dust.

They had ridden hard and long, and they had nearly caught up with Tess

before David and Jeremiah had come upon the Comancheros. Nearly. Not

quite. They had come in time to watch the Comancbero kill yon He, usen's

men in cold blood, and in time to see Tess hit the mustachioed Mexican

bandit.

And they had come in time to watch the men ride away with her.

"There was nothing to be done. Not now," Jon said unhappily.

Jamie nodded bitterly.

"Tonight. We have to catch up with them tonight." He was silent for a

moment, then he pulled off the low-brimmed hat he was wearing and

slammed it against the dirt.

"What the hell is the matter with that woman? Doesn't she realize that

Chavez is a cold- blooded killer? He's going to rip her to shreds if she

keeps that up! I could rip her to shreds myself right at this moment." ~

"She can hardly know that we're sitting up here watching her," Jon

reminded him.

Jamie stood up, retrieved his hat and set his hands on his hips as he

stared at the sun. Twilight was coming soon enough. He didn't want to

follow so closely that they stood a chance of the Comancheros doubling

back on them, but he didn't want to be very far behind.

"She's getting closer and closer to Nalte's territory. I have to get her

back before she winds up in Apache hands." He paused.

"Before Nalte discovers that he hasn't been brought ..."

"A virgin bride?" Jori suggested.

Jamie scowled. He was staring down where the dust still rose in the wake

of the horses.

"I met Cochise once," he murmured.

"I admired the man. He was willing to meet with me under a flag of truce

in spite of the number of times the cavalry betrayed his trust. He is

our enemy, he is dangerous, but I would not hesitate to go to him. I

wonder if this Nalte is a man like Cochise."

"Nalte is powerful," Jon said.

"He is the head of his family, and the chief of many families. He

usually makes war with the Mexicans because of the war they have made

upon him, but he will deal with the Comancheros because they bring him

the arms he needs to fight his battles. He is fiercely against the

reservation life, and will battle for his land to the bitter end. But

from what I have heard, he is still a man with ethics and honor."

Jamie inhaled and exhaled.

"I just don't know. I'm going to try to get her back tonight," he said.

"I daren't risk waiting to deal with Nalte."

He turned and started sliding down the cliff toward the small clearing

in the rock where they had left the horses.

"Coming?" he called to Jon.

"I'm fight behind you," Jon assured him.

The Comancheros rode hard alongside the range until the daylight waned

and night began to fall upon them,~ Then they moved into the mountains.

The terrain became very rugged, and their pace slowed.

Chavez dropped back to ride beside Tess.

"This is Nalte's territory.

You will meet your bridegroom very soon." He sneered at her, very

pleased with himself. Tess said nothing, but watched the man with as

much disdain as possible.

"Wait until you meet Nalte. He is tall and as strong as the rock.

He crushes arrogant little girls between his fingers. He is fierce in

his paint and breech clouts and he is merciless upon his enemies."

"Chavez, he cannot be anywhere near as repulsive as you," she said

pleasantly. So pleasantly that it took several long moments for the

smile to fade from his weathered features. He shook a fist in her face.

"I have not given you to Nalte yet, little girl! You hold your tongue,

or you will pay!"

He rode forward again. Tess shivered but kept her eyes straight ahead in

the growing darkness. She could feel the horses and the men bunched

around her, could feel their eyes upon her, could smell the sweat of

their bodies. But she kept her eyes on the trail, looking neither left

nor fight, trying desperately not to acknowledge them--or her own fear.

The rocks stopped suddenly. They had come upon a small plateau studded

with crude buildings barely discernible in the dusk. An open fire with a

huge spit set above it burned in the center of the clearing, and there

were women there and a number of armed men awaiting them. Tess figured

it had to be a headquarters of sorts for Chavez in the mountains.

Perhaps his last stronghold before it became Nalte's territory in full.

She remained on her horse as the men rushed into the clearing, yelling,

screaming, calling to their women, cavorting as they dismounted.

Chavez rode over to her.

"Welcome to my home, little girl." He laughed.

"Mi casa es su casa. Always, my house is yours. Tomorrow, Nalte's tepee

will be your home!" He roared with laughter, as if he had just said the

most amusing thing in the world.

He dismounted from his horse and lifted her down from hers. He pulled

her close against him, still roaring.

"Maybe I will keep you myself. You have so much to learn about manners.

Maybe you are like a very fine horse to be broken, eh? A magnificent

mare to be ridden and tamed, eh?" Tess struggled fiercely against him.

He enjoyed her distress and continued to smile. She shouldn't fight him,

she thought.

He enjoyed it so very much.

But just as she went limp, a sharp female voice called out, "Chavez!"

His features hardened. He did not release Tess, but turned around and

stared at the dark-haired, buxom young woman coming toward him. She wore

a white peasant blouse and a full, colorful skirt. Her brown feet were

bare. She was young and pretty but her features were wide and her hips

showed signs of broadening With age and the birth of children.

She scowled furiously at Tess and scolded Chavez in Spanish.

"Woman, shut your mouth!" Chavez roared at her. She did not stop talking

until Chavez turned, his fist raised as if he would hit her. The woman

fell silent, but her eyes were eloquent. Her look said that she hated

Tess.

"I am Chavez, and I will do as I choose!" he warned the dark-haired

woman.

He pushed Tess toward her.

"Take her.

Take her to the house. I will come shortly."

The woman put a hand on Tess's shoulder. Tess shook free from her hand.

"Don't touch me!" she warned her sharply.

"What a woman!" Chavez sighed, and Tess did not know if it was with

mockery or pleasure. She gritted her teeth and stepped past the woman,

striding toward a house she indi The dark-haired woman hurried behind

her.. ~ The daylight was almost gone. By the glow of the fire, Tess

tried to take measure of where she was. The rocks of the mountains rose

all around them, but there were many trails that sprang from the

clearing. She had no idea where they led, but if she could escape during

the night, she could get some distance from Chavez.

"Stop! You stop, you gringa slut!" the woman called out. Tess ignored

her.

She reached the house and threw open the door.

There were just two rooms there. One was a kitchen with dirty shelves

and boxes. Old liquor bottles, chipped and broken, lay upon a dirty,

rickety table. Beyond the kitchen was a bedroom.

Tess stared in horror.

"This is filthy. I cannot stay here." Behind them, Chavez laughed

sourly.

"Anna, she is right. This is a sty. You will clean it up." Anna turned

and hit out at him. He grabbed her hands.

She fought him wildly, then went limp. She pleaded with him in Spanish,

her voice catching on a sob. Tess tried to ignore them. She looked

around and saw there was a back door in the bedroom. She tried not to

stare at it, wondering if it wasn't especially designed as an escape

route for Chavez if a stronger force came after him.

She didn't want him to catch her staring at the door so she turned

around and sat on one of the crude wooden chairs that surrounded the

filthy table.

"Tell her to clean it up!" Anna suddenly said, stamping her foot hard on

the floor.

"I will not," Tess said immediately. She crossed her arms over her

chest.

Chavez was convulsed with laughter once again. He unbuckled his gun belt

and tossed it on the table on top of the debris. He sat in a chair

opposite Tess and stared at her, still very amused, so it seemed.

"She will not clean up your slop, Anna. She is Miss. Stuart. She wears

an Apache squaw's buckskins, but she is a lady. You don't know this,

Anna, to be a lady. You must watch her. You musn't ask her to pick up

swill." He stopped looking at Tess for a moment and slammed his fist

against the table.

"I am hungry, Anna. You will bring me something to eat. And you will

bring something--for the lady."

Anna didn't like that at all. She began to argue again. This time Chavez

rose and slapped her hard across the face.

Anna stared at him, tears forming in her eyes. But she said no more,

choosing to obey him. Chavez looked at Tess sternly.

"That is how to handle a woman!" he told her firmly.

"That, Chavez, is not even the proper way to handle a dog," she told

him.

But a second later it was all that she could do not to shrink away from