Gideon darted out his head like a snake, aiming for the leg of the rider just ahead. "Seas!" Jamie wrenched the big bay's head around before he could take a bite. "Evil-minded whoreson," he muttered under hisbreath. Adam Chisholm, unaware of his narrow escape from Gideon's teeth, caught the remark, and looked back over hisshoulder, startled. Jamie smiled and touched his slouch hat apologetically, nudging the bay up even with Chisholm's long-leggedmule."A bit edgy," he said, with a nod toward the horse's head. One notched ear stuck out of the bay's head at a right angle, theother lay flat back. "Best I take him on and let him work it off, eh?" Chisholm looked warily at the bay's rolling eye and edged as far to the side of his mule's blanketed back as he could withoutfalling off."Oh, aye," he said. "A bit high-heided, is he?""Oh, a bit."Jamie kicked Gideon ungently in the ribs, urging him past the rest of the slow-moving travelers at a speed fast enough to keepthe brute from biting, kicking, trampling stray bairns, or otherwise causing trouble. He passed Brianna and Marsali, halfway upthe column, at a slow trot; by the time he passed Claire and Roger, riding at the head, he was moving too fast to do more thanflourish his hat at them in salute."A mhic an dhiabhoil," he said, clapping the hat back on and leaning low over the horse's neck. "See how long ye last in therough, eh?"He pulled hard left, off the trail, and down the slope, trampling dry grass and brushing leafless dogwood out of the way with agunshot snapping of twigs. What the seven-sided son-of-a-bitch needed was flat country, where Jamie could gallop the bejesusout of him and bring him back blowing. Given that there wasn't a flat spot in twenty miles, he'd have to do the next best thing.He gathered up the reins, shouted "Eyaah, ye bastard, go!" slammed both heels into the horse's ribs, and they charged up theshrubby hillside as though they had been fired from a cannon.Gideon w...
