“Hey Kid!” Billy called to Phineas. The young man turned towards him. He stuck out his hand, “my name is Billy.”

“Phineas O’Connell at your service, sir,” Finney responded. “But most call me Finney.” The 21-year old responded to the larger black man. 

“Why don’t you stay with me. We can board the train together.”

“Sure, no problem. I have a horse I need to stable.”

“Me too,” Billy responded, retrieving his pistol from the bartender. Finney did the same. The two left the saloon to unhitch their horses.

“That’s a beautiful Mustang you got there, Billy. How long have you been riding her?”

“About a year and a half. I like your Morgan. How long have you had him?”

“Truth be told, Billy, I’ve only been in Texas for about a week. I bought Josiah when I arrived in Pecos. I rode a train across the country. I came here from a small town north of Boston, Massachusetts called Gloucester ([i]pr.: Gloster[/i]). It’s a fishing village. My pa is the town’s doctor. I did get an education at Amherst and came here because I want to be a writer. I believe it is best to write about what you know, and I want to write about the west. What better way to get to know the west than to come to Texas?”

“You might be right ‘bout that, Finney,” Billy chuckled. “Juss hope you don’ git yer fool head shot off learnin’ ‘bout the west…Ha ha ha ha!” Billy found the idea ridiculous. He was in the desert of Texas because he had no real choice. If it wasn’t in Texas it might have been the mountains of Colorado Territory or Indian country.

“What about you, where you from?” Billy asked his new partner.

“My daddy has a farm in Illinois. I worked the farm all my life until I was old enough to leave. I joined the army and rode with the Buffalo soldiers. I left the army a few years ago and have been picking up odd jobs like this one as I move around. It’s been an interesting life so far.” Billy tried not to boast about his experiences. To him, they were just facts. They were who he was.

The two men arrived at the stable and paid a small fee to store the horses in town then headed to the train station. “You know I just left this station before I walked into the saloon, ate a meal and played that card game.”

Finney carried his Colt SAA Peacemaker in his holster, spare bullets in their slots around the belt and a box in a pocket. The knife was strapped on the other side of his holster. He carried his writing supplies in a small satchel slung over his left side so he could write when he needed. He also had a few pieces of dried beef and some vegetables in pockets. In his left breast pocket he carried his copy of the bible.

Billy slung the Henry rifle over his shoulder with his Colt SAA on his hip. The Bowie knife was in a sheath on his left hip. He carried a few fruits and vegetables in a satchel slung by his side He carried spare ammo in boxes in the satchel as well as those attached to his holster and on the sling of the rifle.

When they arrived at the train, they found the Odessa train and the others from the saloon assigned to their task. Both young men identified themselves to Dan who ushered them to the passenger car where Sergio and Mistihkoman were sitting. The two took seats across from Sergio. Both noticed the bible he was reading. Finney fondled the small bible in his pocket, considered pulling it out to read and declined. Billy on the other hand uttered the following, [i]“unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven  and whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”[/i] Billy didn’t carry a bible. He memorized it.