pappabearbooks Chapter 54 Encirclement and Suppression of the Tracking Bandits
Chapter 54 Encirclement and Suppression of the Tracking Bandits
In the western Texas wilderness, a horse-drawn carriage sat alone.
In front of the car, a woman looked terrified, as if she had been abandoned.
Suddenly, a cowboy with a full beard walked by on foot.
"It smells delicious!" he grinned.
The woman stared at the stranger in horror.
"Where's your horse?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"I was hoping you'd know! That bastard dumped me. You're all alone?" The cowboy glanced around.
"With my husband."
"I didn't see anyone."
"He went to get water."
"That'll take some effort, there's so little water in this godforsaken place... What are you cooking?"
"stew!"
"Oh?" The bearded cowboy suddenly took a few steps closer.
The woman frantically pulled a pistol from her bosom.
"Come on!" the cowboy scoffed.
next second.
boom!
A shot rang out! The bullet missed.
The bearded man dodged in a flash, instantly drawing his gun, his eyes flashing with murderous intent: "Damn bitch!"
Just then!
boom!
Flames shot out from the spear protruding from the carriage, and the bearded cowboy was violently blasted away!
The woman staggered forward, only to see that the bearded man wasn't quite dead yet, struggling to raise his gun!
boom! boom! boom!
The woman fired several shots, and the bearded man let out a muffled groan before falling silent completely.
Gunshots rang out like a signal. At the edge of the wilderness, several bandits rode up, kicking up dust, their guns spitting fire!
Josephine and her husband turned and fled.
Almost simultaneously, on the other side of the valley, the sound of hooves thundered!
James took the lead, followed closely by Shai, Wade, Thomas, and Cooper, sweeping out like a vengeful hurricane!
The two teams exchanged fire wildly!
Seeing that the enemy outnumbered them and were very powerful, the bandits turned their horses around and tried to flee.
James and his men were not about to let them go. They spurred their horses and gave chase, forcing the remaining bandits into their pre-arranged encirclement!
The convoy had already formed a tight encirclement. (Tang)
M, Margaret, Zack, and Simone leaned against the car body, the cold muzzles of guns waiting silently.
From hearing the pursuers' hooves to seeing their figures, it was all over in the blink of an eye!
It had just entered firing range.
boom!
Winchester roared! The bandit leader fell from his horse in response!
boom!boom!
Two more precise shots rang out! Two figures fell to the ground in quick succession!
Before the bandits even reached the front lines, they had only taken a few steps when three of the seven-man squad were already gone!
"Sniper ahead! Get out of the way!" a bandit roared.
Before the words were finished—
boom!
The roaring bandit fell to the ground.
The remaining three were so frightened that they desperately spurred their horses and split up to try to break through to the left and right.
boom!boom!
The two men on the left were shot and fell from their horses almost simultaneously!
The bandits on the right were so frightened that they pulled hard on the reins, trying to turn around and flee.
boom!
Another shot rang out! The last bandit also rolled to the ground!
boom! boom! boom!
Eight cold gunshots rang out in succession!
"ah--!!!"
The four bandits who were still alive on the ground had their arms instantly soaked in blood, and they let out a shrill scream.
"Zack!" Tom roared.
Zack nimbly stepped forward and caught the Winchester that Tom had thrown at him, even though he had missed.
"Load!"
"yes!"
Despite the excruciating pain, one of the bandits reached for his gun holster with trembling left hand.
boom!
"Ah—!!!" Another heart-wrenching scream rang out.
Tom drew his revolver from his waist with lightning speed!
boom! boom! boom!
The magazine is empty! The bullets hit the remaining bandits' limbs with pinpoint accuracy!
"Gahh ...
A series of inhuman wails erupted instantly, tearing apart the silence of the wilderness!
He deftly tucked both guns back into his waistband.
"Zack! Gun!"
Winchester, fully loaded with bullets, was tossed back, which Tom caught steadily. He slightly adjusted the muzzle of his gun, aiming it at the thigh of the last able-bodied bandit.
boom!
"Gahh ...
All the bandits had their limbs crippled and their flesh mangled. Their mournful howls echoed across the desolate wilderness, sending chills down one's spine!
"Leave them here!" Tom hoisted Winchester and walked toward his carriage without looking back.
The group was left looking at each other, speechless for a moment.
"We're in big trouble!" Captain Shay shook his head and sighed, his face grave.
"We need to shut them up!" Thomas said coldly, staring in the direction of the wailing.
Wade looked panicked and hurriedly stopped him: "Tom said to stay where you are!" He emphasized the word "Tom".
"James, he's issuing a challenge to all the bandits!" Shay turned to James, his voice filled with anger.
"Let them come!" James's sharp gaze swept across the distant horizon. "Let them taste the Dutton family's bullets!"
"James..." Shay wanted to say something more.
"All my fucking family is here! All of them!" James roared, his voice brooking no argument.
Shay was taken aback by the shout.
Watching James's resolute retreating figure, Thomas turned to Wade: "Patrolley more carefully."
"No," Wade's voice was hoarse, "if they dare to come again... it will be a complete massacre."
His meaning was clear—the next attack would be a fight to the death!
At dusk, the convoy stopped to rest.
The defensive formation had already been set up—the carriages formed a tight iron circle, protecting everyone in the center.
The camp was quiet, with only the rustling sound of people silently organizing their equipment.
Tom sat alone in the corner, wiping his rifle and the gleaming bullets over and over again.
He was surrounded by a cold barrier, a silent warning: Stay away!
"Something's wrong with Tom," his mother, Margaret, said worriedly, watching her son's almost obsessive focus on his actions.
James glanced at Tom, a vague guess forming in his mind, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.
"He'll be alright." The voice was low, more like trying to convince himself.
late at night.
Tom quietly crept to James's tent and gently woke him up.
With a single glance, the two walked out of the tent in tacit agreement.
Under the moonlight, the loach and the snow woman were already prepared.
The saddle was laden with long guns and short muskets, and the heavy ammunition pouches were bulging. Even the horse's hooves were carefully wrapped in thick cloth to muffle the sound.
"Protect them." Tom's voice was calm and undisturbed.
"Watch out!" James said heavily, managing to utter only two words.
Tom said no more, took the two horses, and mounted them.
The figure quickly blended into the thick night, as if swallowed by darkness.
James stood there for a long time, gazing in the direction where Tom had disappeared, until a figure appeared behind him.
Margaret stood at the tent entrance, her face devoid of tears, only displaying a rock-solid resolve, her voice resolute: "He will return safely!"
James nodded emphatically without hesitation, as if making a solemn vow.
The desolate wilderness at night is fraught with danger, like the bared fangs of a giant beast.
If it weren't for Tom's extraordinary vision, and the presence of the two spirited and untamed horses, Mudfish and Snow Maiden, traveling alone at night would have been tantamount to courting death.
Tom initially thought there were only three groups of bandits following the convoy, but as he scanned the area, he was surprised to discover a fourth group!
Their retreat route and resting campsites were all laid bare in Tom's "eyes".
The primary target is that five-person team—the smallest in number, yet incredibly audacious and the closest!
Their camp was tucked away in an inconspicuous little valley.
Tom hid the loach and the snow woman in a secluded spot, while he himself crept up to the top of the hill like a ghost and slowly poked his head out.
The field of vision was like an invisible net, instantly covering the entire camp.
The campfire flickered, illuminating the only bandit on night watch—he sat by the fire, nodding his head as if fishing, his snores barely audible.