Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
"Revenge, Renewal and the Promise of a New Year" (Boot Hill/D&D)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2750145" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter 160, “Trouble at the O.K. Corral” , Sunday, January 22nd, 1882, 2:15 P.M.</strong></p><p></p><p>Kate remembers where the O.K. Corral is from her time in this town. Even though it was the main place in town where horses were kept she couldn't bring herself to visit it before, as it would have been too great a reminder of why she and Tom were coming out here to begin with. She doesn't remember much about the place, other that there was some type of confrontation there around three or four weeks after her arrival that Arcade's Gang and the Earps were involved with. </p><p></p><p>She heads down Allen Street and stops at the O.K. Corral at the north side of the street between Third and Fourth Streets. The Corral itself runs way back to the next block. The main barn area is along the street. She enters the building and sees one man grooming a horse who she does not recognize. She also hears some noises coming from one of the horse stalls that sounds like shoveling.</p><p></p><p>Kate lifted up her skirts to keep them out of the hay and anything else the might be on the floor. She walked past the stranger and toward the stall where she heard the shoveling. "Mr. Tucker? Is that you?" she asked as she approached the stall.</p><p></p><p>The shoveling comes to an abrupt stop. She doesn't get a reply. He looks inside the stall and sees Colby Tucker standing there next to a wheelbarrow full of manure, shovel in hand. He has a shocked look upon his face upon seeing her.</p><p></p><p>"You know, I'm rather tired of getting that reaction," she said dryly. "You must have realized I'd return here at some point. I'd like to collect the few things of Tom's I left with you." Kate waited a moment as relief began to dawn on his face. "And while we're at it, I'd like to hear the truth."</p><p></p><p>He stammers "Mrs. Kale, I didn't expect to be seeing you. I'm no longer living at the boarding house. I've been living here, up in the loft. I'll get that box of Tom's things for you." He rushes by here and heads towards the ladder leading to the loft.</p><p></p><p>Kate allowed him to pass and get most of the way up the ladder before she moved. Despite her skirts she was quick and able to climb up the ladder behind him. She was just at the top when he came back with the box. Katherine reached her hand up to him and smiled coldly. "This should be a nice, quiet place to talk. Why don't you be a gentleman and help me up?" He replies, "There's not much more for us to talk about. Let me help you get this box down."</p><p></p><p>Kate got herself up on her own and stood in front of the ladder. "We have a great deal to talk about. I've heard some very disturbing things, and I think you can help me sort them out." She dropped her voice to keep the man below from hearing her. "I heard you lied to me. That Tom didn't die lying in his bed with a fever. I have a right to know the truth, and I have a right to hear it firsthand. You are not getting out of this loft until you tell me the truth."</p><p></p><p>He softly and very pointed replies "Are you trying to get me killed?" She answers, "It's alright. You just confirmed everything I need to know." She turned her back on him and got herself back onto the ladder. "I thought you were his friend, but you lied about that too. Bring that box down and I'll let you get back to your cowering."</p><p></p><p>He looks down from the loft and sees that they are now alone in the barn. "He's gone. Damn It! I'm a dead man! You've killed me," he exclaims. He turns his back on her and begins to pile his few possessions into a rumpled shirt which he then ties together in a bundle. He climbs down from the loft and demands from her "Give me $ 20. I might be get onto the four o'clock train to Tucson. They know I don't have any money for train fare so might not look for me there."</p><p></p><p>She replies, "Unless he's got ears like a bat he didn't hear a word I said, but I'm certain he heard you panic. Don't blame me because you can't keep your composure." Kate dug into her purse and pulled out the money. "If you're so afraid, I'll walk with you. I don't think even the Earps would have the audacity to shoot down an unarmed woman in broad daylight. I'll give you the money when we get there."</p><p></p><p>He says "Fine, out the back. If we're seen on Allen Street that'll be it for both of us." They head out the door and up the back alleyway behind third street. Colby looks both ways down Fremont Street and then hurries across and up to Stafford Street. There are only a handful of buildings on this side of town and he stops crouching down and starts walking normally again, heading west to the train station at the far end of Safford street, two blocks west of 1st Street. </p><p></p><p>He asks "So that redhead. She said she was a friend of yours. I gather she spoke to you?" Kate answers, "Yes, she did." She stopped. Everything that came to mind to say was something that didn't need to be said. Losing her temper wasn't going to help anything. "A certain person had been acting very curiously around me, and she and another friend decided to find out why. She told me a week ago. In fact, it was about this time of day last Sunday. Listen, I'm sorry to have caused you trouble, although I'm still certain the other man didn't hear anything.” </p><p></p><p>Tucker replies, "He didn't have to hear anything. He didn't hear what your friend and I talked about two weeks ago, but he still told the Marshall about her visit. Virgil Earp brought me in questioning. He and his brother Warren kept me locked up overnight and took turns interrogating me all night long, didn't allow me to get a wink of sleep. When they finally let me go the next morning they told me that I'd better not talk to either her, you or some guy named Cook ever again or I'd regret it." </p><p></p><p>Kate answers, “Anyway, since then I've been....I don't know, rather more dead than alive I think. I don't intend to take anything to a judge. How could I make anything stand? I just need the truth so I can let him go." Tucker answers, “They won't be letting you take anything to any judge. And as for feeling more dead than alive, if they catch us you'll really find out what that feels like." </p><p></p><p>They reach the train station and he gestures for her to join him inside a shed building not far from the water tank. He says "I figure it's somewhere between two-thirty and three right now. It'll be another half-hour to forty-five minutes before the train comes in from Tucson. This is the end of the line for the railroad, they never got very far on the line continuing to Promise City. It only takes them a few minutes to turn the thing around on the loop track and then head back promptly at four. Best for us to hide out until just before it's about to leave and then go purchase the ticket. You might want to buy one for yourself while you are at it."</p><p></p><p>Kate answers, "I'm not going anywhere. Tom and I intended to build a life here and that's what I'm going to do. I had still hoped to find out it wasn't true, but it all is, isn't it? He killed my husband. He killed him and I saved his life." Kate pulled a few more bills about of her purse. "When you get to Tucson, buy another ticket and go to Boston. I'll wire my family and someone will meet you there. They'll make sure you get some work, alright?"</p><p></p><p>He gives her a shocked look at her unexpected generosity. "Thank you" is all he can say. After a short while he then says "I hope you're still alive to do that. Don't send that wire from here though, the Earps own this town and most of the people in it." </p><p></p><p>Another ten minutes pass before Tucker speaks again. He says "I can understand your curiosity but you shouldn't have come. This isn't how Tom would have wanted it. He would have wanted you to move on with your life, not going and getting yourself killed on his account."</p><p></p><p>"No, it's not what he would have wanted." Kate was quiet, watching the other man for a few minutes. "So far all they know is that we talked. I have the reason we talked right here," she said, patting the box. "I don't think I'm in any danger, but I'll keep my eyes open. I'll be going back to Promise City tomorrow and I'll only be coming back to visit Tom. It should be alright." </p><p></p><p>She handed him the money. "Best I'm not seen with you when you buy that ticket." He says "Better if I'm not seen at all. You should probably buy it. Don't go up to the ticket window until the train arrives. I don't want to have to run if the Earps show up." </p><p></p><p>Kate begins to feel pity for this man. She is also bored with sitting around a maintenance shed. Near the door a large number of wood handled tools, shovels, rakes, various other things that she has no specific knowledge of but assumes they are needed to operate a railroad station. Various wrenches, hammers and saws are hanging on hooks along the wall near the door. </p><p></p><p>The other side of the room has some lanterns and a few barrels, at least one of which is filled with water. She then sees something through a short space between and behind two barrels. She goes over and finds that one barrel is empty and easily moved to the side and from the lack of dust on that section of the floor concludes that this end of the room has been cleaned recently. She moves the barrel and finds a pile of objects consisting of a folded up blanket, a folded up dress and petticoat the size that a child would wear, a slate, a clean bowl, a clean cup, a silver spoon, two pieces of chalk and a book. She checks the cover of the book, seeing that it is an English Primer.</p><p></p><p>Kate gently replaced the cover of the book. "Someone lives here," she said quietly. His face shows panic. Kate says, "Don't worry, whoever it is isn't here now." She touched some of the other items, but didn't move them. "A child, I think. Don't they do anything for children on their own here?" she said more to herself than Tucker. "We should keep our eyes open in case she comes back."</p><p></p><p>Another twenty minutes pass. A horse ride up to the train station. Kate peeks through the crack in the door and sees that it is the town Marshall Virgil Walter Earp. During her time in Tombstone she had had a minimum of interaction with him, although several times she had met his wife Alvira, who was known as Allie. He had attended Tom's funeral and she saw him a few times after that. She had heard that he was the oldest of the Earp brothers and that he was a Union Army veteran of the Civil War. He had been a lawman for years, serving as the Deputy Sheriff at the Arizona Territorial Capital of Prescott prior to becoming Tombstone's Marshall. </p><p></p><p>She had also heard that he was shot and seriously wounded in the arm in an attempted assassination just a few days prior to her departure to Promise City. From the way he was moving now she concludes that the arm is permanently crippled. Virgil Earp heads up to the ticket office and goes inside.</p><p></p><p>"Keep calm now," she said quietly as she turned back to Tucker. "Virgil Earp just went into the ticket office. You might have to miss that train if he doesn't leave before it comes in. Can you think of any other way to get out of town?" She went back to watching, hoping he would come back out and leave. What they really needed was a third person to help them. Well, if wishes were horses....</p><p></p><p>Across town, Ruby West is at the O.K. Corral. She waits a few moments patiently, while the men finish their business. Before the man with the wide eyes can run off Ruby makes her way over to him. "May I have a minute of your time? I need to find Colby Tucker." The man acts surprised and pauses. Then he says "Not sure. I'm the only one working right now. He may be by later. Let me know where you're staying and I'll get a message to you if I see him."</p><p></p><p>Ruby moves a little closer to him. "I don't believe that you don't know where he is. You see, I'm trying to HELP Mr. Tucker. It would be in his best interest for me to know where he is, if you are friends are with him, you'd better tell me before it's too late." The man says, "I don't know where he is. He was talking to your friend Mrs. Kale. I haven't seen either one of them since."</p><p></p><p>"Talking to Mrs. Kale..." Ruby sighs. "Any idea at least which way they went? It's important." He replies "No idea. Look lady, I've got horses to take care of here. I don't have all day to stand around talking." He begins to walk over towards the Shaw carriage.</p><p></p><p>"Alright. Thank you for your help." She believes he really does not know where they went. "Where would they go?" she thinks. Ruby has no idea where to go from here. Her only thought is that Kate might go after Morgan Earp so she decides to check out the Marshall's Office. She quickly checks on her horse and then heads out on her way.</p><p></p><p>The Marshall's office is on the second floor of the Crystal Palace Saloon. Ruby heads down there, through the saloon and up the stairs but finds the door to Virgil Earp's office locked and a "Be back later" sign on the door. She heads downstairs and inquires to the bartender at the saloon but he doesn't know where Virgil is saying "A guy came in around half an hour ago and they both left." She asks who the guy was and the bartender says "I've seen him around but don't know his name." Then five seconds later the bartender stops, points and says "Him, he's the one." </p><p></p><p>Ruby turns to see the groomer from the O.K. Corral who she had just been talking to rushing through the door of the saloon and heading towards the stairs to the second floor. Ruby quickly follows him up the stairs, but does so quietly. She gets to the top of the stairs and crosses her arms, blocking the stairs down. When he turns back towards her, "What are you doing here?"</p><p></p><p>He replies "I was coming to see the Marshall. What are you doing here?" While she is confronting him she sees two men ride by outside who turn north off of Allen Street and onto Fifth Street. Both have badges pinned to their shirts. Ruby doesn't recognize one but the other is Morgan Earp. Ruby thinks to herself, “Well, Kate hasn't gotten to him yet” as she sees Morgan ride by downstairs. </p><p></p><p>She tells the man, "I was coming to see if the Marshall was in too. But I, unlike you, am not here to rat anyone out. I hope Colby Tucker doesn't consider you a friend. Get out of here before I make up some stories and get you involved in this too." Ruby points down the stairs, hoping the guy will hurry up and get going so she can also get out of there before the Marshall’s return. The horse groomer doesn't have to be told twice as he hurries out the front door. </p><p></p><p>Ruby walks down the stairs calmly and also walks out the door. Looking up the street she sees Morgan and the other lawman two blocks away. They have reached the intersection of Fifth and Safford Streets and then turn their horses left (west) onto Safford. They are out of sight a moment later. Ruby follows them and casually peeks around the corner to see if they stop nearby or continue going. </p><p></p><p>She wracks her brain to guess where Kate might be. She doesn't remember the name of the boarding house she stayed at while in Tombstone. She hasn't gone after Earp yet. She is with Colby Tucker. Maybe she was trying to kill him? Who knew. Ruby had nothing else to really go on. Kate did mention going to get a headstone for Tom, but what would that guy know? </p><p></p><p>She waits to see where Earp went, hoping to get some clue on what to do next from him. The thought occurs to her to just face him now, but she knows that would mean big trouble for her. Then again, she thinks, trouble is something I am used to. A smirk comes to her face and she continues to wait.</p><p></p><p>Back at the train station, Virgil heads out of the ticket office but doesn't leave the area. Two more horses soon ride up and talk to him although the riders do not dismount. Both men are wearing badges. She does not recognize one of them but the other is Morgan Earp. Kate's breath hissed as she pulled it in. Her hand went to the folds of her dress where Tom's pistol was hidden. "Two more, one is Morgan Earp." </p><p></p><p>Her hand shook as it squeezed the firearm. "Virgil has come out of the ticket office. They're talking." Kate shook her head. "I can't believe they're doing this. All this to protect a murderer. I thought they were supposed to enforce the law. Apparently all they do is use it as an excuse to do whatever they want."</p><p></p><p>Kate forced herself to let go of the pistol. Now was not the time or the place for that. "So why did you leave the boarding house?" she asked Tucker as she continued watching the Earps. Tucker replies to Kate "Couldn't afford it anymore. I lost my other job and the O.K. Corral job didn't pay enough for me to stay there. I appreciate your trying to help me get on my feet again. I won't disappoint you." She sees Morgan and the other man turn and start to ride off to the east. Virgil however stays on the porch to the ticket office instead of getting onto his horse.</p><p></p><p>"This has turned your life upside down. It's the least I can do to help set it right again. Boston is a good place, you'll like it there. If you don't mind my asking, how did you lose your old job?" He replies, "I got fired for sleeping on the job. I couldn't sleep at night anymore, and it caught up with me during the day. I kept having nightmares about Tom. Another thing I didn't tell you earlier, I was the one who found him in the alley. I've been blaming myself. I had headed back to the boarding house earlier than him instead of waiting. If only I'd waited for him he'd probably still be alive."</p><p></p><p>Kate replies, "When I thought he'd died of his illness I was blaming myself for letting him come here so soon. I thought if only I'd come out with him I could have taken care of him and he'd still be alive today. Even now, since I learned he was out celebrating the fact that I was arriving the next day, I want to blame myself. And I know about nightmares. After Ruby told me I just kind of stopped for a while, and even when I began to function again, my sleep is all nightmares. We can blame ourselves all we want, but there's no way you could have known Earp would go after him. The only person at fault here is the man who pushed a knife into Tom's back."</p><p></p><p>Kate almost sighed in relief as Morgan and the unknown man left, but Virgil Earp sat down on the porch to wait. "Damn, it looks like Virgil is going to wait." </p><p></p><p>By the time Ruby reaches the corner of Fifth and Safford a few minutes have passed. She sees that both Morgan Earp and the other lawman are now seven blocks to the west, down by the train station. They are talking to somebody standing on the porch to the station. The two then ride off to the south and out of Ruby's sight.</p><p></p><p>The train station? Was Kate trying to run away too? Maybe she decided she had enough. Kate wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye… All the thoughts that ran through Ruby’s head led to the train station so off she went. Morgan stopping there probably had nothing to do with Kate. Kate was probably buying her husband a stone like she said and having a nice bath and book afterwards to comfort herself. Too bad Ruby never trusted anyone and she was suspicious of this whole trip. Ruby heads off in that direction.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 2750145, member: 8530"] [B]Chapter 160, “Trouble at the O.K. Corral” , Sunday, January 22nd, 1882, 2:15 P.M.[/B] Kate remembers where the O.K. Corral is from her time in this town. Even though it was the main place in town where horses were kept she couldn't bring herself to visit it before, as it would have been too great a reminder of why she and Tom were coming out here to begin with. She doesn't remember much about the place, other that there was some type of confrontation there around three or four weeks after her arrival that Arcade's Gang and the Earps were involved with. She heads down Allen Street and stops at the O.K. Corral at the north side of the street between Third and Fourth Streets. The Corral itself runs way back to the next block. The main barn area is along the street. She enters the building and sees one man grooming a horse who she does not recognize. She also hears some noises coming from one of the horse stalls that sounds like shoveling. Kate lifted up her skirts to keep them out of the hay and anything else the might be on the floor. She walked past the stranger and toward the stall where she heard the shoveling. "Mr. Tucker? Is that you?" she asked as she approached the stall. The shoveling comes to an abrupt stop. She doesn't get a reply. He looks inside the stall and sees Colby Tucker standing there next to a wheelbarrow full of manure, shovel in hand. He has a shocked look upon his face upon seeing her. "You know, I'm rather tired of getting that reaction," she said dryly. "You must have realized I'd return here at some point. I'd like to collect the few things of Tom's I left with you." Kate waited a moment as relief began to dawn on his face. "And while we're at it, I'd like to hear the truth." He stammers "Mrs. Kale, I didn't expect to be seeing you. I'm no longer living at the boarding house. I've been living here, up in the loft. I'll get that box of Tom's things for you." He rushes by here and heads towards the ladder leading to the loft. Kate allowed him to pass and get most of the way up the ladder before she moved. Despite her skirts she was quick and able to climb up the ladder behind him. She was just at the top when he came back with the box. Katherine reached her hand up to him and smiled coldly. "This should be a nice, quiet place to talk. Why don't you be a gentleman and help me up?" He replies, "There's not much more for us to talk about. Let me help you get this box down." Kate got herself up on her own and stood in front of the ladder. "We have a great deal to talk about. I've heard some very disturbing things, and I think you can help me sort them out." She dropped her voice to keep the man below from hearing her. "I heard you lied to me. That Tom didn't die lying in his bed with a fever. I have a right to know the truth, and I have a right to hear it firsthand. You are not getting out of this loft until you tell me the truth." He softly and very pointed replies "Are you trying to get me killed?" She answers, "It's alright. You just confirmed everything I need to know." She turned her back on him and got herself back onto the ladder. "I thought you were his friend, but you lied about that too. Bring that box down and I'll let you get back to your cowering." He looks down from the loft and sees that they are now alone in the barn. "He's gone. Damn It! I'm a dead man! You've killed me," he exclaims. He turns his back on her and begins to pile his few possessions into a rumpled shirt which he then ties together in a bundle. He climbs down from the loft and demands from her "Give me $ 20. I might be get onto the four o'clock train to Tucson. They know I don't have any money for train fare so might not look for me there." She replies, "Unless he's got ears like a bat he didn't hear a word I said, but I'm certain he heard you panic. Don't blame me because you can't keep your composure." Kate dug into her purse and pulled out the money. "If you're so afraid, I'll walk with you. I don't think even the Earps would have the audacity to shoot down an unarmed woman in broad daylight. I'll give you the money when we get there." He says "Fine, out the back. If we're seen on Allen Street that'll be it for both of us." They head out the door and up the back alleyway behind third street. Colby looks both ways down Fremont Street and then hurries across and up to Stafford Street. There are only a handful of buildings on this side of town and he stops crouching down and starts walking normally again, heading west to the train station at the far end of Safford street, two blocks west of 1st Street. He asks "So that redhead. She said she was a friend of yours. I gather she spoke to you?" Kate answers, "Yes, she did." She stopped. Everything that came to mind to say was something that didn't need to be said. Losing her temper wasn't going to help anything. "A certain person had been acting very curiously around me, and she and another friend decided to find out why. She told me a week ago. In fact, it was about this time of day last Sunday. Listen, I'm sorry to have caused you trouble, although I'm still certain the other man didn't hear anything.” Tucker replies, "He didn't have to hear anything. He didn't hear what your friend and I talked about two weeks ago, but he still told the Marshall about her visit. Virgil Earp brought me in questioning. He and his brother Warren kept me locked up overnight and took turns interrogating me all night long, didn't allow me to get a wink of sleep. When they finally let me go the next morning they told me that I'd better not talk to either her, you or some guy named Cook ever again or I'd regret it." Kate answers, “Anyway, since then I've been....I don't know, rather more dead than alive I think. I don't intend to take anything to a judge. How could I make anything stand? I just need the truth so I can let him go." Tucker answers, “They won't be letting you take anything to any judge. And as for feeling more dead than alive, if they catch us you'll really find out what that feels like." They reach the train station and he gestures for her to join him inside a shed building not far from the water tank. He says "I figure it's somewhere between two-thirty and three right now. It'll be another half-hour to forty-five minutes before the train comes in from Tucson. This is the end of the line for the railroad, they never got very far on the line continuing to Promise City. It only takes them a few minutes to turn the thing around on the loop track and then head back promptly at four. Best for us to hide out until just before it's about to leave and then go purchase the ticket. You might want to buy one for yourself while you are at it." Kate answers, "I'm not going anywhere. Tom and I intended to build a life here and that's what I'm going to do. I had still hoped to find out it wasn't true, but it all is, isn't it? He killed my husband. He killed him and I saved his life." Kate pulled a few more bills about of her purse. "When you get to Tucson, buy another ticket and go to Boston. I'll wire my family and someone will meet you there. They'll make sure you get some work, alright?" He gives her a shocked look at her unexpected generosity. "Thank you" is all he can say. After a short while he then says "I hope you're still alive to do that. Don't send that wire from here though, the Earps own this town and most of the people in it." Another ten minutes pass before Tucker speaks again. He says "I can understand your curiosity but you shouldn't have come. This isn't how Tom would have wanted it. He would have wanted you to move on with your life, not going and getting yourself killed on his account." "No, it's not what he would have wanted." Kate was quiet, watching the other man for a few minutes. "So far all they know is that we talked. I have the reason we talked right here," she said, patting the box. "I don't think I'm in any danger, but I'll keep my eyes open. I'll be going back to Promise City tomorrow and I'll only be coming back to visit Tom. It should be alright." She handed him the money. "Best I'm not seen with you when you buy that ticket." He says "Better if I'm not seen at all. You should probably buy it. Don't go up to the ticket window until the train arrives. I don't want to have to run if the Earps show up." Kate begins to feel pity for this man. She is also bored with sitting around a maintenance shed. Near the door a large number of wood handled tools, shovels, rakes, various other things that she has no specific knowledge of but assumes they are needed to operate a railroad station. Various wrenches, hammers and saws are hanging on hooks along the wall near the door. The other side of the room has some lanterns and a few barrels, at least one of which is filled with water. She then sees something through a short space between and behind two barrels. She goes over and finds that one barrel is empty and easily moved to the side and from the lack of dust on that section of the floor concludes that this end of the room has been cleaned recently. She moves the barrel and finds a pile of objects consisting of a folded up blanket, a folded up dress and petticoat the size that a child would wear, a slate, a clean bowl, a clean cup, a silver spoon, two pieces of chalk and a book. She checks the cover of the book, seeing that it is an English Primer. Kate gently replaced the cover of the book. "Someone lives here," she said quietly. His face shows panic. Kate says, "Don't worry, whoever it is isn't here now." She touched some of the other items, but didn't move them. "A child, I think. Don't they do anything for children on their own here?" she said more to herself than Tucker. "We should keep our eyes open in case she comes back." Another twenty minutes pass. A horse ride up to the train station. Kate peeks through the crack in the door and sees that it is the town Marshall Virgil Walter Earp. During her time in Tombstone she had had a minimum of interaction with him, although several times she had met his wife Alvira, who was known as Allie. He had attended Tom's funeral and she saw him a few times after that. She had heard that he was the oldest of the Earp brothers and that he was a Union Army veteran of the Civil War. He had been a lawman for years, serving as the Deputy Sheriff at the Arizona Territorial Capital of Prescott prior to becoming Tombstone's Marshall. She had also heard that he was shot and seriously wounded in the arm in an attempted assassination just a few days prior to her departure to Promise City. From the way he was moving now she concludes that the arm is permanently crippled. Virgil Earp heads up to the ticket office and goes inside. "Keep calm now," she said quietly as she turned back to Tucker. "Virgil Earp just went into the ticket office. You might have to miss that train if he doesn't leave before it comes in. Can you think of any other way to get out of town?" She went back to watching, hoping he would come back out and leave. What they really needed was a third person to help them. Well, if wishes were horses.... Across town, Ruby West is at the O.K. Corral. She waits a few moments patiently, while the men finish their business. Before the man with the wide eyes can run off Ruby makes her way over to him. "May I have a minute of your time? I need to find Colby Tucker." The man acts surprised and pauses. Then he says "Not sure. I'm the only one working right now. He may be by later. Let me know where you're staying and I'll get a message to you if I see him." Ruby moves a little closer to him. "I don't believe that you don't know where he is. You see, I'm trying to HELP Mr. Tucker. It would be in his best interest for me to know where he is, if you are friends are with him, you'd better tell me before it's too late." The man says, "I don't know where he is. He was talking to your friend Mrs. Kale. I haven't seen either one of them since." "Talking to Mrs. Kale..." Ruby sighs. "Any idea at least which way they went? It's important." He replies "No idea. Look lady, I've got horses to take care of here. I don't have all day to stand around talking." He begins to walk over towards the Shaw carriage. "Alright. Thank you for your help." She believes he really does not know where they went. "Where would they go?" she thinks. Ruby has no idea where to go from here. Her only thought is that Kate might go after Morgan Earp so she decides to check out the Marshall's Office. She quickly checks on her horse and then heads out on her way. The Marshall's office is on the second floor of the Crystal Palace Saloon. Ruby heads down there, through the saloon and up the stairs but finds the door to Virgil Earp's office locked and a "Be back later" sign on the door. She heads downstairs and inquires to the bartender at the saloon but he doesn't know where Virgil is saying "A guy came in around half an hour ago and they both left." She asks who the guy was and the bartender says "I've seen him around but don't know his name." Then five seconds later the bartender stops, points and says "Him, he's the one." Ruby turns to see the groomer from the O.K. Corral who she had just been talking to rushing through the door of the saloon and heading towards the stairs to the second floor. Ruby quickly follows him up the stairs, but does so quietly. She gets to the top of the stairs and crosses her arms, blocking the stairs down. When he turns back towards her, "What are you doing here?" He replies "I was coming to see the Marshall. What are you doing here?" While she is confronting him she sees two men ride by outside who turn north off of Allen Street and onto Fifth Street. Both have badges pinned to their shirts. Ruby doesn't recognize one but the other is Morgan Earp. Ruby thinks to herself, “Well, Kate hasn't gotten to him yet” as she sees Morgan ride by downstairs. She tells the man, "I was coming to see if the Marshall was in too. But I, unlike you, am not here to rat anyone out. I hope Colby Tucker doesn't consider you a friend. Get out of here before I make up some stories and get you involved in this too." Ruby points down the stairs, hoping the guy will hurry up and get going so she can also get out of there before the Marshall’s return. The horse groomer doesn't have to be told twice as he hurries out the front door. Ruby walks down the stairs calmly and also walks out the door. Looking up the street she sees Morgan and the other lawman two blocks away. They have reached the intersection of Fifth and Safford Streets and then turn their horses left (west) onto Safford. They are out of sight a moment later. Ruby follows them and casually peeks around the corner to see if they stop nearby or continue going. She wracks her brain to guess where Kate might be. She doesn't remember the name of the boarding house she stayed at while in Tombstone. She hasn't gone after Earp yet. She is with Colby Tucker. Maybe she was trying to kill him? Who knew. Ruby had nothing else to really go on. Kate did mention going to get a headstone for Tom, but what would that guy know? She waits to see where Earp went, hoping to get some clue on what to do next from him. The thought occurs to her to just face him now, but she knows that would mean big trouble for her. Then again, she thinks, trouble is something I am used to. A smirk comes to her face and she continues to wait. Back at the train station, Virgil heads out of the ticket office but doesn't leave the area. Two more horses soon ride up and talk to him although the riders do not dismount. Both men are wearing badges. She does not recognize one of them but the other is Morgan Earp. Kate's breath hissed as she pulled it in. Her hand went to the folds of her dress where Tom's pistol was hidden. "Two more, one is Morgan Earp." Her hand shook as it squeezed the firearm. "Virgil has come out of the ticket office. They're talking." Kate shook her head. "I can't believe they're doing this. All this to protect a murderer. I thought they were supposed to enforce the law. Apparently all they do is use it as an excuse to do whatever they want." Kate forced herself to let go of the pistol. Now was not the time or the place for that. "So why did you leave the boarding house?" she asked Tucker as she continued watching the Earps. Tucker replies to Kate "Couldn't afford it anymore. I lost my other job and the O.K. Corral job didn't pay enough for me to stay there. I appreciate your trying to help me get on my feet again. I won't disappoint you." She sees Morgan and the other man turn and start to ride off to the east. Virgil however stays on the porch to the ticket office instead of getting onto his horse. "This has turned your life upside down. It's the least I can do to help set it right again. Boston is a good place, you'll like it there. If you don't mind my asking, how did you lose your old job?" He replies, "I got fired for sleeping on the job. I couldn't sleep at night anymore, and it caught up with me during the day. I kept having nightmares about Tom. Another thing I didn't tell you earlier, I was the one who found him in the alley. I've been blaming myself. I had headed back to the boarding house earlier than him instead of waiting. If only I'd waited for him he'd probably still be alive." Kate replies, "When I thought he'd died of his illness I was blaming myself for letting him come here so soon. I thought if only I'd come out with him I could have taken care of him and he'd still be alive today. Even now, since I learned he was out celebrating the fact that I was arriving the next day, I want to blame myself. And I know about nightmares. After Ruby told me I just kind of stopped for a while, and even when I began to function again, my sleep is all nightmares. We can blame ourselves all we want, but there's no way you could have known Earp would go after him. The only person at fault here is the man who pushed a knife into Tom's back." Kate almost sighed in relief as Morgan and the unknown man left, but Virgil Earp sat down on the porch to wait. "Damn, it looks like Virgil is going to wait." By the time Ruby reaches the corner of Fifth and Safford a few minutes have passed. She sees that both Morgan Earp and the other lawman are now seven blocks to the west, down by the train station. They are talking to somebody standing on the porch to the station. The two then ride off to the south and out of Ruby's sight. The train station? Was Kate trying to run away too? Maybe she decided she had enough. Kate wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye… All the thoughts that ran through Ruby’s head led to the train station so off she went. Morgan stopping there probably had nothing to do with Kate. Kate was probably buying her husband a stone like she said and having a nice bath and book afterwards to comfort herself. Too bad Ruby never trusted anyone and she was suspicious of this whole trip. Ruby heads off in that direction. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
"Revenge, Renewal and the Promise of a New Year" (Boot Hill/D&D)
Top