Albert found himself greeted by the scent of coffee and cooking food. Blinking at the nearby window, he realized that that sun was already up, dawn having arrived at least an hour prior, based on the look of the horizon.

Downstairs, Albert found his uncle shifting bacon and biscuits from a skillet onto a plate. ”Your aunt’s outside, seein’ to the chickens,’ he says, ”We decided to let you sleep a bit. Figured you had something to do with all the good news that’s goin’ around town this mornin’”

He passes the plate and a steaming cup of coffee to Albert. ”Didn’t get yourself hurt, did you?”

Albert sniffed a few times as he slowly woke to the welcome scent of his aunt's coffee. He would need it today more than most.

Albert took a deep breath and then rose and dressed himself in black wool trousers and a dark gray shirt before making his way down to find his uncle in the kitchen. He smiled at his uncle's willingness to give Albert a chance to sleep in a little. "News travels fast, it seems. Good ta hear my name ain't part of it. But I mighta had somethin' ta do with it."

He shook his head at the question. "Naw, I ain't hurt. And I don't think nobody that weren't parta the posse that headed out there knows I was parta it. I asked everyone ta keep hushed up 'bout my presence. Course that don't mean nobody'll eventually find out, so please keep yer eyes open. Last thing I wanted were ta cause trouble fer folks what brought me in. But them kids...ya know what happened ta my son."

”Kinda why I thought you had a hand in what happened,” Henry says, taking a sip from his own cup, ”This valley hasn’t had a hell of a lot of good news to share lately. You, and whoever was with you, did a real good thing. I reckon those young uns are real happy to be back with their folks.”

He looks across the table at Albert. ”Just...just be careful. You’re a grown man. You can take care of yourself. Better than I can, truth be told. But, you’re important to your aunt and I. So just...take care. Alright?”

He shifts in his seat, momentarily uncomfortable with his own display of emotion. ”I imagine you’ve got some concerns in town you’d like to see to. So, if you’d just look after the horses this morning, I can take care of the rest. I could use a ride out to the east side of the property anyway. Shake some of this damn stiffness out of me.”

From outside of the house, the pair hear a voice call, reedy and unfamiliar. ”Hello the house!”

Henry raises an eyebrow. ”You expecting any company?”

Albert nodded. "Yessir, I'll be careful. Some things, though, they need doin'. And it can't always be safe." Henry knew that for sure, but Albert voiced his thoughts all the same. "And thanks, Uncle Henry. I appreciate you carin' about me like that."

He nodded at the instruction. "I'll take care o'them horses, sure thing. And yeah, I gotta few things..."

The knock cause Albert to straighten a bit, and he headed over to where his uncle kept a rifle hidden in the house, just in case. He shook his head to the question and tipped his head slightly to let Henry know Albert was armed. Not that someone with ill-intent would likely introduce themselves in such a way, but in these parts...you didn't take chances.

Henry steps out onto the porch. As Albert follows, he notices his uncle’s complexion go slightly pale.

A broad shouldered rider astride a blue roan is waiting a few paces from the covered porch. His sand colored hair meets his collar and his face is covered in stubble. He is dressed for the range, lines of dust visible on his denim shirt and jeans. A Colt Lighting is holstered low on his left leg and Albert can spy the butt of a rifle peeking out of a scabbard secured on his saddle. The man grins as he sees Henry emerge.

”Henry, how are ya?”

”I’m fair, Jim. You?””

”Keeping busy. Especially lately. This your nephew?”

Henry nods.

”Jim McDaniels,” the man says, addressing Albert, ”Glad to have you in Lincoln.”

Albert left the rifle in easy reach but didn’t keep it in hand. Seemed his uncle knew the fellow, though by the looks of it that only meant so much.

He nodded back at Jim. “Nice to meecha, Jim. I’m Albert Cooper, and it’s good to be in Lincoln. Nice town ya got here.”
This message was last edited by the player at 17:24, Mon 16 July 2018.

”Well, thank you kindly, Albert,” McDaniels replies. ”We’re right proud of it.”

“Say, Henry, I know news travels fast around these parts, so I reckon you’ve already heard that those young ones that were missing all turned up last night. Someone found ‘em all and brought ‘em back home.”

He gives a half smile. ”You or Albert didn’t happen to hear who was behind that good deed, did you?”

Henry slowly shakes his head. ”Sorry, Jim. I just heard they’d made their way back home. Nothin’ else.”

Albert nodded. "That's all my uncle told me, Jim. Just heard the good news at breakfast."

He paused, then smiled. "Good ta hear them kids're safe, though, eh?"

McDaniels nods. ”No argument there. But...um...if either of you happen to hear anything about who that helpful soul was, I’d be obliged if you’d let me know what you found out. You can find me over at Wilson’s most evenings.”

He starts to wheel his horse around, but pauses. ”You know that Mike Kibbee Junior, he’s a pistol. Kid’s got a lot of gumption.” He shakes he head. ”Damn shame what happened to his Daddy.”

He tips his hat. ”You boys have a good morning.” He rides off to the east at a gallop.

Albert nodded a return greeting as the man bid the Coopers a good morning. "Wilson's, got it. You have a good mornin' too."

Once the fellow was gone, Albert retreated to the kitchen and their biscuits and bacon. "He hangs out at Wilson's, eh?" The ranch hand frowned. "Don't suppose news about Mike Kibbee has traveled fast in this direction, has it?" Albert had an ill feeling in the pit of his stomach at the implication. Of course riding straight to town would tip off his concern. Best to just take things nice and easy, care for the horses, then make his way into town at a normal pace.

Henry slowly pours some fresh coffee into his cup. He shakes his head. "The only news I've heard about the Kibbees in the last little bit has been good news. That they got their boy back. Nothin' else."

"That Jim McDaniels is trouble, Albert. He's one of Jesse Evans' crew. There's a lot of problems in this valley that find their starting place with that sorry lot."

Albert nodded at his uncle's commentary while sitting down to breakfast. He crunched through a piece of bacon while thinking. "Yeah, that fella did seem like trouble. Jesse Evans' gang were the ones that were holdin' them kids hostage. Seems like they do the dirty work fer the House. Be nice ta get ridda them fellas once an' fer all."

Albert looked down at his food and snatched a biscuit. "Course I ain't gotta death wish, so that's not somethin' I'm gonna attempt no time soon."

He looked back out in the direction McDaniels went. "That thing with Kibbee semes like a fishin' expedition on his part. Though I 'spect we'll find out soon enough if it is or ain't."

Henry nods solemnly. ”I reckon you’re right. Though I can’t claim I’m not worried. Evans and his crew...they haven’t made many empty threats of late. Truth is, they don’t have to.”

He chews a strip of bacon thoughtfully, then takes a gulp of his coffee. Albert’s aunt steps into the kitchen through the back door, a basket of apricots from the nearby orchard in one hand, a pail of water in the other.

Henry frowns. ”You don’t mind me asking...what became of those of fellas from Evans’ gang that were holding those kids?” He looks at Albert, his expression concerned.

Albert repectfully looked directly at Henry as his uncle spoke, and the younger Cooper frowned a moment at the question. "Only one fella was there guardin' him. Segovia. After a bit of contemplatin', the Ranger and I took him ta the Tunstall Ranch. Susan McSween was there and promised ta keep that fella under lock and key 'til the Ranger can properly take him ta Justice."

Albert tipped his head to the side a little. "A bit dangerous fer sure, but the Ranger had ta make his call." He paused. "Lincoln is awful dangerous at the moment. Hope everyone here is bein' observant."

“I think most are. Those that aren’t lookin’ for trouble,” Henry says, shaking his head as he picks up a biscuit, starts to take a bite of it, then sets it back down on his plate. ”You know, Albert, if it was up to me, right now, this very moment, I’d just pack up and leave. Punch as many cows as we could manage either north to Colorado or east into Texas. See if I could find a small piece of land somewhere.”

“Either that or just sell the whole herd to John Chisum for whatever he’d give me. Find somewhere where your aunt and I could raise a crop or two and get by.”

He looks at Albert. ”I never would’ve thought I’d say such a thing. When we first came to this valley, we fell in love with it. Prettiest land I ever did see. And the best sort of people. I truly believed this is where I’d be the day the Good Lord called me home.”

“Not anymore. You go into town, you don’t talk to your neighbors about their lives, their families. All anyone’s concerned about is who’s tryin’ to shoot who today. And how to keep from gettin’ in the middle of it.”

“That’s no way to live. No way to grow old.”