"Wadyuwant?" Apparently the alcohol has stuffed up the Sheriff's ears too.

"Could I speak to your deputy?"

"He's out, whadyouwant?!"

Some time later, the deputy leaves the Sheriff dosing in his chair, and takes the bandit outside. After binding his hands behind his back, and his arms to his side, he helpes him onto a second horse, and rides out into the wild, leading the second horse by a cord.

Graciano Medrano is no novice however, and he soon pulls a small knife out of his trousers and begins to work on his ropes. Soon, his hands are free and, spurring his his horse forward, he punches the young deputy in the small of his neck. The deputy doesn't stand a chance, his unconscious limp body slides from his horse and lands in the dust. Soon, Graciano has a gun and two horses, and is riding back to say his farewells to the Sheriff.

When the deputy comes to, his vision is swimming and there's a thunderstorm in his head. The Bandit is gone, the horses are gone, and his revolver is gone. Staggering to his feet, he begins to hurry back towards town.

The Bandit, meanwhile, stops for a midday siesta. Lazy, and tired, he uses the excuse that he'll need all the energy he can muster later.

At the same time, two Bounty hunters arrive in town. They've heard that the Sheriff has somehow captured a valuable Bandito, though they don't yet know who the Bandito is. They hope to con him into some kind of 'financial arrangement' in which they claim the bounty and he gets a cut.

As they dismount outside the Sheriff's office, the Bandito arrives in town, a trail of dust following him, and rides up to join them.

"How can I help you gentlemen" It's the Sheriff's Deputy, returned from his patrol, emerging from the office. Suddenly, through the still clearing dust, a figure half runs, half stumbles.

"STOP!" It's the dismounted, anarmed deputy. Dazed, tired and unstable, he related his story to the gathered crowd.

"Enufff" slurs the drunken Sheriff. "Enough iss Enough! Let's hang that sumbi**h"

But in his state of drunkeness, the Sheriff, peering through the assembled faces, can't remember who the Bandito is, in fact, to his growing embarrasment, he can't even recognise his own deputy!

The unarmed deputy's vision is swimming. That knock on the head took it right out of him, and when he tries, even he isn't sure who the bandito is.

Hands hover by holsters, and the noose hangs ominously from a nearby tree...