Graysmokes revenge

Zeb Creden is a former army scout who has just been relieved of his post. On the way home he is accosted and almost killed. He is saved by a gang of passersby led by someone who is not all he seems.

                                              Graysmokes revenge part 1

Zeb Creden slowly reined his horse to a complete stop the animal stammered and whinnied in protest. Zeb paid no attention to it even though it had been a constant companion all through his army service. He loved the horse but something else was on his mind there was something in the air.

He dismounted and keeping a firm grip on the reins walked slowly ahead of the horse. He studied the sand assiduously as far as he could see there were no tracks, aside from those of ordinary desert animals. Some of those had already been erased by the harsh wind of past days. It had only been a month since his discharge he was a good scout if there was anything out of the ordinary he would have noticed it. 

There was no wind that day though any sound of approaching hooves or footsteps he would have heard easily. Just to be safe though he kept a constant wary eye on the rise before him. The sun was sinking slowly and it was the darkness he feared most. the most cunning of men utilized the darkness to their advantage he had experienced this many times.

He checked his guns and sat about gathering firewood finding wood was not always easy here even in daylight. The gathering darkness made it more difficult.

A coyote howled in the distant the horse raised his head Zeb paid no attention to it. Men of the west were accustomed to such sounds they became almost deaf to their yipping howls over time. 

The aged firewood made a subtle clatter as he dropped one piece on top of another. Soon he had a small fire going that he wisely hid behind a clump of Yucca. The wood was dry so it smoked little the little smoking it did was lost in the darkness. There was no moon so the only light came from the small fire.