I motioned her to back up. Then, keepin’ an eye on Rose and the bull, I strode quietly but steadily to the wagon. The others saw me and everyone started whisperin’ at the same time, and pointin’ to Scarlett. I put my finger over my lips, signalin’ them to quiet down. When they did, I whispered, “Where’s Hannah?”

“We don’t know,” Hester whispered back.

“Scarlett took her to do her necessaries,” Emma said. “Then we heard a thud, and saw the bull goring Scarlett.”

I looked around. There weren’t much cover, but there was some. Hannah was likely hidin’ behind the low bushes twenty yards to the right of Scarlett’s body. Knowin’ Scarlett, she probably drew the bull’s attention away from Hannah to protect her. That’s just the type of woman she was. If she was dead, I’d miss her terribly. On the other hand, I knew Scarlett to be a tough, capable woman. I wondered if she might be playin’ possum.

I looked at the mound of clothes.

“Has she moved or made a sound?” I whispered.

The women shook their heads.

“How many times did he butt her?”

Hester and Emma looked at each other. Emma said, “Four times? Five?”

Hester nodded.

My heart sank. This was a thousand pound bull. No one could have survived that much punishment.

“She never cried out?” I said. “Even the first time?”

They shook their heads.

“She was a helluva woman,” I said, but shouldn’t have, since it set Monique to wailin’.

“Hush!” Rose cried out. Her back was to us, and she was standin’ a mere ten feet away from the bull. I put my hand on Monique’s forearm and she quieted down enough for me to hear Rose cooin’ softly at the bull. She was speakin’ some sort of language I’d never heard before.

“What’s going to happen?” Hester whispered.

I held up my rifle.

“You’ll be safe,” I said.

Hester didn’t seem so sure, which proved her a good judge of the situation.

“What about Rose?” she said.

I shook my head. Things didn’t look good for Rose.

I didn’t know what to do. If I made a move toward the bull, he might charge the wagon and knock it over. A bull this size could kill half the camp if he got the women on the ground. But if I did nothin’, he would surely kill Rose.

The bull blew a snort and stumbled a few steps.