Jake opened the window shutters and circled the inside of the barn. Dammit, did he have to do everything? He gave orders to store tools against the wall. His boots scrunched against loose straw as he marched past the wagon and the buggy.
Red nickered. The horse moved its rump against the rail and swished its tail. Jake scooped a handful of grain from a bin and dropped it into Red’s feed trough. The horse, he could depend on.
At last, he found a pitchfork behind the stairs leading to the loft. He would have voiced his disapproval, except the wranglers were in the corral. They darted out, by way of the tack room door, the minute he stepped into the barn. Who could blame them? He’d been in a foul temper for the last week—since the night of the …show more content…
The rustlers grabbed their rifles and bolted to their horses. Quick to avoid the trampling hooves, Jake flattened his back against the rocks and fired at the men fleeing in the dust. After they were out of range, he joined Levi.
“Recognize any of them?” Levi spoke in a low voice. He winced and moved his hand to reload his gun.
Jake nodded and whispered back. “Yep.” He eyed the blood on his friend’s shirtsleeve. “Shit, didn’t I teach you better?”
“If you hadn’t been in the way I might have moved faster.” The edge of his lips curled while he wrapped his arm with his neckerchief. “It’s a scratch.”
“Don’t know where the shooter is hiding.” Jake pointed his gun above them.
“Yeah, well, I owe him a slug.” Levi kept his Colt drawn.
Jake stared at the dust settling in the canyon. “Next time, they won't escape. I’ll find them. Let’s work our way back to the horses and see if we can roundup the herd.”
He didn’t want to tell Levi the men resembled Kat’s cousins.
#
Beyond the hills, Sam cast George a toothless grin. “I say we escaped with our hides, big brother.”
George spit. “Good thing Duvall warned us. Wonder where he went?”
“Can't say. He'll meet up with us soon. Damn. I don’t trust him. Who was shootin’ at us?”
“I don't care who. We're alive, ain't we?”
“I'm not gettin' killed for skunks like Rodriguez or
Red nickered. The horse moved its rump against the rail and swished its tail. Jake scooped a handful of grain from a bin and dropped it into Red’s feed trough. The horse, he could depend on.
At last, he found a pitchfork behind the stairs leading to the loft. He would have voiced his disapproval, except the wranglers were in the corral. They darted out, by way of the tack room door, the minute he stepped into the barn. Who could blame them? He’d been in a foul temper for the last week—since the night of the …show more content…
The rustlers grabbed their rifles and bolted to their horses. Quick to avoid the trampling hooves, Jake flattened his back against the rocks and fired at the men fleeing in the dust. After they were out of range, he joined Levi.
“Recognize any of them?” Levi spoke in a low voice. He winced and moved his hand to reload his gun.
Jake nodded and whispered back. “Yep.” He eyed the blood on his friend’s shirtsleeve. “Shit, didn’t I teach you better?”
“If you hadn’t been in the way I might have moved faster.” The edge of his lips curled while he wrapped his arm with his neckerchief. “It’s a scratch.”
“Don’t know where the shooter is hiding.” Jake pointed his gun above them.
“Yeah, well, I owe him a slug.” Levi kept his Colt drawn.
Jake stared at the dust settling in the canyon. “Next time, they won't escape. I’ll find them. Let’s work our way back to the horses and see if we can roundup the herd.”
He didn’t want to tell Levi the men resembled Kat’s cousins.
#
Beyond the hills, Sam cast George a toothless grin. “I say we escaped with our hides, big brother.”
George spit. “Good thing Duvall warned us. Wonder where he went?”
“Can't say. He'll meet up with us soon. Damn. I don’t trust him. Who was shootin’ at us?”
“I don't care who. We're alive, ain't we?”
“I'm not gettin' killed for skunks like Rodriguez or