Eva's spirit was broken. Decker defiled her twice more before leaving her locked in the room for the day.  He had taken the rags that were left of her clothing, for she had tried to cover herself with them but he had only torn them into shreds. He mocked her for enjoying his advances. She had not enjoyed them, she was horrified that her body had betrayed her. The lascivious wantonness of her body was proof of why she must do her duty. Even when Jeb came to rescue her, she was no longer fit to raise children or to be the wife of a good man.<br/><br/>Eva's breasts were sore and cramps kept twinging at her belly, as if her unborn child no longer wished to have her for his mother. Unfit, soiled and ruined, Eva listlessly wrapped the bed sheet around her nakedness and wandered the room. She found a straight razor that Decker must use when he shaved. She opened it, and looked at the shiny blade. Looking at herself in the mirror and the at the blade in her hand, she took her masses of golden hair and butchered it from her head. Now she was shorn. The Bible said that a woman in shame wore shorn hair. She looked the part of a fallen woman now.<br/><br/>Black circles rimmed her eyes and her lip was swollen from where Decker had beaten her into submission the last time he had assaulted her. Eva had not been able to bear to have him pumping against her and uttering vile blasphemy to her, promising, threatening more vile treatment. She had fought him,and he had beaten her.  Finally he had tied her to the bed while he finished his evil work with her body.<br/><br/>The hair lying around her on the floor was not enough. Eva drew the blade across one wrist, then the other, watching in detached fascination at the blood welling up. She didn't want to live any more. so she carefully drug the blade down one arm, from elbow to wrist,then the other. Her fingers were curved around the metal handle, as she watched her life's blood pool on the floor.  A wan smile crossed her face. She was an obedient wife. She had done her duty. Finally, the razor was too heavy and it rested in the spreading pool of crimson, next to the cold, blue body of Jeb's faithful wife.<br/>~~~~~~~~~~<br/>Jeb stared in awe at the Sheriff as he fussed about his Deputy being the nephew of that blackguard, Amsterdam.<br/><br/>"What's that got to do with anything?" Jeb asked. " Fire that sumbitch. You are the law. You can call in a Ranger from over in Texas. There is a telegraph office."<br/><br/>Sheriff Deschain was shaking his head. "Nothing we can do, son. I don't know nothing about this stranger other than I don't have any wanted posters for him yet. Turn that feller over to the Damned. You know where he is. Maybe you can get your wife back or maybe you will need to give him your ranch plus the information to get her back. If you want her back after being with that bunch."<br/><br/>Jeb had cold chills running down his spine. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the room. Heck followed him.<br/><br/>"Give me one reason to not shoot you and take your dead body to them." Jeb barked at the man.<br/><br/>Heck just shook his head. " I think they think I know where that gold come from. They might want to question me, maybe even torture me for that information. Prolly, if you shot me, they would be pissed as a two peckered goat at a quilting bee."<br/><br/>Jeb sunk down on the railing around the porch and took his hat from his head.<br/>"I can't just let Eva stay there." he said more to himself than to the man.<br/><br/>"Reckon we could put them out of bidness?" Heck asked.