one place.
Her carpetbag grew heavy, so she changed hands. It was heavy there too, so she wrapped her arms around it and hugged it against her chest. She pressed her dry, chapped lips together, aching for something to drink. Dizziness swept over her, and her steps faltered.
Just as they neared some trees, one of the wagons jerked to a stop. The owner shouted, and the men jumped down to assess the damage. From their angry expressions, she concluded they’d be stuck there for a while. Thank goodness they were near some trees. She could hide herself and find the stone, then maybe someone would give her a drink.
Shade.
She needed shade. Her legs and arms weighed her down like heavy boulders as she walked in that direction. If only she could take off her cumbersome dress and feel the air against her hot skin. She came upon a slight hill that had been impossible to see because the land was the same light brown color all around, blending itself perfectly together. Just over the hill, she spotted a small river running between some trees.
Water.
Holding up her skirt, she stumbled along the hill toward the trees and stepped down the incline toward the fast flowing river. Just the sound of its rushing made her heart skip. How refreshing and enticing. Its coolness called out to her. Grasshoppers leaped at every step and swing of her skirt, mosquitoes swarmed around her face, and the ground took on a life of its own, moving beneath her feet. The pounding in her head increased as she neared the bank. She dropped at the water’s edge ready to dip her face and mouth under the current.
“Don’t drink the water!” Beth shouted behind her. She came running down the steep embankment with a pitcher in hand. “This is safe to drink. I’ve heard horrible stories of people getting sick from open rivers like this one. You should always boil the water first.”
With trembling fingers, Anna grabbed the pitcher. She hated being rude, but desperation took over as she gulped down its contents with eagerness. It poured down her chin and bodice.
“Not so fast, slow down. You’ll make yourself sick.”
Anna noticed her sunburned hands and wondered how awful her face must look. But the relief of the water took her mind off her appearance.
“I tried to bring you some sooner, but Al wouldn’t let me.” Beth crossed her arms, frowning and shaking her head. “He said he wanted his payment first.”
Anna licked her lips, moistening them in order to make the chapped, dry feeling go away. She motioned around her. “This is as good a place as any for me to find that stone. No one can see me here.”
“I’ll help you. First, let me go warn the others to keep their distance. I’d hate for you to be undressed and one of them come traipsing over here.” Beth hiked up her skirt and headed up the bank.
Anna opened her carpetbag and took out her buttonhook then one by one unbuttoned her dress. Once all the buttons were undone, she slipped out of the hot, thick mass of material and shook out of her bustle. She reached behind her hips and yanked on her corset stays, allowing more air to fill her lungs. What a relief to be out of that heavy garment. There was a benefit to wearing maid’s clothes—they weren’t nearly as cumbersome.
She gulped another drink from the water pitcher and stood in the open air in her chemise, looking around to make sure no one was watching. Tall grass, trees and thick bushes covered the other side of the bank. All was quiet except for the sounds of insects and the water rippling over rocks along the bank’s bed, calling her to its refreshment.
Since she was already undressed, this would be a good time to cool off. She sat down, took off her boots and unhooked her stocking. With ease, she slid the stocking down her leg.
Chapter Three
“Let’s take that one,” Running Cloud whispered in Cheyenne to White Eagle as they watched the woman by the river.
White Eagle kept low behind the thick shrubs and tall grass. He stared at the woman whose skin was white like snow as she stretched out her leg and ran her fingers along its length to remove the second stocking.
When she stood, she placed her hands on her waist, emphasizing the flare of her hips beneath her thin, white dress. She tilted her head and removed her hat then worked to take down her hair. Long, yellow hair cascaded to one side, down her back and around her. It curtained her body all the way to her knees as she shook out the pins. She then ran her fingers through her mane, catching the sun’s light.
Never had White Eagle seen so much yellow hair. He glanced at Running Cloud who crouched next to him. Beneath his paint, Running Cloud’s eyes widened. Together they looked back at the woman.
Her hair was now pulled over one shoulder, and she glanced around as though she were looking for something, as though she’d lost something on the ground. Hands on hips, she stopped over her boots. For a long time she studied them, as though she expected them to walk off on their own.
Finally, she lifted the thin material of her skirt, kicked one boot over and quickly jumped away. When the boot didn’t move—he assumed she expected it to move—she kicked the other one and jumped back again. Keeping her focus on the boots, she knelt down, reached out and picked them up. She then bent forward, holding them as far away from her as possible, and shook them out. Nothing came out of the boots, and she cautiously peered inside them as though she were looking for something but afraid of what she might find. Pursing her lips, she bound the boots together by their laces and hung them around her neck.
White Eagle and Running Cloud tossed a side-glance at each other. They shrugged.
She turned her back to them to unbind something from around her waist.
White Eagle held his breath as he crept forward to get a better look.
She tossed a small pouch on a nearby rock, turned, and stepped toward the river. When she came to the edge of the bank, she dipped her foot in the water and gasped. Slowly, she stepped into the river and moved in up to her knees. The water tugged on the white material of her dress, dragging it into the current. She then moved in up to her waist.
With hair cascading over her back, she closed her eyes, lifted her face to the sky and sighed. A slight breeze blew loose strands of hair away from the young woman’s partially burnt face and arms. Her hair lit up like gold under the sun.
White Eagle hoped Running Cloud wouldn’t notice his fascination with the young woman. Never had any woman affected him this way. She looked like a ghost, floating over the water.
She moved in deeper but stopped.
He stopped breathing.
She held her boots over her head and dipped herself in up to her neck, releasing another long sigh. The water washed around her, taking the ends of her dress with it, gently pulling the fabric and her hair into a milky-white wave. Obviously her arms grew weary as she continued to hold the boots above the water, so she balanced them on her head.
His lips tugged into a smile. He cast a side-glance at his friend and realized Running Cloud was watching him. White Eagle forced a frown.
Again, she looked around but didn’t see them hidden in the nearby grass. She held the boots in the air high above the water’s surface, dipped her head completely under, and sat on the riverbed.
“That
