As they topped the hill overlooking the Grady ranch, Danny was glad it was noontime. If we returned at night, he thought, the ranch would look like a wide desert of fire, unsafe for life. The fires burn quieter now, in the heat of day.
As Danny eased Fire Eye over the hill, the feisty pony spotted the spring of cool water below. He snorted, shook his head, and took off in a gallop that caught Danny by surprise.
“Whoa, boy!” Danny said, patting his neck and pulling on the reins. But Fire Eye only slowed enough to skid a few feet down the hill, then continued running. Danny laughed and let him run. Fire Eye splashed into the spring, turning circles in the water.
“Fire Eye!” Danny shouted. “Slow down!”
Clinging to his horse’s neck, Danny leapt from the saddle into the shallow waters of the spring. The water was above his knees, but Fire Eye stomped and splashed his front and rear legs both, dancing in the chilly waters and drenching Danny’s clothes.
For a brief moment Danny was angry, but Fire Eye was overjoyed—after so many hours of desert sand—to finally feel the cool waters of a fresh spring. Danny put his hands on his hips and glared at his horse. Fire Eye paused and took a few steps in his direction. Danny stood still and waited. Fire Eye bowed his head, as if he understood how wrong it was to soak his friend to the skin.
“You’re a good horse, Fire Eye,” Danny said, reaching out and petting Fire Eye between the ears. But Fire Eye wasn’t finished. He dipped his head in the water, flung it at Danny, and hit him in the face with a huge wave.
“Ohhhh,” Danny yelled, covering his face with his hands. He turned to the woods and dashed to the shore. He was about to step into the woods when he heard a man’s voice in front of him, in the shadow of the trees.
“Don’t I know you, boy?” the man said in a mean and threatening voice. In the glare of the sun, Danny saw the reflection of a gun barrel. When he heard the click of a rifle, he knew his life was in danger.
He leapt into the water, and the pow of a shotgun blast shattered the quiet morning. Fire Eye reared up on his hind legs and flashed his hooves. A soldier stepped from the woods and aimed once more at Danny.
“I know you!” the soldier shouted. “You’re that Indian boy from Fort Davis. You thought you got away!”
With shotgun shells exploding around him, Danny dashed through the shallow water. He slipped into the woods away from the soldier, and Fire Eye ran beside him. Watching the scene below, Rick picked up his own shotgun and aimed at the soldier.
“You’ve killed your last Navajo,” Rick whispered. He lifted the gun to his shoulder and squinted his eyes, taking careful aim. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see Grady.
“Shoot to scare him,” said Grady. “If you kill a soldier, our lives are over.”
Rick nodded and took aim at a tree stump near the soldier’s feet.
Pow!
He fired his shotgun and the tree stump blew apart, showering the soldier with splinters and shards of wood. The soldier dropped his shotgun and fell to the ground. His hands flew to his face, wiping his eyes of debris.
With the blast still ringing in his ears, he scrambled to his feet and dashed to the woods.
“Keep your gun ready,” said Grady. “When he realizes he doesn’t have his shotgun, he’ll make a run for it. Just be sure you don’t hit him.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Rick said. “Anyone that shoots at Danny has me to answer to. He saved my life, and I’ll never forget it.”
“He saved mine too,” Grady said. “But we have a big problem.”
“What?”
“The soldier didn’t walk to get here. He was probably riding by and saw the smoke. His horse is in those woods,” Grady said, pointing below. “And he’s on horseback right now, I’ll bet, looking for Danny. He might even get a promotion if he brings back that Indian boy who escaped from the fort.”
“And they’ll take him dead or alive,” said Rick, “because that Indian boy is a horse thief.”
“Any ideas?” Grady asked.
“I’ve got one, Daddy,” a sweet little voice replied. All eyes went to Sarah. “Let’s stop talking and save Danny!”
Grady gave his daughter a look of pride, but only for a moment.
“Let’s go!” he shouted to his men. “Williard, take two men and circle the woods to the east. Vickers, you and your men circle to the west. We’ll meet at the ranch house!”
“I’m gonna ride straight down the hill and wait at the tree stump,” Rick said. When Grady gave him a curious look, Rick said, “I know Danny Blackgoat. He’ll do the last thing anyone would expect him to do. He knows he can’t outrun the soldier on horseback. He will hide out, let the soldier ride past him, and meet Fire Eye where all this trouble started, at the tree stump.”
“You take care of Danny,” Grady said, “and I’ll take care of the soldier.” He looked at his men, who huddled nearby waiting for orders.
“Let’s go!” he called out, waving his arm forward.
The two groups rode and skidded their way down the hill in opposite directions. Rick and Grady drove their horses straight to the tree stump, crossed the spring, and pulled to a halt.
“Hello, soldier. Are you there?” Rick asked. “I drive a supply wagon for the US Army, and I heard shooting. Are you all right?” When no one answered, they rode into a thick clump of trees.
Grady stepped from his horse and picked up the soldier’s shotgun. “I’m going for him,” Grady said. “I’ll return his rifle and tell him my men were shooting at the Indian boy. I’ll keep him gone long enough for you to get Danny up the hill. Hide him in the back of your wagon.”
“Good plan,” Rick said, “if we can catch Fire Eye.”
“Danny Blackgoat will catch Fire Eye. No worry there,” said Grady.
“Then I’ll tie him to the wagon. We can tell the soldier I’m bringing the horse to the fort.”
“Which fort?” Grady asked.
“Whichever fort he’s not going to,” Rick said, laughing. “You know Danny’s not letting me take his pony from him, after all they’ve been through.”
Grady nodded good-bye to Rick and rode after Danny, hoping to reach him before the soldier did. Rick and Grady had the same fearful thought at the same time.
What if he’s not the only soldier in the woods?