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<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 3217494" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter 202, “Jeff’s Story“, Thursday, March 30th, 1882, 12:30 PM </strong></p><p></p><p>Ruby, Jake and Jeff settle in to the office side of their room. Ruby plops herself down on the couch. "Have a seat Jeff, make yourself comfortable." Jeff Mills sits down in the chair. He says, "I've decided not to quit, if that's what you want to know." Jake says, "That's a good start. Look Jeff, I told you this before, if we don't know what in blue blazes is going on with you we can't help. We'll even if we can't help we don't know how to avoid trouble for you."</p><p></p><p>Jeff says, "Well, the other night I told you about growing up as the fourth generation of Erie Canal workers, my Great-Grandfather having helped build the canal back in the 1820's. He had settled on a plot of land on the canal that he bought from the canal owners. He work it for the rest of his life using mules to haul boats and barges along the canal, passing the job on to his son. My Grandfather and Father both did the same </p><p></p><p>That story I told you, back in '58, took place not long before my family got swindled. Our land was stolen from us by a bunch of crooked lawyers, they make that Fisk guy look like Mr. Honest by comparison. They came onto our land with forged deeds, claiming to have owned it and said that my Great-Grandfather's deed was a fake. Turns out they had the state politicians in their back pockets. We appealed to the Federal Government also, but those politicians had been paid off too so they also backed the thieves. </p><p></p><p>We were evicted and decided to move on out west. My Grandfather didn't survive the trip. He was healthy enough but his spirit was broken. After his passed Father blamed the Government. We settled in the Arizona Territory. When Arizona joined the Confederacy, well Father was the first to join up. He was a member of Sheord Hunter's troops. Fought here in Arizona and then moved on with Hunter to Texas. My father was with him at the battle of Brashier City, Louisiana in '64. That was a huge Confederate Victory. They captured 1,300 Union prisoners, 11 heavy siege guns and over $ 2 million dollars worth of supplies. Only lost three men, but my father was one of them. Part of me died too when I heard the news." </p><p></p><p>Jake listens intently and nods for Jeff to go on. "That's very sad Jeff." Ruby furrows her brows. "But why would that make both the armies want you?" Jeff continues, "Well, there I was, a ten-year old boy on his own, my Mom having died of illness the previous winter. Then Major General John Bankhead Magruder, who headed the Confederate States Military Department of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, send Sherod Hunter back to New Mexico and Arizona to recruit new forces for the Confederacy. </p><p></p><p>You have to understand, I shared my father's sentiment for hating the Union given what the Government had done to my family. I was proud that my father had died for a cause that he believed in, and I had no other future plans. So I signed up. I was only eleven by that time, but had sprouted up early. I was the same height and build that I am today. I lied and told them I was eighteen. They had to have known I was younger but probably figured me for fifteen or sixteen. </p><p></p><p>I fought with Hunter's Brigade for the rest of the war. Sherod Hunter became a second father to me. Always looked after me, trusted me more than any other man under his command. By then I also knew this land like the back of my hand. A special assignment came up where they needed a local scout, and he assigned me to it. Worst thing that ever happened to me. I'll come back to that in a minute. </p><p></p><p>Moving ahead, Lee surrendered to Grant in '65 and hundreds of Secessionists started escaping from Union-controlled Territory to Mexico. Colonel Hunter took it upon himself to reorganize these troops into a coherent fighting force, which would be needed if we were to be taken seriously by the Government. Hunter didn't want to reignite the war, he just wanted to create a place for those who believed in State's rights to live in peace. </p><p></p><p>The Colonel thought that President Johnson would be willing to concede The Arizona and New Mexico Territories to the Confederacy if we were to allow the United States railroads to travel through them. That was the main reason for the Gadsten Purchase to begin with, to secure land for a railroad linking Texas to California. Lincoln would never have agreed, but Johnson was willing to talk at least. Colonel Hunter crossed back into the states in '66 for a secret meeting with representatives of President Johnson but unfortunately nothing came of that meeting." Jeff stops and pours himself some of the bourbon. Ruby says, "I don't know much of historic events, I admit. Please go on, I want to know how this effects you now." </p><p></p><p>Mills continues, "Well, Ulysses S. Grant was elected president in 1868. Colonel Hunter realized that old U.S. Grant would never negotiate with him. So Colonel Hunter disbanded the unit and sent us all back to the states. But he made a point to keep in touch with each of us. When Grant left office in '77 and Rutherford Hayes took office he called us back together. Hayes had support for southern reconciliation and this would have gone a long way. Hunter started negotiations again but then silver and gold were discovered here in the territories and the Government became less inclined to deal. </p><p></p><p>That's when things got really difficult and I had a major falling out with Colonel Hunter. I left Mexico again and came back here for good. And because of what I know both the Federal Government or the New Confederate Government have been hounding me ever since. As I told Chet, I'm stuck in the middle of a damned tug of war and neither side will listen to me." He slams his fist on the table as he makes that statement.</p><p></p><p>Ruby says, "Jeff, I'm just a simple saloon singer. Was there some kind of hidden information in what you just told us? I don't understand what it is you know that they are willing to hunt you for." Jeff breathes in and sighs, "There are millions of reasons Miss. West why, and every one of them is made of gold." "Oh..." Ruby says with her eyebrows raised. "Ok, well, that explains a lot. How did you find this information?"</p><p></p><p>Jeff replies, "I was with the Confederate brigade sent to bury it. That was the special assignment. When it looked like Richmond was going to fall they shipped out the entire Confederate Treasury, valued at over two million dollars at the time. Sent a whole brigade to guard it. Went by rail through Texas and then over land from there. By the time it got to Arizona the Yankees were closing in so Colonel Hunter decided it was best to hide it. </p><p></p><p>He sent me with the brigade since I knew the area. Thing is, they were all good ole boys from the deep south, and with my New York accent more than one of them was sure I was a Yankee spy. So they didn't trust me, left me at the base camp under guard when they went up into the mountains to hide it. </p><p></p><p>That brigade then headed down into Mexico. The fool Major leading it got lost and wandered into the wrong place, ruled over by a Mexican Warlord who didn't like trespassers. A small army of wood elves ambushed them, not one human survived. That only left three people remaining with any inclination of where it had been buried, myself and two Captains who had been reassigned shortly after it had been hidden. But like me, the Captains had never left the base camp. </p><p></p><p>In March of '66 Hunter sent both of them back to Arizona disguised as prospectors to find it. Not long after that Captain James K. Powell turned up dead, his body filled with Apache arrows. Captain Jack Carter just vanished. Colonel Hunter assumed he had found the gold and made off with it, so spent the next decade trying to find the man. Carter eventually turned up, a decade later in '76, right here in Cochise County. The guy had gone insane, told some fool story of wandering into a cave and falling through a hole to the planet Mars. He kept raving about his lost Princess Dejah. I think they shipped him off to an asylum. </p><p></p><p>That's when Colonel Hunter and I had the falling out. He accused me of knowing where the gold was and hiding it from him. Seems he thought that with the money he could bribe the Government into giving him some land for his New Confederacy. I decided not to tell what I knew, and came back here. </p><p></p><p>But by then word had also reached the U.S. Military, who also applied pressure to get me to talk. I won't tell them either, so they've blackballed me, won't let me find employment with any Federal contractors. I'm the most popular guy around, except they could care less about me, all they want is the gold. Only folks who ever just accepted me for me are you guys and the Whipples."</p><p></p><p>Ruby says, "I don't understand one thing. Why don't you go GET the gold, move away and live a life of luxury? That's what I would do anyway." She meets Jeff stare. "Well, we would miss you, of course. But sometimes you have to think of yourself." Jake chuckles. "Because he doesn't know exactly where it is, only approximately. If he found the gold then there is nothing stopping both sides from taking it from him and his life wouldn't be worth two bits." </p><p></p><p>Jeff says, "Well, the thought had occurred to me, but like Jake says, I still don't know exactly where it is. But I'm pretty good at figuring out logistics. I knew where the base camp was, how many men they had, how many trunks of gold they had and how long they were gone. The men hadn't brought that much digging equipment with them so the two Captains assumed the stuff had been just hidden in a cave. But over the years I did some background checking, and one of the Lieutenants who had gone on the digging detail was the son of a New Orleans wizard, so I figure he knew some digging spells and the stuff was buried instead. </p><p></p><p>So four years back I wired Linley to come out here, he was the freed slave who worked with my family back in New York. We spent close to two years up in the mountains looking until the Deputy Sheriff showed up and started shadowing us. We then started checking out the other two local mountain ranges, where I knew the stuff wasn't but we wanted to throw him off. Not long after that this town got going. I decided to stay around and stop looking. Linley moved over to Deming, a New Mexico town around seventy-five miles east of here. Only people who would hire me then were the Whipples here at what was the Lone Star, them having strong Confederate leanings from their Texas days. </p><p></p><p>Thing is, I don't really want all of that gold, neither does Linley. We just want enough to go back to New York and buy up the family land again. Several generations of both of our families are buried on that land and we'd like to see our relatives who have died since we left brought back there for a proper burial among their kin folk."</p><p></p><p>Jake strokes his chin and looks at Jeff. "Was that Hunter that came to visit recently or one of his agents?" Jeff replies, "That was Colonel Markus Jackson, Colonel Hunter's second-in-command. They want the gold again, or at least enough information from me to look themselves. </p><p></p><p>All they know now is that it's in one of the mountain ranges in the area. The base camp was right where the town of Promise City now stands, but unlike me they don't know how far the group traveled. So as far as they know it's anywhere in the Dragoon, Dos Cabezas or Chiricahua Mountains. That's all the Government knows too since we threw off Deputy Sheriff Colin Hunter. By the way, he's Colonel Sherod Hunter's nephew. Not sure which side he's actually working for or if he's just out to find it for himself."</p><p></p><p>Ruby stays quiet in thought, tapping her lips. Finally she speaks. "Ok, now I understand why there are two armies after you. And it would probably be quite hard to get it with them always shadowing you." She looks up at Jeff. "I don't want you to think we're using you either, so I don't think I should make any suggestions about it." "How much do you need to get your land in New York back?" He replies, "Don't know. But I figure if we find it there will be more than enough. That gold was worth over two million during the war. Prices have gone up considerably since then, so it's probably now worth between three and four million.</p><p></p><p>Jake says, "Jeff, let me think about what you told me. I'll recommend as a friend that you don't tell that story to anyone else for now. Is there any more to the story?" Jeff replies, "Only one's I've ever told all that to are you two and the Whipples, oh, and Linley of course. Nothing more to the story other than the specifics about the digging detail, which no offense, but I don't tell those to anybody.” “Wise, very wise. You keep it that way." Jake says nodding. </p><p></p><p>Jeff says, “My alone knowing those details are the only thing that makes me more valuable alive than dead to everyone else." Jake replies, "Fair enough Mr. Mills. I ask the YOU let ME know when trouble comes knocking so we can work it out together. </p><p></p><p>Jake says, "After this Cowboy gang problem is resolved, we can talk more about this if you would care to. Perhaps we could come up with a solution to your problem." Jake's eyes twinkle. "In the mean time just stay around the Lucky Lady with us and we'll see if we can keep both sides off your back for a little while."</p><p></p><p>Jeff says, "Thank you Mister Cook. All I ask is that you don't put me in a situation again where the Government could haul me up on charges to try to get the information out of me. As bouncer here I can do whatever is necessary to defend the place, but as I told Miss. West the other day, once those men had been disarmed and the place secured my job here was done. Anything beyond that wouldn't have ever held up in court."</p><p></p><p>Ruby interjects, "Just remember we didn't know any of that information, Jeff. We wouldn't knowingly put you or anyone else in danger. As a matter of fact it's just the opposite, although I'm not quite sure how that happened." </p><p></p><p>"I understand now why you've been hesitant to see to Mr. Cook's silver mine. But if there is a way you can help get that silver out, I'm sure Mr. Cook's generous nature would show. That has been an issue..." </p><p></p><p>Jake laughs out loud. "I've not heard that said too many times. I do need some help, or should I say the miners need some guidance on the construction. We can work that out after the festival and this damned Cowboy gang infestation. As always Jeff, I'll see to it that you are adequately rewarded for your contribution. I do wonder, now that I know more of the story, if Sheriff Hunter is involved with the Cowboy gang too or just interested in watching everyone that is close to Jeff, thinking they might lead Hunter to clues about the gold."</p><p></p><p>Ruby states, "Anyway, it's almost 1:00 and I have to get back downstairs. We might be needing you too, depending on how many people show up." The one o'clock hour comes and goes without anybody showing up at the Lucky Lady. At 2:00 PM two people arrive, a pair of plump and rather dirty brothers named Michael and Stanislov Polaski, one carrying a tuba the other with an accordion. They play her a polka and are actually rather good, although it is a type of music she isn't all that experienced with. Still, it is very danceable.</p><p></p><p>Ruby was only slightly disheartened at the turn out for entertainers, as the whole festival plans have seem to become a mess anyway. She wasn't going to worry about it too much as this all started as a favor for her friend. Then again, she had hoped to get some ideas over who could play her Romeo for the play she planned and the two dirty polka players just wouldn't fit the bill. She told the brothers they could play for the festival and she asked them to check back on Saturday for the time. Still, she would hang around and drink while she waited, hoping someone else might still turn up.</p><p></p><p>At 2:45 PM Jane Boag enters the Lucky Lady followed by an entourage of nine other women. All are wearing nice dresses but nothing too revealing. Jane make the introductions to Ruby. "My Palace coworkers Abilene Annie Lambert, Leslie Hutton, Louise Vogel, Fannie Mitchum, and Marnie Keppler; Hildy Jackson and Nancy Myers from the Long Branch; and Julia Barbeau and Fifi LaFarge from the Gay Lady." "Good afternoon, ladies, Jane." Ruby nods. "Are you all here to sign up for entertainment for the festival?"</p><p></p><p>Jane says "Yes, we are. We're all experienced entertainers and have been practicing together. We're all set with two family-friendly songs and dances for earlier in the evening and one far more suggestive number for after midnight when hopefully all little children and prudish Vigilance Committee members will have gone off to bed." Ruby smiles but keeps her suspicions to herself. "Now that sounds good!" </p><p></p><p>She offers a seat to the women and sits herself, "So what do you have planned?" Jane says, "Well, we'd show you but your stage isn't large enough for the ten of us. We will require that there be a piano at the side of the stage to provide the music, we'll bring out own pianist. Our earliest number is a medley of songs by Sir. Arthur Sullivan, with fairly conservative dance moments and we'll wear what we have on now. The Vigilance Committee will probably not object, even thought it is being performed by a group of whores. Our next number is a combination of French-Canadian and American dances and songs, where we plan to wear dresses that may show off just a little cleavage and a lot of leg. I haven't decided on the attire yet for the final number and am open to your suggestions."</p><p></p><p>Ruby says, "Ms. Duprey and myself have been practicing songs together, with the girls from the Gay Lady. That should be plenty of entertainment then. Do you have any preferences for times?" Ruby laughs, "I'm sure you know that I could care less about the members of a certain Committee. As for the later show, is that the one you would like me to help you with? I'm not very clear on that yet." "We can plan that out later, the two of us. I don't want to tie all of the other women up." Ruby replies, "Alright, I'll see you later then!" Jane turns and departs with the other women. Another lull follows.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 3217494, member: 8530"] [B]Chapter 202, “Jeff’s Story“, Thursday, March 30th, 1882, 12:30 PM [/B] Ruby, Jake and Jeff settle in to the office side of their room. Ruby plops herself down on the couch. "Have a seat Jeff, make yourself comfortable." Jeff Mills sits down in the chair. He says, "I've decided not to quit, if that's what you want to know." Jake says, "That's a good start. Look Jeff, I told you this before, if we don't know what in blue blazes is going on with you we can't help. We'll even if we can't help we don't know how to avoid trouble for you." Jeff says, "Well, the other night I told you about growing up as the fourth generation of Erie Canal workers, my Great-Grandfather having helped build the canal back in the 1820's. He had settled on a plot of land on the canal that he bought from the canal owners. He work it for the rest of his life using mules to haul boats and barges along the canal, passing the job on to his son. My Grandfather and Father both did the same That story I told you, back in '58, took place not long before my family got swindled. Our land was stolen from us by a bunch of crooked lawyers, they make that Fisk guy look like Mr. Honest by comparison. They came onto our land with forged deeds, claiming to have owned it and said that my Great-Grandfather's deed was a fake. Turns out they had the state politicians in their back pockets. We appealed to the Federal Government also, but those politicians had been paid off too so they also backed the thieves. We were evicted and decided to move on out west. My Grandfather didn't survive the trip. He was healthy enough but his spirit was broken. After his passed Father blamed the Government. We settled in the Arizona Territory. When Arizona joined the Confederacy, well Father was the first to join up. He was a member of Sheord Hunter's troops. Fought here in Arizona and then moved on with Hunter to Texas. My father was with him at the battle of Brashier City, Louisiana in '64. That was a huge Confederate Victory. They captured 1,300 Union prisoners, 11 heavy siege guns and over $ 2 million dollars worth of supplies. Only lost three men, but my father was one of them. Part of me died too when I heard the news." Jake listens intently and nods for Jeff to go on. "That's very sad Jeff." Ruby furrows her brows. "But why would that make both the armies want you?" Jeff continues, "Well, there I was, a ten-year old boy on his own, my Mom having died of illness the previous winter. Then Major General John Bankhead Magruder, who headed the Confederate States Military Department of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, send Sherod Hunter back to New Mexico and Arizona to recruit new forces for the Confederacy. You have to understand, I shared my father's sentiment for hating the Union given what the Government had done to my family. I was proud that my father had died for a cause that he believed in, and I had no other future plans. So I signed up. I was only eleven by that time, but had sprouted up early. I was the same height and build that I am today. I lied and told them I was eighteen. They had to have known I was younger but probably figured me for fifteen or sixteen. I fought with Hunter's Brigade for the rest of the war. Sherod Hunter became a second father to me. Always looked after me, trusted me more than any other man under his command. By then I also knew this land like the back of my hand. A special assignment came up where they needed a local scout, and he assigned me to it. Worst thing that ever happened to me. I'll come back to that in a minute. Moving ahead, Lee surrendered to Grant in '65 and hundreds of Secessionists started escaping from Union-controlled Territory to Mexico. Colonel Hunter took it upon himself to reorganize these troops into a coherent fighting force, which would be needed if we were to be taken seriously by the Government. Hunter didn't want to reignite the war, he just wanted to create a place for those who believed in State's rights to live in peace. The Colonel thought that President Johnson would be willing to concede The Arizona and New Mexico Territories to the Confederacy if we were to allow the United States railroads to travel through them. That was the main reason for the Gadsten Purchase to begin with, to secure land for a railroad linking Texas to California. Lincoln would never have agreed, but Johnson was willing to talk at least. Colonel Hunter crossed back into the states in '66 for a secret meeting with representatives of President Johnson but unfortunately nothing came of that meeting." Jeff stops and pours himself some of the bourbon. Ruby says, "I don't know much of historic events, I admit. Please go on, I want to know how this effects you now." Mills continues, "Well, Ulysses S. Grant was elected president in 1868. Colonel Hunter realized that old U.S. Grant would never negotiate with him. So Colonel Hunter disbanded the unit and sent us all back to the states. But he made a point to keep in touch with each of us. When Grant left office in '77 and Rutherford Hayes took office he called us back together. Hayes had support for southern reconciliation and this would have gone a long way. Hunter started negotiations again but then silver and gold were discovered here in the territories and the Government became less inclined to deal. That's when things got really difficult and I had a major falling out with Colonel Hunter. I left Mexico again and came back here for good. And because of what I know both the Federal Government or the New Confederate Government have been hounding me ever since. As I told Chet, I'm stuck in the middle of a damned tug of war and neither side will listen to me." He slams his fist on the table as he makes that statement. Ruby says, "Jeff, I'm just a simple saloon singer. Was there some kind of hidden information in what you just told us? I don't understand what it is you know that they are willing to hunt you for." Jeff breathes in and sighs, "There are millions of reasons Miss. West why, and every one of them is made of gold." "Oh..." Ruby says with her eyebrows raised. "Ok, well, that explains a lot. How did you find this information?" Jeff replies, "I was with the Confederate brigade sent to bury it. That was the special assignment. When it looked like Richmond was going to fall they shipped out the entire Confederate Treasury, valued at over two million dollars at the time. Sent a whole brigade to guard it. Went by rail through Texas and then over land from there. By the time it got to Arizona the Yankees were closing in so Colonel Hunter decided it was best to hide it. He sent me with the brigade since I knew the area. Thing is, they were all good ole boys from the deep south, and with my New York accent more than one of them was sure I was a Yankee spy. So they didn't trust me, left me at the base camp under guard when they went up into the mountains to hide it. That brigade then headed down into Mexico. The fool Major leading it got lost and wandered into the wrong place, ruled over by a Mexican Warlord who didn't like trespassers. A small army of wood elves ambushed them, not one human survived. That only left three people remaining with any inclination of where it had been buried, myself and two Captains who had been reassigned shortly after it had been hidden. But like me, the Captains had never left the base camp. In March of '66 Hunter sent both of them back to Arizona disguised as prospectors to find it. Not long after that Captain James K. Powell turned up dead, his body filled with Apache arrows. Captain Jack Carter just vanished. Colonel Hunter assumed he had found the gold and made off with it, so spent the next decade trying to find the man. Carter eventually turned up, a decade later in '76, right here in Cochise County. The guy had gone insane, told some fool story of wandering into a cave and falling through a hole to the planet Mars. He kept raving about his lost Princess Dejah. I think they shipped him off to an asylum. That's when Colonel Hunter and I had the falling out. He accused me of knowing where the gold was and hiding it from him. Seems he thought that with the money he could bribe the Government into giving him some land for his New Confederacy. I decided not to tell what I knew, and came back here. But by then word had also reached the U.S. Military, who also applied pressure to get me to talk. I won't tell them either, so they've blackballed me, won't let me find employment with any Federal contractors. I'm the most popular guy around, except they could care less about me, all they want is the gold. Only folks who ever just accepted me for me are you guys and the Whipples." Ruby says, "I don't understand one thing. Why don't you go GET the gold, move away and live a life of luxury? That's what I would do anyway." She meets Jeff stare. "Well, we would miss you, of course. But sometimes you have to think of yourself." Jake chuckles. "Because he doesn't know exactly where it is, only approximately. If he found the gold then there is nothing stopping both sides from taking it from him and his life wouldn't be worth two bits." Jeff says, "Well, the thought had occurred to me, but like Jake says, I still don't know exactly where it is. But I'm pretty good at figuring out logistics. I knew where the base camp was, how many men they had, how many trunks of gold they had and how long they were gone. The men hadn't brought that much digging equipment with them so the two Captains assumed the stuff had been just hidden in a cave. But over the years I did some background checking, and one of the Lieutenants who had gone on the digging detail was the son of a New Orleans wizard, so I figure he knew some digging spells and the stuff was buried instead. So four years back I wired Linley to come out here, he was the freed slave who worked with my family back in New York. We spent close to two years up in the mountains looking until the Deputy Sheriff showed up and started shadowing us. We then started checking out the other two local mountain ranges, where I knew the stuff wasn't but we wanted to throw him off. Not long after that this town got going. I decided to stay around and stop looking. Linley moved over to Deming, a New Mexico town around seventy-five miles east of here. Only people who would hire me then were the Whipples here at what was the Lone Star, them having strong Confederate leanings from their Texas days. Thing is, I don't really want all of that gold, neither does Linley. We just want enough to go back to New York and buy up the family land again. Several generations of both of our families are buried on that land and we'd like to see our relatives who have died since we left brought back there for a proper burial among their kin folk." Jake strokes his chin and looks at Jeff. "Was that Hunter that came to visit recently or one of his agents?" Jeff replies, "That was Colonel Markus Jackson, Colonel Hunter's second-in-command. They want the gold again, or at least enough information from me to look themselves. All they know now is that it's in one of the mountain ranges in the area. The base camp was right where the town of Promise City now stands, but unlike me they don't know how far the group traveled. So as far as they know it's anywhere in the Dragoon, Dos Cabezas or Chiricahua Mountains. That's all the Government knows too since we threw off Deputy Sheriff Colin Hunter. By the way, he's Colonel Sherod Hunter's nephew. Not sure which side he's actually working for or if he's just out to find it for himself." Ruby stays quiet in thought, tapping her lips. Finally she speaks. "Ok, now I understand why there are two armies after you. And it would probably be quite hard to get it with them always shadowing you." She looks up at Jeff. "I don't want you to think we're using you either, so I don't think I should make any suggestions about it." "How much do you need to get your land in New York back?" He replies, "Don't know. But I figure if we find it there will be more than enough. That gold was worth over two million during the war. Prices have gone up considerably since then, so it's probably now worth between three and four million. Jake says, "Jeff, let me think about what you told me. I'll recommend as a friend that you don't tell that story to anyone else for now. Is there any more to the story?" Jeff replies, "Only one's I've ever told all that to are you two and the Whipples, oh, and Linley of course. Nothing more to the story other than the specifics about the digging detail, which no offense, but I don't tell those to anybody.” “Wise, very wise. You keep it that way." Jake says nodding. Jeff says, “My alone knowing those details are the only thing that makes me more valuable alive than dead to everyone else." Jake replies, "Fair enough Mr. Mills. I ask the YOU let ME know when trouble comes knocking so we can work it out together. Jake says, "After this Cowboy gang problem is resolved, we can talk more about this if you would care to. Perhaps we could come up with a solution to your problem." Jake's eyes twinkle. "In the mean time just stay around the Lucky Lady with us and we'll see if we can keep both sides off your back for a little while." Jeff says, "Thank you Mister Cook. All I ask is that you don't put me in a situation again where the Government could haul me up on charges to try to get the information out of me. As bouncer here I can do whatever is necessary to defend the place, but as I told Miss. West the other day, once those men had been disarmed and the place secured my job here was done. Anything beyond that wouldn't have ever held up in court." Ruby interjects, "Just remember we didn't know any of that information, Jeff. We wouldn't knowingly put you or anyone else in danger. As a matter of fact it's just the opposite, although I'm not quite sure how that happened." "I understand now why you've been hesitant to see to Mr. Cook's silver mine. But if there is a way you can help get that silver out, I'm sure Mr. Cook's generous nature would show. That has been an issue..." Jake laughs out loud. "I've not heard that said too many times. I do need some help, or should I say the miners need some guidance on the construction. We can work that out after the festival and this damned Cowboy gang infestation. As always Jeff, I'll see to it that you are adequately rewarded for your contribution. I do wonder, now that I know more of the story, if Sheriff Hunter is involved with the Cowboy gang too or just interested in watching everyone that is close to Jeff, thinking they might lead Hunter to clues about the gold." Ruby states, "Anyway, it's almost 1:00 and I have to get back downstairs. We might be needing you too, depending on how many people show up." The one o'clock hour comes and goes without anybody showing up at the Lucky Lady. At 2:00 PM two people arrive, a pair of plump and rather dirty brothers named Michael and Stanislov Polaski, one carrying a tuba the other with an accordion. They play her a polka and are actually rather good, although it is a type of music she isn't all that experienced with. Still, it is very danceable. Ruby was only slightly disheartened at the turn out for entertainers, as the whole festival plans have seem to become a mess anyway. She wasn't going to worry about it too much as this all started as a favor for her friend. Then again, she had hoped to get some ideas over who could play her Romeo for the play she planned and the two dirty polka players just wouldn't fit the bill. She told the brothers they could play for the festival and she asked them to check back on Saturday for the time. Still, she would hang around and drink while she waited, hoping someone else might still turn up. At 2:45 PM Jane Boag enters the Lucky Lady followed by an entourage of nine other women. All are wearing nice dresses but nothing too revealing. Jane make the introductions to Ruby. "My Palace coworkers Abilene Annie Lambert, Leslie Hutton, Louise Vogel, Fannie Mitchum, and Marnie Keppler; Hildy Jackson and Nancy Myers from the Long Branch; and Julia Barbeau and Fifi LaFarge from the Gay Lady." "Good afternoon, ladies, Jane." Ruby nods. "Are you all here to sign up for entertainment for the festival?" Jane says "Yes, we are. We're all experienced entertainers and have been practicing together. We're all set with two family-friendly songs and dances for earlier in the evening and one far more suggestive number for after midnight when hopefully all little children and prudish Vigilance Committee members will have gone off to bed." Ruby smiles but keeps her suspicions to herself. "Now that sounds good!" She offers a seat to the women and sits herself, "So what do you have planned?" Jane says, "Well, we'd show you but your stage isn't large enough for the ten of us. We will require that there be a piano at the side of the stage to provide the music, we'll bring out own pianist. Our earliest number is a medley of songs by Sir. Arthur Sullivan, with fairly conservative dance moments and we'll wear what we have on now. The Vigilance Committee will probably not object, even thought it is being performed by a group of whores. Our next number is a combination of French-Canadian and American dances and songs, where we plan to wear dresses that may show off just a little cleavage and a lot of leg. I haven't decided on the attire yet for the final number and am open to your suggestions." Ruby says, "Ms. Duprey and myself have been practicing songs together, with the girls from the Gay Lady. That should be plenty of entertainment then. Do you have any preferences for times?" Ruby laughs, "I'm sure you know that I could care less about the members of a certain Committee. As for the later show, is that the one you would like me to help you with? I'm not very clear on that yet." "We can plan that out later, the two of us. I don't want to tie all of the other women up." Ruby replies, "Alright, I'll see you later then!" Jane turns and departs with the other women. Another lull follows. [/QUOTE]
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