Well guys, sorry for the wait. School comes first. We have some useful advice in this chapter, such as why you shouldn't wear dark clothes in the desert.
Also, Pugs experiences a bad case of heat stroke. Now, most of the description comes from personal experiece. I'm a big fat guy, I get the heat pounded into me much faster and harder than people who are in shape. The worst comes during the summer.
Anyways, you don't want to read my ramblings. Prepare for...
Chapter Five
The Confrontation
I was probably put at least twenty miles behind me since I had fled the hideout. Leaving there left a strange taste in my mouth.
Why would Bailey, a short-fused and uncomfortably violent Outlaw bestow something so harmless as a banishment? I practically waltzed out of the hideout, and the brute didn’t even bat an eye.
Well, count your blessings, as they say. What’s past is past; so don’t dwell on it, Pugsley old boy.
The heat was beginning to get to me. My vision was blurry and I was having trouble keeping the sweat from my eyes. My coat was ripped in various places, beaten senseless by the elements. My head was getting the worst of it. Note to self: Black bowler hats are not good for trips through the desert, and are only good for soaking in excess sweat.
I was trudging through the grassy savanna at the base of Canyon Pass. There was a pair of forests on either side of the savanna, and a dirt road slicing through it. I made a long turn towards the trees on my left. The shade could provide some comfort, and I could stop and get the thorn out of my foot that had been nagging me since I received that hit-and-run from that tumbleweed a while back.
For a moment, I could have sworn that I saw a figure approaching from the distance. But I looked again, and it was gone. I chalked it up to heat stroke playing with my mind and headed for the woods.
~~~~~~~~~~<([V])>~~~~~~~~~~
Stranger cautiously followed the figure in the blue coat. He kept a considerable amount of distance between himself and the Outlaw, and for good reason. If he were to be seen, he would surely have to face this guy head-on. No, better to let the hot desert sun do the damage for him, rather than jump right in.
The bounty hunter was doing well, until the Outlaw turned his head. Stranger was sure that the Outlaw was looking straight at him, so he quickly bolted behind a rock.
The Outlaw turned and veered to the left, towards a long stretch of forest on the left wall of the canyon. Stranger took off on all fours, turning towards the forest as well, and ever so often ducking behind rocks or jumping into trees to avoid detection.
Stranger made it into the thick brush, still about three hundred yards away from the Outlaw. He climbed up a tree with incredible ease, almost as if he were simply treading ground. There was a branch at the top of the tree, uncomfortable, yet good enough that he could spy on the Outlaw without being seen.
Stranger felt at home here in amongst the forests for some reason, more so than he had ever felt in any town he’d been to, no matter how nice it was.
The Outlaw was sitting on a log, picking at his feet. Stranger would make his move soon, but first he wanted to have some fun with him.
Stranger arched his back and leapt to another tree, grabbing a large branch with his claws. He spared no time and sprang foreword yet again, soaring through the air and landing at the back of the branch. He continued on in that fashion until he was sitting in a tree right behind the Outlaw.
The Outlaw was at least nine feet tall, and wore a tattered blue coat with a white coat (with yellowish sweat stains), and a soggy, stinky bowler hat. All were such great choices for traveling in seering, triple-digit weather.
It was time to implicate a little paranoia on this guy. Stranger picked up a twig nested in the middle of the tree and tossed it to the left of the Outlaw, who followed it with his eyes. He got up and studied the twig with a strange sense of intelligence in his eyes, not usually a very common trait in Outlaws.
Stranger then slunk down out of the tree, crouched in the tall grass and tossed a pebble just behind the Outlaw, who heard it clack when it hit the ground.
“What in the world is going on?†the Outlaw said to himself as he turned to look. Stranger raced back into the tree, making just enough noise to ruffle the grass a bit.
The Outlaw looked over to the grass, which was still shaking.
“Okay, I know someone’s here,†he said, his voice having a distinctly exhausted ring to it. “Show yourself.â€
Stranger didn’t usually take requests, but the time was right to confront the Outlaw.
He dropped from the branch in front of the Outlaw, landing flat on his feet.
“Why are you following me?†the Outlaw enquired.
“I’m here to take ya in,†Stranger replied. “You’ve got a purdy price on yer head, and I aim’s to collect.â€
~~~~~~~~~~<([V])>~~~~~~~~~~
It wasn’t long before I found a place to sit; and by "sit," I mean completely drop. It was a moss-covered log, and seemed sturdy enough, probably solid all the way through. I pulled my leg up onto my lap so I could get at that thorn. Note to myself: Wash my feet when I reach the next town.
I was probably half of the way to the end of the canyon, and from there I would need to head west, taking the road all the way to the town of Sanderson Flats. Hopefully, I could get a nice, warm reception and a nice, cold glass of water.
Who am I kidding? The Clakkerz would sooner tar and feather me than let an Outlaw live amongst them. Besides, I couldn’t just walk right into a town. I’m a wanted felon.
Or could I? I mean, I’ve got at least five feet and two hundred pounds on each of those clucking bastards! Who’s to stop me from…
No, no. I had promised myself that I would never resort to intimidation to get what I want, and that’s a promise I want to keep.
I would have to do some heavy ass kissing, and just to get a drink of water. Oy vei.
I had finally gotten the thorn dislodged from my foot when I saw a twig sail past my head. What the hell? Twigs don’t just fly around unprovoked. I got up to investigate; maybe it was an insect of some kind.
I bent over to look at the stick up close, as my eyes blurred out anything that wasn’t at least two feet from them. I felt a rush of pain in my skull from bending over so fast.
It was definitely a twig. Nothing to worry about, just a twig. A twig that…moved by itself? Okay, yeah. I’ll admit that seemed a bit creepy.
As I was standing there, hunched over, I noticed something behind me move. It was a pebble that had been tossed to my right. Okay, I was officially nervous. Knock it off, nature.
“What in the world is going on?†I asked myself, baffled as to why things were moving when they shouldn’t. It was a regular “square peg in round hole†scenario.
It made a pit in the sand when it landed. It couldn’t have rolled; it was definitely thrown by someone. But by whom? There was nobody else around!
And if things weren’t freaking me out enough already, I heard the grass behind me ruffle. There was practically no breeze coming from anywhere, so what…
My suspicions were confirmed when I saw something in the shape of a boot quickly move up the tree. I knew it; someone
was f
ucking with my head.
I tried to look as brave as I could. “Okay, I know someone’s here,†I said. “Show yourself.â€
Suddenly, the leaves in the tree above me rattled as a figure fell from the branches. He couldn’t have been more than a foot or so smaller than me. His body was covered in fur and he wore a triangular-shaped vest composed of different parts sewn together and decorated with convoluted patterns. He wore a hat with a huge brim, which shaded his face.
“Why are you following me?†I demanded.
Though his grammatical skills were about as sharp as an elum on pain killers, his voice was unwelcomingly deep and sent shivers down my spine.
“I’m here to take ya in,†he said with a smirk. “You’ve got a purdy price on yer head, and I aim’s to collect.â€
I was staring a bounty hunter straight in the face. Great, just what I don’t need. A guy who wants to earn a paycheck by dumping me into a jail cell.