'These Are My People'

Pete's was undeniably the most popular bar in town. It wasn't that it was terribly classy, or even extremely relaxing, it was just simply the best place to hear the talk of the town. Even the Mexicans and the Amish went there, on occasion.

Blind Pete owned the place, theoretically, but Toby actually ran the business. He served the drinks, took the money, and threw out the drunks. He also drove off Flatts whenever the bum tried to convince someone to buy him a drink. If Pete himself happened to be there, though, Flatts usually ended up getting a drink. Pete had a soft spot for the "needy."

Sheriff Wylan would occasionally look in from patrol, nod to the Four Horsemen, and take a few drinks. The sheriff was really pretty good at his job, but crime in Sandstone Springs tended to be either rampant or non-existant. Of course there was always Miz Amelia and her "escort service" that could be cracked down on, but that never got anywhere in court. And the Sheriff could have arrested either Jed Peterson or Vern Flagration for unlawful possesion of firearms, but that was something nobody in the town really cared about.

Every so often, Dusty would drop in, usually whenever he came to town for more supplies. If Vern was ever there, the two would go off in a corner and talk about government conspiracies and aliens and such talk. Or if Jed was there (and he usually was), Dusty would make some arms deal and then leave. Nobody really minded. Dusty kept to himself, and he hadn't caused any real trouble for about a year now.

It had been Marcus' idea to meet at the bar for lunch, and the four kept to it regularly. Toby was so used to it he usually had their drinks sitting at the table for them the moment they walked in. He also would turn the big-screen television to news so they could see it. Any other patrons would nod to them, and that would be all.

Why they met at Pete's had never really been decided. But whether it was the drinks, or the atmosphere, or just the general comradery that convinced them, no one bothered to ask. Pete's was Pete's, and everyone went there.

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Haven't done these guys for at least four pictures. Goodness. Course, haven't submitted anything for at least a month now. Summer is almost worse than School, what with job searches and all that.

Ah well. This picture gives you a shorthand look at the town the Four Horsemen, or at least some of the more notable characters who inhabit it. Most of those mentioned here are more or less involved with the story, and most are in the picture too. See if you can guess who is who.

Oh yeah. I mentioned in the last one that most of my picture titles are derived from country songs. This particular one is "These are My People", by Rodney Atkins, which I do not own, by the way. I pretty much got the idea of a bunch of Western superheroes from a country song, and sometimes something like this hits me.

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