A Frontier Christmas Read Online Free PDF

troublin’ you folks for whatever money you have.”
    â€œWhat makes you think we’ve got any money?” Otis asked.
    â€œYou’re takin’ a trip, ain’t ya? Folks don’t go on a trip, especially what with takin’ their whole family with ’em, without havin’ some money. Now, you can give it to me yourself, or I’ll kill you an’ take it off your body. Which is it to be?” The man cocked his pistol and pointed it at Otis.
    â€œOtis, give it to him!” Millie insisted.
    â€œIt’s all we have to live on until we get settled in my new job,” Otis pointed out.
    â€œWe’ll get by until you are paid. Give him the money!”
    â€œYou better listen to your wife, mister.”
    With a reluctant sigh, Otis took his billfold out and handed it over.
    â€œCome on, Dingo, we got the pouch and the dude’s poke. Let’s get out of here.”
    â€œDingo?” Otis asked. “Would that be Max Dingo? I’ve heard of you.”
    The outlaw sighed and pulled his handkerchief down. “Nitwit, you got one hell of a big mouth, you know that? And you, Mister, you know too damn much.” He cocked his pistol.
    Thinking he had no other chance, Otis swung out at the outlaw, knocking him down by the surprise of his action. Emboldened by his initial success, he reached down to grab Dingo to administer another blow. From his position on the ground, Dingo raised his pistol and fired. Otis backed away, clutching his stomach. He looked over at his wife with a surprised expression on his face.
    â€œLiz?” he said in a small voice.
    â€œNo!” she screamed. “No!” She rushed to her husband, who had fallen to the ground.
    â€œPapa!” Harry cried.
    Millie cushioned Otis’s head in her lap while he breathed his last gasps.
    â€œLiz, I . . .” His voice drifted off, then he sighed and was still.
    â€œMy God!” Liz said, looking up at Dingo, who had regained his feet. “You’ve killed him!”
    â€œYeah, I did,” Dingo said coldly.
    â€œYou’ve got the money, Mr. Dingo,” the driver said. “Please, why don’t you just go now, and leave the rest of us alone?”
    Dingo looked up at the driver, and the dead shotgun guard, then down at the body of Otis Boyd. He let the hammer down on his pistol, then slipped it into his holster. “Yeah. All right, we’ll go. You can call it my Christmas present to you.”
    Laughing, he climbed onto his horse, which was being held by one of the other two men. “Merry Christmas!” he shouted back over his shoulder.
    The driver, Liz, and her two children could hear the demonic laughter as the three men galloped away.
    Guthrie Ranch, outside Rawhide Buttes
    Suzie Guthrie was in the barn milking a cow when her younger brother Timmy came rushing in. Guess what? I know what I’m getting for Christmas.”
    â€œHow do you know?” Suzie asked.
    â€œI know, because I heard Mama and Papa talkin’ about it. I’m getting a horse. Grandpa is going to give it to me when we go to Chugwater to see him and Grandma for Christmas. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”
    â€œThen let it be,” Suzie said.
    â€œHow can it be a surprise if I already know what it is?”
    â€œWell, don’t ruin Mama and Papa’s surprise by letting on that you know.”
    Timmy laughed. “That’s funny. How can it be a surprise for them, if they already know?”
    â€œIt’s not a surprise for them, but they want to surprise you. So pretend that you don’t know.”
    â€œThat’s silly.”
    â€œNo, it isn’t silly. It’s just being nice.”
    â€œI know what you’re getting, too. Do you want to know?”
    â€œNo, I don’t want to know.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    Suzie sighed. “I can’t expect you to understand. You’re still a child.”
    â€œI’m twelve