Double-crossed at Cactus Flats: An Up2U Western Adventure
STRUCK A VEIN Archer stuck his head out of his bedroll Something was rustling nearby The sun wasn’t up yet but there was a bit of light on the horizon Yow Archer said A big thick snake was coiled a few feet away The diamondback rattlesnake was shaking its rattles Archer scrambled up and grabbed his rifle The snake uncoiled quickly and slithered away It was nearly six feet long and as thick as Archer’s arm Archer watched it go He easily could have shot it but they’d be leaving this spot by sunup So he might as well let the snake get away It wouldn’t bother him again What’s the trouble asked Bull
Archer looked at the older man There was a big rattler he said It was as long as you are tall Bull threw off his blanket and sat up That’s a good reason to be on our way he said He coughed and rubbed his red whiskers We can be in Cactus Flats in two hours Archer could hear Shadow and Rebel munching on desert grass in the gully below the campsite The two horses hadn’t been spooked by the snake Do we have coffee Bull asked Archer shook his head We drank the last of it yesterday remember he said To celebrate Bull clapped his hands We’ll celebrate more tonight he said After we sell some silver Bull was a prospector He roamed the hills and valleys east of Tucson Arizona mining for
silver and gold With Archer’s help he’d found a rich vein Bull had two broken fingers and couldn’t dig very well So Archer had done a lot of the digging Two saddlebags filled with silver ore were hidden back at their claim Bull had a couple of samples with him He planned to show them to a mining company in Cactus Flats For a big reward he’d lead them to the silver vein I want to be out of here before sunrise Bull said I won’t feel safe until I’m in that mining office There are hundreds of outlaws in this county who would kill us to get that silver Archer thought about that He was pretty sure Bull was an outlaw too Does that make me an outlaw too Archer wondered He hadn’t broken any laws At least none that he knew about But he’d been riding with Bull for several weeks now Everything Bull did seemed slightly wrong to Archer He
