Member-only story
Hollister Bootstone and The Tale Of Zeke’s Disappointing Day
Somewhere In The Old West • 7
Hollister Bootstone got off his horse and walked into the saloon. Same as he did every time he came into town. He had been out on the trail for four days. No particular reason, he just wanted to be alone. Well, just him and Cinnabun, his horse.
You can’t rightly put into words the relationship a man has with a good horse. They become extensions of each other. Neither one is complete without the other one. That is how it was with Hollister and Cinnabun.
The saloon was more than a place to get some grub and a drink, or gamble. It was the closest thing he had to a family. Clem and Rosie knew Hollister as well as anyone. Not that anyone ever really knew a traveler like Hollister. Most men underestimated him due to his tidy appearance. But not for long. The smart ones feared him.
Hollister kept to himself for the most part. But there was something about the town of Dust Free that kept him coming back. Perhaps it was the relatively dust-free weather. Perhaps it was the exceptional corn on the cob. Perhaps it was Rosie’s singing voice. Whatever it was, the town kept pulling Hollister back.
Hollister sat down at the bar and Clem slid him a whiskey. There was no need for askin.’
