Marshal Colburn considers Riley’s question for a short moment and responds with a shake of his head. “We’ll leave this up to the locals, Mr. McClean. Sheriff Rodgers is a straight man. He’ll get it sorted.”
Dakota and D’Artois ride swiftly north to Willow, a mid-sized town with little to set it apart from the others that seem to be popping up all across California as more and more Easterners arrive. A passerby points out the Sheriff’s office, and you quickly explain the story to the grim-faced lawman. “I’ll be happy to take over, boys. Sounds like you and the Marshal were at the right place at the right time. I’m much obliged.”
He rushes out to gather up a couple deputies and a wagon for transporting the prisoners and arms back to Willow. While he is out, you take a moment to relax and stop in the General Store to purchase Bear Trap’s libation.
D’Artois pulls Dakota aside as the shopkeeper heads into the storeroom for a bottle of his finest whiskey. Uncharacteristically nervous, he smiles and takes off his hat.
“I been thinking about this trip, and I’ve decided it just doesn’t suit me. I’d appreciate if you could give the Marshal back his advance for me, and give him my apologies. There’s a coach here that can take me back to San Francisco, and I think I’ll take it. No hard feelings, right, Dakota?”
The gambler places his wide hat back onto his head and tips it at the cowpoke in a silent farewell. He tosses the remnants of the Marshal’s advance into Dakota’s waiting hand and makes his way out of the establishment, whistling an upbeat tune.
The Sheriff readies his group quickly enough, and you arrive back at the site of the landslide in short time. Deke and his boys barely speak as they are bound and placed in the wagon alongside the rifles. The Sheriff’s deputies take the cargo back to Willow. The Marshal speaks to Sheriff Rodgers for a few minutes to clarify the details, and the Sheriff heads off, waving his thanks at the travelers.
“Time to get moving.” Colburn gathers up the men and gets back into the saddle.
The days after the incident near Willow are uneventful, with the only change being the surroundings. As you head north, the air temperature drops as quickly as the elevation rises. The nights start getting very cold by the time you reach the two week mark in your journey, near the small town of Gibson in the north of Shasta County. The sky has threatened snow for a couple days straight now, and you see the rugged peak of Mount Shasta rising up in the distance in the few moments where the sky clears.
ooc: Everyone should take this opportunity to look over their character sheets and make sure you have everything you need for the trip into the mountains. Gibson is the last lick of civilization until you reach Deepwood, another three days of slow riding through treacherous terrain and foul weather to the base of Mount Shasta.
