To The Gallows

Chapter One: Past sins

The loud thunder of his buffalo rifle rang out across the prairie. The animal let out one final scream as the force from the shot sent it onto the ground. Josiah "Springfield" Armstrong had been hunting buffalo for almost ten years, despite his honed marksmanship hearing the cries of the dying buffalo never ceased to remind him of the screams of dying men. But that life was long gone, after what had happened in Devil's Crosswalk; Josiah knew that hunting buffalo was a way for him to atone his sins. Picking up his rifle Josiah walked to the downed animal and began the skinning and harvesting process. Despite the stench that the huge creature gave off, it provided him with all the necessities he required for the coming winter. He had learned this during a particularly brutal winter in Montana, lucky for him the local tribe had found him half frozen, taken him in and taught him the benefits of the buffalo. They wrapped him in a warm buffalo blanket and fed him meat from the creatures body Once he was strong enough to stand, he thanked their chief who gifted him with a canteen fashioned from a buffalo's horn. Another gift was a fine horse, this horse was light brown with a flowing mane and tame as a house dog the name he gave it was Thaddeus .

After reminiscing Josiah threw his buffalo pelt onto thaddeus' back, then climbed into the saddle and made his way back into town. The town wasn't as large as many towns he'd been to but it surely was quaint, his horse rounded the corner and sure enough on the corner was the butcher's stand, Josiah slowed his horse and hopped off taking the giant pelt with him. The weight of the beast almost made him tip over, but he steadied himself in the nick of time. Coming toward the butcher's counter Josiah flung the magnificent pelt onto the table and looked at his friend Cletus "hog leg" Howard the finest butcher and trapper in the state. "Well well, yet another fine bison taken by the one and only 'Springfield' Armstrong." Cletus called as townsfolk looked on curiously, Josiah felt like hiding his face out of embarrassment. He didn't take kindly to anyone bringing unnecessary attention to him, that was a habit from the old days. "Ah, quit your braggin." Josiah teased, Cletus then commenced to examining the buffalo hide; it was in pristine condition with a clean entrance wound as well as an exit wound, so clean in fact that you could see out the other side."So, will it suffice?" Josiah asked hopefully"By golly 'Springfield' any cleaner and one mighta thought you'd given it a bath!" Cletus joked with a hearty laugh. Cletus paid Josiah handsomely for the pelt and with money in his pocket Josiah climbed onto Thaddeus' saddle and rode toward his cabin in the wilderness

The sound of the billowing creek rose in the forest as Josiah's faithful stallion trotted along the trail at a pace both rider and horse were comfortable with. Josiah looked around at the beauty of nature, and realized despite living here for going on ten years now he never got used to the wilderness's grandeur. As Thaddeus round a corner his cabin came into view, it wasn't much just a single bedroom cabin with an outhouse at the back and surrounded by nothing but forest as far as one could see. Josiah dismounted his horse and hitched him to the horse stand, he then petted his mane and called him his faithful boy. Josiah opened the door and stretched his body working out the aches from sitting in the saddle, he placed his trusty rifle on its rack above the fireplace: it was a worn but still true shooting iron that he had carried with him in his days as a bounty hunter along with his custom made Colt revolver it had saved his life on more than one occasion. After placing his rifle on the rack he took off his gun belt containing his revolver and hung it from his bedpost, Josiah the settled into his nice and inviting bed resting his eyes from the days hunt and journey back home and soon he felt the embrace of sleep wrapping its warm arms around him.

Josiah awoke to a loud pounding on his door, he grabbed his revolver and slowly motioned toward the door. "Who is it?" He called out his pistol at the ready"Mr. Armstrong? Mr. Josiah Armstrong?"Josiah places his finger just above the trigger and unlocked the door. He opened it slowly just enough to where he could see outside, standing there was a lawman with a thick beard and three of what he assumed were deputies carrying rifles one was a Winchester and the others were Sharps