Barbed-Wire
Scott and Johnny had been at it since sunrise, stringing wire. One holding the
wire taunt so that the other could hammer it tight into the wood post. Both men had their shirts
off, as they worked in the mid day heat, sweat glistened on their upper bodies as they worked.
A ranch hand came riding up, and looked at the brothers, and smiled. "Scott,
Murdock wonts to see you." Scott nodded and let go of the wire as Johnny finished driving the
nail in. He pulled off his gloves and grabbed the canteen, nodding at the hand, who rode off.
He handed Johnny the canteen, watching his brother pour some of the cool
water over his face, before drinking. Scott moved over to his horse and mounted. Johnny just
smiled."Hey brother, found a way out of this hot tiring work huh?"
"Well, you know me, Johnny, I do hate the dirty work. I was thinking of going
into town and seeing that new girl that works in the mercantile store. Jenny isn't it?"
"It is and you know it."Johnny smiled up at his brother. "But I already asked her
out this Saturday night, for that dance."
"You work fast, huh brother? I guess I will have to go see Susan or Melissa.
But I can get a cold beer, and sit in the shade of the saloon. I will think of you slaving out here in
the heat."
"Thanks a lot Boston, I hope Murdock has something else in mind. Like
pulling steers out of the mud, or washing a pig. Maybe even white washing the house." Johnny
smiled and turned back to work, as his brother rode away.
It was an hour later when Johnny sat down to eat the lunch he had brought
along. The fried chicken was good to a hungry man. As was the sandwiches, and apple pie. He
ate and watched the grass wave in the slight breeze, relaxing in the shade of the old tree.
He sat dozing in the midday heat, when he felt something change, he came
alert, yet gave no physical sign of it. He glanced out from under the brim of his hat, seeing
nothing. But felt it, on the slight breeze. His gunfighter senses were screaming, and he listened.a
few moments passed, and he got up and moved over to his horse, and ran his hand over
Barrancas'nose, as he feed him one of the apples, he sharp eyes took in the area behind his horse.
He moved back to the fence as he checked the other direction, he stride casual, as he moved.
Pale ice blue eyes watched him, and the hatred ate at his insides for this man.
He would get what he came for, his brother and he would see to it. He waited for his brother to
get into position, and then they would strike. He smiled like the cougar in the chicken coop. He
would soon eat of the fruits of his hatred. There would be nothing left of Johnny Madrid,but
bones.
Johnny worked as he waited for the usual for him to happen, he worked on the
fence. As a rifle sounded, and a bullet struck, he fell to the ground, his vision dimming, and the
pain in his head, making him sick. He heard horses riding up and tried to move, but his body
didn't seem to understand his unspoken thoughts, and remained prone.
Scott was not in town, drinking a cold beer as he had wished. Instead he was
helping fix the corral that the new stallion had broken when he had staged a breakout with the
mares. He wasn't too happy with this, no change at all. He removed the broken boards and threw
them by the barn to be taken and use for kindling.
Murdock came out and walked over to him,smiling at his oldest son."Scott, after
you and Johnny finish with your work why don't you two take some time and go to town?"
" I'll see what Johnny thinks about it.It's been a long day"
"I guess it has,work on a ranch is never done. How about some lunch, before you
start the rest of that?" Scott pulled off his gloves and smiled at his father.The two men walked to
the house, Murdocks' hand on his sons' shoulder.
Johnny awoke to a blinding headache, sharp pain everywhere. Opening his eyes he
looked up into the icy blue eyes of the tall man who leaned over him, he instinctively tried to
kick out, and pain ripped through his legs. The man laughed deep and dark.
"Madrid, I finally got my hands on you." Johnny winced at the pain, as he saw and
felt the barbed-wire wrapped around him.Now how to get out of it, and take care of these two
men.
"Jack, maybe we should just kill him and get out of here, someone might come
by."
"Shut up, Dan. We will do what we planned, and make him suffer first.Nice of
Madrid to supply us with the barbed-wire."
"Who are you?"
"You probably don't remember us, you killed so many, but you got in the way of our
robbery over in Placerville. You see you are supposed to do gunfights, and us, why we do bank
robberies. You are supposed to be one of the bad guys like us."
"I am not a bad guy, like you."
"Before we are done you may wish you were. After this no one will interfere in our
robberies, they will know what we will do to them if they do."
"Jack?" His brother turned to him.
"What"
"I never killed anybody before, and I don't won't to now, he can't defend himself
either." Jack took a step towards his brother, and backhanded him.Dan lay looking up at his
brother.
"You going yeller? I said we fix him. Would you prefer I challenge him to a
gunfight, idiot!"
"No, you would lose, but couldn't you just beat him up, leave him like that, or
something?"
"Shut up stupid, just do what I said."
Johnny lay listening to the two men fight. He didn't suppose they would get into it
and kill each other. He was thinking hard, and still wasn't ready to give up yet. He would get out
of this.
"You know if you two kill me, you will hang, and my father will put a bounty of your
head, everyone will be hunting you."
"He's right Jack, I don't wont to hang!"Jack moved over to Johnny, and with his foot
pushed Johnny over, and watched the man moan as the barbed-wire cut into his flesh.That shut
him up for the moment. He turned back to his brother.
Continued
Scott and Johnny had been at it since sunrise, stringing wire. One holding the
wire taunt so that the other could hammer it tight into the wood post. Both men had their shirts
off, as they worked in the mid day heat, sweat glistened on their upper bodies as they worked.
A ranch hand came riding up, and looked at the brothers, and smiled. "Scott,
Murdock wonts to see you." Scott nodded and let go of the wire as Johnny finished driving the
nail in. He pulled off his gloves and grabbed the canteen, nodding at the hand, who rode off.
He handed Johnny the canteen, watching his brother pour some of the cool
water over his face, before drinking. Scott moved over to his horse and mounted. Johnny just
smiled."Hey brother, found a way out of this hot tiring work huh?"
"Well, you know me, Johnny, I do hate the dirty work. I was thinking of going
into town and seeing that new girl that works in the mercantile store. Jenny isn't it?"
"It is and you know it."Johnny smiled up at his brother. "But I already asked her
out this Saturday night, for that dance."
"You work fast, huh brother? I guess I will have to go see Susan or Melissa.
But I can get a cold beer, and sit in the shade of the saloon. I will think of you slaving out here in
the heat."
"Thanks a lot Boston, I hope Murdock has something else in mind. Like
pulling steers out of the mud, or washing a pig. Maybe even white washing the house." Johnny
smiled and turned back to work, as his brother rode away.
It was an hour later when Johnny sat down to eat the lunch he had brought
along. The fried chicken was good to a hungry man. As was the sandwiches, and apple pie. He
ate and watched the grass wave in the slight breeze, relaxing in the shade of the old tree.
He sat dozing in the midday heat, when he felt something change, he came
alert, yet gave no physical sign of it. He glanced out from under the brim of his hat, seeing
nothing. But felt it, on the slight breeze. His gunfighter senses were screaming, and he listened.a
few moments passed, and he got up and moved over to his horse, and ran his hand over
Barrancas'nose, as he feed him one of the apples, he sharp eyes took in the area behind his horse.
He moved back to the fence as he checked the other direction, he stride casual, as he moved.
Pale ice blue eyes watched him, and the hatred ate at his insides for this man.
He would get what he came for, his brother and he would see to it. He waited for his brother to
get into position, and then they would strike. He smiled like the cougar in the chicken coop. He
would soon eat of the fruits of his hatred. There would be nothing left of Johnny Madrid,but
bones.
Johnny worked as he waited for the usual for him to happen, he worked on the
fence. As a rifle sounded, and a bullet struck, he fell to the ground, his vision dimming, and the
pain in his head, making him sick. He heard horses riding up and tried to move, but his body
didn't seem to understand his unspoken thoughts, and remained prone.
Scott was not in town, drinking a cold beer as he had wished. Instead he was
helping fix the corral that the new stallion had broken when he had staged a breakout with the
mares. He wasn't too happy with this, no change at all. He removed the broken boards and threw
them by the barn to be taken and use for kindling.
Murdock came out and walked over to him,smiling at his oldest son."Scott, after
you and Johnny finish with your work why don't you two take some time and go to town?"
" I'll see what Johnny thinks about it.It's been a long day"
"I guess it has,work on a ranch is never done. How about some lunch, before you
start the rest of that?" Scott pulled off his gloves and smiled at his father.The two men walked to
the house, Murdocks' hand on his sons' shoulder.
Johnny awoke to a blinding headache, sharp pain everywhere. Opening his eyes he
looked up into the icy blue eyes of the tall man who leaned over him, he instinctively tried to
kick out, and pain ripped through his legs. The man laughed deep and dark.
"Madrid, I finally got my hands on you." Johnny winced at the pain, as he saw and
felt the barbed-wire wrapped around him.Now how to get out of it, and take care of these two
men.
"Jack, maybe we should just kill him and get out of here, someone might come
by."
"Shut up, Dan. We will do what we planned, and make him suffer first.Nice of
Madrid to supply us with the barbed-wire."
"Who are you?"
"You probably don't remember us, you killed so many, but you got in the way of our
robbery over in Placerville. You see you are supposed to do gunfights, and us, why we do bank
robberies. You are supposed to be one of the bad guys like us."
"I am not a bad guy, like you."
"Before we are done you may wish you were. After this no one will interfere in our
robberies, they will know what we will do to them if they do."
"Jack?" His brother turned to him.
"What"
"I never killed anybody before, and I don't won't to now, he can't defend himself
either." Jack took a step towards his brother, and backhanded him.Dan lay looking up at his
brother.
"You going yeller? I said we fix him. Would you prefer I challenge him to a
gunfight, idiot!"
"No, you would lose, but couldn't you just beat him up, leave him like that, or
something?"
"Shut up stupid, just do what I said."
Johnny lay listening to the two men fight. He didn't suppose they would get into it
and kill each other. He was thinking hard, and still wasn't ready to give up yet. He would get out
of this.
"You know if you two kill me, you will hang, and my father will put a bounty of your
head, everyone will be hunting you."
"He's right Jack, I don't wont to hang!"Jack moved over to Johnny, and with his foot
pushed Johnny over, and watched the man moan as the barbed-wire cut into his flesh.That shut
him up for the moment. He turned back to his brother.
Continued