When revolvers ruled the West
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend;
those with loaded guns, and those who dig.
You dig."
- The man with no name
those with loaded guns, and those who dig.
You dig."
- The man with no name
The Old West
1881
1881
Ever since the first Europeans set fot on American soil, they've always set their gaze across the land - somewhere far beyond that horizon - wondering what was awaiting them there. Many tried, and failed to venture West in search of so many things; gold, land, lost cities or the long awaitening of Christ Himself. Once they traversed that treacherous land of Indians, desert and wildlife, the white man came to stay.
First the Spanish came, exploring the land and setting up catholic missions. Then came the settlers, though few in numbers. Then finally came the Americans, their goal "Manifest Destiny"; America's right to rule from coast to coast, across the entire continent. And offically that barren land between the West Coast and what could be call civilization was under US law. But who was really in charge, in all those isolated towns and hamlets?
This was the Wild West, the Old West, the Frontier, whatever you would like to call it. Whatever you prefered, one thing never changed; this was "When Revolvers ruled the West".
Haylliesburg
9th Feburary, 1881
9th Feburary, 1881
The sun rises, casting long yet welcoming shadows from the houses lining Main Street. The overheating sun that would soon high tall up in the sky, overlooking the whole of Haylliesburg and more, was for a moment forgotten about as the townsfolk began their day's work in a somewhat comfortable temperature. Now that's to say there were still a few things to complain about, like for example all the dust dirtening the women's skirts and dresses, or the stealing of cattle that had just began to haunt the normally innocent railroad town.
The biggest complaint however was well-deserved though; the lack of a sheriff in town.
It had not been a week since the last sheriff sadly passed away; Mark Goldberg was his name, a fine gentleman indeed, and a crack of a shot they said. Now you couldn't say he was exactly tough on crime, but few complained of his methods, so things were pretty quiet. Then the Stranger came into town. He, whoever he was - he left no name - quietly rode into town on a morning much like this one, and simply walked into the Sheriff's office without as much as a "Good morning" to the ladies watching him from the saloon. Apparently he walked into his office, produced wanted-poster of the Sheriff, shooting him in cold blood and leaving him with the wanted-posted nailed to his head with a knife.
Of course people were scared of such events, but so far things had gone quiet enough for the calm peoples of Haylliesburg; if you excluded the dust and the cattle-theft of course, and all those small lies that lurked beneath the surface. It was nothing special for this town, all towns across America were the same. But our story doesn't start anywhere, it starts here in Haylliesburg on a quiet February morning, with several unknown figures riding - or walking - into town. Some might even arrive with the morning train, a quite new addition to the growing town.
All that is certain is that those newcomers are in for one hell of a ride, especially if they find one of those wanted-posters hanging around or find themselves at the wrong end of a poker game. But hey, that's just a normal day in the Wild West.
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