Boot Hill: Pima County

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Jesus rejoins whoever is outside the restaurant and says "So are we still going to question this Big Jim fellow? Seems like a good idea to me."
 
Mary turns to Corbin and the rest of the group to speak up.

"We should visit this Jim fellow, but we should also find a good safe spot in the countryside to make camp in case we need to leave town in a hurry. I'm not expecting anything bad to happen, but it's better to have a safe meeting point and not need it than to need one and not have it."
 
FeralToaster said:
ooc Bunch do you want to go to Big Jim's? I'm ready.
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ooc I had assumed that we are going to Big Jim's, with Mary as a distraction. Eugene also wants to be near Lars, because he is starting to wonder what he may have gotten his friend into.
 
Baeraad said:
Lars rides along. He wonders for the first time what he's supposed to do if his cunning infiltration plan fails to come up with any reason to think that the Big J lot are up to something devious. If there's nothing untoward going on, he can't very well quit a job they offered him in good faith, can he? He'd have to stay along as cook at least for a while, in that case.

Crap. What if he did cross an ocean to do woman's work?

On the other hand, he might well end up getting fired after the first time they try his cooking, so perhaps he should be worried about that instead...
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20190316_221850.jpg​
When you arrive at the Big J Ranch, a few miles northeast of town in the Santa Rita foothills, Slim simply says, "Gotta talk to Big Jim" and rides off for the ranchhouse. The other men dismount and Rucker is approached by a wide-eyed kid; the two of them lead your horses to a nearby stable for a rubdown and water. Dahlgren, Chávez, and McKay say they have work to attend and leave you with Redford.
295715__75453.1395835721.380.500.jpg
Redford​

"Let me show you around," Redford says. As you pass a corral full of neighing horses and approach the bunkhouse, you hear a few masculine singing voices carrying from the bunkhouse, accompanied by guitar and banjo:
"I gaze on the moon
As I tread the drear wild,
And feel that my mother
Now thinks of her child;
As she looks on that moon
From our own cottage door,
Thro' the woodbine whose fragrance
Shall cheer me no more..."​

When you step foot inside the bunkhouse, you discover it's little more than a dilapidated shack tightly packed with bunk beds with a small open central area occupied by a rickety table and a half-dozen wooden chairs. Two men sit at the table, staring intently at the cards fanned out in their hands, a small pile of money on the table between them. There's a second door opposite the one through which you entered, and on the far side of the bunkhouse, three men sit on lower bunks strumming, picking, and singing:
"An exile from home,
Splendor dazzles in vain,
Oh, give me my lowly
Thatched cottage again;
The birds singing gaily,
That came at my call:
Give me them and that
Peace of mind, dearer than all..."​

"Big Jim don't pay much mind to upkeep, but then again we don't spend much time in here anyhow," says Redford. "Some of us make our own entertainment, as you can see, but most of us like to head into Saguaro, or even Tucson, whenever we need to let off some steam."

He then leads you through the second door into a fairly large kitchen that abuts the bunkhouse. At the back end of the kitchen is a storage pantry, and through another door is the mess hall, which is merely a large tent sheltering about a half-dozen wooden tables with benches on either side and a dirt floor underneath.

"We got plenty o' beef, beans, biscuits, dried fruit, and coffee," Redford says. "Me, I like that food the Mexicans eat: frijoles, nopalitos, chiles rellenos, and such. What's your specialty?"
 
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AsenRG said:
"Senorita Betsy", Juan says, tipping his hat. "Su hermana is worried about your absence and thinks that your father would cut a switch if he notices your absence... also, I don't think it'd be the case, but do you happen to be here against your will? If so, you can safely leave."
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"Let 'em worry all they want, mister, but please let's get out of the street before they see me with you!" Betsy pleads.
Séadna said:
Corbin listens to the back and forth exchange between Betsy and Mary, glad tensions seem to be resolving themselves.

"Finding a camping spot seems like a useful way to spend some time, but one moment..."

Corbin heads and goes to Cisco.

"The ten cents I no doubt owe you my friend"
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"Corbin, we got to get out of the street before my Pa sees me!" Betsy implores you.
 
Dumarest said:
"Let 'em worry all they want, mister, but please let's get out of the street before they see me with you!" Betsy pleads.
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Cisco conceals his displeasure at the presence of the young saint in their midst, swings up into the saddle. 'Up that far street, behind the Yellow Rose,' he suggests, giving the red dun her nose.

Stopping roughly between the hardware store and the blacksmith, Cisco waits for the group to gather once more. 'Gentlemen,' he begins, 'and ladies, here's what I believe we know so far. First, Jackson, the reputed killer, is a known gunhand, and was likely employed in such capacity by Big Jim. Second, the deceased, Cookie McCall . . . er, McCabe, was perhaps involved in some manner of crooked business on behalf of Big Jim, whose own reputation is as dark as the rest, including seducing a señorita, earning the ire of her kin.'

'Third, Jackson rode east, toward the mountains yonder,' Cisco continues, 'of which we know little. It would be a trivial thing for man familiar with the terrain to mount an ambuscade which would put even a company with numbers such as ours at deadly disadvantage. I'm told Cougar Rydell, a prospector, is with whom we should confer for intelligence regarding Jackson's potential destination, and may no doubt know of sources of water which will be essential to our safe passage.

'Fourth and last, it would appear the Swede has taken the bull by the horns and joined Big Jim's outfit as Cookie McCabe's replacement?' Cisco tilts his head to one side, quizzically. 'Then I propose we indeed ride to the J-Bar and inquire for what account we can obtain from Big Jim about Jackson, in particular the nature of his dispute with McCall . . . McCabe.' He looks at Corbin and Betsy. 'It would appear that some haste is in order, so I suggest all but two or three depart immediately, with those who remain following in short order after learning what they can of Courgar Rydell's whereabouts here in town.' The attorney looks around, gauging the reaction.
 
Dumarest said:
When you arrive at the Big J Ranch, a few miles northeast of town in the Santa Rita foothills, Slim simply says, "Gotta talk to Big Jim" and rides off for the ranchhouse. The other men dismount and Rucker is approached by a wide-eyed kid; the two of them lead your horses to a nearby stable for a rubdown and water. Dahlgren, Chávez, and McKay say they have work to attend and leave you with Redford.

"Let me show you around," Redford says. As you pass a corral full of neighing horses and approach the bunkhouse, you hear a few masculine singing voices carrying from the bunkhouse, accompanied by guitar and banjo:
"I gaze on the moon
As I tread the drear wild,
And feel that my mother
Now thinks of her child;
As she looks on that moon
From our own cottage door,
Thro' the woodbine whose fragrance
Shall cheer me no more..."​

When you step foot inside the bunkhouse, you discover it's little more than a dilapidated shack tightly packed with bunk beds with a small open central area occupied by a rickety table and a half-dozen wooden chairs. Two men sit at the table, staring intently at the cards fanned out in their hands, a small pile of money on the table between them. There's a second door opposite the one through which you entered, and on the far side of the bunkhouse, three men sit on lower bunks strumming, picking, and singing:
"An exile from home,
Splendor dazzles in vain,
Oh, give me my lowly
Thatched cottage again;
The birds singing gaily,
That came at my call:
Give me them and that
Peace of mind, dearer than all..."​

"Big Jim don't pay much mind to upkeep, but then again we don't spend much time in here anyhow," says Redford. "Some of us make our own entertainment, as you can see, but most of us like to head into Saguaro, or even Tucson, whenever we need to let off some steam."

He then leads you through the second door into a fairly large kitchen that abuts the bunkhouse. At the back end of the kitchen is a storage pantry, and through another door is the mess hall, which is merely a large tent sheltering about a half-dozen wooden tables with benches on either side and a dirt floor underneath.

"We got plenty o' beef, beans, biscuits, dried fruit, and coffee," Redford says. "Me, I like that food the Mexicans eat: frijoles, nopalitos, chiles rellenos, and such. What's your specialty?"
Click to expand...

The what now? Lars has trouble enough with English without adding another language to the mix. He tries to look like he knows what he's doing.

"Eh, I'm afraid I haven't spent enough time down here in the south to pick up on those," he says. "Where I'm from, it's more about potatoes... But I'll see what I can rustle up, right?"

He surveys the cooking utensils. All right, he's pretty sure he remembers his mama using some of these while he was pestering her for when dinner would be ready...

"Say, there aren't any womenfolk around the ranch, right? Like, Big Jim don't have any family or such around? Working with sharp knives and hot stoves, well, sometimes there's cause to holler, if you see what I mean - I just need to know if I had better watch my language when hollering..."
 
Quinn mounts his horse. "I've had enough of this town. I'm with whoever wants to head on out to the J-Bar or where ever else."
 
Eugene saddles up as well. "Me. Crenshaw, shall we go now?"
 
"I agree, let's get out of this place and take care of business!" exclaims Mary in agreement
 
Baeraad said:
"Say, there aren't any womenfolk around the ranch, right? Like, Big Jim don't have any family or such around? Working with sharp knives and hot stoves, well, sometimes there's cause to holler, if you see what I mean - I just need to know if I had better watch my language when hollering..."
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"Nah, there ain't no womenfolk around," sighs Redford. "If you're lookin' for horizontal refreshment, your best bet would be Tucson or south of the border."
 
Let me know who's riding to the Big J Ranch and who's seeking out Cougar Rydell and I'll update accordingly. Rydell was last seen at the assayer's office back in post #1.
 
Dumarest said:
Let me know who's riding to the Big J Ranch and who's seeking out Cougar Rydell and I'll update accordingly. Rydell was last seen at the assayer's office back in post #1.
Click to expand...
Cisco listens as the hands announce their intention to ride to the ranch. 'I'll remain behind, catch up to y'all at Big Jim's place,' the attorney announces, 'and ascertain what I can from the prospector of the Santa Ritas. I believe I saw his rig at the Assay Office. Anyone else?' With a nod, he turns Mariposa's nose toward the Wells Fargo corral, and circles around toward the assayers.
 
Corbin turns to Betsy.

"Alright you want out of sight? Let's head to the Ranch mon cher"

Corbin heads to get his horse.
 
"Oh, yes let's be off" Crenshaw exclaims. Leaps on his horse and starts trotting to J Bar ranch.
 
"I'm gonna follow Corbin and head on out of here!"
 
I have Cisco going to the town assayer's office in search of Cougar Rydell and Mary*, Quinn, Corbin, Tybalt, and Eugene heading out to the Big J Ranch (where Lars already is).

Once I know what Juan and Jesús are doing, I'll update for all parties.

* I don't see that Mary has a horse...is she planning to walk?
 
OOC: I knew I was forgetting something. I suppose she'll have to walk unless they can rent a wagon.
 
Eugene, seeing Mary's plight, offers to let her ride with him...
 
I'll update this thread after I get home from work.* If we haven't heard from AsenRG AsenRG and Bunch Bunch re: what Juan and Jesús are doing, I'll assume they're visiting the assayer with Cisco.

* i.e., about four hours from now.
 
I'm assuming you got directions to the Big J Ranch from someone in town.

The sun is high in the sky and the hour is well past noon as Tybalt, Quinn, Corbin, Betsy, Eugene, and Mary saddle up, the last four sharing two unfortunate horses, and ride north out of Saguaro, passing en route Marshal Clary, who seems to be ripping down all the wanted posters the men from the Big J Ranch had tacked up not two hours earlier.

It's forty feet wide and well-trod and folks call it a road, but really it's just a rutted, dusty trail that leads all the way to Tucson, with a fork to the gate of the Big J Ranch a few miles outside Saguaro. Riding slow to save your horses and due to Eugene and Corbin's overburdened nags, it's easily half an hour's ride before the town is out of sight behind you and the broad trail narrows to perhaps twenty feet across at its widest point. On either side of the dirt road, the land is a rolling plain covered in loose rocks and sparse greenery aside, the sun having baked most plants to a brown or yellow hue. Here and there you spot a soaptree yucca, a four-wing saltbush, some ragged nettlespurge, a cane cholla, tall crested saguaros, and plenty of Santa Rita prickly pear cactus.

After another half-hour's ride you're drenched with sweat that drips from your brows and down your backs like water wrung from a wet rag. The blazing midafternoon Arizona sun seems to make the air shimmy as the light and heat conspire to play tricks on you. The trail forks at this point, the left path taking you further north to Tucson and the right path leading to the Big J Ranch, which can't be too far off now.

As you round a bend in the the road to the Big J Ranch, the trail detours due to some huge boulders long since rolled down the side of the Santa Rita Mountains, in whose foothills you now ride, you encounter five horses and three riders, if you can call them that, headed your way and kicking up gravel and trail dust.

As they get closer and the trail dust clears, Euegen and Corbin recognize Álvaro Álvarez de Chacón upright in his saddle, but badly beaten. Slumped in his own saddle is Álvaro's uncle, Lázaro Chacón de Muñoz; upon closer inspection you can see he's unconscious and lashed to the saddle with a cord to keep him from falling out. Finally, you see the lifeless body of their vaquero rifleman draped across his horse. Álvaro leads their two packhorses by lengths rope attached to their halters and knotted with halter hitches. The Arabian sabinos with unconscious or deceased men upon them seem well-trained and require no lead line, following Álvaro's horse of their own accord.
 
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The town assayer's office is a small wooden building abutting the Saguaro Bank to the north. A wooden shingle over the front door, shaped like stylized scales, reads ABE SCHEIN, ASSAYER. As you enter, rusty door hinges squeal, alerting the assayer who is seated behind a tall counter covered in scales, weights, measures, a touchstone, and other tools of his trade. He carefully folds the week-old copy of The Southern Arizonan that he was reading before you entered and remarks, "This farkakte Governor Safford. Tax this, tax that! Money for public schools, he says. How much of every dollar you think I believe will end up a school? Ha! A fool, he takes me for! Always the same, these politicians. Always the short man wants to be a big macher. For this I left Wien?" He wears a natty vest and bifocals and consults the time on a fancy pocketwatch on a gold chain. "So late already and only one customer. I should bother opening up for this? Well, I'm open and here you are. What can I do for you?"
 
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I had assumed that Mr. Crenshaw knew the way to the Big J ranch, if I erred, then yes, we asked someone in town...
 
Crenshaw approachs the group slowly, making it clear that he is not holding a weapon. Mustering all the spanish he knows Crenshaw asks a firm "Ola?". He after a short pause switchs back to english "do you need assistance? who did this to you" Crenshaw asks in a loud voice. " Is this J Bar Ranch?" Crenshaw asks the strangers. He turns back to his posse if they have any ideas.

Crenshaw is still on his horse and is trying to place himself between his group and the roughed up strangers. If this goes south Crenshaw will take the heat to give the others time to draw or run.

OOC If anyone in the group is a Face or a spanish speaker now is the time to make themselves known
 
"Monsieur Crenshaw, I met him prior to this at the restaurant..."

He gets off his horse calling to Álvaro.

"Sir if I can render any assistance"
 
"Ah, yes I see good thinking" Crenshaw compliments Corbin on his quick thinking.

ooc
(spoiler)
am I doing spoiler right?
 
Dumarest said:
The town assayer's office is a small wooden building abutting the Saguaro Bank to the north. A wooden shingle over the front door, shaped like stylized scales, reads ABE SCHEIN, ASSAYER. As you enter, rusty door hinges squeal, alerting the assayer who is seated behind a tall counter covered in scales, weights, measures, a touchstone, and other tools of his trade. He carefully folds the week-old copy of The Southern Arizonan that he was reading before you entered and remarks, "This farkakte Governor Safford. Tax this, tax that! Money for public schools, he says. How much of every dollar you think I believe will end up a school? Ha! A fool, he takes me for! Always the same, these politicians. Always the short man wants to be a big macher. For this I left Wien?" He wears a natty vest and bifocals and consults the time on a fancy pocketwatch on a gold chain. "So late already and only one customer. I should bother opening up for this? Well, I'm open and here you are. What can I do for you?"
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Cisco nods as the assayer speaks. 'As my father, the Judge, often told me, a politician is a man who likes spending other men's money,' offers the attorney, 'but a statesman is a man who spends it on what we want.' He smiles, then continues, 'We hoped to have business with a prospector name of Cougar Rydell. We saw a mule and a sledge that looked like they might belong to the man earlier, right here in front of your office. Could you tell us if Mr Rydell is still in town?'
 
FeralToaster said:
Crenshaw approachs the group slowly, making it clear that he is not holding a weapon. Mustering all the spanish he knows Crenshaw asks a firm "Ola?". He after a short pause switchs back to english "do you need assistance? who did this to you" Crenshaw asks in a loud voice. " Is this J Bar Ranch?" Crenshaw asks the strangers. He turns back to his posse if they have any ideas.
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Álvaro points behind him, down the trail, and responds, "The Big J is about a mile that way."
Séadna said:
He gets off his horse calling to Álvaro.

"Sir if I can render any assistance"
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"We were ambushed on the road...bandidos wearing red sashes and black sombreros. They stole our gold and killed Joaquín for no reason. I must get my uncle to Tucson to see a doctor. If you're going to the Big J, beware."

Unless someone stops him for additional questions, he will continue on the trail to Tucson.
 
Black Vulmea said:
Cisco nods as the assayer speaks. 'As my father, the Judge, often told me, a politician is a man who likes spending other men's money,' offers the attorney, 'but a statesman is a man who spends it on what we want.' He smiles, then continues, 'We hoped to have business with a prospector name of Cougar Rydell. We saw a mule and a sledge that looked like they might belong to the man earlier, right here in front of your office. Could you tell us if Mr Rydell is still in town?'
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The assayer nods and says, "I expect he's at one of the saloons or the cantina by now. Came in with what he claimed was a thousand dollars in silver. I had to tell him it was bupkes, not even twenty, but he shleps it all the way here from the mountains with only a mule and I feel bad for him and give him twenty for it. Ruin his kishka with drink, that one will."

The three of you also notice through the assayer's window that Marshal Clary is tearing down all the wanted posters the men from the Big J Ranch tacked up earlier.
 
Jesus ask "Excuse me madam but why do you take down the posters? I'm new here and not familiar with the local goings on"
 
Bunch said:
Jesus ask "Excuse me madam but why do you take down the posters? I'm new here and not familiar with the local goings on"
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I'm assuming this means Jesús went back outside.

Marshal Clary looks you up and down with a quizzical expression, looking as if he thinks you might be pranking him, and answers, "I'll have no truck with vigilantes and lynchings so long as I'm marshal in Saguaro. If somebody broke the law, we can issue a warrant and go about this the right way. Too many times someone is accused by a hothead and a crowd gets itself worked into a lather and next thing you know we got a dead man swinging from a branch and it turns out he didn't do a damned thing. You know anything about this alleged killing?"
 
Jesus apologizes "I have no wish to be on the wrong side of the law Marshal. I just arrived in town and heard the men from the ranch talking. I had assumed they'd already talked to you."
 
Bunch said:
Jesus apologizes "I have no wish to be on the wrong side of the law Marshal. I just arrived in town and heard the men from the ranch talking. I had assumed they'd already talked to you."
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"Some fiddleheaded yahoos say Cookie McCabe got shot, but I seen no dead body yet. Till then, I got no more interest in this Jethro Beauregard Jackson fella than I got in the Southern Pacific Railroad."
 
Dumarest said:
Álvaro points behind him, down the trail, and responds, "The Big J is about a mile that way."

"We were ambushed on the road...bandidos wearing red sashes and black sombreros. They stole our gold and killed Joaquín for no reason. I must get my uncle to Tucson to see a doctor. If you're going to the Big J, beware."

Unless someone stops him for additional questions, he will continue on the trail to Tucson.
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Eugene dismounts, takes a canteen from his saddlebag, and offers it to the stricken men.

"Toma esto. ¿Necesita una escolta a Tucson?"

ooc: going to see Triple Threat this evening, won't be home until late. Also been running errands today, so I didn't get to respond as often as I'd like. If it comes up, expect Eugene to behave politely and honorably, but also to fiercely defend his friends and allies, especially Lars and Crenshaw.
 
Gringnr said:
Eugene dismounts, takes a canteen from his saddlebag, and offers it to the stricken men.

"Toma esto. ¿Necesita una escolta a Tucson?"
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"Gracias, señor," he replies after taking a long swig. "The thieves have taken what they wanted from us so we should be able to proceed unaccosted. You, however, may not be so lucky. Mantén tus ojos abiertos. ¡Adiós!"
 
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