Horace 'Buckaroo' Muldoon by Michael Burke - HTML preview

FIRST DAY LAST DAY

Buckaroo gathered the small group his daddy had hired to explain the situation.  He wanted to feel the hired hands out to see if they could take orders from their new boss.

The group consisted of two experienced cow hands, two other youngsters and a cook.  The youngest cowboy was just fourteen years old and wasn't expected to fair well out in the open country, or so the more experienced cowpokes figured.

Buckaroo was given his boss man spiel to the group when one of the more experienced riders interrupted and expressed his concerns for such a youngster to be leadin' a group of this sort.  Unknown to most of the others that man was wanted in several adjacent counties for such things as cow rustler, horse thief and paid assassin.

Now bein' young, Buckaroo knew there might be some, especially the older more experienced men, who would have doubts about his limited ability to see such an adventure come to a rightful conclusion, and he was correct in his thinking.

Yet if he was to maintain control of such a group he had to stand tall and not back down.  He was the ramrod of this outfit and no others would be allowed to take the reins from him; not a good mindset for one so young in those times of desperation.

The experienced assassin knew he had the better of the young Buckaroo and knew all to well how to push the comin' event into a favorable outcome for himself.  As words between the two became heated the older man who was totin a six-shooter reached behind and drew out another revolver from his waistband.  He pitched it in the direction of Buckaroo where it landed next to his right foot.

Buckaroo was young and inexperienced with such a weapon, yet felt the blood rise from within his manhood and felt he had no choice but to stand his ground or be looked badly upon by the other cowboys.  Retrieving the gun and wiping off the dust he pushed the gun into his belt.  A distance of only seven feet or so separated the two men who were now staring into each others eyes.

The others now fearing for themselves moved away and waitin' to see what the outcome might be; even though all felt the kid was surely a goner.

The assassin saw mainly fear as he stared into the young boys' eyes; Buckaroo saw the confidence of an older man as he gazed into the assassins' eyes.  The assassin told the kid in a calm and low voice to make the first move; two bullets blazed from their gun barrels as Buckaroo drew first followed by the assassin.  Smoke, sparks and black powder flew forth.  The assassin was hit in the abdomen and after several steps backward crumpled to the ground moaning and gasping for air.  Buckaroo stepped forward several paces then collapsed on top of the assassin, dead.  Buckaroo had been faster on the draw but missed his mark; the assassins' bullet hit almost dead center just a hair below his heart.

The assassin did not last long; his belly wound caused him great pain as it took four days before he succumbed to the delayed effects of Buckaroos' bullet.  He was buried in a shallow grave.  No words of goodness or prayers were uttered over him by the other cowboys. 

All but one cowboy rode on to look for greener pastures as the sayin' goes.  They helped Buckaroos' mother bury him and stood by while she sang a few hymns and uttered prayers through intermittent spells of sobbing; then moved on.

The one cowboy who remained behind turned out to be the younger brother of the assassin; he was the other experienced cowhand afore mentioned.  After the others moved on he would show his true colors.  After beating, raping and strangling Buckaroo's mother he torched the house, barn and stable's and ran off all the livestock.  He would never be caught or punished for his crimes.  This murderer would later in life marry, settle down to raise three children and would die a peaceful death at the age of sixty-seven.  One of his sons would grow up to one day hold the prestigious office of 'Vice President of the United States of America.’

THE END