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her by one arm.
    He jabbed his gun at her ribs and grimaced. “You gonna give me some more of that there rock candy, missy?” he growled in a low voice.
    Stevie knew that the crowd couldn’t hear a word Sam was saying. They probably thought he was uttering dire threats. She played along, letting out a few screams and then replying, “Only if you ask nicely.” She almost giggled, but she knew she had to stay in character. To distract herself, she balled her hand into a fist and pretended to threaten him with it. At that he stepped forward, grabbed her around the waist, and slung her over his shoulder, just as they had rehearsed.
    As he carried her along, Stevie caught an upside-down glimpse of the girls’ own horses, who were still tied up down the street at the sheriff’s office. While Berry, Chocolate, Spot, and Arrow looked fairly uninterested in the drama unfolding before them, Stewball had his head up and seemed to be staring right at Stevie.
    But Stevie barely had time to register the fact before she was distracted by Lisa’s dramatic escape. Lisa wriggled her way out of her captor’s grasp and dashed down the sidewalk, almost tripping over Carole’s limp form as she did so. She ran past the jail and made her escape into the sheriff’s office just beyond it, shrieking all the while.
    At almost the same time, Christine was wrestling the gun away from the outlaw who had grabbed her. As she got itaway from him and pointed it at his head, the crowd cheered excitedly. Christine really played it up, making the robber put his hands behind his head and jabbing the gun at his back as she prodded him toward the jail. The onlookers cheered again as the two of them disappeared through the jail entrance.
    Stevie watched it all with relish as she continued to scream and struggle to get away. She was having the time of her life, and she could tell the others were, too. Her only concern was for Stewball, of whom she caught glimpses every so often. He was still watching the action, and now he was snorting and stomping, seeming uneasy and restless. Stevie wondered if the gunshots were spooking him. She was a little worried, but she forced herself to put the thought out of her mind. There was nothing she could do about it right now.
    “This is great!” she whispered to Sam between screams.
    “Quiet, you rock-candy-eatin’ varmint, you,” he replied. He lifted her down, set her on her feet, and grabbed her by the shoulder. Stevie could see Kate and Chuck nearby. They were almost to the part where Chuck and Sam mounted their horses and began their escape. “Okay, now, I’m tellin’ you that if you make one false move, you’re dead,” Sam growled to Stevie. “So if I was you, I’d let out one mighty powerful scream just about now.”
    Obediently, Stevie opened her mouth and let out her most bloodcurdling shriek. Just then, out of the corner ofher eye, she spotted Stewball again. And this time he wasn’t just watching. He whinnied and reared, snapping the lead holding him to the hitching post. He reared again and then, apparently realizing he was free, he galloped straight toward her!

S TEVIE WASN ’ T SURE what to do as Stewball galloped toward her. Apparently Sam wasn’t, either. “What’s that crazy horse doing?” he whispered as he grabbed Stevie around the waist with one arm and backed quickly away from Stewball. Stevie tried to shrug in reply, but she discovered that was a difficult thing to do while being carried with both arms pinned to her side.
    Stewball stopped in front of them and reared again, neighing and squealing loudly while pawing the air with his front hooves. Stevie thought he looked very dramatic. And suddenly it occurred to her what he must be doing—Stewball was trying to rescue her!
    Stevie glanced around quickly. Chuck was standing beside his own horse, his gun held loosely in one hand and his other arm encircling Kate’s throat. Both of them werewatching Stewball, wide-eyed. Stevie