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Little Girl, Bandit and the Carpet
By mid day the goose camel chase was over
The camel just stopped in the heat of nowhere
Billy reached his horse and canteen
"Dumb animals lucky we didn't end up bottom of pancake ravine."
Jumping a shot split the noon
Vultures flew up behind near dune
Billy pulled rifle out from horse saddle
Ran past camel
Climbed dune steep and sandy
Reached its ridge breathlessly
Just in time
To witness horrific crime
Below gun pointing bandit
About to shoot a sleeping girl
on a carpet
He shot his rifle
Hit his side
Bandit fell
Billy raced down
to send him to hell
Yelling in fury
About putting him out of his misery
Billy was shocked to find his prey was
more skeleton than man
Skin blistered dried leathery tan
The girl lay on a red carpet
Not so bad from sun protected
Bill looked around
Trying make sense of the scene he found
Little girl, the carpet and the bandit
Tracks read the bandit must have
carried the girl in carpet
Across this hell burning desert
No not a bandit
Maybe her Dad
And I shot him
But why was he trying to shoot her
His daughter?
The vultures I bet.
Save her from a fate worse than death
The right thing not always the easy thing
Billy's heart was sinking
He wrapped the carpet around the daughter
Then gave her dad his water
The corpse eyes opening
Hand raised stopping
Dad's Voice rasping
"S-ave it —for Jane —- Bil-"
He knows me?
Billy recognized,
It can't be?
All pity he recoil
"O'Boyle!"
Leave him for the buzzards best for all
His hatred grew
Best for Rue.
YOU ARE READING
Busted Gulch vol 9
AdventureThe river has been open to trade, and the River boats are rolling in. Bring trouble in spades. Gamblers, Mistresses, bad guys galore and so much more, BG has in store. A collaborative western story written in poetry, that continues as the character...
