The journey to the forested hills had taken most of the hours of daylight as the intrepid vigilante rode ahead of the covered wagon and its four sentries while he scouted the hazardous terrain ahead of them. The forest was an awesome sight as it suddenly rose up from the base of its rolling hills and covered everything with its ominous greenery. Moon had been here before but the sight was still daunting.
He and drew rein. A cloud of choking dust kept moving as his mount stopped its progression. The wagon and the troopers who flanked it stopped just behind his gelded mustang as Moon surveyed the rolling tree covered hills before them.
Moon alone knew the dangers which this unholy place presented to all those who dared to enter its boundaries. He steadied his mustang and wiped the grime off his bearded features as the wagon rolled to a halt just behind his skittish mount.
The troopers slowed to a stop to either side of the gelding as it chomped on its bit in readiness to continue but it master had no intention of continuing.
The soldiers were curious why they had stopped. To them, there was plenty of daylight remaining but none of that mattered to the vigilante. Moon had halted his mount at least a quarter of a mile away from the infamous forest and steadied his nervous mustang.
‘Why’d you stop, Moon?’ Trooper Cal White, the wagon driver asked from his high seat as he pressed his boot on the brake pole at his side. ‘We got at least an hour before the sun sets by my reckoning. We could travel another couple of miles before it gets dark.’
‘I know that,’ Moon said as he looped his right leg over his saddle cantle and lowered his impressive frame on to the sand before looking at the face of the driver. ‘The thing is I don’t hanker to be on the forest trail when the sun sets, Cal. Besides, them females must be mighty sore and need to stretch their legs and have themselves a hot meal before we continue.’
‘But it’ll be dark before we can cook some food, Moon,’ he informed. ‘You intend on continuing after sundown?’
Uriah Moon eyed the men carefully. ‘Nope. Dawn is soon enough for us to continue on toward Cougar’s Bluff.’
The sentries edged their horses closer to the tall figure.
‘Scared?’ one of the bruised troopers named Ben Doyle smirked at the haunting figure. ‘Is the colonel’s cousin scared of being up in them trees when it gets dark?’
Uriah Moon turned and stared at Doyle. His expression did not alter as he faced the mounted trooper. It was impossible to tell what he was about to do next, but soon they all would find out.
Faster than the blink of an eye, the vigilante drew one of his Peacemakers, cocked its hammer and fired. The troopers hat was torn from Doyle’s head.
‘When you talk me,’ Moon drawled as smoke trailed from his six-shooters barrel. ‘Smile. Next time I might just aim a bit lower.’
Doyle was about to shout at the vigilante when he felt a dampness on his temple. He raised a hand and winced in pain. As he lowered his arm his eyes widened at the sight of the crimson blood on his fingertips. Within a mere heartbeat blood trailed down his face from a brutal graze upon his scalp.
‘You damn well shot me, Moon,’ he stammered.
Uriah Moon nodded before returning the six-gun to its holster. ‘I know that. Next time I’ll split your skull open like a watermelon.’
Cal White clambered down from the high wagon seat and moved to the tall vigilante as Moon unbuckled his cinch strap and pulled his saddle off his mounts steaming back.
‘I’d watch them critters if I was you, Moon,’ the older trooper warned the vigilante.
Moon nodded and then asked. ‘All four of them?’
‘Yep,’ White replied. ‘They’re all as dangerous as one another. Just keep your eyes open.’
Moon dropped his saddle down on to the sand and looked at the troopers. There was no sign of emotion in his bearded features as he suddenly raised his voice at them.
‘Make camp here,’ he ordered. ‘Unsaddle your mounts and start gathering kindling for a fire.’
White edged closer to the vigilante.
‘Be mighty careful, Moon,’ he again warned the vigilante as Moon tied his long leathers around the horn of his saddle and then rested his knuckles on his gun grips. ‘These varmints are darn dangerous. Just watch your back.’
Moon’s eyes darted at the wagon driver. He gave a slight nod and then walked toward the back of the stationary vehicle and pulled its tailgate pins and lowered the rear wooden planks.
As Moon assisted both the young females from the inside of the wagon, June looked down into his expressionless face. She was well aware of the reputation of the troopers.
‘Why’d you fire that shot, Uriah?’ she asked the vigilante as he placed his hands on her hips and helped her descend to the ground.
Moon shook his head and smiled.
‘I was just letting them know that I’m not to be tangled with, June,’ he said in a deep thoughtful tone. ‘I’m more dangerous than anything we might bump into in that forest over yonder.’
June Marcus stood beside the tall vigilante and stared at the forested hills. She looked like a vision of attractive maturity to Moon as he rested a shoulder on the corner of the wagon.
‘Is it right that place is called Satan’s Spell, Uriah?’ she asked before turning to him. ‘Is it?’
Moon nodded but remained silent.