The Persecutors

There, central of the Grecos, there has been no judge for years. Law was self-judgment and everyone did whatever he wants. They stole other people's horses and trampled the fields. They stole what they found from foreign carriages and houses, teased foreign women, while they did not hesitate to take out their guns and shoot. The situation was out of control, with everyone trying to use whatever mean for his own benefit. Because of this lawlessness, the area had gathered many adventurers, who thought that there they could make their fortune. The days, the years, were passing and nothing seemed to change…

Until a spring morning, four horsemen appeared on the horizon. The sound they made in their journey and their special presentation, attracted the eyes. Even those who were stealing or arguing at that time, stopped what they were doing and watched ecstatic. One impressive thing was that they all fit on a single horse!!! The riders were dressed identically but with different heights, while sitting in order of height… The style of all four was haughty, proud. They exuded an air of confidence, people who knew where they were going and what they wanted.

They arrived outside Grecos's largest saloon, the Maxim,  and one by one they dismounted from their horse. First the tallest, who had the dumbest expression and was holding a blue book. With confidence, as if it had been planned in advance, climbs the stairs of the saloon and turns to the crowd, which had begun to gather slowly. The second tallest, he wore thick glasses and held a black book with a gold cross on it. In its wide belt there were many small bottles of different colors. He just came down too, tried to sidestep the crowd with somewhat cautious gestures, speaking softly and hesitantly:

– “Ho… Ho… Horry, Horry… Gust to pahh…”

The second shorter of the company, with one motion he climbed upright on the horse's back. He made an asshole in the air and landed on the ground without tripping at all. With movements that would make him jealous, a feline crossed the crowd and stood in front of the tall man, looking at him with special attention..

The short one got off the horse last. Approach the crowd, which had now built an impenetrable wall, he dropped the carbine from his shoulder and fired into the air. The frightened residents of Grecos quickly formed a corridor and he passed slowly.. His style was savage, he walked with open legs and outstretched chest, as if he was ready for a fight. In his middle he had two revolvers, which looked quite used. He also approached next to the others, he crossed his arms over his chest and he stand to watch the tall guy.

When his comrades had just gathered, the tall man began to speak:

– “Residents of Grecos… As you know, There is no judge in your land. We will take on this obligation. We will issue decrees and ensure their proper implementation. The lawlessness that prevails in your area, let it be the occasion for a great… e… emmm…”

The stranger nodded a little and his stupid expression became more pronounced. But he took a look at the book he was holding in his hands and with great confidence, looking at the audience again he said:

– “Reset… You are corrupt and with our instructions, I'm sure you will comply. We will continuously evaluate your progress until it is corrected…”

– “And who appointed you to comply us with your decrees;”, a voice from the crowd interrupted him.

The tall one, looked to the side where the voice was heard, located the one who spoke and shouted at him:

– “The best are not defined by anyone, it is their duty to offer voluntarily…”

And he opened his eyes wide, so much like they would be thrown out of their niches. A vulture, of those Wild West giants, was flying at that moment over the gathered crowd. He left a bone that he was holding with its beak, who landed on his head objectively and collapsed unconscious. The crowd let out a scream of terror and was stunned to look at the tall stranger., who continued:

– “Unlucky... But it gives me the opportunity to inform you that we are not allowed to challenge… We do not have time to apologize for choices that made for your good…”

– “Yes Yes, he is right…”, added the stranger who had done the reverse jump. “Do you imagine that we are exposed to every nonsense to challenge us;”

The tall man nodded to the short man. He stretched his chest out again, and slowly climbed the stairs with both hands very close to the spheres he had in the middle. He also turned to the audience and said in a very strict style:

– “In order not to transmit the illegality to each other, specific times to be released will be set. You will also not enter the shops dirty. You will be freshly washed and checked in at the entrance…”

Someone was thrown out of the crowd:

– “And we will take a bath every time we want to...”

He did not have time to finish his expression and the short one with unimaginable speed took out the ball and marked it… Immediately the second tall one was thrown, he stepped forward and nodded shortly, who lowered his weapon. He turned to the terrified resident and told him:

– “Fol youl good he hayh these things… The epidemich ale coming.... And the palanoma is sticky… And especially I have a little pale. … Take thih medihine…”

And he took out one of the colored bottles that he had in his belt and gave it to him. The resident was scared, he drank it without hesitation.

– “Did you hee?; You already feel better…”

The short one, who had now put the gun back in his belt, he continued:

– “The education of the children will be undertaken by someone with experience in social issues. Is there a volunteer?;”

A woman from the crowd, raised her hand.

– “Please, What's your name;” the tall man asked this time.

– “Jane… Ceramite Jane. I participated a few years ago in a gun group that determined the fate of the West and I have an opinion on social and economic issues.”

– “Here is an excellent one for our team!”, exclaimed the tall man with satisfaction.

– “You located her immediately, you have an infallible instinct…”, said the trained acrobat.

With a nod, the tall man urged the short man to continue.

– “For children who do not have parents, one will undertake to educate and entertain them until they grow up. Who cares about from you;”

– “Me sir!”, a voice was heard from the crowd.

– “How they name you and what is your experience;”, the tall man spoke again.

– “Jim Wesley Lignadin. I have a carriage, I do tours and give theatrical performances outside the cities. I love children and they will be useful to me in the performances as well.”

– “Very well…”, replied the tall man rubbing his hands. “I'm glad that Grecos has no shortage of volunteers. And where there are volunteers there is and… e… em… there is also… e…”, the tall one clicked again and looked inside the book again and filled out:

– “Hope…”

– “You say it very nicely!!!”, said the gymnast again.

Not anyone had time to speak again, because the frightened resident who had taken the drug, collapsed to the ground. The second tall, who gave it to him, leaned over him.

– “Weak organihm…”,  he said sadly.

And he opened the black book he was holding and began to sing, crossing from that moment continuously the resident who fell to the ground.

Suddenly the psalms were interrupted by a whistle and a few moments after a shout of terror from the assembled crowd. An arrow was pinned over a window of Maxim. Other whistles from flying arrows followed left and right in houses and carriages.. While the altercations that began to be heard from everywhere, only one could mean: Indians!!!

After the initial panic that prevailed, Grecos residents were able to regroup and began retaliating with gunfire. In fact, when they started collaborating, showed great courage and ability. At the end, it was their self-sacrifice that judged the outcome. The Indians saw that they had no hope against the brave inhabitants of Grecos. They began to retreat erratically, leaving behind their vests, bows and feathers they wore on their heads.

The noise of shots and whistles from the arrows, followed by the celebrations and the hugs of the inhabitants. Grecos had escaped the attack with small losses and a big celebration began to be set up. Beer and whiskey began to flow abundantly, accompanied by the narration of their achievements. The conversations brought each other and so at some point they remembered the strangers. One of the residents, he said he last saw them jump into some barrels. He went to that place and with the barrel of his rifle threw the lids from the barrels.

One after another, the strangers were slowly getting up through the barrels. A shout of surprise was heard from the residents who were gathered around them. In a few moments, however, it turned into loud laughter. For their bad luck, the foreigners had fallen into tar barrels and had turned black. They stood embarrassed in front of the audience, with tar dripping all over their bodies. The tall man began to lose his temper with their arrogance and ordered them to stop laughing. They did not even listen and he tried to open his eyelids. Unfortunately for him, the tar dripped in his eyes and he burst out in pain.

This caused more laughter from the audience. Eventually the tall man comes out of the barrel trying to balance and shouts at the short man to impose the order.. The one who could hardly see above the barrel, raises the revolver and points to the audience.. He pulls the trigger but nothing is heard.. His gun was also bathed in tar and it didn't work.. The second tallest, with the glasses, came out of the barrel and pulled a bottle from his belt. . He tried to scatter its contents to the laughing residents, but noticed that the tar had penetrated inside.. So he got scared and by lowering his head, he better fixed his tar-filled glasses.. At the same time, the short man came out of the barrel and threw down his revolvers, accepting his defeat.

The stranger acrobat, having silently watched what was happening,, makes two reverse jumps in the air and comes out of the barrel, , without slipping at all. He was addressed to the inhabitants who had now gathered almost everyone around them::

– “Well done residents of Grecos, Your bravery was exemplary.. You have shown your worth and you no longer need of these strangers!!”, showing contempt for the other three..

But the inhabitants of Grekos did not even pay attention to what he said.. They kept laughing and making fun of them.. One of them takes a sack from a toddler, who had filled it with the wings of the Indians, and empties it on the strangers. The spectacle caused laughter to tears as the feathers stuck to the tar. A resident of Grecos, originally from Mexico, shouted jokingly:

– “Like chickens without judgment”

which in the end was to become the nickname of the foreigners it meant: "Chased Chickens"