Here’s some more of the adventures of Belle Bowie, my RDR2 universe character, enjoy
Belle Bowie was riding into the town of Blackwater, West Elizabeth just as the sun set. She spent a good part of that day hunting down an elusive cougar that came down from the mountain regions of the area and was killing livestock. The local populace, also fearful their children and themselves would be next, demanded the sheriff bring in Belle as she was skilled at stealth hunting cougars and wolves. She finally caught up with the beast a good way near New Austin and Belle had a little bit of journey ahead of her, so she was more than pleased to stop for a few minutes at the Blackwater city limits. She’d only just relaxed a little when she felt a pistol pointed at her back.
“R-reach for it, l-lady,” a young uncertain called out.
Belle raised her arms up, not wanting to spook this scared would be hold up artist, and maybe talk whoever it was out of their quest.
"Listen whoever you are, ain’t got much money on me, and I’ve spent all day bringing in this nuisance cougar, so if you just wait while I paid, I’ll hand it over, no fuss.
“A-ain’t that simple,” the voice began,
And soon Belle had elbowed her assailant in the ribs and managed to flip them to the ground. She raised her own revolver at them, and got a good shock herself.
“Jesus Christ,” she shouted, “you’re young enough to be my kid sister!”
Staring up at Belle was a girl of about 16, her long blond hair strewn out and her hat right beside her. Had the kid’s eyes been blue, she really could’ve been Belle’s sister.
“Just get it over with,” she said.
Belle helped her to her feet.
"You’re a little too eager to get killed kid, what would your folks say to this,
“Ain’t got none, I’m by myself,” she said, resigned.
“Tell you what, let’s talk about this while I take this cougar to the sheriff, then to the butcher.”
Belle’s request was met with the kid trying to fight loose, but Belle managed to wrangle her to the ground and tying her arms,
“Goddamn woman, get these off me!” she shouted and protested as Belle hooked the rope to her saddle.
“Just calm down,” Belle said as they started towards Blackwater, “and don’t go thinking of dragging your heels or slowing down, old Cuchillo has a nasty habit of stepping on feet that don’t go his pace.”
Belle parked both her horse Cuchillo and the spitfire girl at the sheriff’s office as she unloaded the cougar carcass.
“One last thing,” she said before going in, “you better not try to hop on Cuchillo and run off, he don’t let just anybody mount him.”
After finishing her business in town and taking a room for the night, and the kid cooling off in jail, Belle and her charge headed out the next day. Wanting to wrangle in the kid’s remaining stubbornness, Belle restrained her as before, but this time walking just an inch in front of Cuchillo.
“Not bad,” Belle said as they moved along, “keep up this pace and Cuchillo may end up liking you.”
“Just where the hell are you taking me?” she asked,
“Down to MacFarlane’s Ranch,” Belle told her, “I believe my friend Bonnie MacFarlane is just the person to squeeze out whatever remaining anger is in you. You’re real lucky the sheriff believed me when I said you were just a desperate youngster all alone out here. Don’t waste what chance I’m giving you.”
They reached the large parcel of land that made up McFarlane’s Ranch, the safety border point between the hostile Thieves’ Landing and the plague-ridden Armadillo in New Austin. Bonnie MacFarlane stepped out onto the porch of her house as she saw Belle ride up with her quarry.
“Good to see you Belle,” Bonnie said as they shook hands. “Who do we have here?” she asked her Belle untied the kid.
“This youngster tried holding me up last night while I was delivering that troublesome cougar to Blackwater,” Belle began, “I figured if anyone could set her straight, it’s you.”
Bonnie took a quick glance at the girl,
“What’s your name girl?”
“Maggie,” she said, rubbing the stiffness out of her arms.
“Well Maggie, both my father and I demand hard work around here, and from the looks of you, whatever has your ire up needs a good sweatin’ out.”
“Like you can make me shovel horse shit or bail hay,” Maggie said petulantly as she walked away."
It didn’t take long for Bonnie to grab Maggie by the arm flip her to the ground a few times.
“Missy,” she sternly told the girl, “try to be cross and flippant with me, and you’ll be spending a lot of time getting a whoppin. Fly right and pay attention, and just maybe you’ll make something of yourself.”
Belle gave one of her rare broad smiles as she mounted Cuchillo to leave, “I’ll leave you to it Bonnie.”
