Rough Draft.. Hard Ride
Michael's head felt like it was made of lead, he had to stop several times to throw up.
Sheol kept moving as if he knew where he was going.
Michael faded in and out as he rode drooping over the saddle horn, several times he almost toppled out of the saddle.
He had lost track of time, until the night started to give way to dawn and on the horizon Michael saw the outlines of buildings against the dawn sky.
Smitty laid there looking up at the gray sky, "What the Hell"
Feeling his head his hand came back bloody.
Son of a Bitch dam near took my head off.
Turning over onto his stomach, he tried to raise to all four, but fell over from the dizziness
Trying again he made it to his knees, wavering in place Smitty moaned as he got to his feet, :Son of a bitch I'm going to kill that farmer.
Finding his Winchester he climbed the embankment to where Jake waas laying, "The farmer must of laid him down" Smitty thought.
He had some explaining about Jake but he would just lie and say the Farmer killed him.
Something was bothering him...a name that the Farmer had said...Michael, mmmmm
Smitty tried to shake the cob webs from his brain but all he got was a sharp spasm that almost but him on his knees.
Walking down the trail to where he had left his horse, was like walking 10 miles with his headache and to find his horse gone only made him cuss even more.
Smitty yelled to nobody as he shook his hand to the heavens, I'm going to kill you
Farmer.
Smitty had walked about an hour when something hit him.
D'Angelio... Thats it Michael D'Angelio.
Smitty stopped in his tracked, No way, No how can that farmer be Michael D'Angelio, no way!
I must of misunderstood, I mean I was hit in the head pretty hard and my eggs must of got scabbled. Smitty thought
But I feeling of dread seeped into his thought and he found himself trying to figure out a way to just hit the trail and forget Horseshoe Bend...Placerville, General Whitaker, hell even Idaho.
The more he thought the better he liked the idea of Texas but he needed a horse and the closes town was Horseshoe bend.
I get in and out and no one will see me, make tracks to the livery station buy a horse and ride out of town, no one the wiser.
By the time Smitty got to HorseShoe Bend it was getting dark and he was thristy, no harm in a little drink he thought.
Sheol, took him as far as the hotel, Michael tried to ease himself down off the Sheol but he fell in a heap.
There was was rustling around him and then darkness.
Michael was swimming, he and some friends had grabbed their fishing poles and had rode to the lake to swim and fish, Ma always like fresh fish Michael thought.
They had swam for a while and finally the boys had colapsed on the wild grass laughing and telling stories, of course girls always came up and that talk make Michael nervous, girls where a strange breed that he hardly understood.
He liked that they always smelled nice and seem to like his shyness
As they laid on the dock with the sun high above them, they heard some horses approach.
Jimmy Michael's friend said "dang Michael it's that Thomspon Boy"
Michael didn't like the bully and he always tried to avoid him but it was going to be hard today.
Billy Thomspon was there with a chip on his shoulder, you could tell that by the way his face was screwed up into scoul.
D'Angelio, Hey D'Angelio I'm talking to you.
Michael laid there another minute before replying "What do you want Billy?"
"I want you to stay away from my girl"
"Who is your girl" Michael asked
"You know dang well who she is D'Angelio"
Billy spit his tobacco plug onto the ground and swung down from the saddle.
"I'm at a loss Billy, I didn't think any girl wound have you" Michael said
Jimmy let out a gasp and said "Michael shooosh, Billy will stomp you into next week"
Michael held his ground as the older boy walked up to him and punched Michael in the mouth.
"Don't back talk me boy"
Tasting the coppery blood taste in his mouth Michael spit out a mouth full of blood he said "I don't know anything about your girlfriend"
Billy looked up at his friends and then over to Jimmy and Randy, smiling he kicked Michael in the stomach.
"Boy I told you don't back talk me"
Holding his stomach Michael managed to say "I'm going to kill you"
That brought laughter from Billy "Yea well it's going to be pretty hard while your laying on the ground Boy"
"Come on Billy leave us alone we ain't done nothin'" Randy said.
"Shut your hole before I kick the shit out of you" Billy replied
"He is right Jimmy said"
Jimmy had brought out his pocket knife and was fliddling with it.
"What you going to do with that" Billy asked
"What needs being done if you don't leave Michael alone"
Michael was on his feet by then and before Billy had noticed him, Michael hit him hard in the back of the neck and Billy went down like a sack of potatoes.
Jimmy and randy hoop and hollared with excitement.
Michael spit more blood into the dirt and told Billy's friend to pick him up and get outta here.
That was the last time he let anyone touch him.
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