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Crowe jumped off his horse, and put his hat back with his left hand. He was young, and he was a bit anxious about the situation, especially while there was a rifle man up in the tower.

Then there was Alacran. The Mexican outlaw looked crazy as hell. So mean, he'd fight a rattler and give him the first bite, Crowe thought.

Choctaw smiles, and takes a cigar.

- Jack is good there. They trust me. If the pay is good we are going with you. In other case we don't need to speak a lot. You go just where you come, so as we.

Choctaw really likes the guy. But he doesn't know these people. He must be cautious.

- Hey Jack, Jose!!!! do you want to ask something?!

Jack nods negatively from the tower and continues aiming with his weapons and looking on the horizon for signals of more men aproaching.

–I´m good, amigo, Alacran said and nonchalantly opened his arms wide. He stood about twenty five feet away from Jason and Crowe, slightly behind them. With Jack up in the tower, there was little to worry about. –Rosanna and me will go with whatever Choctaw says, he´s the jefe.

Jason nodded. Maybe it was easier to talk to one instead of trying to convince all four of them. He was not used to having to convince anyone. Where he came from, his family name was all the guarantee anyone would need.–The Bronson´s we take care of our brand. Anyone who rides for us gets paid well for their job. We were looking for just one or two gun hands, but I see there are three of you, and a woman.

Jason paused for a moment, trying to figure out the ins and outs of this gang of outlaws. –I can offer you seventy-five per month, Choctaw. And sixty for Jack and the Mexican. And you will be protected from any lawmen in our town. We can find something for … Rosanna, too, he added looking at Alacran. -A new start for all of you. What do ya reckon?

Jason nodded. Maybe it was easier to talk to one instead of trying to convince all four of them. He was not used to having to convince anyone. Where he came from, his family name was all the guarantee anyone would need.–The Bronson´s we take care of our brand. Anyone who rides for us gets paid well for their job. We were looking for just one or two gun hands, but I see there are three of you, and a woman.

Jason paused for a moment, trying to figure out the ins and outs of this gang of outlaws. –I can offer you seventy-five per month, Choctaw. And sixty for Jack and the Mexican. And you will be protected from any lawmen in our town. We can find something for … your senorita Rosanna, too, he added looking at Alacran. -A new start for all of you. What do ya reckon?
 

A dollar a day was considered a good pay for a cowboy in the Frontier those days. Usually, the employer also provided food and the bunk house where the ranch hands slept, and a horse for work.

Workmen with a specific skill, such as scouts or foremen, could earn between two and three dollars per day. A gun hand could earn quite a lot more, depending on his reputation up to $5 per day. But very few ranch bosses could afford more than one gun hand at a time. Or needed to.

Choctaw smiles:

-- That's a very good pay. We take the job. When do we start?
 

Jason Bronson shook Choctaw´s hand to close the deal. –Yes, it´s a very generous offer.

The cowboy looked at his pal Crowe, and nodded for him to saddle up again. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he added: -Damn, it´s hot. Get yer stuff and horses, and we meet at the crossroads tonight. Then we ride north. I will explain on the way...

That evening, the gang of outlaws formed by Choctaw, Dekker, Alacran and Rosanna left New Mexico without looking back. The chance to work for the Bronsons in Arizona was too good to turn down. A new beginning.

Jason did not give away too much. Only that his father was a powerful cattle baron in a small town called Sabbath, and he had a group of loyal cowboys and ranch hands working for him. However, as of late, there had been some trouble with cattle thieves. There had always been a few around, but now they were more and armed.

-It´s important we bring justice to the robbers and killers before they think they can get their way with the Bronson brand, Jason said with a stern look on his face. –My pa´ thinks a gun hand or two could teach ´em bastards a lesson, he said pointing at Alacran and Choctaw. –And someone who knows their way in the wilderness, a scout, a good shot with the rifle…, he added looking at Dekker.

-We could take care of ´em thieves ourselves, Crowe said, -but Mr. Bronson reckons we ought to have a few more guns on our side. The young cowboy seemd to think Mr. Bronson could have handled the situation without the need to bring hired guns into Sabbath.

After a few days, Jason explained that it was time to split. Mr. Bronson was waiting for Dekker and Choctaw in a small town called Bannock. Many of his cowboys were doing a long cattle drive which would end there, so Choctaw and Dekker would ride with the rest back to Sabbath. However, Alacran and Rosanna would ride with Jason and Crowe.

–Choctaw, Dekker. Go to Bannock and ask for Mr. Bronson, or the foreman Harvey Steinbaugh. They will be waitin´ for ya, Jason confirmed. -Alacran and Rosanna, you will come with us. We will ride into Sabbath, yeehaw!

Bannock was founded as a mining town in 1862, after gold was discovered. It was named after the local Bannock Indians. Extremely remote, it was connected to the rest of the world only by the Montana Trail.

It had been a long and lonely ride to Bannock, and for a moment Jack and Choctaw were afraid  they were riding into a ghost town. Quite often, gold was found and towns appeared from nowhere. And then when the digging is dried up, the place was abandoned. But  these concerns were proven unfounded when they saw the lights and heard the noise coming out of the four saloons of the main street. There were also a few hotels, bakeries, two stables, a nice looking restaurant and a brewery. Though all of the businesses were built of logs, some had decorative false fronts.

The main street looked lively, and a stable boy waved them to bring their horses in for some well deserved rest for the animals.

Choctaw is tired. He wants something to drink, whiskey or tequila preferably. And a girl, or two.

When they get to the main street Choctaw stops the horse smiles to Jack and pointing to the saloons says:

- We can leave the horses and go to take a drink and a girl. What do you think, compadre? i need to see a woman, if I continue listening Rosana and Alacran every night I'm gonna be mad.

- Sounds fine to me. But this time I will only take the wiskey. I don't want to be on a gunfight with trousers down again.

- We can ask for indications about where we can found Mr.Bronson or Steinbaugh also.

Choctaw nods.
- - Yeah, business first compadre, the girl can wait until our reunion  ends. Let's leave the horses and take our whiskeys. I'm feel like trash.

Choctaw goes to the first stable and leaves the horses there. After that they go to the nearest saloon.

After leaving their horses in the stable, the two headed a saloon. They could check in a hotel room later, for now the main thing in their mind was to get some firewater down their dry throats. And find Vincent Bronson and Stenbaugh.

After the spent in the small and dark cantinas of New Mexic, the main saloon in Bannock was an impressive sight. Over a dozen tables full of clients, the pianola music was melodic but not too loud, cards were being played, and there was even a roulette table. What made this saloon special was a wooden scaffold where the girls were dancing and inviting customers without disturbing those who came only to play.

Most of the customers were local businessmen in fancy suits, but there were also about half a dozen miners drinking beer.

A nice blackboard had the prices for the drinks:

The barman had a gun rack behind him to keep the shooting irons safe while the customers had their drink, fun and games.

Choctaw looks around and goes directly to the barman

- Whiskey, left the bottle and tobacco, ... please

The barman looked at the two men that walked towards him. As ordered, he placed a bottle of fine whiskey on the bar. But before he opened it, he said: -It´s 4-87 for the whiskey and the tobacco. And if you wish to drink it here, you need to give me your artillery.