the stranger rode into town.
the town only had one street, and it was dark.
there was one light in one window.
the window of the saloon, naturally.
the stranger decided to enter the saloon and have a drink.
he tied up his horse and pushed open the swinging doors and entered the saloon.
there was nobody behind the bar. that was not surprising, he figured a bartender was around somewhere.
then the stranger’s eye fell on three men seated at a table about five feet from the bar.
they were all three heavy men. they looked like solid citizens.
one of them wore a white hat, another wore a brown hat, and the third wore a straw hat.
the man in the white hat spoke.
howdy, stranger.
howdy, the stranger replied.
you are a stranger? the man in the brown hat asked.
yes, sir. just passing through.
passing through from where? asked the man in the straw hat hat.
dead city.
dead city! that is one hundred miles from here.
yes, sir, that sounds about right.
and how long did you stay in dead city? asked the man in the white hat.
if the stranger was annoyed by all the questioning, he did not show it.
a fair spell, he answered.
and what did you do during that fair spell? one of the men asked.
a little bit of this, a little bit of that. the town needed a little bit of cleaning up, and i helped out with that.
did they pay you? the man in the brown hat asked.
um - no, not exactly. i was just glad to help out.
how did you pay your way? asked the man in the straw hat. you must have had to eat, maybe have some place to sleep, wash up a bit.
i had a little bit saved up, the stranger replied.
you had a little bit saved up, the straw hat man repeated. tell me, you got your horse tied up outside?
i surely do.
he must be pretty tuckered out, being rid all the way from dead city. you must have had some kind of load of water and oats to haul along, to keep him going all that way.
he’s a good old horse, he gets by.
i’m curious to take a look at the poor beast, the straw hat man said. i think i will go out and take a look at him. just out of neighborly curiosity.
the stranger shrugged. suit yourself.
the straw hat man got up and headed outside.
and you yourself, the man in the white hat said to the stranger, you must have had some big skins of water, besides that little old flask i see on your belt.
i’m not a particularly thirsty man.
i can believe that, the white hat man said. i can righteously believe that.
no one spoke for about a minute.
the straw hat man returned and nodded to his two companions.
do you know what we think? the white hat man asked the stranger.
no, sir, what do you think?
we think we have seen a bit too many of fellows like you passing through lately. we don’t think you are lonesome drifting cowpokes at all.
you don’t? the stranger asked.
no, sir, we think you are agents from another planet, or another galaxy, or another dimension, come to spy upon us, and disturb and rile up our peaceable earthbound existence.
well, sir, the stranger replied, i am sorry you feel that way, and i do not mean to impose on your hospitality, so i reckon i will be on my way.
i reckon you will, the man in the white hat said. i just reckon you will.
the stranger hesitated. he was in fact, the agent of a remote galactic empire, and could have obliterated the town, and the planet earth, and its solar system in a millisecond if he so chose.
instead he said, i wish you a pleasant rest of the evening, gentlemen.
and turned and walked out and got back on his horse.
the three men in hats watched the stranger ride off into the night.
good riddance, the man in the brown hat said.
i still say, the man in the straw hat said, we could have let him clean up the town first.
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