Little Sharpshooter

Little Sharpshooter Chap 29

Randy had no problem hanging on as Al weaved in a full gallop through the sagebrush, dried grasses, and pinion pine covered rolling plains. Bronson and the lawmen could hardly keep up. It didn’t take long for them to find the outlaw’s cloud of dust and finally they were spotted off in the distance.

As they gained on the outlaws and Trevor, Randy flinched when a lightning flash crashed to the ground not far from them. Al veered away and it took some coaxing to get him back on the path behind the outlaws. The gray haze of the storm cloud that should have been rain loomed just over their heads and not a drop hit the ground. It was a dry lightning storm. Where the lightning struck, a smoke cloud formed and flames consumed a pinion pine. She slowed Al down as the storm blew dust in her face and thunder rumbled continuously.

“Let’s hope that lightnin’ strikes them and not us. We’re gainin’ on them. Hurry.” Bronson kicked his horse, surging ahead. Randy was right beside him with two lawmen on each side. They had gained considerable ground. Fortunately the outlaws didn’t know they were there. Lightning streaked across the sky overhead. The wind seemed to propel the horses faster.

They were finally close enough that they could make out each horse through the blowing dust and see Trevor behind Rose.

When the outlaws spotted them, shots were fired. The wind gusted, creating an enormous dust cloud that slowed them all down. Once it let up and they were about to start full pursuit again, lightning struck in three places in front of Randy and their group of pursuers. The horses panicked and they had to stop.

Fire instantly shot up from the sagebrush fanned by the wind. It expanded into a raging blaze, moving even faster than the horses could run, towards the outlaws.

“I don’t know if we can get to them now. I wonder if they’ll survive that,” the sheriff said.

Randy’s heart was in her throat as she looked at the rapidly expanding fire and then at the sheriff. They were all hesitating even though the fire was sweeping away from them.

“We can’t give up,” Randy said.

“It’s so dry and windy, that fire may take them over before we even can get around it,” a deputy said.

“No. We can’t stop.” Randy swallowed the lump that wanted to choke her. Al pulled at the reins and stomped his front hooves to go. She could feel he knew what to do. The fire was a storm of its own as it swirled and angrily chased after the outlaws as if God had it out for them. “Please not Trevor,” she pleaded at the sky in a whisper. The wind died down a little. She closed her eyes as she gave into Al’s persistent protests. He was off in a full gallop towards the fire.  

The heat intensified the closer they got. Al ran along the plumes of twisting flames that were in a hurry to consume everything in its path. When Al found a low break in the fire, he turned suddenly and leapt between the flames. The whole time Randy held on tight as heat tightened her skin and heated up her clothes. The choking smoke was on the other side where there wasn’t any flame. Through a fit of coughing, she could make out the outlaws in a flurry to escape the flames that had somehow nearly circled around them. Al ran straight for the outlaws. When she realized where he was headed, terror gripped her chest and she reached for her pistol.

“Al! Don’t get that close.” She could finally make out Trevor on Rose. She reigned her horse in to circle as it trying to rear from fear. The flames closed off the only way out.

An outlaw fired at Randy. Trevor looked right at her as Rose’s horse reared again. He slid off the back of the horse nearly taking Rose with him, falling on his rear. The bag fell off his shoulder as he rolled. He scrambled to his feet, running for Randy and Al. Rose’s horse was out of control as it ran off with her reaching for the dangling reins.