Chapter 12:
Alameda Slim's Lair
Meanwhile, at an old abandoned mine, a burst of evil laughter was heard as Slim and his henchmen were in their secret lair as the Griffons began to gather.
" Would you look at that? 5,005 Griffons. Not bad for one night's work," said Slim in triumph.
Slim's henchmen clapped their hands and smiled as Slim tipped his hat and said " Thank you very much,".
Then Slim holds up a Griffon's ear and said " And judging by the earmarks of these Griffons. I'd say these are the last of Big Mac Donald's Griffons,".
" Hmmm, I feel like I've heard a song about that but I'm not sure what it's called," said Brain, one of Slim's Henchmen holding a banjo.
" E-I-E-I-," said Crain and Drain singing the lyrics.
But as they were about to finish, Slim banged them on the head dazing them as stars circle around them.
" That's right he had Griffons. Heh heh heh, but now that his Griffons have disappeared that poor bird's gonna be flat broke. Which is a perfect time for a certain upstanding land-owner to step in and take all the land," said Slim as he goes behind a dresser wall and came out disguised as Yancy O'del as he puts his hat on.
" Aaah, who are you?" said Drain not recognizing Slim through his disguise.
" Yeah, what did you do with the boss?" said Crain also not recognizing Slim.
" Come on, put up your dukes ya fancy…," said Drain as he puts up his fist and is ready to hit Slim.
But just when he was about to, Brain acted quick and grabbed Drain hand with a firm grip and Drain cried in pain " Aah-aah-aah-aah-aah-aah,".
" You bird-brains, it's the boss. It's the same disguise he used to sneak into the auctions and buy all the land. Don't you fools get it?" said Brain as he points to the map of the west.
" Oh, yeah. Boss has to be the richest land baron in the west," said Crain as Drain clapped with a smile.
" Yes, but the part that really warms my heart...is watching those homesteaders suffer," said Slim as he grabs a heated poker with a dollar sign and placed it over Mac Donald's and Dixon Griffon Ranch.
" Back in my day, I worked the highfalutin ranches you have ever seen but those stuck-up ranch bosses couldn't appreciate my talents," said Slim looking up at the map and recalling his days.
" Maybe it's because they just didn't like your singing," said Drain.
Hearing that, Slim tightens his grip on the poker in anger and asked as he turned to them " My singing?".
Brain's jaws dropped as the string on the banjo broke.
Crain covered Drain's mouth with his hand.
" Songbirds sing. Saloon Griffons sing. Little bit snot-nosed children Griffons sing. I yodel! And yodeling IS AN ART!" said Slim narrowing his eyes in anger as he nears them angrily.
" Uh, maybe he means they just didn't like your yodeling," said Crain, Drain covered his mouth, and the two ducked each time Slim swung the poker at them as Brain watched.
" They didn't mean it, Boss. Everybody loves yodeling," said Brain.
" Hmmm?" said Slim as he stopped and turned to him.
" Why, it's the most amazing, majestic, awesome thing on this side on the whole west," said Brain.
" Thank you, Brain. I appreciate how you think about yodeling unlike these two dim-witts," said Slim starting to feel better.
" Don't mention it, Boss," said Brain as he got off the couch he was sitting on.
But as he got off the couch, Slim noticed Sweet Griffon Apple Acres in the shape of Brain's head and his eyes widened as one twitched.
" Uh, Brain?" asked Slim.
" What is it, Boss?" asked Brain.
" Am I correct to assume that each and every time and every time we brought back Griffons to this secret lair, you've managed to sit in the exact same spot blocking that choice piece of property from my VIEW?!" Slim angrily said.
" I didn't mean to block that property. Besides this where I like to think," said Brain.
" Oh, hey. Boss, this property is called Sweet Griffon Apple Acres and it goes in an auction Thursday morning," said Drain looking at a newspaper.
" Perfect, pencil it in. Thursday morning - right after we sell off these Griffons," said Slim as he smiles.
" But, Boss, it's just an ordinary dirt farm," said Crain.
" Ah, what's the difference. When you're talking revenge, every last acre counts," said Slim as he placed a burnt dollar sign on Sweet Griffon Apple Acres.