Ace of Spades: 'The Hangman'

Johnny Boy was a nightrider, one of dose cow hands who moved across the deep chaparral at night to avoid the

heat of day. He come across a... firelight on a moonless night and finds a lone, horseless man sittin' in

the fields with his dog. The man smiled at Johnny with a near toothless grin and axed him to take a seat. He

didn't do much after that, until the fire dies down and then he talked up. "Boy, you'se a nightrider. Been

watchin' you for some time, and I think you'se got what it takes. Would you care to play a hand?"

Johnny Boy agreed to start up a game thinkin' that's all it was gonna be. He came out of it with a gun,

probably one of the most fearsome: The Ace of Spades, a .36 Cal Navy Colt. It was a heavy weapon and it placed

an even heavier burden on his spirit. Johnny Boy looked up and found the stranger missin'. He went to bed right

before dawn and fell into a disquietin' sleep. He dreamt of great power and command; and he found himself

awakin' at all hours of the day. He got as the sun fell and headed out for coke county

Johnny Boy arrived in some little piccadilly town in the midst of a gun-fight. He dismounted from his horse and

drew his gun and set it on the first gunman he sees do, "Drop it." The man done turn and set his own gun on

Johnny Boy; three seconds later, the man dropped dead with out a single shot being fired. Johnny turned to the

dead-mans left gunman and repeated his command. The second man, who witnessed the death of his leader,

immediately complied. After some time, Johnny Boy rounded up the fighters and turns them over to the Sheriff.

In the morning, the bodies are inspected and were found to have a rope burn around their necks. But Johnny Boy

was long gone by then.