Ralph Compton The Cheyenne Trail by Ralph Compton

Author:Ralph Compton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group, USA
Published: 2014-03-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 31

The minute he squeezed the trigger and heard the explosion from his rifle, Riggs knew that the bullet would miss.

For Black Feather saw Riggs at the same time. As Riggs brought the rifle to his shoulder, Black Feather opened his coat and freed his own rifle. He flattened himself on his pony’s back just before Riggs squeezed the trigger.

Black Feather heard the whiz-buzz of the bullet as it passed over him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Silver Bear and Yellow Horse steer their ponies away from him.

Black Feather did not wait for Riggs to reload. He levered a cartridge into the firing chamber of his purloined rifle and took aim at the white man. He kicked his pony in the flanks and reined it on a path toward the white man. He charged straight at Riggs. He hugged his pony’s bare back and aimed the rifle.

When he was within ten yards of Riggs, Black Feather squeezed the trigger. The rifle in his hands was aimed straight at Riggs. He reined to a halt after his rifle exploded and sent a bullet straight at the chest of the white man.

The bullet struck Riggs square in the chest. It split his breastbone and ripped through a lung. It exited out his back, blowing blood and bone out onto the snow.

Riggs’s eyes went wide for a split second as his lungs expelled the last of his air. The hole in his chest spurted blood and he slumped in the saddle.

Black Feather rode in close and swung the butt of his rifle at the head of the white man. The stock struck Riggs and knocked him sideways.

He fell to the ground.

Black Feather jumped down and grabbed Riggs by the hair. He swept off his hat with a swipe of his hand. He whooped a war cry that carried to Silver Bear and Yellow Horse.

Black Feather set his rifle down in the snow and drew his knife. He slashed the throat of the man he had shot, then cut a circle on his head. He pulled the hair free with a strong jerk and held up Riggs’s scalp. He uttered a yelp of triumph as Silver Bear and Yellow Horse rode up to look down at Black Feather and the dead white man.

“Good,” Silver Bear said.

“You have a good scalp, Black Feather,” Yellow Horse said. “And you struck coup on the white man.”

Black Feather picked up his rifle. He stuck the bloody scalp in a small pouch attached to his sash. Then he beat his chest as a gesture of victory over an enemy.

He climbed back onto his horse.

“There are three more White Eyes,” Silver Bear said. “They will fight us when they see us.”

“Let us kill them too,” Black Feather said.

“Yes, let us go after them and kill them,” Yellow Horse said.

“We will find the three White Eyes and kill them,” Silver Bear said.

The three Cheyenne rode away from Riggs, whose body was turning white with falling snow. They did not look back but followed the buffalo trail that was marked by clods of mud and disturbed snow.

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