Chapter 5: The Town Founders
Another loud and demanding voice had boomed from the crowds, causing almost everyone to turn where Miles and Becky had noticed two figures marching onto the hushed scene. The first one Becky saw was a thin, plump looking vulture, wearing a fine red suit and matching top hat, with finely maintained ruff around his neck, and brown eyes. Becky could only describe the look on his face as something close to worry and concern. And the one walking next to him appeared to be a mutated bald eagle dressed in a well-designed dark blue suit and a matching top blue hat. Unlike the vulture, he had a look of displeasure that made Becky guess he might have been the one who called out to Sheriff Hawktail. His yellowish eyes were focused on the scenery of Hunter having been restrained by the law-birds.
"Who's he Mr. Pronghorn?" Becky had asked Miles, with Baron crying softly in her arms as she struggled to calm him gently.
"That's Edward Nosedive," Miles had answered, helping Becky pick up the items she had bought to place back in the basket so she wouldn't have her money wasted and double checked to see that the fish was covered and clean in its wrapping. Edward Nosedive was the eagle that Miles had been referring to. "And that over there is Callahan Condor. Those two had worked to bring this town together. Well at least Callahan did…."
"I asked you a question Sheriff Hawktail!" Edward Nosedive had demanded, walking a few feet further to where Clarence had Hunter fully restrained. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Funny you should ask Mr. Nosedive," Clarence had challenged the eagle. "Mr. Hunter here was causin' huge scenery on the streets, threatening the lives of Miss Becky Buzzard and Miles Pronghorn over there. I was doin' what any sheriff would've done. So, I'll be takin' him to the jailhouse if you don't mind."
"Well maybe one of these two must've done something to provoke Hunter into attacking," Edward looked at Becky and Miles suspiciously, pointing his cane at them, ignoring the baby Baron crying. "There's no doubt about that."
"I don't think so Mr. Nosedive," Clarence interjected. "Not when the other folks came runnin' up tellin' me what's happened. And I'm sure Miles has seen it. You can't honestly deny that."
"Well, someone must've overstepped their boundaries here," Edward had argued back. "As the town founder and the next town mayor, I say we let Hunter talk first."
"Hey, just a minute Edward," Callahan Condor had finally spoken up after staying silent for so long, now sounding offended by what the eagle said about. "It's me who's the…."
"I ain't finished yet Callahan!" Edward cut Callahan off, looming over the short vulture and scaring him into silence. "Hunter here is not known to cause a ruckus or resort to violence unless he's provoked; now all I want to know is what set him off like that."
"IT WAS THAT CARION PICKER AND HER UGLY BABY THAT DID IT!" Hunter had snapped, his eyes darting to Becky holding onto Baron that still hadn't stopped crying.
"He's lyin' Sheriff Hawktail!" Shouted Miles, standing up from the ground. "I saw Hunter push Miss Becky forcefully and didn't stop to apologize." Dusting his pants and his hat, he continued. "And he was prepared to assault her and drag her baby down to the dust. I only came to her defense, tryin' to get him off my property before it got any uglier, but I suppose it already did. Most of the crowd had seen the same thing."
"Thanks for bein' honest with me Mr. Pronghorn," Clarence told him with a smile before scowling at Hunter. "As for you Hunter, I meant what I said that you'll be spendin' more time in the jail house! And if I hear you're still smellin' like booze after this, you're outta this town."
"I'll get you for this bone picker…and your baby too!" Hunter had shouted out to Becky as Clarence's men were now dragging him to the jail house, off the streets.
"Aw shut up Hunter!" Clarence had snapped, turning away from the crowd. "They've done nothin' but minded their own business. You on the other hand have had one too many beers to mess up what's left of your mind."
As Miles helped Becky stand up with her groceries, he could see the red emanating from underneath Edward Nosedive's white feathers as he stood there on the streets next to Callahan Condor. It was clear he wanted to argue more with Clarence about Hunter's arrest, to say something. But the eagle was definitely at a loss, and after making several faces, he let out an irritated huff.
"Edward, stand down," Callahan said tersely. "This ain't how a real town founder should behave in public around the folks here."
"Are you saying there's no way that Sheriff Hawktail mishandled the situation with Hunter?" Edward said weakly, almost surprised by his own words. "He and I are on best terms with…."
"You heard Miles there," Callahan asserted as he made his way over to where Miles was still standing with Becky, holding her basket as he looked sympathetically at poor Baron, crying from the horrible experience. The vulture had tipped his hat once he stopped in front of them and introduced himself to Becky. "Callahan Condor is the name. And I'm terribly sorry that you had to deal with such an awful encounter from Hunter T Smith. So, unless Miles has told you before, Hunter has been havin' a bad reputation in High Wind Gulch for quite some time that from all the complaints we've had about him, me n' the courts have been in discussion with throwin' him outta town before his reckless drunken behavior endangers anyone else before it's too late." He glanced over his shoulder to look at Edward firmly. "Mr. Nosedive claims that he knows Hunter personally enough to think he deserves a second chance, but we all agree that he's had one too many to get himself clean and has chosen not to do it. Not after his drinkin' and dangerous temper cost him his family, friends, and job." He turned back to Becky while he continued. "Sheriff Hawktail may have him under control for now, but he can't keep this up once Hunter goes back to his reckless habits and drives many of our good friends outta town."
Somehow, Baron's crying had been softening up a bit. Seeing the fallen toy on the ground, Callahan had kindly picked it up and hoped it would help him. So far it did once Baron had his arms around the bunny lovingly, his tears slowly drying up.
"Thank you, Mr. Condor," Becky said, relieved that her son was finally calming down. "I forgot that I dropped the toy somehow."
"We did not build this town just to let it become a cesspool of corruption," Callahan had tipped his hat to her and Miles. "It was to bring us together as friends and neighbors helpin' one another. From what I know, buildings don't make the town, it's the folks that do."
"But that sheriff had…."
"Did his job to protect the good folks of this here town," Callahan had bravely cut Edward off, the eagle taken aback by this. "You may be taller than me Edward, but you ain't got the legal right to give troublemakers an early parole, or to chase our beloved sheriff outta town."
"Well then, my apologies to ya'll," Edward responded in sarcasm, swabbing his forehead with a napkin. "Seems I was a bit hasty at seeing my former friend drunk again."
A good bulk of the townsfolk had already moved on after Clarence had taken Hunter away to the jail house, and the numbers continued to dwindle as Callahan had been talking to Becky and Miles.
"We're more than welcome to have you in our town Miss Becky," he assured her. "Seems I never bothered to hear more about any new arrivals too often. Have you just moved in?"
Becky shook her head politely to Callahan. "We are new, but we've moved in three and a half months ago, so me n' my husband Avery are learnin' to get used to this town and hope to raise a family of our own….startin' with our firstborn here. His name's Baron."
"Well, howdy to you Baron," Callahan tipped his hat to the baby buzzard, holding the toy and hiding his face behind it a bit. "Shy little one. Not that I blame him. Well, I better get back to the office now. The council needs us back to help make plans for the upcoming mayor election."
With that, Callahan Condor had turned around to walk to the other side of where he and Edward had showed up behind the crowd, which had now vanished with the folks going back to their personal business. Both Becky and Miles had noticed how the eagle had given Callahan a rather nasty look before taking a glimpse at them as he started walking away from the streets and out of sight.
"What more can you tell me about Edward Nosedive?" Becky had murmured to Miles, getting ready to walk back home before anyone else like Hunter caused trouble for her and Baron.
"I can tell yah that Edward is a mighty handsome, yet arrogant, ruthless business bird," Miles had warned her. "Even the folks that don't work for that eagle steer clear of him. His wife Edna brags about bein' from New Cattleton to put the folks here in their place. And at times, they'd wish she'd go back and stay there. Worse yet is Edward and Edna have a three-year-old son that seems to have developed some of his pa's personality traits."
"Huh, what do you mean?"
"Well, he and Callahan might have started out as friends when they founded this town and helped build it together. While Callahan wishes to bring birds of all kinds together, Edward believes his race to be superior above the others, enough to call himself king of the birds, and is better suited as mayor and true founder of this here town. And once he mentioned that if he ever had a son one day, he would raise him to take his place as the next mayor when the time comes for him to retire." He cleaned his glasses as he continued. "If I was you, I wouldn't vote for him if he was the last bald eagle in all of Moo Mesa. And if you plan to be at church this Sunday morning, be sure you're as far away from him and his family as possible. Believe me; it's for the best that you don't ever come in contact with the Nosedives."
Becky had shaken her head in disgust at the way the Nosedive family was living and the beliefs that had been running in the family for who knows how long.
"That's a terrible way to live if you ask me," She had muttered, touching Baron's face tenderly in hopes he was completely calm by now. "Has it been runnin' in his family for ages, if you don't mind me askin that?"
"It's hard to say Miss Becky," Miles had shrugged his shoulders. "Nobody else knows much about his family's history. All they know is that the father of Edward was not like him when it came to these views on the whole eagle community. And it seems the luxurious lifestyle and popularity in all this has gone to Edward's head, determined to get his way with everyone and everything. So, whatever happens, we all remember who to vote for when the time comes for the election."
"Well, I gotta be goin' home now Mr. Pronghorn," Becky tried to smile as she was prepared to walk down the street that led back to her home by the flowing creek. "Baron here might still be hungry and tired after a hard day. I'm awfully sorry about all that happened."
"Nonsense Miss Becky," Miles had reassured her. "This is all on Hunter, not on you. In fact, if you hadn't called out on him earlier, he'd still be out free knockin' down other hard workin' folks and Sheriff Hawktail would not have arrested him in time. And don't let Hunter's cruel words get to you. None of what he said before is true. And I think you've found another friend by the name of Callahan Condor." He watched as a weak smile formed on Becky's beak as she let out a sniffle.
"Thank you, Mr. Pronghorn," Becky said with a whimper. "I won't ever forget this."
"No need to thank me," Miles added. "You n' your family are as much a part of this here town like everyone else." He noticed that two grown hens had entered the general store, remembering where he was supposed to be. "See you back soon Miss Becky, I gotta get back to work myself. I can't keep the other customers waiting."
Right after the two friends said their goodbyes and parted ways for the rest of the day, neither of them was aware that they had been watched by a certain eagle that wasn't quite pleased with the arrest of Hunter or of another family of buzzards in town.
"So, Mr. Nosedive, what will you do about the buzzard family?" One of his henchmen questioned.
"We do nothing for now. Not until we put our next plans into action after the election."
AN: Finally, another update, I'm so terribly sorry that I kept readers waiting for so long. I got caught up in decorating at home and other things on DeviantArt that I barely could write more for this chapter when it shouldn't have been so hard to keep writing and going, but it did. But I'm going to try and get the next chapter up as quickly as possible, since it shouldn't even be that hard to write out, not when I know that I have help from other friends to keep going with this story. But reading other books set in the frontier or wild west also helps out so I'm not always suffering from Writer's Block. So, stay tuned for the next chapter being Chapter 6: One Sunday Morning.