Act I 

Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4
 

Scene 1

    the sun is setting
    huge, in the Midwestern sky
    the Badlands ablaze
    cloud of dust, a comet's tail
    behind lone horse and rider
    both sweating against
    January's chill wind and
    their own breakneck speed

Scene 2

    frontier mining town
    nestled in mountain's embrace
    gold, men, noise, saloons
    a few women and children
    mud and chickens underfoot
    small-time merchants have
    set up stalls amid the more
    permanent structures

    the main muddy street
    a brick building stands alone
    in a wooden town
    a sign above the door reads:
    Holman & Briggs Mining Co.
    inside sacks of gold
    awaiting transport on this
    January day

    the mine offices
    surrounded, on this day, by
    fourteen hired guns
    men who fight, and kill, for a
    bit of gold in their pockets
    they are watchful men
    their greatest skill: “stay’n alive
    long ‘nough ta get paid”

    inside, at his desk,
    Mr. Holman sits content
    happy for the men
    happy to pay for safety
    this month’s yield a goodly one
    his top foreman had
    reported a bonanza
    deep down in shaft two

    there by the window
    Frank White, Holman’s fulltime gun
    his focus outside
    he don’t ‘spect trouble, not from
    a town of miners and whores
    but its not his coin
    and Holman was a good boss
    let him do his job

    searching his men’s eyes
    could he see trouble in them?
    knew some were thinking:
    get a group. walk in n’ take
    what we wanted. who’d stop us?
    but White knows them all,
    trusts most and the few he don’t,
    figured he could take

Scene 3

    the scene shifts back to
    horse and rider fleeing ‘cross
    cold, stark prairie hills
    a large cloud of dust miles back
    twenty-three well armed horsemen
    hard, dirty, weathered
    men accustomed to life on
    the prairie: bandits!

    the sun were rising
    when Jimmy White had set out
    ridin’ towards Sand Flats
    sent to investigate the
    delay of a stage coach
    set to arrive in
    town yesterday to transport
    the mine’s bonanza

    he saw the coach, stopped
    something odd, couldn’t quite tell
    rode a bit closer
    struck him sudden what was wrong
    it seemed to be surrounded
    out of a leather
    pouch, a small spyglass, bringing
    the commotion close

    driver at gunpoint
    stage guard bleeding in the dirt
    armed men on horseback
    suddenly there was yelling
    pointing his way, he’d been seen!
    spyglass put away
    he turned his horse and started
    riding hard away

    he heard two quick shots
    guessed the driver dead, said a
    quick prayer in his head
    more shots sounded, these in his
    direction, he chanced a look
    over his shoulder
    the men wheeling horses
    hasty to give chase

    it was said Jimmy
    had ridden ‘fore he could stand
    and today he’d picked
    a hardy, long-winded mount
    a mare he’d named Caroline
    they had been riding
    half a day, she’d tire soon
    not sure they’d make town

    jump back to sunset
    Jimmy riding, Caroline
    is near exhaustion
    “town is still an hour away
    but there’s a chance I’ll make it,”
    he thinks, leaning down
    “good girl, just a little more”
    in Caroline’s ear

    Jimmy had gained ground
    early on, but the bandits
    slowly closed the gap
    their mounts were fresher and most
    were good riders, ex-cowboys
    two ride close, one takes
    the other’s reins, now free to,
    he draws his rifle

    aiming at Jimmy
    the rifle bucks, missing wide
    working the lever
    he shoots again, strikes closer
    his third shot finds Jimmy White
    in a spray of blood
    and a cry, he falls against
    Caroline’s long neck

    reins slack in his hands
    Caroline slows and then stops
    Jimmy slowly slides
    from his saddle to the ground
    none stop to put another
    bullet in his back
    riding on towards Holman
    & Biggs Mining Co.

Scene 4

    Frank White felt a bit
    of a shiver down his spine,
    thought nothin’ of it
    it’d be dark in an hour
    best split the men into shifts
    Frank gave the orders
    then figurin’ on some grub
    crossed to the saloon

    two whiskey shots and
    half a meal later, he hears
    horses and six-guns
    the twenty-three armed horsemen
    Ride into town, dusk mixing
    with lanterns turning
    main street a collection of
    shadows and dim light

    outside the office
    two of Holman’s men buck out
    flat-footed, the third
    takes two bandits as he goes
    roof guards make three eat ground then
    clutch chest wounds, falling
    a pause as those inside and
    bandits find cover

    lead volleys answer
    each other across the street
    three minutes of this
    then no more noise ‘cept mingled
    cries and moans of the dying  
    six bandits stride in
    fill their arms with bags of ore
    ride off towards sunset

    amidst the shooting
    Frank had stepped out the saloon
    shooting iron drawn
    he felled one, two, three
    bandits, misfired on a fourth  
    who quickly emptied
    his six shooter into Frank
    dead ‘fore he hit ground

    cold wind cleared the smoke
    townsfolk looking from windows
    see the town doctor
    among the bodies,
    the coffin man close behind
    Holman, out of breath,
    standing before the shambles
    of his enterprise