Welcome Home

WELCOME HOME

On a hot summer afternoon in the year 1888, a ferry near the northeast Texas town of Powderville. A barred prison wagon with four chained men in the back is driven up a bank by two men, US Marshall Wes Munday and his deputy Charlie. Wes and Charlie have returned from an extensive manhunt in the Oklahoma territory across the river.

Powderville citizens turn out as the wagon roll into town.
“Welcome home.” shouts an old timer.
The wagon is driven to a lone building at the end of the street, the town jail. Wes and Charlie, dirty and tired, climb down. Armed deputy marshalls line a path from the wagon to the jail. Charlie unlocks the wagon.
“All rise. You know where to go.” Charlie tell the prisoners.
They climb out and trudge to up the path to jail.
With nothing more to watch, the crowd disperses except for a lone attractive woman dressed in a buckskin top and dungaree pants. Wes pulls rifles and saddle bags from the wagon, turns toward her. Their eyes meet.
“Welcome back, Wes.” she says softly.
“Hello Nellie,” Wes answers. “It’s good to be home.”
Nellie follows Wes to the Marshall’s office, adjacent to the jail. Inside the quaint office, Wes lays the saddle bags on the desk and props the rifles against a gun cabinet.
“We have to go back out again tomorrow morning.” Wes informs Nellie.
“So soon?” she asks.
“We didn’t get everyone.” says Wes, “Our ammo and food supplies ran low, so we decided to come back here.”
Nellie replies, “Well, what about a little time to just rest and unwind?”
“I’m just going to have time for a bath, some food and a little sleep”
“I’ll get water for you.” says Nellie.
She leaves the office, while Wes begins to clean the rifles.
Later, in the back bedroom, Wes relaxes in a hot tub of soapy water. Nellie enters with a bucket.
“Are you going to have any time for us?” she asks. “Don’t miss me?”
He answers, “Of course I miss you. There just isn’t time, right now.”
“I’ve got more hot water here.” she offers.
“Pour it in.” Wes tells her.
He doesn’t move as she pours.
“OOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!” he yells. “It’s too hot!”
“Oh, it is, I’m sorry.” she states innocently. “I thought you wanted hot water.”
“That’s too hot. Didn’t you test it before you brought it in here?” he asks in pain.
“It felt alright to me. I don’t understand why you didn’t like it.” she states.
“Well maybe I can put you across my knee and explain it to you.” Wes replies angrily. “You know darn well what you were doing.”
She giggles and smiles at him mischievously.

Later, after the bath, Wes is dressed and out in the office. Nellie watches as he removes cartons of cartridges from desk drawers and the gun cabinet. He stuffs them into saddle bags and puts two in his back pockets.
“I’ve got an idea.” chirps Nellie.
“What’s that?” queries Wes absentmindedly.
“You could teach me how to shoot. Then, I could go with you.” she offers.
“Maybe.” he says.
Wes is preoccupied. He goes to the door.
“Where are you going?” asks Nellie.
“I need to ask Charlie something.”
Wes opens the door and steps into the street.

Outside, Charlie has unhooked the horse and is leading it to a stable. The street is relatively empty except for two Mexicans, lazily sitting in chairs across the street.
“Hey Charlie,” cries Wes, “how bad is your ammo supply?”
Charlie turns toward him.
“Low. I’ll need several cartons.”
Wes pulls one of the cartons from his back pocket and tosses it to Charlie, then walks to the prison wagon.
“We’ve got plenty.” He states.
He climbs up and looks around.
“What are you looking for?” asks Charlie.
“I wanted to make sure we didn’t leave anything here.” Wes says.
Wes hops back down and goes into the office. He goes to the desk and looks into the saddle bags. A curious expression comes over his face.
“What’s wrong?” asks Nellie.
“I thought I had more bullets here.” Wes tells her.
Wes bends over to empty the saddle bags and count cartons. Nellie steals the carton in his back pocket.
“When do you want to get something to eat?” Nellie asks.
Wes is very preoccupied.
“I don’t know. Later.” he answers.
He goes to the door, opens it and walks into the street. Nellie follows him.
Wes stands with his hands on his hips, puzzled. He notices that his back pocket is empty.
“I think I’m losing my mind.” worries Wes.
Nellie shows the carton.
“Were you looking for these?” she asks.
Wes sees the cartridges in her hand.
“Yes. Did you steal those?”
He walks over to her. She pulls the carton behind her.
“I don’t have time to play, Nellie. Hand them over.” Wes demands.
“No.” she answers.
Wes tries to reach around her. She fingers his holstered revolver.
“You’ll need them to teach me how to use a gun.” she teases.
Wes is getting irritated.
“Cut it out.” He complains.
Charlie walks into the street from a stable a short distance away.
Wes’ revolver goes off, nearly hitting his foot. He and Nellie jump.
“HHEEEYYYY!!!” He screams.
“Are you givin’ shootin’ lessons, Marshall?” chuckles Charlie.
“SHUTTUP!” bellows Wes.
Charlie goes into the jail. Wes turns to Nellie.
“Nellie, I’m going to paddle your backside until it glows in the dark!”
Wes tries to grab her. She pulls away. He reaches again. She takes off around the building. Wes runs after her and chases her round and round the building.

All is quiet for a few minutes. Finally, Wes comes around the corner, exhausted. He walks to a chair in front of the office and plops himself down. Soon, Nellie peeks around the corner.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
“I’m all tuckered out.” replies Wes, “It’s too hot to be chasing you around.”
“It is? I like it hot.” says Nellie. “Are you still going to spank me?”
“Yes. Come over here.” he orders.
She walks to him and positions herself across his knee.
“You like it hot, huh?” he asks.
He whacks away. One, two, three, four, five, six. He stops.
“I love it when you spank me like this. Do it again.” says Nellie.
He begins again, administer six more, stops.
“Do it again.” she tells him.
He fires her butt up again. One, two, three, four, more.
Across the street, the Mexicans are laughing hysterically.
“We have to stop now, people are laughing at us.” Nellie tell Wes.
Wes lets her up. She goes to the door and opens it, then glances back at him with a sultry look.
“Are you coming?” she asks.
Wes looks up at her.
“Mercy” he sighs as he gets up and follows her in.

THE END