03-11-2023, 04:04 AM
It was about mid day in Northern Texas in the year 1888. Peter was working on the farm he had moved into a month earlier. He had built a house, tilled the land, and on this day he had been working since sun up putting up a fence he meant to put around his farm. At tall lean man with short brown hair, bright blue eyes; which were usually hidden behind store bought spectacles. He wore a white button down shirt, jeans, boots, a broad brimmed hat, and a gunbelt with the gun strapped low on his right thigh. As the sun came to its height Peter was getting hotter and hotter. He stopped to take a drink from his canteen, then took off his gun belt and his shirt. He went back to cutting a fence post he had been working on. As he swung his ax down on the wood sweat glistened on his broad shoulders and chest. He was so intent on his work he didn't notice two men riding up on horses until it was too late. He looked at his gun belt which lay by his canteen six feet away.
"Now we told you once that we didn't want any sodbusters on our range." said one of the men as he dismounted.
Both of the new comers wore gray uniforms of the now defunct Confederate Army.
"We went off to war to defend your land, then come back and find you sodbusters taking it over." said the second man.
Peter stood to his full height facing the two men. He looked nervously at the first man as he pulled the rifle out of his saddle boot. The second man drew his pistol and pointed it at Peter's head.
"Let me blow his stinking brains all over the plain." said the second man with a wild tone in his voice.
The first man pulled a bayonet off his belt and attached it to the end of his rifle.
"No, Jeb, that's too easy. Do you remember what we used to do to those blue bellies when we caught them?" said the first man.
Jeb looked down over Peter and noticed the only movement was his belly pumping in and out as he tried to hide his gasps of fear.
"I do Bill, we turned those blue bellies red." said Jeb.
Bill jerked forward before Peter could move.
"Oooohhhh!" screamed Peter as the bayonet sank into his belly just above his navel.
"Make him squeal, Bob." said Jeb.
Peter let out a shriek of pain as Bob turned the rifle, twisting the steel blade in Peter's guts. Jeb pulled their ropes off the saddle horns and looped one on Peter's right wrist and the other on Peter's left wrist. Bob used the bayonet to pull Peter between two of the fence posts he had already put in. Jeb tied the other ends of the ropes off to the fence posts and stepped back. Bob pulled the bayonet out, and shook a loop of gut off of it.
"I don't know which I hate more, blue bellies or sodbusters." said Bob.
"His belly looks pretty red now." said Jeb pointing at the blood pouring out of the wound in Peter's belly.
"I don't think he's suffering enough though." said Bob.
Jeb drew his pistol and fired off two quick shots.
"Aaahh-aahh!" screamed Peter as he slumped down against the ropes that held his wrists.
He looked down and shook his head when he saw two fresh bullet holes in his thighs.
"That's still not enough." said Bob as he drew his pistol and fired.
Peter swung back on the ropes, but looked like nothing had happened to him.
"Good shot, Bob." said Jeb as blood began to pour out of Peter's belly button.
"Just kill me and get it over with." groaned Peter.
"I would love to just leave you swinging there to die and let the wolves pick out your guts while you're still alive, but someone might come along and you would tell who shot you." said Bob.
"On the count of three." said Jeb as he put his pistol back in its holster.
Bob put his pistol up and held his hand ready.
Peter gulped and stiffened as he heard them counting. When they reached three, both drew their guns and fired.
"Uuhllhh!" Peter grunted as he felt the bullets clank together inside his heart.
Blood bubbled over his lower lip as his head sagged down.
"Well I'll be, That sodbuster is one tough little critter." said Jeb as he pointed down at Peter's belly.
Peter's bloody belly still jerked in and out as he desperately clung to life. Bob walked up and slid the bayonet in at the top of Peter's jeans. Peter grimaced in pain and he tried to move away. Bob pulled the bayonet out and Peter let out a sigh as his belly stopped moving. Bob and Jeb got back on their horses and left Peter swinging in the wind.
"Now we told you once that we didn't want any sodbusters on our range." said one of the men as he dismounted.
Both of the new comers wore gray uniforms of the now defunct Confederate Army.
"We went off to war to defend your land, then come back and find you sodbusters taking it over." said the second man.
Peter stood to his full height facing the two men. He looked nervously at the first man as he pulled the rifle out of his saddle boot. The second man drew his pistol and pointed it at Peter's head.
"Let me blow his stinking brains all over the plain." said the second man with a wild tone in his voice.
The first man pulled a bayonet off his belt and attached it to the end of his rifle.
"No, Jeb, that's too easy. Do you remember what we used to do to those blue bellies when we caught them?" said the first man.
Jeb looked down over Peter and noticed the only movement was his belly pumping in and out as he tried to hide his gasps of fear.
"I do Bill, we turned those blue bellies red." said Jeb.
Bill jerked forward before Peter could move.
"Oooohhhh!" screamed Peter as the bayonet sank into his belly just above his navel.
"Make him squeal, Bob." said Jeb.
Peter let out a shriek of pain as Bob turned the rifle, twisting the steel blade in Peter's guts. Jeb pulled their ropes off the saddle horns and looped one on Peter's right wrist and the other on Peter's left wrist. Bob used the bayonet to pull Peter between two of the fence posts he had already put in. Jeb tied the other ends of the ropes off to the fence posts and stepped back. Bob pulled the bayonet out, and shook a loop of gut off of it.
"I don't know which I hate more, blue bellies or sodbusters." said Bob.
"His belly looks pretty red now." said Jeb pointing at the blood pouring out of the wound in Peter's belly.
"I don't think he's suffering enough though." said Bob.
Jeb drew his pistol and fired off two quick shots.
"Aaahh-aahh!" screamed Peter as he slumped down against the ropes that held his wrists.
He looked down and shook his head when he saw two fresh bullet holes in his thighs.
"That's still not enough." said Bob as he drew his pistol and fired.
Peter swung back on the ropes, but looked like nothing had happened to him.
"Good shot, Bob." said Jeb as blood began to pour out of Peter's belly button.
"Just kill me and get it over with." groaned Peter.
"I would love to just leave you swinging there to die and let the wolves pick out your guts while you're still alive, but someone might come along and you would tell who shot you." said Bob.
"On the count of three." said Jeb as he put his pistol back in its holster.
Bob put his pistol up and held his hand ready.
Peter gulped and stiffened as he heard them counting. When they reached three, both drew their guns and fired.
"Uuhllhh!" Peter grunted as he felt the bullets clank together inside his heart.
Blood bubbled over his lower lip as his head sagged down.
"Well I'll be, That sodbuster is one tough little critter." said Jeb as he pointed down at Peter's belly.
Peter's bloody belly still jerked in and out as he desperately clung to life. Bob walked up and slid the bayonet in at the top of Peter's jeans. Peter grimaced in pain and he tried to move away. Bob pulled the bayonet out and Peter let out a sigh as his belly stopped moving. Bob and Jeb got back on their horses and left Peter swinging in the wind.
