{"sf1_id":881900,"sf2_id":"pnGENP6e","title":"Robbery and Revenge 2","author":"Equusaz","words":3280,"posted_at":"2015-07-02T05:27:00.000Z","tags":["Bull","Canine","Horse","No-Yiff"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/881900-robbery-and-revenge-2","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/pnGENP6e","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/11/cf/11cf8ae5-82f3-42c2-ad73-8ff747252efc","description":"#2 of Western Tail 1\n\nJessie's second tale. One more to come.","content":"Jessie slept fitfully that night.\u0026nbsp; He had been a pup the last time he'd slept under the stars, and not having a nice warm house around him made it so hard to breathe.\u0026nbsp; He sat up wracking with a cough sometime early in the morning, John shaking him awake, handing the bottle of laudanum over.\u0026nbsp; Jessie took a big pull, wincing at the taste.\u0026nbsp; Almost immediately he felt better, and felt his breathing turn normal.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Going to have to lay off the poppy juice for a bit, I have something that might be a bit better.\" The Palomino smiled opening a dark brown bottle.\u0026nbsp; Jessie could smell the pungent oak and dirt smell of whiskey, wrinkling his black nose a bit.\u0026nbsp; He sighed but took a few good swallows of the brown liquor as it burned down his throat.\u0026nbsp;He swallowed as quickly as he could, letting the dual mixture settle and warm in his stomach.\n\nJohn coughed a little himself as he sat beside the cattle dog, taking an equally large pull on the bottle before stoppering it and stowing it back in a pack.\u0026nbsp; \"You know it's a damned fool thing for you to join us Jessie.\"\u0026nbsp; The horse said flatly, his ears drooping a little.\u0026nbsp; \"I mean, I know I dragged you into this, but, you're no outlaw.\u0026nbsp; Allen, he and I killed real furs.\u0026nbsp; We were under attack.\u0026nbsp; You, you should be in bed.\"\n\nJessie scowled.\u0026nbsp; \"Oh really?\u0026nbsp; Who was it who abducted me?\u0026nbsp; I could still turn you in.\u0026nbsp; I bet there's a reward out for you...\"\u0026nbsp; The equine froze, his tail still and his ears back.\u0026nbsp; \"But I won't.\u0026nbsp; I'd be no better than Mr. Stillwell.\u0026nbsp; It's not my concern what happens to you from here on out, but I know you have to do what you need to.\u0026nbsp; Me? \u0026nbsp;Why am I with you? I.....can't explain it.\"\n\nJohn relaxed at that and stared at the canine.\u0026nbsp; The stars shining down and an almost chill breeze blew around a second, causing the remains of the fire to pop and spark a little.\u0026nbsp; \"Dad, was a war hero.\u0026nbsp; My sister was going to be an artist.\u0026nbsp; My mother is a day school teacher.\u0026nbsp; I....\" Here Jessie paused looking away for a moment, \"was going to be a mechanic on the railroad.\u0026nbsp; My learning was cut short, I was sent here.\u0026nbsp; To die.\u0026nbsp; End of story.\u0026nbsp;I have no future.\u0026nbsp; I have no dream.\u0026nbsp; There are no big engineering schools here, no big factories, no large rail system.\u0026nbsp; So what do I have to expect?\u0026nbsp; How long Doctor Horse, how long until I coughing and drowning in my own blood?\"\u0026nbsp;Jessie stared at John, his brown expressive eyes catching the horses.\u0026nbsp; His canine cropped ears were back, and his tail still and sagged on the ground.\u0026nbsp; John felt his own ears go back.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Ah...four years?\u0026nbsp; Maybe ten.\u0026nbsp; Its hard to tell without knowing all of your particulars, but someone who coughs up blood because of cold air or a little smoke is not one who has a lot of time left.\u0026nbsp; The laudanum will make you comfortable, it may take the pain away, but it suppresses breathing as well.\u0026nbsp; A double edged sword.\u0026nbsp; I've heard of a few people drinking themselves under the table and able to cope well for years, but they weren't spitting up blood either.\"\u0026nbsp; John rubbed his fingers in his eyes as Jessie nodded.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, at least you're honest.\u0026nbsp; Let me make my life count.\u0026nbsp; That's all, for good or bad, I want and need it to count for something.\u0026nbsp; I don't want to be a footnote in history, some image long forgotten in people's mind as \"that kind fellow who signed the ledger....what was his name again?\"\u0026nbsp; Jessie smiled halfheartedly, laying back down.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So, it's easy, ride to his ranch, scout it out, if it's lightly armed, set it afire, and get out.\u0026nbsp;If it isn't, fight our way in, set fire, and fight our way out.\u0026nbsp; Either way, he loses.\u0026nbsp; Even if we're killed, the money is buried not far from here.\"\u0026nbsp; John smirked a little.\u0026nbsp; If we don't make it, take my vest.\u0026nbsp; The map to the money is in the lining.\u0026nbsp; Use it, and go have a good life.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJessie swallowed hard.\u0026nbsp;John handed him a spare pistol and rifle.\u0026nbsp; He also showed him Cody's old horse \"Gunner\" a white gelding with a dark grey mane.\u0026nbsp;He hauled himself up coughing lightly, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself.\u0026nbsp; The other two mounted, and they rode out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\*\\*\n\nJohn sighed, laying his lanky frame against his own blankets staring at the dying fire.\u0026nbsp; \"Ok, I promise.\"\u0026nbsp; He didn't know if he whispered for Jessie, or for himself.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\*\\*\n\nDawn was early out here in the desert.\u0026nbsp; Jessie woke with a huge yawn, and a light cough, cringing at the metallic coppery taste of blood in his maw.\u0026nbsp; \"Breakfast?\"\u0026nbsp;Alan, the big brown bull rumbled, handing over hardtack and some boiled salt pork and coffee.\u0026nbsp; Jessie grimaced.\u0026nbsp; More from the pain in his chest than from the plain fare handed to him.\u0026nbsp; He'd eaten many similar meals over his time out here. \u0026nbsp;\"Gee, my chest still hurts bad...\"\u0026nbsp; He grumbled taking a bite of the overly salty pork as he dunked the hardtack into his black gritty coffee.\u0026nbsp; The morning was cool, and the cactus wrens sang softly in the morning breeze.\u0026nbsp; The horses munched on some nearby plants.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, you were slung over the saddle cock for a good long while, I can only imagine at the bruises\" John replied, finishing his coffee, and putting a clean tin plate back in his pack.\u0026nbsp;Jessie grumbled a little at the indignant image of him slung over the saddle like a sack of grain, lying limp and unconscious from his fit yesterday.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So, what's the plan for today?\"\u0026nbsp; Jessie asked around a tantalizing tasty piece of salt-pork fat.\u0026nbsp; He drooled a little as the carnivore in him tore into the soft fatty and salty meat.\u0026nbsp; John chuckled a little, finally coughing for the first time.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, now that we have his wealth, we need to make Stillwell pay in another way.\"\u0026nbsp; John said sighing as he took a swig from his whisky bottle, coughing a little, handing it over to Jessie who did the same.\u0026nbsp; \"We think we can get some revenge by burning his ranch to the ground, and then getting out of here as quick as possible.\u0026nbsp;I'd like to have more revenge, but Allen here....\"\u0026nbsp; The horse sighed as the bull nodded.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Not every hurt needs to repaid, just the majority.\u0026nbsp; The biggest to Stillwell is his money, the second is his home.\u0026nbsp; Anything else is just excess, and he cares for very little else.\"\u0026nbsp; Allen rumbled deeply and nodded as he concluded his statement, cleaning the coffee pot and soup pan that he'd used to boil the pork.\u0026nbsp; The huge bull sighed as he finished his task, and waited for the two to get ready.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJessie leveraged himself up, and took himself into the bushes to relieve himself.\u0026nbsp; He found a convenient bush and did what he needed to.\u0026nbsp;His mind raced.\u0026nbsp; Here he was, diagnosed with terminal illness, away from family, home, and friends, and about to embark on what some would call an adventure.\u0026nbsp;He shuddered a little.\u0026nbsp; He knew this was no childish adventure.\u0026nbsp; He, Allen, John, or all three could be killed within seconds.\u0026nbsp; He had no illusions his chances were non-existent, but he had nothing else going for him.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was dawning on Jessie that John was right.\u0026nbsp; The blood, weakness, wet cough, and tiredness were signs of something more than just asthma.\u0026nbsp;He had something seriously wrong with his health, and incurable.\u0026nbsp; He could feel the heavy weight in his chest even as the remains of the whiskey he slugged still burned down his raw throat.\u0026nbsp; He coughed lightly as the soft desert breeze played across his fur.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Come on pup!\u0026nbsp; Time to head out!\"\u0026nbsp; John bellowed out as Allen grunted, pulling his hulking frame up on his draft horse.\u0026nbsp; Jessie hitches his pants up, sliding his belt home, and jogged lightly over to the other horse.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe's been given \"Ranger,\" Cody's, the other outlaw who had been gunned down in the bank, horse.\u0026nbsp;Ranger was scraggly, and a little swaybacked, but suited Jessie just fine.\u0026nbsp; The grey sidestepped a bit as Jessie hauled himself onto the saddle and protested a little.\u0026nbsp; Jessie rapped the horse between the ears hard to get it's attention, and hauled the reigns aside to follow the horse and bull.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\*\\*\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nTime passes as the three rode their mis-matched horses up into the foothills of the Mule Mountains, the soft afternoon sun beating down on them as the heat steadily grew.\u0026nbsp;Jessie coughed once in a while as the dust tickled the back of his throat and got stuck deep in his chest.\u0026nbsp;Every once and a while John would pass him the bottle of whiskey so he could take a swig.\u0026nbsp; Jessie notices the pony had a sympathetic look each time this happened.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSoon they were high along the ridge heading to Zacatecas Canyon and the remains of some older mines.\u0026nbsp;There were a few old-timers out here who refused to move with the times and still tried to eek out a living in these barren brush strewn hills.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSoon, the trio turned down another ridge to the valley to the east.\u0026nbsp; The trail was weak, and nothing more than a cattle track.\u0026nbsp; \"Where are we?\"\u0026nbsp; Jessie asked quietly as the sun dipped being him to the west.\u0026nbsp; He wiped yet more blood off his lips.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Near Pearce...\"\u0026nbsp; Alan answered rumbling while staring off to the distance worriedly.\u0026nbsp; \"We should be there soon...ahhh!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSuddenly Allen pulled his big roan draft horse up short, the other two scrambled to stop their horses as the homestead came into view.\u0026nbsp; The huge ranch house was surrounded by a few sentries and bon fires.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Shit!\"\u0026nbsp; John swore spitting off to the side.\u0026nbsp; \"Sentries.\u0026nbsp; I think the old bastard knew we're coming.\"\u0026nbsp; Alan smiled at that.\u0026nbsp; \"Good.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSuddenly the huge bull whipped his horse into frenzy and rode toward the house as John swore and Jessie looked on confused.\u0026nbsp; \"I- I thought we were going to sneak and...\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah, John spit to the side.\u0026nbsp; Apparently not!\"\u0026nbsp; He reigned his horse in, stopping it (just) from bolting after it's stable mate.\u0026nbsp;Allen spurred his horse on cruelly, reaching to his side for a rifle.\u0026nbsp; The bull pulled it to his shoulder, sighted, and got three shots off before anyone knew what was happening.\u0026nbsp; Three sentries fell, two into their prospective fires.\u0026nbsp; A good ten sentries were now scrambling, and a bell was ringing.\u0026nbsp; John swore as he backed his horse off to a small bluff.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Fucking stupid bull!\"\u0026nbsp;the Palomino swore as the bull peeled off to a return course.\u0026nbsp; Both Jessie and John watches as a single sentry drew a bead and shot.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe bullet didn't hit Allen, it hit his horse in the chest, the beast fell to the ground with an ear shattering neigh.\u0026nbsp; The big bull swore hugely as his body hit a brush and cactus, rolling to a stop a few yards away.\u0026nbsp; He stood up, and bolted for John who was a good twenty yards away at this point.\u0026nbsp;Jessie had no choice, but turned his horse, and whipped it cruelly getting himself out of there.\u0026nbsp; A few seconds later shots rang out and the three made their way into the hills.\u0026nbsp; A few seconds later, a wounded Allen and John sped past Jessie, leading the way,\u0026nbsp; John leaned back barking orders at the cattle dog, who just clung on to the saddle, directing his horse to follow.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSeveral hours later, near dawn, the horses drew to a stop.\u0026nbsp; Foam and stinking sweat marked their sides, as Allen collapsed to the side, his big brown form falling to the ground with an audible grunt.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJessie pulled himself stiffly off of the saddle, and ran over to the bull and stared wide eyes.\u0026nbsp; The bulls naked chest had three exit wounds from bulls that hit him in the back.\u0026nbsp; One in each shoulder, and one in his lower chest near the top of his abdomen.\u0026nbsp;John slid down and stared wide eyed, gaping.\u0026nbsp; \"Liver shot.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was all he got out before he leaned over and collapsed.\u0026nbsp; John had several wounds as well; Two to his mid-back, one to his buttock.\u0026nbsp; Nothing life-threatening but the wounds were painful none the less.\u0026nbsp; Jessie whined and helped John tend to his wounds then to Allen's.\u0026nbsp; \"Better I'm able to take care of him first...\" the pony had mused.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSoon Allen was laid out on the ground.\u0026nbsp; John had a series of surgical tools that looked far too cruel to Jessie.\u0026nbsp; The light shown down weakly from the rising moon, and the breeze was getting colder.\u0026nbsp; Jessie could hear faint rustlings in the brush, probably from animals drawn to the smell of blood.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Get my rifle, and fight anything off.\"\u0026nbsp; John ordered curtly.\u0026nbsp; Jessie coughed hugely as he grabbed the lever action rifle, and fired a round into what he thought was a shape.\u0026nbsp; He heard a yelp and some scrabbling, then silence.\u0026nbsp; Now the only sound that met his ears was cursing coming from Allen.\u0026nbsp; It was full of strong curses.\u0026nbsp; John muttered encouraging words, and then the cursing grew fainter, and fainter, until it stopped.\u0026nbsp; Silence descended for a few minutes.\u0026nbsp; Then there was the sound of a few things being packed away in a bag.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's over\" John muttered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\*\\*\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSometime later Jessie yawned.\u0026nbsp; He'd been standing near the edge of the camp with the rifle, fending off beasts with the thing until John finally put a bloodied hand on his shoulder.\u0026nbsp; Jessie whimpered.\u0026nbsp; John's pony paw was caked with thick dried blood.\u0026nbsp; Glancing around, Allen was nowhere in sight.\u0026nbsp; \"Where???\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Jessie began.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJohn's ears went flat against his dark mane, looking down.\u0026nbsp; \"I buried him about twenty yards away.\u0026nbsp; It took a while, but he should be OK there.\"\u0026nbsp; Here the pony wiped his blood caked hand on his white shirt leaving a mess but cleaning his fur of most of the caked on blood.\u0026nbsp; \"He was done for before he got to us, now, we just move on...he....would have wanted that...\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJohn looked down his long muzzle to the ground.\u0026nbsp; Jessie whined putting the rifle down finally.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What do you mean?\"\u0026nbsp;Jessie whispered, his hand reaching out to John's muscular shoulder.\u0026nbsp; \"I mean, we should leave.\u0026nbsp; Allen, was the only other one,\u0026nbsp; it's just me now, and with no one else to share my hate, I feel it....gone.\"\n\nJohn looked up shyly.\u0026nbsp;\"I think the last year or two it was Allen and Cody who spurred me on.\u0026nbsp; Now?\u0026nbsp;I only have you.\u0026nbsp; No offence.\u0026nbsp; Just a sickly teller who wants a better life.\u0026nbsp; We can have that you know, a better life.\"\u0026nbsp; John reached out to Jessie putting his paw on the canine shoulder as Jessie stiffened at the implications.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe'd had girlfriends his entire life, but had never really gotten further than a kiss.\u0026nbsp; Oh he'd had male friends too.\u0026nbsp; Plenty.\u0026nbsp; They'd wrestled, played, and pawed off together. \u0026nbsp;And now, with John here, with him?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJessie swallowed.\u0026nbsp; The palomino pony next to him looked so sad.\u0026nbsp;He felt tears well up in his eyes at that.\u0026nbsp; He reached one tentative grey paw out and draped it over John's shoulder.\u0026nbsp; \"John....I....well....that would be fine...\"\u0026nbsp; he whispered.\n\nJohn's tear laden muzzle looked up.\u0026nbsp; His light brown and white fur shone in the moonlight as he wiped a tear or two away.\u0026nbsp;He coughed a little, no blood on his lips.\u0026nbsp; \"Well, then, we should be going.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe shot rang out clear; it pinged harmlessly away from a nearby boulder.\u0026nbsp; \"Shit!\"\u0026nbsp; Jessie howled dropping to the ground.\u0026nbsp; A few more shots rang out, none of the bullets coming close.\u0026nbsp; Suddenly John reached out with one hoof and kicked out the small fire they had built before he'd worked on Allen.\u0026nbsp; Soon shots rang out randomly and Jessie made his way over to John.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Damn!\"\u0026nbsp; John shouted, this time coughing a little blood up.\u0026nbsp; \"We're surrounded.\u0026nbsp; What the hell do we do!?\"\u0026nbsp; His equine face was twisted in a rictus of pain and fear.\u0026nbsp; The moon shone off the nearby rocks, and the sparse vegetation looked grey in the dim light.\u0026nbsp; Jessie smiled.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\*\\*\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Hold your fire!!!\"\u0026nbsp;Jessie shouted, coughing into his shirt, blood staining the white cotton.\u0026nbsp; He smiled at that.\u0026nbsp; Nothing like the poor weak sickling for a good performance.\u0026nbsp; He feigned to be more tired than he was.\u0026nbsp; He stumbled down the hill to the guards.\u0026nbsp; He crouched in front of them coughing hugely, rackingly retching once on his own fluids convincingly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Hold!\u0026nbsp; Damned your eyes!\"\u0026nbsp; The huge bull, Mr. Stillwell bellowed.\u0026nbsp; It's Jessie!\u0026nbsp; Son are you ok!?\"\u0026nbsp; The bull strode forward wearing a tough leather long coat, pants, and a huge shotgun at his side.\u0026nbsp; Jessie shuddered at the sight, and feigned a huge cough.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yes....sir.\"\u0026nbsp; He panted.\u0026nbsp; His hand wiped a clean white cloth across his muzzle pulling the bloodied rag aside.\u0026nbsp; He'd kept a lot of blood in his mouth over the last few minutes and had spitted it out now.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMr. Stillwell shuddered.\u0026nbsp;\"Jessie!\u0026nbsp; What happened?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJessie told a tale.\u0026nbsp;It was as much fiction as it was truth.\u0026nbsp;He'd been caught by the gang, he'd tried to fight them off, then he'd been kidnaped.\u0026nbsp; They kept him with them, and the big bull had charged...  \n\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHere Jessie went into actor mode.\u0026nbsp; _Thank Goodness for Theater Class In College!_ \"he thought.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Then, Allen got shot, and came back.\u0026nbsp; He and John fought, and John left.\u0026nbsp; You guys fought Allen, and he....died....over there....\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJessie waved to the hill above him.\u0026nbsp; He knew what the guards would find.\u0026nbsp; One dead bull.\u0026nbsp; Wounds everywhere, and some hasty made bandages.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What about John Franks!?\"\u0026nbsp;Stillwell scowled.\u0026nbsp; Jessie shrunk under the glare.\u0026nbsp; \"Gone off sir.\u0026nbsp; High tailed it once Allen died. \u0026nbsp;Go look for yourself.\u0026nbsp; I think he went east.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSure enough John's horse had gone east.\u0026nbsp; Spurred by a swift swat, and a big bag of grain held by an improvised tree branch in front of it.\u0026nbsp; It was cruel, but lives were at stake.\u0026nbsp; Soon the scouts came back and confirmed the situation.\u0026nbsp; Stillwell was incensed and hot to set out a posy now.\u0026nbsp; Only Jessie guilted him into action.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sir...please...I need....\\*cough\\*....to get to town and let my family know \\*cough cough\\* how I am.\" He laid it on thick.\u0026nbsp; The blood stained the new cloth he held.\u0026nbsp; Stillwell smiled fakely and nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Enough youngster.\u0026nbsp; We'll get you to Dr. Wells.\u0026nbsp; Rey!\"\u0026nbsp;He shouted to another rider.\u0026nbsp; \"See that Jessie here gets home safe.\u0026nbsp; Get Dr. Rey and see that he's paid.\u0026nbsp; We'll deal with the outlaw later!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\*\\*\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJessie rode away with the posse.\u0026nbsp; John rose up out of Allen's grave slowly, the soft earth letting him free.\u0026nbsp; They had pretended the new grave was not finished, and had disinterred Allen.\u0026nbsp; The bull would not have minded.\u0026nbsp; John smiled at the thought of Jessie.\u0026nbsp; The poor dog would be free, and taken care off.\u0026nbsp; Soon he'd return, get his friend, and take him with him.\u0026nbsp; He'd done more than enough.\u0026nbsp; Revenge, If not complete, was done.\u0026nbsp; Mr. Stillwell had proven he was a clueless idiot.\u0026nbsp; And sometimes that was enough of a revenge.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Western Tail 1","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/872930-robery-and-revenge.json"}}