A Not So Successful Snatch

[Deleted]

July of 1875

Sam was definitely in for it now - at least if he didn’t pick up the pace.

The twelve year old came barreling out the front door of the Mercintile like a bullet from the barrel of a gun. The reason clutched rightly between his bony, small hands. He huffed and puffed, sweat dripping down his face as he looked left and right, pocketing it as carefully as he could.

”THIEF!”

He head a voice shout behind him as he sucked in a breath. Oh god, he had definitely been spotted by the store owner, GREAT. Without even a second thought, he was bolting down the street. By now he might have had an audience and one angry shop owner on his tail, but Sam didn’t care. He was a slippery little guy and they’d have to catch him if they wanted to do anything.

He nearly slid as he rounded a corner huffing and puffing. But didn’t stop, definitely was not going to stop, either. It was a full few minutes before he finally came to a stop, figuring they’d given up the chase by now. He hid to the side of what seemed to be a building, breathing in deeply.

He’d started to take a bite when a hand roughly gripped. “Got ye, little brat!”

Sam felt himself yanked out, held roughly by the shop owner who looked anything but happy. “Hey! Hands off! I didn’t do nothin’!” He protested, though he soon found the apple yanked away as if to point it out. “How do ya know I didn’t pick it from a tree! Ye can’t!”

Somehow he doubted that would work, but it was worth a shot.

[Troy Slater]

Troy had been walking down the boardwalk when he heard the shop keeper yell “Thief!” followed by the sound of running feet.

“Oh boy.” He muttered, his hand going to his holstered gun, until he saw that the would be thief was a child. Running from the store with Walter in hot pursuit.

Letting out a sigh, Troy leapt over the boardwalk railing and ran after the pair. His long legs quickly closing the distance between himself and the two objects of his pursuit.

Rounding the corner, Troy slowed to a walk again, his head high and the badge on his chest in clear view. “Hey there Walter. What seems to be the trouble?” He asked, once he was close enough not to need to shout.

Troy bushed his hat back on his head, an easy smile on his face, though he was pretty sure what was happening. Looking down at Sam, his heart went out to the scrawny boy, remembering when he’d been that small, trapped in the orphanage before he’d run off.  It didn't take Troy long to settle things with Walter.  Paying for the supposedly stolen apple, and assuring the older man he'd take care of things.

Alone with Sam, one big hand resting lightly on the child's thin shoulder, Troy looked Sam over carefully.  "Been running long son?"  He asked gently.

@sam

[Deleted]

Sam didn’t really know how to react to all of this.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t grateful that the newcomer had gotten the shopkeeper, Walter he guessed? Off of him. But it was the fact that he had the look of and at the very least appeared to be a lawman. Which made him feel a knot in the pit of his stomach.

He’d had his fair share of run-ins with the law. None of them seemed to like him much, and he couldn’t say he blamed them. Sure, he always started out trying to find work but he had to eat at the same time. Given he was so small not many people jumped at the chance to hire him - and so it always lead him here. Having been stealing for food and probably in a lot of trouble. Facing down a lawman - which admittedly had him a bit weak at the knees.

Y’see, San didn’t have a problem with lawmen inherently. He respected them because he saw most as good, hard-working people. Which made it much harder for him to lie to the law than to, say, that shop owner.

And yet, he couldn’t help but wonder why he wasn’t hauling him off to the local jail yet. Threatened to send him to an orphanage. Just about anything most would... No, he asked a simple question.

Trying to keep his eyes diverted from Troy, he looked at the ground, pretending the dirt was suddenly very interesting. “Long enough,” he admitted with a shrug. “Ain’t going home neither, so you can save it there.”

[Troy Slater]

Troy didn’t have anything against the little boy standing before him, but he wasn’t going to have someone stealing things in his town. But he just couldn’t find it in his heart to be angry at the boy. He did however keep his hand on Sam’s thin shoulder, fairly certain the boy would run off if given half a chance.

A jail cell was hardly the place for a child, especially since he had a suspicion that Sam had stolen only because he was hungry. Troy knew far more about orphanages than most, having been raised in one and he wouldn’t send a dog he liked to one.

Troy nodded, pursing his lips thoughtfully as he looked down at the back of Sam’s bent head. “How long is long enough?” His voice was still quiet and easy, as was the hold he had on Sam. “How long’s it been since you’ve eaten a decent meal?” A glimmer of an idea was coming to Troy, one that he needed to think on for a spell before broaching it with Sam.  Troy was the last person who'd have ever thought about adopting a child, but he'd be willing to offer the boy a chance.  There were always small tasks he could have Sam do for him.  He couldn't pay much, but he would certainly feed the boy better than he looked to be eating now.

@sam

[Deleted]

“How long was long enough”? What it had to be, what, at least two years?

It honestly seemed like a lifetime since he’d finally escaped that hellhole of a home. Again he looked at the man quietly, trying to trace his features and figure out what he was playing at. Lawmen weren’t this nice to him. No one was this nice to street urchins and petty thieves. After he’d assumed that the man wasn’t after something or at the very least wasn’t going to hurt him or lock him up he relaxed ever so slightly. “Can’t really remember that well. I fled my ma and pa about two years ago. May be longer now,” he wasn’t about to elaborate on why he’d run away from his parents, but he was sure Troy would draw his own conclusions.

His stomach gave a gurgle as if to answer his next question.

That one was at least an answer that could get him out of trouble, he figured. Prove he wasn’t just a common pickpocket to be locked up. Or better yet some young wannabe outlaw looking to cause trouble. Though a part of him had considered it, as any person would in his situation. “I reckon the last time I had a real “meal” was about a month ago. I was workin’ in the stables in a smaller town than this one,” he paused a bit. “Got into a scuffle with the owners’ son. He didn’t take kindly to it.”

But he definitely didn’t want anyone to think this got him down. No in the world he grew up you had to be and act tough. Licking the side of his lip a little he then added. “I get by OK though. Live off the land mostly. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.” The last part being in reference to the latest incident with the apple.

[Troy Slater]

Troy listened to Sam’s bravado, the barest hint of a frown crossing his lips. “I reckon so.” He murmured, then pinned the boy’s gaze with his own, his dark blue eyes stern and serious. “But not in my town.” His voice was still quiet, something Sam would learn was normal for him, but steel had entered into it, impressing the young runaway with the seriousness of his situation.

“I’m going to help you out son,” Troy said, the hand on Sam’s shoulder, steering him back up the alley between the building towards the main street running through town, “Get you a decent meal, some clean clothes, a bath and a place to stay for the night.”

He walked slowly so Sam wouldn’t have an trouble keeping up as he headed back to the jail. He wasn’t intendng to keep Sam there, but that was just the starting point in his desire to help the youngster. “I will have questions, and I expect honest answers to ‘em all. And there’ll be no more thieving while you’re here.” Troy squeezed Sam’s shoulder in a friendly way, not hard enough to cause him any pain. “Reckon you’d work real hard if you had a job, wouldn’t ya?”

@sam

[Deleted]

Sam frowned a bit, was this guy for real?

He wasn’t quite sure how to read the man quite yet. But god, the thought of actually eating something and a set of clothes that were clean. Maybe even a bed to sleep in? Well, San had to admit he’d do just about anything for that - even if that meant shoveling horse crap or worse. He’d spent the last several weeks sleeping in barns before he would get chased off, after all. At the very least he might be able to get something out of this.

But there remained the question of what Troy wanted in return.

Ah, questions. He chewed his lips, well again, he wasn’t the type to lie to a lawman. So OK, he’d play this guys game and he hoped it wouldn’t send him back to his folks. That scared him more than anything with the honest answers. “I ummm... That sounds heavenly sir,” he then added. “Well that would get me board and food. So I doubt I’d be stealin’ at least with a job.”

He then added. “But I’m a hard worked sir. I’ve been working since I was four so I’m used to doin’ all kind of work.”

[Troy Slater]

Troy’s lips twitched when the boy before him sent him a slight frown, given the difference in their sizes.  The boy small for his age, and Troy definitely on the large end of the spectrum. 

Being a fairly decent judge of character, Troy hadn’t sensed a mean streak in Sam. Added to this was the fact that the boy had stolen something to eat rather than to hurt anyone, or to resell. Sam would work hard, but Troy wasn’t an unreasonable man so he would have free time too.

Troy’s intent was only to help Sam, mostly because the boy reminded him of himself when he’d been a boy. The years in the orphanage had done so much to shape him into the man he’d become. Helping Sam was his way of giving something back.

“That won’t be a problem. I intended for you to get both room and board. Can’t rightly say that you’ll earn very much, but you will get proper meals and a real bed… Well a cot at the very least.”

@sam

[Deleted]

Sam breathed a little.

Room and board? Well that was certainly something he wouldn't mind. A bed to sleep in was something that was rarely a comfort that anyone afforded him. Even if it was a cot he didn't care - it wasn't the floor of a barn or a stable... Or worse, the cold hard ground of the streets. He could sleep with both eyes closed and night and not feel like he was going to be hurt or worse.

Though he also knew that he couldn't get too comfortable. His parents were still out there, like it or not. And on the off chance they found him? They'd drag him out of that - call him their property and it'd all be over. Just like before, he'd have to take this all with a grain of salt. But he'd definitely take the meal and cot for the time being.

If anything he could always run again.

"Well, what kind of work would I be doing for room, board, and meals?" He questioned, knowing there had to be some sort of catch.

[Troy Slater]

Troy always did his best to not promise more than what he himself could personally deliver, so telling Sam that he would get room and board was his way of ensuring his word was good. Troy’s word was his bond, least now that the days when he’d lied about his age were long behind him.

As long as Sam was a member of Troy’s town, he would protect the boy to the limits of his his power as sheriff. But without the knowledge of who the boy was running from his ability to help Sam was rather limited.

Troy didn’t worry much about the boy running, knowing that he’d make things pleasant enough for Sam that he shouldn't want to.

Troy smiled at the suspicious note in the lad’s voice when Sam asked about the work that Troy had planned for him. “Helping out in the stables mainly.” He assured Sam, squeezing Sam’s shoulder gently mindful as always of his strength. “There’ll also be tasks you can do for me. Running messages around town and such.” Troy half smiled down at Sam, then withdrew his hand from the boy’s shoulder.

@sam