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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 4915774" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter Eighteen, “Go West Young Man”, Sunday, December 3rd , 1882:Starting off early, they review the map and conclude that Dutch Jack’s mine is a considerable distance to the west, and when they reach it they will probably be one-third to one-half of the way back to Promise City.   This is consistent with what Gonzales, Pedro and Dorita thought, believing the sword to be closer to Promise City than the teenagers are now.    That also means that they do not need to return to Dead Mule after they find it, so they ensure that they have a sufficient amount of supplies with them.   Jake decides that after they depart the team he will follow the group in the rear to check that they aren’t being followed.    Their wagon, buggies and horses head off on the old wagon trail, which was the original path from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Tucson, Arizona.    It was regularly used until two decades ago when Cochise’s Apache went on the warpath.   By the time the Apache threat ended the westbound railroads had been established further north, eliminating the need for a wagon trail.   They travel a short distance until the see a cabin, the map of which shows one as a landmark.   The Bittercreek Butte is seen in the distance.    They travel further, approaching San Carlo Peak, until the road forks.   The old wagon trail appears to continue on the northwest side of the fork, the other fork being the road currently used by Wells Fargo.   They decide that the older trail is what the map indicates.   They ride on for another hour, now seeing a large flat teetering rock three miles distant.   Continuing on, they reach a dry streambed by noon, which is clearly marked on their map.  Steep hills continue both north and west, with the streambed and road heading on northwest between these hills.   The steambed is still slightly damp on the bottom, as the previous day’s flash floods had washed along it.  Remembering the flash floods, Cathleen says, “I say we get out of this area as soon as possible, in case more thunderstorms come up this afternoon.  Drowning is bad.”  Jake asks the druids to check the weather.  They conclude that it doesn’t feel like rain, so they think it is going to rain at all today.  They debate whether to search for a well that is on the map, so head south from here looking for that landmark.   They spot a marked grave on the opposite side of the stream.  They cross the streambed at this point and investigate the grave, concluding that it has been here a long time, possibly for decades.    They debate if digging up the body would reveal any clues.  With Thocks’s help they dig down to the casket, which they pull out.  Inside the casket is a gray haired skeleton wearing rags.   They put it back and rebury it, concluding this was a waste of time.They continue to the northwest again, coming upon the well a half-mile later.   The well has water inside.  They continue on a northwesterly course for another ninety minutes, seeing a towering cactus, one arm of which is charred and stunted.  This too is on the map.   Continuing to the northwest and avoiding a mark on the map showing a skull-and-crossbones, they travel on for several more hours.  They reach a natural triangular stone formation with a man-made fences constructed from cactus and brush, forming a one-time makeshift corral.    There is a triangle on the map, which they conclude is where they are.   They move on and by early evening see a large teetering rock, which is also on the map, indicating that they are somewhere between two-thirds and three-quarters of the way to their destination.   They decide that since they have a few more hours of sunlight they should head easterly for another hour or two before stopping for the night. They eventually come upon some bleached and blackened ruins of what had once been a wagon train.   Horse and oxen bones remain, it appears to have happened many years before.  The wagon has bullet holes and broken arrows imbedded in it.   Colleen says, “Let’s not stay here, I have a bad feeling about this place.”  Ginnie explains why she thinks it would be safe to stay here, since people may stay away, thinking the area haunted.  Colleen points out that it may indeed be haunted, so they shouldn’t stay either.  It is relatively flat desert here, the hills another ten miles distant to the northwest.   Jake is uncomfortable about camping out in the open, and there doesn’t appear to be any other cover within sight, so suggests staying here and using the ruins of the six wagons as a wind block and partial cover.  Gathering scrub firewood, Ginnie thinks she sees movement to the east.  [DM’s note: Amazing luck from the players, each character only had a one-to-three percent chance of spotting this, and Ginnie’s player rolled an 01 on the percentile dice.]   Using the telescope, Jake and Ginnie identify one as an elf and the other as Antonio Mendoza.  Back in town they had heard that he hired an Indian guide.    “So they’ve been following our trail,” Emily exclaims.    “With this many horses and vehicles that wouldn’t have been hard for an Indian tracker to do,” Ander states.   They suggest an ambush on Mendoza.  Ginnie says, “Hold on guys.  I just remembered something.   Mr. Gonzales was excited about Priestess Minerva Florencia coming to town because she was a Spaniard, and there is apparently a curse on the area where the sword is hidden….which only a human Spaniard can get through.”   Emily says, “Okay, so we can’t kill Mendoza.”   Jake says, “Hold on a minute here.  Does he have to be a live human Spaniard?   I have my fancy long-range rifle here, does he have to be alive?”   Ginnie says, “Maybe Colleen can charm him.”  Colleen whines “I don’t want to this time, I already have a Thock as a stalker.”</blockquote>

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