they rode english saddles

"i got no quarrel with you boys!" gage yelled out of the rotting window frame of the old farmhouse. the response was a volley of bullets that ripped through the faded lace curtains exposing the sunrays as swirling pillars of dust. gage pressed his back against the thin wall and pulled the ejector rod on his 44, releasing the heavy metal cylinder. damnit! there was only one bullet left and there were four of the tucker boys. gage snapped the cylinder back with a quick jerk of the hand and took a deep breath. "okay boys!" he yelled out in his gruffest voice, "i'm reloaded!" he could hear the subtle rubbing of the stirrup irons over the saddle flaps on their english saddles. "all those godamned tuckers rode english saddles." he thought rubbing the the sweat from his eyes. they were circling now, no doubt about it. this was it. gage pulled back the hammer with a heavy click and slowly pulled himself to his feet. "if i hit tom square between the eyes the others'll scatter to the wind sure as hell." he told himself. he took one last deep breath and belted a blood curdling scream as he ran full speed down the old plank hallway and leaped out the front door as the wall of bullets tore into his flesh from all sides. gage fell from the air as if in slow motion and never felt his body hit the dirt. the world went silent as he lay on his back as the blurry figures of the tucker boys emerged over him. there was no pain. it was as if he were submerged under a warm pool and dreaming. "so this is what death feels like?" gage thought to himself. a crow cawed in the distance and gage hudson drifted off and died right there on that grassy plain. chad and tommy tucker looked at each other and nodded in silence. it was chad who finally spoke up, "your mama's gonna have your ass gary." tommy popped the plastic cork from his yellow squirt gun and shook the last bit of water into his mouth. gary sat up and examined the dark green grass stains on his new school pants. "awww mother fucker!"