Cut Her Losses and Flee...

Texas knew when to hold and when to fold. The terrain was far too much for this horse to handle. With Roxxie on the high ground and minimal cover for the sheriff, it was Tex’s fight to lose. Humiliated and with the tables turned on her, she spurred the horse onward, ignoring the path to the kangaroo and traversing deeper. The paths were as twisted as Roxxie was, but even she would have a hard time following someone through.

Roxxie grew impatient, pulling out her own sidearm and taking some potshots at her. Tex yanked hard on the horse’s reins, diverting under an overpass, away from the bandit’s reach. Panting heavily, Texas took off and waved her hat in relief. “Hoo wee! That was a close one.”

But once they were in the shade, the horse stopped abruptly, flinging the hapless cowgirl into the dirt. Texas, dazed, slowly got to her feet, putting her hat back on.

The horse panted with exhaustion and frustration. It had no qualms with the slower job of pulling carriages, but a breakneck chase through a hot dusty canyon? It was at its limit.

“C’mon, girl! We gotta keep moving!” She tried to climb back on, but the mare shook her off. Texas grumbled in frustration, trying over and over to mount, and every time being rejected.

The mare snorted, shaking its head. Texas put her hands on her hips. “Hey now! Not like I had an easy day either. Would some nice prime feed back at Gold Springs change your mind?”

“How about some prime whoopin’ instead?” Roxxie Roo interrupted their brief respite, with Butterscotch in tow. Texas growled as the fat bandit cracked her knuckles.

“Roxxie, I don’t wanna fight you right now. You got me this time. I admit it.” Tex put her hands up. “Let’s just forget each other. Least for today.” She winced at the cowardly words coming from her mouth. She hated eating crow like this. Especially letting a dangerous criminal like Roxxie go. But she had made up in her mind, she couldn’t win right now. The fighting spirit left. And well, she had thwarted the gold heist. And she could rematch the roo later, right?

“How about this? You surrender to me, and you kiss my feet, and I might let you go.” The roo sneered. “It’s two on one, Sheriff. Don’t do anything stupid now.”

Damn! A mount that won’t run, and a thug that won’t back down! Things were looking very bleak for Texas Stanton.