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Category:
Western
ISBN-10: 1520599129
Type: Fiction
ISBN-13: 9781520599120
Price: $0.99 (eBook)
Further adventures of the Star sisters as they seek revenge for the murder of their mother.
The exciting adventures of the Star girls as they continue their search for the man who ordered the killing of their mother and the massacre of dozens of Cheyenne women and children in the raid at Goose Creek Oklahoma in 1879.
Along the way they face many perils as the two beautiful young women are accosted by violent killers, potential rapists, woman abusers and Indians as they travel the plains and hills of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas in their quest to exact bloody vengeance on their mother’s murderers.
During their journey, they are joined by an elderly gunfighter, an out of work cowboy and a middle aged woman. Each of the three become indebted to the Star Girls in different ways and vow to help them in any way they can. They could not have known at the time, the amount of danger they were about to face because of the girls’ calamitous life style. They are a magnet for trouble and face danger every step of the way until the final, brutal confrontation with their destiny, brings their quest to a violent and bloody end.
Excerpt
As I advanced upstream, I detected the distant roaring sound of gushing water and after advancing farther, I saw a few hundred yards ahead, a high promontory with water cascading over rocks and plunging down into the river many feet below. From where I sat my horse, the waterfall looked a spectacular sight and would make an ideal place to camp. It would also give me a chance to bathe and wash away the sweat and grime from my body, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had an all over bath. I urged my roan forward and headed for the waterfall. There was plenty of vegetation, trees and thick bushes around which wasn’t surprising considering the abundance of water. So it wasn’t easy going to make my way around thickets, dense undergrowth and mesquite trees and such as I headed for the cascading water. However, I eventually came within spitting distance of the falls and was about to skirt round a clump of bushes which would bring me to the edge of the water, when I noticed movement on the other side of the thicket. I peered through the leaves and branches and was just about able, to make out what looked like a large animal maybe a deer or a horse, either way I decided to use caution in my approach for if it was a deer I would try and shoot it. I hadn’t tasted venison in a long time and it would make a welcome change from beans and flat bread. On the other hand if it was a horse it would mean there was a man or men around which could spell danger especially if they were Indians.
I dismounted and removed my rifle from the scabbard mounted next to my saddle before levering a bullet into the chamber. When I was ready, I used as much stealth as I was able, to skirt the bushes having tied my horse to a sapling growing close by. Peering round the final bush, I saw that sure enough, it was a horse and it had been picketed close to the water’s edge where there was plenty of lush grass amongst the other vegetation that grew around. Beyond the horse there were rocks which obscured my view of the lower part of the waterfall and there didn’t appear to be anybody around. The horse had been stripped of its saddle and bridle and apart from the picket pin and rope there was no other sign of human presence. I figured whoever he was, he would have a camp close to the water’s edge on the other side of the rocks. I thought about calling out but doubted I would be heard over the sound of the water as it plunged into the river from a great height. Therefore, I cautiously rounded the rocks and saw before me the spectacular sight of the cascading water falling onto rocks and flowing into the river. Furthermore, I was completely taken aback when I saw before me, a far more spectacular sight than the waterfall and one I had been totally unprepared for. What I saw left me awe struck and mesmerised and I became rooted to the spot, enchanted by the vision before me. I stared in disbelief at the naked woman beneath the falls who appeared to be completely unaware of my presence as she bathed beneath the falling water that washed over her long hair. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was seeing that day and to say I was shocked would be an understatement but to say I became bewitched, would be just about the truth. For I knew right then without a shadow of a doubt, I had never in my entire long life, beheld a more beautiful sight. Even some of the pictures I had seen hanging in the magnificent theatres of Chicago would never compare to the spectacle that these old eyes of mine beheld. I had seen naked women before of course, mostly whores and bar girls and the odd widow woman just after the war so I figured I was qualified to compare and to my mind, there was no comparison. Compared to other women, this one was a goddess, she was slim, lithe and tall and with the water cascading over her body, what I saw was a living masterpiece. I could not move and could not tear my eyes from the fascinating sight before me and that was my downfall because I had become so mesmerised, that everything around me faded into the background of my mind. That was until I felt the muzzle of a rifle pressed against the back of my neck and I heard the sweet young voice of a girl with easy, measured tones.
‘Avert your goddamned filthy eyes mister, or I’ll blow your fucking brains out.’
I stiffened and wondered if she would really do it, after all she sounded like little more than a child, but the authoritative and confident way she spoke commanded respect despite her obvious youth and that convinced me she wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet in me if I so much as spoke in the wrong tone of voice,
‘Alright take it easy kid, I didn’t mean to stare I was taken by surprise when I saw your friend and I was about to turn and walk away.’
‘Yeah right.’ She hissed as she plucked my colt from the holster on my hip. ‘Place the rifle on the ground easy, then turn around.’
I did as she asked and slowly turned to face her. My impression of her had been right, she was a young girl but not as young as I expected. I figured she would be around sixteen possibly younger but she was almost as tall as me and by the way she held the rifle trained on me with the cool confidence and boldness of a mature and skilled gunman changed any thoughts I might have harboured about disarming her. I would not have been capable anyhow for I instantly, recognized that young face, it had been etched on my memory for over two years and I found myself struck immobile with shock for the second time that day. She must have recognised me also, because her demeanour took on a change when she began to study me and her pretty face twisted into a mask of hatred.
‘You bastard!’ she snarled.
I was totally incapable of moving and was too slow to get out of the way as she suddenly reversed the rifle in her hands and smashed the butt against my temple with more force than belied her tender years. The power behind the blow was hard enough to knock me unconscious, for the next thing I remembered was waking up lying on my side on the ground hogtied with rawhide and whoever had done it had made a damned fine job because the only thing I was capable of moving, was my head which I have to say, was throbbing with intense pain from the rifle blow.
When full awareness came to me, I found I was a few yards away from and facing, a fire. I raised my head as much as I was able and saw two young women sitting side by side on a log on the other side of the fire facing my way and watching me intently. They both sipped at mugs of what I considered to be coffee going by the smell that drifted my way and I suddenly craved a drink of the hot bitter liquid. But neither of them made any move to approach me and I was becoming painfully aware of the rawhide biting into my wrists and ankles for they had removed my boots before tying me up.
I must have been unconscious for a long time because the sun had almost gone down when I finally, regained my senses and as I watched them regarding me I was mindful of my extreme discomfort; so much so that I willed one or both of them to approach and either kill me or untie me. Either way would end the miserable feeling I was experiencing at that particular moment in time.
I lay my head on the ground and closed my eyes aware of their intense scrutiny as I wallowed in my misery. The possibility I might be able to wait them out and see what they planned for me entered my mind. I figured if they wanted to kill me they would have done it by now. But my position with the bonds on my wrists and ankles was becoming unbearable so instead of waiting it out, I decided to appeal to their better nature if either of them had one.
‘Ma’am,’
The word was little more than a croak and neither of them showed any indication they’d heard me so I tried again.
‘Ma’am,’ I tried, a little louder this time and my head set to throbbing again.
The older one of the two said something and the younger girl shook her head forcefully and yelled something while jabbing her friend’s chest with her finger to drive home her point. This caused the older girl to shove her young friend off the log and she fell backwards onto the ground only to immediately spring to her feet and launch herself at the other girl and much to my astonishment, they both fell to the ground and began fighting like a pair of turkey cocks. I could not believe my eyes as they rolled around spitting, clawing, gouging, biting and hair pulling. Neither gave an inch as they fought and battled for the upper hand rolling around on the ground and cussing like a pair of mule skinners. I’ve seen cat fights in my time in some of the many bars I’ve frequented and they were interesting and even entertaining at times. However, they usually didn’t last long. But these two girls were like wild cats and I felt sure one or the other would be killed if it went on much longer and I marvelled at the energy and stamina they exerted as they rolled around in the dirt kicking and clawing, biting and gouging until finally, after god knows how long, it ended and they came to rest on the ground and I was amazed to see they had their arms around each other and their faces buried into each other’s shoulders. While they had been fighting, they looked like mortal enemies and I would swear they were trying their damndest to kill each other. Now as they lay together in an embrace gasping for air and holding on tight as though afeared if they let go they would be lost, I recognized the great affection they held for each other and I simply could not comprehend how they went from trying to kill one another one minute to the tender devotion they now shared.
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