Two Of A kind pt. 5
Ringo was sitting out front of the jail, watching the citizens of his town, as
they went about their business, he also watched his friend and deputy. Johnny
walked about the town, checking, and doing the job as though he had done it all
his life. He had that cocky, assured walk, and the way he moved spoke of the
fact he was dangerous. The gunfighter was back,at least for now. Good
backup for him, if needed.
Scott came up to Ringo, and smiled at the sheriff. He tipped his hat up,
and looked to where the sheriff was looking. Ringo was leaning back in his
chair, only two legs on the floor, he was relaxed. A cup of coffee in one hand.
"Well Sheriff, how does my brother rate as a deputy?"
"It's Ringo, Scott. Your brother, is a fine deputy. A natural, I guess us
old ex gunfighters, has the knack for it."
"I would never have believed it of him, he usually is ready to fight or
shoot anyone. Maybe he's learning from your example."
"That boy, is not the usual gunfighter. He has a heart, and a conscious.
He knows what's right. He would make a fine sheriff, of course, but he can't
have my job." Ringo smiled up at the other man, and motioned to the chair beside
him, Scott settled himself into it.
Johnny was down the street out of sight of the two who burned his ears.
He felt that someone was talking about him. He figured Scott was talking to
his old buddy, and maybe finding out more about his dark past. He turned down
by the livery, and he had heard the horses. He came up to the corral, and one
of the horses was pulling at the rope around his neck. Not just any horse, but
Barranca. A tall, wiry man stood, pulling on the rope, and turned as he saw
Johnny.
"Get your hands off my horse, and do it now." words spoken softly, but they
held the ring of authority to them. The man turned, smiled, and let go of the
rope.
"I am sorry, I was told that I could take one of the horses out here. The
man that runs the livery didn't say which one."
"Well that isn't it, that is my horse, and nobody rides it but me." He
whistled and the horse ambled over to the fence near Johnny.
Johnny was watching the man in front of him, when he felt a sudden
pain in his head, and found himself falling until the ground caught him. He felt
the velvet blackness, closing as he saw brown boots, in front of his face. Then
all faded away.
When his deputy didn't show after a twenty minutes, Ringo got up, and
started down the street. Scott stood, and moved with him. They walked down
the walk, and their long legs, eating up the distance. Both felt something was
wrong. When they got to the livery and still hadn't seen Johnny, he began to
look around the alleys. Behind the livery, they found Johnny lying on the
ground, unmoving.
Scott rushed to his brother's side, and turned him over, seeing his
brother breathing, he let out his breath, Ringo was looking around. Scott lifted
his brother into a half sitting position, and patted his cheek with his hand.
Calling to him softly. Johnny stirred and opened his eyes, found himself looking
into his brothers' worried eyes.
"What happened Johnny?" Asked Ringo as he leaned over Scotts'
shoulder.
"I got hit from behind.A man was trying to take my horse. Tall, rangy
man, with long brown hair, dressed in jeans, and a brown shirt."
"We'll find him, and Barranca, he's gone too." Johnny sat up, and with
his brothers' help he got to his feet.
"He took my horse, wait till I catch up with him." Scott looking at his
brother, saw the brother he knew, the one who acted quickly. His brother
started out and around the livery, looking.
"He's gone, Johnny, but we will find him. We will check the town for
him, then go from there."
"Ringo, by the time we finish that, he'll be long gone with Barranca."
The older man could see his friend was getting antsy, and wouldn't wait too long.
But he felt there was more to this than the horse.
Ringo and Johnny were leaving the jail, to join Scott as the Livery.
When nine men stepped out from both sides of the street, and lined the street.
One of them, obviously the leader, stepped out and spoke.
" Well we finally get to see who is the best, and I get my revenge
against you for my two brothers, Ringo. I have been working to best you for
the past five years."
"If that's all you wont, to face me,why bring all these others?"
"Cause, I plan to make sure you die. Your friend here. Well he picked a
bad time, to come to town. I think that we will bury Ringo and Madrid side by
side."
" I think that it's as good a day as any to die." johnny s' voice ringing like
clashing steel. " I hope you have made your peace, for today you meet your
maker."His eyes cold steel, and as deadly as a dozen rattlers. Ringo was quiet,
and readied himself for the gunfight, at least he had the right kind of man at
his side.
The leader, made a move for his gun, as Ringo, drew like lightning, and
fired, striking the man through the throat, and turned firing at another man.
He took another of the men with two bullets, going through the mans' stomach,
and shoulder. Johnny had drawn and firing, and took two of the men down in
the blink of the eye, one through the eye, and the other through the heart.
He turned to the rest of the men left.
People ran for cover as they tried to also watch the gunplay in the
street. Scott came running down the street, gun in hand, dodging behind a buck
board, and firing.
Johnny, and Ringo stood their ground, shoulder to shoulder, firing, no
fear in their eyes, or stance. They asked for no quarter and gave none. Death
stood in the street that day to collect the souls of the damned.
Ringo turned and fired at one of the men, who ducked behind a barrel.
The man shot backs, A bullet whizzing by Ringos' shoulder, cutting the clothe of
his shirt. Ringo fired, and hit a skillet hanging, it bounced off and struck the
man in the side of the head, he fell with a surprised expression on his face, as
he fell, his head into the water trough.
Johnny began to walk towards one of the men, and the man stood for a
moment, and looked into the smiling face of Madrid. He began to backtrack.
But he couldn't take his eyes off of the man coming at him. He fired, Johnny
quickly moved to one side, and fired at him, striking him in the chin, the man
reached up and grabbed his injury, with the other hand he fired. He struck
Johnnys' hat, sending it flying. Johnny fired, and took him down with a bullet,
through his hip. The man fell, and threw his gun away, waving his hands in the
air. Johnny kicked the gun away, and kicked the man in the jaw, turning out his
lights, then returned to the fray.
Ringo was firing at the ugliest man, with all the scars, who held two
guns. He was trying to use both to take down, Ringo. He caught Ringo in the
lower left arm. Ringo fired rapidly, and the man jerked and twisted, as the
bullets hit him, and burned away the life in him. He fell, eyes open and staring
at the devil.
Scott came, up having finished one of the men himself. The three men
came together in the middle of the street. The fight had been quick and
deadly, and as the smoke cleared, only two of the men survived the fight. The
rest lay dead in the street.
"Thanks Johnny, you are still the man to stand by my side. You too,
Scott." Johnny looked around at the bodies, littering the street.
" Where's my horse?" He went over to the one man still alive and awake,
he stood over him."Where's my horse?"
Several days later both brother's rode out of town, toward home. It
had been a long eventful week. Scott had a lot to tell Murdock, and Jelly.
Johnny was quiet, as he rode.
"What's the matter Johnny?"
"Nothing, just thinking, about Ringo. He never gets a break from the
gunfights, not really. At least I do. Well . . . at least once or twice a year."
"You thinking of being a lawman?"
"Who me? Not likely, I think I'll just stay a rancher. I get enough
excitement as it is."
"You and me both brother."
THE END
Ringo was sitting out front of the jail, watching the citizens of his town, as
they went about their business, he also watched his friend and deputy. Johnny
walked about the town, checking, and doing the job as though he had done it all
his life. He had that cocky, assured walk, and the way he moved spoke of the
fact he was dangerous. The gunfighter was back,at least for now. Good
backup for him, if needed.
Scott came up to Ringo, and smiled at the sheriff. He tipped his hat up,
and looked to where the sheriff was looking. Ringo was leaning back in his
chair, only two legs on the floor, he was relaxed. A cup of coffee in one hand.
"Well Sheriff, how does my brother rate as a deputy?"
"It's Ringo, Scott. Your brother, is a fine deputy. A natural, I guess us
old ex gunfighters, has the knack for it."
"I would never have believed it of him, he usually is ready to fight or
shoot anyone. Maybe he's learning from your example."
"That boy, is not the usual gunfighter. He has a heart, and a conscious.
He knows what's right. He would make a fine sheriff, of course, but he can't
have my job." Ringo smiled up at the other man, and motioned to the chair beside
him, Scott settled himself into it.
Johnny was down the street out of sight of the two who burned his ears.
He felt that someone was talking about him. He figured Scott was talking to
his old buddy, and maybe finding out more about his dark past. He turned down
by the livery, and he had heard the horses. He came up to the corral, and one
of the horses was pulling at the rope around his neck. Not just any horse, but
Barranca. A tall, wiry man stood, pulling on the rope, and turned as he saw
Johnny.
"Get your hands off my horse, and do it now." words spoken softly, but they
held the ring of authority to them. The man turned, smiled, and let go of the
rope.
"I am sorry, I was told that I could take one of the horses out here. The
man that runs the livery didn't say which one."
"Well that isn't it, that is my horse, and nobody rides it but me." He
whistled and the horse ambled over to the fence near Johnny.
Johnny was watching the man in front of him, when he felt a sudden
pain in his head, and found himself falling until the ground caught him. He felt
the velvet blackness, closing as he saw brown boots, in front of his face. Then
all faded away.
When his deputy didn't show after a twenty minutes, Ringo got up, and
started down the street. Scott stood, and moved with him. They walked down
the walk, and their long legs, eating up the distance. Both felt something was
wrong. When they got to the livery and still hadn't seen Johnny, he began to
look around the alleys. Behind the livery, they found Johnny lying on the
ground, unmoving.
Scott rushed to his brother's side, and turned him over, seeing his
brother breathing, he let out his breath, Ringo was looking around. Scott lifted
his brother into a half sitting position, and patted his cheek with his hand.
Calling to him softly. Johnny stirred and opened his eyes, found himself looking
into his brothers' worried eyes.
"What happened Johnny?" Asked Ringo as he leaned over Scotts'
shoulder.
"I got hit from behind.A man was trying to take my horse. Tall, rangy
man, with long brown hair, dressed in jeans, and a brown shirt."
"We'll find him, and Barranca, he's gone too." Johnny sat up, and with
his brothers' help he got to his feet.
"He took my horse, wait till I catch up with him." Scott looking at his
brother, saw the brother he knew, the one who acted quickly. His brother
started out and around the livery, looking.
"He's gone, Johnny, but we will find him. We will check the town for
him, then go from there."
"Ringo, by the time we finish that, he'll be long gone with Barranca."
The older man could see his friend was getting antsy, and wouldn't wait too long.
But he felt there was more to this than the horse.
Ringo and Johnny were leaving the jail, to join Scott as the Livery.
When nine men stepped out from both sides of the street, and lined the street.
One of them, obviously the leader, stepped out and spoke.
" Well we finally get to see who is the best, and I get my revenge
against you for my two brothers, Ringo. I have been working to best you for
the past five years."
"If that's all you wont, to face me,why bring all these others?"
"Cause, I plan to make sure you die. Your friend here. Well he picked a
bad time, to come to town. I think that we will bury Ringo and Madrid side by
side."
" I think that it's as good a day as any to die." johnny s' voice ringing like
clashing steel. " I hope you have made your peace, for today you meet your
maker."His eyes cold steel, and as deadly as a dozen rattlers. Ringo was quiet,
and readied himself for the gunfight, at least he had the right kind of man at
his side.
The leader, made a move for his gun, as Ringo, drew like lightning, and
fired, striking the man through the throat, and turned firing at another man.
He took another of the men with two bullets, going through the mans' stomach,
and shoulder. Johnny had drawn and firing, and took two of the men down in
the blink of the eye, one through the eye, and the other through the heart.
He turned to the rest of the men left.
People ran for cover as they tried to also watch the gunplay in the
street. Scott came running down the street, gun in hand, dodging behind a buck
board, and firing.
Johnny, and Ringo stood their ground, shoulder to shoulder, firing, no
fear in their eyes, or stance. They asked for no quarter and gave none. Death
stood in the street that day to collect the souls of the damned.
Ringo turned and fired at one of the men, who ducked behind a barrel.
The man shot backs, A bullet whizzing by Ringos' shoulder, cutting the clothe of
his shirt. Ringo fired, and hit a skillet hanging, it bounced off and struck the
man in the side of the head, he fell with a surprised expression on his face, as
he fell, his head into the water trough.
Johnny began to walk towards one of the men, and the man stood for a
moment, and looked into the smiling face of Madrid. He began to backtrack.
But he couldn't take his eyes off of the man coming at him. He fired, Johnny
quickly moved to one side, and fired at him, striking him in the chin, the man
reached up and grabbed his injury, with the other hand he fired. He struck
Johnnys' hat, sending it flying. Johnny fired, and took him down with a bullet,
through his hip. The man fell, and threw his gun away, waving his hands in the
air. Johnny kicked the gun away, and kicked the man in the jaw, turning out his
lights, then returned to the fray.
Ringo was firing at the ugliest man, with all the scars, who held two
guns. He was trying to use both to take down, Ringo. He caught Ringo in the
lower left arm. Ringo fired rapidly, and the man jerked and twisted, as the
bullets hit him, and burned away the life in him. He fell, eyes open and staring
at the devil.
Scott came, up having finished one of the men himself. The three men
came together in the middle of the street. The fight had been quick and
deadly, and as the smoke cleared, only two of the men survived the fight. The
rest lay dead in the street.
"Thanks Johnny, you are still the man to stand by my side. You too,
Scott." Johnny looked around at the bodies, littering the street.
" Where's my horse?" He went over to the one man still alive and awake,
he stood over him."Where's my horse?"
Several days later both brother's rode out of town, toward home. It
had been a long eventful week. Scott had a lot to tell Murdock, and Jelly.
Johnny was quiet, as he rode.
"What's the matter Johnny?"
"Nothing, just thinking, about Ringo. He never gets a break from the
gunfights, not really. At least I do. Well . . . at least once or twice a year."
"You thinking of being a lawman?"
"Who me? Not likely, I think I'll just stay a rancher. I get enough
excitement as it is."
"You and me both brother."
THE END