Awestruck Comments

RosieAnnie - This was a joy to read, and I just didn't see Harry's upcoming appearance coming! You truly captured his character, by trying to appear competent by fluttering around on the edges of people who can truly do things well. Capability by association. What's so bad about Galveston? Loads of great lines, but I loved, "Harry, you know me and Thaddeus well enough to know by now, we can be bought." Trust Heyes to have a plan to look after Harry in spite of himself.

InsideOutlaw - Clearly you and RosieAnnie have been at the font of witty dialogue, because here's another one just brimming with great lines like:

“Morris, does he always talk this much?” asked Nate.

“Only when he’s not inhaling,” answered the Kid.

Not only great lines, but great plotting. I would love to have seen Paulson's face when he opened the safe! Terrific.

Yope1995 - Loved that the boys were hunting skunks! Very good first entry. Well written and funny. Congrats!

Yope1995: Congrats on posting your first story! Catching skunks for a bounty is a fun idea and I enjoyed the humor throughout the story. I was a little confused at the end, though: why did the boys get $200--did they actually get a bonus for completing the job?

Yope1995 -- Congratulations! Fun story. Really loved the skunk hunt. Reminds of when my daughter and her two tent mates at camp had a close encounter with a skunk looking for the Twix bar stashed in my daughter's backpack. I had to send her a new backpack, but we parents (us and her best friend/tent mate's parents) certainly enjoyed ourselves.

Anyway, poor Heyes, it is so difficult to get rid of the smell too... I just assumed the man who wanted the skunks was so unnerved by the Kid's "gunfighter" glare after he tried to short change them that he got the number wrong. It wasn't likely that the Kid was going to correct him. Anyway I laughed through the story -- good job.

Hey thanks for bringing that to me attention, Ghis! I added a sentence to fix it. *palms forehead* I can't believe I missed that!
And thank you all for your nice comments!

Riders, you had the right idea.

Yope1995: Thanks for clarifying! I really like this line by Heyes that you added: “You gotta stop staring down people."

I've been a bit lazy so I'm playin' catch-up with this month's entries. Bear with me, I promise I WILL get to yours real soon

Sistergrace: Your first line created such imagery, with Heyes comparing his life to the tumbling safe.
I really enjoyed how the last line led into the next segment; very nice progression.
Your use of "mutiny" terms in relationship to the outlaws was very clever as well and my fav ended up being the final lines of the story.
Great job!

Hannaheyes: Kid vs, Kid, huh? What an interesting perspective of what could have transpired should the two of them have met up face to face.
Again, my fav lines again, were the last ones:

Heyes: "Yeah, I guess so. Was I ever that cocky?"

The Kid laughed. "Heyes, you're still that cocky!"

Very enjoyable!

Silverkelpie: Loved all the twists and turns in this.
Flim flam people who had no idea who they were dealing with, did they?
Loved the way Heyes used finesse so they could bet paid.
It held my attention from the very beginning! Awesome job!


Maz: Aw, what a nice, heartwarming story!!!
Who would be able to resist/say "No" to BOTH Jed's blue eyes and the dog's brown ones??? Not me!
Had me worried there for a bit, but it looks like Bounty is on his way to his new home and family - yay!
Left me with warm fuzzies on this cold, wet nite in CA...tyvm

Gringa: I loved the many twists and turns your story took me on. Lots of surprises, too, right up to the very end.
The two "Smiths" was a very nice touch.
Loved the bantering about their names while they were waiting.
And, it was very fun to find out what all the connections were at the end.
Great job!


Allegra: Great account of them trying to convince the other whose turn it is to untie...always love to hear what they come up with to do the convincing.
For me, I enjoyed the clever way they retrieved their weapons the best.
And, I love Heyes' way of thinking: They ARE worth it!

GHISLAINE: You should know by now that the length doesn't matter here...
You packed so much into such a short space...
Loved Heyes' way of explaining to Kid about the spelling.
Re: your question about "nevertheless"...I think it depends on who Heyes is speaking to. If it is the Kid, no; he'd be less formal. But if it were someone he was trying to impress with his intellect, yes.
And I agree with Heyes, I like the way Kid is thinking


PENSKI: I think this may be one of the first times the boys have stolen the liquor...nice creative thinking!
Boy, they sure made Blair mad enough, didn't they? Great explanation as to why their bounty got to be $10,000.
And, in the midst of Heyes' bragging, Kid is the one to bring up another new thing that has been added to their posters, a four letter word that takes all the fun out of it for him.
Great job!

Slowly but surely I am reading my way through all these wonderful stories!

Next up, we have:

RIDERS57: "Stingy, stingy, stingy man!!!" I agree with the barkeep, he MUST be related with the name like Bligh!
Weighing the potato peelings??? wow...sheesh
I'm afraid I agree with them, they can't afford to hang around.
Loved the ending, the note was a very nice touch, indeed.
I really enjoyed finding out about the origin of the saloon's name as well as your clever name for the barkeep, himself.



CORNELIA MAY: I'm so glad you jumped right in and got your feet wet with a challenge story!
Very interesting use of the prompt, but I have to think that you may have more in store for Emma Peirce, as far as letting the rest of us in on some more of her background (hint, hint)
You've got our attention, now write more!!!

INSIDEOUTLAW: Loved all the wonderful bantering going on between the guys.
Ooh, fun new names for the pair? Heyes has such a flair with them!
I absolutely loved Kid's description of how Heyes got injured...still have a big grin just thinking of it, lol
Very clever ending...wonder if Paulson would go for it?


ROSIEANNIE: Ah, good ol' Harry Briscoe, how we love that Bannerman man. Nice to see him in a challenge.
I really liked the name Harry chose for his agency: "The Briscoe Agency for Professional Detection and Bounty Hunting!"
I was glad to see that someone took it upon themselves to do the "Bounty Paper Towels" slogan, and was creative enough to make it work. It was the first thing my mind thought of, but I didn't have the faintest clue how to go about incorporating it into an asj story.
Very fun reading; you nailed his character perfectly!

Wow...can't believe I am almost caught up (unless another writer jumps in here with a challenge story real fast, that is)

YOPE1995: Glad to see that another of our newest gang members has a contribution to share with us...yay!
Ok, so I do not think Heyes and Kid have ever signed up to trap LIVE skunks for a bounty in any other story. May be a first???
$40 is waaaaay to low for risking their lives capturin' those critters!!!
Loved the confusion about the "live" skunks, I was wondering, too!
The bantering tone between the two was great. Many great lines, too.
It WAS Heyes' idea, but I'm sorry he had to be the one to pay the price
AND they got PAID...with a Bonus, too...will wonders never cease??? But who could say no to Kid (certainly not Moi')
One last point...inquiring minds want/need to know, what DID Kirkwood want with the skunks????? (Just teasing, it isn't a plot point, just MY mind wandering around looking for anwers )

Lol! Come to think of it, I probably should have stuck that in there somewhere. Kirkwood as being plagued by skunks and he couldn't find anyone to rid the line shacks of them. So which "innocent" drifters happen by? Poor ol' Heyes an' Curry.
And, yes, I thought it was kinda low too Poor fellas! xD

Remuda - Thank you for your kind comments, but poor Silverkelpie helps me by working from both English and Spanish versions of my stories and I have to tell all those congratulating me on the twist that it was her suggestion to have the landlady wanted too. I have a great Beta!

Kid4Ever:

Thanks for the comment. I wasn't sure I understood the last line and then I realized you had read it as though Heyes was going to trade what he stole for the bounty on his head. It could definitely be construed that way and that would be an excellent way to expand this, but I really meant that Heyes stole Paulson's bounty and left his (his wanted poster) so the man would know exactly who robbed him. I thought I better clarify that in case someone else read it that way, too.

Ooh, Gringa - Much as I love to take credit for your wonderful story, this was all your own work, and your English is excellent. We all bounce ideas off one another, that's what's so good about this group, but you must take the credit for your story, and certainly for that wonderful exchange! Who else could come up with, "what does a 'Jones' do?"