Meeting Billy
1600 Words
“What’s your name son?” the man in front of me asked. I looked around at the rag-tag group of guys at the table. Each one of them were holding their own set of cards. Some of them I had recognized as part of billy the kids group, but some of them were extremely unfamiliar, “Ey, boy. You listenin’?”
“Yessir,” I said quickly, trying to keep the long cut pushed to the side in my mouth, “name’s cody Matthews.”
“Who sent you?”
“Skip o’reily sir. He said you were looking for some extra hands.”
“I am,” he nodded. He looked around the saloon and kicked out the ghostly looking chair, “skip told me he’d be sending a kid by. Charlie, deal the kid in.”
‘charlie’ nodded, not quite sure of me yet. He gathered up the cards that were left in the deck, and dealt me a few. Spitting on the floor he managed to muster out, “opening bid’s already set.”
“He’s with me,” the man I’d come to see growled, throwing a few extra coins forward. I looked between the two men, and they seemed to eye one another down before chuckling. I took a second following their movements. The men were obviously friends. I could only assume that Charlie was the infamous Charlie b, one of Billy the kids ‘pals.’
“We gonna get to playin’?” an unfamiliar man asked.
Another of the guys at the table gave him a look. Charlie reached low, and I saw billy shaking his head at him. The moment was tense. This man was less familiar. Probably in his early thirties, some salt and pepper already setting in on his mustache. His face was slightly dirty which meant he hadn’t bathed in a few days or had a long ride in.
“What you gonna do, Charlie?” the man spat, “you know of the two of us, who the quicker draw is? Wanna risk it over a question on cards?”
I flinched.
Not even a minute into sitting down with these men, I was already smack dab in the middle of a possible gun fight.
“just playin round,” billy chuckled, “right pal?”
Charlie laughed again and spat behind him before taking a swig from his bottle, “all fun n games, right kid? Just making sure he’s set to play with the big boys.”
I picked up my cards, examining them. I let go of the reason I was here and paid attention to my competition. I could already see the laziness of one of them. A card was poking out of his sleeve.
“What are you chuckling at, blondie?”
I looked up at Billy who sat next to me.
“This the rest of the men lookin to work for ya?” I asked, feeling brazen.
“you got something to say, kid?”
The oldest of the group, a friend to the man who’d already questioned Charlie gave me a dirty look. This was one that I’d recognized as a challenge. I wasn’t gonna pull my revolver though. I knew that I didn’t have enough standing to start something with no backup.
“You might wanna tuck your ace back into your sleeve, old man.”
The man threw down his cards. I was impressed by the fact that the one in his sleeve had stayed. Musta used gum or a sleeve compartment to hold it, “yer makin dangerous accusations when you don’t know anyone here, kid. I oughtta skin ya right here in this saloon to show you a lesson.”
I didn’t dare break eye contact, “not accusing. Just saying a gentleman would conceal his cards better. And as far as teachin me a lesson, it wouldn’t do ya any good to skin me. Not many can live through that.”
I turned my attention away when billy clapped my shoulder, clearly amused with it. But then he sprang up, pulled his gun, and shot.
Dazed, I looked down at my shirt, half expecting the blood to be pouring down.
But I only had gunpowder there.
Turning my head, I saw the older outlaw, whose card had now fallen from his sleeve. He was coughin up blood, sputtering on the ground. His once free hand now held a small revolver.
“Jesus.”
“good call, kid,” billy smirked, clapping my shoulder once more, “that lying bastards been trying to cheat us all night. Had the same damn ace of spades right up that sleeve. You hear me steve, I know you’re sorry ass has been tryin to rip me off. I’m sick of playin with a damn cheat. But you couldn’t stop lyin when another man called ya out! could ya?”
“You alright boss?”
That’s when I noticed that the saloon had gotten quiet. They were staring at our table. The man who had started bleeding out was picked up by one of his friends who began callin for the doctor. He dragged him out the back.
“Fine, Tom. New kid here has an eye for the dramatic…and the details. What’s your name again?”
“Cody.”
“Come on cody,” he smiled, “let’s chat somewhere else. Can’t keep up this act now that I’ve gone and shot someone. You got a horse?”
“Yessir.”
“Good man,” he chuckled. Then he turned to the rest of the still awaiting audience, “Ain’t nothin to see here. Just got a man who got caught with a slight of hand.”
The saloon resumed their normal activities at that, accepting billy for his word, and when the piano began playin again We walked out, and towards the horses. Billy took out a cigar and lit up, “tell me kid, how old are you? You look like you just got out of school.”
“nineteen, sir,” I lied.
“Well damn, you really are just out of school,” he laughed. He took a few short puffs, “Damn good cigar. You smoke?”
“Horrible habit,” I laughed, “old lady would kill me.”
“nineteen and married. Hell of a way to tie yourself down,” he smirked, “so you’re looking for work. You know what kind of jobs we do, right kid?”
“not married,” I laughed, “got a younger sister I’ve been takin care of since our pa died. But yes, I do.”
Billy nodded, accepting my answer.
“The kind most others would look down on us for,” Charlie added in.
“The kind that don’t make you a gentlemen.”
I looked at Tom, “I know what kind of work your posse does, billy the kid. I’m looking to be a pal.”
He smirked at the fact that I not only knew his nickname, but that I knew just who they all were. Tom and Charlie did the same.
“Looking to be a pal, huh?”
“Just a friendly face,” I joked, “doesn’t the world need more of those.”
“That they do,” Tom laughed, “you got any experience.”
“He’s nineteen, of course he doesn’-“
“I do,” I cut Charlie off, “my paw was part of the james-younger gang. Took his alias after them bastards in the Midwest hung him.”
“James younger gang, huh?”
“Yessir.”
“they’re still going strong in the Midwest, ain’t they?”
“Yessir, they are. Got the whole crew of youngers in right now helping out. my family’s side’s getting edged out, an I figure it’s better to head west then to splinter or marry my sister into the youngers. Those bastards are slimier than a Frenchman.”
“So you’re part of the james family,” billy smirked.
“Yessir,” I smiled, “my father’s sister married in.”
“smart woman.”
“the smartest,” I chuckled.
“Well kid,” Billy laughed, “we got room, I’ll tell you that. Let’s see if you’re worth your weight though. Been hanging around for a few days now and we’re looking for a good spot to settle in and build us a pretty little nest egg. You know, until we can find a job worth our talents.”
“I’ve got a house a town over,” I offered, “my dad bought it before he passed. My sister’s packing up our stuff while I’m getting it ‘set up.’ If you don’t mind basic amenities like making your own food there’s three extra beds.”
“I knew I liked you, pal,” Charlie chuckled, throwing an arm over my shoulder.”
- Writer
