Death wondered the desert for three days and three nights after El Papagayo's trail. In all that time she was only seen by one person; a young Sioux boy on a vision quest. After he saw Death he took it as a sign and went on to do many great things in his life.
But that's another story.
Meanwhile, El Papagayo was slightly ahead, riding towards the town of Gold Gulch.
"Heh, heh, heh," El Papagayo laughed to himself, "If thees town is truly a haven for the dead, then perhaps Death will not be able to find me there among the other ghosts."
Just then something whizzed by his ear and he immediately recognized the familiar sound of a bullet. He turned his head and saw three ghostly figures also on horseback barring down on him from behind. He only caught a glimpse before turning his attention back towards where he was heading, but it looked to him as if it was three men from his past. Former members of his gang, in fact.
The men fired their pistols again and El Papagayo expertly steered his horse out of their paths as he rode for his life. Then it occurred to him, what was he running from? He was already dead. Bullets posed no threat.
He immediately brought his horse to a stop and turned to face his pursuers. They were Paco, Juan and Rene Valdez, three brothers who had all met their end in service to him, one even at his own hand.
"Amigos! You must not recognize your old camarada. It is I, El Papagayo!" said El Papagayo, grandly as always.
"We recognize you just fine, serpiente, that's why we shot at you." said the one called Rene.
El Papagayo smiled.
"Why aren't you in the afterlife?" asked the one called Juan.
"Hell, specifically," added the one called Paco.
"I could ask you all the same thing," said El Papagayo to the three ghost brothers. "Apparently we are all natural born outlaws, even from death."
"We stayed on Earth to hunt you down," said Paco. "And now that we have found you I guess our unfinished business is over. Even though we didn't get the satisfaction of killing you ourselves."
"It was Jonah Hex, wasn't it?" said Juan with a laugh.
Now El Papagayo frowned.
"You be laughing out of the other side of your face soon enough," he said as menacingly as he could considering he was just a ghost.
He reached for his two pistols in order to point them threateningly at his former comrades, but found they were both gone. Unbeknownst to him they had fallen out of their holsters while he dodged the brother's bullets moments ago and they were currently buried under the desert sand not far away where they would stay for over a hundred years until they were one day found and used by Eli Stone, The Midnight Rider.
But that also is another story.
El Papagayo looked confused for a moment, then angry, then just shrugged and laughed.
"No matter," he said. Then to the brothers he said, "I tell you what; why don't we let bygones be bygones and once again combine our efforts."
"What do you possibly have to offer us that would make us want to rejoin you?" asked Juan. "You personally killed me and let my brothers die at the hands of the federales."
"Yes, yes, that is true," said El Papagayo. "And it is also true that you have nothing to gain by agreeing to my offer, but please remember, amigos, in death you have nothing to lose either. Do you really want to take your chance on the other side given the lives you've lead, or would you rather come with me and spend eternity out west doing what you always loved?"
"Explicar," said Rene.
"There is a town not far from here full of saps who do not realize they are dead. They will fear our ghostly bullets. They will fear everything about us the way all mortal men did once. And they'll do it forever too!"
The brothers all thought about this, which was a bit of a strain for all three of them. Paco rubbed his unshaven chin.
"That does sound appealing," he said finally. The other two nodded in agreement.
"Excelente!" said El Papagayo. "Then follow me before she catches up to us. And two of you give me one of your extra pistols.
His men did as they were told and the four of them set out again in the direction of Gold Gulch with El Papagayo in the lead. Suddenly, after riding only a short distance, something whizzed past his head again, only this time it was larger than a bullet. It was a ghostly parrot and it landed on the outlaw's shoulder.
"Pepito, my little friend!" El Papagayo shouted with delight. "You stayed on Earth and waited for me like the faithful pet you are."
Pepito chirped happily and clenched El Papagayo's shoulder tightly in order to stay on as they galloped faster.
"Today is a day for reunion!" El Papagayo called out and he and his newly reformed ghost gang rode across the landscape towards their destination.
Close behind them, though, was Death.
Ever catching up.
To Be Continued
