Bad Moon over California

[Bobitron]

Buckley glares about the area with murder in his eyes, raising his rifle and swinging it wildly around the horizon.

"Cal! You OK back there?" The concern in Buckley's voice is easy to hear. A low gurgle from Cal is the only answer.

"Dammit Callahan, yer goin' to hell fer this!"

Another shot rings out in the cooling air, hitting the groud in front of Buckley's mount.

"Back off, cowboy!" This voice is obviously coming from the smaller hill to the north, and is tinged with a thick Irish accent. "Me boys'll fire if ye don't turn back! Take what's left of ye herd and head south like ye planned!"

Buckley turns his head to the group. "We can't just turn back! Cal's dyin', and my herd is 'bout to be stolen away!"

 

[hobbit_killer]

Bear Trap

Bear Trap pulls his horse up short and angles it back so that some brush is between him and the big hill. "Marshal, we got at least one with a Sharp's like Ellie here up on that big hill. That means this cowpoke here is breathn'is last on God's greem earth." I'll be right honest, I ain't never been in a shootout before but I can't just stand by while a man's life is taken over some cattle."

 

[The Shaman]

They sure got the bulge on us. Dakota’s eyes strain to see the rustlers without success. Quickly he throws a leg over Lightning’s back and guides the bay to the ground. “Stay down, boy,” he says, stroking the horse’s neck then reaching for his rifle in the scabbard lashed to his saddle.

<ooc> Handle Animal 30 (take 10 +20 skill and class abilities) – both Dakota and Lightning are prone behind the bush in A3.</ooc>

 

[Max]

Riley McClean

Riley watches the smaller hill with his Spencer ready for a quick shot, as that is where this Callahan appears to be. He's trying to spot anyone about to take a shot from there, preferably before it happens.

Riley quietly informs the Marshall of what he has heard, while he watches. "Well, I can make out three different voices arguing from behind the big hill. They don't sound happy to have you out here. Maybe you oughta let everyone know real loud we got us a real live US Marshal out here, not just a bunch of Buckley's cowboys. Might get some of them to back off," he quietly suggests.

"As for how to go about this, we ain't got spit for cover. That leaves speed or darkness if you wanna avoid gettin ventilated. So, we either gotta charge up there a horseback, or wait for full night and try sneakin around them. One way obviously being faster than the other."

"The worst thing we can do is just sit here in rifle range doing nothing, so we gotta either go now or pull back and wait for full dark."

 

[Bobitron]

OOC: Sorry, folks. It was brought to my attention that I made a mistake by placing D'Artois on the map when he should have been back at the camp. Please ignore his presence on the map. I will use the spot/listen check you posted as your checks for back at camp, syn.

 

[знаток]

"You're right Mr. McLean. If any of you gents aren't interested in being here, you'd better take Cal and move out. I'll take 'em alone with Buckley here if need be." The Marshal moves his horse to the front of the group and raises the barrel of his rifle into the air, resting the stock on his thigh.
"Mr. Dooley, you may've succeeded in decimatin' this man's herd, but you got yourself a whole new sorta trouble now!" he calls out. "Firing on a US Marshal ain't nothin' to poke fun at, and so far's I'm concerned, that's what you done here. Now I want you and your boys to think real hard about what you're gettin' yourselves into. I suggest you point those weapons in another direction and be on your way."

Intimidate: 22

 

[Bobitron]

The first voice you heard, now obviously coming from atop the larger of the hills, shouts out onto the riverbank. "You can take a walk jess as easy as we can, Marshal. We ain't got no argument with you and yers, and I know exactly who I shot. My shot's pretty damn near dead on, and I wern't aimin' at no lawman."

Callahan calls out as well. "Buckley, ye take Cal back to his mother. She'll be wanting to bury her son. If ye don'na turn back, we'll send ye back with more corpses ta carry. Johnson, if those men move an inch in our direction, you punch a hole in them with that cannon."

The first voice, presumably Johnson, voices agreement.

Buckley turns to the Marshal. "Dammit, Marshal, yer man's right. We're in no postion to fight these cowards in this way. Let's act like we're headed out, and come back in all sneaky like from the south. We'll catch 'em while they're roundin' up what's left of the herd. I bet they got a bunch of wranglers pullin' swimmers outta the Clementine as we speak, just downstream. The sun's down now, and we'll have the darkness on our side within a half hour." He looks to Colburn for a decision.

 

[знаток]

Marshal Colburn

"Sounds like a plan to me, my man, and the right one at that. I jes wasn't plannin' on lettin' you go in alone. Let's get outta here fellas."

Without changing his position or lowering his rifle, he calls again to the men on the hills. "Killin' an innocent man ain't no different than shootin' straight at this badge you see here. You boys ain't too smart now, are ya? I've got three names now that'll damn sure be changed to mud before you get too comfortable, 'cause if you don't know it already, I'll tell you right now...the law's a bit bigger than me. So we'll see ya 'round, 'less you got somethin' more to share." Colburn pauses while Cal is laid over his saddle, then begins backing the horse away.

 

[hobbit_killer]

Bear Trap

Bear Trap remounts his horse and starts backing up with the Marshal giving one last scan to the big hill.

OOC: Spot=15+6=21

 

[Max]

Riley McClean

As soon as the Marshal indicates the posse is leaving Riley rides back the way we came quickly, until he is getting close to 200' away from the hills. Then he stops and faces the hills again, with his Spencer ready to provide cover fire for the others as they load up the body and ride away, in case anyone from the hills opens fire.

If there is a shot, Riley will return fire immediately. He will aim slightly to the right of the muzzle flash. That's Riley's right, not the shooter's right.

Riley takes a double move (120') away and readies an action to return fire, if someone from the hills shoots. That is more than can be done in one round, but we seem a little loose on the rounds right now. You can make it take two rounds if you're really counting.