Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Dewey Cheatum and Steele (wolvenrogue and Dragonfoot455)

wolvenrogue

wolvenrogue

Singularity
Supporter
Joined
Aug 21, 2011
It was a typical night on the Missouri Queen as it sat in dock at St. Louis. The Bar was full of drunk patrons and three tables of poker games. The Queen, as it was known by the regulars was a great place to fleece a few itinerant patrons, who fancied themselves gamblers, but who played at their peril, and made a nice living for the likes of Dewey Cheatum. He did his best to be known only as Dewey, first because it made him seem a respectable gentleman, when in reality he was a cheat, and second because Cheatum was an ironic name for a riverboat gambler. He wore a plain black suit, a white shirt and a bolo tie under a shallow pie pan hat. He had jet black hair, hazel eyes and a handlebar mustache. Black boots finished the look. His clothes were wrinkled, another attempt at looking plain.

Dewey was down $100 on his mark and was about to spring his trap, when there was a huge commotion at the bar which ended his game on the spot. Dewey was pissed! What ever it was that was going on just cost him $100 dollars! It seemed someone was robbing the bar, but he couldn't see who. They must of been short. He pushed his 6 foot 6 inch frame through the crowd looking for the source of the trouble and found it. He couldn't believe his eyes.
 
Talia Steele had been one of the outstanding outlaws for coming on a full month. No hound or bounty hunter had caught her yet and this night she was feeling particularly lucky so why not test it right?. The Missouri Queen seemed loaded at the time and when half of her face was covered with a bandana only her frame gave away that she was female. Talia had pulled the bartender over the counter with quite a long jagged dagger pointed at his Adam's apple. "Put the money in the bag" she growled with a tone that seemed like the gruff of a man.
 
Seeing the hold up going on Dewey headed quietly for the exit and waited outside the door. The robber certainly had courage for someone so small and the take would be significant. However, the thief owed him at least for his losses, if not a bit more, and he intended that they pay up. Dewey was not one to take a loss lying down , especially from one so small as this thief. Not only that, but with what the theif had done, the sheriff would be on patrol for at least a couple days. It really did screw up his business.
 
Talia grinned as the bag of cash was pushed towards her by the shaking man behind the counter. "Thank you very much, have a lovely day" she scoffed before heading for the exit to make a quick escape before anyone got a chance to stop her. Her large Mount of a horse wasn't far away.
 
Dewey had stationed himself just outside the double swing saloon doors and as the doors opened , he extended his foot beneath the door on the left catching the boot of the obviously short theif leaving the bar. Who ever it was took a quick forward dive and as they hit the ground both the back of cash and the knife they held skidded across the deck. Dewey intercepted both, and then stood there as the theif hurriedly got to their feet. The y lost their hat at the same moment, and a plume of curls escaped revealing that the their was not as she first appeared. "Well well!," Dewey exclaimed as he tapped the back of the long knife on his hand. "What havewe here?"
 
Talia glared up at the man who had tripped her, now that she was exposed as female and without her weapon she'd be less then threatening. "Give it back" she growled getting up and holding out her hand so he'd hand over the bag of cash. It wasn't a rational thought to demand back what she stole but Talia didn't have time for rational thinking. If she was caught now everything she had worked for would be wasted.
 
"You cost me $200 on my poker game." The girl was pretty, and she was obviously in a hurry. He took ten, twenty dollar gold pieces and put them in his pocket and handed her the rest. "I'm gonna keep this knife till you cool down. I don't feel like being stabbed, you know where to find me, now you better git! "
 
Talia got to her feet and snatched the bag of cash back and kept her hand over her gun holster debating if it would be worth to add murder to her list of crimes but though against it as he was letting her go. "This ain't over" she growled before whistling for the large black Clydesdale so she'd take off without getting caught red handed by the sheriff. Mounting her horse, she gave one last look back before kicking her spurs into the horse's side and rode out of sight.
 
Seeing her hand reach to her waist, he warned her. " For you, it will be better if this is over. Don't get any ideas of using that pistol". Without the mask, she was a pretty thing. He almost broke out laughing when he saw the horse she had chosen. A clydesdale? who rode a plow horse to robbery. He was surprised at how quickly she got it going, but his palomino could give it a 5 minute lead and run it down in two. He let her think she had out run him and then decided to follow her dust. It was an esy tracking job. Only one horse in 100 had hooves that big.
 
Despite the Clydesdale being a large animal he was quite fast which gave her an advantage to get a head start. Making sure Francis kicked up dust enough to cover the sight of her swinging a leg until she leaned over before jumping down the Prairie hill while Francis kept galloping in a different direction then where she headed to a old coal mine that had been abandoned long ago.
 
Dewey followed the trail for a couple miles but then something had changed. The horse had run at a gallop for all of that distance, but then something changed the horse ran but more at a fast trot. A horseman like Dewey saw it immediately, turning back he back tracked to where the the horses gate changed, and started to look around. It wasn't long before he found a set of small tracks headed down the hill. Following them, he realized they were headed to the old mine shaft. Not wanting to alert her he tied up his horse in some trees and sat down outside the shaft to wait. It wasn't long before the well trained Clydesdale returned to its master.
 
Francis did a full circle around the rocky hillside and back to the boarded up Mine shaft. Finding that the man was snooping around it made him flattened his ears back in a act of aggression as he ground his large hoof into the sand.

Talia stood behind the boards trying to decide on a action, it would be a shame to start a shootout with the man that had let her go in the first place. "Why are you following me?!" she drawled, her hand hovering over her gunsholster once more.
 
" I learned a long time ago, if someone threatens you, its best to confront them on your own terms, not on theirs. Now its my turn. Why are you angry at me. I could have turned you in, but I didn't, and that two hundred bucks? That was no lie. Your cute little robbery cost me all of it and more. So you tell me. Why shouldn't I follow you?"
 
"Cute? I nearly slit the bastards throat" she countered "I appreciate you lettin me go but I'm a outlaw with a outstanding reward if I'm found dead or alive. I have a right to question your motives. Plus Francis ain't too friendly with most folks so I'd be quick with your explanation" she drawled stepping out from behind the boarded up entrance with her hands on her hips, gun still in hand.
 
"You mean the Clydesdale?" Dewey turned to the huge horse and looked him in the eyes and then turned his body sideways to the animal. He made a clicking noise in his throat and patted his thigh. The big horse was at his side in a moment and nuzzled his hand as Dewey rubbed his nose. "He's just a big sweetheart." He rubbed Francis' withers and and then turned back to the girl. "I think francis and I will be friends. Now how about you? I think we could both make more money working together than trying to kill one another." he smiled at her.
 
Talia eyed him with suspicion as Francis seemed to take a liking to Dewey. The large Clydesdale usually wasn't that friendly but if her horse trusted him then she supposed she could too. "Alright Mister you have peeked my interest. What did you have in mind?" Talia said rubbing her chin like a man would with his beard.
 
"Well you know, we are really in the same business. We both relieve others of their money. The difference is that in your case they assume you are a bigger threat that you actually are, but with me, They don't feel threatened at all. Their trust in me is their undoing. You make an excellent diversion, as long as its well timed. While the marks attention is on you, I can rob them blind. The trick is for you to get their attention without being concerned. Looking as good as you do that should be easy for you. I figure we can split the take down the middle, get away safe, and both make money."
 
"You think I'm good looking, well I've never been complimented by someone who hunted me down. Well you're offer is tempting but how can I trust that you'll take all the cash then run. After all you could have turned me over but you didn't...why?" Talia asked putting her hands on her hips while peering up at the larger man from under her hat.
 
"Well I didn't take it all. In fact I gave you back most of it. I could of kept it all. Ever hear of honor among thieves? Chalk it up to that. Besides its not like you have so many other offers. Oh, and yes you are pretty and would be a lot prettier if you'd stop trying to masquerade as a man. That you are too pretty for. "
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom