The bandit catches the bullet on his shoulder. He grips it, cursing, and falls back into the hallway.

"What are you doing back there?" he shouts from out of sight. "Get out, and we'll let you go. Come on, the offer ain't good all day."

Louis hears the sounds of breaking and shouting from elsewhere in the bank.

Another voice comes from the hall, this one a woman.

"What's going on?"

"Someone's playing hero in there with the manager!"

The Wild Dice is always 1d6, so your Shooting would be 1d10+1d6.

Louis lets the man fall and if he can fires at the other bandit as he flattens against the wall for cover beside the door.


Louis L'Amour rolled 19,5 using 1d10,1d6, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of (10+9)19,5.  Shootin.

 Louis L'Amour rolled 5 using 2d6, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 3,2.  Damage.


-

Louis has his stolen handgun levelled at the doorway, ready to fire. Suddenly the wounded man stumbles into the doorframe. He looks surprised. He has scarecely caught his balance when Louis shoots him. The surprise will now never leave his expression as he hits the opposite wall.

The man who pushed the other bandit steps around the door frame. Louis is cocking the hammer when the man levels his own gun and fires from the hip. Louis expects to die in that moment, and time seems to slow down. He takes in every detail.

This new man is wearing a black duster and a black hat. He has several tin stars tucked into the hatband, each with 'sheriff' or 'deputy' or 'marshal' scratched out. His face is concealed by a metal face-plate that covers his nose, mouth, and chin. He has a scar beside his left eye. His boots clank, nearly as loud as gunshot.

Louis feels pain in his hand as the gun bursts. Shattered metal digs into his palm and fingers as the masked bandit destroys his pilfered pistol. Before he can react, the man is aiming a second pistol at his face from a foot away.

There is a second of tense silence as Louis' senses catch up. Then the man, muffled slightly by his mask, says,

"Put your hands up, then turn to face the other direction."

Louis does what he is told, dropping what is left of the revolver onto the floor. He crosses the room and waits.


-

Louis faces the wall. He hears the other bandit enter the room. The manager suppresses a whimper.

"Now?" Queries the woman's voice he heard before.

"Yes. Take care of it now," says the mask-clad bandit.

Louis winces as he hears a gunshot, but once again does not die. He opens his eyes. Out of the corner of his vision he can see the manager, lying against the wall. She has a bullet in her head.

"Give me your gun," the male bandit says. The woman protests briefly, but then stops.

Louis feels something at his side. He glances down to notice a gloved hand slide a revolver into his hip-holster.

"Welcome to the gang," says the mask-clad bandit in his ear. Suddenly there is an explosion of pain at the back of his head. Louis' world goes black.

****

Loius wakes up with a start. He glances around and sees that he is still in the manager's office. She is dead, with a gunshot wound to the head, and has not been moved. The murder weapon is in his holster.

Something feels odd, and he reaches up to touch his face. Someone has tied a bandanna around his face, as though he were concealing his identity.

The room has been ransacked. Papers and accoutremants are scattered everywhere. It is a mess. The manager's clock has been knocked over and is on the floor now. It has only been a few minutes since the fight.

Louis removed the scarf around his face and flicked it and the gun towards the body of the bandit he had stabbed. Standing he clutched his wound as he made his way out of the bank.


-

Louis tries to remove the scarf and finds that it is knotted quite tightly. He tries to at least turn it around so he doesn't look like he is hiding his face. Unfortunately by chance or design the knot has some of his hair woven into it.

The sound in and around the bank has died down somewhat. Now he can hear shouting and horses approaching.

TN 4 of whatever skill you want to use to de-mask.

Louis tries the knot gain and then when that does not work he uses the letter opener. If he is able before help arrives he will lie down at the edge of the desk near the toppled chair he was sitting in and play dead.


Louis L'Amour rolled 1,1 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max, unique dice with rolls of 1,1.  Smarts. That's not going to do it.


-

Louis lays down and tries to create a non-threatening impression. A few moments passes, and he feels secure in trying again on the bandanna. This time, he manages to work in the point of the letter opener and prying it loose. Instantly he is a law-abiding citizen again.

There is a creak. The floorboards near the door shift when someone puts their weight on it. From his recumbent position, Louis cannot currently tell who it is.

Staying still Louis remained in place as whoever got closer. He would not move until someone turned him over or checked the woman.


-

Someone eases into the room, slowly. Louis feels something prod his foot gingerly. He does not move. The person quickly leaves the room again.

A few minutes later some more people enter the manager's office. They are decidedly less retiring. Their boots stomp and spurs jingle as they enter.

"What a mess!" a man exclaims. "One, two, three... Four bodies. Looks like she put up a fight, didn't she?" he says with black humour. Two more men laugh.

Louis feels the man he stabbed pulled away from him. A rough set of hands is placed on his legs as well.

As they make a move to drag his out Louis makes a cough and then another as he turns on his side and spits out a glob of blood and spit. he then says "Bastards shot me...."

He continues to lay on his side.


-

"Hey, sheriff, this one's alive! Looks like he was shot."

"Was he one of them? I ain't bringing him to the doctor if we're just going to hang him anyway."

Louis' vision is filled by a badly-shaved man's face. His breath smells of onions and his ten-gallon hat is too large for him. He is squinting at Louis inquisitively.

"Well, then, buddy? You one of those no-good bank robbers?"

"Agrr... no I was here for an appointment with the manageress, I was getting a loan. Names in the day book, has been for weeks..." Louis gives another grown and rolls onto his back...


-

"Good enough. You two, get him to the doctor. I'm going to check out back."

The two deputies ease Louis to his feet and help him walk. They escort him to the front of the bank.

It's a busy scene. The townsfolk are gathered in a crowd in the street. Some of them are here out of concern and curiosity. Others are assembling into a militant posse.

The deputies bring Louis to the doctor's office. Soon enough, he has been stitched up. Then the doctor asks to be paid.

"Five dollars should set it right," he says.

Louis checks his pockets and finds he has been robbed. He quickly checks his satchel and finds that his one hundred dollars for his loan security has been stolen as well!

"Never mind, doctor. This one's part of our official business." One of the deputies hung around to see that everything went well. He seems very smug about this remark.

The doctor nods. "I'll add it to the sheriff's account, then."

When the Doctor was done Louis eased himself off the table and clutching his side he makes he way back to the bank looking to collect his weapons that he deposited. If he can't find the lock box he will ask one of the deputies or the Sheriff if he is still around.



-

Sadly, the two men who were guarding the front of the bank have been killed. On their initial approach, the bandits fired heavily on this area. Without any cover, the guards were killed despite fighting back.

Someone has broken the lock on the chest. One of the deputies is standing next to it, but he seems more interested in the organization of the posse than making sure people collect their correct belongings.

Louis approaches the box. He sees his guns and knife waiting for him. He also sees a derringer, a pistol with a pearl-inlaid handle, and a box of bullets.

"A stroke of luck, finally." Louis thought as he retrieved his property and righted the box putting the other items back in it for their respective owners, who would probably not be returning. He stood and watched the men getting ready somewhat surprised that the town in general still gave a damn about law and order.


-

There seems to be some consternation among the posse members. Initially they all seemed very excited. About twenty men and a few women had planned to take part, waving their shotguns and hunting rifles. Now they are growing impatient. The sheriff and some of his deputies seem to be in private conversation, avoiding anyone else.

"Did you have money in the bank, too?" one man asks another.

"Nah, I've never saved a nickel in my life. I'm coming along because the sheriff promised a five dollar reward to anyone who helps out!"

One woman is ignoring the conversation. She appears to be staring intently, eyes narrowed, at the lawmens' conversation taking place a hundred meters away.

Louis approaches the woman as the preparations continue around him. "Good day, Madam. Louis L'Amour at your service." He gives a slight bow, unsure if his approach will be appreciated.


-

At first she does not appear to notice him approach. Even as he speaks, she doesn't look up. Then a moment later, she looks around and sees him. She starts visibly. Then she clasps a relieved hand to her chest and laughs soundlessly.

"You startled me," she says with an odd accent. "I was just watching the sheriff and his people talking. I can read lips, and body language, quite well."

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 41):

"I would imagine they are saying lets go out for a bit of a ride, collect our cash and go to the bar, Yes ?"


-

"No. They're saying that they have to go back on their offer to pay the posse. Something about how the bank isn't going to be able to pay them, so they can't pay us. The sheriff is telling them to handle it, and they're worried about us becoming unruly."

Now that Louis is listening to her more extensively, Louis can tell that the woman is Deaf. Her english is local, but her lack of hearing affects her speech.

She looks at Louis more closely. "It looks like you were already in a fight today. You're probably glad you don't have to get into another one, right?"

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 43):

Louis looked down at his bandaged wound and then back at the Lady, "Yes I  am not up to it as you can see. I was in the bank at the time of the robbery and they pretty much cleaned me out."


-

And so, the young man's dream of stable prosperity ends with a single act of violence and robbery. He is soon forced to fall back on his skill as a gambler to make a living, and must leave the territory for greener pastures. Always one step ahead of sore losers and the occasional greedy winner, he prefers to adopt a charming pseudonym: Louis L'Amour. Still, he never forgot the black-clad gang leader with the scar beside his left eye.

End of Solo Prologue. Gain 10 dollars, and 1 Advance.