“Put your shotgun down, Pearse.”
“Who has more fire power here, little missy? If’n I shoot, I’ll plumb git you and your horse to boots. If’n you shoot, you have only a wee chance of hittin’ me with that little revolver of yur’un.”
“I’m not backing down. Put down your shotgun.”
“I’m trackin’ the polecat who stole my likker and busted up my still.” Pearse spit tobacco juice upon the ground.
“Says you.”
“Reckon we got ourselves a Mexican standoff then.”
Farley groaned and shifted slightly.
“What did you do to him?” Mona asked. She desperately wanted to get to Robert.
“Hurd the shots and came to see. Found him this-a-way. This yor’n man?”
“Yes.” Mona waved her gun. “Stand away from him.”
“I’ll not fight a woman who wants to help her man. You did a kindness for me. I haven’t forgotten but beware, little missy. There are other varmints in the woods. I’ve been followin’ ’em.” Pearse raised his shotgun, turned, and swiftly disappeared into the woods.
Mona jumped off Shaggy and ran over to Farley. “Dearest, what happened?” She raised a water canteen to his lips from which Farley gratefully sipped.
Sitting up with Mona’s help, Farley said, “Caught the trail of someone riding one of our mules. Was following him following you. Thought I would sneak up on him and then, whammy, a shot rang out. I thought I saw him through the trees. Took my best shot but he bested me. I guess I wasn’t as quiet as I thought.”
Mona ripped off part of her undershirt and wrapped it around Robert’s head.
“Ah, Mona, you’re literally giving me the shirt off your back.”
“You must be all right if you’re teasing. It’s just a flesh wound. Looks worse than it is.”
“Will you kiss my boo boo and make it go away?”
Mona grabbed Farley and hugged him tightly. “My darling. When I saw it was you lying there, my heart practically leapt out of my chest.”
“My word! Darling and dearest—two endearments in the space of a minute. I must injure myself more often. You haven’t been this sweet to me in months. Did I hear you say that I was your man or was that a dream?”
Mona pushed Farley away. “You were conscious the entire time.”
“I was—how do you Americans say—playing possum.”
“Ugh, you disgust me sometimes. Were you going to let that man shoot me?”
“Popcorn had no intention of shooting you. He is obliged to you for your small kindness. Besides, it wasn’t Popcorn who shot me. It was someone with a rifle.”
“That’s what it sounded like to me.”
“Popcorn carries a shotgun.”
“A big one.”
“Two distinctly different guns. I believe Popcorn when he said he was chasing someone who stole his moonshine.”
“Let’s look at this logically. Althea has a rifle. You have a rifle and a pistol. I have a revolver. Chester had a revolver but it is missing from his shoulder holster.”
“Besides Rose Fugate and Popcorn Pearse we have had no contact with anyone on Pine Mountain. And there is Althea leaving the group on a supposed-errand-of-mercy.”
Mona scoffed. “Surely, you don’t think Althea has anything to do with this.”
“She’s a masterful shot and a natural horsewoman who knows every cow and deer path in these woods.”
“Sorry, she doesn’t add up. What would be her motive?”
Farley shrugged. “Couldn’t guess. If not Althea, then Rupert.”
“I don’t think so, either. I’ll tell you about him later. It’s a real humdinger of a tale.”
“It’s Althea, then.”
“It’s not. Got to be an unknown person involved. I won’t believe it of her.”
“Just like you didn’t believe betrayal from Jetta.”
Mona frowned. “That’s a low blow, Robert.”
“Let’s not quarrel, Snookums. Help me up.”
Mona helped Farley stand. “How do you feel?”
“A bit shaky. I could do with an aspirin or two. I’ll manage, though.” He cuffed Mona’s chin. “Don’t look so serious. I’m fine.”
“We need to get off this mountain.”
“I quite agree.”
“We need to start now and travel all night if possible.”
Farley peered at the sky. “Day’s mostly over. We’ll start at daybreak.”
“No, Robert. We need to move now. Chester is dead. He’s been murdered.”
“What?”
“He was shot in the back of the head.”
“We would have heard the shot. Sound travels long distances in these hills.”
“I think it was at close range. It looked like an execution.”
“Was he in the ravine as Rupert said?”
“No, we found him sprawled across the path. There were signs of a scuffle and Chester had been robbed. His horse is missing.”
“Maybe the two lads had a parting of the ways. Sounds awfully like how James Harrod was murdered. Wouldn’t it be something if they discovered John Swift’s mine, and Rupert killed Chester over the secret.” Farley looked about. “By the way, where is Rupert?”
“Long gone by now. As soon as I heard the shots I left him. Look, there’s lots to tell you, but we need to get moving.”
“We don’t know where our shooter is, luv. Perhaps we should move north across the mountain to the Pine Mountain Settlement.”
“I’m not going to leave Chloe. We must head back to base camp.”
“If this fellow has been stalking us, he’ll know about your attachment to the dog.”
“I’m not going to abandon her.” Mona strode over to Shaggy. “I’ll find your horse. Don’t move.”
“Where am I going to go?” Robert watched Mona ride off. I’m going to marry that wildcat if it’s the last thing I do. Lord help me when I finally catch her, he thought.