The families of High Lonesome take the time to gather food among them, ensuring that the riders have meals for the ride back to Lincoln. Morning bathes the mountain village in a hazy light, the cold air filled with the scent of pine and wildflowers. The Owl Mother emerges from her humble dwelling, watching as the group makes ready to depart. ”We’ll be prayin’ for you,” Bridges tells the posse, looking up at each of them with concern, ”I hope we see all of you again real soon. You’re always welcome.”

The ride back down the Capitan Pass proves uneventful, but provides little opportunity for rest for the riders. Once the group have put High Lonesome behind them, they find the mountain trail just as dark as it was during their ascent. The silence among the tall trees is broken occasionally by the noise of hushed movements, branches snapping and loose rocks falling, displaced by things unseen shifting through the shadows. Despite the pervading sense that they are not alone, nothing ever emerges to threaten the posse, the hidden presences seemingly content to merely watch the group’s passage from the gloom.

The riders reach Lincoln an hour before dawn. The town’s Main Street is still, the stores and businesses that line it mostly dark, their owners not having yet risen to meet the day. There are exceptions: Light pours out of the barn at the Ellis Store, where Ike Ellis and his hands have already begun the care of the horses entrusted to them. Across the street, lantern light glows within the first floor of the Patron House, where Renata Montano and her family prepare breakfast for their guests. For a brief moment, the flash of a match provides a short lived gleam on the porch of the Courthouse, where a lone figure lights a cigarette as they watch the thoroughfare. The only other illumination comes from L.G. Murphy’s store, dim yellow light spilling from the windows that flank the entrance.

Entering the town from the west, the riders note one other matter of interest: the front door and windows of the Thornton-Curry Saloon have been hastily boarded up. As the group regards the vacant barroom in the pre-dawn dark, a lone horseman emerges onto the street from behind the Torreón, moving toward the Courthouse at a slow trot.

Whoever the hell came out of that hut with her eyes wet and clean streaks down her dusty cheeks from all the tears looked like Kansas Kate, but sure as hell didn't act like Kansas Kate.

The troupe was "treated" to the dubious presence of a ridiculously sunny woman who had taken to singing in the saddle and laughing and pointing at everything like she'd never seen it before, like they'd taken in an idiot girl.

The singing... well, it wouldn't be fair to call it good, in any way, but it massively, massively improved quickly at least, and it might be the better end of the bargain to listen to the singing over her talking.

Kansas Kate did have a raspy voice, but normally she really leaned into it and grudgingly spat out out her words, chewing on them, talking in the lowest register her physiognomy would support.  It was purposeful to make her speech sound as unpleasant as possible, but also effortlessly so, for she'd been doing it for so long.  That habit would be hard to break, though singing, which stretched syllables and put them to rhythm, accelerated the process and made her sound more like, well, herself.

"From this valley they say you are going.
We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile,
For they say you are taking the sunshine
That has brightened our pathway a while.

So come sit by my side if you love me.
Do not hasten to bid me adieu.
Just remember the Red River Valley,
And the cowboy that has loved you so true."

But there was no singing once she saw town, in fact she cut off right in the middle of Green Grow the Lilacs.  She saw some problems.  She wasn't happy for one damn minute, it was like a vacation for the posse.

"We should stop that feller a headin' over ta th' Courthouse."  Her speaking voice, still more harsh, had a warmth to its tone never heard before.  The way she said that, she wanted to stop him to give him a hug or a puppy or a piece of chocolate cake. "An' go check on some folks quicker'n a snake falls out of a gunny sack open at both ends, ah wonder what mustah happ'n'd round here."

The rider glances at the gathering, perhaps silently gauging whether any part of the group might mean him harm. Apparently satisfied that all is well, he nods at them, then guides his mount over to the courthouse porch. There, the lone figure that the posse observed smoking steps over to the horseman, the glint of a badge on his coat briefly visible. The two begin conversing quietly, the rider gesturing toward the boarded up saloon as they speak.

Albert enjoyed the ride back. He even tried to engage double-kay in some conversation as they returned, though she seemed rather intent on the singing. Perhaps later.

The Lincoln native frowned a bit as the posse rode back into town. It seemed quiet. Too quiet. Of course it was before dawn when they arrived. So maybe it was the appropriate amount of quiet. The gun wizard had etched the special rune in the bullets of his posse-mates who had wanted them, keeping one for himself. Hopefully they could find the wendigo with relative ease and end his evil. Though nothing ever seemed easy these days.

Albert looked about and nodded at the suggestion from double-kay, but he didn't immediately move to do anything. Rather he looked over at Bauer who had legal standing in these parts. "Whaddya think, deputy?" Albert lived around here, but Bauer had roots in these parts. She should understand the pulse of the town.

At Kate's suggestion that the man on his way to the courthouse, Dr. Wayland helpfully brushed back his long coat tail to put his hand to his pistol.  One of his pistols.  The normal looking one that he seemed to draw whenever lesser amounts of firepower were called for.  He paused himself from drawing it though as Cooper queried the Deputy.  It did seem polite to wait for legal sanction before he began shooting...

”I don’t recognize either one of ‘em. Never seen the fella with the star before in my life,” she tells Cooper.

She prompts her horse forward, guiding it at a slow walk over to the courthouse porch. The rider and the man with the badge turn to look at her as she draws near.

”I’m guessing you’re Deputy Bauer,” the tall man on the porch says, ”I’m glad to see you’re alright. I’ve been concerned about you. From what I’ve heard, you’re one of the best deputies Lincoln has.”

”I appreciate that, sir. I had some business elsewhere in the county,” Bauer answers, ”If you don’t mind asking, who would you be?”

The tall man smiles. “Well, I’d be your new Sheriff, Deputy,” he replies.

Claire Ramsey steps out onto the porch of Ramsey’s Restaurant, reaching up to light the lantern beside the entrance with a match. She pauses, studying the street and those gathered there with a pensive expression, then hurries back inside.

Albert moved with Lena as she approached the new Sheriff. He nodded at the response - the badge did make it somewhat apparent. "Howdy, Sheriff. I'm Albert Cooper." Albert hoped that would spur on some more talking.

Jacinta was watchful on the way back down the mountain, but was pleased when nothing stopped them from reentering Lincoln.  The quiet town was unnerving.  She stopped her horses along with the others, rifle resting on her knee.  While a few went to meet the new mystery sheriff, she stayed atop her mare, eyeing Murphy's store in search for signs of life.

"Almost like someone's expecting a fight," she murmured.

"Ah, there's a new Sheriff in town. Well, I like to make my introductions to the local law when I'm operating in an area, as I did with your esteemed predecessor. I'm Bryan Lee, with the Texas Rangers," he said, extending a hand.

Dr. Wayland stayed back as well.  Not being local or having any sort of badge.  Or really any legal mandate of any kind.  Unless any of these fellows had a bounty...  Which would be convenient.  He eyed them closely.  Hopefully.  At Jacinta's words, the bounty hunter slowly moved his hand away from under his coat.  He whispered back, "Mah apologies...  Ah had thought that we /weah/ expecting a fight.  Pe-haps I misundahstood owah intentions...."

”Mr. Cooper. Ranger. It’s good to see you again.” Both men recognize the new sheriff as Pat Garrett, the accomplished buffalo hunter who rode the stagecoach with them from Roswell to Lincoln, and helped fend off the attacking wolves.

He gestures to the rider he had been speaking with. ”This is Tom Horn. Serves as a guard on Quinn Murdock’s stage. With the exception of Miss Bauer and a couple of others, I have some concerns about the trustworthiness of some of the deputies I inherited. So I paid Mr. Horn here a stipend for his assistance with a sensitive matter.”

He nods at the boarded up saloon across the street. ”I’ve had a saloon keeper up and disappear. One that had become rather vocal in the last couple of days about her distaste for one of our local ranchers.”

Horn, who has been building a smoke, speaks up. ”It looks like Miss Thornton is a guest of said rancher. Not a willing one. A couple of his men definitely dragged her out there.”

“Watched the house for a time. Saw a couple of the hands take a plate of food and a pail of water down to the storm cellar.”

Keeping an eye on L.G. Murphy’s store, Castillo observes a man emerge from the building. He is dressed for the range, a Peacemaker tied low on his left thigh in a worn holster. He leans against a nearby post, silently watching the gathering at the courthouse.

Jacinta shot Wayland a look.  "Oh, we are, gringo.  We definitely are."

Her gaze narrowed as she watched the figure emerge from Murphy's store.  Nudging her horse closer, she tried to get a look and a chance at identifying him.

"I'm a bit relieved that you're the new sheriff, Mr. Garrett. I had feared it might have fallen to one of the deputies that you mentioned having concerns related to their trustworthiness. That said, I can't rest easy if some harm has come or may soon come to Miss Thornton. I think that time is of the essence in this matter," he said.

"If you wouldn't mind, perhaps this is a conversation best having inside of doors. I've deputized a group of concerned citizens, some of whom were on that stage we both took into Lincoln." He gestured towards the group in the distance, where he would see Castillo, Kansas Kate, Albert Cooper, and Tamsin River, who had all been on that stage.

"I think if we coordinate our efforts, we might be able to bring an expeditious end to this problem, and I could share some more information with you that I've gathered."

”Step into my office, Ranger. You and your deputies. Let’s see if we can can find a way to solve our mutual problem,” Garrett says, gesturing to the door behind him, the entrance to the Sheriff’s office. Cooper and Lee can see that fresh lumber has been used to repair the damage the building sustained in the fight with the Bone Fiend.

Castillo is able get a good look at the man on the porch, the gray at the temples of his dark hair and deeply lined face suggesting to her that he is middle aged. His straightness of his posture and his squared shoulders leave the scout with the impression of him having once been a soldier, possibly for many years. His eyes are dark and seemingly empty of emotion.

OOC: Jacinta, give me a Smarts/Common Knowledge roll. You can add a +2 modifier, as you’re especially knowledgeable about the New Mexico territory.

---

Inside the Sheriff’s office, the riders find that Garrett has started a fire in the wood burning stove, sufficient to ward off the morning chill. Aside from Bauer, none of his deputies are present, the desks and chairs that fill the spartan room all unoccupied.

Horn remains at the entrance, occasionally peeking out to monitor any activity on the Main Street.

Garrett puts out his smoke in a tin ashtray and sighs. ”Lawrence Murphy did not support my appointment to this position. But the Governor gave him no choice. The Territorial Government wanted someone in this office who could look at things with clear eyes, and without any loyalty to any of the interests that are at each other’s throats here.”

“Still, it didn’t take long to figure Murphy as the one behind most of Lincoln’s woes.”

OOC: I’m working on the assumption that all of the posse, along with Kearney, Roberts, and Shabbakasha, have stepped inside Garrett’s office to converse. If someon has another course of action they want to pursue, let me know.

Kansas Kate was deep in thought, very deep in thought.  It was like she wanted to say something immediately, then caught herself before she uttered it, then it made her think a great deal.  This was more uncharacteristic behavior indeed, and if she were more self-aware she might have worried about what an absolute nut she appeared to be recently.

Smarts: 14

21:13, Today: Jacinta Castillo rolled 14,3 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of (8+4)12,1.  Smarts/Common Knowledge.

"Governor Mosby asked me to come down here to look into the same situation, and things have improved marginally on account of our interventions here, but as long as Murphy retained a strangehold on this place with sufficient muscle to intimidate all of the locals, there was only so much that could be done."

He leaned against the wall by the door, so as not to be caught unawares. The last time they were in this building they'd been attacked by some kinda bone creature, and he was always wary of things like that returning.

"To begin with, the man that we'll call Murphy isn't him. I have reliable information that the man going by Lawrence Murphy actually killed the real Lawrence Murphy, and is instead correctly named Longley. His crimes include the deaths of individuals on the wagon train that was lost in the Capitan mountains, and his survival of that ordeal is believed to have involved cannibalism.

"The investigation I began shortly after arriving with our wagon train very quickly linked Murphy to the kidnapping of several children, who we managed to free. I have a captive that links Murphy's operation to those acts being detained nearby. I could not trust the local law at the time to detain him, I hope you'll understand. Dolan, Jesse Evans, and the associated gang attacked myself and my deputies with intent to kill when we were investigating them in Blazer's Mill recently. My deputies are very capable, and said group of attackers did not survive the fallout.

"In short, I believe attempting an arrest of Murphy is the required course of action, though I do not believe he will go quietly or without violence and I can only assume that he has taken a hostage in preparation for our attempts to apprehend him. I returned from a related investigation just now with the intention to seek aid from a group that is regarded locally as troublemakers. I have managed to come to some terms with one Mr. William Bonney and the Renegades, and have gotten him to halt his actions while I pursued justice. I believe that he and his fellows could be of great help in our attempts apprehend Murphy."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:14, Mon 20 July 2020.

Dr. Wayland didn't seem of a mind to have a seat.  Instead, he took up a position near a window.  Chosen specifically to give him a vantage point not currently being watched by anyone else.  He muttered very quietly to himself, "Eggs and baskets...  Eggs...  Ovah.  Awl ovah?  Easy...."  He alternated between keeping an eye out his window and paying attention to the proceedings inside.  The lightning gun cradled in his arm, with the dangerous end pointing as up as possible.  One had to be careful with such things in crowded, indoor situations.

Garrett’s eyebrows rise. ”Bill Longley? I heard of him back when I was hunting out on the Llano. Ruthless as all hell, so the stories went. The sort that would kill a man because he didn’t like the way the fella looked.”

He begins to build another cigarette. ”I heard about Blazer’s Mill. By the time any of my people rode out there, the town was basically gone. A couple of my deputies were eager to pin it on Bonney and his crew, but I thought there might be more to the story.” He shakes his head. ”At least Evans is six feet under. And most of his people with him.”

“You were right to hide your prisoners, Ranger, for whatever my opinion’s worth. They wouldn’t have stayed put if they were in the jail here. They’d have either been cut loose, or turned up dead in their sleep. I would especially like to speak to Dolan after most of this mess is over with. I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve overheard in town expressing how relieved people are about him up and disappearing. I think rotting in a cell might just be too good for the son of a bitch. Pardon my language.”

He lights the cigarette with a candle on his desk. ”So you want to ask the Regulators for help?”

For a moment, Horn seems distracted by Dr. Wayland’s muttering, but he quickly returns his attention to the conversation when it turns to the subject of the Regulators. ”You don’t mind me saying so, Sheriff, you’re going to need all the help you can get if you’re planning on prying Murphy out of that house of his. He’s got plenty of gunhands out there to watch after him. It’s not going to be a simple task.”

Roberts clears his throat before speaking up. ”If I could have a few hours, I reckon I could bring some help, Sheriff. I’ve got friends among the Mescalero. They’re no friends of Murphy’s.”

”I could probably scare up a few spare horses, in case we’re shy on mounts,” Kearney offers.

“I’d appreciate that,” Garrett tells Roberts and Kearney.

”I’ve heard from more than one reliable sort that Billy and his partisans are a bunch of loose cannons,” he says, looking pointedly at Lee. ”But if you have reason to trust them, and think you can convince them to come along, I’ll concede that we need all the help we can find.”

Albert listened to the discussion, mostly nodding along with what the others said. As everyone started suggesting folk they might be able to add, Albert made his own suggestion. "I could see if any ranch hands of my uncle's might be willin' ta join. And if there's anythin' else he can offer."

"Billy and his friends are indeed a bunch of loose cannons, but we stopped them from killing Mr. Roberts over here and got them to see reason. I think their more reckless actions so far have stemmed from the fact that the law as far as they saw it had been giving Murphy a free hand to continue his crimes and ruthless campaign of intimidation. If they can see that we are finally moving in to apprehend him, then I believe they can perhaps be reined in a bit. I've established a rapport with them."

"You almost forgot they hired me to kill someone."  Kansas Kate added absentmindedly.  She seemed to be coming out of her reverie.  She had thought long enough, although paying attention to the conversation.

And then she asked the question in a voice that was low and quiet.  "Is there truly no other way?"

Riding casual, Jacinta passed on, eventually joining her friends at the Sheriff's office.  She paused on the porch, giving Tom a nod.  "Nice to see you again, Horn."  She flicked her chin back toward the store.  "You ever heard of a fella named Kinney?  Think I saw 'em coming out of Murphy's place."

Dr. Wayland, who just happened to have ended up near enough to Kate to catch her quiet words.  He leaned in just a bit to say very quietly back to her, "Any /othah/ way?  To stop this devilish man?  Ah you ill?  You seem fah more hale than Ah have evah seen you..."  The Doctor was quite perplexed by Kate's seeming turn.  And concerned.  Or just confused really.

Tamsin was uneasy. She always was when there were no plants or people to tend to, or so she told herself. She doesn’t know what to do with herself. They were going to deal with Murphy, but at the moment...

She listened and looked, eyeing Kansas Kate and Dr. Wayland in particular.

”John Kinney? Certainly have,” Horn tells Castillo, ”John Chisum and a couple of the railroads have put together a handsome reward for whoever can bring in his scalp. Nobody’s managed it yet. The talk is that Kinney’s one hell of a gunhand. And that he has several equally capable sorts in his gang.”

He clears his throat, then speaks up. ”Say, Sheriff? Miss Castillo here just spotted John Kinney stepping out of Murphy’s store.”

”It just gets better and better,” Garrett says with a shake of his head, ”Last I’d heard, Kinney and his gang had drifted north, toward Colorado. But I suppose it makes sense. Jesse Evans gets himself killed, so Murphy hires the man who taught Evans everything he knew about the outlaw life to replace him.”

Garrett looks to Cooper. ”Mr. Cooper, there’s still quite a bit I have to learn about this county. But it hasn’t taken me long to come to the understanding that your uncle is one of the best people residing in it. Like the Montano family, Henry and Alice have done a lot to help people facing hard times here, including those who lost land to Lawrence Murphy.”

“In my mind, your family’s already done plenty of good for Lincoln. But if they’re open to lending a hand with this, I certainly won’t turn them down.”

He nods as Lee describes his interactions with the Regulators. ”I’m willing to put my faith in your judgment, Ranger. If you feel you can steer those boys in the right direction, I know they could prove very valuable.”

“If I may say so, it sounds as though it will take a little time to get all this help rounded up. And there’s a couple of trustworthy deputies I need to track down myself. What do you say we all meet back up at Ike Ellis’ place at sundown?”

Kansas Kate looked at Dr. Wayland, and looked like she was about to answer him, when she suddenly lost her voice completely.

She had been so lost in her own thoughts she had missed something very important, or nearly so.  She did answer the doctor, but very cryptically.  She now understood why she'd been sent back.

So be it.  Better to die whole as you were meant to if one was to die.

"Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have."

She turned and said to no one in particular.  "Kinney is my mess.  I will clean it up.  He has to die the right way."

"I think one of the concerns the Regulators had was with the local establishment and the lack of their faith that anyone would hold the man calling himself Murphy to account. I think if we show them that we're willing to do that, they would join us willingly. I'll talk to 'em," he said.

"As far as reconvening, Ellis's place is as good as any. I think that anyone going far afield best go in numbers until that time. Nobody going about on their lonesome."

Garrett raises an eyebrow at Kansas Kate’s words, apparently curious about their meaning. But the sheriff says nothing. Nodding at Lee’s assessment, he turns his attention to Bauer. ”Deputy, I’d appreciate it if you would accompany the Ranger when he goes to speak with the Regulators. You can assure them that the local law is friendly where they’re concerned.”

Bauer nods in agreement.

”I will go with you, hoekwai,” Roving Wolf tells Roberts, ”Help you to tell the story of the mountain and gather as many as we can.”

Albert nodded at the response about his aunt and uncle. "I'll bring 'em up to speed, talk 'em through what we're facin'. Never know what Henry or Alice can do ta help."

The cowboy looked over at Kate and squinted as she mentioned cleaning up a Kinney-shaped mess, though he didn't comment on it. Instead he nodded. "Ike Ellis' around sundown sounds good ta me."

Albert waited to see if there was anything else to be said before he would point Brandy in the direction of home. If nothing else, she would be well fed and cared for. "Any of y'all want me ta take yer mounts ta the ranch, lemme know. Or if y'all wanna join me at the ranch fer a bit, my aunt's home cookin' is hard ta beat."

"Kate, while we don't anticipate that Murphy will be going along quietly when we attempt to apprehend him for his crimes, I'm gonna need you to hold off on any notions of gunfighting in the streets where men, women, and children live and where stray bullets can cost lives," he said firmly.

"I don't want to be mistaken as endorsing any sort of vigilante justice here. We're doing things under the auspices of the law. I don't care what history you have with this Kinney character. If that's the path you're taking, then you'll be on your own hook where the law is concerned, and bear in mind you've just stated your intentions of killing a man in front of the duly appointed sheriff, one of his deputies, a Texas Ranger, and a host of witnesses. Calling him out for a duel like a character in a dime novel might sound good, but it won't end up well. Put down your feud for a moment and stick with us. I have little doubt you'll have a chance at Kinney when we head to Murphy's place, and if he doesn't show there or gets away, I promise to apprehend him afterwards -- and you can come along for the ride."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:06, Tue 28 July 2020.

"Ranger, what would happen if little ol' me happened upon some folks.  An' not folks likes ya'll with yer Winchesters an' yer Chiney fightin' an' yer bullets what can explode a buffalo.  I realize ah ain't no count amongst ya.  But don't think folks like that.  Think just folks.  Tryin' ta live."  She cocked her head.  "Two, three dead before ah even have to reload?  Six, seven dead before one of ya'll makes mah noggin into chili?  An that's being modest Ranger, cause sometimes ah do better.  'Cassionally worse, but more often better."

She leaned back.  "Now think about that feller a' gettin' the jump on ya when ya go to collar Murphy.  Because if he ain't a damn hack like the scum Murphy's been gettin' up ta this point, that could be a real problem.  His boys ain't had any real leadership up ta this point.  An' ah have a way ta cut th' head off th' snake."

She smiled sweetly.  "An' that snake's nasty Ranger.  Ah ain't askin' ya to do something ain't in your nature, ah'm just sayin' don't try to leash yer coyote.  It lets th' snake have th' run of th' place an' it don't stop th' coyote nohow.  An' what's worse here, th' snake, or th' coyote?"

"Your capabilities are truly impressive. In my career, I've tangled with no small number of talented gunfighters, and you rank up there with the best of them. That's why I want you at our side as we move forward. Don't get me wrong - you're damn good, but you're not invincible. You went off on your own hook earlier, and that didn't quite work out for the best, as well as I can reckon. I don't want to leash my coyote, I wanna make her a wolf so that she'll hunt with me as part of the same pack," he said.

He held up his hands for a second, then put them to his sides.

"Look I can't stop you from doing whatever you're about to do. Killin' snakes is all well and good, but there's a process that I'm aware you're skeptical of for handling these types of individuals. I hoped that I'd maybe change your mind over the last little bit here as we've taken down a good number of serpents, but apparently old habits die hard."

”Ma’am, Kinney himself, along with every member of his gang, carries a price on their heads. So if you happen to shoot a known outlaw dead, I’ll consider your actions in the same light that I would any bounty hunter working in this territory. There’s only so many criminals that a lawman like myself, or the Ranger here, can contend with at any given time. That’s the reason rewards are offered,” Garrett says.

”But if any innocent person catches a bullet because of some ruckus you start in my town, you’ll answer to me for it. And mark my words, answer you will. Lincoln has seen too many honest people murdered. I mean to see that halted.”

He moves to the door. ”The Ellis Store, then. Tonight. I appreciate you trying to round up some help. Murphy...I don’t think he’s the sort to go quietly.”

"There's a reason ya duel in th' street wit' nothin' behind ya fellers."  She answered sweetly.  "Ya'll wouldn't unnderstand.  An' ya wouldn't, cuz it's dumbass.  Here ah go, shootin' people in the street.  Ah could be doin' anythin' else.  Lit'rally ennythin' else would be better."

She chuckled.  She then caught Dr. Wayland's eye.  She had changed her mind about the use of the explosives, but that didn't mean there weren't still uses for them, not the least of which was making sure Murphy didn't have them.  If she could have such vile ideas, so could he.

"Now, this here might be a mighty fine chance fer a gentleman of accomplishment ta procure some spicy provisions.  Ah ain't aimin' ta start nothin' right way, understan', but... these things is a might im-predikable.  Still, it's a damn good distration fer... shoppin'."

Dr. Wayland had been eyeing the conversation going back and forth, particularly after it was mentioned that most of these men had bounties.  He had assumed, but it was always nice to have it verified by an actual authority.

When Kate looked his way, the Doctor grinned mildly and touched the brim of his hat in a faux-tip, "Ah would be honah'd to accompany you on this mercantile adventure.  Ah do have a bit of a shopping list..."  He took up his lightning gun and pushed off the wall, ready to follow.

The last to exit the office, Garrett shuts the door behind him. Horn leans against the closed door, cutting a piece from his plug of tobacco, then slipping it into his mouth. ”No one comes in, star or no star,” Garrett tells the stage guard. ”Anyone has questions, they can ask them when I return. Anyone who doesn’t like no for an answer...feel free to let ‘em wait in one of the cells.”

”See you soon. Good luck,” the sheriff tells the other riders with a nod before climbing into the saddle of his black mare and riding east at a gallop.

Henry Cooper listens attentively to his nephew, never questioning any part of Albert’s account, his trust in the younger man complete. ”I’m mighty proud of you, Albert. You’ve sure shown a lot of courage,,” he says quietly as he absorbs all that he has been told. ”You all have,” he adds, addressing Albert’s friends.

He sighs. ”I reckon you know what I’m gonna say,” he tells his nephew, ”Fightin’ to protect your home, your family, your neighbors...it’s the right thing to do. Folks should be able to ride through this valley without bein’ afraid.”

“I’ll step over to the bunkhouse in just a bit. Have a talk with the hands. I won’t force anyone to come with me, but I imagine most of ‘em will. I’m blessed to have some good sorts tendin’ my herd. We’ll meet you over at Ike’s. Just...make sure to be careful in the meantime.”

Even at a distance, the riders can see the tall frame of Jim French near the front door of the Tunstall-McSween ranch house. The lanky cowhand is polishing rope on one of the porch rails, but stops as soon as he hears the approaching horses. Shielding his eyes from the mid morning sun, he regards the visitors for a moment, then steps inside the house, returning moments before the riders arrive with Susan McSween.

McSween is in jeans and a work shirt, her hair damp from exertion. She nods in greeting as the riders draw close. ”Ranger. Deputy. Mr. Cooper. Señorita Castillo. What brings you all out this way? Need to pick up one of your prisoners? None of them seem to be too appreciative of our hospitality.”

Albert was glad to see his family again. He had wondered more than once if he'd ever do so again, so it was with a broad smile that he greeted his aunt and uncle. As expected, they took great interest in the fate of the town and the surrounding lands. Albert didn't really need to convince anyone of anything, nor did he try. He just told it like it was and let folk choose their own path. He expected his uncle would do the exact same thing when passing things along to the other cowhands.

Before leaving, he embraced both his aunt and uncle before making his way back to Brandy. Her name struck him for a moment - he hadn't had a drop of liquor since returning.

---

When Albert approached the Tunstall-McSween ranch house, he touched his right forefinger to the brim of his hat in greeting. "Nice ta see you again, ma'am. I am surprised they ain't takin' well ta hospitality given the alternative." The cowhand smirked, then looked over at Bryan.

Bryan took off his hat, respectful as always as he approached the residence.

"Well, Mrs. McSween, I want to thank you for accommodating these unwelcome guests on your property on my account, and while I will be relieving you of them soon, it won't be just yet. There's a new sheriff in town who has come to understand how things are playing out here in Lincoln, and we'll be making an attempt to bring Murphy into custody shortly for his various crimes in the region," he said.

"On that account, I was hoping to speak to Mr. Bonney and his associates if they happen to be in just about now."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:08, Mon 03 Aug 2020.

”They are,” McSween answers, ”Though, I’d caution you that they’re a bit stirred up. Fighting the urge to go on the warpath, if you will.”

She frowns, looking at the ground. ”I almost feel it’s partially my fault. Some of the Regulators told me what happened at Blazer’s Mill. After it was over, they’d all ridden in different directions, to ensure they, and the prisoners, Dolan and Baker, weren’t found.”

“Billy...by chance he came across one of my hands. William McCloskey. McCloskey had met up with some of Lawrence Murphy’s men at an arroyo west of Lincoln. Billy got close enough to hear them without being seen. McCloskey was giving them information on the ranch here. How many cowhands I had. Who was a fair shot and who wasn’t. Times when the workers were most spread apart. Knowledge they could use for an ambush.”

“Billy killed the three Murphy men. Shot McCloskey in the shoulder. They’ve locked him up like the other prisoners, in one of the line shacks. Billy wanted to see if they could get more information out of him somehow. I think that’s the only reason he didn’t kill McCloskey too.”

She sighs. ”McCloskey had ridden for John Tunstall. I had him go into town sometimes for supplies, almost every week. He was a hard worker. Personable, too. I would’ve never suspected him of anything underhanded.”

She points to a dry creek several yards east of the house. ”If you follow that creek bed for about a mile, you’ll come to a small bunkhouse. John built it as a proper dwelling for hands that had to winter here. That’s where you’ll find them.”

The bunkhouse proves easy to find with McSween’s instructions. As it comes into view, the riders can see a lone man in a dark colored duster standing on the building’s small porch, watching their approach down the barrel of a rifle. He gives out a whistle when he first sees the posse, but lowers his weapon once he recognizes them. Drawing nearer, the group readily identifies the figure as Josiah Scurlock.

By the time the riders have reached the bunkhouse, Jose Chavez y Chavez has joined Scurlock on the porch. Both nod in greeting. ”Morning,” Josiah says, ”What brings you folks so far out of the way?”

"Howdy, Mr. Scurlock...Señor Chavez y Chavez. I was hoping to have a word with Mr. Bonney if he's available," he said.

"Long story short, we're moving to apprehend Murphy, and wanted to discuss that operation with him."

Albert touched the brim of his well worn hat with his right index finger as a greeting to the men on the porch. He nodded at Bryan's brief summary and added his own pleasantries. "Mornin', fellas."

Chavez y Chavez gives Cooper a nod in greeting.

Scurlock steps over to the bunkhouse door and pushes it open. Smirking, he calls out, ”Hey, Billy! The law’s here! They’ve finally come for ya!”

Bonney emerges a moment later, frowning warily until he recognizes those who have arrived. Punching Scurlock’s arm, he steps to the edge of the porch.

”Mornin’,” he says, his thumbs hitched in his gun belt, ”It’s good to see ya’ll again. Seemed like after Blazer’s Mill, you disappeared for a few days. Glad you’re well.”

His eyebrows raise in curiosity. ”So..to what do I owe the pleasure?”

"I'm glad to see that things seem well with you as well, Mr. Bonney," he said.

"There's a new sheriff in town by the name of Patrick Garrett. In his short time as sheriff, he's come to the same conclusion that I did shortly after arriving - that Murphy and his associates are responsible for many of the terrible deeds that have taken place in the area," he said.

"And unlike the previous sheriff, he thinks its high time that something is done about it. Tonight, we're going to be moving to apprehend him. The only thing is, we don't expect that Murphy will go quietly. So when I say 'we,' I mean that the Sheriff and I are putting together a posse. I am referring to the Sheriff, a couple of the deputies that he can trust, Buckshot Roberts and his Apache friends, myself, Mr. Cooper here, the Señorita of course, and a few of the other folks who were with us at Blazer's Mill. I came to ask if the Regulators might join us on this initiative."

A grin creeps over Bonney’s face. He glances over his shoulder at Scurlock and Chavez y Chavez, who both smile and nod.

Returning his attention to Lee, he says, ”I gotta say, Ranger, I’m real honored you’d think of us. I think you know that Lawrence Murphy doesn’t have any friends around here. Every one of us would like to see him suffer for what he did to Mr. Tunstall.”

“We’d be proud to ride with you. And we’ll fight til our last bullet or breath...on a couple of conditions.”

His expression turns grim. ”The first is, before we skin out for Lincoln, we need to have a talk about this posse you’ve put together. A serious one. And I need your word that you’ll listen to what I have to say. I mean, really listen.”

Bryan seemed fairly satisfied with the conversation until the talk of conditions came up. Now he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"You've got my word that I'll listen best I know how," he said expectantly.

"So go on ahead. Anything you've got to say to me you can say in front of Coop and Señorita Castillo."

Jacinta pushed her hat up with one finger, leaning on the horn of her saddle.  Though she usually kept her rifle out and on her knee, she'd wisely sheathed it on their journey to find the Regulators, not wishing to be misunderstood.  Her brow quirked at Bonney's condition, but she said nothing.  Curious about what he had to say, and who he was going to say it about, she merely listened.

“Well, this is what I heard,” Bonney answers.

”Supposedly, Ranger, you and several friends, including Albert, Señorita Castillo, and Deputy Bauer, took a ride over to a ghost town not too far from Lincoln. A place that used to be called Angus. Way the story went, you were tryin’ to find out about some of Lawrence Murphy’s history, specifically about that wagon train he took up Capitan Pass.”

“While you were there, supposedly the good people of Angus got up out of their graves and tried to kill you all. And it was said that the dead folk were followin’ orders from one of Murphy’s henchmen, Jim McDaniels, who wasn’t a man at all as it turned out, but a demon straight outta hell.”

“Now, the way the story went, you all ended up takin’ shelter in an old church.” He pauses and frowns. ”And it was said that you found Reverend Benton inside. That he’d died out there, lookin’ for answers the same as ya’ll were.”

“Anyway, apparently you had some magic kinda bullets that you shared amongst each other, and then you dipped a bunch of others in the holy water there in the church. McDaniels had sprouted wings and was on the church roof, goin’ on about how he was gonna kill you all. Then that oddball bounty hunter you’re friends with used this lightning shooting contraption to blast a hole in the roof, which caused McDaniels to fall down inside the building, where you all shot him full of holy lead.”

“Soon as McDaniels died, all the dead people wanderin’ around Angus dropped back in the grave.” He smiles. ”But not before you, Ranger, jumped in the middle of a bunch of ‘em and killed a whole mess of ‘em with nothing but your bare hands.”

He crosses his arms. ”Now that story...that’s just a load of malarkey, isn’t it? There’s no way that’s what actually happened in that little ghost town...right?”
This message was last edited by the player at 14:53, Fri 07 Aug 2020.

"Mr. Bonney, it's official Ranger policy not to comment on active investigations, some of which are being conducted under the directive of the Governor of this territory. What I can say is that as a part of our ongoing investigation into Lawrence Murphy and his organization, I assembled a posse and we did venture out to Angus, wherein we did find Jim McDaniels and in an attempt to apprehend him, a fight ensued in which he and his supporters were dispatched as they attempted to take our lives. I do believe that Lawrence Murphy and other members of his organization, McDaniels included, are or were involved in activities which most folks would describe as unholy, but more on that note I cannot say," he said.

He had in his time in Lincoln, turned a rather obvious blind eye to certain things that were going on, but he wasn't about to openly admit it in his capacity as a Ranger. He would probably get in trouble for that.

"Now, in any good dime novel type story there are elements of truth. I do have a bounty hunter that rides with me, and he is a scientist, and he does have a contraption with him capable of firing electrical charges that some might take for lightning. With all this talk of magic bullets, I don't know if you've heard of all the new stuff that is coming out these days from Smith & Robards, the Collegium in Gomorra, or Hellstromme Industries, but they sell armor piercing rounds, incendiary rounds, and all kinds of good stuff. And for my part, I do fight with my hands. I am not a braggart, but I have trained many years in Shan Fan, and I am rather capable with them. I've a gun in my holster if you want a look-see; I take good care of it, but it's never been fired."

"I'd also like to add on an unrelated note that if a man wants to have some ancient Scandinavian symbols carved on his weapon, that's his business, and not mine." He was taking a blind stab at what Bonney's concerns might be. Rangers were known to 'shoot 'em or recruit 'em'; after all, that was how Lee himself had joined the outfit.

On the other hand, some folks had a capacity for many types of denial. He would have to learn what these folks were capable of before he rode out with them. If they had concerns about what his people could do, he'd need to know and decide whether they would be a bigger risk than they already were.

"Now you, Mr. Scurlock, and Mr. Chavez y Chavez here, you were all in the Courthouse with myself, Mr. Cooper, Sheriff Brady and Deputy Bauer the night Brady was mortally wounded. How would y'all describe the events of that night?"

Bonney smiles and shakes his head. ”Ranger, I think you might have it wrong. I’m not concerned about what you, or the folks who are riding with you can and can’t do. That night you refer to in Lincoln...you and Albert stood up and fought against some things that would’ve had most people making a run for Roswell. And I respect you for it.”

He looks out at the open rangeland and the mountains in the distance. “I really love this country. I’ve never felt freer than when I found my way to New Mexico. I reckon I’ll die here, if it’s left up to me.” He looks back at Lee. ”But I don’t need to be convinced that there’s some pretty terrifying stuff hiding in shadows out there. The frontier’s got plenty of things we would all wish weren’t real.”

He holds up a hand. “I understand you can’t tell someone like me what happened out in Angus. But let’s say, just for the sake of argument, that everything I said was true.”

“My concern is where I heard the story. A few days back, I caught one of Mrs. McSween’s hands, a fella by the name of William McCloskey, meeting up with a couple of Murphy’s people. He was givin’ the two of ‘em information about the ranch, information Murphy could use to hit this place at a time when it wasn’t well guarded.”

“Jose...well he helped loosen up McCloskey’s tongue a little. And pretty soon he was singing like a songbird. And one of the things he told us was that story.”

“See, McCloskey heard that story from Lawrence Murphy, who told it to him and a few other people on his payroll, as a way to warn them about what you and your posse were capable of, Ranger. Mr. Murphy told McCloskey and the others that he’d gotten the tale from a spy. Someone who was keepin’ a watch on you and your friends. And now here you are, gathering up folks to take a run at Murphy himself.”

“So, I guess my real question is this: Do you know where all your people are, Ranger? Did any of them happen to go skinnin’ off all by their lonesome this morning?”

Albert had been about to ask that very question when Billy offered up the only answer he likely had. To Albert, the story wasn't important. Where he'd heard it, on the other hand, was very important. There just weren't that many folks that were eyewitness to that particular spectacle.

And then there was the warning that Albert had received. The cowboy did shake his head. "Far as we know, half our posse's here, half're together elsewhere. An we all rode back inta town together."

He smiled wryly at Bonney's reply. "Well, to be sure, the story you told has a particular quality to it. Someone would've had to have been there with us to know just about the sum of how things unfolded," he said.

"Only person that went up top to High Lonesome with us that I can't presently account for is the mustanger, Aileen Kearney. When we all split up after leaving Garrett's she the only one who went off by herself. The very journey of it took some courage and grit, so I don't reckon that she's the type that'd be a spy for Murphy, though I can't rule it out for certain. It's possible that Murphy somehow got to her though."

He looked over to Jacinta. "I think you may have had more interaction with her on the trail, Señorita. What are your thoughts on the matter?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:14, Sun 09 Aug 2020.

Jacinta frowned at the name and suggestion behind it.  She shook her head, braids swinging.  "I wouldn't stake my life on it, but Kearney seemed on the level.  She threw in with us more than once, and put her life on the line in the process.  Though, she was in Angus, and saw it all." She left the rest unsaid.  With the amount of detail that Bonney provided, the spy had to be someone that had fought with them.

Leaning back in her saddle, she glanced between Bryan and Albert.  "She doesn't seem the type to go blabbing for no reason.  Maybe they got something over her?" Still, she wracked her brain trying to think if she'd seen any sign of the woman's dishonesty during their time together.  "Can't really think of anyone else it might be, though."

”I know some folks think she’s a loner,” Bauer says, her expression troubled, ”but she told me she has family in the valley. Not in Lincoln, but south, in San Patricio.”

“She always struck me as honest. Sheriff Brady bought mounts for some the newer deputies from her once. They were good horses. All of ‘em.”

”William...he was ridin’ for John before I ever set foot on this ranch. He was a hard worker. Taught quite a few of us how to use a lasso proper,” Bonney says.

”He was an orphan. Left on the steps of a church in San Antone. Never knew who his kin were. Murphy told him he knew how to track down his folks. That he’d get him to his real family if he’d give up some information on Mrs. McSween’s ranch.”

He looks down and shakes his head regretfully. ”Obviously, I can’t tell you what’s best to do about Miz Kearney. My first condition was that you hear me out, and take what I said seriously, and you have. So I’m obliged.”

"It's hard to know what to make of it all. Kearney, I had it on pretty good faith that she was after Murphy, whose real name is Longley, for reasons other than our own, but generally owin' to the fact that he's always been a no good murderin' sonuvabitch even before he set foot in Lincoln County," he said.

"Deputy Bauer, how long has Kearney been living in Lincoln County that you know of?" He wanted to see whether her earlier story about being a Union operative seeking Longley's life had any truth to them. Then again, she had been the first to confirm his identity as Longley, which had been corroborated by the Owl Mother.

"In any case, I'm not sure how much time we'll have to deal with Kearney before we hit Murphy where it hurts. The best thing we can do for sure is get back early before the rendezvous and try to prevent any traps from being sprung on us before we can ride on Murphy, and if we can do that, to inform those with us that Murphy may have some foreknowledge of our plans and capabilities. If we find Kearney, maybe best to have Garrett detain her temporarily until it's all over - though perhaps we could use her to feed Murphy false information."

Bauer frowns. ”I can’t give you an exact accounting, but I believe she turned up in town for the first time two or three months before you did, Ranger. In that first week, I recall that she paid a visit to Sheriff Brady and they supposedly had a long talk. But, I wasn’t there. I don’t know exactly what they spoke of.”

”If we head for Lincoln in just a bit, a few of us could spread out, watch the main trails. See if we could capture her, bring her in to tell what she knows,” Scurlock suggests.

"You know, the morning after we got back from Angus, Kearney did disappear. The story I had was that she was headed to San Patricio to send a telegram to her folks in Colorado. I didn't question it at the time, but maybe she was running off to Murphy instead. On the other hand, does Murphy have any sway in San Patricio? If he could intercept a telegram, that might've done the trick as well. Either way, we're better safe than sorry at this point." He scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"I believe her plan was to see if she could gather up some more horses for us, but she went on about it by her lonesome - so I don't know if that means she's possibly informing Murphy's agents in and about town of what we're gonna get up to. We should assume they'll have some advance notice of our coming."

”Murphy’s got sway all over the county, Ranger. Some think all over the territory by now,” Bauer says.

”I recall that Ike Ellis told me once that Kearney had told him that she had her best luck catchin’ mustangs kinda northeast of Lincoln, away from the road the stages and the packers use. She did say she was going to try to scare up some fresh mounts. I might head out that way, see if I could pick up her trail. Talk to Ike on the way. See if she’s spoken to him or any of his hands today.”

”One of us could ride over that way with you, Deputy,”  Bonney offers, ”if that’d be alright with you.”

”I’d be obliged, Mr. Bonney,” she answers with a smile and a nod.

Returning her attention to Lee, she says, ”Ranger, this might be a harebrained idea, but I had a thought.”

“Mr. Murphy...that big ranch house of his was built from scratch. The carpenter that oversaw the work, and did a bunch of the plannin’, she’s still in Lincoln. Name of Tessie Ulsen. I heard she’s taken to drinkin’ the last couple of years, but she still might know somethin’ useful about how that place was put together. She lives west of town, not too far from where Reverend Benton used to stay.”

"On the way back to town, then? Seems like it would be worth a stop, though we would need to make it a quick one. I don't wanna leave Garrett and his folks undercut, just in case Kearney did sell us out," he said.

"And I do think it would be good if someone rode with the Deputy here. Folks that are alone are more likely to get bushwhacked by Murphy and his goons. I'd rather have all of us together."

"Mr. Bonney, I thank you for your candor and for your assistance in this matter. We're meeting by Ike Ellis's place at sundown. We'll wait for you there. Might wanna come a little roundabout, just in case anything is afoot at the time. Tonight we put an end to the man calling himself Lawrence Murphy's grip on this region."

”I’ll go with her,” Chavez y Chavez tells Bonney. ”We can gather up Charlie from the courthouse on the way.”

He steps inside the bunkhouse, returning a moment later with his rifle.

”We’ll be there, Ranger. And we’ll be careful not to be followed,” Bonney tells Lee, ”I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long, long time.”

His smile broadens, taking on a mischievous quality. ”But, I did tell you I had a couple of conditions. One it seems we worked through just fine. But the other...”

He nods toward Castillo. ”The other is that if we somehow make it out of this mess alive, I get to buy the señorita a drink at the Thornton-Curry, once Miz Thornton’s open and serving again.”

"That ain't mine to decide," he said, glancing over at Jacinta.

"If we get out of this alive, I'll be buying you a drink, gringo," Jacinta laughed.  She pulled her hat down and nudged her horse in preparation to leave.

Albert frowned at the exchange between Bonney and Castillo. He'd been willing to let the general lead this particular discussion, but it had certainly taken a turn for the worse just at the tail end. Still, if everyone escaped with their hides intact, that would be a rather major victory. And he wouldn't begrudge nobody nuthin.

OOC: Before I move things forward, now that the support of the Regulators has been secured, is the plan for the group to ride back to Lincoln, possibly stopping off to speak with Tessie Ulsan, or are there other plans? Is there anyone who wants to ride along with Bauer and Chavez y Chavez?

OOC: Albert would like to speak with Tessie, yes. Albert probably has several things in common with her.

He'd ride with Bauer, too, but I think one precludes the other.

OOC:

Lee's main interest is in getting back to Lincoln, stopping by with Tessie en route.

Before she and Chavez y Chavez depart, Bauer provides her fellow riders with directions to Tessie Ulsan’s cabin, warning that she’s uncertain about how receptive the carpenter might be to visitors. The deputy and Regulator then depart at a gallop, cutting across the foothills as they head for the wilderness northeast of Lincoln.

Bauer’s directions prove easy to follow. A cool afternoon breeze rustles the grass of the rolling plain where Reverend Benton’s now vacant rectory stands. A short ride from it brings the group to a cabin and small barn, both sturdily built, the carefully arranged lumber clearly the work of expert hands. The buildings show signs of neglect, however, the elements having been allowed to batter sections of the walls that have been left unrepaired. Weeds grow in clumps around both structures and within the rectangle of a forgotten garden. Several glass bottles sit on either side of the entrance to the residence, collecting dust and sunlight.

From within the house, a series of low barks sounds as the riders approach. The noises continue until a voice interrupts them. A moment later, a slender, blonde haired woman emerges into the porch carrying a shotgun, a russet colored hunting dog at her side. She squints up at the group. ”Think you might’ve come to the wrong place,” she tells them, ”You’re looking for Becerra, the rope maker, his place is a little further west. Just over the next rise.”

Albert smiled warmly at the woman as she greeted the riders. He dismounted to put himself on the same level as her. "No ma'am, we are looking for Miss Tessie Ulsan. We haven't met, but I'm Albert Cooper. I'm Henry and Alice's nephew."

He gestured at the others. "We're hoping ta have a brief chat with ya."

Ulsan tucks the shotgun under one arm. ”Your aunt and uncle are real good people. I did some work for ‘em once when a storm tore up part of the roof on their house.”

She looks over the group with open curiosity. ”What is it you were interested in talkin’ about?”

Albert nodded at Tessie's impression of Albert's kin. He took a breath as she asked why they wanted to speak with her. "Well, word is ya might know somethin' 'bout how the Murphy ranch house was constructed. We'd be interested in what ya know."

Jacinta also dismounted, following Cooper's lead, and gave the woman a nod as her gaze passed over.  As with Bonney's gang, she kept her rifle sheathed.  On the ground, her hand rested lightly on the neck of her horse, giving the mare a scratch.

”I had a lot to with the buildin’ of that house, Mr. Cooper,” Ulsan replies, her expression darkening, ”and I’m sure not proud of it. Back then, I thought L.G Murphy was just a cattleman with big dreams. Someone aimin’ to be the next John Chisum. I didn’t realize...”

She takes a deep breath and releases it. ”What exactly’s your interest in that house?”

"My name is Bryan Lee, of the Texas Rangers. You might have heard, but not long ago many of the local children had been kidnapped. We here and a few others had a role in rescuing those children. The evidence leads us to believe that Murphy had a hand in that particular bit of nastiness. I'm investigating him in relation to that crime, and others. If there's anything you could tell us about the construction of the house...anything special about it...anything that set it apart...that would be much appreciated," he said.

Ulsan reaches down and scratches the top of the hound’s head.

”Almost sounds like you mean to ride over and arrest the bastard.” She shakes her head and smiles. ”That would be a thing to see.”

“If that is your intention, you need to know that Murphy had an escape route built into that place, in case the likes of you, or some of his enemies ever decided to come calling. At the northernmost wall of the cellar, there’s a door what leads to a tunnel. Takes you out to the stables behind the house.”

Jacinta grinned at the woman.  "An interesting notion," she said casually.

Albert nodded at the information, and lifted his hat slightly off his head before replacing it. "Thankee, ma'am. We appreciate the help. That just might help with his capture."

Albert paused and frowned. "Once our work with Murphy's done, I may stop back here. Just ta talk. If ya don't mind talkin'." He paused again. "And if anyone asks, tell 'em I was askin' if yer available ta do some work fer my aunt an' uncle."

Ulsan nods. ”I hope it does,” she tells Cooper. ”I wish ya’ll the best of luck in gettin’ it done.”

“The trap door...it’s in the last stall in the back, on the left, if you’re facin’ the stable. Murphy never had a horse in it. He always had several men watchin’ over the place. Told other folks it was because he wanted his prize horses guarded.”

The hound nudges her and she gives her another pat. ”Ya’ll take care. And, if’n you want to come by again, Mr. Cooper, you’re welcome. I don’t get much in the way of visitors around here.”