THE GUNFIGHTER
                                                                          OF
                                                                      TALUK
                                                                 By Tim Moser


It was on a cold November morning nestled at the foothills of the Taluk mountain range sat a small southwestern town. The town was formed as a mining settlement in 1868 and soon became a booming town with gold and silver prospectors. Along with the prospectors came a young Mexican couple that was just looking for a place to settle. They came across this town called Taluk, out of money and food they rushed to find work. The young woman soon found work in a laundry mat washing and mending miners clothes. As the young man found work as a miner and a ranch hand, soon they made enough to get a room for .25 a week.

As time went by a baby girl was born to the young couple that made Taluk their home. They named the child Renata after the young woman's great grandmother. One day as Renata was playing on the board walk of the hotel they were living in, four men on horses rode up and made their way into the hotel. A few minutes ticked by and there was a shot and then two. The four men came out of the hotel smiled at the little Renata then rode away. What little Renata didn't know that her ma and pa lay dead in the upstairs room. Soon people were running from all over to the hotel crying and yelling for the killers that gunned down the woman and man that lay dead.

Little Renata was now a five year old orphan with no one to care for her. The town folks took turns in caring for the child, and after ten years she was able to take care of herself. She found work just as her mother did but that didn't seem to interest her for she longed for something better then .25 a week. One evening as she was walking home she stopped in front of the Rosa Cantina, she was intrigued by what was going on inside. She walked up to the swinging doors of the cantina and looked in. As she was looking in she didn't notice people coming in and was pushed in to open room that was before her. She saw women in beautiful dresses dancing and twirling, and how she wanted a dress like that. Renata didn't have much of a dress as the women that were dancing, but she found herself starting to some-what dance to the music that was being played.

A woman that was known as Big Ma notice her and walked up to her and asked her if she would like a job at the cantina. Renata eyes lit up as she said yes of course! Big Ma told her to buy a dress at the dress shop at the other end of town and be here tomorrow night. Of course I will said Renata, I will do it first thing in the morning. The next day Renata ran to the shop to buy a beautiful dress, but the dresses were more then she had in her hand. The shop keeper saw her long face and told her he would sell her the dress on time. Her face lit up with excitement, she tried on the dress and it was just right. Renata said with a tear in her eye this is the most beautiful thing I've ever owned. The shop keeper smiled and told her to pay him once a week till it was paid off and sent her on her way with her new dress.

That evening Renata was at Rosa's Cantina dancing and having a great time showing off her new dress to the cowboys. Big Ma took her to the side and told her you can make up to two dollars a night here. Renata thought that's a lot of money for just dancing. Big Ma said well for the two dollars you will also be a call girl as well. Renata thought for a minute and said I do have a dress and a room to pay for, so yes I'll do it said Renata I'll do it. The next night at the cantina Renata came in and was quickly took in by a man that looked like he just came in off the range. The cowboy took Renata by the hand to went upstairs to a room, Renata was somewhat scared and shy of what was to come. But the cowboy had told her he just wants to get to know her and treat her like the beautiful girl she is.

Night after night the cowboy came, and Renata and him would talk long into the night. One night as she waited for her cowboy he didn't show up. A ranch hand grabbed her and took her upstairs and as they got in the room the ranch hand threw her to the bed and told her to get undress. Renata yelled NO! the ranch hand grabbed her and ripped her dress and began to hit her. Soon the nightmare was over, and Renata laid there crying and hurt. She picked herself up and walked down the stairs and home. Her dress was now a mess as she laid it on the chair by her bed, she cried herself to sleep and the next morning she got up and started to repair the dress.

Later that day she went to the mercantile and asked to see the pistols that they had for sale. The shop keeper showed her what he had and she chose the a .22 pistol and tucked it into her waistband.
Later that night Renata went to the cantina and waited for the ranch hand that hit her around the night before. Soon the ranch hand showed up and walked up to Renata and laughed then spit in her face and he raised his hand as he was going to strike her. about the same time her cowboy that she was seeing every night walked in and saw the ranch hand strike Renata across the face. This made the cowboy mad and yelled to the ranch hand and called him out. The ranch hand answered the call and the cowboy drew as fast as lightening, after the shot and the smoke cleared the ranch hand laid dead.

The cowboy walk over to Renata and picked her up off the floor and carried her home. He laid her in bed and sat in the chair watching over through the night. The next morning she arose and told him of what happened over the last couple of nights. As he listened to what she said he heard a couple of riders riding up to the cabin. It was the ranch hands friends and called the cowboy outside, as a rose out of the chair to answer the call Renata grabbed is sleeve and said please don't go out there.
He told her it'll be alright just stay inside, he opened the door and stepped outside and asked what they wanted. They replied word around town is that you shot down a man that was just minding his own. The cowboy replied back with three shots as fast as lightening and another three ranch hands lay dead.

The cowboy then picked up the bodies of the dead ranch hands and put them on the horses they rode in on and took them to town. He rode up top the Marshals office and told of what had happened
and the cowboy was let go. The cowboy rode back to Renata cabin and asked for her hand, Renata said with a high voice YES OF COURSE! but Renata thought for a moment and said wait I don't even know your name. He replied back saying my name is El Hombre Esperanza. She dropped to her knees when he told her that. He pick her up and asked what's wrong, why did you fall to you knees?
She replied and told him a story of when she was a little girl her parents were killed and the people of Taluk took care of me and told me that a man of hope would come to me and ask to marry me.

Well said El Hombre Esperanza, do you still accept my offer? She said of course I will, we will marry as soon as we get to town said Renata. Renata and her man rode into town and got married then rode back to Renata cabin. As they got to the cabin he told her to pack her stuff and you'll move out to the ranch I have outside of town. El Hombre Esperanza also told her that you have married into money for that I own all of Taluk and the gold mine that is high in the Taluk mountains.
Renata hurried into the cabin and packed her little life that she once knew into a bag and came out and shut the door to her one room cabin.

They rode back into town and El Hombre Esperanza stopped at the dress shop and told her to go in get any dress she wanted. Renata stepped in to the dress shop and picked what she wanted. She told the shopkeeper that she wanted this long dress with the frills on it and how much does it cost.
The shopkeeper told her well ma'am...You see that man that brought you here? She replied yes...for he is my husband. That's right the shopkeeper said and that means you own this store as well, for he owns all of Taluk. Renata didn't know what to say but thank you, and as always the shopkeeper smiled at her and told her to have a good day.
Renata climbed back on to the buggy and the two rode off into the sunset that sat over the little town of Taluk.