Flaming Zeppelins

Flaming Zeppelins Read Free Page B

Book: Flaming Zeppelins Read Free
Author: Joe R. Lansdale
Tags: Fantasy, Western
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front of Takeda’s tent.
    Takeda, a small man dressed in colorful robes, his hair bound up and pinned at the back, sat, and magically, a retainer produced a camp chair. It was beneath Takeda’s rear even as it appeared he would fall backwards.
    Takeda spoke a few sharp words and two more retainers appeared, unrolled the blanket. Inside were eight bars of gold and eight of silver, a bright Henry rifle, two black oak-handled revolvers, their silver barrels shiny as cheap fillings in a miner’s mouth. With them were two black buffalo-leather holsters pinned with silver conchos. There was also a bandoleer of ammunition.
    Takeda grunted. In response to this noise, a retainer brought forth a wrapped parcel, unrolled it at the steam man’s feet. Cody could not bend his neck, so the contents of the blanket were lifted and unwrapped by Hickok and Bull for his inspection.
    Inside the blanket was a long sword and a short one, encased in what looked like black bone scabbards, but were in fact, highly lacquered leather.
    Words were exchanged. It was determined a demonstration would be given of Grant’s presents by Annie Oakley.
    They retired to a large patch of land next to the tent. Annie strapped on the holsters and the black-handled revolvers. She was wearing a black hat, black dress, black stockings and lace-up black shoes. She turned to Hickok and smiled.
    She was so beautiful, Hickok felt his knees weaken. Then he remembered it was his job to reach into the bucket provided and toss glass balls at the sky. He snatched one, threw it high. The guns jumped from Annie’s holsters. BLAM, a blast tore from one of the revolvers and the ball burst. Hickok reached in with both hands, tossed high with his right, then high with his left, snatched up other balls and flung them rapidly, one after the other.
    Annie fired first one revolver, then the other. She seemed casual, as if she were thinking about something else. But each time the balls exploded. Soon Captain Jack was helping Hickok toss. The guns snapped and the balls exploded. Annie reloaded three times, never missed.
    A deck of cards was produced. Captain Jack took one from the deck, held it with the edge facing Annie. She loaded and holstered the pistols. Took a breath. The revolvers leapt from their hutches, coughed. The edge of the card was cut in two places, torn from Captain Jack’s hand.
    Now Bull came forward, a fat cigar in his mouth. He was puffing savagely, trying to get as much from the smoke as he could. He stood sideways, the ash on the cigar standing out a quarter inch.
    Annie slowly lifted the right hand pistol, shot off the ash. She lifted the left hand pistol and shot the cigar in half. Bull pocketed the butt and stepped off the field, saying, “Machin Chilla Watanya Cicilia.”
    In Sioux this meant “My daughter, Little Miss Sure Shot.”
    Now Annie picked up the Henry, cocked it. “Let ‘er rip,” she said.
    Hickok, Captain Jack, Bull, and an African Zulu king named Cetshwayo grabbed from two buckets of glass balls and charged them at the sky. The rifle went up, moved left and right, up and down, barking at every change in direction. The balls exploded all over the sky.
    Finished, Annie placed the butt of the Henry on her lace-up shoe and bowed ever so deeply. Takeda grunted. A retainer stepped forward, yelled words, the Samurai let out a roar of approval.
    It was then decided Takeda would demonstrate.
    He rose from his chair, which had been placed in the field, and yelled. Two armored men came charging out of the ranks, their hands lifted to strike. They struck at Takeda with extreme ferocity, but, with minimal movement, Takeda sent them flying.
    They rose, came again. An arm cracked, a man screamed. Takeda struck quickly at the other. Down he went. Silent. A puff of dust from the field hung over him for a moment, thinned, disappeared.
    The Wild West Show applauded politely.
    The translator and Master Physician came

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