The Argo Goes West

5, Giant boar hunting in Calydon, part 2

A platform was set up in the center of the square, which was crowded with people. An old gentleman who looked like Uncle Sam, with a hat and a white beard, climbed upon the platform and cried out:

"Quiet. Quiet everyone."

It was loud, not like an old man. Everyone stopped talking and looked at the old man. The old man looked around at the faces of the participants. he was sorting. He nodded at hopeful faces, frowned at unusable faces. When he saw Bonnie, he looked puzzled. But thinking she must be someone's attendant, he turned his gaze to the young man next to her.

After looking at everyone's faces, the old man finally began to speak.

"What I'd like to ask you guys to do is get rid of the giant boar that's ravaging this area."

"It's an easy job." Some whispered in the crowd. The old man didn't miss it and grinned, showing his teeth, as if he had been waiting. The old man had no missing teeth, and his teeth were perfectly aligned. The old man had perfect teeth, and these were shining white.

"Don't take it lightly just because it's a wild boar. It's huge. Anyway, it's huge. It's as big as a mountain. You guys will be blown away by the boar's snort. So be prepared. Only half of them will make it home alive-no, maybe four or five."

How many people believed that story? There may be some exaggeration in the old man's story, but it is certain that the opponent is not an ordinary boar. That's why such a high prize was at stake. Bonnie looked again at the faces of the men around her.

Which faces survive and which are gone when the hunt is over? She didn't know if she would survive.

"Now you're talking." Said one bad-looking guy. The reason why he rolled up his shirt and showed his thick arms was probably because he wanted to show that he was good at fighting. "Otherwise, the share will decrease."

"Will the bounty be divided among the survivors?"

The old man answered another man's question. "Perhaps it will. It is difficult to kill a boar alone. But please don't kill each other over your share of the money."

The old man and his railroad company wouldn't mind a gunfight, though. For railway companies, the only thing that matters is getting rid of the wild boars that stand in the way of railway restoration work.

"I don't know if you need it, but I have prepared a weapon here."

A few men in suits who seemed to be employees of the railway company or weapons dealers began arranging firearms on the long table in front of the altar. There were so many guns that it seemed like a war was about to start. The participants gathered in droves at the gun stand. They brought their own firearms, but to see if there was a better gun with more firepower, they picked up the gun and checked the grip and the rotation of the revolver. And those who found the gun they wanted went to the reception and signed the rental certificate.

Bonnie went to look at the guns after the crowd had subsided. There were still many guns left. Bonnie didn't know much about guns. She figured she could handle a gun similar to the one she practiced on the show. But she didn't know the difference between the guns, and they all felt the same in weight and feel. She had to rely on her visual memory. Then, the man spoke to her.

"This is good"

Someone's hand grabbed Bonnie's right hand and led it to a rifle with a crude design that looked like a stick.

"Who are you?" Bonnie looked at the man. He was a man with long, shoulder-length blond hair. Thin eyebrows and lips gave a cold impression.

"Winchester 1873" He speaks in a mumbling, slightly nasal manner. "Set up"

"Yes."

Bonnie did as he said, picking up the Winchester and setting it up.

"How is it?"

"It's light. Is this made of walnut?　It doesn't hurt at all even if it hits my shoulder."

"That's good," said the man with a smile.

"I decided on this gun"

The gun that had looked simple until just now looked like an elegant gun with beautiful wood grain.

"I'm Bonnie Monaghan. What's your name?"

"Slim."

The two shook hands. Slim's hands were thin and supple like those of a woman.

After Bonnie signed the gun rental certificate, she and Slim head to the reception to join the hunt. At the reception they were handed a pledge.

It was written, sprinkled with difficult legal jargon, that no matter what happened during the hunt, the participants would not sue the railroad company. Bonnie had no idea how many people could understand this arcane text. Many people would have signed without knowing. Slim didn't check the contents carefully and signed only "S" in the signature column at the bottom.

However, there was a person who persistently asked the person in charge of the reception every word of the sentence. He was a middle-aged gentleman, wearing a khaki felt hat and a jacket with pockets. Bonnie had seen that dress in a magazine.It was a safari jacket worn for hunting in Africa.

The writing style is roundabout and not good. You think legal documents are long. But it was wrong.I think the model you used was the English legal document. There is a reason why our legal documents are long, because the length of the sentence determines the attorney's fee. In other words, the longer the sentence, the higher the profit. So the English jurists began to write long and round about trivial matters. But here in the United States of America. I had heard that Americans were pragmatic. But what is this? If you are an American, don't imitate the English and stick to the American way."

There was no doubt that the man was Englishman. The pronunciation is Queen's English. Behind the Englishman was a black boy. He wore a black suit and a bow tie like a English butler. His curly hair was neatly trimmed and he didn't look like a slave. In fact, he was more graceful than the white guys around him.

Bonnie and Slim then headed to the stable. It was to take back the horses that had been entrusted.

Slim whistled as soon as he saw Bonnie's horse, Gwendolen.

"Nice horse."

"Well"

Bonnie smiled. She was more happy to be praised for her beloved horse than to be praised for herself.