IC - 1. Gainful Employment

[NFVD]

Mario "El Monje" Malhecho

And Mario keeps James company on the first watch.

Spoiler:

Spot Hidden roll (57%) [dice]0[/dice]

[Priest]

Farnsworthy:
Like the others Ethan settles down to a cold supper. Reads a little then sleeps the sleep of the just in readiness for his watch.
During his watch he tries to strike up a conversation with their new comrade, "So Mr Courtwright, you been with the Pinkerton's long?"

Spot Hidden,25% rolled 97 http://orokos.com/roll/272460

[Tabs]

Harriet beds down for the night, following the same routine as before.

[Papa Gateau]

Strachan,During your watch you note that [b]Courtwright[/b] remains awake. He beds down and it looks as though he is going to slepp but he stays awake and eyes follow the sounds of the changing shifts etc.

Farnsworthy:
Like the others Ethan settles down to a cold supper. Reads a little then sleeps the sleep of the just in readiness for his watch.
During his watch he tries to strike up a conversation with their new comrade, "So Mr Courtwright, you been with the Pinkerton's long?"

In answer to Ethan's question he replies in a low voice Couple of years. Long enough to be trusted by the men on top. Long enough to be trusted to work alone, if needs be.


The night passes without incident.

As you eat a cold breakfast Clancy speaks up Ok, men. As I said last night we've made good ground and we should catch them today. Keep your wits about you. Just because they've been none too clever about hiding their tracks don't mean they can't surprise us.

You finish your breakfast, saddle up and head out.

[ghill]

Strachan throws the saddle onto the back of his horse, feeling a familiar stiffness in his back and legs, he's still happy with the state of things though. He's ridden harder, for longer before, mostly trying to keep up with the fleeing Confederate army while this ride has the added benefit is no one is shooting at them, yet. He maintains his morning routine wiping down each of his guns in turn, making sure powder and ball in his pistols are fresh and everything is in working order. When he climbs into the saddle his horse is fed and and so is he.

Keeper,Spoiler: Does [b]Courtwright[/b] seem overly tired this morning ie does he look like he remained awake most of the night or just my stag? When I noticed he was awake did he seem aware I'd noticed his wakefulness? Watching him do I think it was pre battle nerves or something else? [b]Insight 10%[/b][dice]0[/dice]

[Papa Gateau]

Strachan,You noted that he was awake when you were woken for your watch and that he remained awake throughout your watch and then he went into his - so to your mind he has been awake for most of the night. You made eye contact with him when you were woken for your watch, though no words were exchanged, so it's safe to assume that he knows that you know he was awake at that time. As far as you can tell he's showing no signs of tiredness

[ghill]

Strachan leads his horse over to where James is making his preparations. Then in a low voice. Well James I don't know whether our man Courtwright doesn't trust us, or just has a bad case of pre battle jitters, he was already awake when I started my stag last night, and went straight into his own

[Tabs]

Harriet, nibbling at a biscuit, approaches Sheriff Clancy, she swallows and says: "I unerstan' that we may catch the outlaws today--" she stops talking, not wishing to appear scared. "Um--do y' think I need stay at the rear of the posse, sir?"

[Mr. Handy]

James nods. "That one bears watching," he says. When he sees Harriet speak to the sheriff, he goes with her. "That's probably not the best idea either. They may have figured they're being followed and could have set up an ambush. All they'd have to do is have some of their people hide, lying in wait until we've passed, then hit us from the rear. If they want to be really nasty, they'll hit us from both sides at once. The safest place may be in the middle of the column."

[Papa Gateau]

Clancy looks at Harriet with a wry grin Well Miss Harriet you're welcome to ride at the front or the middle or wherever you want but so far you seem to most happy bumping along at the back, holding on to that mule of yours like he's the last thing between you and the good Lord the grin turns into a smile, accompanied with a little wink When things get a little hot, best if you hang back and hide yourself behind the horses

You all mount up and ride out, again the spring weather is fine and you make a good pace. Around midday the trail turns and follows a shallow river, around 10' wide. The river flows down through the foothills and the tracks follow it. After an another hour or so the hills are steeper and the river cuts through a gorge, about 800' across. The sides of the gorge rise to about 200'.

Clancy reins up Right men, if I were going to have me an ambush, it'd be through here. I suggest we spread ourselves out and keep our eyes and ears open. he pulls his Winchester from his forward slung boot and chambers a round. Miss Harriet it might be best if you lead your mule on foot. The rest of us spread out, I want at least 15' between each man

All,Let me know your marching order, if you're not worried about your position then I'll assign it. Clancy will take lead/point

[ghill]

OOC:   Just a couple of questions. How deep is the stream? When you say shallow is it ankle deep, something we can walk the horses through without issue, or something more substantial? The 200' foot sides, are those cliffs? Is it possible to ride or lead horses out of the gorge so we could follow the river from above? If we don't climb out how much higher are we than someone stood at the river bank?

Strachan looks around, taking note of the confined nature of the ground, the posse is well and truly bottled up as it follows the river. Spacing them out will make it more difficult to spring an ambush which catches all of them

Sheriff Clancy do you want us to send scouts forward, or up onto the high ground, it will make life much harder for them if they do intend to ambush us?

[Papa Gateau]

All,The river isn't very deep, maybe 3'-4' at the centre but it is fast flowing, probably due to the spring thaw. You don't think it would be too difficult to ford/cross. You can see the river bottom from the bank, it is stony and not silted with mud. The river banks stand 2'-3' above the river, you can see that the river has previously run much deeper by the way the banks are cut. The gorge walls are very steep - they could be climbed but with difficulty, the valley floor isn't flat (being a river valley) the 800' width is what can be ridden on, though its rocky and encroached with low foliage. Try and imagine a cross between these images but the taller trees stand further back from the river bank. [img]http://www.notoriety.co.uk/ysdc/river-gorge-1.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.notoriety.co.uk/ysdc/river-gorge-2.jpg[/img] You can see, similar to the top image above, that river winds to the right after about a mile. The tracks you have been following are on the left side of the river

Clancy looks back the way you have come Probably lose a couple of hours riding back and finding a way to the top he rubs his jaw in contemplation and if the river forks or they cross the river we could find ourselves on the wrong side of the river on the top there with no way down.

Nope, we're nearly on them. We'll carry along the bottom here but we go slowly and we scout ahead on foot first.

Mr Strachan, you just volunteered yourself scouting duty, Mr O'Mahoney you can go with him

Mr Oakley, Mr Murdoch cross the river and scout the opposite bank. Let's see what's up around that bend. Keep an eye on their tracks - I want to know if they cross river.

The rest of you men, keep yourselves alert and be ready to ride if these men need help or walk themselves into an ambush

He dismounts, loosely tethers his horse to a low bush and scans the top of the gorge, his Winchester held loosely in his massive hands.

[ghill]

OOC:   Oh. OK thanks for the pics, I was thinking far more open and a lot, lot less wooded.

Climbing off his horse Strachan pulls the shotgun out from where its been wrapped in his saddle blanket. Making sure O'Mahoney is ready he then starts down the trail on foot leading the horse. The wooded slopes are both familiar and entirely alien, none of the bird calls or smells are what he expects.

OOC:   Strachan isn't really a tracker, so he's taking his time, stopping regularly and keeping his head up and ears open, looking and listening for the out of place. I failed both Spot Hidden(40 rolled 60) and Listen (40 rolled 90)

[Papa Gateau]

OOC:   Oh. OK thanks for the pics, I was thinking far more open and a lot, lot less wooded.

OOC:   It's not as heavily wooded as the pictures - but they are the closest that I could find that matches what's in my head. You've moved off the prairie, into the foothills and now into the outer edge of the mountains - there's not much logging or man made interference to control the wild frontier. The area to either side of the river is less densely wooded - probably due to winter/spring floods pulling up young trees before they can get established - closer to the gorge walls the trees are more dense and mature.

Strachan,you see and hear nothing leading up to the bend in the river. [b]O'Mahoney[/b] indicates the tracks you have been following continue round the bend. Can I have another spot hidden and listen for the next mile after the bend.

[Priest]

Farnsworthy:
Smiling with amusement at the obvious concern being expressed by Harriet, Ethan murmurs in a low voice, "We are all Gods instruments here sister. Front, middle or back makes little difference if the good Lord calls you".
Sliding to the ground he draws the colt from its holster and moves to stand by the Pinkerton man, "Mind ifn I watch alongside you?" the question was posed in such a way that it required no answer.

[NFVD]

Mario "El Monje" Malhecho

Mario gets his .44 Henry repeating rifle Matador sin dolor at the ready. Just to be on the safe side in cases el demonio weaves his wiles. His shifty eyes don't leave the group's scouts as they make their way.

Spoiler:

I am fine with any position the GM decides on the marching order.

[Tabs]

"Will do, Sheriff," says Harriet when Clancy suggests she hide behind the horses should things get 'a little hot.'

~

She replies confidently to Farnsworthy: "My soul is prepared, sir," and thinks, "I pray to thee, Lord, don't call on lil' Harriet jus' yet."

[Mr. Handy]

"We're on it, Sheriff," says Murdoch. He rides with Oakley across the river, his Winchester in his hand with a round chambered, keeping an eye on the tracks and the other on their surroundings.

[Papa Gateau]

Murdoch,2x spot hidden, 2 x listen, 1 x tracking rolls

[ghill]

Strachan proceeds along the trail trying to keep James vaguely in sight on the other side of the stream.
Spot Hidden 40% - [dice]0[/dice]
Listen 40% - [dice]1[/dice]