Vin headed out of town as fast as he could. If he could get to Nettie's he'd be safe. Oh she might let Chris torture him some, but she wouldn't let him die. Chris was going to find out about that damn rooster anytime now and Vin wanted to be somewhere else when he did.

Just as Vin was thinking he was safe, Chris jumped his horse out of the woods and into the road, making Vin's horse stop short in surprise. Larabee had a smile on his face that Vin thought a lot of men probably saw in their nightmares.

"Named a chicken after me, did you?"

"Well now Chris, it is a rooster."

Chris shook his head and took a deep breath, and kept smiling that evil smile.

"Named a chicken after me, did you?" he asked again. Vin decided he could only die once, so he let Chris have it.

"Why not? He's always in black, walks around like he owns the place, thinks he's better'n everybody else, fights anybody he thinks is taking his territory. What was I s'posed to call him? JD?"

"Is that supposed to flatter me?"

"Yeah, like I'd waste my time flatterin' you." Vin said. "Why don't you come to Nettie's with me and have a look at the little fella? He might grow on you."

"From what I hear, he might draw down on me."

"Yeah, there is that. C'mon. Nettie'll be happy to see you."

M7 M7 M7

They were hardly in the farmyard when they were met by a tiny warrior in black feathers, who ran up to the horses, plainly wanting to know their business.

"I seen fleas bigger than that thing." Chris said.

"I seen cougars weren't so dangerous." Vin answered.

"He's a speck."

"Don't see you rushing to get off your horse."

Chris took the challenge and swung off his horse. The banty rooster fluffed his wings and adopted a challenging posture. Chris glared at him. The rooster glared back.

"You bringing your friends out to annoy my rooster now?" Nettie asked from the porch. "Y'didn't have enough fun and bloodshed yesterday?"

Vin gestured to the motionless confrontation. "Was bound to come to this sooner or later Nettie. There can only be one top dog you know."

Chris took his eyes from the rooster to answer them.

"Nettie, you know I couldn't rest until I laid eyes on the first thing I've ever seen Vin Tanner afraid of - hey!" With Chris' attention turned, the rooster took his advantage to jump on his leg and spur him just above his boot. "Y'rotten little -."

"How you boys ever capture the bad guys I'll never know, if you can't get the best of a banty rooster." Nettie marveled. "Come on in, if you can make it past him. I got pie and coffee."

Surviving a few more feints by the dauntless rooster, Chris and Vin tied up their horses and made their way cautiously to the door of the house. The rooster followed them all the way up to the threshold until Chris shut the door in his tiny face.

"Not so brave now are you Larabee?" Vin asked.

"He's not so tough." Chris said. Nettie seemed to take offense.

"I'll have you know that rooster has fought off hawks, foxes and dogs to protect his ladies."

"That speck?" Chris asked.

"Yes that 'speck'. Do you know if he finds a treat on the ground, he calls to the hens so that they have first chance at it? I've seen him pick special things up - bread or a cricket or greens - to give to the hens. When Mrs. Clarence had to sell off her farm she gave me one of her hens who'd never been in an off the ground coop. The first night, when all the other hens had gone into the coop and this one hadn't, the rooster kept walking up the ramp, then down to the hen, then back up again until finally she understood what he wanted her to do. He lives and would die for those hens and I have to say there's not many men who treat their women so fine."

"Well, I guess it's not so bad then to have him named after me." Chris allowed. Nettie arched an eyebrow.

"His name ain't Larabee - it's Bucklin."

the end.