The Marshal nearly choked on his drink at Sitting Duck's phonetic attempts at profanity. He came down the stairs and finished off the hooch as he crossed the room. Normally, Matt wouldn't involve himself too heavily in a deal between the nations and the chinese, as long as nothing too untoward was happening, but this seemed like something he might need to keep abreast of.

Matt slouched up to the bar and kept listening.

In reply to Wild Bill Hickok (msg # 12):

Zek looked greatful, and then glared over at Logan when it was pointed out what he was doing. "Here, Lawman. Make yer self useful for a change." He pushed Bill's pistol,  and his own pistol and rifle into Logan's hands.

"Let's saddle up and get this done." He got started into the wilderness, getting on his horse and heading for the Coot himself.

Logan seemed surprise to suddenly find himself bristling with the firearms of Wild Bill and the vigilante, but he took them willingly and without complaint. As Wild Bill upbraided him for eavesdropping, he shrugged. 

"Mr. Starkweather over there was trying to talk up folks against law men back there after the saloon was on fire, as if there weren't a handful of us doin' our best to help folks," he said, turning to Zek.

"No offense meant, Mr. Starkweather but if you're talkin' down law dogs in a town filled to the brim with murder and chaos, I'm gonna be skeptical of your intentions as you are of mine. Now, on account of that we're here lookin' to see who we're gonna see…I can't be too sure about who's runnin' the show on your end. If your passenger starts drivin' at any moment, he would do well to set people against the law like you were doin' back there. Turn folks against those that are tryin' to maintain order amidst chaos. And then we agree to come over here together...and you start whisperin'…" he said.

"Bill, I thought you of all men would understand that sometimes a fella can't be too careful. Mr. Starkweather, you've put out some signs that you mean well back in the Bella Union and here just now," he hefted the guns. 

"But you've also openly declared your hostility to the law, and your willingness to commit...how do they say...extrajudicial violence against whoever you think is bad. So when you start hidin' your actions...I gotta take heed."

In reply to Logan West (msg # 18):

Zek spit off to the left, and narrowed his eyes at Logan once more as he turned his horse about to look at the man.

"And as you have decided a Whateley deserves more help than their victims or the people they try to kill right in front of yer face, so much so that you point guns at em-I will take that as clear evidence as to what sorta 'lawman' you are."

He growls a bit. "And I will keep talking about the many, many failures of the so called 'law'. Right to yer face. And there ain't nothing you can do about it. Ever." He glares at Logan.

"Plus...I don't recall inviting you on this little outing. Jackie's got a reason to be here, as does Bill and I. If your tender feeling are too sensitive for this trip-you can go any time you like."

He turns the horse and keeps it on the path.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:46, Fri 03 Feb 2017.

In reply to Moses (msg # 8):

[Language unknown: "Enal aststasta itpong re man."] Little Crow growls. [Language unknown: "K me k oveureectica eau, etart iveurered ek ioniouast he onsai ilolwa wi motho ich pront anteauive com ateomeout."]

James nods and goes about seeing if he can find the horse he got brought in on or someone who might help him out.

OOC: didn't someone here have James's pistol? Or am I recalling things wrong?

In reply to James Wilder (msg # 21):

(OOC-Zek would have given you back Carter's pistol after the troop check point)

In reply to Ezekiel Starkweather (msg # 19):

"I don't need your invitation, vigilante, or your approval. I'm here on the request of Mr. Hickok," he said calmly. The other man might be slavering, growling, glaring, and spitting, but he saw no need to imitate the manner of a canine himself, composing himself instead with the dignity of his office. 

"You can run your mouth all you like," he said.  "I won't take no offense. Most criminals I've known like to run their mouths like you. I imagine I'll be tyin' off your noose sooner or later. Metaphorically speakin' of course. It'll likely have to be somethin' that takes," he said with a smile.

In reply to Freiherr von Steinhof (msg # 14):

Downstairs in the restaurant, there's a dumpy, brown-haired woman in men's clothes and a ratty bowler hat siting at a table. She's got a glazed look on her face, and she's got a small wooden box on her lap. She doesn't react until the soldier comes to shake her on the shoulder. "Ma'am?"

"I-I-I," She stammers, "H-have to g-g-give this to the German." She rustles the box a little. "I-I-I have t-to g-give this to the G-G-German."

The Pawnee shakes his head. "Sitting Duck does not have things. But Sitting Duck can take you there, track girl down." He grins. It is not a nice grin. "Yes. Sitting Duck will track girl down." He fingers the knife on his belt.

As it happens, Jimmy's there, packing up his horse. He looks at James. "Hey! You made it!" he grins. "What happened? I heard gunfire, and went to get help. Did you find Brett? Why's everyone saying Carter's in town?"

Maddox leans against the table and drums his fingers softly, frowning. "That's easier said than done - there's some kind of ceremony or meeting going on up there, see you, and I'm not going to be allowed to get close, white as I am."

"Also, she's wanted alive," he gives the knife a decidedly dubious look. "And you, I suspect, are wanted in the army, since it is that Custer's playing silly buggers and trying to take over the Nations. Let me think on it."

"Brett was in the saloon before things went crazy. As was Carter who challenged me to a duel tomorrow at noon. I have his gun, which seems to have some mojo on it, and it hurts anyone who isn't him who touches it."

Wild Bill shakes his head at Zeke. "Time and place, son. This is neither. I been down that vendetta trail you're ridin'. Went down it so far you had to fill me full o' goop just to drag me back. Don't go there yourself. Maybe if I'd come out and gotten help, talked to Bullock or Jackie before now, instead of livin' so far up my own ass, I'd have never gone rabid in the first place."

He follows alongside Zeke's nervous horse.

"You know," Broaddale interjected loudly, "No one asked me, but if someone were to ask me I'd have to saw this seems awfully like vigilantism. I don't claim to be any sort of enforcer of Sioux law, but has this Huang Li taken this up with Bullock? I can't see as hauling in illegal bounties with a wanted man will do anything for the stability of the region."

He turned to Sitting Duck and Maddox, and drew a bit closer, smiling like a jackass.

"He very likely would have done, if Bullock ever gave a damn about what the Chinese were doing," Maddox says wearily. "And neither you nor my dear cousin Nicodemus' warrant have any claim in the Nations, see you, nor is Deadwood officially United States territory. That would be why this town is full of outlaws and the occupation is bloody illegal an' all."

He turns his attention back to Sitting Duck. "-and you're sure she had the stolen things with her?"

In reply to Wild Bill Hickok (msg # 29):

Zek's expression softened a bit, but he is still frowning. "Bill, you know better than most what I am about to say. It ain't no accident nor fluke of nature you and I are the way we are. We where chosen because of what we can do-and what we were willing to do. That call was made by something else to craft a new weapon. None of us who follow the path we are on...we don't walk it for love, or mercy, or forgiveness."

He looks at the other man grimly, and then looks ahead. "Its because we lost those things-and its the only reason I am still here. Certainly not for the laws of rich men and the hired guns who they pin a badge on." He sighed, and tipped his hat to Jackie. "Even if that's not true for every badge wearer..."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:35, Fri 03 Feb 2017.

In reply to Ezekiel Starkweather (msg # 32):

"I ain't here to enforce rich men's laws." Jackie says. "I'm here to enforce the order needed to keep society from collapsin' and folk from eatin' each other, literally as well as metaphorically. I seen what happens when that ain't the case. That's why I'm always skeptical about folk claimin' they're followin' some 'greater good' when doin' evil shit. The ends don't justify the means -- the means are the very foundation of civilization. When that breaks down, ain't none of us more than two missed meals away from animals."

In reply to Jackie Wells (msg # 33):

"When the civilized world is built and made from the broken bodies those considered not worthy of joining the civilization in question, then the you gotta ask weather it was all worth it in the first place." Zek points out. "The old ways where here first-and they did not condone the crimes that the new ways used to make cities and towns and all the advances us whites enjoy."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:28, Fri 03 Feb 2017.

Broaddale's smile tightened very slightly for a second.

"Not exactly looking to get into a discussion on the legality of Custer's crusade. Suffice to say we are in agreement on that point." he said, gesturing to the barman for another drink, and laying down a bill, "Maddox, right? Maddox Whateley?"

He extended a hand in greeting to Sitting Duck.

"Names Broaddale. You are Sitting Duck?"

Sitting Duck shrugs. "Bag of talking leaves and money." He says in response to Maddox's question. He looks at Matt, snorts, and then hawks a spitball at the marshal's hand. "Sitting Duck talking. Broaddale cahk-suka can go to fuk-te-hel-off."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:49, Fri 03 Feb 2017.

"Well, I don't think Carter's gonna make it to noon." He looks over at the DMA. "Not if those folks have anything to say about it. Especially if you have his gun."

He pulls out a bundle. "Speaking which, Bryant gave this to me to had to you. Apparently he had it for safekeeping after he pulled us off those poles. Guess we don't have to trek back out into the Nations again looking for it."

Inside the bundle is a gunbelt...and the gun of James' father.

Matthew's smile tightened even more.

"Easy there, friend. No need for that.[Language unknown: Trtrad ssnoti, Essounvir ntiwildinate, acceosie alckha. Anyderwit il fodith ver elmi M.K. er ounad oer teth thrut herlarand fo ovewhiill Hoalsi Eetr."] he joked in Siouan. He wiped his spit-covered hand on his trousers took a sip of his drink.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:19, Fri 03 Feb 2017.

Leopold approaches her and offers his most reassuring smile, followed by a slight bow.
"My dear and good woman, I believe there is a small misunderstanding. I am not German, on the contrary - I am Austrian. However, I believe this package is for me, yes?"

Maddox gives Broaddale a look that says the unsought-for accusation of vigilantisim was  looking to get into something, but doesn't press the point. "Victor. Victor Maddox. They're distant cousins, see you, and we don't do that strange surnames-for-Christian names thing back in Wales."

He frowns at Sitting Duck's display, but merely tries to hold the man's attention. "Talking...leaves?"