Ch 6
The boys ride until just about dark before they stop by a small river to make camp. Jimmy has Lou on his mind. He can't stop thinking about her. Jimmy and Buck are gathering firewood to last through the night. Buck got the fire going kinda fast. It was cold at night sleeping on the ground and not in beds.
"He is on the run Jimmy." said Buck. "He is running like a scared dog."
"He almost ended it for us, Buck. I'm going to enjoy putting my knife in him." Jimmy told Buck.
"Don't worry Jimmy. We are going to get him soon." Says Buck.
They ate some meat that Ike had packed for them careful not to waste any of their food.
"The water sounds nice don't it Buck." Jimmy says as he looks at the river.
"It sure does Jimmy." Buck said.
"I wonder if Teaspoon made it back yet?" asked Jimmy.
"I'm thinking so by now." Buck replies.
"I bet he was shocked to hear what was going on."
Jimmy was lost in thought thinking about his Lou. Could she be the one for him? She has done something to me he thinks to himself. Buck looks over to see if Jimmy was sleeping. He yells at him.
"Hey boy! You hear what I asked?"
Jimmy looks over. "No man sorry. What did you ask Buck?"
"Do you think Teaspoon was surprised to find out what happened to us?"
"I think so man. It don't matter much. We are going to deal with it. Get some rest. We need to put some miles in tomorrow." Jimmy says.
Jimmy laid there thinking of Lou. Kissing her lips, making baby's, building a house.
Damn what the hell is wrong with me. He laughed as he rolled over.
The next morning Jimmy woke up when the sun was coming up. The wind was blowing easy like.
"Hey, you happy to see me or is that your hand in your pants?" asked Buck.
Jimmy laughed and rolled over, "That's how I roll man."
Buck laughed as they started packing their bed rolls.
The boys rode hard all morning. It was getting close to midday and they needed to rest their horses. They came to a small town called Boone. It was a bit rundown and not a lot to see. They stopped at the saloon to find some food. They walked in to find card tables full of poker players. They made their way to the bar and ordered some food. As they waited, they turned around to have a look at the room.
"Its packed in here!" Jimmy shouts.
"No wonder there was no one outside Buck." said Jimmy, "This the kinda place to get killed over some stupid shit."
"JAMES BUTLER HICKOK!"
Bucks head snaps to the left to find a tall skinny man with long nasty hair at the of the bar. He had on a long black coat and a black hat. Buck looked at Jimmy who did not move other than to put his head down hoping trouble would not make it's way to him. Buck looked back at the man who had a cigar hanging from his lips. The smoke rolled from under his hat.
"Hey you! Half breed! Tell that yellow belly clown to come here." With that, the man slung his coat open showing his long barrelled colt.
"Who the fuck you calling half breed?"Buck asked walking over to his left.
Jimmy took a few steps to the right. The man walked to the center of the room.
"Buck this shit bag ain't here for you. It's me he wants. It's me he is going to get."
Jimmy raised his hat to see the man's face. Opening his coat, Jimmy's fingers rub his pearl handled colt.
"What you won't boy?"Jimmy yells.
"I'm going to kill you." the man replies.
"You killed my brother two years ago in Texas." the man states.
Jimmy thinks. He has only been to Texas once in his life. He killed a man there for stealing his horse.
"Well the sumbitch was trying to steal my damn horse."
Two more men stood up and walked over. It was three on two now. Buck looked at them and asked.
"Y'all going to die over a fucking horse thief?"
The man spit his cigar on the floor. Jimmy drew his pearl handled colt and shot that sumbitch before the cigar hit the floor. Buck drew and shot the man on the left. Jimmy shot the man on the right. Three shots, three bodies hit the floor.
"They never stood a chance did they Jimmy!" exclaims Buck hysterically laughing from the excitement.
"Hell no!" yelled Jimmy.
He fired more rounds in the dead men. Buck followed Jimmy's lead and is all too eager to exchange rounds with his dead opponent.
The saloon emptied out into the streets. Buck and Jimmy went from table to table gathering all the cash and silver.
"Fuck it. Why leave it here?" Jimmy says.
They filled their coats and walked out.
"This town did not even have a sheriff." Buck says.
"Well if they did, I'd blow his ass away to." Jimmy says with a wild look in his eyes.
"Damn that was fun!" Buck yells out.
Jimmy and Buck sit on top their horses and ride off in pursuit of a reckoning.
"Let's head to Benton. It's about a one day ride from the state line ." Jimmy says.
"Hell we can get a room now." laughed Jimmy.
"Let's ride." said Buck and off they went.
They rode all afternoon before they came to the edge of Benton.
"You been here before Jimmy?" asked Buck.
"Yeah, I stayed here for a few weeks a couple years back." said Jimmy, "Let's go put our horses up for the night an then we will get a room. What you think partner?"
"Sounds like a plan to me." Buck replied.
They walked their horses in the livery and paid to have them fed and brushed down. They had put all the money in the saddle bags on the way in town. They each grabbed their shit and walked out the stable across the street to the saloon. They walked in to a piano playing, dancing girls on stage, and card games going on from wall to wall. Everyone was laughing and drinking, having a great time. No one even looked up to see who walked in the boys walked in with their matching coats and hats. They shuffle their way through the crowd to the counter which seemed to be the center of the action. There were bar girls walking around everywhere dressed up in red halter top dresses with black bottoms. Jimmy and Buck loved this place.
"How can I help you?" a voice behind the counter asked.
"Yes, we want a room for the night please."
" Alright that's two dollars per person." The man says.
He handed them a key and asked for two boys were happy to comply .
They made their way up the stairs and laid their shit out on the beds.
"What we going to do now?" Jimmy asked Buck .
"Shit. Let's go spend some of this free money we got!"
Laughing they walk back out and down the stairs. Down stairs, the boys got drinks and watched the girls on the stage.
"Jimmy this place is crazy man." declares Buck as they sit at a open table to get dealt in. The dealer deals them in and a waitress brings them drinks.
The boys play cards til the sun comes up, winning money and losing money. They about fucked up when Buck falls out of his chair. Jimmy starts laughing his ass off. Buck gets up with his knife in his hand.
"Who the fuck did that?" Jimmy still laughing looks at Buck, "Sit down dipshit!"
Buck starts laughing and tries to sit down, falling on the floor again. Jimmy loses it laughing til he falls out his chair.
"Ok boys let's go."
They were taken up to their room and the door pass out waking up that night.
"Buck,wake your ass up man, Buck." Jimmy called.
"What Jimmy, what?"
"Bro, it's seven o'clock." Jimmy informs him.
"Shit it's time to go man." Buck says jumping up.
"No Buck, it's seven at night dude."
"Jimmy, what the fuck happened man?" asked Buck.
Jimmy hold his head and laughs.
"We had a good time Buck."
They start laughing.
"We sure did. Hell let's go down an see what's going on." Buck said.
As they walked downstairs Buck looks back at Jimmy and says, "There is more people here tonight than last night."
Jimmy and Buck hit the bottom step. The place was packed out
"Holy hell man. Let's go to the bar for a few drinks."Jimmy tells Buck.
Buck is walking in front of Jimmy a few steps.
"Get the hell out of my way half breed." Says a short older man as he pushes Buck from behind.
"Careful mister, that's my brother you're talking shit to." says Jimmy.
Buck turns and looks at Jimmy.
"What the fuck you say to me?" Asked Buck.
The man turns and looks at Buck.
"Well y'all's mother must of been a nasty whore to have a set of bastards like y'all." The old drunk man blurted out.
Before Buck could draw his gun, Jimmy sank his knife deep in the man's spine killing him on the spot . Jimmy's eyes got big.
"What's that? You want to sit down?"Jimmy asked.
Jimmy starts laughing as he placed the old fat man in an open chair in the corner of the bar. Jimmy quickly puts his knife away as he and Buck laugh while having a seat at the bar. As they stare at the old man, Jimmy says, "Now that's how you start a conversation!"
They burst out laughing. As Buck and Jimmy sit at the bar having a few drinks, Buck looks over an notices a sort of shine coming from under the man's jacket.
"Jimmy look there! What is that?' Buck asks Jimmy.
" Hell go see. He won't mind" Jimmy laughs out loud.
Buck walks over, lifting the man's coat. The man's wallet was on the inside pocket of his jacket. He takes it and finds a silver revolver. What a handsome pistol it was. The handle was black. He slides it in his belt and sits back down. Buck looks at Jimmy
" Let's walk upstairs for a few Jimmy." says Buck .
"Okay." Jimmy says .
They walk back in the room and Buck pulls his new pistol out.
"Damn man!' yelled Jimmy, "Look at that."
"Yeah she sure is something." said Buck, "and look here." Buck pulls out the fine leather wallet and opens it .
"Holy hell man. Look at this. There is over five hundred dollars cash in here." Buck says.
Jimmy looks at Buck and Buck looks at Jimmy. They jump up and down for joy. They hit a jackpot.
"Let's go, we need to ride out." Jimmy says.
"Hell yeah, let's ride." Buck replied.
The boys split the cash. They tipped the stable boy and disappeared into the night.