Storystar Short Stories

Texas had been mandated to join the United States of America. Union Army soldiers were officially occupying the state. Many Texans, including Bill Langley, still resented the Northern sentiment. Two of his brothers were killed while fighting for the lost Confederate cause. Texas, like all Southern States, had to endure reconstruction which meant they had to pledge loyalty to the United States and abolish slavery. The Union Army was there to enforce emancipation. For those still sympathizing with Confederacy, the state’s reconstruction was not easy.

In 1869, Bill Langley was only eighteen years old but had already had his share of trouble. The war between the states had been over for four years. Early that year, the troubled youth met his friend, Cullen Barker, in an Evergreen, Texas saloon. He, like Langley, was a Southern sympathizer. Three ex-slaves were explaining their part in helping the saloon owner, who was a former Union soldier, win the war. The saloon regulars were enjoying the show put on by the ex-slaves. Langley, though, thought the three were unruly and sassy. He ended their swagger by drawing his .44 revolver and making them dance through a barrage of bullets, nearly wounding one of them. Langley and Barker had to make a quick exit.

The sheriff gathered a posse together and rode out after the two. Langley and Barker escaped and made their way toward San Antonio. There was a purpose in San Antonio.
“Bill! You know there’s a fella in San Antonio tellin’ everybody there he knows you. He’s tellin’ ‘em when he sees you, there’ll be a showdown in the street, and he’ll gun you down.”
“What’s his name?” Langley asked.
“Sam Bloom.”
A rattle snake was slithering away from the two men on horseback. Langley pulled his Dance .44 from its holster and fired in one smooth motion. He watched its bullet sever the head of the snake as it tried to slither away.
“I ain’t seen no one faster than you!”, Barker said.
“You’re right!”
“He’s goanna find out, won’t he?”
“Indeed, he will!”
Langley knew his reputation for his swift gun was growing. This wouldn’t be the first time he would face a man down in the street. Most likely it wouldn’t be his last. Gunplay seemed to be what he wanted now.

It wasn’t long after arriving in San Antonio that Langley heard Sam Bloom was in the Buckhorn Saloon. Bloom could be heard from the street bragging about how he was going to outdraw the famous “Bloody Bill Langley”.
For Langley, there was only one thing to do. Call the liar out into the street.
“Bloom, I’ll give you one chance to live. Get on your horse and leave now.”, Langley said loud enough for everyone in the saloon to hear.
Bloody Bill had called Sam Bloom out. It was time for him to run or fight.
“Come out to the street and face me like a man. Bring your friends with you. They can tell the story of how you bravely faced me down and died trying.”
Bloom dropped his gun belt to the floor.
“Mr Langley, I..I... I’m leaving. I’m unarmed.”
Langley watched the young man leave the saloon.
“Get on your horse and run away!”
The Buckhorn Saloon patrons watched Sam Bloom gallop away.
Langley glared at the crowd. “Shouldn’t brag if you can’t back it up.”
Langley was disappointed. Although it seemed this battle was won, he didn’t get to demonstrate his gun skills.
There would be other chances.

Before leaving San Antonio, the two signed on with a cattle drive headed for Kansas.
After a few days, the trail boss bedded the herd down outside Coleman, Texas. Langley and Barker went into town with another cowboy, Jesse Wheeler, to get some supplies. Wheeler started complaining about one of the other cowboys. Langley disagreed and told him so. Wheeler took offense to Langley’s disagreement.
“We’re gonna settle this …misunderstanding…, right here, right now! Bloody Bill, I’ve heard you’re good with your gun. Let’s find out!”
“Jesse, you don’t want to do this! You won’t live to even regret it!”, Langley warned.
Barker saw Wheeler reach for his pistol. But before Wheeler’s hand reached his holster Bill already had his .44 out and pumping lead into Wheeler’s body, never stopping until the six-shooter was empty. Wheeler fell dead to the ground. An angry crowd gathered. Rather than explain, Langley and Barker gathered up the closest horses and left town in a hurry.

Hours later, Bill Langley and Cullen Barker were captured by a group of Coleman, Texas vigilantes who accused them of being horse thieves. Horse thieving was a hanging offense. The vigilantes tied the young men’s hands behind their backs and placed nooses around their necks.
Langley and Barker, helplessly straddling their horses, watched as the vigilantes rode away in a hurry. One of them, from a hundred yards away, turned around and fired several shots toward the accused horse thieves.
The horses bolted. A bullet hit Langley in the face. Fortunately, it only grazed his face. Another bullet frayed the rope from which he was hanging. The weight of his body weakened the rope and it broke.
Langley was barely alive when he hit the ground. His friend, though, was still hanging from the tree. Langley was the lucky one.
The gang of vigilantes rode away, leaving the two horse thieves for dead.
Langley, though, believed the vigilantes were wrong in hanging the two. They hadn’t really stolen the horses. They found them wandering in the street already saddled and no one around to claim them. The two needed horses in a hurry and they were there.
Langley lay on the ground, barely alive, gasping for whatever air he could get in his lungs. He would survive this hanging. And another, before the third rope, years in the future, would finally snap his neck.

“I think it’s time to leave Texas. I heard there’s gold in Wyoming.” He was unaware but a circumstance in Cheyenne was about to present him with an opportunity to change his life.

Leaving Texas(Ed DeRousse) Texas had been mandated to join the United States of America. Union Army soldiers were officially occupying the state. Many Texans, including Bill Langley, still resented the Northern sentiment. Two of his brothers were killed while fighting for the lost Confederate cause. Texas, like all Southern States, had to endure reconstruction which meant they had to pledge loyalty to the United States and abolish slavery. The Union Army was there to enforce emancipation. For those still sympathizing with Confederacy, the state’s reconstruction was not easy.

In 1869, Bill Langley was only eighteen years old but had already had his share of trouble. The war between the states had been over for four years. Early that year, the troubled youth met his friend, Cullen Barker, in an Evergreen, Texas saloon. He, like Langley, was a Southern sympathizer. Three ex-slaves were explaining their part in helping the saloon owner, who was a former Union soldier, win the war. The saloon regulars were enjoying the show put on by the ex-slaves. Langley, though, thought the three were unruly and sassy. He ended their swagger by drawing his .44 revolver and making them dance through a barrage of bullets, nearly wounding one of them. Langley and Barker had to make a quick exit.

The sheriff gathered a posse together and rode out after the two. Langley and Barker escaped and made their way toward San Antonio. There was a purpose in San Antonio.
“Bill! You know there’s a fella in San Antonio tellin’ everybody there he knows you. He’s tellin’ ‘em when he sees you, there’ll be a showdown in the street, and he’ll gun you down.”
“What’s his name?” Langley asked.
“Sam Bloom.”
A rattle snake was slithering away from the two men on horseback. Langley pulled his Dance .44 from its holster and fired in one smooth motion. He watched its bullet sever the head of the snake as it tried to slither away.
“I ain’t seen no one faster than you!”, Barker said.
“You’re right!”
“He’s goanna find out, won’t he?”
“Indeed, he will!”
Langley knew his reputation for his swift gun was growing. This wouldn’t be the first time he would face a man down in the street. Most likely it wouldn’t be his last. Gunplay seemed to be what he wanted now.

It wasn’t long after arriving in San Antonio that Langley heard Sam Bloom was in the Buckhorn Saloon. Bloom could be heard from the street bragging about how he was going to outdraw the famous “Bloody Bill Langley”.
For Langley, there was only one thing to do. Call the liar out into the street.
“Bloom, I’ll give you one chance to live. Get on your horse and leave now.”, Langley said loud enough for everyone in the saloon to hear.
Bloody Bill had called Sam Bloom out. It was time for him to run or fight.
“Come out to the street and face me like a man. Bring your friends with you. They can tell the story of how you bravely faced me down and died trying.”
Bloom dropped his gun belt to the floor.
“Mr Langley, I..I... I’m leaving. I’m unarmed.”
Langley watched the young man leave the saloon.
“Get on your horse and run away!”
The Buckhorn Saloon patrons watched Sam Bloom gallop away.
Langley glared at the crowd. “Shouldn’t brag if you can’t back it up.”
Langley was disappointed. Although it seemed this battle was won, he didn’t get to demonstrate his gun skills.
There would be other chances.

Before leaving San Antonio, the two signed on with a cattle drive headed for Kansas.
After a few days, the trail boss bedded the herd down outside Coleman, Texas. Langley and Barker went into town with another cowboy, Jesse Wheeler, to get some supplies. Wheeler started complaining about one of the other cowboys. Langley disagreed and told him so. Wheeler took offense to Langley’s disagreement.
“We’re gonna settle this …misunderstanding…, right here, right now! Bloody Bill, I’ve heard you’re good with your gun. Let’s find out!”
“Jesse, you don’t want to do this! You won’t live to even regret it!”, Langley warned.
Barker saw Wheeler reach for his pistol. But before Wheeler’s hand reached his holster Bill already had his .44 out and pumping lead into Wheeler’s body, never stopping until the six-shooter was empty. Wheeler fell dead to the ground. An angry crowd gathered. Rather than explain, Langley and Barker gathered up the closest horses and left town in a hurry.

Hours later, Bill Langley and Cullen Barker were captured by a group of Coleman, Texas vigilantes who accused them of being horse thieves. Horse thieving was a hanging offense. The vigilantes tied the young men’s hands behind their backs and placed nooses around their necks.
Langley and Barker, helplessly straddling their horses, watched as the vigilantes rode away in a hurry. One of them, from a hundred yards away, turned around and fired several shots toward the accused horse thieves.
The horses bolted. A bullet hit Langley in the face. Fortunately, it only grazed his face. Another bullet frayed the rope from which he was hanging. The weight of his body weakened the rope and it broke.
Langley was barely alive when he hit the ground. His friend, though, was still hanging from the tree. Langley was the lucky one.
The gang of vigilantes rode away, leaving the two horse thieves for dead.
Langley, though, believed the vigilantes were wrong in hanging the two. They hadn’t really stolen the horses. They found them wandering in the street already saddled and no one around to claim them. The two needed horses in a hurry and they were there.
Langley lay on the ground, barely alive, gasping for whatever air he could get in his lungs. He would survive this hanging. And another, before the third rope, years in the future, would finally snap his neck.

“I think it’s time to leave Texas. I heard there’s gold in Wyoming.” He was unaware but a circumstance in Cheyenne was about to present him with an opportunity to change his life.

JD

06/15/2021

I enjoyed it, Ed.... up until the end when you left me hanging without telling the rest of the story. I wanted to know what led to his third and final hanging and 'circumstances' in Cheyenne that gave him the 'opportunity' to change his life.

06/16/2021

Based on the last few Westerns you've written, I think it is definitely a great direction for you, Ed. I very much enjoyed them all. I just don't enjoy an unfinished story, so I would just say you need to write MORE of the story, please.

Ed DeRousse

JD, thank you for your comment. Western genre stories are out of my comfort zone. A couple of goals were accomplished, though: reader enjoyment and leave the reader wanting more.

Congratulations !

Leaving Texas

COMMENTS (1)

JD

JD

Ed DeRousse