Polly Ch 06 The Escape

Chapter 6

The Escape

The horses picked up speed as they passed through the out skirts of town. Polly held on for life not realizing exactly what was going on.

Joe, pushed his horse to pick up more speed. If they were going to escape they had to move fast and hide way off the path everyone knew. He also had to cover their tracks. He looked back a Polly and realized she was in shock. It had all happened so fast. He knew what was gonna happen. He'd been planning it for months. But, Polly...

He looked forward and saw that they were riding into the setting sun. He slowed the horses and stopped them just on the edge of a forest. Over the hill and to the right was the way they needed to go. But first...

He climbed down off his horse and directed them to the darkness that was setting just inside the trees.

"Are you alright," he asked.

"Yes..." she replied. "What just happened?"

"I'll explain it all in a bit." He glanced over his shoulder and moved away from her. "I'll be right back. Just sit still." He took the time to tie both horses to the nearest tree to keep them waiting.

Polly blinked her eyes and tried to figure out what just happened. Where were they and where were they going?

Was John going to marry Natalie? She smiled at that. She'd never wanted to marry John. He was the most boring person she'd ever met.

She looked up when she heard foot steps and saw Joe coming back to the horses. She admired his walk, in his own way he strutted. For an Indian he was a handsome man, and full of confidence. She watched as he untied the horses. "Go first," he instructed her. She looked at him uncertain...

He nodded, "Just follow the path." The horses started moving as if they knew the trail and exactly where to go.

They had only gone a few yards; but, in the distance they could hear the sound of running, they were not too far away

"Stop your horse..." he said quietly. Both horses stopped and they remained silent.

The noise came closer and closer and than it faded into the distance ahead of them.

"Go ahead," Joe instructed and tapped the butt of the lead horse Polly was riding. They moved forward...

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After riding what seemed like hours they arrived at a vacant old cabin. Joe climbed down from his horse and assisted Polly to do the same.

"I know you're tired, and...." he held his finger up to his lips. "Don't talk, I'll explain everything once I get you inside and warm."

He walked her to the door and pushed it open. She was surprised to find that the cabin wasn't vacant. It was well cleaned and had a fresh stack of wood near the fireplace for burning.

There was a bed and a table and a couple of chairs in the room as well. One was a rocker and it sat near the fireplace.

Joe moved over towards the fireplace. "We don't wanna light the fire just yet."

He moved back to the door. "I'll tend to the horses. If your hungry there is food over in the kitchen area along with fresh water," he pointed and then he went out the door.

Why were they hiding? She wondered. Would they hurt him if they thought he'd kidnapped her?

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Joe came back into the cabin. He'd taken care of the horses and he gazed over towards Polly who was fast asleep in the rocking chair close to the fire place.

Every so quietly he sat a small low burning fire. It would keep them warm but the smoke wouldn't draw attention to the cabin.

He gazed down at her sleeping body and smiled. She was a beautiful woman. Her small curvy body fit nicely in the rocking chair. Her long brown hair would have fooled anyone who didn't know that she was over half Cherokee. Only a small percentage of her belonged to the white man's race.

He picked up a blanket from the floor near the fireplace where he'd placed it earlier so it'd get warm from the burning fire and laid it over her body. She sighed and fell back into a deep sleep.

He smiled again to himself. If she wasn't...He stopped himself from thinking that. There was no use, 'she was,' and that meant off limits.

He turned and pulled a second shirt from his bag and pulled it down over his head. He moved closer to the fireplace and laid one gun by his side fully loaded and ready to go and a second one he held in his hands. Just in case...

Time passed...