Jornada Springs, New Mexico - a Tale of the Old West: Part 36

Sent to Las Cruces by Garland Rayburn to purchase emergency stocks of grain, the boys realise they will have to spend time working with the US Cavalry to get the required food.

This is our MOST recent playtest adventure, recorded at the end of June, with a ruleset very, very close to the finished product.
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We are sharing one of our playtests for Tales of the Old West, the game we are creating. This is our MOST recent playtest adventure, recorded at the end of June 2024, with a ruleset very, very close to the finished product.

• EffektAP is brought to you by Effekt. Music is Old West Game by Stu Venable, used with kind permission of the Angry Folk Media Empire. 

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What is Effekt AP?

Dave and Matthew from Effekt share recordings of their home games. If you seek a polished improvised adventure, with professional actors, music and sound effects, look elsewhere. We seek to share the authentic experience, with rules discussions, asides and digressions just as they happened around the dining table. We also try to play RAW so you can learn with us as we try out new games.

Dave (GM): 00:00

I've got $500 here and he puts it up on the table. Money which which I'm putting up to to buy supplies, but I need you to go and get them for me.

Jimmy Harlesden: 00:11

As agreed, we did with the last service we provided, discharge our debt.

Nathaniel Horcock: 00:15

Duty. Yeah.

Jimmy Harlesden: 00:16

But of course, as good citizens, we will be delighted to help the town out in this matter. So to maximize our chances of safely buying these supplies and getting them back Did you know how to swing? And the fewer people who know about this, I think, would be the better.

Dave (GM): 00:30

She does say as you leave, as you go out to the to the swing doors, Yeah. Take care.

Marion Freeman: 00:37

I pause, I come back, give a little hug.

Dave (GM): 00:40

It's difficult to tell, but you suspect there's probably at least 20 riders.

Jimmy Harlesden: 00:45

20. Well, we don't wanna

Dave (GM): 00:46

be taking them on a

Jimmy Harlesden: 00:47

straight flight.

Dave (GM): 01:27

I'm Dave. I am the game master.

Jimmy Harlesden: 01:30

I'm Tony. My character is Jimmy Harleston, young lad trying to make his way in the world, keep his ranch running successfully, trying to live up to the legacy of his elder brother who was unfortunately shot in the head trying to do the right thing.

Nathaniel Horcock: 01:45

So, I'm Andrew. I'm the older character in the group, and, I'm Nathaniel Hoarcock, and I'm the sheriff.

Marion Freeman: 01:54

But you're also my business partner as are you, Jimmy. And I'm, Matthew, and I'm playing Marion Freeman, who is, in fact, the largest shareholder in the Freeman Halson Lounge.

Dave (GM): 02:06

But, yeah, if you press on, you can get to Las Cruces by dark. Alright.

Marion Freeman: 02:13

Let's press on. Yeah.

Dave (GM): 02:14

Yep. Okay. You get to Las Cruces by dark.

Nathaniel Horcock: 02:17

By dark. Excellent.

Dave (GM): 02:18

Oh, yeah. And I

Nathaniel Horcock: 02:19

I do have that. Early.

Dave (GM): 02:21

Somewhere. Now this is your stuff, wasn't it? So it's not good there.

Nathaniel Horcock: 02:29

So that'd been that's been 3 that's been 3 days journey then. Yeah?

Dave (GM): 02:32

That's 3 days. Yeah.

Nathaniel Horcock: 02:34

Okay.

Dave (GM): 02:36

K. That's the Las Cruces map. Again, based as closely as I can find on whatever

Marion Freeman: 02:48

Whatever.

Dave (GM): 02:48

Maps I've been able to find online and things. So most of the places there are places that were actually there, and roughly in the right in the right place back in oh, the map I found was 18/90, so Right. It might be slightly out of date.

Nathaniel Horcock: 03:06

So I take it we're we're actually gonna buy supplies first in the El Paso, then come back. Oh, yeah. Buy more supplies. Well, I

Marion Freeman: 03:14

don't know. We will check out the ground here in. So let's, save all the horses in the livery. Uh-huh. And, maybe go to the London or hotel.

Dave (GM): 03:24

So you do notice when you get here that there is a a small, kind of camp being set up just up here to the north. Or,

Marion Freeman: 03:36

And we're riding in on this road here.

Jimmy Harlesden: 03:37

Yep. Yeah.

Dave (GM): 03:39

And that looks it looks like cavalry, US cavalry.

Marion Freeman: 03:46

Alright. We're actually out bidding them for blooming food, aren't we?

Nathaniel Horcock: 03:50

Well, they're chasing hostiles or whatever.

Marion Freeman: 03:56

You've got a bit of military bearing about you. Do you wanna ride across and just see what their business is?

Jimmy Harlesden: 04:02

So does it look like there's about 20

Dave (GM): 04:05

over there?

Jimmy Harlesden: 04:06

Yeah. So we can kind of assume that the dust

Nathaniel Horcock: 04:08

resource going up with these guys already. Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 04:11

Yeah. I mean, you know

Dave (GM): 04:11

It's an assumption you can make if you wish. It may or may not be accurate, but it's an assumption you can Probably

Jimmy Harlesden: 04:15

an assumption we're making, I suspect.

Marion Freeman: 04:18

Well, why don't why don't the sheriff ride across and just sweep?

Jimmy Harlesden: 04:23

Yeah. Yeah. Do I ask you to get into a fight? What?

Nathaniel Horcock: 04:27

Because there were a bunch of Yankees on that.

Marion Freeman: 04:31

Yeah. Don't say that. Just use your military bearing.

Dave (GM): 04:39

So, yeah, so what side did you fight on during the war?

Nathaniel Horcock: 04:43

Well, I'm not still on the outside and get them on the inside.

Marion Freeman: 04:49

No. No. No.

Jimmy Harlesden: 04:52

Are you sure

Dave (GM): 04:52

what this is gonna do?

Nathaniel Horcock: 04:57

Alright. We're just trying to find the captain. There must be a captain of the term.

Dave (GM): 05:02

Yeah. Yep. Yeah. They're yeah. They're basically setting up They're?

Dave (GM): 05:07

Setting up a temporary camp. Yeah. They look quite road worn.

Nathaniel Horcock: 05:14

Yeah. So they've obviously

Dave (GM): 05:15

been riding quite hard. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, if someone see you come over and

Nathaniel Horcock: 05:21

Yeah. I just say good, I've got good evening. We'll get to the evening. Is it a return or captain or

Dave (GM): 05:28

Yeah. There's other cap there's a captain. Yeah. And he says, yeah.

Nathaniel Horcock: 05:34

I said, good evening. My name is Sheriff Hawcock from, there, what's the title? Juniper Springs.

Jimmy Harlesden: 05:40

Ah, Sheriff.

Dave (GM): 05:44

Just on Coming to coming to coming to join the party.

Nathaniel Horcock: 05:47

Well, I see what party would smile. You seem busy. You you you and your lad seem busy?

Dave (GM): 05:54

You Yeah. Well, yeah. We're we're on the trail of a of a of a band of Apaches. Ah. You may have heard a few weeks ago, there was a, there was an attack on a on a settler caravan just north of your place, actually.

Dave (GM): 06:17

Just north of Leonardo Springs, and, a number of people were killed.

Marion Freeman: 06:22

Have we heard about that?

Dave (GM): 06:23

Yes.

Marion Freeman: 06:25

Not the one the German one that Yeah.

Dave (GM): 06:27

The German one. This is this is probably 3 months ago, actually.

Marion Freeman: 06:29

So this is

Nathaniel Horcock: 06:30

this is oldest.

Marion Freeman: 06:31

What we thought I thought was the Kayla gang. But okay.

Dave (GM): 06:38

Yeah. Are you are you saying, his name's Bristow, by the way. Captain Bristow. Oh, right there. And he says, yeah, well, 2 2 of the people, 2 children were unaccounted for.

Dave (GM): 06:54

Oh, we're old. And, a week or so ago, a trapper came into Fort Craig saying, he'd, he'd come across a a camp of Apache, and there were 2 blonde haired children.

Nathaniel Horcock: 07:08

Alright. So you're trying

Dave (GM): 07:09

to go over, trying

Nathaniel Horcock: 07:10

to find the kids. We're now trying

Dave (GM): 07:11

to we're trying to we're trying to track them down and and find the children, but, it's,

Nathaniel Horcock: 07:16

not easy, I imagine.

Dave (GM): 07:17

It's a real problem. Well, they they see us coming from a mile away. Disappearing, yes. Yeah. So it's, we're not we're not having much success, but we've been sent out here because we've we've we've tracked, our scouts have have said that the the Apache have come South.

Dave (GM): 07:35

So we think they're probably to the West of here now, but we've come down to see if we can smoke them out.

Nathaniel Horcock: 07:44

Alright. So if you know maybe try to think about selling the keys off the slaves or something like that or

Dave (GM): 07:50

It looks like, it looks like the the Apache attacked that caravan and kidnapped the children, which is

Nathaniel Horcock: 07:58

Oh.

Dave (GM): 07:58

It's not uncommon.

Nathaniel Horcock: 08:00

No. No.

Dave (GM): 08:01

But, obviously, we wanna we wanna get those children back.

Nathaniel Horcock: 08:05

Oh, and I wish you, godspeed. I wish you the best of luck.

Dave (GM): 08:08

Alright. So so you you haven't come here to help us then?

Nathaniel Horcock: 08:11

Are they?

Jimmy Harlesden: 08:12

Well, I sure reflect

Dave (GM): 08:13

you from your outer springs and running over to say hello. I I kind of assumed that a man like you would be the

Nathaniel Horcock: 08:20

whole point

Dave (GM): 08:21

of you coming over here would be to help us find these children. Is that is that that isn't the case then? He looks a bit shocked.

Nathaniel Horcock: 08:28

Does he?

Marion Freeman: 08:34

No. I'm not here. So if you're

Nathaniel Horcock: 08:36

not here No. Go. Go. Go.

Marion Freeman: 08:38

You're across with your military bearings.

Nathaniel Horcock: 08:40

Yeah. That'd be the shit.

Marion Freeman: 08:41

I haven't even heard any of this shit.

Dave (GM): 08:51

In cavalry uniforms might be just what we need to help get these children.

Nathaniel Horcock: 08:59

I have to admit, I was running undercover. I was just being polite, to be honest with you, when I came over.

Dave (GM): 09:05

So you're not here?

Nathaniel Horcock: 09:06

Not not not not labeled because I am actually running something for for the town. But let me have a discussion with my 2 comrades.

Dave (GM): 09:15

Well, any any help will be welcome. Yeah. Yeah. We can't leave I

Nathaniel Horcock: 09:19

mean, I can't

Dave (GM): 09:20

leave the children with the Yeah. No.

Nathaniel Horcock: 09:21

No. I under

Dave (GM): 09:23

We better to kill them.

Nathaniel Horcock: 09:25

I do understand. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna say a blunt note to you, but unless I am out here running a certain errands for for Genaro Springs. So Well,

Dave (GM): 09:34

I I think they're as important as the lives of 2 innocent children.

Nathaniel Horcock: 09:39

My string put my arms.

Dave (GM): 09:42

And he turns Yeah. Back to whatever he's doing. Okay. He says, well, good day to you.

Nathaniel Horcock: 09:47

Oh, well and well. So I'll go back and just, tell the you know, tell these 2 about the discussion.

Jimmy Harlesden: 09:58

So really, always wants us to do something here.

Nathaniel Horcock: 10:00

They do something. They they

Jimmy Harlesden: 10:01

They're not just never to talk to anyone ever again.

Dave (GM): 10:06

You're you're gonna go and get a room at the, Amador I thought

Nathaniel Horcock: 10:09

as long

Marion Freeman: 10:09

as so Yeah. Did we ride on to the to the livery and the Amador? Yeah.

Dave (GM): 10:13

I think he probably did to work. Okay.

Nathaniel Horcock: 10:15

So I'll catch these talking inform them about the situation.

Marion Freeman: 10:19

And I can see that you have a plan, Shelly. I have a cunning plan, my lord.

Jimmy Harlesden: 10:24

That's a

Marion Freeman: 10:26

I know I own most of the ranch, but you don't need to call me my lord.

Nathaniel Horcock: 10:33

Now the captain was suggesting wanted to take us on his scouts as he seemed, you know, as he which which I see is fine. 20 men blundered around.

Marion Freeman: 10:45

Yeah. The

Nathaniel Horcock: 10:45

kind easily couldn't find anything. And I did say but so I was thinking, if we come to the agreement, if the army supply Genardo Springs with the supplies it needs, we would therefore then agree to the scouts, and therefore it wouldn't cost mister Rayburn the 500 quid.

Marion Freeman: 11:08

That's not a bad plan, but we'd need to say something along the lines of the army needs to supply town with Uh-huh. $500 worth of food.

Nathaniel Horcock: 11:19

The food. Yeah. So it had to be put more elegantly than I can muster.

Marion Freeman: 11:24

Well, I'd like to point out No.

Nathaniel Horcock: 11:26

I've got

Marion Freeman: 11:26

that you've got the best performing skater.

Nathaniel Horcock: 11:29

Yeah. So I think we

Marion Freeman: 11:30

could

Jimmy Harlesden: 11:31

stand next to help

Dave (GM): 11:32

Yeah. While you

Nathaniel Horcock: 11:33

Don't say, look. Are you Yankee yellow guy? Are you

Marion Freeman: 11:35

Yeah. We'd we'd probably advise you on language. I think I think that's the way you're meant. Saying. Less like an uncouth southerner who hates Yankees.

Marion Freeman: 11:47

You know, all the work we did on yeah. Let's not talk about that.

Nathaniel Horcock: 11:52

No. No.

Dave (GM): 11:53

No. I'm

Nathaniel Horcock: 11:53

not gonna say that. We're just trying to yes. Because I'm assuming I am worried about mentioning this.

Marion Freeman: 12:03

Money?

Nathaniel Horcock: 12:04

Money. Because I know what soldiers are like.

Marion Freeman: 12:07

Well, I think it could be worth having a conversation. Yes. We could ride out for the camp, the 3 of us. Maybe.

Nathaniel Horcock: 12:15

Yeah.

Dave (GM): 12:16

Or not I mean, you can walk the camp's like 200 feet away. Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 12:20

Uh-huh. No. We're in this hotel. Right? Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 12:23

So that's 400 feet at least.

Dave (GM): 12:25

Okay.

Marion Freeman: 12:35

Maybe it's 200 feet.

Jimmy Harlesden: 12:36

It's quite a short walk. There we go.

Dave (GM): 12:38

Yeah. It's yes. It's not something you need to take supplies and then, you know

Jimmy Harlesden: 12:42

Camp out half way.

Nathaniel Horcock: 12:43

Leave a

Dave (GM): 12:43

note with your mother where you're going or time you arrive, that kind of thing. Yeah. Shall we?

Marion Freeman: 12:46

And I just wanna when you've told us this story, I wanna point out that I got a vague idea that we again made a promise we didn't keep to somebody. There are relations

Nathaniel Horcock: 12:57

What?

Marion Freeman: 12:57

Of this family in John Howard Springs.

Jimmy Harlesden: 12:59

There are.

Nathaniel Horcock: 13:00

There's somebody else you haven't

Jimmy Harlesden: 13:01

talked about. What the family that we're we think these children are from.

Marion Freeman: 13:04

Yeah. And I got a vague idea. I mean, I remember Make a

Dave (GM): 13:08

make a group book learning role.

Marion Freeman: 13:10

Group book learning role.

Dave (GM): 13:11

On the best book learning.

Jimmy Harlesden: 13:13

Well I've got 4 on book learning. I have 2.

Marion Freeman: 13:21

You've got 5 on book learning. Okay. But but you could have Have 7?

Dave (GM): 13:25

Yeah. Have 2 extra days.

Jimmy Harlesden: 13:26

I don't have book learning 7.

Dave (GM): 13:27

I think I'll allow you to have this. This is yeah. This is fine.

Nathaniel Horcock: 13:35

Oh, 2.

Marion Freeman: 13:36

2 successes.

Dave (GM): 13:39

Again.

Nathaniel Horcock: 13:40

K. Oh, yeah.

Marion Freeman: 13:43

I wanna point out it was that dice that landed on 6 last time, and these are 2 other dice.

Dave (GM): 13:48

Yeah. Okay. Okay. So they're all they're all

Marion Freeman: 13:52

Well, if they were all waiting, I'd wonder bloody slight more successes to come back. These are weighted dice. Dave got done. Dave, though. Andy got done.

Dave (GM): 14:04

Twice you've called him Dave today. You're honored.

Marion Freeman: 14:08

It's only because, obviously, I despise him, and the first name that comes out into my head of somebody I I despise is Dave, obviously. Oh, no.

Nathaniel Horcock: 14:18

You can hit him more, I guess.

Dave (GM): 14:19

I think you should both hit him. So, yeah. So you do remember. So you know that in in United Springs, there was a the Sigebert family, headed by a a widower called Anke, and his children, adults or just adults, they are a mining outfit. I remember the outfit.

Dave (GM): 14:41

And they've arrived less than a year ago, to set up their sort of prospecting outfit, which, as far as you can tell seems to be going quite well. They are of German origin and they did have more family coming to join them. Right. However, you do remember that, there were 22 men and 2 women who were killed right. Found dead.

Dave (GM): 15:06

Alright. There were 2 children who were with them who were not Found. Found.

Nathaniel Horcock: 15:11

Was this when you did your trading tip, your trip?

Marion Freeman: 15:14

It is when I did your trading tip. And I remember on the trip, you kind of said, so are you gonna chase after them and see if you can find find them? And I said, no. We've got 200 horses or something. Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 15:28

Yeah. But I can't then remember whether we actually then had a conversation with the Sigveberts when we were back in town later and had all weather I

Dave (GM): 15:36

don't think you've undertaken to go and try and Okay. Try and save them. No. Not at all.

Marion Freeman: 15:40

Right. Fine. So we didn't make a promise but

Jimmy Harlesden: 15:42

No.

Marion Freeman: 15:42

But we are aware of them

Jimmy Harlesden: 15:43

and they are aware of them.

Dave (GM): 15:44

You do you do you do remember that the the children, the boy was called Hanno Alright. And the girl was called Helga, and they were 12

Nathaniel Horcock: 15:53

14 years old. Right. Okay. Alright. No.

Nathaniel Horcock: 15:56

So therefore, we've been yeah. I've I feel therefore but they do come from a town.

Marion Freeman: 16:04

So when I come back with you, I'll say and you you were with me when we discovered that

Jimmy Harlesden: 16:10

Yes.

Marion Freeman: 16:11

The wagon. I'll say, you know, we we actually discovered the wagon before. And I'm gonna but I am gonna say, I'm not convinced it was Apaches that did the raid. We also met very close there the Kayla gang.

Dave (GM): 16:26

Kyla gang?

Marion Freeman: 16:26

Kyla gang.

Dave (GM): 16:28

A guy?

Marion Freeman: 16:29

A gang of Kyla's.

Nathaniel Horcock: 16:34

But the thing is maybe they sold them to the Apache.

Marion Freeman: 16:38

Maybe. Yeah. But I do just wanna make that point

Nathaniel Horcock: 16:41

New site. Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 16:42

To him. Particularly, if there's a point of revenge taking going on here with these soldiers. I wanna get the point in early that These blond children may or may not exist in this Apache party. They may have been taken as injured people and Mhmm. Rescued for we know.

Marion Freeman: 17:09

So In fact, how did they say that? How does he react to that?

Dave (GM): 17:12

Okay. So you're going so, basically, they've set up campfires, and he sat around the campfire with Yeah.

Nathaniel Horcock: 17:17

Well, comrade, let's say

Dave (GM): 17:19

Other officers.

Nathaniel Horcock: 17:20

No. Well, I'll introduce you to the wife. I've heard talk from my 2 comrades, and I'll let Matt start, you know.

Marion Freeman: 17:26

And we'll say that. We'll say that. That. Yeah. We know them.

Nathaniel Horcock: 17:30

And I'm saying, should we just watch, and we say we're here.

Marion Freeman: 17:33

We have got another mission, haven't we? Which is we're here to purchase food for the town. We haven't got much money, but we need to having about $500 worth of food. If the army can provide that, then you not only free ourselves time but you provide us our payment for being your scouts.

Dave (GM): 17:58

$500 for 3 scouts? What planet are you on? Maybe we wouldn't say that now.

Nathaniel Horcock: 18:03

No. No. It's $500 for for supplies for the town. And that would therefore you wouldn't have to what my companion is saying is that you wouldn't have to pay us a fee for being scouts Because we are here.

Dave (GM): 18:17

But but we'd have to give you $500 worth of food. Yes. We do while we're here. Well Well, we're we're not.

Marion Freeman: 18:23

This is a negotiating position. What what can you afford to give us in terms of food?

Dave (GM): 18:27

Well, we don't we haven't got that much food with us. We've just got our supplies

Marion Freeman: 18:30

From your you're from Fort Craig?

Dave (GM): 18:32

Yeah, yeah. We're from Fort Craig. We yeah, we got food supplies up there. I mean, you know, we could sell you the food potentially if we don't need it. You'd have to speak to the major.

Marion Freeman: 18:44

Perhaps back at the fort.

Dave (GM): 18:45

That was back at the fort. And obviously if you helped us and, you know, if you helped us and were able to recover the children now frankly, I didn't give a shit about the Apaches.

Nathaniel Horcock: 18:58

They're just after the children.

Dave (GM): 18:59

We are here just to to make sure these good kids get get put back, reunited with their families. However, they got taken, you know, it's not it's not unheard of that outlaw gangs sell children to to the Indians. I'm not here to kill Indians, I'm here to rescue the children. Now if you can help me do that, and particularly if, you know, your your involvement, let's say, is, you know, kept under the sand and, you know, a good

Nathaniel Horcock: 19:37

captain Well, can you take the glory?

Dave (GM): 19:38

A good captain gets gets a lot of credit, then I'm sure I can put in a good word with you up at Fort, at Fort Craig for for getting you, the supplies you need.

Marion Freeman: 19:56

So as long as we don't claim credit, you'll give us credit.

Dave (GM): 20:02

Well, we won't we we won't we'll be able to sell you food. We won't be able to give you food. But, you know, I mean, I don't know how much food we've got. I mean, the major might not wanna sell you food at all. But naturally, if you're,

Marion Freeman: 20:23

So how much would you normally be paying the Scout if we were to offer our services on a pew? For this mission, obviously,

Dave (GM): 20:35

you're not looking at the map. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Dave (GM): 20:37

I'm just just we could we could probably stretch to $15 a week maybe.

Nathaniel Horcock: 20:52

Well, we're given a time limit by mister,

Marion Freeman: 20:55

Ryan. And what? We'll consider your terms, and we'll talk you talk again in the morning. When are you off?

Dave (GM): 21:07

Well, we're here tonight. We'll we need to to work out our plan. So we'll be here in the morning, but we'll be we'll have to ride out and patrol and see if we can see if we can track them down. But as I said, you know, we

Marion Freeman: 21:19

So You

Dave (GM): 21:20

know, we're under we're under instruction, you know, our our orders are not to go in not to go smaller than the trip we've got here. Right.

Marion Freeman: 21:27

So you can't break up into smaller scouting parties.

Dave (GM): 21:29

We end up just getting

Marion Freeman: 21:31

You're looking for us to go out on our own To get killed. And report back to you. Or

Jimmy Harlesden: 21:36

To bring the children back.

Marion Freeman: 21:37

To bring the children back and hand them over as you've won them.

Jimmy Harlesden: 21:42

Yeah.

Dave (GM): 21:43

Yeah. That would that would do well. And I'm sure we can

Marion Freeman: 21:47

And then we

Dave (GM): 21:48

can supply Leonardo Springs with with food at a good price.

Nathaniel Horcock: 21:52

If you were

Marion Freeman: 21:53

Well, I'm, not denying your, responsibility to the good people of the United States, which we are now forming a part. Not that we're forming a part of the territory, you know, you know what I mean. I'm curious about why so many men were, were tasked with this mission. The Sigler's who who who gave those orders, I wonder? Who are concerned about 2 children so much that you're willing to pay us to help you do this mission?

Dave (GM): 22:27

Well, I take my orders from the Major back up at Fort Craig. We've been we've been in and and tracking the Apache for a while, they've been causing trouble. Our job, you know, here is, you know, east west of the Rio Grande, our job is to keep the Apache under control. Protect the people from from raids and and all that. And if if rescuing a couple of kids from the Apache isn't protecting the people, then I don't know what is.

Dave (GM): 22:53

What else would you have us do instead?

Nathaniel Horcock: 22:57

Of course, you you would also have the added bonus that we could actually go into Mexico if we had to. You wouldn't be able that'd be a no no for you.

Dave (GM): 23:06

Well, I'm not gonna make the cake. We're not not dressed like this.

Nathaniel Horcock: 23:09

Yes. As long as we let

Marion Freeman: 23:11

But if we needed to follow the Apaches into Mexico, we could.

Dave (GM): 23:15

Absolutely. Yeah. We think we think the Apache the the Apaches we're after, I think we think they're quite close to here. We think they're within a few a few days ride at most.

Jimmy Harlesden: 23:32

We just Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 23:32

A few days ride of here is all the way back up to John Adda Springs and down in deep deep

Dave (GM): 23:37

Well, as in west of here.

Marion Freeman: 23:41

Demingway. Because they've been

Jimmy Harlesden: 23:43

tracked south from further north.

Dave (GM): 23:46

Demingway? Well, no. I I I suspect they're a bit further north than that. Further north? So I think they're up on the up on the ridge here or in the Oh.

Dave (GM): 23:55

In the foothills.

Marion Freeman: 23:56

Our ridge.

Dave (GM): 23:57

Of the mountains.

Marion Freeman: 23:58

Well, not our ridge. But the area with which we have

Nathaniel Horcock: 24:02

a

Dave (GM): 24:03

We've got

Marion Freeman: 24:04

a we've got a strip of land across the end.

Dave (GM): 24:06

You've claimed that mile long strip, haven't you?

Marion Freeman: 24:12

Way north of here then.

Dave (GM): 24:13

So, yeah, northwest of here.

Marion Freeman: 24:17

So

Dave (GM): 24:19

You know, and if if if if whilst we're patrolling, we they see us and and, you know, we agitate them, then they might make mistakes that will make it easier for you to to track them.

Marion Freeman: 24:30

What I'm thinking is

Dave (GM): 24:31

Whilst they're fleeing us.

Marion Freeman: 24:33

We could at least get some food here in Las Cruces. Maybe not spend all our money here as you were saying by 2 different sources. If we're gonna get a deal on food from Fort Craig, then we've got a perfect excuse to maybe send the wagon back, if you like, half full.

Nathaniel Horcock: 24:56

But then we've got a half someone, but we we we're gonna let's

Marion Freeman: 24:59

I don't know. Well, maybe. Right? Yeah. How how we do it.

Marion Freeman: 25:01

But we're gonna be coming back past John Narda Spins If we're looking for these guys. And obviously, we can do that. The wagon on the other side of the river isn't gonna go so well. I mean, it's not impossible to ride along planes, but that's difficult. But if we sent the wagon up by the road towards Fort Craig.

Marion Freeman: 25:27

Or we could just say

Dave (GM): 25:28

I think we can we can reckon this, and you could have brought one of your men to drive the wagon if you wanted from the ranch.

Jimmy Harlesden: 25:37

It's one

Marion Freeman: 25:37

of our compadres. But would

Jimmy Harlesden: 25:40

we wanna send them off on their own of unprotected in a wagon full of food?

Marion Freeman: 25:45

They wouldn't be unprotected. I'd be with them. You guys would be unprotected.

Jimmy Harlesden: 25:51

I see. You're going back with the cars, and we're going to track the event.

Marion Freeman: 25:55

Well, yeah. We've seen my tracking skills. Oh, you haven't seen my tracking. Well, I don't know. I'm just I'm throwing these ideas out.

Marion Freeman: 26:09

This is a group decision.

Dave (GM): 26:10

While still talking.

Jimmy Harlesden: 26:11

Or If I get this from you. So that's yeah. Assuming we've got someone else with us to buy the car back, we could buy half. Mhmm. Mhmm.

Jimmy Harlesden: 26:20

The food. Send them back.

Nathaniel Horcock: 26:22

Yeah. Do

Jimmy Harlesden: 26:22

you know what's been saying? Look, we're just doing a

Nathaniel Horcock: 26:24

Deal.

Jimmy Harlesden: 26:26

A, you know, some work with Cavalry, which will hopefully result in us getting a good deal on some food from Fort Craig.

Nathaniel Horcock: 26:33

I mean, I do feel kind of I mean, if it is those children

Marion Freeman: 26:37

Then, yes. Then

Nathaniel Horcock: 26:39

I am obliged as to if we're actually

Jimmy Harlesden: 26:41

Yeah. Yeah. Like going if it is genuinely is, that then going

Marion Freeman: 26:44

But let's minimize our risk. Let's get $200 worth of food. You know, let's get $200 worth of food back to, Granada Springs now Mhmm. And maybe get, say, $400 worth of food at the cost of only $300 or whatever from Fort some from Fort Craig.

Nathaniel Horcock: 27:03

I have to make a decent charmer role.

Jimmy Harlesden: 27:06

Yes. Yes. Just to be your usual

Nathaniel Horcock: 27:07

Charming self.

Jimmy Harlesden: 27:08

Charming self and negotiate there. Good for you.

Nathaniel Horcock: 27:10

Yeah. So that'll be fine. Yes. What's not the?

Jimmy Harlesden: 27:22

That sounds like a good plan. I think, let's do that. Plus it doesn't mean if we say that while doing this, at least there's some food that's gone well.

Nathaniel Horcock: 27:31

We could actually say to the captain, well, we've got to send some food back. We could, you know, we've got this what I meant from the ranch. We could ask for a couple of soldiers to

Marion Freeman: 27:39

We're here in a market. Oh.

Nathaniel Horcock: 27:41

They've got him back to Granado Springs with the food.

Marion Freeman: 27:44

Yeah. Maybe we could.

Nathaniel Horcock: 27:46

Let's say, look. If 3 of us go scouting, could you at least give the guy

Marion Freeman: 27:51

And you could use your authority as sheriff if there's any issue with their orders about not being able to split up. Then you can say, well, you know, as sheriff, I'm I'm asking you asking this at federal forces. We need to protect this. You know, you're you're here to protect the people of Mhmm. The territory, and here's an issue.

Dave (GM): 28:12

Yeah. Yeah.

Nathaniel Horcock: 28:13

Because it could be you can't send a single man with a wagon of food on his own No. For 3 days. That's that'd be a bit suicidal, really.

Marion Freeman: 28:25

And if those people were to come back fire to another Springs, but then head to the fort. Let's do that. Okay. Mhmm. You better make, make the case to, Dave here and make whatever role he asks you to make.

Dave (GM): 28:37

Yeah. You have a plan, do you?

Nathaniel Horcock: 28:40

We have a plan.

Dave (GM): 28:40

I have a

Nathaniel Horcock: 28:41

I have a cunning

Dave (GM): 28:42

Is it as cunning as a fox?

Nathaniel Horcock: 28:43

He's a

Dave (GM): 28:43

professor of cunning at

Nathaniel Horcock: 28:44

Cambridge University. Use my docity, my performance, and my charming here.

Dave (GM): 28:50

Okay.

Nathaniel Horcock: 28:51

Yeah. You're

Dave (GM): 28:51

gonna turn on the charm.

Nathaniel Horcock: 28:52

I'm gonna turn on the charm. Yeah. I'm gonna say, look. Okay. As sheriff, I do feel that it is even if these kids did come from Johnno Springs, then I do feel responsible.

Marion Freeman: 29:03

But, technically, they never came from.

Nathaniel Horcock: 29:05

They they only wanted to. To. Yes. But, you know

Dave (GM): 29:09

They would have been Johnarda Spring residents.

Nathaniel Horcock: 29:10

Yeah. So I still feel obliged to, to help. But also, I have this commitment with the food. You know, I've been asked to get the food for town.

Marion Freeman: 29:21

No point in bringing kids back to a town starting.

Nathaniel Horcock: 29:24

Yeah. So I'm so if you're if if Australia scouts you and we send a a wagon with some food back to town, I'm asking

Jimmy Harlesden: 29:33

for a

Nathaniel Horcock: 29:33

couple of troopers as escort for our man back to

Dave (GM): 29:39

To escort the man. Back to Granada Springs. Yes.

Marion Freeman: 29:42

And then on to On to the fort. Fort Craig, where we will

Nathaniel Horcock: 29:46

Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 29:47

Do a deal, assuming we've, got the preferential terms Yeah. That you offered.

Dave (GM): 29:54

As I said, if you if you help me rescue these children, then I will put in a good word for the major. Yeah.

Nathaniel Horcock: 29:59

So but so then you make a rose, but, you know, I do have

Marion Freeman: 30:03

And we know through you told us that you're not meant to split your, your troop. But But

Nathaniel Horcock: 30:09

you must have realized it'd be it's a bit suicidal for us to send a single man back with a car with a wagon of food.

Marion Freeman: 30:17

And they'd be heading on the way to Fort Craig.

Dave (GM): 30:24

Make a performing role.

Marion Freeman: 30:25

So performing role, charming. Couple of extra dice from me in the audience.

Dave (GM): 30:29

Has helped. Yes.

Nathaniel Horcock: 30:30

So that

Marion Freeman: 30:31

I'm only calling Tony the boy because Jimmy is the youngest among us. Even though Tony is by far the oldest.

Nathaniel Horcock: 30:40

7. That's 7 to begin with. Charming's day. Oh, that's all.

Dave (GM): 30:48

What's your performing total? 7?

Nathaniel Horcock: 30:50

8 with Charming. Okay.

Dave (GM): 30:52

And then you get 2 more for their help.

Marion Freeman: 30:53

I do wanna point out, Tony, you're gonna be a granddad very soon. That is true. And there's at least 2 successes.

Jimmy Harlesden: 31:05

2 I can see from here. Yeah. 1 even on not the dodgy dice.

Nathaniel Horcock: 31:11

Yeah. 2 successes.

Dave (GM): 31:13

Okay. He he he's he's you can tell he's a bit torn. Oh. He he can he he's conflicted against the the sense of what you're saying Mhmm. But also against his orders not to not to split his troop up.

Marion Freeman: 31:34

Do you

Nathaniel Horcock: 31:34

want me to roll again? No.

Dave (GM): 31:35

No. No. Because he got one success and you got 2. Mhmm. So he's conflicted, but you have convinced him.

Nathaniel Horcock: 31:41

Yeah.

Dave (GM): 31:42

And he he says, yeah, okay. I agree, But you'd better come through, because when those men get back to Fort Craig with and, you know, I've sent them back. Yeah. No. I'll be I'll be in

Nathaniel Horcock: 31:59

I will I'll be in

Dave (GM): 32:00

the doghouse with the Major unless we've solved the problem.

Nathaniel Horcock: 32:03

I will yes. I will say it was my In

Marion Freeman: 32:05

fact, you could even write a letter now saying it was on your instructions that you

Nathaniel Horcock: 32:11

My request. If you wish, you would let her say, oh, yeah. The question of the sheriff.

Dave (GM): 32:14

Well, it would that

Marion Freeman: 32:15

they take with them?

Dave (GM): 32:16

It would make sense.

Nathaniel Horcock: 32:21

In fact

Dave (GM): 32:22

Obviously, I I suspect the major will only, you know, you guys will you know, we need results.

Nathaniel Horcock: 32:28

Yes. But also, your your main could actually take another less to, what's the name of the guy?

Marion Freeman: 32:34

Mister Raeburn.

Nathaniel Horcock: 32:34

With Raeburn forming him. What what is it?

Marion Freeman: 32:38

This is the, Yeah. The quickest supplier. I mean, yeah, the food. We've got to go into town and buy the food.

Nathaniel Horcock: 32:44

Of course. Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 32:46

But this is, you know, this is, but a part cargo.

Nathaniel Horcock: 32:49

A part. Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 32:51

And the rest

Nathaniel Horcock: 32:51

will be coming. Take the letter and give it to mister Raeburn, then so I'll do 2 letters. 1 for you supporting you, your major, if there's any backlash from our request, and one to mister Raver.

Dave (GM): 33:04

That sounds that sounds agreeable.

Nathaniel Horcock: 33:08

Okay.

Dave (GM): 33:09

And then you'll ride out the first light to

Nathaniel Horcock: 33:11

Yes. Yes.

Marion Freeman: 33:12

Not the first light because we gotta buy this food first.

Nathaniel Horcock: 33:15

Yeah. Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 33:15

But then you'll have our abilities, and I'm one of the best scouts here about.

Dave (GM): 33:20

Well, I'm pleased to hear it, mister, mister Freeman.

Marion Freeman: 33:23

Mister Hawkeye Freeman is what they call me.

Dave (GM): 33:26

Do they? Mister.

Jimmy Harlesden: 33:27

Oh, yeah. Yeah. We can go with that all the time. Yeah.

Nathaniel Horcock: 33:29

Yeah. Yeah. I remember now.

Marion Freeman: 33:32

I don't sound very believable.

Dave (GM): 33:33

The fact that the game is the name is ironic. This is neither here nor there. Yeah. Okay. He agrees.

Nathaniel Horcock: 33:40

Okay.

Dave (GM): 33:41

He says, well, come back come back to me first thing in the morning.

Nathaniel Horcock: 33:44

Yep.

Marion Freeman: 33:46

As you said, not first thing.

Dave (GM): 33:47

Well, as early

Nathaniel Horcock: 33:48

as you can make Yeah. We have supplies for breakfast.

Dave (GM): 33:51

We can then, point you in the right direction and then we'll we'll scale elsewhere. Okay. We'll send a couple of men back and get that food back to the town.

Nathaniel Horcock: 34:03

So so I'll so I'll pen 2 letters over there Yep. In the evening.

Dave (GM): 34:07

Yeah. I won't be making me to roll

Nathaniel Horcock: 34:08

for that. I don't know. That's fine. Okay. Well, thank god for that.

Jimmy Harlesden: 34:10

Yeah.

Nathaniel Horcock: 34:12

I've got one here. Pen just sat right here.

Dave (GM): 34:15

He made me have to make a rule from writing a letter the other day on Wednesday.

Jimmy Harlesden: 34:18

So what was that for? It's probably

Dave (GM): 34:19

Yeah. So writing a a like a not a love letter, but the letter to, the governor's daughter

Jimmy Harlesden: 34:26

Oh, yes.

Dave (GM): 34:27

Who I'm trying to line up and hopefully marry because I'm I'm buddies with the governor. Alright. What? Apparently. Well I saved his life.

Dave (GM): 34:36

He liked my horses so he was gonna come and visit my ranch just to buy my horses.

Nathaniel Horcock: 34:40

Oh, okay.

Dave (GM): 34:40

But some other people turned up having got wind of this and hadn't told me that, oh, tell us when he's here and we can kill him. Mhmm. They said, tell us when he's here because we need to have a word with him and we we can't get to talk to him in Carson City. So we then arranged to kill all these people who were coming to kill the governor Mhmm. Which we did by Ludiculous plan.

Dave (GM): 34:59

Ludiculous. Ludiculous plan that you'd never see in any western movie of planting dynamite in a field. It did work. But we didn't, yeah, we didn't kill many of them by that. Yeah.

Dave (GM): 35:19

We we we more, we broke quite a lot of them. We didn't kill them. So I had to go around and marshalling my daughter to to cold cold blood and kill them all.

Jimmy Harlesden: 35:27

Yeah. To show out the cold blood thing between everyone.

Dave (GM): 35:29

Who can kill 3 people? Who can kill 2? Yeah. Okay. Anyway, yeah the point was, because I wasn't writing it, I was doing the wordsmithing to somebody else who was writing it for me, he made me make a performing role to see how well I Yeah.

Jimmy Harlesden: 35:45

And Conor had to make his brickladding role to

Dave (GM): 35:47

To write it down nicely.

Jimmy Harlesden: 35:48

Write it down later.

Dave (GM): 35:49

Yeah. But that's because Tony's a cunt. I'm a GM, and I'm not. Well, we'll see.

Marion Freeman: 35:58

Let's see how it goes.

Jimmy Harlesden: 35:59

Can we?

Nathaniel Horcock: 36:01

Is there actually because I was thinking another, is there actually kind of I don't get a a gun shop in this town?

Dave (GM): 36:11

I suspect there probably is. Yes. It's not marked on there, but I yep. There is. It's not gonna be open now.

Nathaniel Horcock: 36:18

I know it's not gonna be open now.

Dave (GM): 36:19

It'll be open in the morning.

Nathaniel Horcock: 36:20

Well, in the morning. Okay.

Dave (GM): 36:21

Yeah. I'm yeah. I'm sure there's a gun

Marion Freeman: 36:23

shop here. Yeah.

Dave (GM): 36:24

Okay. The gunsmiths.

Nathaniel Horcock: 36:25

Gunsmiths. I know it's a general store, but I may one gatling gun, please.

Dave (GM): 36:30

We might not have one of those for sale.

Jimmy Harlesden: 36:32

No. You have to order them in.

Marion Freeman: 36:34

It takes

Jimmy Harlesden: 36:34

takes 2 weeks.

Nathaniel Horcock: 36:35

Does it? Alright.

Dave (GM): 36:38

2 week. Amazon Prime, you get it next week.

Marion Freeman: 36:40

Who is Alejandro Abalos?

Dave (GM): 36:46

Make a book learning roll, see if you know who he is.

Nathaniel Horcock: 36:48

Oh, nice.

Jimmy Harlesden: 36:49

Can I help?

Dave (GM): 36:50

I

Jimmy Harlesden: 36:50

bet I should have book learning.

Nathaniel Horcock: 36:51

An extra dice?

Jimmy Harlesden: 36:52

Oh, do I

Marion Freeman: 36:54

have an extra dice? Yeah. Oh, you can run one extra dice. Oh, do I have

Nathaniel Horcock: 36:56

an extra dice? Yeah.

Dave (GM): 37:01

Oh, you can roll one extra dice. Oh. Is that a success?

Marion Freeman: 37:06

I do know.

Dave (GM): 37:07

I cannot roll all of them again.

Jimmy Harlesden: 37:10

Let's try it.

Dave (GM): 37:12

That was very sneaky. Oh, well You're you're cheating by rolling a dice twice when you shouldn't. He's got, like, hooky dice.

Marion Freeman: 37:18

I didn't cheat. I

Nathaniel Horcock: 37:19

was like No.

Dave (GM): 37:20

You were going with that.

Marion Freeman: 37:22

By a sleight of hand, maybe I was getting injured.

Dave (GM): 37:24

Wasn't very sleighty. Anyways, yeah. So you know that, Alejandra Abalos is the Alcalde of Las Cruces. Alcalde Alcalde is the Mexican version of a mayor.

Nathaniel Horcock: 37:37

Right. So probably

Dave (GM): 37:39

So he's the man who's in charge of the town really. Mhmm.

Marion Freeman: 37:42

So we might go and I think because we're we're not going to the general store to buy supplies for a whole town.

Dave (GM): 37:48

Yeah. You wouldn't you wouldn't you wouldn't have enough. Ask. Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 37:50

Yeah. So let's go to, in the morning to

Nathaniel Horcock: 37:52

yeah. Alright then.

Dave (GM): 37:55

So you do you're gonna try and find him in the morning, or are you gonna try and find him now? It's probably, like, 8 o'clock now.

Marion Freeman: 38:00

Oh, yeah. Okay. Let's see. I think it may be may be willing. Come on, Sheriff.

Nathaniel Horcock: 38:08

Come on.

Jimmy Harlesden: 38:09

Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 38:09

You have to be our mouthpiece. Again?

Dave (GM): 38:12

Yeah. God.

Nathaniel Horcock: 38:15

Alright. Actually, I've got 2 letters to write, though.

Marion Freeman: 38:17

You have got 2. Actually, that is a thing.

Jimmy Harlesden: 38:20

What's your performing skill? I have 5 in performing.

Marion Freeman: 38:25

Right. Okay. I can give you a point. That's almost 6.

Dave (GM): 38:28

So are you going to

Marion Freeman: 38:29

Thank you to success. Let's go to our To

Dave (GM): 38:31

the man's house? Yeah. Mhmm. Okay. You're informed by the man who opens the door, who answers the door that, yeah, Alcalde Abalos is, he's, having having taking his dinner at the Central Hotel.

Marion Freeman: 38:48

Central Hotel. Well, we could have a nice meal with friends. What do you think?

Dave (GM): 38:55

Haven't you done that already? You had breakfast with friends on your face.

Marion Freeman: 39:14

Right. Yeah. Should we go to the hotel then? Yeah. Let's I'm not gonna face point for having an ask me old friends.

Marion Freeman: 39:20

Well, we'll see whether we make friends, first of all.

Jimmy Harlesden: 39:22

Yeah. We get a pretty good snap on me off of $500, couldn't we?

Marion Freeman: 39:29

Let's not do that.

Nathaniel Horcock: 39:32

Well, I fucking were thinking, yeah. That's How much for

Marion Freeman: 39:34

a good hard shack?

Dave (GM): 39:36

A £1,000.

Jimmy Harlesden: 39:37

Sounds good. We've got 6¢.

Nathaniel Horcock: 39:44

Where we actually gonna be staying? Are we actually staying at Central Hotel?

Jimmy Harlesden: 39:47

Well, I

Marion Freeman: 39:47

thought we'd stay at this cheaper hotel that far.

Jimmy Harlesden: 39:49

What's fair the cheap hotel?

Marion Freeman: 39:50

Yeah. The Amador.

Dave (GM): 39:53

The Amador is a very, very nicely appointed hotel.

Marion Freeman: 39:56

Alright.

Jimmy Harlesden: 39:57

Which hotel is the The

Marion Freeman: 39:58

central hotel is not cheaper.

Dave (GM): 39:59

Cheap dive. The central hotel is very nicely appointed as well.

Nathaniel Horcock: 40:02

Commercial.

Jimmy Harlesden: 40:03

About the, one of the saloons, they have rooms, cheap rooms.

Dave (GM): 40:07

Yeah. The Saddle and Cinch, will be the cheapest.

Jimmy Harlesden: 40:10

Yeah. Let's go

Nathaniel Horcock: 40:12

there. Okay. Well, I must be on the bottom penning the letters.

Marion Freeman: 40:17

Okay. We'll make we'll come back. Let's let's see how well we do with the mayor.

Dave (GM): 40:24

Okay. So you're going to the central hotel.

Marion Freeman: 40:26

Yeah. I don't wanna I I wanna case the joint first. Yeah. You know, if the mayor's having I don't wanna, you know, if he's sitting there at the table on his own, eating a meal, fine. If he's doing business of any sort, maybe I'd be asking the barman who he is with and all that sort of stuff first.

Marion Freeman: 40:42

So Yeah. Can I spot him? I guess Or can my friend spot him with his better hawk overall?

Dave (GM): 40:52

So I'm not I'm not sure you know what he looks like.

Marion Freeman: 40:54

No. We don't.

Jimmy Harlesden: 40:55

No. But But

Marion Freeman: 40:56

he's a, you know, bloke wearing like mare's chains and

Dave (GM): 40:59

It's not quite like that. So this town is very Mexican. Right. It's very the population is largely Mexican. Or Mexicana, formerly Mexican as it were.

Dave (GM): 41:14

Yeah. It's it's quite busy, actually, the central hotel. It's, it's got a dining room off to one side. There's a couple of people in there who look pretty well-to-do. They've all got a few people dining with them, mostly other men.

Marion Freeman: 41:40

Well, obviously, I'll ask the barman. Those people over there. Is one of those sorry, what's the term from there?

Dave (GM): 41:48

Alcalde. He's one

Marion Freeman: 41:49

of those yeah. Okay. Alcalde.

Dave (GM): 41:54

He goes, oh, yes. Senos and Senor Abalos. He, sitting at the table in the corner. And you can see there's a a well dressed Mexicana man, kinda holding court. There's 3 or 4 of them in 4 men dining with him, and they're obviously all focusing their attention on him.

Marion Freeman: 42:14

Right. I think, wasn't it? I think

Dave (GM): 42:17

the message They've probably finished dining. I think they're now drinking.

Marion Freeman: 42:20

Okay. I I think missus Paquito probably, if she'd had a chance to talk to us, would have would have probably asked us to, send our kind regards to the mayor, don't you? So we might go there and pass them on, take this opportunity since by pure coincidence, we happen to be drinking in the same establishment. Yeah. Do you want to do that?

Marion Freeman: 42:44

Given you've got the charm skill of or not a charm, the performing skill of 5.

Dave (GM): 42:50

Are you are you are you back at the saddle and synthesizing the letters, are you? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What's your book learning?

Nathaniel Horcock: 42:58

1.

Dave (GM): 42:59

And your Dusty?

Nathaniel Horcock: 43:00

Dusty is, 4. 4. The,

Dave (GM): 43:03

leave it, Dick. Leave it.

Nathaniel Horcock: 43:04

Yes, sir. Dear mister yellow barrel Yankee.

Marion Freeman: 43:11

I knew we should've supervised him, but he goes, This grant is a cunt of luck. Anyway,

Dave (GM): 43:26

Yeah. So you 2, are you are you approaching the table? Yes.

Jimmy Harlesden: 43:31

We're approaching the table. Okay. Obviously, respectfully, I'm

Marion Freeman: 43:38

Patch in hand again. Yep.

Dave (GM): 43:40

Yep. Okay. Make it just make it a performing roll for me, please.

Jimmy Harlesden: 43:47

Can I get a dice?

Dave (GM): 43:49

Yes. I think you can.

Marion Freeman: 43:50

Yep. Given I've given you the script, Tony. Of course.

Nathaniel Horcock: 43:55

I'll work the shots. No. One sec.

Dave (GM): 43:57

Yeah. No. That's enough. He's he he isn't offended by, you know, you coming up to his his group of people. And he and he looks he looks up to you when he come over.

Dave (GM): 44:07

And are you stood next to him, Matt?

Marion Freeman: 44:10

Yep. No. I'm covering the whole group with my gums. Give us all your food.

Dave (GM): 44:17

Just a little bit. We've all been eaten. Is Good evening. Can I can I help you? I don't believe I don't believe we've been acquainted.

Dave (GM): 44:32

No. It was really telling I don't believe I was thinking you're trying to tweet on some kind of Mexican accent and it's probably best.

Marion Freeman: 44:40

Probably not a good idea.

Dave (GM): 44:41

No. You're not. No. That's not.

Jimmy Harlesden: 44:43

We're offended.

Dave (GM): 44:44

Every every

Jimmy Harlesden: 44:45

what's the term for American? Alcalde. Alcalde. Alcalde. Abelos, I presume.

Jimmy Harlesden: 44:51

Indeed. Aladdin Shuso. I'm, Jimmy Hart. This is my colleague Marion Freeman. We're from here from United Springs.

Dave (GM): 44:59

Oh, yes.

Jimmy Harlesden: 45:00

I believe we, share in regards of missus Paquita. I believe you may be acquainted with her.

Dave (GM): 45:07

Oh, Augustine. Augustine. How how is she doing? How is she?

Jimmy Harlesden: 45:12

She's she's doing okay. Had some tough times, but, I believe she's well.

Dave (GM): 45:19

Exes? And

Marion Freeman: 45:22

she sent us specifically to talk to you, actually.

Jimmy Harlesden: 45:25

Yeah. We, are here to, purchase some supplies for United Springs. And, supplies? Food, indeed. We were hoping that you might be able to, help facilitate, purchase of the supplies.

Dave (GM): 45:46

So how how is how is, how is this, widow, Paquito? Tell me tell me, tell me how she's doing these last few weeks.

Marion Freeman: 45:58

Well, you've heard about the death of her son.

Dave (GM): 46:01

I we did hear the, the very sad news. Yes, absolutely. Have they found the culprit?

Marion Freeman: 46:09

Not yet.

Jimmy Harlesden: 46:09

Not yet. Not yet. No.

Dave (GM): 46:12

Do they do they have any is the culprit about to be apprehended? Do we know who who was who who committed the murder?

Jimmy Harlesden: 46:20

Well, there is certainly a suspect. I think his whereabouts is not.

Marion Freeman: 46:24

The challenge is there's more than 1, I think. There's a fellow called Cody Picker, but there's also the Kyler gang which have been, troubling in this region here.

Dave (GM): 46:36

Do you think the Kyler gang?

Marion Freeman: 46:38

Well

Dave (GM): 46:39

And this this one

Marion Freeman: 46:40

of the Kyler gang was caught recently and fingered Cody Picker, which means either she actually saw the murder or it means

Jimmy Harlesden: 46:53

She was involved in the murder.

Marion Freeman: 46:54

She's trying to find somebody

Jimmy Harlesden: 46:56

else. Someone else.

Dave (GM): 46:57

And this this other fellow picker, why why is is is is he just the the word of this outlaw that he's, he's a suspect?

Marion Freeman: 47:09

Well, at the moment Largely, yes.

Jimmy Harlesden: 47:11

Largely, yes. And his whereabouts is not new?

Marion Freeman: 47:21

But, we, we're here with the sheriff and the sheriff, I'm sure, would be hunting down the Kyla gang and mister Picker so that we could find the truth behind Abela's, great loss, but we have another mission.

Dave (GM): 47:41

I'd say what would be most useful would be to hunt down these damned Apache and get the cavalry out of my town.

Marion Freeman: 47:49

Well, we, we should see that.

Dave (GM): 47:52

Funny you

Marion Freeman: 47:53

should mention that. The cavalry have asked for our help, and we can help them, and hopefully get them out of your town quite soon. In fact,

Dave (GM): 48:01

Yeah. I don't enjoy having a troop of smelly US army men

Marion Freeman: 48:08

They're here for your protection.

Dave (GM): 48:09

Littering us.

Marion Freeman: 48:09

Well, I'm mess of cameras.

Dave (GM): 48:11

I'm not sure. But I'm not sure I would agree

Jimmy Harlesden: 48:13

We will be doing everything we can.

Marion Freeman: 48:14

We are going to get them to leave town first thing in the morning, but that does mean that our other trade here needs to be completed quickly and fairly and satisfactorily for both parties. Which is why we thought, even though it is the evening and you are entertaining friends Yeah.

Jimmy Harlesden: 48:33

I wish you

Marion Freeman: 48:34

we we thought you might come to you with a proposal.

Dave (GM): 48:39

As You you wish to discuss business now?

Marion Freeman: 48:44

Well, normally, I would come to you in the morning, but we want to try and get the army to move on, follow the trail while it's hot, and we can do that, but we need to complete our business here in town first.

Dave (GM): 49:00

Make a performing role, Matthew.

Marion Freeman: 49:02

You bastard.

Nathaniel Horcock: 49:04

You can

Dave (GM): 49:04

have a dice of help from Tony, and you can have And

Marion Freeman: 49:07

dice for my excellent argument?

Dave (GM): 49:08

You can have 2 dice for your excellent

Marion Freeman: 49:09

argument. Excellent.

Dave (GM): 49:10

So I think there's 2 aspects to that,

Jimmy Harlesden: 49:12

which which are very

Marion Freeman: 49:13

good. Which

Jimmy Harlesden: 49:14

have touched

Marion Freeman: 49:14

his,

Dave (GM): 49:15

his motorbikes. Absolutely.

Marion Freeman: 49:18

Yes. And look at that.

Nathaniel Horcock: 49:20

I've got

Marion Freeman: 49:21

None dice at all. I will reroll that.

Dave (GM): 49:23

No no one's names. Okay.

Marion Freeman: 49:26

Watch me get 7 1.

Dave (GM): 49:29

That would be funny.

Marion Freeman: 49:32

One success and one one. Let's roll that one. Let's buy that one off.

Dave (GM): 49:36

Right. Okay. How much faith do you have back now?

Marion Freeman: 49:40

I'm down to one point of faith now.

Dave (GM): 49:42

Right. Okay.

Jimmy Harlesden: 49:42

Except I'm gonna go into any fights or anything.

Marion Freeman: 49:44

I am gonna be cleaning my no cap.

Dave (GM): 49:47

Dude, we've already done that.

Marion Freeman: 49:49

You think of something else? Get get get to church.

Dave (GM): 49:53

Catholic or Presbyterian, which is the the option there.

Marion Freeman: 49:57

Actually, a single prayer will do it and taking just a turn. So, I'll say that before I go to church.

Nathaniel Horcock: 50:02

Unlimited faith again, or will we decide?

Dave (GM): 50:04

10 is the maximum. 10 is

Nathaniel Horcock: 50:05

the maximum. Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 50:06

Well, I don't think we should have a maximum because we never get anywhere. No. I know. I mean, you have got us you have got you know, we we have the intention of, making the the the spending at acquiring your faith quite a quick thing. And that does seem to be working,

Dave (GM): 50:25

isn't it? I think it it is. Yeah.

Nathaniel Horcock: 50:27

And Right. Well, I've got 6 faith, and I'm gonna slow forward on it.

Dave (GM): 50:30

But it it's good it's good to have a backup.

Jimmy Harlesden: 50:34

You do well?

Nathaniel Horcock: 50:35

That's it. I've done events with them.

Dave (GM): 50:55

So he seems reasonably Yeah. And you've you've succeeded. You've you've I think you can stop it now, please. Augustine is a is a personal friend of mine. We have had our differences and disagreements over the years, but she's she's a she's a good woman.

Dave (GM): 51:25

I I disagreed when she moved from here to go to the new settlement of Yanada Springs, but she seems to have made a success of it, and I I bow to her wisdom. I can put you in touch with one of my one of my, one of my factors, and you can negotiate with him this evening over what food you might wish to buy from us. I have to say that your your willingness to help the cavalry and and go and look for the for the Apache and the children is is is played strongly in your favor. Where are you where are you staying? I'll send I'll send my man to see you and you can thrash out the details with him.

Jimmy Harlesden: 52:21

We're staying at the Sadlin Cinch Saloon.

Dave (GM): 52:26

He tries not to kind of gush for and act surprised.

Marion Freeman: 52:31

Our expenses have to be minimized for the benefit of the town as a whole.

Dave (GM): 52:36

That that's fine. I'll, I'll have him send some anti lice powder as well. Oh, no.

Nathaniel Horcock: 52:44

Oh, you might need

Jimmy Harlesden: 52:44

that. Much obliged.

Dave (GM): 52:48

But I'll yes. I will, I will I will send him presently.

Marion Freeman: 52:53

Thank you. Thank you.

Dave (GM): 52:55

And, enjoy your meal. And, the best of luck in your endeavors. Excellent.

Marion Freeman: 53:00

Cool. But this will be back at the place where we've got our chief negotiator. I don't have to make bloody before me rolls.

Nathaniel Horcock: 53:08

Yeah, mister Wheeler. You won't talk to Michael.

Jimmy Harlesden: 53:12

That

Marion Freeman: 53:16

method riding's going very well. Maybe we'll read those, that is, before Yeah.

Jimmy Harlesden: 53:19

We'll just check the moment for them before we send them. Yeah? Yeah. Just a quick final sense check.

Marion Freeman: 53:27

Typos, that sort of thing.

Nathaniel Horcock: 53:30

Yeah. Can you 2

Jimmy Harlesden: 53:32

read? Well, I

Dave (GM): 53:33

don't have any book learning.

Jimmy Harlesden: 53:35

But I'm

Marion Freeman: 53:35

reading the

Dave (GM): 53:36

book. Repetitive three means

Marion Freeman: 53:37

You've spelt Rayburn c u m t. Digger

Dave (GM): 53:43

dogs. Okay. Yeah. So maybe an hour later, a man comes, arrives at your room, at your at the at the saddle and cinch. He says, so, it's, Senor, whatever his name is, Senor Abalos has, has has sent me to to to sort out your your urgent need for food.

Marion Freeman: 54:20

Well, we, of course, have eaten, but the town

Nathaniel Horcock: 54:24

Right with.

Marion Freeman: 54:25

Of Granada Spring needs, needs extra grain, maybe dried meats, maybe, this, Las Cruces is famed throughout New Mexico for its fruits.

Dave (GM): 54:40

And it's pecans.

Marion Freeman: 54:41

And it's pecans. Like the So, so yes, we we have

Dave (GM): 54:47

We do have some some supplies we can sell you. Naturally with, you know, we have to look after our own interests and maintain sufficient supplies here. Just Of course.

Jimmy Harlesden: 55:02

Of course.

Dave (GM): 55:03

Against any any any eventual We're looking only for,

Marion Freeman: 55:05

you know, taking surplus, not not eating into your own well managed stockyards.

Dave (GM): 55:12

But we can we can offer you grain. We can offer you flour, vegetables, pecans.

Nathaniel Horcock: 55:21

Okay. Sounds good.

Dave (GM): 55:25

How much how much did you need?

Nathaniel Horcock: 55:27

Are we gonna go for the whole full amount

Marion Freeman: 55:30

or No. No. We're going for, as much as we can get for what we have pulled together, which is, $200.

Jimmy Harlesden: 55:44

Okay. Well, I guess $200 doesn't get you that much.

Dave (GM): 55:51

Let's let's make a performing role. Okay. Since you're in the site.

Jimmy Harlesden: 55:56

Yeah. Need some help.

Dave (GM): 55:59

So you're so basically you're you're sort of suggesting $200 for what half of the amount that you're needing to get?

Marion Freeman: 56:05

Or you can get

Nathaniel Horcock: 56:06

a little bit.

Marion Freeman: 56:07

Yeah. Let let's talk about let let's negotiate from that point. Yeah.

Jimmy Harlesden: 56:13

You got 2 dots to top the other one for for

Nathaniel Horcock: 56:15

me just Yep. So that's there. 7, 8 normally.

Jimmy Harlesden: 56:20

Use the best dodgy dice.

Nathaniel Horcock: 56:21

Mhmm. So that's 10 again. Right? You got 2 there.

Dave (GM): 56:25

Okay.

Nathaniel Horcock: 56:25

Yep. I'll just shoot him. Hold on.

Jimmy Harlesden: 56:29

Is it negotiating tactic? Oh, damn.

Nathaniel Horcock: 56:31

No, dear.

Marion Freeman: 56:32

Oh, dear. You got those 6 faith points you've probably got.

Nathaniel Horcock: 56:36

Yeah. I know. Yeah.

Marion Freeman: 56:37

I think you're spending one of those.

Jimmy Harlesden: 56:38

Which ones are your trouble dice?

Nathaniel Horcock: 56:40

Black's the trouble dice. Okay.

Jimmy Harlesden: 56:41

So that one's not on trouble trouble.

Nathaniel Horcock: 56:42

Right? Yeah.

Jimmy Harlesden: 56:43

You might wanna push that, then I reckon.

Dave (GM): 56:45

Yeah. So you can re roll it. You can re roll that. Because it's not trouble.

Nathaniel Horcock: 56:47

Oh, right. Okay.

Dave (GM): 56:48

And 1 of 1 on a non trouble dice is irrelevant.

Nathaniel Horcock: 56:51

Yeah. Yep.

Marion Freeman: 56:52

1 on 3 points to reroll.

Dave (GM): 56:53

At least. Yeah. And if you're doing Depending how much trouble you get now. Yeah.

Nathaniel Horcock: 56:57

Okay. What's the the price that'll be in here?

Marion Freeman: 57:01

Oh. Success? 2 successes?

Nathaniel Horcock: 57:03

2 successes. Yeah. And no trouble. No trouble.

Dave (GM): 57:05

Okay. He got 2 successes as well. He's like, I I think for for for what you're what you're asking, we would need $300.

Marion Freeman: 57:19

Hold on, Matt.

Dave (GM): 57:20

Or 300? That that's too

Marion Freeman: 57:22

if we're looking for what we're asking was about $250 worth, then I think $250 was on on that success. Yeah.

Dave (GM): 57:32

But, yeah, you didn't know where he was gonna start from, did you? So that's that's his his counter offer, $300.

Marion Freeman: 57:40

300. Can we split the difference? 250?

Dave (GM): 57:43

Make another performing roll then. Okay.

Nathaniel Horcock: 57:53

No no no near and everything.

Marion Freeman: 57:55

That's another that's another push and another reroll of all those dice.

Dave (GM): 57:59

So no trouble ones? No trouble.

Marion Freeman: 58:00

No trouble ones.

Dave (GM): 58:01

But no no successes.

Nathaniel Horcock: 58:02

Let's check the last.

Dave (GM): 58:03

K. So another phase point.

Nathaniel Horcock: 58:11

That one success, and I got a trouble. Who should I buy off?

Jimmy Harlesden: 58:14

You can buy off

Dave (GM): 58:15

You can buy off the trouble, or you can take the risk with 1. I mean, 1 is not normally too bad. But

Nathaniel Horcock: 58:20

I'll buy it off. I don't really wanna start.

Dave (GM): 58:22

Yeah. Okay.

Jimmy Harlesden: 58:23

So It's another thing

Dave (GM): 58:25

point then. Okay. He, he got one success. He says 280. 280.

Marion Freeman: 58:38

You would be forever in missus Paquito's debt if you were to give us a slightly better rate. She'd welcome you with open arms in this time.

Dave (GM): 58:49

Can you make it perform on your own with no help?

Marion Freeman: 58:52

Yeah. You bastards.

Nathaniel Horcock: 58:54

Doesn't have to say 275, but at least it says that. It's the

Dave (GM): 58:58

but I'll give you a bonus one for invoking Alright. 2.

Jimmy Harlesden: 59:01

You say. Fine, guys.

Marion Freeman: 59:03

All trouble, Ben. Come on. One success.

Dave (GM): 59:08

Okay. He got one success. 275, my final offer. Yeah. Sold to the sucker over there.

Marion Freeman: 59:18

Give him

Nathaniel Horcock: 59:18

my ass. Boom.

Dave (GM): 59:21

Fuck. Okay. So you've got half of what you think

Nathaniel Horcock: 59:24

you want

Dave (GM): 59:25

to get, but you spent more than half than that. Yeah.

Jimmy Harlesden: 59:27

I just could hope we got a better deal in for the trade for the rest of it.

Nathaniel Horcock: 59:31

Well, how do we find the kinneys then?

Marion Freeman: 59:40

Tales of the old west is brought to you by Effect. The music is old west game by Stu Venable, used with kind permission of the angry folk media empire.