Somewhere in the badlands of Arizona or New Mexico is the small town of Little Whiskey. Originally a Way Station on the coach trail the main building was and always has been the Tail Feathers saloon, owned and run by Whiskey Jack. The town grew rapidly from the single saloon to incorporate the Blacksmith and Way Station run by Big Jim Smith, a Gunsmith’s, the Wells Fargo Office managed by Poker Faced Fitz Badger. The Westmoorland Dry Goods store was known throughout the territory but more famous still was Blonde Edna’s, owned and run by Pearl De Ville.
Blonde Edna’s is the building on the far side of Main Street, it occupies the upper story and from the balcony the working girls have seen some famous fights down on Main Street, indeed they’ve been involved in some of those fights.
The lumber piles indicate there is still building work to be completed but when gold was discovered in the Dakota’s most of the workmen left town and things have been a little slow around here of late.
The stage still passes through and Dora looks at it hungrily wondering if there will be any paying customers knocking at her door late at night.
Even for a working girl the action’s been slow.
Little Whiskey was a wild town as it grew and prospered but not so much these last few years, however things were to change and change quickly.
Texas Red and Johnny Vagabond were in town. They hope to pass on through quietly, needing supplies they wish to visit the Dry Goods Store, the Gunsmith and finally have a drink to quench their thirst in Whiskey Jacks emporium before leaving town the same way they had entered it.
Unfortunately for them a band of Bounty Hunters are on their trail, indeed they’ve gotten ahead of them and are waiting in Little Whiskey. The man in the yellow duster is J.J.Tucker and his associate talking to Temperance Jenkins and dressed all in black is ‘The Judge’.
Nothing to do with the story but I needed to include a picture of the Snake Oil wagon.
OK back to the story, this is a better picture of J.J. and ‘The Judge’. They are checking out the town looking for information when there’s a gun shot down the street.
Fecadermis Mouse another of the Bounty Hunters has recognised Texas Red. Pulling his pistol he fires straight away. No warning and no care for the civilians in the vicinity.
Luckily for Red he misses and she ducks for cover behind a grey gelding, pulling her big iron as she does so and returns his shots.
Fecadermis ducks back into cover and the swift exchange of bullets is over.
Johnny Vagabond shouts over his shoulder “Watch the front, I’ll go around the back and flush the son of a b***h out of hiding”
This would have been a good plan except J.J. in the yellow duster sees Johnny run across the street.
Martha’s little girl Ementrude sees J.J. and shouts a warning to Johnny. No one likes a back shooting Bounty Hunter. Johnny swing round to face the threat,
But the warning came too late and J.J. fires, Johnny crumples to the floor. He’s taken a head wound but his skull is as thick as an elephants and it’ll take more than a .45 calibre bullet to kill him. It does mean he’s out of the fight, leaving Red with pretty steep odds to contend with.
Undeterred she’s ready when Fecadermis recovers his nerve and steps back in to view, she drops him with a gut shot.
The gunfire has brought the last of the gang out of the bank, Hard Nose Dave Stone looks in the direction of the shooting.
He immediately starts to make his way along Main Street, taking advantage of every piece of cover as he goes.
Irene Adler in the mustard yellow dress is appalled at him using a horse as cover, she contemplates shooting the scoundrel in the back but realises that if she misses, she will hit the horse.
If you look carefully you will see ‘The Judge’ hiding in the alley, he’d had an exchange of gunfire with Red and decided discretion was called for.
J.J. has moved forward on the right, taking advantage of the settler’s wagon as Hard Nose Dave takes cover behind a post supporting the balcony of Blonde Edna’s. Pearl looks down but doesn’t intervene.
She’s a consummate business woman and knows that the Bounty Hunters might spend money in her establishment if they survive this ruckus but Texas Red certainly won’t.
It’s nothing personal.
Dave may have thought the post would give him some cover but he was wrong and takes a ’45 slug to the chest. He’s a tough old character and this doesn’t put him out of the fight although it will slow him down a little, especially when another bullet hits his belt buckle, stunning him even more.
In the distance ‘The Judge’ has recovered his nerve and is advancing towards Texas Red but she’s more concerned when J.J. pops up around the wagon. J.J. fires first but misses. Her return fire hits the horses saddle horn and splinters stun him for a few seconds.
‘The Judge’ has an open shot, the bullets bury themselves into the woodwork of Big Jims Blacksmiths shop.
This is too much for Red and she runs back to her horse, mounts up and skedaddles out of town.
It looks like the Bounty Hunters prevailed, but at a cost, the Doc will be busy digging bullets out of their bodies most of the afternoon, however Johnny Vagabond is taken prisoner and escorted to the Jail.
Time will tell if Texas Red will return, maybe with reinforcements, Wild Dougal Emfoure and Captain Betram ‘Barmy’ Snapcase are known to be in the territory although they might have their hands full. Rumour has it, that they are being chased by the Alice Morgan gang for reasons unknown.
