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-Newt-
The hot wind blew over the bare steppe. Sand was raised and whipped over the legs of Newts mare. He held the reins tautly, so that the animals couldn't retreat.
Behind him, horseshoes clattered on the rock, but he didn't take his look off the rails which lay a few hundred meters in front of him. The sun burned mercilessly and the air flickered in the heat.
"How long we're still standing here? I'm hungry", a voice sounded annoying behind him.
He turned and gave the blond girl a strict view. "As long as the damn railroad passed the canyon" he answered and turned his head back to the rail.
"Without an incident" he muttered more to himself and watched again to the way of the train.
"What can happen?", the girl asked and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was bored. He knew it.
Newt took a deep breathe and turned against with a fake smiles. "Nothing, Sonya" he said and made no effort to hide the ironic undertone. "We're living in New Mexico. With a lot of groups of criminals. What can happen?" At the last sentence he aped her tone.
He gave her a view, which silenced her, and smiled satisfied.
Sonya was Newts little sister, who wasn't interested on normal jobs for woman's and girl's, and always implored him to take her on his adventures. Even if you can't necessarily call it an adventure if you look to the railroads that they passed the Blackcanyon safe.
Two years ago, a railroad passed the Canyon and was blown up by a group of wanted criminals. The sheriff, Mr McNue, ordered that always someone should monitor the canyon. It's a popular target for a guile.
That's why Newt has to check the canyon and the journey of the train twice a month.
"Are You're smelling that?" Sonya asked him and held her nose in the air.
Newt would have liked to tell her how stupid she looked but the smoky smell stopped him. He raised his head and buried his fingers in the mane of his mare Bertha.
Please, God. Please don't let anything happen. Please, please, please, he thought.
Suddenly, a loud whistling noise penetrated his ear. The whistling was thrown back from the rocks as an echo. Sonya immediately closed her ears and her eyes. The terrible sound left a high whistle in Newts head.
And then Newt discovered the black train. Thick smoke were blown in the air and mixed with the bright blue sky. Sonya began to cough when she breathed it.
Newt narrowed his eyes and tried to see something in the grey fume. At first, the railroad drove over the rails and everything looked normal. But then he saw a black horse about two thousand meters from the train.
The dust was whirled up and stayed in the air. Newt tried to recognise the riders. Without success. They are too fast and the air was too unclean.
There was only one way to find out what happened in the gorge.
"Sonya?" he asked dubiously about his plan.
"Yes?" She rubbed her watered eyes and looked at her brother.
"I'll go and look what they want", he said and showed with his head at the riders.
"Sure?", she asked and raised an eyebrow.
Newt sighed and shook his head. "No. But it is my job. Remember. I'm the sheriff."
"Okay, Brother. Be careful. Don't die", Sonya muttered. "I'll give you backing."
Newt saw the fear in her eyes. „Sonya?" he said. "In case I should die..."
"You won't die. Your my brother and the best gunslinger I know. You. Won't. Die" Sonya interrupted him and took a deep breath to calm down. "I love you, Newt. Please, don't die. That's what I wanted to said."
Newt was sure that he wouldn't survive, but he gave his sister a brave smiles and a gun. When Sonya was fourteen, she implored him to learn the shooting with guns. Her eyes were very good, she had an unusual quiet hand and it would be talent waste.
Nevertheless, Newts and Sonyas parents wouldn't allowed it, if they would still life. Newt swallowed when he thought about Rachel and George Isaacs. They died seven years ago. Newt was fourteen and Sonya eleven.
"Wait here and shoot at everybody who's not me. Roger that?" he said.
"Yass Sir", she answered and saluted. Newt would have smiled if he hadn't heard shoots from the rails.
"Don't forget to feed the horses if I die" he shouted and galloped in the canyon before Sonya could replied something.
"You damn crap guy...", was the last he heard.
Bertha don't stopped, not even when she stumbled over a stone. Newt decided to give her later an extra carrot for that... if he survive.
He weren't scared about the death. Too often he had fallen into a shootout. And he always had it survive.
Still fifty meters. The smoke became denser and Newt had to cough.
The riders of the horses spurred the animals and dropped some boxes next to the railroad.
They were three. Newt wasn't able to discovered their faces but the leader who shouted the comments was older than the two who stowed the boxes.
The railroad had caught up with him nearly and the peoples hadn't saw him yet. Newt get his revolver from his belt and rode closer to the group.
Suddenly, a shot was heard and one of the figures dropped the package in front of fright. Newt looked in the direction of the shot and smiled when he saw Sonya who shouted something which he didn't understand. She raised her arms and pointed frantically to the riders.
The railroad whistled against and drowned Sonyas voice.
The next what he heard was a loud bang and hellish pain pulled through his leg.
