Arkhaven logo

The Angry Sky panel 1

Episode 48

The Angry Sky

The day was quiet but for a thunderstorm that swept down on Mercury Wells after sundown. The streets turned into a swamp under the driving downpour. The few folks about in the dark kept indoors, crowded into the remaining saloons and cathouses.

Joe donned an oilskin slicker and patrolled the boardwalks alone. As Joe promised, the Twisted Tree crew were absent from town. The drovers off the Three Rivers were somewhere else as well. Homer Gibbs and his cowboys were nowhere in sight. Maybe Hector Nostrand was keeping them back at the bunkhouse. More likely they were still out rounding up strays from the stampede that morning. Or maybe getting their own herd ready for the freight cars coming the next day.

There were a few of the usual fist fights over a woman or hand of cards. Joe let them play out when he found them. Once one drunk was down for the count, he fined both combatants a five dollar cash fine and booted them out into the rain to sober up. One fella pulled a fierce looking knife on a monte dealer. Joe let him off with a dent in his head and a busted arm. There was no room in his cells for more rowdies.

The organ at the Majestic was in competition with rolling crashes of thunder each time the sky was split with streaks of light. The organist was banging out a waltz with a pair of drunks shuffling around the floor in the arms of a pair of indifferent whores. The rest of the patrons either played muted hands of cards or sought the bottom of bottles at the long bar.

Joe stepped to the bar, aware of the eyes on him. He’d long ago learned to discern the difference between idle curiosity and studied intent. Though he was certainly not beloved in this place he didn’t sense the frisson of tension that always came before tempers rose to violent action.

He took the offer of a complimentary nip from Marcelle DeGeaux. The sweet fire cut the chill of the wet night. It was top shelf stuff. An aged brandy the Frenchman kept for himself and special visitors.

“Your friend is here,” DeGeaux said, nodding toward Ben Temple seated at a table under the stairs. Ben was speaking, telling one of his tales to a glassy-eyed whore with hair the color of brass.

“I saw him,” Joe said.

“But did he see you?” Marcelle said with a smirk.

“Trust me, that old badger knows I’m here.”

“Has there been a contretemps between old friends?”

“He can be a prickly pear. No lie.”

“A man needs friends. No man more than you, marshal,” DeGeaux said, pouring another dram into Joe’s tumbler.

“It’s the quality of a man’s friends not the number,” Joe said.

“The same can be said of a man’s enemies.”

Joe raised his eyes to lock onto the Frenchman’s. Just for a second, DeGeaux flinched under the lawman’s icy gaze.

“You trying to tell me something?” Joe said.

“Just making the conversation.” DeGeaux shrugged, lips pursed.

“Seems like all day long all I’m hearing is people hinting at the world of trouble I’m in. Walking all around the words without saying them. You have something on your mind?”

“Only that you had best tread lightly, marshal. I say this as someone who likes you.” DeGeaux smiled, eyes dancing.

He was startled by the sudden rush of Joe’s right hand snaking out to catch a fistful of his silk shirt and pulling him against the bar. The brass trim along the bar struck him hard at the belt line.

“I don’t like you, you coon-ass son of a bitch. And I don’t like these buttermilk threats I’ve been getting since I woke up this morning,” Joe said between his teeth.

The greasy charm melted from the Frenchman’s face. His eyes narrowed and he showed his own teeth between thin lips.

“Only a very foolish man stays where he is not wanted,” DeGeaux hissed.

“Then I’ll be walking.” Joe released the man’s shirt front. DeGeaux retreated from his reach. The marshal felt every eye in the house on his back as he made his way to the door and out under the angry sky.

The Angry Sky panel 3
The Angry Sky panel 4
The Sidewinders series cover
The Angry Sky episode cover
35K views2K likes
4 comments

The Sidewinders

The Legend Chuck Dixon explores the Wild West, with epic tales of gunfighters, frontier justice, savage Indian tribes, and even more savage outlaws.
About a Job episode cover
About a JobEpisode #84
Go In Peace episode cover
Go In PeaceEpisode #83
No Marshal, No Jail episode cover
No Marshal, No JailEpisode #82
An Avenging Angel episode cover
An Avenging AngelEpisode #81
New Folks in Town episode cover
New Folks in TownEpisode #80
In Search of Mr. Thaddeus Jones episode cover
In Search of Mr. Thaddeus JonesEpisode #79
Limited Lodgings episode cover
Limited LodgingsEpisode #78
New Arrivals episode cover
New ArrivalsEpisode #77
Making the Rounds episode cover
Making the RoundsEpisode #76
Shocking Behavior episode cover
Shocking BehaviorEpisode #75
The Danger of Tedium episode cover
The Danger of TediumEpisode #74
The Silk Hat episode cover
The Silk HatEpisode #73
Eagle Flat episode cover
Eagle FlatEpisode #72
Balderdash and Codswallop episode cover
Balderdash and CodswallopEpisode #71
The Misplaced Spines episode cover
The Misplaced SpinesEpisode #70
Dress for Dinner episode cover
Dress for DinnerEpisode #69
A Guest of the Manor episode cover
A Guest of the ManorEpisode #68
Gleam of Sunlight episode cover
Gleam of SunlightEpisode #67
Thieves and Squatters episode cover
Thieves and SquattersEpisode #66
A Miserable Excuse episode cover
A Miserable ExcuseEpisode #65
The Terrible Lizard episode cover
The Terrible LizardEpisode #64
The Blackpool Train episode cover
The Blackpool TrainEpisode #63
The Grinning Visage episode cover
The Grinning VisageEpisode #62
A Catalog of Regrets episode cover
A Catalog of RegretsEpisode #61
A Mutual Passion episode cover
A Mutual PassionEpisode #60
The Unvarnished Truth episode cover
The Unvarnished TruthEpisode #59
The Gurkha's Shovel episode cover
The Gurkha's ShovelEpisode #58
Under a Harvest Moon episode cover
Under a Harvest MoonEpisode #57
Too Late to Damn episode cover
Too Late to DamnEpisode #56
The Death of Mercury Wells episode cover
The Death of Mercury WellsEpisode #55
A Figure in Black episode cover
A Figure in BlackEpisode #54
The Riders Strike episode cover
The Riders StrikeEpisode #53
Breaks in the Line episode cover
Breaks in the LineEpisode #52
The Edge of the Fiery Pit episode cover
The Edge of the Fiery PitEpisode #51
All Damnation Riding episode cover
All Damnation RidingEpisode #50
Empty Wagons at Dusk episode cover
Empty Wagons at DuskEpisode #49
The Angry Sky episode cover
The Angry SkyEpisode #48
Breathing His Last episode cover
Breathing His LastEpisode #47
The Price of Madness episode cover
The Price of MadnessEpisode #46
No Backing Down episode cover
No Backing DownEpisode #45
Riders of the Twisted Tree episode cover
Riders of the Twisted TreeEpisode #44
The Ground Trembles episode cover
The Ground TremblesEpisode #43
Rage and Fear episode cover
Rage and FearEpisode #42
News from the Capitol episode cover
News from the CapitolEpisode #41
The Limping Man episode cover
The Limping ManEpisode #40
The Reckoning episode cover
The ReckoningEpisode #39
Say a Prayer, Cowboy episode cover
Say a Prayer, CowboyEpisode #38
The Killing Starts episode cover
The Killing StartsEpisode #37
Worse Than Expected episode cover
Worse Than ExpectedEpisode #36
Cursed for a Fool episode cover
Cursed for a FoolEpisode #35
Answer to a Prayer episode cover
Answer to a PrayerEpisode #34
You'll See Jesus First episode cover
You'll See Jesus FirstEpisode #33
Cowboys and Irishmen episode cover
Cowboys and IrishmenEpisode #32
A Man Without a Gun episode cover
A Man Without a GunEpisode #31
A Storm is Coming episode cover
A Storm is ComingEpisode #30
The Bounty of the Lord episode cover
The Bounty of the LordEpisode #29
More Law Than We Want episode cover
More Law Than We WantEpisode #28
Ten Bucks per Conviction episode cover
Ten Bucks per ConvictionEpisode #27
Kings of the Jungle episode cover
Kings of the JungleEpisode #26
Don't Kick a Dog episode cover
Don't Kick a DogEpisode #25
The Majestic episode cover
The MajesticEpisode #24
Convictions Where Necessary episode cover
Convictions Where NecessaryEpisode #23
Sober as Sunday episode cover
Sober as SundayEpisode #22
Liquored Up episode cover
Liquored UpEpisode #21
Pools of Blood episode cover
Pools of BloodEpisode #20
In God's Hands episode cover
In God's HandsEpisode #19
The Devil Coming With Me episode cover
The Devil Coming With MeEpisode #18
Sudden Fury episode cover
Sudden FuryEpisode #17
The Scotchman Didn't Lie episode cover
The Scotchman Didn't LieEpisode #16
Paradise episode cover
ParadiseEpisode #15
A Man with Sand episode cover
A Man with SandEpisode #14
The Scent of Money episode cover
The Scent of MoneyEpisode #13
The Hand of a Righteous Man episode cover
The Hand of a Righteous ManEpisode #12
Devil's Freight episode cover
Devil's FreightEpisode #11
A Losing Fight episode cover
A Losing FightEpisode #10
Building an Empire episode cover
Building an EmpireEpisode #9
No Holy Man episode cover
No Holy ManEpisode #8
Blood Christening episode cover
Blood ChristeningEpisode #7
Guardian Angel episode cover
Guardian AngelEpisode #6
High Tide episode cover
High TideEpisode #5
Night Raid episode cover
Night RaidEpisode #4
Man and Boy episode cover
Man and BoyEpisode #3
A Gang of Mongrels episode cover
A Gang of MongrelsEpisode #2
The Wagon Train episode cover
The Wagon TrainEpisode #1
,
List icon
Comment icon
Prev icon
Next icon
Fullscreen icon