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Alrighty everybody start playing

I'm going to post my intro in a while but I have to go now

Lily Sanders did a rountine on the stage making fellows whistle especially when she hit a high note. She loved to get praise and noticed a figure in a corner drinking a root beer and staring at her like she was an alien.

Luis climbed off his horse, tied him to a rail, and went inside the bar. He went to the barkeep and ordered a bottle of Tequila. He sat down in a dark corner, poured himself a shot, and drank it. He looked up at the woman on the stage (Lily), somehow feeling slightly sorry for her.

Jake was sitting at a table by himself, slowly coming out of the drunken haze he had been in the last 24 hours. He watched Lily on stage. He watched the men coming in, looking for ones that looked like they had money to waste on gambling.

Lily bowed and got off to mingle with the people.

Luis was still in the corner, quietly drinking shots of Tequila.

Nic walked into the bar and went to the bar tender. ((18 yr old ppl could drink then)) "Hey Mr.(i dont know what bar tenders name should be), I'll take a beer and then i need to grab a bottle of whiskey for my uncle."

Lily looked about and ran a comb through her hair.

Catori walked into the Saloon (bar). She hadn't come for the whiteman's drinks, but to meet a friends older brother. He was like the same to her. She looked at Lily with disgust. She found their language difficult and her parents had forbidden it around them.

Catori sat at a table hidden by shadows.

"What do you need?" Lily asked in Native American and covered her mouth. She was from a tribe in the north and rarely spoke it because it reminded her too much of her mother who dies before her father became a sheriff. The American jewelry around her neck only symbolized she was that nationality but no one asked about it.

Catori didn't speak to Lily. She tried to form the words. "I'm meeting a friend" she didn't smile due to the fact she was eagerly watching the swinging doors.

Luis looked over at the two women suspiciously. That, of course, was nothing new--he looked at everyone that way. He lit a cigarette and pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes.

Jake had come out of the drunken haze and lifted his hand to the bar tender. "Gi' me two shots of whiskey friend." When his drinks came, he downed them both and then stood, lighting a cigarette, and putting his hat back on his head. He need to go on a walk, he was tired of sitting around.

"They'll probably come soon," said Lily in English as she got up to take her round of orders.

Catori nodded and let Lilly go back to waitressing. Her friend walked in. He ordered a drink before joining her.

Scruffy-looking hombre, Buddy Reno swaggered through the swinging doors to the bar, patting a layer of dust and white powder from his tattered vest and breeches. He was in the company of another man, a short, round, bald, bespectacled sort, who was well-dressed in fine suit pants and silk shirt. A striking contrast the the rough-and-tumble Reno.

"That was a fine day's labor, young man..." the well-to-do doughboy commended, passing a leather pouch to Buddy as they approached the bar.

Buddy nodded to the stout fellow, and accepted his payment graciously.
"Much obliged, Mr Smith... let me know when you reckon you will start construction, and I'll be sure to make myself available..."

"Will do, son..." the elder man promised, tipping his bowler hat to Buddy before making a graceful exit from the saloon.

Buddy shrugged and continued to the bar, ordering up a sasparilla, then eying the entertainment.

Catori smiled. Her friend handed her a bracelet. "It is a presnt from friend to friend." he said.

Catori greatfully took it. "Thank you." she said putting it on.

Luis watched the man leave and spat on the floor where he had walked. He had worked for him before, and hadn't liked it...

Lily gazed at Buddy's friend over a round of drinks and raised her eyebrow at him in a menancing way.

Jake stummbled down the street a bit, vision swimming, until finally it cleared. He found a barel of rain water and dunked his head. Feeling better, he headed back to the saloon, already missing the activity. As he walked he drummed his fingers on his pistols handle lightly.

Catori walked out of the saloon. She was smiling as always.

Buddy thumbed through the contents of the leather pouch the man had given him, recovered a few coins from inside, then stuffed the pouch inside his vest. He tossed the coins on the bar and nodded as the barkeep tendered the payment and slid a drink across the bar to him.

Catori untied her steed and climbed onto his bare back. She gripped his mane and steered him in the direction of the blacksmith.

Buddy scooped up his drink from the bar and strolled to a table.
He reached into the other side pocket of his vest and pulled out a faded and ragged pack of playing cards, beginning a rousing game of solitaire.

Luis walked out the door and stepped off the wooden sidewalk. As he did so, he caught one of his spurs on the ledge, driving the rowel free. He swore and picked it up, examining it. It looked as if it could be repaired, though he had neither the knowledge nor the means to do it. He hauled himself onto his horse's back and trotted down the street to a blacksmith.

Leo rode into town on his trusty horse, Gene. His hat covered his face and his jeans and white shirt were torn and covered in sand. His face was down, buried in Genes mane. He hadn't slept in a couple of days and was catching up now. Gene knew exactly where to go when Leo was in this state. He trotted up to the water trough and tipped his body so that Leo fell in the water. Leo woke with a start.
"Who...what-the...." His hands reaching down to his guns in a blink of an eye. Looking up he saw Gene and smiled. Gene slowly began to lick his face. Leo stood and stepped out of the trough looking around the town.

Chapa neighed slightly before snorting. SHe was a good horse and oedient. She had learned years ago that her master was merciful and caring.

Catori slid off her horse and led her into the smith shop. Seeing the blacksmith, she smiled.

Jake saw the Indian woman down the street. It had been a while since he had seen one in town. He was friends with a lot of the tribes, met alot of them when he was roming the west. He liked the indains, and was fasinated by there way of living. He continued walking to the saloon, and walked in. Seeing Buddy with the cards, he slipped into the chair across the table from him, and laided a small stack of bills on the table. "You any good at poker?"

Lily went outside to get her horse but the first few steps were disastrous as her horse's good horeshoe came loose. Lily supported the horse's foot as they half-trotted and dragged eachother to it.

OOC: I'm gonna change my last post. Seeing as everyone is going to the blacksmith, I'll follow along to. Got to be where the party is

Jake saw the Indian woman down the street. It had been a while since he had seen one in town. He was friends with a lot of the tribes, met alot of them when he was roming the west. He liked the indains, and was fasinated by there way of living. He desided he'd go talk to her, see what tribe she was from.

(EEP, I haven't even thought of that )

Catori held Chapa's leg as the smith hammered the shoe on. The smith smiled at the indian woman. He knew they didn't buy things they more or less traded, and he had gotten a bargain. Catori thanked him as she petted Chapas nose.

Mid-way thru a round of solitaire, Buddy realized his mind was on poker, and he was none too happy to be having those thoughts again.. He had also felt the piercing blue eyes of the little dancer girl on him, and watched her as she left the saloon. He tried not to acknowledge her in any obvious way, but still wanted to check her out at the same time.

What did she see in him? his large wad... of cash? Was he an easy mark sitting here all alone, drinking and playing cards? would she and her handler (pimp) be waiting outside in the alley to roll him? She didn't seem that type of girl, but since he was relatively new to this territory, Buddy didn't need to take those unnecessary chances.

He now felt stupid taking the job and public payment from the blacksmith, Mr Smith. But he'd needed money to keep his room at the hotel, and $14 would go a long way... dammit! He couldn't lose this money!

Too many thoughts raced thru his head in those few minutes, causing Buddy to panic, scoop up his cards and bolt from his table.

On his way out of the saloon, he attempted to avoid all contact with anyone who might be connected to the petite dancer, staring at the floor directly ahead. That's when he noticed the sparkling shimmer lying on the floor near where the native girl had met with the dancer girl before her friend arrived...

...a bracelet... hmmm... the clasp was broken, but the bracelet was otherwise still in tact. Buddy collected the delicate jewelry and wondered if the barkeep would know who it belonged to. Maybe there would be a reward for its return? Rather than question the barkeep or any of the few patrons in the saloon, Buddy pocketed it casually, hoping to learn of a reward or any other information before parting with the piece.

Wondering if his new friend the blacksmith could fashion a clip or clasp of some sort, Buddy made his way from the saloon, always alert to trouble, be it from dancers, handlers, savages or thieves...

Jake walked up to the indian woman and nodded, taking his hat off. He wanted to speak in her language, but didn't know which she spoke, so he started in english. "Hello, I'm Jake, what tribe are you from?"

Catori turned to Jake. She returned the nod. "I'm Catori" she said. Chapa nudged Catori's back with her nose. "I'm a Cammanche(sp?"

Jake began to speak her native language. "It's an honor to meet you. I'm friends with some of the Camanche. I met some on my travels. What brings you to town?"

Cator thought for a moment. "I came to meet an old friend." she said them realizing her racelet had fallen off. She sighed. "Now I have to go back to the Saloon." after realizing remembering Jake she said, "It's nice to meet you."

On his way to the blacksmith at the edge of town, Buddy passed a group of small children in front of the mercantile exchange. The kids were staring into the large picture window, drooling over the jars of colorful hard candies.

Thoughtfully, Buddy approached the waifs, tapping the oldest of the 4 on the shoulder, nodding and smiling down at the boy. Without a word, Buddy made a quick smooth motion upside the boy's head... and pulled a silver coin from the lad's ear! The boy beamed and his young siblings giggled with glee as Buddy handed the coin to them.

"Share with your brothers..." was Buddy's only wish. The boys nodded and scampered into the store, swarming the clerk at the counter.

Buddy smiled, and made his way around the back of the mercantile building, a short cut across town to the blacksmith, flipping another silver coin off his thumb and catching it as he walked.

Catori said good bye to Jake before she led Chapa out of the smith's shop. She had to get her bracelet back. She headed towards the saloon.

Chapa trotted beside Catori. She snorted and neighed the would lick Catori's ear getting her attention.

As he passed down the alley leading around back of the mercantile, Buddy was stopped short by a shout from over his shoulder.

"STOP!! THIEVES!!"

Buddy spun on his heel in time to catch a group of 3 banditos wearing blue bandanas over their mouths and noses, storming from the side exit of the mercantile building, and heading straight for Buddy!

Two of the bandits looked back over their shoulders, firing pistols at the pursuing clerk. The third bandit had his eye on the escape route, and spotted Buddy eyeballing him!

"Empty your pockets and be quick about it!" the bandit barked, taking easy aim with his Colt at Buddy's chest. Buddy was caught off-guard, and passed the bandit the few coins he'd collected in his pocket, while trying desperately to conceal the bracelet.

"ALL OF IT! Gimme that!" the bandit demanded as his buddies approached, still firing on, and hitting and killing the mercantile clerk.

"We gotta skin outta here!" the killers cried.

The lead bandito jerked the bracelet from Buddy then lashed out with the butt of his pistol, catching Buddy square on the cheek. Buddy reeled, dropping to his knee, and the banditos made off with their loot, as screams went up from other passersby, who found the fallen clerk...

Dazed, but driven, Buddy stumbled to his feet and over to the clerk. After recovering the dead clerk's pistol and firing a few wild shots at the fleeing bandits Buddy was overcome with panic and dizziness from his thrashing, and he slumped to the ground again, spent...

Catori ran forward. She was completely confued. She walked over to Jake. She gripped his collar. "Wheres the bracelet?" she asked. She was extremely hurt and angared.

~um...... should i change my characters name? cause it'll get too confusing with two Jakes even though i posted my character first~

Catori stopped short of shooting them and went to help the other man. She watched as a crowed gather. This didn't help. Crowds made Catori slightly nervous.

(((Eep, there's two Jakes? Ai, not good)))

((no, dont' wry about ur characters name, i didn't realize u postes first, my bad, i'll change. Mine is now Nick))
Nick spun, hearing the wild shot, and quickly pulled one of his pistols out. He carefully took aim and fired, hitting the first spuare in the chest. He took aim again, and hit the second in the leg. Walking over to him, Nick took the bag with the loot from him, and threw it over his shoulder. Once the still living man was taken away, nick walked over to Buddy. "You alright friend?"

Buddy shook off the pistol-whip and blinked, then righted himself slowly.
He nodded toward Nick then looked to the Indian girl as the crowd gathered.

"Welp, I'm a damn sight better off than the clerk..." Buddy shrugged stiffly, rubbing his cheek. "That could have gone very wrong for me..." he winked at the Indian girl and smiled, knowingly.

(Okay screw my other posts)

Catori not caring about getting caught in the cross fire, ran to buddy. She had seen him in the saloon. She noticed her bracelet. "What is going on?!" she yelled surprisingly over the shots.

~nah its ok.... i just wanted know if i should change it. till i decide whats what i wont post a name~
sit staring out the window he wondered if what who would be next to spend eternity in his compact built homes. His last was an innocent child with much to live for.

~Ok are we saying that Catori didn't recover her own bracelet yet? that she fired on the bandits when everyone else did, but that Nick recovered the loot?~

Yes, i recovered the loot, b/c i shot the two that Catori didn't.

~Yeah~

~can someone catch me up so i know how i can get involve~

~ok but what about the bracelet? nobody knew about the bracelet but me and the bandit (and maybe some witness at the saloon ), and the 'lead bandit' had it, while the following bandits had the loot from the merchant...

Right, but the all the bandits are dead right? So i just collected all the loot from them, and I'll let u search through it to find ur stuff, and when you pick up the braclet, Catori sees it. Or something like that.

Let's say you recovered it still wanting a reward.

~OK... and as for Jake getting involved... well there will be a need for a good coffin maker here real quick, with all these bodies around )~

Catori was mortefied. She wanted her bracelet. She glanced around ofr it then headed to the Saloon. It was empty...pretty much. She looked around on the floor.

In the commotion that follows, while all the killings and thievings are being sorted out with the sheriff, and the grieving widow of the shop owner/clerk is being consoled, Buddy casually pats down the 'lead bandito' and recovers the bracelet, while presuming to 'help the undertaker measure the bodies'...

Catori growled. It was gone. Could someone have taken it? She was completely dizzy from going in circles. She went through the blacksmith shop like a whirl wind.

Buddy finally arrived at the blacksmith shop, and smiled and greeted the short stocky balding smith warmly.

"Back again, my friend?" the smith smiled. "I told you I would gladly come for you when it was time to begin construction... was there something else you needed?"

Buddy nodded. "I could use a hapenny nail... and a plier..."

The smith was perplexed. "A single nail? and a pliers? Let me see what I can do for you..." he then noticed the savage girl enter in a flurry. "After I help the little miss..."

Buddy nodded and tinkered with some of the blacksmith's other wares while the smith tended to the girl.

"Can I help you find something, young lady?" the smith asked quietly, so as to not startle the obviously nervous lass.

Nick studied the bodies carefully. Now that the masks were off, he recognized all of them. They were all old buddies of his, from the time when he use to run with a crowd doing his dirty buisness. Nick gambled a lot, and sometimes cheated, but they had wanted to start a buisness of thievery. Thats when they split. He just shook his head and pulled a small flask from his boot. He rose the flask to the dead bodies and took a swig of the strong liquor. "Told ya it was no good boys. See ya in hell."

A look of shock appeared on Luis' face as he looked down at one of the bodies. He started cursing in Spanish at Nick. "You killed my brother, you stupid American!"

Catori sighed. "I've lost my racelet. I thought maybe it fell off in here, ut it hasn't." She looked really disappointed.

Buddy overheard the woman's plight and the obvious disppointment in her sigh, as his fingers curled over the bracelet in his vest pocket.

"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am..." the smith smiled weakly, trying to brighten the girl's mood even thru his discouraging words. "I haven't seen..."

"Maybe I can help?" Buddy offered, stepping up to the pair. "Let me finish my business with the smith, and we'll see about finding you your bracelet... can you describe it for me?"

"Yeah, well, he killed a clerk. Maybe he'll think twice next time," Nick said with a slight drunken smile.

"Coward!", Luis shouted, punching him in the face. "He may have been a thief, but at least he knew how to fight fair!"

Nick took the hit and then stood back to his feet, slightly agitated. "I didn't fight unfair. He was running straight for me, and had full sight of me." For the first time, he turned to look Luis in the eye. "And don't ever hit me like that again. Or you will find yourself with your brother." He knew he was the fastest gun in this town, and most of the west. Maybe this man would to, maybe he wouldn't. If he didn't, it only gave him the advantage.

Luis spat at Nick's feet and gave the blacksmith his broken spur to be repaired.

The blacksmith glared at Luis as the vaquero entered his shop and slid the spur across the counter.

"Dadblasted tarnation, Pasilla! I told you your business is no longer wanted around here! That 'outhouse' I hired you to build for me fell flat the first night, and my WIFE was inside it at the time! I'll never serve or hire you or your ilk in my shop again! Take your mangy carcass and broken spur the 6 miles up the creek on over to Bucksville...

of course, you'd better get some good solid boot heels, since you sure won't be riding without a good set of spurs! -heh-"

Buddy finished his purchase and stepped aside with Catori, while the smith and the Mexican vaquero squared off.

Catori sighed. She described the bracelet 's every detail. "And it has a very delicate clasp which I think might have broken, that's probably why it fell off."

Leo entered the saloon, still wringing off his shirt.
"You got anything to drink in this place?" he asked walking towards the bar and removing his hat.
The "bath" had gotten rid of most of the sand in his clothes. As he was walking towards the bar his eyes darted from person to person making mental notes on everyone in there.

Buddy nodded and motioned at the smith, who was still heavily engaged in confrontation with the Mexican. Buddy collected the tiny hapenny nail and pair of pliers, then knelt before the petite, pouting Indian.

"This bracelet forms a circle when worn properly, a sacred hoop..." he said softly, fishing the jewelry from his pocket and draping it gently over the girl's wrist. "But, the sacred hoop is incomplete, something is keeping the precious ends from coming together, from staying together for all eternity..."

The girl squirmed slightly at the tender touch of the white man who bowed before her, and Buddy continued, quietly.

"Somehow, some simple thing brought the 2 ends of this precious thing together, here in this blacksmith's shop..." the gringo held the bracelet ends together and slid the tiny nail between the loops.

"Some force, some kind of 'magic' even, brought these two dangling ends together, to complete the sacred hoop, bringing new life to the precious thing started there that day, in the small shop..."

he twisted the nail tight, but still very gently, locking the bracelet back in place against the small savage's skin, then smiled up at the girl, lifting her freshly-adorned arm to his lips, kissing the back of her hand once, charming her...

"Name's Buddy Reno..." he greeted. "Enchanted to meet you..."

Catori blushed scarlet. "Thank you." she said swallowing a little harder than normal. She was very glad to have her bracelet back and it was fixed. "I'm Catori."

"Catori..." Buddy echoed, rising from his crouch at the girl's feet. "That's Comanche for 'beautiful flower' isn't it?" he smiled.

"If it isn't... it should be..." OK he was babbling now, and had forgotten he was still holding her hand tenderly in his.

Lily got her horse to blacksmith and patiently held the horse like in her native american heritage. She would never steal or take money and why some thought so she would never know. "Sun seeds and moon beams are over the golden sun," she sang in Camouch, her mother used to sing this to her.

Catori looked down at her hand in his. Her blush deepened. What is he thinkng? she wondered bashfully.

Buddy looked around, suddenly self-aware and also aware of the surroundings.

"I'm thinking we oughta get outta here..." he answered the girl's thoughts though she hadn't spken them aloud. The smith and the Mexican might just come to blows, Buddy figured, and this was no place for a lady.

He took a few steps toward the smithy exit, and motioned for Catori to follow...

Chapa was out side waiting. The horse looked at buddy and cocked it's head to the side.

Catori followed Buddy. Once she spotted Chapa her smile broadened. She petted her horse and looked at Buddy. "DO you live here?"

Buddy escorted the fair Indian maiden out of the smith shop, and nodded at her question.

"I do... this week... and as long as my fortune holds..." he took note of her horse, and of the presence of the dark haired dancer he'd remembered from the saloon, and her horse. "Nice horse..."

"Excuse me a moment..." he stepped from Catori's side toward the dancer girl.

"Um, Miss? I wouldn't suggest troubling the smith just now... vaqueros about... could be trouble..." he made a point to point out the Mexican seen arguing with the smith in the tiny shop, then motioned to Catori.

"If you're having trouble with your horse, and don't mind being seen in the company of a scoundrel and a savage," he smiled slightly at his own remark, "We may be able to offer assistance and companionship..." he looked from the dancer to Catori, patiently.

Catori didn't look Lily in the face. She leaned against Chapa who seemed to be sizing the other horse up.

~ hey XornonJay, more bad news... check in the registration thread for SK88728's character name LOL so far he hasn't posted to the story thread but still... ~

Catori walked over to Lily's horse. She lifted the horse's leg and winced at the sight of it's shoe. She clicked her tongue and the horse seemed at piece. "And I thought Chapa's was bad."

"Just threw a shoe?" Buddy grinned. "Welp, I tell ya what ladies... if y'all can cover the $3 the smith would charge for the job, I can fix your horses shoes right quick... What do you say?"

Catori looked at Lily. As a native american she never carried money on her or not to where she could easily access it. "I'm sorry but I do not have the white men's money."

Buddy scowled, and ran a dirty hand over his scruffy chin, stepping from the dancer's horse to his new friend, Catori's horse.

"Easy there, Chapa..." he soothed the nervous beast, "Let me have a look..." after surveying the damage (and the players online at the moment ) Buddy decided,

"OK, here's my offer... spend the rest of the day in my company, tell me of your heritage and history, and what brings a beautiful desert flower such as you to a dust bowl backwater village like this, and I will tend to your horse... deal?"

"I told you when I built it that the wood was rotting, but 'no, it'll stay up, now get cracking, work boy'!" With that, Luis jumped over the counter and gave the blacksmith a solid smack upside the head.

(((grrrrrr, ok, my name is now Greg)))

"Bah!" the smithy stood his ground, even after the solid strike.
"The wood was in fine condition, it was the workmanship that suffered! And poor Hildy suffered for your shoddy, sloppy work! She'll never cop a squat in comfort again... All thanks to you and that band of blue-bandana'd drunkards... get out! get out of my shop before I summon the sheriff!" Mr Smith flicked the broken spur from the counter top; the spur skipped and skittered off the floor boards and into the dirt just outside...

Catori looked at Buddy. She then glanced at Lilly before nodding. "Okay, you fix her orse and I'll spend the say with you and tell you anything you like."

Tired of the drama, Greg (if no one else is named Greg : ) walked back to the saloon and paid for a full bottle of wiskey, then took a seat on the saloons wooded porch to watch the town.

Luis let out an angry snarl and left, taking his useless spur with him. He took his dead brother's body to a spot near his camp outside town and began digging.

Catori waited for Buddy to answer. He seemed to be thinking over it really hard. She wondered how this was going to work out.

Buddy nodded at Catori, and once again bowed before her, this time kneeling and going to work on shodding her horse. He paused in his work only long enough to rise and stand tall as the Mexican vaquero stormed from the smithy. He checked in on Mr. Smith, noting that the little fat man was tending his bruised temple and ego just fine, then settled back to the task.

"Yes ma'am... a fine horse..." Buddy noted once more as he finished the shodding. He patted Chapa gently and scratched under the horse's neck.
"So what brings you to town, as I'm almost certain you don't live here?" he was talking to the girl, but looking at the horse, kinda weird thing to do, have a conversation with a horse, but he hoped it would help the girl stay at ease a bit...

"I was visiting an old friend." she said noting Chapa was taken to Buddy. She petted Chapa's main.

Luis finished digging his hole, and was about to throw his brother's body in, when he noticed what a nice pair of spurs he had on... Come to think of it, everything the corpse was wearing looked expensive. He thought for a moment, then stripped off just the boots before tossing the dead man in the hole. He covered the grave back up, sticking a slab of bare stone in the ground at one end. As he was working, he started wondering why he had ever come to this country. Oh yeah. How could he forget--he was a wanted criminal in Mexico. He had never found out why, though. Maybe something one of his many brothers and sisters had done. He was the youngest in his family, consequently he tended to get blamed for a lot of things. So he had run away to the states, and done nothing but hard, honest work. And this was the treatment he got. He only had to walk into a room for people to lower their gaze and hush their voices. Damn racist Americans.

"Just be careful of the 'new friends' you make around here..." Buddy warned, gently tugging the reins from Catori, leading Chapa away from the smithy. "We're not all bad... just most..." he smiled at the girl and hoped she would keep her word and keep him company the rest of the day.

"So, where to, m'lady? My town is your town..."

Luis realized he had left his horse in front of the blacksmith's and hastily headed back through town, wearing the new pair of spurs. He stopped before getting back on Pancho, his horse. Taking the old broken spurs, he threw them at the blacksmith. One of them hit the man square in the back. The Mexican climbed on Pancho and started away.

"Can you fix my horse too? I have three dollars and I want to ask questions too. We hardly get Native Americans here anymore, " said Lily as she fixed her necklace on her neck.

Catori glanced at Buddy and followed. She pointed to Lily.

Buddy paused at Lily's request; it was as if he had forgotten there was another person in the world once he'd looked into the chestnut eyes and carmel skin of Catori, the Comanche princess.

"Uhh, I'm sorry..." Buddy turned to Lily and smiled. "Yes, of course I can help your horse. I saw you at the saloon earlier, right? Both of you were there, actually, I recall..."

Buddy accepted the payment from the blue eyed girl and nodded in gratitude, tucking the bills in the pocket inside his vest.

"Looks like this ol' girl needs a little more work that Chapa there... if you ladies would like to return to the saloon, to get out of the mid-day heat, I will pay Mr Smith for the shoes and bring uhh..." he got the name from Lily, "Daner (Dancer??) here along when I've got her fixed up..."

Catori sighed. She didn't drink the alchohol. "I think I'll browse the clothing shop. I might go later." she told Lily before heading over to the store. She walked inside and looked at the curious clothes. They were nothing like what she was use to.

Lily said, "I don'i like the saloon but it gets me money so maybe I should look at new clothing."

Catori watched as the White women went threw so much troule to get into their outfits and there were so many layers. She was amazed they could breathe much less walk.

"If your wondering I prefer my dance skirts, just one petticoat, to those. Have you heard of my mother, Sundancer or Skinopiki?" asked Lily with a curious look on her face.

Catori looked at Lily and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I haven't" she said fingering a skirt. "Do you not get hot in so many layers?" she asked.

~if you're wondering, I also prefer the slinky, skimpy dance skirts! MMMMM ~

While the girls were shopping and chatting the high noon hour away, there arose another ruckus out in the street. Normally such excitement was reserved for later in the day, when the men had settled up their bar tabs and were testy, beligerent and itching for a fight.

But, there was something weird this day, at high noon...


"GET THE SHERIFF!" the townsfolk cried. "SOMEBODY JUST KILLED THE BLACKSMITH!!"

"I don't like the layers to the indian clothes I used to wear before my father brought me here," said Lily with a sigh. "I'm not really Lily but Sunia from your tribe I think.

Catori nodded. "We better check that noise out." she said walking out of the shop. She scanned the street.

Lily swept her skirts in her hand and trotted after Catori in a fast gallop.

Luis swore in Spanish under his breath. He knew that he would probably get arrested if he stuck around. He spurred Pancho through town at a full gallop. Just before he reached the edge of town, two deputies on horses cornered him off, pointing guns at him. Looking around, he saw that he was surrounded. With an angry sigh, he threw both arms in the air.

Catori watched. She looked at Chapa who was galloping towards her.

"Wha?" said Lily(Sunia) as she watched the arrest take place.

The deputies ordered Luis to get off his horse, which he did. One of them tried to cuff him, but he charged at him and butted his head into the man's stomach. The gun was thrown from his hand. Luis picked it up, leapt back onto his horse, and galloped away, firing randomly at the deputies.

"Not good." Catori commented. She knew she would probably be another suspect.

"STOP!" screamed Lily as he charged in front of her. Lily knew he might take her for ransom but she couldn't have her father(sheriff) get hurt.

Luis fired at the ground a couple yards away from her horse's feet, trying to get her to back off. The deputy's gun ran out of ammunition, and he pulled out one of his own. He urged Pancho to go even faster, running at his top speed.

Catori watched. She sighed and followed suite. She stood beside Lily.

Lily saw him change directions and closed her eyes but felt something tug her upward and she was moving forward.

((what...?))

Catori braced to be ran over. She looked up to see Lily and the bandito.

(u kidnapped her)

Lily/Sunia's horse trotted slowly down the dusty street away from the smith's shop, with no one at the reins. Strangely, it's rider was being dragged beneath and behind the beast, a foot caught in the stirrup or saddle blanket somehow.

The horse trotted up to the ladies, to its owner, Sunia where it stopped and grunted.

No, that wasn't the horse grunting, it was the man on the ground...

It was Buddy Reno, unconscious and dragged at the mercy of the freshly-shod horse!!

Lily watched herself move horrified.

~I'm not sure Luis was planning on taking a hostage...~

((no I didn't... ))

((exactly... Thank you))

Catori gasped. She bent down to help Buddy. She tried to help him stand although he was unconscious. "uddy, wake up?" she begged gently slapping the side of his face.

Lily gazed around and saw her father on his trusty stead and smiled as they wheeled back to town.

Catori sighed. She started to panic. She wanted Buddy o wake. Is someone walked out They'd blame her for attacking him.

The Vaquero charged his horse thru town, deputies hot on his trail. Buddy and the ladies looked on as the Sheriff rode up from the blacksmith, on horseback but not in pursuit of the Vaquero (only deputies went on the chase, the Sheriff maintains the peace in town), surrounded by children and other various townsfolk.

"There! That's the person who was outside the smith's shop!" a few of the kids screamed, pointing down the street.

Buddy recovered slowly, and looked down the street toward the fleeing bandito and nodded, shrugging more dust and dirt from his shoulders. "I knew it... not all, but most..."

Unfortunately, when he turned back to the ladies and their horses, the crowd and the Sheriff had converged on their location, and the kids and Johnny Law were all glaring directly at HIM!'

~gulp!~

Luis looked behind him. He had outrun the three deputies, and it looked like they had stopped to help Buddy anyways. He brought his horse down to a slow trot and wheeled him around. When they got back to his camp, Luis packed it up and put it in his saddlebags. He proceeded to move around the edge of the town at an easy lope, until he was a quarter of a mile or so to the other side. There was a slope at a 45 degree angle going down thirty or forty feet to a stream. He got off Pancho and set up camp on the bank. As long as he could do without a fire, they wouldn't see him here.

*This goes before your post.
The sheriff put her down slowly and headed towards the blacksmith to chack it out.

((oops... Didn't see that Rick... Anyways... I outran the deputies))

Catori swallowed hard. "Buddy, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah are you," said Lily as she kneeled near him.

Buddy found himself squeezing the little brown-skinned Indian girl's hand, nervous and afraid, as the red-faced glares, accusations, and questions washed over him from the crowd.

"I'm not sure I'll ever be ok again, after this..." he smiled at the kind, considerate questions, considering the nature of the other questions being fired at him like bullets in the mid-day heat. The deputies returned from the chase, shrugging and shaking their heads at the Sheriff...

Buddy looked at Catori, she looked at him, they both looked at each other... and Hell broke loose and swallowed up poor pitiful Buckshot Buddy Reno.

"They call you that because you're some kinda crackshot with a rifle, aint that right, boy?" the Sheriff snorted.

Buddy gulped and sighed, noticing the mortician and coffin maker loitering uncomfortably close by.

"What's your connection to the Blues Brother posse? How do you know Luis Pasilla? and what's your beef with the blacksmith?!"

Buddy slumped in confused surrender. He had no answers...

"Father lay off the questions," said Lily bravely to her father, the sheriff.

Catori stayed by Buddy's side. SHe knew he was innocent. "Buddy didn't do anything." she defended.

Luis was just beginning to feel safe in his hiding place when he felt somebody's presence at the top of the shallow ravine. "Freeze, criminal!" Luis instinctively reached for his gun. It was empty. Two more men appeared. They practically tackled him. One of them tied a rope around his midsection and dragged him back to town.

Greg stood from his seat and walked to the crowd. He fired his pistol in the air once he was there and quieted everyone. "This man was just dragged under a horse. I'm sure he would appriciate a moment to himself." He placed the gun back in its holster, but kept his hand on it.

"I'll get a ice block for his head," said Lily.

Luis managed to keep his head off the ground by grabbing the rope and pulling himself up on it. After what seemed like an eternity, they got back into town. The horse stopped in front of the crowd. The man dismounted and kicked Luis, who stood up. "Sheriff, I think you were looking for this kid."

The sheriff looked Luis over and nodded his head decisively, apparently satisfied. "Lock him up. Make sure the other man's alright and lock him up, too."

"Why?" asked Lily to her sheriff dad.

Buddy tried to smile at the kindness being shown by the 'strangers' of the town, as well as those few new friends he'd made, but the dire circumstances of his situation demanded a sickening scowl. This was murder, most foul, in a small Old Western flyspeck on some map; they would hang a man for less, and Buddy Reno had no defense; no inkling of recollection of what had happened at the smith's shop that afternoon.
All he did know, he cried out, dropping to his knees, still clutching Catori's hand tightly in his.

"I... I... I'm innocent... I would never... well, this time, I mean... I am innocent! You must believe me!" strangely, he found himself staring at Catori's horse again, not Sheriff Sanders or even Catori herself...

~funny, how easy it is for a man to express himself to a lady's horse, aint it...~

Luis Pasilla and Buckshot Buddy Reno were carted off to the jail, to await speedy trial and most surely execution by hanging...

"Why?" screamed Rose madly at her father, sheriff of this law forsaken town.

A deputy kicked Pasillas into one of two small cells, to much cursing and jeering from him. A second deputy put Buddy in the adjacent cell. There were only bars separating the two cells.

"Daddy why are you doing this?" cried Lily to her father.

(Kinda scary )

Catori wanted to argue. She walked over to the sheriff. "Sir, he is innocent. You're own daughter says it."

"Hah! We'll find out by tomorrow morning, won't we? Now, it's important to understand something--both men are shady characters. Reno's a drunk. Pasillas is a wanted man in his native Mexico."

Catori walked away from the crowd and towards the sheriffs office. She hope maybe she could talk to Buddy.

Lily walked away from her father disgusted and followed catori.