Buck the Gunslinger

Buck was a tough man very fast with his gun always just one step ahead of the law He rode from town to town never staying all that long because as soon as word got out the young gunslingers would come Now Buck was not a man to go looking for trouble but it seemed that some how it was his middle name Really all he wanted to do was marry his sweetheart and raise a fine family to live peacefully with them He had a small hideaway high up in the Rockies a simple log cabin where he could hole up Not the place to take a bride far too isolated and bare talking to Betty he asked her to purchase some land Make it down in lush valley he told her, we can raise cattle a few horses to start a herd maybe some hens and geese for eggs Betty found a prime piece of land with a cool bubbling spring trees to shelter and give shade sweet green grass to feed them all Buck and Betty got married at last soon built a fine house and barn with a corral and stables yet all too soon their bliss shattered Young gunslingers heard where he was dropping by to chance their luck ending up in wooden coffins because Buck was real fast Until one day the townspeople rode out to see Buck they wanted him to be their sheriff to protect them from the bandits Buck agreed to wear the badge and rid the town of the bad guys each day he patrolled the territory many baddies he lay to rest Yet he felt he had no real peace that his life was on borrowed time he wanted to live his life quietly tending to family and his ranch This seemed a wistful thought as still yet more gunslingers came one day he knew he'd meet a faster gun and end his life face down in dirt One day while build a nursery he got Betty to chop while he held the logs well Betty missed and got his fingers cutting them clean off only stumps left It was his gun hand that was hurt soon the word went around the young guns stopped coming no sport for them now Buck finally got his dream and lived to a ripe old age siring five fine children and many grandchildren Against all the odds he died quietly in bed his last words to Betty were "That was the best miss you ever made" ~ ~ ~ ~ ~