A Fistful of HubNuggets

It all started with the spaghetti. I had no idea that too much pasta combined with reading could be a volatile combination, but I just couldn't help myself. Well, actually, I did help myself - to a second serving of sumptuous noodles drenched with savory, Italian tomato sauce, accompanied by a lightly toasted...pardon me, I digress...and that, my friends is what did me in!

Totally unaware of what awaited me, I decided a bit of light reading would be good for the digestion. The family was busy watching some cowboy shoot-em-up on T.V. so I took my laptop out on the front deck for some quiet time.

It was my turn to present the HubNugget hub for new writers, and I had no clue what to write, so I decided to check out the forums and answer a few questions to spark my inspiration. I still didn't feel like watching TV so I put my feet up and started working.

Now, I'm not sure about the rest of you writers out there, but after a working for a while, on a full stomach, my eye lids started getting mighty heavy. I thought it wouldn't hurt to just rest my eyes for a bit, and then finish the paragraph I was working on...famous last words...

A heavy banging on the door jolted me awake.

"What in heaven's name is all that racket? Can't a cat nap around here?" I grumbled. As soon as my paws hit floor I knew I was in trouble - this wasn't my deck! I didn't have a moment to even glance at my surroundings before the door burst in on its hinges. Framed against the lightning-lit sky stood a disheveled, sweat stained Tonto-Gals.

"Enelle-sabe, Black Bart-Jason and his gang just held up the Sante Fe stage and made off with the payroll!"

"We need the Sheriff, Tonto-Gals, - the HubNugget wannabes list was on that stage! Hi Ho Silver..."

We intercepted her on the outskirts of town, riding hard in our direction.

"Boy, am I glad to see you!" Sheriff ripplemaker exclaimed. "Black Bart-Jason and his band of outlaws just robbed the stage! The driver said they were headed for the Chupadero Canyon.

"If we go now, we have a chance to catch them," Tonto-Gals said.

"I agree - Sheriff, there isn't time to organize a Posse - are you with us?" I asked.

Sheriff ripplemaker spurred her horse to a gallop and the three of us chased after Black Bart-Jason and his gang.

As we topped the rise overlooking Chuadero Canyon, we saw Black Bart-Jason and his gang breaking open the stage coach strong box. Firing a round of warning shots, we raced towards them. Returning fire, the gang scattered like ants, leaped onto their horses and lit outta there leaving the loot behind.

Reining in our horses amid a cloud of dust, we jumped down to inspect the strong box. Tonto-Gals grabbed a sheaf of papers and inspected them carefully. Grinning from brim to brim, she handed them to Sheriff ripplemaker.

"Enelle-Sabe, the list is safe! Every nominee is here!" She exclaimed triumphantly.

"We were lucky this time Tonto-Gals!" I said, "But we haven't seen the last of Black Bart-Jason and his gang. Let's get this Wannabe list back where it belongs."

The rumble of thunder rattled my bones, and I hit the floor running. Gil-RedElf-Favor. galloped past the wagon,

"Stampede!" Her words were gobbled up by hoof beats and the rumble of thunder that jarred closer.

"Get them mules rollin', Cookie!" I hollered, climbing through to the buckboard.

"I'sa goin', Rowdy-Enelle-Yates." He cried with a slap of the reins. Leaping to the saddle of my buckskin, I raced after Gil-RedElf.

Gil-RedElf was closing in on the lead steer, when over the din we heard the shrill of horses and the crash of wagons. Risking a quick backwards glance, I saw Cookie leap to safety as the wagon tipped on its side.

Yanking my horse around I rode hard for Cookie. Through the roiling dust I glimpsed three horsemen riding hell-bent for leather out of camp. Reining in hard, I leaped down to help Cookie.

"You alright, Cookie?" I hollered, grabbing his arm and helping him up.

"I's fine, Rowdy-Enelle, just a mite tumbled is all," he explained. "Dad-gum it! That thievin' outlaw Mad Dog Maddie and her no account gang stole the HubNugget chest! They got the list of nominees...what'll we do now?"

Gil-RedElf had managed to stop the lead steer, and made her way over to the crumpled wagon just in time to hear Cookie.

"We don't have a choice," Gil-RedElf said. "Rowdy-Enelle, you and the boys round up the herd, I'm going after Mad Dog Maddie!"

Spurring her horse, Gil-RedElf raced after the gang. They had a good lead, but Gil-RedElf knew that her gelding could catch them. Sure enough, within minutes, Gil-RedElf spotted them and urged her horse on. His mile-eating gait closed the gap quickly.

Seeing that her gang was about to be overtaken, Mad Dog Maddie cut the chest loose and galloped on. Freed from its restraints, the chest crashed to the ground, strewing its contents as it bounced and rolled after the retreating bandits.

Reining in her gelding, Gil-RedElf ran to retrieve their stolen goods. After a final check to insure the list was intact, she loaded the chest and headed back to camp. By the time she arrived, the herd had been rounded up and Cookie's wagon was upright and ready to go.

"I don't think anybody is gonna get anymore sleep, so we might as well move 'em out! Let's get this herd and the wannabe list into town. I've had enough excitement on this cattle drive!"

"Pa!...Pa! ...Come quick! Sheriff ripplemaker locked Enelle-Little Joe in jail. Says she was fightin' agin!"

"What in tarnation is going on?" Pa-Patty Inglish-Cartwright demanded. "Hoss-ZsuzsyBee, find Ladyjane-Adam and saddle up - we're goin' to town!"

They hitched their horses outside Sheriff ripplemaker's jail and went inside. Sure enough, Enelle-Little Joe was pacing back and forth in the first cell.

"Sheriff, what's this nonsense about fighting?" Pa-Patty Inglish demanded.

"Well, it seems there was an argument over some property, so I figured I would lock everybody up so's I could get to the bottom of it." Sheriff ripplemaker replied. "Seems these two "ladies" were having a friendly game of cards and it got out of hand. Then I saw the wanted posters and realized they weren't ladies at all. They're the notorious Cityslicker-Simone and Fake-ace-Fawntia - nasty bit of goods these two - shoot ya soon as look at ya!"

"Where are they?" Ladyjane-Adam asked, eyeing the empty cells.

"Well they appear to have slipped through my fingers for the moment, but I'm gettin' a Posse together, and we're gonna track 'em down. Seems they made off with Enelle-Little Joe's saddlebags - says there's an important list or something that she needs back...she telling the truth?"

"Not the Hubnugget wannabe list!" blurted Hoss-ZsuzsyBee. Inside her cell, Enelle-Little Joe hung her head.

"Ya, they got the list. I would have had it back, but then Sheriff ripplemaker grabbed me and locked me in here. That's when they got away." Enelle-Little Joe complained, eyeing Sheriff ripplemaker.

"We need that list!" Pa-Patty Inglish said. "We don't have time to wait for the Posse, Sheriff. We're going after those two no-accounts now. Open that cell! We'll 'discuss' this fight after we get that list back. Which way were they headed?"

"They took off towards the old Murdock place, east of town." Sheriff ripplemaker said, reluctantly unlocking Enelle-Little Joe's cell.

Grabbing her gun, Enelle-Little Joe and the others sprinted for their horses and raced after Cityslicker-Simone and Fake-ace-Fawntia.

When they got to the old Murdock place, it was deserted. "Ladyjane-Adam, you and Hoss-ZsuzsyBee search the barn. Enelle-Little Joe, you're on lookout, you caused enough trouble for one day!" Pa-Patty Inglish said.

Fearing the worst, the little group split up to search while Enelle-Little Joe kept watch.

"I got Enelle-Little Joe's saddle bags," LadyJane-Adam called. "They were tossed into the rafters. I checked, but there's nothing inside."

"I found it!" Hoss-ZsyzsyBee yelled. "It was in the last stall! Looks like they dropped it when they lit outta here." She handed the list to Pa-Patty Inglish who scrutinized it carefully.

"Yup...this is the list alright," she said, tucking it into her vest pocket. "We better get it to the telegraph office before it closes. Wouldn't want to miss that deadline!"

The sun had just slipped past the old house when I felt an inexplicable urge to look over my shoulder. Off to the left, on the ridge overlooking the ranch, a horse and rider stood dark against the early evening sky.

They stared down at us for a few moments in the fading light, then the figure touched his hat in salute, and lifted his reigns.

In an instant, he was gone. As I watched the dust settle, a distant memory stirred, deep in my mind. There was something about the rider's profile and the cut of his poncho that reminded me of someone...what was his name...