The Lone Rider’s Trail.
Cactus Jack rode his horse. The sun was hot. The sky was very big. Dust rose from his horse’s feet. He saw only rocks and dry grass. This was the West. It was a hard land.
Cactus Jack was a man alone. He had a strong face. His eyes saw far. He carried a gun on his hip. He knew how to live. He knew how to ride. He knew how to fight.
One day, he came to a small town. The town was called Dry Gulch. People talked there. Bad men came. Their leader was Grimey Gus. Gus and his men took cows from Old Man Juniper. Old Man Juniper was a good rancher. He had few cows. Now he had none.
Cactus Jack listened. He did not like bad men. He did not like men who stole. Justice was important. He felt a fire in his heart. He would find Grimey Gus.
He rode out of Dry Gulch. He followed tracks. The tracks led east. The sun went down. The sky turned red and orange. Cactus Jack made a small fire. He ate dry meat. He drank water from his flask. He slept under the stars. The night was cold. He was not afraid.
In the morning, he rode again. The land was flat now. He saw mountains far away. He knew Grimey Gus would go there. Mountains were good to hide. Cactus Jack rode fast. His horse was strong.
He saw smoke. It was a small fire. He rode closer. He stopped his horse behind big rocks. He looked down. There were five men. Grimey Gus was one. The stolen cows were nearby. They ate grass.
Cactus Jack took his gun. He walked slow and quiet. He came closer to the camp.
“Hey!” Cactus Jack said. His voice was loud in the quiet air.
The men jumped. They looked at him. Grimey Gus stood up fast. He saw Cactus Jack’s gun.
“Those cows are not yours,” Cactus Jack said. “They belong to Old Man Juniper.”
Grimey Gus laughed. It was a bad laugh. “Who are you, cowboy? One man against five?”
“I am enough,” Cactus Jack said. He was ready to fight.
Grimey Gus reached for his gun. Cactus Jack was faster. He shot his gun into the ground near Gus’s feet. Dust flew up. Gus stopped. His men looked scared.
“Put your hands up,” Cactus Jack said. His voice was strong.
Grimey Gus looked angry. But he saw Cactus Jack’s eyes. They were hard. Gus put his hands up. The other men did too.
Cactus Jack took their guns. He tied Grimey Gus to a tree. “The law will find you,” he said. “Take the cows back to Old Man Juniper. Go now. Run.” He spoke to the other men. They ran fast. They did not want to stay.
Cactus Jack looked at the cows. They were safe. He looked at Grimey Gus. Gus was mad. But he could not move.
Cactus Jack got on his horse. He rode away. The sun was going down again. He was alone again. The big land was quiet. Justice was done. Cactus Jack lived by his own rules. He survived in this harsh land. He was a free man.
The End