BEDROCK : Robbery at Holliday Creek (1):

Citizens Arrest 

      

Full darkness had settled as the cowboy crept through the trees up to the edge defining the west side of the glen. He was downwind from two men sitting around their small fire – their backs to him. 

The smell of roasting meat barely reached his nose. Silently, he drew his revolver from its holster, and, as he leveled it at the two men, he drew back on the double action trigger. It clicked like two rocks knocked together, and the still evening air magnified the sound.

The two men jerked into a standing position, both reaching for their side arms as they searched for a target. The cowboy remained in the tree line, but spoke loudly and firmly, “Holster those guns and turn back to the fire.” They hesitated, squinting into the dark.

“DO IT.” Both reluctantly turned only to see their roasting rabbit go black. 

The cowboy walked out of the trees straight to within arm’s length behind them, and swiftly struck each a blow to the head with his gun butt. They crumpled like wet dish rags.

Two hobbled horses grazed in the glen, untroubled by the disturbance nearby. The cowboy grabbed the ropes from the grounded saddles beside the fire and proceeded to tie the two with their hands behind each back. Then he removed their boots and tied together the feet of each man. He stepped back to survey his handy work.

 

Satisfied, he retraced his steps toward the tree line where he had tethered his horse. The gentle clack of horns from bedded cattle milling around played on the night air.  Now his job was to get these pole cats to the trail boss, and bring back a couple of boys to return the rustled cows to the heard.