by Rory Black
Sally frowned. ‘What kinda plan is that?’
The tall bounty hunter shrugged before cocking the still hot six-shooter again. ‘We’re still living, Squirrel.’
‘Where’s my rifle?’ Sally asked as Iron Eyes pulled the other Navy Colt and also cocked both it.
‘I left it with my horse,’ Iron Eyes replied as he inched closer to the vast expanse of sand.
‘Where’s your horse?’ Sally pressed.
Iron Eyes looked down on the short female. ‘He’s over yonder passed them dunes. I didn’t want to risk him getting shot by these Injuns.’
Sally looked angrily at the man who had just rescued her. ‘You think more of that nag than you do of me, you ugly galoot.’
Iron Eyes nodded in agreement. ‘That horse gets me out of trouble and you got a damn habit of getting me into it. Hell, gal. You’re like human quicksand.’
She clenched her fists and shook them under his nose.
‘Why didn’t you think of bringing my rifle, you dumb bastard?’ she scolded. ‘I’m plumb useless without it.’
Iron Eyes nodded.
‘You’re also a pain in the butt,’ he added.
The area outside the mouth of the cave was filled with choking gunsmoke as his bullets still blasted from the fire in sudden unpredictable bursts. The gaunt figure held his guns at hip level as he began to realize that he could use the dense smoke to shield them.
‘C’mon, Squirrel. I got me an idea,’ Iron Eyes grabbed her by the hair with his left gun hand and started to run. Her small legs somehow managed to keep pace with his lengthy strides. As warriors appeared with raised weapons, Iron Eyes swung on his hips and shot them. The fearsome figure did not miss a step.
As the pair ran through the dense smoke, Sally looked up into his face. He was shooting at anyone who looked as though they might try and slow their progress.
‘Where in tarnation are we going, you sorrowful daddy-long-legs?’ Sally yelled out as the bounty hunter shielded her behind the tails of his long coat and fired at two charging braves. Both were knocked off their feet by the power of his bullets.
Iron Eyes grabbed hold of Sally and threw her over a pile of sand. She landed on her ample rump and winced.
Without speaking, he pointed behind her. Sally turned and saw her team of black horses tethered close to countless Indian ponies.
‘My team,’ she gushed as she scrambled to her feet and rushed toward them. ‘Where’s my stagecoach?’
Iron Eyes fired another two shots into the floating smoke and then swung on his heels and rushed to her side. He then pushed his guns into his coat pockets and unceremoniously lifted her off her feet and dropped her on to the back of one of the black horses.
‘Where’s my damn stagecoach?’ Sally repeated as Iron Eyes hastily moved between the sturdy animals and made sure that they were all tethered together.
Iron Eyes grabbed the mane of another of the horses and swung his painfully lean frame on to its back. As he sat on the muscular animal he fastened his spurs to his boots and then looked at his companion.
‘Will you hush the hell up, woman,’ he riled.
Sally blushed as though her betrothed had flattered her by calling her a woman. ‘You sure are tetchy.’
‘I got me a good reason to be tetchy, Squirrel,’ he shouted and then thrust his spurs into the animal beneath him. The entire team raced through the billowing gunsmoke as more bullets cut through the air from the flaming fire. ‘First we’ll pick up my palomino and then head on to your stage.’
The team of six black horses ploughed through anything that got in their way as the gaunt bounty hunter and the golden-haired female hung on to the yokes of the horses and steered them clear of the Indians’ stronghold.
FINALE
It was still dark as Iron Eyes secured the last of the team’s chains and leathers to the wooden traces. He moved silently back to the stagecoach as Sally climbed back up to the driver’s box and carefully adjusted the long reins in her tiny hands. She grinned down at the bounty hunter as he pulled her Winchester from under his saddle and threw it up to her. Sally caught the long rifle and rested it on her ragged pants.
‘You’re awful quiet, you ugly galoot,’ Sally teased as the silent bounty hunter circled the stagecoach to check that everything was OK. ‘Ain’t you gonna speak to me?’
Iron Eyes glanced at her, but said nothing. He looked at the sky and then picked his reins off the sand and moved closer to the palomino stallion.
Sally looked frustrated as she found her pipe and poked its stem in the corner of her mouth as she rested the rifle across her lap.
‘What’s wrong, Iron Eyes?’ she asked. ‘Is it ’coz I ain’t thanked you for saving my bacon? OK, thanks.’
His eyes glanced at her and then he stepped into his stirrup and hoisted his lean frame up. His right leg cleared his silver saddle horn and then he gently lowered himself down on his ornate saddle. As he did so she noticed him wince.
‘Is that wound on your side giving you trouble, lover?’ Sally asked with genuine concern in her voice. ‘Is it?’
He stared across the distance between his handsome horse and her high perch on the stagecoach.
‘Nope,’ he eventually answered as he gathered up his reins and slowly turned the palomino. ‘We’d best get out of here before we tangle with any more of them damn Injuns. It’ll be light in about an hour.’
Sally looked confused. She struck a match and sucked its flame into the bowl of her pipe as she studied her beloved. As smoke drifted from her mouth, she rested a foot on the brake pole and watched him.
‘Something’s wrong, Iron Eyes,’ she stated firmly. ‘I ain’t gonna stop asking until you tell me what it is. What the hell is wrong with you?’
Iron Eyes moved his high-shouldered horse closer and looked up at her. He sighed heavily and shook his head.
‘You sure are a real nag, Squirrel,’ he said.
‘I know that,’ she grinned. ‘What I don’t know is why you’re all grumpy with me. Spill them beans.’
Iron Eyes pushed his lank hair off his face.
‘You know when I threw them bullets into that campfire?’ he asked. ‘It seemed like a real good idea at the time.’
‘It was a good idea,’ Sally confirmed. ‘It distracted them long enough for you to rescue me. How come that’s got you so moody?’
‘Them bullets were firing wild, Squirrel,’ he frowned and then pointed at his rump. ‘They were shooting in every damn direction.’
Sally looked to where he was indicating and started to grin wider than she had ever grinned before. The torn fabric of his pants was quite clear as he started his horse moving.
‘That’s your own fault,’ Sally scoffed. ‘You said that I was a pain in the rump. Now you know what a real pain in the rump is.’
Iron Eyes sighed. ‘Very funny.’
‘You got shot in the ass by one of your own bullets?’ she roared as she whipped her team into action and released her brake. ‘That’ll teach you.’
‘Not shot, Squirrel,’ Iron Eyes corrected over his shoulder. ‘I got grazed.’
‘I bet it’s sore,’ Sally laughed.
He stared at her through his limp black locks.
‘You trouble me, Squirrel,’ he snarled as he found a whiskey bottle in his saddle-bags and took a swig. ‘You really trouble me.’
‘Not as much as that damn bullet does, darling,’ she laughed out loud and lashed her long leathers across the backs of her striding team.
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