Chapter 26

No Honor; Chapter 26: Upstream

Carter said, "Norm! Git away from the door!"

We hit tha ground, behind tha couches in there. Norman tried ta do as he was told, but, unfortunately, he stood up ta do it... When the next volley o' bullets came through the front o' tha house, he was shot several times.

Millie hit tha deck, immediately. There was four other girls wit her, in that sitting room, and two made a break, for tha stairs in tha far left corner.

Moon said, "No!.. Git down! Git down! Git-".

Another volley o' bullets. The girls ran up tha stair, and some shots hit tha wood n' walls under 'em, but they made it. Next, I heard bangin', from tha side door by that stairwell, tha only other entrance. Carter heard it as well. He fired a few shots, from 'is revolvers, to back 'em up a bit, then he shouted.

"Dancer!... Millie! Block that door!"

Outside, there was a lot o' neighing goin' on, and I remembered, we had four horses tied up out there, includin' tha one I borrowed from Mitch. Well those horses panicked, really bad... There was who-knows-how many Mexicans out there, surroundin 'em; and then they were shooting!

So them horses pulled, and pulled on their restraints. The lariats we tied did tha job, and they didn't break under tha strain, but those stakes came right out tha ground, so... Here's these horses, scared ta death and rushin' ta escape, and whippin' sharp iron spikes around their heads. Several Mexicans were trampled, a dozen were killed due ta deep cuts from those spikes, and a bunch more was injured.

I know that one horse accidentally struck hisself, with that spike and died. Another, Mitch's horse, was shot down. While the Mexicans was busy dodgin' that mess, Carter got me, Millie and Dancer, ta block the front door with a couch, and chairs, like tha side was blocked. Dancer took a quick look at Norman, then shook his head. Carter made a face, then emptied revolver shells on tha ground, before loadin' it quickly.

"Take one of 'is pistols fer yerself, and give one ta Ms. Hattley. Ma'am, if you don't want your girls hurt, I suggest you help my Indian friend with that side-"

More shots... That blonde, and a dark-haired girl layed flat. Tha butt of a rifle came through tha winda, about a foot away from that side door. Mildred pulled tha trigger on that pepperbox, and the Mexican fell.

Now those kinda pistols, are automatic... Once the ignition cap goes off, tha barrel rotates, preppin' tha next shot. When two more Mexicans, took tha otha's place, Millie didn't have ta thank, or even click a hammer down. She fired again, killin' one and backin' tha other off.

Dancer slid his way to that door and Mildred followed. Carter threw me a revolver, ta shoot left handed, and I blasted with that an' muh Colt. Moon checked Norman's body for ammo... and that was the problem; no matter how hard we fought, we only had so much ammo, and that damn mare ran off, with my shotgun strapped to 'er.

Outside I seen Marco, hobbling around. He was shootin' a rifle and barkin' orders I couldn't understand. All I knew was, there was a ton of 'em out there.. Maybe not a full hundred, maybe seventy-five or eighty, but it didn't matter, as we was clearly dead anyway.

They busted out the front windas, and started climbin' in. I killed each one bold enough ta try it, but then I ran out o' shells. Moon covered me, but they was still goin' for it; one was climbin' through the other winda, closer to 'im, but then I seen tha Indian runnin'... He rammed that man with 'is shoulder, and The Mexican flew out of tha frame, knockin' down three others.

I was reloadin', fast as I could, with shaky fingas... I threw Moon's empty pistol at 'im, he reloaded tha pepperbox fer Dancer, who was shootin' his own revolver, coverin' Millie and she picked up a handgun a Mexican dropped... It was sheer panic, and every damn second of it, felt like a minute an' change.

And all tha while, slugs is flyin' in, and them girls on the floor is screamin'... Outside, I seen one o' them Mexicans we held at tha grocery. I realized then, that Clifford's trip ta Mexico never made it. More importantly, that Mexican was lightin' two sticks o' dynamite, with another lovely bundle; it was that same trick again.

"Nail bomb!", I said, and Carter looked outside.

He dropped that man before 'e could throw it, and we fired on any other man, with tha guts ta try an pick it up. The rest of 'em seen tha score, and tried ta back away, but that one bar was lit, and loosin' wick fast.

Carter yelled, "Down!"

It blew loud, and you could hear nails hittin' tha walls. One of 'em caught that blonde in tha shoulder, and her friend was usin' her dress ta try an stop tha bleedin, while pullin' it out... That screw-up outside cost 'em a lot o' lives, but it wasn't enough, there was just too many. At that point, they said 'Ta hell with it', and rushed us.

Me and Carter was stuck, back against tha couch an' chairs, tryin desp'rately ta keep 'em out, and shootin' the ones comin' through tha glass. Millie had her back to tha side door, an' she was outta bullets completely. Dancer was pullin' double duty, shootin' at tha ones pourin' through tha windas, on Carter's side, and givin' others at Millie's winda hell, with 'is tomahawk... But that could only last so long.

When Dancer turned toward us again, he took a rifle shell, to tha chest. The women screamed. I was shootin' at both windas behind me, and Carter...

Carter was havin' trouble breathin'.

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