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stepped into view. Healy had fired as he swung the rifle, and his shot caught
the first Indian in the chest. The Sioux screamed and grabbed at the brush to
keep from falling. Dodie, who was still carrying the shotgun, swung her horse
and rode swiftly forward, firing first one barrel and then the other. Mabry
came in at a dead run, sweeping wide around the rear of the little column to
draw fire away from it. Reins upon the pommel, he sat bolt upright in the
saddle, shooting fast into the scattered Indians. Suddenly they were gone.
Mabry swung his horse. Healy was on the ground, his arm through the loop of
the reins, his rifle ready. "Cover us," Mabry said as he swept by, and
hurriedly he crowded the women over into a shallow dip in the hills away from
the ravine. How many Indians there were, he had no idea. At least two were
down, but he was sure there were more Sioux than had revealed themselves, and
that they were in for a fight. There was no adequate shelter, no place to
fort up. Just the hollow dip in the hills that was at least fifty yards across
and twice that long. Then he saw an old buffalo wallow. In a minute he had
the three women on the ground in the buffalo wallow and had led the horses to
the lowest part, where brush and high grass concealed them a little. Yet he
doubted the horses would be killed unless by a stray bullet. The Sioux
undoubtedly wanted the horses as much as anything else. Healy came in last and
swung down. The surprise attack had failed utterly, largely because of Healy's
alertness. Even Janice had ridden out with an old pistol in her hand. Mabry
glanced at her, but said nothing. Yet he looked at Dodie thoughtfully. "You'll
do to take along." he said sincerely. "You put some shot into one of them."
Janice was putting the pistol back into its holster. For an instant his eyes
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
met hers and he smiled. "Another minute and you might have killed an Indian,"
Mabry said. "They were attacking us," she said defensively. "I know. That's
the way xddis." There was a long time then of crouching in the sun in the
buffalo wallow. Wind stirred the tall grass, lazy white clouds floated against
the vast blue of the heavens. The horses stamped and blew. "They've gone,"
Janice said. "No," Mabry said. "We'll wait." A slow hour drew itself by on
the canvas of the sky. Mabry's shoulder was damp where it pressed against the
earth. Three women, horses, weapons. It was unlikely the renegade Sioux
would abandon the attack so quickly. There was no rush. There was no warning
of sound, only a faint whisper in the grass that was not the wind and a sudden
rifle barrel appearing on the ridge of the hollow. Yet Mabry caught the gleam
of sunlight even as it appeared. He took a chance and held low against the
earth atop that low crest. He squeezed off his shot even as the rifle muzzle
swung to bear on Healy. Mabry could see nothing but that muzzle, but his shot
struck with a sullen thud. A Sioux lifted up, blood streaming down his face,
then fell face down over the lip of the hollow and lay sprawled out on the
grass. At the same instant, bullets laced the hollow with deadly fire. Healy
replied, shooting fast three times. And then again there was silence. King
Mabry wormed his way out of the buffalo wallow and went up the slope to the
dead Sioux. He retrieved his rifle and a small pouch of ammunition, then edged
up to the hill. Looking through some grass, he peered over the edge. Before
him stretched a brown grassy hillside, empty of life..the sun was bright and
warm. The grass waved idly in the light wind, and as far away as the distant
line of Nowood Creek, there was nothing. He lay perfectly still, watching. His
eyes searched the ground to left and right. Then, rolling over, he drew back a
little and looked all around. He saw nothing. Yet the Indians were there. He
knew they were there. And with each moment of delay, somewhere Barker was
drawing nearer. In the buffalo wallow, almost concealed from where he lay,
were the others. And they had been too lucky. Too beautifully, perfectly [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]