Chapter 2 - Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Sebastian)

[jemmus]

Sebastian sees something moving on the prairie in the far distance. It grows larger and more distinct. Three horsemen approaching from the north at a walk. One of them raises a hand to the others, and the three stop. One takes out a brass tube, lengthens it, and puts it to his eye. He passes it to the other men, who do the same, then he returns it to a saddleback. Riney notices Sebastian keenly looking out across the prairie, stops his shoveling, and looks as well.

The horseman start riding forward at a lope, stopping at around four or five hundred yards out. The one in the middle calls out. BLANCO COUNTY. SHERIFF AND DEPUTIES.
HOLD UP YER GUNS. THEN GO LAY EM BY THE HOUSE. THEN COME BACK TO THE CORRAL. WE'RE RIDIN IN.

Actions?

[Bluetongue]

Sebastian

I won't just go give up my guns. If they can see us clearly they can count us two folk and three bodies or graves. I will continue, perhaps taking over a little shovelling while Riney chats shop with his associates.

[jemmus]

Riney puts down his shovel. Sayin yer a lawman don't necessarily mean yer a lawman, he says. Too far to see if they're wearing badges. He calls back, HAYS COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF. WHAT Y'ALL DOIN HERE? RIDE ON UP. SLOW, PLEASE. The man in the middle pulls a carbine out of a saddle holster and starts his horse walking forward. The others do the same. Riney takes a step and slowly picks his rifle up off of the ground. I ain't seen any lawmen yet who don't discuss among themselves before approachin strangers out on the prairie, , he says. Mr. Sebastian, I think we ought to casually make our way back toward the house. He call OUT, GITTIN MA COAT WITH MA BADGE. He walks backward toward the back door of the house, carrying his rifle and leaving the shovel and the dead body behind.

Sebastian is at the corral. Deputy sheriff Harold Riney is around 60 yards north-northeast of him. The lawmen/riders are around 250-275 yards north of Riney.

[Bluetongue]

Sebastian

Covers the retreating Riney, factoring in extreme or long range, target moving and gun misc' type, with a Rifle 1 skill (does that cover shotguns?)

Sebastian: Careful Shot vs Coordination 18 [1d20]=2Sebastian: Caused Wound location [1d20]=1 Severity [1d6]=2

I will wait for the deputy to reach the corral fence, expecting the riders might close in faster than he can walk so I waiting for them to be around half the distance when he reaches me, at the extreme limit of my shotgun range.

If they charge or shoot then I fire as detailed above.

[jemmus]

The riders don't respond to the deputy's communication. They're at over 400 yards out. Beyond extreme rifle range. The one in the middle looks to the ones to the left and right and says something. They spur their horses into a gallop, the left one going to the left and the right one going to the right. Riney sees that and stops backing up.

Run to the house, Mr. Sebastian! Quick! He turns his back to the riders and starts running toward it himself.


Movement in Boot Hill happens after shooting. So no one had a chance to shoot before the riders started moving.
Characters running on foot can go 24 yds per turn. Sebastian could get to almost behind the toolshed this turn, if he chooses to run. Riney makes it to the east wall of the shed this turn.

Extreme Range (yds)
Shotgun (Sebastian) - 110
Carbine (middle rider) - 200
Rifle (Deputy, left and right riders)- 400

[Bluetongue]

how deep ate the dug graves? Enough to get half cover in lying down?

Where are our horses? In the corral, by the cabin?

Sebastian

Tool shed possibly best cover actually. Run, kick in door, hide behind barrows or whatever is inside. Load up weapons to come out all guns blazing if neccessary.

[jemmus]

Deputy Riney had gotten 1.5 feet deep on the first grave. The shed is good cover, but it doesn't have an windows for shooting out of. The only opening is the doorway to the south, facing the house.

[Bluetongue]

I will go to the tool shed. It will give better cover.

[jemmus]

Riney rather awkwardly runs past the shed in his cowboy boots (which Sebastian knows were not designed for sprinting), rifle in hand. He makes it to the house's open doorway, and ducks inside. In just a moment the rifle's barrel shatters the old house's living room's north window and the deputy looks through, and to left and right, rifle barrel up. Sebastian has been in that room, and he knows that deputy is crouched beside the fly-covered body of the rustler shot from outside by both William and the 8-ball on the table Gideon McLaury, through two different windows.

The shed is shaded inside, but the setting Sun provides enough light through the wide open doorway to see the around. There a workbench with a mallet-style hammer and two branding irons on it on the east side. One iron has a simple I bar shape for its head. The other has a semi-circle. The symbols are too simple and common to serve as full brands. Obviously implements for altering brands. There a stack of oak and cottonwood branches along the opposite wall. It's the kind of shaded pile that looks kind of diamondback rattlesnake-y. Sebastian knows that rattlers are fearsome to look at and hear, but they're peaceful reptiles-- unless disturbed. Then they strike at a range of about half their body length, which for a grown one is around six, seven foot. Most people get struck by them on ankle or hand, from stepping on or startling the beast. The babies are up to half as long, but for some reason their venom is especially strong. Instead of your ankle or hand turning purple and black and swelling to double-sized, your heart that does that as well.

Outside, to the northwest and northeast, the sounds of hooves rapidly beating on the prairie are heard.

Through the window just 20 feet away, Hays County Deputy Sheriff spots Sebastian ready with his shotgun in the shed and says, not loud enough for the riders to hear, Mr. Sebastian! I ain't gonna offer no suggestions to ya. In this kinda situation ever man got to make his own decisions. My guess is them men is somehow connected to them dead horse thiefs. They come back here to see what happened. Maybe see if they get somethin here that's of value to em. And here's just you an me buryin bodies. Two on three. And with that telescope they seen yer all shot up. I'd guess they feel pretty good about their card hands, compared ars. That shotgun a yers.... The deputy hears something, stops, listens, and looks to the northwest and northeast, and moves his head left and right trying to peer beyond the shed to the direct north. Sebastian hears it too. It's silence. No more hooves galloping across the prairie.

Mr. Sebastian, be ready with that shotgun, please. Them fellas ain't no kid or cowboy rustlers, I'd say. They was horsemen in the war, and survived it. Er maybe Indian fighters. Er both. But they aim kill us both and be done with a day's job before the night is done. That much is fer sure.

There's still an hour of light left under the light blue and orange skies of south-central Texas.

[Bluetongue]

Sebastian

Sebastian: Careful Shot vs Coordination 18 [1d20]=17

Blasts at the snake in the shed. Doesn't want to get bitten to add to his troubles.

He watches for both, movement across his field of vision from the shed door and behind him among the tools.

Sebastian: Observation (10) [1d20]=13 [1d20]=1 [1d20]=8

[jemmus]

Combat Turn 1
I'll post only what Sebastian can sense from inside the shed. He can't see the riders, who from the silence seem now have stopped or dismounted.
I also won’t post the NPCs on either side's rolls this turn. Sebastian has no way of observing how well each opponent did this turn. As before, when a PC is in active combat, we use the US dice roller and all rolls by each side are posted.

But-- We will see the Initiative roll. It's a reminder of how a Combat Turn (not Shootout Turn) works. And a player doesn't gain knowledge of things the PC wouldn't know from it.
It's purely OSG random. PCs [1d6]=1 NPCs [1d6]=4 Sebastian’s side loses and must declare their actions first.
Sebastian will wait. (He doesn't see a rattlesnake. The woodpile just looks like snakes would like it). Riney will shoot.

Riney is in the house crouching behind the window (light cover, won't stop a bullet (p.41)). If the wound location is behind the cover, in this particular case the severity is reduced by 2-3.

A rifle report from west-northwest, to Sebastian’s back right rings out, maybe 100 yards away. Quickly followed one from the east-northeast at around the same distance, and another around twice as far out to the north. Sebastian sees the deputy sheriff’s head jerk slightly to the side, then there’s a crack of splintering wood and Riney’s upper body is twisted to the right. There are rapid cracks of lead hitting wood the window sill-- to the right, to the area of where his crouching feet and leg must be- and then the deputy in the window’s body jolts again. A black a red circle with a black whole in the middle appear on the shirt over his chest.

The big man regains his balance and gives himself a second to draw a bead on a target to the west-northwest. Maybe not so much from tough mental coolness, but from training, experience, and hasty desperation. He fires once, then after a second, once again. Sebastian hears a man huff as if punched in the gut, then gasp as if to draw in air, 90 yards or so off to his back right.

Combat Turn 2 coming in 6 seconds. Those allow 1 or 2 Careful shots (full Coordination score + skill in the weapon) shots per character. Losers of the 1d6 initiative roll will have to declare actions.
-Moving, and how fast
-Shooting
-Moving and shooting
-Some other proposed action

[Bluetongue]

Sebastian

Hugging the floor lower than a snake's belly. From the slightly ajar toolshed door, I should be able to view to the cabin and the tree at least. So an observation roll to spot movement from each of the locations of the bandits.

Sebastian: Observation (10) [1d20]=15 [1d20]=5 [1d20]=9

Sebastian: Careful Shot vs Coordination 18 [1d20]=13Sebastian: Caused Wound location [1d20]=13 Severity [1d6]=3

Should a bandit cross my field of vision, shoot him, particularly if one is sneaking alongside a wall of the cabin trying to flank Riney.

[jemmus]

Combat Turn 2
Initiative - PCs [1d6]=1 Cowboys [1d6]=2
From the post above, Sebastian will observe. Riney will move. Intruders will shoot.

There's no door at all, so Sebastian can easily see the door and windows of the house and the tree.

Rifles 100 and 200 yards out fire Sebastian sees two shots almost simultaneously smash into the deputy's right arm. His rifle drops out of his hands and he falls under the window sill. Sebastian hears him struggle to cough up blood for a second. There's the sound of a three irregular breaths. Then no more sound comes from within the house.

Combat Turn 3
Initiative - Intruders [1d6]=4 Please roll Sebastian's initiative. Remember that initiative losers have to state their actions first. Action: Shoot; Move; Move and Shoot; something else. If you roll less than a 4, please state your action for this turn. If higher, the NPCs will state first. Here's the NPCs' second roll, in case there's a tie. [1d6]=1

Also remember that shooting happens before moving.

[Bluetongue]

Sebastian

Sebastian: initiative [1d6]=6

This is going to be over very quickly, winning initiative or not. I am hampered by wounds so penalised in any firefight I think. If Riney is dead then my chances look even slimmer. With No Hope and Bob Hope and Bob has just left the building.

Alright, what do the bandits do.

[jemmus]

Initiative [1d6]=2
Intruders will Move. Sebastian noticed that only two of the three rifles out on the prairie shot last time.

Sebastian still has his good horse. But it's at the front door of the house.

[Bluetongue]

Sebastian

Not sure running to mount my horse and riding away will get me very far. They are three riders with rifles and could easily run me down.

I also don't think I can blag my way out, trying to con them into believing I am 'one of the boys', especially as I am armed and Riney has his deputy badge.

So shootout it is.

Sebastian: Careful Shot vs Coordination 18 [1d20]=18Sebastian: Caused Wound location [1d20]=3 Severity [1d6]=3

Blasting the first who one I see who enters the cabin. I presume one will go check on the body.

Movement will be to go prone,

[jemmus]

Deputy Riney, inside of the old, dry house doesn't seem to be moving anymore. In fact, it seems like that house is full of dead people. From yesterday, and today. And then there are other ones. Shot just last night and lying out there. Wide black-wing buzzards are circling around high up in the sky.

Sebastian is lying belly-down with his single load in his shotgun and its shell in the chamber. There is no sound in front of him from the house. Dead inside. Seems that Deputy Harold Riney-- and everybody outside who needed proper burials-- well.... That's pretty much just go here in Texas, 1873

[Bluetongue]

Sebastian

So the intruders move for their 'shootout' turn action but I don't see or hear any of them move.

I interpret that as sneaking up on my position rather than going to the cabin to check on Riney. They might not be sure he is actually dead yet.

Sebastian: initiative [1d6]=4

For my action I will leave the toolshed and sprint to the cabin.

[jemmus]

A few seconds pass after the deputy dropped from behind the window. Sebastian hears loping hoofbeats behind him in a couple of hundred yards away, to the north, headed west. They stop at what he guessed was the position of the firing from the northwest. Some more seconds passed and he could hear horse hooves galloping from the northeast, southward. They go past the shed and the house, around maybe 300 yards to the east, then stop. A rifle fires twice, four times in deliberate succession. Horses at the other side of the house-- very likely his and the deputy's-- screamed, and their bodies thudded heavily to the earth. Just around 40 feet away. The rifle fires twice again, and Sebastian hears bullets thudding into flesh.

A minute or so passes with no sound. A dung beetle passes by the doorway of the shed, busily rolling a ball of manure in the light of the setting Sun. A little breeze comes up and makes the open back door of the house swing and squeak its hinges.

Then, from the other side of the house there's the sound of boot heels running a few steps over wooden floorboards, followed by the sound of a body quickly dropping down onto them. Sebastian imagines a scene of a gunman moving and dropping, moving and dropping. It's not such an unimaginable scene to imagine. Then a couple more quick steps and the sound of a wooden door inside the house being kicked and loudly splintering, followed by another body drop to the floor. There's a deliberate laugh, and a voice says, quite casually and conversationally, Well. Hello thar. Wherever ya are. I know yer there. And I have a purty good idea whar. Unless ya left yer horse behind and run off on foot and is hidin and shakin out in the prairie grass somewhar. That would be lack somethin from bad dream, wouldn't it? Like tryin to hide from the boogy man, but ye dint manage to git fer enough away before ya had to duck down and freeze on yer belly and jist hope. Heh. Bad shape to be in, am I right?tryin to hide from the boogy man, but ye dint manage to git fer enough away before ya had to duck down and freeze on yer belly and jist hope. Heh. Bad shape to be in, am I right?

Well, I a course know yer shot up, and cain't shoot worth sh*t. I been in that situation myself, more'n once. Durin the war a coupla times, and I ain't too fulla false pride to say more'n a coupla times since too. Another lil drop a lead on ya anywhere a'tall, next thing ya know yer rotting like a shot bullfrog. Well, come to think of it, that ain't the next thang ya know. Heh heh. The next thang ya know is a sharp pain and little enough time ta think no more. Am I right?

Well, I ain't gonna take ya fer stupid and offer to spare yer life in exchange fer a promise a this, that, or the other. But I will tell ya a little story. I don't ratly know why. I guess because we rode a long way, and thar's nobody around except the stinkin bodies of a deputy and dumb dead rustlers. Who appear to have been playin cards when they should a been watchin out for trouble. That's what gits ya killed. When ya git too comfortable and thank yer all safe and cozy. I sleep with with my boots on, one eye open, and a cocked Colt pistol with the hammer drawn over a live cartridge fer my pillow. Am that's when ah'm at my Baptise Bible-readin grandma's house. Ya never know when the ole girl might take in her head blow yer head clean off with a shotgun. Heh, heh. Ya know ah'm jist jokin with ya, right? Grandma wouldn't do that to one a her grandsons. Not likely. Unless the price was right. As the ole sayin goes, "Everbody got their price." And Grandma never had two nickels to rub together. An extrie nickel, jist for the joy of rubbin em together, might jist be enough.

The man's talking from behind the wall of the house has a kind lulling, stupefying, hypnotic effect. The rambling on and on, during seconds of hyper-attention of observing with gun hammers cocked and finger pressing triggers... is bizarre. Sebastian has already rolled to hit, so we're good for this round. Should a situation like even ever arise in the future, attribute rolls, PC and NPC interaction during the turn, etc. might be needed.

Well, I apologize. I strayed off of the trail and the point of the story. Let's git back on it. Here goes. That feller out there been coddlin his little brother-- who's the better fighter, by the way, jist cause he's a plain fearless man with a gun who ain't afraid to squeeze a trigger and murders before he gits murdered himself. Quick and don't take no chances, with grandma er anyone else. He'll git that lil rifle shot through the chest. But still, his big brother's has coddled him through a bad war and all the good and bad months, days and years ever since. The big brother is out thar right now, frettin over the little one's gunshot wound. Maybe he swore to their ma to protect the boy through the war. And the ma extended the contractual obligation to this day. And ferever and ever, amen. Don't seem like that would be fair and square according to the law to me. But I ain't no lawyer or judge. Though I have had the displeasure of meeting many.
There's a pause.

So, the point of the story is, I guess that makes it jist you and me. I think I arready mentioned that yer lawman friend is daid. He made a pretty good big ole target, even hidin behind that winda Want proof? Here, ah'll show ya. There's an exaggerated sound of boot heels deliberately stomping across the plank floor inside the house and stage of hefty a dead weight. If ya had any decency ye'd help me with this big ole lug. Heh. Heh. The bloody, limp body of the late deputy Harold Riney is dumped out of the open back door, onto the dirt and grass between it and the open door of the shed. From inside the rattler-y shed, wounded and bandaged Sebatian catches sight of part of the thrower's body and let's fly with 00 buckshot from his captured shotgun. The shot tears holes around and through the planks around the whitewashed frame of the old farmhouse's back door. Sebastian rapidly cracks the firearm's breech and barrel, pulls another heavy cartridge, loads it into the chamber, snaps the barrel back up, and sights along it. But only the grim sight of the dead deputy Riney's body in the sunset yard can be seen.

Heh! I knowed ye dint run off, and ah guessed ya was in that shed. I seen ya through that artillery captain's telescope, seen yer close range shotgun, and yer gunshot wounds, and yer dumb face. I knowed ye'd do what I'd do in yer circumstances. Either git in the shed er the house. And die like a dubass mare's ass. Dumb but stubborn and proud, and rotten or dry mummified as a jackrabbit on the praire et by birds over the prairie, or by bugs in a cool, shady rot. Up ta you. Ya better make up yer mind fast though, while it's jist you and me. If that feller Lou Shepherd rescues his lil brother gits ahold of you-- ye ain't seen nothin like it. That one is a mean ole cuss. Like none I ever seen.

[jemmus]

It seems pretty obvious to Sebastian that he has ended up in one of the crazier and less... balanced places of Texas, 1873. The long-winded gunslinger may indeed be just playing a game. But Sebastian gets a feeling that he's not. He's the kind who would execute valuable horses.... Maybe just to prevent any possibility of escape.

The man in the house well-spent his shootout round turn. Sebastian is up!