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Post by Lauren on Nov 28, 2010 21:05:09 GMT
High noon. The sun was hot, the sand was baking. Rowdy Marsden stumbled across desert near delirious from dehydration. A long, red wound across his neck announced his lucky escape from a noose not long ago. He squinted his bright blue eyes against the sunlight as he spotted the first sight on civilisation he'd seen in days. He blinked, relieved that the house didn't move away as he stepped closer. It wasn't a mirage. It was real.
Rowdy dropped to his knees in front of a water trough meant for the cows grazing in the pen. He scooped up the water, desperately, into his mouth. Once he'd drunk enough water to keep him alive, not enough to make him throw up, he dunked his flask into the water, filling it up and tucking it into his coat pocket. Rowdy took off his hat, ran a damp hand through his thick hair and replaced his hat again. He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a thin cigar. He poked it into his mouth and lit it up as he glanced around the ranch he'd stumbled upon. His eyes settled on a beautiful white horse. That'd do the trick. Rowdy flicked his match into the dirt and tugged the hat down over his eyes as he strolled across to the horse. Fixing one foot into the stirrup, he pulled himself onto the horse.
As the horse started galloping across the ranch, he heard a door swing shut far behind him and a woman's shout of, "HEY! STOP!" Rowdy didn't stop. He didn't even look behind him. A moment later the door swung shut again, followed by the sound of a single gunshot, and a burning in his arm. The horse bucked and Rowdy was thrown into the dirt, blood pounding from his arm. He blinked away white spots from his eyes enough so see a dark haired, pale faced woman in a blue dress standing over him. "Next time ah'll shoot to kill," She grabbed a lasso from the horse's satchel and roped Rowdy's arms behind his back, hauling him with considerable strength for a woman onto the back of the horse to take him to the next town for the law to take care of him.
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Post by PirateOTC on Nov 28, 2010 21:19:32 GMT
"'Ey, missy, pour up anoth'r round for my boys, will you, sugar?"
The day had begun slow and calm this hot day in the saloon where Billie-Jo was working as a bartender.
"Comin' right up, Joe" she said with her broad western accent as she skillfully poured up five beers for Joe (one of the regular customers), gave change to two other customers and shouted to two others to stop dancing on the tables.. "or else they'll wreck an' yah mama ain't payin' for those!" She smoothly swaggered over to Joe and handed him and his friends the beer.
"Hey, Billie, where's Audrey eh? She ditched ya?" he smirked and swigged his beer
Billie sighed as she dried the table beside him. "Hell if I know, Joe... all I know is I gotta work at "The Cuckoo" tonight and I can't come late so she better show up pretty soon...'else I'll have ta close the saloon early"
The men moaned and protested and Billie smirked;
"And I know ya ain't liking that!"
She walked back behind the bar to her duties.
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Post by Jacky on Nov 28, 2010 21:22:07 GMT
Nicolas Stokes sat in the back of a cell in the town's prison, awaiting his execution that was planned for the day after. He had spend all day arguing in his defence, but as usual, to no avail. So now, he sat, silent, cross-legged, waiting. His piercing blue eyes were fixed on the guard on the other side of the bars. The man was slouched in a rocking chair, as he had been for the past hour or more. Finally, Nicolas' patience paid off when the guard seemed to be falling asleep. Nicolas pushed himself onto his knees, and he quietly moved to the front of the cell. He reached through the bars, trying to reach the piece of charcoal on the desk. "Oh c'mon," He mumbled under his breath, when his arm was a few inches too short.
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Post by Lauren on Nov 28, 2010 21:30:09 GMT
As few moments later, Bonnie strode into the jail, kicking the legs of the chair the guard, making it rock back and forth. He bolted upright, awake. "I've got a horse thief for you," She told him, hand on her hip. "Or a would be horse thief if he was less incompetent." She led the jail guard outside where Rowdy was bound on the back of her horse.
"You shoot him, Miss Allen?" The guard frowned, grabbing Rowdy by the wrists and dragging him inside.
"Of course not! I found him that way," Bonnie said innocently, while the jailer unlocked the cell. Rowdy groaned and stumbled on his feet, bumping into the table and knocking the charcoal off. It rolled under the bars into the cell, landing underneath the bunk. The guard tossed Rowdy roughly inside and locked the door behind him.
"Thank you, kindly," Bonnie smiled, swaying out of the jail, heading to the saloon. While she was in town now, she might as well get a drink.
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Post by PirateOTC on Nov 28, 2010 21:38:23 GMT
Billie-Jo knew all the faces that were in her bar at noon everyday. Rarely any strangers came to this town. It was small and was far away from the bigger city, but Billie-Jo liked it here. She liked the small cities where she knew almost everyone. Strangers made her nervous, eventhough she came forth like a tough and fully capable woman, having her own saloon, throwing out the drunkards when they got too many. She had had her fair share of assholes trying things to her since she actually was a very young and very pretty woman, but no one here dared lay a hand on her. She knew she was probably in every mans fantasy in here, but they showed her respect. Rarely women got respect, but she had earned it the hard way...
She glanced up towards the gate-door when she heard it open, expecting Bryan or McDonald, since they hadn't come for their noon-beer yet. But she stopped drying the glass in her hand when she saw a stranger. A female even. Actually, the whole saloon went silent and everybody turned to look at the woman who just entered.
Billie-Jo broke the silence by placing her hand on her hip and cocked her head a bit to the side and said to the woman:
"Well God aft'noon, Lady, is there anythin' I can do for ya?"
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Post by Jacky on Nov 28, 2010 21:41:08 GMT
When a woman had entered the jail, Nicolas had fallen back into the cell, pretending to be asleep with his back against the wall. He couldn't resist opening his eyes when something fell to the floor though, and his gaze had eagerly followed the path of the charcoal over the floor. When the woman had left, he instantly sat up and pocketed the charcoal while the guard's back was turned. Only then did he turn to look at his new cellmate. He quietly observed the guy on the floor, who didn't look like he was having the best day either. "You alright there, chief?" He finally asked, postponing the guard's next nap for the sake of introductions.
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Post by Lauren on Nov 28, 2010 21:44:52 GMT
Rowdy groaned, pushing himself to his knees awkwardly, cigar still gripped between his teeth, not letting it go durying to uncomfortable trip. "Mind untying me, friend?" He asked, his voice a raspy growl.
Bonnie glanced up at the other woman in mild amusement at the fact the costumers of said saloon found a woman patron unusual. Bartender, yes, patron was a different matter altogether. "A drink?" She smirked, lifting her skirt enough to slide onto a bar stool. "If that's not too much trouble,"
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Post by Jacky on Nov 28, 2010 21:50:08 GMT
"Of course," Nicolas pushed himself to his feet, and he swiftly untied the man's wrists. While the ropes fell on the floor, Nicolas' eyes were already fixed on the guard again, who had returned to his rocking chair. Fortunately, he didn't seem to be in the least interested in the people in his jailcell.
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Post by PirateOTC on Nov 28, 2010 21:52:22 GMT
"Why certainly not" Billie stopped looking at her and started mixing a drink instead as she said:"Come a long way, eh? My cool drinks is just what ya need then" She smiled and when she was done with the drink she gave it a push so it slid across the bar right to the woman and stopped right infront of her, not an inch too far to the right or to the left, but right infront of her.
"Go on, boys!" she said with a louder voice and the saloon got filled with male voices, laughter and curses again as they all started minding their own business again.
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Post by Lauren on Nov 28, 2010 21:55:54 GMT
Rowdy rubbed his wrists when the rope feel free. "Thanks," He grunted, his first act of freedom to relight the cigar. With one flick of the wrist, a well practised movement, the match blew out and he flicked it across the floor. Then, once he had his smoke, he rolled up his sleeve to inspect the bullet wound in his arm.
"Allen Ranch," Bonnie answered the first remark about how far she'd come. "Over the hill." She threw a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of her ranch. Then raised an eyebrow at the drink when it came to a stop in front of her. "Impressive," She smirked, lifting the glass to her lips.
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