It's All Part of the Plan

Red Rock Bill's private chat with Rue had gone well, and he knew instinctively she was a woman you could trust to do the right thing, and now she knew what he knew. 

At the rising of the sun, he stepped boldly from the stable into the early morning light and took a deep breath.

At this time of day Busted Gulch was sight for sore eyes, a few tufts of tumbleweed waved hello as they rolled by, cockerels crowed, and a coyote scuttled off with half-eaten chicken remains in its mouth.

It seems he had finally been tempted out of hiding by that offer of a warm bed in the hotel, and a long soak in a hot tub he'd heard so much about. It would be his first time in many a long month.

So later that day he made his way to the hotel, the first thing he asked for was to have the tub dragged to his room and filled as soon as possible.

By the time it arrived, he was already stripped down to his pants and boots. He looked himself up and down in the mirror and thought what a bloody mess.

His long grey hair was matted and grew almost as one with his grizzly beard. However, it gave him some pride that he still had a body shaped with muscles of granite, built by years of digging and excavating ore from his mines.

Steam rose from the old iron tub, leaving windows and mirror a blur, it made a strange sight as he slipped into the tub still wearing his pants and boots.

His mind slipped away to a place in the past where he laid with his lady love, she had ebony skin and eyes of green that no man could resist, The thought of running his hand over her silky skin gave immense pleasure.

The lavender oil dispersed in the water and soon began to relax those granite muscles, he slipped below the surface washing the grim from hair.

First came a thud and then a flash of light, his body went limp, and he lay unmoving in the steaming water with a stream of blood running from his crown and over his ear.

He had no memory of leaving the bath and awoke to find himself bound and gagged. He was looking up into the sun, hearing the familiar beat of the medicine man's drum he knew instantly where he was.

He couldn't turn or move his head, and his groans and struggles to move caught the attention of his captor.

A shadow moved over his face as Snake Bite bent over him, with a self-satisfied smile, frozen on his wrinkled face. Speaking English, he said,

"You must have known if you stayed around the town, I would eventually track you down. But, not to worry I've got a fitting end planned for you.

I've had you bound, gagged and swathed in leather, it's not the best, I wouldn't waste it on you.

I don't plan on giving you a paleface's burial, so you can rot in the ground, but as you seem so keen on desecrating sacred burial grounds I've laid you to rest on a raised burial platform.

I will leave your eyes free to watch the passing days and when the crows get brave they'll come and peck your eyes out.

Hopefully, this will happen a long time before your slow and agonizing death as the soaked leather shrinks in the sun, crushing your bones.

So, I bid you so long on the journey to your forefathers' home."