Heyo y'all. I am back with another chapter. Honestly it just feels good being able to come home, knowing that people are finally interested in what I do. I care about each and every person that pays attention to this story, whether they have it followed or not. I care about everyone that has this story under their favorites, and shit I care about everyone that does not even have it in their favorites. Thank you for at least reading this, it really has made life easier on me.
Arthur
I load the piece of shit thief onto Ford. It was not until this moment that I thought of how much of a hypocrite I was. I was gonna beat this man senseless for stealing, which is exactly how I get my money. I dismiss the thought and lead Ford to the medicine shop. As I tie Ford onto a hitching post I holler to a man standing just outside of the medicine shop.
"Hey feller!" I call out to him. He looks my way and sees the thief on my horse, and he looks at me in a nervous fashion. "Don't you worry about him. Well, actually I do have a favor to ask you." I say, walking up to the man. "If you watch him while I go inside, and make sure he don't get away for two minutes, I will pay you well sir." I say to him. He had a look in his eye when I mentioned money. Everyone always does. I pull out some cash and show him, before he says:
"Okay mister, I'll do it." I give him ten bucks and tell him there'll be more when I come back out. Then I walk into the store. It does not look like much, but there were plenty of vials and bottles all around the store, so I knew there would be something I could find that could help little Jack. I approach the man and ask:
"You got any medicine for a cold?" I ask. He looks at me like I am asking for something I don't understand.
"You look just fine to me partner." He says, looking back down to the book he was reading. I swear the audacity some people have.
"It is not for me, it is for a child." I say. He does not look up from his book. "You listenin' to me feller?" I say, raising my voice. He looks up at me and says,
"We do not have any medicine for a cold right now, have a nice day mister." The way he said it made it sound final. I was not fixin to go back to camp with nothing.
"Well then I am sure you have something around this store right?" I say, pissed off. I walk to the back. "Hair tonic." I say, reading the label on a vial. I throw it to the ground and watch it shatter. This catches the attention of the clerk, and he starts yelling.
"What the hell are you doing!?" He asks. I pull another tonic off of a shelf.
"Strength tonic. Yeah I don't need that. Just need some medicine ." I say, smashing another vial. This continued until there were eight vials broken total and the clerk says:
"Okay, Okay! I have some medicine for a cold just back here, just please do not break any more of my wares!" I put on a smile and say,
"Now that wasn't so hard now was it? All you had to do was sell me some medicine and all woulda been fine." I walk up to the counter and see the vial he was referring to that simply was labeled, "Cold medicine". It is just what I was after. "How much for this vial?" I ask.
"This particular medicine would go for 10 to 15 dollars, but with those vials you broke you should have to pay about 150 dollars!" He says, still shook from what just happened. I slap fifteen dollars down on the counter, grab my medicine, and walk to the door.
"I ain't payin' for what was your fault feller." I say, then I exit the building. I already had the rest of the money out for the feller that I asked to watch the thief, who was still there waiting patiently. I hand him the money and thank him, and when he goes to ask me what just happened in the store, I say "Some people just are not bright. But you mister, you are. You did what I requested, and now you are being rewarded. He nods and asks nothing more. I ride back to camp, and just like I thought, I just had to encounter something else.
"You stupid fuckin' mutt!" Some man starts yelling as I get close to camp. I see a beautiful dog being kicked by the man.
"Hey! What the hell is the matter wit' you?!" I yell to the man, dismounting Ford. The man turns and looks at me. He then laughs and says,
"Pfft mister you just keep goin' this aint none of your concern." He then picks up a stick and turns to hit the dog with it. Time slows down and gains a golden tinge. I draw my revolver and shoot the man right in his hand. Everything returns to normal, and the man starts screaming. The amount of blood was... well it was sickening. Luckily he did not get blood on the dog. I walk up to him, and he is still screaming, holding his hand on the ground. I kick him and make him roll onto his back, and then place my foot on the man's chest, aiming my revolver at his face.
"I think it is my concern when this poor dog is bein' beat." The man just groans in pain. "What's this dog's name hmm?" I ask the dog beater.
"C- Cain" he says, whimpering almost as much as Cain.
"Well," I say, un-cocking the hammer on my revolver. "Cain is coming with me." The man nods his head rapidly, and I take some rope and tie it around Cain. I lead him back to Ford and we begin the slow walk back to camp.
We do get back eventually. It was about five o'clock. As I got back I heard a gasp from members of the gang. I was sure this would happen, for I have this thief on Ford, and a dog that I was walking. As I had been gettin' closer to camp the thief kept beggin' and pleading for me to let him go. He offered money, fame, fortune beyond my wildest dreams. I slapped him a few times on the way to camp.
Dutch approaches me and asks, "Well what happened Arthur?" knowing that I would only come back with a hostage and a dog for a select few reasons.
"This man here," I say, pointing to him behind me with my thumb. "He tried stealin' Ford here." I finish saying. Dutch nods, and then looks down at Cain.
"I thought you were done with dogs after Red Arthur... why do you have this pooch here?" He asks. I sigh, Red was a good dog. Them god damn O'driscolls killed Red. Shot him dead on the spot. I went off and killed every single last one of them boys, but the hole left in my heart from that dog was never filled.
"Found a feller on the road, on the way here. He was beating poor ole' Cain here. I was thinkin' of giving him to little Jack. He can keep him company, and it can give Abigail a break from worrying about Jack." I tell him. Dutch Nods and turns around, gettin' ready to announce to everyone about the new addition to our gang, and the horse thief. I grab Dutch on the shoulder. "Dutch," I say, lettin' him turn around.
"Yes Arthur?" Dutch asks.
"Maybe it would be best if... if we told them that Cain is a stray? I don't want Jack to have to learn about how cruel this world is yet." I say. I expect Dutch to laugh or tease me. Instead he looks at me in a serious manner.
"Of course Arthur. You've done so much for everyone here, I can do you this favor. I understand where you are coming from." He says.
I walk away after thanking Dutch, and walk towards John's tent.
"Here you go." I say, handing John the medicine.
"Oh thank you Arthur! I... I want to be a better father for him." John says. I think back to my own son I had. If I had been a better father, he would still be alive.
"Anytime John. You just be a better father. I know what the worst thing that can happen is, from not being a good father. It ain't pleasant." John sticks out his hand for a shake, and I take it in mine. After that I walk out of his tent to see Bill and Lenny tying up the horse thief to a tree. At this, I chuckle a bit. I then head to my tent, exhausted from the long day that I had.
Before I go to sleep I think about my day. I met Mary Linton again, saved her brother from some freaks, and from himself, stopped a horse thief, broke some tonics in a shop, and shot the hand of an animal abuser. I smile, knowing that my life is certainly far from normal. Then I go to sleep.