Moving On Chapter 6 "What if he doesn't want to see us? I mean, he never answered the telegram," inquired a worried JD as the six men rode down the main street of New Orleans. "Don't worry, Kid. I'm sure he'll wanna see us. I bet he's missin' us as much as we are him," answered Buck. They all ignored Nathan's snort. "So, where should we start looking first?" questioned Josiah. "I guess we start with the hotels. I think that we should all stay together. This place is big enough that we'd never find each other again," said Chris. Reining their horses to a stop, they entered the first hotel that they saw. TWO HOURS LATER "Great! Another dead end!" exclaimed Chris. All six men were frustrated. They had spent hours looking for the gambler and hadn't found any leads to him at all. "Well, let's try the one down the street. If we don't find him there, we'll call it a night," Chris told them. Walking into the hotel, they had to enter the downstairs casino first. Vin gasped, he couldn't believe it! "Ezra," he whispered loud enough for the other five men to hear. Following Vin's line of sight, they saw Ezra sitting at a table playing cards with three other men. They quickly made their way over, just as Ezra was sweeping in his winning pot. "Ezra!" exclaimed an excited JD. Ezra quickly turned to look at them, surprise clearly etched on his face. "What are you doing, Ezra? Cheating some more people out of their hard earned money?" Nathan snidely questioned. Ezra's face went blank, his poker face in place. Turning back to his three poker comrades, he spoke. "Ignore him, Gentlemen. It is an inside joke. I think I shall be taking my leave now. Goodnight." With a tip of his hat, Ezra was ushering the other six men up the stairs, before the three poker players could say a word. With each step that Ezra took, the angrier he got. What were these men doing here? Why couldn't they leave him alone to live his life in peace? After they had entered Ezra's hotel room and the door had been shut, Ezra looked at them. They could all clearly see the anger in Ezra's emerald green eyes. After a minute, he spoke. "What were you trying to accomplish, Mister Jackson? Getting me tarred and feathered? Or, better yet, killed?" "What are you talkin' about, Ezra?" asked Nathan. "That little comment you made downstairs. About me cheating, remember?" "Now, Ez, I'm sure..." Buck started. He trailed off when Ezra's angry eyes turned to him. Looking back at Nathan, he said, "I've been having a good run of luck lately. Without sleight of hand. Now, those men are liable to wonder if I have been cheating. Thank you, Mister Jackson." Nobody said anything for a few minutes. The awkward silence was broken by Ezra. "What are you gentlemen doing here?" "We came to get you, Ezra. To get you to come back," said JD. Ezra hated to dash JD's hopes, but he had to. Shaking his head, he spoke. "I fear you gentlemen have wasted a lot of time. I am not returning with you and I have no plans of doing so in the near future." "Why?" Chris demanded. "I have a life here. Plus, I will be starting plans to open a casino soon." "But, son--," started Josiah. Ezra cut him off. "No, Josiah, I've made up my mind. Now, if you all will excuse me..." Ezra said as he opened the door. After a minute, the six men filed out, one by one. Vin was the last one out the door. "Please reconsider, Ez." "Goodnight, Mister Tanner," was all Ezra said before he shut and locked the door. Return to Moving On
Moving On
Chapter 6
"What if he doesn't want to see us? I mean, he never answered the telegram," inquired a worried JD as the six men rode down the main street of New Orleans.
"Don't worry, Kid. I'm sure he'll wanna see us. I bet he's missin' us as much as we are him," answered Buck. They all ignored Nathan's snort.
"So, where should we start looking first?" questioned Josiah.
"I guess we start with the hotels. I think that we should all stay together. This place is big enough that we'd never find each other again," said Chris.
Reining their horses to a stop, they entered the first hotel that they saw.
TWO HOURS LATER
"Great! Another dead end!" exclaimed Chris. All six men were frustrated. They had spent hours looking for the gambler and hadn't found any leads to him at all.
"Well, let's try the one down the street. If we don't find him there, we'll call it a night," Chris told them.
Walking into the hotel, they had to enter the downstairs casino first. Vin gasped, he couldn't believe it! "Ezra," he whispered loud enough for the other five men to hear. Following Vin's line of sight, they saw Ezra sitting at a table playing cards with three other men.
They quickly made their way over, just as Ezra was sweeping in his winning pot. "Ezra!" exclaimed an excited JD.
Ezra quickly turned to look at them, surprise clearly etched on his face.
"What are you doing, Ezra? Cheating some more people out of their hard earned money?" Nathan snidely questioned.
Ezra's face went blank, his poker face in place. Turning back to his three poker comrades, he spoke. "Ignore him, Gentlemen. It is an inside joke. I think I shall be taking my leave now. Goodnight." With a tip of his hat, Ezra was ushering the other six men up the stairs, before the three poker players could say a word.
With each step that Ezra took, the angrier he got. What were these men doing here? Why couldn't they leave him alone to live his life in peace?
After they had entered Ezra's hotel room and the door had been shut, Ezra looked at them. They could all clearly see the anger in Ezra's emerald green eyes. After a minute, he spoke.
"What were you trying to accomplish, Mister Jackson? Getting me tarred and feathered? Or, better yet, killed?"
"What are you talkin' about, Ezra?" asked Nathan.
"That little comment you made downstairs. About me cheating, remember?"
"Now, Ez, I'm sure..." Buck started. He trailed off when Ezra's angry eyes turned to him.
Looking back at Nathan, he said, "I've been having a good run of luck lately. Without sleight of hand. Now, those men are liable to wonder if I have been cheating. Thank you, Mister Jackson."
Nobody said anything for a few minutes. The awkward silence was broken by Ezra. "What are you gentlemen doing here?"
"We came to get you, Ezra. To get you to come back," said JD.
Ezra hated to dash JD's hopes, but he had to. Shaking his head, he spoke. "I fear you gentlemen have wasted a lot of time. I am not returning with you and I have no plans of doing so in the near future."
"Why?" Chris demanded.
"I have a life here. Plus, I will be starting plans to open a casino soon."
"But, son--," started Josiah.
Ezra cut him off. "No, Josiah, I've made up my mind. Now, if you all will excuse me..." Ezra said as he opened the door. After a minute, the six men filed out, one by one.
Vin was the last one out the door. "Please reconsider, Ez."
"Goodnight, Mister Tanner," was all Ezra said before he shut and locked the door.
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