Jornada Springs, New Mexico - a Tale of the Old West: Part 36

I've got $500 here and he puts it up on the table. Money which which I'm putting up to to buy supplies, but I need you to go and get them for me.

As agreed, we did with the last service we provided, discharge our debt.

Duty. Yeah.

But of course, as good citizens, we will be delighted to help the town out in this matter. So to maximize our chances of safely buying these supplies and getting them back Did you know how to swing? And the fewer people who know about this, I think, would be the better.

She does say as you leave, as you go out to the to the swing doors, Yeah. Take care.

I pause, I come back, give a little hug.

It's difficult to tell, but you suspect there's probably at least 20 riders.

20. Well, we don't wanna

be taking them on a

straight flight.

I'm Dave. I am the game master.

I'm Tony. My character is Jimmy Harleston, young lad trying to make his way in the world, keep his ranch running successfully, trying to live up to the legacy of his elder brother who was unfortunately shot in the head trying to do the right thing.

So, I'm Andrew. I'm the older character in the group, and, I'm Nathaniel Hoarcock, and I'm the sheriff.

But you're also my business partner as are you, Jimmy. And I'm, Matthew, and I'm playing Marion Freeman, who is, in fact, the largest shareholder in the Freeman Halson Lounge.

But, yeah, if you press on, you can get to Las Cruces by dark. Alright.

Let's press on. Yeah.

Yep. Okay. You get to Las Cruces by dark.

By dark. Excellent.

Oh, yeah. And I

I do have that. Early.

Somewhere. Now this is your stuff, wasn't it? So it's not good there.

So that'd been that's been 3 that's been 3 days journey then. Yeah?

That's 3 days. Yeah.

Okay.

K. That's the Las Cruces map. Again, based as closely as I can find on whatever

Whatever.

Maps I've been able to find online and things. So most of the places there are places that were actually there, and roughly in the right in the right place back in oh, the map I found was 18/90, so Right. It might be slightly out of date.

So I take it we're we're actually gonna buy supplies first in the El Paso, then come back. Oh, yeah. Buy more supplies. Well, I

don't know. We will check out the ground here in. So let's, save all the horses in the livery. Uh-huh. And, maybe go to the London or hotel.

So you do notice when you get here that there is a a small, kind of camp being set up just up here to the north. Or,

And we're riding in on this road here.

Yep. Yeah.

And that looks it looks like cavalry, US cavalry.

Alright. We're actually out bidding them for blooming food, aren't we?

Well, they're chasing hostiles or whatever.

You've got a bit of military bearing about you. Do you wanna ride across and just see what their business is?

So does it look like there's about 20

over there?

Yeah. So we can kind of assume that the dust

resource going up with these guys already. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, you know

It's an assumption you can make if you wish. It may or may not be accurate, but it's an assumption you can Probably

an assumption we're making, I suspect.

Well, why don't why don't the sheriff ride across and just sweep?

Yeah. Yeah. Do I ask you to get into a fight? What?

Because there were a bunch of Yankees on that.

Yeah. Don't say that. Just use your military bearing.

So, yeah, so what side did you fight on during the war?

Well, I'm not still on the outside and get them on the inside.

No. No. No.

Are you sure

what this is gonna do?

Alright. We're just trying to find the captain. There must be a captain of the term.

Yeah. Yep. Yeah. They're yeah. They're basically setting up They're? Setting up a temporary camp. Yeah. They look quite road worn.

Yeah. So they've obviously

been riding quite hard. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, if someone see you come over and

Yeah. I just say good, I've got good evening. We'll get to the evening. Is it a return or captain or

Yeah. There's other cap there's a captain. Yeah. And he says, yeah.

I said, good evening. My name is Sheriff Hawcock from, there, what's the title? Juniper Springs.

Ah, Sheriff.

Just on Coming to coming to coming to join the party.

Well, I see what party would smile. You seem busy. You you you and your lad seem busy?

You Yeah. Well, yeah. We're we're on the trail of a of a of a band of Apaches. Ah. You may have heard a few weeks ago, there was a, there was an attack on a on a settler caravan just north of your place, actually. Just north of Leonardo Springs, and, a number of people were killed.

Have we heard about that?

Yes.

Not the one the German one that Yeah.

The German one. This is this is probably 3 months ago, actually.

So this is

this is oldest.

What we thought I thought was the Kayla gang. But okay.

Yeah. Are you are you saying, his name's Bristow, by the way. Captain Bristow. Oh, right there. And he says, yeah, well, 2 2 of the people, 2 children were unaccounted for. Oh, we're old. And, a week or so ago, a trapper came into Fort Craig saying, he'd, he'd come across a a camp of Apache, and there were 2 blonde haired children.

Alright. So you're trying

to go over, trying

to find the kids. We're now trying

to we're trying to we're trying to track them down and and find the children, but, it's,

not easy, I imagine.

It's a real problem. Well, they they see us coming from a mile away. Disappearing, yes. Yeah. So it's, we're not we're not having much success, but we've been sent out here because we've we've we've tracked, our scouts have have said that the the Apache have come South. So we think they're probably to the West of here now, but we've come down to see if we can smoke them out.

Alright. So if you know maybe try to think about selling the keys off the slaves or something like that or

It looks like, it looks like the the Apache attacked that caravan and kidnapped the children, which is

Oh.

It's not uncommon.

No. No.

But, obviously, we wanna we wanna get those children back.

Oh, and I wish you, godspeed. I wish you the best of luck.

Alright. So so you you haven't come here to help us then?

Are they?

Well, I sure reflect

you from your outer springs and running over to say hello. I I kind of assumed that a man like you would be the

whole point

of you coming over here would be to help us find these children. Is that is that that isn't the case then? He looks a bit shocked.

Does he?

No. I'm not here. So if you're

not here No. Go. Go. Go.

You're across with your military bearings.

Yeah. That'd be the shit.

I haven't even heard any of this shit.

In cavalry uniforms might be just what we need to help get these children.

I have to admit, I was running undercover. I was just being polite, to be honest with you, when I came over.

So you're not here?

Not not not not labeled because I am actually running something for for the town. But let me have a discussion with my 2 comrades.

Well, any any help will be welcome. Yeah. Yeah. We can't leave I

mean, I can't

leave the children with the Yeah. No.

No. I under

We better to kill them.

I do understand. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna say a blunt note to you, but unless I am out here running a certain errands for for Genaro Springs. So Well,

I I think they're as important as the lives of 2 innocent children.

My string put my arms.

And he turns Yeah. Back to whatever he's doing. Okay. He says, well, good day to you.

Oh, well and well. So I'll go back and just, tell the you know, tell these 2 about the discussion.

So really, always wants us to do something here.

They do something. They they

They're not just never to talk to anyone ever again.

You're you're gonna go and get a room at the, Amador I thought

as long

as so Yeah. Did we ride on to the to the livery and the Amador? Yeah.

I think he probably did to work. Okay.

So I'll catch these talking inform them about the situation.

And I can see that you have a plan, Shelly. I have a cunning plan, my lord.

That's a

I know I own most of the ranch, but you don't need to call me my lord.

Now the captain was suggesting wanted to take us on his scouts as he seemed, you know, as he which which I see is fine. 20 men blundered around.

Yeah. The

kind easily couldn't find anything. And I did say but so I was thinking, if we come to the agreement, if the army supply Genardo Springs with the supplies it needs, we would therefore then agree to the scouts, and therefore it wouldn't cost mister Rayburn the 500 quid.

That's not a bad plan, but we'd need to say something along the lines of the army needs to supply town with Uh-huh. $500 worth of food.

The food. Yeah. So it had to be put more elegantly than I can muster.

Well, I'd like to point out No.

I've got

that you've got the best performing skater.

Yeah. So I think we

could

stand next to help

Yeah. While you

Don't say, look. Are you Yankee yellow guy? Are you

Yeah. We'd we'd probably advise you on language. I think I think that's the way you're meant. Saying. Less like an uncouth southerner who hates Yankees. You know, all the work we did on yeah. Let's not talk about that.

No. No.

No. I'm

not gonna say that. We're just trying to yes. Because I'm assuming I am worried about mentioning this.

Money?

Money. Because I know what soldiers are like.

Well, I think it could be worth having a conversation. Yes. We could ride out for the camp, the 3 of us. Maybe.

Yeah.

Or not I mean, you can walk the camp's like 200 feet away. Yeah.

Uh-huh. No. We're in this hotel. Right? Yeah. So that's 400 feet at least.

Okay.

Maybe it's 200 feet.

It's quite a short walk. There we go.

Yeah. It's yes. It's not something you need to take supplies and then, you know

Camp out half way.

Leave a

note with your mother where you're going or time you arrive, that kind of thing. Yeah. Shall we?

And I just wanna when you've told us this story, I wanna point out that I got a vague idea that we again made a promise we didn't keep to somebody. There are relations

What?

Of this family in John Howard Springs.

There are.

There's somebody else you haven't

talked about. What the family that we're we think these children are from.

Yeah. And I got a vague idea. I mean, I remember Make a

make a group book learning role.

Group book learning role.

On the best book learning.

Well I've got 4 on book learning. I have 2.

You've got 5 on book learning. Okay. But but you could have Have 7?

Yeah. Have 2 extra days.

I don't have book learning 7.

I think I'll allow you to have this. This is yeah. This is fine.

Oh, 2.

2 successes.

Again.

K. Oh, yeah.

I wanna point out it was that dice that landed on 6 last time, and these are 2 other dice.

Yeah. Okay. Okay. So they're all they're all

Well, if they were all waiting, I'd wonder bloody slight more successes to come back. These are weighted dice. Dave got done. Dave, though. Andy got done.

Twice you've called him Dave today. You're honored.

It's only because, obviously, I despise him, and the first name that comes out into my head of somebody I I despise is Dave, obviously. Oh, no.

You can hit him more, I guess.

I think you should both hit him. So, yeah. So you do remember. So you know that in in United Springs, there was a the Sigebert family, headed by a a widower called Anke, and his children, adults or just adults, they are a mining outfit. I remember the outfit.

Was this when you did your trading tip, your trip?

It is when I did your trading tip. And I remember on the trip, you kind of said, so are you gonna chase after them and see if you can find find them? And I said, no. We've got 200 horses or something. Yeah. Yeah. But I can't then remember whether we actually then had a conversation with the Sigveberts when we were back in town later and had all weather I

don't think you've undertaken to go and try and Okay. Try and save them. No. Not at all.

Right. Fine. So we didn't make a promise but

No.

But we are aware of them

and they are aware of them.

You do you do you do remember that the the children, the boy was called Hanno Alright. And the girl was called Helga, and they were 12

14 years old. Right. Okay. Alright. No. So therefore, we've been yeah. I've I feel therefore but they do come from a town.

So when I come back with you, I'll say and you you were with me when we discovered that

Yes.

The wagon. I'll say, you know, we we actually discovered the wagon before. And I'm gonna but I am gonna say, I'm not convinced it was Apaches that did the raid. We also met very close there the Kayla gang.

Kyla gang?

Kyla gang.

A guy?

A gang of Kyla's.

But the thing is maybe they sold them to the Apache.

Maybe. Yeah. But I do just wanna make that point

New site. Yeah.

To him. Particularly, if there's a point of revenge taking going on here with these soldiers. I wanna get the point in early that These blond children may or may not exist in this Apache party. They may have been taken as injured people and Mhmm. Rescued for we know. So In fact, how did they say that? How does he react to that?

Okay. So you're going so, basically, they've set up campfires, and he sat around the campfire with Yeah.

Well, comrade, let's say

Other officers.

No. Well, I'll introduce you to the wife. I've heard talk from my 2 comrades, and I'll let Matt start, you know.

And we'll say that. We'll say that. That. Yeah. We know them.

And I'm saying, should we just watch, and we say we're here.

We have got another mission, haven't we? Which is we're here to purchase food for the town. We haven't got much money, but we need to having about $500 worth of food. If the army can provide that, then you not only free ourselves time but you provide us our payment for being your scouts.

$500 for 3 scouts? What planet are you on? Maybe we wouldn't say that now.

No. No. It's $500 for for supplies for the town. And that would therefore you wouldn't have to what my companion is saying is that you wouldn't have to pay us a fee for being scouts Because we are here.

But but we'd have to give you $500 worth of food. Yes. We do while we're here. Well Well, we're we're not.

This is a negotiating position. What what can you afford to give us in terms of food?

Well, we don't we haven't got that much food with us. We've just got our supplies

From your you're from Fort Craig?

Yeah, yeah. We're from Fort Craig. We yeah, we got food supplies up there. I mean, you know, we could sell you the food potentially if we don't need it. You'd have to speak to the major.

Perhaps back at the fort.

That was back at the fort. And obviously if you helped us and, you know, if you helped us and were able to recover the children now frankly, I didn't give a shit about the Apaches.

They're just after the children.

We are here just to to make sure these good kids get get put back, reunited with their families. However, they got taken, you know, it's not it's not unheard of that outlaw gangs sell children to to the Indians. I'm not here to kill Indians, I'm here to rescue the children. Now if you can help me do that, and particularly if, you know, your your involvement, let's say, is, you know, kept under the sand and, you know, a good

captain Well, can you take the glory?

A good captain gets gets a lot of credit, then I'm sure I can put in a good word with you up at Fort, at Fort Craig for for getting you, the supplies you need.

So as long as we don't claim credit, you'll give us credit.

Well, we won't we we won't we'll be able to sell you food. We won't be able to give you food. But, you know, I mean, I don't know how much food we've got. I mean, the major might not wanna sell you food at all. But naturally, if you're,

So how much would you normally be paying the Scout if we were to offer our services on a pew? For this mission, obviously,

you're not looking at the map. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm just just we could we could probably stretch to $15 a week maybe.

Well, we're given a time limit by mister,

Ryan. And what? We'll consider your terms, and we'll talk you talk again in the morning. When are you off?

Well, we're here tonight. We'll we need to to work out our plan. So we'll be here in the morning, but we'll be we'll have to ride out and patrol and see if we can see if we can track them down. But as I said, you know, we

So You

know, we're under we're under instruction, you know, our our orders are not to go in not to go smaller than the trip we've got here. Right.

So you can't break up into smaller scouting parties.

We end up just getting

You're looking for us to go out on our own To get killed. And report back to you. Or

To bring the children back.

To bring the children back and hand them over as you've won them.

Yeah.

Yeah. That would that would do well. And I'm sure we can

And then we

can supply Leonardo Springs with with food at a good price.

If you were

Well, I'm, not denying your, responsibility to the good people of the United States, which we are now forming a part. Not that we're forming a part of the territory, you know, you know what I mean. I'm curious about why so many men were, were tasked with this mission. The Sigler's who who who gave those orders, I wonder? Who are concerned about 2 children so much that you're willing to pay us to help you do this mission?

Well, I take my orders from the Major back up at Fort Craig. We've been we've been in and and tracking the Apache for a while, they've been causing trouble. Our job, you know, here is, you know, east west of the Rio Grande, our job is to keep the Apache under control. Protect the people from from raids and and all that. And if if rescuing a couple of kids from the Apache isn't protecting the people, then I don't know what is. What else would you have us do instead?

Of course, you you would also have the added bonus that we could actually go into Mexico if we had to. You wouldn't be able that'd be a no no for you.

Well, I'm not gonna make the cake. We're not not dressed like this.

Yes. As long as we let

But if we needed to follow the Apaches into Mexico, we could.

Absolutely. Yeah. We think we think the Apache the the Apaches we're after, I think we think they're quite close to here. We think they're within a few a few days ride at most.

We just Yeah.

A few days ride of here is all the way back up to John Adda Springs and down in deep deep

Well, as in west of here.

Demingway. Because they've been

tracked south from further north.

Demingway? Well, no. I I I suspect they're a bit further north than that. Further north? So I think they're up on the up on the ridge here or in the Oh. In the foothills.

Our ridge.

Of the mountains.

Well, not our ridge. But the area with which we have

a

We've got

a we've got a strip of land across the end.

You've claimed that mile long strip, haven't you?

Way north of here then.

So, yeah, northwest of here.

So

You know, and if if if if whilst we're patrolling, we they see us and and, you know, we agitate them, then they might make mistakes that will make it easier for you to to track them.

What I'm thinking is

Whilst they're fleeing us.

We could at least get some food here in Las Cruces. Maybe not spend all our money here as you were saying by 2 different sources. If we're gonna get a deal on food from Fort Craig, then we've got a perfect excuse to maybe send the wagon back, if you like, half full.

But then we've got a half someone, but we we we're gonna let's

I don't know. Well, maybe. Right? Yeah. How how we do it. But we're gonna be coming back past John Narda Spins If we're looking for these guys. And obviously, we can do that. The wagon on the other side of the river isn't gonna go so well. I mean, it's not impossible to ride along planes, but that's difficult. But if we sent the wagon up by the road towards Fort Craig. Or we could just say

I think we can we can reckon this, and you could have brought one of your men to drive the wagon if you wanted from the ranch.

It's one

of our compadres. But would

we wanna send them off on their own of unprotected in a wagon full of food?

They wouldn't be unprotected. I'd be with them. You guys would be unprotected.

I see. You're going back with the cars, and we're going to track the event.

Well, yeah. We've seen my tracking skills. Oh, you haven't seen my tracking. Well, I don't know. I'm just I'm throwing these ideas out. This is a group decision.

While still talking.

Or If I get this from you. So that's yeah. Assuming we've got someone else with us to buy the car back, we could buy half. Mhmm. Mhmm. The food. Send them back.

Yeah. Do

you know what's been saying? Look, we're just doing a

Deal.

A, you know, some work with Cavalry, which will hopefully result in us getting a good deal on some food from Fort Craig.

I mean, I do feel kind of I mean, if it is those children

Then, yes. Then

I am obliged as to if we're actually

Yeah. Yeah. Like going if it is genuinely is, that then going

But let's minimize our risk. Let's get $200 worth of food. You know, let's get $200 worth of food back to, Granada Springs now Mhmm. And maybe get, say, $400 worth of food at the cost of only $300 or whatever from Fort some from Fort Craig.

I have to make a decent charmer role.

Yes. Yes. Just to be your usual

Charming self.

Charming self and negotiate there. Good for you.

Yeah. So that'll be fine. Yes. What's not the?

That sounds like a good plan. I think, let's do that. Plus it doesn't mean if we say that while doing this, at least there's some food that's gone well.

We could actually say to the captain, well, we've got to send some food back. We could, you know, we've got this what I meant from the ranch. We could ask for a couple of soldiers to

We're here in a market. Oh.

They've got him back to Granado Springs with the food.

Yeah. Maybe we could.

Let's say, look. If 3 of us go scouting, could you at least give the guy

And you could use your authority as sheriff if there's any issue with their orders about not being able to split up. Then you can say, well, you know, as sheriff, I'm I'm asking you asking this at federal forces. We need to protect this. You know, you're you're here to protect the people of Mhmm. The territory, and here's an issue.

Yeah. Yeah.

Because it could be you can't send a single man with a wagon of food on his own No. For 3 days. That's that'd be a bit suicidal, really.

And if those people were to come back fire to another Springs, but then head to the fort. Let's do that. Okay. Mhmm. You better make, make the case to, Dave here and make whatever role he asks you to make.

Yeah. You have a plan, do you?

We have a plan.

I have a

I have a cunning

Is it as cunning as a fox?

He's a

professor of cunning at

Cambridge University. Use my docity, my performance, and my charming here.

Okay.

Yeah. You're

gonna turn on the charm.

I'm gonna turn on the charm. Yeah. I'm gonna say, look. Okay. As sheriff, I do feel that it is even if these kids did come from Johnno Springs, then I do feel responsible.

But, technically, they never came from.

They they only wanted to. To. Yes. But, you know

They would have been Johnarda Spring residents.

Yeah. So I still feel obliged to, to help. But also, I have this commitment with the food. You know, I've been asked to get the food for town.

No point in bringing kids back to a town starting.

Yeah. So I'm so if you're if if Australia scouts you and we send a a wagon with some food back to town, I'm asking

for a

couple of troopers as escort for our man back to

To escort the man. Back to Granada Springs. Yes.

And then on to On to the fort. Fort Craig, where we will

Yeah.

Do a deal, assuming we've, got the preferential terms Yeah. That you offered.

As I said, if you if you help me rescue these children, then I will put in a good word for the major. Yeah.

So but so then you make a rose, but, you know, I do have

And we know through you told us that you're not meant to split your, your troop. But But

you must have realized it'd be it's a bit suicidal for us to send a single man back with a car with a wagon of food.

And they'd be heading on the way to Fort Craig.

Make a performing role.

So performing role, charming. Couple of extra dice from me in the audience.

Has helped. Yes.

So that

I'm only calling Tony the boy because Jimmy is the youngest among us. Even though Tony is by far the oldest.

7. That's 7 to begin with. Charming's day. Oh, that's all.

What's your performing total? 7?

8 with Charming. Okay.

And then you get 2 more for their help.

I do wanna point out, Tony, you're gonna be a granddad very soon. That is true. And there's at least 2 successes.

2 I can see from here. Yeah. 1 even on not the dodgy dice.

Yeah. 2 successes.

Okay. He he he's he's you can tell he's a bit torn. Oh. He he can he he's conflicted against the the sense of what you're saying Mhmm. But also against his orders not to not to split his troop up.

Do you

want me to roll again? No.

No. No. Because he got one success and you got 2. Mhmm. So he's conflicted, but you have convinced him.

Yeah.

And he he says, yeah, okay. I agree, But you'd better come through, because when those men get back to Fort Craig with and, you know, I've sent them back. Yeah. No. I'll be I'll be in

I will I'll be in

the doghouse with the Major unless we've solved the problem.

I will yes. I will say it was my In

fact, you could even write a letter now saying it was on your instructions that you

My request. If you wish, you would let her say, oh, yeah. The question of the sheriff.

Well, it would that

they take with them?

It would make sense.

In fact

Obviously, I I suspect the major will only, you know, you guys will you know, we need results.

Yes. But also, your your main could actually take another less to, what's the name of the guy?

Mister Raeburn.

With Raeburn forming him. What what is it?

This is the, Yeah. The quickest supplier. I mean, yeah, the food. We've got to go into town and buy the food.

Of course. Yeah.

But this is, you know, this is, but a part cargo.

A part. Yeah.

And the rest

will be coming. Take the letter and give it to mister Raeburn, then so I'll do 2 letters. 1 for you supporting you, your major, if there's any backlash from our request, and one to mister Raver.

That sounds that sounds agreeable.

Okay.

And then you'll ride out the first light to

Yes. Yes.

Not the first light because we gotta buy this food first.

Yeah. Yeah.

But then you'll have our abilities, and I'm one of the best scouts here about.

Well, I'm pleased to hear it, mister, mister Freeman.

Mister Hawkeye Freeman is what they call me.

Do they? Mister.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. We can go with that all the time. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I remember now.

I don't sound very believable.

The fact that the game is the name is ironic. This is neither here nor there. Yeah. Okay. He agrees.

Okay.

He says, well, come back come back to me first thing in the morning.

Yep.

As you said, not first thing.

Well, as early

as you can make Yeah. We have supplies for breakfast.

We can then, point you in the right direction and then we'll we'll scale elsewhere. Okay. We'll send a couple of men back and get that food back to the town.

So so I'll so I'll pen 2 letters over there Yep. In the evening.

Yeah. I won't be making me to roll

for that. I don't know. That's fine. Okay. Well, thank god for that.

Yeah.

I've got one here. Pen just sat right here.

He made me have to make a rule from writing a letter the other day on Wednesday.

So what was that for? It's probably

Yeah. So writing a a like a not a love letter, but the letter to, the governor's daughter

Oh, yes.

Who I'm trying to line up and hopefully marry because I'm I'm buddies with the governor. Alright. What? Apparently. Well I saved his life. He liked my horses so he was gonna come and visit my ranch just to buy my horses.

Oh, okay.

But some other people turned up having got wind of this and hadn't told me that, oh, tell us when he's here and we can kill him. Mhmm. They said, tell us when he's here because we need to have a word with him and we we can't get to talk to him in Carson City. So we then arranged to kill all these people who were coming to kill the governor Mhmm. Which we did by Ludiculous plan.

Yeah. To show out the cold blood thing between everyone.

Who can kill 3 people? Who can kill 2? Yeah. Okay. Anyway, yeah the point was, because I wasn't writing it, I was doing the wordsmithing to somebody else who was writing it for me, he made me make a performing role to see how well I Yeah.

And Conor had to make his brickladding role to

To write it down nicely.

Write it down later.

Yeah. But that's because Tony's a cunt. I'm a GM, and I'm not. Well, we'll see.

Let's see how it goes.

Can we?

Is there actually because I was thinking another, is there actually kind of I don't get a a gun shop in this town?

I suspect there probably is. Yes. It's not marked on there, but I yep. There is. It's not gonna be open now.

I know it's not gonna be open now.

It'll be open in the morning.

Well, in the morning. Okay.

Yeah. I'm yeah. I'm sure there's a gun

shop here. Yeah.

Okay. The gunsmiths.

Gunsmiths. I know it's a general store, but I may one gatling gun, please.

We might not have one of those for sale.

No. You have to order them in.

It takes

takes 2 weeks.

Does it? Alright.

2 week. Amazon Prime, you get it next week.

Who is Alejandro Abalos?

Make a book learning roll, see if you know who he is.

Oh, nice.

Can I help?

I

bet I should have book learning.

An extra dice?

Oh, do I

have an extra dice? Yeah. Oh, you can run one extra dice. Oh, do I have

an extra dice? Yeah.

Oh, you can roll one extra dice. Oh. Is that a success?

I do know.

I cannot roll all of them again.

Let's try it.

That was very sneaky. Oh, well You're you're cheating by rolling a dice twice when you shouldn't. He's got, like, hooky dice.

I didn't cheat. I

was like No.

You were going with that.

By a sleight of hand, maybe I was getting injured.

Wasn't very sleighty. Anyways, yeah. So you know that, Alejandra Abalos is the Alcalde of Las Cruces. Alcalde Alcalde is the Mexican version of a mayor.

Right. So probably

So he's the man who's in charge of the town really. Mhmm.

So we might go and I think because we're we're not going to the general store to buy supplies for a whole town.

Yeah. You wouldn't you wouldn't you wouldn't have enough. Ask. Yeah.

Yeah. So let's go to, in the morning to

yeah. Alright then.

So you do you're gonna try and find him in the morning, or are you gonna try and find him now? It's probably, like, 8 o'clock now.

Oh, yeah. Okay. Let's see. I think it may be may be willing. Come on, Sheriff.

Come on.

Yeah.

You have to be our mouthpiece. Again?

Yeah. God.

Alright. Actually, I've got 2 letters to write, though.

You have got 2. Actually, that is a thing.

What's your performing skill? I have 5 in performing.

Right. Okay. I can give you a point. That's almost 6.

So are you going to

Thank you to success. Let's go to our To

the man's house? Yeah. Mhmm. Okay. You're informed by the man who opens the door, who answers the door that, yeah, Alcalde Abalos is, he's, having having taking his dinner at the Central Hotel.

Central Hotel. Well, we could have a nice meal with friends. What do you think?

Haven't you done that already? You had breakfast with friends on your face.

Right. Yeah. Should we go to the hotel then? Yeah. Let's I'm not gonna face point for having an ask me old friends. Well, we'll see whether we make friends, first of all.

Yeah. We get a pretty good snap on me off of $500, couldn't we?

Let's not do that.

Well, I fucking were thinking, yeah. That's How much for

a good hard shack?

A £1,000.

Sounds good. We've got 6¢.

Where we actually gonna be staying? Are we actually staying at Central Hotel?

Well, I

thought we'd stay at this cheaper hotel that far.

What's fair the cheap hotel?

Yeah. The Amador.

The Amador is a very, very nicely appointed hotel.

Alright.

Which hotel is the The

central hotel is not cheaper.

Cheap dive. The central hotel is very nicely appointed as well.

Commercial.

About the, one of the saloons, they have rooms, cheap rooms.

Yeah. The Saddle and Cinch, will be the cheapest.

Yeah. Let's go

there. Okay. Well, I must be on the bottom penning the letters.

Okay. We'll make we'll come back. Let's let's see how well we do with the mayor.

Okay. So you're going to the central hotel.

Yeah. I don't wanna I I wanna case the joint first. Yeah. You know, if the mayor's having I don't wanna, you know, if he's sitting there at the table on his own, eating a meal, fine. If he's doing business of any sort, maybe I'd be asking the barman who he is with and all that sort of stuff first. So Yeah. Can I spot him? I guess Or can my friend spot him with his better hawk overall?

So I'm not I'm not sure you know what he looks like.

No. We don't.

No. But But

he's a, you know, bloke wearing like mare's chains and

It's not quite like that. So this town is very Mexican. Right. It's very the population is largely Mexican. Or Mexicana, formerly Mexican as it were. Yeah. It's it's quite busy, actually, the central hotel. It's, it's got a dining room off to one side. There's a couple of people in there who look pretty well-to-do. They've all got a few people dining with them, mostly other men.

Well, obviously, I'll ask the barman. Those people over there. Is one of those sorry, what's the term from there?

Alcalde. He's one

of those yeah. Okay. Alcalde.

He goes, oh, yes. Senos and Senor Abalos. He, sitting at the table in the corner. And you can see there's a a well dressed Mexicana man, kinda holding court. There's 3 or 4 of them in 4 men dining with him, and they're obviously all focusing their attention on him.

Right. I think, wasn't it? I think

the message They've probably finished dining. I think they're now drinking.

Okay. I I think missus Paquito probably, if she'd had a chance to talk to us, would have would have probably asked us to, send our kind regards to the mayor, don't you? So we might go there and pass them on, take this opportunity since by pure coincidence, we happen to be drinking in the same establishment. Yeah. Do you want to do that? Given you've got the charm skill of or not a charm, the performing skill of 5.

Are you are you are you back at the saddle and synthesizing the letters, are you? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What's your book learning?

1.

And your Dusty?

Dusty is, 4. 4. The,

leave it, Dick. Leave it.

Yes, sir. Dear mister yellow barrel Yankee.

I knew we should've supervised him, but he goes, This grant is a cunt of luck. Anyway,

Yeah. So you 2, are you are you approaching the table? Yes.

We're approaching the table. Okay. Obviously, respectfully, I'm

Patch in hand again. Yep.

Yep. Okay. Make it just make it a performing roll for me, please.

Can I get a dice?

Yes. I think you can.

Yep. Given I've given you the script, Tony. Of course.

I'll work the shots. No. One sec.

Yeah. No. That's enough. He's he he isn't offended by, you know, you coming up to his his group of people. And he and he looks he looks up to you when he come over. And are you stood next to him, Matt?

Yep. No. I'm covering the whole group with my gums. Give us all your food.

Just a little bit. We've all been eaten. Is Good evening. Can I can I help you? I don't believe I don't believe we've been acquainted. No. It was really telling I don't believe I was thinking you're trying to tweet on some kind of Mexican accent and it's probably best.

Probably not a good idea.

No. You're not. No. That's not.

We're offended.

Every every

what's the term for American? Alcalde. Alcalde. Alcalde. Abelos, I presume. Indeed. Aladdin Shuso. I'm, Jimmy Hart. This is my colleague Marion Freeman. We're from here from United Springs.

Oh, yes.

I believe we, share in regards of missus Paquita. I believe you may be acquainted with her.

Oh, Augustine. Augustine. How how is she doing? How is she?

She's she's doing okay. Had some tough times, but, I believe she's well.

Exes? And

she sent us specifically to talk to you, actually.

Yeah. We, are here to, purchase some supplies for United Springs. And, supplies? Food, indeed. We were hoping that you might be able to, help facilitate, purchase of the supplies.

So how how is how is, how is this, widow, Paquito? Tell me tell me, tell me how she's doing these last few weeks.

Well, you've heard about the death of her son.

I we did hear the, the very sad news. Yes, absolutely. Have they found the culprit?

Not yet.

Not yet. Not yet. No.

Do they do they have any is the culprit about to be apprehended? Do we know who who was who who committed the murder?

Well, there is certainly a suspect. I think his whereabouts is not.

The challenge is there's more than 1, I think. There's a fellow called Cody Picker, but there's also the Kyler gang which have been, troubling in this region here.

Do you think the Kyler gang?

Well

And this this one

of the Kyler gang was caught recently and fingered Cody Picker, which means either she actually saw the murder or it means

She was involved in the murder.

She's trying to find somebody

else. Someone else.

And this this other fellow picker, why why is is is is he just the the word of this outlaw that he's, he's a suspect?

Well, at the moment Largely, yes.

Largely, yes. And his whereabouts is not new?

But, we, we're here with the sheriff and the sheriff, I'm sure, would be hunting down the Kyla gang and mister Picker so that we could find the truth behind Abela's, great loss, but we have another mission.

I'd say what would be most useful would be to hunt down these damned Apache and get the cavalry out of my town.

Well, we, we should see that.

Funny you

should mention that. The cavalry have asked for our help, and we can help them, and hopefully get them out of your town quite soon. In fact,

Yeah. I don't enjoy having a troop of smelly US army men

They're here for your protection.

Littering us.

Well, I'm mess of cameras.

I'm not sure. But I'm not sure I would agree

We will be doing everything we can.

We are going to get them to leave town first thing in the morning, but that does mean that our other trade here needs to be completed quickly and fairly and satisfactorily for both parties. Which is why we thought, even though it is the evening and you are entertaining friends Yeah.

I wish you

we we thought you might come to you with a proposal.

As You you wish to discuss business now?

Well, normally, I would come to you in the morning, but we want to try and get the army to move on, follow the trail while it's hot, and we can do that, but we need to complete our business here in town first.

Make a performing role, Matthew.

You bastard.

You can

have a dice of help from Tony, and you can have And

dice for my excellent argument?

You can have 2 dice for your excellent

argument. Excellent.

So I think there's 2 aspects to that,

which which are very

good. Which

have touched

his,

his motorbikes. Absolutely.

Yes. And look at that.

I've got

None dice at all. I will reroll that.

No no one's names. Okay.

Watch me get 7 1.

That would be funny.

One success and one one. Let's roll that one. Let's buy that one off.

Right. Okay. How much faith do you have back now?

I'm down to one point of faith now.

Right. Okay.

Except I'm gonna go into any fights or anything.

I am gonna be cleaning my no cap.

Dude, we've already done that.

You think of something else? Get get get to church.

Catholic or Presbyterian, which is the the option there.

Actually, a single prayer will do it and taking just a turn. So, I'll say that before I go to church.

Unlimited faith again, or will we decide?

10 is the maximum. 10 is

the maximum. Yeah.

Well, I don't think we should have a maximum because we never get anywhere. No. I know. I mean, you have got us you have got you know, we we have the intention of, making the the the spending at acquiring your faith quite a quick thing. And that does seem to be working,

isn't it? I think it it is. Yeah.

And Right. Well, I've got 6 faith, and I'm gonna slow forward on it.

But it it's good it's good to have a backup.

You do well?

That's it. I've done events with them.

So he seems reasonably Yeah. And you've you've succeeded. You've you've I think you can stop it now, please. Augustine is a is a personal friend of mine. We have had our differences and disagreements over the years, but she's she's a she's a good woman.

We're staying at the Sadlin Cinch Saloon.

He tries not to kind of gush for and act surprised.

Our expenses have to be minimized for the benefit of the town as a whole.

That that's fine. I'll, I'll have him send some anti lice powder as well. Oh, no.

Oh, you might need

that. Much obliged.

But I'll yes. I will, I will I will send him presently.

Thank you. Thank you.

And, enjoy your meal. And, the best of luck in your endeavors. Excellent.

Cool. But this will be back at the place where we've got our chief negotiator. I don't have to make bloody before me rolls.

Yeah, mister Wheeler. You won't talk to Michael.

That

method riding's going very well. Maybe we'll read those, that is, before Yeah.

We'll just check the moment for them before we send them. Yeah? Yeah. Just a quick final sense check.

Typos, that sort of thing.

Yeah. Can you 2

read? Well, I

don't have any book learning.

But I'm

reading the

book. Repetitive three means

You've spelt Rayburn c u m t. Digger

dogs. Okay. Yeah. So maybe an hour later, a man comes, arrives at your room, at your at the at the saddle and cinch. He says, so, it's, Senor, whatever his name is, Senor Abalos has, has has sent me to to to sort out your your urgent need for food.

Well, we, of course, have eaten, but the town

Right with.

Of Granada Spring needs, needs extra grain, maybe dried meats, maybe, this, Las Cruces is famed throughout New Mexico for its fruits.

And it's pecans.

And it's pecans. Like the So, so yes, we we have

We do have some some supplies we can sell you. Naturally with, you know, we have to look after our own interests and maintain sufficient supplies here. Just Of course.

Of course.

Against any any any eventual We're looking only for,

you know, taking surplus, not not eating into your own well managed stockyards.

But we can we can offer you grain. We can offer you flour, vegetables, pecans.

Okay. Sounds good.

How much how much did you need?

Are we gonna go for the whole full amount

or No. No. We're going for, as much as we can get for what we have pulled together, which is, $200.

Okay. Well, I guess $200 doesn't get you that much.

Let's let's make a performing role. Okay. Since you're in the site.

Yeah. Need some help.

So you're so basically you're you're sort of suggesting $200 for what half of the amount that you're needing to get?

Or you can get

a little bit.

Yeah. Let let's talk about let let's negotiate from that point. Yeah.

You got 2 dots to top the other one for for

me just Yep. So that's there. 7, 8 normally.

Use the best dodgy dice.

Mhmm. So that's 10 again. Right? You got 2 there.

Okay.

Yep. I'll just shoot him. Hold on.

Is it negotiating tactic? Oh, damn.

No, dear.

Oh, dear. You got those 6 faith points you've probably got.

Yeah. I know. Yeah.

I think you're spending one of those.

Which ones are your trouble dice?

Black's the trouble dice. Okay.

So that one's not on trouble trouble.

Right? Yeah.

You might wanna push that, then I reckon.

Yeah. So you can re roll it. You can re roll that. Because it's not trouble.

Oh, right. Okay.

And 1 of 1 on a non trouble dice is irrelevant.

Yeah. Yep.

1 on 3 points to reroll.

At least. Yeah. And if you're doing Depending how much trouble you get now. Yeah.

Okay. What's the the price that'll be in here?

Oh. Success? 2 successes?

2 successes. Yeah. And no trouble. No trouble.

Okay. He got 2 successes as well. He's like, I I think for for for what you're what you're asking, we would need $300.

Hold on, Matt.

Or 300? That that's too

if we're looking for what we're asking was about $250 worth, then I think $250 was on on that success. Yeah.

But, yeah, you didn't know where he was gonna start from, did you? So that's that's his his counter offer, $300.

300. Can we split the difference? 250?

Make another performing roll then. Okay.

No no no near and everything.

That's another that's another push and another reroll of all those dice.

So no trouble ones? No trouble.

No trouble ones.

But no no successes.

Let's check the last.

K. So another phase point.

That one success, and I got a trouble. Who should I buy off?

You can buy off

You can buy off the trouble, or you can take the risk with 1. I mean, 1 is not normally too bad. But

I'll buy it off. I don't really wanna start.

Yeah. Okay.

So It's another thing

point then. Okay. He, he got one success. He says 280. 280.

You would be forever in missus Paquito's debt if you were to give us a slightly better rate. She'd welcome you with open arms in this time.

Can you make it perform on your own with no help?

Yeah. You bastards.

Doesn't have to say 275, but at least it says that. It's the

but I'll give you a bonus one for invoking Alright. 2.

You say. Fine, guys.

All trouble, Ben. Come on. One success.

Okay. He got one success. 275, my final offer. Yeah. Sold to the sucker over there.

Give him

my ass. Boom.

Fuck. Okay. So you've got half of what you think

you want

to get, but you spent more than half than that. Yeah.

I just could hope we got a better deal in for the trade for the rest of it.

Well, how do we find the kinneys then?

Tales of the old west is brought to you by Effect. The music is old west game by Stu Venable, used with kind permission of the angry folk media empire.