Jake and Rob

“Were Jake and Tom here?” The burly looking man wearing brown trill pants and jacket asked. He was bearded too, wearing a gun belt and tied down holster with a dark wood handled pistol. He didn’t look too clean. 

“Not that I seen,” answered the bar tender, his brogue still distinctive.

“Well, their horses are  tied outside. They must be around somewhere or coming back here.”

The young man had  been watching and listening from the table wth his back to the wall. 

“The three horses tied outside are my horses. “ he said standing,”  Were these Jake and Tom your friends?” He asked the man who turned now to face him.

“Who are you to be asking?” The burley fellow asked, his hand close to the low riding gun.

‘The man who shot the wonder of two of those horses before me they came to mine ,” he answered , matter of factly.

The burl man didn’t answer that  in words but drew his gun in hope of answering in action. The trouble was his action was quickly superseded by a much faster reaction.  He was left  holding his chest and falling forward onto his face. The last look he had before he face planted was one of surprise and shock.  The men sitting further back in the saloon didn’t even get up from their chairs but now having looked , turned back to their card game.

“Can you tell me who that was and who these Jake and Tom were?’ The young man asked the bar tender.  “I don’t know any of them but Jake and Rob, if they owned the horses,  tried to bushwhack me coming through the canyon.  I took them horses but left their bodies for the wolves. 

‘Can’t say I know them.” Said the bar tend, “  They came in here together for drinks , that’s all.”  

“Is there a sheriff here?’ Asked the young man. 

“Yes, he’ll be here once word gets to him that there’s been a shooting.  Don’t worry I saw it was self defence and will say so.    I don’t think the sheriff cared for any of them. You should know they have friends, not many but a few.” 

“ Nick who does does the carpentry here about takes care of the  undertaking., too. I expect him to be along soon as he hears.”

At that moment, the sheriff, came through the swinging doors, a barrel shaped man with black leather vest and not so shiny star. Looked be close to or more than 50  with grizzled salt and pepper beard.  He carried  a shot gun under his arm as well as a colt revolver on his low hung hip holster.    He stopped at  the body looking down at it and then looking up at  the young man and bar tender. 

‘Did you shoot Manuel?” The sheriff bluntly asked the young man. 

“If that’s the dead man’s name, I did,” he answered 

“It was self defence. Manual drew on him first , “ said the bar tender. “He  a bit slow as you can tell.” 

“Well, he probably had it coming to him too.” Said the sheriff,”   Mean and humourless son of a gun. You’d best beware of his buds Jake and Tom. He ran with them and they really were a bad lot. “

“I don’t think I’ll have to worry about them,” said the younng man. “. I shot a couple of bushwackers in the canyon this morning.  Manual recognised their horses outside. “

“Where are the bodies?” Asked the Sheriff.   

“I left them there. I don’t know these parts so I didn’t know when or where I’d be able to be relieved of them. “

“Then that still leaves leaves the Hodgkin brothers.  They might not be happy about your killing their pals. There was rumour they were all working together robbing and killing  folks but no one alive to accuse them formally until you.’

At that moment Nick came in.  “I heard you had some work for me Sherriff”. 

“Looks like Manual is going to need burying.” Said the Sheriff, “ Apparently his two pals are being eaten by scavengers in the canyon but if you want the work you could probably get what’s left of the bodies and collect their fees from what the boys have in their place.”.

Turning to the young man, the sheriff asked, ‘Did those two have anything substantial on them when they tried to shoot you? “ 

“Just a few dollars I figured they owed me for the trouble. I took their horses and guns figuring to sell them first chance.” 

“Martin over at the store would probably take the guns for a good price since they’re in demand here about. The hostler would take the horses. Jake and Tom had pretty good taste in horse flesh. “

Leaving the Sheriff and Nick to their business the young man left  to sell the guns and  horses , thankful for the advise and directions.   

He got a good price for the guns and was just walking to the stable when two fat men wearing calf skin and cowboy boots stopped him in the street. 

“Those are Jake and Tom’s horses. “ the shorter man said accusingly, “ You must be the one who shot our friends.”

‘The young man had left Sadie tied at the Saloon but now turning to the angry men before him he dropped the leads of the two horses moving clear of them so they’d not become casualties in the altercations of me. All the while he watch the two fat boys ready for them to make a move. 

“I shot the two men who tried to bushwhack me, if that’s what you’re asking.”he said 

The brothers went for their guns but the young man was just that much faster as he put a bullet each in their individual puffed up chests.  Only one had cleared leather with his pistol before the red blossomed on his white cotton shirt,  His brother collapses seconds after him red blossoming where his neck met his chest.  They both felt in the dirt with thuds. The Sherriff watched out all from from the Saloon porch.  

“More work for you Nick,” he called  as the young man picked up the reigns of the horses and continued on to the stable.  

The pretty young blond woman who’d inherited the cafe after her parents were killled, stood out front on the boardwalk and watched as the young man  continued on to the stable.