Pearlie turned his horse and rode back to see what Smoke wanted.
“Andy has spotted some Indians behind us. We’re going to try and get the herd across the river, then turn to face them. Send Cal on up to be with Sally. Have them pick out some defensive positions for us, then help the others drive the herd.”
“Smoke, isn’t there a chance of spookin’ the cows into a stampede if we try and hurry them now?”
“I don’t think so. They’re tired and they’re headed toward water. I don’t think they’ll scatter. And I know this area. Once they get on the other side, there’s no way they can go except the way we want them to go. Hell, I hope they do run, it’ll keep ’em out of the line of fire. Now, get goin’.”
“Right,” Pearlie replied.
Smoke watched Pearlie ride back up to deliver his message to Cal. He saw Cal ride off at a rapid clip, and not until Cal was at least half a mile away did he raise his pistol and fire.
“Let’s go!” he shouted. “Move ’em out! Move ’em out!”
The cattle started forward at a gallop with the cowboys on both sides urging them on with whoops and shouts and waving their hats.
“Here, cows, run!” Smoke heard Billy calling. “Run, cows, run!”
Smoke rode to the rear of the herd, pulled his rifle, then looked back. The Indians, realizing then that they had been seen, gave up all pretense of trying to keep out of sight. They started after the cattle.
Smoke sighted on one of the Indians and squeezed the trigger. The Indian grabbed his chest, then fell from his galloping pony. That caused the other Indians to pull up for a moment. It was a moment only, but that gave Smoke the chance to turn and catch up with the herd.
By now the leading animals of the herd were crossing the river, their hooves churning up water ahead of the onrushing cattle behind them.
“Pearlie, you and Andy grab your rifles,” Smoke said. He pointed to the neck of a small island that faced the western bank of the river, the direction from which they had just come.
“See if the two of you can squirm down through the tall grass. Take a position as near to the point as you can get, and do as much damage as you can when the Indians start across the water.”
“Right!” Pearlie called back. “Andy, let’s go!”
“The rest of you,” Smoke ordered. “Find yourselves a good spot and get ready.”
As the men got on their knees and began looking around for a rock or hill or tree log to provide them with cover and concealment, Smoke walked back to the chuck wagon, where he saw Sally making herself a firing position from behind one of the wheels.
“Sally, you’re on your own,” Smoke said. “When the shooting starts, I’m going to be moving around.”
“You do what you have to do, Smoke,” Sally replied. “I’ve got a good position here. I’ll be all right and, I suspect, I might even get off a shot or two.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Smoke laughed. “You might get off a shot or two, huh?” he said. He knew that, next to him, Sally was probably the best shot there. And he knew that nobody had more courage. “Just make sure you know who you are shooting.”
“Any more snide remarks like that, Smoke Jensen, and you’ll be my target,” Sally quipped.
Smoke kissed her, and they held the kiss a moment longer than they normally would have.
“You be careful with all your moving around,” Sally said as Smoke took his leave of her.
Smoke hurried back to see how the others were positioned, and where they were deployed.
“All right, now remember, Pearlie and Andy will shoot first!” Smoke said. “So don’t be spooked into shooting when you hear them. I want you to hold your fire until the last possible moment. Then make your shots count!”
“Smoke, here they are! I can hear ’em coming!” Jules said nervously. His announcement wasn’t necessary, however, for by then everyone could hear them. Above the drumming of the hoofbeats came the cries of the warriors themselves, yipping and barking and screaming at the top of their lungs.
The Indians crested the bluff just before the river; then, without a pause, they rushed down the hill toward the water, their horses sounding like thunder.
“Remember, hold your fire until the last possible moment,” Smoke shouted to the others. “In fact, hold your fire until I give you the word!”
The Indians stopped just at the water’s edge, then holding their rifles over their heads, began shouting guttural challenges to the men who were dug in on the island.
“They’re working up their courage,” Smoke said. “Check your rifles, make sure you have a shell in the chamber.”
The men opened the breaches and checked the chambers, then closed them and prepared for the attack.
The Indians rushed into the water, riding hard across the fifty-yard-wide shallows, whooping, hollering, and gesturing with rifles and lances. Then two of warriors pulled ahead of the others, and when they were halfway across the water, Smoke heard two distinct shots from the point of the island. The two warriors in front went down.
