The Prairie at High Noon

A lone carriage moved swiftly, yet cautiously through the snow crusted forest. The driver observed his moonlit surroundings. The trees were giant and the road was bumpy, yet he pushed his horse to a gallop. Briefly checking behind him, he saw the pale woman inside the carriage body inspecting a box of rocks. He smiled at her and she smiled back. Returning his gaze forward, he suddenly stopped the horse at the sight of a mysterious man ahead.

Lit up by the lantern he was carrying, the mysterious man wore a large brimmed hat and a long coat touching the snowy ground. He drank from his alcohol flask as he eyed the driver.

“Good evening, mister. Can I help you with something?” the driver asked.

“You're out late”, the mysterious man said in a raspy voice.

“Heading back to town now”, the driver said.

“What’s your cargo”?

“Gold”, the driver said, his voice cracking. His hands had an ever so slight shake. “Came out here on a prospecting trip.

“People still prospecting for gold? Really? So, you don’t have any stones?” the mysterious man said, taking a step forward. He put his hand in his coat.

The driver set his hand on his side. “I’ve no use for stones. They’re too strange for me. I’m a simple man. I’ve got friends who still value gold”.

“Gonna have to inspect your cargo”, the mysterious man said, taking another step forward.

The driver took out a revolver. “Stay back! I’m warning you”. He noticed the woman trying to peek out.

Letting out a great laugh, the mysterious man said, “You ever killed a man before? If not, then put the gun away”. He continued laughing. “Your shaky hands make you look like a boy with a toy. I suggest you think of your next move carefully”.

“I’m tougher than I look”.

The mysterious man removed a piece of paper from his coat. Brightening it with his lantern, it had a government seal. “I have here a prospecting claim for this land. Clearly, you’re trespassing”.

“Impossible. This is public land. That document must be forged”.

“It doesn't matter if it's real or not. Either way, I have the cards. Now, I’m gonna inspect your cargo. Don’t do anything stupid. No one needs to get hurt”.

“No!” the driver exclaimed. “You’re not coming any closer, you robber. You thief”.

“Robber? Thief? Let’s be formal. I’m an outlaw”, he said as he removed his own revolver in a split second and shot the driver.

Falling to the ground, the outlaw passed the shivering and aching driver. Moving around to the side of the car, he stopped at the door. Idiot, he thought with a smile as he opened the door.

The loud shot shocked the outlaw as he fell to the ground. Out of the carriage came the woman rushing to the bleeding driver. She caressed his head, before beginning to cough excessively. A deafening shot silenced her coughs and echoed throughout the forest. “No”, the driver said in a weak voice as she fell on top of him.

The outlaw towered over them holding his dented alcohol flask. He then turned back to the carriage.

“She was sick. These stones in the hands of a good doctor would’ve healed her, you careless monster. Does anyone matter to you? Or do you solely live for profit”?

The outlaw crouched in front of the driver. “Who I care for is significantly more important than that sick woman or anyone else”, he said before shooting the driver.

Finally, he entered the carriage body and grinned at the sight of the stones within a box. Grabbing one, he inspected it. His grin turned to a frown as it felt brittle. He crushed it and it turned to dust. As his blood began to boil, he aggressively lifted the box and threw it to the ground. He sighed heavily. “Fool’s stones”, he said while grinding his teeth.

Within a hot and humid desert was a town in the middle of nowhere. The outlaw rode on his new horse, enjoying the familiar heat after the bitter cold. Surrounding him were saloons, general stores, merchants, and a hotel. Yet, the town was sparsely populated. Hitching the horse at the hotel, he dismounted and walked toward the entrance, but stopped. Next to the door was a wanted poster with his face on it. It read: $1,000 dead or $1,500 alive. Checking around him, he then tore the poster.

The lobby contained the concierge, a minibar, and a piano with a pianist. Approaching the concierge, the outlaw asked if the doctor was in town. The concierge replied with the room upstairs as always. The outlaw nodded and went for the stairs, but stopped. A couple dancing by the piano caught his eye. Sudden warmth within him fueled a grin, which he took upstairs.

He sighed before opening the door to the greeting doctor. However, his eyes didn’t even look at the doctor. He was focused on the woman lying on the bed in the center of the room. She seemed to be sleeping. “How is she doing?” he asked.

“Not well”, the doctor replied. “I know you’re used to that”. The outlaw stared the doctor in the eyes. “Do you have any stones”?

The outlaw shook his head while clenching his fists.

“I thought not. Philosopher’s Stones, with their healing properties, are becoming a rarity in these parts, hence the population decline. People are moving further westward for better prospects. If you don’t find any more stones, this coma will take your wife. Too bad, even if I lowered my fee, I know that you still can’t afford to pay me. Please, for her sake, find some stones”, the doctor said, placing a hand on the outlaw’s shoulder. He headed for the door. “She doesn’t deserve to go, yet. Not like this”, he said before exiting.

The outlaw sat on the bed and held his wife's hand, rubbing it with his thumb. He kissed her forehead. “Look at me with your clear sky eyes. I know you’d be ashamed of what I became, but please open your eyes. Talk to me like we used to so long ago”. As the doctor stated, there’s few places left to look and too little time left. He needed to think and, examining his empty alcohol flask, needed a drink.

The minibar didn’t have much variety, but it had enough. Just as the outlaw began to feel somewhat buzzed, the doors opened and a stranger entered the lobby. Wearing ragged clothes and sporting a long, scruffy beard, this man seemed to be cut from the same cloth as the outlaw. He sat next to the outlaw, spat chewing tobacco, and asked for the hardest liquor the bartender had. The outlaw minded his business, but the stranger eyed him.

“I bet you’re a thrill seeker. Always on the hunt for profits no matter how hard”, the stranger said.

The outlaw didn’t react.

“With stones so hard to come by these days, what if I offered you a proposition? I discovered a stone ore deposit out in the prairie outskirts. We can split the profits”.

The outlaw faced the stranger. “You don’t know anything about me”.

“I know you’re desperate. I can feel it. Besides, everyone is”.

“Why can’t you do this yourself”?

“I’m a businessman with impatient buyers. We can mine faster together. Nobody else knows about this spot, I assure you. If you feel uncomfortable, you could just kill me and take over my trade. My clients have access to many claims. My trade is fruitful. You’ve got nothing to lose”, the stranger said while extending his hand.

The outlaw looked up and sighed. He thought of his wife. Then, he shook the stranger’s hand.

“Perfect. I just need a moment to gather my things. Let’s meet at the prairie at high noon”.

The humidity reached a breaking point. The outlaw was covered in sweat while waiting for the stranger. Although the prospect felt odd, the deposit was real. He just hoped it wasn’t filled with fool’s stones. To his surprise, at least part of the stranger’s speech was true. I’ll kill him after we mine a good amount and keep everything for myself, he thought. This deposit has more than enough to save my wife.

Off in the distance, he could see the stranger riding a horse toward him. He carried lots of cargo. Upon arriving, the stranger dismounted the horse. He handed the outlaw a pickaxe and removed a wrapped body from the horse and tossed it on the ground. The sun, at its highest position, was covered by the clouds, darkening the area. Before the outlaw could ask why he alone had a pickaxe, the stranger unwrapped the body revealing it to be his wife. Dropping the pickaxe, the outlaw knelt beside his beloved. Before he could grab his revolver, the stranger already aimed his own at him.

“You were a Union corporal, right? Got a letter saying your wife was in a coma and deserted your post. I heard that all your men died. Spent all of your money on your wife’s care, so you resorted to life outside the law as a robber. Such a high bounty is definitely warranted. Now, outside of my bounty hunts, I enjoy my hand at gathering stones from time to time. So, pick up that pickaxe and mine for me. I might help your wife so she can rescue you from the sheriff one day”.

The outlaw’s breathing was irregular. He grabbed the pickaxe and began to mine the deposit. Such hard work made him drip even more sweat. The bounty hunter observed while chewing tobacco. After a long time, the outlaw finally held a piece of stone. He squeezed it and it was firm. However, the bounty hunter wasn’t content with one and told him to continue. After more time passed, the outlaw amassed more pieces.

“Great job”, the bounty hunter said. “Let’s have some fun. Grab your gun and let’s duel. With a chance to escape your fate, I know you won’t pass up such an opportunity”.

With those words, the outlaw faced the bounty hunter with his hand on his gun. His teeth were grinding and his hand was shaking. His body felt exhausted. Opposite him, the bounty hunter was perfectly still and unnervingly calm. Swiftly, a shot was fired and the outlaw fell to the ground. The bounty hunter towered over him. “Choices have consequences, even if they take a long time to occur”, he said.

“My wife is still alive. I know it. I feel it. Please, bring her to a doctor”, the outlaw said in a weak voice.

“The bounty is for you and only you. I’ve no use for her. You better hold onto that wound and apply pressure so you don’t bleed out. You’ll yield more alive than dead”.

Loading his horse with a bag of stones and the limp outlaw, the bounty hunter rode off from the prairie. The outlaw watched the empty deposit and his wife shrink as they moved further and further away. They were a life that he would never experience again.