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Western Fiction Drama

Rance Jenkins arrived in Muleshoe, Texas around 1:00 P.M. He was hoping to kill a man before the sun hit the horizon.

Sweat and tobacco juice stained his dusty clothes, his blue eyes narrowed and searching. He spotted a pump handle by the horse trough and immediately took himself there. With a little effort, Rance had clear, cold water gushing out, splattering the dry street. He doused his head under the water before slaking his thirst. The July heat had settled in and was going to stick around for the duration of the summer.

A cat sat on one of the rocking chairs in front of the saloon, finding the only available shade to be had. Rance strode to the doors of the Stray Cat Saloon and walked in, pausing a moment to let his eyes adjust to the gloom of the room’s interior. He looked around, as men in his profession do, noting everything. There was little to take in.

The saloon was empty, save for the bartender. Ceiling fans spun lazily on their axes, doing little to dispel the heat but doing an excellent job of moving around the dust. The bartender was reading a dime novel about gunfighters, glancing up when Rance entered. His eyes appraised the horseman with something approaching boredom before returning to his book.

“How’s the beer in this place?” Rance leaned on the bar and stared at the bartender. He already didn’t like the man behind the counter.

“Warm,” the bartender said. He sat his book down and pulled a beer for the new customer.

“How ‘bout the whiskey?”

“It’ll take some years off your life.”

“Gimme a beer and a shot. And leave the bottle,” Rance said, tossing three silver dollars on the bar.

The bartender did as instructed and went back to reading his book.

“You got a sportin’ woman in these parts?” Rance swallowed a shot of whiskey and grimaced. He was of the opinion that horse piss probably tasted better, but that didn’t stop him from downing another shot.

“We had three. Two took off for San Antonio and the other one got herself married.”

Rance hooted.

“Who’d marry a whore? Only a damn fool, you ask me.”

The bartender didn’t comment. He put his book down and pulled another beer for the stranger. The stray cat wandered in and climbed up on the bar. The bartender stroked its back before picking it up and putting it on the floor behind the bar.

Rance leaned forward.

“Say, you know a man named Rondo Cord? I hear he lives in these parts.”

The bartender looked up and nodded.

“Yeah. I know the man. Owns a small spread north of here. Runs a few cattle.”

“He ever come in here?”

The bartender picked up the stranger’s empty mug and shot glass. He supplied the man with a clean glass and an ancient cigar.

“Yep. You can find him here from time to time. Usually makes an appearance every day.”

“What you know of the man?” Rance sipped his beer and pushed the whiskey bottle away. A man can drink only so much of that stuff, he figured, before he went blind. The cigar burned his throat but he smoked it anyway.

“Not much. He bought a little ranch about ten years ago. Got a wife and two kids. They stay to themselves, mostly. Ain’t nothin’ special about the man far as I can tell.”

“No? Well, you ain’t up on things, old man. Rondo Cord is the most famous gunfighter there ever was.”

The bartender nodded and put his book down.

“I heard something like that from men passin’ through here. I never paid it no mind. Rondo don’t seem the type. Figured it was all just talk from drunk men.”

“Uh huh. Well, take it from me, old man. Rondo Cord is a stone cold killer. Or used to be. They say he’d get $500 a head for killin’ a man.”

“He was a bounty hunter?”

“Damn right he was.”

The bartender whistled.

“Well I’ll be. He don’t seem dangerous. Kinda quiet and peaceful. I don’t even think he wears a pistol.”

“Then he’s a jackass.”

“Maybe so.”

“I aim to put that dog in the dirt,” Rance said. He fingered his pistol lightly, a faraway look in his eyes.

The bartender put down his rag and leaned on the bar.

“Why you wanna do a thing like that?”

Rance pulled out his gun, quickly and smoothly, aiming at the far wall. He saw glory at the end of the barrel.

“Make a name for myself. Rance Jenkins, the man who gunned down Rondo Cord. Then I’ll make as much money as ol’ Rondo did, you see. Plenty of men’ll be hirin’ ol’ Rance. Pay top dollar, too.”

“I see.”

“I don’t think you do, old man. I’m a top-notch bounty hunter. Just like Rondo. Only, I get about fifty dollars a head. After I kill ol’ Rondo, I’ll be a gittin’ considerable more.”

“You don’t make enough now? Fifty a head’s good money, son.”

Rance rounded on the bartender, his face flushed and his visage grim.

“I ain’t your son, old man. Hell,” Rance relaxed a little when the bartender shrank back, “I make plenty for a regular man. But good whiskey, good clothes, fat steaks, and pretty whores cost money.”

“I don’t know much about that.” The bartender resumed his reading.

The afternoon wore on. Rance drank beer and paced the saloon, his nervousness in sharp contrast to the quietness of the bartender. The cat sat in a corner, occasionally licking itself and dozing peacefully.

“Say, why’d you name this place the Stray Cat? Odd name for a saloon,” Rance said. His voice sounded harsh against the filtered quiet of the afternoon.

The bartender pointed at the cat.

“The cat came with the building. Acted like he owned the place, so I named it after him.”

Rance scoffed.

“Damn fool name for a saloon, barkeep. Besides all that, you don’t seem to do much business here. How you expect to make a livin’ outta this place?”

“I got me a small spread outside town. Run a few cattle. The missus grows vegetables and such. We get by.”

“If you had some sportin’ women ‘round here you might get by a little better. Hell, the saloons in Arizona’s chock full of whores. Pretty ones, too.”

“This is Muleshoe. Ain’t much call for that kind of woman.”

“Yeah. Well, I wouldn't a come out here except some fellers told me to go to the Stray Cat out in this part of the country. Said I’d find Rondo out here, so I come out. No one told me about this damn state. Texas is a pure bitch, barkeep. No women to lay with, warm beer and bad whiskey. And no Rondo showin’ his ugly face, to boot.”

“Texas has its moments, young ‘un.”

“Ain’t seen none yet that’re worth keepin’.”

The bartender continued reading his dime novel. Rance continued to drink warm beer and spit tobacco juice on the floor. The cat decided that it had had enough of this excitement and went prowling outside. It succeeded in cornering and killing a mouse. The stray cat proudly presented it to the bartender.

The bartender took the mouse and disappeared in the back room. He came back out a moment later, sans mouse, and set a saucer of milk out for the cat. The cat lapped it up greedily. Milk clung to its whiskers after it had finished. He looked up at the bartender expectantly. Sighing, the bartender set his book down and got the cat more milk.

Rance watched all of this with amusement.

“You treat that cat like a king, barkeep.”

The bartender settled back on his stool and picked up his book.

“Yep. He kills all the vermin ‘round here. Mice, spiders, even little ‘ol rattlers. He’s fearless. I reckon he deserves some milk.”

Rance glared at the cat. In his drunken state, he took a dislike to everything and everybody.

“Damn cat. Somebody oughta shoot the thing and be done with it.”

The bartender looked up at Rance, his mild blue eyes turning to cold blue steel. He stood up, shook his head, and then shot Rance twice in the chest.

Rance’s eyes widened in surprise for just a few seconds before they started to dim. His body fell awkwardly on the floor, his legs splayed in different directions and blood spurting from his chest. He coughed a couple of times, clutched his chest and died. The cat watched the goings on impassively before returning to the certainty of the shade.

The bartender dragged the body outside and let it rest against the steps leading to the saloon. He locked the saloon doors, went home, and got a shovel. His wife looked at him with amusement, mingled with mild consternation.

“Another one?”

“Yep. Wanted to kill the cat.”

“He a gunfighter?”

“So he said. Came lookin’ for Rondo.”

The bartender’s wife chuckled as she dried her hands and kissed her husband on the cheek.

“I don’t guess he knew that you’re Rondo.”

“Nope.”

“He deserved to be shot for wantin’ to do away with the cat. Were you gonna kill him anyway?”

“Yep.”

Rondo’s wife walked with him back to the saloon and helped him load the body into a wheelbarrow. She watched as he dug yet another grave at the top of the rise behind the saloon.

“Eleven.”

“Huh?”

“You done put eleven gunfighters a lookin’ for you in the dirt.”

“They keep comin’ and I’ll keep killin’.”

“I reckon you’ll run out of gunfighters to shoot some fine day.”

“That’d be nice.”

The couple dumped the body in the grave and Rondo covered the dead man up. He didn’t bother to say a prayer over the grave site. He didn’t figure the man deserved one.

“Ain’t we a pair? You married the last whore in Hondo and I married a shy bounty hunter.”

“It worked out all right, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, exceptin’ you can’t run from your past.”

Rondo nodded and sat down beside his wife. The setting sun still blazed with heat and illumination, offering up impossible colors to the countryside before it went to bed.

“Let’s go home and eat supper. Chance killed three rabbits today, so we got rabbit stew. I’ll fry up some taters and make some biscuits.”

“They do their chores today?”

“Yep, and they was right smart about it.”

“I reckon you gave me a coupla real good kids.”

“I did.”

The couple turned towards home.

“You finish the book?”

“Just before I plugged that young feller. Seems that Rondo Cord is now livin’ in Old Mexico with several pretty señoritas.”

Rondo’s wife laughed.

“And the last dime novel you read had you dead and buried somewhere in Wyoming.”

“They say I killed 178 men. Hell, I don’t even know 178 men.”

Rondo opened the door to their house and ushered his wife in. The kids were out back, chasing fireflies and playing tag. Rondo’s wife yelled at them to clean up for supper.

“Made an apple pie for the church social tomorrow.”

“I’ll put a dollar in the plate.”

She kissed Rondo on the cheek before speaking.

“Gotta keep God happy. I reckon a buck’ll do it.”


March 03, 2023 08:59

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45 comments

Zack Powell
16:30 Mar 04, 2023

If you were to ask me the one genre tag I wish I saw more of on this site, the answer would be Western. Such a unique atmosphere in those stories, such a unique way of doing dialogue, and a surprising amount of ways you can take those stories. Case in point: this piece. I loved this, Del. Had my attention from the start (plus that name, Rance Jenkins, screams Wild Wild West, so I was already on board before I even finished reading the sentence). Also, a confession: After I read this, I copy-pasted it into a word counting program and was abs...

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Delbert Griffith
20:23 Mar 04, 2023

Wow, thanks so very much for the amazing review, Zack. I'm blown away by your praise and I feel humbled that an expert such as yourself enjoyed my little tale this much. I'm pleased that you like westerns. I do also. They're damnably difficult to write, for you have to find a balance between western parlance and "regular" conversational language. It's very easy to overdo it, and then your story just sounds hokey and stilted. That you liked it tells me that I found that balance. WooHoo! I did consider stopping after the death. It felt a li...

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Nathaniel Miller
00:47 Mar 06, 2023

Wow, Delbert. Really, really nicely done. I enjoyed how sudden the twist is, how abrupt it is. I was very surprised by it, and very pleased. So satisfyingly unpredictable that the saloon owner was Rondo. Really liked the imagery you created here, too; the saloon and town feel so empty and authentic and so very Wild West. This was such a pleasure to read... really enjoy a good solid Western every now and then. Everything came together so well. Thanks so much for sharing this!

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Delbert Griffith
07:35 Mar 06, 2023

Thank you very much for the kind words and the nice review, Nathaniel. I appreciate the insights and the critique. It was a fun write, reminiscent of Cormack McCarthy. He always has abrupt violence in his books, so I gave it a shot (no pun intended). I'm pleased that you enjoyed my tale. Again, thanks. It takes time and effort to write a review, so I appreciate that you did this.

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Helen A Smith
17:19 Mar 05, 2023

I love this story Delbert. It’s got great dialogue and characters. I can just imagine the scene so well. A pleasing western where not all was as it seemed. Great cat too. Roll on the next one.

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Delbert Griffith
22:25 Mar 05, 2023

I'm so pleased that you liked it, Helen. Westerns aren't to everyone's taste. I appreciate that you liked the dialogue and the characters. They made the story, don't you think? Again, thank you. Truly.

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Helen A Smith
08:09 Mar 06, 2023

I guess the ability of a story writer is to make a subject appealing whatever the genre and you did that.

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Tara Leigh Parks
13:42 Mar 05, 2023

Good riddance, Rance Jenkins. Love the title and the characters including the cat. Your use of action brings the setting to life. It bring readers into the setting instead of asking them to read about it. One thing I like is that no one gets excited about killing and burying another dead man. This is life. This choice establishes the setting and the characters. “They say I killed 178 men. Hell, I don’t even know 178 men.” Ha! Thank you for this engaging, fun, finely crafted story. It's dark and fun which is hard to achieve.

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Delbert Griffith
14:23 Mar 05, 2023

Thanks so much for the kind words and the nice review, Tara. That means a lot to me, coming from an exceptional writer like you. I'm very pleased that you found it a fun read. I was going for cozy, comfortable, chill. The violent death and the laconic responses to death notwithstanding, I sought a tone that would leave a reader with a slight smile and maybe get a chuckle or two out of it. I feel like a real writer now that you've found the fun in it. :) Again, thank you. I truly appreciate such insightful and thoughtful reviews.

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05:53 Mar 05, 2023

The two-way back and forth worked really well, took me about halfway before I started suspecting. Its is funny that he's reading stories about himself, and the last straw was his comment about the cat, which kept the cat as a big theme. On the line "exceptin’ you can’t run from your past", just had to wonder if he's still using his old skills, what is she up to these days besides baking apple pies. Well done, I don't read much western, but you kept it all very relatable and fast paced. good work.

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Delbert Griffith
07:37 Mar 05, 2023

Thanks so much, Scott. It means a lot to me when a writer of your caliber likes my story. I don't read westerns any longer; it was my preferred genre until I was fifteen or so. I attribute my love of reading to sneaking old westerns out of my dad's bedroom and reading them. I hope I did the genre justice. Again, thank you. I always value your comments, my friend. Cheers from Texas!

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Delbert Griffith
07:37 Mar 05, 2023

Thanks so much, Scott. It means a lot to me when a writer of your caliber likes my story. I don't read westerns any longer; it was my preferred genre until I was fifteen or so. I attribute my love of reading to sneaking old westerns out of my dad's bedroom and reading them. I hope I did the genre justice. Again, thank you. I always value your comments, my friend. Cheers from Texas!

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Stevie Burges
02:18 Mar 05, 2023

Hi Delbert, brought to mind my days in Texas as an English tourist following all the gunfight sites. It was a great story, well-paced, and had me gripped from the beginning. Thanks for writing.

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Delbert Griffith
07:33 Mar 05, 2023

Thank you for reading my little tale, Stevie. I appreciate the kind words and the nice review. It was a fun write, but it was difficult to get just the right balance between old-style dialect and "regular" English. And I had to have a stray cat. I liked him the best! LOL Again, thank you. Truly.

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Amanda Lieser
16:26 Mar 04, 2023

Hey Delbert! Oh it was the SETTING for this one. And that twist. How delightful. I love how you made us really buy into these characters and I loved the saloon name. Our family is a huge fan of the city of Taos, NM. Very artsy, very Catholic, and a big fan of stray cats. They wander all through the city. This western made me think of that town. My favorite line was dialogue: He deserved to be shot for wantin’ to do away with the cat. Nice work!!

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Delbert Griffith
16:38 Mar 04, 2023

Thanks again, Amanda. It warms my heart that you appreciated the characters and the saloon name. It was a fun write, and I admit to taking creative liberties with the prompt. Alas, we have to do what we must to churn out our scribblings. Thanks again, my friend. Cheers from Texas!

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Suma Jayachandar
05:28 Mar 04, 2023

Well, ain’t that a damn good Western! I reckon only a Texan can pull it off:-) It has the rugged charm of the genre with a hint of menace to it. You created an immersive atmosphere right off the bat; vivid with sensory details. Nice foreshadowing too. But it’s the dialogue that really sold it! If I may offer a minor suggestion, can the cat be offered something other than milk? Maybe some meat or such. A charming and thrilling tale, Delbert. Kudos to you for attempting this formidable genre and coming on top of it!

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Delbert Griffith
07:45 Mar 04, 2023

Thanks for the kind words, Suma. I really appreciate it from such an excellent author. Westerns aren't my forte, but I really struggled with this week's prompts, so I took some creative liberties. I'm pleased that you enjoyed it, my friend. I was going for a comfortable, cozy, tale. That you found it charming is icing on the cake. And you caught the foreshadowing as well. Nice! Don't you worry about the cat; it is pampered and loved beyond belief! Rumor has it that Rondo even feeds it fish on a weekly basis. LOL Thanks again, Suma. I alwa...

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Kendall Defoe
23:56 Mar 03, 2023

Okay, I am not the biggest fan of westerns, but you got me with this one. I really need to step up my game this week... 🐈

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Delbert Griffith
01:10 Mar 04, 2023

I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Kendall. Thanks so much for the nice review. I appreciate reviews from good writers like you. Cheers!

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Michał Przywara
23:40 Mar 03, 2023

That was fun :) And it's surprisingly wholesome, given a would-be-killer gets trashed and then shot. Seems like the fundamental difference between the men was one of respect. Rondo rewarded his cat for the job it did, saw a woman where others saw a whore, and thought of the collection plate. I suspect he was a generally grateful man. Rance on the other hand was entitled, impulsive, and dismissive, and was looking to make a name for himself by destroying another. It does raise a good question though. How *does* a famous bounty hunter reti...

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Delbert Griffith
01:09 Mar 04, 2023

Thanks so much, Michal. It pleases me that you enjoyed my little tale. And I'm doubly pleased by your recent win. Well deserved, my friend. Believe it or not, bars had ceiling fans starting in the mid- to late 1800s. They weren't as efficient as the ones today, and they were pretty ugly, but they did cool off a hot saloon - a little. Again, thanks for the kind words and the nice review. I always appreciate comments from you, Michal.

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Lily Finch
21:22 Mar 03, 2023

Del. AND THAT"S THE WAY TOI DO IT FOLKS!! WHOO! This story was excellently written. Your clever storyline was well received and thoroughly enjoyed. I had a feeling when there were no other characters that Rondo was the Rondo. Your detail - the bar name, the stray cat and a reference to him owning the place. The whore is Rondo's wife, and the cat is the last straw for Rondo. Then you have Rondo and his wife, who know each other well. He writes the adventures of Rondo in dime novels about gunfighting. And now you brought the story to where i...

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Delbert Griffith
22:11 Mar 03, 2023

Wow, thanks so much for the effusive review, Lily. It pleases me no end that you liked this story. It was a fun write and I really wanted to do a western-themed story. Truthfully, I struggled with this week's prompts. I just couldn't find a story in me, so I took some creative liberties with the prompt. I'm so glad you liked it, my friend. Again, thank you. I always appreciate a Lily Finch review! :)

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Wendy Kaminski
15:55 Mar 03, 2023

So damn charming! It's like a cozy vignette of a place you kinda hope is really out there, in some when. :) Your way with words is always top-notch, but this one, pleasant sigh... I just really love westerns in general, too, and I'm always so excited to see one of those rare offerings come out to play. Two particularly favorite lines in a story jam-packed with them (and a wonderful twist, too!): - “The cat came with the building. Acted like he owned the place, so I named it after him.” - hehehe :) - “They say I killed 178 men. Hell, I don’t...

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Delbert Griffith
16:07 Mar 03, 2023

"...in the lists." LOLOL Am I to be on my fiery steed, lance in hand, jousting with the great Wendy Kaminski? Your last three words provoked this image. I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your kind words and encouraging review. You seem to have picked up on all of the things that I wanted to convey in this tale. The violent, unemotional death, the reference to prior violent deaths, the laconic responses - yes, that was all in there, but I really wanted the story to feel comfortable. I'm so pleased that you found it to be cozy....

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Wendy Kaminski
16:27 Mar 03, 2023

Eastern Oregon is that way, too - I love long drives out in the desolate and sparse landscape. I just feel at home there, for some reason, though it isn't my home. :)

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Delbert Griffith
16:37 Mar 03, 2023

I hear you. When I visit my sister in Ft. Worth, I take the back roads. I stop in the little towns and soak in the atmosphere and talk to the denizens of these places. The drive takes ten hours because of my multiple stops. It should take five hours. This refreshes my soul and sharpens my perspective on life. I'm happy to find a kindred spirit in this respect. :)

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Susan Catucci
15:51 Mar 03, 2023

I absolutely loved this under-3000 word dime novel you have here, Del. It's a complete round-up of the old west with all the necessary ingredients. I easily could hear the snarl in Rance's overblown Clint Eastwood swagger and the cool reserve in the barkeep holding all the cards. The cat was a perfect catalyst (my apologies) for the final confrontation and I knew he'd married the whore, I just knew it! And I enjoyed the interplay between the marrieds as much, if not more than all that came before. Forgive the replay, Del - this was a jo...

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Delbert Griffith
15:56 Mar 03, 2023

Wow. Thanks so much, Susan. And congratulations again on being shortlisted. I blame Reedsy for you not being shortlisted earlier, for you have written so many great tales. You know, I wasn't thinking of dear old Clint here, but it sure works, doesn't it? I can't tell you how much i appreciate your help on this tale. You're a real treasure, Susan.

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Mary Bendickson
19:53 Mar 08, 2023

I agree with all the commentary on this fine piece from all the expert writers. I am not one of those. I am trying to learn from some of the best and now I discover you to follow. I was born in Texas and love to watch some of the old western movies. I even have an unpublished book I wrote last year that I call a western fiction but it doesn't compare to this. I did have an inkling the keep was Rondo but was expecting a much more drawn out show down. Nice job.

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Delbert Griffith
21:01 Mar 08, 2023

Hey, thanks so much for the kind words, Mary. I probably would have drawn it out more if I had more words to work with. As it is, I decided to keep it terse and spare. I'm pleased that you liked it. Keep on writing. Do this Reedsy thing every week. I promise you, the weekly contests will make you better. Again, thank you. Truly.

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Mary Bendickson
00:04 Mar 09, 2023

Thanks for the tip. I am trying but feel I fall way short.

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Delbert Griffith
01:16 Mar 09, 2023

Mary, the only way to fall short is to not write. Everything else pales.

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17:15 Mar 07, 2023

This should win for the opening lines alone. Gripping. I'm all about this western. Yeehah! Absolutely satisfying to read, from hat to boot. The cat was purrfect. My favorite line: “Ain’t we a pair? You married the last whore in Hondo and I married a shy bounty hunter.”

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Delbert Griffith
20:30 Mar 07, 2023

Thanks so much, Deidra. Praise from DWL is worth noting! Westerns are fun to write, but damned difficult, IMO. Getting the dialogue just right is like walking a balance beam. So easy to overdo the dialect, don't you think? Again, thank you for the review. I always appreciate what you have to say. Cheers!

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21:15 Mar 07, 2023

YEEHAW

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Laurel Hanson
15:02 Mar 07, 2023

Very enjoyable story. Love the characters, love the setting, love the slowly mounting tension that doesn't spill the beans too soon, and a big fan of the ending, where we see the myth of the Western gunslinger converted into a church going dad. Love that you incorporated the fact that gunslingers were immortalized and amplified by the popular literature of the times. It's nice to see likable characters as well as really well-developed unlikeable characters who get their comeupance, though the speed of it caught me delightfully unawares. Lik...

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Delbert Griffith
15:51 Mar 07, 2023

Thanks so much, Laurel. The insightful and thoughtful review is truly appreciated. I'm pleased that the abrupt violence caught you "delightfully unawares." That's what I was aiming for (no pun intended). I was channeling my inner Cormack McCarthy. LOL I'm also pleased that you loved the characters, the setting, and the building tension. I gotta tell you, I had to work some to try to get those effects. I'm overjoyed that all of that came through for you. Now I feel like a real writer! Again, thank you. Your reviews are always worth reading...

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Chris Campbell
12:22 Mar 07, 2023

Delbert, You had my attention from the beginning with a Western. I had a feeling who Rondo really was. Glad Rance got plugged after the cat comment, but the suddenness without warning surprised me. I would have done the same, if it was my cat. Great little story. I'm partial to writing a few Westerns myself, so you have a fan here. “They say I killed 178 men. Hell, I don’t even know 178 men.” I liked this line. Well done!

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Delbert Griffith
12:29 Mar 07, 2023

Thanks so much for the nice comments, Chris. I'm happy to find a western-themed compatriot here. I'd love to see such a story here, written by you. You write such smashing stories that I bet you'd write a smashing western. The suddenness of the violence came from my readings of Cormack McCarthy. He of "No Country for Old Men" fame, among other fine tales. His violent scenes were sudden, simple, and quiet, but they were extremely bloody and gory. Again, thanks for the review. I always appreciate your insights, Chris.

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Chris Campbell
12:48 Mar 07, 2023

My pleasure. It just so happens that I have a string of Western stories here on Reedsy. All four short stories are about a female gunslinging librarian, named Wynonna Belle. If you're interested, they are as follows, in order of writing: Afterclap - https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/o5sqn0/ Sanctuary On Hell Street - https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/bwzs6w/ The Last Scupper - https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/b606xn/ Maladie - https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/6pjbcb/

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Delbert Griffith
12:49 Mar 07, 2023

Oh man! Thanks, Chris! I'll be checking those out today!

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Mike Panasitti
15:04 Mar 06, 2023

A Western tale about rehabilitated whores marrying bounty-hunters become barkeeps who both settle down to rescue derelict cats and have fire-fly chasing children. A whirlwind of a Western, in fact. Loved the dialogue, and the fact that the story kept going after Rance gets shot. There is life after climax, despite what the French might think : )

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Delbert Griffith
16:00 Mar 06, 2023

Thanks so much for the kind words, Mike. I'm pleased that you liked the dialogue; I've been working on that aspect of my writing. Yes, life after death, so to speak. I think that the story was better because of it. It kind of rounded out the characters and showed them in a different light. Again, thank you, my friend. I love your writing, so a review from you means a lot.

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