Have Gun Will Travel - Powder Smoke in Dodge City

[jemmus]

I forgot to ask, how is Paladin armed when he leaves Harvey House this morning?

Paladin steps into the U.S. Marshal's office. Marshal Matt Dillon is behind a desk doing some paperwork. Another man Paladin doesn't know is at another desk with a Winchester lever action rifle disassembled and wiping its firing pin spring with an oily cloth. There's a cell with steel bars in the back of the room. A prisoner lies on a cot and another sits on a stool with his head in his hands. Dillon looks up, smiles, rises and shakes Paladin's hand. He looks healthy, but older and with a more careworn face than when Paladin saw him last. Paladin! I got your wire? What brings you to Dodge City? He indicates the man cleaning the rifle. I don't believe y'all have met before. Deputy Marshal Chester Goode, Paladin. Goode rises and shakes Paladin's hand with a firm, honest grip. Good to meet you, Mr. Paladin.

[Grognardsw]

[Grognardsw]

Paladin, armed with pistols but having left the rifles at his locked room hidden inside the mattress, greeted his old friend.



"Matt! Good to see you again!" Shaking hands. "I've heard about the lawman keeping Dodge City in line. You're making a reputation for yourself! I'm in town on a body guard assignment for a horse buyer, then I'm headed west to San Francisco."

Paladin poured himself a cup of coffee from the kettle atop the wood stove.

"Nice to meet you Chester. You must have your hands full helping Matt."

He sat down and jawed with the marshall. "How has Dodge been Matt? Coming in by train I saw that Boot Hill has a lot more grave crosses than the last time I was here."

"I hear there's a big 3,000-cattle drive coming in tomorrow, sure to bring a lot of men eager to have fun."

"I wanted to ask you. My employer needs some honest and tough men to guard him and the horses to Topeka. You know of some who I could talk to? The pay is good."

[jemmus]

Matt says, Well, I'll tell you straight, Paladin. It's been pretty good, but always enough to not have much chance to take your boots off or set the safety switch on your pistol, rifle or shotgun. Yeah, three thousand head a cattle. You and I both know what that means. A lot of trail hands, mustering out with dollars in their pockets. Might be a long night.

Chester ahems and says, Sorry, Marshal Dillon. I don't know if goin out to settle down those cowpokes is all there is to it. There might be a little more to hear, Marshal Dillon....

FYI, Dodge City in 1873 is considerably less developed in 1873 and more lawless than on that nice map. Elementary school with school marms? Nah, not yet. Maybe if Marshal Dillon can settle things down over some years.

[Grognardsw]

Yes the 1882 map shows how far they came in nine years!

“Well I’m happy to lend a hand during your busy time, if you need it,” said Paladin.

“Chester, what’s this ‘there might be a little more to hear?’”

[jemmus]

Chester looks over to Matt, who in the sanguine way of a man of the West almost imperceptibly nods his assent for him to speak openly in front of Paladin. Well, there's talk of a half-Kiowa fella name of Blue Duck bein among Goodnight's cattle drive guides and scouts. Mean fella, they say. Enjoys not just killin, but... hearin beggin and howlin. Like that. But he brought along a little bunch of reservation Kiowa boys who know the territory from the Red River, through the Indian Territory, and to the Kansas border like the back of their hand. That's probably why Goodnight hired him-- to get his herd and his horses as quick and easy across the Indian Territory as possible. And maybe help fend off any Indian trouble along the way too.

Dillon replies. Huh. And Kiowas and Cheyennes don't get along. And we have half-Cheyenne Lester Crow Dog and his family in their little ranch house just a little east of Goodnight's route to the stockyard.
Yes sir, Chester answers.
-Anybody seen the Blue Duck or the Kiowa guides in town? Any drinking or buyin liquor?
No sir, Marshal Dillon. But a bunch of cowboys from the herd got all liquored up in town last night, bought a bunch of bottles of rye, and went horse racin back to the herd, whoopin and hollerin and shootin pistols. Blue Duck and his boys might have gotten good and liquored up last, but it doesn't seem likely. I can't see cowhands sellin liquor to Indians.
Unless Blue Duck and his boys offered the right price. Selling liquor to Indians is good business. Especially because it's illegal under Federal law. That drives the prices up. Those fellas might be on an all night and all day second day drunk too.... The marshal ponders for a minute.
Chester says, Marshal Dillon, of course we got another thing. Probably the entire Goodnight herd and its wranglers comin in shortly. Dependin on how quick those cowpokes get their trail's-end pay, we might have 20, 30, even 40 drunk hardleg cowpokes in Dodge in the next couple of hours or so. A big old drinkin, gamblin, dancin, and brawlin party, probably with some shootin.... Same as every time.

Matt furrows his brow. Yeah, Chester, thanks. We have work to do. Paladin, you can see we might be a little busy today. Let's have a beer tonight or coffee tomorrow morning. Unless you want to ride with us while we get set up. It might give us a chance to catch up a little along the way. But you may be busy with your guard work. He gives his old friend his salt of the Earth honest smile. He starts strapping on his gunbelt, puts on his hat. rises from his chair and paperwork, and gets ready for another day of work.

Just then, a short, plump, rosy-cheeked girl of around 19 years enters the Federal marshal's office. She says, Morning, Marshal Dillon, Deputy Goode, sir. Matt and Chester answer with "good morning" to "Miss Gordon." She hurriedly says, I have to get back to work at the dining hall right away, but I wanted to tell ya something while I have a chance. This mornin four out of town men came into the dinin hall for breakfast. They were talking low among themselves, so I couldn't help but listen in....
Of course, Miss Gordon! Matt and Chester say and wink at each other.
Well, one man was sayin when I was bringin coffee, "I don't mean to get shot or clapped into irons in godawful Dodge City." Pardon my French, but that's what he said and exactly how he said it. Then when I was bringin their breakfast, another man said, "I ain't worried about no tin star pinned on a shirt. It'll make a good target over a pumper, and I'll know I got the right man. Well, I just wanted to let ya know what I heard. I better get back to the dinin hall now. They don't know I left. The bright little young woman curtsies, hitches up her cotton dress's skirt, and flies out the door.

Dillon looks at Paladin and Chester. He says, Well, that looks like job number three for today. Three jobs for two men. Number three might be most important for now. Or it might end up being no men for three jobs before the day is done. What do y'all think? He continues cinching his gun belt and goes to take his hat from the hat rack.

[Grognardsw]

Paladin listened with interest to Chester’s account of the Kiowa situation. A sadistic half-injun scout, feuding Indians, liquor, and innocent bystanders added up to nothing good. “That’s a powder keg.”

And then a stranger out to gun down the marshal. “Miss Gordon,” Paladin asked the girl before she left. “Could you give a description of the two men? Any distinguishing marks? Their clothes and the like?”

Matt furrows his brow. …Paladin, …Unless you want to ride with us while we get set up. It might give us a chance to catch up a little along the way. But you may be busy with your guard work.

“I’d like to ride with you, though I need to hire those guards I mentioned earlier,” replied Paladin. “Do you know any honest and tough men to guard a horse buyer and the horses to Topeka? The pay is good. If I could wrap that up this morning, I could ride out with you.”

[jemmus]

Miss Gordon replies, Well, sir, they were pretty ordinary looking men. No fancy clothes on or anything. All in their late twenties or early thirties. One man held his left hand funny, like he couldn't bend his fingers very well. I took a look and he had a big round scar on the back of his hand, about a half an inch across. Like a it had been hit hard by somethin big. The man who was talkin about shooting had little eyes that were blue like ice. All of them needed a haircut, but that's about right for most men around here. I should have thought to notice the color of their shirts, but I didn't think about it. Well, I have to run back quick. Matt says, Thank you, Miss Gordon.

Both Matt and Chester shake their heads at Paladin's question about recruiting a guard. Matt says, Sorry Paladin, if I knew of any men like that I'd had already made them deputy marshals. There are usually two kinds of men in Dodge City: ones who already have jobs and ones who are just passing through. The latter are mostly gamblers, hustlers, drifters, and ne'er-do-wells. And men who are avoiding the law. But when Goodnight's herd comes in, there should be 30-odd cowboys out of work. Some might be lookin for jobs. Chester adds, Probably after they've spent a couple of nights and most of their money paintin the town red. But usually there's a few of them who are honest, devout boys. A shame it's Monday, you might have caught some of them in church yesterday. The Methodist church has services Wednesday evenins too, but it would take a really pious cowpoke to be found there then.

Matt says, Chester, let's go to the dinin hall and see if we can find those men still there. Then I want you to ride to Lester Crow Dog's house and try to get him to bring his family into town and stay a while. Just until this Blue Duck and his Kiowas move along.

[Grognardsw]

Paladin listened carefully to Miss Gordon’s description of the men threatening Marshal Dillon.

“That makes sense,” Paladin said of Matt’s assessment of the two type of men in Dodge. The gun fighter was beginning to think he may have to accompany Hartsfield back to Topeka after all. He’ll have to see what type of men the Goodnight cows dragged in.

Paladin thought over who else in Dodge would know the grit and grace of the men in town. His mind turned to the Long Branch Saloon, where over a year ago he’d had some pleasant conversations with Miss Kitty Russell, a lady of the establishment. She probably wouldn’t remember him, but Paladin certainly remembered her. Maybe Kitty would have some advice.

“I’ll come along for a bit before I head over to the Long Branch,” said Paladin to Matt and Chester.

[jemmus]

Matt says, Let's see if we can catch those fellows at the dining hall while they're still there. Chester replies, It's not a quarter mile away, probably quicker to walk than to saddle up and ride. He takes a scattergun and puts a handful of shells into his coat pocket. The three men walk toward the dining hall, Dillon setting a quick pace down the dusty Kansas street.

The front door of the place is open to the already hot June air. The room around 40 feet long and 20 feet wide, and well-lit by morning sunlight through its several windows. It has six tables, each with four chairs. There's a closed door at the center of room's back wall, and an open doorway at the back of the right wall with light kitchen sounds coming from it. On the right is a counter with a man stooped over a plate of breakfast. At the back left table four men sit, one with his back to the front door, two with their sides to it, and the last facing it. Miss Gordon is there with a stack of used plates and forks in one hand and the handles of four cups in the other. She looks over at the men entering the room. Then eye signs toward the man seated at the left of the table with his back to the wall. She says, I'll be right back to collect the pay. It'll be twenty-five cents per person, like the sign says.

(The fourth man isn't shown).

Matt starts crossing the room, Chester a step behind him. The men look up. Paladin can see them look at the men's faces, then down at the at the U.S. Marshal's Office star inside a shield badges, then back at their faces. The men don't seem very relaxed at all. Two seem nervous, and two others (who somewhat resemble each other) seem to steel up. He recognizes these men. They're the men with horses who boarded the train in Lawrence. The men named Nunn and Murphy, or at least calling themselves that in hotel registers. Matt says, Mornin, gentlemen. I'd like to have a word with you. Please stay seated. And please keep your hands above the tabletop, for now.

[Grognardsw]

Paladin kept an eye on the men and their hands as Matt talked. His mind tactically assessed. His body was tensed, a coil ready to spring twin pistols at his belt if the men looked like they were about to draw.

[jemmus]

The men look over to the man on the left for his reaction. He lays his right hand on the table, but leaves the unseen left one under it. The other men had their hands over the table, and they lay them on it. Matt says, Sorry to bother you gentlemen, but we'd just like to ask you some questions. There's a report of some men who arrived in town looking for trouble, so we have to check around with newcomers. Please don't take it personally. The man on the left replies, What do ya want to know?
Dillon: What brings you to Dodge City?
Left man: We came to see the sights. And maybe get in on the boomtown action while we're at. People say thousands of dollars are dropped every day in Dodge City. He pauses and looks Dillon in the eye. Then, And to pay our respects at the grave of a fella feedin worms under Boot Hill.
Dillon: Hmm. Who might that be? Name?
Nathan B. Nunn.
Nunn. Hanged for lynching a man who he claimed shot his brother in the back.
Yeah, that's the man. Ya got a good memory, Sheriff. I mean Marshal. Wrongly hanged for gettin justice that the law would not provide.
The law is that an impartial judge and jury decide who's guilty and who isn't.
I suppose that might work fine, if the judge and the jury know the real facts of the matter. But not when the man who brought justice was the only witness to what the back-shootin murderer did. Well, him and another fella. Who showed his yella belly and got the hell out a Dodge.
Hmm. You know, you bear a passing resemblance to Nathan B. Nunn. And you too. He looks to the man across the table on the right. Any kin?Would you mind stating your names?
Left man: While, I can't speak for everyone, but yes, yes I do mind. As far as I know, it's a free country. I keep hearin that. It's free to everybody....No matter what their background is. Well, except for the Cherokees, Choctaws, Seminoles and other tribes y'all boxed up in "reservations" in the Indian Territory, don't ya? Ain't that somethin? The men around the table look down and are silent. None state their names.
Dillon: Hmm. Alright then. Well, can we ask where you're staying the night? You might already know that a herd from Texas is expected today, and things might get rowdy. There's going to be 20 or so, maybe up to 30, cowboys in town. A lot of whiskey and beer flowin until tomorrow morning. And 20 or so new pistols, loaded with six rounds each. In the case of an accident or incident, it would help us if we knew where everybody in town now plans to be tonight. So we can try not to bother the people we already talked to.
I can't speak for these men, but I'll say again-- I'll stay wherever I want to. If it's on the floor of the Long Branch Saloon or in the cow sh*t streets of Dodge City, that's my own business, ain't it? It's free country, and I'm free to eat breakfast wherever I like. Ain't I, Marshal?
Unflappable Dillon asks one final question. There's report of arson of the mayor's house in Lawrence, Kansas. You wouldn't happen to know anything about, sir?

The man glares at Matt with a hard, squinted steely blue eye. The three other men glance at him, then down at their own hands laid out on the table. Chester with his sawed-off shotgun scattergun glances over to Paladin, saying "Four on Matt. Four on Matt, or two on Matt with me. Or three on four, if you get in too. But that's none of your truck, Mr. Paladin."

Paladin feels the attention of young Miss Gordon watching the proceedings unseen off to the right. And senses the sound of her scurrying of deeper into the room, toward the sounds of wholesome cooking coming from the kitchen behind the right wall of the dining house.

Need an Observation roll. And Paladin's choice of how to divide the results--the table or the kitchen.

[Grognardsw]

Observation 13 [1d20]=10, Tactics 14 [1d20]=11

Paladin kept his attention on the table, his mind analyzing the odds and angles should guns appear.

[jemmus]

Paladin watched the men hands, faces and eyes of the four separate men at the table, ready to decide on his actions and draw, aim and fire in an instant. He sees that the man with a big scar on the back of his hand is the man directly across, facing the front door. It looks like would from a large caliber bullet. Possibly a musket minie ball from the War. From the corner of his eye, he sees Ms. Gordon behind the counter bend down and disappear from sight. Matt sighs a little and says, Alright. Gentlemen, you're free to go as you please. Please leave your payment for your breakfast on the table. Miss Gordon can collect it later. After you, sirs.

The man on the left looks around at the other three, then pushes back his chair and rises. The other men do the same. Miss Gordon stands up behind the counter, with her hands under it and out of sight. The man says, After you, Marshal, Deputy Marshal, sir. Whoever the hell ya are. We'll be along shortly. Mat replies, No sir, I'm afraid we must insist. Please go on about your business. The man laughs. Marshal, I took you for tougher stuff. Afraid to turn your back on some out of town boys havin breakfast? Matt answers, Yeah, you could say it that way. The man scoffs and grins to the other men. Alright, let's go, y'all. Welcome to Dodge City from the U.S. Marshal's office. They head toward the door. Dillon eye signs to Chester and Paladin to stay close behind them. The men go through the door, and the two men with a family resemblance pointedly look behind them at the men following, and walk on down the dusty street.

Chester says, Miss Gordon wasn't wrong about that bunch, was she? Matt replies, No, I reckon not, Chester. I don't know what she got from under the counter, but I'd guess it was the owner's shotgun. The girl's got gumption, I'd say. Yep, Chester answers. I hope she knew how to draw the hammer back and aim and fire. Matt answers, Yep. And let's hope she never needs to.

He turns to Paladin. Thank you for your help there, Paladin. Three on four is a lot different than two on four. Well, we have to ride out to see a family about this Blue Duck and those Kiowas. And then of course keep order tonight when the Goodnight herd's boys are in. At night in Dodge City all trails end up at the Long Branch Saloon. Maybe we'll see you there. Preferably for just some peaceful jawin over a beer. Preferably and hopefully.

[Grognardsw]

Paladin watched the four men to see if they went in a building on Front Street, or out of sight around a corner.

Paladin nodded at Matt. "I recognized those men. They came in on the same train as me from Topeka. Michael and Martin Murphy from Tonganoxie, Kansas, and Gary and Jonathan Nunn, from Sibleyville and Hesper, Kansas. At least that's how they signed the guest book at the Pawnee Prairie Hotel. I wonder if any of them are on the Wanted lists."

"Good luck out there."

After parting from Matt and Chester, Paladin walked over to Long Branch to visit Kitty and see if she had any advice on hiring help.

[jemmus]

The four men from the dining hall head down the street and go into the stable next to Harvey House. In a few minutes the lead saddled horses out, mount up, and ride around the hotel's corner, headed north.


Paladin goes into the Long Branch Saloon. A dealer has set up a faro game, with four men playing and another man watching. All are carrying pistols of course. One of the four dance hall or soiled dove ladies from the train is serving drinks to the morning customers. She's the youngest one of them, the one with the sad look in her eyes. One of the train guards from the AT&SF train is seated at a table and talking to her while she stands above. He overhears from a distance, Won't you sit down for just a little, Ella? The girl replies, I can't, Mr. Miller, I'm workin. Come back tonight when I'll have more time. It seems that the two are pretty familiar with each other.

Miss Kitty comes into the bar room from a back room and looks her establish over.

Paladin! What are you doing in Dodge City? It's been so long! She comes over and stands tiptoe to give him a kiss on the check. She steps back and looks him over.Look at you, she says. LStill cutting a dashing figure. Still the beau of all the belles between here and San Francisco, I'd bet. Come, come to the office and for some coffee and tell me what you've been up to.

At Paladin's request for information about who might make a good bodyguard for Hartsfield, Kitty's answer is much the same as Matt's. The honest men already have jobs, and most everybody else is an unknown temporarily in town. But she says, I suppose I see about every man who comes through Dodge, at some point or another. After observing enough of them and their behavior, you get to know their character and how they'll likely behave from just a first look. You may not have noticed, but there's a fella sitting alone at a table. He's an AT&SF train guard, but he didn't get on the train back to Topeka this morning. He's mooning over one of the new girls I just hired. He has an honest look about him, and from his work I suppose he knows how to be a guard look out for trouble. But prying him away from the girl-- Ella is her name-- might be a task.

I suppose you already know that a herd from Texas should come to the yards today. Usually among a group of trail cowboys there will be a few good, honest boys. And sometimes there will be one that you can see that the other men respect. There might be the loud leader that they look up too, and the quiet one that they seem to just trust. I'd imagine that the boys get into plenty of fixes coming over 300 miles from Texas, so maybe that's the man they know they can rely on in any kind of situation. But cowboy's aren't known to be gunfighters, or especially good with guns. I don't know how important that skill is to you. If you want to come around this afternoon or evening, I'll see if I can try to spot that kind of man from among this bunch. More often than not, there is one.

Sorry, Miss Kitty did a lot more talking than the calm, easy-going Gunsmoke TV show Kitty would have, I think. The alternative would have been a lot of back and forth jawing. Which is what the TV show mostly was, from my memories of it as an action-hungry young kid.

[Grognardsw]

”Kitty! A rose among the brambles! Good to see you again. I hope Dodge has been treating you well enough.”

Paladin sipped his coffee and talked with Kitty in her office.

”Yes business has brought me on an extended road trip through Texas, Missouri, Arkansas and now Kansas. I’m making my way back to San Francisco.”

“I’ve had some excitement along the way. Got into a train shoot-out with Sam Bass and his gang in Texas. Helped flush out a murderer in Missouri.”

Commenting on Kitty’s advice about hiring men, Paladin said: “Yeah I’m seeing what you mean. I’m not surprised. Cowboys will be tied down to their herd. The railroad guard is a possibility.”

“The Goodnight herd boys will keep Matt and Chester on their toes. I may lend a hand if Matt needs it.”

“Anyway, I’m glad to be able to relax here with you Kitty.”

I came into Gunsmoke (and Have Gun) by the radio show and the images in my head were very different from the TV show. My local MeTV station airs the later, color one hour Gunsmoke. It seemed garish and fake so I never watched it. Free streaming station Pluto (also online) has them all, and I saw the early seasons were half-hour black-and-white. I started with S 1 E 1 and it wasn’t bad. It was spare and faster moving in a 24 minute episode. From watching Have Gun Will Travel I was use to, came to prefer, black-and-white. I’ve tried a few other popular 50-60s western TV shows but didn’t like any of them. I go from HGWT to Clint Eastwood. I liked Dead Man’s Gun. There’s a new Netflix western show American Primeval that’s good. I’ve been meaning to get to Deadwood, that HBO show from a while back that got good reviews.

So, the TV show would never address it, but I gotta think Matt and Kitty have gotten together. On the radio show it was clearly implied she was a madame of the saloon soiled doves, whereas the TV show had her as part owner of the the saloon.

[Grognardsw]

“So it looks like your girls will be busy these next few days,” commented Paladin as he had a second cup of coffee with Kitty. “How many do you have?”

“You know, all this railroad travel has me thinking about how the iron horse has helped cattle ranchers,” mused Paladin. “But I’m wondering if it will swing around to hurting them, and Dodge.”

The gunfighter got to wondering. “With the expansion of the railroad network, cattle can be shipped more efficiently to major slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants.

“I’ve noticed a lot more barb-wired lands around big operations, reducing the open range grazing and squeezing the small ranchers.”

Paladin rambled on. “More and more cattle are shipped by train to places like Chicago, making the long haul cattle drives less frequent. I’d say a new model of large scale, centralized operations is going to change things out west. It’s the type of commercialization that’s changing things back east, especially the northeast.”

He poured another cup of coffee as he continued. “The Homestead Act has really taken off, with more and more of the West now claimed by homesteaders. The open, unfenced lands that are essential for cattle herding are disappearing. The open-range cattle herding way of life is on the decline.”

[jemmus]

Kitty replies, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas-- that's a lot of miles, Paladin. And through some... let's say interesting states and territories. And now on to San Francisco? That's through wild Indian territory. Siouxs and Cheyennes, I believe, who the papers say are defying General Phil Sheridan, General William Sherman, and President Grant himself, and the entire U.S. Army. All heroes from the War. And sometimes getting the best of them, it's said. You'd know better than I would, Paladin, I only read the papers that show up here in Dodge City. All I know is it's sad, the fighting, for both sides. Boys shouldn't be getting killed like that. What grief their mothers, sisters, wives and ladies must feel.

I did read of the famous Sam Bass being brought to justice by a man named "Paladin." I thought it might have been you, but the odds of you being in Texas from San Francisco seemed pretty remote. So it was you! Well, tell me all about it! Was he a dashing and debonair highway, the way the papers described? Somehow I doubt that. But give the ladies some hope. She smiles a sly and altogether beautiful smile. There is no other Kitty.

I had four girls already, and then four more, including Emma, came in. I probably won't need them for longer than while the Goodnight herd hands are in town, but I couldn't just put them back on the train to Topeka.

There might be cowboys from the Goodnight herd looking for work. After they've had a good time with their trail pay, of course. There job will be done once the cattle are in the stockyards and that will be the end of their employment.

Yes, life is changing in the West, I don't know for better or worse. On the one hand it seems like the big men are grabbing more and more and the little men are losing out. But on the other hand, we have more law and order than we did even a year or so ago. That's a good thing, Paladin, as you know. The things I've seen in Dodge City along the way.... I hope to never see again. I worry about Matt and Chester, facing this wild town just the two of them, day after day. If there was just another hand to help, it couldn't but help to make things easier for them. So they could afford to take a little rest in the evening. Or even a Sunday day off.

Kitty and Paladin enjoy relaxing over coffee and catching up on things. As always, Kitty is as sensible and intelligent as she is beautiful.

Outside, there a dull rumbling sound, barely audible, and the sound of distant shouts. The rumbling and shouts gradually grow louder, and before long there's the sound of hard hooves on thick wood. That'll be the Goodnight herd, Kitty says. I'd better get the girls ready. The cowpokes will be thirsty. It might be a long day followed by a longer night.

[Grognardsw]

“Sometimes the job has me in far-flung places,” admitted Paladin. “Someday I’d like to slow the pace, stay closer to California, charge higher fees. But I’m building the business and name still.”

“If through the Indian territories wasn’t the fastest route, I’d avoid them. Hopefully they won’t bother a speeding train.”

When asked about Sam Bass, Paladin said: “Sam was a little more presentable than most robbers and killers, but I think he and his men were a little drunk that day. He forced the train to stop by being on the tracks. But those iron horses take time to stop, and I got the drop on them as it slowed. Rifle sniping from the roof, which provided some cover for me. By the time the train came to a stop, Sam and two others were down and one escaped.”

As the Goodnight herd arrived and Kitty left to attend to business, Paladin said his goodbye. “I’ll be around a few days at least.”

The gun fighter went back to the public room of the Long Branch to look for the AT&SF train guard who had been talking to the new girl Emma. Assuming he saw him…

Paladin approached the table. “Excuse me, Mr. Miller? My name is Paladin, I work for a horse and tack supplier who is transporting a herd of horses in the next day by train to Topeka. He is looking for a trustworthy man to be bodyguard. Given your train guard experience with AT&SF, and with the herd going to Topeka where you do business already with the train, i thought you may be interested. The pay is good, and you could come back to your friend Emma with more change in your pocket.”

All the worlds a stage, and we are merely players