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Chapter 1: "Appaloosa County"2,435 words
Chapter 2 "Wild Sandy Yonder"2,540 words
Chapter 3: "Camp" 3,236 words
Chapter 4 "Guns and Liars"3,276 words
Chapter 5 "Hootenanny"3,025 words
Chapter 6 "Dances with Buffalo"2,406 words
Chapter 7 "Friendship...Friendship Never Changes"2,903 words
Chapter 8 "Celestia's Gonna Cut You Down"2,684 words

Chapter 4 "Guns and Liars"

Chapter 4

“Guns and Liars”

I woke up with a start as I heard them.

BANG BANG BANG!!!

I rolled off my spotting rock just in time for the rock to get shot to hell. I dived behind the rock and pulled out my revolver. I looked over to see Braeburn and County shooting back at whoever was shooting us. Twilight was working on a barrier spell in case any of them tried to get closer. Applejack aimed her battle saddle’s cannons at the attackers and unleashed hell on them.

I looked over my rock. There were three of them, all stallion earth ponies. They wore ponchos and pants to hide their coat colors and bandanas to cover their faces. They all wore black desperado hats like what County wore. They all bit on their mouth triggers for their battle saddles. I ducked just before I could get shot with more holes then Swiss cheese.

I poked out and fired with my revolver at them. One of my bullets got lucky and hit a stallion in the side. The stallion yelled in pain as Braeburn’s battle saddle finished the job. The stallion fell to the ground with a hole in his head. His comrades saw they were outmatched and started to retreat.

I kept shooting at them but the stallions were too fast. They knew how to trek on the desert so they ran off quicker then we could stop them. Braeburn did manage to clip one of them in the leg though. I looked over at the group and gestured to the body “County, check him out”

She nodded her dark rust colored head and ran to the body. Applejack followed her in case any bandits came back. I looked over at the rest of the group “Is everypony alright?”

Twilight nodded “Sorry I wasn’t much help…I couldn’t focus my magic in this heat…”

Braeburn shook his head “Nopony is blamin ya Twilight, right now we got a dead bandit and that’s what counts”
I nodded and walked down to the body. County undid the bandit’s bandanna with her teeth. Braeburn let out a gasp at what he saw “It can’t be…”

It was Gelder…he was one of the bandits.
__________________________________________________

“Ya sure it was Gelder?” Silver Star said when we got back to Appaloosa. We spent the last hour explaining what happened to the town sheriff. I found it how he was more concerned about Gelder then the buffalo.

County nodded “Yep, Ah’d recognize that bigot anywhere”

“Damn shame…” Star said looking out his window “This ain’t gonna look good, ta think that ponies in mah own town are plannin on destroyin it”

I leaned forward “With all due respect sir…a lot of buffalo were lost as well”

“Ah plan tah talk tah Thunderhoof when he comes around” Silver Star said simply

“That’s Horseapples!” County shouted “He deserves tah know what’s gone down to his own people!” She got up and faced the sheriff “Ya all should be lookin fer him now!”

Silver Star glared at my friend “Ah have bigger problems! Ah have a town that needs protectin! Now get outta my office and find out who them bandits are before Ah send ya all back tah wherever ya came from”

County snorted and walked out. I followed shortly after not saying anything to the sheriff. When we got outside County took a sip of her whisky bottle “Damn stubborn stallion, doesn’t he know we just had to bury twenty buffalo, females and children included?”

I put a hoof on County’s shoulder and she calmed down a little. I spoke to her in a voice I usually reserved for when she drank too much. “County we can’t get hung up on him right now. Nopony else saw what we saw out in those plains”

“Them bandits did” County said mildly “At least we got one of them bastards”

“Now comes the challenge of figuring out which of the ponies in town are suspects…”

County nodded knowingly “We outta handle this smoothly, don’t want this turning into a witch hunt”

“Let’s start out with the owners of the battle saddles themselves” I said looking at her “If we can figure out who’s getting guns then we can figure out who could have easy access to them”

“Applejack and Ah will hit up that angle, ya take that pretty mare of yers and ask around and see if any pony had a grudge against the buffalo”

I nodded and began to walk into town. The trouble with this whole plan was simply this…everypony in town could be a suspect.

_________________________________________________

Twilight and I entered the local saloon. The place was packed with ponies hanging out after a hard day’s work. Some were playing card games at the tables and a stallion was playing a nearby piano while a gal was singing on stage. Some stallions tossed bits at her as she flashed them on stage. My head tilted a little to see her...Wait is Twilight looking at me?! Crap...

Twilight gave me a glare and I remembered what we were here for. I walked to the bar and was greeted by an earth pony stallion with a slicked black mane and a mustache. He looked at me and smiled “Welcome to the salt lick, can I interest you in anything?”

“I’d like information…” I said placing my police badge on the bar “With a side of apple cider…”

The stallion nodded and put a mug filled to the brim in front of me. “What would you like to know?”

“There’s a lot animosity towards the buffalo around here” I said after taking a sip form the cider. Twilight was asking around the tables while I was talking. “Is there any pony who’s been pushing for action against them?”

The bartender simply shrugged “Most of us in town have gotten used to the arrangement we’ve made with the buffalo. Though there was a campaign a couple of weeks ago that said that the buffalo were taking advantage of us”

“But the buffalo get to use their ancient pathways and get food in the process. The town gets the added security from predators and trade with the buffalo. What was the protest about?”

“In truth I never got involved with the whole business” The bartender said wiping a mug with a rag. “But apparently the argument was that the buffalo got part of our crop whenever they passed through. Thus they were taking advantage of us”

“Seems a little childish” I said taking another sip of cider “Aside from the now deceased Gelder were there any ponies that were really caught in the whole protest?”

“There were five of them…” The bartender said speaking quietly. “Gelder was one of them; he was the face of the protest. Another pony named Whipcrack, the cattle hoof who lives on the outskirts, was the muscle”

“Who was the brains?”

“That would be Poncho; he’s a weaver who has a shop on the south side of town. He’s the one who organizes everything”

“That’s three; obviously they couldn’t go around protesting without more help…”

“Well one member they talked about but I never saw him. I can only suspect he was the leader who was never seen but only listened to”

“And the last member?” I said leaning forward in my bar stool.

“Was…Deputy Bronze Star”

_________________________________________________

“A member of the local law enforcement and our victim was caught up in a conspiracy against the town?” Twilight said as we walked through the town. A lot of ponies seemed on edge, like they would be waiting retaliation for the buffalo attack any day now. I couldn’t help but feel uneasy as well.

“Right now, we talk to each member and see if they had anything to do with the bandit attacks…”

It was then I saw the other three members walk to us. County spoke a little out of breath “We’ve talked to everypony about the saddles. The only ponies that had access to em were the ponies that are part of the law or ranch hands”

“Any of them there when we got shot at?” I asked looking at Braeburn

He shook his head “Nu uh, them battle saddles were gone…and the only pony who could’ve taken em was a pony by the name of…Whipcrack”

_______________________________________________

An earth pony stallion with a dark brown coat and a Stetson hat on his silver mane glared at me. “Ah didn’t kill em! Bronze Star was a friend of mine!”

We were sitting in a small ranch shack, usually made to house ponies who work on the ranch. Right now I was sitting in front of Whipcrack keeping my cool grey gaze on him. “Those battle saddles were let out to you Whipcrack, only ranch hands and law enforcement are allowed to use em. You are the former so that makes you a suspect”

“Look I was at the fields working!” He retorted glaring at me “Ya can’t prove Ah was there at all!”

County who was standing next to me simply gazed at the stallion. Her gold eyes were looking him over. She had a different style to finding the truth then I did. She could pinpoint whether a pony was lying or not simply by something as subtle as an eye twitch. She smiled “Yer tellin the truth about not bein one of the bandits…but ya know more than yer lettin on”

“What’re you talkin about?!” He said way too fast

County got really close to Whipcrack. “Ah think ya know em bandits…ya know who they are…know why they killed all em buffalo…yer sweatin…yer hooves are shuffling…ye know don’t ya?”

Whipcrack sweated even more at this. County knew when to add pressure where it was needed. It’s what made her such a great detective; she knew how to make a criminal crack under pressure. Whipcrack finally relented “Alright! Ah was told tah leave the battle saddles over by the rocky path next tah the orchards! Ah was only doin what Ah was told!”

County didn’t break her gaze “By whom?”

“Ah don’t know his name! He just sent me a letter!”

“What letter?!” County said not giving him an inch

“Over there! On mah desk!” Whipcrack shouted

“Thank ya kindly…” County finally backed off and walked to the desk. She tossed me the letter. I opened it and scanned the contents.

Dear Whipcrack

It’s time again, you can get access to the battle saddles and Ah know you can get em. Bring em to the path by the orchards tonight; we have a lot of work to do. Appaloosa will be free again

Voice

“When did you get this letter?” I said after I finished reading “And who is Voice?”

Whipcrack smirked “Voice is the one who’ll make sure that Appaloosa no longer has to suffer under the buffalo. Half of mah crop was lost thanks to that damn agreement we made! Ah got this letter about a week ago and Ah took it as a call to arms”

“Which leaves one last question” I said looking back at the stallion “Where were you a week ago after you dropped off the saddles?”

“Ah went home and worked the fields and then went to bed. A couple of the other ranch hands can vouch for me”

_________________________________________________

County looked over at me “Ya know it was a week ago that Bronze was shot accordin to the autopsy we got”

“You got that while I was at the saloon?”

“Yep, also found somethin interestin…” County said

I looked over at her, “What exactly?”

“That Bronze Star was the only one who was killed not by Battle Saddle…but by a revolver bullet”

“Our killer got confident and decided to cut him down personally”

“It’s that confidence that will help us find em” County said smiling

“Just like old times eh County?” I said returning her smile.

“Yep, Ah really miss ya Private, yer somethin to behold when on a case”

“I have good help” I said simply as we walked back to the group.

________________________________________________

We arrived at Poncho’s shop and I pulled out my revolver. If Poncho was the brains of the outfit then he probably had an escape plan in mind. I watched as Braeburn and Applejack ran around back. Twilight then teleported to the top of the roof ready to pounce on Poncho should he try and make a break for it. County and I hugged the opposite sides of the door.

I nodded at County then knocked on the door “ERPD! Open up this door!”

The response was thus: boom!!

I just dodged somepony shooting a shot gun blast where my head was seconds before. I was pretty adept at dodging bullets it seemed. I turned and bucked down the door and saw a violet colored earth pony with a shot gun. He aimed it at me and I ducked behind a nearby stand to avoid getting shot at.

“Give it up Poncho!” I yelled over the gun fire

“Ah’m not about to go without a fight! You pigs would enslave Appaloosa even more to those beasts!!” I heard him shout as he fired blast after blast at me.

“You got nowhere to run Poncho!”

“Nopony will question me if ah shot in self defense!”

“Nopony will believe that bullshit!” I heard a voice shout from further inside. I looked up to see that Braeburn was wrestling with Poncho. The cowpony slammed his hind legs into the jaw of the tailor. The shotgun went flying away and Braeburn started wailing on the tailor “This is fer all the buffalo ya shot ya damn monster!!” He began launching punch after punch at Poncho.

After a while Braeburn stopped punching the tailor. He got up and looked to me. I looked over at Applejack “Get your rope…”

_______________________________________

“Look it’s very simple…” I said glaring at the tailor pony tied to the chair in front of me. “You tell me who Voice is and I won’t have my associate go back to beating the living crap out of you”

Poncho simply glared at me “You are all madponys!”

“The only madpony is you Poncho…” County said advancing on the stallion. “Did you really think you could get away with what you did? Ah had mah friend look in yer store. The battle saddle ya have in the back? It’s the same caliber as the bullets that are in twenty corpses!”

“The buffalo deserved it! They steal our food and we get nothing in return! Our town will die out if we can’t plant those trees in the path of their damn stampedin grounds!” Poncho retorted

“You’re sick….” Braeburn said before Applejack held him back from doing anything rash.

I looked over at Poncho “You were there…you were one of the bandits that we shot”

“You can’t prove that!” Poncho yelled back

“Braeburn…you shot one of the bandits am I right?”

The cowpony nodded “Yah, Ah shot him in the back leg…”

I held up one of Poncho’s legs…there was a bandage on the leg. Recently applied and still bleeding. “I’ll bet you a hundred bits that there is a bullet wound under here”

Poncho’s eyes grew wide at this. He’d been caught….he was a murderer. It took all of Applejack’s strength and Twilight’s to hold back Braeburn. Poncho looked up at me “I only wanted…what was best for the town…”

“Your good intentions led to twenty buffalo dead…and that wasn’t enough…you took their fur as well”

“It was Voice’s idea…he wanted to get rich off selling the furs on the black market…”

“Who is Voice?!” I said glaring at the tailor.

“I don’t know! He wore a bandanna like the rest of us! I didn’t recognize anything about him! Voice is a code name! I swear on my mother’s grave I don’t know his real name!!”

I held up a hoof to punch Poncho. He didn’t deserve to get off this easy! He deserved to be punched to hell! He killed all those buffalo! And for what?! His own greed and misguided sense of justice!! It was then I felt a hoof on my shoulder…I turned to see Twilight looking at me…her violet eyes telling me not to become him…

I turned to Poncho “I’m placing you under arrest for the murder of twenty buffalo, as well as illegal fur trading…may Celestia have mercy on your soul”

I turned and walked out. I didn’t want to be in the same room as the bastard.

_______________________________________

Silver Star took Poncho and Whipcrack to prison that day. I simply sat on the front porch of the sheriff’s office. I looked over to see Twilight sitting beside me “I almost lost it in there…”

“Sorry I don’t have coffee to cheer you up…” Twilight said putting a hoof on my shoulder.

“I wouldn’t even mind a little of County’s whiskey at this point…this case is just…too much…”

“Private…if you’re not able to go on…”

“I’m not backing down Twilight…it’s just not in my nature”

“I wasn’t going to suggest you leave the case…we still need to find out who Voice is and how the buffalo are doing. But you have friends Private…we can help you if you think it’s too much to handle on your own”

“Thanks Twilight…but I’m fine” I said getting up on my hooves. Braeburn, Applejack and County were walking back to us. Braeburn was smiling which was refreshing, that stallion was just better when he was in a good mood.

“Ah just got word! We found out where the buffalo are!” Braeburn reared in excitement “Poncho told us that buffalo ran off north, which is where they must have their camp now!”

“That’s great” I said smiling “We should be able to get their side of the story”

County chuckled “Hold yer horses Private, we have another piece of news fer ya”

“And that is?” I said raising an eyebrow at the smiling ponies.

Applejack spoke up “Well they’re dedicatin a rebuilt town hall tonight and the entire town is havin a hootenanny”

County laughed a little “We thought that before we ran off tah find the buffalo we’d look fer some fun first”

I shook my head “We can’t just put the case on hold to throw a party”

Twilight smiled “Aww come on Private, it’ll allow you to…cut loose” She smirked at those last words.

“Need I remind you of the last time you had me cut loose?” I said flatly

“Don’t worry” Applejack said smiling “This party is Pinkie free, so ya don’t have anythin to worry about”

I looked at all four faces around me. I wanted to say no, I wanted to get on with the case. But Celestia’s sun was already descending…we’d have to travel at night if we wanted to reach the camp. It was never a good idea to travel at night in the desert. I finally sighed and relented “Alright…we’ll…cut loose…”

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