The 10-Gallon Tale of Alburney Jones

Chapter 17: Bucking Bulls & Herding Sheep

Over the following weeks, Nick continued to train Alburney, turning him from the stranger he found in the desert to a formidable sheriff. He taught him the art of combat and the ways of the gun, but the sheriff wasn't satisfied yet. Nick wanted to test Alburney in a way that would truly prepare him for the dangers of the frontier. One afternoon, he had Alburney stand out by the barn with his lasso.

"Alright, kid. Time to kick your training up a notch. I'm gonna put you up against an obstacle." As he explained, he tied his lasso to the latch on the barn door. "Y'see, part of being a sheriff is being able to take on anything that comes your way and learning how to think on your own two feet."

"Great. So...what's the obstacle?"

"Don't worry, you'll find out." Nick walks towards the back patio with the rope in his hand. "I thought, today, I give you a first-hand experience on what some sheriffs deal with regularly."

"Wait, what did you..."

Once the sheriff was on the patio, Nick pulled on the rope to unlock the latch on the barn doors. Without warning, a black bull barged out of the barn with a snort! It took notice of Alburney standing in its path and, with a loud bellow, began to sprint toward the poor young trainee. Nick watched Alburney run from the horned beast, screaming his head off.

"NICK!!"

"When you're a sheriff, you're gonna come across criminals who are bigger and tougher!"

"AAH!!"

"So, you need to figure out what their weaknesses are!"

*MOO*

"And after you do, use them to your advantage!"

"AND HOW EXACTLY?!"

"HOW WOULD YOU LEARN IF I TELL YOU EVERYTHING?!"

Alburney thought fast and ran toward the fence post. After flipping off it, he unravels his lasso and loops the bull's horns. Unfortunately, when he landed, the bull came charging back and butted the poor trainee over its head. Alburney landed on top of the animal and held on while the bull continued to thrash around. He corrected himself before its hooves made a dent in his head. He grabbed onto the bull's horns and pulled with all his might. The bull snorted in protest and tried to buck him off, but Alburney held on.

Nick watched the scene unfold in amusement and concern until he saw the bull and Alburney heading towards him! He jumped off the patio as the bovine crashed through the wooden fence, destroying every piece of lumber in its path.

With a tug of the horns, Alburney steered the bull away from the patio and toward the bullpen. He removed the lasso from the bull's neck and fell off. Alburney made a break for the gate as the bull resumed the chase. He closes and locks the gate before he can get a face full of horns.

Alburney limps over to Nick, shaken and out of breath. His ponytail was loose and dripping with sweat. His shirt is now torn and covered in dirt and sweat stains. He placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath. He gagged a little and swallowed hard. "How...how'd I do?"

"...well, you've managed to destroy 70 years' worth of my dad's hard work in a minute." Alburney winces when he sees the ruptured patio. "But, you did learn your bovine's weakness and used it to your advantage." Alburney manages to show a weak smile. "Now, put the bull back into the barn, and let's try it again." With twitching eyes, Alburney faints at this command.

After the bull training session, Nick led Alburney to the outskirts of town, where he had an elaborate obstacle course set up. Nick explained the next task that Alburney would face - protecting the townspeople from a gang of fake bandits using the skills he had been learning.