"Get up, Kid! Get up! You're nothing but a lowdown dirty polecat that deserves a good licking! Lou's gone and it's all you're fault! She's tough and pretty and smart and she wouldn't of left Rock Creek if it wasn't for you!" Jesse screamed as he stood over the two riders, his hands balled into fists in front of him.
There was a dangerous glint in Jimmy's eyes as he and Kid struggled to disengage themselves from each other and stand up. "I suggest you clear out of my sight before I get to my feet or I'm not going to be responsible for what I do to you!"
"Ooh, I'm scared! What are you going to do Jimmy, shoot me? I don't care! You got this coming!" Jesse taunted him.
"What the hell has gotten into you boy!" Teaspoon shouted, striding towards Jesse. He grabbed a hold of Jesse's shirt and yanked him backward, just as Jimmy got to his feet and lunged forward. Kid's arms shot out to restrain Jimmy.
"I know you're upset Jesse, but you got no call hitting me or talking to Jimmy like that!" Kid said angrily.
Jesse struggled in Teaspoon's grasp. "I wouldn't hold myself to be much of a man, if I didn't stand up for Lou! Accepting the fact that I'd miss Lou something fierce, I hope you don't find her! Maybe she'll be able to find a man who will care for her, defend her and make her happy! Obviously she ain't going to be happy with the likes of either of you! I'm thinking that the barn's a good place for both of you! At least then you would be bunkin' with the rest of the animals, especially the jackasses!"
Jimmy broke out of Kid's grip and started toward Teaspoon and Jesse. "You smart mouth little weasel! Wait till I get my hands on you! I'll teach you what it's like to be a man!"
The laughter drained out of the other riders' faces as Jimmy advanced towards where Teaspoon held Jesse. They shot each other uneasy glances, before each of them placed themselves strategically around Jesse and Teaspoon. The smoldering look that Jimmy shot each of them would have burned them to a crisp, if they had been pieces of wood.
"Get out of my way!" Jimmy growled through clenched teeth. "It's time somebody taught that boy what it takes to be a man! If he has the guts to pick a fight, then he better be ready to back up his claim!"
"Jimmy, he's upset! He's got every reason to defend Lou! Any other time or any other person and you'd be shaking his hand right now! You're just mad that the person he chose to defend Lou against is you!" Kid told him.
Everyone held their breath as they waited to see how Jimmy would respond to what Kid had said. Kid braced himself in case Jimmy decided to take his anger at Jesse out on him. Jimmy's eyes moved back and forth between Kid and Jesse. Just as sudden as the anger had filled him, it was gone. A wry laugh echoed through the barn.
"You're right, Kid. I can't drill it into his head to stick up for himself and his friends to everyone else and not expect him to do the same to me. Just don't go getting to full of yourself!" Jimmy said, grinning at Jesse.
Jesse let out a sigh of relief. As mad as he had been at Kid and Hickok when he had entered the barn a short time ago, it had fled from him the moment Jimmy had stood up. Fear had filled him instead and he had fought the urge to bolt out of Teaspoon's arms. Instead he had stood and faced Jimmy. He had to admit that if it hadn't been for the fact that Teaspoon and the other riders' had been between him and Jimmy, he would have surely passed out from fair.
"Come on boys, let's go see if Rachel's got breakfast ready. All of this excitement has made me work up an appetite!" Teaspoon exclaimed.
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