OOM : New Mexico Territory

[docscurlock]

It was too late to do anything more than sit around and work their way through a bottle of tequila and try to formulate a plan when it came to just how they were going to get to Old Mexico without getting themselves killed or caught. It wouldn't be easy, but it would be made easier by having a bit of money in their pockets when they finally made

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[young_gun_billy]

Billy and Dave were in the other room, sitting at a table and discussing recent events and what was going to happen next. Or rather, Dave was trying to but for the most part Billy was ignoring him.

"An I'm tellin you we ride out with a tenderfoot, redskin and some little street rat kid two of em are like to get us killed and the third may do it himself." Dave said, trying to get Billy to see reason.

"Hey, Beever! Let's get some breakfast in here already. You ol' coyote scat." Billy shouted turning around in his chair to yell towards the kitchen and then laughed, lowering his voice from a shout on the last part but still saying it plenty loud for it to be heard.

"Billy, are you listenin?" Dave asked in annoyance.

Billy turned back in his chair to face Dave, "Yeah, I hear you. And I heard about enough. They're comin, you don't like it you can go on with Pat an his eatin house. I'm bettin you'd make a good pot scrubber. Maybe sweep the floors, keep the spitcans an outhouse clean."

[docscurlock]

That tenderfoot was currently tossing feed down in front of the horses and listening to the snippets of conversation that he could hear trickle out. Billy was yelling about breakfast.

Doc took his time in feeding all the horses and adjusting the saddle and pack on his horse. The others could all do their damn own, though...Tommy was gonna need a horse of his own.

Huh. That might pose a problem. Doc glanced around, then headed back into the cantina and leaned into the doorway. "Hey, Billy? I'm gonna go grab somethin' real quick, promise I ain't skinnin' out on you guys."

Unlike Pat.

[young_gun_billy]

Dave was more then annoyed at the response Billy gave but wasn't set to make any further argument or action on it just yet. Instead he just threw his hands up, sat back in his chair and sighed.

Billy turned towards the door and eyed Doc a moment. There was the briefest hesitation and then a smile appeared and he nodded, "Sure thing Doc. We'll save some chow for ya."

He then turned back around and shouted for Beever again, who came in with a large bowl of beans and several smaller ones. The shouting also brought Henry and Tom who shuffled from another room and carefully pulled out chairs at the table and sat down.

[docscurlock]

Doc merely nodded and then headed for the door again, because why stick around and listen to them argue when he had better things to do? It was easy enough for Billy to trust him and part of him did for the smallest second consider just making a run for it.

But he couldn't do that to him. So he instead hopped up onto his horse after he'd untied it from the rail outside and then headed towards the rising sun.

He was gone nearly an hour, but when he came back, it was with one extra horse in tow, a thin coating of dust on his clothes and sweat on his forehead. Said extra horse also had a saddle, and tack to go with it. He tied them both up, watered them, then splashed his face off before he headed back inside.

"Got you a horse, Tom," he said, patting the kid on the shoulders before he went to grab a seat at the table and eat what was left of breakfast.

[docscurlock]

John Chisum was one of the richest men in New Mexico, alright, and he'd been a partner with John Tunstall, which made him an ally to the gang. He owned land, cattle, and horses, and had connections with all the right people.

Doc glances over at Billy as they ride across open plain and towards the large brick house they can see in the distance. There's a bell ringing, sound faint in the air.

Nobody's talking but nobody has to. All they need is a little money.

"Well by God," Chisum is standing there when they finally reach the front of the property. "You really turned out to be a snake, Billy. When they catch you, they're gonna drag our your stinkin' bones."

Maybe he isn't quite the ally they thought.

[young_gun_billy]

Well that's a helluva greeting and Billy grinned upon hearing it as he pulled to a stop, Doc by his side with the rest of the gang right behind them.

"I'm just tryin' to get my friends to Ol' Mexico," Billy explained, leaning on the saddle horn, "we need some pesos."

Before Chisum could say anything he went on in a conversational business type manner. "Now I done some figurin', and I figure that you owe us, Mr. Chisum." As proof of the figuring Billy pulled out a sheet of paper and unfolded it, reading it aloud to Chisum.

"Two hundred and fifty dollars for the fightin' we did last year and two hundred and fifty for me leavin' your stock alone." He smiled and glanced back at Dave on the last part. Dave nodded at Chisum to confirm it and added a smile of his own.

Billy, Dave and Pat had been pretty prosperous off of other folk's cattle. Chisum was always strictly left alone despite his having the largest head of stock in the whole territory.

[docscurlock]

So that was how Billy had been making his money. Doc sighed to himself and eyed Chisum. Carefully.

"Is that what you figure?" The older man asked, with a bit of a chuckle to his voice. Chisum was amused and rightly so, from his point of view.

Chavez was quiet. So was Henry. They'd told Tommy to keep his trap shut too, just in case the kid piped up and got them all in more trouble.

[young_gun_billy]

Billy matched Chisum's chuckle with his own, crazy, laughter. "Yessir, that's what I figured."

Dave sat back easy on his own horse, watching the show and waiting for his part in it.