RANGO // OӘͶAЯ - Another Outlaw Story [Engl.]

22. The last water

"Maybe you should reschedule your appointment with him," Kinski said and looked behind where Jake was crawling after them. "It's too dangerous to enter his land again. He has no self-control."
They were riding on their roadrunners. Kinski and Chorizo rode first, followed by Bill, the last one Jake.
Jake gave him an angry look. "Maybe for the first time. Just for the moment, but not forever."
The rabbit sighed. „Face it! You can't approach! Let's forget it. Look for another trace."
Jake sighed. He had sworn to find the problem of the drought, but now he was none the wiser.
"What are you going to do next?" Bill asked.
"I'm still thinking about it."
"I can't wait," Kinski muttered sarcastically. "And you? Are you okay?"
Bill looked at him. "Are you talking with me, or with him?"
The Gila monster pointed at Chorizo and his bloody leg.
"Him, too. But what about you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You are very quiet after we left the farm."
"It's nothing," Bill muttered. "Really nothing."
Kinski shrugged his shoulders and looked ahead again. Suddenly Bill felt the big gun of the snake on his shoulder. The Gila monster stopped and looked at the narrowed eyes of the rattlesnake.
"I know when someone lies," Jake said
He pulled his gun away. Bill lowered his glance.
Jake didn't break his look at him. "I don't like secrets which could risk our mission."
Bill swallowed. "No, it's nothing like that. Just..."
He put his fingertips together and fell silent.
Jake raised his eyebrows. "Just?"
Suddenly all winced.
Shots from afar blew the wind to their ears.
"What's that?" Kinski lifted his head. Not far away lay Dirt.
"It comes from town!"

"EAT LEAD!"
Joseph Jenkins shot over the street where he had seen some rabbits from the Danby Clan.
Meanwhile, there was a hard fire war on the street in front of the bank.
Both clans had positioned on the left and on the right side of the bank building and shot from time to time each other with their guns.
"AH!" Danby Junior Danny cried. "He shot a hole in my hat! That's enough!"
He threw his hat on the floor and grabbed the shirt of his brother Deny.
"Take the backdoor."
"Eh?" His brother asked with confusion. "What shall I do with a back door? Ouch!"
Danny gave him a slap in his face. "Idiot! You shall go through the back door into the bank!"
"Aha," Deny said and rubbed his cheek.
With that Danny released him. "Take Douglas with you and disappear."
His brother nodded.

"Typical," Kinski said. "When the cat is away, the mice will play."
They stood at the entrance of the town and peeked around the corner.
"And what now, Sheriff?" Chorizo asked.
The rattlesnake lowered his glance. "You go to Doc. Bill, you come with me."
Bill paled. "Me against 14 crazed bandits?"
"Alright. Kinski, give me fire protection."
For the first time the rabbit decreased in size a little. "Uhm, me?"
Jake narrowed his eyes. "A problem?"
The rabbit hesitated a little moment. "Uhm, no, no. No problem."

Mr. Merrimack didn't know what to do. Trembling and jittering he sat in a corner under the bank counter. He hated shots in front of his bank. His assistant Mr. Parsons kneeled next to him and tried to calm him down.
"Hands up!"
Both winced. With shocked eyes they looked at a barrel.
"Don't shoot me!" Mr. Merrimack craved with raised hands.
Deny laughed. "Stand up. We want to withdraw "money"."
With shaking legs, the banker walked to the big safe.
"Open the door!" Deny ordered.
With uncontrolled shaking hands the squirrel opened the big safe door.
Deny chuckled. "Waterly, waterly, come to me."
He handed his gun at his brother Douglas and grabbed the little water faucet of the water tank.
"I'm so thirsty."
He opened it and the water fled into his mouth.
Mr. Merrimack looked at him with shocked eyes. "No, please! These are our last water reservoirs!"
"Shut up, fat guy."
Douglas pushed him away and the banker landed on his bottom.
"Hey! Leave something for me!"
Douglas pulled his brother away to get some water, too.
"Hey, idiot!" Deny said.
Suddenly both winced when the door was opened with a loud slam.

"It's my water, you dirty rat!" Danny screamed over the street.
"The water is mine, you son of a desert bitch!" Joey Jenkins cried back.
The rodent turned around and angled for something. "Give me the fire."
One of his brothers handed him a lighter. "Let's give them a little reason for a celebration."
With a wide grin he held the lighter on the dynamite fuse.
[BANG!] [BANG!] [BANG!] [BANG!]
Joseph Jenkins was so scared that he let fall the dynamite. Bullets were fired over their heads, followed by a gigantic shadow.
"DAMN!" both bandits leaders cried. "Scrams!"
Usually they were scared seldom, but the appearance of the big rattlesnake and his gun let froze their blood in their veins. Bill and Kinski followed him, their guns also ready for firing. But it seemed to be a short war. The leaders mustered their men and ran away.
"Wow, that was easier than I thought," Kinski said.
The rattlesnake twirled around when he was hearing a loud cry in the bank. He rammed the door and saw two of the Danby Clans around the water tank.
Both bandits lost the color in their faces.
Jake let click his gun gruesomely. He didn't have to say one word more.
The two rabbits jumped up and ran through the back door. Jake left the bank quickly and watched how the two brothers ran down the street. But Deny dared to fire some last shots and Kinski fired back. Then they were gone.
"You missed them," Jake rebuked him.
Kinski rubbed his face. "The sun blinded me."
"Oh! Thank goodness! Thank goodness!" Mr. Merrimack cried and ran at Jake. "You're here, sheriff!"
"Anybody hurt?" the rattlesnake asked.
"No, Sheriff, everything is okay."
With trembling hands, the squirrel corrected his glasses on his nose. "But look what they have done! It's horrible!"
Mr. Merrimack guided him inside the bank to the safe. The banker rubbed his head nervously and pointed at the water tank.
"They drank a water ration for one day! Before that, there was water for 6 days. Now it is just for 5 days. We are as good as dead! What shall we say to the city people?"
Jake eyed the water tank. Two failures were too much for one day.
"You are still in a state of shock. Go to the saloon and drink a good juice."
Mr. Merrimack turned around without protest and walked like in trance. "You're right, sheriff."
Mr. Parsons took his arm and guided him outside.
"A drink?" Bill looked at Jake with surprise.
"Let him take a rest," Jake replied. "I don't think that it will help us to ask him more questions. We can't pump back the water from their stomachs."
Bill grimaced. "Iieeh. That's a good point."

A strong wind blew over the street when Jake and the others were going to the house of Doc.
"Seems to come a sandstorm," Kinski said. "One reason more to go indoors."
They entered the house where Doc was busy to treat Chorizo's leg.
"Hey, how are you?" Kinski asked.
"It's not bad," Doc said. "But he has to renounce the sport for a while."
"No problem. He hates sport," Stump said.
All looked at him with surprise.
"You are still here?" Bill asked.
"What about the boys?" Kinski asked.
"They are with Mrs. Daisy in the saloon," he replied.
"And what about Meggy?"
Stump shook his head. "Unchanged. I heard, your day wasn't so good."
He wanted to change the topic and the others did him the favor.
"Indeed." Bill took a chair and let fall himself on it. "It's a miracle that we're still alive."
"That's what I thought," Stump muttered.
"So, done."
Chorizo pulled down his pant leg over the bandage around his leg.
Doc put away the materials and a silence fell over all. Nobody wanted to say the words "what now?"
Finally, Kinski clapped with his hands. "Alright. I don't know what your plans are for next, but I need a drink now."
"That's what I wanted to say the whole time," Chorizo said with relief.