"Revenge, Renewal and the Promise of a New Year" (Boot Hill/D&D)

[Silver Moon]

Chapter Ten, “Busy Night at the Lone Star”, Thursday January 5th, 1882:

The atmosphere at the Lone Star was decidedly different than it had been the last three nights. Usually the patrons were mostly dedicated gamblers. They kept their drinking down to the point where they could keep their minds sharp for the game and paid little heed to Katherine as long as they had their drinks when they wanted them.

The ad in the paper had attracted the men who were more interested in getting drunk and ogling Ruby than in betting. Kate was too busy weaving from table to table to pay attention to the bundle of nerves in her stomach. On one of her busy trips past the slightly out of tune piano, Jake motions with his head for Katherine to come over an talk to him. She slipped between the tables and over to the piano.

He tells her "There's four things I don't like about this. First off, I don't like having my back to so many people. Second, I'm more accustomed to playing after the listeners are more liquored up. Third, I am right offended that they need to offer free beer for folks to come hear Ruby sing. Make sure you say something nice to her. Get her to really show these saloon rats what a fine singer she really is." "You said there was four things?" replies Katherine with more than a little impatience while eyeing the rabble waiting for her to return with drinks. "Oh, right." Replies Jake with a turn of his head and a sly grin. "You haven't brought me a drink yet."

Katherine replies, "Believe me, they're plenty liquored up. And they won't need to offer free drinks again. Word about Ruby will spread and this place will be full every night. I'm not sure that's all to the good. I don't like the feel of this crowd." Katherine looked around at the gaggle of men. "I'll bring you something when I can," she said, and hurried away.

A few hours later the crowd has started to thin out. Most of the chairs and barstools remain occupied but with only a handful of people standing. Ruby’s tip cup is close to overflowing and the tip cup that Cook put atop the piano has a good dozen coins in it. Both gamblers are each now on their third table full of players, having effortlessly beaten the players. There has been surprisingly little trouble thus far. Around ten minutes earlier Tom and Maggie got into an argument out in the kitchen, but Ruby sang louder during it to keep the patrons from noticing.

“It has been a crazy night,” Ruby thought to herself. She was not prepared for such a large crowd and from the looks of it neither was Katherine. Truthfully she loved the spotlight and was used to it from other jobs she had in the past. But her promise to herself was that coming to Promise meant staying out of trouble and she knew that large crowds always meant trouble, especially for her. It was just too tempting and too easy, it had always been that way, and trouble just always found her. She already started down that path by being involved in the altercation earlier that week. And it would have been so easy to take advantage of all the drunken men with their wallets hanging out of their pockets. But from now on she was going to stick to her plan and be a respectable lady. A promise is a promise after all.

Job Kane winds up the current game at his table and announces “Time for a break”. Most of his players head out towards the outhouse while Kane heads into the kitchen to talk to the Whipples. A few minutes after that Maggie approaches Silver Jake Cook and says “Thanks for helping out, I’ll take over now. Tom wants to talk to you out in the kitchen.” Cook empties his tips cup into his pocket and heads through the swinging door into the other room.

Tom Whipple looks exhausted. He says to Cook “Are you interested in taking over Job’s table for the rest of the night? The house gets twenty percent of any winnings.” Cook quickly agrees and looks at Job Kane. The gambler responds to the unanswered question “The crowd scared off our regular players and playing with these guys is like catching fish in a barrel. Tony seems to be enjoying it but I’m getting bored. I’ve also got to take care of something upstairs.”

Job leaves the kitchen and Silver says to Tom “What’s happening upstairs?” Tom replies, “Too much. Earlier today I rented out a room to a young lady named Susie Foreman. Turns out that she’s a strumpet, and she just brought upstairs her third guy tonight. Maggie doesn’t approve of that sort of thing here and is mad at me for renting the room to her. Job said he’d go take care of it.”

Most of the players have returned to the gambling table. Tom escorts Cook over to it and announces “New dealer.” Since all of the players had been loosing to Kane none of them object. Silver starts to shuffle the cards and is dealing the first hand when a pair of gunshots rings out. A bullet flies down through from the ceiling above, passing through the end of a card still being held at the other end by Silver's hand and then into the table. Jake manipulates the card in his hand turning it over and around while examining it. "Gentlemen, let's take another short break. If you will excuse me I need to go get a fresh deck this one will no longer due."

He pushes away from the table and quickly looks around to make sure that Ruby & Katherine are fine, wiggles his Colt in it's holster to make sure it's loose and heads for the stairs. "Damn," he mutters under his breath, "I hope none of them gets tired of waiting for the game to start."

From the stage Ruby saw Jake sit down at the card table then stand up and go upstairs, leaving his table empty. Ruby walked off the stage to keep the gamblers company. She would flirt with them and make them buy more drinks then they had planned. Surely that would make Tom happy. As she walked past Katherine she gave a quick whisper, “What’s going on tonight? What were Tom and Maggie fighting about? And where did Jake go?”

Katherine could only shake her head. "I don't know what the fight was about. Tom sat Jake down at the table to be the new dealer, but he then got right back up again. He held up one of the cards and it had a hole in it, then he ran upstairs." Whatever was going on up there couldn't be good, and she had grown fond enough of Jake to dread seeing him hurt. She tried to shake of the feeling of trouble that had been hanging over her all night.

She smiled at Ruby. "You've been wonderful tonight. And lucky not to be down here. I think my backside is going to be black and blue tomorrow morning. I wonder how Mrs. Whipple feels about the slapping of drunken patrons?" Ruby replies "Thank you for the compliment Katherine. If there is one thing I know it's drunken patrons deserve to be slapped, no matter what the owner says. Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself! I'm going to keep that rabble under control," Ruby says nodding towards the gamblers. She starts to walk away then pauses, looking up the stairs. "But I am worried about Jake..." Kate put her hand on Ruby's arm and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "I have my Derringer just in case. If he needs help..... Do you...have anything?" "Darling, I'm always prepared," Ruby says winking.

Silver Jake Cook has reached an opened door to an upstairs room. He peers. First he sees Job Kane kneeling behind a dresser, gun in hand. He then notices movement and someone behind a bed points a gun towards the doorway. Jake ducking his head back as the gun goes off.

Downstairs, Katherine smiled as Ruby moved over to Jake's table and began to weave her spell over the patrons. Kate hadn't made it more than halfway back to the bar when another gunshot rang out from upstairs. The tray clattered to the floor as Kate hitched up her skirts and dashed for the stairs. Maggie stops playing the piano and most conversations end as well, the customers wondering what is going on. Another gunshot sounds from upstairs, this one heard by all of the occupants of the now quiet saloon. A panic immediately follows, with most of the intoxicated patrons now charging out the front door and a few running through the kitchen and out the back. Somebody yells out "Go Get the Marshall!".


From outside the doorway Cook sees Kane take aim towards the bed and fire down into the featherbed itself. "You there behind the bed." Says Jake loudly from around the corner while quietly drawing and cocking his revolver. "Not only are you going hurt someone, but you are messing up Tom's profits tonight. Any chance we can talk about this, or are you gonna make us blow your head off? You are kind of outnumbered and your odds are getting worse."

The hand reaches out from behind the bed and takes another shot at the door. It also makes a great target for Job Kane, who stands and fires point blank into the arm. A man screams and drops the gun onto the bed as the bullet passes through his arm. A woman screams too, and Jake's gaze shifts over towards a closet in the room, where a young lady is standing, attired only in a bedsheet.

Jake moves quickly into the doorway and points his gun at the man behind the bed. "Freeze!" He yells while quickly looking around to make sure that there is no other hazard. He keeps half an eye on the woman in the closet to make sure she doesn't reach for a hidden weapon.

Ruby was just as fast as Kate. They ran up the stairs side by side as Kate pulled the Derringer from her bodice. She stopped at the top of the stairs as another shot rang out, splintering a doorframe. Kate pushed herself against the back wall of the hallway as Jake moved up to the doorway. She peeked inside the room and saw a woman hiding in the closet, covering herself with a bedsheet. She blushed even as she tried to keep her hand steady on the Derringer.

"Job, is he the only one?" Jake asked. Kate kept her eyes fixed on the woman. If there was only the one man Jake and Job could handle him, but she feared they might ignore the woman.

The wounded man is bleeding on the floor and howling in pain. "It's just them," Job says. "What is going on?" Ruby asks. "He tried to kill me!" the man yells, pointing at Job with his unwounded hand. The gambler replies, "I was just delivering a message from the hotel owner and he started shooting at me." "You shot first," the wounded man replies. "Only after you reached for your gun," Job answers. "Can I get dressed now?" the woman in the closet asks. Kate swallowed and kept her voice as even as possible despite her blushes. "I think you'd best stay very still. If you wanted to be dressed you should have stayed that way."

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter Eleven, “Enter Morgan Earp”, Thursday January 5th, 1882, 10:15 P.M.

Job picks the man's gun up off of the bed and tells Jake "Let's get this guy downstairs before he bleeds all over Tom and Maggie's floor." The scruffy man pulls up his pants with his good arm and hooks his suspenders up over the shoulders of his dirty cotton shirt. He starts to reach for his boots and Job says "Well, get those, start moving." Jake grabs the boot, and as suspected, notices a knife strapped to the inside of one of them. The men walk out the doorway and Job tells Ruby, "Stay with her. Bring her downstairs when she's presentable."

Katherine made herself as small as she could as Jake and Job passed by, dragging the half-dressed and bleeding man between them. She kept her eyes trained on the harlot and followed Ruby into the room.
"Don't let her move just yet," Katherine said and bent down to pick up the flashy clothes that the woman had abandoned on the floor. She quickly searched them for a weapon, but found nothing. "Make yourself decent, if that's possible," she said, throwing the dress at the woman's feet.

As the men head down the stairs they see that Deputy Marshall Morgan Earp has arrived, which is no great surprise given that his office is only two blocks away. Jeff Mills is blocking the doorway and arguing with a plump middle-aged man who wants in.

Earp goes up to the door and says "Go away, place is closed now." The man replies, "Not to me. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution gives me the right to come in. I'm Parker Baxter of the Promise City Herald!" Earp says, "I know who you are and I said go away." Baxter replies, "And I know who you are too. Your family is in thick with the publisher of that Tombstone paper. But I belong to the Promise City Merchants Association, and we pay your salary. Do you want me to make it known that you're favoring out-of-town merchants over those who live here?" Earp pauses a minute and tells Mills, "Let the drunken sot in."

The three men are now down on the main floor. Maggie Whipple heads upstairs to check on the women. Earp walks up to the bleeding man and says, "Who are you and what happened." The man replies, "Name's Keach and he started it," pointing to Job. Kane says, "I work here and was doing an errand for the owner," pointing to Tom, and adding "He reached for his gun and I was just defending myself."

Earp says, "Sounds like we need the judge to decide this. I'll have to take both of you in." The Deputy Marshall then points to both Tom Lucky and Jeff Mills and says, "You guys take him over to Doc Eaton first and get him patched up. I'll be along shortly." The men support the wounded man and the three head out the door.

Baxter sits down at a table and helps himself to some drinks that had been left there as Earp turns to Job, Jake and Tom and says, "Okay, why don't you guys tell me exactly what happened."

“Well Marshall,” Begins Jake taking off his hat, exhaling deeply and wiping his brow to feign relief that this is over, “I heard Tom here ask Job to talk to the occupants of that room, and ask them to leave. Poor Tom here had come to find out that some immoral business was going on in that room. Next thing I know I hear gun shots and I need a new deck of cards.” Jake removes the card from his shirt pocket and hands it to the Marshall.

“So I run up the stairs and peek into the room and see Job trying to get cover behind a dresser and Mister Loco behind the bed like he was commander of fort mattress takes a shot at me. Well, I didn’t even have a gun in my hand!” Jake holds out his empty hands to emphasize. “So from out in the hall way I ask this crazy if he wants to talk instead of shooting, and he shoots at me again! Lucky for me Mr. Kane is a pretty good shot and shot him in the arm. I’d say that this crazy guy is lucky, a less brave man than Job Kane would have shot him dead instead of just taking out his gun arm.” Jake stops and nods towards Job.

“I didn’t see or hear what happened before, but I can tell you I have no respect for a man who takes shots at unarmed folk just trying to help. I wouldn’t trust their word a bit.”

Following Jake’s description of what happened Kane give’s his accounting, and with no ladies present gets a bit graphic about his initial glimpse of what was going on in the room. He adds, “I didn’t even have my gun out. I just told them to get dressed and leave. That’s when he reached for his gun.”

Tom Whipple tells Earp, “I’ve figured out who that crazy guy is. His name is Keach. He lives in a tent west of town where he operates a still. The stuff he brews is so vile that none of the saloons in town will buy any from him. I think he sells it to down-on-their luck prospectors and to the Indians. He probably had too much of his own stuff before he ever walked through my door.

Morgan Earp says to Kane “Sounds like you were on the up-and-up, but he was the one who got shot, so the Judge will still have to be the one to decide this. Give me both of the guns that were fired.” Job hands them over, saying “Guess I won’t be needing mine behind bars. How long are you planning to keep me?” Earp replies “Judge Isby is out on the circuit and won’t be back for a few days, so it looks like you’ll be my guest for a while. Why don’t you go upstairs and pack whatever you’ll need.” Kane says, “Thanks, I appreciate that.”

Job Kane heads up the stairs, passing the ladies on the way down. He stops and reaches into his pockets, pulling out a pair of twenty-dollar bills. He hands one each to both Ruby and Katherine and says, “Looks like I’m going to jail. When the stores open tomorrow please go buy me some books to read and some decent food.” A fat man gulping drinks at one of the tables in the room below notices this exchange of money but is too far away to have heard the conversation.

Tom Whipple tells Jake “I’m sorry that you didn’t get a chance to run a table tonight. With Kane locked up for a while though you’ll have more opportunities if you’re still interested.” "Sure," says Jake to Tom, "I'll cover for Job. I feel a little guilty about it, he's a good man and was just doing you a favor. But not too guilty." Adds Jake with a grin.

As the women reach the bottom of the stairs the fat man who smells like booze runs up to them and says "Parker Baxter, Promise City Herald. Heard that you, uh, ladies, had some problems upstairs tonight with your customers. Would you tell me your side of the story?"

Jake visibly winces when he hears Baxter address the ladies. "This is not going to be pretty. You think the Marshall will be mad if Katherine shoots him?" "By the way Tom," he says just as he turns to leave the saloon owner, "lets not miss our little life lesson today." "What's that Jake?" "Evict the 'Ladies o' the night' between their customers." Silver Jake Cook snickers a bit and moves across the room to watch what Ruby and Katherine do to the obnoxious Mr. Baxter.

Katherine stared at the grinning man, her face slowly turning scarlet. A bottom pinched black and blue she could stand, but to be accused of being a loose woman. Before she even thought her hand flashed out and slapped him smartly across the face. "How dare you suggest that we are... are like her?" She gave the harlot a push forward. "I don't know who told you this saloon was a whorehouse, but they are mistaken."

As Katherine ran out of breath Maggie jumped in. "We run an honest establishment, Sir, and harlots are not welcome. That woman and her, client, are the only customers we had trouble with here tonight and I'll thank you to take your gossip-mongering elsewhere."

Ruby laughed carelessly. She had been called worse things in her life. "You call yourself a reporter? You can't even see what's plain as day in front of your face. You deserve to be slapped again but I won't waste my time. Now Maggie has asked you to leave so I suggest you do so." Ruby leaned in and whispered to him slowly and with an edge to her voice, "And I suggest you do it very quickly..."

"Well, I guess I have all that I need here," Baxter comments. He then rushes towards and out the door, bumping into a few chairs along the way." Morgan Earp suppressing a laugh but a slight smile crosses his face. Maggie then balls up her fists and angrily stomps over towards the harlot Suzie Foreman.

Earp steps between them and tells the young woman. "I sense that Mrs. Whipple would like you gone as well. But stick around town for the trial, we'll need you as a witness. You should leave now." Suzie replies "My things upstairs..." "Will be lying in the back alley in morning!" Maggie yells out. Suzie hurries out the door.

Earp turns back towards Jake, Katherine and Ruby and says "Now, it would be helpful if you could please tell me each of your names and if I could get a statement from each of you ladies as to what you saw?"

"I'm Mrs. Katherine Kale," she paused for a moment. It seemed strange to say Mrs. when Tom was gone.
"I'm afraid there's not much I can tell you that will be helpful. Job and Jake went to the kitchen, and when they came back Job went upstairs and Jake sat down to take over his table. I was on my way over with a tray of drinks when Jake held up a card with a hole through it. He called another break and went upstairs."

Morgan Earp’s reaction upon hearing the name “Katherine Kale” only lasts for a split second but is noticed by Ruby. His mouth opened slightly and his eyes went wide. Jake simultaneously observed the man’s body stiffen up. Earp immediately regains his composure and turns his head away from Katherine and towards Ruby.

Katherine stopped and looked for Mrs. Whipple. "Could I have a whiskey?" She turned back to the Marshall who is now facing Ruby and says to him. "A few moments later we heard a gunshot and Ruby and I ran upstairs. All I could see was the harlot hiding in the closet trying to cover herself with a sheet. Jake was crouched down by the doorway. There was another shot that hit the doorframe, and then a shot I heard but couldn't see. Someone cried out inside the room though. After that there was just talking and Jake and Job brought the man out a minute later. Ruby and I kept an eye on the woman and brought her down. That's all I can tell you, Ruby might have seen a bit more."

"Ruby West, Mr. Earp." Ruby says offering her hand, but Earp ignores it and acts like he is no longer paying attention to anything being said in the room. Ruby still continues, "My story is the same as Katherine's except I was singing from the stage when I saw Jake go upstairs. You should come and watch the show sometime... Anyway, I'm just glad it's over and hopefully it won't be long until Job is back here with us."

Waiting politely for the ladies to finish speaking to Earp, Jake nods his head and says, "Jake Cook." He puts his hat back on his head, thrusts his hands in his pockets and says nothing else. Earp pivots around and looks at him. Jake notices a line of perspiration developing on Earp’s forehead. Jake also recognizes the look in Earp’s eyes as one of genuine fear.

Earp then breaks eye contact with Jake and turns around. He tells Tom Whipple “I’d better be heading over to Doc Eaton’s to check on Keach. Have Kane to come over to my office whenever he’s ready.” Earp then hurries out the door and doesn’t bother to shut it behind him.

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter Twelve, “The Dwarven Prospector”, January 5th, 1882,

Even as she was telling her story to Earp, Katherine's mind was back on the train platform in Tombstone. Colby Tucker was talking. "I knew it was you, ma'am, Tom said his girl'd be the prettiest one on the train." She could smile at the comment now, it was the kind of thing he would have said.

A strange state of disconnection settled on her. She remembered the sweet way Tom had courted her with notes and flowers, picnics and walks in the park, the joy of the first night of their marriage. Kate smiled gently even as she shook off her reverie. It happened less and less often, and now was more likely to bring a smile than tears, but now was not the time to be absent.

Earp was gone, and Ruby was saying, ""Did anyone bedsides me think something is up with Earp?""

"His manners are a little lacking, not taking your hand and all. He sure wasn't brought up in Philadelphia." Jake remarked. "Katherine, be a sweet heart go have Maggie bring three of those whiskey's instead of just one for you. Thanks much."

Yes, she could certainly use that whiskey. Mrs. Whipple was pouring it just as she arrived. Katherine quickly drank it and had her pour another one before she carried them back over to Jake and Ruby.

Jake then says quietly to Ruby, "I don't want to get Katherine all riled up or anything, but our Mr. Earp certainly wasn't happy meeting Mrs. Kale. Not Katherine mind you, but the wife of Thomas Kale." Jake rubs his beard a moment and sees Katherine returning. He whispers quickly, "I wonder if that Chumbley half pint is around or some other folks that may have some background in Tombstone. Something is not right here. Either foul about Mr. Kale's demise or perhaps something that Katherine was cheated after her husbands passing. Ruby, I have a feeling that you are pretty good out gathering information that folks perhaps didn't mean to give away." He stops talking and smiles as Katherine returns.

Jake took one of the glasses. "Here is to you two ladies. You're made of much tougher stuff than your pretty faces would let on."

Katherine threw back the second whiskey. It might not be true of her yet, but she would learn. Apparently gunfights were something she would just have to get used to.

Tom Lucky and Jeff Mills return from the Doc's, saying that Marvin Keach will be okay, the bullet having missed the bone and the major blood vessels.

Just after finishing drinks with Ruby and a pensive Jake says "I need some fresh air." and pushes away from the table. He says his good nights but manages to get close to Ruby and talk in a low voice when the others are looking away.

"I'm going to go hang around the Marshall’s office until they take Job over. Sometimes guilt makes a body do funny things. People are predictable, and when they are under stress they often need to talk. And when people talk, you never know what they are going to say. I'll stay out of trouble. I'll just listen outside his office if I can." Famous last words he thinks to himself.

"We ought to find someone who is good at following our good Marshall around without him knowing if we need to." Jake muses out loud.

"Nanuet. Let's talk to him." Suggests Ruby

Jake departs. Job Kane arrives downstairs a few minutes later. His bag is all packed and is ready to go and Tom Lucky offers to walk with him to the Marshall's Office. Everyone else decides to call it a night. Tom and Maggie thank everyone for their help. Despite the early closing time Tom estimates that they made more money this night than he normally would in a week. Ruby empties her tips cup, which she will later count out to total $ 14.26 (plus a room key to Room #18 at the Palace Saloon).


On the subject of Nanuet, a few hours earlier he had an unsettled look on his face as he heard the prospectors answer to the simple question, being informed that the dwarf’s partner is no longer among the living.

"He is one of many lately who have met that fate. How did your partner meet his end?" the Indian says, trying his wood elf accent. Nanuet has thought much about death in the last few days. His desire for revenge that burned in him for so long was now quenched and replaced with the feeling of remorse. His foolishness had brought the death of an innocent, someone noble enough to help him in his cause so that his desire for vengeance would be gone, someone who preached peace. Death was becoming too common for his liking.

"I hope it was peaceful." he added quietly. The old dwarf looks at Nanuet and says, “No, it wasn’t peaceful. I found him lying dead out by our claim. He had been stabbed a couple of times in the back. Of course around these parts they call that ‘natural causes’.”

Nanuet thinks twice about getting involved with this. What he had come here for was done and over with. Then he thought about the folks who had helped him and it seemed that they would be sticking around for awhile, so against his initial judgement he speaks:

"Any idea who would have done this? Is there a disagreement about your claim or did your friend start trouble with anyone lately? I am interested in hearing the details." Nanuet says as he pulls the chair closer and then motions for the serving girl to get them something to drink.

Flint says "Nobody would'a wanted our claim. Whole thing was a waste of money I tell'ya. Last year we bought us a whole hill near here and have been digging ever since. Ain't found one ounce of silver. Pete headed over there early this morning and I said I'd join him in a bit. Never expected to find him like that.

And we ain't got any enemies at all. We just keeps to ourselves. Slept on the hill in a tent at first but come November it started getting chilly at night and Pete's arthritis started to bother him so we got the room here. Maybe we should have stayed in the tent, and then at least I'd have been there with him.

Don't know why anyone would want to hurt either of us. Nobody ever had any interest in our hill. The only folks we ever saw near there lately were a bunch of ranchers on a cattle drive that came by yesterday morning. But they seemed like a friendly enough bunch. Called themselves the Cartwright family. They was taking 200 head of cattle up to some big ranch they owned near Lake Tahoe, Nevada."

Nanuet speaks a little louder as he stands up

"Sounds like there is something missing from this puzzle. I think I am going to head over there first thing in the morning. Duncan, Chow, got any feelings about this? I am not sure how soon the others will return but I am not waiting up for them. I want to get an early start on this tomorrow. Of course Flint, that is unless you object."

After the conversation Nanuet takes one last gulp of his drink and heads upstairs to his room. On his way he sees Sonoma out of the corner of his eyes and watches her closely as she goes about her work. "I am a lonely man." Nanuet says solemnly to himself as he pulls his eyes off of the lovely wood elf. He slowly continues the climb up the stairs to his room.

Nanuet falls into a restless slumber and he dreams of a windswept plain

Before him stands the centaur, dark hair flowing behind her

"You are lonely because you choose to be lonely. Your path has crossed many who would seek to be your friends. Choose well. Remember to see what others miss for they do not know what to look for. Open yourself to the possibility of the powers and the people around you. It is time for you to release the past anger so that you may move beyond it. For now rest, interesting times are ahead of you."

She wheels on her hind legs and fades into the winds that cross the plains.

Nanuet slips into a deep and restful sleep and awakens in the morning with a vivid memory of his vision and a single blue wampum bead in his hand.

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter Thirteen, “Morning Conversations”, January 6th, 1882, 9:30 A.M.

Jake, Ruby, Katherine and Nanuet sit down at a table for breakfast at the El Parador Cantina and Hotel. Nanuet looks well rested as he joins Katherine, Ruby and Jake for the morning meal. He occasionally plays with a blue bead in his hand. He says, "Anything interesting happen last night? We heard that one of the prospectors was murdered out by his claim. I figured on investigating that today unless something more important came up."

Katherine replies, "We had a little trouble with a harlot who set herself up in the Lone Star last night, but I think it'll come out all right. Mrs. Whipple was very upset. Ruby pulled in all sorts of business last night though. The crowd loved her." Katherine smiled across the table at Ruby. 'We have a little errand to run this morning, but after that we're free. But isn't a murder a matter for the Marshall?"

He replies, "It usually is, but Flint, the dwarven prospector, seemed like the local law didn't care much about it. Made a half-hearted joke about it being considered natural causes. Is your errand personal, or can I give you a hand? I think it is time for me to stop hiding out here and see how my new looks work around town."

As Katherine and Nanuet are talking Ruby sees her chance to get Jake alone. "I think I'd like a walk. Jake, will you be a gentleman and accompany me?" she asks. The both depart

Katherine tells Nanuet, "I can't figure out the law in this town. It seems as if they pick and choose when they want to enforce it. But I suppose it won't do any harm to go take a look. You're welcome to come along with Ruby and I this morning. We just need to pick up some books and food for a friend. One of the gamblers at the Lone Star got into a gunfight taking care of that harlot problem. He has to stay in jail until the judge arrives to clear it up and he asked us to bring him a few things."

After they exit the El Parador Ruby and Jake walked down the street casually walking. She comments, "I've been thinking about what you said last night, about me being good at getting information and all. The truth is you're right. But I came here to try to stay out of trouble and I don't seem to be doing too good a job of it." Ruby pauses then continues. "But Kate has been a good friend to me and I know something is up and I want to help her. She deserves to know if there was some foul play with her husband. So, what did you find out last night at the Marshall’s office? And where do you think I should start looking for information? Chumbley?"

He replies "No luck, Ruby, Earp didn't say anything interesting or incriminating that I could hear." Jake is quiet for a moment. Then he says, "Folks like you and me..." Again he pauses, "No, that ain't right. Look, I gave up trying to stay out of trouble long ago. It never seemed to work for me. Instead I just try and choose my trouble more carefully, and get better at not getting caught." He smiles weakly and shrugs his shoulders. "I guess I won't try and make a living giving out advice."

"Either way I'm in, Katherine is a sweet heart and folks like her don't deserve to be dealt that kind of hand. I don't really know this town very well either. I only thought of Chumbley because he is from Tombstone, his mouth works without stopping, and usually doesn't get what he is tellin' folk. Any folks from Tombstone might do. Maybe even the local paper man, he doesn't seem to like Earp and the Tombstone folks. Maybe I'll talk to Baxter, I think you got him afraid of you already." He laughs. "Besides, I think a cheap bottle of whiskey and two dirty glasses is all it will take to make him talk. I've got to get to the bank soon, so we only have a few minutes. Unless you have a better idea I'll find a way to have drinks with Baxter tonight. What are you thinking?"

Jake and Ruby continue west down South Street. They pass by a well-dressed gentleman who gives them a dirty look before heading into the Great Western Boarding House, across the street from the El Parador.
They continue onward. A plump woman in a calico dress is sitting in a rocking chair on the porch of the Promise City Hotel and Cafe. She yells out to them "Best breakfast in town, only a nickel."

Ruby glances around nonchalantly and in answer to his makes sure no one is close enough to the two of them to hear and says, “Well, we might be able to find Chumbley here. He should make a good source of information. Otherwise we make a trip to Tombstone? Katherine is pretty smart she might figure something out if we do that. I guess you should try to talk to that sleazy Baxter guy. He looks like the kind that all it takes is a drink and he doesn’t shut up.”

Jake replies, "Let's see what we can find out here before we go heading off to Tombstone."

“Might be more dangerous but I could go and talk to Earp. He is a man after all and like you said, I am good at getting people to say things they didn’t mean to.” Ruby ends with a sly smile. “Katherine has been a real good friend to me, we have to help her. But I’m not sure we should get her involved in this. Although she is a lot tougher than she thinks she is. One thing I know… she’ll be mad when she finds out what we are up to if we leave her out.”

Jake looks up and down the street before looking back at Ruby. "Right now we are guessing, and perhaps being overprotective. I say if we get any real facts we let Katherine in on it. It's not like I want to lie to her, but why tear her heart up on our suspicions? Perhaps you ought to see what else you can find out around town before heading after the big guy. I agree, it could be dangerous." And he thinks to himself, “not like that'd slow her down I bet.”

Ruby steps in close to Jake and looks him right in the eyes. “Remember that story you told me and Kate about you growing up? Well I have one just like it. And normally I’m pretty good at not getting caught but some things you just can’t help. That’s why I’m here actually. Besides there are some things about me even you might not like.” With that Ruby steps back a little and holds something up in front of him. When Jake focuses on it he recognizes it. It’s his wallet.

"Heh." Jake smiles a little and takes off his hat. He looks a little embarrassed and holds out his hat. Ruby drops the wallet in it. "Lucky for you I lose all my money at the poker table or that'd be a felony." There is one time I shouldn't have been watchin' the eyes so closely he thinks to himself. I almost wish she kept it, I wonder if she would've noticed me stealing it back?

Jake finishes, "I didn't get to talk privately to Nanuet about tailing Earp. Think about that and if you decide to let him in on it tell me after I get out of here." He points behind him at the bank with his thumb. "If you do decide on something really risky, for gods sakes let someone know."

She replies, “You’d better get out of here, you’re gonna be late for the bank.” Ruby pauses then says, “You know, Kate and I would feel much better if you were working at the Lone Star. Someone to watch out for us, you know? Maybe I could talk to Tom, if you were interested I mean. Anyway, I’ve got some stuff to do with Kate. I’ll try to talk to Nanuet too. Have a good first day. Oh and Jake, be careful. Banks aren’t the safest places to work.”

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Jake says laughing. "You make it sound like my first day of school. We can talk about all that tonight. Bye." Ruby heads back to the others and Jake walks over to the bank. Ruby watched Jake walk away. She was worried about him. But why should she be? She didn't really know him or any of the others really, except Kate. They had spent a good amount of time together. Ruby guessed they jut found each other at a time when they both needed a friend.

Back inside the El Parador, Katherine asks Dorita if she knows where to purchase a book in town. The Cantina owner says that her grandfather is an avid reader and would know. She goes to get him. The elderly wood elf soon joins them.

He says to Katherine and Nanuet "My little bird tells me you want to find a book. I love to read and am proficient in a number of languages, but I seldom have the money to afford books. I buy most books from the Papago Cash Store up on Fremont Street. They sell second-hand books for a quarter and will buy them back from me for a dime once I'm finished with them. They usually do not have many. Last year on my birthday I bought myself a new book at Lacey's General Store over on Allen Street. They had a selection of fifteen to twenty new books, but they charge seventy-five cents to a dollar for each."

She replies, "Thank you, that sounds like just what I'm looking for. If you're interested, I have a few books upstairs that you're welcome to read. I don't know what you like, of course, but I have a couple books of history, one on chemistry, and several books of stories and novels. I'd be glad to share them with you."

Katherine turned back to Nanuet. "Will it be a far ride? If it is I should go change into something appropriate for riding, and I can fetch a couple books for our friend." He answers, "No, I don't believe the ride is far at all. I think we need to take a step back and get our ducks in a row though. Jake and Ruby stepped out I see, hopefully not for long. Once they get back we can talk about what we plan on doing. Certainly we can take care of your errand first."

"I'm sure they'll be back in a moment." Katherine smiled to herself. Those two had been awfully thick with each other last night and this morning. It was none of her business of course, but she'd begun to suspect they might be sweet on each other."

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter Fourteen, “First Day on the Job”, January 6th, 1882, 10:00 A.M.

Jake arrives at the bank. The front door is still locked and he knocks. The door has a small glass window with metal bars covered over by a curtain on the inside. The curtain is drawn back and a man looks out. "You Silver Jake Cook?" the man asks. Jake indicates that he is. The door is opened and a man ushers him inside.

"About time you showed up. I'm Morgan Condon, co-owner of this bank. My brother Frank hired you. We have a few minutes until we open up so I'll show you around. Glad to have you here, as Frank and I have been doing double duty for the past two weeks since our last guard got shot."

Jake stops at that and gives the bank owner a stare. He says, "Oh, it didn't happen here. He had a run in with the new Sheriff over at the Comique Variety Hall and Saloon. Doc Eaton say's he'll live but will always walk with a limp. Can't have us a lame guard, looks too inviting."

A man with a nervous facial tick interrupts "Mr. Condon, it's ten o'clock." Condon replies, "Then we open a little late. I'm showing our new guard the secrets of the place. Can't be having customers around to hear that."

The man walks away and Condon says "That's Scott Taylor, our Head Teller. During the robbery last summer the James Gang held him and his wife Mona hostage at their home. Mona worked as a housekeeper for me and my brother and the James boys forced her at gunpoint to show'em where the safe was in the house. They really outsmarted us on that one. We heard they was in the neighborhood and had moved most of the bank's money to our home figuring it would be safer. So instead of hitting the bank they robbed our home. Lost us a small fortune on that one."

He points to another guy and says "That's Bruce Maxwell, our Junior teller. Only other employee is our part-time maintenance man Danby Jones, but he ain't around right now. You've actually met him before, he worked on the same riverboat as you a few years back. He vouched for your honesty, otherwise we wouldn't have hired you." He shows Jake where two loaded rifles and two loaded shotguns are stored for easy access by employees but out of the sight and reach of customers.

"Come on, let me show you the vault." They head out back and he unlocks a large walk-in vault with shelves lined with bags. "We keep the money in here." There's always one open money bag for the tellers for easy access, but the rest of these bags are all dummies, with a few real bills on top and there rest dummy money, mostly confederate bills. There's a false floor under our feet and the bags of real money are beneath the floorboards. Wish we'd just kept it here last summer, ah well, live and learn." They return to the front and the doors are unlocked.

A few customer have entered and are conducting transactions with the tellers. Condon calls him aside to answer any questions that Jake might have about the job. "So Mr. Condon, besides you and your brother I am the only guard? Condon replie “‘Fraid so, can't afford more than one. Pretty light work week though, as we're only open four days a week and we don't open until ten and close at three, although we'll want you to stick around after that until we've finished the day's counting and closed up the vault, which shouldn't take more than an hour most days.”

Jake then asks, “And what do you do for security after hours?" Condon replies, That's what the vault is for. One of the finest models that the Harrisburg Safe Company ever built. And with the brick building, and bars on all windows, getting into this building wouldn't be a easy task. Plus with the Indian Head Saloon next door there are always people around to spot troublemakers.

Jake then inquires of him. "Am I supposed to be noticeable and clear to all that I am the guard? And although you have weapons stored for use, you don't mind me carrying my own in addition do you?" To which Condon answers, “Frank wouldn't have hired you unless you had one. Make yourself visible. The fact that you're a stranger in town will only help.”

"And excuse me for being the curious type, but would you mind answering two other questions? Did you ever find out how the James Gang knew to look at your house for the money? Condon replies, “Inside job. Their cousin Cleatus James had lived here for the year before that and showed them where to go.”

Jake then asks “What exactly did you last guard do to cross the Sheriff?" Condon replies “He made the mistake of making a joke about Doc Holiday getting shot down by Arcade's Gang. Holiday was a friend of the Earps and Wyatt has a quick temper. I'd suggest you avoid him if you can.”

Meanwhile, six miles southeast of Promise City, halfway between it and Galeyville, Alison Caine is thinking to herself “Why did I ever agree to this?” Over the sound of her horse’s hoofs along the dirt road she listened up and still heard the annoying chatter of the little man seated behind her on the saddle:

“…for a Galeyville edition, but I only managed to sell nine papers and two of them were to you and your mysterious friend….never did get his name…you’ll have to tell me more about him sometime….so I told my editor I would see if these other towns had enough opportunity….not surprised that Galeyville didn’t pan out, given how little silver has come from it as of late….maybe I should check out the town of Dos Cabezas next, heard it’s almost as big as Promise City although about half of the folks there speak Spanish on they may not want to buy a paper written in English.”

Alison tuned him out again and went back to her thoughts. She was relieved to find out that Arcade’s Gang had been blamed for the Comstock House altercation instead of them. In fact, Chumbley even believed O’Dell when he said he knew nothing about it, said that he and Al bought the horse and left for Galeyville first thing that morning. How this little man could claim to be a reporter and be so unobservant was something Al couldn’t understand, but she wasn’t going to object to her good fortune.

But this current predicament, she asked herself again “Why did I agree to take him back? Must have been for the money, yeah that must be way.” O’Dell said for her to go on, and that he may or may not catch up with her later. No big surprise there, given how much he disliked the halfling. Did this Chumbley even realize how fortunate he was to have survived both of his encounters with Black Isaac O’Dell?

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter Fifteen, “Buying Books”, Friday, January 6th, 1882, 10:00 A.M.

Ruby had walked back into the Cantina. Kate was talking to the old elf. Ruby walked up to them, "Ready to go Kate? How about you Nanuet? Busy today or are you ready to go and about in town?"

Yes, I'm ready." Kate turned back to the wood-elf. "We can talk again later today."

"Let's go brighten up Job's day. I rather think he gave us too much money though. From what our friend here says we can get him more books and food than he could use in a week." Katherine folded her napkin back up and laid it neatly on the table, humming softly under her breath. Her heart felt very light today. What an odd feeling happiness was.

"I am ready" Nanuet says after drinking the last of his coffee. "I guess while we are out getting books and sundries we can discuss which direction we are heading next." Nanuet is still nervous about his disguise. He has been practicing his wood elf accent but it is still quite rough. He looks and acts slightly nervous while gathering his few things and getting ready to head out on the errands.

The old wood elf, Manuel Gonzales, says that all of those texts sound interesting. Katherine brings him three books to which he is very grateful and says with a smile "This is wonderful, thank you so much. Perhaps later this day there is something that I can do for you in return."

Nanuet, Katherine and Ruby exit the El Parador and head down South Street and then turn north onto Allen Street. They had already known the location of Lacey's General Store, as it is behind the Lone Star Dance Hall and Saloon and the two establishments share the same outhouse in the alleyway between the two buildings.

They enter the good-sized single-story clapboard structure. The store occupies the front of the building, the back partitioned off as the living quarters for the owner, who introduces himself as Judge Lacey. He is an older man with white hair and mutton-chops. A wool union army uniform is proudly diplayed upon the wall along with a framed written citation recognizing "Lieutenant Lacey for his bravery during the battle at Mechanicsville on June 27, 1862".

The building is well stocked with assorted clothing, dry goods, tools, tack and other general store staples. Katherine inquires about books and he brings her and her companions over to a bookcase on the far wall. He says, "Only place in town to get new books. All of these are fairly recent. Prices start at seventy-five cents and go up to a dollar-fifty except for the new first edition by Tennyson which goes for three bucks."

The first four books on the shelf are histories, all with 1881 publication dates. They are: Story of the Persian War by A. Church; A civil war book titled The Outbreak of the Rebellion by John G. Nicolay; another civil war book titled The Peninsula by Alexander S. Webb; and Our Martyred President: Life and Public Services of James A. Garfield by the Honorable George B. Loring.

There are three books of poetry, again all published within the past year. They are Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier; Farm Festivals by Will Carleton; and the aforementioned first edition of The Song of the Brook by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

There are several works of fiction the first being a new illustrated edition of Sir Walter Scott's classic Waverley or Tis Sixty Years Since; Two volumes of the series The Works of Shakespeare Revised Edition with Additional Notes by H. N. Hudson The first of these is Volume IV: Winter's Tale, Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, King John. and the other is Volume X Cymbeline, Titus Andronicus, Pericles, King Lear. Next is Homer; edited By Ambrosio Firmin-Didot. The Iliad and The Odyssey: Two Volumes in Greek And Latin. The large book is over 600 pages, with the Greek on the left side pages and the corresponding test on the right in Latin; Next is an illustrated 1878 edition of Woodstock or the Cavalier: A Tale of the Year Sixteen Hundred and Fifty-one, by Sir Walter Scott; the last fiction volume is The Adventures of the Ingenious Gentleman, Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra from the translation of Motteux with sixteen original illustrations by L. Hopkins.

Next are four children's books, an illustrated The Thousand and One Nights of the Arabian Nights; a 1879 illustrated translation of Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen; a illustrated book On The Edge of Winter by Richard Markham and Harper’s School Geography 1881.

The last book is an 1881 science volume titled Manual of Mineralogy and Lithology: The Elements of the Science of Minerals and Rocks by James D. Dana.

Katherine quickly pulls the Tennyson volume and the Volume IV of Shakespeare down for herself. Poetry was not something she had expected to find, and although she didn't expect a run on it, she wasn't going to take the chance of coming back later to find them gone.

There were a few other things in the General Store that she had her eye on. She should get herself a pair of good boots. The shoes she'd brought from the East wouldn't do if she was going to be going out investigating. New riding clothes too. She'd brought hers of course, but they were designed for pleasure riding, not hard wear.

"Well, Ruby, what do you think Job would like? I think he'd enjoy the Sir Walter Scott stories. Do you think he'd like the poetry or the war histories?" Ruby gets a little uncomfortable at the question. "Well, um, I'm not really that great at that stuff Katherine. Maybe you should pick out the books..."

Kate waited a moment to answer. She didn't know Job any better than Ruby. "If you like. Why don't you take care of the food then while I look these over?"

She decided to leave back the civil war books, but took Story of the Persian War. She also selected Woodstock or the Cavalier and Don Quixote de la Mancha. If he was interested in poetry she would leave the Shakespeare for him to borrow. Just for fun she picked the Arabian Nights. There was a lot of heavy reading and something light might make him smile.

After she made her selections Katherine sought out the store owner. "Judge Lacey? I wonder if you could help me with a few other things. I need some good stout boots and two pairs of riding pants, all in black. Also, I think I need one of the hats the men wear to keep the sun off their heads, also in black. Is that possible?"

Judge Lacey has everything that she asked for in stock and the boots are a good fit. The pants however are a tad large, but they're a wool/cotton blend so they'll shrink once they're washed. The total comes to $ 21.00. He wraps up the purchases in a three week old copy of the Promise City Herald and ties it with some twine. He thanks her for the business and adds "By chance would you happen to be the owner of that lovely voice from next door that I've been hearing through my bedroom window the last few nights?"

She replies "Oh, I only wish I could sing like that. The voice belongs to my friend Ruby. Right over there, with the red hair." Katherine waves over to where Ruby is looking over the foodstuffs. "Most nights are much quieter than last night. You should come over and see the show. I'm sure you'd enjoy it. She dances as beautifully as she sings."

Lacey replies, "Wish I could, but I promised my Ezra on her deathbed that I'd never set foot in a saloon again. And a promise is a promise. But do tell your lovely friend I'll be sure to set aside something special for her is she remembers to please keep the windows open on the northern side of the Saloon during her performances."

Katherine unconsciously smoothes the black fabric of her dress. "Yes, it's important to keep those promises." She paused a moment and fiddled with her packages. "I'll be sure to tell Ruby, but I believe you'll be able to ask her yourself. She has some purchases to make."

"Decent food, decent food, what would I want to eat if I was in jail?" thought Ruby. She looked over the foodstuffs and picked out a variety of things. She didn't know what Job would like nor did she ever want to know what kind of food would be appropriate for a jail cell. She hoped they would treat him well there and that he would be back at the Saloon soon.

Even though she didn't know him that well Ruby liked him. He had been extra nice to her on her first few days there. Plus now that he was gone and Jake would be working at the bank there would be less people keeping an eye on things at the Saloon. Last night had been rowdy but could have been so much worse.

Ruby walked up to the front of the store and haphazardly pushed the food onto the counter. Katherine was already finished with her purchases and was waiting.

Judge Lacey was finishing calculating the total when Ruby remembered something she wanted to get. "Hold on a sec!" she said as she ran off. When she returned she had a book in her hand. She sheepishly pushed Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen onto the counter. Shrugging she said "I always liked fairy tales."

Judge Lacey gives her a smile and says "Nothing to be embarrassed about, I do too. My Ezra was never much of a reader, so I was always the one to read to our young'ins. Always took a liking to the Fairy Tales by Andersen which is why I bought this copy when I saw it. Beautifully translation by Mrs. H. B. Paull and specially adapted and arranged for young people with original illustrations. Had it for a few years now, as there wasn't any demand for it.

So I was told by your friend that you are the owner of the voice that I've been hearing for the past three or four nights. Your serenade is the prettiest thing I've heard in years. If you remember to keep the windows facing my building open during your performances you can have that book with my compliments."

He charges her $ 2.00 for her other purchases which he wraps in newspaper and ties up in twine. When he passes Ruby the bundle his hands touch hers and lets them linger there for a few seconds before withdrawing them.

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter Sixteen “The Bank”, January 6th, 1882:

Meanwhile, over at Condon's Bank, the maintenance man arrives. He is indeed the same 'Scarface Jones' that Jake remembered from a couple of months of gambling on a riverboat along the Mississippi River. The man wore a scar across his face from a Civil War injury. The man grabbed a broom from the corner and waited until a moment when there were no customers around to sweep out the door any dirt that had been tracked in that morning.

Jones then puts the broom back and heads over to talk to Morgan Condon. Condon tells him "beef stew today" and hands him a dollar. Jones then heads up to the tellers. Taylor says "Sounds good, make that two". Maxwell says "Fried chicken if they have it, otherwise I'll have the stew too." Jones then approaches Jake, winks at him, and says "Hey Silver Dollar, I'm going to go pick up lunch, what'ya want?"

Jake forces a broad smile on his face. "I'll take the beef stew, thanks. Small world isn't it? You look well enough. We'll have to talk later and catch up on things."

During the day Jake will try and get a few minutes with either of the Condon brothers and get their opinions and what they know about the lawmen in town, and if they are to be trusted in a real tough situation at the bank.

Three miles away Alison has reached a small bridge over a stream. From here the road turned from westward to northwest as it continues in the notch between the Dos Cabezas and Chirichuau mountain ranges. "Short break," she says as she stops to water her horse. Much to her surprise the halfling stops talking altogether and lies down in the shade under a tree, pulling the brim of his top hat over his eyes for a short nap.

At the streams edge was evidence of recent visitors, with hoofprints of several dozen animals. Manure left behind looks very fresh and hasn't attracted many flies yet. She concluded that cattle left most of the tracks, with only three sets of shoed horses. Instead of sticking to the road the tracks continue to the southeast and into the Chirichuau Mountains.

Back at the bank a short while later, Jake is beginning to find the job a little on the boring side. It has been a while since Scarface Jones headed off for the food, and while it is still a tad early for lunch, Jake would at least welcome the change in the routine.

While pacing the bank, Jake meticulously examines all parts of the building imagining a gun battle and looking for the best and worst places to be. Where to be if they are in the doorway. What windows could they shoot from? What if they moved towards the tellers’ window? How hard would it be to vault and tumble over the counter to the rifles? And in each spot would he be better with a rifle, shotgun or his reliable Colt. His stomach grumbled a bit which reminded him of lunch. "Danby Jones indeed." He mutters under his breath, and as an after thought looked around to make sure no one heard him. Old 'Scarface' probably stole Condon's dollar. It almost made him laugh out loud.

During the day Jake also surreptitiously examines the weapons under the counter and counted the extra ammo. Shaking his head slightly he commits to himself to clean those after the doors are locked and he is waiting for the tellers to finish up. Hopefully I'll be fortunate enough to never need those he thinks, but let's reduce the odds of a jam at an inopportune time. Jake is always working the odds.

Danby Jones finally returns to the bank with the food. As he brings the small crock pot of beef stew over to Condon the bank manager tells him "Don't think I'll be needing you any more today." Jones brings the food to both tellers then approaches Jake and hands him lunch. Jones says rather loudly "Well, I guess I'll be getting back to my other job at the Livery stable". He then whispers to Jake " Easy pickings huh Silver Dollar. Let's meet at a saloon tonight to plan this out."

"Thanks, Danby, I was starving." Jake forces another smile, and doesn't react to his whisper.

Yesterday I was trying to figure out how I was going to keep busy; Jake muses to himself while eating lunch. Tonight will be just another boring night; get Baxter loose-lipped drunk, visit Job in jail, listen to that fool Jones and his bank robbery plans, and run a poker game at the Saloon. Oh, right and I'll bet Ruby will have something cooked up as well. And Hermes help me, but I have a suspicion that won't be all. "I guess I'll get stinking drunk tomorrow night instead." He says under his breath. "What was that Jake?" Says Frank?

"Uh, I got some stew on my neckerchief, and uh, I think I have a clean one in my travelling trunk next to my bed." Damn this Promise City, Silver Jake Cook thinks while swallowing a mouthful of stew. It's got me talking to myself.

Al Caine rode most of the way with her hat pulled down almost over her eyes, a scowl fixed on her face. She regretted waking the damned halfling now - she was tired and mad, and Chumbley withering in her ear for what seemed like hours on end wasn't helping. “God damn,” Al thought to herself as the halfling chattered. “Does he never stop?”

Finally, though, she guided the horse to a halt in the middle of town and swung herself off the horse. She threw her hat onto the saddle, and clumsily helped the halfling to the ground. "Okay," she said curtly. "Pay up." He handed her the promised $ 3.00, which was hardly worth it for all of the aggravation. Then again, she was planning to come back this way anyhow, so why not profit from it.

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter Seventeen, “Judge Lacey”, January 6th, 1882:

Nanuet stands outside the general store keeping an eye on the horses. He has a way with animals, even more so than most ranchers or cowboys. He breathes the morning air in deeply, toying with a blue wampum bead in his hand.

His reaches for his purse, thinking about how light it is. "I need a horse, but I need to make sure my room is settled, especially considering all they have done for me. Hopefully the smelter will be fixed tomorrow and I can get back to work." he thinks to himself. "What is taking them so long?" he wonders. "Food and books shouldn't take this much time. Rich lady must be buying stuff."

After quickly checking that the horses are tied up tight Nanuet wanders into the store looking around for his companions. Immediately his eye is drawn to expertly crafted dreamcatcher hanging on the wall. He makes his way over to it and reaches for it slowly, recognizing the pattern. It is one used by his tribe for many years.

"How did you get this?" Nanuet asks in a firm tone as he spins toward the counter where Ruby is exchanging money for her packages with the shopkeeper. "Hey, don't you touch that! It ain't for sale!" Lacey yells at Nanuet. Nanuet turns from the display and heads towards the counter trying to listen to what Judge Lacey is saying:

Lacey had turned back to Ruby and says "That there item was Ezra's. She was given it by an Indian sub-chief after she helped his wife birth out a child. Supposed to bring good luck. Can't say it's helped us that much, what with Ezra catching the flu and dying. Almost lost my store back in Tuscon once because of it too. That was back when Cochise was making war with the ranches and a drunk threatened to burn my place down for being an 'Injun Lover'."

Nanuet quickly remembers that he is dressed as a wood elf now and hopes that the comment about his tribe may be overlooked. "My condolences about Ezra. Actually it is supposed to protect children from nightmares. It stops the bad dreams." Nanuet states, interrupting the conversation. "I recognize the pattern, it caught my eye. Why do you keep it if it has brought you so much trouble?"

I keep it 'cause it was Erza's!" Lacey snapped back. "Couldn't bring myself to ever get rid of anything she cared about. She was the world to me. I was blessed to have gotten to spend my life with her." He sighs and says, "Didn't know how I'd ever get along without her. But I've managed. Figured I'd never find anyone who could take her place in my heart." He then glances towards Ruby and adds "But you never know...."

Nanuet looks over his shoulder at the dreamcatcher again and is certain that it is the same pattern his tribe used. He knows many tribes have shared patterns over the years and this dreamcatcher appears has been around for a few years so it could have come from a few different places, but something about it makes him think of home.

"I meant no disrespect. It is a wonderful item and I hope it serves its purpose for you." Nanuet says and then turns to Ruby. "Ms. Ruby, I have a question for you as soon as you are done. I'll carry these packages for you ladies and bring them out to the horses." Nanuet grabs all the packages that Katherine and Ruby have, carry them outside and begins loading their horses with the goods.

Katherine let Nanuet take her packages and then turned away from the counter and tucked herself away behind a shelf. She then reached into her purse and found her handkerchief. It was hard to fight back the tears that threatened, but she would not be caught weeping in public.

She reminded herself of what Judge Lacey had just said. "I was blessed." Kate repeated that to herself. I was blessed, I will manage, and maybe someday I'll love again. Suddenly she smiled even as she sniffed and wondered if Ruby would ever consider a suiter like Judge Lacey.

Ruby tells the man, "Mr. Lacey, I sure am sorry about Erza. She sounds like a wonderful woman. And the dreamcatcher is beautiful I can see why she would have liked it and you would treasure it. And thanks for the book that is awfully sweet of you. I will be sure to keep the window open for you. Any requests maybe?" He replies, "Everything you've sung so far has been wonderful. But if you know "My Dearest Heart" I'd certainly love to hear you sing it."

"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Lacey, I appreciate it. And you can look forward to hearing your song tonight."
Ruby noticed Katherine step behind a shelf. What was she doing? Ruby walked over closer to the shelf. "Kate are you ready? Nanuet is waiting for us outside. Umm, Katherine?" Ruby starts to peer around the corner of the shelf...

Katherine quickly stuffed the handkerchief back in her bag as Ruby peeked around the corner. "Yes, I'm ready," she said, trying to disguise a sniffle. "I see you have an admirer," she smiled, hoping to distract her as she took her friend's arm. Kate began walking toward the door. "Little bit like a fairy tale, hmm?"

Ruby could tell that Katherine was trying to hide being upset about something. She was usually good at reading people. She didn't want to push her though. She was still getting used to her new life. Ruby laughed. "Fairy Tale? I like to read about them, I don't ever figure on being in one, that's for sure. " She put her hand over Katherine's and started walking out. "So long Mr. Lacey, we'll see you again soon I'm sure." Ruby smiled at him and they walked out.

Nanuet was just finishing packing up the horses. Ruby walked over to him and touched his arm. "You have a question for me?" Ruby asks as she and Katherine walk their horses. They head in the direction of the Promise City Marshall's Office and Jail. Nanuet talks softly and and stammers and mumbles a bit when speaking to Ruby.

"I heard you did good with your singing last night, earned a few tips I guess? I was wondering if you had enough money to lend me so that I might buy a horse. I can pay you back with the job at Breakhart mine. My purse is mightly light right now, I was never good with this paper money. Anyway, not even sure if you have the money or can spare what you do have, but I figured I would ask." She notices that Nanuet is flush and embarrassed, hardly even looking at Ruby as he speaks.

Well Nanuet, we very well can't have you escorting us all around without a horse now can we? Of course we'll get you one. I'm sure you'd be very good at picking out a suitable one. We'll make a stop on our way home then." By the time Ruby and Nanuet finish chatting they have arrived at the Marshall's Office and Jail.

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter Eighteen, “The Marshall’s Office,” January 6th, 1882:

"Guess I should go back to where I saw the others last," Al Caine thinks. She gets back on her horse and rides down Main Street and turns south onto Freemont. About 75 feet away she sees Katherine, Ruby and some unknown Mexican man walking into the third building on the right.

"Come along now, Meribel," Katherine said softly to her horse, followed up a quick click of the tongue. She watched the horse step up to the hitching post outside the Marshall's office. It wasn't particularly well trained, nor was it of the best stock, but she had proved her mettle when she didn't spook in the gunfight.

After they had married, Tom brought Katherine down to his stables and livery business often, teaching her the finer points of training. Some of the finest families in town got their driving teams and riding horses from Tom. Meribel might not have fit into those stables, but Kate felt the mare was definitely worth training. She patted the horse’s flanks as she finished tying her to the post and removed Job's books from the saddlebags. A moment later the others were ready and she headed inside the jail.

The Promise City Marshall's Office is a one-story brick building. A gun rack with various rifles and shotguns chained to it is situated along the wall near the door. The walls have over a dozen Wanted posters fasted to it. The rest of the room is sparsely furnished, with a large wooden desk and three wooden chairs. A windowless brink annex building consisting of two cells with thick iron bars is attached to the back of the room. Job Kane is in one cell and the man identified as Keach is in the other. Marshall Wyatt Earp is the only other occupant of the building, seated in a chair behind the desk and reading a book.

"Pardon me," she said as they entered. "We have a few things for Mr. Kane." "Bring them over here, I need to inspect them first," Earp replies. He takes each book and holds it by the front and back cover, fanning the pages over the desk to make sure nothing else is inside. He then examines each of the foodstuffs, poking or running a pocketknife through each to ensure that nothing is inside.

Katherine watched as the Marshall checked their purchases. She had thought to ask the Marshall to send her respects to his brother Virgil who had been kind to her in Tombstone, but Wyatt Earp didn't seem the kind of man who was interested in pleasantries.

Outside, Al put her hat back on and tipped it back a little on her head, waiting for Katherine and the others to come out of the Marshall's office again. She wasn't about to go inside there, not with what she'd heard about the Marshall last time she was in town - no siree.

The horse shuffled its feet a little, restless, and Al quieted it with a gentle pat on the shoulder blade and a few words in a low voice. She was restless too. Uneasily, she hopped off the horse and led him towards the building. She could hear voices inside over the sound of his hooves, but not what they were saying. Maybe she should go in there after all. Just to see... She tied the horse, took a deep breath, set her hat at a jaunty angle, and marched into the Marshall's office.

“Mornin', Mrs. Kale, ma'am; Ruby," Al said boldly. "Good to see you both're still in town." This was a surprise to Katherine. She had not ever expected to see Al Caine again. She and O'Dell had taken off as if hell was at their heels after the incident at the boarding house. She prayed O'Dell wasn't outside. It was fine if he was back, but just outside the Marshall's office was a bad place to be. Witnesses had gotten a good look at him. "Good morning, Al," she said casually. "What have you been doing with yourself this morning?"

Wyatt Earp stops inspecting the items and gives the newcomer a stern look, his eyes stopping at the pair of revolvers fastened to her belt. "Who are you?" he exclaims as he begins to move his right hand in the direction of his own gun. Job calls out from inside the cell "Calm down Wyatt, it's just my cousin, Alison Caine, come to pay me a visit." Earp replies, "Fine, just so she takes off her gunbelt and leaves it sitting on my desk. She can then visit'ya as long as she wants."

Right, well now that we're all acquainted..." Ruby grabs the food off Earps desk and brings it to Job in his cell. "I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I got a bit of everything. I have lots of change, if you want we can bring you a bit more every day. I'm sure it gets lonely in here too." Ruby glances over at Earp who is still scowling at Al. "Oh and Katherine picked you out some real nice books. Right Katherine?" "If I may?" Katherine said perfunctorily to Earp as she retrieved the volumes.

She tells Job "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I picked a couple of adventurous novels, a war history, and something a little lighter," she smiled as she slid the books between the bars to Job. "I bought a Shakespeare volume and book of Tennyson's poems myself. If you're interested in those I'll leave them for you to borrow. I doubt you'll make it through all these though. You'll be back with us in no time."

Job Kane thanks both of the ladies for the books and agrees with Katherine's assessment that the ones she brought should be more than enough for him to read during his stay. He speaks softly to the ladies saying, "Don't worry none about me. Wyatt plays the part of the tough guy but I don't think he means me any harm. And his brother Morgan seems like a decent enough fellow. Heck, even this Keach guy is rather mellow now that's he's sobered up. Says he doesn't even remember anything that happened."

He continues to talk to both women for another five minutes. He notices that Al has complied with Earp's request to remove her gunbelt and is now talking to the Marshall. Job then asks the ladies "So, what's the story with my cousin. You had told me she left town?"

"She did," Katherine said quietly. "She left with a man named Isaac O'Dell a few days ago. To be honest I thought she'd gone for good. I'll send her over here to talk to you." Kate reached through the bars and gave Job's hand a quick squeeze. "You'll be out of here in no time." She walked back toward the Marshall's desk and waited for a chance to talk to Al. "We can't stay much longer, but we can wait a minute if you'd like to come with us. Give you a chance to visit with Job."

Nanuet uneasily approaches the wall where he noticed the wanted poster. He tries to spot his face among the many that are hanging here. He is glad to notice that Al didn't seem to recognize him and neither did the Marshall. He also is impressed with how Katherine handled her horse, she also seemed to have a way with animals. Nanuet is happy to remain a wallflower and stay unnoticed during their stay at the Marshall's office.

Nanuet was standing over by the wanted posters. Kate wandered over and looked at them. "I'm sorry we're so slow this morning. But I do feel a bit better having found Al again." She dropped her voice lower. "I don't imagine you expect trouble out at the camp, but one more person with us can't hurt."

Nanuet is the first to notice a quartet of men who ride up to the Marshall's Office. They dismount and tie up their horses alongside those of Katherine, Ruby and Al. They then walk up and enter the now rather crowded building.

The leader of these men is a handsome and rather distinguished looking older gentleman in his late sixties or early seventies. He has white hair and white sideburns and a clean- face. He is wearing a white hat, blue shirt, brown vest, tan pants and boots. Behind him is a man dressed almost entirely in black, with a row of pearl inlay on his black hat. The man looks to be around fifty years old and has a salt-and-pepper beard. Behind him is a man so tall and wide that he barely fits through the door. He looks to be in his late forties has sparkling blue eyes and is clean-. He is wearing a tan shirt and brown leather vest, white hat denim jeans and boots. The final fan is younger, somewhere in his thirties, with long curly brown hair and a tan hat. He is also clean- and the ladies find him to be rather good looking. He is wearing a green shirt, denim jeans and boots.

The leader glances at the star on Earp's shirt and says, "Hello Marshall. My name is Ben Cartwright and these are my sons Adam, Hoss and Little Joe." "I'm Wyatt Earp. What can I do for you?" the Marshall replies. Ben says "We're ranchers up in Nevada. We were on a cattle drive, taking two hundred head from New Mexico up to our ranch. Night before last rustlers made off with around sixty of our cattle. That was around forty miles northwest of here. Yesterday we found a local ranch to watch the rest of the herd for us and we've backtracked the rustlers’ trail, which seems to come near this town. We were wondering if you could give us a hand."

Earp replies, "I don't care much for rustlers, but the crime happened outside of my jurisdiction. Sounds like it could be the work of the Clanton Gang, they operate up and around where your cattle were taken. If they were responsible you should see my brother Virgil, the Marshall in Tombstone, as the Clanton Ranch falls in his jurisdiction.

Your best bet through would be to take this up with the County Sheriff. They can check out crimes anywhere in the county. Just head down Main Street and you'll find the office of Deputy Sheriff Colin Hunter." "Much obliged" Cartwright says. He turns and exits the building followed by his three sons.

The others wish Job Kane well. Before they go he calls his cousin over to him and tells her something the others don't hear. They then leave building and head across the street to the Bar "H" stables. A pair of horses are purchased for Nanuet and Jake for a total of $ 75.00, with another $ 20.00 spent on saddles. Neither the animals and saddles are of very good quality but the owner, Dick Lockmyer explains that "I sold my better ones to you guys earlier in the week. It'll take me a while to get replacements."

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter Nineteen, “The Prospectors’ Claim”, January 6th, 1882:

They then head back to the El Parador. It is now almost noontime and Flint is waiting to take them out to his claim. Flint's mule is all packed up and ready to go. Ruby comments, "Well, I didn't know anything about going out today and I have a few things I have to take care of. I hope you don't mind?" She looks to Nanuet and Flint to make sure no one is offended.

"Oh." Katherine paused a moment. She was sure Nanuet had mentioned it before Ruby and Jake left. But then, the girl's mind may have been on other things. "Well, I could use a ride. I'm not sure what help I'll be but I'll be glad to go out with you, Nanuet, if you like. As long as you don't need me, Ruby." Ruby replies, "No I'll be alright. I'm just doing a few things around town. Boring stuff really."

Al, Flint, Katherine and Nanuet ride their horse out of town heading towards the hills that make up part of the Chiriccahua Mountains to southeast. The ride for the next mile is uneventful. During the short ride out to the claim, Katherine had a chance to relax and confirm her thought that Meribel was worth taking the time to train well. The mare seemed good-tempered and happy to go for a bit of a walk. Kate felt a bit guilty, knowing that it was unlikely she would often have reason to ride far. Perhaps when she visited Tom's resting-place next she would ride instead of taking the stage. It shouldn't be hard to convince some of the others to come along for safety. But she wouldn't be returning to Tombstone for some time yet.

They see a grassy hill in the distance that has been marked off with posts every 20 feet and rope tied between the posts. Handmade wooden signs are hanging from ropes every three or four sections that read "Stay Out - Private" in the common language. Flint says, "That's our claim". As they get closer they see a pair of canvas tents over by a stream running through the property. There are multiple caves dug into the hill, with piles of dirt stacked up outside of the caves. The camp, to her eyes at least, blighted the landscape. It wasn't messy, but the holes and piles of dirt just didn't belong next to the quiet stream. Meribel nickered as she was tied with a long lead to graze and drink the cold, clear water.

He leads them onto the land and they tie up the mounts to a post near the steam, giving them enough rope to allow for movement to graze and drink. He leads the group into a fairly deep cave into the hill and over to a large locked metal trunk. Flint takes out a key and unlocks it. Inside are picks, shovels, spikes, ropes and around a dozen sticks of dynamite. He takes a metal flask out and drinks a swig of it. He then holds it out to the others and says "Dwarven whiskey. Anybody else want some?"

Katherine caught herself just as she was about to say yes. Firstly, he'd just had a drink out of that flask himself. Secondly, she'd been having just a bit too much whiskey lately, and liked it just a bit too much. Not the taste of course, that was vile, but the warmth that spread from just under her heart and up into her head, making the world just a bit softer. "Thanks just the same, but no thank you," she said firmly. She turned to Nanuet. "Where should we start? This is just a bit out of my experience."

Flint takes them out of the cave and walks them around the claim saying, "After silver was discover in the first two mines around the town all of the hills close by were bought up by speculators. We decided to branch out further into unclaimed lands and dug until we found something. We turned up a few nuggets on this hill so decided it was the most promising site. Pooled all of what we had left from mining in California and bought it, a full twenty acres, around fifteen or so taken up by the hill. Hasn't worked out though. We've probably dug up a ton of dirt for every pound of silver ore that's turned up. I don't think we’ve broken even on our expenses, let alone the cost of the land to begin with."

They approach a pile of rock beneath a tree around twenty feet from the stream. "I buried Pete here. This was always his favorite spot on the site. He'd sit here and watch the stream flow by."

He then takes them over to the other side of the hill and comments, "This is where I found him. Knife wound in the back." Nanuet approaches the area and carefully scans the ground. He takes a good look at Flint's boots and then asks "What size and style of boot did Pete wear?" The dwarf replies "Hard work boots, size twelve. Why?" Nanuet says, "There are four different sets of tracks here, and at least one was wearing spurs. Give me a few minutes here."

Nanuet kneels down and scans the earth. He has little trouble following the heavy boot prints as they lead away from the campsite. He points out that one of them seems to walk with at least a slight limp and he finds a discarded unfinished cigarette not too far away. He continues following the tracks as they lead away from the site, noting what information he can glean from them.

The tracks double back behind several rock croppings and then converge from two different directions to the spot where prospector Pete was standing. Based on the impressions from Pete's boots he concludes that Pete was looking to towards the west when the pair simultaneously came up behind from both the southeast and northeast. He is only able to follow the tracks as they curve around the hill and end at a rocky plateau. He moves a little further to no avail, as it is too rocky for tracks to show. He returns to the others and explains to them what he found.

Flint says "What doesn't make much sense is that they'd be able to sneak up on him like that. He had a pretty good sense of hearing. Nanuet asks. "Flint, are you out here alone alot? Is there anyone else who might know what times he would be alone, someone familiar with your operation? I don't understand the motive either. You said that you haven't found any silver and that he didn't have personal problems with anyone that you knew of. I can't follow the tracks anymore, the rocks don't show me anything. There are hucksters who might have the power to make footsteps silent, that could explain why he didn't here them. Flint, you might be in danger as well. You need to think hard about who might have done this."

Back at the site, Katherine stops and ponders for a minute and then says "What was he looking at?" "Huh"? Flint asks. She replies "You said that the grassy area under that tree was his favorite spot, not behind the hill in that rocky area. There didn't seem to be any digging over by where you found him so he wasn't busy looking for silver. Which prompts the question of why was he standing in place at that spot and looking west for so long?"

The four of them head back over to that spot and begin walking westward, with Nanuet taking the lead. After seventy feed of rock and sand it starts to get grassy again. They go another hundred-and-fifty feet until they reach where the stream flows by. On the opposite side of the steam is evidence of the grass having been trampled down by a large number of animal tracks as well as small piles of manure left behind.

Nanuet tells the others to wait there and wades across the stream. He spends the next half-hour walking all around the area and examining tracks. He then branches out and locates trails of tracks to both the southeast and northwest. He then checks out over nears some large rocks

He returns and tells the others "Hard to tell exactly how many but I would guess around fifty animals, maybe more. Five appear to be shoed horses the others all look to be cows. They stopped here to graze and water. Two riders stayed mounted and three dismounted. Looks like the three on foot then came over to the stream, probably to refill canteens. That must have been when they saw Pete watching them. Two left their horses and went back into the herd and behind that rock cropping over there, probably hidden from Pete's view by the cattle. They then made a wide circle out and around your hill and come up behind your friend. The whole group looks to have come from the direction of town and they continued on to the southeast."

Al shakes her head. "And he just stood there to take a knife in the back? Damn." She looks from Flint to Nanuet and parks herself on a rock. "Guess the bigger question is why, huh?"

She looks around, and thinks, then says: "Couple hours back, I took a rest stop a couple miles out towards the mountains. Saw some tracks there, similar to these - only three horses though, not five. They were headed out to the Chiricahua Mountains - there's some rustler caves out that way, looked to me 'n' Isaac like they were used pretty frequent."

She takes a deep breath. "It look to anybody else like this was done by rustlers wantin' nobody running back to town and tellin' on 'em?"

"Guess that's the answer to the question why," Flint comments. "The penalty for cattle rustling is hanging. Wouldn't make much sense though if they were all strangers. But if one or more of the fellas was someone from town who Pete might have recognized....."
"Then suddenly, these folks got a problem," says Al pensively. "I see." She looks at Flint. "Anybody should be in town that ain't the last few days?"

Nanuet says “These must be the cattle that those Cartwright folks were talking to the Marshall about. Al, you say you know where a hideout is not too far away? I think right about now we have two choices. One, go back to town and let the sheriff handle this, maybe now they will listen. They didn't seem to care about this the first time Flint tried to deal with it. Or, two we can try and do something about this ourselves. I never had much love for thieves.”

"Yeah, I know the hideout," says Al. "O'Dell and I bunked up in it two nights ago. I can take you right to it, if that's what y'all want."

Kate was quiet for a minute. She thought of the poor prospector, standing out among the rocks watching the cattle when someone planted a knife in his back. She wasn't terribly familiar with magic, but she knew there were ways the rustlers could have snuck up without his notice. Coming out here to take a look around had been one thing, but now there could be a real danger in continuing to follow the trail. Still, the idea that this man had been killed just to hide another mans theft... Were cattle really worth so much here? Of course, from what she'd seen so far life was considered cheap.

Kate says, "I guess it won't do any harm to look at the hideout." She turned to Flint. "You know, if you've had no luck with the silver mining, ever think of ranching? Seems a good piece of land you've got here."

Al, Flint, Katherine and Nanuet then hear the sound of horses approaching. The sound is coming from around the hills northwest of where they are standing. Nanuet grabs Kate and puts a finger to his lips and then motions for the others to try and hide. As stealthily as possible he attempts to sneak in the direction of the riders and find out who they are without being noticed.

Al crouches down behind the rock she was sitting on, one hand at each hip, ready to draw her revolvers if need be. She catches Kate's eye, looking icy calm. Kate hated not being able to see. Nanuet knew better what to do now than she, of course, but the horses were picketed in plain sight. The riders would know there were people close by. Kate slipped her hand down, took hold of the handle of Thomas's pistol, and prayed she wouldn't need to use it.