Young Guns: Fire and Steel

Chapter 2: Hogs, Dinner, and Readings Oh My!

Morning and midday came and went. It was nearing evening when Tunstall had given Billy the job of taking care of feeding the hogs. The young blond man went to the hog pen and climbed the fence. He eyed the large pig on the other side of the small pen, carefully. It became a standoff between him and the pig and he knew it. Billy didn't move, just stared at the beast all dirty with dried mud over its hide. Taking one step forward caused the hog to make a noise and move towards him some. With a slew of curses, the boy fell backwards.

Getting up the blond threw the bucket towards the pig before backing up to the wooden slats behind him. Turning he quickly climbed on top of the fence, pulling out his gun in the process. Aiming at the pig, his blue eyes narrowed ready to make the pig dinner. A knife hit the wooden post near Billy and then two others hit shortly after startling the boy. The young man turned quickly, his gun now aiming at the one that threw the knives.

"He ain't all there is he?" Steve questioned, standing next to Doc, carefully watching the new male arrival. He shook his head finding the blond kid amusing. Doc didn't answer, just shook his head and turned away from the scene.

Chavez glared at the young blond man, before strolling forward retrieving his blades lodged into the post without a word. He didn't need to say anything. He had said enough with his blades: Don't mess with the hog.

As the Mexican-Indian man walked away, a rope lassoed the same post, Charlie at the end of it, a smirk on his face. They were enjoying messing with the new guy. They had done the same with each new comer to join Tunstall's Regulators. Though, this one was still going through the initiation process which was partially the reason he was working with the hog.

Billy ducked instinctively back as the ropes snapped near his head and glared at the man at the end of the rope.

"Hey, did you know pigs are as smart as dogs?" Charlie began after laughing, unhooking his lasso and rolling it back into a loop. "It's true. I knew a fella in El Capitan... taught his pig to bark at strangers." He was smiling as he spoke. "What you doing here, boy?" He continued eying him. "We work for Mr. Tunstall as regulators. We regulate any stealing of his property. We're damn good at it too."

Billy refused to look at the man speaking to him, his lips pressed together, a stubborn glint in his eye. They didn't know him. They didn't even seem like they wanted to get to know him. To Billy, they seemed to enjoy heckling him. So, why bother explaining?

Charlie just continued on not even waiting for a response, "Mr. Tunstall's got a soft spot for runaways --- derelicts --- vagrant types... But you can't be any geek off the street... you gotta be handy with the steel, if you know what I mean, earn your keep."

The hog then came forward, interrupting Charlie and knocking the pail, which startled the blond boy. "Go on! Go on! Get!" Billy shouted eyeing the hog carefully.

Lowering his eyes to the rope in his hands, the curly haired boy chuckled a bit unfazed by the other boy's reaction to their manic hog. "Not that I'm a pistoleer...or a knifesmith like that greaser... Chavez-Chavez, over there. I'm a pugilist. But then I ain't expecting you to know the explanation of that word... HOG BOY!" Charlie's eyes lifted onto the blond boy a smirk on his face.

Shaking his head, Billy just scoffed darkly, "shit, you don't even know why I'm here." Blue eyes remained on the hog, wanting to say more but holding his tongue for now. He didn't talk about his life story to just anyone. If he truly decided to stay, which seemed likely, maybe then he could speak freely.

With brows rising in amusement, Charlie let out a haughty laugh. "Sure I do. You're a runaway derelict, scudbottom vagrant, ain't you? Like the rest of us? Footpad, maybe? Petty thief? Rob a bank? Kill somebody? Huh?" When Billy lifted his gaze onto him a dark smirk on his face, Charlie swallowed and nodded. "Huh, kill somebody."