~~~
The next morning, Rulon awoke to the touch of a pinching hand over his mouth and the prick of a knife to his throat under one ear.
"Get outta yore cot, sissy boy. We're packin' up to move outta here."
Rulon scarcely breathed. The knife's tip moved fractionally. Then it lifted a bit, but still made contact with his skin as it traced a line across his neck toward his other ear. Lovell hadn't been joking about the danger of this man.
"Von! Leave the man be!" Lovell's voice barked. "Put that hog-sticker away and prepare to strike the tent."
The man named Von growled an obscenity and removed the knife. "He's not our kind. Look at that damned feather," he said, but backed away, left the tent, and made his noises outside.
"Whew!" Lovell expelled a gusty sigh. "I couldn't be sure he would obey me," he said, approaching to eye Rulon's neck.
By this time, Rulon had arisen and was dressing in haste.
"He didn't leave you any permanent damage," his new friend observed. "The sooner we can put him on a patrol against the Yankees, the sooner he'll be able to do what he loves best."
"What's that?" asked Rulon, dreading the answer as he struggled to recover his dignity.
"Killin' folks."
~~~
Thank you for visiting! Please come back next Saturday for another sample of my writing.
Bestselling author Marsha Ward wrote the novella, Faith and the Foremen, in the Timeless Romance Anthology Old West Collection. She is the author of an acclaimed novel series featuring the Owen family. Her last published book, Spinster's Folly, won the 2013 USA Best Book Award for Western Fiction, and recently was named Finalist in Western Fiction in the 2014 International Book Awards. A former journalist, Ward has published over 900 articles, columns, poems and short stories. She is the founder of American Night Writers Association, a.k.a. ANWA.
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