Out Of Time

Clemens Point

The two men talked amongst themselves but Sam could tell Charles was chastising Arthur just now.  It brought a smile to her face.  At least she wasn't the only one who cared.  They got to the main road by the tracks and she slowed a bit as she followed the tracks.  "Charles, do I got this right?" she asked him.

Charles trotted up to her and looked.  "I think this is the right way.  Give me a second," he said.  As they crossed over the train tracks, they galloped again.  "Okay, looks like they go down this way.  So...what happened with those Pinkertons, anyway?"

"What Pinkertons?" Sam asked.

"Some Pinkerton detectives showed up while Arthur took Jack fishing a couple days ago."

"Oh.  Right, who are they?"

"A detective agency out gunnin' for us since Blackwater," Arthur said glumly.  "Anyway, they said they were onto us.  Offered me freedom if I turned Dutch in."

Charles scoffed.  "They picked the wrong man there."

"We should've moved right then, if you ask me."

Sam pouted.  If they had moved, then she would have been left behind with no idea where they would've gone.  Did Arthur really want that now?  For her to be gone?  "Wait, just let me make sure this is right."

They slowed down as they got to the water if a lake and they slowly turned left as Charles and Sam checked for tracks.  "Continues along the shore here."

"Bastards told me they'd killed Mac.  Said it right in front of Jack," Arthur said as they followed the tracks along the shore.

"Ah, that kid...it's gonna be tough for him."

"Yeah, but he has more folk lookin' out for him than most of the rest of us had growin' up."

"John said he was goin' back to the auction yard to collect the money for those sheep."

"He'd be a damn idiot goin' anywhere near that town right now."

"He reckoned he'd be able to slip in and out."

"Oh, well, if it's John's idea, it must be a good one," Arthur said sarcastically.

"What is it with you and him?" Charles asked restlessly.

"Well, he disappeared on us for a while...when Jack was real young, a long while, a year or more."

"Hold up, let me check this."  Charles slowed then got to a trail.  "They carry on along this trail.  But John, he did that?"

"And we was...family, you know?  Guess I still ain't fully forgiven him for that."

Sam frowned at Arthur.  Well, that explained a bit about his hostility towards John.  Sam looked out ahead of her, seeing a camp.  "There's a camp up ahead," Charles said.

Arthur, Charles and Sam slowed down.  "Be careful.  Sam, you stay behind us, alright?"

Sam nodded and moved in behind the two gang members, raising her rifle and aiming as she rode.  She's had a good week to practice shooting on moving targets with her gun, but to shoot people?  Maybe just shoot them in the leg or arm, but not the head or chest. 

"Seems deserted.  Let's take a look," Charles said.

The three rode into the area past the tree line and Sam blinked.  Hmm.  This was a nice, secluded area of the lake.  Definitely better suited for a camp than Dewberry Creek.  As they got closer in, Sam dismounted with her gun still raised.  "So where is this guy?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know...but you know something?  This is a better camp spot than back there.  Much easier to defend."

Sam giggled a little.  "Yeah, I was just thinkin' how better secluded this area is."