Wilder had heard the name Bloody Marty Coltrane--it was actually quite infamous around the camps of the railroads. Marty had been an enforcer with Black River. He never listened to orders, pursued the enemy even when it endangered his own forces, and generally made the public hate the railroad he worked for. Still, there were uses for a man of Coltrane’s ruthlessness in the Great Rail Wars. There’s nothing Bloody Marty likes better than chasing down wounded prey and stomping it under his heels. As Mina Devlin had once said, “Cry havoc, and let loose Bloody Marty Coltrane into their fleeing ranks!”

He had a reputation for nastiness and had left a trail of bodies behind him, and Wilder had heard someone punched his clock at the Battle of Lost Angels. It looked like the rumors were exaggerated.

Worryingly, he comes up next to Wilder, and holds out a gun, butt first.

"You might need this." He says. "Deadwood can be...combative."

((OOC: It's an El Cheapo Peacemaker, single action.))
This message was last edited by the player at 18:25, Mon 17 June 2013.

James nodded to Coltrane saying, "Thanks." and accepted the pistol. He then gave it a once over. The gunslinger worked methodically - emptying the cylinder, checking the action, and testing the balance. Once mostly satisfied with the feel of the weapon, he slide it into his belt though he longed for his pistol and a proper gun belt.

OOC: I imagine this sort of like the seen in The Good The Bad & The Ugly where Tuco goes into the gun shop.

The Professor stands and goes to the door, opening it to see who it is.  He expects to see Deputy Wells, but who knows who is actually at the door.

It is, indeed, Jackie Wells, but the Professor almost doesn't recognize her in the burgundy dress and makeup she has on. But then the Professor notices the gatling pistol holder on her waist and the cigarette in her fingers. She smiles at him. "Ready to go, Prof?"

Blinking, The Professor is taken a bit aback.  "Deputy Wells. You..um...you look lovely. Yes...sorry..I was just asking the Marshall here to join us." He went to the table and picked up his ever present satchel then returned to Jackie's side. Offering her his arm, he said, "Off to the show then.  Marshall, I think it's best that you not be sen with us given that Dr. Smythe will easily recognize me. You can be our 'ace in the hole' as it were."

The Marshal freezes as the door opens, hand half in his pocket, then returns to a neutral position. He gives a polite, curt smile to Jackie before nodding.

"Of course, Professor. I'm sure it wouldn't do to have me intrude on such a smart-dressed couple, anyways. I'll be there, watching and waiting."

Jackie blushes a bit. "Well, thank you. Only for you do I wear this lacy straightjacket."

The trio head out into the gathering gloom.

---

The gun isn't the finest quality...it hasn't been kept too very clean, and the action is a bit rusted. Hopefully it won't jam or stop up if there's trouble, which Marty Coltrane and the boys going with him obviously seem to expect. James catches some of them muttering darkly about friends who've invested in this magician's act and subsequently gone missing.

But "Sam Fish" doesn't seem that concerned about the grumbling, and the walk is bracing after being cooped up inside for so long, despite the pain from James' wounds. And soon the forest gives way to the town of Deadwood



Evening in Deadwood is the busiest time of day. The sidewalks are packed as miners fresh from a hard day's work weave from saloon to brothel to gambling den. Piles of lumber in the street mark places of new construction, as the area of town near the stockade is part of an area of rapid expansion along the creek. James passes hardware and dry good stores, exporters, a laundry with both English and Chinese characters on the sign, and more saloons than he could shake a stick at.

There's a scream of ghost rock, and several passers-by duck for cover and look to the air as a whirligig takes flight, the steam flying machine passing perilously close to the ground as it floats towards the hills. The smell of baking bread and pastries entices the nose, but the foul stink of the mud below Wilder's feet curdles his appetite.

Soon his group has crossed a wooden bridge near the livery. Horses graze in the coral, watched over by a man with a shotgun and a scowl. Wilder passes a bank and a grand hotel, and notices for the first time a large number of blue-uniformed soldiers in the street, guarding the entry of the hotel and directing traffic away. Now that he's noticed the military presence, it's hard to ignore the soldiers all around, marching through the crowds, off-duty soldiers leaning against posts or weaving from saloon to saloon with the other drunks. Deadwood, it would seem, is occupied.

The group arrives at the Langrishe Theater, where a line has already formed. It seems this magic act is fairly popular. Wilder spots a green uniform in the crowd...it can't be. Is that the loopy Austrian he'd met in Santa Angela?

Meanwhile, Sam has also recognized someone in the crowd. "Professor?" he calls. "Hey, Professor!"

---

Leopold, Freiherr von Steinhof, is in line at the theater, waiting to but his ticket to the show. It promised to be an entertaining evening.

---

The Professor and Jackie Wells have made it to the theater. "I hope you bought your ticket in advance." She mutters...but any reply he might make is interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Professor? Hey, Professor!"

It's Sam Bass!

James arched a questioning eyebrow as he noted the out-of-place Austrian. The gunslinger watched Bass ... er ... Fish wander off and decided he could easily do the same. He moved through the crowd as best as he could, his beating at the hands of the natives was still causing him some pain.

"Excuse me, Major but ain't ya lil'far from Austria?"

The Marshal followed behind the duo, keeping a plausibly-deniable distance from them. He heard some people calling out, and frowned at the growing crowd. Perhaps... perhaps his marshal's badge could get him in.

At first, von Steinhof doesn't react. It seems to take a second that somebody shouted "Major" and "Austria" in the same sentence.
He turns, a somewhat alarmed look on his face, then recognises Wilder.

"Oh, James! That is a wonderful surprise. Come here, come here!"

He waves, his pleased smile genuine. James notices that the Major's accent is as thick and heavy as when he first encountered him. Looks like Leopold is playing up the greenhorn angle again.

James smiled as he closed the gap between them, Always good to have an ally in town.

"Major, you're lookin' well." He extended his hand to the foreigner. "Definitely better than me anyway."

Leopold shakes James' hand, his grip firm. He furrows his brow as he takes a closer look at his friend.
He lowers his voice.
"You are right. You look awful. What happened?"

"Trouble with the natives and me not having a prospectin' permit. Seems they're not happy with folks just riding through their land." James said with  a slight shrug, suggesting that that was all he wanted to say about the matter.

"So what bring the pride of the Austrian-Hungarian cavalry out to Deadwood?"

Actually, I have taken the liberty of purchasing several.." The Professor's voice trailed off as he turned in response to the voice calling his name. When he noticed who it was, The Professor commented, "Ah, Jackie, Marshall, this is Sam Bass. He's the outlaw who held up my coach, though I must admit that for an outlaw he is quite honorable and true to his word. How can I be of assistance, Mr. Bass?"

Von Steinhof smiles. "There is a lesson there, my friend, about laws and authority, which I believe has been completely lost on you."
He chuckles.
"I was brought here by train and horse and carriage. Oh, and by a regiment of armed escorts." He indicates a few Union soldiers in the vicinity.

"It seems the Union recognises my status more clearly than the Confederacy. But they have two commanding officers and they seem to not get along quite well. You have probably heard of Custer, yes? He's named himself military governor of the territory. An ambitious one. The other's a fellow called Manning. I will meet him here, tonight. Care to join us?"

In reply to The Professor (msg # 22):

Jackie Wells glares at Sam. "He is, huh? Isn't that interesting."

The fellow looks at Jackie Wells, then sees Marshal Broaddale coming up from behind them.

"Ah." He says, his smile curdling a little. "I was just wanting to say, hello. Get reacquainted with a familiar face. But I can see you already have some company, so I won't take up any more of your time." he begins to back away. "Enjoy the show, Gentlemen." he tips his hat to Jackie. "Ma'am."

Matt moves to block Sam's path.

"Nonsense. Always good to have a friend when you see a show."

"Now, now Marshall.  Mr. Bass helped save many innocent people's lives. He's not really a bad sort at all. He's a modern day 'Robin Hood', except for the part about giving the money to the poor." The Professor flashed an impish smile at Sam.

Broaddale smiled at the Professor.

"Don't worry, Professor. Remember, I'm on vacation."

Sam smiles at the Professor's "little joke," but his eyes are cold as he looks over the Marshal. "On vacation. Right. Well, as it happens, I'm on 'vacation' myself. So, if you please, stand aside, because while it may always be better to see a show with a friend, you're no friend of mine." He looks over Matthew's shoulder. "But they are."

"Mister Bass," The Professor began, "If you are willing to set aside your personal grudges against the law, I am interested in hiring you in support of a noble cause - that of saving Deadwood from impending doom. Despite your proclivities for thievery, you are an excellent shot and can be trusted in a pinch. So, what say you Sir?"

The Marshal, somewhat emboldened by the presence of Jackie and the Professor, turns his head over his shoulder to see what Bass is looking at.

In reply to Freiherr von Steinhof (msg # 23):

James nodded, "I'd be honored. Do we have much time before the show?"

Leopold shrugs. "If the line continues to move slow like this, we should have, maybe, a week."

In reply to Freiherr von Steinhof (msg # 32):

James laughed lightly, then stopped as his wounds pained him. "Ahh ... yes I see that. The magician takin' his sweet time or is there just a mad rush to see the fella?"