Chapter 12:
Alameda Slim's Lair
Meanwhile, at an old abandoned mine, a burst of evil laughter was heard as Slim and his henchmen were in their secret lair as the Griffons, including Sandbar and Yona's families began to gather.
"Would you look at that? 5,005 Griffons. Not bad for one night's work," Slim said in triumph.
Slim's henchmen clapped their hands and smiled as Slim tipped his hat and said, "Thank you very much,".
Then Slim holds up a Griffon's by ear and said, "And judging by the earmarks of these Griffons. I'd say these are the last of Big Mac Donald's Griffons,".
"Hmmm, I feel like I've heard a song about that but I'm not sure what it's called," Brain said, one of Slim's Henchmen holding a banjo.
" E-I-E-I-," Crain and Drain said, singing the lyrics.
But as they were about to finish, Slim banged them on the head dazing them as stars circle around them. Slim didn't want to hear a silly song.
"That's right he had some Griffons. Heh heh heh, but now that his Griffons have disappeared that poor bird's gonna be flat broke. Which is a perfect time for a certain upstanding land-owner to step in and take all the land," Slim said as he goes behind a dresser wall and came out disguised as Yancy O'del as he puts his hat on.
"Aaah, who are you?!" Drain said, not recognizing Slim through his disguise.
"Yeah, what did you do with the boss?!" Crain said, also not recognizing Slim.
"Come on, put up your dukes ya fancy…," Drain challenged as he puts up his fist and is ready to hit Slim.
But just when he was about to, Brain acted quick and grabbed Drain hand with a firm grip and Drain cried in pain, "Aah-aah-aah-aah-aah-aah,".
"You bird-brains, it's the boss! It's the same disguise he used to sneak into the auctions and buy all the land! Don't you fools get it yet?!" Brain said as he points to the map of the west.
"Oh, yeah. Boss has to be the richest land baron in the west," Crain said as Drain clapped with a smile.
"Yes, but the part that really warms my heart...is watching those homesteaders suffer," Slim said as he grabs a heated poker with a dollar sign and placed it over Mac Donald's and Dixon Griffon Ranch.
"Back in my day, I worked the most highfalutin ranches you have ever seen, but those stuck-up ranch bosses couldn't appreciate my talents," Slim said looking up at the map and recalling his days.
"Maybe it's because they just didn't like your singing," Drain said stupidly.
Hearing that, Slim tightens his grip on the poker in anger and asked as he turned to them, "My singing?".
Brain's jaws dropped as the string on the banjo broke.
Crain covered Drain's mouth with his hand.
"Songbirds sing. Saloon Griffons sing. Little bit snot-nosed children Griffons sing. I yodel! And yodeling IS AN ART!" Slim said, narrowing his eyes in anger as he nears them angrily.
"Uh, maybe he means they just didn't like your yodeling," Crain said, Drain covered his mouth, and the two ducked each time Slim swung the poker at them as Brain watched. Disrespecting yodeling could really tick Slim off.
"They didn't mean it, Boss. Everybody loves yodeling," Brain said.
"Hmmm?" Slim said as he stopped and turned to him.
"Why, it's the most amazing, majestic, awesome thing on this side of the whole west," Brain said, complimenting Slim on his yodel.
"Thank you, Brain. I appreciate how you think about yodeling unlike these two dimwits," Slim said, starting to feel better. It was always good to get a compliment.
"Don't mention it, Boss," Brain said as he got off the couch he was sitting on.
But as he got off the couch, Slim noticed Sweet Griffon Apple Acres in the shape of Brain's head and his eyes widened as one twitched.
"Uh, Brain?" Slim asked.
"What is it, Boss?" Brain asked, turning to Slim.
"Am I correct to assume that each and every time we brought back Griffons to this secret lair, you've managed to sit in the exact same spot blocking that choice piece of property from my VIEW?!" Slim angrily said, pushing Brains' head back with his finger to reveal the piece of land and pointed at it.
"I didn't mean to block that property. Besides this where I like to think," Brain replied, trying to apologize to Sim for blocking the property from his view. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Slim.
"Oh, hey. Boss, this property is called Sweet Griffon Apple Acres and it goes in an auction Thursday morning," Drain said, looking at a newspaper and pointing at it.
"Perfect, pencil it in. Thursday morning - right after we sell off these Griffons," Slim said, his mood changed as he smiles.
"But, Boss, it's just an ordinary dirt farm," Crain pointed out, after penciling in Sweet Griffon Apple Acres. It was so insignificant that he didn't understand why Slim was interested in it.
"Ah, what's the difference? When you're talking revenge, every last acre counts," Slim said with a shrug as he placed a burnt dollar sign on Sweet Griffon Apple Acres.
Author's Note: Looks like Slim is planning to now buy the home of Ocellus and Smolder.
Also, I decided to allow Slim to have one of his henchmen to be a bit smarter than the other two, since seeing Home On The Range, Slim looked rather annoyed with his dumb nephews.
