Alex Stapleton squatted in the brush spinning the cylinder of his revolver. He whispered to Elden Calhoun who was peering above cover.

‘They asleep?’

‘Even the coon beside Thurlow.’

‘Watch him. They sleep light. Is Thurlow asleep?’

‘Aye.’

Alex laughed.

‘Useless bastard. The boy on the horse?’

‘I reckon he’ll only wake up if he falls off. The horse is asleep too.’

‘The policeman?’

‘Asleep by the fire next to Thurlow and the coon. Can’t you hear the bastard snoring?’

Elden squinted at the dying coals of the fire.

‘He’s got a bottle beside him. He looks drunk.’

‘Aye.’

Alex snapped the cylinder shut and smiled.

‘We go.’ Elden locked the bolt of his shotgun.

They crouched and made their way to the edge of the cold camp where the horse was.

Alex stood and put his revolver in his belt. He untied the Babbiloora horse while Elden stood cover with his shotgun pointed at the Skillington boy.

His horse stirred and the boy woke. Eyes opened wide.

Elden put his finger to his lips. He aimed the shotgun at the boy’s face.

Alex nodded at the camp where the men were asleep and whispered.

‘You can keep our friend. We only want the horse.’

The Skillington boy made to speak and Elden locked the bolt on the shotgun.

‘We only want the horse,’ Alex whispered. ‘That’s not worth dying over. Your boss is drunk. You stay right there quiet as a mouse and he’ll never know the difference. When we’re gone, you give us an hour. If we hear you after us, we’ll set an ambush and you’ll die then too.’

‘We’ll shoot all these,’ said Elden. ‘But we’ll wire you to a tree and burn you.’

Alex whispered to Elden.

‘What’s the black boy doing?’

Elden looked across the ashes of the fire at King Edward who stared at him unflinching. He kept his gun trained on the Skillington boy and his eyes on the black boy and spoke to Alex.

‘I don’t know. Just hurry up.’

The Skillington boy watched Elden Calhoun back the horse out of the camp. In a while he heard the dull thud of hobbles getting cut with bolt cutters. He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep again but the dawn was paling the horizon.