Fools and mules : $b [A Shorty McKay story]

Snow has turned the high peaks of the Sangre de Cristos into a gleaming blanket, burying the little town of Monte Vista and sealing the mountain roads. With the First State Bank’s three‑thousand‑dollar payroll stranded, Sheriff Joe Cook is pressed to find a safe way to get the money to the remote Consolidated mine. He turns to his deputy, Shorty McKay—a quick‑tongued, rhyme‑loving horseman—who is promptly offered the honor of carrying the cash himself, despite the sheriff’s casual dismissal of any outlaw threat.

The bank’s officials, wary of the notorious road agent “Buck” Bancroft, insist Shorty travel on a sturdy mule, confident that the sure‑footed beast will outlast the icy trail. Shorty protests, preferring his own steed, Lobo Loco, and jokes that a mule would only invite trouble. As the debate heats up, the looming presence of Bancroft on his own white mule adds a thin thread of danger to the winter trek, promising a humorous clash of pride, practicality, and the relentless cold.