I lead my horse down the streets of the dusty road. This town was quiet, a little too quiet. I walked past a group of workers that looked like they were building the foundation of a new building. One of them was carrying a bunch of bricks in a shaky manner. It looked like one good breeze and they might topple over. Now a man with as big a heart as mine couldn't let this poor man work himself to death. I walked a little closer to the man, the sound of my spurs clicking along with my steps.
“Let me give you a hand here.” I said while taking a few bricks off the top of what he was holding.
The older man's face revealed itself as I moved the bricks away from his face, he was drenched in sweat from working out here in the dry heat.
“They let you take breaks out here?” I asked.
He responded with a dry chuckle
“We can take breaks when we die.” He said and gave me a weary smile.
Well put those down here for now, I pointed to a table off to the side.
He began to walk slowly towards the table. When I noticed a wooden plank sitting in his way,
"Slow down Partner. Let me get that" I warned him.
I placed the middle of the board on a nearby rock making what looks like a homemade seesaw. I placed a brick on one end, and stomped on the other launching the brick in the air in an ark towards me.
“Think you could be moving them like this?” I asked him after while showing him the brick I just caught.
“Well if I don't catch them and the bricks crack. I’d have a few people after with me. By the way, I haven't seen you in town before. What brings a stranger to an old dust bowl like this one.?” He asked while sitting down and stretching with an audible groan.
“Well I'm just passing through. People sometimes call me a wanderer” I said and joined him sitting down.
“So you're just lost?” He said with a dry laugh.
“A wanderer isn't always lost.” I replied.
He shrugged, then reached over for his flask of water, leaned his head back and tried to pour some into his mouth. But no water came.
“Dam all out of water.” he said while shaking his flask trying to get what little he could out of it.
“Well the Saloons across the street, I'll go grab you some.” I said while standing up
“Oh I wouldn't do that if I were you. Some unfavorable people have settled in town recently.” He said in a quiet voice and gestured towards the Saloon with a head nod.
“Thanks for your concern, but I reckon I'll be just fine.” I said with a nod and then started my way across the road.
“Well don't say I didn't warn you.” He said with a sigh.
There was a man selling something out of the back of his horse drawn wagon. As I walked past him he came up to me.
“I have the softest linens in the world here. Imported all the way from China. These sheets and blankets are like nothing you have ever seen before in your whole life!”
He said while pointing towards the back of his wagon.
“Well I'm sure they are, I'll come back in a little bit. Just need to grab my friend a glass of water.” I said then made my way up to the saloon. As I walked up to the swinging doors I noticed one of the floorboards was a little loose, and looked like a good push could knock it free. I stepped over the loose floorboard and entered the saloon. It was a murky room, the smell of tobacco smoke was the first thing I noticed. The only lighting was from a large chandelier that hung in the middle of the Saloon. The place went quiet as I entered, and I had several pairs of eyes following me as I went up to the bar. I noticed that against the wall they had a nice engraved metal plate for decoration.
“Just some water please. And a shot of the strongest stuff you got.”
The bartender said nothing but got me my drinks. I quickly downed the shot, which left a burning sensation in my chest.
“That's good stuff.” I said while paying.
I took my glass of water and left the Saloon. As soon as I left I heard a dry voice mutter.
“Where ya walking pal. Who said you could leave.”
I sighed, and put my glass of water down. And then turned and went back into the saloon. The man who called out to me was at one of the central tables. With a dark cowboy hat and a black coat to match. He had a puffy mustache that was greased into points.
“Take a seat.” He gestured towards the seat in front of him.
On the table there were a bunch of playing cards, as well as many loose coins.
I took a seat, and looking at his face again triggered a memory to go off in my mind.
“We don't get travelers here, you got any reason to be here; partner” he said slowly.
I slid a rolled up piece of paper out of my jacket and put it on the table in front of me. As it unrolled it revealed a wanted poster. Tracy the Terrible, Dead or Alive. Looking down at the paper and up and the man's sour face in front of me. They both had matching mustaches. “Am I right to assume this is you?” I asked innocently.
In response he drew a large knife and stabbed it into the wanted poster. And then rose from his seat.
“And if it is?” He said coldly.
I could see a few figures in the background begin to shift around and move now.
“Well I figure we could either do this the easy way, or the hard way. But folks like you tend to wanna do things the hard way.” I said while maintaining eye contact.
We were letting our eyes do the talking from there, waiting for each other to make a move. I could see in my peripherals a few of his goons were getting ready as well. The next few seconds felt like they were drawn out into hours.
Dinnngg Dinnngg!
The sounds of a distant church bell rang across the town.
“Well I guess we all know what time it is now. It's high noon.”
I slid my stool under the table then kicked the back of it. Sending it into the groin of Tracy The Terrible, causing him to keel over in pain. I then flipped the table over, sending cards and coins to go flying through the air. Then I quickly took cover underneath it just as bullets came flying through from the back. I quickly kicked the table forward, smashing it into Tracy's head causing him to sprawl backwards on the floor. As well as launching the knife that was stuck into the table across the room and into the middle of the rope that was used for hanging up the chandelier. One of his goons came from the side of the table with his pistol ready. But he wasn't quick enough, I quickly flicked my revolver from its holster and shot straight through the top of his hat. His eyes rolled back in shock and he toppled over onto his back. There were still two guys in the back of the saloon waiting for their chance to shoot me. I saw two bottles lying on the floor near me, so I tossed them into the air towards the other two men. At that moment I leapt from the side of the table and shot the bottles in mid air, splashing the two with their dark contents. They locked their eyes on me and were getting ready to shoot, but before they had a chance I fired another shot. It went behind them into the metal plate against the wall and released a shower of sparks that ignited their alcohol soaked clothes. They shouted out in pain and ended up on the floor trying their best to extinguish the flames. I looked around and saw that Tracy was missing. Must have slipped out during the chaos. I made my way out the Saloon doors. I heard shouting right away, and up on the rooftop across the way I saw another man holding a lady hostage on the edge of the roof. I couldn't quite make out what he was saying. But I'm sure it was something like surrender or this lady gets it. I looked around for a brief second before firing off two shots quickly, the first one was aimed at the man on the roof's arm. He let out a cry of pain as his gun went flying off the roof, in retaliation he pushed the lady off the roof. My second shot was aimed at the lead of the linen merchant's horse. Scaring the horse forward. The lady fell into the back of the wagon, with a puff of smoke as the horse was running by.
“Well I'll be damned, they really were soft.”
“You're done now.”
Taking a quick peek over my shoulder I could see the two men had managed to recover from the flames and had their guns aimed at me once more.
"Creeeak."
The rope that supported the chandelier was hanging on a few strands and it finally snapped, dropping it directly on the heads of the two men underneath it.
“I guess it's lights out for these two.” I chuckled to myself.
“I isn't finished yet!” A hoarse voice cried out.
It was Tracy again, approaching the front of the saloon. He had blood dripping down his nose, and his mustache which he seemed so proud of was all frizzled. In his hand he had a stick of dynamite with the fuse lit.
“Now either you give up right now, or I throw this stick of dynamite into the saloon killing all the innocent lives in there. But we both know good guys like you won't let that happen.”
I aimed my revolver at him.
“What's stopping me from shooting you right now?”
“You already fired all six shots. I was counting.” he said with a sly smile.
“You're right, but I could still do this.” I said and whipped my pistol at him.
He managed to just dodge it.
“Looks like you're all outta luck.” He laughed.
What he didn't see was that my gun went flying across the street and hit the table leg of the table carrying all the bricks. Making the pile fall onto the end of the wooden plank. Launching a brick on the other side all the way to the saloon, landing on the loose plank, which in turn kicked up the glass of water that I had left on the other side. It went flying through the air and the water landed on the fuse of his dynamite extinguishing the flame. He looked at his fuse which had now been put out in utter confusion, then looked up at me.
“Now how in the-”
Before he could finish what he was saying I ran close and gave him a straight punch in the already damaged nose. His hat remained in place but his body folded backwards, his hat landed gently over his eyes afterwards.
“I told you we could have done this the easy way.” I said while shaking my wrist.
The owner of the Saloon came out and looked around. Taking in what just happened.
“Sorry about banging up the place.” I said as he approached.
“I would have done it my self if I could. You staying around? Drinks are on the house.”
“Well I do appreciate your offer, I best not outstay my welcome. I also gotta turn this guy in.” I jerked my thumb at Tracy who was on the ground in front of me.
“Well I'll pack you some things for the road.” He said and then went back into the saloon.
"Appreciated." I said with a tip of my hat.
"Its eleven o'clock, the bell here rings every hour." He said on his way in.
"Well its high noon somewhere in the world."
And like that. The stranger left town as he entered, on his horse leaving a trail of dust through the desert.
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