Storm to the Past: A Time Travel Western by Dennis Gager Page A

feet.
    Adam didn’t see Liam had recovered and had grabbed his pistol and hit Adam in the back of his head.
    Adam fell to the ground like a bag of feed. He was out cold. People in the crowd wanted to help, but everyone was afraid. Liam had told everybody if anyone made a move he would kill them.
    Jeffrey got back to his feet and helped Victor up. Nate was unconscious, unable to help his friend.
    Liam told Jeffrey, “Tie his arms behind his back. Now! Do it!”
    Jeffrey grabbed a rope off his horse, came back and tied Adam’s hands behind his back.
    “Now you and Victor put him on your horse and take him over to that old Elm tree. Do it now.” 
    The people in the crowd started to say, “No. You’ve got to stop this.” The mayor stepped out from the crowd, got in Liam’s face and said, “You can’t do this. Stop now.” Liam shot the mayor in the leg the he fell to the ground clutching his leg.
    “Anybody else want to play hero? Speak up and you’ll meet the same fate.”
    Victor and Jeffrey loaded Adam on Jeffrey’s horse and led him to the tree. Adam began to regain consciousness. All he was seeing were blurs, but his eyes finally focused and he realized where he was and what was happening. He tried to free his arms, but the rope was too tight.
    “Struggle all you want, Sheriff, but there ain’t no escape for you. Victor, make a noose and throw it over that limb.”
    Victor yells at Liam, “Liam, he’s the law. If we do this, there’s no turning back?”
    “You didn’t have no problem going after the deputy.”
    “Liam, there’s witnesses. Look around?”
    “Shut up! Are you a coward. Nobody here will dare say a word about tonight. If they do, I’ll burn the whole damn town to the ground. Now, get that rope hung around that limb.”
    Victor tied a noose and threw the rope over the limb and placed it around Adam’s neck. Nate came to, climbed into the buggy and even though he was hurting badly, he knew Adam was in real trouble. Nate reached under the seat and pulled out his rifle. He was having a hard time seeing because his vision was blurred, but he knew he had to shake it off. 
    “Any last words, Sheriff?’” Liam asked. “You want to say anything before your sentence is handed down?”
    “Go to hell.” Adam shouted to him.
    “Do it, Jeffrey!” Liam ordered.
    Jeffrey slapped the horse it took off.  Adam felt the noose tighten around his neck as he slid from the saddle. Adam was dangling in the air. He couldn’t breathe. The rope was strangling him. Nate knew he had to act now. His friend’s life was in his hands. He pulled the rifle into his shoulder, cocked the hammer, shook his head, trying to clear his blurred vision. He squeezed the trigger and the shot hit the rope, but didn’t break it. Nate raised the rifle again and squeezed off another shot, this time splitting the rope and Adam dropped to the ground.
    Liam, Jeffrey and Victor were stunned by the shots from Nate’s rifle. Liam raised his pistol to shoot Adam, but his gun was knocked from his hand by a shot from Nate’s rifle.
    Jeffrey yelled to Victor, “Let’s get the hell out of here, now.”
    The two men jumped on their horses and took off. While everyone was concerned with Adam, Liam slipped away.
    Owen ran to Adam, loosened the noose and took it from around Adam’s neck. He untied his arms and Adam took some deep breaths.
    “Are you okay, Adam?”
    “Yeah, I’ll be alright. I thought I was a done for.”
    Owen told him, “You would have been if it Nate hadn’t helped. He’s quite a good shot with that rifle.”
    “Yeah, he’s quite the shot,” Adam said. “Where is he?”
    “He was on the back of the buggy, last time I saw him.”
    “I’m here,” they heard Nate say.
    Adam and Owen turned and saw Nate limping, but he made it and sat down next to them on the ground.
    “The Doc is taking the mayor back to town to fix him up. He said it was only a flesh wound.”
    “Thank God,” Adam said, then asked,