Bats in the Bunkhouse

The riders had just started to doze when a scream filled the air, sending them scrambling.

Jimmy grabbed his gun as he jumped out of his bunk. Cody, who slept above him, half jumped, half fell from his bunk. Buck reached for his knife and Ike hurried to light the lantern on the table with fumbling hands.

“What in God’s name…” Jimmy asked looking around the now lighted room.

He noticed Lou lying on her stomach, hands crossed over her head screaming.

“Lou? Lou! What’s wrong?” he yelled to be heard over her screams, running over to her bunk.

She turned her head towards him as the others crowded around, bewildered at her outburst.

Lou peeked at her bunkmates then warily around the room.

“Is it gone?” she asked uncertainly.

“Is what gone?” Cody asked confused.

“That!” she screamed covering her head again. The boys ducked as something flew over their heads causing them to scatter.

“What was that?” Jimmy asked the others as he crouched near Lou’s bunk, gun raised, scanning the room.

Jumping off her bunk, Lou dove into Kid’s empty one with a loud, “BAT!”

“I hate bats,” Jimmy stated frowning as he moved closer to protect Lou from their nocturnal visitor.

“What do we do?” Cody asked looking at the others.

“Ike, you open the door. Cody, go get the broom and when you see it, try to hit it. I’ll try to herd it towards the door with this,” Buck said, waving his jacket in the air.

Lou felt brave enough to stick her head out of the blankets to watch as Cody took a swing at the swooping bat.

Ike stood ready, door wide open, ready to slam it shut should the bat find its way out of the bunkhouse. He peeked out from behind the door watching Cody swinging the broom wildly in circles. Buck took a swipe at it with his jacket and missed as it flew back towards Jimmy and Lou.

As the bat dove at his head, Jimmy cocked his gun and took aim.

Lou screamed, “NO,” but it was too late. He shot at the bat, startling the rest of the riders, causing them to drop to the floor so they wouldn’t be shot.

“Damn it Jimmy! You tryin’ to kill us?” Cody demanded angrily, looking up from his position on the floor.

“Put that gun away,” Lou told Jimmy; afraid he’d end up shooting one of them.

Buck and Ike were just getting up off the floor when Teaspoon, still pulling up his suspenders raced up the steps followed by Emma in her nightgown.

“What in tarnation is goin’ on in here?” Teaspoon yelled taking in the scene before him.

Cody still lay upon the floor, broom in his hand. Ike was half hidden behind the door. Buck stood with his jacket hanging limply in his hand. Jimmy crouched next to Lou who was on Kid’s bunk, gun in his hand.

“Would someone care to explain what’s…” Teaspoon started to say when Emma, who had stopped in the doorway tapped him on the arm directing his attention to the far corner of the room.

“Oh…” he said dumbly as the bat flew right over him, making him duck.

Cody jumped up, broom swinging, just missing hitting Teaspoon who jumped out of his way as the blond rider yelled, “I’ll get it!”

Taking a wide arching swing, the broom made contact with the bat, dropping it to the floor stunned.

“Hurry up Cody, sweep it out the door,” Buck ordered as Emma moved out of the way.

Once the bat was swept off the side of the porch, Ike closed the door, just in case the bat had any ideas of returning.

“Well, now that that’s over, you boys had best get some sleep,” Teaspoon said looking at each of them in turn. When his eyes lit on Jimmy, they stopped taking in the gun. “Don’t tell me that you tried shooting that thing?”

The other’s pointed to the roof, where a hole could be seen where Jimmy’s bullet had went through. Shaking his head in disbelief, Teaspoon turned towards Emma, ready to escort her back to her house.

“Get some sleep,” he ordered, and then turned to Jimmy. “And Hickok, I expect that hole to be fixed right after breakfast!”

Grumbling, Jimmy climbed up on Lou’s bed, telling her, “I’ll just bunk here in case there’s more.”

Sliding his hand under the pillow, he kept his fingers resting upon his gun. ‘Just in case…’ he thought as sleep overcame him.