The Tutor

Chapter 18

James watched as the men ran out of the back of his house. He hadn't bothered to lock the doors or slow them in any way. He knew that they would pass through the house which was just enough time for the horse to get out of the barn. They had fired their pistols at seventy yards. Well beyond the effective range of a pistol. He had watched the round kick up dirt near the front of the barn. He waited turning out the lights in the barn. One man hurried past the barn as if there was any hope that he could catch up with the girl on the horse. The other was more cautious and kicked open one of the side doors to the barn. Making entirely too much noise. James waited in the shadows as he nervously moved past the office to the feed room. Over to the tack room. He then started walking down the line of stalls. James waited in the shadows.

The man walked past. James grabbed the man's outstretched gun hand and twisted, the gun falling noiselessly on the sawdust strewn floor. The man yelped as James heard the satisfactory pop of a wrist breaking, He released the useless limb and his hand came up heel first into the man's chin. His head snapped back and he crumbled like a sack of spoiled grain. James quickly took a piece of leather and tied the man's hands behind him. Then using a hay hook, hung him from one of the rafters.

James stepped quietly to the barn doors. The other man had started after Amy. Whether it was just luck or bad timing James couldn't tell. Nor would he ever say. The goat feeder went off. Fifty goats came running up the trail. Right in the path of the man. He didn't know what hit him when the two giant white dogs leaped from the cover of the brush and attacked him. He screamed in pain as the dogs made their intent clear. Protect the herd. They snarled and one yelped as the gun went off. Jame hurried, he arrived in time to stop the Alpha from tearing the throat from his enemy. James whipped a strap of leather out from his belt and hogtied the man. He then went and examined the two dogs. He went to the barn and returned a few moments later to doctor the massive Great Pyrenees she whimpered a little and growled but he was gentle. His voice was soothing. The bullet had torn at her shoulder, but it wasn't serious. She would have a limp but that was the worst of it.

He went to the barn again and got a bucket of water and five long strips of rawhide. Which he put in the water.

"What are you doing?" the man asked.

"Oh me?" James said innocently. "I'm going to tie these strips of rawhide around your arms at the elbows and your legs just above the knee. The other one goes around your privates."

"What? Why?"

"So you never ever cause my friend any problems ever again." He said softly snapping his folding knife open and cutting away the man's shirt and pants.

"What what will it do?" the man asked nervously.

"Rawhide when wet is very pliable and expands, when it dries it shrinks, slow, could take days, but eventually it will cut off the circulation to your arms and legs. They will, in turn, turn black and die and fall off. If the gangrene doesn't kill you in a few days, well we can just call you stumpy"

"You can't!" the man said

"Really? I have one-hundred and fifty acres here you don't think I can't find a nice quiet spot to bury you and your friend?"

"What do you want?"

"I want you to leave Amy alone," he said quietly.

"We, my boss won't"

"Not my problem really," James said tying the rawhide at the elbows of the man.

"You can't I mean this is..."

"Torture? The funny thing about that, I'm not above using it, and is it really torture if I'm not trying to get information from you?"

"But you. You're a nobody we checked you out"

"That's the wonderful thing about the government they tend to omit parts of people's history that they don't want anyone talking about" James tied the two other straps around the man's legs just above his calves.

"I'll tell you where they are." The man said.

"Who?" James said as he slipped the knife under the man's waistband.

"Will and Blake"

"Who are they?" James asked pulling the cloth free leaving the man naked.

"They are the guys behind this"

"That's interesting but I don't really care," James said as he tied the fifth knot.

"No they are in a house on..." the man spilled his guts letting James know everything that he knew. James walked back to the barn ignoring the man's panicked screams and saddled his horse.

"I'll be back in a little while, Don't go falling apart on me"