Maude wasn't going to be sane again when morning arrived, Cora knew it. Her sister's loss of reason had been coming on for months and wouldn't suddenly disappear. She believed Jacob thought the same as she did. It was all so unfair to him. She wouldn't blame him if he abandoned them.
Cora sat in her bed with the buffalo robe wrapped around her. She stared into the darkness of the cabin, unable to sleep. Jacob had returned through the black night hours ago and, without uttering a word or building up the fire to make a light, fell into his bed. A decision had to be made about him, and Maude, who wanted him dead. In her madness, did Maude also want Cora dead?
Something moved in the murk of the cabin. It was more sensed than seen, for the darkness was so dense that it seemed to have weight. Cora strained to see. A patch of a lighter shade of darkness was moving near the door. It floated there for a moment, and then drifted soundlessly toward Jacob's bunk.
Either Jacob or Maude was moving about. Maude? Cora threw off her cover and sprang to Maude's bed. She ran her hand over the bunk. Empty.
"Jacob!" Cora shouted. "Maude's loose!"
She hurled herself across the narrow width of the cabin, and sprang upon Maude looming over Jacob's bed. Her arms encircled the woman's broad chest and she yanked backward with all her strength. Her sister's big body seemed made of stone, and gave way to her pull not at all.
Jacob snapped awake with Cora's cry ringing in his ears. He saw the dark form of Maude above him. He hurled himself from his bunk onto the floor. He heard something heavy crash down on his bed where he had lain but a moment before.
He made a roundhouse sweep with his arms through the blackness, found Maude's legs, and a second, smaller pair he knew was Cora's. He shifted his arm to encircle only Maude's legs and jerked them out from under her. Maude thumped down with a cry near him. He threw himself on top of her.
Jacob immediately struck Maude hard on the ribs with his fist. The breath left the woman with an explosion of air. He swarmed upon her and penned both of her arms to her sides. Beneath him, Maude's chest heaved as she fought to draw breath.
"Cora, hurry, see if there's any hot coals under the ashes," Jacob said. "Make a light."
Cora rose and hastened to the fireplace. She found the poker and raked through the mound of ashes left by the evening fire. A few live coals came to the surface and glowed red in the darkness. She placed thin wood shavings on the coals and blew on them. After a few breaths, the shavings burst into flame, and their yellow light shoved the darkness into the corners of the cabin.
Cora looked at Jacob sitting astride Maude on the floor. Then she saw the chopping ax embedded in Jacob's bunk where he had lain. That was why Maude had been near the door, to get the ax.
"Oh, my God," she exclaimed. What a horrible, de-merited act Maude's deranged mind had conjured up. "I'm so sorry, Jacob, for what she tried to do."
Jacob looked to see what Cora saw. The ax had cut through the furs he used as a mattress and was stuck in the slats of the bed. "She is totally mad, so you don't have anything to be sorry about. You saved my life."
"I don't want you to die. Not ever."
"Well, someday it'll sure happen," Jacob said. "Now we'd better tie her up." He examined the lengths of frayed rawhide fastened to Maude's wrists. "She must've worn them into rubbing on the wood of the bunk. This time I'll use stronger pieces. Bring me a piece of the elk hide."
Cora did as Jacob asked, and then knelt down beside him as he bound Maude's wrists and legs. "We must do something for Maude," she said. "Maybe a doctor could help her. I heard of doctors in New Orleans that sometimes could help people like Maude."
"I think all big towns would have them."
"We must take her to one. And they must not fail to help her, for I don't want her locked up in an insane asylum."
"The nearest town is Salt Lake City. It's small and I doubt that there'd be a doctor of that kind there. We'll have to take her to St. Louis, or San Francisco."
"When can we leave?"
"Cora, there's deep snow in all this high country. The ground for hundreds of miles in every direction will be covered with it."
"I know there will be snow. What I want to know is, which city should we go to, San Francisco, or St. Louis?"
"San Francisco is my choice, for I want to end up in California." And I want you there with me, Jacob thought. "But there are many snowy mountains to cross to reach there."
"I understand it would be difficult. But can we do it?"
Jacob believed he could make it to San Francisco if he was alone. But could Cora stand the grueling journey? He didn't want to allow her to die in the snow on some frigid mountain. And what of crazy Maude, who he would have to keep tied?
"The hardest part is getting down out of the mountains to lower country where the snow isn't so deep. Then there's high desert country to cross, and a range of mountains to climb over to reach California. We would have more than a thousand miles of the damnest, toughest traveling you can imagine. The horses won't be able to carry us through the country with deep snow, and that part we'd have to snowshoe."
"Then you think we can do it?"
"We don't have any other choices." Jacob said "We've got to chance it."
* * *
The snowflakes were huge, floating down like dead, white birds. They landed silently, clinging to everything they touched. After only a few minutes, they were piled an inch thick on Jacob's shoulders as he worked loading and saddling the horses in front of the cabin.
The storm was a wet one and Jacob knew it would drop much snow on the mountains. He must get the women down on the plains as swiftly as possible. Even there the snow would be falling, just not as much.
He finished with the horses and went to the open cabin door and called inside, "Cora, bring Maude and let's be on our way."
"Come, Maude, we're going to Salt Lake City and then on to San Francisco to get a doctor for you," Cora said.
Maude looked straight at Jacob, standing in the doorway. She was dressed, as was Cora, in her heavy clothing and fur coat. Her hands were tied in front of her. She gave Jacob a feral animal look and did not move.
"Maude, listen to me," Cora said insistently. "You can see Clive in Salt Lake City. Jacob is going to take us there."
Maude slowly shifted her sight to Cora. Her face twitched as she concentrated on what Cora had said. "Marry Clive?" she asked in a dull voice.
Cora was startled by Maude's words. She hadn't spoken for hours. She exchanged glances with Jacob. Maybe here was a way to control her sister. "Maude, would you like to marry Clive?" she asked.
"Marry Clive," the big woman said in a slightly brighter tone.
"If you want that, then we had better go with Jacob," Cora said. "You do what he says and you'll see Clive in a few days. Do you understand me?"
Maude looked back at Jacob. Her face twisted and her mouth worked as she fought some battle with herself. Finally she spoke. "Marry Clive."
"Jacob is your friend, Maude. He wants only to help you. You mustn't hurt him. Do you understand that?"
"Marry Clive," Maude intoned.
"Maude will soon marry Clive," Jacob said. "Now we must go and find him."
* * *
Jacob watched warily ahead as he led the women and horses through the snow pouring down through the limbs of the tall pine trees. He wore snowshoes as did Cora and Maude, trudging along beside him. He towed behind him seven horses, tied nose-to-tail in single file.
The first two horses in line were unloaded animals Jacob was using to break trail through the deep snow. Next came two packhorses carrying sleeping robes, food, and spare weapons. Saddle horses for Cora, Maude, and himself came last.
The lead horse struggled with the snow, so deep that the animal couldn't walk. It lunged forward time after time to keep up with Jacob. With each lunge, its narrow hooves plunged to the bottom of the snow. The second horse had somewhat less difficulty in moving forward. With the snow becoming ever more packed with the passage of each horse, the one that followed had an easier time of it.
Jacob looked to the side at Cora. She appeared so small and vulnerable in the flood of falling snow. She was brave and sturdy, and was speedily adapting to the snowshoes. Still he worried. She couldn't know how severe would be the hardships that they must overcome on the long journey that lay before them.
He snowshoed ahead, trailing his rifle in his hand. He kept a taut rope on the lead horse, forcing the animal to come with him. In a few days, both lead animals would become so exhausted they would drop. He would sacrifice them to save the strength of the horses that must carry the two women and him to Salt Lake City and beyond.
In the cascade of falling snow a few yards ahead, Jacob saw an Indian astride his mustang take form like a bad spirit. Behind him and even less defined in the snow, a second mounted and approaching Indian became visible. There was the merest shadow of a third rider farther back in the forest. How many more were there just beyond sight?
Jacob dropped the lead rope, and grabbed his rifle with both hands. He recognized the nearest Indian, who was breaking trail for the Crows—Wolf Voice. The Crow had not been fooled for long by Jacob's false trail on the prairie. There were at least two other warriors with him. Jacob had little chance to win a battle against all of them.
Jacob was pleased that Wolf Voice was closest to him. At least he could shoot that Crow sonofabitch. Jacob swept his rifle up and brought it to bear on the man.
Wolf Voice knew his danger the instant the white man called Jacob appeared out of the snow. He remembered how very quick the man was. He jerked the reins of his mustang and spun the animal to the side. He dropped down to hang on the animal's side opposite Jacob, a heel and one arm holding him in place. From there, protected by the body of his mustang, he would shoot from under the neck of the animal at the white man.
When Wolf Voice disappeared behind his mustang, Jacob immediately shifted his rifle to the second Crow, Broken Arm. The man's view had been blocked by Wolf Voice's body and he was only now seeing Jacob. The range was very short and Jacob fired at once. The bullet struck Broken Arm in the sternum, shattering the thick bone. The impact of the bullet knocked the man tumbling from the back of his mustang.
The moment Jacob fired his rifle, he threw himself sideways and down into the snow, for Wolf Voice had taken aim on him As Jacob fell, Wolf Voice's rifle crashed and a bullet tugged at the shoulder of his coat.
Jacob sprang to his feet and, holding his empty rifle like a club, ran forward on his snowshoes at Wolf Voice. The Crow swung back into his saddle, and jumped his mustang to meet Jacob, to ride him down.
As the Crow's mustang came into reach, Jacob swung his rifle and struck the charging animal a powerful blow across the nose. He instantly jumped to the side to avoid the hard hooves of the beast.
At Jacob's savage blow, Wolf Voice's mustang came to an immediate stop and reared up on its hind legs. It whinnied in pain, reared still higher, and kicked the air. It slipped in the snow and fell backward.
Wolf Voice reacted swiftly, shoving himself away from the falling horse. He landed agilely on his feet a few steps in front of Maude and Cora. He pivoted to face Jacob, and plunged his hand inside his clothing for his pistol.
Jacob surged to his feet and dug for his own pistol under his buttoned coat. As he ripped the weapon free from the binding coat, the third Crow, Long Running, was charging his mustang at him. Long Running held his rifle to his shoulder, aimed at Jacob and ready to shoot.
Jacob knew he was going to be much too late to kill both Wolf Voice and Long Running. Which to shoot? The Crow that remained alive would easily kill him, for the range was so short that it was impossible to miss his target.
Maude came into Jacob's sight, snowshoeing forward with long, awkward strides. Her bound arms were outstretched toward Wolf Voice, her hands spread like talons to grab him.
The Crow, intent on Jacob, did not see the woman at first. Then he heard her feet on the snow and whirled in her direction. With a fierce cry, Maude slammed into Wolf Voice. They went down in a tangle of arms and legs.
Jacob whirled, the barrel of his pistol making the arc that brought its sights onto Long Running. He shot the man in the center of the face. A round black hole appeared in the bridge of the Crow's nose. Long Running fell from his horse and plunged into the deep snow.
Maude fought Wolf Voice on the ground in a flurry of snow. As they rolled and thrashed, she held the Crow's gun hand with both of hers and screamed in a high-pitched voice.
Wolf Voice slugged Maude in the face with his free hand, then again and again repeatedly. The savage blows stopped Maude's screams. Yet she continued to resist with all her strength Wolf Voice's efforts to force the gun down to point at her.
Jacob rushed to aid Maude. Before he could reach her, Wolf Voice's pistol exploded. Maude cried out in pain.
Wolf Voice shoved Maude's slack body aside. Still lying in the snow, he raised his pistol toward Jacob.
Too late, Wolf Voice, Jacob thought. He shot the Crow through the heart, driving him backward in the snow.
Cora rushed up and dropped down in the snow beside Maude. She lifted her sister in her arms. Blood was gushing from a gaping wound in her throat. Her face held a tortured expression as she tried to pull back the life that was escaping her. Her eyes found Cora's, fastened on them. "I want to marry Clive," she gasped. She shuddered, and died.
"No, Maude! No!" Cora sobbed. She pulled Maude to her bosom.
Jacob knelt beside Cora and put his arms around her shoulders as she cried. He wanted to say something that would comfort her, but no words came to him. He laid his head against hers and hoped his nearness would help. After a time he released Cora's hold on Maude and lay the body down in the snow.
Cora reached out and closed Maude's eyes with her fingers, eyes that were mere holes into nothingness. "It's all so awful," Cora said, looking up at Jacob.
"Maude saved my life," he said.
"She did, didn't she?" Cora said, stifling her sobs and looking up at Jacob. "I'm glad she did that. I'll remember her as she was before she changed, before all this happened."
Jacob wiped away the snowflakes that had fallen onto Cora's cheeks. He gazed into her eyes and saw his future universe in creation. A beautiful universe it was.