The Stone of Blood Read Online Free PDF

sunset, ridden through the rivers by nightfall and I had shaken the dust off of my trail by early mornin’. I wasn’t in the clear yet, not by any stretch of my imagination.
     
    I would have to catch the outlaw and bring him to justice before that would happen.
     
    He was the one who had robbed the bank in Silver Creek not me!
     
    And he had gotten away with the gold! Now it was up to me to bring him in...
     
    “Mama, would you tell Anna to come inside with you? It’s my turn to ride Patches!” I yelled.
     
    “Toby! You had better not be riding on that dog!” my mama said. “Anna come on inside here honey, and let me get you a juice. Toby! You get down off of Patches right now!”
     
    Patches was a good dog. She lived beside the garage in an old whiskey barrel with a cutout doorway and straw strewn about all over its base. My dad had gotten the barrel from down to Barton’s. That’s where my dad worked. Patches lived in it, and she stood about waist high to me.
     
    When she stood up on her back legs she was even taller than I was!
     
    “Okay Mom!” I hollered back. And then I pretended again.
     
    …As I climbed down from my horse I decided to set up camp for the day. It would be too hot to travel with the sun directly overhead in the sky. And there would be too great of a risk of bein’ spotted by the enemy! I had crossed into Indian Territory a few miles back, where every move that I made could be my last.
     
    I had to be careful. Comin’ too close to flyin’ arrows or bein’ scalped by Indians was not somethin’ that I looked fondly upon!
     
    I made myself comfortable beneath the shade of a tall tree, and I fed my horse from the rations I carried in my saddlebags. My horse was the only friend I had out there in that deadly wilderness.
     
    I gave her some water.
     
    I brushed her mane.
     
    And as I sat down in the shade, I polished my guns and began to partake of my rations as well...
     
    “Toby! Are you eating that dog food?” My mama yelled as I tried really hard to swallow. “I have already told you about that once today and I had better not have to tell you again!”
     
    One thing for sure that I knew about my mama, she didn’t cotton to no foolin’ around! When she said somethin’, she meant it! And if you didn’t do what she told you to do, then she was gonna come after you !
     
    So I got on up from the ground, put Patches’ food back in her bowl and I started doin’ somethin’ else entirely!
     
    And I pretended that…
     
    …I was in the times of knights and castles … and I walked to the fence and looked out into the fields that lay before me, where two young maidens frolicked in the grass. The air was crisp and the wind carried loose flowers and daises as it blew through the meadow. I raised my hand in gesture as if to say hello. The maidens blushed and returned my gesture as they walked to the stone wall by which I stood.
     
    “ Hello good Knight.” one maiden said. “Of what great fortune does your presence bring?”
     
    I took off my helmet, and held it to my side and took the fair maidens hand.
     
    “ I have come to protect you m’ Lady. For is that not the duty of every good Knight?”
     
    The maiden blushed again as she stood beside her protector, her knight in shining armor.
     
    But then …the Dragon that came upon em’ flew in the shadows of a great dark cloud!
     
    It came upon em’ from the sky, breathin’ fire and chaos upon their valleys!
     
    Screams could be heard as their peoples ran in fear! Lives under siege; their world now in flames!
     
    Upon the great wall and drawin’ his magic sword, our brave and fearless knight stood! The light flashed blindingly upon his shield and armor, a hero’s light breaking hard against the darkness.
     
    “ Fear not fair maidens for I will protect you from this beast!” I said as I seated my helmet and crossed over the barrier that separated me from the burnin’ fields.
     
    I brandished my weapon and