Colm's Daughter

Chapter 18

The group of five gunslingers barreled down the road towards town at a high speed. There was a stranger minding his own business on the road ahead, riding a Tennessee Walker.

"Want that horse Arthur?" Lucille asked.

Arthur chuckled. "Why? You tired of havin' me behind ya?"

Lucille laughed along. "Never Mister Morgan! But you might be needin' it."

"Sure. Masks on y'all!"

Everyone pulled their bandanas over their faces to hide their identities as they got closer to the unsuspecting victim.

Lucille rode Arthur's horse right up alongside the stranger.

Arthur skillfully stood up on the back of his horse.

The stranger started, "What the hell are-"

Arthur leaped onto the back of the stranger's horse and threw him off it.

"OH HELL!" The stranger hollered. Arthur took the reins and kept speed with the others on his newly stolen horse.

"Haaaallppp!! I've been robbed!" the stranger hollered in the distance behind them.

Arthur and Lucille just laughed like this was a romantic vacation for them.

Dutch studied the mood between them as they took their bandanas down seemingly just to smile at each other.

Arthur searched the saddlebag on the stolen horse as best as he could as they galloped, "Let's see what that feller had- oh well this is very kind of him!" he pulled out a revolver with a gold inlaid stock.

Lucille laughed. "Like a kid on Christmas mornin' Arthur!"

They closed in on the town of Rhodes. "Where are we goin' Miss O'Driscoll?" Dutch asked impatiently.

"You'll know when we get there!" Lucille said. They slowed down to a trot as they went through town.

"I ain't happy about none of this, but you might be surprised to know that one of the reasons I ain't happy about it, is because I don't want you puttin' yourself in danger right now...in your current situation."

"You mean the 'you knocked me up' situation?" she said loudly enough for anyone to hear.

Townsfolk looked at them awkwardly.

"Yeah..." Dutch replied.

"Thanks for that by the way!" she taunted.

"I don't recall any complainin' at the time!" Dutch shouted.

Lucille just smirked to herself.

"Hush both of ya!" Arthur said. "I don't know what the plan is here but I'm guessin' it don't involve drawin' attention to ourselves."

Dutch stewed silently.

Lucille directed the four men, "Hitch the horses in front of the saloon."

"Is Colm in there?" Dutch demanded.

"No Mister! Quit askin' me!"

Dutch growled his anger. They hitched their horses and dismounted.

"Then why are we here?"

Lucille ignored him. "Marston, Micah, and... Arthur, wait here for us."

"What!" Micah complained.

"I just need to have a little chat with the sheriff, and it'll go a lot better with less people. Actually I reckon it woulda been best with just me alone, but since I know Dutch ain't gonna let me out of his sight..." she sighed.