It’s been a very long time since I last played a scenario in my on-going solo-campaign, but tonight I finally had the next instalment. I’m using the eminent THW’s Six Gun Sound for the campaign, my two main characters Zebulon “Zeb” Turvey (Mountain Man) and Amos Cross (Gunfighter) started out as Marshalls in Montana 1875, they are now Sheriff and Deputy in Ashbury Colorado and it’s 1879. For a full summary of their previous escapades, here’s the link:
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=51810.0
Christmas Eve in Ashbury, Colorado 1879, the snow was lying thick and made a real postcard picture, people were happy and wished each other well, carols were sung and a general feeling of merriment and goodwill to all men. Sheriff Zeb Turvey was sitting in his office together with the deputy Hansen, Zeb was contently sucking on his pipe.
“You found anyone special to celebrate Christmas with yet?” he asked Hansen.
“Not really Zeb,” Hansen blushed.
“Such a nice young man as yourself has to look at settling down soon, don't wait as long as I did.”
Zeb was well into his 40’s but hadn’t started a family until two years ago, he had a little daughter who was just over a year old, his old friend Amos was the same age but hadn’t settled yet, if he ever would.
As the two men were talking six men with sinister intentions congregated around the bank, they had arrived in ones and twos so not to draw unwanted attention to themselves. Burt Fredricks was the leader of this outfit and they had greedily watched the citizens put all their hard-earned money into the bank all day, Christmas had been good for the merchants and these six were going to make a large withdrawal.
“Ok, this is the plan. Fred and Jefferson, you stay out here holding the horses, the rest of you are coming with me. We make it quick and don’t draw any unwanted attention to us and we could be in and out before these yahoos would know it.”
“But, what about Turvey and Cross?” said George, only 16 but keen to earn his keep.
“I saw Cross in the pharmacy a minute ago and he didn’t seem to be in any hurry, shooting the breeze with a few men in there and Turvey is holed up in the office. Shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Ok, Boss,” George swallowed hard and wet his lips.
“Are you ready boys?” Burt said and got nods of agreement from them.
“Let’s do this.”
Owen Bowman, the manager of the bank had sent home the other staff, it was Christmas Day tomorrow after all and was finishing some paperwork when he heard the front door open, as he rose from the chair to see who it was, four armed men with bandanna’s over their faces strode in.
“No funny tricks and we all can part ways in an orderly fashion. All the money you have and we can carry, please,” Burt cocked the handgun and pointed it at Bowman who grew pale as a sheet and proceeded to open the safe. Second’s ticked by as the quartet looked at the growing mountain of money bags.“They’re robbing the bank,” someone shouted at the top of their lungs out in the street.
“God damn, what rotten luck! Grab the gold, don’t just stand there, grab it!” Burt and his men froze at the outcry; this was not going the way they had planned.
“I knew it! Too quiet to be true,” muttered Zeb and took his Sharp’s Carbine from the gun rack before he limped outside, a memento of an old injury that never set right. Hansen was just behind him.
“Shit, it’s Turvey!” muttered Fred and drew his six-gun. He fired off shots at Zeb until the chamber ran dry but to his dismay Zeb was uninjured. With a hard look on his face Zeb brought the Sharp’s Carbine to bear and hardly sighted down the barrel before he fired. The large calibre bullet struck Fred in the leg and threw him to the ground; he was in so much pain that all he could do before passing out was whimper. At this exchange of gunfire, several of the held horses tore free and moved away from the loud noise.
“You stupid animals, come back here,” shouted Jefferson.
As several citizens around town were running for cover and off the streets, some others started arming themselves and were determined to not let the outlaws escape with all their hard earned money.
Amos Cross was in the pharmacy, his joints had started to ache quite badly lately and he was taking out a prescription when the alarm was raised. All thoughts of the ailment vanished as his old instincts took over and he drew the twin 7” barrel Colt SAA’s he carried. As Jefferson was shouting at the horses, waving his gun around, Amos shot him, Jefferson spun around and hit the wall but dragged himself up again, clutching his chest and looked quite unable to stand straight.
“What shall we do, Boss,” the thunder of gunfire from outside was not a comforting thought.
“Shut up and let me think.” Burt shouted back, everything had gone tits up and he had heard screams of pain from outside, no doubt from Frank and Jefferson. He cast a wild glance around, thinking hard.
Zeb reloaded and limped forward into cover of a conveniently placed wagon while Hansen took cover behind some barrels across the street from the bank. Amos fired a few more shots at Jefferson and this time he went down, his arm and leg were badly shot up.
“Let’s rush ‘em and get on the horses, they can’t take us all.” Said Burt.
“I don’t know, doesn’t sound like a brilliant plan Boss,” said Leroy.
“Well, if you got any other fucking better idea, spit it out,”
There were seconds of silence as no one could come up with a better one, and in close formation and with guns at the ready the four of them sprang out from the bank with as much gold as each one of them could carry.
As the quartet rushed out Zeb once again took aim with his carbine and let the bullet fly. Burt felt a red hot poker drill through his lower abdomen and dropped to the ground, the pistol and the money bag fell from his numb fingers, he was still breathing, barely. Amos opened up fire with both his six-shooters on young George but the young outlaw is tougher than that so he shoots back at Amos. At this affront Amos empties the remaining shells in his guns and riddles George with bullets, he's hit multiple times in the legs, a crater is opened up in his gut and one of the town folk get in a lucky shot that grazes his head badly. George does a macabre dance and falls to his knees before he collapses forward in the snow.
“I am Sheriff Zeb Turvey and there are only two of you left standing, so I give you this one and only chance to come along quietly. If you don’t we will take you down the same way as your associates.” Zeb’s voice boomed out strong.
“Go fuck yourself lawman,” was the answer he got from Leroy and Miles. At this Amos, who had reloaded shoots Miles before he can mount up and the outlaw falls with a severe wound to his elbow.
“Ride Leroy, get out of here, we are finished.” Whispers Miles to him before he becomes too overcome with pain.
As Leroy mounts up and turns the horse around he is shot in the back by Amos, Leroy can feel blood running down his back but he manages to hold fast and set the heel in the side of the horse. As he’s galloping along the main street towards freedom, bullets streak past him like angry bees but none find their intended target.
“I’m safe, I’m safe and rich!!!” he thinks to himself as he gets the hell out of Ashbury.
But his joy is turned into dismay as he notices the posse on his trail, it’s led by Sheriff Turvey and the deputies Cross and Hansen and at least three others are with them. Leroy tries every trick in the book, but he’s wounded and the steed is tired and the pursuers are relentless, shots are fired after him and he has only one last chance to shake his pursuers, if he can make it to Devil’s Gorge he could easily lose them there.
“Looks like he’s heading for Devil’s Gorge Zeb, if he makes it we’ll never catch him there.”
“I know Amos, I know. Whoa,” unexpectedly Zeb reined his horse in and came to a stop, Amos did the same.
“Why are we stopping sheriff, after him!!!” the citizens shouted in disapproval.
“Shut up and sit still,” Amos said with a hard edge in his voice, he didn’t even turn around to look at the town folk.
Zeb dismounted and drew his Sharp’s Carbine from the saddle boot and took aim, he tracked the fleeing target that grew smaller and smaller by the second, held his breath and squeezed the trigger.
BANG!!!
The solitary shot rang out and after a heartbeat or two Leroy fell forward over his horse and slid to the side, the horse dragged him along for a short distance before the posse managed to stop it. Zeb’s bullet had split Leroy’s skull open, he was probably instantly dead.
“God damn, that’s some shooting Sheriff, got to be, what, 500 yards?” the town folk whistled and were in awe.
“Possibly, let’s get this man back to Ashbury and give him a burial,” was Zeb’s answer.
“You know what Amos? I’ve had enough now of killing, Martha and I have saved up some money and I thought we could breed horses or something. I’m not going to participate in the next election. If you want to you are welcome to run, old friend.” Zeb was filling his trusted old pipe as he spoke.
“Me as Sheriff, nah, I don’t have the patience for it. But I’d be glad to join you in your new venture, old friend.”
The two men clasped hands and smiled at each other, there were still more adventures to come for these old hands.
EPILOGUE: George the young outlaw never regained consciousness but died due to his wounds, several of the shot up outlaws had to spend a significant time on the mend before the trial could take place, they weren’t deemed fit enough until the summer of 1880. True to their word, in the fall of 1880 Zeb Turvey and Amos Cross resigned from their posts, much to the disappointment of many a citizen. They were announcing their new plans to go south and do some ranching, during the four years they’ve served the community they had managed to save up a substantial capital, probably only needed a small loan, and Owen Bowman, the bank manager was more than willing to provide them with one.
NB: The campaign environment in the rules are for playing 1875-1885 and you basically resolve a potential encounter once a season. Not uncommon for several seasons to pass without anything of importance happening.
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April 19, 2024, 10:30:32 AM
December 17, 2008, 02:34:48 PM