Re: Chapter 13: Consequences
The second night of the new performance at the Frontier House goes well on stage. The house is rowdier than normal. It seems Randy's association with the alleged murderer, Travis Sunday, has brought the hunters out. Many were well on the way to inebriation before entering the theatre, while others made a rush on the bar. Truly a boon to the evening's till, the events prove less than pleasant.
The house is packed to standing room only. There are fewer refined patrons this evening. Uncle Billy's call to enter in an orderly fashion is more or less heeded. Soledad Sanchez is quite busy at the bar and has little time to socialize like she normally does. After the fifteen minutes or so in the lobby, the crowd is admitted to the house. The hunters make a bum rush for the first row of benches--some succeed, some don't. The soldiers on the night's leave are more orderly, but refuse to be pushed about. They make their rush for the good seats to get the view of the women in the show.
Just like the night before, the opening skit is one with Randy. He has fun with it. It takes a little time for the hunters to realize the friend of their enemy. They hurl insults at him while he stumbles across the stage. Fortunately for Randy, the noise of the audience mingles with the singing, piano, and other laughter and hoots so as to sound muddled.
Later, the number where Miss Sanchez and Mr. Big'un are onstage together causes the greatest trouble of the night. The loud-mouth hunters start to drown out the dulcet tones of the woman. This, in turn, angers the calvalrymen who hurl their own insults at the detractors. Some from each faction stand and point fingers or lunge toward the others, but nothing more serious than that.
Some unruly and drunk hunters go so far as to heckle Uncle Billy as if he were Randy. Two such men are escorted out of the theatre for 'their own safety.' There are still unwarranted verbal attacks on men in the cast who don't even know Mr. Sunday. Uncle Billy and Soledad have to calm them down and explain it's not Randy's fault, or anyone else in the cast, that men in the audience have grievance with someone in town. The fact that Randy knows the man should be no basis for grudges. Many others at the Frontier have met the man, after all.
The show wraps without even so much as a minor scuffle. Randy clears the stage and cleans his face.
Uncle Billy sends for Mr. Big'un to meet him in the lobby.
When Randy joins him, the proprietor says, "I'm happy to see you can keep you mind on your work when the house is misbehaving." He pours a small whiskey and passes it to the actor.
"That's what a pugilist gotta do to." He pushes the whiskey back. "G'night, Uncle Billy."