Katy nodded at Belle's plan. "Sounds good ta me. We can all meet outside the DMA."

The ranger looked around briefly, then leaned in so only Belle, Zek, and Trace could hear. "The thing that Sam Bass wanted ta say ta me in private? He thinks there might be some folk inside the DMA responsible fer makin' the Sioux look bad. Like they wanna help war break out. Once we're on their payroll, I'ma try ta figger out who it might be. Seems they like bigots an folk that're intersted in stokin' hostilities. Sam Bass has an inklin' that someone on the inside killed those dozen miners a couple weeks back. I happen ta know that the timin' of Custer's march is a bit suspicious if 'twere in response ta the deaths of the miners. Like someone from Deadwood had ta bring him that news." She shrugged. "Though that could be a whole lotta folk, mebbe it's connected."

Hargrave nodded in response to Cox's question. "Of course, ma'am. I'll be glad to come along with you."

He listened closely to her explanation of her communications with Bass, the gravity of the situation coming into sharp focus. He'd seen firsthand in the Rail Wars how senselessly lives could be wasted, including those of his own family. He certainly didn't want to watch more blood being shed in another needless conflict. It may well have been false hope that brought him to Deadwood, but at the least, he could try to do a little good while he was here.

"As long as the Coot don't need me for the moment, I got nothing else going on." Zek replies.

((OOC: So the party is splitting for a bit? Belle headed to he doctor's office, the rest of you to the Office of Mining Affairs?))

OOC: Katy is still planning to visit Seth Bullock. She is hoping to catch up a bit with Trace while going there, and then she'll head to the OMA. She expects to see Belle at the OMA after they've both finished their errands.

Katy looked over at Zek. "Trace and I are off ta pay a quick visit ta Seth Bullock. Yer welcome ta come with us, go with Belle, or jus meet us all at the DMA."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:38, Tue 02 May 2017.

In reply to Catherine Hays Cox (msg # 86):

"Might as well go with you, as Belle as personal matters that need attending." Zek said, nodding. "As long as you are ok with it."

Katy smiled at Zek. "I am completely fine with that so long as ya don't mind some chatter 'mong old friends catchin' up. Course mebbe it'd be good fer ya ta share some 'bout yerself while we walk? Can't say I know so much 'bout ya."

In reply to Catherine Hays Cox (msg # 88):

"Not much to tell...sorta a sad story most people would rather forget. Especially me." He shrugged. "I am sure there is a much better story in how you ended up a ranger."

Hargrave remained quiet as he walked alongside Cox and Starkweather, listening to their conversation as his eyes took in the sights of Deadwood, still taken aback by some of the destruction that had been visited on the town.

Katy tipped her head a little to the side as they began to walk toward where she understood Seth Bullock lived. "Well, that may be a tale of some interest. But if I'm gonna share...all's fair ta hear yer story as well, right?" She looked over at Trace, and spoke softly to him. "And I wanna hear 'bout watcha been upta as well, Trace. It's been a while since yer last letter."

She didn't wait for agreement from either man, rather she expected her words to hold weight. "Well, becomin' a Ranger weren't 'zactly my plan all along. My folks had a small ranch near San Antonio, so I been ridin' and wranglin' cattle since I were knee-high. Actually grew up nearby Logan West - we've known each other quite some time now. Anyway, I spent a lotta time learnin' how ta ranch from my folks, but my uncle was a different influence on me. Ya mighta heard o' John Coffee Hays, though he went by Jack. Little more well known in the South than up this way, though. Anyway, he taught me a bit about shootin' and trackin' back when I was still growin'."

Katy nodded, seemingly to herself. "Not long after the war broke out, I got married ta a fella named Richard Cox. He was a nice fella, steady gentleman. Course like so many fellas 'round my age, he got conscripted in 1862. I never saw him 'gain. Not only him, but like I said, lotta fellas round my age and older never came back. Left a bit of an emptiness behind, such that a gal like me, well, I first got deputized in San Antonio. Then I became a Sheriff in Kerrville a little later. Meanwhile, Uncle Jack, well, he was a risin' star in the Rangers - and them's the Rangers as we know 'em today."

She shrugged. "Didn't take long fer me ta wanna join him in the ranks o' Rangers. Course there was just one prollem with that - my anatomy didn't match so well with the rest o' the Rangers. Uncle Jack also didn't zactly encourage me ta join, neither. Course both those things just made me wanna become parta the Rangers even more. But I hadta bide my time. There were plenty o' outlaws in Texas ta chase, and some over the border too. So I kept busy enough chasin' folk what needed chasin. But in '77, my dream finally came true. The Rangers lifted their ban on women as parta their ranks, so I joined right up over Jack's objections. And soon understood why he didn't want me ta pursue my dreams."

She bit her lower lip for a moment. "Ya see, that dream became a bit of a nightmare. I think ya both know summa the sortsa stuff I've seen over the last few years. 'Course as soon as I was in the club, Uncle Jack was forthcomin' with a lot. Sometimes it's nice ta have family high up. Course sometimes it ain't, as folks do expect a lot from me. So far I've delivered, though."

She looked at the two men with which she was walking. "So that's the story of how I became a Widow, then a Deputy, then a Sheriff, and then a Ranger, at least the short-ish version. Ain't averse ta answerin' questions if ya got 'em, but ya both owe me some stories of yer own."

"Yup-that sounds like the rangers. Would not know a good thing if it bit them in the hindquarters. Its good they lifted the ban finally." Zek said, shaking his head at some parts of her story and nodding at others. "I don't suppose you ran into the Whateley's before? I am always looking to expand my list of those bushwackers when I can."

Katy smiled at Zek's commentary about the Rangers. "Yeah, I don't approve of everthin' they do, and that particular point'll stick with me fer a long time. But most Rangers have their hearts in the right places, like my uncle. But not all, o'course."

Katy pursed her lips at the question about the Whateleys. "Sure I've run across 'em before. Also read reports about some of 'em. Course we haven't kept as close a watch on 'em as I'd like, as I was rather surprised ta see Nicodemus Whateley show up here. Weren't so surprised he's an ass. He supposedly was parta the group that caused some pretty big prollems in Gomorra. Course he disappeared for a bit after that, apparently travellin' east."

Her gaze drifted to Trace for a moment, then back to Zek. "Parta the reason I'm here is ta find an Elmira Whateley. She's a person of interest in a case I've been charged with investigatin'. Also had some run-ins with the New Orleans branch of the family. They're in cahoots with Bayou Vermillion. Trace and I ran inta some trouble that had their fingerprints all over it, bout three years ago now?"

She shrugged. "Anyway, Rangers generally have a policy of watchin' what they're up ta and bein' cautious round them. Course that didn't help so much when that Whooperwill decided ta shoot me in the back." The way Katy said that last phrase made it apparent she relished the chance to get back at the ghost.

Hargrave listened attentively as Cox shared her story. He'd heard some of it when he'd ridden with her into New Mexico three years prior, but not in such a clear, concise form. It gave him new respect for all that she'd faced and how she'd likely had to struggle for the respect of her peers in the Rangers, all the while facing horrors like the dead that had wandered Socorro.

Her mention of Bayou Vermillion brought his thoughts back to the last days he'd spent in that lawless Texas town and all that had befallen the Johnson family. The memory brought an unexpected surge of sadness, prompting him to glance at the scar on his forearm, the leaving of the wound he'd inflicted on himself in an effort to draw the dead to him. He wondered if he was capable of the same sort of selflessness now. The intervening years and his exposure to the iron grip that greed held on some people's souls had worked a deep cynicism in him, a mistrust in others that he hadn't had previously, even in the midst of the Rail Wars. Before, he had entertained the idea of settling on some land of his own, once he had some assurance that Sibley was safe. Now, he'd come to accept the fact that he would likely remain a drifter for the remainder of his days. A traveling gunman.

"I truly hope your Uncle Jack is proud of you, ma'am," he said, "He should be, with all that you've accomplished."

He shifted his attention to Starkweather. "If you wouldn't mind me asking, sir, what is behind your hunt for the Whateleys? Were they responsible for some harm to you or your family? I'll tell you honestly, it was the harm that befell my brother and his wife that led me join the Rail Wars when I was younger."

In reply to Trace Hargrave (msg # 94):

Zek nodded at Trace's question. "They are a bunch of cowards who hide in an invisible house and feed people to it. They tried that with me, and I have no doubt they tired it with others too. I managed to get out, but never found the house again to burn it to the ground. Now they send monsters to try and finish me off, but all they end up doing is killing a lot of innocent people with their efforts. They think their mojo gives them the right to do anything to anyone anytime they feel like."

Hargrave nodded as Starkweather gave his explanation. "When my siblings and I first came to America, I think we all believed the stories about the frontier. How the West was a place of endless opportunity. But...over the years, from what I've seen, it seems there's many people out here that are so hungry for what they want, they can justify anything they do in the course of that pursuit, including the destruction of innocent lives." A tinge of bitterness was evident in his tone. "I'm truly sorry for all you've been through."

He glanced over at Cox. "I know Logan West, ma'am. I had occasion to help him with some business he was attending to almost two years ago. He's a good man."

"Can you...tell us more about this Elmira Whateley? Is she...involved in the same sort of endeavor that we ran across in Socorro?"

Hargrave nodded as Starkweather gave his explanation. "When my siblings and I first came to America, I think we all believed the stories about the frontier. How the West was a place of endless opportunity. But...over the years, from what I've seen, it seems there's many people out here that are so hungry for what they want, they can justify anything they do in the course of that pursuit, including the destruction of innocent lives." A tinge of bitterness was evident in his tone. "I'm truly sorry for all you've been through."

He glanced over at Cox. "I know Logan West, ma'am. I had occasion to help him with some business he was attending to almost two years ago. He's a good man."

"Can you...tell us more about this Elmira Whateley? Is she...involved in the same sort of endeavor that we ran across in Socorro?"

Katy listened to what Zek and Trace had to say, nodding a few times as she listened to what they had to say. Her eyes narrowed a bit and her face took on a slightly hard edge when Trace addressed her again. "Trace, ya keep callin' me ma'am and we're gonna have words." Katy could be sharp-tongued when it was needed, though a cause rarely arose with her friends.

Her tone softened considerably. "That said, yes, I think my Uncle Jack is quite proud of what I've accomplished, and possibly a bit impressed that I'm still among the livin'. And bein' family, well, there're certain things he trusts me with over anyone else in the Rangers as he knows with certainty I'd never betray his trust." She saw Trace checking out the scar from his self-inflicted wound in Soccorro. Most of her scars from back then had scars on top of them. Enough that she'd lost track of which were which at this point. She did point to it. "That's still the most heroically selfless act I've ever seen."

Her attention went back to Zek and the question about the Whateleys. "An invisible house that eats people? Sounds like somethin' ta add ta the list. First priority, though, is joinin' the DMA so we can head out and find this Miss Sibley. Then we can deal with the Wild Bunch who seem ta be a pressin' prollem. And then, if ya don't mind some help with yer work Zek, we can take down that house. Mebbe I'll just find Elmira that way."

The Ranger looked over again at Trace and nodded at his comment about Logan. "He was a good lad, too. Got some catchin' up ta do with him, but it seems like he ain't gone bad or soft."

Katy pursed her lips. "As fer Elmira, no it ain't the same sort we ran across in Soccorro. It had more ta do with, er, wolves what did some strange things in her presence."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:37, Thu 04 May 2017.

In reply to Catherine Hays Cox (msg # 97):

"The Whateleys are no short term problem, that's for sure. I am gonna be sorting that mess out for years to come, assuming they don't get lucky first. " He shrugged. "I can lend a hand with the DMA...whatever that stands for."

Katy nodded at Zek's response, and she was starting to have similar emotions to his where Whateley's were concerned. She furrowed her brow briefly, but then quickly enough provided information on the DMA.

"Deadwood Miner's Alliance is what DMA stands fer. Parently run by a fella name of Frank Bryant, long with several of the original Deadwooders. The DMA is part miner's union, part militia - which is where we come in. Members pay dues ta the DMA and haveta serve least one day a month on patrol. In return they can count on the DMA's protection 'gainst the Sioux, and some loan and bankin' services ta help miners pay the Sioux's operatin' fees."

In reply to Catherine Hays Cox (msg # 99):

Zek frowned at that. "Well, that's a problem. I won't kill the Sioux, if that comes up. Hopefully it won't, but I am telling you now..." He said.

Katy shook her head. "Don't think members o' the DMA have much prollems with the Sioux, but I assure ya that talkin' would be my first inclination with em. Bein' parta the DMA gives us legal right ta be in the hills. I presume there's a way fer that ta be made known ta any patrol we run across."

In reply to Catherine Hays Cox (msg # 101):

"We will see. It's hard to trust these sorta things-given the history of such deals." He shrugged. "Still, as long as we are clear on the rules I follow, I am game."

Hargrave looked to the ground. "I'm sorry ma...Rang...Katy. It's a long ingrained habit."

"Wolves..." he repeated quietly when Cox spoke of Elmira Whateley. He hesitated to ask for further details, his imagination skittering over the innumerable horrors the woman could be involved in.

After Cox and Starkweather spoke further, he said, "I'm afraid I share Zek's concern. It may be in part due to my own experiences in my homeland, but I'm sympathetic to the Sioux and their concerns. I don't want to act against them. In fact, I need to return to the Mining Office before we depart. When I first reached Deadwood, I'd sought out a place to pitch a tent and bedroll. Mr. Bearclaw there had offered me a lot in exchange for serving an eviction notice on Mad Dog Carver. However, once I saw that you two were getting needed information from him and his allies, like Bass, it seemed following through might disrupt that goodwill. So, I need to tell Mr. Bearclaw I can't follow through on our agreement, at least for now."

Katy's face darkened a little at Trace's first attempt, darkened even more when he began saying 'Ranger', but then brightened considerably once he found the right name. She shook her head at the concern. "Far as I can tell, there ain't no conflict between the two groups. Sioux shouldn't bother any folk in the DMA, or vice versa. Course that ain't always how it goes, an' if we see any folk in the DMA not treatin' the Sioux right, well, we can mebbe do somethin' 'bout that. Course it'd help if Custer weren't in charge or if the head o' the DMA were a straight shooter. Under current circumstances, though, we might need ta get creative ta help the Sioux."

She pondered Trace's eviction notice for a few moments, then looked up at him. "If ya ain't got a patcha dirt ta stay on, yer bedroll's welcome on the floor o' my room. I will say that Sam Bass don't necessarily care fer Carver, but it was smart of ya not ta upset no one just then. It's a fine line we're walkin', gentlemen."