Where the Water Tastes Like Wine

panch · February 4

Free-N-Easy · February 5

"What a damn wild night that was… Greg, Cory and I rolled into town, and wouldn't you know it—we ran into none other than those two damn fools, Benny and Lenny. Now, Lenny Boyd, there's a character… He drifts in and out of our travels, always sticking around just long enough to lose every cent he's got at poker before crawling back to the road. And wouldn't you know it, now he's here, in Blackwater, just in time to stir up trouble.

It didn't take long for Benny and Lenny to take a disliking to each other—one's a Scot, the other's a Welshman, and apparently, that's reason enough for a fistfight. Now, me? I don't see much of a difference, but they sure as hell did. Before we knew it, they were throwing punches right there in the street, and it damn near got em both arrested. Lucky for us, I've got a way with words, and I managed to convince the deputies it was just a friendly scrap—just boys being boys."

"Once the boys cooled off, we headed to the saloon and played a few tunes. Or rather, Corey and I played, while Benny and Lenny worked the crowd, hollering like carnival barkers and getting folks riled up. It turned into one hell of a show, and I gotta say, Corey's got the hands of a damn angel on that piano. I need to make sure he plays more and more, cause a talent like that shouldn't go to waste.

That whole spectacle ended up working in our favor. I crossed paths with Madam Myra, a woman who, from what I gather, runs the local brothel. At first, I wasn't too sure what she wanted with me and the boys, so I asked again... trust me, I've seen some strange things on the road. Turns out, she's offering us a steady gig—playing for her patrons, paying damn well for it too. Blackwater's a tough city, rough around the edges, but folks here know how to do business."

"While I was talking to Madam Myra, I noticed the boys had disappeared, and soon enough, I heard the sounds of a fight echoing from the street. Figured it was Benny and Lenny at it again, but no... some scrawny kid had thrown himself into a fight with them, and for whatever damn reason, Greg and Corey got dragged into it too.

It was like watching David take on Goliath, except this David didn't have a damn slingshot, just fists and a whole lotta bad decisions. They put him on the ground more than once, but he kept getting back up, swinging like he thought he had a chance. No idea what the hell his problem was, but he wasn't gonna win that fight.

Next thing I know, Greg gets hauled off to the sheriff's office, and Corey and I head after him, trying to keep him out of too much trouble. On the way, that same damn "David" and his gang jump us again, but this time, the deputies step in quick. Funny enough, that worked out in Greg's favor—the sheriff let him walk, and by the time dawn broke, we were riding back to camp. Something tells me this ain't over yet. We best keep our eyes open."

phh · February 5

Steve_Huys · February 6

Steve_Huys · February 6

Free-N-Easy · February 6

"Met up with the boys in Blackwater for a few drinks and to scout a good spot for our next big show. Jake's got plans for a full-on medicine show, so we need a place big enough for music, dancing, and some circus tricks to keep the crowd entertained. Gotta make sure it's somewhere folks can see us...

Meanwhile, Benny came in with trouble on his breath—said some bandits been lurking near our camp, and he even took a shot at one. That was enough for us to make the call—camp needs moving deeper into the wilds, somewhere outta prying eyes. So we split up—most of the crew headed back to pack up camp, while Corey, Craig, and I, along with a new fella, Abdoul, went to look for a proper place for the show. Ab's story is a whole damn ballad on its own—says he worked on a ranch down in New Austin till some damn Mexicans raided the place, burned it to the ground, and killed near everyone there.

We scouted a spot on the far end of town, looked like the place where local fairs and markets get set up. Perfect for what we need. Played a few tunes, sang a bit, and got a good feel for the place. After that, we hit the saloon—played some more, and let me tell you, I ain't seen a saloon that packed in a long time.

Of course, there were a few fists thrown... there always are... but it was quieter than usual, which is saying something. The locals got real excited when they heard about the show, so I ain't worried about drawing a crowd. Hell, if tonight's any sign, we might have half the damn town showing up."

Free-N-Easy · February 6

"Sandstorm"

"Blackwater"

"Blackwater Saloon"

"Lenny Boyd"

"Lenny vs. Benny"

"Corey Vidrine at the Keys"

Steve_Huys · February 7

That Hill is a Pile of Skulls

Free-N-Easy · February 7

"Are we good men? I reckon so. Are we killers? Well, that depends on who's asking. A man does what he's gotta do when another knife is pressed against his own. Ain't no different for me. As for the rest of em? We wouldn't ride together if we didn't see the world the same way."

"But let's start from the beginning... When I got back to camp, I damn near lost my temper seeing those two sorry sons-a-bitches, Bill and Dave. Lord, how I've come to despise em. We brought Ab back with us, and soon as those bastards laid eyes on him, they started spewing their fool talk about how they ain't gonna share camp with no nigger. And that got me thinking—who the hell even invited y'all in the first place?

One word led to another, and before I knew it, we had em surrounded with steel and lead. My boys, we stick together, we stand for our own, and we sure as hell don't take threats lightly. What started as words turned into a stand-off, and what ended it was a few shots to chase those bastards outta our camp for good."

"We barely had five minutes of peace before the gunfire started up again—from the direction those bastards ran. Naturally, we returned fire. It was dark, too damn dark to see who we were even shooting at. But when the realization hit, it damn near knocked the wind outta me—it wasn't Bill, Dave, or their pack of mutts. It was the goddamn Blackwater Sheriff's Office.

Hell. We never screwed up this bad before. I took a bullet to the shoulder, and after that… everything's a blur."

"When I woke up, I wasn't in camp no more. I was in a hospital bed, stiff as hell and sore all over. Next thing I knew, they were hauling me over to the sheriff's office. Interrogations, talk of a trial… I ain't got the first damn clue how this'll end.

Then Benny, poor bastard, asks me if I think they'll hang us... Boy just joined us not long ago, and now he's caught up in this whole mess. His whole damn life might come down to a few words in a courtroom. And what about the rest of us? The noose? A cell til the day we rot? I don't know. But even if we live through this, after all that's gone down… I got a feeling Blackwater ain't ever gonna welcome us back."