DeletedUser
OOC: To sign up state the character/s you want. (You can have up to one character and his/her partner.) I'm taking the story to the town of Mora, Arizona. I'm going to have a crooked land deal happen there, as well as the McCartney gang coming to cause trouble. Please post a [OOC:] tag in front of any Out-Of-Character posts.
IC:
He swung the heavy bag off the floor and stepped over the man's body and out of the saloon. He was dressed immaculately, like an Easterner, and he loaded the bag behind his horse's saddle with deliberation. The man was a handsome figure, about forty years of age and cool, clean way about his buisness. After securing the saddlebag he scooped his hat, a black widebrim, off the ground and dusted it off carefully before deposited it on his head.
A husky man with thick forearms stumbled out of the saloon after him and wiped his bloody nose across his hand. He grinned, showing a row yellow, broken teeth.
"That was some fight, mister. Vince's boys had a lot of kick in them."
"They asked for it. They have been asking it of a lot of people. I'm surprised the law didn't do anything about them."
The husky boxer nodded his head, this man was an Easterner after all. "Out here we mostly take care of our ownselves." The other man tugged his grulla away from the post and swung it around. "You bought yourself a heap of trouble. I'll throw in with you if you like."
The man on horseback furrowed his brow. "I'm heading for Santa Fe. The McCartneys will try to follow me."
"That's why you'll need a pardner. I've always had a knack for buckin' stacked decks. Name's Ray Hart." He thrust a meaty hand up towards the horse's rider.
The rider leaned over and shook the hand. "Glad of your help Hart. I'm Captain Leslie Seiden."
A shout from the saloon indicated that the first of Vince McCartney's gang had come to. Seiden popped his grulla with the end of his reins and galloped down the main street out of town. Hart pulled his zebra dun mule away from the post and was fast behind. After several hours of silent riding through the desert brush they spoke again.
"What are you going to do in Santa Fe, Captain?"
"Just call me Leslie. I'm not really a captain anymore." He slowed his horse and allowed the lathered animal to wander down an arroyo to nuzzle at a muddy patch. No sense killing the creature with hard riding; there had been no sign of pursuers. "I'm going to marry a girl. I met her in Boston."
"Ah, very good. I had you figured for an army man. There's a fort somewhere along that way."
"I wasn't a captain in the army. It was on a ship. I sold everything and am headed to Mora. My soon-to-be-father-in-law has a big ranch there."
"How did you get mixed up with the McCartneys?" Hart was instantly sorry he asked, but the Easterner was inclined to talk and didn't yet understand the rules of the west.
"Dumb fool deal I made. I ran into Kel McCartney and was offered a quick job clearing some squatters off his property. Sounded like a good way to get accustomed with the new way of living, and I accepted. Took me a while to figure out he was stealing the land. I told him something to that effect."
Hart dismounted to set up a camp. Darkness was fast approaching. "Those are fightin' words. You'll never get them off your tail now unless you kill them."
"I don't want any of that. They'll give up as soon as they see I'm not bothering them any."
Hart shook his head. This Seiden had a bit to learn.
IC:
He swung the heavy bag off the floor and stepped over the man's body and out of the saloon. He was dressed immaculately, like an Easterner, and he loaded the bag behind his horse's saddle with deliberation. The man was a handsome figure, about forty years of age and cool, clean way about his buisness. After securing the saddlebag he scooped his hat, a black widebrim, off the ground and dusted it off carefully before deposited it on his head.
A husky man with thick forearms stumbled out of the saloon after him and wiped his bloody nose across his hand. He grinned, showing a row yellow, broken teeth.
"That was some fight, mister. Vince's boys had a lot of kick in them."
"They asked for it. They have been asking it of a lot of people. I'm surprised the law didn't do anything about them."
The husky boxer nodded his head, this man was an Easterner after all. "Out here we mostly take care of our ownselves." The other man tugged his grulla away from the post and swung it around. "You bought yourself a heap of trouble. I'll throw in with you if you like."
The man on horseback furrowed his brow. "I'm heading for Santa Fe. The McCartneys will try to follow me."
"That's why you'll need a pardner. I've always had a knack for buckin' stacked decks. Name's Ray Hart." He thrust a meaty hand up towards the horse's rider.
The rider leaned over and shook the hand. "Glad of your help Hart. I'm Captain Leslie Seiden."
A shout from the saloon indicated that the first of Vince McCartney's gang had come to. Seiden popped his grulla with the end of his reins and galloped down the main street out of town. Hart pulled his zebra dun mule away from the post and was fast behind. After several hours of silent riding through the desert brush they spoke again.
"What are you going to do in Santa Fe, Captain?"
"Just call me Leslie. I'm not really a captain anymore." He slowed his horse and allowed the lathered animal to wander down an arroyo to nuzzle at a muddy patch. No sense killing the creature with hard riding; there had been no sign of pursuers. "I'm going to marry a girl. I met her in Boston."
"Ah, very good. I had you figured for an army man. There's a fort somewhere along that way."
"I wasn't a captain in the army. It was on a ship. I sold everything and am headed to Mora. My soon-to-be-father-in-law has a big ranch there."
"How did you get mixed up with the McCartneys?" Hart was instantly sorry he asked, but the Easterner was inclined to talk and didn't yet understand the rules of the west.
"Dumb fool deal I made. I ran into Kel McCartney and was offered a quick job clearing some squatters off his property. Sounded like a good way to get accustomed with the new way of living, and I accepted. Took me a while to figure out he was stealing the land. I told him something to that effect."
Hart dismounted to set up a camp. Darkness was fast approaching. "Those are fightin' words. You'll never get them off your tail now unless you kill them."
"I don't want any of that. They'll give up as soon as they see I'm not bothering them any."
Hart shook his head. This Seiden had a bit to learn.
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