A tale of loss, love, and little else.

Hoss was feeling low. It was three days since Ol' Roy had wandered out of the stable and Hoss just wasn't the same with out Ol' Roy. He'd walked into the nearest saloon and crawled deep into the first bottle of whiskey he could find and had been pickleing hisself drunk ever since then. Ol' Roy had never abandoned him before. Not like this.

Ol' Roy had heard the news thru the feed-trough grapevine. The love of his life was finally back. It'd been years since he'd heard from her, and now she would be passing thru Windy Point which was just 12 miles west. Ol' Roy hadn't had to think twice; he'd slipped his hitchin' post and galloped toward the setting sun.

Tabitha blithly followed the tail of the animal in front of her. The drapery and fanciful embroidery glittered gold in the blistering sun. Tabitha was unimpressed with the endless desert and the scortching sun and the tumbling tumbleweeds. Tabitha was a city lass, accustomed to posh surroundings: paved streets, indoor plumbing, and storm drains. Parasols and wingtips were more scarce in these parts than a gold miner with 32 teeth.

Hoss drunkenly swung his fist at the blurry piano player. The man jumped back while the owner of the saloon deftly scooped Hoss under the armpits and unceremoniously tossed him into the street. The sun had sunk low and night was fast approaching. Hoisting himself to his feet, Hoss staggered into the stable and passed out in the hay.

Ol' Roy ran on into the night, the stars guiding his way. As the night wore on and a rosy hue began to illuminate the horizon behind him, Ol' Roy knew he had to hurry. Only 3 more miles to go, but the sun hearlded the imminent arrival of the love of his life.

Tabitha turned her head and squinted into the rising sun. A cloud of dust was growing in the distance. Shielding her face with her long grey trunk, Tabitha tried to make out the cause of the disturbance, but her vision was not what it once was. After all, elephants could live for many years, and Tabitha was the oldest in her herd.