Jacob trotted upstream along the frozen creek. The sun had already fallen cold and sullen behind the snowy mountains. Dusk was gathering among the big cottonwoods and pines of the valley bottom, welding them all together into a world of gray, murky shadow. He hurried, for he didn't want to sleep another night in the snow.
What kind of welcome would he receive from Cora? Most probably she would be the same distant, untalkative girl he had left almost four days before. He would not like that, but simply being near her would give him pleasure. At the thought of seeing her pretty face again, he increased his pace.
* * *
Maude came instantly alert in her hiding place in the pine thicket when she spotted something moving through the woods. A second later she identified the trapper trotting in her direction. He had a bulky pack on his back. Two rifles were tied to the outside of the pack. He carried a third in his hand. Where had he acquired the two additional rifles? The load must be heavy; still, he ran easily on his snowshoes.
The man was very strong. She recalled the hardness of his fist and the power of his blows when they fought each other on the prairie. He must never be given the chance to hit her again. She raised the rifle to her shoulder.
Maude caught the trapper with the front post sight of the rifle, and then settled both post and man into the notch of the rear sight. Holding her aim on his chest, she tracked him as he drew ever nearer. She ignored the trees that passed between her gun and target. Just a few more paces along his course and he would be at his closest point to her. At that place, there was a small opening in the woods; she had chosen her shooting stand carefully.
She felt her pulse speeding as she looked across the sights of the rifle at the trapper. He should have been killed long ago, before he had made love to Cora. That could not be reversed, but never again would he have the opportunity to be near Cora.
Maude squinted through the grainy light of the thickening dusk. The trapper was almost at the opening. There he would die. Her finger took up the slack in the trigger. Not too much pressure, Maude, don't get overanxious and fire before everything is perfect. She chuckled in anticipation of seeing the man fall, and the sights of the rifle bobbled a little. Stop that.
The trapper came into the opening. Then, to Maude's surprise and consternation, he suddenly sprang ahead at a faster pace. The sights of the rifle fell behind him. In three long strides, and before Maude could shift her weapon to bear on him again, he was into the trees beyond the clearing.
Maude shook with angry frustration. How had he known she was there with a rifle trained on him? Why else except to escape from her would he have so abruptly increased his speed across the opening? Damn him to hell.
She gripped the rifle and watched the woods where Jacob had disappeared. Would he now be hiding behind some tree along the path up the valley and shoot her as she passed? She must be very cautious as she returned to the cabin.
* * *
Cora straightened from stirring the food in the cooking pot hanging in the heat of the fireplace. She listened for Maude, who should have returned by now. The only sound from the outside was the wind whistling around the cabin and clattering the wood-shingled roof. The wind found the chimney and came tumbling down into the fireplace. The fire arched its back and hissed at the wind.
Cora went to the door and opened it to look outside. The cold wind rushed over her, forming goose pimples on her bare arms and she folded them across her bosom. She glanced both ways along the creek channel. In the deep mountain valley the days were short and the night was falling rapidly. There was only the snow, and the frozen trees, and the darkness filling in the spaces between them.
She was worried about Maude being lost in the woods in the black night. For the past two days, Maude had left the cabin early with one of the dead trappers' rifles to hunt for game. Always she returned by evening dusk. She had killed nothing the first day. Perhaps she'd had better luck today and that was why she was late. Still, if she did not return very soon it would be too dark to see to travel and she would have to spend the night in the snow. Cora shivered at the remembrance of sleeping outside in the bitter cold. She closed the door.
* * *
Through the trees ahead, Jacob saw light spilling out the open door of the cabin. Then the light winked out as the door was closed. He slowed and came on at a slow walk. Now that he was at the cabin, he was reluctant to enter. He expected coldness from Cora, and from Maude, total hatred. Both would be awful to face.
To hell with both women. He was tired and hungry. He removed his snowshoes and leaned them against the cabin wall. He went to the door, shoved it open, and stepped inside.
Cora was near the fireplace. Maude was nowhere in sight. At least he would have a moment without that woman's baleful eye upon him.
Cora heard the door open and spun around. Jacob stood just inside the doorway. She waited, looking at him and, since Maude was not present, expecting him to smile at her. But there was no smile for her. His face had grown a harder skin, and she sensed a farawayness in him.
She knew she was responsible for the change in him. She had caused him to become someone else, a sad man who did not smile and masked his feeling toward her. Or maybe he no longer cared for her. Regardless of that, he needed cheering up. She gave him a smile.
Jacob was surprised at the lovely, wonderful smile of welcome that Cora gave him. His tight face softened and a broad smile of his own broke through. All his love for the girl welled up and sent his blood rushing. From the expression that came into Cora's eyes he knew she understood his emotion. She continued to look steadily back at him, but her smile became uncertain, and then faded away entirely.
He dropped his pack to the floor, laid his rifle across it, and moved toward Cora. His desire for her was so strong He could not resist it, no matter if Maude should come through the door the next instant behind him. He caught Cora up in his arms, and crushed her to him.
Cora knew she should be resisting Jacob. However, she seemed to be burning, but a cold burn, like foxfire in some dark wood. She was sure her skin was cool to Jacob's touch. He began to kiss her, his lips finding hers through his beard.
Cora leaned back from Jacob, and put her hands on his chest to push him away. But it was too late for that. Her cold fire had burst into bright flame.
Jacob looked down at Cora. Her eyes seemed on the point of ignition.
* * *
Maude crept along the path leading to the cabin. The imprints of Jacob's snowshoes were very faint in the frail light. She trembled, fearful that a rifle would explode and send a bullet slamming into her from the trees rearing darkly on all sides. A second great fear crowded the first in her mind, a fear that Jacob was at the cabin alone with Cora.
She gripped her rifle and wished for more light to drive away the murk in the woods so she could see her enemy. At the same time, she was glad for the growing darkness so he could not see to shoot her. All the conflicting thoughts made her head ache. Damn the trapper to hell. Her headache, all her problems, was his fault.
The square, squat form of the cabin came into sight, and she halted and straightened to her full height. She had not been shot. My God! That meant he was in the cabin with Cora.
Maude rushed across the snow to the cabin. Strangely, the door stood partially open. Silently she shoved it open further and looked inside.
The light of the flames from the fireplace showed Jacob on his bunk with Cora. They were locked in each, other's arms. Maude heard Cora's passionate whispers as she and the trapper took their love. Their strong, young bodies were thrusting quick and hard at each other, as violent as a knife fight.
Anger boiled up in Maude and raced like molten lead through her veins. She felt the throbbing of her heart to the very tips of her fingers. Her breath came scalding in her lungs. She jerked the rifle up to her shoulder and through a dark haze aimed it at the center of Jacob's back. Cora's promises were nothing, for she could not resist the man's advances. I'll kill the bastard and then there will be no temptation for Cora.