Page 40 of The Enchanted Land

When Ben gleefully climbed on top of the prostrate woman, Cat Man’s hand stole to Morgan’s right breast and began to fondle and knead it. She tried to pull away, but his iron grip held her.

“Like a rabbit! You finished faster’n a rabbit,” Joe laughed at Ben.

Joe’s ugly jeer made Cat Man drop his hand. His breathing returned to normal. Morgan jumped from his lap. He grabbed at her, catching her skirt and tearing it at the waist. He smiled at her, narrowing his eyes.

“Ben, look for any money and pack some food.”

“I was thinkin’ about goin’ agin.” He looked down at the nude woman on the floor. She hadn’t moved since they had put her there. Ben turned at a sound from John, and Morgan saw his eyes were pleading. She knew that John’s look of entreaty was more likely to encourage their cruelty than to stop it.

Morgan grabbed a quilt from the back of a chair and covered Meg, and then put her arms under Meg’s shoulders to lift her up. It was like holding a rag doll. Tears sprang to Morgan’s eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she whispered to the unresponding woman.

“Leave her alone. We got to go. Ben, you find any clothes to fit…” He looked at Morgan and grinned. “I don’t even know your name.”

She wanted these people to know their names, his name as well as hers. In a cold voice, she said, “It’s Morgan, Cat Man.” Perhaps this would help Seth to find her.

His eyes shifted to the man on the floor at his feet. He knew why Morgan has used his name. It didn’t matter to him. He liked people to know who he was. He liked it when his name caused fear in people’s eyes.

“Find some clothes for Morgan,” he called, his eyes never leaving hers.

“What about these?” Ben held up a pair of boy’s jeans and a plaid shirt. Joe held a pair of boots.

“Good, I think they’ll do real well. Now go outside and get the horses ready. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Can’t we see the little girl put the clothes on?” Ben whined.

“No! Now go do as I say.” The two men hurried to obey.

When they were gone, Cat Man turned back to Morgan. “Now get dressed.”

Reading her reluctance correctly, Cat Man quickly drew his gun and shot close to the head of the man against the wall. He hardly even looked where he was shooting. Meg, at Morgan’s feet, turned her head to look at her husband, but she did not move otherwise.

Morgan began to remove her clothes. When she was totally naked, she stood straight up to stare at Cat Man, who was holding the clothes she was to put on.

Cat Man had seen her nude before, but now that he saw her body in daylight, he began to regret his decision to give her to Boss Martin. Her skin was flawless, her waist so small, and the curve of her hips made him ache to touch her.

Cat Man tossed the clothes to Morgan. “Put these on—fast.”

The pants and shirt were made for a young boy, and were too small on Morgan’s curvaceous body. The pants fit over her hips and legs like a second skin, and the shirt strained across her breasts. It was one more cause for misery. How much longer could she bear this?

Seth had been tracking them for three days. He knew they were traveling fast, because he had found only one campfire in the three days. For a while he seemed to have lost their trail. Now he looked down on a cabin nestled against a hill. There were animals in pens around the place, but no sign of human life. Cautiously, Seth made his way down the hill toward the adobe house.

A rifle shot rang out, and Seth felt it whiz by, close to his left ear. Quickly, he turned his horse and was soon out of sight of the house.

He had followed the trail of Cat Man and Morgan to this cabin, and he meant to find out what they knew about his wife. He decided to wait until dark before going to the cabin again. He found a circle of piñon trees that gave privacy and shelter, and he stretched out on the fragrant needles to obtain some long-needed sleep.

When he awoke, the moon was high, and gave eerie shadows to the trees and shrubs around him. Quietly and stealthily, he made his way down the ridge to the back of the little house. About fifty yards from the woodpile, he tied his horse and then approached the house. He didn’t know how many people were in the cabin, and he didn’t want to take the chance of walking into a hostile group.

As he ran to the woodpile, he heard a noise from the door and watched to see a tall, slim man open the door slightly and look out. Holding a rifle in front of him, he limped slowly to the woodpile, looking around constantly.

When he seemed satisfied that he was alone, he propped the rifle against the stack of wood and began to fill his arms.

Seth sprang over the mound of cut logs, and before the man could even turn, Seth had a gun in his ribs and one powerful arm around the man’s neck.

“Don’t hurt us, mister. We been hurt enough,” the man pleaded.

“I have no cause to hurt you. I just want to ask some questions. Did three men come by here just recently, with a woman?”

Before the man could answer, the door to the cabin opened. Both men turned toward the sound.

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