Death Canyon

The glint in the dawn light  had tipped him off to a rifle barrel poking out from behind the boulder. He was grateful to have noticed it. Better alive than dead, he thought as he slipped off his Appaloosa pony slapping her butt to return the way they’d come.  Bent nearly in two he ran zig zagging into the shadow of the boulders.  Kneeling in the relative protection he looked about for more signs of what he could only assume was an enemy.  Friends didn’t wait with rifles on lonely canyon trails. This must surely be an ambush. By who he couldn’t tell but someone with malice in their heart was surely out there. 

Leaving the refuge of the boulder he ran another little distance to another boulder further along before taking a look at where he’d seen the rifle glint.  Sure enough there it was and he could just see a hat above a head that appeared to be watching his horse which had run a short distance before stopping and curiously waiting.  

The boulders here were such that he could run a bit further without risk of being seen and perhaps get beyond where this fellow was waiting.  He did that and looking saw that another fellow was similarly waiting with a rifle pointed along where he’d come.

He could have shot thes fellows if he was sure they’d been waiting for him but he couldn’t imagine he was of interest to anyone.  Maybe they were waiting for someone else?

He edged further around the last boulder so he could have an eye on both the strangers before he shouted, “Hey you there. What are doing?’

Well, that got a response.    The first one hardly taking a sight with his rifle fired off a shot at the sound of his voice.  The bullet hit the rocks somewhere near.  The other stranger was just as quickly lifting his rifle to do the same.

There didn’t seem much else to do at that point.  His rifle was up when he’d called and they were both plainly visible so he shot the second one first before levering a second shot into the 30:30 rifle and plugging the first one.  That man had taken a second shot which merely chipped off more rock near him.

Standing over them he saw his shots had been lethal.  He might have shot to wound and have one alive to help solve the mystery of what they were doing, but his daddy had taught him long ago, shoot for the mass and shoot to kill.  “Wounded animals are a lot more dangerous than dead ones.”  

With a whistle his horse,  Sadie, appeared beside him nudging him affectionately.  Taking the lead he followed him walking to where two more horses were loosely tied further back in the big boulders.  He took their leads and walked them back to their previous owners.  He’d checked the bodies for identification taking their wallets, two rifles, and pistols as well as some cash  He’d laid this all on the ground beside them.  There was value to their horses and guns but he thought the crows and coyotes had more value to them than he had at this point.  So he left them lying there  Putting their rifles in their horses scabbards and their pistols in his saddle bad, he tied their horses to follow. He mounted Sadie and headed further into the canyon.    

Not an auspicious beginning of the day but he was alive and they were dead.  He thanked God for this. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me came to mind.  Grace and mystery were on his mind and heart as he continued on keeping to the shadow in the canyon as the sun slowly rose in the day.