Wild West

Many years ago in Harris county lived a prominent sheriff. He had been sheriff for thirty years. He was a good man, a fair man, a respected man. But above all, he was a fast man with a gun.

One bright hot sunny day a stranger came to town. He was a gunslinger, and he too was fast. He went by the name of Daniel Pineda. He rode in on a black horse and Daniel was wearing all black. The unusually large rim on his hat cast a strong shadow across his face. Daniel dismounted and moved to the center of Antoine Street. The locals scattered. Nobody needed to be told why Daniel Pineda was in town.

The sheriff came out slowly through the swinging doors of Harris saloon, moved to the center of the street, and faced Daniel Pineda. It was all over very quickly. The sheriff lay dead on the dusty street, Daniel Pineda mounted his horse and road out of town, never to be seen again.

Folks in them parts use to say that there was only one person in the world who was faster with a gun than the sheriff, and that was Cain Velasquez, the sheriff's 15 year old son. That's why the folks of Harris.county had a new sheriff, a 15 year old boy that prayed for the day that Daniel would return to Harris.

There was another gunslinger that went by the name of Blackeye Gudda. Blackeye had been born in England. He had been a sailor on a British frigate when England was at war with the French and Spanish. Blackeye had swapped sides a few times because he had no morals about patriotism. He was a mercenary and worked for whoever paid the most. He'd even been known to fight under the Skull and Cross Bones flag at times.

Blackeye had seen a lot of fighting and dying, but he was alive because he was fast at killing, be it with a gun or knife. He was real fast. And by now his reputation was real big too. The gray hairs had only just started when his drifting eventually brought him to Harris.county in America. He thought he might like to settle down there, but that's a hard thing for a man with a reputation to do.

Cain Velasquez, the nearly to be 16 year old sheriff, had a lot of friends in Harris. Blackeye was a newcomer. It wasn't long before Cain heard about Blackeye and sent word to him for a showdown at noon. Blackeye rode into town on his Quarter horse Butch Cassidy and dismounted. He walked to the center of the street, not far from the saloon, and waited. Much as Daniel had done a few months before.

Again the locals scattered for safety from a possible ricochet. Cain exited through the swinging doors, moved to face Blackeye, and waited. Much as his father had done, and the results of that were still bitter on his tongue. They froze with their eyes locked together, waiting for that slightest of movement that they knew would have to come. The towns people looked from man to sheriff, as still as statues. Not the slightest movement of hands poised at their gun handles. Then came an almost non discernible breeze down Main Street. It made the wheels in Blackeye's spurs turn and jingle with the faintest of sounds. But it was enough for the two cowboys to go for their guns.

They shot at each other with perfect synchronization. Two blasts became one and sounded like thunder. The sound made the town shake and every one blinked at the same time. When they opened their eyes they were stunned by what they witnessed.

From the smoking barrels of the two guns, protruded little sticks with flags on the end. On the flags was written, 'Peace brother'. Cain and Blackeye walked towards each other, put their arms over each other’s shoulders, and strolled into the saloon. They knocked back a couple of double whiskeys each and then went off to enjoy themselves with the local whores. Later a half dozen drunken cowhands picked a fight with them and the cowhands hit the ground dead without even touching the handles of their guns. These two cowboys were real fast.

In the evening while the two were drinking at the bar, Blackeye did a strange thing. He was standing close to Cain so that no one else heard what he said. He said, "Cain, this is your territory." Blackeye then took out his gun, put the barrel into his mouth and blew the back of his head off. He was gone just like that.
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