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Description
3. Catch a thief

"Let’s see. Where shall I search first?"
Rango studied the map thoughtfully which he took from his office.
"Maybe Dry Creek? There he was been the last time. Or Skeleton Creek? But I blew the hut up by mistake. Where shall I search else?"
He looked about the map places which he marked with a sign of a cross where Bill was been seen the last times. For safety reasons Bill dropped his last hiding place. Maybe to avoid that sheriff could find him. Since Rango was in town, Bill was more careful.
With sigh, Rango folded the map together. "Okay, in this case we have to trust to chance that we find him. Excelsior. This could be a long search. Are you ready?"
The roadrunner clucked excitedly which Rango interpreted as “yes”. "Alright. Let’s catch a thief."

So Rango searched for Bill. First he searched in Skeleton Creek, although he had no hope of success, because there was really no one there. After that he wandered through Dry Creek, where also stood the old mines. But Bill remained missing.
"Damn!" Rango cursed. "I wasted the whole day to find him for nothing. What’s your opinion, Excelsior?"
The roadrunner clucked shortly and pecked on the floor for something.
"You are right. I’m hungry, too. How good that Beans gave us something to eat. Well then, we will continue our riding tomorrow."

No long he lighted a campfire beside a little mountain range and let his roadrunner free-range. He unpacked Beans’s lunch and Excelsior received a bowl of grain feed. After a short meal he made himself ready for the night. No sooner he had put his head on the saddle than he closed his eyes.
"Well, then, good night, Excelsior."

The roadrunner lifted his head when the first sunlight reached the earth. Chuckling he stood up and pecked with his beak in the sand. He looked at his rider impatiently who still slept with his head on the saddle. The chicken moved his head restlessly. Rango lay on the side, his hat beside him and his arms and legs were stretched out. Hesitating, the animal came closer and plucked at chameleon’s shirt.
Rango breathed deeply. He flashed several times before he woke up finally.
"Morning," he murmured.
Suddenly he had to cough pantingly several times. He cleaned his throat and touched his neck. He coughed again. He sat up. His roadrunner stood still next to him and pushed him in the back with his beak.
"Okay, Excel…," The sentence became stuck in his throat and he had to clean his throat again.
"What’s going on with me?" he thought. Did he catch a cold last night?
He breathed several times in and out. Something heavy lay on his chest.
He reached beside him and took out his water bottle. After several sips of water his neck felt very better.
"I don’t need a cold, not yet," he muttered.
Shaking his head he stood up and saddled his roadrunner.
When he mounted his roadrunner, he became giddy for a moment. He shook his head. Then everything was normal again.
"It’s been a while since I slept in the desert," he thought. "Maybe the sun could bring something relief."
He rode a little stretch until the sun was warm enough. Then he dismounted and laid himself on a stone to warm himself up in the morning sun. The sunrays were a relief for his body. After 10 minutes, he was of the opinion that he filled up enough energy for the day and continued his way before the sun would reach its destroying heat.
He took out the map and chose his next travel destination.
"Mmmh… the next station would be Red Stone. After that the rocks in Yoshua Valley."
He scratched his head thoughtfully. Could Bill be there?
He had no other choice. Otherwise, he had to hope that Bill crossed his path coincidentally.

Moaning, Rango rubbed his head. He has been on the way for one hour what seemed like an eternity for him. He cleaned his throat. He gulped several sips of water from his bottle again. His neck felt thicky. Possibly a cold. Now, of all times.
Scared-looking he grabbed forward. Almost he lost his water bottle that was fallen out of his hands. Somehow his vision swayed and not only because of roadrunner riding.
Something was completely different. He pressed his eyes together and blinked several times.
He rubbed his forehead. His head felt heavily. His neck hurt terribly now.
A sunstroke? He never had it so bad like now.
"Maybe I shall make a little break," he thought.
He looked around and spotted a rock. He stopped Excelsior and dismounted. Together they went to the rock and Rango laid himself under the shadow.
"We continue our riding soon, big boy," Rango said tiredly and closed his eyes.
The roadrunner pawed the sand, and then he looked around on the ground for something to eat.

Rango blinked. It dusked. How long has he been laid under the rock? He must be fallen asleep somehow. He moaned quietly and touched his forehead. A hurting throb went through his head. Excelsior clucked excitedly and pulled on his pants with his beak.
"It’s okay, boy," Rango muttered hoarsely and rubbed his hurting neck.
He stood up laboriously. With waving steps he leant against the rock.
A while he stood there silently. Then he shook his head. It was useless to continue the search in this state.
"Excelsior, better we ride back to town."
He coughed. Still tired he get on Excelsior and rode away. With bowed posture he continued the riding way. He couldn’t sit upright. He bent forward and embraced Excelsior’s neck. The sun left the sky slowly. Until town it was still a long way. No wonder, he laid under the rock a long time. He hoped that he reached it before maybe he became unconscious and could fell from the roadrunner. He felt very ill.
A softly evening wind began to blow, which kept him a little awake.
Suddenly he lifted his head. He narrowed his eyes.
Was he dreaming or did he see a house in the distance?
It was still far away, but he saw light in the windows. Maybe someone could help him somehow. At least with some water, because his water bottle was almost empty.
After a while they reached the house. It was more a hut. Beside a little shed, in front of the house an old pasture with a lonely roadrunner.
Almost Rango fell to the ground when he dismounted from Excelsior. In last second he could held on his roadrunner. When he was sure he was okay again, he went to the house. It was old and looked very neglected. But that wasn’t important for Rango. The main point was that someone was inside the house.
He breathed in air. He smelled fumed bacon. Tears welled in his eyes. Beans had cooked the same sometimes, although he didn’t like bacon. But he didn’t refuse and he had eaten it anyway.
He took a deep breath. Then he knocked at the door. He waited a few seconds. But nothing happened.
"Hello?" he asked be carefully. "Anybody here?"
He knocked again. "Please! Open the door, please!"
He was dizzy again and leant against the door.
Suddenly the door opened and he fell forward to the ground.
The person in the room stepped aback with surprise. Shortly afterwards he heard the releasing sound of a safety catch.
"Don’t shoot!" Rango cried with panic. "I’m not gonna hurt you!"
There was silence. Rango lay like paralyzed on the wooden floor. Finally he opened his eyes. First he saw a shadow beside him. Then dirty shoes with big feet inside. Suddenly the shadow moved and kneeled down.
Rango’s eyes grew wide.

Description
3. Catch a thief

"Let’s see. Where shall I search first?"
Rango studied the map thoughtfully which he took from his office.
"Maybe Dry Creek? There he was been the last time. Or Skeleton Creek? But I blew the hut up by mistake. Where shall I search else?"
He looked about the map places which he marked with a sign of a cross where Bill was been seen the last times. For safety reasons Bill dropped his last hiding place. Maybe to avoid that sheriff could find him. Since Rango was in town, Bill was more careful.
With sigh, Rango folded the map together. "Okay, in this case we have to trust to chance that we find him. Excelsior. This could be a long search. Are you ready?"
The roadrunner clucked excitedly which Rango interpreted as “yes”. "Alright. Let’s catch a thief."

So Rango searched for Bill. First he searched in Skeleton Creek, although he had no hope of success, because there was really no one there. After that he wandered through Dry Creek, where also stood the old mines. But Bill remained missing.
"Damn!" Rango cursed. "I wasted the whole day to find him for nothing. What’s your opinion, Excelsior?"
The roadrunner clucked shortly and pecked on the floor for something.
"You are right. I’m hungry, too. How good that Beans gave us something to eat. Well then, we will continue our riding tomorrow."

No long he lighted a campfire beside a little mountain range and let his roadrunner free-range. He unpacked Beans’s lunch and Excelsior received a bowl of grain feed. After a short meal he made himself ready for the night. No sooner he had put his head on the saddle than he closed his eyes.
"Well, then, good night, Excelsior."

The roadrunner lifted his head when the first sunlight reached the earth. Chuckling he stood up and pecked with his beak in the sand. He looked at his rider impatiently who still slept with his head on the saddle. The chicken moved his head restlessly. Rango lay on the side, his hat beside him and his arms and legs were stretched out. Hesitating, the animal came closer and plucked at chameleon’s shirt.
Rango breathed deeply. He flashed several times before he woke up finally.
"Morning," he murmured.
Suddenly he had to cough pantingly several times. He cleaned his throat and touched his neck. He coughed again. He sat up. His roadrunner stood still next to him and pushed him in the back with his beak.
"Okay, Excel…," The sentence became stuck in his throat and he had to clean his throat again.
"What’s going on with me?" he thought. Did he catch a cold last night?
He breathed several times in and out. Something heavy lay on his chest.
He reached beside him and took out his water bottle. After several sips of water his neck felt very better.
"I don’t need a cold, not yet," he muttered.
Shaking his head he stood up and saddled his roadrunner.
When he mounted his roadrunner, he became giddy for a moment. He shook his head. Then everything was normal again.
"It’s been a while since I slept in the desert," he thought. "Maybe the sun could bring something relief."
He rode a little stretch until the sun was warm enough. Then he dismounted and laid himself on a stone to warm himself up in the morning sun. The sunrays were a relief for his body. After 10 minutes, he was of the opinion that he filled up enough energy for the day and continued his way before the sun would reach its destroying heat.
He took out the map and chose his next travel destination.
"Mmmh… the next station would be Red Stone. After that the rocks in Yoshua Valley."
He scratched his head thoughtfully. Could Bill be there?
He had no other choice. Otherwise, he had to hope that Bill crossed his path coincidentally.

Moaning, Rango rubbed his head. He has been on the way for one hour what seemed like an eternity for him. He cleaned his throat. He gulped several sips of water from his bottle again. His neck felt thicky. Possibly a cold. Now, of all times.
Scared-looking he grabbed forward. Almost he lost his water bottle that was fallen out of his hands. Somehow his vision swayed and not only because of roadrunner riding.
Something was completely different. He pressed his eyes together and blinked several times.
He rubbed his forehead. His head felt heavily. His neck hurt terribly now.
A sunstroke? He never had it so bad like now.
"Maybe I shall make a little break," he thought.
He looked around and spotted a rock. He stopped Excelsior and dismounted. Together they went to the rock and Rango laid himself under the shadow.
"We continue our riding soon, big boy," Rango said tiredly and closed his eyes.
The roadrunner pawed the sand, and then he looked around on the ground for something to eat.

Rango blinked. It dusked. How long has he been laid under the rock? He must be fallen asleep somehow. He moaned quietly and touched his forehead. A hurting throb went through his head. Excelsior clucked excitedly and pulled on his pants with his beak.
"It’s okay, boy," Rango muttered hoarsely and rubbed his hurting neck.
He stood up laboriously. With waving steps he leant against the rock.
A while he stood there silently. Then he shook his head. It was useless to continue the search in this state.
"Excelsior, better we ride back to town."
He coughed. Still tired he get on Excelsior and rode away. With bowed posture he continued the riding way. He couldn’t sit upright. He bent forward and embraced Excelsior’s neck. The sun left the sky slowly. Until town it was still a long way. No wonder, he laid under the rock a long time. He hoped that he reached it before maybe he became unconscious and could fell from the roadrunner. He felt very ill.
A softly evening wind began to blow, which kept him a little awake.
Suddenly he lifted his head. He narrowed his eyes.
Was he dreaming or did he see a house in the distance?
It was still far away, but he saw light in the windows. Maybe someone could help him somehow. At least with some water, because his water bottle was almost empty.
After a while they reached the house. It was more a hut. Beside a little shed, in front of the house an old pasture with a lonely roadrunner.
Almost Rango fell to the ground when he dismounted from Excelsior. In last second he could held on his roadrunner. When he was sure he was okay again, he went to the house. It was old and looked very neglected. But that wasn’t important for Rango. The main point was that someone was inside the house.
He breathed in air. He smelled fumed bacon. Tears welled in his eyes. Beans had cooked the same sometimes, although he didn’t like bacon. But he didn’t refuse and he had eaten it anyway.
He took a deep breath. Then he knocked at the door. He waited a few seconds. But nothing happened.
"Hello?" he asked be carefully. "Anybody here?"
He knocked again. "Please! Open the door, please!"
He was dizzy again and leant against the door.
Suddenly the door opened and he fell forward to the ground.
The person in the room stepped aback with surprise. Shortly afterwards he heard the releasing sound of a safety catch.
"Don’t shoot!" Rango cried with panic. "I’m not gonna hurt you!"
There was silence. Rango lay like paralyzed on the wooden floor. Finally he opened his eyes. First he saw a shadow beside him. Then dirty shoes with big feet inside. Suddenly the shadow moved and kneeled down.
Rango’s eyes grew wide.