The Fire Within a Ninjago Cowboy

Chapter 6 - Sunday at 4:00 am

Chapter 6 - Sunday at 4:00 am

About a half-block away from the saloon, Kai got off his horse and tied it up. Something told him he should approach the saloon as quietly as possible.

Kai's mission was to find Sam and warn her about Morro's plans for her in the morning. From the bank across the street he studied the saloon in the glow of the moonlight. The saloon girls' sleeping quarters were located on the second floor balcony over the porch of the saloon.

Getting to the balcony required climbing the set of stairs at the side of the building. Six white doors lined the second floor balcony, each door leading to a small room which housed one girl apiece. Jay had once told him that the door on the left was Nya's.

Problem was, he didn't know which of the other doors was Sam's.

Suddenly the door next to the one on the left creaked open. Kai hid himself behind a bank pillar and watched.

As fate would have it, he saw Sam emerge from the room. She was a vision of loveliness in the moonlight. Her golden hair, which was pinned up earlier that evening during saloon hours, was now loose and flowing around her shoulders. She wore a long white robe over her nightdress.

Kai watched her close her door and walk to the stairway. She paused for a moment. Kai couldn't tell why. He peered into the shadows to get a better look.

She was talking to Archer.

Morro's hired rascal was sitting at the stairway, guarding the access to the girls' rooms. It appeared that Sam was asking for permission to go somewhere.

Archer must have granted permission, for she then descended the stairs.

Kai realized with some embarrassment that she was heading to the outhouse in the back of the saloon. He reminded himself, however, that this would be a perfect opportunity to speak to her.

He ran around the other side of the saloon, out of the sight of Archer, and arrived in the back just in time to see her close the outhouse door. While he waited for her to reappear, he looked around for a private area where he could speak to her. Perhaps the livery stable next door would be a good place. The horses wouldn't care.

In a few minutes she emerged, and though he hated to do it, he couldn't risk her making a sound when he approached, so as soon as she closed the outhouse door again, he wrapped one arm across her chest and placed the hand of his other arm on her mouth and dragged her over to the livery stable.

He had to use all his might in getting her over there, for she was struggling hard. She even kicked him in the shins.

When Kai thought they were out of Archer's earshot, he started whispering "Sam! It's me, Kai! I have to tell you something!"

Sam realized he was Kai and stopped fighting him. By this time they were inside the stable and could now talk in low voices instead of whispers.

"Oh, Kai, I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were you!" she apologized. "Will you be all right?"

"Well, I might have to buy some new shins at the general store, but I'll be all right," Kai joked as he rubbed his lower legs. "But, seriously, I have to tell you that Morro has some awful plans in store for you, in the morning!"

"He does?" Sam's eyes widened in fear.

"Yep. He's going to trick you into drinking a potion and then, while you're under the influence, he's going to get hitched to you in a ceremony after the church service."

"Ohhh, my," Sam sat on the edge of a horse's water trough to steady herself as she comprehended the significance of Kai's news. "Mr. Morro did say we had to get ready for a wedding reception in the saloon. And yesterday afternoon I saw Bansha in his office hemming what looked like a wedding dress."

Bansha was an odd, wizened old lady who Morro kept on his payroll to do miscellaneous jobs here and there.

Kai wanted to relieve the anxiety that he saw building up in Sam's face. He knelt down and took her hands in his. "Don't worry," he assured her, "we'll get out of this pickle."

Sam was touched that he used the pronoun "we". "Thanks for the assurance," she smiled, squeezing his hands. She noticed that his hands, though roughened by ranch work, also felt tender at the same time.

"The pleasure's all mine," he smiled back with a twinkle in his soft brown eyes.

Suddenly, the glint of a dagger at Kai's throat startled them. Archer stood behind him, holding the weapon.

"Well, looky here. Looks like we got us a situation. Cowboy kidnaps a saloon girl, has a little fun with her, I catch him and kill him and look like a hero."

"I'm not having fun with her, you dirty dog," Kai retorted, being careful not to move his neck. He wished he had his gun with him, but when he had left Garmadon Ranch earlier, he didn't think he would need it.

"I know you're not having fun with her," Archer grinned, "but after I kill you, I'm going to have some fun, and I'll claim you did it!"

Sam gasped.

"That's what you think!" Kai replied as he jabbed his elbow upward into Archer's gut, knocking him over and forcing him to drop the dagger.

The two men fought among the hay and horses all around the stable, each man alternately gaining and losing the upper hand of the fight. Sam picked up the dagger and went into a corner of the stable, waiting for an opportunity when it would come in handy.

Then, with a shove, Archer caused Kai to land on his back with a splash in a water trough. As the cowboy raised his head out of the water and shook his wet hair out of his eyes, Archer pulled his gun and pointed it at the ranch hand with the red kerchief.

"Prepare to meet yer Maker!" he cackled as he cocked his weapon.

Suddenly, the sound of three other guns being cocked filled the air.

The guns were pointed at Archer. They belonged to Cole, Jay, and Zane.