Jeb nods.
"Alrighty. To Deadwood, then."
When the horses have been changed out, Jeb wastes no time hustling his charges back on to the stage. He gets the coach rolling again, and they travel on, left to dwell on their thoughts and feel the growing sense of dread that hangs in the air.
Several hours later, as the stagecoach rumbles over a rise, Jeb and Danny start shouting over the thundering of the coach's wheels.
"Would ya look at that?"
"Well I'll be a stuck-egg mule! Folks, looks like we got goin' just in time! Take a look!"
some mood music
Looking out the narrow slits that pass for windows on the armored coach, the passengers can see, off to the east, marching columns of thousands of troops. A sea of blue coats and glittering long knives are moving in to surround the town of Deadwood.
"We're gettin' there before they do!" Jeb says, and snaps the reigns. The horses whinny and the coach surges, jostling everyone inside.
By the roadside a band of soldiers try to wave down the coach. Most of them look tired and hungry, and a few look like they could use medical aid. Jeb ignores their pleas and the stagecoach pulls past them.
Minutes later, the coach is passing a sea of tents. Miners peer out at the approaching army, watching the columns break. They pay little attention to the stage. Soon, the coach reaches the heart of the city.
The stagecoach pulls up to the Iron Dragon rail station, and rolls to a stop.
"Here's we are! Welcome to Deadwood, Free City of the Sioux Nations!" Jeb says.
"Danny, go help the folks with their luggage. Thank you for traveling with the Deadwood-Bismark Express Company!"