The Old Ranger

Other Characters by this Player

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1. 

   Riding The Country

   Yesterday at 01:21 PM

   Both men had agreed, it had been a hell of a day. That Bannister came to them had been unexpected, but welcomed.  As they walked to the hotel after stabling their mounts they paused on the porch, taking up seats on the porch. Both men silent as they turned over the events of the day. Neither weary as they should be after a long hard ride back to Kalispell.
    
   "This shapes up different than I was thinking it would. I mean hell, this is father against daughter." Cook said, "Seen a few that was father-son, never father-daughter."
    
   "Odd one, that's fer shore. Now This Elias Steelgrave, you know much about him?" McNue asked, wonder what type of man is a threat to his own flesh and blood.
    
   "Some, none of it good, and none of it arrestable, if that's even a word. The man skirts the law in a way he gets what he's after without consequence. Though I've heard there's a dark past with some bodies, but again, no real proof. Well, we'll check in with Guyer in the morning, see what we can do."
    
   "Sounds to be a good idea, as dos gettin' our fair share 'o shuteye." McNue agreed. Both men got to their feet and entered the hotel. On this night their prospective of what was happening had changed.
   
   
2. 

   News And A Scouting Mission

   Friday at 11:26 AM

   Gilcrest felt pretty good as he trolled the boardwalk, asking after Brendan Connolly. Finally a man said he was at the old funeral parlor where there had been some sort of shooting and proceeded to tell the wrangler of the people that had been going in and out of the place, from the Marshal and the Doc, to the saloon singer, Happy with the news, Gilcrest followed the given directions to the building in question.
    
   Before he reached the door he ran into a young fellow wearing a badge so he stopped him, figure he would know about Connolly. "'scuse me Deppity, I'm huntin' Brendan Connolly, I was told he might be here?"
   @JulieS
   
3. 

   Captives

   Tuesday at 05:07 PM

   Addy might have thought she had help directly behind her but Caroline was only there in spirit, in actuality she was still on her knees desperately feeling about on the ground for a decent sized rock to use as a weapon, however pathetic.
    
   Addy had some luck her attack but paid the price for it when the big Arapaho warrior retaliated with a stock butt to the woman's face. Down she went. But her brave effort had helped for it took up precious time that did not then allow for the Indian to reload.
    
   The cavalry horse reared, Bodawei sidestepped to try and use his carbine as a club on the rider. If he could knock the waischu off the horse he could draw his hunting knife and gut the man then turn on the women to finish them.
    
   But that's when his luck ran out, he stared up at a revolver pointed down at him. There was a loud shot, the bullet struck him full in the face and he toppled backward, carbine falling from his dying hands. He was dead in seconds, giving one last twitch then lying there sprawled on his back. He had gone down fighting like a true warrior. Sadly none of his people were there to witness it, there would be no recounting the tale of his glory among his village.
    
   Just as he breathed his last, Caroline rushed up, rock in one dirty hand, ready to fight. Only it wasn't necessary. Their enemy was down. Addy might be hurt but was at least alive and....
    
   "Joseph? What the hell you doin' here?" Caroline stared as she dropped the now useless rock.
   @Bongo  @Javia
   
4. 

   News And A Scouting Mission

   June 20

   "Danged if we weren't!" Gilcrest stated, "Made are share of mistakes, that's fer positive sure. Time though, some of us lern't better, and did what we could ta be better'n we was. The war done thet for most all of us." He picked up his second beer, and once again, in a pair of gulps, it too was gone. "Thank ya kindly Ralph, be seein' ya next I'm in town."
   @Wayfarer if you want.
   
5. 

   Captives

   June 19

   As oft happened in these sudden death events, things moved fast and furious. The cavalry horse ridden by an inexperienced rider had managed to get into thick underbrush terrain both Addy and Bodawei, more experienced riders, had decided  against taking their animals into. It was fortunate the animal did not trip or injure itself. Fortunaely it did not have to charge in very far.
    
   As the bluecoat soldier charged him,  Bodawei was trying to reload his single shot rifle and had not expected this threat being on him so fast. As the horse reared up, the warrior backed up but his troubles were coming at him from all sides now.
    
   ***
    
   Addy  hissed, "Stay here."  She gave Caroline a gentle push back down, then pulled out her small knife and and sprinted  back toward the very man trying to find and kill them.
    
   "What? Don't be a...." it was too late, Caroline couldn't stop her! Well, she wasn't about to stay put, if Addy got killed, then she had no chance out here anyhow. As she looked past the charging woman there was someone mounted by the Indian? Help or not, Caroline was determined to join Addy's fool attack. Still on her knees she felt around for a decent size rock to be a weapon...hell, that kind of thing worked for cavemen hadn't it? She was having no luck though.  Just figured!
    
   ***
   Bodawei half saw, half sensed the woman charging her and brought up his rifle just at the last second to try to block Addy's stab attempt. She managed to stick him in the bicep though, very painful at the least. He then used the butt of the carbine to knock her backwards.
    
   But he still didn't have the weapon loaded yet and had no choice now but to try and use it like a club against the waischu above him on the horse. Just maybe luck would be with him and the white man would freeze up or - as happened commonly enough - would forget he had to pull back the hammer of the Single Action revolver to fire the damn thing. It wasn't enough to just pull the trigger.
    
   
    
   @Bongo @Javia
   
6. 

   Riding The Country

   June 18

   After they drank their beer both men left the Stardust  and led their horses to to livery where they stripped off the saddles and tack, then proceeded to rub them down while the animals fed on oats and hay. They checked the horses hoofs, ensuring that the shoes were good. Proper care was vital for these men.
    
   "So what do make of the Doc over't Columbia Falls?" Cook asked.
    
   "Seemed like a good man, well intentioned sort." McNue answered as he brushed his horse. "I reckon these Steelgraves are all they're cracked up to be then."
    
   "Would appear that way wouldn't it. I just don't understand a father gettin' in the way of his daughter doin' somethin' like buildin' a hospital. Seems to me a man oughtta be proud of her."
    
   "You'd think, wouldn't ya?" Both men whirled around. "Easy there, name's Bannister, with them that's keepin' and eye on Miss Steelgrave. We've been meaning to palaver with you two for a spell now, just never got to it."
    
   "John Cook, he's Bill McNue. Just up Columbia Falls where we met with Doc Boone, he had high praise for you boys. Pleased to meet you."
    
   ""You know they'll be meeting in the morning about this hospital, and it seems Matt Wentworth will be ramroddin' the Town Council meetin', so sure as shootin', it'll get done for her, and then I'm thinkin' at some point, the trouble's gonna start. So we wanted you to know, we'll stand with you and Guyer when need be."
    
   "He short a deputy?" McNue asked. "That Pike fella?"
    
   "Yep, an I wished he was here, but then, you know, trouble might be a ways off yet, like till they start buildin' an' there's enough to burn down, that sort of thing." Banister added. "I know most of those men, an' we won't be takin' 'em lightly, neither should you."
    
   "Appreciate that." Cook said.
    
   "Didn't figure they'd be the type to take lightly." McNue added.
    
   "I gotta get back, she's eatin' with Wentworth, but you can count on us." Bannister assure them.
    
   "We will, thanks Bannister." McNue stated.
    
   "Give a holler when you need us, we'll be right there!' Cook promised.
    
   They watched as Bannister disappeared in the darkness. "Son of a bitch! This could be quite the show!" Cook considered.
    
   Damn sure will!" McNue agreed.
   
    
   
7. 

   News And A Scouting Mission

   June 18

   "Dang. They'd be callin' for him back to the Evergreen, an sent me to fetch him." Gilcrest said. Then, in two swallows, the beer was gone. "Have me one more afore I go huntin' him." He laid  a pair of nickles on the bar. "I thank ya, Ralph, knowin' it ain't none of your concern where that young fella is. He can shore get himself in a bind, though."
    
   The second beer he took his time with. Kalispell wasn't so big that he'd have trouble locating Connolly. Whether or not he wanted to return he could only guess. What he would do was deliver the message, what Connolly did with it was his business, and Gilcrest would either ride back with him, or not, as the case may be. At that he smiled and took another sip of the brew.
   
   @Wayfarer
   
8. 

   Captives

   June 16

   Just as they were slowing down and Addy looked back to see if she could spot the Indian who'd shot the horse, Caroline tripped over a rock inching out of the ground and toppled straight down onto the ground with a yip of pain.
    
   Bodawei, his hearing as sharp and focused as his eyesight zeroed in on the sound. The white women were ahead and to his flank. He readied his carbine and headed that direction. Until there were the sounds of horses behind him. He spun about and spotted one...no TWO blue coats. Raising up his rifle he aimed at one, neither seemed to be aware of him. Bodawei put the sights of the powerful weapon on the white's torso and fired.
    
   Trooper Johnson never saw the Indian, maybe heard the shot which struck him full in the chest but was unconscious by the time he toppled backwards out of his saddle to strike the ground hard. He would bleed out in just a couple minutes.
    
   
    
   @Bongo  @Javia
   
9. 

   Captives

   June 13

   Caroline just stood there for a moment in shock as the loud report of a rifle was immediately followed by their lone means of transportation, the poor Indian pony was struck and down it went with a mortal wound.  The Indians had found them again! Somehow...
    
   Addy reacted first, lunging for her hand then tugging her into a run and the two women scrambled into the deeper brush of the closest ravine. They were barefoot and it hurt but there was nothing they could do but ignore the discomfort.  Fear and adrenaline helped!
    
   Bodawei had not tried to hit either of the white women, his shot hit exactly what he had aimed at. Now they were on foot. He was not. However, as they hightailed it away, he now suddenly realized the ground they were on was going to make it very difficult for his own horse, however fleet of hoof and agile to manuver in such broken foliage. He rode up to the now dead pony, Houusoo's pony, then dismounted. Pausing to open the breechloader, he ejected the spent round and chambered another fresh one into it. His next shot he meant to kill or cripple one of the women. If he had his way, neither of them would ever see their people again.
    
   He then plunged into the undergrowth.
    
   Even as he did so, thus far he was unaware that more waischu were closing in on him. The soldiers were spread out in a ragged line with plenty of spacing in order to try and spot the hostiles, for all they knew there might be a whole bunch of them.
    
   Call it fate or blind luck (sometimes two in the same) but it so happened Lt. Greene and one other trooper were on the path toward both the dead and the now riderless horse.  They couldn't see Bodawei yet but they were getting closer.
    
   @Bongo  @Javia
   
10. 

    The Ghastly Smile of the Dead

    June 13

    OOC:  This thread will now continue for Lt. Greene in Captives as he closes in on Addy and Caroline in their time of danger.