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RIDING DOWN A BROKEN DOWN trail, the gang quietly travelled to a new hideout spot. Billy had asked an elderly man if he had any water to spare and when the site blew up. The two continued to converse while Belle scanned the area, sceptically. Glancing up at the mountains, she caught a sliver of movement. With a squint, she shielded her eyes from the harsh sunbeams with her hand so she could see clearly at the cliffs.
"Ah, shit!" Belle cursed, guiding her horse the other way. "It's Pat!" She informed the men behind her. The deputized gang began shooting at the out-laws as they barely managed to escape. Billy sped ahead, the rest following him desperately. He managed to find a small trail, hidden from Pat and his men.
Belle whipped her head around to make sure Josiah was still behind her, which he thankfully was, but noticed Chevez was nowhere to be seen. "Fuck sake," she muttered, worrying for his safety but knowing it would be a stupid idea to turn around and find him.
Billy paused at the edge of a cliff, the rest following his actions. "Well, now what?" Belle sighed, clearly aggravated. A loud, bellowing yell sounded behind them prompting them to whip their heads around to see Cehvez charging at the end of the cliff. His horse leapt off the edge, Josiah quickly following his actions. Belle followed suit, wincing at the thought of her falling off her horse or if her horse would break something at the landing.
As if God was against her, both she and her bronco fell to the ground - the horse didn't make the plunge. Belle cursed as she rose to her feet. Josiah hurried to her side on his horse, extending his hand to her. Belle used his leverage to jump on the back of his horse, sorely - knowing she had twisted a muscle or even broke a bone or two in her leg. Snaking her arms around his waist, she laid her head down on his back, listening to his frantic heartbeat as she tried to calm her own.
Belle achingly watched as the rest painfully fell to the ground after the jump or as their horses fell on their necks at the impact.
Unfortunately, Dave's horse was not quick enough and one of Pat's men shot its neck, provoking him to tumble to the ground. Chevez slowed his steed down and helped Dave spring on the back of his.
Once the gang was sure they had lost Pat and his deputies, they rested in the middle of a trail.
"Sweet Mary's ass! How the hell did you get them to do that?" Dave asked bewildered and out of breath. "And what's that mean, anyway? Assay, assay?"
"It's an ancient Navajo word. It means 'stop'."
"Stop?" Belle and Josiah whispered in question before following him on the new trail.
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Belle smiled as she watched Billy and Tom race each other to a cliff. "You know, I reckon Billy loves that kid," Belle muttered to Josiah, pressing her cheek further into his back. "Maybe even more than he does me," she teased, placed her chin in the crook of his neck.
