RANGO // OӘͶAЯ - Another Outlaw Story [Engl.]

6. Welcome to Dirt - or not?

"Come in," Stump said and waved to Jake, who was still standing in front of the wooden town sign and watched the city.
"Don't worry. They will not kill you," Kinski laughed.
Jake sighed. "That's what I think."
But he followed them.

Jake realized the area of the town was dusty and dry like the desert around. No plants, no woods, not even a cactus. The first houses were old and partially bedraggled.
The city people didn't look better. A rat crossed the street who wore bottles on her back. He didn't pay attention to the cart of Stump and his family or Kinski. But when he saw the rattlesnake in the background, he froze. Meggy gave her husband a worried look.
"I think they need a little information," she whispered.
Kinski, who had a good ear, gave her a sign.
"I'll do that."
He took his long gun, also realizing that the other people were looking their way. An old rodent woman and her child with a big brace, pressed themselves more on the house wall and a turkey with a bottle in his hand looked into his jug and asked himself whether he was dreaming or not.
Kinski shrugged his shoulders. He loaded his gun and shot three times into the air.
Jake was afraid that the people would run away, but instead, the animals craned more their necks. He supposed they knew the rabbit's gun shots.
"Don't worry, folks!" Kinski shouted. "All's well. He's a tourist."
He put his gun away and the group continued.
It was quiet. Really quiet. Jake crawled down the street and eyed the people carefully.
The cart stopped in the near of a general store. An old white-gray desert owl with long feathery heavy mustache stood on the terrace and seemed to wait for them.
Also Jake stopped. For a moment the city people stared at him, then they continued their doings and tried to ignore him.
Stanley and Portley jumped down and romped around Jake.
Jake bent down to Stump.
"It seems you are used to see worse things, aren't you?"
"Oh yes, bandits, heat, hawks... we are used to live a hard life."
"But it becomes harder," Meggy added.
"Do you need something?" Kinski asked who climbed down from his roadrunner.
"No, I said, I have everything."
Stanley watched him. "Where are these "everything"?"
Stump pushed him aside gently. "You can be going on ahead into the store."
"Can we get candies?"
"We have to wait and see."
With loud, happy cries the boys ran into the store. Meggy wanted to follow them, but suddenly she remembered something.
She turned around and looked at Stump in shock.
"Darling, did you tell our guest that... our sheriff...?"
Stump winced. "Oops... eh... nope."
But before Stump could speak more, there were shots.
Jake didn't know what to do without working gun. Confused, he looked around.
"I'm aiming my gun on your head!" An angry voice threatened.
"I... I... Sheriff Amos!" Stump interrupted the angry voice and walked along the street where a figure stood there with a long gun.
Behind the gun stood a fat spiny lizard in old dirty jeans and a faded red shirt. On his head a brown with dust covered hat. In the corner of his mouth stuck a smoldering short cigarette.
Stump placed himself in the line of fire and protected his body with his hands.
"He is a guest of my family."
Amos lowered his gun a little to have a better field of view. But he kept his grimly glance.
"Didn't I say, I don't like snakes in my town?!"
Kinski appeared next to Stump, cleaned his throat and forced a smile. "I'm sure, that he will make no troubles."
"Oh, really?" Amos said. He put the end of his gun carefully on the ground. On his face, played a sarcastic smile. "Do you really think so?"
Suddenly he turned to the side so that his backside became visible. Also, his voice changed from played-funny to angry-offended.
"Do you think that was trouble-free?!"
He pointed to his tail which maybe had been a tail, but now it was more a stumpy tail.
"Do you know why this happened?" he asked harshly.
He didn't wait for a reply.
"Because a snake took a bite!"
Kinski tried to settle it. "But this had been another snake."
Amos narrowed his eyes skeptically and pointed his finger very cautionary at Kinski.
"Never trust a snake. Snakes are liars. They always speak with forked tongue."
"That's just a proverb. That's a fact, and you know that," Kinski said with calm voice.
"I keep my opinions. And I..." His glance wandered back to Jake. "I will keep an eye on you."
He moved his fingers to his own eyes, then in Jake's direction.
After that, he snorted satisfied and walked away along the sidewalk.
Jake looked after him.
Stump bared his head. "I'm sorry. I'd like to apologize to Amos. He doesn't like... people without legs."
Meggy who had watched the scene paid his attention back to Mr. Furgus.
The rabbit mother contorted her face. "Sometimes he is such an obnoxious person."
Mr. Furgus nodded. "You know him. Since he came to town the mood became worse than ever. So, what's it to be? The usual?"
Meggy nodded.
Meanwhile, Stump and Kinski were still talking with Jake.
"Well, I have to go," Kinski said. "Anvil's blacksmith shop is just over there where the smoke comes out of the smokestack. Good luck."
He waved his hand and walked away.
Jake hissed. "Never mind. After that I will leave."
Stump looked at him with surprise. "You want to leave us so soon? Are you sure you are fit enough?"
"I'm used to live like this. Never mind."
Stump scratched his head. "Well, then, in this case I wish you a good journey."
Jake nodded respectfully. "Thanks for your hospitality."
In the meantime, Meggy was almost ready with her orderings.
Mr. Furgus was putting a sack on their cart.
"Here are your beans, Meggy."
"Thanks, we gonna need some more feed, too, Willie."
But Mr. Furgus shook his head. "Now, Meggy, you owe me three quarts already. I can't give you more credit."
"But... but we will have what I owe you at noon."
"You don't understand. It's Mr. Merrimack down at the bank. He cut off all credits."
Meggy was like paralyzed. "But... but we need it, and we have not much water on the bank anymore..."
Stump pricked up an ear and watched his wife who looked more than nervous.
"Excuse me, please."
He left him and Jake stayed alone. He walked to Meggy and Furgus. "Anything wrong?"
Jake watched how they discussed. He didn't want to know about what.
"Never mind. Amos is a rough person, but he is an efficient sheriff."
The rattlesnake turned around and blinked in confusion. Not far away, there sat an old turtle in a wheelchair. He seemed to be there already a while, but he hadn't realized him.
"Welcome to our town!" the turtle greeted and lifted his open hands in the air.
Jake looked at him with asking eyes. He called this little village a town?
"Uh... thanks... but I have to leave it very soon again."
"That doesn't matter whether you stay a second or forever, we always have a place for everyone."
"Well, and who are you?"
"Sorry, stranger. My manners. I'm Mayor John, I'm the mayor of this town."
Jake raised an eyebrow. Really? He was really a mayor? He looked more like an old invalid.
"I always say, every stranger is welcome. And where do you come from?"
"From far away. Nothing more."
Mayor John's eyes wandered to the side. Jake followed his glance and winced.
Señor Flan lifted his wing. "Hello."
"Who are they?" Mayor John asked curiously.
Jake shrugged his body. "Donnu. Never seen."
He coughed.
"You had a long journey, mister, hadn't you?"
"How do you know?"
"Experience. I think you need a rest. Take a drink in our saloon."
"I have no money."
The turtle petted his chin. "That's okay, Mister. Tell the barkeeper you came from me, and he will give you a round for free. Just say, Mayor John will pay."
He moved his wheelchair with a mechanic stick and rolled away.
Jake looked at him with thoughtful eyes. Was this guy a sympatric or did he play a role?
No one was good to a snake, even not a venomous rattlesnake.
He snorted and shrugged his upper body. Never mind. He needed some water first.
He looked around. His glance stopped over a sign with the inscription "Saloon."
Somebody played a western melody on an old piano.
Carefully, he crawled ahead and looked through the swing doors. It was dusky inside. He was going to leave, but his dry mouth forced him to slither in. With normal, but slow movements of his snake body, he pushed his head through the doors.
The music stopped. All faces and eyes wandered into his direction.
Jake stood between room and street and stared with his glowing eyes around. It was quiet again. Just the sound of the wind and the squeaking sound of the old ventilator on the ceiling filled the emptiness. The rattlesnake collected his composure and crawled forward. His bigger snake body touched some chairs and tables. The eyes of the city people followed him. It was a group of all kinds of animals. Rodents, birds, reptiles, amphibians, bugs and a scorpion. Everyone didn't wear a friendly face and watched the snake with a neutral but mistrustful glance.
Jake winced when he was hearing a clicking sound of a trigger. He moved his head in the direction and a bobcat had laid his hand on his gun in his holster.
Jake gave him a warning look. For a moment, they stared at each other. But then the cat took away his hand. Jake's muscles relaxed and he continued.
Finally, he reached the counter. He looked to the side where he saw the sleeping snorting one ear rabbit Doc with an empty glass and bottle on the table next to him.
The rattlesnake tried to avoid the other glances and searched the face of the barkeeper. A fat toad in old unwashed clothes and a little hat on his head watched him with his big watering dry eyes and was cleaning a glass.
Jake swallowed. He was a little unsure, but he kept his dark face like a mask.
"I'd like a glass of water, please", he said.
First, there was silence.
"Water?" a voice said unbelievingly. "He wants a glass of water!"
All people laughed.
"He wants some water?" someone cried between his giggles.
Doc woke up from the noise and muttered: "Make it a double."
Jake growled annoyed. His damaged metallic rattle rattled threateningly.
All people became silent.
"Then give me something drinkable before I satisfy my thirst with the liquid of you!"
The air became like dead. Jake was a little afraid about himself, but it made an impact.
But the barkeeper kept cool and reached into a shelf.
"Cactus juice. That's our best drink, which we have."
He took a strange looking bottle and pushed it over the long table. Jake intercepted it with his metal gun and was happy not to touch it with his bare skin, because the bottle had cluttered with prickles. He sniffed, but his thirst was too much. He put the bottle into his mouth, leaned back his head and took a big hit. After he had swallowed it down, he felt a burning feeling through his throat. He opened his mouth a little which felt like fire. But it tasted not bad. He emptied the whole bottle.
"More?" the toad asked with neutral voice.
Jake panted a little, but he nodded.
The snake winced. A little finger had tapped on his skin. A very old mouse with a long beard met his eyes.
"Hey, I've never seen you. Who are you?"
Jake's eyes flickered a moment. But it was useless to think about a fake name.
"Jake," he answered shortly and took a new sip of the new bottle.
"And where do you come from?" A horned lizard asked.
Jake was stressed out with these questions.
"From far away."
Suddenly there was a loud scream on the street. Shortly afterwards shots filled the air. Someone begged for a rest, but the shots became more. Suddenly they interrupted.
All people looked at the door. Fast steps came closer. A shadow appeared and opened quickly the swing doors.

I decided to give Amos another animal figure. In this case I choose a Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus poinsettia).