Though completely unfinished, this is what I have so far for an English assignment in which we must write a Western short story.

All comments and criticism are greatly appreciated!

A lone tumbleweed crossed the path ahead of me, catching my attention as my mind wandered. I eyed it scrupulously, observing its lazy movements as though it was alive, warily assessing its nature. When deemed harmless, I pushed it into the farthest recesses of my mind and returned my attention to the sandy road at my feet. This was the Quartz Mountain Trail, one of many earthen paths winding through the thin, lower end of the Nevadan Sierras.

Quartz Mountain was a small mining colony, one that had been established about five or six years ago at the base of a mountain by the same name. The demand for quartz in the east has been high for decades, and the citizens of Quartz Mountain have been taking advantage of that demand, becoming filthy rich. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t care about the financial affairs of a mining town, but my employer does, and I’ve been paid handsomely to bring a few of its more substantial citizens back down to earth. As a part of my trade, it’s never my business to know the motive behind what my employers desire. I simply do what I’ve been hired to do, no questions asked.

I glanced upward, checking the position of the golden sun with the mountains that surrounded me. I had stopped in Fox Point an hour ago for supplies, and by my reckoning, Quartz Mountain was only another half-day’s ride away. Content with my progress, I checked my pack meticulously for a cornbread biscuit that I had picked up at Fox Point. Once I found it, I began eating it slowly, thinking about my mission and all the ways I could possibly execute it.

The sun was low in the west when I finally strode into Quartz Mountain. The town was your typical Nevadan settlement, two unpaved streets arranged in a “T” pattern with a bank, a hotel, a saloon, and of course, a jailhouse. Other structures lined the streets as well, but those four would be the main focus of my visit. My eyes wandered back and forth between buildings. Usually, a town like this would still be active at this time of day, but not a single soul was outside. Perhaps they had been expecting me, but that would have been impossible, and I laughed at the thought.

The hotel was obviously new, and I was impressed by its quality. The wooden building had been freshly painted, and as I entered it, I found that the interior was almost pristine. I approached the front desk, noticing that no one was there either, but when I rang the little brass bell on the wooden counter, a short man with a neatly shaven face appeared from a room in the back to serve me. I placed several gold coins in front of the man and made it known that I needed a room for a few days, and that I didn't want him telling anyone about me. His eyes widened as I pulled out a few more coins and added them to the others. After a few moments, he slid the coins into his hands, crouched, and grabbed a key from a shelf under the counter. After handing it to me and giving me the room number, he made his way back into the room from which he had originally appeared. I lingered in the lobby for several minutes, watching the town through a large window. There was no activity anywhere...

Argetlam