Paco Valdez
"There's an old Indian saying," You begin, "Money can always be found on the railway."
Annie gives you a look that tells you just how much she is buying into your 'old Indian saying'. "Old Injun sayin', huh?" She asks skeptically. "Trains ain't been 'round long enough to be included in old Injun sayings."
"Except the one I just said." You tell her with an air of defiance.
"Horse shit." She says, spitting on the desert floor.
"I don't see that it matters if it is or not. The fact of the matter is that you asked me to decide, and I have decided on the railway." You inform her coldly.
"You always side with him." She tells you.
"He always sides with me 'cause I'm always right." Gus says.
"The hell you are." She says.
"It's not that Gus is always right," You say, "It's that you never are."
Her eyes shoot through you like bullets from cannons. Gus lays a hand on her shoulder. "Let's get the hell out of here and be on our way then," She says bluntly, shrugging Gus's hand from her shoulder.
She spurs her mount forward a bit, as though she plans on reaching the train with or without the two of you.
Gus laughs a bit and smiles. You look to him wondering what he finds so funny. "It's times like these," he says, "that we remember that she is a woman after all."
You nod along with him.
"And a bitch at that," Gus says under his breath before kicking his own mount forward to follow.
You mount up and follow their lead, catching up to the two of them in no time. The three of you trot into the desert night, following Gus's impecable sense of direction. The calvalry used to call him the living compass, and it seems to you that they weren't far off.
As the sun rises again, the three of you reach an outcropping of stones where Gus suggests the three of you rest until the cool evening air returns.
Annie argues that you should press on, reach the railway by the middle of the day, and rest there.
"Shit," says Gus; "Our horses'll be exhausted from the journey. Not to mention the three of us."
"Horseshit," Annie says, spitting on the ground; "We've got enough water to get there. We should be able to get there with enough time to hit the train when it rolls through in the evenin'."
"That train rolls through e'rey day, now Annie. We can't be parading accross the desert an' subjecctin' ourselves to that damn sun like that. It's a death wish, is what it is."
"Holing up in a nearby outcroppin' of rocks while them Vigilante's is out lookin' for us is a damn death wish if you ask me," Annie retorts.
"Well I didn't ask you, did I?" Gus says, matter of factly.
Annie throws her hands in the air. "I don't know what ta tell you, then. You gots a damn stupid idea an' you want me to follow through with it!!"
Gus turns to you. "Will you talk some sense into this woman?"
Annie gives you a look that tells you just how much she is buying into your 'old Indian saying'. "Old Injun sayin', huh?" She asks skeptically. "Trains ain't been 'round long enough to be included in old Injun sayings."
"Except the one I just said." You tell her with an air of defiance.
"Horse shit." She says, spitting on the desert floor.
"I don't see that it matters if it is or not. The fact of the matter is that you asked me to decide, and I have decided on the railway." You inform her coldly.
"You always side with him." She tells you.
"He always sides with me 'cause I'm always right." Gus says.
"The hell you are." She says.
"It's not that Gus is always right," You say, "It's that you never are."
Her eyes shoot through you like bullets from cannons. Gus lays a hand on her shoulder. "Let's get the hell out of here and be on our way then," She says bluntly, shrugging Gus's hand from her shoulder.
She spurs her mount forward a bit, as though she plans on reaching the train with or without the two of you.
Gus laughs a bit and smiles. You look to him wondering what he finds so funny. "It's times like these," he says, "that we remember that she is a woman after all."
You nod along with him.
"And a bitch at that," Gus says under his breath before kicking his own mount forward to follow.
You mount up and follow their lead, catching up to the two of them in no time. The three of you trot into the desert night, following Gus's impecable sense of direction. The calvalry used to call him the living compass, and it seems to you that they weren't far off.
As the sun rises again, the three of you reach an outcropping of stones where Gus suggests the three of you rest until the cool evening air returns.
Annie argues that you should press on, reach the railway by the middle of the day, and rest there.
"Shit," says Gus; "Our horses'll be exhausted from the journey. Not to mention the three of us."
"Horseshit," Annie says, spitting on the ground; "We've got enough water to get there. We should be able to get there with enough time to hit the train when it rolls through in the evenin'."
"That train rolls through e'rey day, now Annie. We can't be parading accross the desert an' subjecctin' ourselves to that damn sun like that. It's a death wish, is what it is."
"Holing up in a nearby outcroppin' of rocks while them Vigilante's is out lookin' for us is a damn death wish if you ask me," Annie retorts.
"Well I didn't ask you, did I?" Gus says, matter of factly.
Annie throws her hands in the air. "I don't know what ta tell you, then. You gots a damn stupid idea an' you want me to follow through with it!!"
Gus turns to you. "Will you talk some sense into this woman?"