The Newsies
Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
The sound of the horses' hooves slamming on the hard dry ground of the country screeched in the ears of nearby farmers. The Smugglers passed one by one through the fields of wheat shooting every living thing in their sight. Of course, Jack and his friends, who were still following far behind the Smugglers, could not help the people that were shot. After awhile, the Smugglers shot their last farmer and they exited the fields. The whole time they shot the farmers Jack had been looking at Racetrack. He noticed how Race's eyes squeezed and his lips tightened at every loud bang from the guns. Once they shot for the last time, Jack saw a small tear run down Race's red cheek, and he looked away (Knowing that Race would probably not want anyone to see him cry like that) and began to lead his group to the train tracks.
"Where are we going?" Jerry said, leaning in closer to Jack. (Only so he wouldn't have to shout from across horses.)
"Uhh... There!" Jack pointed his stern finger to the tracks and nodded to Jerry. He meant to go here because he saw a few smugglers ride to the train tracks. The group began to ride faster, all leaning in on their horses ears. Suddenly, a loud bang came from behind Jack followed by an eerie screaming. He jerked his head back immediately, to see that the Smugglers had stopped and followed them instead.
"Speed up, guys!" Jack commanded to the rest of his friends. Quickly, Jack looked at the boys among him to see who had been shot. Noticing Boots, Racetrack, Jerry (With Les hanging on his back) and Mush, he knew it was most likely Swifty or Jake. Les held tighter on Jerry's leather coat and flinched when the Smugglers shot had been fired once more. This time Jack heard a familiar scream. He looked back once more to see that Race was rolling to the floor below him. Immediately,(Without thinking...) Jack pulled on the reins of his horse and stopped with a thud of its hooves. He hopped down and ran to Race. Reaching his hands out to him, he threw Race onto the back of his own horse and immediately jumped on after. (Not even stopping to check if his friend was still alive.) The horse was off once more. A repetitive sound of strong hooves thudding on the open grass sounded over the long prairies of New Jersey. Yes, now they had rode all the way to New Jersey. Finally reaching the train tracks, Jack kept his horse at a very steady pace. The thought that Race might be dead or dying kept repeating in his head. Suddenly, the group heard a loud sound of a new thud. This time with a screeching clank and a rolling steam. They all looked to see that it was in fact a large train heading their way. Jack's fingers snapped out of nowhere and turning around he said,
"Hey, NEWSIES! Listen 'ere! We get on the train as soon as it is level, got it!?" All the Newsies turned to him and nodded in silence. The train thudded very fast. The thuds of the wheels went at the same pace as Jack's heart. Pounding away in his chest, his heart hopped up. The expression "Butterflies in your stomach" is not quite right for the feeling Jack had. (But still similar to it.) The train slowly came closer and closer, even at a fast pace. The excitement built up in every Newsies body, leaving their minds and thoughts behind them. Finally, the time came as the loud train rolled passed them and the cars of it passed by one by one. All sped their horses up to match the speed of the train cars and almost reached the inside. Taking one quick look back, Jack saw that the Smugglers almost caught up to them and the train was almost out of their reach. Jack's forehead began to sweat and his ears turned a pink-ish white as he leaned in further to the horses ears. And now was his chance, the train was at the same speed as him. With one great hop and pull, Jack rolled onto a car with Race in his arms. He rolled to the very end of the small room within the train and hit the opposite wall with a thud. He let out a long groan as the others rolled into the same car. First Boots, then Mush and then Jerry (With Les still clinging tight). Along came Snipeshooter, Skittery and a young boy named Herman.
"Uhhh... Is everyone alright?" Jack asked, slowly pushing his self up a bit. Voices replied in "Yes" and "Sorta", but Jack knew they were pretty well beat up. Finally getting his eyes to adjust, Jack rolled Racetrack onto his back. He shook him once....And twice. But no movement came from the small boy's body.
"Hey, fellas! Race is out! I need help!" He shouted to the rest. Suddenly, they all sprung to action, one after the other seeing who could make him come back. Mush tried to step in, but as soon as he put his foot out Jack shook his head and Mush backed down. Finally, after a long argument through the crowd, Jerry's loud and intimidating voice became the center of attention. Everyone backed away as Jerry said,
"HEY! I know CPR fellas... Back up!" His expression was almost friendly to Jack but immediately turned hostile.
"Everyone, give me some space!" He shouted once more. Slowly he bent down next to Race's still and cold body. Reaching both arms out, he placed his hands (one on top of the other) onto Race's chest. With one great push, Race's body jerked. Jerry did this a few times. After a while, Jack lost hope. He turned around and banged his fist on the metal wall. A tear stung in his eye. He quickly opened his eyes and took a deep breath. Looking up the wall, he saw a label on a box next to him. His eyes widened. His mouth dropped open. The label was addressed to a place of dreams and wonders, and Jack was headed straight for it!
The sound of the horses' hooves slamming on the hard dry ground of the country screeched in the ears of nearby farmers. The Smugglers passed one by one through the fields of wheat shooting every living thing in their sight. Of course, Jack and his friends, who were still following far behind the Smugglers, could not help the people that were shot. After awhile, the Smugglers shot their last farmer and they exited the fields. The whole time they shot the farmers Jack had been looking at Racetrack. He noticed how Race's eyes squeezed and his lips tightened at every loud bang from the guns. Once they shot for the last time, Jack saw a small tear run down Race's red cheek, and he looked away (Knowing that Race would probably not want anyone to see him cry like that) and began to lead his group to the train tracks.
"Where are we going?" Jerry said, leaning in closer to Jack. (Only so he wouldn't have to shout from across horses.)
"Uhh... There!" Jack pointed his stern finger to the tracks and nodded to Jerry. He meant to go here because he saw a few smugglers ride to the train tracks. The group began to ride faster, all leaning in on their horses ears. Suddenly, a loud bang came from behind Jack followed by an eerie screaming. He jerked his head back immediately, to see that the Smugglers had stopped and followed them instead.
"Speed up, guys!" Jack commanded to the rest of his friends. Quickly, Jack looked at the boys among him to see who had been shot. Noticing Boots, Racetrack, Jerry (With Les hanging on his back) and Mush, he knew it was most likely Swifty or Jake. Les held tighter on Jerry's leather coat and flinched when the Smugglers shot had been fired once more. This time Jack heard a familiar scream. He looked back once more to see that Race was rolling to the floor below him. Immediately,(Without thinking...) Jack pulled on the reins of his horse and stopped with a thud of its hooves. He hopped down and ran to Race. Reaching his hands out to him, he threw Race onto the back of his own horse and immediately jumped on after. (Not even stopping to check if his friend was still alive.) The horse was off once more. A repetitive sound of strong hooves thudding on the open grass sounded over the long prairies of New Jersey. Yes, now they had rode all the way to New Jersey. Finally reaching the train tracks, Jack kept his horse at a very steady pace. The thought that Race might be dead or dying kept repeating in his head. Suddenly, the group heard a loud sound of a new thud. This time with a screeching clank and a rolling steam. They all looked to see that it was in fact a large train heading their way. Jack's fingers snapped out of nowhere and turning around he said,
"Hey, NEWSIES! Listen 'ere! We get on the train as soon as it is level, got it!?" All the Newsies turned to him and nodded in silence. The train thudded very fast. The thuds of the wheels went at the same pace as Jack's heart. Pounding away in his chest, his heart hopped up. The expression "Butterflies in your stomach" is not quite right for the feeling Jack had. (But still similar to it.) The train slowly came closer and closer, even at a fast pace. The excitement built up in every Newsies body, leaving their minds and thoughts behind them. Finally, the time came as the loud train rolled passed them and the cars of it passed by one by one. All sped their horses up to match the speed of the train cars and almost reached the inside. Taking one quick look back, Jack saw that the Smugglers almost caught up to them and the train was almost out of their reach. Jack's forehead began to sweat and his ears turned a pink-ish white as he leaned in further to the horses ears. And now was his chance, the train was at the same speed as him. With one great hop and pull, Jack rolled onto a car with Race in his arms. He rolled to the very end of the small room within the train and hit the opposite wall with a thud. He let out a long groan as the others rolled into the same car. First Boots, then Mush and then Jerry (With Les still clinging tight). Along came Snipeshooter, Skittery and a young boy named Herman.
"Uhhh... Is everyone alright?" Jack asked, slowly pushing his self up a bit. Voices replied in "Yes" and "Sorta", but Jack knew they were pretty well beat up. Finally getting his eyes to adjust, Jack rolled Racetrack onto his back. He shook him once....And twice. But no movement came from the small boy's body.
"Hey, fellas! Race is out! I need help!" He shouted to the rest. Suddenly, they all sprung to action, one after the other seeing who could make him come back. Mush tried to step in, but as soon as he put his foot out Jack shook his head and Mush backed down. Finally, after a long argument through the crowd, Jerry's loud and intimidating voice became the center of attention. Everyone backed away as Jerry said,
"HEY! I know CPR fellas... Back up!" His expression was almost friendly to Jack but immediately turned hostile.
"Everyone, give me some space!" He shouted once more. Slowly he bent down next to Race's still and cold body. Reaching both arms out, he placed his hands (one on top of the other) onto Race's chest. With one great push, Race's body jerked. Jerry did this a few times. After a while, Jack lost hope. He turned around and banged his fist on the metal wall. A tear stung in his eye. He quickly opened his eyes and took a deep breath. Looking up the wall, he saw a label on a box next to him. His eyes widened. His mouth dropped open. The label was addressed to a place of dreams and wonders, and Jack was headed straight for it!