Post by Arclite on Aug 28, 2007 15:43:06 GMT -5
Todd Holcombe stood unmoving on a dusty hill overlooking a stretch of railroad tracks. He stared in to the distance as the sun sank slowly behind the buttes and mesa's of the desert horizon. A slight breeze playfully teased his hat and whipped the sunbaked desert sand into a miniature tornado.
Perfect.
His features must have betrayed his good mood, because his little brother Corey tapped him on the shoulder. "You really are a piece of work." He said through a grin "Gaw, If I know that slimy bastard, theres gonna be enough gold on that train to feed Shepard's Creek for ten years! How didja even know it was gon be passin through here anyways?"
Todd spared a look towards his hired Indian tracker Nine Toes, who was riding up the railroad tracks to play his part as look out. Though was mostly quiet and reserved, the Blackfoot medicine man's religion and "magic" had saved them all more than Todd would care to mention. "Spirits fear not the bullet" he had heard so many times since he had joined them two long years ago. Todd almost believed him.
Another shape moved near the tracks, Doc Crosby's giant metal scorpion. It only stood about as tall as most locomotives but had huge iron claws and a stinger to boot. Todd almost thought he could hear Doc screaming orders at his Chinamen crew from here. Impossible considering the damn thing was louder than any train he had heard. He tried hard not to laugh as the hulking metal monstrosity scuttled across the tracks, took cover behind a large boulder and fell silent. Doc was sure It could stop a train, but Todd severely hoped that he wasn't jumping out in front of a train in an iron coffin.
A whistle blew in the distance as the last light faded from the crystal blue sky.
Right on time.
He spun around and jumped up onto his horse, Buckwheat. He wheeled the horse around to look down at the congregation he gathered to fight his good fight. He had meant to give an moving speech to rally the men, but seeing their faces he knew that him just being there was inspiration enough. He opened his mouth but his tongue turned to cotton and quickly closed it.
It was the faces he reckoned. Faces young and old that had stood with him and against tyranny. Faces that had been so full of pain and doubt when he lead them out of Shepard's Creek two years ago.
His brothers Corey and Big Jon, they'd been with him since he took the wagon that was carting away his Grandma's inventions. Father Hammond and his son Dave, they signed up when Hollister hung his wife for witchcraft. Joel the blacksmith had given his gun over the following Spring. Even the foreigners Pierre and Graf had added their blade and miracle brews to the group.
It was quite a chase they had led, but that all stopped tonight. With this one train Todd and all the men of Shepard's Creek would gain back the taxes Hollister had squeezed out of them and their families. It was now or never.
Another Whistle in the dark, closer this time. Had to make this quick.
Todd cleared his throat and steeled his voice against the night. His voice rang out through the camp. "Men... and boys," he said with a smile directed towards Corey , "The time has come to decide what that really means to be free. This is it. Our last chance to put things right! Hollister's comin on that train tonight and he's bringing with him every man and brave he could possibly buy, using our gold to line their pockets! Some of us may not live to see the morning..." He paused to let the actuality sink in, "but I guarantee that those lucky few will dine with the Lord on Sunday!" An applause worthy of a king answered him and he knew that he had done good. There was still one thing to do, "Father, will you lead us in Prayer."
Father Hammond held up his bloodstained bible and spoke loud and sure, "Thy Father in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Ride with us to night against the oppressor and the stained. Give us courage in the face of fear so that we may overcome these tribulations the devil has set before us. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done. Amen"
At the end of the prayed a hawk cried in the night followed a bright green glow in the northern sky. A voice carried on the wind, though only Todd heard it. "The train comes"
Todd jerked his reins so hard that his horse reared back onto it's hind legs. At the apex of the rear, He roared "Givem Hell!" before riding off into the night surrounded by his friends and family.
Riding off to his destiny.
Perfect.
His features must have betrayed his good mood, because his little brother Corey tapped him on the shoulder. "You really are a piece of work." He said through a grin "Gaw, If I know that slimy bastard, theres gonna be enough gold on that train to feed Shepard's Creek for ten years! How didja even know it was gon be passin through here anyways?"
Todd spared a look towards his hired Indian tracker Nine Toes, who was riding up the railroad tracks to play his part as look out. Though was mostly quiet and reserved, the Blackfoot medicine man's religion and "magic" had saved them all more than Todd would care to mention. "Spirits fear not the bullet" he had heard so many times since he had joined them two long years ago. Todd almost believed him.
Another shape moved near the tracks, Doc Crosby's giant metal scorpion. It only stood about as tall as most locomotives but had huge iron claws and a stinger to boot. Todd almost thought he could hear Doc screaming orders at his Chinamen crew from here. Impossible considering the damn thing was louder than any train he had heard. He tried hard not to laugh as the hulking metal monstrosity scuttled across the tracks, took cover behind a large boulder and fell silent. Doc was sure It could stop a train, but Todd severely hoped that he wasn't jumping out in front of a train in an iron coffin.
A whistle blew in the distance as the last light faded from the crystal blue sky.
Right on time.
He spun around and jumped up onto his horse, Buckwheat. He wheeled the horse around to look down at the congregation he gathered to fight his good fight. He had meant to give an moving speech to rally the men, but seeing their faces he knew that him just being there was inspiration enough. He opened his mouth but his tongue turned to cotton and quickly closed it.
It was the faces he reckoned. Faces young and old that had stood with him and against tyranny. Faces that had been so full of pain and doubt when he lead them out of Shepard's Creek two years ago.
His brothers Corey and Big Jon, they'd been with him since he took the wagon that was carting away his Grandma's inventions. Father Hammond and his son Dave, they signed up when Hollister hung his wife for witchcraft. Joel the blacksmith had given his gun over the following Spring. Even the foreigners Pierre and Graf had added their blade and miracle brews to the group.
It was quite a chase they had led, but that all stopped tonight. With this one train Todd and all the men of Shepard's Creek would gain back the taxes Hollister had squeezed out of them and their families. It was now or never.
Another Whistle in the dark, closer this time. Had to make this quick.
Todd cleared his throat and steeled his voice against the night. His voice rang out through the camp. "Men... and boys," he said with a smile directed towards Corey , "The time has come to decide what that really means to be free. This is it. Our last chance to put things right! Hollister's comin on that train tonight and he's bringing with him every man and brave he could possibly buy, using our gold to line their pockets! Some of us may not live to see the morning..." He paused to let the actuality sink in, "but I guarantee that those lucky few will dine with the Lord on Sunday!" An applause worthy of a king answered him and he knew that he had done good. There was still one thing to do, "Father, will you lead us in Prayer."
Father Hammond held up his bloodstained bible and spoke loud and sure, "Thy Father in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Ride with us to night against the oppressor and the stained. Give us courage in the face of fear so that we may overcome these tribulations the devil has set before us. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done. Amen"
At the end of the prayed a hawk cried in the night followed a bright green glow in the northern sky. A voice carried on the wind, though only Todd heard it. "The train comes"
Todd jerked his reins so hard that his horse reared back onto it's hind legs. At the apex of the rear, He roared "Givem Hell!" before riding off into the night surrounded by his friends and family.
Riding off to his destiny.
