Free The Scalp Hunters by David Thompson Page B

mad. Bear attack.’
    â€˜Bear no like war cry. Bear always go.’
    Not always, but Evelyn let it drop. She added chips to the fire so the flames blazed brighter, then scanned the night for glowing eyes. Only when she was convinced the monster had left did she sit back down, cross-legged, with the Hawken in her lap. She wouldn’t be able to sleep for hours now. “Stupid bear,” she muttered.
    â€œWhy people no be nice?” Dega asked.
    Coming as it did out of the blue, the question mystified Evelyn. “Where did that come from?”
    â€œNice come from heart.”
    â€œNo, I mean, why did you ask?”
    â€œWhite men who kill my people. Scalp men who take hair for money. Other bad men. Why people no be nice?”
    â€œYou’re asking me?”
    â€œI just do ask.”
    Evelyn chuckled. “I’ve wondered the same thing since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. The answerI came up with is that some people are naturally nice and some aren’t.”
    â€œThat all?”
    â€œWhat more do you need?”
    â€œScalp men have hearts with no nice.”
    â€œI couldn’t have put it better, myself. So when the time comes, don’t hold back. It will be them or us.”
    Dega stared at his mother and father and sisters. “I no want it be us.” He smiled. “I no want it be you.”
    Evelyn King grew warm all over.

Chapter Nine
    The scalp hunters were in good spirits. The scent of prey was in the wind and the only thing they liked more than the hunt was spending the money they made from scalping the hunted.
    Venom had sent Rubicon on ahead to track. As usual, his men were strung out behind him in a line. They raised less dust that way. When one of his men came up beside him he didn’t look to see who it was. He knew. “Keep this up and I’ll get good and mad.”
    â€œIt’s about the girl,” Logan said.
    â€œWhich girl? There are two red and one white.”
    â€œThe white girl,” Logan amended. He hesitated, cleared his throat, and declared, “I want her.”
    â€œYou haven’t even set eyes on her yet.”
    â€œI still want her.”
    â€œDo you, now?” Venom didn’t keep the scorn out of his voice. “You must be confused. The rule has always been that each of us gets to keep the scalps of the redskins we kill. When it comes to other spoils, it’s share and share alike.”
    â€œYou can make an exception if you want.”
    â€œI don’t want,” Venom said.
    Logan frowned and shifted in his saddle. “Damnit. Why not? I’ll pay the others a share of my scalp money if that’s what will persuade you.”
    â€œYou’d do that?”
    â€œI need a woman. I need a woman bad. You wouldn’t understand because you don’t get the itch like I do.”
    â€œWhat else?” Venom prompted.
    â€œHow do you mean?”
    Venom almost struck him. “You must take me for a fool. What’s the real reason you want this white girl when you could have the Injun girls or their mother?”
    Logan looked away. “You think you have me figured out.”
    â€œGo annoy someone else.” Venom went to lift his reins.
    â€œAll right, all right.” Logan swore, then said, “I want her because she’s white. I don’t often get to do white girls, not how I like to do them, anyhow. It’d get me strung up faster than anything.”
    â€œSo you reckon to have this white girl all to yourself? Take your sweet time doing those awful things you do?”
    â€œYou’re a fine one to talk.”
    Venom enjoyed baiting him. “The answer is still no.”
    Logan scowled and opened his mouth but closed it again and visibly controlled himself. “I’m asking you nice.”
    â€œAre you now?” Venom smirked. “Have I ever told you how I feel about nice ? Nice is for the weak. Nice is for the puny. Nice is for those too