The Werewolf Banditos, Part I

I. Bob Harney was riding upon the evening stage, worried they’d not reach Pelltown before light did fade, he hoped they didn’t have to spend the night camping out, they’d heard the Arapahos were raiding around. The others in the stage gazed out on the sunset over Colorado mountains, it stole the breath, even when it went down, backlit peaks in dark blue mesmerized the passengers with its sublime view. But in the dim light, Bob saw something on the prowl, then the night was rent by an unearthly howl, shadowy figures charged to the stage on four legs, one then reared up on two, revealing a wolf’s head. It snarled and the driver grabbed his old shotgun, Bob heard the weapon roar, but did not hear a thump. By some hellish power the beast was still alive, the poor driver screamed loud in its jaws as he died. The other three used their weight to knock over the stage, one reached with clawed hands, pulled a miner away, next went an old woman, much too frightened to shriek, and then one reached down to grab the scared Bob Harney. But Bob grabbed his six-gun and cut loose in a flash, the beast was forced backwards, and fell off with a crash, as the monsters bellow out its pain and its hate, the beasts were distracted, and Bob made his escape. Those Lycans were so busy stuffing their faces, they didn’t see Bob cut the lead horse’s traces, when he clapped his heels hard, they looked up and they knew, as Bob raced the mount off, they leapt up to pursue! Loping on four leg with supernatural speed, yet even these devil wolves couldn’t match a steed, little by little Bob and the horse did gain ground, and the monsters turned off a mile from Pelltown. Bob went to the saloon and drank deep of whiskey, then told all who would listen the horror he’d seen, they called him a drunk fool, just out to cause a stir, when they found the stage they accused him of murder. But the bodies bore no bullets, evidence lacked, they told themselves it was just a Grizzly attack, Bob was so broken, he wouldn’t go outside at night, then a week later townsfolk happened upon a sight: A mother and daughter torn apart the same way, the cause of this evil was still surely at play, so out went two deputies to hunt down the men, neither of those young deputies was seen again. To make it worse, Alamo Rick came to town, the bandit had little fear with no law around, Sheriff Hopkins had not force to challenge these thugs, and they soon ruled the saloons, it was what it was.