CHAPTER 5
TOWN OF BURNING BUSHES
The sun warmed up the air as it rose to the noon position above Tyler’s head. He spurred his horse as he saw smoke filling the air over Virginia City. One of the tents burned intensely. It was Jack Perkins’ tent where the grizzled man sold dry-goods.
The bay pressed its hooves into the soggy ground with Tyler directing it. He made it to Jack’s tent, now a pile of burning wood, tarp, and dry-goods on the ground. Jack watched it burn as he sipped steaming coffee out of a tin cup. Very few onlookers stopped as they walked by.
Tyler got off his horse and stood next to him. “Aren’t you gonna put it out?”
Jack shrugged, framing the short grey whiskers of his chin between his shoulders. “Can’t save what’s burnt. The pans and tin cups should come out okay, but I’m watching everything I own in this world burn.”
“How’d it happen?”
“I don’t know. I suspect it was on purpose, but there’s no way to prove it. I was just sitting inside drinking my coffee when the back went up like Greek Fire.” Jack took another sip of the oil-black beverage and spit some grounds in the dirt.
Tyler clenched his teeth. “This is getting out of hand.”
“Tell me about it. It could get worse since they hung Peoples an’ Scott.”
“You think this is revenge?”
Jack nodded. “Could be. Might be the tent got too close to the stove too.” He took another sip of his coffee. “Don’t much matter. What’s done is done, and what all that’s gone is gone.”
The fire died out, and Jack leaned over to pick up a metal box in the ashes. He juggled it from the heat. “This is all I’ve got left. A handful of gold dust in a box.”
A man wearing a mask came out of the next tent. He held his gun at Jack. “You ain’t even got that, pard. Hand it over.”
Tyler’s gun cleared the holster before the Innocent could change his target. “Drop it. Unless you’re strong enough to carry a bullet in your gut.”
The man moved his gun to challenge Tyler. Tyler pulled the trigger and shot the robber in the side. The man fell to the ground writhing in pain. Tyler put his bandana over his face. “Told ya.” Tyler said. “Shoulda listened.”
“I’m innocent!” the man shouted as he lifted his gun to fire on Tyler. Tyler shot the man again, killing him. A group of men armed men rushed to the scene in response to the cry.
“Get on the bay Jack!” Tyler ordered. “Ride outta here!”
Jack got on the horse and rode it away, holding the box under his arm.
Tyler ran through the dirty, mud-drenched streets. The gang followed him, shooting at him as he rushed between the tents. He breathed deep as six more men wearing bandanas over their faces rushed to his position. He recognized them as Vigilantes. He turned to stand with them. “Give yourselves up, or give up breathin’.
The gang of Innocents rounded a tent to be confronted with the prepared Vigilantes. The Innocents brought their guns to bear, but the Vigilantes had the drop on them.
Tyler opened fire followed by the others. One of the Vigilantes caught a bullet and fell to the ground. Two Innocents that didn’t fall in the first volley turned to run.
One of the Innocents, the only other remaining, put his hands up to surrender. “Take him, fellas!” Tyler shouted as he ran after the two Innocents trying to escape.
They ran fast, but Tyler gave a warning shot between them. “Stop right there!”
The two men stopped and held their hands in the air. Tyler grabbed them by the collar. “You tell Plummer his days are numbered,” he hissed. “We’re ready for ‘im, and justice is catchin’ up. Now go.”
One of them ran off as the other pulled another pistol from his belt. Tyler shot him through the hand and making him drop his gun. He fell to the ground, clutching his wounded palm. “Now you’re stuck here.”
The other Vigilantes came with the captive Innocent in tow, his hands tied behind his back. “Who’ve you got there?” Tyler asked as he saw the face of their prisoner.
“Why, it’s Gypsy Mack!” he said. “How’s it going, Mack?”
“Shut yer trap,” Mack grumbled. “I ain’t sayin’ nothin’.”
Tyler shook his head. “You made a big mistake. You thieves come runnin’ for your friend when he shouts he’s innocent. Now you’re in worse shape than he is.”
“What’re ya’ll gonna do? Hang me like yah did to Peoples and Scott?”
One of the Vigilantes stepped forward. “We’ll do what’s right by you. Might not be what you like.”
“I’m Innocent!” Mack shouted, but the Vigilante socked him in the jaw with the handle of his pistol. “Nobody here to come help you anyway, I’ll bet. Always glad to punch one of you mules in the teeth for what ya’ll did to the Berry’s.”
Tyler stepped forward. “That’s enough. I don’t cotton to abuse of a prisoner. If he needs punished, we’ll decide it squarely.”
The Vigilante nodded and looked at Mack. “If you try to call out again, you’ll get a thrashin’ from me.”
Mack spit at the Vigilante. “Untie my hands, and I’ll show ya’ll a thrashin’, son.”
The Vigilante cold-cocked Mack with the butt of his pistol.
Tyler stepped forward before the Vigilante could strike Mack again. “Hey! We’ve got to show we’re better than the Innocents if we’re ever gonna get the trust of the people.”
The Vigilante moved away. “I know. Sorry, but he’s pushin’ my patience over the cliff.”
“Subdue your anger. We’ve got to fight, but we can’t let our feelings get the best of us. We need to get the best of the Innocents, and we can do that if we’re level-headed.”
The Vigilantes gathered Mack and the wounded Innocent and put them both on horses. The Vigilante whom Mack spit at spoke to Tyler, “We’ll get these fellers to a place where we can hold ‘em and their partners can’t find ‘em.”
Tyler nodded. “I’ll be seeing you. I’ve got to get a horse and get back home.”
Tyler moved to a secluded spot in town and removed his bandana from his face. He smiled as he began walking to the edge of town and down the road. As he walked along, Jack rode up on his bay. “I brought your horse back, and thank you very much.” Jack worked at opening the box. “I’d like to give you a little something.”
Tyler smiled. “You’d do it for me, Jack. Ain’t no debt you owe me. ‘Cepting my bay. I’m fond of ol’ Milton.”
Jack smiled as he dismounted. “Of course!”
Tyler mounted Milton and leaned over to offer Jack a handshake. “Thanks Jack. If you need help with getting on your feet, you know you can depend on your brothers.”
Jack took Tyler’s hand and shook it. “Don’t I know it, Tyler. They can depend on me too. You take care, okay?”
“I will Jack.”
Tyler rode toward home. He didn’t get finish what he’d planned in town, but he figured it was a pretty full day at any rate.
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Apologies for taking so long on the next chapter. Hope ya’ll like it!
Tags: old west, vigilantes