“It’s my shoulder.” Roy grumbled.

Maggie jumped off her horse, walked over to her saddled bag, and pulled out a metal flask.

“I can’t believe it has been only a month since you got shot.” She said as she threw the flask to Roy. He caught it with his good arm.

“You’re going to let me drink this?” he asked a little puzzled.

“Sure.” Maggie replied.

Roy looked at the flask. On the front were the initials “MM”. “Maggie McGee.” He thought to himself as he unscrewed the top and took a drink. Roy gasped.

“This…this is Lemonade.”

“Good stuff, huh?” Maggie said as she took the flask. Maggie jumped on her horse and started drinking. “Did I ever tell you about my first partner?” she said staring into the plain. Roy raised his eyebrow as Maggie continued. “He was my brother, name was Oscar. He couldn’t shoot. He couldn’t jump, he couldn’t follow the rules.”

“What happened to him?” Roy asked

“He’s buried.” Maggie replied looking down.

Roy gulped hard. “Speaking of rules…” Maggie said as she pulled out a piece of paper. She handed it to Roy. He opened it and read the contents. It listed the following:

Roy folded up the rules. “ You can be serious,” he said as he handed the paper back to Maggie “There are rules? I would have never joined you if I knew there were rules!”

“Don’t be a baby, Roy. Without rules, there is no order, without order you get stupid, and if you get stupid you get caught.” Maggie said.

Roy slumped in his saddled. A soft breeze blew from the east. The skies were gray. Roy didn’t think the weather would permit this train robbery but Maggie said it was perfect. “Perfect to die.” Roy thought to himself. He looked over at Maggie who was inspecting her gun. “Who is this woman and what am I doing in Nevada.” He pondered.

“Here she comes!” Maggie shouted. Roy took but he couldn’t see the train on the track below. Maggie turned to him. “Remember, this is a passenger robbery. No safes or mail. We get in, we get out. Okay?”

Rob nodded his head. Then said “Okay Maggie, but where’s the train.”

“Woo Woo!” the train whistled as it roared down the track.

“Let’s go.” Maggie said as she raced forward. Roy smiled as he quickly followed her.

Roy was excited as he the great female train robber raced across the plain. “This is your chance, Roy,” he thought to himself as he saw the caboose getting closer, “Finally after all the failure in my life, I get the chance to do something I might be great at.”

The caboose was hopping down the track when Maggie finally got close enough to jump. She turned her horse slightly to the side and then sprang forward. She landed on her feet. Quickly turning around, Maggie saw Roy approaching.

“Come on!” Maggie shouted, “Jump already!”

Roy was nervous as he turned his horse and jumped. He smiled as he flew through the air. “I’m flying.” Roy thought as he traveled towards the train.

Suddenly BLAM! Roy was face down on the ground. Maggie roared with laughter. Roy slowly got up and looked at the train moving away. Maggie shook her head and jumped off the train.

She walked slowly calmly back to Roy. “Alright,” she said to him face to face, “What did you do wrong?” Roy looked confused.

“I’m in pain.” He replied

“You hopped, you’re suppose to spring.”

“Are we going to rob this train?”

“I don’t know, it being stopped on the track and all.”

Roy looked behind Maggie. She was right. The train was sitting still on the track fifty feet ahead.

“Why has it stop?” he asked in wonder

“Let’s find out.” Maggie said. She whistled and the two horses came back.

“Are you sure about this?” Roy said as he jumped on the back of his horse.

“Absolutely.” Maggie replied. She jumped on her horse and the two partners rode towards the train.

When they got to the caboose, they jumped off their horses, and then climbed up the back of the caboose. Suddenly the train started moving.

“What is going on?” Roy asked Maggie

“We’re being out robbed by morons.” Maggie replied.

“I hope your kidding.” Roy said shaking his head.

“I hope so too.”

Maggie grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. It opened right up.

“They need to start locking these things.” She said as she walked in the door. Roy followed. The caboose was empty accept for a few boxes and a couple of trunks. Maggie walked up to the next door. Roy stopped her before she opened it.

“Maybe I should do that.” He said

Maggie grinned. “Why?” she asked.

“I don’t feel like a gentleman letting you go in harms way.” Roy told her.

“That’s cute, but since I lead you, you have to do what I say.”

Roy backed off. He was amazed by the courage. “I’m glad you’re leading.” He said before he could catch himself. His face turned red. Maggie pretended she did not hear him as she started to open the door.

BANG! A shot rang out. Maggie motioned Roy to stay silence. As she leaned toward the door, she heard a harsh voice from the other side.

“ You almost shot my foot, stupid.” The voice said.

Maggie frowned as she looks up at Roy. “ Just as I thought, Morons.” She said.

Roy knew by her voice who she was talking about.

“It’s Mitch? I thought he got caught by the posse?” Roy said.

“ Well, he’s making up for it now. With that “stop the train so I can get on” method, the posse will be at the next stop probably.” Maggie said. “So, we’ll have to take what they’ve taken until the next stop.”

Roy laughed. “Are you crazy?” Roy asked

“Yes.” Maggie answered as she cracked open the door. “Okay, four guys, and lucky, Mitch is standing close to the door. So, just follow my lead!”

Roy didn’t like that idea, but before he could say anything Maggie was in full swing. She cracked open the door one more time then slammed it shuts.

“What was that?” Mitch turned around.

“ Save the gold!” he heard a voice say from the other room.

“Gold!” one of Mitch’s men said excited.

Mitch’s eyes got big. “Let’s go boys!”

The gang picked up their bags and head for the caboose. Mitch opened the door and all five men rushed in.

“Hey, where’s the gold?” Mitch said.

“Right here.” said Maggie standing behind the gang, pointing her guns at the men. Roy was standing beside her. “Now if you boys would be so kind as to give us your bags and jump out the door of the caboose, we’d be grateful.”

Mitch laughed. “Well,” he said, “If it isn’t the lying whore! What brings you and Wyatt here?”

“My partner’s name is Roy and your robbing our train.” Maggie reply “And if you call me a whore again, I’ll shoot you in the foot.”

Mitch and the rest of his boys laughed. “ Still lying, huh? Whore?”

POW! Maggie squeezed off one shot. Mitch fell over with a scream.

“You shot me!” he cried.

“I warned you, but you didn’t listen.” Maggie answered. She nudged Roy.

“Oh yeah.” Roy thought. “Drop your bags, gentlemen, and go out the back door.”

The men stood still. “Do as he says.” Maggie said as she fired her gun over head.

“Is this your first time robbing robbers?” She asked Roy as the men started jumping off the back of the train. He smiled at her. “Me too, so much for virginity.”

Mitch was the only one left. Maggie grabbed a couple of bags. Roy tried grabbed three or four bags. Maggie shook her head as she said “Two hands, two bags.” Roy was too tired to argue.

He and Maggie went to get off the train.

“Wait!” They heard a voice cry. They turned around. “You can’t leave me here.” Mitch said writhing on the ground.

“ Hey man, you shot my partner and I shot you.” Maggie said. “See ya!”

The two train robbers opened the back door and stepped outside.

Two seconds later, they were back in the caboose.

“Darn! I hate the posy!” Roy proclaimed as he and Maggie looked out the back windows. They could see figures on horses coming towards them.

“We’ll have to go out the front.” Maggie pointed out.

“We just robbed this train.” Roy said with a frown. “The passengers will kill us.”

Maggie laughed. “We didn’t rob the train. He did.”

Roy looked down at Mitch crying on the floor and smiled.

“The robber is in the caboose, poor idiot shot himself in the foot.” Roy said as they walked through the passenger cars. Some of passengers got up to go see.

“You’re starting to think like me already.” Maggie said to Roy with a wink.

“Don’t remind.” He answered.

The two partners made it to the engine where they told the engineer to stop the train for the posy. Maggie whistled and both their horses ran up.

“Not bad for a first train robbing, huh?” Maggie asked as the two outlaws rode away from the train.

“We ended up with nothing.” Roy said disappointed.

“Yeah, but just think, we put a stupid outlaw back into custody. And I got to shoot Mitch in the foot.” Maggie said with a smile.

Roy laughed. She was right. “It wasn’t a total lost,” Said Roy as they rode on.

“But next time, I get to shoot Mitch.”

To Be Continued...




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