Applause and Feedback

Riders:

Mavis is a tough little girl who did not let her father's abuse kill her spirit or determination to make a better life for herself. She saw a way of escape in our two ex-outlaws and didn't hesitate to take it. They weren't planning on helping her out, but they sure didn't give her away when they saw her hiding in the tree either. And she managed to talk/threaten them into taking her with them, despite Heye's better judgement. Will we be hearing more from this feisty little girl? I hope so.
Thanks Rider's!

Remuda:

Just for my own piece of mind, I am going to remind myself that the Kid is the fastest gun in the west; since he had Heyes back, our brown haired hero is likely just fine. However, we never will ever really know, will we? I am also impressed with your knowledge of poker. Great story, Remuda!

Silverkelpie:

The heartbreak of this story is well balanced by the joy. It's so good to see the Kid is finally happy and free, with a family of his own. It was masterful how you answered the question on all of our minds about what happened to Heyes with a single flash of memory. Thank goodness he has a new partner to stand behind him as he works through the losses of his life; it's good to see he is not alone. Very touching story, thank you SK.

InsideOutlaw:

Here we have Kid Curry finally getting some closure on the killing of Danny Bilson. I find it amusing that Heyes has no idea why Kid is insisting on visiting the grave, thinking he may be dealing with regret. No regret, just coming to terms with who he really is and what he has done. This line pretty much says it all: “Well, I ain’t about to dance on his grave, but I’m still not sorry he bit the dust,” said Curry. I also liked the line about Danny taking a "dirt nap". 
Thanks, IO.

Keays:

The first time I read this I was blown away by the tension you created, wondering if the Kid would get within range in time to save his partner, and coming to the heartbreaking realization right along with him that he likely would not. You are so skilled at writing action, and somehow in the middle of it all the visit from the Doc flows beautifully. It adds so much to the angst, as Heyes thinks he is facing his own death.
Thanks for sharing this, Keays, always a pleasure! 

Nancy Whiskey:

What a unique character you have created in Verity, meaning "truth". of course. As disconcerting as her demeanor is, we have no reason to doubt anything she says, just as her name implies. I can't help but wonder if she purposely invited the boys to stay the night, just because she knew she would need an alibi. Well done, this is a story that really makes you think. 
Thanks, Nancy.

SheilaUK:

Welcome Sheila, I am so glad you posted this entry. So full of action and the tension of the chase. I am hooked and will certainly go back and find the rest of this story. Very well written and quite a teaser; I need to find out what is happening. 
Thanks, Sheila.

RosieAnnie:

Even when the law gets it right, they still get it wrong when it comes to outwitting a Hannibal Heyes plan, and this story is no exception. The banter in the tent makes the story so enjoyable and the image I have of them all cramped up in a tent waiting to hit the morning stage is priceless. 
A very fun read, thanks RosieAnnie! 

SheilaK:  I'm so glad you've posted and put the entire story under your own thread.  I remember this one, but enjoyed reading it again.  Loved the 'package'.  It was a good thing the boys held out for more money as it wasn't an easy job, but at least they got paid for a change!  

RosieAnnie:  You so quickly paint your character with few words yet fully formed.  Leave it to Heyes (and you) to second guess the sheriff and come up with a clever plan to confuse the law.  As always, beautifully done.

My next instalment...

SilverKelpie ~ Good grief SK, what are you doing to me?!  This story had the tears streaming down my face!  The heartbreaking tale you told was so sad and I felt so sorry for Curry, acting out of kindness, love and mercy but feeling terrible.  What choice did he have?   What started as a happy day turned to grief.

You really know how to pull on the old heartstrings!

InsideOutlaw ~  You really captured Curry's anger and resentment at Bilson for making Kid a 'killer'.  I could feel Curry's frustration and a rising sense of bitterness coming to the surface as he tried to explain why the boys had to visit the grave and how little his sense of (what we would now call) closure.  Thanks IO, it was a really thought provoking story.

Trying to post here again, after the PC, the Internet, the Velcro Kitty, and the rain apparently all made my posts crash and crash again. Will try doing this in installments, so I don't lose the whole bleepin' thing and start foaming at the mouth again.


Moonpie: I need to find the rest of this story. Impressions on this chapter: poor ol' Wheat. The way he relates to the desk clerk, the "we're both dogged with bad bosses" could go a long way for him, making the clerk sympathetic and friendly. Good interpersonal skills, and he's really playing the clerk here. But Wheat just can't think on his feet, can he? Can't come up with a name, can't come up with a reason for their being in town, and finally, and maybe fatally, he can't escape a confrontation that Heyes witnesses from his window. Looking forward to seeing where you take this.

Riders 57: All too realistic. I've never forgotten hearing the head of Cook County's Child Protection Services being interviewed about some infamous stranger danger case, and he said, the real danger to children is their parents. He would know. Mavis is a smart girl, but desperate. She's putting an awful lot of faith in a grandmother who might be 1) dead, 2) not there, or 3) not interested in Mavis or capable of helping her. Heyes recognizes the inevitable; they've got to take her with them, unless they hurt her, and Mavis points out, correctly, that they wouldn't. Again, looking forward to seeing where you take this.

Silverkelpie: Well, you sure got to me with this story! Jed Curry loving a kitty, and doing what's necessary. Beautifully written, as always, and not just a tug on the heartstrings, but a big, hard yank.

Inside Outlaw: I love that first line of Heyes', like an impatient child: "okay, we've seen it, can we go now?"  And Kid's: "if he rose up outta that hole, I'd kill him all over again." You illustrate the moral complexity of Kid's character. Danny deserved killing, but that doesn't mean Kid has to feel good about it.

Continuing . . .

Remuda: Oh boy, the dead man's hand again. You are the master of rising tension.

Keays:  The thing about being prolific is that you can find appropriate scenes that fit the prompt. I enjoyed this revisit, particularly for the reappearance of Doc Morin.

Nancy Whiskey:  This is a chilling story. Of course, the elephant in the room is that Curry will kill for revenge, and that Miss Dalrymple can't tell Heyes anything. I'm wondering how the local sheriff will believe that a blind woman killed an intruder, instead of one of the boys? Looking forward to seeing how this one contines.

SheilaUK:  Interesting vignette. Of course, I want to know more. Who is Abigail? Why is she with H&C? Who's following them? Inquiring minds want to know!

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And just in case anyone doubted -- Windows 8 sucks!

Finally getting to March comments...

Moonpie - Loved this latest installment in your story. Poor Wheat. He doesn't have much imagination on the fly. Loved Heyes' plan about staying in the hotel, but what has Wheat done? Who did he see? What will Heyes do to get back at Beecher? Looking forward to more.

Riders - I feel sorry for Mavis. At least she found a way to leave the abuse behind, even if Heyes wasn't too happy about it. Hope her grandmother is happy to see her. Nicely written and hope to see a continuation.

Remuda - Oh my. Is it indeed Jack McCall? And two dead man's hands. Who was the dark-haired fella that fell? You leave it to our imagination, but I admit to wanting to know. Surely, Kid was quick enough to make sure Heyes was alright.

Silverkelpie - My what a sad story. You showed Jed's caring and passionate side very well. Being a cat lover, this actually brought tears to my eyes. His wife seems to be the perfect match for him, ready to defend against whatever may be. Very well written as always.

InsideOutlaw - Would've never thought about Kid wanting to visit that grave. He has remorse, but not because of who he killed, but just because he was forced to kill. Love Heyes' line about 'it was a shot in the day'.

Keays - I truly think you have a snippet of your epic for every possible topic :) This one was suspenseful. Would Kid get there in time? You had me hooked right at the very beginning.

Nancy Whiskey - Verity is quite a character. And very mysterious. Does she know who the boys really are? I'm wanting to know what she meant when she told Kid he would kill for vengeance and why she couldn't tell Heyes anything. I hope you continue this. Very haunting in a way.

SheilaUK - Glad to see you posting in the challenges so soon! I must find some time to read all of this story on your thread. What you have written is very exciting. Who is following them? Who is Abigail and why is she with them? You write very well and I have to know what's going to happen. ;)

RosieAnnie - Sheriff Thatcher is smart to still be on the lookout for the Devil's Hole Gang. They do tend to do the unexpected. And the thought of all of them under a leaky tent in the rain and Heyes arguing with Kyle about his spitting is hilarious to me! Hope you continue this one.

Sorry ladies. I still haven't managed to read the "Shot in the dark" stories. I will and then I will comment. Promised!


I have just finally managed to finish my comments on the "True Blue" stories. As an apology for the long wait my comments are a bit longer than usual (even for me).
Please don't expect this trend to continue, o my comments will get longer than the stories and soon I might be a few months, half a year, years behind! I'm sure none of us wants that.


So, here goes.

RosieAnnieUSA: What an unusual start for an ASJ story: during the series the boys always managed to avoid trouble with the army, but you put them in this danger now. For a moment I hoped, that the boys in blue might be hunting two other outlaws and that our boys might be hiding as recruits for some reason, but no.

I love the way you poke fun at army mentality with lines like “If the Army wanted you to have complaints, they'd've issued you some.”

Your sergeant reminded me of others I have encountered in Westerns: Irish, rough on the outside, but with a soft heart (or at least best interest at heart) for his charges. He’s old, experienced and disenchanted and knows too much initiative will not be rewarded. He’s shrewd enough to know some tricks (like looking for dumped cargo instead of wasting time searching for tracks), but doesn’t get paid to follow problems through until they are solved (or the outlaws apprehended). He’ll follow the rules, will be loyal to his orders and his comrades, but don’t expect him to go any “extra miles” to make his superiors look good.

The way he talks to his recruits, you see that cares for them, but needs to toughen them up, so they will be able to survive the West, its dangers and the army. He's an interesting character. I would like to see him encounter the boys and maybe be forsed to work together with them.


Heyes and the Kid are lucky that the army discipline seems to prohibit too much personal initiative.

I liked how you introduced our boys: hot and bothered and bickering. Too hot to argue? That would be a sad day for writers. And readers. How else would we get to know about Heyes’ latest plan? I love the way you insert humour into the argument (Kid’s abrupt stopping of the wagon and their exchange about it). Even someone not familiar with the boys would realise they are not seriously arguing and the knowledgeable reader gets an extra chuckle out of it. It also felt very true to the series.

The Kid has every right to be out of sorts – the odds seem stacked against them and Heyes made him leave a beautiful rifle leaning against a tree. To be found over 100 years later? Nice nod to recent news reports.

But Heyes, the eternal optimist, manages to draw Kid out, gets him to voice his true concerns and then shows him that he put more thought into his plan than apparent at first glance. He does not just play the cards he’s given, he plays his opponents and so manages to change the odds in their favour.

Without saying much, you show us the quality of their friendship. Beautifully done.

 

I am intrigued to find out more about how they became mixed up in the payroll trouble and what will come of it. They don’t just have to shake their pursuers now, they have to clear their names with the army.

 

And last but not least, I appreciate how you also tell us something about different waves of immigration: the old sergeant is an Irishman, probably fled from Ireland after (or during) the famine. His new recruits are from different backgrounds, e.g. Eastern European, Scandinavian. Towards the late 1800s, many of the immigrants came from Eastern Europe and other non-English speaking countries, bringing greater diversity and new sets of problems to their adopted homeland.

 



 

InsideOutlaw: Bickering ex-outlaws seems to be a favourite form of introducing the boys. And it hardly ever fails to make this reader chuckle.

So once more they are suffering because Kid just had to follow some of his baser instincts without applying his brain. And once more their arguing cleverly tells us why they are in their current predicament. Nice scenario!

When you first mentioned the Winchester Kid is carrying, I knew it would end up leaning against a tree, just like recently reported in the news. And you provided a really believable scenario for the find.

Interesting though how it’s always Kid’s rifle. Just because he’s fast with his colt doesn’t necessarily mean he’d be attached to a rifle more than Heyes. You don’t usually follow a clear “labour division” for the boys; with guns, food and women on one side, plans, safes and poker on the other.

The desert scenario was grave, but not as bad as in Smiler; we might suffer with them, but are sure they’ll make it. The ambush seemed to leave no way out.

The cave passage was scary and wonderful (both the description and what the boys experienced).

I can’t imagine squeezing into a crevice in the complete dark, not knowing whether I might get stuck or suddenly find no ground under my feet. On my own I only ever “explored” as far as daylight would penetrate. And even with lights and a guide it is scary to come to cave parts where you have to squeeze through a tight spot or where the ceiling is low. And that is after having been told about it and knowing how long the obstacle will be and being able to see it.

I guess when Heyes followed the water, he could count on Kid to pull him out in case the opening got too small to get through, but I would have been not only scared of getting stuck, but also of drowning. I could very much feel with Kid when he got panicky!

You made me laugh loud when it turns out that Kid fears marriage more than death. Gotta have your priorities straight! Next getting squeamishly modest in front of his partner? Kid, really! And all this modesty after Heyes had to grope around in the dark to help him up? You may touch, but not see? Interesting…(Just kidding – or is it joshing?) And of course Heyes had to join in the humour, with his “rather pulling than pushing” comment. I’m sure I’ll need a while to get some of the images out of my mind. Lol.

 

I like the little touches you put in at various points to show us, instead of just tell us, that they’re true friends. One waiting for the other, so they can trudge together through the desert. One lying down next to the other so they can share body warmth in the cold night. One not willing to leave the other behind, be it during an ambush or in other “sticky” situations (forgive the pun).

I also like the subtle ways you show us Heyes as the strategist and Kid as the pragmatist. Heyes planned their escape, tries to assess the situation when they’re ambushed, before diving for cover. Kid sets his horse free because it couldn’t carry both of them long anyway, he springs for cover before the first shots are fired and he points a way out of the ambush. Kid sees a hiding-place, Heyes sees a trap. Luckily the trap turned out to have a second exit.

True to form you continue to show Heyes the imaginative, seeing the wonders of the cave and Kid the pragmatist, spotting the water (which will lead to their way out). When practical Kid tries and fails to get through the opening, he seems ready to give up, but Heyes the thinker finds a (for female readers) delightful way to get Kid out in the end. You make it beautifully and skilfully clear that it’s their combined strengths which make them so successful.

 

Just, what kind of clothing is Kid wearing that getting nekkid shaves off a few inches? He’s not still wearing the sheepskin jacket after trudging through the desert?

 

I’ve written far too much already, but just have to mention a thank you for your location notes. Your settings always come across so realistic for a reason.

 

 



Remuda: Your story may be short, but there is a lot packed into it (whether you knew and intended it or not).

It is full of reminders how things usually are in ASJ and then you take them somewhere else. A seemingly familiar beginning hinting at comedy or “lawmen troubles” suddenly takes a strange turn, when Kid “adopts” the rifle and Heyes gets curious about it’s owners story. The tone gets darker and more serious. Not getting-chased-by-posse and maybe even getting hurt/shot/captured serious, because we know (usually) the boys will come out fine, but personal tragedy, emotional serious.

Often we find friendly, welcoming barkeepers and hard lawmen; you created a prejudiced, uncaring barkeeper and a caring, generous sheriff. The barkeeper is so stuck in his own prejudiced judgement of the drunk, that he completely ignores his humanity. No wonder that our boys don’t want to stay there. What would the barman make of them? Ex-outlaw drifters. They may not be troublesome drunks, but they suddenly have something in common with the man: all suffer from prejudice and rejection.

The sheriff turns out to recognise the human in the drunk and takes pity on him, which is kind, but will not help in the long run.

Our boys usually love their saloons, here both of them prefer their hotel room; usually they avoid sheriff’s offices like the devil holy water, here they go there of their own free will.

Usually Heyes gets absorbed in something (usually a book) and Kid gets proddy, here Kid blends out everything but his task and Heyes has to deal with it.

In the series, the bad guys often got their just comeuppance and the good guys got their rewards. Often people are changed after an encounter with our boys. Here, we don’t know if Kid’s good deed made a difference.

All of this would be enough for a refreshingly different story, but it just scratches the surface of what I see in your story.

The most fascinating aspect of your story is how much a simple old rifle can become – not just for its owner or Kid Curry, but also for an interested reader.

Kid must feel for the abused drunk; maybe he identifies with him to some degree thanks to the barman’s prejudices, but there’s nothing he can do for him. So he concentrates on the neglected rifle instead, gives it love and care, and so does the only kind deed he can for its owner who apparently treasures this gun.

The rifle can be seen as a stand-in for its owner. Both are neglected and down on their luck. The rifle is lucky to fall into the hands of a caring Kid Curry. Who will take care of the owner? If someone looked beyond the drifting drunk (like the sheriff seems to do), decided that there is something worthwhile to be saved and set about doing so with a zeal (which the sheriff can’t afford), could the man maybe mirror his gun’s transformation?

His case seems to reflect all-too-current problems with war veterans suffering from PTSD; maybe highly decorated and celebrated at some point, but now unable to fit back into society. They were transformed into highly effective tools, were used and now, when they are no longer needed they tend to get overlooked and forgotten. They might even become embarrassments.

Just like the rifle: once the latest in weapons technology, now a rusted relic, rejected, fit to be dumped.

And there is also a parallel to our boys. At one point they were the most successful outlaws in the West, they had their moment of glory. Now they’ve decided to go straight, they no longer fit in their old life, but due to the governor’s conditions on their amnesty, they can’t really start a new one. If recognised for who they are, they hardly ever are welcomed, mostly they get chased by posses, shot at or locked up (all extreme forms of rejection). Only people who are willing to get to know the men and look beyond the labels will ever get to know how good these supposedly bad men are.

Sadly, the drunk seems incapable to get past his one moment of glory, holding on to his rifle which symbolises his greatest achievement (hero in a battle) and his greatest failure (he’s not able leave the war behind).

Luckily our boys, with their combined talents, stand a chance to achieve a better outcome, to get amnesty. They don’t suffer from something like PTSD, they only have to keep some larcenous tendencies in check. They willingly gave up outlawing, which made them the most successful bank- and train robbers, and embrace a new (hard) life. And of course, most of all, they have each other.

Their connection jumped out at me at one point in your story; the little scene with Heyes holding the saloon door for his partner, noticing Kid didn’t follow and then checking why. It reminded me of some little bit of footage from a scene rehearsal: Pete walks through a swinging door, holds it a short moment, but Ben doesn’t follow close enough behind him and when Pete lets go the door hits Ben in the leg. Nothing serious, nothing dramatic. The finished scene in the episode (21 Days to Tenstrike) shows Heyes holding the door a tad longer, Kid following closer behind and already reaching out to “take” the door from his partner.

It shows me that the actors might get it wrong during rehearsal, but once they become Heyes and Kid, those characters “function” better, and one would immediately notice if the other is not where he is expected to be. They are completely in tune with each other (never mind bickering or threats of flattening the other). As fans, we know it, and you use it here nicely (whether you also thought of this particular scene or not).

 
Oh, and I never heard of blueing a gun before. Thank you for adding to my knowledge.

Keays ~ You really know how to write a nail-biter, with the tension and worry building.  You are expert at drawing the reader in so we get lost in the story.  I agree with Moonpie when she says that I must take the time to read the full thing too.  Thank you.


SheilaUK ~  So many questions in this excerpt, who is Abigail?  Where are they heading and just how serious is that bullet wound, is it an innocent as he claims.   I hope you post a follow up to give us some answers in this compelling tale.

RosieAnnieUSA ~  Drucker seems a nice man... (only joking).  I loved your description of him as a 'Beanpole with a large wallet' - you gave us a great mental picture of him.  I also loved your scene with the gang huddled in the leaky tent,  summing up Kyles annoying, but somehow endearing character.  Looking forward to finding out what happens.

Thank you everyone for a heap of good readings this month. 

Thank you, Nancy.   I have my own thread in the writer's area and I've posted the full story in a thread under that - A Difficult Delivery is the title of the story.

Oh Ms. Keays, I have loved this story from the beginning.  This chapter just continues a great story.  Poor put upon Marshall Morrison, don't feel bad for him at all.  Kid and Heyes don't even show up in this one and it is still great story telling.

Hey, thanks Gin.  Glad  you're enjoying the ride.

Keays ~ you have me hooked once again and I loved the resigned determination you captured in the last paragraph.  Your dialogue, both inner and out loud) does you justice and for me, you captured Lom perfectly.  Many thanks.

Keays - I'm increasingly getting the feeling that you'll never have to write a challenge ever again.  You have a scene for every challenge in your Universe.  As always this one fits the bill perfectly.  Great to Morrison back.  He's a real testament to your writing as he's very human; mean as a junkyard dog, but with a rigid moral code and no time for niceties or small talk. Loved it.

Nancy Whiskey - How to I phrase this so I don't ruin the surprise for others?  It fits the prompt to a 'T' and leaves the reader wonder why this pair are at each others throats until the very end.  That town definitely wasn't big enough for the both of them, and it took intervention to sort them out.  Very original and full of fun.  

Nancy Whiskey;  Enjoyed this little snippet.  You had me wondering right from the start.  Was this the end of a beautiful friendship?  Very well done.

Spoiler Warning! If you haven't read the stories, don't read my comments!

Keays: I dimly remember this bit, A whole lot of law enforcers with very different characters and views of their jobs appear in this story.
You paint a clear picture of the deputy. Trying so hard to be grown-up and being important, while not getting the situation at all. He’s painfully ineffective. If he ever gets to be sheriff, it will be a lucky day for outlaws in his jurisdiction. Well, he’s still young and might yet learn something. If he cares to listen and takes an example from Lom or Mike. (See how I’m not including Morrison?)
He’s so caught up in his own story and sense of importance by having information his visitors are lacking, that he doesn’t even get the irony in Lom’s parting remark.
Then Lom and Scott almost run into Morrison. There seem to be more lawmen in the little office than a town can take, and the sheriff isn’t even in.
Morrison is a larger-than-life character who makes it clear even in this short snippet that he doesn’t tolerate opposition or meddling in what he considers his affairs. He’s completely ruthless when it comes to outlaws, rides rough shot over the foolish deputy, barely tolerates fellow lawmen.
Since he is after the same outlaw as Lom and said outlaw is after Heyes, things are bound to get interesting. I remember getting really worried about Heyes, not just because of the psychopath Duncan, but also because of Morrison’s animosity towards my favourite ex-outlaw.
Certainly a lot of big egos about to clash.

NancyWhiskey: What can I say? A fresh, delightfully playful story with twists and, I believe, a unique take on the prompt.
You had me fooled for a moment, then I caught on, then you fooled me again and kept me in suspense for a long time. Very cleverly written. Whenever I thought I knew who (or what) the story was about, you managed to throw in enough diversion to make me unsure again; did you just want me to think this and in reality it actually is what it appeared at first glance? Or something else altogether? What timeline are we in? How do the pieces of information you divulge fit together?
Great descriptions. So much fits the boys to a T. I particularly liked the “frighteningly fast reactions” of the blond (not falling back on the lightning simile), the comparison of the brown haired one to a panther (I can immediately think of various scenes where Heyes’ movements have a panther-like grace), Lom’s “barking” (his character in ASJ sometimes reminds me a bit of a German Shepherd) and the snark “pretty boy”. I loved the sentence “Them against the world, brothers in arms, inseparable.” It says so much about the boys.
It’s easy to see that you have a good eye for observation, and a lot of personal experience has gone into the story.
I love how you play with our expectations, with your take on the prompt and the boys. As always, your language is full of images, helping to make scenes come alive in my head.
On second reading I was amazed at how daringly obvious some hints are – if you know what they are.
On another level you also made me think; what would need to happen to leave the boys in this state? Would Lom be there and act this way? Food for thought.

Spoilers!

Moonpie: Great, another instalment of your story. I’m in awe how you manage to write a chapter each month to fit the prompts.
I like the new development. Heyes plan to hide in plain sight in town seemed so elegantly simple to begin with, but thanks to his “boys” it has swiftly deteriorated, and now he has to juggle the pieces. Will he be able to keep them in the air long enough for Kid to heal?
He manages the brave mouse of a clerk efficiently. There is hope for the doctor, but what about the lawmen?
Wheat and Kyle seem very much in character, I can hear Dennis Fimple and Earl Holliman in my head. Kyle almost blurting out Heyes name in the street, but later pinpointing the problem Heyes' plan. Wheat switching between blustering, good intentions despite himself, wanting to save his own hide, throwing barbs at Heyes, and asking awkward questions.
I like the doctor even better now, after his reaction to the shooting. I have an inkling that the DHG has an ally in him; after all, doc now owes his health/life to Wheat. He needs to find out that the gang, at least the leaders, share his concern for Mrs. Beecher.
Hopefully the boys will be ok, but you leave us on a cliff-hanger. Who is knocking at the door? Was Kyle’s question about the marshal coming up prophetic?
You also show us a kaleidoscope of Heyes: the easy manipulator, the outlaw leader, the leader feeling responsible for his men, the mastermind running into problems, a man capable of thinking on his feet, the optimist and a very determined, protective friend.
I think the bits I enjoyed best were Wheat’s snark about “young upstarts” from Kansas and the witticism of the townsman “…ain’t nobody gonna miss him…and I’m glad that one didn’t.”
Can’t wait to find out what happens next.

MOONPIE;  Great discussion between Wheat and Heyes, then Kyle of course trying to get his two bits worth in.  Trust it to Wheat to think that he could shoot a man in the street and then simply walk away from it and nobody would care.  LOL, two upstarts from Kansas indeed! 

STEPHA3NIE:  Hey, thanks for the dog story!  Karma and I could certainly use it today.  I love all the antics of poor Coffee trying to win his way back into the pack leader's favour.  Who could resist the bum wagging and eyebrow wiggling when performed by an expert? 
This story reminds me of a day when my Springer Spaniel joined in with another dog to chase the chickens.  Both dogs got into trouble for this, and talk about fear being palpable!  The other dog couldn't have cared less, but Fergie, who had been passed around to four different homes in her four years of life, was scared to death that she had blown it.  That I was going kick her out of the pack and not want anything more to do with her.  I made a point of quickly returning to our normal routine, as though nothing had happened and she gradually relaxed.  She never chased the chickens again though.