Chapter 4: Strange Pursuit

[Thumper]

DT fishes in his pocket as he nearly finishes the circle.

“Ya just might be a good gambler in some ways, sir.

Takin on Sam Bass…we were just talking about him recently. Setting off after him alone and hoping to find and pick up help. That’s bold. Don’t seem like a good gamble and a well calculated risk to me. It seems there’s a pretty big motivation here…is this some sort of a vendetta? I don’t think Bass and his gang are as far away as some in authority do.”

He reaches his hand out to shake, and the man might be surprised to find a “Silver handshake” as he passes a silver dollar with the shake/

“Well, it seems as though you’re someone worth robbing now. Crockett. DT Crockett. Medical Doctor.”

[cybersavant]

At the mention of the stranger tracking Sam Bass, Andreas Larson looks back at Doos, WIlliam and Gideon, but holds his position and his tongue.

[redwarrior]

William Seeing DT shake the man's hand and catching what snippets of the conversation that have drifted his way, William walks his horse in and dismounts, he walks up slowly and introduces himself pardon our caution, I'm sure you understand, William Moore, pleased to make your acquaintance.

[ateno]

Doos finishes his looking around and heads over and ties his horse to some brambles and introduces himself.

"Judge Doos, glad your not who we feared."


Doos

[cybersavant]

Andreas Larson scans the area around them one last time, and then joins the stranger but stays mounted for now.

[jemmus]

The riders shake hands with the red-haired man with an accent, but Andreas and Gideon stay mounted. Gideon touches his brim and grimly says, Gideon McLaury, out a Waco. Pardon me if I don't dismount, no offense intended. It's jist we got business ta take care of today, and time is precious.

The shakes hands with William, Doos, and DT while looking each in the eye and nodding his good wishes. When he receives the silver dollar from DT, he smiles broadly and says, Thank ya sir, you're a gentleman and a scholar. I'll take this as a gift, and the Lord willin I'll be able to gift ya myself before long. To all, he says, with a close to Texan accent, Hamish Moriarty, pleased ta meet. Most call me "Hame," some call me "Jim." "Hamish" bein the Irish for the English "James."

He continues, Nah, Dr. Crockett, I don't have anythin against Sam Bass. But a $350 reward is a $350 reward. And I have a few things going for me. I've met the man personally in Denton, Texas, a town north of Austin, and I know his face. And I know one of the boyos runnin with him, a wild and tough one from Denton. And I know a little about his habits. He's a deadly chancer and he likes robbin stagecoaches, but trains more. He's bleedin good at hidin-- that what he does best. But he also likes drinkin whiskey and flahin his money in town. Oh, he's a big tipper and a handsome lad as well, so he's right popular when he comes rollin into some dreary Texas one-horse town.

He looks up at Andres, then at Gideon. Yes, travelin alone is a hazard. But it's good for scoutin on the sly. If ya don't get murdered doin it. When I've got a good notion of where old Sam holes up in this part of the state, then I'll be lookin for some men with stout hearts and steely nerves to bring him in. The problem is, I'm a foreigner, if ya haven't noticed. Not a veteran, not a Texan, and not even an American. A bleedin Irishman. Nobody in Texas's brother, cousin, or even hated mate from primary school. I'd be a buck eejit to fool myself into thinkin bringin a crew of good men will be easy.

He looks around at the group, thinking and appraising, as if at a poker table and considering his hand and the risk of the impending bet. Then he looks around at the riders and says, You look like honest gentlemen, ya do. I'll ask ya not to repeat this to other lawmen and especially other bounty hunters. There are a couple of other things I know. Mr. Bass is in this area. And it's because things got too hot for him and his gang in North Texas. The Union Pacific Railroad put the $350 bounty on him, and set the Pinkertons on him as well. The State of Texas made a special outfit to track him down. But he was too wiley either of them, everything they tried went banjaxed. I said before, he's very good at hidin. But that was around the Denton area, where he used to drive deliver wagons for a rancher across five or six counties. From that stultifyin and moss-growin work, he learned every sideroad and trespassin shortcut in the area. He can't know the same thing down here. That's his weakness. That, and his eejit like for flahin and biggin himself up and flashing silver in saloons.

He considers again for a few seconds again. I've seen his hideout around Denton. Rough livin conditions indeed, with not a thing raised by human hands around. There's a similar location not so far from here. And I know the location. It would take a day to be sure. And then very lively action would be needed.

Gideon listens from the saddle. Then politely launches the juice from a tobacco chaw from his bay mares side into the mixed green and brown grass of the hilly South Texas country. That would be a pretty big draw for me, Mr. Hame Moriarty. Seems like ya kind a already know Sam Bass's cards, without him knowin. 350 dollars on it ta boot.
Ah don't know Sam Bass, but whut's on his head is his own truck, ain't it? Ah set out taday ta do one job. Mr. William, Mr. Doos, Mr. Andres, Dr. DT, ah suppose ah' jist keep on doin it. Good luck ta ya, Mr. Moriarty. Seems like ya got plenty a gumption. He touches fingers to brim and seems set on setting out his own to fulfill his own set purpose. To eliminate the man named in a letter Phineas.... Whom he believes to be his older brother.... Whom he has to somehow kill.

Along the road to Burnet.

[Thumper]

Don’t think nothing of it. Which direction are ya headed, Moriarty?

If you’re heading back into Austin, I might have a suggestion for you. A map that might help ya, if Bass likes hiding out in caves. I’m wishing I had bought that map when I thought about it.

If you’re heading toward Burnet, you’re welcome to ride with us. We’d have to settle our bounty first then go after yours. I still think we’re talking about two separate outlaw gangs that deserve a good ass-kicking.

Up to you. But Gideon’s right. We need to get going. Still a long ride and the day’s only getting hotter.

[redwarrior]

William tips his hat to the man Happy to have you with us, if you want, Mr. Moriarty, but my friends are right that we're burning the daylight, so we'd best be pushing on.

[jemmus]

Moriarty replies to William, Thank ya for the invitation, Mr. Moore. If ya don't mind, I'll ride with you to Burnet. Dr. Crockett, I've heard that there's a long cave a few miles southwest of town called Longhorn Cavern. I'd like to check it out. Quietly and cautiously, of course.

The riders get back on the road and head west. Some of the brushy hills to the left and right have the wire fences of cattle ranches, and occasionally a small, modest ranch house is seen. They come across a charred spot beside the road. A blackened steel door hand, steel grid rails, coiled springs, the hinges and corner fittings of trunks, and long carriage bolts and shorter screws lie on the ground, along with parts of two charred beams. A small tree with a trunk around six inches in diameter and axe marks at its base lies across the road.
Burnt em like little boys playin with far, Gideon says. Fer the harm of others, but no benefit ta theirselves.

The men ride on, alert for robbers or Comanche raiders, but meeting no travelers and seeing no signs of other people in the hills. In an unfenced area, they come across a small herd of wary whitetail deer 125 yards away.

In the late afternoon they come to a wooded area where the road curves a little sharply around the base of a hill. Cautiously rounding the curve, they see a Wells Fargo stagecoach, pushed off of the road and its team of horses tongue resting on the ground. Its fine woodwork walls are splintered with rifle, bullet, and scattergun holes. Trunks and bags lie open on the ground, with papers, garments, combs and other personal effects strewn around on the ground.

They ride on. The ground becomes more level, and the fenced-off ranches denser. Before long the fences run continuously along both sides of the road, and barns and bigger ranch houses can be seen. In the distance ranchers and ranch hands do their work-- herding in maverick calves, roping stuck cows and dragging them out of muddy stock ponds, driving cattle into head chutes for vet work, building and fixing fences, sawing planks, pulling calves stuck during birthing, plugging buckets, shooting coyotes, and doing the hundreds of odd and unique tasks it takes to keep hundred of cattle healthy and a self-sustaining ranch going from day to day.

At around 8:00 PM (no one has a watch, so it's fairly imprecise as to exactly when), the men pass a sign saying,
WELCOME TO BURNET
BURNET CO.
TEXAS
POP. 234
There might be around 50 houses and building in the place. Coal oil lamps burn in houses behind curtains, but no one is seen in the dry dirt streets. It seems the whole town is resting at home and digesting Sunday supper. The most prominent building in the town the whitewashed planks church with cedar singles and a high steeple. It sits in the heart of the village, where the courthouse would in bigger place. Beside it is what looks like a little one- or two-room schoolhouse. Beyond it, the riders (DT especially) note a house with two front doors with a sign saying, VETERINARIAN MEDICINE.

And beyond that, there's a building with a large sign reading General Store. And another smaller one reading Hardware, and other beside it withU.S. Post Office This one has several coal oil lamps burning, and not behind curtains. The sound of a guitar strumming plain open G, C, an D chords can be, as can a lazy male voice singing. ...The beautiful, the beautiful, the river/Gather with the saints at the river.... Another male voice says, Stop that, Clem. Ah was feelin poorly this mornin and couldn't git ta church. Ah's afraid ah might have the croop er the whoopin cough. Er the gleet.
The singing stops but the strumming keeps going through the cowboy chords and tries an A, but quickly gives up on that goes back to D. It's short fer gleetitis. Very bad.
It'll kill ya in yer sleep, and yer wife-- if ya had one-- would wake up and find ya already cold and stiff as a board. Sucks the heat rat outa ya. It's all over everwhar in the papers. Ye can read, cain't ya?

[jemmus]

The road from Austin to Burnet turned out to be long, but not violently eventful. PCs can stop and rewind and post actions at any point along the way and post actions if you'd like. Shoot at deer and harvest venison, further investigate and tramp around wrecked stagecoaches, etc. We already have at least one successful Observation roll from on the road. Further actions rolls would add only a half hour to the party's town arrival time. Unless you decide to something different that requires rolls. Such as Tracking or anything else you might want to try.

[cybersavant]

Andreas Larson stops at the stagecoach and dismounts. He scans through what was left and then looks for tracks.



"I vhill catch up to you."

[Thumper]

DT stops to further investigate both coaches and walk the site in an expanding circle.

He’ll try to use his “Stealth” skill to determine where the bandits hid and set up the robbery. He mentally puts himself in the bandits shoes and evaluates the scene from that perspective. Looking for brass and shot shells to see if he can determine how many shooters there were.

Stealth sleuthing 13: [1d20]=13

Stealth sleuth 13: [1d20]=17

He’ll sift through the trunks to see if anything of possible sentimental value was left behind by the distraught victims that he might be able to restore to its owner.

He’ll also tie a rope to the tree, cinch it around his saddle horn and drag the tree off the road.

On the ride, he’ll tell Moriarty about the cave map and where to buy it if interested. He’d inform Moriarty that he’s keen to help him out down any wanted criminals, but they’ve committed to a course of action, and will see that through first. Wishes Moriarty well on his hunt. He voices a question whether Bass’ gang could possibly have done one or both of the robberies on the Burnet road since they are hiding nearby. Or are they just laying low for a bit.

Upon arrival in town, DT will try to get a feel for the town as he located the inn/hotel. He’ll take note to speak to the veterinarian in the morning. He’d also look for any sign of a barber, a dentist, or physician’s office. Upon hearing the mention of the current epidemic or whooping cough (which can be quite serious), he would evaluate the statement and determine if what he heard was just talk or possibly a real health hazard. If the latter, DT will pull up short and steer Ajax into a maneuver that makes some noise and causes him to snort in hopes of being heard inside. If nobody comes out, he’ll pursue info by stating,

“I was enjoying your strumming as we rode by heading into town, but then I heard your family suffers from illness. I happen to be a doctor of medicine, I’d be quite remiss if I did not offer my assistance.”

Medicine 15: [1d20]=2

If he assesses it was just idle talk, he’ll proceed on his way to find the hotel.

[ateno]

Doos will stand guard while the others search the area of the ambush.

I'm town he is underehwlmed and will let others lead the conversation.

Doos

[jemmus]

We'll use DT's Stealth rolls as Observation rolls.
DT looks through the clutter of the pillaged luggage and doesn't find anything of notes. There are a lot of spent rifle and pistol cartridges and a few shotgun shells on the ground. He finds an empty canvas bag with U.S. Mail stenciled on it. A few letters are visible scattered around under the bushes and trees beside the road, as if blown by the wind. Doos stands watch, but sees no beings moving in the vicinity than a couple of squirrels and some songbirds.

Andrea says, I vhill catch up to you and begins searching for tracks and sign. His investigations lead him and his horse into the brush and out of sight.

In Burnet, Doos, DT, Gideon, Moriarty and William stop their horses outside the building labeled General Store, Hardware, and U.S. Post Office. The guitar strumming stops, and the fellow who'd been singing calls out to reply to DT, There ain't nobody sick in here. Except this fella here who might have "the gleet." Most people that affliction by the name a, "Sunday morning too drunk and hungover ta drag yerself ta church." The symptoms are red eyes, headache, stumblin, and a reekin fragrance that smells a lot like rubbin alcohol. A few of us was around as eye witnesses when he contracted the disease. It was a real pitiful sight. Gideon says, Ah had that a couple a times.
First time it took me two guys ta git over it. The next time it took goin on a full week. Moriarty chuckles. It's not an uncommon ailment in Ireland. Or in England, Scotland, or Wales either.

Andreas will split off into his private thread for now. Other PCs' actions?

[Thumper]

Back on the road, DT will gather up as many of the letters as he can find, places them in the mail bag, and carries the bag to Burnet. He's not comfortable letting Andreas ride off alone and the rest of us continuing on to Burnet without him...

In town, he'll say, "Well sorry for interrupting your strumming then. If ya want my professional opinion, stay out of the bottle. G'night."

Intentions for the night are to find a room for the night, a place for the horses, and a good meal. The mail discussion will naturally lead into a discussion of the bandits, and he'll ask the folks to tell them as much as they know about them "low-down slithering dust lickers". He'll ask about a doctor in town...other than the vet.

In private, DT will confirm with the crew that he intends to ask the vet or doctor, if there is one, about anybody requiring treatment for gunshot wounds lately. That will be first thing in the morning. Then he intends to ride down the South road to the south side of the River and begin using the traveling doctor excuse to stop in on ranches and ask about the squeaky windmill and looking for roads that branch off to the west. Thoughts?

[jemmus]

Welcome to Mrs. Smith's Dining and Rooming House
Rules Of The House
1, No discharging fararms in the house. We just fexed the roof, and it cost more than a hunnard dollars in lumber brought all the way from Austin.
2, No spittin on the floor. Use a spittoon. If you caint find one, jist ask and we'll point you to one. If you have to share with another guest, don't fite over it.
3, Go outside for fitin.
4, If a fite breaks out inside and you caint take it outside, don't bust up the furniture or the windas. Either accidentally, or intentionally to use of busted parts as clubs or cuttin weapons. Use yer fists and boots or your knives and pistols if you have to. This rule will be strictly enforced enforsed.
5, Breakfast is at first light. If yer drunk and hungover and miss breakfast, you have to wait fer dinner at noontime. If you miss that too, you have to wait for supper at sundown. No excepcions exceptions. We got our own work to do, and it aint going to go away jist because yer drunk.
6, Sundays mornins, all guests must git up, comb their hair, shave, and go to to the house of the Lord. If you don't go to church, ye still got to shave and git out. The premises are CLOSED Sunday mornings until noon dinner time. If you habichually wear a beard, ye can keep it. But you still have to comb yer hair. Combs are avalable for 5 cents at Eziah Smoot's general store.
$1 a day, 3 meals included. Stablin horses - 15 cents a day.[/i]

Gideon says, Looks like Mrs. Smith runs a tight ship. A real tyrant. Er Napoleon a boardin house ladies. The house is quiet, but the light of kerosene lamps can be seen through the window's drawn curtains.

[Thumper]

Reminds me of Lola’s Cocina in Buffalo Gap, TX…a frequent haunt of mine in years past! On more than one occasion, I’ve hauled groceries from her car to her kitchen. Best Mexican for 200 miles though.

DT will walk up and knock on the door. He’ll ask for rooms and stabling.

In the morning, he’ll attempt to speak to the Vet to see if he’s been called upon to patch any gunshot wounds lately. If not, does anyone else in town normally provide that service?

He’ll have found a way on the road to confer with Doos, William, and Gidean about inviting Moriarty to join them. With the loss of Paladin, and not knowing where Andreas went, they are down a couple of guns. How much do they trust Moriarty?

[ateno]

"Not a hundred percent, but I am willing to cut him in, assuming he thinks its worth it, he might know something we don't. Lets invite him for a beer tonight and bring it up?"

Doos looks around,

"My guess is there is a couple people around here that know something, while you look for things with the vet, I will talk to what stands for the law or justice around here and see if there is anything. Good?"

- $1.15

Doos

[Thumper]

"Not a hundred percent, but I am willing to cut him in, assuming he thinks its worth it, he might know something we don't. Let’s invite him for a beer tonight and bring it up?"

Ya, I think I’d like to ask him along, but the trust factor just isn’t quite there. Let’s see first what he does in town. Does he act like a bounty hunter? Then probably a good idea on dinner and beer tonight. Give us a chance to talk.

"My guess is there is a couple people around here that know something, while you look for things with the vet, I will talk to what stands for the law or justice around here and see if there is anything. Good?"

Quite possible the Shepherd gang comes through here and stays at this boarding house on occassion. Maybe we should drop Gideon’s last name in front of the proprietor and watch her reaction. Gidean, your thoughts?

[jemmus]

At DT's hail, the curtains behind the windows of Mrs. Smith's dining and rooming house part, and the image of a stout, potato-shaped woman of indeterminate age over 50 appears. She's holding a longbarrel Navy single shot Colt revolver ahead of her nose. Moriarty chuckles and says, Well that's a warm welcome. I'm believn thet everbody in Burnett is collywumpus.