”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.”