No secrets

A tribute to the TV legend Cheyenne Bodie

Modelled by:Maverick Willett as CheyenneAndrey Lopushansky as Brawler

1. Ambush 4

THE WIFE 4COMMOTION 5SET-UP 7TAR-AND-FEATHERS 9

2. Out of sight 11

DISCRETION 11CHANGE OF HEART 13COOL-OFF 15MAKING FRIENDS 17PLANS 19SLOW HIM DOWN! 21FOOT-WORK 23

3. Prospects 25

LIKE-MINDED 25SUCKING UP 27KEPT OUT OF TROUBLE 30LEATHER-WORK 32

4. Down to it 34

EXPERIENCE COUNTS 34UP FOR IT 37IN CAHOOTS 39IN TANDEM 41AND AFTERWARDS ….? 43PESKY INJUNS 45COUNTY LINE 47OWED 49BY THE RIVER 51…. END 54

1. AMBUSH

The wife

They’d met by chance. He had been entering the General Store as she’d been struggling out of the door. Gentleman to the core, Bodie held the door, offered to carry her packages to the buggy, tipped his hat with a smile and walked back into the store.

They’d bumped into each other more after that. Deliberate? It was a small town, Bodie was stuck here waiting for the next cattle drive. Bump into each other again .. inevitable, wasn’t it? She smiled, acknowledging meeting him and him being so exceptionally gentlemanly, she’d said. Then a few times more. Chance? Eventually Adele was sending

her cook out for supplies and gingerly letting Bodie into the back door of the house.

He knew the family name, the Morrows – who didn’t? Her father-in-law virtually owned the town. Morrow certainly had the sheriff in his pocket. A businessman, a finger in every pie. A big ranch outside town. With luck Bodie would be ganging for him when the cattle were ready to drive out. Ironic ….. the best way to get Bodie out of the son’s bed .. give him a job .. get Bodie running the Morrow’s cattle out to railroad yards .. working for the family he was duping. Get him a job .. out on the cattle drive. Out of the husband’s bed. Ironic.

They knew the risks. It was a small town. The Morrows owned it. But the pair just couldn’t stop themselves. They had to be careful, though. It was a VERY small town.

Commotion

One-horse-town. Nothing much to do. Cattle drive might start in a couple of weeks .. maybe. Men had to find themselves something to do …..

Bodie wasn’t much for card-games, hadn’t the cash to waste. Besides, they usually descended into brawls .. not his kind of thing.

A healthy male needed some way to spark up his life ……

Never one to get over-excited about goings-on, Bodie looked calmly at the bustle of people rushing out of the saloon. Stood gaping down the street. Excitedly pointing. Bodie watched from the bar .. staying with his drink.

But when it carried on, curiosity got the better of him. Unhurriedly he knocked back the rest of his whiskey .. couldn’t afford to waste it with his depleted cash .. and sauntered his muscular bulk out of the door. Being heftier and taller than most, he could look over the crowd.

Straightaway his nonchalance changed. He used his muscular bulk to barge his way through. Resolute he strode down the hard-packed Main Street in the direction of the shouting. Then he began to trot. Soon he was running over the sun-baked street towards the Morrow’s house.

It was in his character, anyway .. he saw a woman being maltreated, it was second-nature to Bodie. He intervened. The fact that he and Adele had been “seeing each other” .. however secretly .. that got his blood going. He was soon racing down the street in the direction of her screams.

Her husband was dragging her out of their house. A shameful distressing scene. Bodie was angered that Morrow was pulling her out by the hair. And one of his ranch-hands had hold of her too. Hands on both of her arms .. forcing her out of the house. Making her follow her husband, dragging her out. She was putting up a damn-good fight. Bodie knew … when she had the heat on her, the claws came out. Her screaming had raised the town. Dragged onlookers out of the saloon.

“Hey!” Bodie was still a good thirty paces away. His temper up. That a man could mistreat a woman like this .. irrespective of what she meant to Bodie. A shot rang out. Dust spat up right in front of Bodie. Forcing him to stop. Bodie jerked to a halt. His hand already going for his holster.“Don’t even think about it, mister!”

A sharp voice cracked out to Bodie’s side. He saw a man aiming a rifle straight at him. “Stop right there!”

Suddenly there were two of them. A pair of rifles aimed straight at his chest. Bodie recognised the men .. from the saloon, Morrow’s men .. small town!“Put your hands where I can see them.”Bodie hesitated. Thinking. His emotions in a spin. Catching up on events. This had all the feel of an ambush. Those two men had been waiting for him. Out of sight. Waiting for him to come rushing down the street. To the aid of Adele.

Bodie extended his hands out to his sides. Abandoning any idea of going for his gun with two rifles bearing down on him.“Over there.”A rifle gestured Bodie to join Morrow and his wife outside their house. Covered by a pair of rifles, did Bodie have any choice? He glanced back over at Morrow. The hesitation cost. A rifle-stock smacked him hard in the neck. Bodie’s fists clenched, he turned to take a swing. The other rifle ratcheted a bullet. Stopping his punch in its tracks.

Morrow had let go his wife, a ranch-hand still gripping Adele tight by the arms. Everyone’s eyes were turned on Bodie. Adele was frowning, looking concerned. Seeing Bodie ambushed, she was understanding suddenly. Morrow was smirking. He touched his hat at Bodie. In mock greeting. A rifle gestured Bodie forward. The rifle-stock gave Bodie a shove in his muscled back. This had all the feel of a set-up.

Set-up

It didn’t take any imagination to work it out. What else could it be about?

Adele looking worried, guilty glances at her husband. Biting her bottom lip as she watched Bodie jostled forward .. at gunpoint.

Husband sneering at Bodie. Looking triumphant. But Adele could sense the anger

in him. He’d been shown up. He’d been made a fool of.

And the noise had the whole town looking on. Streamed out of the saloon to gawp. Her

screaming had emptied the General Store. Commotions like this didn’t happen every day. Not in the Morrow’s town.

The rifle pressing into his muscled guts pressed Bodie backwards. His back hit up against the hitching post. The rifle dug into his belly button .. forcing him to stay put .. even as his hands were grabbed and yanked behind.“Eyes front, punk!”The ranch-hand with the rifle threatening to blow his guts apart snarled. Bodie recognised him .. always getting into fights in the saloon. A mean dude. He glared back .. even as Bode felt rope deftly looped around his wrists, tugged bitingly tight. Then fastened to the hitching post. Bodie was trapped.

He looked sideways. Morrow had let go his wife. Like he was used to playing the tough dude, Morrow too had pulled out his gun. But Bodie knew from his wife, young Morrow had no guts when it came to using a gun. Or taking any action. He had others do his dirty work. But Adele still was not free, the cowboy still held her firm. She looked shocked, troubled. Worried. She’d realised like Bodie what this was all about. Someone had blabbed. Someone had sold them out. The Morrows owned this town. Someone had earned themselves a few favours.

Bodie was almost as worried by her silence as he had panicked at hearing her screaming. Like she too had been stilled the seriousness of what was going on. But Adele was feisty .. a strong woman .. in life as well as between the sheets.

“What’s this nonsense all about, Henry?”She spat total disdain through her eyes at her husband. The real Adele was breaking through. Scornful .. ignoring the fact that she knew full-well. This had all been carefully set-up. All three of them knew exactly what this was all about.“Shut your mouth., woman!”Bodie snapped back. His normal nature. “You can’t talk to her like that!”Morrow snapped around. But before he could react, his mean-minded ranch-hand jammed the stock of his rifle into Bodie’s belly. Hard, vicious“Shut your mouth! Show some respect!”Bodie blew out the hurt with his wind. Doubled-up by the force. Gasping with the pain.

Morrow snarled. Seeing the man winded, his face turned to scorn.“YOU? You dare open your god-damned mouth?”His hand lashed out. His gun pistol-whipped Bodie across the face. Bodie swerved. But still the weapon caught him on the side of his face.“After what you’ve been up to!”The gun jammed up under Bodie’s chin.“Keep your god-damned mouth shut!”

Tar-and-feathers

She was a woman with spunk. Maybe challenging to live with, for a weakling like Morrow, anyway.

But for a tumble between the sheets, Bodie had found himself a challenge. Far from passive … gutsy, demanding. Hot-blooded. The reason he had kept going back. Taking the risk.

But a risk that had gone pear-shaped. Found out. Duping the richest family in town. A cow-punk sticking himself in where it didn’t belong. Dude like him .. he was supposed to know his place.

A risk. It was never going to go down well. Not when the family found out. And they had ……

“Get that damned fire going!”Morrow snarled at his hired help.“Heat up that tar.”Adele looked horrified, not understanding. But Bodie did. A tightness knotted in his gut. Her husband explained,.“Gonna tar-and-feather the lecher, that’s what!”Morrow snarled his anger back at his wife.

She gasped.“You can’t do that.”Morrow sneered in her face.“Just you damn-well watch me!”He laughed. At his own joke.“In fact, that’s just what you’re gonna do. Stand there and watch.”He cast a sneer over his shoulder at Bodie. Pinned against the hitching post. No way of helping himself. Then Morrow smirked back at his wife.“Let his screams teach you a lesson. Slut!”

His head whipped back at Bodie. Bodie felt the eyes whip over his front. Sharp as any bullwhip.“Get that god-damned shirt off him.”His lips curled up. Hearing the cloth rip as hired hands yanked down the back of the shirt. Morrow’s head indicated at Bodie's chest. There too. Strip the bastard!“All of it. Nothing to get in the way …….”

The wife was screaming. Yelling at him. Bawling. “Monster.”Then pleading. Then sobbing. “You can't. …. Please. …. You can't.”

A whoosh from behind made Bodie whipped his head around. Kerosene was poured into the flames. A burst of heat as flames licked around the metal pot .. tar dripping off the side. A pillow being ripped open .. feathers falling out. “Damn-well can, you slut! Damn-well will.”

Again Bodie felt his bare chest flayed by an imaginary whip as Morrow glared at him. The husband took his time .. roaming long over Bodie’s bare chest. Thrust forward by being tied to the hitching post, his belly sunken in. Morrow was getting a good look at the torso that had been covering his woman. It wasn’t a look admiring a muscular physique.

He snarled. His eyes rising off the shredded object of his jealousy. Spitting envy into Bodie’s face.“Slut. Gonna teach you the god-damned lesson you deserve.”And then he slapped Bodie hard .. across the face with his revolver. “And teach this punk to keep his stinking hands to himself. Off my woman.”

Adele ceased her hysteria. She glared. She was conquering her shock, the feisty woman Bodie had known in her husband’s bed was back. Her eyes slitted. Aglow with her anger. Bodie saw her pull herself up to her full height. Her eyes spoke with pure disdain. “If you were half the man HE is …. A wife wouldn't go looking anywhere else!”With those words Bodie knew his fate was sealed.

2. OUT OF SIGHT

Discretion

The kerosene had got the flames hissing. The tar smelled sharp in the air. Feathers littered the earth. Bodie stood roped to the hitching post, his shirt in tatters. Bare-skinned.

Morrow had no right. But who was going to stop him? Bodie had struggled with the ropes on his wrists. No give. Morrow had three ranch-hands backing him up. They weren’t going to change sides.

Adele had snarled at her husband. All sense of guilt had gone. Her eyes aflame, mad at her husband. If he had anything about him, she taunted .. maybe she’d not

have given the cowboy a first thought.

Bodie shivered at her words. Putting her husband down. Mocking him. Flaunting Bodie’s prowess over his. In front of his workers. That couldn’t go down well.

“Henry Junior!”In all the shouting and intense emotion no one had heard the buggy pull up. But the voice that snapped out rang with such authority, it silenced everything. Everyone stopped shouting, every head turned. Everyone knew who had turned up.“Here!”

At his father’s snapped order, Morrow trotted over to the carriage .. summoned like a tame dog .. obeying like a chastened child. Morrow Senior did not get down. He sat up on the carriage next to his driver and talked down at his son. “What on heaven's name are you doing? Fool. What do you think you are doing?”He snarled quietly .. hiding barely contained anger.

“Told you, Pa. This cowhand was messing with my wife. You told me to sort it.”Morris Senior suddenly lashed out. His hand left a flaming red mark on his son’s cheek. Bodie saw

the son step back .. shocked .. his hand to his burning face. They were all shocked. But young Morrow didn't answer back.

“Have you gone completely mad?”. His father hissed quietly .. contempt pouring out of his eyes. “You completely lost your senses?”His head nodded down the street. A huddle of people outside every shop .. a crowd stood outside the saloon .. everyone in town looking their way?

“You got no pride? Our name mean NOTHING to you?”Junior blustered. “You said to sort it out.”Morrow Junior made a weak attempt at standing up for himself. “Sort it, you said.”His father snarled.“Sort it. Not make a spectacle of yourself! Drag the family name through the dirt. Tar and feathers! With the whole town looking on! You gone out of your mind?”

Bodie had felt defenceless up to now. Shirt ripped off. Helpless, tied to the hitching post. A pot of tar heating up behind. But he never expected rescue to come from Morrow Senior. He felt the father's gaze now descend on him. But his desperation had got it wrong. There was no love lost there either. Bodie was still the man who'd been messing with his son's wife. Jeopardizing the family name. Risking a scandal. In Morrow’s own town.

The father snarled at his son. His voice barely audible. Keeping the family secrets from the chattering masses collected down the street.“Get him out of here. Take him out to the ranch. Do what you have to do. DISCREETLY.”Again the fury in Morrow Senior’s eyes snapped over at the ogling crowds. Then his gaze whipped back across Bodie’s bare muscular chest. It was not a rescuer whose eyes scoured over the bulk of muscle that had been lying with his son’s wife. It was a man concerned for the family name. Who wanted a problem gone.

“Then take that punk out to the county line. You tell him to skedaddle.”His anger was still pouring over Bodie’s muscled physique up against the hitching post. Ready for hot tar to be poured down that muscle-hard front.“Warn the fool. Make it quite clear.”Morrow Senior’s gaze made it clear enough to Bodie already.“He shows his face back here again ….”Morrow Senior’s eyes slitted. Boring into Bodie’s face. Bodie was being rescued from tar-and-feathering. But there was no forgive-and-forget here. His ripped physique was lashed by Morrow Senior’s glare. Angry at the source of this family scandal.“ ….. then it'll be me he's dealing with.”Tar-and-feathers would be the least of it.

Change of heart

Bodie was being hounded out of town. He couldn’t do anything but blame himself, he knew he’d done wrong. Even if the wife had felt she’d HAD to go off wandering.

He’d escaped that injustice. Tar-and-feathering … that was brutal. And it was unjust. There was no law gave the husband that right.

Where was the justice in that town? Bodie knew. Right in the Morrows’ pocket. No sheriff would intervene.

Escaped that maiming, then. Gonna get helluva beating. Up against Morrow’s

ranch-hands .. they’d be sure the please the boss. Then told to skedaddle. No job on the cattle-drive for him ……

“This ain’t right. This ain’t damned right!”Morrow Junior reined in his horse surprising his companions who carried on riding past before coming to a halt. Morrow had then ridden up behind them. Showing his shame and anger he charged up to Bode and lashed out at him with a horse-whip.Bodie ducked. But Morrow’s horse collided into his. Morrow forcefully barged Bodie, shoved his hand to a hard packed shoulder and upended him .. shoving him off his horse. Hands tied behind, Bodie had nothing to protect himself with. His shoulder took most of the fall .. landing with a hard thud on the sun-baked grasslands.

The fall took the wind out of him. Groaning at the shock, half winded and hampered by hands tied behind, he slowly tried to roll on to his side .. making to get up. But a boot in his back kicked him over on to his front. One of Morrow’s men had leapt of his horse. Another sharp kick in the side warned him to stay down. When Bodie’s manly pride ignored the threat, the boot stomped down on the back of his neck .. pinning his face down in the earth.

If Bodie could fool himself that Morrow Senior had saved his skin, he couldn't have been more wrong, it seemed. It went without saying. Morrow Senior had shown his son up. Showing him up in public .. dressing him down .. calling him a fool. All because of Bodie. His father had questioned his son's sanity .. aiming to tar and feather Bodie in front of the whole

town. Had he no family pride? Dragging the family name publicly through the mud. Only Bodie was to blame for all that. Only Bodie could pay for that.

And there was his wife questioning Junior's manliness. The reason she had strayed. Publicly making negative comparisons with Bodie’s performance. What man was going to take that lying down? Contemptuously put down by his wife. Morrow's men listening in. All Bodie's fault. That Bodie had a lot to answer for!

Father had ordered the job done out of sight. No saying they couldn't be coming up the pot of tar out at the ranch. Bodie might still end up permanently maimed. Disfigured. The way Morrow Junior dad just attacked him out of the blue .. knocking him off his horse .. no cause .. except for a brooding Morrow. Resentful. Blaming Bodie for all of this. Bode could almost hear the hiss of the boiling tar again.

“He rides? Like he's one of us! After what this lecher’s gone-and-done?”Morrow Senior had harshly ordered his son what to do. Get the punk out of town. Haul his hide out to the ranch. Wash your dirty smalls in private! THAT was the Morrow way. Out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Do the punk over. IN PRIVATE.

Like a kicked puppy, Morrow Junior had jumped to it. Belittled by his father. Dutiful he’d snapped out his order. His men released Bodie from the hitching post and .. hands still tied behind .. they had unceremoniously shoved his hide up onto a horse. Under the glaring watchful eye of his father, Morrow had kicked his horse and hastily led the way out of town. Fleeing. Away from the embarrassment of watching eyes. And quickly away from the censorious glare of his father.

“Like he’s my equal? This punk! He gets to ride?”They hadn't got half a mile out of town .. away from his father's stern glare .. and Morrow Junior had a change of mind. He'd found his courage again. He’d up-ended his captive. From up on his horse he glared down at the broad muscular back his ranch-hand had pinned down on the grassland.

“Ride? No. Damn it. He walks!”

Bodie was still refusing to take this lying down. He wriggled under the boot pressing down on his neck. His bare torso scraped against the hard earth. But his struggling only earned himself a sharp stomp with a heel into his backbone. The force expelled wind into the sun-baked soil his face. “The bastard walks.”Morrow nodded at his foreman. “Jim. Bring the bastard in on foot. And get those boots off him!”

Cool-off

Morrow had no plans on making life easy for Bodie. He'd ridden off to the ranch leaving his hands to bring Bodie along.

Going ahead to “get things ready”. But not before he reached down for Bodie's boots. Bodie guessed he wasn't getting them back till “after”.

And there was no chance that Bodie wasn't surrendering them. There had been three of them on to him .. taking advantage of his hands roped out of the way behind his back.

One boot had dug into the back of his neck .. pressing his face into the dirt. And dishing out hard kicks whenever he’d continued his struggles. The other two had worked his legs .. one holding his legs together to stop them thrashing, the other yanking one boot off after the other.

They let Bodie up .. but not until the one pressing down on his neck gave his side another hard kick. Bodie cussed him and glowered as he got up. He recognised the man from the saloon. The one that had jammed his rifle-stock into Bodie’s guts at the hitching post. A cocky bastard. Always getting into fights in the bar. With Bodie like this, he had a perfect target .. hands hopelessly out of the way, no danger. Just the way he liked it. And besides, he had a couple of buddies to back him up. A bar-room brawler. A bully. But he'd never dared provoke a tussle with Bodie before. Not when he had been free to hit back.

To make sure Bodie knew his place on God’s earth, before he rode off, Morrow threw his foreman a lasso. “Jim, get a noose on him. Drag him in like some unruly steer.”

The walk back to the ranch had been slow and hot, sun overhead. In time, the guys decide they needed to cool down. Bodie watched from his vantage point. Backed up against a half dead tree by the river. They'd all stripped down completely to plunge onto the river. It was hot, sun direct overhead and the men roared out in delight at the refreshing coolness. Bodie could only envy them. He'd had to acknowledge he wasn't getting out of the ropes binding him to the trunk. The noose stayed on his neck .. kind of symbolic of how the Morrows thought of him .. an unruly steer,

needed disciplining. Rope on his wrists kept him pinned to the tree trunk. Trapping him under the burning sun .. stuck up against a tree with no shade while they cooled down. Effortless way of keeping an eye on him.

The march here over grasslands had been hot and tiring. No hat, the sun baked his brain. Bare to the waist, its rays stung at the skin on his muscular shoulders. The hard packed plates of muscle on his broad chest were the perfect target for its burning torments. And his feet scorched from going barefoot. Not since childhood in his Indian village had the soles of his feet been exposed to going without boots that long.

Marched along in the heat, he could only watch envious as they slugged back water from their canteens. There'd be no such treats for the dude who'd been messing with the boss's wife. A few times, tired and not looking where he was going, Bodie had tripped. The ranch hand on the other end of his noose wasn't into worrying too much about the dude who'd cuckolded the boss .. letting Bodie get dragged along by the neck. Until he slowly brought his horse to a halt. Waiting till Bodie struggled back to his feet. Gagging, trying to loosen the tightened noose without any hands. His response to Bodie's glare was to kick his horse on and make Bodie’s bare feet trot along behind. Once when Bodie had cussed him .. sweaty, heaving for air, dirt stained from being dragged .. he had snapped hard with the lasso, nearly tripped him up again. And then unbalanced he'd hauled Bodie by the neck up to his horse. And reminded Bodie who had the upper hand .. with a punch to the face.

It had been that bar room brawler all the time. He seemed to have taken a shine to Bodie. Grabbing the lasso, taking control over the Morrow captive. Just to make sure he could keep trying to put one over on him. It was always that bully. For himself, getting riled, Bodie told himself he’d remember that face.

Making friends

“Want some? “Bodie eyed the canteen extended out to him with suspicion. Brawler took another big swig and again held out the water.

After their swim, the other two had crept into the shade of a nearby tree to dry off. No such luck for Bodie .. exposed to the burning rays .. stuck out in the heat.

No fun in that for Brawler either. He came over to taunt Bodie with the water. In Bodie’s experience men didn’t walk around without their clothes on. Always had their pants on, at least. Kept their “privates” just that. But this swaggering

muscle-freak, he flaunted it.

Still with nothing on Brawler had sauntered over. Full of himself. Smile on his cocky face. Approaching with the canteen .. like he was going to let Bodie drink. Bodie had his doubts.

Undressed Bodie saw his bully-boy watchdog had the physique to earn him his reputation in the saloon. Solid upper chest, muscular, flat belly pumped with firm muscle. And that mean streak to match. Bodie had seen him in a bar-brawl. He fought dirty, always had his buddies to back him up. In a fight Bodie would have given him a run for his money. But right now Brawler wasn't into giving him the chance.

Smirking he came up close holding out the temptation of much-needed water. Bodie wondered what he'd have to do to get his lips on that canteen. Beg? He'd probably beg if drinking could keep up his strength .. and he was in no doubt Morrow would make sure he needed that.

Brawler didn't disappoint. He poured the contents down Bodie's front. Precious water trickled out of reach down his bare chest, over his ripped belly. The temptation to give in and beg was taken away. The liquid Bodie craved .. it was never going to be his. Brawler dribbled it down the deep ridge between the mound in Bodie’s chest, grinning. Wasted. Desperately needed water poured over the hard packed muscle in Bodie’s belly. And got wasted soaked in his pants.

“Quite the Joker, aren't you?”Bodie couldn't resist the sarcasm. Unimpressed by the cocky nakedness that was putting itself up against his muscular strength tied down.“Undo these …”Bodie indicated the ropes keeping him pinned to the tree-trunk.“I'll share some more laughs with you.”

Brawler threw him a mock kiss. Then he reached out, he grabbed Bodie by the jaw “Reckon you're the joke around here, fella.”He squeezed. “Going with some man's wife …..”Brawler winked. “Fair game. The boss just ain't enough around. A woman needs it often to keep her from roaming.“Quite the philosopher, Bodie thought. But that wasn’t why Adele had strayed. She’d found what she’d been missing.

“But taking up with a Morrow woman …!”The squeeze tightened. Fingers digging into Bodie's jawline. Strong muscles in Brawler’s forearm knotted.“Reckon that makes you the joke.”

Bodie refused to show the pain. He gritted together his teeth and glared back. Not giving this cocky bully the satisfaction. Keeping his mouth shut in studied defiance. Always the strong silent type.But an experienced bully wasn't going to be fooled that easily. “Know what? I reckon here's the punchline.”

Bodie grunted. Air puffed out of his cheeks. Punched in the privates. Then Bodie saw Brawler grin back. “This pair of Jokers. Can't keep these cards in your pants …”By the time Bodie recovered from the surprise, Brawler had deftly got the squeeze on him. There, tops of his legs. Clutched in the palm of Brawler’s hand. And tightening. Bodie bit into the growing pain. He glared into Brawler’s eyes. Bodie had got his face. This cowhand would pay.

Plans

A naked man, for god-damn’s sake. Hands on Bodie’s privates .. like he owned. Like he thought he could do whatever he damn-well wanted.

Grown men didn’t go round without their clothes on. Grown men didn’t go around messing with other men’s privates either.

Not normal dudes. What-the-heck did this fool think he was? Squeezing Bodie by the balls. Had he no shame?

Strutting his stuff. Flaunting himself. Like he was God’s gift to mankind. And always that smirk on his face. Lording it. Because he could.

Because he had Bodie tied up. Thought he could get away with anything. Just let the god-damned fool wait. Once Bodie was free of these ropes ……

“Keep your damn hands to yourself.”Bodie had had enough of being played around. For want of finding any way of thinking his way out of this mess, so far since the ambush Bodie had kept his own counsel. He'd kept his mouth shut. Less he said the better, the less he provoked. He had no doubt they thought he’d earned himself all that was coming to him. But still ….. the likes of Brawler had to know what he was dealing with. Fondling another guy by the nuts. Only one response to that. Bodie’s eyes menaced. “If you know what's good for you …..”

The grip deftly adjusted. Brawler shifted his grip. He'd got Bodie gripped now by just one ball, held between thumb and finger. Hard but not crushing. Warning what he was capable of. Telling Bodie .. for all his muscular bulk, for whatever threats he’d want to put up behind his fists .. the way he was ….. there was damn-all he could do about this.Looking strong still, not giving in to this intimidation, Bodie gave a violent wiggle trying to dislodge the grip. Predictably Brawler was having none of it. His grip tightened on his goal. He kept a hold of his prize possession.

“Oh, I know what's good for me, fella …”He added with a grin.

“Pity you don't …...”His grip perceptibly tightened. He was going to play cat and mouse. Using Bodie’s balls for the game.“And what's good for me .. that ain't keeping in with you …..”Another slight squeeze on Bodie's nut. “Morrow Junior's the boss. And I reckon the boss might just appreciate some help …..”The muscles in Brawler's forearm bunched. He squeezed hard. “And I reckon I might just have what that takes ….”Crushingly hard. Squeezing Bodie flat. There was no disguising the pain. His eyes creased. The pain spread out the corners of his mouth. “You get my drift?”

From the riverside a cry went up.“Pete, stop messing him around ….”The foreman Jim was calling Brawler back. Both the others were up and dressed. “Get something on that stinking ass of yours. Junior's waiting. Move that ass.”Brawler looked into Bodie's pain creased face. “Remember what I said …. The joke’s on you. Sucker.”

He gave Bodie a parting crush.“Bet your bottom dollar …. The Boss can’t wait ……”Pressure was squeezing Bodie flat in a muscled grip. His mean streak grinning into Bodie's obvious discomfort. Bodie hissed out the pain when he was released. Promising himself. Swearing it to himself. Swearing it to that fool. He'd remember Brawler alright. “Wrong to keep the Boss waiting …….”Brawler gave Bodie a meaningful wink.

Slow him down!

Morrow Junior was waiting. Stood in the doorway to the stables. His eyes must have spotted them from far off. The moment he’d been waiting for. The moment put off by the intervention of his Pa.

His rival dragged behind a horse .. barefoot, hobbling on burning feet. That ranch-hand Pete, he had the lecherous punk on a short leash. Sight of his Boss waiting, impatiently .. Pete spurred on his horse. Got the bastard by the neck .. forcing him to run .. or get dragged in the dirt.

Maybe his Pa had done Junior a favour. He hadn’t relished the dressing-down. Made to feel small in public. But … on the other

hand ……

Out here on the ranch .. who was there to interfere? No whispering gossips. Just him and the punk. Personal. Settling scores. Pa HAD had him a favour.

“Keep the bastard down on the floor!”Jim, the foreman, did as told. It was Pete dishing out the orders. Jim’s boot stomped down on Bodie’s chest .. hard .. slamming a struggling Bodie back down. The foot moved to his throat and pressed down on his windpipe. Pinning Bodie on his back on the earth. But he hadn’t given up struggling.

“Boss. Why not take a seat?”Morrow Junior frowned .. not understanding. Seeing Pete’s hand gesturing him to sit down astride Bodie’s lower legs. That would settle the punk .. held down at head and feet. Morrow had spotted that his ranch hand Pete seemed to be calling the shots. HE was the one gunning for Bodie.And eager. He was wasting no time .. keen to get on with things. His shirt was off already .. stripped for action.“Sit astride the punk’s legs. Best seat in the house, Boss.”Since the lecher had tried to make a run for it, the ranch hands had struggled against Bodie’s resistance and wrestled him down on to his back, Pete seemed to have taken charge.

The guys were all pumped up. The punk had taken them on, they’d beaten him back. Now they’d managed to overcome the brute, get his back on the earth and had thrown his lower legs over a bale of hay. The fool had tried to make a run for it. Fat chance! Pete had foiled his chances. Now the

guys were going for him, the punk was gonna see who had the upper hand. The men were determined to win. Determined to show this lecher who was boss.

While two of them had been struggling to keep him down, Pete had deftly looped rope around Bodie’s ankles. “Got me some idea about slowing this punk down, Boss.” Pete indicated where Morrow Junior should position himself. The boss frowned .. but good-naturedly. He’d begun to trust the Pete’s instincts .. sensing they were on the same page with this punk. The cowboy was eager enough, he could be useful.Morrow threw his leg over Bodie’s, bent at the knee over the bale. And plonked himself down on his captive’s lower leg. Pinning him to the bale with his body-weight. “He’ll not try on something like that again …..”Pete smirked.

When they’d arrived at the ranch, dragging Bodie along on his neck-noose, Morrow Junior had been waiting for them at the barn. Dismounting the foreman had thrown the other end of the lasso to Curly. Bodie had spotted his chance. Now the ranch hands had dismounted, there were three spare horses here. If Bodie could leap up on one of them .. spook the others into running off .. he might stand a chance. His hands were still tied behind. But he’d been brought up Cheyenne. Brought up to ride without a saddle. He could hang on to a galloping horse with his knees. At least …. it was the best chance he’d seen in hours.

Curly, the third ranch hand, had grabbed the noose and got close. Feeling he’d been left out .. not had any chance to display his loyalty to the Morrow’s yet. He’d been played like some sideshow, the other guys had been doing all the running. Here was his chance to prove himself.Bodie spotted that the fool came close, he made to tighten the noose chokingly around Bodie’s neck. Bodie saw his chance. He shoulder-barged the man. Knocking him into Morrow. Both went down. In a tumble of arms and legs.

Things were going to plan. But Bodie’s temper made him commit a serious error of judgement. He stepped sideways, deliberately. Angry, his foot stomped down on Morrow in the dirt. Giving back as hard as he’d got. Before turning to race for a horse. Mistake.Suddenly a weight was on his back. Legs clutched around his waist. An arm tight around his throat. An elbow powered down in the top of his skull. Bodie faltered. Encouraged, a blow twice as hard thudded onto his head.

The punk’s legs broke under him. The foreman Jim quickly barged into the bastard’s side. He was falling. Pete, his legs wrapped around him, was falling with him. Pete rolled under the fool. But teeth gritted, clinging on with legs and arms, Pete tightened his grip on Bodie’s throat. Lying under him, throttling the bastard. While Jim hammered his boot into Bodie’s side. Mercilessly. Battering the punk in his ribs while Pete strangled him, kept the lecher pinned down. The foreman kept kicking away until the bastard had no more struggle in him left.

Foot-work

This kind of thing was just Pete’s thing. A hunky male, well-built, tall, muscular. But helpless. The sucker had shown spirit on the way here. Even thinking he could put up a good show when Pete had him by the nuts.

Pete loved a challenge. Nothing like a worthy opponent .. put some muscle on him, even better. Better still when the sucker could not strike back.

“Let’s see how far this gets you, punk!”From down on his back on the earth, Bodie had seen Brawler hold out Morrow’s horse-whip.

“May I, Boss?”

Bodie saw Morrow turn and look at the whip. They’d wrestled Bodie down onto his back, he’d put up a struggle, he’d landed a few good kicks. But he was out-numbered, out-gunned, they had every advantage on their side. And now that devil he’d nicknamed Brawler .. he was wielding a horsewhip in his hand.

Down on the hard-packed dirt floor in the stable, Bodie’s legs were bent at the knee. His lower legs thrown over the bale of hay and Morrow was sitting on his shins .. his weight pressing them down. At the other end the ranch foreman had Bodie pinned down, his boot pressing against Bodie’s throat. Every time Bodie had struggled, the boot had pushed down, crushing his windpipe.

“Be my guest.”Morrow had got the picture. Bodie too. Morrow was leaning forward hands pressing down on the punk’s knees .. smirking into Bodie’s face. Best seat in the house. The injured husband getting his payback at last. Seated astride his lower legs on the bale of hay. Sneering into Bodie’s face. And if some beefy cowhand wanted to do the dirty for him ….. why not?

“Slow this sucker down for you, Boss. Not gonna have him running off again.”Both Morrow and the lecher’s face said they knew what was going to happen. They could both hear Pete swishing away with the whip. Warming up his whip-arm.. Getting his eye in. And Morrow had got himself in just the right place. Gonna get his revenge all without raising a sweat. Looking

straight into the pain that would be written on Bodie’s face. Revenge on the lecher who’d been messing with his woman.

Bodie’s fears were confirmed when Brawler had disappeared behind Morrow’s back. Last minute desperation had him struggle to get away. But the foreman stomped his hell into his neck .. crushing his windpipe. Bodie barely had time to steel himself. He didn’t have to wait long. Brawler couldn’t stop himself. An evil swish of leather cutting through the air. Then a painful bite was snapped out of the soles of Bodie’s feet. His whole body jerked. Brawler was going to give it his all.

Pete couldn’t stop himself .. like he was born for something like this. Already the horsewhip was over his shoulder again. His whole brutal manner twisted out of the torque. His eyes of the soles of feet .. tied together .. a tantalising target, susceptible. And it’d hurt like hell.He let the tension rip. Aiming for those bare bruised feet under Morrow’s backside. The sound of air being sliced open by the blur of the whip accelerated the beating of Pete’s heart. The slap of leather against vulnerable feet flashed a ping of excitement hot in his pants. The yelp of pain forced out of the punk’s cocksure throat .. it got Pete right where he liked it. Tops of his legs.

And it couldn’t hurt to impress the Boss. Pete saw Morrow lifted by force of pain ricocheting through the punk’s legs. Proof Pete was just the guy for this job. That jerk had to do the Boss some good. Cheered by the lecher giving up some pain. The Boss would have enjoyed that. Payback. Revenge. But nothing was going to satisfy Pete .. not till he heard it. Heard the punk give it out proper. Till Brawler made the sucker cuss. He twisted his shoulders away again .. winding himself up. Not gonna stop .. not till he made the lecher shout out in real pain. Till Pete had this punk’s pain busting good-and-free. And Pete earned himself some favours from the Boss.

3. PROSPECTS

Like-minded

For a half-dozen strikes or so, Bodie managed to keep it back. The pain of each hit across the flat of his bare feet flashed like lightning up his legs. Heat like a torch’s touch rushed through his blood.

He’d been walked on bare feet for miles .. over rough terrain. Hobbling and limping the last few miles. That bastard Brawler making the best of it .. making him trot. Keep up with his horse. On burning bare feet.

Scorched skin, burning flesh. Sensitive feet .. even just to stand on. And hurting like god-damned hell when bruised flesh got

struck. A horse-whip ripping a giant bite out of his foot.

Pain exploded in his chest. It was only pig-headedness that stopped Bodie from letting go that pain. Determined not to give that smirking Morrow any more satisfaction. The bastard was leaning forward over Bodie’s bent knees. Getting off on each grimace that slashed pain across Bodie’s face. His eyes like a tongue licking the tears of pain from the corner of his eyes.

The sucker would give it up, Pete was damn-well determined. He was giving it all he had .. in rapid succession .. no chance for the sucker to catch breath. One. Two. Putting all his weight behind each strike. Three. Four. Grunting with the effort. Quickly winding himself up for the next hit. Almost delirious on the sweet taste of inflicting pain.

Five. Six. Pete was almost cuming in his pants. He knew what was going on down there. And each strike was driven with the urge to squeeze out that first yelp of pain. Unwillingly given. This bastard of a lecher was fighting him back. But the sucker wasn’t wielding a horse-whip in his hand.In quick succession. Lashing out. Letting go the twist in muscled gritty physique. Piling it on. Determined this bastard would scream. Crippling pain once again quickly struck with the next malice-loaded hit. The muscle-head grunted .. out loud .. sharp! Pete felt a jolt at the tops of his legs. The fucker

was getting taken over by the pain. THERE! Nearly. On target. That sweet flush of excitement in his pants twisted out of his shoulders. Giving it his best shot. Slamming leather into agonised bruised feet.

Motivated. Encouraged. Pete allowed himself the first slight breather. Slowing himself up. Making himself breath. Winding himself slowly round. Twisting himself his torso. Horse whip over his shoulder. Feeling the muscled power of his muscular body wound up like a coiled spring. A deep breath. Focusing his mind. Then he let loose.

The sucker yelled. The force of the strike on the soles of his feet nearly jerked Morrow Junior up off his legs. Tortured. Agony burst on his soles. Pain ricocheted through his legs .. jerking him bodily up in the air.“Damn you.”The sucker could not hold it in any longer.“Damn you to …….”Brawler’s next strike .. vengeful .. put an end to the sucker’s cussing. Take that, bastard. Bite on that.

Once the will had been broken .. once the sucker had let go his pain .. Pete was convinced he’d not hold it in any more. Morrow Junior .. seated on his legs .. peering into the pain-creased face .. he had the best seat in the house. And was gonna get helluva a pain-show. This muscled sucker would not be able to hold it in any longer .. giving up his suffering. Giving the Boss just what was burning within his pants.Pete was no stranger to the thrills of doing an opponent over. He felt that familiar pressure of excitement in his pants as he threw another humdinger into those crimson-glowing soles. Briefly he wondered how Morrow Junior was firming up. Even the Boss had to be getting off …..

Pete took a deep breath. Allowed himself the slightest of breather. But only briefly ……. Pete had got the sucker suffering. No time like the present. He was going to let every strike count now. Squeezing the sizzle of agony like a flood out of the sucker’s body. Taking it slow, though. Every ounce of hurt had to count. Squeezing every bit of agony out of each-and-every strike. Hitting those agonised feet with everything he’d got.

Rewards. The punk’s reaction was gonna be payment itself. The jolt of a tortured body in agony. Pain throwing Morrow Junior up in the air. And forcing out a sharp cry of anguish. Each strike with the horse-whip was gonna blast an unstoppable yell out of the sucker’s broad muscled chest. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy. Couldn’t hurt either to be giving the Boss just what he craved ……

Sucking up

Bodie had given up reckoning how many blistering strikes had torn into his bare feet. He'd given up trying to keep count.

In a short time it didn't matter. All that mattered was the moment when Morrow called a halt. Or Brawler felt he'd had enough fun.

There was no holding in the yelps. Each stinging blow came with all the force in Brawler's thick muscular shoulders. Every eye-watering hit struck with Brawler's mean-streak backed up by a broad muscled rippling back.

When Morrow had heard enough of Bodie yelling out .. his eyes gloating over Bodie's unwanted sharp grimaces of pain, he called for Pete to jack it in. Preferring to move things along. With feet like these, the sucker wasn’t running off. He wasn’t surprised either when Pete got in another couple. His way of signing off.

Seated astride the lecher’s legs, Morrow gloated over the sweat pooling in that muscled belly sunken in by the sucker heaving for breath. He was gratified for Pete’s final hits. Pete’s grunts of effort testified to rounding things off in his best way. The pain jolted Bodie’s legs up in the air. The lecher’s cries rang sharp into the air. A good start to things.“String him up.”He smirked at Bodie's face .. flushed crimson red with the pain. The brute was getting an foretaste of what he deserved.

Bodie knew he was in severe trouble when the foreman and Curly grabbed him by the arms and hauled him up. Torture like getting jabbed in the foot by an Indian's war lance .. punctured through his feet. Agony like impaled on a sharp spear. Pain nearly broke his legs under him .. falling against Curly who struggled to keep him upright. Bodie could only be grateful that Brawler had bound his ankles together. He was being dragged, not made to walk. He couldn’t have hidden the hurt if he’d been moving on his own two feet. Brawler had been right. That foot beating had slowed him down.

It was Pete’s swift action that decided Bodie was to be strung up by his ankles. By the time others were dragging his muscled weight over the barn floor, there was no discussion. Pete had leapt in, he’d taken over. He had already pulled down a rope dangling from the roof. Assuming charge, he slipped the hook into the rope on Bodie's ankles. Without consulting with the others .. making the decision for Morrow what was best .. Pete was hauling on the rope .. pulling on the pulley .. hauling Bodie upside-down up in the air. “Don't just stand there, Curly. Give me a hand.”

Unthinking Curly let go of Bodie and started hauling on the pulley with his buddy Pete. Bodie hissed out as his brutalised feet scraped over the ground. Pain twisted him round. The foreman couldn't be bothered with the punk and let him collapse to the floor.

Pain like a branding iron jammed into the soles of his feet was still making Bodie gasp when he felt his back jerkily dragged over the earth. Before he knew it, his legs were up in the air. More grunted jerks of hard effort and Bodie’s head was swinging free. Swaying, strung up upside down.

If that hadn't been Morrow's plan, he made no objection. He moved forward .. looking down into Bodie's face. Strung-up, helpless. Morrow was liking what he saw. His ranch-hand had got Bodie just the way he wanted. Vulnerable. Couldn’t do a god-damned thing. “You guys go get cleaned up. Get some chow down you.”Morrow’s eyes creased into a cruel smirk. He had this punk who'd messed with his woman just where he wanted him. He'd been itching for this a long time.“Reckon this could turn out to be a long night …..”Said with a wink directed to his ranch-hands. Indication of the night’s hard work their boss expected of them. And a not-so-subtle reminder to this upside-down punk of how much owed.

The other two headed grateful for the door. When they were out of earshot, Pete turned to Morrow. “What you say, boss ….. ? I could stay here, you go and get something to eat too.”Pete grinned at his boss. Nodding with his head towards the muscled side of beef strung-up upside-down .. watching them. Seeking news of what happened next.“I’ll keep an eye on the sucker.”He winked.“He gives any trouble .. I’ll sort it. Know what I mean?”Morrow knew alright. Pete had been helpful so far ….. in the best possible way. Morrow grinned back. “Sure it's no trouble?”

Morrow was getting the measure of this ranch hand. He reckoned he and this Pete were singing from the same hymn sheet. Both wanted the “best” for this lecher. Both would enjoy settling scores. Not gonna be any trouble? Morrow almost expected Pete to answer back, it’d be his pleasure. Giving the lecher his dues. Morrow was seeing his the dude could be a useful ally. Like this move to hang the sucker by the feet. Clever that. Morrow wouldn’t have come up with that idea. Like this, the lecher couldn't help himself like that. Vulnerable as hell. Any trouble .. “keeping an eye on the sucker”? Morrow knew it'd be no trouble. Pete would enjoy some time alone. Wasn't going to do any harm leaving the pair of them alone a while.

Pete winked back at him“Sure as hell I'll make sure HE’s no trouble.”Morris understood, he nodded He had no doubts.“I'll get some grub sent out,” Morrow offered. “To keep your strength up …..”He nodded .. making sure they were speaking the same language. Meaning, anything goes. Something exerting, maybe? Pete shouldn’t use up his strength, Morrow would make sure food got

brought out. Had to keep him fit for the job. Morrow grinned at his ranch-hand, knowingly. Nothing more needed to be said.

Kept out of trouble

Morrow had left them in the barn. Bodie had got the sense that he’d given Brawler freedom to do what “was right.” He had already got the drift, Brawler was sucking up to his boss. Giving him what he wanted.

He wouldn’t go too far, he suspected. Brawler wanted to please. To give Morrow the idea the results of this punishment .. it was all down to his Boss. But that didn’t stop the bully from putting in plenty of groundwork. Setting things up for Morrow.

“Nice belt you've got on you.”Brawler had come up close to Bodie's front. He slipped a finger in the waistband and pulled Bodie forward by his belt.“Strikes me, thing like that ….. could come in useful ….”

Brawler wasn’t admiring the simple leather belt for its design, Bodie knew. He’d spotted its effectiveness. Thick wide leather strap. He was looking at Brawler's thighs .. upside down .. his weight making the rope dig into his ankles. Annoyed he felt Brawler fumbling at his buckle. Brawler had already signalled how Bodie's own belt was going to come in useful. “Sweated into it nicely,” Brawler sniggered. “Good and stiff.”

Brawler had cut the rope on Bodie's wrists behind his back .. freeing his hands. Bodie didn't have a plan. But it was too good a chance to miss. Brawler's confidence had got the better of him .. focused getting Bodie's belt as a weapon .. to turn it on him later.

He cried out in shock when Bodie's punch stuck him in his balls.“Shit!”He doubled up. Bodie's hands were already on his knees .. upending him. Brawler was falling. Bodie reached out to grab the sucker by the throat .. planning to throttle him. Then he might use the chance to reach up, free his legs.

But the bar-room fighter’s instincts in Brawler saw the hands coming for him. Quickly he twisted off the other way and threw himself to the floor out of Bodie's reach.

He was up .. bent up slightly into the pain in his groin .. his face a mixture of hurt and anger. Panting at getting shocked. Furious that Bodie had dared hit back. His ego hurt.

“Well, damn you, punk.”Brawler moved fast. In two strides his hands had hold of Bodie's calves. And his knee shot up. Slammed hard into Bodie's gut. “Quite the joker”Another one kick hit home .. hard .. emptying Bodie of wind.“Think that's funny?” Again the leg was up. The force knocked Bodie backwards. A loud grunt came out with the kick.“Eh?”

Again a knee thudded hard into Bodie's belly .. the force bending him up .. lifting his upper torso. Released by gravity .. swinging upside down .. gasping for air. “Quite the comedian!”Brawler lashed out. This time his fist smacked hard into Bodie’s gut.“Joke’s on you. Bastard!”

Leather-work

“Last god-damned laughs on you, punk!”A sharp knee kick to the gut. A follow-up .. earlier hits smacking the wind out of Brodie’s belly. All in quick angered succession.

Giving Bodie little chance to tighten and fend off the pain. Battered and jerked around in the air. Left dangling upside down, gasping for air .. sweat running off his face.

Back to where he was ….. Brawler finished off his dirty work with undoing the buckle to the punk’s belt. Bodie made some weak move against him again. But Brawler’s leg kicked

him hard in the face. He didn’t take to getting it in the nuts.

“See how funny you find this one.”Brawler snarled at Bodie from behind. And lashed out. The belt thwacked Bodie across his lower back. Shock, pain, unprepared. The force contorted Bodie’s torso in a jerky spin. But already the next anger-loaded follow-up was slashing downwards .. a leather strap the width of a hand tore down Bodie’s back .. from waist to shoulders. “Funny, eh?”

Clearly Brawler didn’t appreciate getting done in the balls. Bodie’s back arched backwards off the pain .. a scorching lash across muscled flesh. He hissed out .. teeth gritted into searing pain. Then jarring as he dropped .. his muscled weight digging rope into his ankles.“Any more good jokes?”A thick strip of sweat-hardened leather bit into Bodie’s side. Convulsed into a shocked twist. A cry of pain ripped out of his back.

“Na? I’ve got a better one for you!”Pete yelled out his warning. Slicing Bodie’s belt downwards in a growl cutting through the air. From waist down to shoulder, upside-down. Tearing pain out of a solid muscled back. Shoulders twisted round in pain. Inverted, gyrating in ugly twists in the air.“Good joke, eh?”Next time Pete twisted his wrist as he let fly. The hard edge of the belt bit sharp against the breadth of the target back. The whole body twisted off the bite of sweat-hardened leather. Spinning tortured in the air. The punk cried out. A rush of pleasure pumped life into the top of Pete’s pants. They were getting somewhere.

“Here’s the punchline.”Pete had slowly walked around Bodie’s sweating torso. Eyes on the sweating body. Taking his time. Letting the pain do its work. Appreciating that nerves would be anticipating the next move. Stood in front. His own blood racing, excitement pounding in the air. Feeling that growing excitement at the tops of his legs. He couldn’t stop himself. His arm lashed out backwards, torso coiled, tensed-up. And then unwound. Sent a thwack of pain across the punk’s midriff. Again his wrist twisted as the belt flew. The sharp edge raised a burning welt. The force bent Bodie’s head upwards. Jerked out a pained cry .. yelled out as the wind was emptied from his chest. “Good one. Ain’t it?”

Pete signed off with a blast of sweat-hardened leather across Bodie’s ribs. The punk couldn’t keep it in, could suppress the pain. Too many hits, too good, too hard, too quick. Too many shocks landed together. The fool couldn’t only curse as he dangled upside down“Damn you!”He gasped out through the effort of hauling in air. His voice rasping.“I’ll get you!”Pete laughed back.“You and whose army, punk?”His knee lifted. Slammed with force into the punk’s aching belly. No joke!“Strikes me, you’re the one that’s damned …..!

4. DOWN TO IT

Experience counts

“Seems he HAS been giving you some jip, then?”Morrow Junior had been stood at the barn door for some minutes. Watching. Enjoying. Learning.

He’d brought his ranch hand food from the bunk house. An excuse really .. Morrow couldn’t wait to get back to the man who’d duped him and get on with things. Give this god-damned cowhand all he deserved.

From outside already he’d heard Pete’s grunts of effort. Intrigued by the sounds of a knuckled fist smacking on solid muscle. He’d leaned back against the open door .. enjoying the spray of sweat shower off his ranch hand’s head as Pete thwacked another punch into a vulnerable belly.

Pete had got muscle already crimsoned-up. And he had the punk running with pained sweat. As he enjoyed watching the brutal punishment his ranch-hand was dishing out, Morrow was feeling his own blood showing signs. Rising at the pained grunts as the upside-down cowhand was swung under the force of every punch.

This Pete was one-of-a-kind, he’d decided. And just what Morrow needed. He handed the plate of grub over .. indicating Pete take a seat. He looked like he could do with a break. Pete’s skin was glistening with effort. Muscles pinging with sweat. The guy had held nothing back, he was really into this kind of thing. Just the kind of heavy muscle Morrow could do with for this job. Well suited.

“You’d never believe it ……”Pete looked up from his plate. At his Boss eyeing Pete’s workmanship. He saw no reason not to spread lies. No harm in making things worse for the punk. “Never known a sucker deserves this more. Not a twinge of regret.”

Bodie had barely said a word, not provoked a thing. But a bar-room brawler didn’t pass up on a chance. What was wrong in getting the offended husband all-the-more wound-up?

Morrow gloated over his suffering victim .. a stinking cowhand who’d dare mess with his wife .. with a Morrow woman. Helpless, strung-up upside-down. Just the way the punk ought to be. A useless side-of-beef. A hopeless case. Morrow was still bristling that his wife had snapped back and said the punk was twice the man. The lecher was gonna get it. He deserved all he had coming to him. And this ranch-hand Pete was just the thing Morrow needed.

The punk’s belly had taken a beating. Pete must have laid a few dozen mean punches into that open gut. Angry-red blotches all over. Belly sunk in by the hang, painful blemishes laid on the panting muscle. His ribs an ugly crimson. Sweat running off him. Helpless upside-down .. sucking in air .. clearly struggling. This ranch hand had done a good job on him. Morrow had been right to leave the two of them alone.

Pete tucked away at the grub .. greedily swallowing it down. Like he needed to eat but he’d rather be getting on with other things. Pete was watching his boss. Eager for his response. Keen to see he approved. Pleased when Morrow Junior ran a finger over the red-glowing muscles of the punk’s belly .. slicking his fingertips in the flow of sweat. Seeing the boss grateful for what Pete had done for him. Pressing at muscle red-blotched with Pete’s own exertions. The Boss clearly pleased that his ranch hand had already softened things up.For Pete there was nothing like the feel of a fist smacking into muscular flesh. Punching the hell out of a dude. Dominating. Winning. Especially winning over one hard-built like this sucker. And even better when there was no risk. When this muscular fool’s fists could not answer back.

Pete threw back the grub. Suspecting. Wondering if Morrow had come back so fast because he couldn’t wait himself.“Fancy having a go yourself, boss? Don’t think he’ll give you much trouble.”Morrow’s eye met the lecher’s look. He’d heard, the man had flashed his head over in Morrow’s direction. Of course .. the punk knew damn-well .. knew Morrow couldn’t wait. What husband wouldn’t? Get his own back? He’d come back early with that plate of chow. Just looking wasn’t going to placate the itching in his blood. The thought of getting down to it was making itself known in his pants. The urge for revenge. Hard to ignore the rush of blood.

Pete joked.“What’s your weapon of choice?”Suggestively he was holding up Morrow’s own horse-whip. In the other hand, he was dangling Bodie’s own thick leather belt.“Personally …. “Pete grinned.“ … love the feel of muscle collapsing under my fist ……”He smirked into Bodie’s glare .. from upside-down. He could glare back all he wanted. Not a thing he could do to stop this happening. It was why Pete had got the punk strung-up like this. He couldn’t have made it easier for the Boss.

“But tell you what, boss …….”Pete scoffed back into Bodie’s anger.

“This belt of his ….. sure makes the sucker bawl.”He grinned at Morrow. And winked. Encouragingly. Knowing the one thing his boss wanted out of this. Only cries of pain .. Bodie’s yells bouncing off the walls of this barn .. only the sounds of the cow-punk’s suffering was going to satisfy. And that belt of his .. sure did the trick.

“A few cracks with his own belt across his belly. The sucker tries .. he swears he’s not gonna cry out. Pig-headed bastard. But … nothing for it .. he can’t hold it in …..”Pete winked suggestively at his boss.“And thwack him across his chest ….. you should hear the punk cuss …….!”Pete chortled for the Boss.“Till more hits shut up his god-damned mouth!”Morrow Junior nodded. His looks said, Thanks. For the advice. Good ideas. He had all the suggestions he wanted. Best get on with it.

Up for it

Morrow Junior was no fool. He knew he wasn’t built for this. What he wanted above everything was to make this punk pay for humiliating him .. daring to go with his woman .. in his own bed! But he hadn’t got the physique, he wasn’t built that way physically.

On the other hand ….that was where Pete pitched in. Morrow had watched from the barn door, admiringly. Pete was built for this, muscled, he had the stamina.

He had the temperament too for this. Bodie hadn’t offended Pete in the same

way. But did the guy care?

The way his ranch hand had beaten hell out of the cowhand. Bare to the waist .. solid muscle rippling .. Morrow had watched Pete’s back running with the sweat of hard effort. Really going for it. Damn-well enjoying it.Even now .. after a rest to knock back his plate of chow .. Pete’s upper body radiated with a glow. Not just from his exertions. Glowing with pride. With need. Almost like he was getting off on this. For Pete, this was as good as going with the best whore. This Pete was a godsend.

Morrow was not built for this. By himself, it’d be like hitting this muscled seducer with a feather. And the punk deserve more .. hell-of-a-lot more. Every fibre in Morrow’s being wanted to hear this punk Bodie yell out. He’d get a rush of hard in his pants if the sucker ever begged him to stop. But Morrow alone could never manage that. He hadn’t the strength. Or the temperament. On the other hand …….

No fool. Morrow saw he had a willing helper. More than willing.“What you say ……?”Morrow winked at his ranch hand.“ …. We take him together ….?”He took Bodie’s belt out of Pete’s extended hand. For some reason, the idea seemed doubly

satisfying .. to thrash the hell out of the punk with his own belt.“I’ll work him front.”

He grinned at Pete. Then his eyes ran over the punk’s sweat-drenched front. His eyes targeted the rows of solid muscle in his belly .. attracted to their vulnerability .. sucked in by being hung upside-down like this …..When Morrow thought of his wife caressing those protruding mounds of muscled strength ……!

“You go for him from behind.”Morrow didn’t care with what. He could apply the horse-whip. Pete had said he favoured using his fists ….. From what Morrow had seen …. Pete would be going for the maximum hurt. He just got off on thumping the hell out of a guy like this.“You up for that?”Morrow’s suspicions were confirmed. He didn’t have to ask twice.

In cahoots

Things looked pretty hopeless for Bodie. He’d already tried hitting back. They had the numbers of their side. And had kept him uselessly tied up. Stuck upside-down .. his feet still burning .. his guts had taken a brutal kicking .. Brawler had laid into his back with his own belt.

Bodie’s hands were free .. but unless they left him alone .. to reach up and try and fumble himself free from the hook up above .. he was stuck here. Gonna have to take his punishment.

He had done wrong. He was guilty, he’d had Morrow Junior’s wife .. numerous times. Maybe he shouldn’t have. Or maybe Morrow

should have done the right thing himself.. kept her satisfied.

Or maybe Bodie just shouldn’t have got caught out. Simple as that. They’d known the risks .. small town .. people saw .. people talked. No secrets for long in a small town. Only had himself to blame.

Whatever! He was hurting already. And badly. And the husband hadn’t even started on him. Brawler had done all the damage so far. And he was winding Morrow up .. giving him ideas, benefit of his experience. For some reason, Brawler had it in for Bodie. Or was he just that sort of guy? A mean-streak all the way through?

Disappear with the lecher, that had been the order. Move the sucker out to the ranch, Morrow Senior had said. Wash your dirty laundry out of sight, son. Discreetly. Remember the family name. Show the fool what-for. Do what you have to do. Then ship the sucker over the county line. He showed his face in town again, Bodie would have Morrow Senior to deal with.

Gonna have to take his punishment. Put up with it. What other chance was he being offered? His guts had taken a pounding from Brawler’s fists. His back was on fire, he could still feel it glowing under his sweat. He deserved this, in their eyes. He was up against a jealous husband .. whose wife had insulted his manly prowess publicly. He’d fallen into the sadistic hands of a cow-punk who was into doing men over .. when they couldn’t hit back.No way was Bodie going to get off without a savage beating. He’d barely be able to put one foot in front of the other when he crossed the county line. But he was getting out of this alive .. orders of Morrow senior. He’d survive. With luck he’d evaded the tar-and-feathering. Though they could still be boiling it up somewhere on the ranch.

It didn’t look good however you looked at it. This Brawler had made himself indispensable. Bodie was getting the feeling .. this Brawler was inveigling himself into Morrow’s favours. Buying himself attention by doing Morrow Junior a few good turns. At Bodie’s expense.Taking over the punishment. He was volunteering for the heavy muscle stuff. Morrow Junior getting what he wanted .. Bodie having the shit beaten out of him .. punished out of his skin. And all without Junior having to break out into a sweat himself. It was Junior’s good day. He’d found the perfect partner.

In tandem

Docile Morrow had taken his ranch-hand’s advice. He let Pete decide.“Hit the sucker from the front. Get a better view that way. See what’s happening best. See how you’ve got the sucker hurting.” Pete had taken it into his own hands. How he and the Boss were best going to handle this punk. Together.

Junior agreed. Taking on the lecher from the front .. gonna see the look on his face. Gonna feel the hurting.“And use the horse-whip …. Get you up right close. Feel the heat. Feel the sweat.” Pete handed his Boss the whip. Deciding the matter. Pete couldn’t trust Morrow to do a good job with his fists.

Morrow agreed. He felt relieved. A horse-whip .. he knew how to handle a whip. Best leave the job with the belt to Pete. He’d watched Pete working from the doorway. The guy knew how to play with a strap. Where best to strike. Where on that broad lecher’s back he could inflict the most punishment and pain. With Pete, Morrow felt himself in the best hands.

Morrow tried a few hard hits across Bodie’s belly. The first were clumsy, stung but hard little effect. When the punk did not react, he got mad with himself and lashed out. Criss-crossing the whip across the belly .. quickly, one following madly on the other. Hitting out at flat belly sunken in by the hang. Ridges of muscle in a stomach, deep-cut. Tempting. Again, Morrow saw his wife’s hands stroking hat manly seduction. Wild he lifted the whip over his opposite shoulder and lashed out. Striking at the hated belly muscle, deeply separated, corded. But still the sucker just hissed. Frustrating. Morrow hit out wildly again. Cursing when the cowhand still did not yell out. Getting increasingly angry.

Pete saw the problem. The ineptness. The Boss needed helping out. From behind, he hit out too, His strike blasting into the lower back just seconds after Morrow’s whip hit home. Stung on his front, thwacked in the back. That had the sucker gasping. That put a different gloss on things. Pete got them into their stride. Working the punk over together. Working out a pattern. Pete backed his boss up. Putting all he had into his strike. Maximising the pain. Putting a smile of Morrow’s face.

Morrow couldn’t keep it up. He stopped to catch his breath. Eyes glistening at the sweat-streaked torso. Satisfaction firm in his pants. But Pete knew better. Satisfied? Enough? A punk like this .. with his defiant attitude .. gonna take a lot more to get this lecher begging for forgiveness .. if that was what this was about. Pete didn’t know what Morrow wanted out of this. But did he care? It wouldn’t do any harm, though .. if Pete could get the punk begging for this to stop.

This Bodie was gonna have to take a hell of a lot more. The more he hurt, the more the Boss would be appreciative. Pete swung out .. grunting with effort. The leather slashed into the punk’s side. Reaction was instant. Tender skin jerked. This torso twisted. Wounded skin burst into burning pain down his side. Twisting into a contorted upside down dance. Gratified by a sharp yelp. That got the bastard going!

The Boss needed a breather, Pete didn’t. Not yet. In front Morrow was catching his breath. But his eyes had to be alight with the sight of the punk twisted in the air. Muscles jerking, sweat running. A grimace of pain on his face. Pete knew who here he was out to please. The side of the belt stung again across the punk’s side. Overlaying the earlier welt. A sharp twist of a jerk. Another success. Another yelp.The Boss was getting what he wanted. And it was Pete giving it him. What’s it worth, Boss?

Bodie was sweating. He was hurting. And he was as mad as hell. He’d got the drift of how this was working out. Morrow had little or no idea what to do. He hadn’t the spunk for this. But this Brawler .. he had stepped into the breech. He was making the running. Fuelled on the mean-streak that ran through every fibre in his body. This Brawler. Without him, Bodie would already be home-and-dry. Brawler .. He had got Bodie seriously mad.

Bodie had observed the bully in the saloon. Picked a fight whenever he could. And chose guys where he knew he could win. Men half-drunk out of their heads. Could barely throw a punch. But Brawler could, he did. And Brawler preferred things done the old-fashioned way. Fists, kicks, boots. Not into doing things fair.

Nothing Bodie could do right now. Brawler had got him helpless, strung-up like this. He’d never have dared otherwise. Brawler had used his fist, whips, Bodie’s belt. And was offering to take the load off Morrow’s mind. Happy to beat the hell out of Bodie for him. A bully, a coward. Worming himself into Morrow’s favours. Using Bode to earn himself a bonus. Doing what he enjoyed doing most. Beating the hell out of Bodie’s hide.

Bodie was hurting. Bodie was mad as hell. But he remembered. Morrow Senior had ordered Bodie driven off .. expelled across the country line. But it didn’t end there, no way, not now. Brawler owed. He was a nasty piece of work. He was taking it out on Bodie. For now. It didn’t end there. Bodie had come across guys like Brawler before. Bodie had had the hell beaten out of him before. He had endured this kind of stuff .. before. He had survived. He would again. This wasn’t the end of it. Brawler and him .. they’d meet again. Upside down .. Bodie took another stinking bite out of his side .. he grunted, he let go a yelp. Damn him! Bodie promised the bully. They’d meet again. It didn’t end here.

And afterwards ….?

“ ‘Scuse me for talking out of turn, boss …..?”Pete was still dominating over the strung-up cowhand. Between them, they’d got the fool to shut up. When Morrow had approached with the whip, the punk had lit rip. Cursing. He must have woken up.

This Bodie must have realised they were not playing at this. His situation was helpless. But the punk still thought he could try it on. Warning them. Promising he’d get even …. The fool!

Morrow needed his backbone stiffening. And Pete was just the man. He stiffened Morrow’s resolve. Backing up his Boss’ less-than-effective strikes. Together they’d shown the womanising bastard where he could put all

this talk. At the end of a belt slapped across his back .. the hard edge biting into muscled flesh. Pete soon shut up his god-damned mouth. Pete had made sure of it.

And when the pig-headed sucker still couldn’t keep his trap shut .. damning Pete to hell for the strap .. Pete changed tactics. One of his best punches slammed into the punk’s backbone. Making him yell. Arching his back. Sending the fool swinging. Encouraged, spotting an opportunity. Morrow Junior had followed through .. wildly lashing out with the horse-whip. Catching the swaying torso right across the ribs .. raising a vicious welt .. raising a lecher’s sharp grunt that spilled onto the dirt.

All his cussing had come to nothing, Pete had made sure of that. Now .. silenced, the punk hung upside down. Panting. Sweating. Still angry as hell, Pete reckoned. But what was he going to do about it?Morrow needed to take a break, catch his breath, he wasn’t used to sustained hard work. But Pete knew better than to let go a chance. He kept up the menace, like a dog worrying a bone. Digging his knuckles in where it hurt the most. A stinging slap on a crimson welt. Getting into bar-room fights .. provoking some sucker .. Pete knew .. mentally dominating was all part of the act.

“Tell me if I’m over-stepping the mark, Boss …..”Pete was pretty confident Morrow would want to heat his suggestion. All things said he’d won Morrow over. The Boss had to know this punishment would not have gone so well. Junior had got the punk in his grips, this muscular brute was suffering. Morrow was getting his payback. But without Pete backing him up? The Boss had to know where he’d be.

Just to make his point … Pete slammed a punch into battered ribs. Demonstration that Pete had the sucker where he didn’t dare give them some lip. Learned the error of his ways. Thanks to Pete

“I overheard what Mr Morrow Senior said …..”He dug a knuckle into an angry red blotch in Bodie’s belly .. for the fun of it. Pleased at the hiss of pain he got. More pleased when Morrow Junior looked his way and nodded in appreciation. He’d won Junior’s attention.“Saying about taking him across the county line …..?”Pete jabbed an elbow into Bodie’s bruised crimson ribs, Morrow Junior grinned .. happy his ranch hand was continually worrying the seducer. Morrow was taking a breather but Pete kept up the pressure on the lecherous dog. He nodded. Encouraging Pete to carry on.“Mr Morrow Senior warning this punk never to return …..”Pete reminded the son of his father’s instruction. Bring the punk out to the ranch. Do whatever was necessary. Then the punk was to be taken away, dumped over the county line. Warned never to return. Pete, though, guessed that the son might not be too happy with that. Wasn’t that letting this sucker off the hook? Getting off lightly. Too easy. Might Junior prefer a more radical end to this sorry affair?

Pete paused. Judiciously he let the resentment play around in the son’s mind.“Strange things happen, you know. Out there. Out in the wilds ……. Beyond the county line, like …..”He saw his boss look at him. And frown. Not understanding. But guessing that Pete might have a more imaginative idea.Just to please, Pete gouged his finger into a nasty bruise on the cowhand’s belly. Worrying the knuckle into battered redness. Pleased to see Morrow Junior grinned. Encouraged, Pete jabbed at the wound again .. gouging out a grunt of pain as the knuckle dug in deep.

“Bad things happen out there. Beyond the county line ….. “Pete raised an eyebrow suggestively.Pete moved behind the strung-up cowhand. To give Morrow’s head time to take his words in. Behind Pete’s fingers started digging away at the damage his fists had done. The punk squirmed .. jerking at the re-awakened pain.“Like meeting up with pesky Injuns ……”

Pete sensed he had Morrow’s attention. His boss was getting to rely on him. Ready to hear a suggestion. The pair of them were singing the same tune. But Morrow was new at this.“God forbid, a man should fall into their heathen hands…..”

Pesky injuns

“Heard of one guy once ……”Pete was still hidden behind the strung-up cowhand. But he KNEW he had his boss’ attention. He could almost hear his heart beating .. with excitement, anticipation. Pete sensed Morrow was eagerly looking to him for ideas. Primed for whatever plan Pete had got up his sleeve.

Pete was giving his boss something to enjoy. Digging his knuckles into the punched bruising down Bodie’s backbone. Giving the welts from the belt good hard slaps.“Those injuns stripped him naked. Staked him out. In some kinda rough X-shape.”Playing up his mock disgust, Pete added

flavour to his tantalising thought. “Stinking heathens ….”

Pete was painting the picture for his boss. Letting him see Bodie staked out. Helpless .. just like the boss would like him to be, stinking womaniser. Pete was deliberately worming his way into Morrow’s favours. Putting ideas in his head. Ideas that stroked the urge for revenge. Prickling at the top of Morrow’s legs.“I ask you, boss. Naked. Staked out. Under the sweltering sun.”

Bodie tensed. He was listening in .. still catching his breath .. tensing on whiplashed belly muscle to bite down on the pain. He’d realised already that Morrow wasn’t his problem. Brawler would just not let up. He couldn’t let this go. He had the daunting power of Bodie helplessly strung-up. He’d worked him over .. just for the fun of it, it seemed. And just when Bodie was putting together his own plans .. what he’d do once they’d got him dumped beyond the country line ….. Brawler started putting ideas in Morrow Junior’s head.

Pete paused long enough for Morrow Junior to paint the picture for himself. Morrow was probably casting an eye over the well-built seducer .. hung naked to the waist .. muscles running with sweat. Seeing him staked out like that. Defenceless. What was that dong for the heat in his pants?“Nothing on. Helpless.”Another pause. A come-on. Knowing he was inviting Morrow’s thoughts to slap his own colours on the scene. A defenceless Bodie. Destined for a lingering death.

“Animals! They emptied a jar of honey over the poor bastard .. ‘scuse my French …”Again Brawler let his boss think that one over. Honey. Why honey? YES. Of course!

“Honey dripped all over the poor sucker’s privates!”Pete was heaping it on. Making sure his boss was painting the same picture.“Ain’t human! On a man’s .. well, you know …..”Pete grinned to himself. Convinced he had Morrow swallowing the bait.“Would you credit it!”Of course Morrow would. He might not have come up with the idea himself. BUT ….. sweet thought.

Sweetness .. attracting flies ….. enticing mosquitoes .. homing in on Bodie’s balls. At first just a worrying few. Annoying. But stretched out .. staked into this X-shape with ropes .. no hands free .. nothing free to bat the insects off. Here come the bugs. Throw in a few scorpions. Stinging. Biting. Attracted to a mass of insects to feed on. Teeming around his balls. Just where this sucker had done his harm. Attacked just where this Bodie had done the dirty. Serve the bastard right! Bitten, stung, bloated, inflamed. A tempting thought . Sweet!

Pete made sure his insinuation was getting through to his boss. “Bloody heathens! Who could do that to another man?”Pete knew who would. Morrow would. He’d love to ….. He’d just planted the idea in his head.“What I heard ……”Pete’s knuckles were still digging pain out of bruises his fists had smacked out of Bodie’s back .. keeping up the punishment while Morrow Junior watched the punk wince. Hiss out at the pain. Keeping up the bloodlust in Morrow’s pants as Bodie grunted out. Pete sensed Morrow was giving his hint more than a little thought. He was getting hooked. Backed up by their victim cussing at Brawler’s pain. Twisting away .. hissing .. as Pete worked on the sucker’s pain for maximum effect. Twisting the screw with sounds of Morrow’s victim in pain. Why did it have to end here?

Pete played his fish on the hook.“ …. Mountain lion turned up. That was what I heard. The poor dude was already beside himself. His balls stung thousands of times by pesky mosquitos. Then a puma comes sniffing. Looms up. Finds living meat. Helpless. And digs his teeth in. Rips huge mouthfuls of flesh out of the poor sod’s thigh …….”

Behind Bodie .. playing his boss for all he was worth ……Pete paused.“Pesky injuns! Would you believe it? Poor bastard. Defenceless. Staked out so a wild cat can eat you alive.”Morrow got it alright. And he couldn’t think of a better way of getting even with this dude.“Alive. Ripped apart by a lion. Eaten alive. You think of any worse way to die ……?”Pete insinuated his plan. Come up with a better idea? He was pretty sure Morrow could not.

County line

Damn that Brawler. He was hurting, Bodie was running with sweated pain. But he’d been listening in too. The dude was twisted, not right in the head.

Nothing better than a bar-room brawl. Until now. It seemed Brawler was taking his thing on to a whole different level.

He got off on besting another guy. Especially over a well-built dude. All the better when the man couldn’t hit back. Brawler had got the others to make sure of that .. getting him strung-up .. upside-down .. helpless.

Then the perverted bastard had gone to town. Beaten the hell out of his guts. Slashed the crap out of his back with his hard-leather belt.

And since Morrow had turned up, he’d been twisting his boss into ideas of torturing Bodie. Offering the chance of revenge.

Well, two could play at that. Bodie didn’t have Brawler’s mean streak. He didn’t go looking for trouble. But when others hunted him down .. when a dude was offering to take Bodie out and fake an Indian torture .. well, a guy like that would bring out the worst in any man …..Bodie could accept he’d got off on the wrong foot with Morrow Junior. That urge to get his own back .. understandable. But this Brawler …..? He was sick in the head. What did this dude have in his veins for blood? Ice? Poison? And Bodie was having none of it. Sick dogs got put down. And Brawler sure was sick.

There’d be more beatings, for sure. The other guys would return after their chow. They’d be encouraged to do their bit. And sure-as-hell, like Brawler, they’d want to be seen to please. They weren’t about to let their slighted Boss down. Jobs might depend on it.And in-turn, what was the betting that Brawler wouldn’t want to be out-done either? Bodie ’d get a thrashing all right .. more than that. They’d beat the hell out of him. Not going to be out-done by that Brawler. And Brawler would be out to top the others too. Competing to stay in Morrow’s favours. Bodie got that. He was man enough to accept that. In their eyes, he deserved it. He was gonna have to take all they could dish out. Man-it-out.

But after ……? Brawler’s thing about faking an Indian torture …..?Bodie imagined …… at dawn they’d take him out. Ride him out to the county line. Morrow would want it

kept quiet. Probably just Brawler …. No, he’d need some help. Even in the state after their beatings, Morrow wasn’t going to trust Bodie to take this quietly. Morrow would send Curly along .. two against one.

Stake him out .. that was Brawler’s idea. They’d have to untie him first .. whatever bonds they had him in, they’d have to release them. He’d surprise the fools, he’d have kept enough back for that. He’d have fooled them, though. On the walk out to the country line, Bodie would have given them the idea he was done-in, that he couldn’t raise a fist for the life of him.He’d have played along .. looking half-dead. Out to the county line, Bodie would have stumbled, tripped, fallen. He’d have to get kicked to crawl to his feet. After a night of beatings, looking done-in .. not going to be a hard job, Bodie reasoned.

Getting stuck-in .. in this barn .. all evening .. Brawler would have made sure Morrow got everything he desired. And more. Brawler would certainly have done his best. He’d want to think he had Bodie beaten. Guy like that .. he thought himself unbeatable, always the winner. Guy like that .. in his head, he always came out on top. .. Brawler would have convinced himself, Bodie was crushed, done-in. Beaten. Broken. Bodie would play along. Putty in his hands. Brawler had every faith in the power of his fists. He’d never think Bodie could still have it in him.But he would. Bodie was gonna make god-damn sure he had.

Owed

It was Brawler who had wound all this up. From a jealous husband wanting his own back .. spiralling that up to faking Bodie’s death by Indian torture. That was all Brawler, that was the evil in him coming out. He was just dragging Morrow Junior along by the nose.

Hold some back? Keep strength in reserves? Like hell! Bodie would have it in him alright. Morrow would have him brutally beaten. He’d be getting off on watching Bodie beaten out of his skin. Bodie was gonna have to take it. And then have strength left to pounce.

Bodie was tough. He had taken enough beatings to know how tough. He believed in himself. Bodie just had to tell himself he would survive. Enough spunk left in him to spring an ambush. Enough to take Brawler down.

That cowboy had eyed Bodie up enough. Reckoning his chances in the saloon. Itching to take him on. Well, Bodie was gonna grant him his wish. The way Bodie felt … he didn’t rate Brawler’s chances. Not a snowball’s hope in hell.

Morrow would send Curly as back-up. Curly was nothing. Bodie would take him out in a flash. Knocked out. No threat. But Brawler was something else …. The man could punch. Bodie had seen him fight. And he fought dirty. But his weakness? Brawler was cocky .. conceited enough to think he had Bodie broken. Sure he had a weakened Bodie on his hands. Reckoning Bodie couldn’t possibly have much fight left in him .. any fight-back, that’d just the last struggles of a desperate man.

Proud? Bodie was not proud .. if he could dupe the guy into thinking Brawler still had the upper hand. Happy to fool the sucker. Take a few more knocks. Play the part, play Brawler for a fool. Bodie was going to play Brawler like a fish on a rod .. leading Brawler to over-reach himself. Get kicked? Brawler would hardly be able to let up. He’d keep at it, hitting out at Bodie at every chance. And Bodie was not too proud to take more hard-knocks. On the walk to the county line, no doubt Brawler would get in a few more kicks, unnecessary punches. Keep putting one over on him.Bodie was going to take them .. docile .. Not fighting back. Looking like the broken man. Why not? If it meant Bodie was fooling the guy into letting down his sadistic guard.

One thing Bodie promised himself .. still strung-up by his feet .. aching, hurting, grateful that Morrow did not have it in him to keep up a sustained attack .. one vow he made. A promise to himself he’d keep. It’d be Brawler out in the sun. That pot of honey emptied just where he’d planned. Brawler was going to get just what he’d intended for Bodie.The fool fancied himself. On the way to the ranch here .. going naked at the river .. squeezing Bodie by the nuts. Only right that Bodie should return the favour. String him out. Naked. Honey liberally coating his own precious balls. Sweetness glistening along the whole length of him. Dressing for that cock which Brawler had so proudly flaunted.

And that leering grin of his. So cock-sure when he’d had the upper hand. Smirking at Bodie when Brawler could do anything he wanted because he had his rival tied down. His face alight with sadistic pleasures that had Brawler turned on. That sardonic mouth of his … those mocking eyes .. be a shame to deny then some sweetening gloss. Honey there too. Generous coatings off Bodie’s fingers. Enrich them with a good thick dose.

Bodie couldn’t disappoint .. wouldn’t be fair, would it? Act on Brawler’s own ingenious idea. A human honey-trap. Decorated in all the right places. Liberally coated. Imitation was the greatest flattery, they said. Bodie was dutifully carrying out Brawler’s own idea. Putting things into action. Just as Brawler had intended .. Bodie was going to make a man’s privates look like nothing on earth. Inviting the mosquitoes to do their bit. Just what Brawler had planned for him.

By the river

In Bodie’s world guys didn’t go around without their clothes on. Working hard, out in the sun, fixing fencing posts .. alright, a guy would take his shirt off. But nothing more. Pants stayed on, boots stayed put. But Brawler was so full of himself. The bully, the bar-room bruiser. He couldn’t help it, he had to show himself off.

If that was the way he liked it …. Why not? Bodie had given him what Brawler wanted. The chance to flaunt himself. Roped to the tree. Butt-ass naked. He was bawling back abuse, blaspheming. Promising what he was going to do to Bodie. But he had no choice.

Imitation .. sincerest form of flattery. Bodie wasn’t going naked. Shirtless. But then

they’d robbed him of his shirt hours ago. No …. Flattery because this was the way Brawler had imagined the end to this sorry affair. He had wished up this suitable way to round everything off.

Was it really only hours ago? Back at the river .. the three guys had left Bodie roped to a tree .. just like this .. and then cavorted in the water, cooling off. Drinking their fill. Drying off in the shade while Bodie broiled in the sun. Only hours? It seemed like days. Bodie had escaped a public tar-and-feathering. But he’d been taken to the ranch and had the hell beaten out of him. And Brawler had put himself at the heart of things. He’d led Morrow on. He’d set the tone for the others .. they’d not wanted to be shown up by Brawler sucking up to the boss. Brawler had induced them into sticking it to Bodie .. god and hard.Bodie deserved a beating, perhaps, for going with Morrow’s wife. And Brawler had sure made sure of that.

Deja-vu. Back at the other river. One guy tied to a tree, the other squeezing on his nuts. Bodie’s honey-sticky hand gave them another good squeeze. The muscles on his forearm peaking .. shutting up Brawler’s cussing. His blasphemies cut short .. changed into hissing pain. Then .. not too carefully .. Bodie’s hand made sure the hairy sack was coated with a good lathering of the sugary stuff.A tribute .. to Brawler’s ingenuity. What was good for the goose was good for the gander. Brawler had planned this treat for Bodie. Bodie was now in a position to return the favour.

Back then at the river, Bodie saw Brawler liked to flaunt himself. Coming over from the river with no clothes on. Guys didn’t do that sort of thing .. walking around, nothing on. Brawler did. He showed himself off. Proud of his body, his build, his strutting physique. Proud of that manly equipment his nakedness had

brandished as he approached. Well, that was the way he liked it ….. Why not?

This time it was Brawler roped to the tree. And this time again he had nothing on. Brawler tried to wriggle himself free when Bodie peeled back the skin. He dipped his thumb into the honey pot and circled the limp head. He closed his ears to the taunts. The profanities went over his head. In the Morrow barn Bodie had been given no choice, that was the way Brawler liked things. Tit-for-tat .. Brawler was getting his favours returned. Looking back, it had been a funny set-up .. getting Bodie strung-up by his feet. That had been Brawler’s idea. He’d ordered it, the others had fallen in him. But not natural. Bodie would have expected to get tied to a post. Or his tied hands trapped by a noose above his head. And then get a thrashing.But Brawler had come up with something else. More disabling. Hung by his feet, disorientated. Strung-up, helpless. Impossible to fight back. Brawler had come up the best possible way to beat the hell out of a guy .. that had come natural to him. A way to rob Bodie of all chances. No choice. He’d had to take whatever Brawler dished out. Not a fighting chance in hell. That idea had come natural. Natural to a guy with an evil streak.

Bodie’s honeyed hand ran run up and down Brawler’s manhood again. Adding to the coating already glued to the skin. Judging by Brawler’s cussing perhaps he’d been none-too-carefully layering up the ballsack .. getting the hairs thick with sugary temptation. But the guy did like the way he looked, naked. Brawler had flaunted himself back at the river. Dominating over Bodie, tied-up, helpless. Lording it over him .. proud stood there with nothing on. Like it was virile to stand there exhibiting how macho he was. He’d vaunted his nakedness. Brawler liked himself that way. Well, why not? If Brawler liked to show off how manly he was …...

Not so manly, maybe .. having another man’s hand stroking him by the shaft. Bodie noted he was firmer now that before. Temper had got his blood going. And was that a glimmer of fear as Bodie’s hand batted away a fly? The first worrying sign. Pestering Brawler around the eyes. Brawler had to know what was coming down. This was his ingenious plan, after all. Bodie was just the helper .. working to Brawler’s instructions.

Another fly was buzzing around Brawler’s groin. Drawn by the sweetness. Maybe Bodie’s aim was not so good. Brawler cursed when the hand swiped hard against his manhood. Swinging, more ponderous than before. Blood racing. Nerves getting to him. Anger at his proud manliness getting affronted. Frustrated that there was nothing he could do. Menaced by the very guy he’d planned this for. It was getting to him.Naked. Stripped by the very adversary he’d planned this for. Tied helpless to this tree. But manly? Where was the manliness in this? Touched up by another guy. Bawling his anger out, cussing, warning. And no one taking the blindest bit of notice. That manly? Was this the manly image Brawler liked to give of himself. When HIS hands had been free and Bodie’s weren’t?

Hardly manly having to submit to having his cockhead coaxed to life. Or his nuts gripped in the unforgiving palm of a strongman’s hand. But Brawler had no choice. Bodie was only returning the favours .. giving the sucker what Brawler had intended for him. And Bodie was a lot less vicious. Not a mean-streak in sight. Just the humiliation of Brawler getting dominated. By the very same guy Brawler had suckered these past hours.

The flies would find him. Attracted to a copious honeyed coating. Bodie had given his bare balls a good squeeze .. in commemoration of that time by the river. But nothing could distract him from his honey-coated fingers loyally giving Brawler’s prize nuts another copious coating with tempting sweetness. Ignoring the sucker’s protestations. Sticky hands coating the full impressive length of his manly shaft, firmer, giving more resistance to the hand. Thumb slavishly massaging the sticky sweetness over his thickened head.

Brawler would cuss .. when they came. But nothing could stop them, the flies, the mosquitoes. The bugs would come .. welcoming the taste of Brawler’s glistening balls. More would come flocking .. sucking at the sugary allure of his honeyed cock. Gathering on the syrupy lure of his eyes. This screaming honey-trap.

Bodie was no sadist, though. He’d give the sucker a fighting chance .. more than Brawler would have given him. He’d let Curly go. Curley would go free. He was letting Curley watch these preparation. See for himself what Bodie was planning. Then he’d set Curley free. Go get the ranch hands, come and save Brawler before the wild beasts came. Bodie did not have Brawler’s nasty streak. Even a mean-spirited guy like Brawler deserved a fighting chance. Bodie would send Curly on his way. Go find Morrow Junior. Brawler had told Morrow what was going down. Brawler’s own ingenious little plan. Turned back on him.

Curly would be sent back .. on foot. Without his boots. Limping like they’d made Bodie do. Hobbling back for help. On bare burning feet, staggering back miles over the prairie .. walking back from beyond the county line. Did Bodie care how long it took? Curly stumbling through the heat, no water. Doing his duty to his ranch-buddy .. going to get help. To rescue Brawler.Did Bodie care? Bother how long Curley might take? Did he hell! Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

…. end