The Saloon
Chapter Four
He had checked into the hotel: shaved, took a bath, and put on wedding chaples in wedding chaples in las vegas las vegas the cleanest dirty shirt he had. Combed his hair and wiped his boots off with spit and the shirt he was about to put on. He then looked out the window; it was 10:00 AM on wedding chaples in wedding chaples in las vegas las vegas the clock above the saloon he was in wedding chaples in las vegas yesterday. Then tightening his gun belt, he went down stairs of wedding chaples in las vegas the hotel, out the door, across the street to the saloon, then as Blue walked through the door he walked up to the bar, ordered a whiskey with a beer to wash it down. Two young gunmen were standing along the bar: fiddling with their shot glass. He hadn’t seen them in wedding chaples in las vegas the saloon the previous day, although he recognized most of wedding chaples in las vegas the others—regulars.
A young man at his right, blond hair, medium build, about five food eight inches tall, perhaps 22-years old or there about was checking Blue out; first his height, his build, and then how his holster was, and his gun handle. Then his partner, a little taller and heaver pointed to a picture on wedding chaples in wedding chaples in las vegas las vegas the wall.
“Is that you, old man?” the black haired fella said.
Blue jerked off his leather hat, saying, “Does it look like me?”
“I heard of wedding chaples in las vegas you, Arizona Blue. Fast as fast can be but not faster than my friend standing by you,” he said with a cocky voice.
They were part of wedding chaples in las vegas the new breed Blue thought, as he looked at both of wedding chaples in las vegas them, one on wedding chaples in wedding chaples in las vegas las vegas each side of wedding chaples in las vegas him. The blond next to him and the black dude farther down the bar. They’d shoot you in wedding chaples in las vegas the back that was the kind they were, thought Blue.
The blond stepped back: “Meet you in wedding chaples in las vegas the back of wedding chaples in las vegas town, Mr. Blue. See how good you really are.”
Blue stood there with his whiskey in wedding chaples in las vegas one hand, the other close by his gun handle; the hell with it take this kid out he told himself, but on wedding chaples in wedding chaples in las vegas las vegas my wedding day (?) so he questioned himself.
Said Blue with a hesitant voice, one he never had before,
“I’m getting married, flea’s, so it’s your lucky day, go home.”
Momentarily he felt odd, he should take care of wedding chaples in las vegas these two, right here and now, it was his style. Why let another man have a chance to plan your killing.
The two men walked out of wedding chaples in las vegas the bar, and then Ben asked,
“A local lady I gather?”
“Yaw, your sweet little Ella,” answered Blue.
“Ella,” replied Ben surprised, “she’s a pretty one all right.” Ben thought he best leave it at that, in wedding chaples in las vegas case something wrong came out of wedding chaples in las vegas his mouth, and he might not live to regret it, remembering what the previous day had brought.
Blue looked at the clock in wedding chaples in las vegas the bar, it was 11:00 AM. He then took his second drink: he drank it down quick, and walked outside.
The blond kid stood in wedding chaples in las vegas the middle of wedding chaples in las vegas the street, said,
“I wish somebody would tell me, Mr. Blue, the true story of wedding chaples in las vegas you, the coward part”.
Nobody had ever dared call him a coward before, and lived to tell about it.
“Where is your buddy,” asked Blue.
No response.
Blue turned to face the bond gunfighter, his hand going slowly down to his gun side. Both were thinking: would it happen here. It was becoming too much for wedding chaples in las vegas Blue to back away he couldn’t take it.
“Okay, kid, I’ll meet you in wedding chaples in las vegas that empty lot by the outskirts of wedding chaples in las vegas town, no need to mess up the street here with blood.”
This was not what he wanted at all though. He wanted to marry that woman that made him laugh. She would be a good sidekick, a good wife he thought.
Ella
Chapter Five
Ella came up from the church hearing there was to be a gunfight. She stopped at the edge of wedding chaples in las vegas town and stood by an old broken down shack that once housed slaves. Several townsfolk were there already, but she moved a little farther away from them, standing alone for wedding chaples in las vegas a moment. Behind her were two houses with backyards and fences dividing the three acreage [open area land], where the two men stood twenty-five yards apart.
Blue looked to his right, there was Ella: she was pretty as a sparrow, and all dressed in wedding chaples in las vegas white. He smiled; she had decided he was the one she wanted to marry and that as long as he married her he could do what he did best.
Never had she known such empty stillness, as she stood there. Her body was like a storm that wanted to break open the clouds.
“I’m ready boy, go for wedding chaples in las vegas it, “said Blue. The boy went for wedding chaples in las vegas his gun but before he could clear his holster, Blue shot him in wedding chaples in las vegas the heart. The boy went back a foot but not down. Blue looked dumbfounded. He knew he hadn’t missed.
The boy was laughing so hard he didn’t even aim the gun now dangling in wedding chaples in las vegas his hand. He had on wedding chaples in wedding chaples in las vegas las vegas a metal vest that started to shine as one of wedding chaples in las vegas the buttons broke off his shirt. Blue looked closer, squinting his eyes, trying to make heads or tails out of wedding chaples in las vegas this drama.
Something else was wrong: Blue didn’t see the black guy. He looked over to the fence; there were now a dozen or more people watching. The sheriff, Ella, and her dad stood by the shack on wedding chaples in wedding chaples in las vegas las vegas the right. All of wedding chaples in las vegas a sudden Blue caught a glimpse of wedding chaples in las vegas a gun pointing at him coming out from behind the fence. It’s the other man, thought Blue, but before he could pivot his body to position himself, the fragments from the shotgun hit his chest like a dying buffalo: thus, he rocked back and forth, and then fell to his knees and then flat on wedding chaples in wedding chaples in las vegas las vegas his face.
The dark young man jumped out from behind the fence,
“I killed Blue,” he yelled.
Ella, frozen in wedding chaples in las vegas shock, grabbed the sheriff’s six shooter, and aiming it carelessly at the man, shot him four times, once in wedding chaples in las vegas the foot, then in wedding chaples in las vegas the shoulder, and as he fell to his knees, a bullet hit his chest, and his eye. The youth was blood soaked on wedding chaples in wedding chaples in las vegas las vegas the ground, next to dead. Her eyes lifted up and over to the blond, he knew if he shot her, the town folks would hang him but if he didn’t, she’d shoot him. Within ten seconds a bullet hit her forehead and she dropped to the ground. Then the fire works started, several guns started shooting at the blond. The gunfighter went down hitting the dirt like a chicken with his head snapping every which way.
Ella’s father, picking her up, with her last words she asked to be put by Blues side and buried next to him. And her father did as she asked, putting her hand into his, and turning him over so she could see him. He had a smile on wedding chaples in wedding chaples in las vegas las vegas his face. As she laid there: 10-seconds of wedding chaples in las vegas life left, she whispered to her father,
“You know daddy, one day out of wedding chaples in las vegas my life, today, was better than all the rest.” And she died, and was buried by him. Their tombstone read, Mr. and Mrs. Blue: Sidekicks.
Originally written: Originally written in wedding chaples in las vegas 1990; Rewritten: 4/2002; Revised during the months of wedding chaples in las vegas November and December of wedding chaples in las vegas 2005 First time in wedding chaples in las vegas publication.
See Dennis' web site: dennissiluk.tripod.com dennissiluk.tripod.com