Meleah's Western - Part 30

And now, as promised, another part of Meleah's Western. Aren't you glad she got me going on this?:)

Part 30

“Ty! Look out!”
Sally tried to draw her gun, but she was shaking too much. Ty, lying on the ground, had also seen the face and just as the huge mountain lion, with a snarling scream, sprang down from its high perch above them, drew his Colt revolver and fired.
The shot was true and pierced the lion’s heart. Rolling quickly to one side, Ty managed to escape the full impact of the now dead animal though the hind legs with their dangerous claws raked his shoulder and thigh. With a quick move, Ty freed himself, and still clutching his pistol with one hand and the horses reins with the other, stood up.
“Ty--”
He cut her short. “The horses, Sally. They got ta be calmed now.”
He was right. If they broke free, they could rush headlong over the cliff or disappear into the mountains never to be found again. At the very least, they would hurt themselves. Still rearing and pulling on the reins that held them, the horses, in terror at the smell of the mountain lion, struggled to get away.
“Here, Sally, take Starlight’s reins!” Ty shoved his pistol back in its holster. “Whoa, Par! Easy now,” Ty spoke soothingly to his own horse while separating the leather straps and thrusting those belonging to Starlight into Sally’s hands. “Calm her,” he ordered.
That was easier said than done. For both horses, nearly maddened by the strong scent of a hated enemy were frantically pulling away. After the first few seconds of the struggle, Ty recalled an old Indian trick. Leaning down, he rubbed one hand over the fur of the dead beast then he spread the scent over Par’s nostrils. After a shake or two of his head, the horse, perhaps perplexed by the fact that all he could smell anywhere now was mountain lion, calmed down. Ty patted him gently talking all the while. “That’s right, Par. Easy now, Ain’t nothin’ ta fear now for it’s dead.”
“Ty!”
Sally’s cry brought Ty over to help her at once. Using the same trick he had used on his own horse, Starlight was soon under control.

In the sudden silence that reigned, Ty and Sally looked at each other. For a moment neither of them spoke. At last Ty, with a slight grin, remarked, “Well, I reckon this ain’t the place ta stop an’ rest. What say we take that there big cat along with us?”
“Will Par let ya?”
For answer, Ty hoisted the large cat, slung it over his horse’s back and stepped away. The horse didn’t move. “I reckon he’ll carry it. Least ways till we catch up with the others.” As he spoke he securely tied the animal. “That’s that. If’n we don’t get on, Carson’ll be back ta fetch us. That ain’t goin’ ta make Vin very happy.”
Slowly, with reluctant steps, Sally followed her brother; the horses followed calmly as though no danger had only moments before terrified them. At the beginning of the narrow, cliff hugging trail, Sally paused. There was no way to go back, for the horses were behind her, and yet, how could she walk along that ledge?

Ty, seeing her hesitate, took her hand and drew it through his arm. “Put yer right hand on the wall there an’ let’s go.”
“Ty, I can’t, I’m goin’ ta be sick. I feel dizzy, an’ . . .” her words trailed off as she closed her eyes and leaned against the cliffside.
“Jest look at yer feet, an’ keep yer eyes half closed,” advised Ty pulling her forward a few steps.
She tried it, but it was only with great effort that she could continue at all.
Ty tried to distract her thoughts from the dangerous path they were treading footstep by footstep. “Ya think that mountain lion’s the same one Vin’s been after all these years? Sure would be a right nice present ta give him, if’n it were.”
When no answer came, Ty fell silent.
It seemed like years to poor Sally, who was fighting to keep from showing the terror she felt. Every time she tried to open her eyes and see how much farther they had to go, a sudden wave of dizziness swept over her, leaving her strangely lightheaded. Her grip on Ty’s arm was tense and she moved mechanically forward. How wonderful it was to hear Ty say quietly that they were almost to the end. Then they were off the cliff and onto a trail carpeted with pine needles. Sally drew a deep breath and sank limply down beside the path.

Opening his mouth to say something, Ty stopped with the words on the tip of his tongue. On the trail up ahead, he had caught a glimpse of Carson standing with head cocked as though listening to something and a hand up for quiet. Bending low over his sister, he quietly placed the reins in her hands and nodded in Carson’s direction, breathing, “Wait here till I see what’s up.”

“There seems ta’ve been an ambush an’ all are held up by outlaws,” was Carson’s low reply to Ty’s questioning look. “It seems ta me ta be a set up.”
“Vin?”
“Yep.”
“How many?”
“Maybe half a dozen.”
“Doesn’t he know we ain’t there?”
“Reckon not.”
The wind was blowing the sounds towards them and both strained their ears to hear what was being said. After hearing a few sentences, Ty was slowly reaching for his pistol when a hand was laid on his arm. He turned. Sally, drawing her father’s gun from its holster, handed it without a word to her brother. Then, taking the reins of Carson’s mount and the pack horse, she nodded, again without a word, towards the sounds of conflict.
Ty noticed that her cheeks had color once more and her eyes again flashed sparks like some one stirred with passion. Here was a danger she could face without flinching.

Are you coming back?