Chapter IV - Comancheria (Charlie & Ezekiel)

[Rex]

Charlie

"They are very heavy and will slow us down. My guess is that is why the Comanche left them, otherwise they use them for building many things."

[Bluetongue]

'Sarge' Ezekiel

His mount should be able to cope with a little extra weight, even just a couple of quality hides. It is strange they were not taken, just the brutality meted out.

I will leave the bodies in situ. No time to bury them but we can mark the area roughly on any map and leave it for the army to investigate later.

[jemmus]

Ezekiel inspects the stacked buffalo hides. He and Charlie know that an average hide will sell for $2, and a better one will bring up to $2.25 to $2.50. The sides have been brain tanned, but they're not completely dry. Ezekiel estimates that they weigh around 20 lbs. each. Draping two of the best of them over his horse's shoulders may not slow it down,should the need to gallop come up-- whether for pursuit or for flight. Even with the weight of the dried venison, hardtack and beef jerky, notebook and pencil, comb, razor, bar of soap, wash rag, and scant other things bulging his saddle bags.

Ezekiel's Good quality horse will need a Strength ST not to move a category down to Average, should the need for speed come up. I assume he shared some of his venison jerky with the settlers for last evening's share meal, as Charlie did. If so, jettisoning the remaining venison jerky and keeping only the bought rations would eliminate the need for an ST check. Or half of it for a +2 to the check. Ezekiel's and Charlie's current jerky = 8 days rations (in addition to their standard bought and carried rations).

Charlie has the same option for taking hides for trade or sale.

Both Charlie and Ezekiel get a +2 to a roll for a roll for discerning that they'd come across a site of a buffalo hunter massacre. The bonus must be called before rolling. If it fails, a successful Luck roll can restore it.

The scouts wisely decide to get out of the area of the bodies of the presumed buffalo hunters, the circling buzzards, the smoldering and smoking axles of a wagon, and the stacked piles of buffalo hides. They know that to the Comanche, every buffalo is a giver of life and shared part of Earth and creation. As a sitting of dollars in a town would be to an Anglo man, so stacks of hides would be to Comanches, and their wives, mothers, aunts, old grandmothers, sisters and even daughters.
Charlie leads the way northeast, toward the road from San Antonio to the south to the German town of Fredericksburg to the northeast, and the U.S. Army's Camp Mason a little ways beyond it. He and Ezekiel discuss that along the way. They've both heard that the Army has abandoned Mason and moved the garrison to Camp McKavitt, a day's ride of 20 or so miles to the west. Pushing miles into the land the Spanish-Mexican army maps label "La Comancheria." Where to settlers in there wagon move to claim the land and settle their deeds.

The scouts top another gentle hill and another taller and limestone-cliffed one. They scan the horizons for possible enemies. The scouts see to the southwest, more buzzards circling high in the sky. And closer, to the near west, many more. And toward where they just came from, the same general crew. They wonder why the circling birds don't just descend and feed. Maybe they soar and glide as a sign to their Buzzard Nation tribe. For tracking. Or for feeding babies. Or whatever other reason known only to a bird that survives by eating dead and rotting stuff knows.

Far away, around a half mile away to northeast (say 800 - 900 yds) away, the scouts see three other horsemen shielding their eyes and observing in their direction. They appear to be uncertain and gazing intently. They might be wearing blue Army blue or Comanche buckhide and paint on faces and horses.

Actions?

[Rex]

Charlie

"Lets see who this is."

He rides towards the unknown people, prepared to turn and run if need be.

[Bluetongue]

'Sarge' Ezekiel

"Sure, what do we have to lose except a balding scalp."

I gave my venison to the settlers.

[jemmus]

The scouts ride toward the three horsemen, who've spotted them and observe them. After fifty yards of riding, a fourth man emerges from behind some foliage, looks toward the scouts, and mounts his horse. The four men start walking their horses toward Charlie and Ezekiel fanning out into spaces between riders of around 20 yards. Two of their horses seem to be of the thin and rangy Texas horse type, but two seem to be bigger, taller, and more muscular quarterhorses of the type being brought in from Back East. Particularly by the U.S. Army quartermaster's office, Ezekiel knows. But he also knows that the man mounted on a horse isn't necessarily it's original or rightful owner.

The two groups close to around 500 yards. The edge of extreme range for a breech-loading single shot Sharps rifle, the most common long arm in the West. A hundred yards beyond extreme range for a lever action rifle, and 300 yards for a similar but quicker carbine. The riders ahead slow their horses to a stop. From the way they sit their horses, they appear to be men of an Indian tribe. Wearing Anglo hats and dark shirts. Whether Army scouts, renegades from the semi-settled tribes in the Indian Territory north across the Red River, or Indio bandidos from Mexico or the wild Apache lands to the southwest is hard to tell. The scouts know that a chance encounter and with another rider out in the open lands can of great benefit for both sides-- namely, information about where each is coming from and what they've seen along the way. Without having to ride the miles and spend the hours riding themselves. And still just have a little knowledge of particular wedge, among many others, of this prairie. That goes all the way to the Rocky Mountains to the west.

The four riders ahead have stopped, but start slowly walking their horses forward, observing.

Actions? If you want to roll an Observation roll, good eyesight might reveal more about the details of the appearance of the riders. A good Indian Contact roll might help identify their tribe, if any.

[Rex]

Charlie

Observation (16) [1d20]=18 Indian Contact 99) [1d20]=6

[Bluetongue]

'Sarge' Ezekiel

Ezekiel: Observation (14) [1d20]=2 Indian Contact (13) [1d20]=19

Friend or Foe? I am expecting the latter and primed rifle in hand ready for trouble.

[jemmus]

Ezekiel makes out that the riders are wearing U.S. Army issue blue shirts. And mounted on big American horses, rather than smaller and leaner Indian horses. Charlie spots that the men ride with red and yellow blankets (probably Indian trade ones) like he saw in the Tonkawa village southeast of San Marcos. Tonkawa Army scouts, most likely.


The four men continue to ride forward slowly, observing and eyeing Charlie in particular. At around 200 yards they converse with each other by sign, then stop. One of the men in the middle raises his hand in an Army salute to Ezekiel. And then all four raise their right hands in the universal sign of greetings and peace. They walk their horses forward to 20 yards and stop again. All four men eye Charlie with some suspicion. The man who saluted says in English to Ezekiel, Me Tonk. U.S. Army sergeant, Indian scouts. He pulls his coat sleeve down from the shoulder to show three yellow chevrons on his shirt sleeve. You sergeant too? Buffalo Soldier strong, no afraid. Friend Indian in Army.
What you do here? Why ride with white Comanche?

The mounted man to his left says, Say Comanche man I give good Sharps rifle for Winchester. Shoot long, straight. New rifle, U.S. Army. All ammo. Get all ammo.He pats the oaken stock of the rifle in its saddle sheathe. It does indeed look the weapon- or its stock at least- is in good condition. But it doesn't look like an offer of trade that Charlie can easily refuse.

A younger man off to the right says something in the strange Tonkawa language, which is neither like Comanche, Kiowa, or even like Pawnee. A language of cannibals who long ago came from the far south, from what is now Mexico.

The sergeant says, No think him. Why you come here, Sarge? Comanche land. Easy get kill. He signs the universal sign for murder. A finger drawn across a neck.

The Tonkawa scouts wait for the half-Comanche Charlie's reply. He and Ezekiel note that they have no pistols. They're standard issue in the U.S. Army, except for officers.
Actions?

[Rex]

Charlie

"I am a former army scout too. Friend to Tonkawa." He explains where he traded with the Tonkawa recently.

Not sure he has anything to prove it.

If needed rolls [_3d20]=(8+11+3)=22

[Bluetongue]

'Sarge' Ezekiel

His army stripes removed, but he has the same faded shirts, bits of cotton on his arm to indicate where once his officer rank was worn. He salutes the enrolled scout.

You sergeant too? Buffalo Soldier strong, no afraid. Friend Indian in Army. What you do here? Why ride with white Comanche?

"I took my order over twenty years. Now I am my own man. We are riding for the wagon train that pass on the trail west of here. Comanche war-party sought to attack them last night.

They did for some hunters back that way, under where the buzzards fly. A grim sight.

Where are the Comanche now?"

He gestures to the locations and asks directly, figuring these might have more knowledge.

"You have no horses? Commanche have horses. You take Commanche horses. Now Tonkawa ride and Commanche on foot.

Cavalry ride down running man ..."

So I am putting out there a suggestion for the Tonkawa to prosper via stealing Commanche horses.

I had that conversation with the Tonkawa chief, another sgt-scout a few days ago as we considered the Anthrax concern. Our initial aim here was to locate Comanche and drive off horses so that the settlers could progress safely. Having Tonkawa with us, they could take the horses for themselves and the tribe, replacing the shot diseased ones.

Is that something they would consider?

[jemmus]

The Tonkawa look at Charlie in a more friendly way now. But a little oddly, as if appraising him. Being a Native American himself, he can guess what they are thinking: "Why does this man fight his own mother's people?" But Charlie also knows that even full-blood Indians will go against their own tribe, if they feel themselves wronged.

The scout sergeant replies to Ezekiel, We hear Texans kill Tonkawa horses. Very bad for Tonkawa. Texans say will give new horses. We don't know. We want take Comanche horses. But we six, many Comanches. Tonkawa village far, take horses to village hard. U.S. Army shoot us for run away from Army.

We find Comanches horses, we find Comanches village. We bring U.S. Army, they kill all Comanches. Maybe give Tonkawa scouts some horses. Maybe kill all horses. He looks at the circling buzzards. We track Comanches, bring Army. You come with Tonkawa U.S. Army scouts?

The man offering to trade his Sharps for a lever-action rifle seems to have stoically given up on the idea.

[Rex]

Charlie

"Fair enough, anything to get the Comanche off the wagon train."