Short Story: Montana's Snowy Evening

It was winter time in northern Montana and the double bar seven ranch was in a bind. The year was 1899, and the ranch’s owner Bill Nystrom was in a panic because of the endless snowfall. It had started snowing in October. It was now early March and the snow had not ceased to blow. Never before in his life of twenty-seven years had Bill has seen a winter like this. He had lost over half his herd from the cold. Many had been buried in the snow and he had to ride looking for steam holes rising through the surface of the snow. When he would find one and the snow was too deep to pull them out, he dug a hole in the snow where the steam was rising from, deep enough to put them out their misery by shooting them. With the calving season closing …show more content…
Bill replied, “About seventy miles North of here.” The taller of the two younger cowboys, John said, “You must be looking for trouble traveling that far from home.” Bill, noticing that these two young men obviously wanted to cause trouble grabbed his bottle and got up to leave. Will asked him “Where you think your going mister?” Bill looked at him calmly and said “It is time for me to go home.” Will raising his voice yell, “Why you son of a biscuit!” and tacked him to the ground. The two wrestled about on the floor until Bill throw Will off of him, as soon as he did so Ben leaped on this back and throw an arm around his neck. Bill grabbed Ben by the head and throw him back first onto a table, breaking the table in half and scattering several chairs. Then, Bill turned to face Will only to be met with Will standing there with a pistol pointed at his head. Bill surprised but acting quickly lunged low at Ned’s waste, knocking the gun from Will’s hand and throwing the two amidst another table and chairs. Bill landing on top began to pummel Will’s face with quick repetitive swings from his left …show more content…
Bill looked up to see who had done this and locked eyes with the older cowboy, Who said with a tone of authority in his voice,”That will be enough.” Bill got up from the young man he had just beaten and retrieved his pistol from the floor. He holstered his pistol and asked, “Are these your boys?” The cowboy replied, “Yeah they are mine, and my name is Robert LeRoy Parker.” He went on the explain the rest of the men with him, “The gentleman standing at the card table is my partner Harry Longabaugh, and these two knot heads are Will Carver and Ben Kilpatrick.” Bill looked disgusted and said “Well your two knot heads are hunting for trouble.” Harry shaking his head apologetically said, “Yes I will have apologize for their behavior.” He continued, “I see you are a skilled fighting man. How would you like to join us?” Bill pondered at the question then asked, “What exactly would I be