Road to Freedom

Chapter 8

The three horsemen stopped at the top of a hill, and crouched down behind the trees. The red head surveyed the path below, then pointed at it.

“That’s the path he’ll be taking to get to town.” Eric said.

“How are you so sure that he’ll be going to town?” Billy asked.

“Somebody’ll get word to that school teacher that his friend is dead. I can guarantee you he’ll come looking for us. Only we’ll be waiting for him right here.” Eric chuckled, but his victory speech was dampened by the sobs coming from behind him. Eric and Billy both looked back to see Corey hugging himself and crying. “For Pete’s sake, Corey, will you stop that fussing?! You sound like an old woman!”

“I didn’t know you were going to kill that man!” Corey said as he wiped his nose. “You didn’t have to do that, you know!”

“I already told you that we had to make an example out of him!” Billy argued, “If he kept on helping those darkies, then we’d never get them to leave!”

“They ain’t hurting anyone!” Corey said, “They’re keeping to themselves. Who cares about them?”

“Sure, they’re keeping to themselves for now! But you wait and see! If we don’t get rid of them, more and more will move in until this wouldn’t be a fittin’ place to live.” Eric said.

“Still…you shouldn’t have killed him!” Corey said.

“If you can’t stomach a killin’, then you’d better get out of here before that school teacher comes along ‘cause we plan the same kind of ending for him!” Eric said.

Corey wiped his eyes, then hurried for his horse.

“Wait a minute!” Billy yelled, aiming a gun at Corey.

Corey’s eyes went wide, and he froze.

“You think it’s a good idea to let him go like this?” Billy asked.

“He won’t tell anyone!” Eric said, waving him off. “He’s too scared! Besides, he was as much a part of that killing as I was.”

“I didn’t pull the trigger!” Corey yelled.

“You were there, and didn’t stop me!” Eric grinned, “That’s about the same as second degree murder. It’ll get you a life sentence; possibly a hanging! So if you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep your mouth shut.”

Corey sniffled again, nodded, then climbed aboard his horse and rode away.

The two men lay on their bellies behind the bushes and watched the path for a long period of time. When they saw two horsemen riding toward Freedom, they knew it was only a matter of time before the teacher would be riding by. A half hour later, they not only had the two riders and the teacher, but also a bonus: a black man.

“I have a better target!” Eric smiled as he aimed his rifle at the Negro. The sights of his rifle followed him for a while – almost as if he were savoring the moment. Finally he pulled the trigger, and a man fell from his horse.

~~~~~

John and Timothy rode in front while Daniel and Josiah followed behind. Daniel mourned his friend’s death, but what was worse is that Freedom had lost a very valuable ally. People like Isaiah and Betsy survived because Jacob bought their items and sold them in the white community. Now that Jacob was gone, who could Isaiah and Betsy sell their goods to? Jacob brought Freedom their much needed items where many other white merchants wouldn’t deal with them. Daniel knew Freedom would still survive, but it would be with much greater difficulty.

“You going to keep up, or are you going to meet us in town an hour later?” Timothy called out.

Daniel then realized that his daydreaming had caused him to fall behind. He nudges his horse in the sides to pick up the pace. He caught up beside Josiah just as a shot rang out. Daniel flew off of his horse, and landed hard on the ground. He clutched his burning shoulder. It felt as if someone had taken a hot poker to it.

The shot had caused John and Timothy’s horses to spook and they ran ahead a few feet before finally gaining control of them. Daniel watched the two jump off of their horses while at the same time he felt himself being dragged by the collar into the bushes. Suddenly a dark face appeared over him, and he felt his shirt being opened and hands prodding at his shoulder.

“It’s not too bad!” he heard Josiah say, “You’ll live!”

“Daniel?!” he heard one of his brothers call.

“He’s all right!” Josiah yelled back.

Daniel felt his senses coming back, and managed to painfully role to his stomach.

“They’re out there?” he asked in just above a whisper.

“Up on that hill, I’d imagine.” Josiah said as he nodded toward the hill. “I think I was their target, but you got in the way.”

A small smile came to Daniel’s face.

“Saving your life is becoming a habit.”

Josiah rolled his eyes, and pointed toward the road.

“Who pulled you to safety, hmm? I could’ve left you out there to get shot up! Don’t forget that!”

Daniel chuckled to himself, and looked out to the road. Lying in the middle of the road was his rifle.

“So much good that blasted rifle does me now!” he mumbled.

Josiah took off his hat, and handed it to Daniel.

“Put my hat on that stick there, and slowly raise it up in the air.”

Daniel looked at him in confusion, but did as the man said. A shot rang out, and whizzed dangerously close to the hat.

“Uh-huh!” Josiah said as he squinted, “See the big oak that’s split in the middle?”

Daniel looked up on the hill, and saw the tree that Josiah referred to.

“Yeah!” he said.

“That’s where at least one of them is.” Josiah said.

“How do you know that?” Daniel asked.

“I was watching as you raised the hat. A puff of rifle smoke came from that area.”

Rustling in the bushes to their left alerted both of them, and Josiah aimed his rifle toward the noise. To their relief, Timothy came crawling through.

“Daniel, are you all right?” he asked.

“I’ll be all right!” Daniel said, “Josiah knows where the gunman is.”

Josiah explained the location and how he found out. A plan was formulated between the three of them, and Timothy crawled back to John to relate the plan.

“I hope this works!” Daniel said.

“I hope so too!” Josiah said as he checked the ammo in his rifle, then handed the rifle to Daniel.

“I’d rather be charging up the hill.” Daniel said.

“You wouldn’t make it with that shoulder!” Josiah said, “Just stick to the plan, and draw their fire.”

Daniel nodded, and smiled at the older man when he placed a friendly hand on his back. Josiah wasn’t much with words, but words weren’t needed. The serious, yet softened look in Josiah’s eyes said it all.

Daniel fired a shot toward the hill, and a couple of shots were fired back. Keeping low to the ground, Josiah ran off toward the right at the same time that John and Timothy should have been running toward the left. If the plan went as expected, John, Timothy, and Josiah should be able to sneak up behind the gunman while Daniel kept them distracted.

~~~~~
Josiah moved as quietly as he could through the woods. He could hear gunshots coming from his left, and knew their plan was working successfully so far. He got to a point where he was sure he was behind the gunmen, and started sneaking up the hill. The sound of gunfire was getting closer, and he knew he was almost upon them.

Finally he spotted two horses tied to a tree. The spooked slightly when he came upon them, but made little noise. He checked the saddles in hopes that one of them might have left a weapon of some kind, but no luck.

He quietly crept up the hill a little way, and had the gunmen in view. What he wouldn’t give for a pistol right now.

“Something’s wrong.” he heard the dark haired one say, “It looks like there’s only one firing.”

“I shot the teacher!” red-head boasted, “There’s his rifle lying in the middle of the road.”

“That’s only one!” the dark haired man argued, “There were three others, including that darkie that you were trying to hit.”

“Would’ve too, if that kid hadn’t gotten in the way at last minute.” Red-head growled. “Don’t matter! He was the one I was after anyway.”

“Well, you got him! I say we get out of here! Something’s up!” the man persisted. When the red head hesitated, the dark haired one said, “There’s no way we’ll get all three of them anyway!”

“I don’t want all of them!” red head said, “I just want another chance at that darkie!”

“Well you can have it!” brunette said as he stood up.

“Where are you going?” red asked.

“Getting out of here while I still can!” brunette said, “I’m telling you, they’re up to something.”

Red growled and waved the brunette off, then rolled back to his stomach and fired a few more rounds. Brunette angrily shook his head, and walked away – right toward where Josiah had crouched down to hide.

Josiah watched as brunette walked pass him. Quickly, Josiah jumped up and placed one hand over the man’s mouth while grabbing the pistol from the man’s holster, and hitting him over the head with it. The man fell limp to the ground.

Josiah noticed the firing above had stopped, and knew red must have heard him overpower his friend. Josiah dove into the bushes just in time. He could see red hair peeked out from behind a push, followed by fearful eyes.

“Billy?” red called, “Billy? You all right?”

Red’s eyes went wide when he saw hi dark haired friend lying unconscious on the ground.

“Billy!” he whispered.

Before red had a chance to think, Josiah jumped out from behind the bushes and aimed the pistol toward him.

“Drop your rifle!” Josiah ordered. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”

Red shot a hate filled glare in Josiah direction as he tossed his rifle to the ground. He then looked at Billy, then back to Josiah.

“Did you kill him?” he asked.

“No!” Josiah said, “Did you kill Jacob Conrad?”

Red didn’t answer, but merely kept his hands in the air and stared at the man. John and Timothy hurried up beside them, dragging a red eyed, blonde haired boy with them.

“We found the third one trying to ride out of here!” John said while Timothy picked up the rifle that red had thrown down.

“I didn’t tell them anything, Eric!” the blonde said, quietly while keeping his eyes to the ground.

“Witnesses say they saw you three run riding out from the back of the general store when Mr. Conrad was killed.” Timothy said. “What do you have to say to that?”

“My…my brother didn’t do anything.” Eric hesitantly said, “He didn’t know what we  were planning to do until it was too late.”

“So you admit you killed Mr. Conrad?” Timothy asked.

“Doesn’t look like I have much choice now, does it?” Eric said.

“Fire the signal for Daniel so he knows all is well.” Josiah smiled.

John held his pistol in the air and fired twice. They waited for Daniel’s acknowledgement, but it didn’t come. John fired twice again, but still Daniel didn’t acknowledge.

“You’d better go to him!” Josiah said.

Timothy and John looked at each other, and John nodded for Timothy to go. When Timothy arrived back to where they had left Daniel, he found his brother lying face down on the ground, unconscious.