stallion’s soft black nose – then jerked his hand back, just in time to avoid getting bitten.
‘Why, you ornery sonofa….’ Gabriel grabbed the lamp and stormed past the fiery-eyed Morgan.
As he was leaving, Gabriel saw a bucket sitting by the door. He grabbed it, hurled it at the horse and ran out. Nor did he stop running until he was safely in the cabin. There, after catching his breath, he went to the window and looked out.
The stallion stood in the doorway of the barn, silhouetted against the moon. It looked nothing short of magnificent and Gabriel couldn’t help admiring it.
The more things change, he thought wryly, the more they stay the same.
He went to bed.
CHAPTER TEN
He awoke some time in the night, disturbed by something moving behind the cabin. At first he thought it might be the stallion – though he knew the Morgan seldom left the barn at night – or maybe a coyote on the prowl. Then he heard it again, recognized the familiar crunching sound made by human beings creeping along in boots and knew instinctively that the bounty hunters had returned.
He pulled on his boots, took down the Winchester and quietly levered a shell into the chamber. He then waited, motionless, ears straining to pinpoint where each of his attackers were.
One – no, two were approaching the door. He couldn’t place the third man and wondered whether he was after the stallion or hiding in the darkness somewhere, rifle trained on the door in case Gabriel got past his companions .
Deciding that caution was the way, Gabriel crouched behind the table, ready to gun down anyone who tried to enter. It wouldn’t be easy for them. Stout blocks of wood, slid each night into place, kept the door and the window shutters barred. Nothing short of dynamite or a battering ram could break them open.
Suddenly a lamp smashed against the door. Gabrielheard glass shatter, smelled kerosene and realized they intended to burn him out.
Not waiting for the inevitable, he grabbed the blanket off his bed, dunked it in the bucket of water by the stove and wrapped it around himself. By now the door was aflame and he could hear the stallion neighing shrilly in the barn.
He unbarred the door, jerked it open and threw the chair out first, drawing the bounty hunters’ fire. He then dived outside, hitting the ground and rolling over, firing at the two human silhouettes he saw outlined against the crackling blaze.
One man gave a yelp and limped off into the darkness; the other took cover behind the corral fence. Gabriel jumped up and, keeping low, ran for the barn.
A shot fired from a higher angle nicked Gabriel on his left arm, forcing him to hit the dirt. He knew now that the third man was among the rocks atop the slope, and rolling over he squeezed off two quick rounds. The bullets ricocheted off the rocks, making the sniper duck his head. Gabriel took a chance, jumped up, and dove into the barn.
Bullets plunked into the door dangerously near his head. He returned fire, aiming directly at the flashes, and heard a grunt of pain.
Men’s voices whispered to each other in the darkness. He couldn’t hear what was being said, but a few moments later he heard horses galloping away.
He waited, hearing the stallion stirring restlessly behind him. When he was satisfied the bounty hunters weren’t returning, he sat up and faced the Morgan. The horse was glaring at him over the side of the stall. Its eyes were two fiery red glints. Gabriel laughed softly to himself. Thegoddamn brute was more angry than scared!
Then he smelled smoke and remembered the fire. He jumped up, ran out into the moonlight and saw that the flames were licking up onto the roof. Gabriel ran to the water barrel, filled a bucket and tried to douse them.
He made numerous trips but eventually he had to face it: the cabin was ablaze and there was no saving it. Lungs choked with smoke, he stood back and bitterly watched the last two years of his life burn to a blackened skeleton.
He
‘Why, you ornery sonofa….’ Gabriel grabbed the lamp and stormed past the fiery-eyed Morgan.
As he was leaving, Gabriel saw a bucket sitting by the door. He grabbed it, hurled it at the horse and ran out. Nor did he stop running until he was safely in the cabin. There, after catching his breath, he went to the window and looked out.
The stallion stood in the doorway of the barn, silhouetted against the moon. It looked nothing short of magnificent and Gabriel couldn’t help admiring it.
The more things change, he thought wryly, the more they stay the same.
He went to bed.
CHAPTER TEN
He awoke some time in the night, disturbed by something moving behind the cabin. At first he thought it might be the stallion – though he knew the Morgan seldom left the barn at night – or maybe a coyote on the prowl. Then he heard it again, recognized the familiar crunching sound made by human beings creeping along in boots and knew instinctively that the bounty hunters had returned.
He pulled on his boots, took down the Winchester and quietly levered a shell into the chamber. He then waited, motionless, ears straining to pinpoint where each of his attackers were.
One – no, two were approaching the door. He couldn’t place the third man and wondered whether he was after the stallion or hiding in the darkness somewhere, rifle trained on the door in case Gabriel got past his companions .
Deciding that caution was the way, Gabriel crouched behind the table, ready to gun down anyone who tried to enter. It wouldn’t be easy for them. Stout blocks of wood, slid each night into place, kept the door and the window shutters barred. Nothing short of dynamite or a battering ram could break them open.
Suddenly a lamp smashed against the door. Gabrielheard glass shatter, smelled kerosene and realized they intended to burn him out.
Not waiting for the inevitable, he grabbed the blanket off his bed, dunked it in the bucket of water by the stove and wrapped it around himself. By now the door was aflame and he could hear the stallion neighing shrilly in the barn.
He unbarred the door, jerked it open and threw the chair out first, drawing the bounty hunters’ fire. He then dived outside, hitting the ground and rolling over, firing at the two human silhouettes he saw outlined against the crackling blaze.
One man gave a yelp and limped off into the darkness; the other took cover behind the corral fence. Gabriel jumped up and, keeping low, ran for the barn.
A shot fired from a higher angle nicked Gabriel on his left arm, forcing him to hit the dirt. He knew now that the third man was among the rocks atop the slope, and rolling over he squeezed off two quick rounds. The bullets ricocheted off the rocks, making the sniper duck his head. Gabriel took a chance, jumped up, and dove into the barn.
Bullets plunked into the door dangerously near his head. He returned fire, aiming directly at the flashes, and heard a grunt of pain.
Men’s voices whispered to each other in the darkness. He couldn’t hear what was being said, but a few moments later he heard horses galloping away.
He waited, hearing the stallion stirring restlessly behind him. When he was satisfied the bounty hunters weren’t returning, he sat up and faced the Morgan. The horse was glaring at him over the side of the stall. Its eyes were two fiery red glints. Gabriel laughed softly to himself. Thegoddamn brute was more angry than scared!
Then he smelled smoke and remembered the fire. He jumped up, ran out into the moonlight and saw that the flames were licking up onto the roof. Gabriel ran to the water barrel, filled a bucket and tried to douse them.
He made numerous trips but eventually he had to face it: the cabin was ablaze and there was no saving it. Lungs choked with smoke, he stood back and bitterly watched the last two years of his life burn to a blackened skeleton.
He
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