He turned to see the terrified horse rear up on its hind legs with Lacy dangling precariously by her leather-bound hands to the pommel, just as the huge cat leapt at the pair. Lacy leaned over the horse’s neck. Trying to dodge the cougar or protecting her mount, he wasn’t sure which. The ground beneath the horse’s hooves gave way and the trio slid down the muddy embankment toward the raging river. “Shit.” In one swift motion he hurled himself from the saddle and grabbed his rifle. With a deep breath, he focused on the moving cougar and took aim. He squeezed the trigger. The bullet knocked the clawing cat backward and off Lacy and the horse—who were still sinking down into the mud—into the wild waters below. “Dakota! Get back here.” He leaned over the mountain ledge to see the horse’s haunches sinking deeper into the muddy embankment, water pulling at Lacy’s legs as she struggled to climb back up. Her arms extended over her head where the leather binding her hands was hooked over the pommel, trapping her between the horse, the rising water and a boulder protruding from the mountainside.
