Winters' 3 Dears- The 12: Book Three

21. The Swashbuckling

Of the two weary travelers, Beatrice was the first to notice a path cutting across the hard earth. The James brother stirred the wind wagon onto it for easier travel. The sun shown down but the brothers had pulled up a linen shade to block its rays though this didn't help much when it came to the heat.

Tennessee and Beatrice were relaxing along the hull when Cyril suddenly pulled the break sending them rolling. He hastened to lower the sails and told everyone to get down.

Tennessee peaked out the wagon and saw the reason they had stopped.

"What's happening?" Beatrice asked.

"Coach robbery," Tennessee said. "Just ahead." He watched as one of the white clad bandits snatched luggage down from the top of the coach and tear through it. Meanwhile his partner held the three hostages, the driver and two passengers, at sword point. "Aha." Tennessee said as he watched the bandit dig through a man's bag letting the clothes fly across the desert.

"What?" Beatrice asked.

"See how they leave the woman's bags?" Tennessee pointed out to the others. "They'll take them eventually but this robbery is for something else. Bullets." He pointed to the revolver at the waist of the bandits with the hostages.

"You can tell all that?" Cyril asked.

"I know this breed of people," Tennessee said. "And they don't usually leave their hostages behind." He drew his sword. "Let's use surprise to our advantage."

They waited until one of the bandits had stepped back into the coach then Tennessee gave the command to raise the sails and catch the next breeze. Old Mary surged forth and at first bandit was stunned. The hostages scattered as the wagon plowed into him knocking him to the side.

Cyril pulled the brake, letting the passengers duck behind the wagon for protection as the second Windstalker stepped out of the coach. The James brothers drew their rifles and Tennessee readied his sword.

"Good morning," he greeted the men. "Enjoying your daily plunder?"

"What do you want, EAK?" the second Windstalker demanded. "You're out of your jurisdiction."

"Justice has no jurisdiction," Tennessee said, his pin gleaming in the sun. "You let these people on their way."

The Windstalker twirled his sword. "Make me." With a loud yell he charged forward the blades clashed together. The hostage holder moved in to aid his partner but Captain James struck him with the butt of his rifle.

"Stay behind me!" Tennessee said as he fought blade to blade with the Windstalker. Beatrice spun out of the way as the flashing blade slipped by Tennessee who just barely dodging it. With a flip of his wrist Tennessee brought his blade around sideways and clubbed the bandit.

Beatrice trust their chained arm forward and caught his blade on the links sending the weapon spinning from his hand on his way down.

Determined to be defeated the Windstalker reached for his pistol.

In a flash Tennessee took Beatrice by both her wrist and swung her into the air.

Pointing her foot as she came around, Beatrice knocked the weapon from his hand disarming him completely.

Tennessee grabbed his blade and the Windstalkers held their hands up in surrender. "Now get out of here, both of you!" he ordered them.

The two robbers quickly scrambled and the coachman and his passengers cheered. Tennessee then gave them the sword from the battle to compensate for what they had lost. "You two all right?"