Ladyship', Zach thought and smiled to himself. Not wanting to let a commoner out do her. "Nope, you stay on the horse. I'll be running a long side for a spell and you can't keep up."

"Why aren't you riding too?"

"We've a long way to go and this will make it easier on Buck. You don't weigh much so he's almost resting when he's carrying just you instead of the both of us." Zach was silent for a little while. "I'll stay a foot for an hour or so and then we'll hit the trail hard again."

As he'd said, an hour later Zach remounted. Kathleen slid back behind the saddle, he stood in the left stirrup and threw his right leg over the horse's neck and settled back into the saddle. Putting his spurs gently to Buck they started another series of a fast lopes followed by an easy walks.

It was close to 7 AM when Zach guided Buck into an arroyo and dismounted. He helped Kathleen off the horse and loosened the saddle cinch. When Buck had time to cool down a bit, Zach took a canteen and poured water into his hat; holding it so Buck could drink. After watering the animal, he attached a long lead rope to the horse's bridle. The rope was tied off to a rock outcropping so Buck could graze on the sparse vegetation.