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.
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?"
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.
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...
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.
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...