"Alright Mr. I see your point. Anything else?"
"Not for lady like you to do." He sighed and shook his head. Would she never understand? "Louie. You call me Louie."
"Miss Vicky. I figure if folks call me by my name they might not treat me so horribly. I might be more of a person to them than just a prisoner?"
"Not so much. These hombres..." He spat on the ground and looked around. He pretended not to notice her shiver.
"I make a fire." He said as he turned to face her again.
"Thank you, Louie."
He was rewarded with a gentle smile. He thought she looked like an angel then, with the soft smile and the golden light of dusk behind her. He shrugged.
"No good for baby be cold. If you no good price in Chihuahua, these hombres... they kill you and they kill Louie also. If you no make more trouble, maybe you make Chihuahua alive."
"I'm to be sold then?" She sounded sad to him, and maybe a little surprised.
"Si Señorita...Miss Vicky that was the plan. But for all the trouble you make, these hombres, they kill you soon."
"How much longer do you figure?"
"¿Qué? You want to leave maybe? Run maybe? You no last one day with baby. I think you maybe ok if alone." He shrugged.
"Louie, I won't leave Naomi Beth." She straightened her spine and held the girl close. "Not even to save my life."
"I no think you will." He chuckled "I say only..."
"Louie," she looked around and lowered her voice, "Do you think there will be a posse?"
"Jefe, he no know. So we wander many days. He try lose anyone who follow. No soldiers follow. They no cross Rio Grande. But Federalis watch border. Jefe, he think maybe you importante so gringos maybe get Federalis to follow."
Vicky smiled ruefully. She thought it wise not to tell him what the town really thought of her. She was almost glad they'd been forced to flee. If they stayed and tried to ransom her, she was truly afraid the town wouldn't have given $5.00 to get her back, let alone $500 or whatever they hoped for. At least now she had time.
Louie was walking toward the other fire now. She was alone with Naomi Beth and her own dreary thoughts.
Louie was no gentleman. But he'd shown her kindness and she was sure if she nurtured his distrust of his comrades as well as his foundling attempt at friendship, perhaps when the time arrived he could be an ally.
As Naomi Beth lay sleeping next to her, Vicky hugged her knees and signed. Unless they continued to wander to elude a posse, Chihuahua was at most maybe another week or so. She wasn't familiar with Mexico at all and she knew if they stayed her chances of escape were small indeed.
But she did recognize the Organ Mountains. They had wandered back within sight of them yesterday. She figured they must've circled around and doubled back. If there was a posse she hoped they had a really good tracker.
"Miss Vicky?"
She was startled to see Louie standing over her. He held out a plate and a cup. She smiled as she took them from him. He turned and walked away.
"Louie."
He stopped and turned to look back at her over his shoulder.
"Will you come and eat with me?"
He smiled, touched the tip of his hat and gave her a nod before he returned to the other fire for his grub.
They ate in silence, each grateful for the truce that they'd reached. Somehow they'd reached a common ground and she found an unexpected sense of comfort as they now faced a common foe.
"I know this area." Vicky said simply.
"I think maybe you do."
"How far are we from the river?"
"We cross manana, eh, in morning."
"I thought so. Is your boss going back for the..."
"No. Jefe, he say by go back over river. But we wander, maybe to lose men that follow."
"So we are being followed?"
"I think maybe yes."
"It's probably Naomi Beth's father and my fiancé."
"¿Qué?"
"I work for her father. Her mother died when she was born. I take care of her. Her father is Quinton McClintock. Jeremy Kelley is my beau, my sweetheart."
"McClintock?"
"Yes. His father was a Captain in the war."
"Oh?" Louie was smiling, almost laughing.
"What? Did I say something funny?"
"Your jefe, eh, your boss- he is captain in war also."
"What?!"
Vicky couldn't believe. She was certain he was too young, and certainly he wasn't the type. He was much too somber and quiet.
"Si. Senior Capitan McClintock, he is muy importante. Hombre muy alto, eh," he held his hand high above his hand indicating height. "He lie his age be in war. He valiente, eh, brave? He sergeant en un año, eh, year" he held up one finger.
"He save many men de la muerto, eh, no die? His men ambush. Capitan McClintock he try warn others no follow but too late. Other men they ok. They win. But their Capitan, he no so good. He dies. Capitan McClintock, he take charge." He paused and smiled at her.
"He take other men back and stop ambush. When big soldiers hear, they make him Capitan for good. He youngest Capitan ever!" He held up his index finger and shook it for emphasis, then shrugged. "Or maybe just in very long time."
Vicky sat amazed and totally silent. She couldn't imagine Quinton, big quiet Quinton, in the army...let alone a hero in it! It certainly filled her with a renewed sense of hope. This was the man that was surely following her!
"Louie." she said quietly, "Will you help us?"
"Your Capitan, he helps me?"
"I can promise only that he won't kill you. But if he will listen to me, he will let you go free."
"That is more than if I am here with these hombres. Can you ride?"
"Like an Indian. And I can shoot too. You wouldn't know it to look at me, but I'm a crack shot with a rifle. I rode shotgun for Butterfield all the way from Missouri to California. I am good with a pistol too, I won a gunfight once.
"This muy bueno. I think you little trouble from start. But you no little trouble. You trouble muy grande!" He chuckled and spread his arms wide. "It is you that make bad things to happen to us...yes?"
"Well, mostly. The first horse went lame on his own. The second one had a little help though; I put a pebble under his shoe. And the fight was going to happen sooner or later. I just made sure it happened sooner... But I had nothing to do with the water thing."
"You make time for those to follow us."
She only nodded.
"These hombres they kill you if they know this."
"I know."
"Then why?" He knew almost before the words were out of his mouth for their eyes turned simultaneously toward Naomi Beth.
"Can we get horses? Fast ones?"
"Fast. Si. We travel close by town and some buy supplies tomorrow. When we stop for night I keep watch. You must rest. Be ready ride hard, and use gun maybe."
"What do you mean buy supplies?" she asked incredulous.
He chuckled. "We are hiding. The men who buy supplies take mules. They say they prospectors...eh, they dig the gold."
"You don't want to draw attention to you being in the area. Jefe is smart." She nodded.
"Si. That is why he is Jefe." He paused as a new thought struck him. "You can do this...ride and use gun...You do all this and hold baby?"
"I can make a sling from a blanket or bring me branches and some rope."
"You make to carry like Indian baby." He nodded his approval. "Ok. You make it so. Hide food today and manana. They can no see our, eh...hombres must not know. Horses we take at the last. You can go so long not eat? You are okay?"
"I will... but Naomi Beth...Do think you could talk them into getting some milk when they go for supplies?"
"I no know. For these hombres," he made a sweeping gesture indicating the dirty smelly men, "It makes eh...these men no buy milk. It eh...people remember. No feel right."
"No one would suspect anything if I went in for it."
"Too soon. If you try run..."
"I won't I promise! But she needs milk, Louie. I've been chewing my bread for her, but she's just too small. It isn't enough. Look, I'll leave her with you and I'll ride in..."
"I no like!" His eyes got big and round and he waved his hands back and forth for her to stop.
"Louie, it's the only way. She'll get sick Louie." Her voice caught, "She could die."
"I try." He sighed in surrender. With a curt nod, and a glance at the baby, he ambled off to find Jefe.