The Daughter by C.B. Cooper (robert munsch read aloud .TXT) 📕

your men can get a few hours of beauty sleep?”
They had stood glaring at each other, until Lt. Bradsford finally turned and commanded his men, “Mount up! We ride in five minutes.”

Two days later, Sam wiggled his way back down from the crest of the knoll until it was safe for him to stand. Walking the rest of the way down the slope, he joined the others.
Sharp nodded, “Yep, their down there, all right.”
The lieutenants features were rigid, his eyes hard. “How many are we talking about.”
“Oh, I’d say twenty, maybe thirty.”
“Your sure it’s them?”
Sharp was already busy loading and inspecting each of his weapons. “I’m sure that’s where their tracks lead. I wont know whether or not their really down there until I go talk to them.”
The lieutenant stared at him in disbelief, “You aren’t seriously thinking of going in there by yourself, are you?”
Sharp flipped the cylinder closed on his .45. “You bet I am. From what I could tell, it aint no war camp. I seen a few squaws and some little ones walking around, could be they have a few renegade bucks in the mix, but, all in all it looks pretty quiet.”
He toed a stirrup and eased himself into the saddle. “Have your men line up on the ridge. If we give them a show of force, they’ll be less likely to get any funny notions.” Sharp gigged his mount forward as the lieutenant shouted orders to the troops. Turning in the saddle as he crested the hill, he warned, “Just keep everything nice and quiet, unless I give you the signal.”
Lt. Bradsford frowned, “What signal would that be?”
Sharp grinned, “You ever hear the sounds of all hell breaking loose? Cause that’d be it.”
He rode slowly down the slope to the meadow floor. Already he could see that he had caught the villagers attention. Mothers were busy shooing their young’uns into tents while the men gathered, watching the approaching strangers warily, their heads bent in whispered conversation.
About fifty feet from the village, Sharp drew up on the reins and waited. After a minutes discussion, an elderly man, the Chief, walked towards him, flanked on each side by two armed braves.
After a long discussion, which involved a lot of gesturing and angery shouts from the Apache, Sharp rode back up the hill toward the awaiting soldiers.
The lieutenant came forward and met him half way. “What did you find out?”
“According to the chief, the renegades we’re looking for were here earlier. They rode into the camp this morning, demanding food and shelter, and when the chief denied their request they looted and ransacked the village before taking off with one of the chief’s daughters.”
The lieutenant listened, but his eyes were busy scanning the village below. After Sharp finished his account, he asked, “And you believe them?”
Sharp shrugged his shoulders, “Only one way to find out, I think we should cut their trail and see where it leads us.”
Bradsford shook his head, “Well, I for one, don’t believe them. I think they’re smart enough not to tell you, and that trail you talked about, is probably a trap. I’m sure they've got some young, crazy warriors, waiting somewhere to take us out.”
Sharp frowned. He didn’t like the lieutenants tone or demeaner. “So, what do you aim to do?”
As if reaching an important decision, the lieutenant sat up straight, squaring his shoulders, “I’m going to take my men down there and search that camp.”
Sharp glared at him in disbelief, “Well that’d be the dumbest damn idea you’ve come up with so far. I thought you were smarter than that, Lieutenant

.”
“Excuse me?” Bradford asked incredibly.
“You heard me.” Sharp pointed to the camp, “I don’t reckon those people down there are going to like having their village ransacked for the second time today. We need to find the renegades trail and run them down before they get to far. From the sounds of it, we’re only a couple of hours behind them, so if we shake a leg, we might just catch up.”
“No, it’s out of the question. Me and my men will handle those down there.” Keeping the reigns tight and squeezing with his heels, the lieutenant sent his horse into a nervous prance. “I don’t believe we will be requiring your services any longer. Your dismissed, Mr. Sharp.”
Sharp shook his head, his features cut in granite, as he yelled at the lieutenants back as he advanced up the hill towards his troops, “Don’t be an idiot. You go riding in there, your going to start a war!”
Bradsford shouted behind him, “Then it will be a war we will win!”

Sharp had watched in disgust as the cocky lieutenant rallied his troop and advanced down the hill. The man’s stupidity dumbfounded him. Only an idiot would take his men into that stirred up bee’s nest down yonder. But there was nothing Sharp could do, except sit by and watch. He had been dismissed.

A loud clap pulled Sam back to the present.
Buffalo Hump still sat across from him, an impatient look etched upon his ancient features. “The past, is what it is, White Warrior. There is nothing you or I can do to change it. It is time to let those demons lie, because there is a new one you must face now.” Buffalo Hump leaned across the fire, his obsidian eyes blazing with urgency. “And this time, White Warrior, you must not fail.”

Sharp strode across the camp, his eyes searching out Zeb. After talking to one squaw, he was lead to the tent of another. He whipped back the flap, ready to enter, then stopped.
Zeb lay on his stomach atop a pile of buffalo robes, stripped to the waist, a naked Comanche woman knelt beside him, massaging his shoulders. Both stared at him, frozen.
“Ten minutes, Zeb, then I’m riding out.”
Sam let the flap fall, shutting out the sounds of Zeb’s protest.
He didn’t have time to listen to Zeb’s mouth, he had more important and pressing things to worry about.
Like the fate of them all...


Message from the author:

Thank you for reading Part 1 of THE DAUGHTER.
I hope you enjoyed reading it, as much I enjoyed writing it.
Part 2 is finally FINISHED!!And available on my profile page.
Sam and Zeb certainly have their work cut out for them, as big things are heading their way. And as for 'Angel'...
Well... I'm afraid, that only time will tell.

Please leave a comment/feedback on your way out- let me know what you think of the book so far.
C.B COOPER
 

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Publication Date: 07-22-2010

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