The Heroes of Buzzard's Bend, Part Iii

...Then he could see it, the boils, on their neck and wrists, bright and red, he felt an itch on his own back, and felt a cold moment of dread. Now Diaz could not ignore it, and Mains’s words came echoing, more… He had a sinking feeling that he’d heard this tale play out before. And then the woman in his bed, turned slightly, her belly in sight… A cold dread came upon his mind, and he felt a new and strange fright… Without a word he found his horse, snuck out while his men stood and cursed, turned his horse south, towards the last mine that people in Buzzard’s Bend worked. The locals saw him riding in, glowering in hatred, deserved, all except one, who slept outside, as if he heard not a sound or word. Diaz saw Mains, rode up to him, dismounted and walked to his side, said, “Are you the one doing this?” Mains just smiled, “The power’s not mine.” What snapped in Diaz, none can say, but he looked down on Mains, declared, “If I refuse, this will go on, with ever increasing despair?” Mains could only give him a shrug, and Diaz felt increasing weight. “I won’t harden my heart to this,” said Diaz. “It is it now too late?” Mains raised an eyebrow in surprise, the first emotion that he’d shown. He gawked and said, “You’d leave them now? Just that simple, you’ll up and go?” Diaz said, “I am not a fool, not so dumb to challenge the throne. It’s clear enough how this will end, with pain, and misery, and moans…” He remembered the swollen girl, and realized, to his great surprise, that he cared for that unborn babe, didn’t want to see it die. “Three of my men are just farm-boys, They’ll flee if they face a real fright. One’s never shot a man before, the other two will give the fight. “The tall one with the forehead scar, the short, balding one with the limp, they’re the ones they need to take down, with those two men you should begin. “I don’t know what power you have, or if He really sent you here, but only a fool would miss that there is much more here than appears. “I’m riding on while I still can, you need never fear me again, there’s no need to repeat this tale, I’ve already heard how it ends.” With that he steered his horse aside, clapped his heals, and spurred on a loke, left his gun-belt there on the ground, Mains did nothing but watch him go. Now you’ve all heard what Mains did next, that’s the story Hollywood told, how he took on the thugs alone, and left four of the bastards cold... CONDLUDES IN PART IV.