The Holy Warrior by Gilbert Morris Read Free Book Online Page B

awaiting him at his father’s house. “I’m ready,” he murmured softly. “Let the mountains kill me!”
    “Reckon that’s possible,” Con nodded. A hard light glinted in his eyes as he added, “We’re goin’ into country that the Injuns got all staked out. In ten or twenty years, mebbe, there’ll be a line of trappers in there, takin’ out the beaver. Right now, though, you won’t see a white face—and it’s a better’n even chance that you’ll lose your scalp.” He shrugged. “Always that way, I reckon. First come, first served—but in this case, it’s a heap more risky.”
    “If you go—I’m going too!” Knox told Chris, and the stubborn set of his jaw warned the others that he could not be dissuaded. “You leave me, I’ll follow,” he stated flatly.
    “No time for arguin’,” Conrad said abruptly. “Let’s git outta here quick. Frenchie, you git our goods together.”
    Chris turned to Knox. “We’ll have to tell the Greenes.” The two hurried to the house. Dan was a light sleeper and came into the small room when the boys entered; his face tensed as Chris told him the story. Knox went to the loft to gather their things.
    “You don’t have to go. The law’s on your side,” Dan said.
    “From what I hear, these folks don’t wait for law.” Chrislowered his voice so that his brother could not hear him. “I’m afraid for Knox, Dan. They’ll kill him if we don’t get away.”
    “But his folks—”
    “He won’t go up the river. I’ll tell the trappers to take him back home after I’m gone.”
    Conflicting emotions flickered across Greene’s face. “Pretty sure you won’t make it, eh, Christmas?”
    “No—but I want Knox out of this.” He squared his shoulders and said, “I want to see Missy.”
    “Go on in. She’d never forgive me if I didn’t let you say goodbye to her.”
    Chris went into the small room carrying a lamp, and at one touch the girl was wide-awake. “Don’t wake Asa up,” Christmas whispered.
    “What’s the matter?”
    “I—I can’t come to your birthday party, Missy, like I promised.”
    “Why not, Christmas?”
    “Have to go away on a trip—but I brought your pretty.” He set the lamp down and pulled the small leather pouch from his pocket. Removing one of the pearls, he held it out to her. She took it in her palm, and the yellow lamplight caught the stone, making it gleam like a living thing.
    “Oh, Christmas! It’s so pretty!”
    He watched her face, marveling at the fine structure of her bones and the quick intelligence in her eyes. “Your father will have it made into a ring or a necklace. I hope you think of me sometimes when you wear it.”
    “Do you have to go?” she pleaded. “When will you come back, Christmas? And where are you going—is it a long way?”
    “It’s a very long way—but I’ll be thinking of my nurse as I go, won’t I? Now, go to sleep.”
    “Can I keep my pretty?”
    “Sure.”
    Holding the pearl tightly in one hand, she reached out with the other, beckoning him closer. He knelt beside her and sheput an arm around his neck. The touch of her lips was light as a feather on his cheek.
    “It’s the best birthday pretty any girl ever got, Christmas!”
    Feeling a lump rise to his throat, he got up and left quickly and found Knox standing ready with their gear. “The wagon’s here,” he stated.
    “Preacher, I won’t try to thank you,” Chris said. “I sure wish I knew how.”
    “I’ll be praying for you both,” Dan replied simply. “Don’t give up on God, Christmas. He’s not giving up on you.”
    Dan’s promise to pray stuck in his mind as he and his brother left. Knox got on the horse that Frenchie was holding, and Chris climbed into the heavily loaded spring wagon Conrad had driven up to the steps of the cabin. As they pulled out of the yard, the trapper heard Chris say softly, “Now—let the mountains kill me!”

CHAPTER FOUR
    SIOUX COUNTRY
    “Guess if you ain’t died yet, we might