A Gunfighter’s Forgotten Oath (Preview)

Chapter One

“C’mon boy, push!” Carter Blake spurred his horse as bullets whizzed past him. He rode through the maze-like canyon with a full moon hanging high in the sky, obscured by a thick cover of clouds. He hoped he could ride fast enough that his pursuers would lose sight of the light of his lantern, and he could find a path out of the canyon. He thought about snuffing his lantern and using what moonlight was available, but he didn’t want to risk running straight into a canyon wall.

He rounded a bend in the canyon and rode through the darkness until he was nearly face to face with a dead end and pulled on his horse’s reins. “Woah there, Shadow!” Carter exclaimed as his horse came to a stop. “Hold on, boy.” He held up his lantern and looked around and saw a passage to his left. The opening in the canyon wall was only tall and wide enough for him; if he went through, he’d have to leave his horse behind.

He was more concerned about leaving his trusted companion than escaping, and it gave his foes enough time to catch up to him. He barely noticed the approaching hoofbeats and encroaching glow of his foes’ lanterns. Before he could act, a bullet ripped through the air and hit the wall of stone next to Carter and Shadow, sending dust flying into their faces. The scared horse reared up and knocked Carter to the ground. He scrambled to his feet and made a split-second decision to smack Shadow on the rear, making him run away while he dashed into the opening in the canyon wall with his lantern and pistol in hand.

As he ran through the passage, he could hear the clamoring of three horsemen dismounting. Amid the noise, he could make out the distinct sound of one horse’s rapid hoofbeats echoing through the canyon. That’s my boy, Shadow. Run!  He was happy his equine friend had escaped but felt regret that they couldn’t escape together. In the end, he knew it would be easier to hide in the canyon if he was on foot.

The passage he’d snuck into was barely tall and wide enough to run comfortably. Hopefully, there would be an exit soon or another diverting path he could take to lose or separate his pursuers. As he ran, he could hear the echoes of the three horsemen who chased him.

“I got him!” he heard one of them shout. Carter luckily found another branching path and ducked around the bend as a bullet whizzed by and hit the wall of the canyon. As he continued, he found another fork in the canyon path. He quickly used his lantern to gaze down each path and figured that the right path, which was narrower, would make it hard for his assailants to get a good shot at him.

Carter ducked into the narrow path, hoping this gamble would lead him to freedom. He went as fast as he could, shimmying in some parts as the walls of the path closed in. With his lantern held in front of him, he could finally see that the path opened. Emboldened by the sight of this exit, he went even faster, pushing himself as hard as he could, earning a couple of extra scrapes along the way.

When he emerged from the narrow passageway he ran as hard as he could, dodging around large rocks and boulders. If he had trouble getting through that passage, then surely his three pursuers would have slowed down to get through there. He ran and ran until he noticed that his light was not landing on any ground in front of him. He gasped and tried to stop, his boots sliding against the smooth and dusty canyon floor. He peered over the edge, only to see darkness. He had come up to a cliff, a dead end. He swore under his breath and then turned around.

He clutched at his chest and felt for his necklace. Thankfully, it was still there. He sighed with relief and quickly took cover behind one of the large rocks around him. He set his lantern down and pulled out his customized Colt peacemaker. It was decorated with blue steel and ivory grips. The barrel and cylinder were engraved with vines, while the grips had an intricately carved, lonesome star on either side. He had seen many adventures with this gun, and he hoped this wouldn’t be the last. He checked the cylinder and loaded some more bullets into his gun. He only had three left on his belt. He would have to be quick and accurate. Then he blew out the light on his lantern. He planned to wait for the first light he saw come through the passage, then he’d start shooting.

Carter watched patiently, peeking out from behind the rock. Lantern light lit up the passage and he pulled the hammer back on his revolver as he hid again.

“Carter!” One of them yelled. He had a deep, coarse voice that echoed through the canyon. “We know you’re out here, boy. Just hand over the key that’s danglin’ around your neck, and we’ll let ya go.”

Yeah, and my uncle is the king of England, Carter thought. He’d known the three, especially the first horseman, long enough to not trust them when they were making an offer like that.

“What’re we waitin’ for?” another of the horsemen said. “We outnumber him, let’s just rush him.”

“No,” the first rider retorted. “You go up the middle and then we’ll go around the flank.”

“Fine,” the second horseman huffed. “Let’s put a bullet in this muttonhead.”

Carter waited in silence for his moment. He heard footsteps and the jingling of spurs growing louder and louder, the light from the lanterns grew brighter as his pursuers came closer. The one coming up the middle paused for a moment and then Carter quickly came out from behind his cover and shot the man right in the shoulder. The horseman cried out in pain and fell over, clutching his shoulder. He dropped his lantern, and it went out.

“Get around him!” the first rider called out to his compatriot.

Carter looked around to see the other two gain on him and taking shots at him when they got their sights on him. He returned fire, aiming just wide of both of them to force them to take cover. Carter quickly gave ground and moved to another boulder to hide behind. When he heard them advancing again, he popped out from behind his cover and put a bullet in the leg of the second horseman, who keeled over in pain, clutching at his knee.

Carter quickly darted to another rock just as more bullets ricocheted by him. He loaded his last three bullets into his revolver and prepared himself for one more confrontation. He listened for the first rider to get close enough and once more popped out from behind his rock, but this time the horseman was ready, and he fired at Carter. The crack of the bullets going past him made Carter shoot wide. He only had four more bullets left.

The darkness was his best advantage in this firefight, and he retreated once more to another boulder to hide.

“Come outta there, Carter,” the first horseman said. “You should know better than to keep me waitin’.”

“I don’t wanna shoot you,” Carter replied. “Just let me go and you’ll never hear from or see me again.”

“Not when you’ve got a ticket to a king’s fortune danglin’ around your neck, boy,” the horseman barked as he marched forward. “You gimme that and you have my word that you’ll walk outta here without a hole in your head.”

Carter knew the horseman was lying. Though he wouldn’t get a bullet to the brain, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t get one in the heart. Knowing his pursuer, it was likely he’d get several bullets to the heart, just for good measure. Carter nervously rubbed his thumb on the handle of his revolver. He didn’t want to kill the horseman, but he felt that death for one of them would be the inevitable conclusion to this story. Thinking quickly, Carter picked up a small rock in his hand and tossed it away from where he’d taken cover.

With the horseman distracted, Carted popped out from behind his rock. But the horseman snapped over to him and aimed and fired at the same time Carter did. Carter’s shot went wide, and the horseman’s bullet struck the rock, sending dust and fragments into Carter’s face. Carter retreated as best as he could, trying to get the dust out of his eyes as he walked through the darkness. More of the horseman’s bullets cracked past him.

Carter turned around and tried to aim as he walked backward. He only had two bullets left and couldn’t afford to miss. He was so focused on firing that he didn’t realize he was running out of real estate on the cliff. He took another step backward and felt his heel slip off the edge.

Carter gasped as he lost his footing completely. He let go of his revolver and tried desperately to grab onto the cliff, but he couldn’t get a grip and then he was hopelessly falling. As he plummeted, he looked up to see the horseman’s shadowy figure outlined by his lantern. Below him was nothing but darkness.

He flailed, searching for something to grab onto and catch himself. He hoped that a long fall would give him the opportunity to grab onto something at some point. But he hit the ground faster than expected. He felt a sharp pain in his left ankle as he hit the dirt and then began to roll. As luck would have it, he had not fallen down a sheer cliff, but a steep decline.

Rocks and dry desert plants scraped, battered, and scratched at him as he fell. Though Carter grunted and groaned in pain as he slid and tumbled, he thanked God and his lucky stars that he hadn’t fallen to his death. He hoped that when this was over, he wouldn’t be crippled.

When he finally came to a stop, Carter slowly hoisted himself up. His left ankle hurt like hell and as he tried to get up, he was greeted by a pain in his left shoulder, too. It felt like it wasn’t where it was supposed to be and putting any pressure on it caused a searing pain. Once he was upright, he patted himself down for any other injuries and, besides some cuts and bruises from the tumble, he was alive and mostly well. He gritted his teeth, firmly grasped his bad shoulder, and shoved it back into place. He felt a pop and groaned in pain. He moved his left arm about and found that it seemed to be back in working order.

Carter looked up from where he’d fallen and could see the faint glow of the horseman’s lantern. He could just barely see the outlines of the other two clutching at their wounds and standing around their leader. Carter began to search for his gun in the darkness while he overheard the horsemen talking among themselves.

“Do you see ‘im?” the leader of the horsemen asked.

“I can’t see nothin’ down there,” one of them answered.

“There’s gotta be a way down, ain’t no way he’s walkin’ far after a fall like that,” the leader said. “If we have to, we’ll come back at the first sign of light.” Without another word, the three of them left, the glow of the lantern quickly disappearing from the edge of the incline.

Carter’s pistol had miraculously and conveniently fallen right beside him. He picked it up and placed it in his holster. With barely any bullets and the only light being the sparse beams of moonlight breaking through the clouds, he began to march in the opposite direction of the canyons. The safest place, at this point, was anywhere far from here.

Without the sun hanging high, the desert was a cold, unforgiving place. Even with his duster coat on, Carter found himself shivering as he hobbled around. He had no supplies to make a fire, and to stop moving would be death at this point. He wandered aimlessly. He had no idea where he was or where he was going. As he trudged through the cold desert night, he could hear the howling of wolves, the calls of coyotes, and the hooting of owls. Whenever he heard a noise of an animal, no matter how close or far it was, his hand went to his gun, and he looked all around him.

Carter walked for hours through the Arizona desert. Now that the adrenaline in his body had worn off, the pain of his injuries hurt even more. His throat was bone dry and he felt pangs of hunger in his stomach. He knew he wouldn’t be able to go on much longer. There was nothing in sight, no towns or roads, not even an isolated home or ranch.

Then, Carter tripped over a rock and fell onto the cold desert ground. With one bad arm, he was barely able to catch himself and hit his head hard on the rocky terrain. He tried, in vain, to get up again. But he had no strength to get up once more. He laid helplessly on the desert floor, looking off into the darkness. As his consciousness slowly faded, he saw rays of sunlight peeking over the horizon.

Chapter Two

The sun rose over the town of Raven Rock and rays of warm light beamed through the windows of Porter’s Plunder, the local general store. Upstairs where the Porter’s lived, the sunlight washed over Mabel Porter like a second blanket, and she awoke as it went over her eyes. With a yawn and a big stretch, Mabel stirred and sat up in her bed. From her neck hung a necklace consisting of a silver chain and a modest amethyst given to her by her mother. She touched it gently, thinking back on the fleeting memories of her mother. Mabel wished that she was still here.

At the end of her bed was her cat and faithful companion, Bobby. He was a handsome and well-fed tabby that Mabel had found wandering the streets of Raven Rock. He was sleeping soundly, curled up and basking in the sunlight. Mabel smiled warmly at her little furry companion. She gently tapped the bed to get his attention, and he stirred with a little mrow. The cat stretched out and walked over, laying down on Mabel’s lap.

“Good morning, Bobby,” Mabel said gently to her feline friend as she pet him.  “Another day stuck in the desert, I’m afraid. But don’t worry, soon you and I will get out of this town. We’ll go see all this world has to offer. We’ll go all the way west and see the ocean together. It’ll be just like one of my books!” Bobby purred loudly as she scratched his chin and behind his ears.

Mabel looked out the window and sighed. If the sun was up, that meant she needed to hurry and get dressed so she could tend to the store. Normally, her father would already be up and at the cash register. He’d recently suffered a nasty fall off his horse and Mabel took it upon herself to do more work until her father was well enough to assume his usual duties.

She apologized to Bobby as she picked him up off her lap and then got out of her bed. Mabel’s bedroom was a mess, to put it lightly. Her father had likened it to the aftermath of a tornado, though Mabel wouldn’t agree. Loose clothes, stacks of books, and pieces of parchment with drafts of stories were all over Mabel’s room. In some spots, it was hard to even walk.

Mabel looked around her messy room for everything she needed to put an outfit together for the day. She tossed things she didn’t want over her shoulder or to another corner of her room until she finally found something that she liked. It was a blue and white plaid dress and a white ribbon to tie her hair back. When she was dressed, she went over to her mirror and brushed her long, dark blonde hair and then braided it, tying the ribbon to the end of her braid. Once she was ready, she went downstairs to the storefront and unlocked the front door, then flipped over a sign on the window on the door to show that the store was open.

With the shop open, she grabbed a broom and began sweeping around the store, doing her best to clean up the dust that had settled in. Trying to keep a store free of dust in a desert felt like trying to paddle up the Mississippi, but her father insisted the extra effort went a long way with attracting customers. As she dusted, the front door to the store opened and the bells above it jingled.

“I’ll be with you in just a moment,” Mabel said with her back turned to the door.

“Good mornin’ Miss Porter,” a man said. Mabel cringed when he heard his voice. Harvey Milton, the mayor’s son, had decided to show up once more. He’d been stopping by trying to court Mabel for a few months now and no matter how many times she turned him down, he always showed back up. He always tried to show off his wealth and connections in front of Mabel but nothing of the sort ever impressed her.

Harvey was not unattractive, quite the opposite. He was tall, handsome, well-groomed, and well-off. Many women in town had sought after Harvey to escape being a farmer, rancher, or a working girl at the saloon. He always walked through town with an air of superiority about him and that was what made him so unattractive to Mabel. He was out of touch, blissfully unaware of the lives of the poor folk that lived in his father’s town.

“What can I help you with, Mr. Milton?” Mabel said dryly.

“Why, I’ve come here to see you, Miss Porter,” Harvey said with a big, toothy smile. He always made her uncomfortable when he smiled like that, and Mabel believed that he did it on purpose to disturb her. Frankly, all his behavior disturbed her to the point that sometimes she felt like he was watching her if she ever went for a walk around town. She noticed that he had one hand behind his back and a shiver went up her spine.

“For me?” Mabel asked as she took a step back.

“Yes, for you,” he said slyly. Mabel prepared herself to scream. She wondered if after all the failed attempts to sway her had finally gone to his head and he was carrying a knife or a gun in the hand behind his back. When he started to move his arm, she gasped and winced. But it was just a bouquet of flowers that Harvey held out. “I picked them fresh this morning,” he said.

“Oh my, they’re…” Mabel paused. The bouquet consisted mostly of dried-out desert wildflowers or already dead ones. None were particularly eye-catching, and they smelled like dry grass. “They’re wonderful, Harvey. Thank you,” she said with a fake smile.

“I knew you’d like them,” Harvey said excitedly. “I tried to pick out ones that were as pretty as you are. Of course, none could ever match your beauty.”

“Oh, Harvey, you’re too much,” Mabel said playfully. She wished she could say that with more intensity, so that he might finally understand she wanted nothing to do with him.

“There’s more,” Harvey said. Mabel noticed that sweat started to bead on his forehead. She watched, in terror, as the mayor’s son got down on one knee. “Mabel Porter, will you marry me?”

“Oh, Harvey,” Mabel said. She paused, trying to figure out how to worm her way out of this without angering him. He was looking up at her with expectant, excited eyes. “I’m afraid I have to say no, I’m sorry.”

“What? Why?” Harvey asked, raising his voice.

“I’m just not ready,” Mabel answered. “With Pa hurt from his accident, I need to be able to take care of the shop for him. I don’t have the time to get wrapped up in planning a wedding and all the stress that comes with it.” The nervous smile on Harvey’s face quickly turned into a furious scowl. He stood up quickly and he towered over her.

“Not ready?” Harvey yelled. “I’ve done nothing but be a perfect gentleman to you. I have women lining up and down the street to be my bride, yet you won’t marry me because of this godforsaken dusty store?” He looked over to a jar of dried goods and pushed it off the shelf. It shattered when it fell to the ground, sending its contents all over the floor.

Mabel yelped and backed toward the front counter, “Harvey, you stay away from me.”

“Give me a reason,” Harvey said. “A good reason that you won’t marry me. I don’t want to hear some sob story about your father. I have more money than I know what to do with. I could buy this place and have it torn down!” He kept walking toward her, knocking more things down as he stomped around the general store.

Mabel kept walking backward until she was finally at the front counter. She reached for the top shelf behind the counter and felt around until she felt cold metal. Mabel quickly pulled the Derringer pistol out of its shelf, pointed it at Harvey’s face, and pulled the hammer back.

“Harvey Milton,” Mabel began with a stern tone. “If you don’t leave my store right now, I swear I’ll put a hole in your head. You’ll be dead and I’ll tell everyone that you were trying to force yourself on me. It’s just you and me in here and I doubt even your father will be able to make it look otherwise.”

Harvey’s face was bright red from anger, he had a vein on his forehead that looked like it was ready to pop. He wasn’t even looking at the gun, just at Mabel, with a furious and hateful gaze. He took a step backward.

“You’ll regret this, Mabel,” Harvey raved. “How dare you think that you can reject me like this! I’ll make sure that no man ever marries you. You’ll be a spinster for the rest of your life if you don’t marry me, do you hear that?”

“Harvey, leave,” Mabel said firmly. “Please.”

He slowly backed away, keeping his eyes on her until he was near the front door. Before he left, he kicked a shelf, causing more of a mess, and shouted, “This stupid store won’t last much longer anyway.” He marched out the door and slammed it behind him.

Mabel let out at big sigh as she put the hammer of the pistol back in its safe position. She felt like her heart was beating out of her chest and she thanked God that her father had decided to get that little pistol in case someone tried to rob the store. She’d seen Harvey get frustrated with her before, but it was never an outburst like that. Typically, he would just mumble something rude under his breath and storm off.

Mabel picked up her broom and began to clean up the mess Harvey had made. As she worked, she daydreamed of her ideal life. She’d heard tales about the beautiful beaches of the California Territory, and she desired nothing more than a house there, overlooking the sea. She pictured herself reading or writing out on her front porch, Bobby in her lap, as she watched the waves of the ocean roll up the beach. The warm sun would be on her face, but it wouldn’t be harsh and scorching like the desert with the cool breeze of the ocean blowing.

“What was all that racket about?” Mabel’s father, Jacob Porter, called out as he descended the stairs. “I heard shoutin’ and glass breakin’!” He had a splint and bandages over his left arm that was being held in place by a makeshift sling the local doctor had made to keep the arm immobilized.

“Oh, Pa, it was awful,” Mabel exclaimed. “A big bull ran through here and knocked a bunch of things over. A cowboy walking through town came and lassoed him out of the store, thank God.”

“Alright there, daughter of mine.” her father chuckled. “Very funny, but you tell me the truth now.”

Mabel was reluctant to tell her father about what really happened as she didn’t want to worry him. But it would only make things worse if he didn’t know the truth. She sighed and said, “It was Harvey, Pa. He came in here with flowers and asked me to marry him.”

“The Milton boy?!” Pa exclaimed angrily. “Oh Lord, that whole family is cursed I swear. He thinks just because his old man is the mayor he can just do whatever he pleases to whoever he pleases. That little brat. You know they didn’t let him out of the house until he was a teenager? That boy’s only friend was his nanny for most of his life.”

“Oh, Pa,” Mabel said. “Don’t go sayin’ things like that.”

“You know, his father wasn’t always as awful as he is now,” said Pa. “He used to be a good, God-fearin’ member of this town. He got a little bit of money together and suddenly he thinks he’s better than the rest of us.”

“Oh, Pa, don’t get started,” Mabel pleaded.

“That’s why Harvey’s so odd,” her father continued. “Seth didn’t want him around people that weren’t as well off as them. That boy never had the chance to learn from other kids. He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“No, he just caused a ruckus,” Mabel said with a smile. “I did have to point the Derringer at him to make him leave, though.”

“Oh, Good Lord.” Pa shook his head. “If that boy comes around here again, I’ll shoot him right in that big fat head of his, I swear. Nobody is allowed to come into my own store and threaten my daughter like that.”

“Oh, Pa, you know he’s all talk,” Mabel reassured him. “Besides, I don’t have a scratch on me. I’m okay, I promise.”

“Alright, alright,” He relented. “But I won’t be going to work with Hudson today. Not while Harvey is prowling around the town.”

“But you were looking forward to going,” Mabel protested. “You’ve been complaining about how you feel cooped up in your own house. This trip to Tombstone with Hudson would raise your spirits, Pa. I don’t want you to miss out on that on account of me.”

“You’re my only child,” he began. “If somethin’ happened to you while I was away, I would never forgive myself. Besides, we’ll have to make another delivery out there before long. I’ll be alright.”

“Wait,” Mabel said. “Why don’t I just come with you? I’d be more than happy to give you and Hudson some extra help, and I know how to shoot.”

“Darlin’, you know how to shoot cans and cactus, I don’t want you to have to shoot someone on the road,” he protested.

“Well, I was about to shoot Harvey right between the eyes,” argued Mabel. “Please, Pa? I never get to see what’s on the outside of town. I’d love to see someplace besides Raven Rock for once in my life.” She looked up at him with those innocent brown eyes and sweet smile that he just couldn’t say no to.

“Alright, you win,” her father relented. “You can go with us. But you stay where I can see you, you hear me? Especially when we get to Tombstone. That place is rough and there’s gangs of cowboys who can be much worse than Harvey.”

“Yes!” Mabel exclaimed. “Thank you, Pa, thank you.” She hugged him gently, making sure not to put too much pressure on his broken arm. “I won’t be any trouble, I promise.”

“I doubt that,” he said and they both laughed. “Go get clothes for a few days. Hudson’ll be here soon, and we should be ready to head out once he’s here.”

“Okay!” Mabel said excitedly. She quickly went up the stairs and into her room. She went over to Bobby, who was still laying on the bed, and kissed him a bunch on the head before she said, “I’m finally leaving town, Bobby! Not for good, of course, or I’d be taking you with me. I’m going with Pa to Tombstone to help him make a delivery, I’ll see you soon!”

The cat responded with a happy meow and continued his cat nap. Mabel gathered up a few different outfits and put them in her pack. She was brimming with excitement and couldn’t help but wonder what awaited her on this little adventure.

It wasn’t long before Hudson arrived at the general store with the covered wagon. As soon as Mabel saw him from inside the store, she ran out with her pack and greeted Hudson. He was an older fellow who had served in the Civil War, on the Union side. He was gruff, grizzled, and as rough of a cowboy as they came. He was frequently hired by Mabel’s father and other folk around town as either a ranch hand or a guard. He had a Henry repeating rifle that he’d kept from the war, and he was a crack shot with it.

“Hello, Mr. Ward,” Mabel exclaimed happily as she walked out of the store.

“Mabel?” Hudson said as he turned around from tending to the horses. “What’re you doin’ with that pack? Are you helpin’ your pa get things into the wagon?”

“Not just that.” Mabel smiled. “I’ll be going with you to Tombstone.”

“Really now,” Hudson said with a cocked eyebrow. Then, Mabel’s father emerged from the store and greeted his friend.

“Mornin’, Hudson,” Pa said as he walked up and gave him a handshake. “As I’m sure you’ve seen, Mabel is comin’ with us.”

“Why?” Hudson asked bluntly.

“Because we need help loadin’ and unloadin’,” he said sternly. “Now c’mon, help Mabel and me get the delivery out of the store, I don’t pay ya to ask questions.” He stopped and looked at Mabel. “Darlin’, go help Hudson grab what we need from inside.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Mabel said with a mocking salute. She walked off to help Hudson load the supplies into the wagon. A new adventure was on the horizon and, for the first time in her life, Mabel would see what was beyond Raven Rock.