Charles and Owen were both deeply grateful. In their hearts, they swore an oath to defend the camp with their lives. They knew Henry was taking the greatest danger upon himself.
Henry set off alone, on foot. He didn't want the sound of a horse to alert the bandits. At his current pace, he could reach Dead Man's Gulch in about twenty minutes.
The sound of the earlier ambush on Richard's party hadn't carried the two miles to their position.
As he walked, he marveled at the power of his enhanced vision. He could see farther, higher, and with greater clarity than ever before. He could make out the individual feathers of a hawk circling high overhead.
When he reached the entrance to the gulch, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the raw power of nature. It was as if a god had carved the valley from the mountain with a single blow from a massive axe. The cliffs on either side were of a similar height, covered in dense forests of fir and brush. According to Charles, they were over 2,400 feet high.
He knew from his research that crossing over the mountains here was nearly impossible, even for the local native tribes. Any large caravan had to pass through the valley.
For that very reason, few outlaws bothered to set up permanent ambushes here. The potential targets were either massive, well-defended caravans, or lone travelers with little to offer. It was only when they had specific intelligence—like the bounty on his head—that a powerful gang would bother with a planned ambush.
He reasoned that if there was a trap, it would be on the far side of the gulch, closer to Denver. No gang would risk setting up on this side, where they themselves could be ambushed by rivals from the Frisco area.
With that in mind, he strode boldly up the mountain path on the right side of the valley. If there were bandits on this side, letting them reveal themselves would save him the trouble of scouting.
On the other side of the mountain, Jim approached his boss, Frank.
"Boss," he said, "that little noble girl… if her family can't pay the ransom, I'll take her." He had decided to stake his claim early, before any of the other men could get the same idea.
Frank was a degenerate gambler, but he was also a man of his word, which was a rare and valuable quality in the West. It was why his men were loyal to him.
Frank turned, his crossed eyes fixing on Jim. "That noble girl is only valuable if she's in one piece," he said, his voice cold. "I'm warning you, Jim. You don't touch her until the ransom is settled."
Jim flinched. "Of course, boss, I wouldn't. I'm just saying, if they don't pay up…"
Frank's expression softened slightly. "We'll see, after I've had a look at her myself. For now, if you want her, you'd better perform well in the ambush. Then we'll talk."
"No problem, boss. You just watch. I'll be the one to chop Henry's head clean off his shoulders," Jim said, grinning with his rotten teeth and thumping his chest.
Half an hour had passed. Richard's entire body was stiff and aching from the tight bonds. "Hey," he said to the young outlaw guarding them. "Can you loosen these a little? I swear I won't run."
The outlaw just laughed. "Got any money?"
"They took everything. I can give you some after the ransom is paid."
The outlaw sneered. "What good will that do me? But, tell you what. I like the look of your wife. Let her come behind the trees with me and my friend here, just for a little fun, and we'll loosen you up. How about it?"
The other young guard looked over, his eyes alight with excitement.
Richard felt Madeline's hand tighten on his arm. "No," he said, his voice firm.
The two young outlaws just shrugged, their eyes continuing to grope Madeline's body.
Madeline and Edith both felt their skin crawl. Madeline was filled with a deep regret. She had insisted on coming on this trip, and now she had dragged her young cousin into this nightmare. Edith was a treasure of their family, with such a bright future ahead of her.
The air of the West isn't just free and wild, Edith thought, her heart pounding with terror. It's savage and bloody.
Then, she took a breath and spoke, her voice clear and loud, addressing the guard leader, Russell, who was playing cards nearby.
"I think you should have your man loosen his bonds. He has a congenital heart condition. Even if you're selling goods, you want to make sure the product is in the best possible condition to get the best price, don't you?"
Russell looked over. "A heart condition? You sure?"
Edith met his gaze, her expression a perfect mask of sincerity. "Of course. Why else would his wife insist on accompanying him to such a remote place, if not to take care of him?"
Her performance was flawless. Russell believed her. "Bick," he ordered, "loosen his ropes a little. Let him breathe."
Bick, the young outlaw who had just made the lewd proposition, grumbled but did as he was told, untying the ropes around Richard's body but leaving his hands bound.
Richard gave Edith a grateful look. Madeline smiled at her cousin, her eyes shining with admiration.
"Thank you," Edith said, turning her own sweet smile on Bick.
Faced with her radiant beauty, the young outlaw was completely disarmed. "It's nothing," he stammered. "He's got a heart condition, after all."
"When my family pays the ransom," Edith continued, her voice soft and gentle, "I will make sure that you and your friend each receive ten dollars, so you can have a good time at the saloon."
Bick and the other guard exchanged a look. "Thank you, miss," Bick said with a grin. "You're a real lady."
"We've been waiting for so long, it's so boring," Edith said with a sigh. "Are you all just waiting for this one man, Henry? Could you tell me about him? Just to pass the time."
The young outlaw's heart melted. It wasn't a secret, after all, and what harm could it do?
"Well, miss," Bick said, leaning in conspiratorially, "from what I heard the boss say, this Henry is the new Sheriff of Frisco, and he's the one who killed…"