Being the new counselor in town, John had taken it upon himself to hunt down Butch Cavendish. So, he rounded up his brother Dan and childhood friend Collins, both Texas Rangers and set off on horse back, into the desert.
The trio rode non-stop until they reached a deep canyon, where they sent in Collins to make sure they wouldn't get ambushed.
"Here. Take this." Dan said, handing his little brother a pistol.
"No, I don't believe in them. You know that." John replied. As a man of the law he believed in justice and that everyone deserved a fair trial.
"Butch Cavendish won't care either way." Dan warned.
"I'll take my chances." John replied as a whistle came up from the valley and Collins waved them all clear.
The pair rode into the valley, and John looked around at the incredibly, sheer cliffs surrounding them on either side.
"Where's Collins?" Dan asked, drawing John's attention back to the mission.
"Collins!" John shouted and there was a pause before gun shots started echoing throughout the valley. "Ambush!" Dan yelled and the two brothers stirred their horses and raced off, down the valley.
John was slightly ahead of Dan as bullets continued to rain down on them. Behind him came a yell and the whinnie of a horse. John looked over his shoulder in time to see Dan's horse fall to the ground, with Dan lying a few meters away in the dirt.
"Dan!" John yelled and leapt off his horse, skidding to a stop beside his brother, who had two bullet holes in his chest.
"Leave me." He spluttered.
"No." John refused, and heaved his brother to his feet and dragged him back to his horse. "You're gonna be fine." He assured Dan as there was a single bullet shot and John went ridged, feeling a strange sensation in his chest.
He stumbled once and then fell to the ground, barely conscious as Butch Cavendish and his men rode into the valley. He watched as the blurry figure of Cavendish dismounted from his horse and waltzed over to Dan. He crouched down beside his dying brother, a smirk on his thin lips and said something that John couldn't make out with his swirling head. And just before he lost consciousness completely he saw Butch drive his knife into Dan's chest and tear out his heart before stuffing it in his mouth. Then everything went black.
Back in Colby, Tilly stood at the back of a crowd, gathered to hear a speech by the railway's Manager, Latham Cole. She certainly stood out from the dusty crowd in her long, ruby coloured skirt, which of course was shorter at the front and her matching red corset with straps sitting off her shoulders.
"My friends and citizens of Colby, I've asked you here today so you can see at firsthand what I believe to be the single most important enterprise under God…" Cole announced, taking the stage as the crowd applauded politely.
"The unification of this great country of ours by iron rail." He continued before turning to two Indians on horseback. "To the Comanche, I say you have nothing to fear. As long as there is peace between us, all land treaties shall be honored…But to the outlaw, those who prey upon the weak, make no mistake, law and order has come to the Wild West." He decreed and the crowd cheered as Tilly rolled her eyes.
'How does he think law and order came to the West?' She thought to herself and as Cole finished his speech, she turned her attention back to the small line of markets that ran down the main street.
A stall with beautiful material caught her eye and she pulled out a black velvet neck tie. She pulled it around her neck, feeling the soft material against her tanned skin.
"Very pretty." The Chinese woman who owned the stall said enticingly, holding a mirror up to Tilly.
"It's beautiful." Tilly complimented the woman.
"For you." She offered.
"Oh, no. Thank you." Tilly replied and pulled off the tie.
"For you!" She insisted, glancing over Tilly's shoulder and Tilly looked too, to see Latham Cole eyeing her closely. 'Well, if Mr Cole is buying it for me, then I'll definitely keep it.' Tilly thought to herself, knowing that the businessman would try yet again to make advances on her, but she'd worked out the more times she said no, the more times he'd try and win her over by buying her things, so if it meant she got things for free then why not let him try.
Some people may have seen this as the act of a gold digger, but Cole shouldn't have been pressuring a much younger woman in the first place.
"Thank you." Tilly said to the woman, and tied the tie around her neck.
"It suits you." Cole said as Tilly moved on from the stall. "So, what do you think of our endeavor?" he asked.
"It's very impressive." She replied.
"It'll be finished in a week and a half. The two tracks will join at Promontory Point." He added as Tilly fixed the strap on her dress.
"You know…" Cole started, a little hesitantly. "…nine out of ten people would be offended by that outfit."
"But you're the tenth?" She asked.
"Well, I believe people should embrace their individuality. Be themselves." He replied as he couldn't help but let his eyes wander, confirming for the billionth time that he was disgusting.
John's eyes flew open as he filled his lungs with big gasps of air. His head pounded and the sky seemed to spin nauseatingly, as he managed to sit up. He was sitting on the side of a Rocky Mountain, and as he turned to look around he came face-to-face with the last person he expected to see.
"Tonto?" He managed, but the Indian just stared at him as John rubbed his dirty head. "W-Why am i covered in dirt?"
"I buried you." Tonto replied.
"I thought I was dead." John said.
"Horse..." Tonto explained, nodding at a pure white stallion, standing near the camp. "...says you are Spirit Walker. A man who has been to the other side, and returned. A man who cannot be killed in battle."
"Right." John said slowly and paused as memories came flooding back. "Dan." He breathed. "What about my brother?"
"Dan is very dead." Tonto replied.
"He tore out his heart." John said, referring to Cavendish. "What kind of man does that?"
"My people call him Windigo. An evil spirit born to throw nature out of balance. I had been hunting him for twenty six years, and I had him on the train, until you showed up." Tonto said accusingly.
"Excuse me. I believe I saved your life." John replied confidently.
"Then you are stupid, Kemosabe." He decided.
"Yeah, well. I'm going. Thanks for all your help." John said, getting up and looking around to find the best way to go.
"Where do you go?" Tonto asked.
"Into town, to form a posse." He replied.
"That is not such good idea." Tonto advised.
"Yeah? Why not?" He asked sceptically.
"Because there was a gun waiting for Cavendish on the train." Tonto said, and John stopped as realisation dawned on him. "Three men rode into canyon, I dig two graves."
"Collins." John breathed. "He knew us since we were kids."
"You find traitor. Your find Windigo." Tonto said and threw a leather vest to John.
"Dan's vest." John said painfully, before pulling something out of the pocket. It was a leather mask, made from the vest.
"Eyes cut from the bullets that killed him. From the great beyond, he will protect you and the ones you love." Tonto said.
"You want me to wear a mask?" John asked skeptically.
"The men you seek think you are dead, Kemosabe. Better to stay that way." Tonto advised.
"All right, but if we ride together it's to bring these men to justice in a court of law. Is that understood?" John said.
"Justice is what I seek, Kemosabe." Tonto replied, placing the white hat onto John's head.