Chapter 4

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When Joe and Alissa arrived back at the ranch, one of the ranch hands was waiting at the front door.

"Glad to see you, Joe. I just came from town with a message from Adam for both of you."

The ranch hand came over to Joe's horse and squinted as he looked up at Joe and relayed Adam's message.

"Adam told me to tell you he wouldn't be back today because he was going to finish up some business at the bank and it would be late. So he is just going to stay in town tonight."

"Thanks, Frank. I'll let the others know," Joe said, as he got down from his horse and went over to help Alissa down.

He couldn't help but grin at Alissa after he helped her down from her horse.

"Well, this sure is good news for us. Now I won't have to explain to Adam what we were doing all afternoon."

Ali reached out and put her hand firmly on Joe's arm. "You can't tell Adam about the lessons just yet, Joe. Not until I have learned to shoot. Promise you won't tell him until then?" Ali asked nervously.

"Don't worry, Ali. I won't tell him till then, I promise. But if he finds out and asks me, I won't lie to him either."

"That is only right. So let's just hope I do better in my next lesson, so I will learn to shoot quickly before he finds out," Ali laughed.

"Well, you couldn't do any worse," Joe chuckled, as Ali reached over and lightly punched his arm.

"You're such a funny man, Joe. Don't worry, I just have a feeling I am going to do a lot better next time."

Joe just gave Ali a lopsided grin as he put his arm around her and walked her to the front door.

"I've got a lot of chores waiting for me so I'll see you later, Ali."

Turning from Alissa, Joe quickly headed for Cochise and mounted him with ease as he set out in a gallop leaving a small dust cloud in his wake.

As Alissa watched Joe ride away, she smiled to herself as she thought about her first shooting lesson. Then she thought about how Adam might just react when he found out that she had learned to shoot a gun behind his back. Oh well, I will handle that little problem when the time comes she decided as she went into the house humming.

Later that evening after dinner Alissa came out the front door and headed for the barn to check on Freedom, unaware that she was not alone. Standing over by the side of the barn were Zeke and Billy. They had been waiting every night hoping to have just the right opportunity to put their plan into action. Zeke had told Billy about his plan to kidnap Alissa and ask for a ransom from the Cartwrights. At first Billy didn't want to do it, but then he had come around after Zeke told him how easy it would be and how much money they could make. After all, how hard could it be to kidnap a little slip of a girl like Alissa?

They had waited by the barn every night for the last week knowing that Alissa always checked on her horse before going to bed. So far though, she always had Adam accompanying her whenever she checked her horse, so there never was a good opportunity to kidnap her—until tonight! She was all by herself tonight as they watched her walk into the barn.

"There she goes, Billy…boy howdy, she sure does look good in them tight britches," Zeke grinned.

"Did you bring the gunny sack like I told ya?"

Zeke had been peeking around the edge of the barn watching Alissa as he asked Billy.

"Course I did. I also brung the rope to tie her with."

Billy grinned and showed his crooked teeth as he held up the sack to show Zeke. Then he started to laugh that witless laugh of his until Zeke reached over and hit him on the back of his head.

"Shut up, you stupid fool! You want her to hear us?"

"Don't hit me, Zeke! Why you always hittin' me?"

Billy reached over and slapped Zeke's shoulder as he spoke. Then they both started slapping each other until Zeke finally grabbed Billy's hand.

"Stop, you durn fool. She is gonna hear us!"

"Sorry, Zeke, but you jest make me so mad when you hit me."

"Never mind, let's jest git going."

Zeke and Billy tiptoed over to the barn door and peeked inside. Alissa was brushing her horse while humming a song and didn't hear the two bumbling fools come into the barn. That is until Billy stepped on the end of a rake and the handle came straight up and hit him square in the nose!

"OH, MY NOSE!" yelled Billy, as he grabbed his nose and started dancing carelessly around the barn.

This definitely got Alissa's attention as she dropped the brush and looked up in time to see Zeke coming at her with the gunnysack in his hands.

"What are you two doing here? You're not suppose to be in he…"

Alissa didn't get to finish her sentence as Zeke covered her head with the gunnysack. At least he tried to cover her—but Ali fought back. She and Zeke were struggling as Zeke kept trying to pull the sack the rest of the way over her body. He had only managed to get the sack over her head so far, and Ali wasn't about to let him pull it the rest of the way down without a fight. She angrily threw up her arm and ended up hitting Zeke in the eye with her fist!

"Oww! Billy, come and help me, you durn fool. She is really strong and I can't git this here sack any further than her head!"

But Billy was no help at all as he kept dancing around the barn whining about his nose.

"I think my nose is broke. Look at this here blood, Zeke!"

Billy was holding his hand to his nose trying to stop the flowing blood.

"I don't care about your stupid nose…. jest git over here and HELP ME!"

Zeke barely got the last word out when Ali took her foot and stomped on top of Zeke's foot with all her might! She was very glad that she had changed into her jeans after dinner as it gave her a lot more mobility than skirts and petticoats would have.

"YE-OWW," Zeke yelled, as he started hopping on one foot while trying to hold on to Alissa.

"Billy, get over here and help me now…. or so help me I am gonna shoot you with my gun!"

Billy wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve as he came over to help Zeke.

"Alright, but if my nose is dun broke and it messes up my looks for them ladies in the saloon, I'm gonna be real mad."

Zeke just rolled his eyes at that comment, and with Billy's help finally succeeded in getting the sack the rest of the way over Ali. Then he bent down in front of her and put her over his shoulder and started walking out of the barn. But Ali still had one more move left to try and stop these two idiots as she pulled back her foot and brought it forward kicking Zeke with the toe of her boot. Her well placed kick landed right in the middle of Zeke's privates as he let out a yell!

Billy hurried and placed his hand over Zeke's mouth. "Shh…you is gonna get the others out here, Zeke."

Zeke just let out a low groan as he carried Alissa into the dark where they had the horses waiting for them. He had to walk bent over from pain while he carried her, but he did manage to get her to the waiting horses without any more problems. He threw Alissa over his horse face down and mounted up very slowly behind her.

Billy wiped some more blood off his nose as he leaned over and grumbled, "I thought you said this was gonna be easy. This little gal is like a wildcat! I don't think my nose will ever be the same."

Looking over at Billy, Zeke squinted as he tried to focus with his one good eye. The one Ali had hit with her fist had swollen by now, and he could barely see out of it.

"Ah shut up! At least you can see and don't have to walk funny. I ain't sure if I will walk right ever again."

"Why Zeke...does your foot hurt?"

Zeke just shook his head in disgust as the two horses rode quietly into the darkness.

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Joe stood up and stretched as he looked over at the clock. He had been reading and fell asleep and didn't realize how late it was getting. Then he remembered how he had glanced at the clock when Ali went out to check on Freedom. She had been gone over an hour now thought Joe. That is way too long to be out checking on her horse. He walked on past the dining table and into the kitchen to see if she had come into the house through the kitchen and might still be there.

"Ali, are you in here?" Joe asked, as he entered the kitchen, but everything was quiet.

Hop Sing had already done all the dishes and everything was all put away for the night. The only thing that greeted Joe was the quiet ticking of the kitchen clock on the wall.

TBC

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I think these two kidnappers are going to be very sorry they tried to kidnap Alissa. As they have already discovered, she isn't like the prim and proper ladies they are use to seeing in town….she will fight back!

Once again, thank you to all you wonderful fans for continuing to enjoy this series!