BILLY STEELE CHAPTER FIVE: MENACE OF THE MOLE PEOPLE

And he was out to vent some spleen, one way or another. Sgt. Big Boy could see the rage in the sheriff's face directed at White Eagle and before Whipjaw could fire one gun, Big Boy's powerful fist knocked Slade's henchman to the ground. And then, the bigot was hurled outside by the man-mountain cavalryman. But it was too late.

Crack!

Whipjaw's second gun had already fired its hateful round and a bullet struck White Eagle. The elderly sage fell back and landed unconsciousness on the cold ground.

The Col. rushed to the Indian's side and tried to revive him, but White Eagle remained motionless. As Jubilee Jones used his neckerchief as a wrap to stop the bleeding, Col. Tim looked for Billy, but he was nowhere to be found. A trickle of cold sweat ran down the Col.'s cheek at the thought of a lost kid ranger.

Unbeknownst to his troop, Billy was miles away and about to face death at the fangs of the giant worm creature. Quickly, he pulled his magical black arrowhead from his hatband and shouted the magic word that would transform him into the great spirit of the storm, The Lightning Warrior. "RAMSFEW," Billy yelled towards the heavens.

"I am the thunder from God's country, taking your world by storm," the frontier firebrand screamed to the skies. The Lightning Warrior brandished his Thunderhawk tomahawk at the maniacal creature. As the tremor of terror lunged at the black caped avenger, the warrior sunk his weapon's blade into the worm's head. Its blood gushed like a geyser, covering the warrior with its deplorable ooze. The warrior's attack angered the squirming into an instinctive rage.

The creature dispatched a barrage of its hot, poisonous breath upon its warrior enemy. The meteor like heat stunned the warrior for a brief moment, forcing him to retreat. The warrior was just about to let a flaming arrow fly at his dragon like foe when the unthinkable occurred. Without warning, the Lightning Warrior reverted back to the young Billy Steele. And the helpless youth stood frozen as the creature targeted him for termination.

"RAMSFEW," Billy again shouted to his black arrowhead. But nothing happened. Billy yelled R.A.M.S.F.E.W. again. But by this time, he could feel the creature' s hot breath on him, as he remained a frightened 12-year old boy.

Why did the magic abandon him? Had he broken his vow somehow? Did he reveal himself in some way? Was this Lucy Fur's doing? Or perhaps when White Eagle fell to the white man's bullet that might have broken the black arrowhead's Native American magic. Billy now under the attack of the worm creature could not reach White Eagle in time and could not have prevented Whipjaw's unprovoked assault.

Just as Billy prepared himself to meet his maker, a girl, about his age, emerged from the darkness. Glowing red hair, hazel eyes and a tight-fitting buckskin outfit adorned this mysterious maiden. But the lass had only one arm, her left, and in it, she carried a sharp, steel sword.

With blinding agility and dexterity, the "handicapped" girl swung her blade feverishly until she impaled the giant worm's eye, blinding it before it bled to death. Billy stood amazed as he watched her save his life without question.

"We better get out of here," she yelled to a wide-eyed Billy. Hand in hand, Billy and his young savior jumped on his pony Swifty's back. "I'm Cassidy," the twinkle eyed, adolescent girl told Billy as they rode double and quickly galloped away.

Together, Billy and Cassidy rode through the puddles of blood left by the worm creature's wounds.