Cut Him Down

Marshal Elijah Turner was riding through the scrubland, his horse, Samson, kicking dust behind him. The sun was high, and the heat was relentless, but his mind was elsewhere.

He heard the voices before he saw the scene: two men, their voices harsh and cruel, laughing over some dark jest. Rounding a bend, he saw them—two white men, rough and bearded, with the look of troublemakers. They had an Indian man strung up on his horse, which they ran off on purpose, leaving him to swing by his neck, his feet barely touching the ground.

“Hold it right there!” Elijah shouted, his voice carrying the authority of the law.

The two men turned, surprise and then contempt flashing across their faces. One of them, a man named Jeb, spat on the ground. “What do we have here? The law? And a Nigra one at that?”

“Cut him down,” Elijah commanded, his hand resting on his Colt revolver.

The other man, Silas, chuckled, “This ain’t your business, Marshal. This Injun’s been caught stealin’. We’re just doin’ what’s needed.”

Elijah eyed the Indian, his face turning blue, desperation in his eyes. “He’s still a man under the law, and you’re not judge, jury, or executioner. Cut him down, now!”

Jeb sneered, “And what if we don’t?”

Without hesitation, Elijah drew his revolver. “Then I’ll cut you down.”

The tension snapped like a dry twig. Silas went for his gun, but Elijah was quicker, his bullet finding its mark. Seeing his partner fall, Jeb tried to draw, but Elijah’s second shot rang out, echoing across the empty plains.

With both men down, Elijah holstered his gun and hurried to the Indian, quickly cutting the rope. The man gasped for air, falling to his knees.

“What’s your name?” Elijah asked, helping him to stand.

“Two Moons,” the Indian managed between breaths.

“Two Moons, you’re safe now. Can you walk?”

With his help, Two Moons stood, regaining some strength. “Why?” he asked, looking at the dead men.

“Because this land needs more justice and less hate,” Elijah replied.

Together, they took the horses of the two outlaws and their dead bodies and rode towards the nearest settlement of Como, where Two Moons could maybe find sanctuary, and Elijah would report the incident.