Little Sharpshooter Chap 17

Randy was furious when she woke to see Trevor had fallen asleep on watch. She clenched her jaw and stifled her anger when she spotted the bruises on his face.

“Hey, get up.” She stopped shaking his shoulders to lightly kick his feet and legs.

“Ohh.” Trevor rolled onto his side holding his head and covered the rest of his face with his elbows.

“What’s wrong?” Randy yelled near his head and smiled. “Gotta hangover? Yeah, it always comes back to get ya.”

Bronson wasn’t much better at waking up but didn’t seem as bad off as Trevor. Randy yelled at them to pull it together to get a move on. She was still agitated over their drinking slowing them down and concerned about the information from Trevor’s friend. He couldn’t tell her if they would be ambushed on their way or in the upcoming town. She was edgy.

Bronson and Trevor swayed in their saddles as the trail climbed higher into the hills. Irritation consumed Randy because of what they put her through the previous two days.

“Come on, y’all been slowin’ us down with your leisurely pace. I’m ready to see a town and find a hot bath.” Randy kicked Al to trot. She pursed her lips, masking the smile that wanted to spread across her face as they moaned and complained about keeping up. They reached the highest point of the mountain with a good view of the valley below that narrowed into a ravine on the far side. A few horses with riders and a couple of wagons were headed in both directions on the road that meandered through the valley.

“The town’s on the other side of that ravine.” Bronson took off his hat wiping his brow. “I think I could use a drink.”

Randy flashed him a stern look.

“There’s lots of things to drink besides whiskey, sweetheart. I’m just thirsty and this heat ain’t helpin’ my head.”

“It serves ya right.” Randy looked back at Trevor. He was white as the clouds as he held his stomach. She turned away in time to miss seeing him vomit.

“I wanna do somethin’ before we head down there. Trevor, come over here when your done pukin’.” She dismounted, took off her gun holster, and belted it around a pine tree.

She spun her pistol around her finger then stopped it to point at the tree. She checked to see how loaded her gun was.

Trevor had a gun holster of his own, but it was so old, the leather was stiff and cracked. Not flexible or stiff in the right way for a swift, quick draw, but he needed to know a thing or two. He said he could shoot and she had no idea how well. It was not the best timing to find out, but if he could have more confidence before heading into the ravine or the town, the better off they’d be.

She wanted change into her trousers to look like a boy. It was her they would be after. But she’d have to explain why if she did. She put it out of her mind as she did some practice quick draws while she waited for Trevor.

Bronson found a shady pine tree to sit under and he closed his eyes to rest.

Trevor stood by her side, still white as a sheet where he wasn’t bruised. His sick, pasty face was a stark contrast to his messed up dark hair. He held his hat, wiped his sleeve across his sweaty brow, and burped from his upset stomach.

“Can ya hold a gun steady?” She grabbed his hand, and held it out in front of her.

Trevor trembled from feeling sick.

“Well, if you can do this in bad shape then you should be a master it when ya feel better.” Randy rested her hand lightly on his shoulder and stood closer to him than she had in days.

She proceeded to show him what to do. “Don’t shoot my gun holster. Pa got it for me for my birthday. You shoot above it. Imagine the grip is poking out there. There’s no point in aimin’ for the hand, because it will be movin’ to the grip. You time it right and you’ll get it.” Randy picked up a stick, broke it in half, and stuck one where the pistol went.

Trevor stood with his feet astride, held the gun with both hands, and shot. He missed. He bent over in pain from his arm.

“You won’t have time for two handed shootin’ anyway. Use one. Your gonna have to learn lefty right now.”

Randy held her gun next to her hip, quickly drew the gun, aimed, and shot with one arm. The top of the stick exploded. She hobbled over in an awkward run and replaced the stick.

Randy took his pistol and stuffed it in his holster. “Will you let me show you?” She asked tentatively.

“Why are you showing me this now? The shots make my head want to split open.”

“Cause you never know. You don’t want to depend on me and I don’t want you to either. You may need to know this before we head into town.” Or the ravine. Whatever.

Trevor wasn’t all bad. He had good form. He just needed a little a few pointers.

Randy stood just behind his shoulder. She paused to look up at him and felt the little flutter in her chest. “You smell better today. Well, you don’t smell like a booze bottle.”

“I feel like someone tried to stuff me in one.”

Randy rested her hand on top of his, ignoring the itchiness from the small scabs from the rope burns. It reminded her there was another man out there who wanted her dead. She blinked a couple times to focus. Her hand squeezed his affectionately. Trevor leaned back a little into her chest.

“Okay, don’t shoot. We’re gonna get the feel.” Randy pulled Trevor’s hand up and showed him how to hold the pistol one handed with good aim. She did it with him a few more times and then let him try for real. He missed the stick the first three times. She told him how to adjust each time. On the fourth he nailed it.

“The only thing is when it’s real, the target moves. I’m teaching you how to stop a killin’ not how to start one. I don’t aim to kill, just to disarm them. I want whoever it is to see justice and it won’t be by my hand.” Randy made Trevor try it until he hit the stick six times in a row and then she was satisfied. She didn’t stop him from hugging her with his excitement. Randy was relieved the Trevor she liked had come back.

When Randy went for her horse to get ready to continue on, Bronson made his way over and stood between her and Trevor.

“We head into town, there’s no more of this silly newlywed, holdin’ hands, lovey dovey nonsense.” Bronson held his hand out for Trevor’s ring. Bronson held the ring for Randy until she had taken hers off and placed it on the gold chain. She chewed on her lip and glanced up at Trevor as she placed it around her neck.

Trevor studied his saddle horn while he waited.

It was probably for the best anyway. Tension was building in her shoulders and she swallowed the lump in her throat as they headed down the mountain, keeping watch on the mountainside.

At the base of the mountain there was a trading post. Randy was desperate to stop when she saw some of the wares dangling outside. Maybe she could find out if her wounded hand enemy had been around.

Randy struggled to keep an eye on Bronson as she went through the wares on the shelves. It was run by an older man and his Indian wife. The Indian woman was hand stitching a buckskin skirt. Behind her head was a buckskin woman’s jacket with small seed beads and fringe. Randy was in love.

“How much?” She pointed at the jacket and the skirt. The woman held up the skirt that was almost finished in front of Randy. She shook her head then reached behind the counter and handed her another. Randy held it up in front of her.

“Yes, it has been waiting for you.” The woman took down the coat and handed it to Randy along with a leather hat to match. She spotted the necklace on Randy’s neck. “You need protection?” She asked pointing to her necklace.

“I might.” Randy looked at the turquoise stone rubbing it between her fingers.

“This is a silent symbol. Others, when they see it, will watch for your safety. My people aren’t the only ones who know this.” She helped Randy put on the jacket. “This suits you.”

The buckskin jacket had different colored seed bead detailing above the fringe across her chest. She ran her hand over the detail admiring it.

The woman pointed to Randy’s gun holster. “You have skill?”

Randy nodded.

“Good.” She patted Randy’s hand. “A good skill for a young woman out here.”

“Has a man with a bandaged hand been through here?” Randy asked as she paid the woman for the leather goods, dried fruit, and jerky.

She looked up warily at Randy. “They came yesterday.”

“Were they headed to town?”

“They bought food but didn’t say where they were going.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Randy headed outside to meet Trevor with the horses.”I’m changin’.” She handed him the small package of fruit and jerky. “Don’t eat all that.” Randy didn’t want to wear the uncomfortable riding outfit anymore. She discreetly pulled one of Trevor’s shirts from his saddle bag and went behind the trading post.

Randy returned adjusting the leather ties around her waist.

“What’d you get that for?” Bronson placed his hands on his hips and gave her a look of disgust.

“I wanted it.” She mounted her horse. “It’s already better” She shifted her weight in the saddle. She urged Al forward a short distance away and stopped to wait as a few other riders rode up to the trading post. When Bronson rode up beside her, she reached for his coat to check for bottles and then backed Al up to look in his saddle bag.

“I didn’t get nothin’ because there was nothin’ there to get.” Bronson frowned and kicked his horse.

“Wait, I have somethin’ to tell ya both. The other man that shot my pa was here and maybe waitin’ for us.” Randy waited for their reaction.

Bronson waved her off in disbelief.

Trevor stared at her chest.

“What are you lookin’…” She realized it was his shirt. “I needed somethin’ better to wear under this. I hope ya don’t mind.”

“Where did ya get that necklace?” Trevor asked.

“The woman gave it to me with the clothes.” She looked away. “Ya think he’s waiting for us up there?” She pointed to the mountains on each side of the ravine.

“There’s a lot of people travelin’ through there. I doubt it.” Bronson urged his horse on.

Trevor followed Bronson.

Randy was still worried, checking her pistol to make sure it was reloaded and ready. She followed them down the trail to the main road in the valley that led to the ravine that would bring them into town. It was long way to go with a lot of places for him to hide.