art like a steel arrowhead.

"Never!" she screamed.

Yellow Hair shrank back, her eyes wide with shock. Redbird sighed and
let her body droop.

They drove on in silence. Redbird heard small sounds beside her that
told her Yellow Hair was weeping.

Redbird reached over and took Yellow Hair's hand.

"Make him happy."

Yellow Hair uttered a sob and turned her head away.

But Redbird was no longer crying. Dry-eyed, she stared ahead at the road
south. Her sorrow was too deep for tears.

26

Blood on the Land

Raoul Francois Philippe Charles de Marion woke trembling in damp
blackness, wondering whether it was day or night outside. His heart was
beating so hard that it ached. For a moment he couldn't think what had
scared him so badly. Then he remembered the dream.

He struggled out of the old blanket he'd wrapped around himself and sat
up, panting.

A white bear coming at him down here in the mine. Why in hell would he
dream about a creature like that? There were white bears up in Canada,
he'd heard, but he'd never even seen one.

White Bear--that was Auguste's Indian name. Was he dreaming about
Auguste coming after him?

_Well, Auguste is rotting in the ground now. I killed him._

He still hated Auguste even after his death. Because of Auguste he had
to stay holed up here, blackness pressing on his eyeballs. His eyes were
wide open and he stared till they hurt, but he could see nothing,
nothing at all. It was like being blind.

He wished he had told just one of his men where to find him. He badly
wanted news of what was going on back at Victor. But if he'd told anyone
it would have been Armand, and he couldn't trust the bastard. Armand
might stupidly let himself be followed here. Or give way to threats, or
even sell him out, if Papa offered a big enough reward.

_Armand would. Sure he would. I could see in his eyes how he resented
me. He hated Pierre and he hated me too._

Raoul only had two candles left. Should he light one now? He could spare
it, because he was going to get out of this mine today--or tonight. He'd
waited long enough.

He wasn't sure anymore how long he'd been hiding down here in the dark.
When he slept, he had no idea how long he slept. A watch was one of the
many things he had forgotten to bring with him, leaving in such a hurry.
And yet he'd stupidly brought the silver case with Pierre's spectacles
in it. Stuck it in his pocket when he left the trading post to get the
mo