Chapter 5 - Prince Frederick's Town

[jemmus]

DT and Doos visit Frederickburg's hardware store. It has a guns section, and a high counter with a gunsmith's bench behind it. A man in his 30s with blonde hair in need of a haircut rises from it, and upon carefully examining each of the firearms in turn, twirling the revolvers' cylinders, levering the rifles and dry-firing them, and peering along barrels and examining rifling, says You are the men fought with the man accused of robbing stagecoaches, yes? And these are the firearms you obtained after the fight, yes? Dirty, badly maintained firearms. The rifles' firing pin springs are veak, the ignorant owners have left them drawn back day and night for days. The cap and ball pistols are... old-fashioned, and cannot be sold to anyone. Eferyone already has one, do you see? But these ones I can sell, after a good cleanink. He pushes the four single action revolvers forward across the countertop. Forty-two dollars. For the rifles-- in need of replacement parts to come from Connecticut-- by stage, gentlemen, I can offer $30. Nobody wants the outdated cap and ball revolvers. Reloading them ist the same as reloading a long rifle or musket in ze Var. But I vill buy the lot of them for $5. Fur parts fur ze stubborn old men vith such pistols. $70 fur everysing.[/dialog]

Gideon says, Hold on zhere! It's obvious that you might be a good gunsmith, but you don't know much about sellin. Those cap and ball pistols will make fine presents for young boys for Christmas, birthdays or whatever the heck. Every boy knows how to shoot a shotgun or a rifle. But few learn how to shoot a pistol when they're young. Ya tell their daddies that they need to learn to aim and shoot with a pistol while they're young. It's a difficult skill to master. You don't have much barrel to sight along.

The gunsmith replies, I am not so sure about the safety of such a practice. Zhere could be bad accidents. Gideon replies, What's more dangerous, bein armed with a pistol er facin a rattler, wolf pack, er rabid dog unarmed? Er a renegade Comanche? Everbody knows each one of those varmints prefers to go after children. They're easier ta catch, and fer some, tastier.

The man thinks about it. Alright. $80 for everysing. Gideon replies, Let me confer vith ma associate. He takes DT aside. What do ya think, Doctor DT? And, if ya want, ah could cut cards with him fer a chance at a bonus. Say, $50. That fella's a gambler, ah can smell it. A little ole town gambler. And ah'm feeling lucky today. He gives DT a meaningful look, followed by a wink.

DT's response? Selling horses will be next.

[Thumper]

DT grins at Gidean and whispers:
"And what would that cut cost us? We putting $50 of that offer at stake too, or is this just upside for us? Let me talk first...I'm going to try to jar him a little. Then if it's only an upside cut for us, go ahead. Alright with you Doos?"

Then looking at the gunsmith and the weapons and speaking aloud:
"What do I think Gidean...Doos? No, what do I know? That Spencer carbine right there, it isn't what the gunsmith claims. That was my own longarm until just a few hours ago. Army gunsmith maintained until I purchased it surplus from the fort less than a month ago. Cleaned and inspected it just two nights ago at Bouchard's ranch. I only put 6 shells through it since. It's worth $38 retail in Austin...$19 sell-back value alone. It's in fine shape...only 4 years old. Seen lots of trail dust, but it's lightly worn and well maintained.

That Winchester '66: He's right though...about the spring...that's why I took the old Henry Rifle for my own. It was in better shape. Even with the spring needed for it, it's still worth at least $20 sell-back. It's worth $48 retail in Austin. I should know, I looked less than two weeks ago. Wanted one...couldn't afford it.

I was also looking for sidearms in Austin right before I met you all out front the courthouse. Cap and Ball revolvers still sell there. Mostly though, the gunsmiths do the cylinder bore-through modifications to the cylinders of these old Colts to convert them to metal cartridge...which then are worth $10 more. So it might be worth taking them to Austin with us when we go and selling them for $10 apiece sell-back. He could do the bore-through if he wanted.

And you left out this double-action revolver from the discussion entirely. A little bit rusted, but that's surface only...it'll oil right out. $28 retail in Austin. Do you want to make a "fair" offer for that, or shall we take that back to Austin as well?"

Once that last statement and question (Double-Action Revolver discussion) plays out, he turns his head away from the gunsmith toward Gidean and winks...

[ateno]

"I'm happy to pack them up and lug them foe 20% of the difference we can get farther down the line."

Doos looks at the merchant.

"Not try to cheat you sir, just want a fair shake."

Doos

[Thumper]

DT:
Over drinks and cigars on the porch of the hotel, DT will wish to get to know Charlie…since they’ll be riding together. He’ll discuss his background growing up in Ohio living near Cincinatti. Father was a shipping manager, Mother a school teacher… made sure DT was educated. Higher education at a local medical college as they were ramping up enrollment due to the war. Surgeon trained by the Army. You know the rest.

”My plan is to raise enough money to travel to Southern California, get a spread there, and set up a practice. Some Army colleagues have intrigued me with tales of the weather and prospects there. Once established, I’ll send for my family and let my parents retire on my place. Should the worst happen between now and then, please send my folks a letter and sell my belongings and wire all my cash to Mary and Dale Crockett, First Cincinnati Bank.

Yah, getting shot by that jackass Lou Shepherd really spooked me in a way the Army never really did. I guess Docs see bad stuff, but are seldom directly eye-to-eye and toe-to-toe with the Devil. Y’all have changed that for me. Sorry to get deep with y’all.

Charlie, I haven’t heard your story. If you care to share it, I’ll be happy to hear it.”

[Rex]

Charlie

"Not much really. Half Indian Army scout. Sometimes I can find work and other times not so easy. Sarge and I were looking for work when some Comanche attacked the wagon train we were riding with. We tried to run them off to buy time for a rider to reach the Army outpost. It was successful and we made it to here. The Army unit hired Sarge but not me, seeing how I am half Comanche and they had Indian scouts already from another tribe. So, I am here now looking for work."

[Thumper]

DT:
”Well geez! Nice work, Charlie. Looking for work? You found it. You aren’t employed, but (speaking for all of us if I may) you’re our newest partner! Equal share, equal work, equal respect.

We’ll stand beside ya in all things.”

[Rex]

Charlie

"Thanks everyone! That is much appreciated DT."

[ateno]

"DT, don't worry about when we meet our maker, remeber when we met, you teaching me how to take shrapnelout of your arm at Antietam? We do our job and move on. Still worried about healing up and whats gonna happen ."

Doos

[Thumper]

DT clinks steins with Carlie.

”Ya, I remember. Doos. They say McClellan was too indecisive to win that, or any, battle. I would’t know. But I also didn’t see John Moseby’s Raiders when they snuck into our supply lines and turned our own cannons on our camp.

But I stared right down Lou Shepherd’s shotgun barrel. Still surprised I lived through that blast. Damn lucky it splintered thick wood before the buckshot hit me! I got lucky! I’ve given God my thanks many times yesterday and today.

[jemmus]

The riders (minus Andreas, who has gone home to visit family) have a supper of brown bread, black bread, honey, boiled new potatoes, fresh-churned butter, garden cherry tomatoes, collard greens fried with bacon, bratwurst, sauerkraut, wiener schnitzel steak, peach cobbler, and apricot oat linzer cookies. And good icehouse-chilled lager and bock beers. Gideon says, "We ah'll be. All this time ah been eatin veener snitzle and mistakenly callin it chicken fried pork chops." They retire to their rooms to get some needed relaxation after the events of yesterday. A day that started at the Bouchards' place east of Burnet and ended behind bars in the town of Fredericksburg jail. With plenty of riding and shooting in between. All get a good night's sleep on clean bleached white sheets-- as good as possible on a mid-June night in south central Texas, with the windows open. Fredericksburg is quiet after dark. Even the dogs seem to know how to toe the line and not much disturb the peace and quiet order of the night.

The men rise early and are greeted by a suited gentleman who has as much of the air of a somber cattleman as a hotelier about him. Gut morning, gentlemen, und velcome to this little town of Fredericksburg und our little hotel. I have heard dat you have arrived with Lothar Larson's younger son Andreas. After a gun battle vith robbers. Velcome. Und please to recover quickly from your vounds. I hope you don't mind Cherman food. The ingredients are the freshest ve have here, und ve belief serving the freshest ist de best. If you find anything incorrect vith your meals or your rooms, please just inform. A plump and healthy-looking young waitress serves them with a smile and a Gut morning! and serves up a breakfast of sage, salt and black pepper ground pork sausage patties, pan fried boiled potatoes, fresh-baked bread rolls in a basket under a white cloth, yellow cheese, and tomato, cabbage, and ground beef soup. And black coffee with a pitcher of cream and a bowl of sugar, of course. And clean drinking glasses set for... what?

A balding and mustached man in a suit enters, hangs his rancher's hat on the nearby hat rack, looks around the room and nods to the breakfasters. He nods to them courteously, but with some watchful curiosity. He pulls back a chair and takes a seat at a table a few over that may be one that he's accustomed to from long daily familiarity. The waitress approaches, bearing a crockery pitcher and two cups and saucers. Guten morgen, Fraulein Inga, he says as the rosy-cheeked young lady cheerfully and pours him a cup of coffee. She curtsies familiarly, replies in kind, and leaves the pot and the other cup and saucer. The gentleman and apparent proprietor and cattleman joins him at the table and pours himself a cup. After greetings and a little introductory small talk, the newcomer man says, Sprechen die Besucher Deutsch? The other man shakes his head. Das glaube ich nicht. Und unser Andreas Larson ist nicht dabei, um zu dolmetschen. The balding and mustached gentleman nods and continues. Haben Sie die Neuigkeiten über Wells Fargo gehört? Die Bank in San Francisco hat ihre Türen vorübergehend geschlossen, wie sie der Öffentlichkeit mitteilt. Sie konnten ihre Einleger nicht bezahlen. Ich frage mich, was aus Nimitz und seiner Familie wird? Vielleicht ist der Postkutschenbetrieb davon nicht betroffen.

Gideon's ears seem to perk up and he casts his eyes around at William, DT and Doos. He winks conspiratorially, looks down at the table, and reaches for his bowl of tomato, cabbage, and ground beef soup. Then eyes it, apparently changes his mind, and pours himself a glass of cream and downs it in three or four swallows, leaving a cream mustache on his spikey gingery mustache and a big white drop on the spikey beard of his chin. He wipes away the cream mustache with his sleeve, but neglects to get that big drop perched. His Texas Rangering buddy starts to say something, but Gideon McLaury gives him a hard and baleful and black-eyed stare. As if to say something like, "What the hell, ya got cowsheet fer brains?" He looks around the table, giving everyone similar hard looks, saying something "Is that all ya got? Ya'll boys don't know boolsheet about playin yer cards at a table. And it might be on me to learn ya how to." He says aloud, Ah like them boiled taters, but y'all can have my tomater soup if ya want it. Miss Frowline! These boys are tired, they need a little more black coffee ta git em goin. Another pot here, if ya would. He winks a conspiratorial wink to the friends around the table. Then looks up for an instant and silently mouths with his lips: "Wells Fargo?" "Andreas, maybe?"

Sorry for the formatting. That seems to happen with long posts, I'll fix it later. Anyway, I think y'all might probably get the gist of things for this morning in Frederickburg, Texas.

[Thumper]

DT:
“Ya got the right of it, Gidean. After roughing it for a night, a river crossing, barn sleeping, then the whole the long hard 2-days with minimal jailhouse bunk night…ya, might need more than one night sleep to back to fit.

Ah, G’mornin’ William, don’t you speak German? Sounds like we may be a topic of conversation.

Fraulien Inga, do you have an English newspaper available? I’ll pay for it.

I’ll just get caught up on the news before we go see Nimitz and try to sell the horses.” as he reaches over to pour himself a fresh cup of straight black coffee.

Did the gun negotiation die out after DT countered and Doos stated he’d be happy not to sell here…any further discussion, or did the hardware store/gunsmith break it off? I was hoping to enrich the pot and persuade the gunsmith to make the deck cut.”

[Rex]

Charlie

Charlie listens along but remains quite himself and enjoys the hearty breakfast.

[jemmus]

Bills - Saturday June 20 - Sunday afternoon, June 21
Hotel $.75
Dinner, supper, breakfast, dinner $1.40
Stabling horse $.25
Dog food $.25
"Stabling" dog in Fredericksburg $.05

Total per person with a dog $2.70
Total, no dog $2.40

Please remind me who adopted a dog. DT and Rex did, I know. There are three pups and the dam. So I believe there is at least one dog left (I suppose the mother).

Gideon says, Well, no use breakin up the family. Come on then, leftover. I might've named ya that-- "Leftover"-- but that would be unkind. And a man who's mean to a dog is a real low, mean man. Ah'll call ya "Big Chief," after that big gal with the green bird on her hat at the Gay Lady in Austin. Speakin of which, ah wouldn't mind getting back thar some evenin before too long. I do admire that lady, but didn't git a chance ta make her acquaintance. I bet ya a dollar she can knock back a mug a beer with the best of em and drank a buffalo hunter under the table. As well as havin other talents.

The young waitress Inga brings DT an Austin Statesman newspaper. I'm sorry, she says. It's from Friday. The stage does not come so often now. It brings only newspapers and mail and few people ridink. Maybe now you gentleman have cleared the road of robbers it vill come every day again. She smiles a pretty smile. With almost no having to ask around at all, Andreas locates the group and joins them at the Prinz Frederich for after-breakfast coffee. The proprietor and other gentlemen greet him and he goes over to extend his own polite greetings. Among other things, one of the men says, Du hast das gut gemacht, junger Andreas Larson. Dein Vater Lothar muss sehr stolz auf dich sein. Wir sehen uns heute Morgen in der Kirche, ja?

The paper reports various news from around Texas, the country, and the world. A young half-Anglo Comanche raider named Quanah (the Texans call him Quanah Parker, attaching his captive mother Cynthia's surname) has been raising real heck around the Texas Panhandle and the Red River at the north of the state. But the news that catches DT's eye is a little article about the Wells Fargo bank in San Francisco, California. It had to close its doors on Friday afternoon to slow down paying out withdrawals by its depositors. The article says the bank reports that it was a temporary measure, required due to logistics and delays of transfer of cash to the bank from other banks.

At 9:00 AM the rancher-hotelier part and depart the hotel. Inga brings another pot of coffee and some little snaqk sausages and a cup of mustard, and a tray of raisin oatmeal cookies and says, I'm sorry, at 9:45 I vill leave for church. I vill return at 11:15 or before. If you get hungry, you may serve yourselves from the kitchen larder. Und then you vill haf your dinner soon after ve return. Please, we are sorry for the trouble, but it is Sunday. The church bell rings, and when the hotel staff return, the group departs for the town's Fredericksburg office. They surprisingly find the door open, and Nimitz in his Sunday best reading what appear to be telegrams. He appears to be worried about something. When he sees the visitors, he stands and straightens his coat.

Gentlemen. Good morning! Ve don't usually do business on a Sunday. But today... there are things that require attention. I am afraid that, for now, ve must temporarily suspend the offer of a reward for investigating the final stage robbery. That is a lower high priority of the company at zis time. I am sorry. I cannot provide more of the company's information about the times and places of the robbery, until a commission and revard haf been reestablished. I belief you vill understand the company's reasoning for that.

Doos is looking at 7 weeks of downtime to fully heal up, DT a week. This kind of thing will happen again. Rather than setting the health PCs off on a side adventure, I'd rather that the whole party take downtime and we fast forward to the end. Otherwise, players with wounded PCs could be sitting out for RL weeks unable to participate. It's sacrificing some "realism" for better and more interesting gameplay, I think.

So, everybody will take downtime for 7 weeks. If PCs want to offset expenses with employment, they can roll once per week, according to this framework.
-Roll on Luck. Modifiers:
--If looking for a particular job (e.g. Wrangling, Law, Medicine, etc.) add +1 per skill score over 11 to the Luck score. For example, if the char has Luck 7 and Surveying 13 they succeed on a roll of 7 + 2 = 9.
--Local modifiers apply. Fredericksburg needs cattle-related and construction work, so Wrangling, Roping, Veterinarian, etc. and Civil Engineering are at +3. The bigger town Austin needs about every kind of skill, so rolls would be at +2 or +3 (GM discretion).
-The base pay is $7 a week (which is a cowboy's pay rate). Rarer skills or skills requiring formal education are at a higher rate (up to 2x, GM's discretion).
-If the roll for the week fails, there's the option of doing day labor (no roll needed). In Fredericksburg the wage is $5 a week.
-There's Gruber's Christian Boarding House available (room and 3 meals a day) available for $1/day.
-Living the good life will, as always, earn XP. That could be done by staying in the Prinz Frederich and/or not taking manual labor jobs and getting dirt under your fingernails.

Please:
-State if you're staying in Fredericksburg or riding for Austin (or elsewhere). Riding to Austin would mean losing a day's income that first week. If by small chance Lady Luck's dice have something big to say, some hazard or chance of mishap could be involved
-State the kind of job you're looking for and roll Luck for the week, applying modifiers
State your accommodations (hotel, boarding house, roughing it outdoors out of town by the road, etc.)
-Repeat for all 7 weeks.

Optional: State your reactions to Nimitz at the Wells Fargo office.

[cybersavant]

Andreas locates the group and joins them at the Prinz Frederich for after-breakfast coffee. The proprietor and other gentlemen greet him and he goes over to extend his own polite greetings. Among other things, one of the men says, Du hast das gut gemacht, junger Andreas Larson. Dein Vater Lothar muss sehr stolz auf dich sein. Wir sehen uns heute Morgen in der Kirche, ja?

Andreas Larson "Ja." Andreas excuses himself from the group when it's time to attend church. He returns afterwards.

"Vhat ist der plan going forvard?"

[Rex]

Charlie

Staying in Fredericksburg.
Staying at the Boarding house for the 7 weeks if he can afford it. When he can't afford it he will be camping outside of town.
Will be looking for work as a Scout. Scouting 14 and Luck 7. 7+3=10.

Scouting rolls 7 weeks vs 10 [1d20]=9 [1d20]=3 [1d20]=12 [1d20]=19 [1d20]=14 [1d20]=18 [1d20]=4

3 weeks paid for and he has enough money for another week so will be staying at the boarding house 4 weeks and camping out 3 weeks. He has 13 days of food so let me know if I need to use any of that.

XP use.
-100xp increase Stealth by 1 to 11.
-200xp increase Rifle by 2 to +3.

[redwarrior]

William has one of the pups. I’ll post more tonight

[ateno]

Doos Talks to Inga before as she gets ready for church.

"Ma'am, Like to thank you for taking us in, there are 6 of us and I would like to show our good faith and pay for two days in advance."
Doos hands her 3 crumpled 10 dollar bill and 4 dimes. $31.50; 4 x2.70x2= $21.60 = 2x2.4x2= $8.80 = $30.40. Assuming the price you quoted is for a day? Thats about ~$130 each for 7 weeks. Am I wrong, we can barely pay for a week with our pocket money and another week with jobs. Am I seeing this wrong?

Doos adopted a dog and called her Target.

I will not roll for Doos for the first week, as he will be 'self' employed working on the Wells Fargo account. Trying to move it along faster using whatever legal matters he can. If he needs more time, let me know GM.

Law Skill: Jobs vs 11 #1[1d20]=1 #2[1d20]=5 #3[1d20]=15 #4[1d20]=15 #5[1d20]=5 #6[1d20]=3

"Mr. Nimitz, I know you will stand too your previous agreement and going forward on the negations, or I will sue you for false statement and breaking verbal contract. We don't need to go forward with that. You can have the amount available with just a handshake and a receipt for our agreement as stated earlier. What do you say?" Doos holds out his hand.

Doos is hoping to use the problem in California to encourage Mr. Nimitz to pay off a problem and make it go away.

I think that covered everything.

Doos

[Thumper]

DT will excuse himself from the breakfast table and accompany Andreas to church: ”I presume the service will be in German, but paying respects to the Lord is good in any language. I have to be thankful we all survived that shootout and put that murdering gang down.”

In response to Nimitz: ”I saw in the Friday Statesman that Wells Fargo has a current cash-flow problem. I hope for yours and a lot of other peoples’ sake it resolves positively and soon. This does put everybody in a delicate situation.

It seems like this job still needs doing, and I’m concerned that some of the remaining evidence may be time perishable. With mine and Judge Doos’ injuries, we really do need to rest and heal up. And you said other priorities eclipse this investigative job. But may I suggest something?

As per our contract with the Austin office and Mr Holtzclaw, Wells Fargo is indebted to us for the remainder of our completed contract terms…

a) The company will contract with Messrs. DT Crockett, Gideon McLaury, William Moore, and Paladin for up to 14 days, at a rate of $5/day per man. Each contractor is guaranteed the full 14 days' pay ($70/contractor). The contractors may retain two additional men under the same terms for compensation by the company.
b) The purpose of the contractual undertaking is to rid the highways from Austin to Burnet and Fredericksburg of robbers operating on them and make the roads for stagecoach travel.
c) The contractors will provide their own horses, firearms, and any other items required. The contractors will be responsible for paying their own expenses (meals, ammunition, medical treatment, etc.)
d) The contractors forsake any claim to any reward offered by the company. Should they incidentally become eligible to collect a reward offered by a third party, they may claim it.
e) The contractors will diligently exert their good faith best efforts to eliminate the threat of robbers operating on the two highways, at risk to their own life and limb.
f) The contractors will in good faith make their best effort to successfully complete the task within the 14 days of employment.
g) Should the contractors complete the task before the end of 14 days, they will be paid the full $70 wage and be considered for other tasks that may be available.
h) The contractors will not be considered employees of the company or held liable for their actions.
i) The contractors will make their best efforts to provide material proof of successful completion of the task.
j) The contractors will exercise prudence and will refrain from actions that may recklessly endanger innocent citizens.
k) The contractors not present themselves as representatives or employees of the company.
l) For the company’s information and its future operational planning, the contractors will frankly and forthrightly relate to the company the details of their actions in pursuing accomplishment of the task.
m) The company reserves the right to publically announce the successful completion of the assigned task, including the details of how it was accomplished. Any contractor may chose to have his name withheld.

Amended by:

n) Upon execution of the contract by the parties, the company will provide the contractors with half of the 14 days of their remuneration, to wit, $5 per day for six contractors for seven days ($210.00). Compensation for the remaining days of the 14 days will be paid as they are accrued, in-person at the company's office in Austin, Texas.
o) Upon the contractors' providing material proof of successfully completion of the task specified by the contractual undertaking, within the term period of the contract, the company will award each contractor, in-person or to his heir(s) or assigns, a bonus sum of $10, payable in silver dollar coins.
p) The term period of the contract is the 14 days from 12:00 PM (high noon) from June 14, 1873 to 11:59 AM June 27, 1873.

When one does the arithmetic of the terms all bet on our end, ($480 minus the advance of $175), Wells Fargo Austin Office still owes our team $305. I was told this morning that the stage is running again with just mail and newspaper cargo service. I ask that Mr Holtzclaw send out our payment right away.

Our legal team and yours can continue negotiating the settlement of our claim that was so expertly written by Judge Doos.

With the impending trial and the need for myself and Judge Doos to heal up from this last job, we are likely here for some time. As it appears we will return to the service of Wells Fargo as contacted agents, may we stable our mounts and our formerly rustled horses in your company corral for the duration of our stay if we pay for feed? Perhaps if and when Wells Fargo recovers, you’ll need to buy those rustled horses from us to replace some of those stolen from you in the robberies.

However, I do wish to immediately inspect and investigate the site of the fifth robbery now and get the details before any perishable evidence is lost. That will preserve our opportunity to conduct our investigation when the time comes to pick it up again.”

That’s a lot to digest. Specific questions to address:
1) Immediate payout of contract from cash on hand.
2) Stabling of all our horses in the WF corral (we pay for feed).


………..
**Edited**

DT will stay in Fredricksburg for 3 weeks and look to work with the local doctors…perhaps also conducting ranch visits again. Luck 8 + 6 (17 Medicine) = 14. In week #4 he’ll go on a sales trip to Austin (see how travel will occur) and returning to Fredricksburg by the end of week #4 (staying at the Driver Inn again) and spend #5, 6, 7 in Fredricksburg…working as a physician. During week #7 (when he has no work), he’ll spend his days outside of town practicing his new tracking skill and hunting meat to dry for trail and dog food.

Summary: He’ll stay weeks 1-3 in the Prinz Hotel and weeks 4 at the Driver, and 5-7 in the Prinz Fredrick.

Job luck 14: [1d20]=9, [1d20]=10, [1d20]=14, [1d20]=17, [1d20]=4, [1d20]=9,

oops, only 6 work luck rolls. Here’s #7
Job Luck: 14 (week 7): [1d20]=17

DT is very confident in his ability to find work sufficient to cover the expense of three weeks in the Prinz.

During week #1 after hours, he’ll diligently disassemble each of the former Shepherd Gang weapons and thoroughly clean and oil them (removing any rust) for their eventual sale in Austin. He will try to touch up any blueing required. He’ll saddle soap the 4 sets of tack and saddle-bags, the 13 remaining gun-belts/holsters and 2 rifle sheaths.

Week 4 he’ll arrange to accompany a stage coach or group of townspeople or traders for mutual support and head into Austin to sell the guns and a horse or two. If Gidean, Doos, and/or Andreas goes too, they can take all the horses.

If they succeed in obtaining expeditious payment of their contractual terms with Nimitz, he’ll covertly pay for Rex’ stay in the boarding house, and he’ll invite Rex over to the hotel for a nightly beer/root beer and discussion.

If he rides with Gidean, Doos, and/or Andreas only plus the sell-horses to Austin, he’ll ride fast and hard (Strategic Movement rates assuming the unburdened horses can keep pace with his and any other riders’ mounts) to discourage any bad actors on the road from trying to chase them. The guns for sale will be carried in the sheaths and saddle bags of the four sets of tack on 4 of the un-ridden horses.

If riding alone, he’ll take 2 sell horses and look to ride with a stage returning to Austin, a group of townspeople going into the city, or a trade wagon train. For mutual support and defense.

If Nimitz purchases the horses, then I’ll rethink the transport of the weapons to Austin. Perhaps the group of riders have room in their saddle bags or backpacks.

He’ll also work hard to teach Yeller to sit, lay down, stay, quiet, and heel….responding to both verbal and hand signals. He would love to house train Yeller, but there’s really no opportunity living in a hotel or a boarding house.


**Edited**

[jemmus]

Charlie

Staying in Fredericksburg.
Staying at the Boarding house for the 7 weeks if he can afford it. When he can't afford it he will be camping outside of town.
Will be looking for work as a Scout. Scouting 14 and Luck 7. 7+3=10.

Scouting rolls 7 weeks vs 10 [1d20]=9 [1d20]=3 [1d20]=12 [1d20]=19 [1d20]=14 [1d20]=18 [1d20]=4

3 weeks paid for and he has enough money for another week so will be staying at the boarding house 4 weeks and camping out 3 weeks. He has 13 days of food so let me know if I need to use any of that.

XP use.
-100xp increase Stealth by 1 to 11.
-200xp increase Rifle by 2 to +3.

Andreas introduces Charlie to bearded older rancher Jan Stoller. Stoller's English is poor, so Andreas translates for him. The rancher is considering purchasing some State of Texas public land to the west, in Comanche territory. He wants three 640-acre lots scouted out for: 1) access to water; 2) abundance of grass; 3) squatter settlers 4) timber for construction; and 5) accessibility to a road or ease of reaching the land by wagon. He gives Andreas a signed paper addressed to Freunde des Comanche-Stammes and saying (in German) that the scout is a friend of Jan Stoller and Fredericksburg. He draws a picture of a bearded man and a beef brisket on a grate with smoke rising around it. Mr. Stoller says that the Comanches call him "Smoke Cow," Andreas explains. The older sunburnt German man says with a smile, "Ina-Washiti."

In his scouting, Charlie encounters a Comanche party following a wide buffalo trail. He signals the "peace" and "let's speak." The hunters view Stoller's paper and their elder leader says, Smoked Beef Stoller is a good, honest man. But please tell him not to buy this land, it is not for sale. The Texans in Austin can't sell it, because it doesn't belong to them. It belongs to Grandfather the Great Spirit, and the four-leggeds, two-leggeds, many-leggeds and no-leggeds that live on it. Please tell him to stay in Fredericksburg and be at peace until we next come to visit. If he comes here with his wagons and cattle to disturb the Buffalo Nation, he will not be treated as a friend. And we want our friend, all his relations, and his sons and daughters to be our friends, forever.

Per the rules, Army scouts earn $2.50/day. We'll use that figure for this private employment. Andreas earns $45 for 3 weeks (18 days, no work on Sundays) of employment. His expenses would be $1.25 per day for rooming house room and board and dog food x 49 days = $61.25. He has Survival skill, and he'll be out on the prairie for 3 weeks. The odds of him being able to bag game for his dog are high enough that there's no need to roll. (Texas at the time was teeming with game-- buffalo, mule deer, whitetail deer, wild turkeys, pronghorn antelope and javelinas. Plus edible things for a dog such as coyotes, wolves hawks and rattlesnakes.

So his costs are $1/day, $49 total and his income for the period is $45, net expenditure is $4. (Noted that DT will cover any shortfall for the rooming house expense. Please let us know whether or not that's needed).

Experience Points thread updated with Charlie's XP spends and skills upgrades.

[Rex]

Charlie

Staying in Fredericksburg.
Staying at the Boarding house for the 7 weeks if he can afford it. When he can't afford it he will be camping outside of town.
Will be looking for work as a Scout. Scouting 14 and Luck 7. 7+3=10.

Scouting rolls 7 weeks vs 10 [1d20]=9 [1d20]=3 [1d20]=12 [1d20]=19 [1d20]=14 [1d20]=18 [1d20]=4

3 weeks paid for and he has enough money for another week so will be staying at the boarding house 4 weeks and camping out 3 weeks. He has 13 days of food so let me know if I need to use any of that.

XP use.
-100xp increase Stealth by 1 to 11.
-200xp increase Rifle by 2 to +3.

Andreas introduces Charlie to bearded older rancher Jan Stoller. Stoller's English is poor, so Andreas translates for him. The rancher is considering purchasing some State of Texas public land to the west, in Comanche territory. He wants three 640-acre lots scouted out for: 1) access to water; 2) abundance of grass; 3) squatter settlers 4) timber for construction; and 5) accessibility to a road or ease of reaching the land by wagon. He gives Andreas a signed paper addressed to Freunde des Comanche-Stammes and saying (in German) that the scout is a friend of Jan Stoller and Fredericksburg. He draws a picture of a bearded man and a beef brisket on a grate with smoke rising around it. Mr. Stoller says that the Comanches call him "Smoke Cow," Andreas explains.

Per the rules, Army scouts earn $2.50/day. We'll use that figure for this private employment. Andreas earns $45 for 3 weeks (18 days, no work on Sundays) of employment. His expenses would be $1.25 per day for rooming house room and board and dog food x 49 days = $61.25. He has Survival skill, and he'll be out on the prairie for 3 weeks. The odds of him being able to bag game for his dog are high enough that there's no need to roll. (Texas at the time was teeming with game-- buffalo, mule deer, whitetail deer, wild turkeys, pronghorn antelope and javelinas. Plus edible things for a dog such as coyotes, wolves hawks and rattlesnakes.

So his costs are $1/day, $49 total and his income for the period is $45, net expenditure is $4. (Noted that DT will cover any shortfall for the rooming house expense. Please let us know whether or not that's needed).

He had 10 dollars and 62 cents so he is good, this works out well for him. I will update his sheet.