10 JUNE - 13 JUNE

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BLURB

The Glenmore Family come to the rescue of a young girl who has been ferociously beaten and left to die on the track leading to their ranch.

She is taken to their home to recover. The outlaws responsible for her beating keep watch hoping to recapture the girl and obtain the information they are sure she has.

The search for the outlaws becomes a matter of urgency when murder, shootings, robbery and beatings affect the Glenmore Family.

Rangers are brought in and the assistance of local Indians is sought.

A story about tender love, murder, greed and intrigue.

EXCERPT

George and James dropped back to re-join their father and as they discussed ranch business they kept their eyes on Laura up ahead. She had just crossed the tree line and had disappeared from their sight. Joseph had just opened his mouth to call her to stay in sight when they heard her blood curdling scream. The three men wasted no time spurring their horses into a gallop and headed in the direction the scream had come from. Laura had dismounted and was on the ground next to a small bundle which rested half on and half off the track. Tears flooded her cheeks and she was shaking uncontrollably. When she spotted her father she jumped from the ground and raced towards him. Joseph was off his horse in a flash and folded her into his arms. While she buried her face in her father’s chest George and James dismounted and moved to check the small bundle which they could now see was the body of a young girl. “Pa, you better come fast!” called George. Joseph peeled Laura away from him and reached inside his pocket for a cloth to wipe her tear stained face. Holding her hand he guided her to a nearby rock and gently encouraged her to sit. He grabbed his canteen of water from his saddle bag and handed it to her “Drink Laura. Don’t move darlin’ we’ll be right over here” She gulped thirstily from the canteen while she continued to sob. Joseph approached his sons and couldn’t stifle the gasp which escaped him as he looked at the ‘bundle’ for the first time. He could now see it was a young girl, about the same age as Laura. Her clothing had been torn to the waist and across the once creamy skin of her back were at least two dozen bloody welts. Joseph removed his hat and immediately began firing off instructions to his shocked sons. “James, fetch blankets, water and as many clean cloths as you can find! George, hobble the horses so they don’t wander. Keep an eye out for Ben with the board so he doesn’t run over us” The boys answered in unison “Yes, Pa!” and raced off to complete their tasks. As the boys followed his orders Joseph assessed the young girl’s wounds further. I will get the bastards who did this! he vowed to himself. Just at that moment, Ben, the youngest son, drove up with the buckboard and their supplies. Seeing his family moving around ahead, his father attending to something on the ground, he brought the horses to a stop. “Ben! We have a badly injured girl. Clear a space in the buckboard and lay some blankets so when we are ready we can take her home to Ma!” called out James. Ben jumped down and began re-arranging the rear of the buckboard. “What’s happened James?” “Not sure yet, we just came up on her. Pa and George are with her now” Where’s Laura?” asked Ben concerned for his sister. “Just over yonder on a rock. She’s very upset, was her that found the girl! After the board is ready go sit with her, I need to get these supplies to Pa” James hurried back to where Joseph and George were waiting with the girl. “Ben’s arrived Pa, he’s clearin’ a space in the buckboard and is going to calm Laura” “Thanks son. She is bad. Looks like she has a broken leg from the angle it’s at, a broken arm and all them welts, cuts and bruises!” We need to patch her up as best we can and get her to Ma” “She’s lost a lot of blood Pa” commented George “Will she make it?” “I don’t know son but we will do our best for her” “Who would do this?” asked an angry James to no-one in particular. “I have no idea” answered Joseph “but I intend to find out and get this little girl some justice!” “Buckboard’s ready” shouted Ben “Go find four pieces of wood to splint an arm and a leg” called George “be as quick as you can” “On my way” called Ben running into the trees. Joseph removed the lid from a canteen he’d been handed and poured water onto a cloth. As gently as he could he began to clean the wounds and only then could they see the extent of the damage from the vicious attack. With her back wounds cleaned up a little the three men gently lifted her onto a blanket which was spread on the ground, turning her over as they did so. They inhaled deeply when they saw the girl’s face. Both of her eyes were swollen shut. She had a large cut over one eye which would require stitches. Blood had seeped into her raven black hair and congealed which left her hair in a sticky, tangled mess. Her lip was split and her cheek badly bruised. Dirt and dust had combined with blood from her wounds to form a muddy mess over much of her body. George quickly covered her with a spare blanket to protect her dignity but couldn’t help noticing her perfectly formed breasts and slim waist which brought a stirring to his loins. Goddamn it George! What’s wrong with you? You are looking at a woman’s breasts and getting randy when you should be more concerned with her injuries! And you’re s’posed to be courtin’ Marybeth! Joseph took clean cloths, doused them in water and proceeded to clean her face. “Where do you want these Pa?” asked Ben holding up four good sized sticks. “I’ll take them. Thanks Ben” said James “Go sit with Laura”