The Old Prospector

"The Old Prospector" *

*An old prospector shuffled into town leading an old tired
mule. The old man headed straight for the only saloon to
clear his parched throat. He walked up and tied his old
mule to the hitch rail.. As he stood there, brushing some
of the dust from his face and clothes, a young gunslinger
stepped out of the saloon with a gun in one hand and a
bottle of whiskey in the other. The young gunslinger looked
at the old man and laughed, saying, "Hey old man, have
you ever danced?"

The old man looked up at the gunslinger and said, "No,
I never did dance. Never really wanted to."

A crowd had gathered as the gunslinger grinned and said,
"Well, you old fool, you are gonna dance now," and started
shooting at the old man's feet. The old prospector -- not
wanting to get a toe blown off -- started hopping around
like a flea on a hot skillet. Everybody was laughing, fit to be
tied. When his last bullet had been fired, the young
gunslinger, still laughing, holstered his gun and turned
around to go back into the saloon.

The old man turned to his pack mule, pulled out a double-
barreled shotgun, and cocked both hammers. The loud
clicks carried clearly through the desert air. The crowd stopped
laughing immediately. The young gunslinger heard the sounds
too, and he turned around very slowly..

The silence was almost deafening. The crowd watched as the
young gunman stared at the old timer and the large gaping
holes of those twin barrels. The barrels of the shotgun never
wavered in the old man's hands, as he quietly said, "Son,
have you ever licked a mule's arse?"

The gunslinger swallowed hard and said, "No sir, but I have always
wanted to."
Received on Wed Sep 1 00:12:02 2010