Twenty-ThreeSebastian had noticed the loitering beggar woman on their way into the Sutter Fort stables, and when they returned to their horses after a couple of hours of relaxing over their picnic and wandering some of the walking paths she was still hanging around the gated entry.
She was clad in a bright orange-and-yellow Mexican skirt with a black bodice that included a hood which came up over her head, partly concealing her face. She stood defiantly close to the riding path, hooded eyes sharp in a tanned complexion, a thin nose over a wide mouth that was missing half its teeth. As Sebastian drew parallel she took a quick step closer and reached up a bony hand to grab for his mount’s halter. Before her hand touched the strap on the horse’s nose, he hauled the gray to an urgent stop and
