the blazen sun stretched his arms round the dirt ball stuck under our feet; a gentle breeze licked the sweat from our heads; chickens got to eat, just like any other living thing; "who goes there?"; burdened by the power of his light, my squinted eyes caught on to a carriage, then i heard the crispy course strings of a banjo and the chanting of a tune; I'm a working man I work and I work while the good man slumbers; he moves coal, he breaks steel, an he chops down lumber; I take the jewels from the fools Oh im a working man and I work and work while the good man slumbers "i never heard that song before"; "Oh that's quite all right, it's nothing but a song anyway;" the man before us looked ready for church, and i didn't know they made carriages that nice; "Would you boys say you've ever had problems?"; weary of this question, I let the dust move silence between us; my compatriot nudged on the conversation: "well certainly, I can't think of any man who hasn't had any problems."; "Then I have something for you two, give me just one moment."; the man rushed round his carriage kicking up dust; looking for whatever it was, it sounded like he fell down some stairs in a metal suit; i felt for the six shooter strapped to my hip; "Gentlemen you're in luck. I've got the fix for you."; "fix for whua—"; "For anything! Tell me, what problems have you had recently?"; "uhm, i couldn't say for sure, but uhm let me think"; standing in front of us with a small tincture, i noticed he wouldn't stop grinning; "i mean i have had an upset stomach recently, i think i must of eaten somethin wron—"; "It'll fix that!"; "and my back i t—"; "It'll fix that!"; "what about my mare? it's been a hard breeding seas—"; "It'll fix that too!"; "i've also got a neighbor who won't sto—"; "YES!" his grin broke, and his lips pulled past his full bright white teeth, exposing his fleshy red gums; "It will most certainly fix that too."; i went back to feeding the chickens; "Sir. Aren't you interested in the resolution of all your problems?"; the chickens plucked the feed from the dirt; my compatriot snatched the hat off his head, "wait a second, is you one of them snake oil salesman that they've been talkin bout back in town?"; shifting his gaze, he buried his eyes into my compatriot, "I'm not a snake oil salesman; I'm a salesman who sells snake oil"; "good. i won't tolerate any thievery. how much is a bottle?"; "I'd love to sell you some, sir, but I have a policy that I must adhere to;" bringing the bottle closer to his face, he tapped the tincture with his long fingernails, and the oil washed against the glass walls; "go on."; "You both have to buy."; my rooster roamed near my legs; "that shouldn't be a problem, whad ya think Henry?"; i knelt down and the chicken took the remaining feed from my palm; from the corner of my eye I noticed that the teethy smile was missing from the salesman's face; my compatriot gripped his hat; "come'on Henry, won't you give the man some business. what if I buys two and we call the policy adhered to;" in a newly bitter tone: "I do apologize sir, but I can't. If I sell to one, I must sell the other too."; "but who's gonna know? surely the policy can be—"; stamping his foot in the dirt, the salesman ruffled up his perfect combover; "Sir— surely I have made myself plenty clear;" if you looked close enough, my roosters eyes looked like the lowest pit of hell; a perfectly black hole surrounded by a fiery copper ring; but despite his eyes, he done nothing but do right by me; "I have another policy that I should mention;" with a childlike excitement: "and whuat's that?"; "If the buyers don't want to give their money up willingly, I must take it anywa—"; a glint of chrome screamed against the inside of the salesman's coat; i yanked my shooter from my hip, outstretched my arm, and fell unto my left shoulder; two shots rang out; "HENRY!" on my back, kicking the dust out from under me, the ringing heat burned my body from the inside out; i sat up quick, with my shooter in hand i pointed it at the heap of dapper clothes; "christ almighty henry! you got him! you got him!"; feeling my body for any kind of wetness, i found only sweat; my rooster laid dead, on the dirt ball stuck beneath our feet;