Red Shirt slides gracefully from the saddle, unaffected by the day's journey. He unsaddles the kid and hands him over to Hyrum before beginning to dig a small fire pit.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 42):

Tracy had felt better in his life, but he and Lefty had made the most of the day after their rough start. Back on his feet again, Tracy retrieves an apple from Lefty’s saddlebags and feeds it to the gelding.

“Good boy, Lefty. It was good to see you again,” the investigator murmurs to the kind beast.

Windham finds himself a spot in camp and takes his notebook from his bag. As best as he could remember, he retraces their path in charcoal. Anyone watching him would spot a distant look in his eyes as he peered out at the horizon, periodically looking up from the journal.

OOC:

22:38, Today: Tracy Windham rolled 2,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3.  Vigor roll, day’s journey.

22:39, Today: Tracy Windham rolled 7,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,1.  Vigor roll, day’s journey (2).

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 42):

Rof slides gingerly off of Pepper, yet still winces slightly and lets out a light grunt as he lands on his feet and the ground sends a wave of ache into legs.

"Well mecs, we have had quite a day of it," Rof proclaims to the group as they begin setting up camp. He leads Pepper over to the young ranchers, "Garçons, fantastic job with the "keeds", as you all call them."

He immediately sits down with his bag, pulls out soap and his canteen, splashes a small amount of water on the soap and begins running it through his hair and mustache. He rinses off his face with a small amount of water, and then sets to combing his hair.


OOC:

22:49, Today: Rofgia Beaucheveux rolled 5,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3.  Vigor Check.

Before long, the group settles around the camp fire started by the Paiute. A few of the men clearly need rest, while others seem to have some energy remaining even after the arduous ride. The sun has now departed, the low flames of the fire providing some light for the campers, while the waning crescent moon provides little illumination. Indeed, the next few nights will be dark until the new moon makes itself known. And although Spring had come and the days are pleasant, it proves a mite chilly out here on the plateau once the sun has set.

Tommy Pearce had volunteered for the first watch. By now, the young ranchers have stretched out on their bedrolls, including Daniel Knight, and are either asleep or hoping to be soon.

--------------------

OOC: The PCs may converse, of course, around the fire as desired (feel free to post freely, as usual). Meanwhile, each should state his intentions for when and how to sleep and coordinate with the next person in line for the watch as to how and when the men would change shifts.

Tommy (and each successive watch man) should describe his approach to his shift. The Judge may interject with an encounter overnight -- as we have done before -- but it won't necessarily happen on this night or any night so the Judge doesn't want to drag this out. So each PC should go ahead and post a plan for his watch, no need to do it in order, no need to wait for the previous watch man to post. The Judge will sort things out and interject as needed.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 50):

Jake just piked at his food and had little to say, turning in early. Truth be told, the Texican was feeling really tired out by the day'd ride, and he welcomed the opportunity to settle down in his bedroll.

By the time that the Perfesser waked Jacob up for his turn at watch, the rifleman was feeling much rested -- apparently the sleep had done him a world of good. Jake still had his pocket watch that he had purchased at York & Meyers Outfitters back in The Flat, so he did not have to fret over trying to judge how quickly time passed during his watch, and when he should be waking up Mister Windham.

The fire had burned down low by the time that Jake stood his watch, but the Texan did not even look at the glowing coals, so as to preserve his night vision. He walked the perimeter of the campsite, but spent more time staring out towards the areas that he judged to be the most likely avenues of approach, if someone or something was of a mind to approach the camp unnoticed.

As he paced, he kept his Winchester snugged into the crook of his left arm . . .

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 50):

Tommy grabs his jacket, hat and a bit of hardtack to keep his energy up. He stows his gear by his bedroll and pulls out his shotgun.
He speaks briefly to the Professor

I’m assuming you’re going to get a bit of sleep . I’ll wake you when it’s time to switch.

Judging the situation: he knows only that the trail they came in on is a short distance back to the West. The view to the South is obscured so he walks that way first and looks around, slowly coming around to the East and continuing in a counter-clockwise manner.  He walks slowly around in a circle in this manner about 30-40 yards away from the group. He peers into a dark landscape lit only by stars.

————————————————————————————————————————-———————————-——————-
OOC: I would normally perform a Notice roll at some point while out on watch but it seems like that might not work with the judges desire to keep things moving here, so I haven’t made a roll and stuck to just a summarization. Let me know if that’s an incorrect assumption
This message was last edited by the player at 02:48, Fri 20 Mar 2020.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 50):

After finishing grooming himself, does not do much more than eat and lay down in an odd moment of lethargy for him. The day's exhaustion was creeping up on him as he leaned back. Seeing the charcoal on Tracy's fingers as he drew, Rof quipped, "See you soon Sale," before closing his eyes.

As he falls asleep, he thinks of what he'll do for his shift. ~ I'll probably just sit by the fire and twirl my knife around in my hand to pass the time, maybe look around occasionally if I hear something~

In reply to Thomas Pearce (msg # 52):

Earnest settles in with the others around the campfire and also has a bit to eat. When Tommy makes his inquiry he responds.

Oh I'll probably just doze a bit until you wake me; but first, I think I'll have a look around.

With that, he moves a little away from the campfire and surveys the landscape for signs of other camps. At some point he notices Tommy doing much the same.

---

OOC: A notice roll is cheap and you never know what you may get!

16:14, Today: Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg rolled 5,9 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+3)9.  Notice: Other camp signs.

In reply to Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg (msg # 54):

Tracy stirs as Jake wakes him; twisted visions of canyons and valleys from his dreams and drawings intertwine briefly and disperse. His sleep was deeper than normal during these camps. It must have been due to the more greatly taxing day of travel.

“Thanks,” he says to the Texan. “Get some rest if you can.”

Windham paced slowly at the edge of camp, his Spencer at the ready. He decided to peer into the distance, focusing on any significant details he could spot to keep his mind sharp as he waited to awaken his new friend Rof.

OOC:

21:46, Today: Tracy Windham rolled 3,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4.  Notice, at campsite.

The Irishman had walked the perimeter during the first watch. Meanwhile, the professor had also taken time to peer into the night. The vast landscape seemed like another country in the darkness. A man found it difficult to tell the difference between a rising sandstone formation rising up and a ravine or a canyon sloping downward. Tommy's watch concluded without incident, leaving the man a full night's rest once the professor had relieved him. During his turn, Earnest had believed he had spotted a plume of smoke to the northwest, but he could only guess at the distance and he didn't possess skills like those of the Paiute, leaving little hope of finding the location in the daylight.

By the time that Ringgenberg had wakened Richardsen, the rifleman had slept well enough to shake off the fatigue he had felt after the day's ride. Jake took his shift with a clear head staring into the darkness much as the two men before him. The Texican definitely heard more than he saw, listening to the sounds of nocturnal critters and remembering the incident with the mountain lions just several nights ago.

Tracy Windham passed the time on his watch much the same as his predecessors. Like the rifleman, the investigator listened to the noises in the night, hearing what sounded like some kind of night owl screeching nearby. Nothing he could place, nothing that seemed of consequence to the campers. He awoke the barber a couple of hours before dawn and drifted off again. Rof himself took a different approach to his shift, staying near the embers of the fire and stirring it back to life and using the time to practice with his knives until the sun's rays begin to push aside the starlight.

OOC: Another pause for PC conversation to beginning the second day. Three of the nine men will need to rotate a horse. First three to post a preference for a new mount will get a new mount from Ned, Gus or Gem.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:29, Sat 21 Mar 2020.

As he chews on a piece of jerky, Red Shirt tells the men that they should be able to reach the area of Echo Canyon, where they had camped before entering Echo Canyon. Indeed, it's clear that the Paiute refers to the spot where the men had encountered the mountain lions -- or was it the other way around?

"We should see Great White Throne this morning," he adds, gesturing to the northwest.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:27, Sat 21 Mar 2020.

In reply to Red Shirt (msg # 57):

Earnest replies to Red Shirt as he chews his own jerky.

I believe I saw smoke in that direction last night... we should be very alert as we travel today.

OOC: Earnest will stick with Sweet Pea for today.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 56):


Rof takes a bite out of his dried fruit. "Professeur, you think there might be someone out in Echo Canyon already? Did anyone else see anything?"

Rof walks over to Gem to ready the horse for the days travels. "Comment allez-vous?"

In reply to Rofgia Beaucheveux (msg # 59):

“I didn’t see any smoke, but my watch was several hours later than the Professor’s,” Tracy responds to the barber.

“Good spot, Professor,” the investigator adds, turning to Earnest. “Good to know that we should be even more careful today.”

~A lot of us seemed pretty tired after yesterday’s journey; hopefully we’re a little more prepared for today’s travel,~ Windham thinks to himself.

In reply to Tracy Windham (msg # 60):

Tommy is quite well rested having slept soundly after his watch. He decides to let Jack have a break and waves to Hyrum who is attending another horse as he unties Gus's reins and works to load up the new mount with his gear

After hearing the comments of the others he understands they will be getting closer to potential encounters with the bandits or maybe even mountain lions, a possibility which Tommy had not thought about before. The cat had a special place in Tommy's imagination having heard so many stories about this animal since arriving in the West. Having never seen one in person, only drawings in various newspaper articles, he was both excited and a touch fearful at the idea of coming face-to-face with one in the wild.

Addressing the group Tommy voices a concern

"I admit I don't know much about this kind of cross-country traveling but should we be spreading out a bit more today. Maybe a couple of us should ride behind the remuda to make sure we have our backs covered.

This message was last edited by the player at 14:40, Sun 22 Mar 2020.

In reply to Thomas Pearce (msg # 61):

The Paiute listens to the Irishman as he readies Poogoo, shrugging at the first part, nodding at the second.

In reply to Thomas Pearce (msg # 61):

The young Knight was near Pearce when the Irishman asked his question.

"Mayhap you and I could take up the rear, Mr. Pearce. That sounds like a fine idea. As for spreading out," he adds, "I reckon that will not be possible in some places, if Red Shirt plans to take us along more narrow trails like the ones we followed yesterday."

In reply to Daniel Knight (msg # 63):

The Paiute shrugs again.

OOC: Feel free to continue conversation. Meanwhile, all PCs should go ahead and make Riding rolls for the day.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 65):


Rof boosts himself onto Gem, paying no mind to the worries of the others, he takes in a deep breath and boisterously proclaims, "Une belle journée, I am feeling eager to continue today, I think I would like to join at the front of the line today."

~Mountain lions and bandits, oh mon!~ He thought jokingly to himself. ~This group of aventuriers can handle such trivial threats.~


-----------------------
12:41, Today: Rofgia Beaucheveux rolled 1,4 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4.  Day 2 - Riding Check.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 56):

Jake nodded his approval to the Perfesser as Earnest spoke of spotting some smoke last evening when he was on watch.

The Texican awakened feeling much better than he had when he lay down to rest last night. When he noted that Mister Pearce was switching mounts today, he walked over to where Jack stood and began to saddle the kid. Stroking the horse's neck, he muttered "Tough luck for you, Jack. You'll be totin' me todaey."

Jake welcomed the opportunity to change horses, since the previous day's ride on Sam had tired him out considerably -- for some reason the kid had seemed skittish and difficult to control. He had ridden Jack when the party had gone out to search for Elizabeth Knight, and felt like he knew the horse's ways somewhat better than he did Sam.

---

OOC: 13:16, Today: Jacob Richardsen rolled 1,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4.  Riding Check: Day Two.

Notes: Huzzah! Finally broke my string of bad rolls.

In reply to Rofgia Beaucheveux (msg # 59):

Earnest shrugs at Rof.

I could not tell exactly where it was Monsieur Beaucheveux, just that it was in the general direction that we're heading... The bandit's canyon was an offshoot of Echo Canyon; their leader, El Presidente, indicated that they'd be leaving there, but perhaps he was overruled or maybe they left a rear guard... regardless, we should be on our toes as we get closer today.

Earnest moves to prepare Sweet Pea for the day's ride, mounting up with the others once ready.

---

14:44, Today: Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg rolled 2,2 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2.  Ride Check.
14:45, Today: Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg rolled 3,9 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+3)9.  Ride Check - Benny reroll.

In reply to Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg (msg # 68):

Tracy readies Lefty for the journey, leaving another man to take Ned for the day. After Lefty was prepared for the day’s travel, he fed the gelding an apple. “You ready, boy? We might be in for another tough day.”

Now mounted up, he and Lefty joined the group.

OOC:

12:33, Today: Tracy Windham rolled 5,5 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (4+1)5,5.  Riding, day 2.

In reply to Tracy Windham (msg # 69):

Daniel saddles Ned, leaving Lucy to get a day's ride without tack or rider while under the care of the other rancher's sons. The young Knight tips his hat to Rof and Tommy.

OOC: Judge understands the new riding order, based on PC comments (or lack thereof) as:

Red Shirt (Poogoo)
Earnest (Sweet Pea)
Jake (Jack)
Rof (Gem)
Tracy (Lefty)
Hyrum (Rex)
Ammon (Max)
Remuda (Lucy, Pepper, Sam)
Daniel (Ned)
Tommy (Gus)

Rof had indicated the desire to move up, which happens naturally as Tommy takes up the rear. If Rof wishes to push up further, when space permits, that is fine; however if and when the group must go single file, the Judge will use this order.

The Judge still needs Tommy's Day 2 Riding roll.

Stand by for a narrative post later this evening.