Little Sharpshooter

Little Sharpshooter Chap 18

Randy’s eyes were flitting everywhere with every movement. Large birds flew from behind the mountain to fly to the next. Each one made her jump. Rocks slid down the side of one mountain. Randy quick drew her gun only to see a jackrabbit hopping up the side.

“Why are you so jumpy?” Trevor asked rubbing his arm. His sleeve was rolled up and a few of the bites were looking red and bulgy.

“You need to see the doctor.” Randy was pulled out of her own worries for a moment.

“I was thinkin’ the same thing.” He moved his arm so she couldn’t see it anymore.

They had to move out of the way so several wagons could pass that were headed out of town. Randy couldn’t stop looking at everyone’s hands. There was nothing.  

Probably the fact that there was so much traffic on the road kept them safe. Soon they were on the other side of the ravine and could see the town. It was so small that it would be hard for them to hide. They headed down the main street and Randy scanned the people and the tall front businesses until she saw what she wanted.

“There’s the doctor,” she said waving for them to follow. “This town is lucky to have one.”

They entered the small office. An old man waited seated on a chair. A younger man sat at the desk and took one look at the swollen red wounds on Trevor’s arm before he took Trevor back to a room without saying much.

Bronson and Randy waited quietly. They could overhear people talking in another room.

“This looks like a gunshot wound. How long ago?’

“Several weeks ago.” The voice was familiar.

“You have good use of your fingers for that long. I think it’s just a matter of time.”

Randy’s face flushed. She pulled Bronson’s collar and glanced at the old man next to them that appeared to be sleeping. “I have to get out of here. You get a good look at that guy in there though.”

Hastily she left and jumped on Al’s back to head down the street a short way to hide in between two buildings. She dismounted and held Al back to watch the door of the doctor’s office. It was just moments later when a man came out of the office, mounted his horse, and headed down the street in her direction.

“Whatcha doin’ there?” a woman shouted, standing in a doorway behind Randy.

Randy jumped. “Oh sorry, I was hidin’ from my pa.”

“Don’t hide here with your horse. What if he dumps here? That smell will come right in my kitchen. If I wanted to live on a horse ranch, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Sorry, ma’am.” Randy mounted Al and hesitated. The man was almost there.

Randy pulled her brim down over her eyes.

“On with ya.” The grumpy woman snapped her towel on Al’s rear which made him bolt out from between the buildings. He almost tossed Randy on the ground right in front of the man she was trying to avoid. Holding on for dear life, Randy let Al run quite a ways before she pulled one of the reins to get him under control. To her horror, the man was beside her trying to help. She turned Al in a circle. When the man tried to grab one of the reins, Al reared.

“Whoa!” he said.

“It’s all right.” Randy struggled to stay on his back as Al threw his head back again. “I can get him.” She pulled the rein she still had in her hand to turn Al away from the man that had her other one. Al had no choice but to turn in circles.

“Nice job gettin’ him under control. I thought for sure he was gonna take ya to the hills. You came out of nowhere though. That horse is a wild one for a little girl like you to handle.”