fire off a few shots to signal you’ve found her. We’ll come join you.”
“Will do, Harrison!” Henry said as he spun his horse around and took off toward Harrison’s farm.
“If she’s there, Henry’ll know what to do.” the Sheriff reassured.
Harrison nodded, turned his horse along with the rest of the men and they began the race across the prairie. After about ten minutes he signaled for everyone to stop. They listened intently for gunshots, and when none were forthcoming, once again sped toward the line of pine that bordered the prairie. Harrison had guessed right. They’d not taken her to the farm, but were more than likely heading to their cabin hideout. He prayed in earnest as they rode in the pre-dawn light. Firstly, that the outlaws had only the one hideout, and secondly, they would reach Sadie before any of the dirty bandits had a chance to touch her. The thought of any of them, especially his stepbrothers, touching so much as a single hair on her head made him want to hang them from the highest tree and shoot them until there was nothing left. But such murderous thoughts could cloud his thinking and he needed his wits about him. He settled for thoughts of pistols at dawn and dueling with sabers to fuel his angst until they reached the tree line. By the time they got there, he’d imagined more than several clever ways to exact justice on his stepbrothers and noticed the sun had come up.
“Which way?” Breathed the Sheriff as they brought their horses to a stop.
The animals were breathing hard; their loud snorts and steaming bodies reminded Harrison that they would need their strength to make it up to the ridge. “Best to walk the horses for a bit. It’s probably about two, maybe two and a half miles up through the trees. There’s a stream nearby. We can leave the horses there.”
The Sheriff nodded and they set off, Harriso n in the lead. He let Romeo pick his way along a deer trail that led through the pine and alder trees. But soon the deer trail faded and the horses had to find their own way through the ever-thickening trees and brush. Occasionally they would stop and listen for any sounds of other horses crashing through the wood. But there were none. His brothers must have had enough of a head start to have already reached the cabin. Sweat popped out on Harrison’s brow with the thought. He risked the noise he knew the horses would make, and pushed Romeo a little harder.
Soon he heard the sound of water. They headed for it and when they reached the stream found a suitable spot to leave the horses. The men dismounted and checked their guns. Harrison studied the trees around them. “There was a stand of alder several hundred yards from the cabin. It shouldn’t be far from here. If we head upstream we’ll come to it.”
The men nodded and followed. Sure enough, they came upon the stand of trees Harrison remembered and began to cautiously pick their way along another deer trail that led through the trees and away from the stream. Before long they reached their destination.
Harrison dropped to his belly on the ground behind a fallen pine and signaled the rest to do the same. The cabin could be seen through the trees. Smoke rose up from the chimney like lazy blue tendrils. “We’ve got to get them away from her somehow.”
The Sheriff peeked over the tree along with Harrison. “I don’t suppose one of your animal calls is gonna work this time?”
Harrison cracked a slight smile. “Jack and Sam may not be the smartest, but they do have decent memories. They’ll not fall for that twice.” He surveyed the area around the cabin. Two horses were in the make shift corral. All was quiet. A good sign. He thought he woul d go mad if he heard Sadie begin to scream.
“We could set the cabin on fire.” Harrison suggested as thoughts of Jack and Sam screaming came to him instead.
“That’s not a
“Will do, Harrison!” Henry said as he spun his horse around and took off toward Harrison’s farm.
“If she’s there, Henry’ll know what to do.” the Sheriff reassured.
Harrison nodded, turned his horse along with the rest of the men and they began the race across the prairie. After about ten minutes he signaled for everyone to stop. They listened intently for gunshots, and when none were forthcoming, once again sped toward the line of pine that bordered the prairie. Harrison had guessed right. They’d not taken her to the farm, but were more than likely heading to their cabin hideout. He prayed in earnest as they rode in the pre-dawn light. Firstly, that the outlaws had only the one hideout, and secondly, they would reach Sadie before any of the dirty bandits had a chance to touch her. The thought of any of them, especially his stepbrothers, touching so much as a single hair on her head made him want to hang them from the highest tree and shoot them until there was nothing left. But such murderous thoughts could cloud his thinking and he needed his wits about him. He settled for thoughts of pistols at dawn and dueling with sabers to fuel his angst until they reached the tree line. By the time they got there, he’d imagined more than several clever ways to exact justice on his stepbrothers and noticed the sun had come up.
“Which way?” Breathed the Sheriff as they brought their horses to a stop.
The animals were breathing hard; their loud snorts and steaming bodies reminded Harrison that they would need their strength to make it up to the ridge. “Best to walk the horses for a bit. It’s probably about two, maybe two and a half miles up through the trees. There’s a stream nearby. We can leave the horses there.”
The Sheriff nodded and they set off, Harriso n in the lead. He let Romeo pick his way along a deer trail that led through the pine and alder trees. But soon the deer trail faded and the horses had to find their own way through the ever-thickening trees and brush. Occasionally they would stop and listen for any sounds of other horses crashing through the wood. But there were none. His brothers must have had enough of a head start to have already reached the cabin. Sweat popped out on Harrison’s brow with the thought. He risked the noise he knew the horses would make, and pushed Romeo a little harder.
Soon he heard the sound of water. They headed for it and when they reached the stream found a suitable spot to leave the horses. The men dismounted and checked their guns. Harrison studied the trees around them. “There was a stand of alder several hundred yards from the cabin. It shouldn’t be far from here. If we head upstream we’ll come to it.”
The men nodded and followed. Sure enough, they came upon the stand of trees Harrison remembered and began to cautiously pick their way along another deer trail that led through the trees and away from the stream. Before long they reached their destination.
Harrison dropped to his belly on the ground behind a fallen pine and signaled the rest to do the same. The cabin could be seen through the trees. Smoke rose up from the chimney like lazy blue tendrils. “We’ve got to get them away from her somehow.”
The Sheriff peeked over the tree along with Harrison. “I don’t suppose one of your animal calls is gonna work this time?”
Harrison cracked a slight smile. “Jack and Sam may not be the smartest, but they do have decent memories. They’ll not fall for that twice.” He surveyed the area around the cabin. Two horses were in the make shift corral. All was quiet. A good sign. He thought he woul d go mad if he heard Sadie begin to scream.
“We could set the cabin on fire.” Harrison suggested as thoughts of Jack and Sam screaming came to him instead.
“That’s not a
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