Old School Scribbles

A Withered Man with Black Hair

            A withered manwith black hair and a bushy beard. The years wore on his face like a mask is staring down a bustling street. Miners littered the taverns and any other place where a beer may be sold, a brothel had started next to an inn, the street seemed friendly yet dirty he thought. The man continues to walk along the road, his shuffled strides kicking up the rocks and dust leaving a small trail behind him. Feral cats and dogs ran about this street turning to the bush, fighting and killing to survive. Passing a stray dog that looked rough with its shades of brown and black, the man bends to pat the deserted creature, the stray bite the man's tough hands and draws blood in little beads where the teeth pierced the skin. The man yells at the dog in anger and continues to shuffle his way to the hotel at the end of the street, the Eureka Hotel. This Hotel, quite unlike the other buildings in the area was well kept and inviting with its large glowing fire places and shining clean bar. Many people from Melbourne would choose the Eureka Hotel as their place of board for the night when passing through. The man reaches the door and opens it slowly enjoying the smoothness of the wood work. Entering the Hotel he noticed two younger men talking. 'Bushrangers' he thought judging by their appearances. The old man ordered a beer and sat on a clean table nearer to the bushrangers, eager to hear the conversation.

            "Robbery..." is the first word he heard as he approached, the bushrangers continued to talk after a slight pause to have a drink; "So I was just heading down the track to Melbourne when a rich couple was riding in their carriage, so I decided to have some fun which ended up with a dead driver and a heavy loot bag for me" said the first bushranger through a crooked grin.

            The second bushranger replies; "So what did they have on them? Much gold?"

            "Yes indeed my friend, they had a whole billy can worth of it, it was quite heavy to be honest but it was worth it! I might go try out the new brothel down the road a bit later tonight."

            "Okay that sounds fun but first of all we need to take care of something else first..." and he leant in and whispered to his friend, out of the old man's earshot; "Looks like we got us a sticky beak over there." he said, indicating his head slightly towards the old man. "I think it would be best if we got rid of him before he tells anyone anything." The man wondered what they were talking about and wondered why they were sneering, deciding he probably didn't want to know he finished the beer he had ordered and made his way towards the door and started back up the street towards his house. Little did he know the bushrangers had planned on killing him. As he dragged his feet in his shuffled manner he lead them right to his house. Later that night the bushrangers tried to breaking into the man's house but he heard them and grabbed his single shot rifle off the wall and cocked it in wait of the men. Seeing the first bushranger and thinking he was alone he shot without hesitation because the intruder was armed with a pistol. The man's aim was true as he killed the first bushranger, but then he noticed there was a second and began to reload his rifle. He have enough time, for just as he cocked it, everything went dark. The last thing he saw was his trusty rifle.