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Winter was biting cold, scarring higher portions of the landscape with snowcaps. Shiloh took his time riding through the ghost town remains that was once Gobernador. The late march winds stung his face. Once the dust settled and the blood dried, even the miners decided it wasn’t worth going back and rebuilding. The silver mines had all turned to bone, having greedy hands pick away the meat that once made the town thrive. After Harry Fawkes finished burning, anything could burn; only the heartiest of creosote-soaked timber remained. The adobe foundation might last another one hundred years.
Passing copses of Ponderosa pines at the base of the mesa, Shiloh recalled Halona’s helplessness. He didn’t know it at the time, but that one selfless act of bravery likely stopped another war between the Indians and the settlers. Since people abandoned the town, the only civilization left in Ghost Valley was the Navajo reservation. He rode another five miles northeast, crossing the river following the detailed directions in the letter. Every tree and landmark described came into view.
When Shiloh reached the higher ground where it leveled out, he dismounted, leading the horse the rest of the way toward the rising domes of the Navajo dwellings. The structures of ancient timber and generations of adobe brick would likely last longer than anything left in the ghost town on the White man’s lands.
The dogs saw him first, alerting the families, barking and running toward him. Several men and women called off their dogs before they could reach Shiloh or bother his horse. He stopped, padding the horse’s neck to keep it calm. He was several hundred yards from the main structures, and that was close enough for him. The Navajo would come to him. He didn’t want to trespass any more than he already had.
A small group of men and women approached him. The dogs circled the Indians, closing in on Shiloh. He limped to a stop and waited in the distance. Eventually, the three dogs broke away from their owners to sniff around Shiloh, staying clear of the hooves. He offered one of the dogs to sniff his hand before he scratched its head.
“I think he likes you,” she said, smiling.
Halona was still as beautiful as she had been on the first day Shiloh saw her. It had been a few months since she came to see him in Silver City. It was Shiloh’s turn to visit her and her family.
“This is Awena and Istas,” Halona said, introducing the women to him. Awena is Naalnish’s wife.”
Shiloh removed his hat in the presence of the women. Nodding in greeting as he gestured to the cradleboard, saying, “You got a little one there.”
Awena whispered something to Halona in Navajo that Shiloh barely heard. Halona explained something before speaking directly to Shiloh again. “This is Bidziil, Naalnish’s son. His name means He Is Strong.”
Shiloh nodded in understanding. Naalnish was one of the many warriors killed the night Johnny Chee led the hired gunmen into the reservation. The escort warrior would never know of his son. But Shiloh suspected his mother and Halona would tell the child many things about his father.
“You remember Sik’is,” she said as the warrior stepped forward to shake hands with Shiloh.
He had a grip like bronco’s knot. Shiloh winced at the strength. The man acknowledged him in Navajo before turning his back on Shiloh to return to his wife Istas’ side. Sik’is gently touched his wife’s swollen belly. Shiloh smiled and nodded.
Halona stepped away from the others, closing the rest of the distance between her and Shiloh. The Escorts stayed behind, murmuring. Awena softly bounced Bidziil on the cradleboard. Halona pulled the blanket tighter around her slender shoulders.
“I thought about bringing something for you, but I didn’t know what you might want.”
“You can always bring me newspapers. It is good to know what is happening in your world.”
“I can do that. I’ll bring a few next time.” He smiled. “Mind you, by the time we get news from back east, it’s already outdated. By the time you get it, it will be ancient.”
Halona nodded. “I can use the newspapers to teach English to the children,” she said. “They can learn something while learning something.”
“Alright.”
“You have that look on your face.” She pulled her hand free of holding the blanket against her chest to circle her face. “That look you get when you are thinking too much.”
Shiloh laughed. “Yeah, I do that,” he said. “I wanted to let you know we got Captain Tully Marsh.”
“That is good. Will you sleep better now?”
“I might. I sleep better nowadays anyway.” He wanted a moment before adding, “I haven’t been drinking anymore.”
Halona nodded again with a soft smile. Shiloh didn’t dwell on it.
“Captain Tully gave up without much of a fight. We transported him back to Colorado. He’ll stand trial for the robbery and murders.”
“That is good.” Halona reached out and touched the silver star on Shiloh’s jacket. He wore it prominently because it let everyone know there were no surprises when he showed up. Her fingertips traced the stamped lettering. “It is good to see you wear that proudly.”
“I got slipped back into the federal marshal service when my boss decided to take a posse against Marsh,” he said. “I still get to watch over Rio Arriba County, but with the town gone, there ain’t much going on along the reservation borders.”
“I like knowing you are out there watching over us.”
“Are you making any plans to go to the governor’s office for the inauguration?”
“We will wait until we get a proper invitation.”
Shiloh shrugged. “Do you mind all the politics?” He glanced at Sik’is. The warrior watched Shiloh without making it look too obvious. Halona was a treasure to the Navajo. He accepted that when she didn’t want to return to Silver City with him before winter.
“I do not mind it as much as I once did,” she said.
“Listen, I wanted to tell you something. I didn’t want to upset you or make you uncomfortable.”
She nodded.
“A couple of months back, a homesteader managed to pay off his debt and purchased three more homesteads around his place. He bought fifteen thousand heads of cattle, and my boss, Marshal McAllister, had me go out to the ranch and collect taxes.”
Halona didn’t speak. Her pretty amber eyes watched Shiloh as her silk black hair swirled around her face.
“He paid up immediately in cash.”
“Alright, that is good for him.”
“Well, sure, but I started pressing, and when I went looking around his property, I found a stallion with a branding on the inside of the thigh. It turned out the horse belonged to Matthew McFadden. He owns a gambling hall in Silver City. When I confronted the man about stealing the horse, he tried buying my time, too.”
“Did you take the money?” she asked, but Halona smiled at the question. She already knew his answer.
“You know the federal marshals arrested Silver City marshal and his deputies for accepting bribes from Archibald Bradshaw. The rancher tells me this tall tale that he didn’t steal the horse. It just showed up one day. Its saddlebags were chuck full of cash.”
“It sounds like good fortune for him.”
“Yup, well, it ain’t up to me. He’s got to talk to the judge and get it all sorted out.”
“You tell me this because you want us to buy his ranch?” she asked. She smirked lightly.
Shiloh laughed, shaking his head. He pushed back his hair before putting on the hat again. “No, I just thought you should know that we still haven’t found Johnny Chee.” He knew better than to call the man her brother. “But Johnny stole a horse from Mr. McFadden’s stables the night he murdered Archibald Bradshaw.”
“I remember. I got the newspaper reading about the railroad tycoon’s death.”
“Well, putting it together, I think Johnny killed Bradshaw, stole that horse along with Bradshaw’s money, and left town before anyone was the wiser. Does letting a horse ride off with a wad of cash seem like something Johnny would do?”
Halona didn’t answer immediately. The dogs ran circles around them, chasing each other, yapping. Sik’is whistled and shouted at the dogs, waving his arm. The dogs ran off back to the cooking fires, and the reservation children watched from the cover of the dome buildings.
“I do not think about Johnny anymore, Shiloh,” she said. “I stopped wondering about him months ago. If you ask me, would he give up all that cash and go far away?” She nodded. “It is possible.”
“I don’t want to bring up a sore subject.”
“I am not haunted by what Johnny did in the past anymore. We learn to heal together after we have mourned together. I will mourn for Naalnish more than I will ever mourn for Johnny. But I have Naalnish’s son to remind me that he was a good man.”
Shiloh read between the lines, or as much as her pretty face allowed him to read. If she knew something about Johnny Chee, if she knew he was dead, Shiloh would never see the truth because she didn’t care about her brother at all. It suited him. He wouldn’t spend another minute wondering about the Yee Naaldlooshii. Wherever Johnny was, as long as it was far away from Halona, he didn’t care anymore.
“Will you stay for a spell?” Halona asked, taking Shiloh away from his thoughts. “We are preparing supper. You are welcome to stay as long as you want.”
Shiloh took a deep breath. He had fully healed, and his hands were now rock steady. Away from the drinking and the pain, Shiloh did as Halona had when it came to his past. He stopped thinking about it. It seemed once he put away the nightmares of his dead brother, finally putting a bullet in Zeke Boone, Shiloh slept better even if he carried a limp that didn’t remind him of a shameful past. Possibly, he learned more from Halona than he realized.
“I could sit for a spell,” he said.
“We are having venison and blue corn tortillas.”
“I only had one of those before, so I could try something new today.”
Halona lifted her chin for Shiloh to follow. He led the horse until Sik’is offered to take the horse’s reins. Halona and Shiloh walked alone behind the others. Sik’is would take Shiloh’s horse to graze with the others on the range. The Navajo were never interested in fences. Even their horses ran free.
Shiloh felt Halona’s hand slip under his elbow, gripping his forearm tight as they walked. He enjoyed her closeness and the feeling of her hand on him. Halona had much to tell him about the community. And later, after they had their fill of food, the elders and warriors sat around the campfire while Shiloh acted out his adventures as a lawman. Halona watched him with loving fascination.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Grit and Glory on the Frontier", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hello there, I really hope you liked my new western adventure story and the extended epilogue! I would be very happy to read your thoughts below.
Yes I really loved the book and I already have the others in the series. I have many of your books – perhaps all I’m not sure. I was hoping there was a getting together for the two and still think it is possible considering the last line or so at the end.
Thank you so much for your kind support and feedback, Myrna!