The season would be over in a
couple months, and then the lot of them
would be without work. Some of them
saved a bit for a rainy day, but Dustin Hawking was the only one who'd saved every
penny. His brother Denny looked out for
him, so that he wouldn't give it all away, but sometimes even Denny couldn't
help himself...and so he helped himself.
“Listen, jus'--just go t'your brother and get more cash, alright?” Tom Wilson was the trailboss, and he could drive a man hard sometimes. Currently, though, all he was driving was a hard bargain. The two of them had gone into the Western Point Saloon for a couple drinks and left Dustin to watch the herd. One thing led to another, and soon neither of them was the least bit sober.
“Tom, he's my brother!”
“Yeah, and he's a good kid when he puts his Levi's on facing front. But he's dumber'n a steer on opium. What's he gonna do with that wad o' cash?”
“Just because he's simple doesn't mean he's got no future.”
“Just 'cause he's simple don't mean there can't be another round in our future.”
“You're trailboss—where'd your money go to?”
Tom waved him off. “Where you think? Beer, women, next year's provisions. Ever notice I got better stuff every year?”
“Well Dustin might wanna raise a family. He's been--”
Whiskey exploded from Tom's nose. He couldn't stop laughing even though he was in burning pain, but Denny kept talking.
“He's been talking about kids, a house, all the stuff us men dream of, and he could do it!”
“If—if any woman'd have him!” Tom chuckled.
“Well you're not very funny,” Denny chided.
“Look, just get enough from him for a few more rounds, and...I promise I'll pay him back after the next drive.”
Denny nodded, then got up and stumbled from the bar.
They were only camped about a mile from town, so before long he was talking to his brother.
Dustin sang to keep the cattle calm, even though he only knew three songs, and each one had the same melody as “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”.
“Hello the camp!” Denny called out in a slur. Dustin stopped and ran over to him with a grin. He grabbed onto Denny with a clumsy hug that nearly pulled him off the ground. Denny laughed.
“Heheh, hiya, Dusty. Hi, how ya doin'?”
“Everything is okay,” Dustin assured him.
“Good man. Dusty, I--”
“You were drinking?” Dustin could smell the alcohol. He backed off. “Uh-uh. No, drinking bad. Momma said not to drink. Akohol bad!”
“Dusty, it's okay...”
“Nuh-uh.” Dustin stopped when he backed right into a cow.
Denny rolled his eyes. “It's not alcohol. He gesticulated exaggeratedly, which would have given him away to most other people. But Dustin was simple. Denny hated to take advantage of him, especially since most other people tried to do the same thing, or else they just didn't respect him as a person. Sometimes Tom called him a “dumb Mutation”, as if Dustin could be explained in such easy terms.
“I just need to ask you for a little money, big brother. That's all. You got any cash I could borrow?”
“I don't think so,” Dustin responded. Denny sighed. Once Dustin was set on a decision, there was no convincing him to change his mind. He'd get stubborn. He'd barely listen or understand the arguments which were made.
Denny threw up his hands. “Okay, then, Dusty. You win. Don't help out your little brother.”
Dustin got wistful. “My little brother...”
“That's right. You wanna help me, don't y--”
Shots were fired. “Get down!” came a bellow from the direction of town. Denny drew his pistol and Dustin followed suit. Soon they could hear boots crunching dirt.
“Now Dusty, don't you shoot that thing 'less you know it's a enemy.”
“I know.”
Tom barreled out of the night without his pants.
“What the hell happened, Tom?” Denny erupted.
“Made a bad bet, maybe I was distracted by them fine-looking twins who was at the back table. Where's that damn money?”
Denny got in his face. “It's not yours, Tom-Tom.”
“Oh,” Tom sneered. “And a fine time for you to step up, now that I've got half o' West Podunk on my ass for not bein' able to pay up. What an embarrassment.” He looked right at Dustin.
“You're the one with no pants on.”
Before the two men could contemplate each other's death, a gunshot exploded through the night air, and something hit the ground behind Tom. He spun around, and both of them saw a man dead in the dust. They gaped at one another, then slowly turned in unison to look at Dustin's smoking gun.
“Well I'll be damned,” Tom breathed. “Boy, I reckon you just saved my bacon.” He erupted with laughter. “Gotta let bygones be bygones for that one, son. Let's round up this here herd and get some rest. We're gonna have to hightail it from town come tomorrow.”
They rode on, and the mood between them was suddenly very different. Tom was quiet and somber even before he sobered up. They explained the truth to Dustin as best they could, and he took it all in stride. It was clear that the three of them had a better future ahead of them, barring the unexpected.
“Listen, jus'--just go t'your brother and get more cash, alright?” Tom Wilson was the trailboss, and he could drive a man hard sometimes. Currently, though, all he was driving was a hard bargain. The two of them had gone into the Western Point Saloon for a couple drinks and left Dustin to watch the herd. One thing led to another, and soon neither of them was the least bit sober.
“Tom, he's my brother!”
“Yeah, and he's a good kid when he puts his Levi's on facing front. But he's dumber'n a steer on opium. What's he gonna do with that wad o' cash?”
“Just because he's simple doesn't mean he's got no future.”
“Just 'cause he's simple don't mean there can't be another round in our future.”
“You're trailboss—where'd your money go to?”
Tom waved him off. “Where you think? Beer, women, next year's provisions. Ever notice I got better stuff every year?”
“Well Dustin might wanna raise a family. He's been--”
Whiskey exploded from Tom's nose. He couldn't stop laughing even though he was in burning pain, but Denny kept talking.
“He's been talking about kids, a house, all the stuff us men dream of, and he could do it!”
“If—if any woman'd have him!” Tom chuckled.
“Well you're not very funny,” Denny chided.
“Look, just get enough from him for a few more rounds, and...I promise I'll pay him back after the next drive.”
Denny nodded, then got up and stumbled from the bar.
They were only camped about a mile from town, so before long he was talking to his brother.
Dustin sang to keep the cattle calm, even though he only knew three songs, and each one had the same melody as “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”.
“Hello the camp!” Denny called out in a slur. Dustin stopped and ran over to him with a grin. He grabbed onto Denny with a clumsy hug that nearly pulled him off the ground. Denny laughed.
“Heheh, hiya, Dusty. Hi, how ya doin'?”
“Everything is okay,” Dustin assured him.
“Good man. Dusty, I--”
“You were drinking?” Dustin could smell the alcohol. He backed off. “Uh-uh. No, drinking bad. Momma said not to drink. Akohol bad!”
“Dusty, it's okay...”
“Nuh-uh.” Dustin stopped when he backed right into a cow.
Denny rolled his eyes. “It's not alcohol. He gesticulated exaggeratedly, which would have given him away to most other people. But Dustin was simple. Denny hated to take advantage of him, especially since most other people tried to do the same thing, or else they just didn't respect him as a person. Sometimes Tom called him a “dumb Mutation”, as if Dustin could be explained in such easy terms.
“I just need to ask you for a little money, big brother. That's all. You got any cash I could borrow?”
“I don't think so,” Dustin responded. Denny sighed. Once Dustin was set on a decision, there was no convincing him to change his mind. He'd get stubborn. He'd barely listen or understand the arguments which were made.
Denny threw up his hands. “Okay, then, Dusty. You win. Don't help out your little brother.”
Dustin got wistful. “My little brother...”
“That's right. You wanna help me, don't y--”
Shots were fired. “Get down!” came a bellow from the direction of town. Denny drew his pistol and Dustin followed suit. Soon they could hear boots crunching dirt.
“Now Dusty, don't you shoot that thing 'less you know it's a enemy.”
“I know.”
Tom barreled out of the night without his pants.
“What the hell happened, Tom?” Denny erupted.
“Made a bad bet, maybe I was distracted by them fine-looking twins who was at the back table. Where's that damn money?”
Denny got in his face. “It's not yours, Tom-Tom.”
“Oh,” Tom sneered. “And a fine time for you to step up, now that I've got half o' West Podunk on my ass for not bein' able to pay up. What an embarrassment.” He looked right at Dustin.
“You're the one with no pants on.”
Before the two men could contemplate each other's death, a gunshot exploded through the night air, and something hit the ground behind Tom. He spun around, and both of them saw a man dead in the dust. They gaped at one another, then slowly turned in unison to look at Dustin's smoking gun.
“Well I'll be damned,” Tom breathed. “Boy, I reckon you just saved my bacon.” He erupted with laughter. “Gotta let bygones be bygones for that one, son. Let's round up this here herd and get some rest. We're gonna have to hightail it from town come tomorrow.”
They rode on, and the mood between them was suddenly very different. Tom was quiet and somber even before he sobered up. They explained the truth to Dustin as best they could, and he took it all in stride. It was clear that the three of them had a better future ahead of them, barring the unexpected.