bad idea. It would get them out of there quick like.”
“There’s a back door. I’ll make my way around to it; you set the cabin on fire. When they become distracted I’ll run in and get Miss Jones.”
“They won’t hurt her will they? Use her as a shield?
“Not if I know Jack and Sam. They’ll rush to save their own skins. Neither of them will think quickly enough to use Miss Jones to barter with.”
The Sheriff nodded then quickly relayed the plan to the rest of the men. They smiled, nodded, and went to work to make some torches out of what ever they could find.
Within moments they had what they needed and each man began to put himself into position. Harrison all but crawled on his belly the entire time as he circled his way around through the trees to the back of the cabin. It had been much easier the last time when it was dark. Now that the sun was up he had to be extra careful not to be seen. As soon as he was out of sight, the men were to set the cabin on fire. Several crawled and slunk their way to the structure until they were close enough to do the job. As soon as they were, they lit their torches of dried pine branches and threw them on top of the cabin’s roof. In moments the fire licked its way across the wooden shingles and engulfed the roof in flames.
Harrison, his gun drawn, glided up to the back door and listened. Nothing. Not a sound. Only the fire that sparked and cracked overhead. In fact, it was turning into an outright roar and he heard some of the roof beams snap. Good Lord! What if they were all asleep or his brothers were passed out drunk and Sadie lay bound upon a bed?
Harrison sprang into action and burst through the back door. By now the cabin was full of smoke and the flames on the roof had made their way inside. “Sadie! Sadie, where are you?” He called through the haze. He coughed, unable to breath, and pulled his bandana over his nose and mouth as he frantically searched the main room. Nothing. He ran into the room he first saw Sadie bound to a chair. There was less smoke in here, but no Sadie. He burst through the door into the smaller third room. Still nothing.
“Oh Lord, no.” he whispered as realization dawned. Harrison ran back into the main room and opened the front door. The Sheriff and his men stood outside, their guns aimed at him. “Don’t shoot! It’s me, Harrison!”
They lowered their guns. “Where in tarnati on are they?” The Sheriff called over the roar of the fire, confused.
“They’re not here!” Harrison managed between coughs as he ran from the porch.
“But what about them horses?” One of the men asked.
Harrison silently cursed himself for his stupidity. He looked at the two horses running about the small corral in panic. “Those are not Jack and Sam’s.”
“Well if no one’s here, and those horses aren’t Jack and Sam’s, then where are they?” The Sheriff lamented.
Harrison brushed past the Sheriff as he immediately began to scan the area. “I wish I knew.”
* * *
Tears fought for freedom as Jack roughly carried Sadie through the trees. They’d not gone to the cabin where they held her captive the first time. At least not to stay. No, they reached it at sun up but only stayed long enough to get a few things.
The cabin had been stripped bare. Jack and Sam gathered some blankets that were left and a cast iron kettle, and then headed off into the woods to travel further up the ridge. Apparently some of the other outlaws were still nearby, their horses in the small corral, a fire slowly dying inside the cabin from early that morning. A note had been left telling those who were able, to meet up at the “other” hide out where they would make plans for their next job. Sam had un-gagged her long enough for her read it before they set off.
They rode for at least a half an hour before they came to another makeshift corral.
“There’s a back door. I’ll make my way around to it; you set the cabin on fire. When they become distracted I’ll run in and get Miss Jones.”
“They won’t hurt her will they? Use her as a shield?
“Not if I know Jack and Sam. They’ll rush to save their own skins. Neither of them will think quickly enough to use Miss Jones to barter with.”
The Sheriff nodded then quickly relayed the plan to the rest of the men. They smiled, nodded, and went to work to make some torches out of what ever they could find.
Within moments they had what they needed and each man began to put himself into position. Harrison all but crawled on his belly the entire time as he circled his way around through the trees to the back of the cabin. It had been much easier the last time when it was dark. Now that the sun was up he had to be extra careful not to be seen. As soon as he was out of sight, the men were to set the cabin on fire. Several crawled and slunk their way to the structure until they were close enough to do the job. As soon as they were, they lit their torches of dried pine branches and threw them on top of the cabin’s roof. In moments the fire licked its way across the wooden shingles and engulfed the roof in flames.
Harrison, his gun drawn, glided up to the back door and listened. Nothing. Not a sound. Only the fire that sparked and cracked overhead. In fact, it was turning into an outright roar and he heard some of the roof beams snap. Good Lord! What if they were all asleep or his brothers were passed out drunk and Sadie lay bound upon a bed?
Harrison sprang into action and burst through the back door. By now the cabin was full of smoke and the flames on the roof had made their way inside. “Sadie! Sadie, where are you?” He called through the haze. He coughed, unable to breath, and pulled his bandana over his nose and mouth as he frantically searched the main room. Nothing. He ran into the room he first saw Sadie bound to a chair. There was less smoke in here, but no Sadie. He burst through the door into the smaller third room. Still nothing.
“Oh Lord, no.” he whispered as realization dawned. Harrison ran back into the main room and opened the front door. The Sheriff and his men stood outside, their guns aimed at him. “Don’t shoot! It’s me, Harrison!”
They lowered their guns. “Where in tarnati on are they?” The Sheriff called over the roar of the fire, confused.
“They’re not here!” Harrison managed between coughs as he ran from the porch.
“But what about them horses?” One of the men asked.
Harrison silently cursed himself for his stupidity. He looked at the two horses running about the small corral in panic. “Those are not Jack and Sam’s.”
“Well if no one’s here, and those horses aren’t Jack and Sam’s, then where are they?” The Sheriff lamented.
Harrison brushed past the Sheriff as he immediately began to scan the area. “I wish I knew.”
* * *
Tears fought for freedom as Jack roughly carried Sadie through the trees. They’d not gone to the cabin where they held her captive the first time. At least not to stay. No, they reached it at sun up but only stayed long enough to get a few things.
The cabin had been stripped bare. Jack and Sam gathered some blankets that were left and a cast iron kettle, and then headed off into the woods to travel further up the ridge. Apparently some of the other outlaws were still nearby, their horses in the small corral, a fire slowly dying inside the cabin from early that morning. A note had been left telling those who were able, to meet up at the “other” hide out where they would make plans for their next job. Sam had un-gagged her long enough for her read it before they set off.
They rode for at least a half an hour before they came to another makeshift corral.
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