Serendipity's Choice

- Chapter 26 -

The sky was pitch black when Black Feather finally opened his eyes. He slowly lifted his aching head and blinked a few times. After slowly sitting up, he gingerly felt his forehead. His hand came away wet and sticky. He carefully crawled toward the stream to wash the blood off. As he splashed the icy water on his face, he remembered what had happened. He abruptly stood and just as abruptly fell in a heap.

"SERRI," he yelled again and again until his voice gave out.

He crawled up the bank and felt along the ground for a stick strong enough to support him. He stumbled many times along the way, but eventually made it back to their camp. Once there, he collapsed on the ground, totally spent.

He awoke to a boot kicking him in the side. The sun stung his eyes as he tried to open them. He had no idea how many days had passed while he was out.

"Get up, Injun," yelled a gruff voice.

Black Feather rolled over and tried to pull himself onto all fours to stand. Strong hands suddenly wrapped around his arms, as another grabbed his hair and tugged his head upward.

He grimaced in pain as he faced his company.

"So ya thought you could get away with kidnapping that girl, did ya?" spat the man as he yanked Black Feather's head around. "She was barely alive, but she managed to escape in one piece. Looks like she put up a good fight, judging by the goose egg on your head."

"Escape? Fight?" Black Feather shook his head as he squinted at his captor trying to get his face in focus.

"You're not an especially smart one, are ya?" the angry man went on. "Keeping her horse and property in plain sight. Not even trying to leave the area."

"What are you talking about? Is Serri okay?" Black Feather perked up.

"Don't play dumb. Save it for the jury. Oh wait. That's us. Right, fellas?" he laughed menacingly as the others in the group followed suit.

Black Feather looked from one snarling face to the next and knew there was nothing he could do to change his fate. All he cared about was that Serri was alright.

The men tied him up and threw him face first on the ground while they gathered Percy and Raven and the camp supplies.

When they finished packing up camp, they mounted their horses and wrapped the rope tied to Black Feather around a saddle horn. Without giving him a chance to stand, they urged their horses into a trot, dragging him along the ground. By sheer will, he managed to get to his feet and stumble along behind the horse.

He lost count of the number of times he fell, unnoticed by the posse as they laughed and joked about what a no-good idiot he was, getting caught so easily. After a long, agonizing day, Black Feather looked up to see the outskirts of town.

The men kicked their horses into a gallop to make a show of dragging their captive down Main Street. When they arrived in front of the jail, they dismounted and yanked Black Feather to his feet. After hauling him up the wooden steps to the jail, they unceremoniously threw him into a cell. Then they set off for the saloon. They had some celebrating to do.

Black Feather slowly got to his feet and staggered over to the bed. He fell roughly onto the small cot and was immediately asleep.

Early the next morning, Serri and Black Feather awoke to two very different experiences.

Black Feather was yanked from his cot by an angry group of men, while Serri awoke to fresh coffee and hot biscuits.

Black Feather was dragged out of his cell and marched outside. The bright sun blinded him momentarily, but once his eyes adjusted, he was greeted with the terrifying sight of a large, wooden gallows. Directly in front of him on the wooden walkway stood Donald.

"Yep. That's the savage that shot me with an arrow while I was trying to assist that poor, helpless girl."

At that same moment, Serri gingerly walked to the table and sat down to eat her breakfast.

Black Feather was roughly pushed up the gallows' stairs to the jeers and shouts of an angry crowd.

"We're gonna have us a fair and impartial trial," snarled one of his captors. "What say ye, good people?"

"GUILTY!" shouted the volatile crowd, as more people left their homes and businesses to join in.

"Ya hear that, you cowardly bastard? The jury has spoken. After the sheriff heard what you put that poor girl through, your fate had been sealed."

"Did you talk to Serri? Did she say I hurt her?" Black Feather asked plaintively.

"She didn't need to. It was obvious what happened to her just by lookin' at her and hearin' what little she was able to tell her rescuers."

Meanwhile, as Serri finished her breakfast, she was assured by her hosts that she would never have to deal with the likes of Black Feather again.

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion.

"Oh. We fetched the sheriff out right after we found you. We told him everything. He was outraged. That savage should be swinging from the gallows any minute now."

Serri bolted from the table.

"Where's my horse?" she yelled as she ran for the door.

"Hang on. He's in the barn. Why?"

"Help me saddle him and point me in the direction of town. Now."

They quickly had Percy saddled and pointed in the right direction.

Serri urged Percy into a run as soon as she was in the saddle. The town was less than a quarter mile away. She hoped she wasn't too late. She gave Percy a hard squeeze with her calves as they flew down the dirt road.

As a foaming Percy galloped onto Main Street, Serri looked frantically for the gallows.

The huge crowd was a give-away. Serri swung Percy in their direction and urged him into a run.

As she got nearer, she could see them slipping the noose over Black Feather's head. She pulled Percy to a sliding stop.

"STOP!" Serri yelled at the top of her lungs as Percy reared up.

Every head that wasn't already turned toward her, did so.

"What's this about?" yelled the sheriff from the deck of the gallows as he pushed his way to the edge to get a good look at Serri.

"Let that man go. He's done nothing wrong. He saved my life . . . twice."

"Well now, missy. We can see you're upset, but I reckon you're confused, is all," cajoled the sheriff. "This here criminal is gonna get what he has comin'."

"You have it wrong," Serri pleaded. "He's a good man. There's been some sort of misunderstanding. Please let him go."

The crowd started murmuring, looking from Serri to the gallows and back again. Percy began stomping his feet conveying Serri's agitation. That's the moment the sheriff nodded at the hangman.

Just as the hangman pulled the large wooden lever, Serri pulled her rifle out of the scabbard.

The report that followed was deafening. People started screaming, as they ducked and ran for cover. In the confusion, no one noticed that Black Feather was laying on the ground. Above him, an empty rope swung from the gallows. It had been shot cleanly in half.

Serri encouraged Percy to push his way through the panicked crowd toward the gallows. They arrived just as Black Feather stood and threw off his ropes. He grabbed Serri's outstretched arm and swung onto Percy's back. On cue, Percy ran like the wind.

As the dust settled, they could hear angry shouts, followed quickly by gunshots as the posse realized what had happened.

The escapees didn't look back.