Chapter 2 - Cash Dollars on the Hoof

[Grognardsw]

Paladin agreed with the others.

“Let’s give the Tonkawa their due, pile the loot onto an extra horse, and ride out several hours at least before rest.”

“If we weren’t in rush and need speed, I’d say bring the bodies. But they’ll slow us down and not worth any bounty. I don’t think there was any bounty to begin with.”

If necessary, Paladin will give the Tonkawa extra money to follow, hide their tracks, and divert away to ensure no one could follow the cowboys.

[jemmus]

By the light of the half moon, now past its zenith, Doos approaches the youngest Tonkawa, who carries a bow and carries a quiver of arrows. He respectfully asks if the young man would like to sell four arrows. The man looks through his arrows-- all of which are handcrafted from materials found in nature (except for a few trade steel arrowheads)-- and therefore imperfect. He selects four, which Doos guesses are neither his most favored ones, nor his poorest ones. Two dollars, the young man says. When Doos pays, he says, Thank you, captain, and offers a Euro man's handshake to the older man. The other two Tonkawa-- the one in the Army jacket and the older one-- nod to confirm the agreed-upon transaction and exchange. You OK man, captain, the elder man says.

Charlie and Andreas carry their saddles to the corral. The posse's horses and Gideon's look out into the darkness to the north. Doos's fine pinto mare whinnies, and from the darkness, a horse whinnies back. The horse the first rustler shot from the saddle trot up the corral, eyeing the unfamiliar men carrying saddles. It wears a saddle, saddle blanket, bridle, rifle sheath, and saddle bags. Six bareback horses with ropes around their necks follow closely and come to a halt, also eyeing the human men. They're Texans horses with brands on their shoulders, not Indian ponies or wild mustangs. The saddled horse walks up and all but touches noses with William's appalosa stallion, which seems to be the leader of this little herd. They both snort, and the horses inside of and outside the corral variously raise and lower or shake heads, and raise hooves and put them back on the ground.

The three Tonkawa men come up to the moonlit corral. The eldest one says, casting a wary eye. We take pay now. OK? Track, pay one horse. Yeah? He surveys the two small herds inside and outside of the corral fence with a solemn poker face. He points with his nose toward a fine, full-muscled smoky sorrel stallion that's among the outside herd. He looks to the other Tonkawa men and speaks to them in the strange and unique language of the few remaining Tonkawa. The man in the Army coat looks on for a long time, holds his chin and considers. Then nods his assent, as does the younger man with the arrows.

The older man turns to Andreas and Charlie, then Doos. Young man wants that one --pointing Euro-Texan-wise in the moonlight at Doos's strong, intelligent, and altogether magnificent mare. No fight, woman can ride and run. Stallion-- horse trouble for everyone. Big strong crazy horse. But make strong baby. One mare, one year, one baby. One stallion, many horse woman, many strong horse baby. Good for Tonkawa babies. I old man. What ya'll think, old man Army captain?


It seems that ever-attentive Gideon McLaury inside the house heard, quietly evesdropped on, observed, or quietly spied on all activities outside the house. He stands on the back porch and yells, If we're callin dubs on firearms, I got dubs on a cartridge-firin pistol. This ole cap and ball Navy Colt ain't got but two charges in it left. Reloadin the other four would be like a race in a quiltin bee. And them grandmas got a lot of years of experience, they're pretty expert with a needle and thread and around a table storytellin banter. I wouldn't want to gunfight or play cards with any of em.

Ya'll boys are terrible at callin dubs.... Dubs! on ridin that arready saddled horse what we shot that rustler off of to town.

Doos has Indian Contact and rolled a successful roll. He's got a high Stature rating as well (because of scarce chargen points spent on that). Apparently the Tonkawa recognized his bearing as a former Army officer. He got randomly-decided good interactions with NPCs along the way.

[Rex]

Charlie

"Your horse Doos, your call."

[ateno]

The older man turns to Andreas and Charlie, then Doos. "Young man wants that one" --pointing Euro-Texan-wisein the moonlight at Doos's strong, intelligent, and altogether magnificent mare. "No fight, woman can ride and run. Stallion-- horse trouble for everyone. Big strong crazy horse. But make strong baby. One mare, one year, one baby. One stallion, many horse woman, many strong horse baby. Good for Tonkawa babies. I old man. What ya'll think, old man Army captain?"

Doos turns aside a moment, and turns back, his eyes slightly moist.

"Your right. I got her at a year old, I remember my daughter learning to ride on her. Steady and strong, your right.

He pauses.

He turns to the young Tonkawa.

"I ask this in exchange, you keep her right and care for her like she's my daughter, I know that might sound funny to you, but the horse is part of my old life that is no longer there, so for you care for her as your number one horse, yes?

Turns to the older Tonkawa.

Also if I work with Tonkawa again they owe me a small favor."

Doos makes sure his hand is clean and puts his hand out to shake. He smiles and says "Saddle and tack is mine."

Thats what I get for rolling a great horse..

Doos

[jemmus]

Gideon McLaury admires the excellent chestnut stallion. That is a fine mount rat thar. Them horse thieves was good, they knew how to find e'm, and pick 'em, and git away with 'em. He quotes, with remarkably almost unaccented English, But the Lord said, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed. Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” Then, That thar is from Luke. Rememberin that verse is what makes me a better en fair gambler. People git too greedy whin thar winning and lose everthang on the downturn.

The prone to be talkative man continues. And besides, thar's one of the Ten Commandments that's directly about bein greedy about horses. Again, he starts off quoting in surprisingly not overly-twangy Texan English, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.” People giggle in church about the ass part, but that wasn't what the Lord was talkin about. He was talkin about donkeys. That's whut they used to call a donkey back then in ancient times. Now, covet means to really want somethin that ain't yers. Sumpin ya don't own. So when you put them two verses together, about greed and asses, ya git "Don't be greedy about good horses." What I think the Good Book was advisin was, "Watch out! Ownin' a fine horse like that might make ya a target for gittin shot!" Which might be what happened to its previous owner. And also, "Watch out! Covetin-- and goin after a top dollar horse like that one to steal it-- might also git ya shot."

So, if y'all don't mind, ah'll trade mah ole horse brought from Waco for this lil paint. He takes the rope of one of the horses from the prairie. He mutters to mostly to himself..."One's station life... "Above one's station in life...." Is that from the Good Book too? Er from somewhar else...?

The posse can start riding back toward San Marcos under the light of the Moon as soon as we wrap up the items inventory in OOC.

[cybersavant]

Lever action rifle
Hunting/fighting knife
Pocket knife
Brass pocket watch w/ brass chain

Andreas Larson saddles his own horse, then looks over the gathered loot to see if there are any markings or engraving on them, specifically the last lever action rifle, the penknife and the pocket watch. If there are none, he takes those for himself. "Dees I can use. Compensation for time lost. Ve should turn in all branded horses. Trow de dead over dem und bring back vit us."

[Grognardsw]

“Let’s move out,” said Paladin after the cowboys quickly split the loot.

After hearing William and Doos’ legal opinions on the stolen horses, Paladin said: “Yeah, let’s sell any horses not taken and divvy up the cash. As to those better horses, how about we roll dice to see who gets them? That would be the fair way.”

Paladin strapped his gear to his old horse and secured Slim and Davidson to the rental horses. He had plans for those two.

Later in the night, Paladin consulted with judge Doos.

“I’d like to get Slim and/or Davidson to sign confessions stating Adler’s involvement in the horse rustling ring. Or face the noose. Then the law could go after the man at the center, or hire us to do it. That confession could be given to the San Marcos sheriff. His integrity is questionable, so it could be sent to Austin for the regional marshall to take care of. What do you think?”

[jemmus]

(Copied from the OOC thread. These precede Paladin's post just above).

William lays claim to the last lever action rifle and ammo (20 rounds, if there is that much) for it as well as the Chestnut quarter-horse with the Diamond 1 brand.

He lets the group know that the local law states out-of-county horses become the property of whoever recovers them. We just need a judge to approve and we can have them rebranded to clear up any future question of ownership.

Charlie

"I am happy recovering my horse, but if we could sell the ones no one needs the money would be handy."

[jemmus]

(Some minutes ago)
Doos asks the Tonkawa for favor in the future, in exchange for the Tonkawa taking his prized horse as pay. The eldest looks Doos in the eye, the speaks to the Tonkawa in the U.S. Army jacket in their peculiar language. The man listens, then turns to Doos. He says that he can't say English for what he's thinkin.
He says, "We can't make a promise because Tonkawa don't know if they can keep a promise. Many Indian enemies, and Tonkawa never know what Texans will do. Even a bird who flies south in the winter knows where it will be in the spring. But Tonkawa, no. So we can't make a promise we don't know we can keep. But if you need help someday and Tonkawa can help, Tonkawa will help, captain./dialog] The man looks Doos in the eye and nods.

(Also some minutes ago)
Paladin asks the Tonkawa to cover the cowboys tracks for a half-mile, then split off, hoping to evade anyone tracking them back to San Marcos. The eldest man replies, Tonkawa help one Texan, Texan's enemy kill all Tonkawa. Tonkawa law say no help white man fight white man. He considers a moment and discusses with his colleagues. You (indicating all of the posse members in various locations) Speak true and pay true. We do for seven dollar and five food. No food, eight dollar. He shakes his head with concern. Night, hard to see track, hard to cover no see track. You see? But we try, good. The man in the blue jacket says, He means $7 and five meals. Enough food fer one meal fer five people. Or $8 cash. Ya see, captain." The mans says in his own words. To Tonkawa food is food to eat, rat now. Money is paper to try ta git food git food ta eat. Maybe someday.

[jemmus]

Hold there, sir!, Gideon McLaury cries to William, hand on his hip. To the posse member ho was seen going out from under the dark of the tree by the house and out into the prairie grass stalking rustlers, and coming back on foot behind a herd of fine horses emerging from the dark of the grasslands. Holt thar! And don't put yer saddle on that fine stallion's back and claimt it as yer own! That fine horse belongs to all of us, er none of us! I already tode ya not ta covet horseflesh, dint I? Sell the horse divide the money. and go on about yer business in Hays County. Damn, that shore is a long way to ride in the night....

[Bluetongue]

Sebastian

hush Gideon. The man William gotta right to put his saddle on any horse liberated, same for all. Long way to ride, make a choice yourself."

I am fine with dicing or drawing cards on disputed divisions of horses. Practically any horse is an upgrade for Seb so the 'lazy S' one, if he can legalise ownership, would be fine. What he is trying to do is set aside any arguments in who can or cannot do what when we have more than enough for each to profit.

We keep the worst 'choices' for the two rustlers.

"As we have done so far, let us pair up to watch them both get safely corralled in the cells." he says to Gideon indicating the prisoners.

I have already rolled a failure on the riding check, so we need to watch that fatigue doesn't give opportunity for them to try and escape.

[ateno]

The man listens, then turns to Doos. He says that he can't say English for what he's thinkin.
He says, "We can't make a promise because Tonkawa don't know if they can keep a promise. Many Indian enemies, and Tonkawa never know what Texans will do. Even a bird who flies south in the winter knows where it will be in the spring. But Tonkawa, no. So we can't make a promise we don't know we can keep. But if you need help someday and Tonkawa can help, Tonkawa will help, captain./dialog] The man looks Doos in the eye and nods.

Doos nods back.

Turning, "Everyone kick in a buck and a quarter for them to cover our tracks, we will keep the extra 75 for the rounds at the bar tomorrow, alright?"

Doos gathers his tack off Pontiac, and nuzzles her, takes the reigns and leads her to the young brave and hands him the reins and nods his head and walks to his new horse approaching her in front and quietly.

Doos

[Rex]

Charlie

Charlie keeps an eye on the prisoners.

[jemmus]

Gideon hands Doos $1.25.

[cybersavant]

Andreas Larson hands over $2, then mounts up on his horse and assumes a place toward the rear of the group.

[redwarrior]

William hands over $2 to Doos and the lever action rifle to Andreas. To the group at large he says I've really go my mind set on this quarter horse. Nobody's said anything so far, but if one of y'all wants it as much as I do, I'd suggest we cut cards with that deck there for it and call it done.
If he gets the quarter horse, he'll add his old one to the herd to be sold.

[cybersavant]

Andreas Larson accepts the rifle. "Danke." He also grabs whats left of the rifle ammo.

[jemmus]

Gideon says, Well, if ya really got yer eye on that quarter horse, maybe ya could just buy it off of the rest of us? Some of us took hunnard-dollars horses, that one looks like around a hunnard-and-half to me. That's $50 owed. But if y'all wanna cut cards for it, ah'll do that too. But to be fair, I'd propose that we ante up the horses we already took. The way ya ante up before cutting cards at a card table. If'n ya win that horse, you give up the one thet ya already took. What da y'all think about that?

Before he chucks it, Andreas sees that the rustler's watch shows 10:38 as the time. The posse members know it's over 30-mile ride to Stringtown, then 10 more miles to San Marcos. On decent horses, that's a 8-hour ride. But they have two captive rustlers to think about. If they mount them on the poor, weak, and slow Army horses, the ride could take four hours or more longer. They do have the extra rustled horse, and their original horses though. Details on that are in the OOC thread.

[cybersavant]

Andreas Larson holds the watch up. "It ist 10:38. Ve going to ride all night or camp? DIe vatch hast initials."

[redwarrior]

William thinks for a minute replies That's a fair offer, either way, I think. If the rest of y'all are open to it, I'll throw $50 into the poke and buy him off ya. That'd pretty much clean me out until we sell this extra stuff, so I might need to bum a few dollars off someone for lodging & food until we sell the extra stuff & hopefully find out there's a bounty on these folks. He smiles at the idea. It's better odds than cutting cards, but I'm good with that too.

Totally good with either path. Either way, if he gets the quarter horse, the other goes into the herd for sale/division. He likes the idea of "buying" him the best.