Lifesaver [Engl.]

13. Tell Me a Story

The whole morning, Rango spent the time alone in the sheriff's office, pondering about the conversation with Beans. Shortly before noon, he decided to go back to the town hall. Maybe Jake had calmed down a bit now; because Rango wanted to ask him what had happened.
When he stood in front of the town hall, he saw two townspeople outside next to the damaged door.
"Ah sheriff. Good thing you're coming," said the first one. "What are we going to do with all this?"
Rango looked at her blankly. "Uh, what things?"
"Well, with the mayor's things. We should put them in the basement these days. But now the rattlesnake is sitting in there. We can't get all the things out of there."
Rango slapped his forehead with his hand.
"Oh, I totally forgot. Listen. It's best you wait a while. Jake has to ... calm down first."
"Why? Are there any problems?"
"Oh, no, no, no. Of course not! I just thought he should relax first, and then when he is ready to leave the house, you can start working."
The two townspeople gave each other questioning looks. Then they shrugged.
"As you like, sheriff."
They said goodbye and marched over to the saloon.
"Right, right," Rango muttered to himself as he climbed up the stairs. How could he have forgotten that? Because the mayor was no longer there and anyway nobody wanted his personal belongings, they had agreed to bring his things down to the basement, but after Jake had taken over the room, it was probably not a good idea to let people work there.
When Rango was standing in front of the office door, he first pressed his head against the door and listened.
Everything was quiet inside. He knocked gently.
He was startled when he heard a rustle in the room. No sooner Jake had heard the knock on the door, he quickly scurried across the floor to the door and threateningly held his revolver in front of it.
"Who's there?" he asked suspiciously.
Rango swallowed. "Uh, it's me ... the sheriff."
There was a pause.
"Jake?"
No answer.
"Uh ... Jake? May I come inside?"
"What do you want?" Jake growled behind the door.
"Uh ... me? Nothing at all. I just wanted to see how you're doing."
"Is none of your business!"
Rango automatically took a few steps back when Jake gave a warning hiss and the impending rattling of his artificial rattle instinctively called on Rango to keep his distance, as every clever person would be careful not to get too close to a threatening rattlesnake.
"Well," Rango said carefully. "If you need something, get in touch."
Disappointed, he turned. But no sooner, he had taken a few steps, he heard how Jake opened the door. He turned around in surprise.
Jake stood in the doorway and looked at him, partly angry, partly questioning.
Rango looked over at him uncertainly. "Uh, what is it? Do you have something?"
"What do you want?" Jake asked annoyed.
"Uh ... me? Nothing," Rango evaded his question.
"Don't be so stupid!" Jake yelled at him. "You want to know something about me. That's why you're here, aren't you?"
"Yes, but if you don't want to say anything, then you don't have to say anything."
Rango quickly turned and wanted to go, but Jake held him back.
"Listen, you tell me what you know and I tell you what happened."
Rango had stopped. Was Jake serious? He triumphed inwardly. Now he would finally find out what had happened. Rango walked over to Jake, somewhat excited, until he stopped half a meter in front of him.
Then he cleared his throat. "Okay. So yesterday, it was around lunchtime, I did my inspection tour. You know, routine. I mean, I can't just sit in the office all the time. Then I heard bird cries. Two hawks had fought over you. So argued about who should eat you first."
Jake raised his eyebrows. Rango continued hurriedly.
"Well, at least when they were arguing, I saw you hanging on the metal arch of an old covered wagon. So I climbed up to see whether you're still alive. You looked pretty dead. Maybe you were almost. These hawks attacked me. I was just able to avoid them."
Jake listened to him in silence. He didn't reply. Rango seemed to be telling the truth, since his eyes were honest.
"I was able to scare away the hawks and keep them at a distance. Then I sent a message to the city and together we brought you down. With some persuasion from me. Since we couldn't get you into town; I stayed with you until these figures appeared...."
There was a twitch in Jake's face. "So what exactly did you say?"
"They asked me what I was doing there. First, I pretended that I was an unsuspecting citizen and didn't know who you were."
"No more?" Jake asked more to himself.
"No, at least they didn't say anything that mattered. Except that they were about to shoot me. But then you woke up and hit them hard."
Rango paused and looked expectantly at Jake. "Well, that's all, I don't know more. Now it's your turn."
Jake avoided his eyes. "Leave me alone."
Rango's mouth remained open. "What? But you said if I said what I know you would ..."
"But not when! Now leave!"
"But..."
"Get out of here!" Jake cried urgently and slammed the door shut. Rango stopped in the hallway, startled and disappointed.
"Fine!" he countered and turned offended.
He was so close to knowing what was going on, and now Jake was doing something like that?
That was so unfair!