Re: The Hungover Posse
In reply to John Smith (msg #26):
"There's them that see the law in black and white, friend, and are willing to pay good money to see it done." The big man replies. "To be frank, sir, I don't care about the gray as long as I see the green. Whether the man is innocent or not is for the courts to decide. It's my job to see that he gets before them."
As John speaks to the growing posse, the two ringleaders look at each other.
Gus frowns. "He did, did he?"
The other one spits. "I don't give a good goddamn. This nigger is trouble. Near caused a riot in town yesterday. Not that I don't love a good fight, especially when an injun gets it in the neck, but now he's here on our land stirring up the same, and we ain't gonna have it."
"That's not the tune you sang yesterday, friend." The bounty hunter say. "The way I recall it, you were the quickest to jump up and offer information."
"That was different." The man growls back. "You were after a murdin, rapin' Redskin then. That's the sort o' filth we need to clean from our fair town. But you done gone sniffin' up the wrong tree here, Cantrell. You can chase all the criminals you like in Blackthorn. But this is our land. Don't mess with us."
"Dave," Gus says, "let it go. John here says Ward done gave this nigger free pass off the land. So we give him free pass. This is a one-time-only deal, though. We see you again, we give you the whuppin' you deserve."
Dave turns and glares at Gus. "Who made you the leader o' this outfit, Gus? I say we done give the nigger here a whuppin' right now, to remind him of his place."
"You really are dumber than a sack of hammers, aren't you?" Cantrell cracks his knuckles. "I've ridden with the Texas Rangers. I chased down John Wesley Hardin himself. And I can take you, you pissant sonofabitch."
Looks like there's a fight a brewin'...John had better think of something quick...