“You fellas ain’t a-gonna survive this.”

Previously: Wyatt and Chris Earp returned to Nuttal & Mann’s Saloon, along with Debra, Linda, and Ralph.

“Where are Janet Smith, and Willie Jones?” Chris Earp asked.

“I don’t know,” James Kramer replied, “Probably at home.”

“He’s lying,” Ralph Halvorson said, “His expression tells a tale.”

“I agree, Ralph,” Wyatt added, “His ears twitched.”

James touched his ear.

Wyatt and Ralph laughed.

Season 17—Adventure 12—Fort Dakota—Episode 4… Scene 1… Deadwood City Marshal’s Office… Leaving Ralph & Linda outside with the prisoners—Debra, Wyatt & Chris charged into the office and found it empty—save for Old Willie in the jail cell.

“Where are the marshals?” Chris asked Old Willie.

“Where are the marshals?”

“I h-h-h-have no idea,” Willie stuttered, “I’ve been here too long to p-p-pay attention to their coming and going.”

“Why are you here?” Debra asked.

“It’s wh-wh-where I live, He stuttered, “I ain’t got n-n-no other place.”

“Why are you in jail?” Chris asked.

“Vagrancy,” He replied, “Got no job.”

“What was your last job?”

“City Marshal.”

“Really?” Chris replied, “Why did you lose your job?”

“I s-s-s-stutter,” Willie replied, “The Mayor d-d-d-didn’t like that.”

“Who is the Mayor?”

“Alan Stanley Simpson.”

[Yes, GENTLE READER™, “Big A” returns to our stories as a Bad Guy!]

~DUN-DUN-DUNNNNNNN!~

Episode 4… Scene 2… Black Hills near Deadwood… With Hal Barber and friends cuffed to their saddles—our heroes began their trip back to Deadwood, “You fellas ain’t a-gonna survive this.”

“You fellas ain’t a-gonna survive this.”

“We’ll do just fine,” AJ snarled-back, “You’ll soon be residents of the city jail.”

“Fat chance,” Wilson replied, “Alan Simpson IS the mayor—and I work for him!”

“Who, exactly, is this guy?” Joey asked.

“Alan Stanley Simpson was my very-first bad-guy back in aught-seven when I started this blog,” Boomer replied, “Right Mac?”

“Yup,” Mac replied, “And I got to take him apart in a fight.”

Episode 4… Scene 3… Downtown Deadwood… The marshals with their prisoners rode slowly, deliberately, into Deadwood towards the City Marshal’s office at the far end of town.

They scanned the street for any lurking desperado looking to make a name for himself.

There were none.

In fact—nobody seemed to notice them at all.

That was troubling, “Well, this is strange.”

“Well, this is strange.”

“It is strange, AJ,” Mac agreed, “I wonder why that is.”

“Maybe they’re used to it?” Boomer asked.

“We may never know,” Joey concluded.

“You think?”

“I try not to think, Boomer—thinking hurts,” Joey laughed.

“I know that truth.”

Meanwhile—Chris and Wyatt Earp made their way to the mayor’s office on the second floor of the City Marshal’s office.

Our story will be Continued…