Josh Boone stank. His horse stank, but his pistol was clean. He'd been on the trail too long and as soon as he found a place in Dry Gulch to take a bath, he'd smell better. First things first, though. He had to visit the sheriff and collect the bounty for the varmint tied to the back of his saddle — Jake Nightlinger.

The day was getting hot when he dismounted in front of the sheriff's office.

Sheriff Parker, a heavy man with eyes that had seen too much, stepped out to greet him.

"That Jake Nightlinger?" the sheriff asked, eyeing the body tied to the saddle

"Yep," Josh said. "Just like the poster said, 'Dead, or Alive.'"

"And this one's dead?"

Josh didn't respond. He simply tossed the body into the dusty street. "Where's my money?"

Parker motioned for Boone to follow him inside, but the bounty hunter was distracted by the sobs coming from across the street.

The sheriff said, "That's Nightlinger's wife, Pearl."

"Wife?"

"Well, they lived together, anyway. Whatever it was they did, he wasn't much of a husband."

After he received the bounty, Josh returned outside to find Pearl examining Nightlinger's body.

"You just had to kill him."

Josh didn't know what to say. Something in the woman's accusation stirred feelings deep inside him.

"I loved him," she said, her voice trembling.

In a surprisingly quiet voice, Josh replied, "He didn't give me any choice."

Pearl didn't reply. Her tears said it all.

Boone was ready to hit the trail again the next day but stopped at the sheriff's office to see if there were any new wanted posters. To his surprise, Sheriff Parker was missing, but a skinny deputy with an eye patch greeted him.

"Where's the sheriff?" Boone asked. "I wanted to let him know I was leaving."

"I'm deputy Pack Collins. The sheriff took sick last night and I had to come in. Doc said it's his appendix."

"I'm Josh Boone. Can I check your wanted posters before I leave?"

Pack was sitting with his feet on an empty box, but sat straighter, saying, "You're him? I hear you got in yesterday. I was hoping you could stay a while."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"I need the help. Red Tulley is over at the saloon right now. If he throws down on me, I can't do much with one eye."

"Red Tulley? I heard he's rougher than a cob."

"That's why I need help."

Boone felt himself seeing the deputy's dilemma. "What's in it for me?"

"There's a bounty on his head. It's yours if you bring him back here."

Boone sighed and made sure all six chambers in his Colt were ready for action.

Inside the saloon, the air was thick with the odor of stale beer and sweat. The place was half-empty, the usual daytime crowd of drifters and gamblers. Boone spotted Red Tulley sitting at a corner table playing cards. They had never met, but there was no mistaking the scar under Tulley's eye. He was older than Boone expected and his brassy red hair was streaked with gray.

As Boone approached, Tulley looked up, his tired eyes meeting the bounty hunter. There was no fear in his gaze, only resignation.

"You here to take me in, bounty hunter?"

"You know who I am?"

Tulley nodded, a slow sip taking of whiskey. "Everybody around here knows Josh Boone."

"I came for the bounty," Boone said, his voice low.

"Figured as much. Can't say I'm surprised, but there's somethin' you oughta know."

Boone narrowed his eyes, noticing Tulley wasn't wearing a gun.

Tulley began, "I done some shit. No doubt about it. Robbed, stole, hell, even killed a man or two, but they had it coming. After that, the reputation just sorta grew, and the next thing I know, here we are. I got a daughter, lives with her aunt in Tucson. She probably don't even know I exist. But she don't deserve to grow up knowin' what a no good dog I am."

Boone felt his pulse quicken, his mind racing. "Why should I care?"

Tulley gave a faint smile. "Maybe you shouldn't. But if there's still somethin' in you that remembers what it's like to be human, maybe you'll think about lettin' me go. I'll ride to Tucson and make sure that girl never has to hear about her outlaw father, and you'll never hear about me again either."

Boone stood there, staring at Tulley. Every instinct told him to finish the job. And yet, he couldn't shake the image of Pearl Nightlinger's tears, or the thought of Tulley's daughter growing up without knowing her father.

He let out a long sigh and backed away.

Boone started to leave the saloon, but stopped to offer a warning.

Without looking back, he said, "I'm not gonna take you in, but you'd better get out of town because the next time we meet, I'll have a bullet with your name on it."

Tulley nodded, his face full of gratitude. "I'm indebted to you."

Rain clouds were rolling in when Boone walked out of the saloon. Pearl Nightlinger was crossing the street, but he didn't feel the same. Instead, he tipped his hat to Pearl and mounted his horse.

I hope you liked this visit to the Old West. Be sure to check out my Medium profile for more stories to enjoy, and you can look on Kindle Direct Publishing for books I've penned.