I was becoming weaker by the second

 Page 12.

I was becoming weaker by the second as the tip of the knife blade pierced my throat slightly while the drunken Apache smiled bearing all his weight on top of me but it wasn't over yet. Willow still trapped inside my shirt yet out a long and mournful howl causing just an instant of distraction allowing me to slide myself from under and away of the attacking Apache. Suddenly a slender body appeared from behind me attaching herself on the back of the Apache like a blood thirsty tick. It was Star Raven and somehow she managed to free herself as she dug her fingers into the eye sockets of her captor. The Apache brave screamed out in pain dropping his knife and standing straight up with Star Raven still clinging to his back. Willow howled out again as the Apache spun in circles swinging his arms wildly until Star Raven jumped off and picked up his knife. Without thinking I rushed toward him pushing him over the ledge as he sailed to the ground with a thud.  It was then that Star Raven's pony took over crushing his skull with one signal kick and giving his face the appearance of a fresh buffalo chip. We didn't have time to wait as I scooped up Willow and turned toward Star Raven who pointed to the group of Apache's riding hard and fast in our direction.

We didn't have time to spare as Star Raven sliced off about half of the dead Apache's scalp and shook it toward the approaching war party while swearing out in English, “God damn devils”? I jumped aboard Fremont and with Star Raven on her pony together we bolted forward heading north toward the cliff dwellings at a dead run. We seem to fly over the prairie dove weed and high grass what crisscrossed between tall pines and three dry creek beds until we reached the face of the cliffs. I wasn't sure how far the Apache's were behind us but I knew we couldn't climb the cliff walls without any rope. I followed Star Raven who seem to know more about the area then I did and motioned for me to follow her but she disappeared right into the face of a solid granite wall.  Almost invisible to the naked eye was a narrow opening covered by Mexican blue sage and sunflowers. At first Fremont refused to walk through the hidden opening but Star Raven's pony turned her head and whinnied which appeared to reassure Fremont that is was safe for him to enter.

Star Raven was half up an old wooden latter as I tied Fremont next to her pony and carried Willow  through a maze of broken clay pots and jars left behind from a lost people maybe centuries ago. As I reached the top of the latter Star Raven had climbed another and held it for me as Willow and I finally reached the top. Before I even had a chance to say a word Star Raven turned to me and said, “Thank you William for helping me escape from those cowards”. Her English was perfect and she fought like Mrs. Thompson but before I could even ask my first question she said to me, “Now if you want to live follow me”. It was near noon now with rays of bright orange and white sunlight shifting between the ruins and the best I could figure we were somewhere on the other side of the cliff dwellings were I had visited only once before. All along Star Raven still carried the bloody scalp of the Apace until we reached what looked like a water well that was hand cut deep into the granite floor. She threw her trophy down into the black bottomless pit and said, “They will laugh at you on the other side after allowing a woman to take your hair”.