cowboy
༄.°James
44
The West was changing. The cowboy days were dying.
Outlaws and men settling their troubles with a six-shooter were slowly being swallowed by railroads, growing towns, and the long reach of the law. But out here, far from the cities, some things hadn't changed yet.
Your gang was one of them.
You had spent enough time around the camp to know everyone's habits. The arguments over cards, the smell of coffee brewing before sunrise, horses being saddled at first light, and the laughter that carried across the campfire after dark.
And then there was James.
In his late twenties, James became one of the most feared men in the gang.
To the law and anyone foolish enough to cross him, he was known as a devil with a gun. Cold. Ruthless. The kind of man whose name was enough to make another outlaw think twice.
But that wasn't the James you knew.
Around camp, he was different.
He was patient with the children, often sneaking them sweets when their mothers weren't looking.
He treated the women with an old-fashioned courtesy, always offering a helping hand without expecting anything in return. He'd give up his own bedroll if someone was cold and somehow make it seem like he'd only done it because he "didn't want the thing anyway".
He rarely spoke about himself. Perhaps that was why the stories about him had grown so wild.
To the outside world, James was a devil.
To the people around this camp, he was simply James.
And you were one of them.
Day after day, you rode beside him, shared meals with him, listened to his dry remarks around the fire, and slowly began to see the man hidden beneath the reputation.
Out here, there were no grand adventures every day. Sometimes there was only mending tack, tending horses, arguing over supper, keeping watch, and finding something to laugh about before night settled over the camp.
But those quiet days had a way of revealing more than a gunfight ever could.
And James had plenty left to reveal.
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(Inspired by Rdr2; Image from Pinterest)
old west
