thaiff carson --cont.
"thaiff , this ain't your kansas cow town . we pride ourselves on law and order around here. we handle things legal and proper . lemme see that wanted poster , boy. " this time without a drink before him , 13th territorial circuit judge foley had managed to clear his throat and speak.
the kid pulled the folded wanted notice from his shirt pocket and tossed it on the bar . the judge putting on tiny spectacles , unfolded and examined the notice --carefully eyeing the drawing ,then looking across to the saloon table comparing against the living , breathing man , the flat lifeless version that the kid hoped the man to be .
from too many previous "legal" experiences ,the trembling girl and the frightened gambler, each showing empty hands to the kid , slowly stood up and cautiously removed themselves nearer to the piano--away from the possible lines of fire .
almost simultaneously -- unnoticed by the kid's eyes --eyes preoccupied by the motion of the gambler and the saloon girl's retreat --the barkeep silently had eased himself the short distance over to where his sawed-off shotgun was kept from sight --on the shelf beneath the bar . the bartender had with one hand and an almost undiscernable dip of his knees retrieved the weapon , holding it at the ready-- slightly below view .
after a studious moment of silence , the judge mumbled and then clearing his throat opined , " jeezus kid , there is quite a resemblance around the nose and eyes and they got the same forehead and close to the same chin , but i can see from here there ain't no little half-moon scar over this feller's left eye like the poster says. an he ain't tall enough --poster says carter hayes is a bigger man , closer ta six feet --closer ta 200 pounds than this man is. this feller here's too thin and too small-- ain't no more than five eight --five ten at the most--no taller than you .
besides boy, up in emerytown last week, i heered news that the pinkertons almost bagged ole hayes -- kilt two of his boys deader than doorknobs and pretty sure they wounded hayes --tryin to make off with the strongbox on the tylerville stage. it's plain this man ain't been shot recent. i'm pretty sure this man here ain't carter lee hayes and i can't authorize you takin him in , ta claim the ree-ward ."
the kid-- eyes fixed upon the watch chain man-- tightened his grip on the colt , clenched his jaw and replied tersely " -- don't need your 'authorization' -- drunk old man--you're likkered up --cain't see straight"
"you miserable little wretch, i'll authorize my foot to kick some respect up your raggedyass" ,the judge growled .
"do i see a fool pointin a gun ,or a gun pointin a fool ?" the watch chain man rhetorically asked.
"shut up , graybeard ! point is --all you gonna see is the pit of hell" ,responded the kid.
"this man's a wanted outlaw--that paper says so --i'm takin him in-- dead--if he still thinks he's a man-- or alive--if the sonnuva 2-penny-whore ain't got no fight left in him--either way i ain't leavin without him tied to a horse ."
"look kid" ,the judge straightened up to his full height , "this is a place of law , order and justice . as the representative of justice , i'm tellin you fer the last time --let it go--you got the wrong man--you can't just pin an outlaw's name on a man and then kill him for the ree-ward money--not even round this godawful place-- that dog don't hunt --that mule don't plow. now holster that weapon 'fore i have your raggedyass thrown in a cell."
" 'thrown in a cell?' --huuh! i don't see no sheriff...i don't see no deputy" --the kid sneered, " --oldtimer , that whiskey got you feelin stoked up enough to where you wanna try ?"
the instantly recognizable clicking sounds of both barrels of a sawed-off shotgun being primed to fire in his direction , froze the kid in his tracks .
"inside these four walls , kid i'm the sheriff , the deputy and old jupiter himself" ,interjected the bartender , "now holster that colt before these lightnin bolts cut your ass in two ."
"damm... i was bettin you kept that 'cannon' a little closer to the door ,barkeep " , angrily responded the kid .
"the best laid plans of mice and flies oftimes foul up and goes awry..." remarked bell , sardonically.
"you shut yer damm mouth" , demanded the kid .
"sometimes life's a crapshoot ,you win some --lose some --can't take it too serious ,kid ", philosophically offered the gambler .
"go-da-hell ,mister", the kid retorted .
"c'mon kid ,put that gun away an come on over here an talk to me ," soothed the saloon girl, " you said your name's thaiff ? you're gonna ruin the party , thaiff . why don't just you an me have a little drink together ? there's better ways to have some fun than ... "
"drink snake piss , whore--you speak when spoken to --and don't put my name in your filthy ,cocksucker mouth again ." the boy interrupted.
thwarted in his first murderous plan ,whiskey unleashing his rage , the drifter now seethed with anger .with his teeth clenched , fangs bared and froth churning up in the corners of his mouth he was no longer able to pretend . he had dropped the useless mask of amiability . with complete scorn for all present ,he then made his intent that day plain.
"you got a bent nail in the shoe of the left rear hoof of that roan mare you been riding--mr thaddeus wilson bell--
i know cause it leaves a distinctive mark--easy to follow .real easy to follow. one thing my paw taught me is horses. worked horses all my life .my earliest memories is being on a horse. i know about that horse uh-yorn cause i trailed you here all the way from kansas -after you shot an killed my paw --you murderin' sunnavabitch !"
the kid pulled the folded wanted notice from his shirt pocket and tossed it on the bar . the judge putting on tiny spectacles , unfolded and examined the notice --carefully eyeing the drawing ,then looking across to the saloon table comparing against the living , breathing man , the flat lifeless version that the kid hoped the man to be .
from too many previous "legal" experiences ,the trembling girl and the frightened gambler, each showing empty hands to the kid , slowly stood up and cautiously removed themselves nearer to the piano--away from the possible lines of fire .
almost simultaneously -- unnoticed by the kid's eyes --eyes preoccupied by the motion of the gambler and the saloon girl's retreat --the barkeep silently had eased himself the short distance over to where his sawed-off shotgun was kept from sight --on the shelf beneath the bar . the bartender had with one hand and an almost undiscernable dip of his knees retrieved the weapon , holding it at the ready-- slightly below view .
after a studious moment of silence , the judge mumbled and then clearing his throat opined , " jeezus kid , there is quite a resemblance around the nose and eyes and they got the same forehead and close to the same chin , but i can see from here there ain't no little half-moon scar over this feller's left eye like the poster says. an he ain't tall enough --poster says carter hayes is a bigger man , closer ta six feet --closer ta 200 pounds than this man is. this feller here's too thin and too small-- ain't no more than five eight --five ten at the most--no taller than you .
besides boy, up in emerytown last week, i heered news that the pinkertons almost bagged ole hayes -- kilt two of his boys deader than doorknobs and pretty sure they wounded hayes --tryin to make off with the strongbox on the tylerville stage. it's plain this man ain't been shot recent. i'm pretty sure this man here ain't carter lee hayes and i can't authorize you takin him in , ta claim the ree-ward ."
the kid-- eyes fixed upon the watch chain man-- tightened his grip on the colt , clenched his jaw and replied tersely " -- don't need your 'authorization' -- drunk old man--you're likkered up --cain't see straight"
"you miserable little wretch, i'll authorize my foot to kick some respect up your raggedyass" ,the judge growled .
"do i see a fool pointin a gun ,or a gun pointin a fool ?" the watch chain man rhetorically asked.
"shut up , graybeard ! point is --all you gonna see is the pit of hell" ,responded the kid.
"this man's a wanted outlaw--that paper says so --i'm takin him in-- dead--if he still thinks he's a man-- or alive--if the sonnuva 2-penny-whore ain't got no fight left in him--either way i ain't leavin without him tied to a horse ."
"look kid" ,the judge straightened up to his full height , "this is a place of law , order and justice . as the representative of justice , i'm tellin you fer the last time --let it go--you got the wrong man--you can't just pin an outlaw's name on a man and then kill him for the ree-ward money--not even round this godawful place-- that dog don't hunt --that mule don't plow. now holster that weapon 'fore i have your raggedyass thrown in a cell."
" 'thrown in a cell?' --huuh! i don't see no sheriff...i don't see no deputy" --the kid sneered, " --oldtimer , that whiskey got you feelin stoked up enough to where you wanna try ?"
the instantly recognizable clicking sounds of both barrels of a sawed-off shotgun being primed to fire in his direction , froze the kid in his tracks .
"inside these four walls , kid i'm the sheriff , the deputy and old jupiter himself" ,interjected the bartender , "now holster that colt before these lightnin bolts cut your ass in two ."
"damm... i was bettin you kept that 'cannon' a little closer to the door ,barkeep " , angrily responded the kid .
"the best laid plans of mice and flies oftimes foul up and goes awry..." remarked bell , sardonically.
"you shut yer damm mouth" , demanded the kid .
"sometimes life's a crapshoot ,you win some --lose some --can't take it too serious ,kid ", philosophically offered the gambler .
"go-da-hell ,mister", the kid retorted .
"c'mon kid ,put that gun away an come on over here an talk to me ," soothed the saloon girl, " you said your name's thaiff ? you're gonna ruin the party , thaiff . why don't just you an me have a little drink together ? there's better ways to have some fun than ... "
"drink snake piss , whore--you speak when spoken to --and don't put my name in your filthy ,cocksucker mouth again ." the boy interrupted.
thwarted in his first murderous plan ,whiskey unleashing his rage , the drifter now seethed with anger .with his teeth clenched , fangs bared and froth churning up in the corners of his mouth he was no longer able to pretend . he had dropped the useless mask of amiability . with complete scorn for all present ,he then made his intent that day plain.
"you got a bent nail in the shoe of the left rear hoof of that roan mare you been riding--mr thaddeus wilson bell--
i know cause it leaves a distinctive mark--easy to follow .real easy to follow. one thing my paw taught me is horses. worked horses all my life .my earliest memories is being on a horse. i know about that horse uh-yorn cause i trailed you here all the way from kansas -after you shot an killed my paw --you murderin' sunnavabitch !"
posted by dsekou at 10:48 AM
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