A few days earlier:

Mathias sat on the edge of a bed in a smoky run down room. He stood and pulled on his trousers, a little short of breath, sweat glistened on his muscular chest.

"All I needs is a sucker ta help me. Someone desperate an' not too smart." He said, as if continuing a conversation started earlier.

A woman stood by the window, really no more then a girl, in only her corset and drawers. She looked out as dust rose from the streets, kicked up by passing horses and carriages. She reached down to pick up a small bag and began rolling a cigarette.

"Then we'll have ta share the loot." She said. "I want to get out of this brothel and move to California." She lit the cigarette, tendrils of smoke curled around her.

"Don't worry bout' it. That's why we need someone that's ain't too smart." Mathias said with a wink. He laughed a cackling laugh that deteriorated to a coughing fit.

Later that day as the sun was setting Mathias sat at a scared and stained bar in the small saloon. He scanned the room from under is black, brimmed hat and saw a man down the bar staring into his mug of beer.
Mathias grabbed his dirty glass of whiskey and stode over to the man, he plopped drunkenly onto the stool next to the depressed looking patron.

"Hey there buck, why yall lookin so glum?" Mathias slurred, playing up the drunkenness. The man just stared at his mug.

"Ok, bub. Just trinna help." Mathias said and made to get up and leave.

"It's all falling apart...." The man whispered, shaking his head slowly.

"What's that?" Mathias asked.

The man looked up and over at Mathias, his eyes red and sunken. He stared for a second through the dark rings that surrounded his dull blue eyes. Then said again, slightly louder.

"It's all falling apart."

"Whatch mean friend?" Mathias said with mock enthusiasm.

"My life, I mean. My farm is about ta be taken, the bank came last week and took all my new....whatcha callit?...oh yeah my new plow and my new hourshes..horses."He slurred his way through the whole story. Drought this year, crops no good, no money to pay, couldn't pay the farm hands, doing all the work himself.

"Sounds like your a bit down on yer luck, my fren." Mathias chimed. His gap tooth grin wide with feigned empathy. " What's yer name fren?"

"Name's John and I am down on mah luck." He said. "I don know whatta do. I would do anything fer some money right now, I don wanna let down..." He stopped to hiccup and swallow  down some inadvertent vomit."...my family." He continued.

Then Mathias thought "This is my guy." And grinned.