Have Gun Will Travel - Powder Smoke in Dodge City

[Grognardsw]

Duffy didn't go to the bar. He heard about the free drinks coming and hung around the table.

I edited the post. Thanks.

[jemmus]

The piano player plays a lively tune. The Long Branch has settled down after it's melee and Paladin sees five men at a table in the corner shuffle cards for a poker game. The waitress the older Nunn brought places glasses in front of the faro players and dealer starts to pour whiskey shots. Hubbard says, Well, I'll break my rule once and have drink while on the job in honor of the gentleman's birthday. Spectator Duffy, perhaps emboldened by drink, puts his glass on the table for a refill and says Happy birthday, mister!. The waitress looks at the elder Nunn for guidance, but the younger Nunn says, Why not? It's my birthday celebration. Pour all of these fellas watchin shots too. Til the bottle we brought and the new one are empty. The waitress brings more glasses, fills them, and the players and spectators raise them to the Nunns. Some say "Thank ya," but most just give a friendly nod. Some knock back the drinks and some take sips and hold put their glasses on the table or hold them. The Nunns sip, Duffy chugs his shot.

Hubbard says, Thank you sirs, and a happy birthday to you. Gentlemen, we'll play another round by the same betting rules: a dollar gets you $1.50, or costs you only 75 cents.
We've burned more than three quarters of the deck in the box, so the odds against the dealer are stacking up in favor of the bettors. Only 12 cards remaining to be played, by my count. This may be the last round I can afford this foolhardiness. He smiles and winks, and again draws some chuckles. But in fact, this round it will player's option on the bet. I'll cover bets of one dollar up to two dollars, with the same deal-- a dollar gets you $1.50, or costs you 75 cents.

Please roll on Observation. You can go ahead and state Paladin's bet and roll his faro roll, or wait for the Observation results.

[Grognardsw]

“Thank you kindly,” Paladin said to Nunn as he took a swig of the whiskey. He noted the position of the two Nunn brothers relative to Duffy; the extant of their watching Duffy; and if angle of sight permitted, the type of guns the brothers wore.

Paladin wondered about Hubbard’s fancy card box as the gambler dealt the cards for the fourth hand of faro.

Observation during faro fourth hand [1d20]=1
Faro fourth hand [1d20]=14

[jemmus]

Paladin notices that Ray Wiley Hubbard seems to be paying attention to Duffy as well. The faro table is circular. Hubbard is a 12 o'clock. Paladin - 4 o'clock. Duffy is standing at 3. The older Nunn is standing next to him at 2. He has a double-action revolver tucked under his belt. The younger one is seated at 10. His waist is below table level and isn't visible.

The waitress goes around the table pouring whiskey for the spectators as well. Duffy drains his shot and holds out his glass for a refill. His hand isn't especially stable, and the waitress has to aim the bottle at a moving target. She says, You might to slow down a little, sir. There's a lot of evening yet to enjoy. Duffy replies, Gal, don't you know it's this foin gentleman's birthday? We have to celebrate it! Pour yourself a jigger while you're at it. She doesn't reply and leaves the half-full bottle on the table in front of the standing Nunn brother, to join the three-quarters full one they initially brought. Hubbard draws the card from the box and turns it over.


Faro Hand 4
Hubbard [1d20]=2 +8 = 10.
Paladin - 14. Wins $1.50.
Albertson - [1d20]=11 Wins $1.50.
Boyd - [1d20]=2 +6 = 8. Bet $2, loses $1.50.
Cunningham [1d20]=8 +3 = 11, wins $1.50.
Nunn - [1d20]=16 No Gambling bonus needed, wins $1.50 on a $1 bet.

Paladin and three of the four other players take chips from the table. Hubbard says, Well played, gentlemen. Good for you all, but not for the dealer. I'm afraid we'll go back to straight, dollar for dollar betting in until I can recoup a little cache of funds. A "cache of cash." He smiles and looks around, but it's only Duffy who finds the joke funny. He guffaws. Hubbard briefly glances to the standing Nunn brother, then says, Ahem. Next card, the sky's the limit. Well, five dollars is the limit. All bets up to five dollars will be covered. I don't need remind you gentlemen-- and otherwise-- that the remaining stack of cards in the deck is getting thin.

Slight Duffy in his oversized cowboy hat taps Paladin on the shoulder and says, Say Mister... uh, Oi forget your name. I wouldn't moind gettin back into the game for a hand. Just one, then Oi'll Iet ya have the chair back. What do ya say?

The Nunn brother seated at the table says, You all, we got plenty of whiskey to drink. Help yourself. I don't think the waitress will be comin back soon to pour any glasses soon. She'll be busy down here-- and maybe also with climbin up and down the stairs to the second floor too. That's hard work. And it takes a little time. That does get a general laugh from around the table.

If Paladin sits in for the next draw, he'll need to state the amount of his bet ($1-$5) before rolling. And his action, of course. (A comment about BH faro rules is posted in OOC, btw).

[Grognardsw]

Paladin, noting the interest of the others in Duffy, wondered what maneuverings may be in play around the drunken Irishman beyond impairing his judgement and reactions with whiskey. Easier to take down afterwards, or have stumble into an ‘accident.’

He was pleasantly surprised at his gambling win, a rare occurrence this past month.

“I don’t mind,” Paladin answered Duffy, getting up from the chair to let the Irishman sit down. Paladin stepped back and stood behind Duffy, next to the older Nunn brother at 3.

[jemmus]

The standing man calling himself Nunn acknowledges him but doesn't speak. Duffy takes the seat. It's gonna be the deuce of hearts,, he says loudly and with not especially crisp enunciation. Oi'll bet moi bottom dollar on it. Well, to speak the gospel truth, it is my bottom dollar. He fishes change out of his pocket, counts out some coins and puts them on the table, and puts a nickel and some pennies back. Hubbard draws the card and turns it over. Ah, crikey, Duffy groans. Six a spades. That means the deuce is next. Hubbard pays out $2.50 to a man and takes the rest of the table and puts it in his box.

Duffy says to the man who was paid, Cunningham, old chum, spot me a dollar or two. Oi'll pay ya back when oi win the next draw. And if oi happen to lose-- which oi highly doubt could happen-- oi'll pay ya back Froiday, moi payday. Cunningham replies, Duffy, you're so drunk ya probably don't even know what day it is today. You better just go on home and call it a night. Duffy thinks a bit and retorts, Oi do know what day it is. It's Tuesday. Well, what do you say? Cunningham replies, Go home to yer flophouse and sleep it off, Duffy. There'll be another cattle drive night before ya know it. Marshal Dillon's been shot, ya seen that. Ya can probably stagger back without gettin thrown in the pokey. Dealer, bet. Two dollars.

Kitty comes up to and beckons him to come closer. She says in a low voice, Paladin, Johnny Duffy's not a bad man. He's just poor and far away from home. I'd appreciate if you could help him get to the boarding house without falling down drunk in the street. Or drowning himself in the Arkansas. And by the way, I'd recommend that you keep an eye on that dealer Ray Wiley Hubbard. He has ideas about making himself "the mayor of greater Dodge City." Dodge doesn't even have a town government yet, much less a "mayor." That's why we have Matt and Chester and the U.S. Marshal's office. By the way, Hubbard is Secesh. He and a of other people in the town want things in Kansas to go back the way they were before the War.

Duffy rises, swaying, leans and grabs one of the bottles from the table pours a good shot into his glass. He downs it and heads toward the front door of the Long Branch, stumbling from table to table for support. The seated younger Nunn comments, Well, I guess that fella got a little soggy along the way. But he might just be about right about that deuce comin up. Two dollars. He lays a silver dollar and four quarters on the table. The standing Nunn goes to the bar and says to Kitty's bartender, A beer and a cool tea, please. He watches the back of the short man with the big Texas cowboy make his way through the saloon's swinging doors.

Hubbard [1d20]=19
Albertson [1d20]=1 Loses 1.50.
Boyd [1d20]=7 Loses $2.
Cunningham [1d20]=20 Wins $2.50.
Duffy [1d20]=11 Loses $3.
Nunn [1d20]=14 Loses $2.

Sorry for any stereotypes of any NPCs that may have happened upon along the way. Purely incidental, as things change and arise along the way. GM knows who the NPC is, but what any sh*te any of you guys migh come up with remains unpredictable.

[Grognardsw]

Duffy was apparently drunk enough to forget about Paladin’s business card note and meeting at the bar.

Paladin whispered back to Kitty: “Thanks, I’ll see what I can do for Duffy. What boarding house does he stay at? About Hubbard, I heard some overtones of that from the Harvey House clerk.”

Paladin’s mind turned. The Mack/Murphys and Nunn’s may have legitimate grudges against Marshal Dillon, but their getting rid of Matt would help Ray Hubbard politically. The Macks and Nunns were on the same train into Dodge as Hubbard. And Hubbard knew Nunn prior. Could the gambler be tangled up in this? His attention to Duffy seemed unusual. Or was Paladin reading too much into it?

As Duffy got up to leave, Paladin said to him: “Duffy, that’s an Irish brogue I hear! Where in fair Eire do you hail? I have a cousin in Dublin. Let me buy you a drink at the bar and you can tell me about the Motherland.”

[jemmus]

Kitty replies, There's only one flophouse in Dodge, and it's called "Dodge City Lodging." It's around the corner from Harvey House. It's had it's share of rough behavior. Some would rather sleep in a stable or somebody's henhouse then close their eyelids in there.

Duffy eyes Paladin suspiciously. He takes the card out of his pocket, reads the back again, then the front. Paladin. "Have gun will travel." Do oi know ya, mister? I didn't hire any gunfighter. What to you care what happens to Johnny Duffy? Let's talk about it over that drink. He heads back toward the bar, leans to the right and has to stomp a boot down to keep himself from falling. But manages to right himself and make it to the end of the bar. Nobody seems to pay much attention or care much-- it's not uncommon behavior for guests of the Long Branch. Especially on a Texas cattle drive night.

Duffy has his drink and gets glum. Mack.... he mutters to himself. Always broke, that's the problem, ain't it.... Oi better clear outa here before oi catch a bullet in the back.... Dodge City. Huh! He squints an eye and emphatically spits on the floor. He clumsily pulls an old cap and ball revolver from under his belt, breaks it at its hinge to check its loads, and puts it back. He sees Paladin's black sleeve next to him and looks up at his face. Oh, mister... from San Francisco. Buy me one for the road, would you? And if you really care about Johnny Duffy loik you say you do, spot me a fiver for the road. Oi'm gettin the hell outa Dodge. Tonoight.

[Grognardsw]

Is this Mack the same Mack/Murphy we’re looking for? One of the two that we passed on the stairs in the Harvey House after they allegedly shot the marshal?

[jemmus]

GM post above edited slightly (for Duffy's armament).

The characters and the names are highly complicated and confusing. Here's what Paladin has seen or heard.
Some time ago in Dodge City, some acrimony developed between "Red" Mack (a jayhawk and Dodge City area resident) and Billy Connor (a secesh and also a Dodge City area local). Connor was found in an isolated prairie ditch outside of town shotgunned in the back. Mack was naturally suspected of the crime, but U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon couldn't find enough evidence to bring to bring him to trial. The town's secesh population were highly incensed and pretty resentful.

"Red" Mack was found lynched hanging from a tree also outside of town. The victim's brother Jay Connor (another secesh) was suspected of doing the lynching, for revenge, of course. With the help of Johnny Duffy and another friend. (His name is Bob Cray, but it doesn't matter much just now. Chester has been assigned to guard that man).

A Federal circuit judge found Jay Connor guilty and he was hanged.

The brothers calling themselves Gary P. Nunn and Jonathan Nunn boarded the train in Lawrence, Kansas. The the papers reported that the night before, the city mayor (a jayhawk)'s house had burned to the ground. With arson suspected. This morning at their breakfast in Dodge, Matt Dillon noted that the "Nunns" bear a resemblance to Jay Connor. The elder of the two challenged Dillon's right

Men calling themselves Michael Murphy and Martin Murphy boarded the train with the "Nunns" in Lawrence. Paladin recognized them as the men who boarded the train in Lawrence with the "Nunns." They appeared nervous at breakfast and were silent. The guest book at Harvey House showed them as checked in guests. But the desk man said the registry didn't show any guests checked in under the name "Nunn aren't in the hotel registry. Either they're staying somewhere else local, using different names, of sleeping in the rough out on the prairie under the stars tonight.

Matt and Chester have been shot and are seriously wounded. They can ride, but their aim will be off in any gunfight, of course.

But those two Nunn brothers men are in the Long Branch now. The younger Nunn seated playing cards, talkative and doing gambling table bets on his "birthday." At Paladin's 10:00 o'clock position. No weapons visible under his coat jacket, but he still can't see below the table's level. The older one, who did all of the talking at breakfast, is casually at the bar sipping a cool beer. With a cold iced tea beside it. 11:00 o'clock position. But all but his hat, upper shoulders and head. The rest of the man's body is obscured by Duffy and four rowdy drunk cowboy patrons lined up along the bar. Bobbing and energetically weaving. The piano player bangs on the keys and plays "Camptown Races" again. A cowboy drops a quarter into the glass on his piano, and he nods and smiles in appreciation and salutation. "It's another night's work in Dodge City, and no injuries yet. Just keep the mood up and slow it down to a "mama back home" when it gets too riled up. Why does the pianist always have to have his back to the audience, anyway?"[/ooc][/spoiler]

It's around 10:00 PM, Monday night in Dodge City. Tomorrow morning is the cattle and horse remudas auction, after hiring Paladin's replacement as old Hartsfield's guard an escort for his bag of untraceable cash. He has drunken Duffy in his sight. But he wonders about Matt and Chester. Where might they be at this dark night time hour? And as he'd said before: "Who will watch the watchers?"

[Grognardsw]

Right, so Red Mack is dead.

Michael Murphy and Martin Murphy are possibly fake names for Mack, or related to the Macks, according to Matt. They were the two Paladin saw rushing down the Harvey House stairway.

Forgive my obtuseness, I guess I’m still wondering who the Mack man is in your post #108. If he is one of the recognizable Murphy/Macks, or is he another of the Mack family who Paladin doesn’t know?

That this Mack knows Paladin is from San Francisco implies he is one of the Murphy/Macks, as they were on the train with Paladin during travel through several city/towns.

[jemmus]

Sorry, that was a complete brain flatulence on my part, guaranteed to confuse anyone. It should have said "Duffy" rather than "Mack." Corrected. It's Duffy, and he knows Paladin's from San Francisco from the card. Really sorry to have wasted your time with an unintentional red herring.

[Grognardsw]

Paladin thanked Kitty for the flophouse information. “If you see Matt or Chester tonight or tomorrow, tell him the Nunn brothers were here watching Duffy. And that Ray Hubbard may be mixed up in this.”

Paladin went with Duffy to the bar and bought him a drink. “Duffy, I’ll get to the point. The Macks and Nunns are out to get you for helping lynch Red Mack. Leaving town is wise, but you may not make it. I’m not just a gun fighter, I’m a deputy marshal.” He discretely flashed the badge. “I’d like to catch the Nunns in the act. It could go down tonight. What do you say we lay a trap for them? I’ll leave by the back door. You wait a minute and leave by the front, staggering drunk, make a scene of it, and take a left out the door. There’s an alley 15’ down the boardwalk. Collapse there drunk and don’t get up till I tell you. Play unconscious, but have your gun ready. If we catch them, I’ll give you that $5. What do you say?”

[jemmus]

Kitty says, I'll do it, Paladin. You be careful. Matt and Chester have already been shot tonight. You don't need to too.

Paladin is aware that the elder Nunn at the bar is quietly following his interaction with Duffy. Duffy's eyes grow wide and he gulps at Paladin's warning. Blawdy hell. Oi don't fancy dyin in blawdy Dodge City, now do oi? Oi'll do as ya say, mister. Oi know that alley well. Just around the corner it is. He looks down at the old pistol under his belt, draws it up a little, and squares his old jacket around chest. Oi'm countin on ya, mister. He heads weaving toward the swinging front doors. If he is indeed acting, he's playing the part well.

The Nunn at the bar nods to the one at the faro table, who acknowledges the nod with his eyes. He finishes his beer and cool tea at the bar, walks toward the front door, and silently touches fingers to hat brim to Paladin. The man he'd seen with Dillon in the morning, playing at the faro table, and speaking with Duffy at the bar. The younger brother at the table says, I guess I'll just go ahead and call it a night while I'm ahead. Thank you, sirs. He stands up from his chair and adjusts the set of his hat. Paladin sees him quickly scan his gaze around the various areas around the bar.

Observation roll please.

[Grognardsw]

Observation 13 [1d20]=3

To clarify on timing, Paladin had told Duffy to wait a minute after Paladin left out the back door. This didn't happen, and perhaps it doesn’t matter (if it does, I’ll edit post to make sure he doesn’t) but my point was to be in the alley before Duffy got there to collapse at the end of the alley. So as to be hidden in the alley to observe Nunn(s) if they go after him.

Paladin’s saying aloud about Ireland and his cousin was the cover excuse to have a drink with him at the bar.


“Remember, wait a minute before leaving,” Paladin said discretely. Then more loudly for those nearby to hear. “Well there’s no place like Ireland. I hope to get there some day to visit my cousin. Well I have to go see a man about a horse.* Have a good night Duffy.”

Paladin with his glass mug of beer got up from the bar, observing the room, and walked to the back to go the bathroom but passed it to exit out the back door. He kept the door slightly ajar, enough to rest his emptied glass on the top of the door so if it opened it would fall and break. Turning around the corner to the alley and moving toward Front Street, getting as close to the end of the alley as possible where he could hide behind a barrel or crates that were habitually stacked in alleys next to saloons. He drew and cocked his pistols, watching for Duffy to come along and collapse in front of him. He kept an ear open for the sound of breaking glass, should anyone have followed him out the back door.

* Old West slang for taking a piss.

[jemmus]

Revision to the last GM post

Duffy starts to head toward the door, but Paladin discretely tugs his sleeve and quietly reminds his to wait a while in the saloon. Duffy slurs in a similar low voice, Buy me a beer then. Oi can't just stand here lookin at the bar loik a stuffed dummy.

Paladin heads toward the outhouse with his beer. He sees the younger Nunn stand and scan the room. His eyes light on him, and he can see that the man is paying particular attention to him. Understandable, since he was with the marshal and deputy marshal when they questioned the men at breakfast. He also notes that the older Nunn brother at the bar observes him passing by toward the back of the saloon, though without raising his eyes. Paladin glances back at the mirror behind the bar and sees the man looking down with a still impassive poker. To still, and too impassive. He's silently watching and listening to everything in the area-- with a particular attention to Duffy and Paladin.

Paladin goes through the back door and sets his beer glass alarm. It's clear night over the rough boom town on the Arkansas in the flat Kansas prairie. But the Moon is sliver, and in a couple of days it will be black. By the light of the stars, he again makes out the area behind the Long Branch saloon. Its back door is behind him to the south. To the northeast is the outhouse, around 15 yards away. The trash heap with resident mice is a similar distance to the north. Smallish oak barrels are nearby to the west.




The map doesn't show all of the tables in and furniture in the Long Branch.
Duffy is at the south end of the bar. The older Nunn is not far north of him. The younger Nunn is at Hubbard's table.
Whiskey - 10 cents per shot
Beer - 5 cents per glass

[Grognardsw]

Paladin bought Duffy a beer. My previous post applies. Paladin would take up a position in the alley between the saloon and post office, near the end, ideally to the right of the ‘s’ in Kitty’s. Is there an old barrel or crates in the alley he could use? Luck 9 [1d20]=6 If not, pick up an empty barrel from the back and bring to position.

If Duffy follows instructions, he’d collapse at end of alley.

[jemmus]

To clarify, it's more of a street than an alley. It's wide enough for a wagon to pass with some room on both sides. There aren't any crates or other barriers in the street.

Paladin takes an empty oak beer cask from the wall of the saloon and carries it down the street. It's two and half feet long and not quite as wide as his shoulders. He sets it down and takes a position around four yards from the Long Branch's southeast corner. Lamplight from the saloon's windows faintly lights the dark street in intervals. The sounds of the piano, the murmur of men's voices, and boot heels hitting the wood floor are heard.

Presently (after not much longer than it would take to drink a beer by sips), Paladin hears the sound of uneven steps on the saloons board sidewalk. Duffy appears at the end of the street, looking back over his shoulder. He peers up the street, apparently looking for Paladin or something or someone else. He sits down in the dirt, sloppily draws the gun from under his belt, and lies on his side. His hat brim crumbles under his face and its crown tilts up. He's facing the end of the street and its intersection with Front Street, his back to Paladin. Paladin hears the click of Duffy's pistol's hammer being drawn back. Then, the man is very still. His shoulders slump toward the dirt and dust. His legs laid out in awkward positions don't move. No sounds of breathing or snoring can be heard. He's either passed out in a four sheets-to-the-world sleep... or he's a very good actor.

Duffy just turned the corner and barely entered the end of the street before lying down. Visibility is as under stars and a crescent moon. (Just to restate and confirm the night fighting rules: a character's vision range is 1/2 of the Observation attribute in yards; -4 to hit; movement is at 1/2, except for walking or crawling). Did Paladin show himself to Duffy or is he concealed?

(By the way, I didn't intend to do a national stereotype with drunk Duffy. He was supposed to be a Welshman, because I read that Welsh immigrants were strongly anti-slavery. But then I was writing on the fly a few days later and forgot....

[Grognardsw]

Paladin didn’t reveal himself to Duffy. He listened for glass while waiting for Nunn to appear.

[jemmus]

I'm guessing Paladin is crouched behind the beer casket?

Duffy doesn't lay in the street long before the elder Nunn walks by, spots him and stops. He looks back, turns part way around and whistles, loud enough to be heard the piano and general noise of the drunken hubbub of crowd in the Long Branch.