Franz Kaufmann

Zeke went through the bar, beckoning them to follow, and quickly cut through a walkway into the taxidermy shop. Franz followed, with the others along behind him.

"Been a long time since I heard a voice like that," he says over his shoulder as he walks between a large bear eternally stretching to its full height and roaring and an eagle perched and staring at the counter which Zeke made his way to. The counter is thick old wood, heavy looking, littered with receipts and order forms and some sort of Silver Dollar looking shop coin.

“Oh yeah?” Franz answered him, feeling a prick of curiosity at what the man was getting at.

"Name's Zeke, Zeke Ritter. My parents you see, they were from Germany too," he pulls out a flyer announcing the bounty and slips it over to Franz, not paying much attention to anyone or anything else in the room for the time being.

That was interesting. He’d only ever known the big cities of Europe. It was hard to imagine a person from near his country to live in such an area. He decided to ignore the man’s association of Austria with the rest of Germany and keep it cordial. How could he know the difference? “I come from Austria. It’s interesting to see Germans out so far.” He remarked.

"Come to America for a new life," he turns back to appraise him but seemingly seeing something agreeable he continues,

"I fought for the Union you know. You got that look about you too. Hard to see sometimes, like that feller you saved? You know he was a Rebel? Well a Reb Deserter but a Rebel jus' the same." His right hand, resting on the table shakes until with concerted mental effort he steadies it.

Franz nodded at his hatred of the rebels. “I fought in a couple wars too. Power hungry Prussians separated my country from other Germans.”

"About your money though," he counts out $50 dollars lining them up in two lines across his counter, pushing some of the coins out of the way for room.

"Now then as you can see the reward offered were fifty, but since y'all only killed the one..." he gathers one line and returns it to the register.

"Them critters been botherin' the town fer some time now. You and yer boys go out and hunt the other'n and I'll give the rest of the money, even though I'd say now with just one a them damn things the town could probably handle it...but I'm gonna offer you a deal"

Frowning at the man’s lack of directness and desire to not give them their due upfront, Franz simply said “Shoot.” in response

"I'll work my magic on this here kitty, you let me display her here for a few month, and then you can have it. That's free taxidermy now and I ain't no slouch."

His works were indeed impressive. The bears roared, the fish flopped, the pumas screamed, but he wasn’t sure if the deal would quite suit their purposes. Carrying a stuffed big cat the rest of their journey wouldn’t be easy, though it would be a hell of a souvenir. He was about to say so, when the man continued.

He gestures out at his shop, "Don't answer yet now. Take a look. It's a good deal fer both of us why you'll get a beautifully stuffed critter and I'll..."

A commotion broke out with a waitress. Constantin got into his usual trouble beating up the perpetrator. Other men were stepping in, including a sheriff. Scheiße this was trouble. Last thing they needed was for Constantin to end up in jail or worse.

"Shit, I figured this day were comin' but she were my best waitress yet. Fine specimen too." Zeke says with a whistle after Lilly heads off on her way.

"Anyway, what do you say? I know a few folk in town would be willin' to go back out there with you and get that puma's mate. Another $25 in it for y'all. Me an' you could talk about the old country, share stories. Ain't too many make it out this far."

Franz felt like he could detect a note of longing in the man’s voice, and he could understand. America seemed to have a lot of opportunity, but lacked the culture and grandeur of Austria. It wasn’t always for the best. Vienna’s obsession with the past stifled some opportunity for him, but it’s excesses were a part of what made it home. “Sounds good, Zeke. I’ll try to come back sometime for the cat.I’m not sure I’ll have the time for the other one. We’ve got our own mission, checking out this land’s magical oddities. Especially the ghost rock. But if I get an extra day or two in town, and I don’t run into the cat on my own, I’ll take you up on that deal. And I will tell you all about what’s been happening in Germany.”

He shook Zeke’s hand and made his way over to the others. It looked like they had avoided jail and gotten some help from the Sheriff and a pretty, local woman. "Oh," the Sheriff said with a grin, "More prospectors out to make their fortune? How droll. The woman, I believe she is referring to the Father's friend. Had a claim out someways, suppose it's lost now. Not sure what he found, but he didn't seem quite as excited as I would have expected."

"Aveline," he calls out in an unnecessarily loud voice, "Be a good girl and show these men to the Father won't you."

He looked towards Aveline expectantly, eager to hear what she had to say about this mysterious prospecting.

Aveline winced slightly at the way the Sheriff raised his voice, her ears ringing like a haunting of the gunshot that once ripped through her skull. She had been living in Selina long enough for the residents to know about her aversion to loud noises, not that many seemed to care. Aveline continued to smile as her tinnitus faded back to the dull buzz of noise around her. She wasn't a huge fan of the Sheriff's condescending way of referring to her, she had just snapped a man's nose back into place with her bare hands and he still had the guts to call her a good girl, but she had no voice to speak her complains. Instead, in a show of defiance, she just continued to smile.

The mute woman glanced around at the gathered visitors, who all seemed to be here because of Ghost Rock, she certainly hoped that leading them to Father O'Flanagan would be helpful for their adventure. She smiled, falling into her thoughts. In a way, it was like she was going on an adventure herself!

She suddenly became aware again that she was being expected to walk the stranger over to the church. Since none of them objected Aveline simply curtsied, gave a little wave to get the men's attention, and began the short walk over to the church. During the jaunt across down the mute women would glance over her shoulder, making sure the travelers were following. Once outside the church Aveline hurried up the stairs and began knocking on the wooden door. She lived in the church, and would normally have no issue with just walking in, but getting the attention of Father O'Flanagan would be another story.

While waiting for the Father, or another person inside the church, to answer the door, Aveline looked back at the other, smiling, before trying to rub the drying blood off her dress. The last thing she needed was Father O'Flanagan seeing her with blood on her clothes.

Sir John Blackburn - Heading to the church

"Oh," the Sheriff reacts with a genuine grin, "More prospectors out to make their fortune? How droll. "

do we look like prospectors? okay many the frog does....

"Prospectors? "John chuckled "Somewhat Sir but we have not crossed the ocean for quick profit but for Science! this "Ghost Rock" is recent discovered. From what I understand it can used fuel but what else can it? can it be smeltered and worked with for example"

As John spoke to the sheriff the quite woman had finished treating the uncultured swine and had stood back up. Disgracefully wiping her bloody hands on her dress she picked up the small board she had been carrying and seeming wrote something. when she was finished the mute woman moved over to the men, waving her hand slightly to get their attention. She turned the board around, and there written in clean handwriting reads: "I might know someone who can tell you about someone who owns an active mine!"

John was confused why the cute woman had used an Board, could she not speak or something? but before he could the sheriff countined "The woman, I believe she is referring to the Father's friend. Had a claim out someways, suppose it's lost now. Not sure what he found, but he didn't seem quite as excited as I would have expected."

Probably something wrong with it then.... should find out more.

"Aveline," he calls out in an unnecessarily loud voice, "Be a good girl and show these men to the Father won't you."

The cute woman, seeming called Aveline. Glanced at the Europeans and smiled at them before seeming day dreaming, John turned to the sheriff "I know it's rude for an gentlemen to ask but is....uh... Okay?" he quietly and awkwardly asked.

A few movement later Aveline stopped day dreaming, curtising she gave little wave and ushered the men to follow her out of the Bar and a short distance down to the street to town's Catholic church.Reaching Aveline knocked on the door as John looked up at the Church bell "A church... been an long time since I went to one of these.. Not since Zoya died."

Reaching into his Jacket John took out small sliver pocket watch. Opening it there was small & sight faded now picture of himself (back when he was in the Army) and heavily pregnant Indian woman, his wife. She had died slowly after this picture was taken during childbirth, never getting to see their little daughter grow up although after happened to her perhaps that was a good thing..

it had to be done to keep her alive...

"well atleast I can still enter these places."John muttered to himself as he put the watch away as an elderly priest open the door and introduced himself as Father O'Flanagan.

"Hello Father, My name is Sir John Blackburn and these are my associates Franz Kaufmann & Constantin LeBlanc. The town sheriff and lovely Miss Aveline? said you could tell us where we could find some this marvellous new "ghost rock" mineral."

Off Chisholm Trail, Near to Selina

"Oh...hello," the Father greeted the group of rather hard looking men at his door, feeling a bit worried until he heard the sheriff had directed them to him and saw Ms. Aveline.

"Well do come in, I...," despite just welcoming them in he rises and walks around his desk. Approaching them to properly greet them, he reaches out to shake their hands.

"Yes, well, Ghost Rock you say? It's some dangerous stuff. You seem like capable men. Decent men, I wouldn't want to send you into danger but I suppose you're dead set on going after it and more information couldn't hurt you."

He evaluates them with an oddly discerning eye for a man of the cloth. His worry is rather evident. Though they seem to him quite capable indeed these are violent times and many have lost themselves or their lives to the search for Ghost Rock.

"I'll tell you what I know, what little there is. But I won't speak of that vile stuff in the house of the Lord. Come with me, I'll show you Ghost Rock and I'll show you why I wish fervently it had never been found."

Unbeknownst to the Father one more member of the group, Rick Matthews, had been listening just outside and now made his way into the church as the Father came by.

"You are with the others yes? Another seeker of Ghost Rock? Follow me, I'll tell you what I know."

The Father pats the fellow on the shoulder and forces a smile, then slips past him and out the door.

It is later in the day now. The sun is about halfway through it's path back down. A new waitress has been found for Zeke's Hunter Lodge. The man who had his nose broken has returned home to heal what Aveline could not, his ego. The job notice has been changed, indicating that there is now only one cougar left to hunt and so about town parties of hunters begin to gather. Two cougars being too much of a threat, one cougar however and wounded at that, that was a surer thing.

The Father heads toward the town center, nodding to the townsfolk as the wind blows hard. It's going to be a cold night.

As they enter the general market the Father greets Tobias, the owner, by name and explains what he is here for. The older man heads to the back to get it.

“Don’t trust the stuff,” he clarified while they wait in the shop.

“It’s not natural I don’t believe. Everything is of the Father of course, and I have never read anything about it in the Good Book, but I read plenty enough about temptation and that Ghost Rock she is a temptation. You’ll see.”

The shop is quite plain and sparsely stocked. Nothing to be particularly excited about. It contains the things a traveler on the prairie needs but likely not what one might desire. The shopkeeper comes back carrying a box big enough to fit the pistols and holsters of everyone in the room all at once with meticulous care.

“Alright Tobias,” the Father says as he takes the box, shooing Tobias away.

“Don’t like folk looking at it too much. Gives them funny ideas. I believe this damn rock got an old friend of mine killed somehow.”

The Father takes off his gloves and from the finger of one of them retrieves a small key and unlocks the clasp. As he opens it you can see inside.

A great number of rags are bunched up filling the majority of the box and giving the weighty object you can feel but not see a wealth of padding. There is an immediate magnetism as the lid opens. A desire to see that object laid bare, to examine it intimately.

“Feel that?” the Father asks. “That’s why I keep this fool thing locked up.”

“Don’t mean to say you boys are fools now. I know well enough how much money these things bring and how much they’re driving the expansion out West. I suppose everyone knows that. Just. It just. It feels to me like the thing for a mind of its own. Feels to me like it killed Charles and it know’d what it was doing.”

He turns back to the others, somewhat hoping they will seem uninterested but of course this rock is what they seek. They’re going to want to see it.

Putting his glove back on he brushes aside the rags to reveal a large piece of cratered white rock.

“Looks a bit like coal at first don’t it? Like white coal?”

It does, at first glance. Looks like white coal, but pitted all over with small craters. Looking closer you realize the borders of those craters seem to fall very sharply creating ridges that look quite sharp. It is hard not to desire to feel those ridges on your hand. To roll it around your hand and feel it’s balance shift. Hard too not to look closer. Hard not to examine the craters, noting their near but not complete uniformity. Hard not to think that this rock should really, by all rights, belong to you.

“You know,” he sees after he all too quickly covers the glorious thing in rags once again, “it’s said when you burn Ghost Rock it screams.”

His hand trembles as he closes the lid, then closes the clasp and locks it shut.

“They say all kinds of things about Ghost Rock.”

He pushes the locked box away and secrets the key in his glove again.

“You’ll want to meet the owner of the mine now, unless you have questions let us hurry. It’s getting late and I must preside over supper.”

Father O'Flanagan leads the group around the back of the chapel to a freshly filled in grave site. It's quite small with a modest head stone amid a number of larger more ornate headstones. Many are marked as Union or Confederate soldiers but are located on opposite sides of the graveyard.

"My friend here," he gestures to the grave site, "owned that mine. Was always convinced it would show something. Said he could feel a fortune just beneath his feet, but he always got caught up with one thing or another in town. Helped build and from time to time rebuild half of Selina. He was a good man, owned the mine but he wasn't obsessed the way some get. All those distractions, it took years but one day a few months ago, he said he was about to his fortune. He knew it."

O'Flanagan points the group over to a small groundskeepers shack with a pile of equipment beside it.

"Came back to town to have a dinner with me one night, told me all about it, about all the good he was going to do when he sold that Ghost Rock off. Sounded great, miraculous. Old Charlie he bought up all that gear and lugged it, and a ton of vittles, out of town to complete his little project." Wringing his hands he continues.

"Charlie come back the next day real quiet. Didn't want to talk about the mine, or the rock, or the fortune. Didn't bother to try to sell all that equipment. Was always nervous and always hungry."

O'Flanagan is quiet for a bit. He knows he hasn't really explained it right. Don't much like to talk about it.

"He never really came back I mean. His body were here. His face. It was Charles, but it wasn't. Like them soldiers that see too much, you men must have seen that sort of thing right? It was like that, but it was more. We seen them men before and we can work through it most times. This was different, Charles was different. We collect up funds and goods at the chapel, feed the people, nourish their bodies and their souls like the Good Book says. Charles couldn't get no nourishment. When I say he was always hungry I mean it. He'd eat enough food for three good grown men, still be hungry, and still lose weight. By the end he was damn near skeletal."

He dusts off the gravestone and continues, "He was a strong man. Busy, always busy, and big lord he was a big man. Yet in the end he was weak as a child and shriveled. Wasted. I can't stop you from looking for the mine, I don't doubt one of the louts about town shadowed him out about that way at some point. I just want to warn you, Charles was a good Christian man. He was strong in spirit and body and whatever he saw there broke his body and his spirit along with it."

Rick

Rick had listened in on the meeting these foreigners had with the priest. They were after highly sought-after Ghost rock. He may not be in US territory, but it was his duty to find out of their intentions and what they planned. He joined them after they left the church, no one seemed to object to his presence or perhaps hadn't even noticed him.

When the priest had shown the stone, he was left awestruck. He never had seen the stone, he wasn’t an engineer or miner. But he had heard stories of it and its volatility. Those stones could power some pretty school stuff but some highly deadly contraptions as well. Under the wrong hands, this rock could pose a threat to the safety of the Union.

They headed to a cemetery and stood before the grave of the priest’s friend. Rick removed his hat as he listened to the priest speak of him. He wondered whether the rock had cursed him and caused him to die or if he had been cursed by one of those magical folks. Rick found it best to shoot first and ask questions later when it came to folk like that.

Rick looked at the priest, “Was it the rock that did this to him?” He was curious, and it made him wonder perhaps if the rock was responsible for some of the dead rising again. He wanted to ask the priest if Charlie ever walked after dying, but that would’ve been exposing the folk here to too much information, information that was his duty to suppress.

Was it the rock that did this to him.

That was a question that had plagued the Father since the day Charles came back different, or at least since the day the Father had realized his old friend was changed. It brought the entire experience back for him.

"That's the question isn't it? It's one that's been ticking in the back of my head."

He rubs his wrists in thought, trying to figure out how honest he should really be but deciding to just unburden himself.

"I'm a Father, you understand yes? I've devoted my life to the Good Book. I believe deeply in the Lord. In his power and his wisdom. In his central goodness. And this entire experience, it has thrown me for a loop."

He looks apologetically to Aveline, "I'm not as strong as I always thought myself to be. My faith has been tested and much as I want to say otherwise, it has been found wanting."

"Did the rock do it to him? I can't be certain. Whatever did it to him, I wasn't able to do anything to stop it. I did everything within my capability both theologically and medically. As a pastor and as a doctor. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't even make a dent. I..."

"I don't know, and I don't what would be worse. If it is or if it isn't. If it is, then it's a poison running through the veins of this country. If it's not, then what did this?"

---

Selina

Constantin LeBlanc

---

In civilized country, the smirk that Constantin would shoot at Aveline could be seen as a rightous justification for a duel. Not that Constantin would mind it much. He was a secure shot, and quite able with the blade, and few things caused him more joy, then seeing rich shit wincing in pain, after his bullet has entered and left his stomach. He had done his fair share of duels, mostly for other people, being payed to show up, claiming that they were indisposed and he was there to take over...

But he could as much hope for an sudden shower of gold. "Monsieur can be sure that aint nobody is getting shot..." Nodding to the sherrif, LeBlanc would give Aveline a last grin with his golden teeth, before falling in behind Blackburn, like a grim shadow. The church was a pleasant surprise, and while the rest of the group would follow the priest, Constantin would walk off, towards the next shrine, getting down on one knee, and pulling out his rosary, blood still on his fingers. "Notre Père qui es aux cieux, Que ton nom soit sanctifié, ... He cared little about the ghost rock, nor about what it was doing to this shitty town, and its shitty people.

Car c'est a toi qu'appartiennent le regne, la puissance et la gloire,
pour les siecles des siecles!
Amen.

Walking back to the group in the town center, he had a bit of trouble finding them, before spotting them near the graveyard. Falling in behind Rick this time, Constantin glared over the gravestones with little pity for the poor sods lying below them. "Father, this poision can be found all over the world! I saw it in the Congo, i saw it Guangdong...and i saw it in Sedan! Take strength in the fact that the lord blessed us with Steel and Gunpowder, so that we can crush this poison and burn it out where ever we find it! Burn it and pray for their souls...only way to be sure about it!"

The Father hadn't much more to tell them, for better or worse. The Ghost Rock may or may not have been what killed his friend, but either way the Father could not lead them to the mine. The best he could offer would be to point them towards some of the townspeople who might know about it. Charles had always operated the mine alone, but in all likelihood someone had either shadowed him to the site or at least made a note of what path he was taking or what direction he headed every day.

It was late now anyway. With that cougar still out there folks wouldn't be too keen to be creeping about looking for that mine. The Father invited everyone there to come join him at the Bed and Breakfast for dinner and a bed. He bid them farewell and headed out that way to oversee the preparation and put any finishing touches on the short prayer he began every dinner with.



Another day begins in Selina at a very early hour. Even so some have been up for awhile. Cooks from the monastery have to be up before anyone else to provide a breakfast for the travelers heading in and out of Selina. The inviting aroma of a lovingly prepared, if simple, breakfast permeate the Bed and Breakfast. Whether still in bed, sitting at a table, or already outside greeting the morning it would be hard not to smell that sizzling bacon.

In the dining room the shop owners lazily finish their breakfasts, the sheriff sits in the corner keeping an eye on the door while neatly cutting up and eating a large plate of scrambled eggs and flank steak. Outside a number of semi-employed wanderers are grouping up, checking with each other to see what jobs might be available. Selina isn't Dodge, there's a limited amount of work, but there's still just about always work to be done. Among them is the man from the bar earlier, his nose already healing well though still slightly swollen.

John Blackburn- The general store.

Following the Father, the group made its way to the general store. A rather plain and sparsely stocked store but if they needed to replace some mining/scouting equipment it looked like most of it was here...

What really matters though is the price.

The father then spouting the typical religious nonsense about things they didn’t know. “It’s not natural I don’t believe. Everything is of the Father of course, and I have never read anything about it in the Good Book, but I read plenty enough about temptation and that Ghost Rock she is a temptation. You’ll see.”

“I wouldn’t rely on that book for everything father.” John reply “After all it says nothing about the people of Indian or china yet you don’t think they are magic, do you?

Taking out a notepad and pencil John jotted down some notes and observation as the father opened up a locked box which housed the Ghost rock. Despite the boxes size giving the impression of an large object it was instead an large number of rags bunched up filling the majority of the box. There is an immediate magnetism as the lid opens. A desire to see that object laid bare, to examine it intimately.

It’s magnetic? interesting

That was went the father said something rather… odd “Don’t mean to say you boys are fools now. I know well enough how much money these things bring and how much they’re driving the expansion out West. I suppose everyone knows that. Just. It just. It feels to me like the thing for a mind of its own. Feels to me like it killed Charles and it know’d what it was doing.”
Rocks can’t be alive, can they? Could be possessed but why would a something posse a rock?

Putting his glove back on he brushes aside the rags to reveal the a rather large piece of cratered white rock, presumably the Ghost rock. “Looks a bit like coal at first don’t it? Like white coal?”

It did indeed look like white coal but looking closer John noticed it had Sharp edged mini little craters. At first, he though these could have caused by the mining but he noticed several of them where almost identical and not something accidently caused. perhaps this piece had been craved? Especially if the old miner had decided to keep it.

Flipping to an empty page in his notebook John drew a rough sketch of the Ghost rock and it's craved mini craters. Could be useful if they had to describe the rock to some native Americans. “Is it possible to meet the mine owner?”

---- The graveyard----

When John asked to meet the miner owner he didn’t expect this. The father had taken the group to back to chapel to freshly filled in grave with a rather modest headstone compared to some of the others, several of which had that odd flag on them.

Standing by the grave the father procced to tell the story on the mine owner. Supposedly he was a Good man who’d help build sellina and that it was only a few months that he’d found the ghost rock. However, after finding the rock something had happen to Charlie he came back “real quiet” and didn’t want to talk about the mine, or the rock, or the fortune. Didn't bother to try to sell all that equipment. Was always nervous and always hungry."

What the father descripted happen to Charlie reminded john of a few soldiers he seen or heard about “losing it” rather bad battle experiences although those men never died… They went… crazy, imagining themselves back in the battle and attacked their fellow soldiers when they went to help them.

The solider man then asked the question of the day “Was it the rock that did this to him.”

"That's the question isn't it? It's one that's been ticking in the back of my head." He rubs his wrists in thought, trying to figure out how honest he should really be but deciding to just unburden himself. "I'm a Father, you understand yes? I've devoted my life to the Good Book. I believe deeply in the Lord. In his power and his wisdom. In his central goodness. And this entire experience, it has thrown me for a loop."

“We are missing a piece of the Puzzle… what happened at the mine.” John replied “but it’s getting bloody late now and there is still one of the panthers lurking about… let’s continuing this in the morning.”

The next day- The bed and breakfast.

John awoke earlier smell of sizzling bacon. The father may have been deluded fool believing in some false sky god but atleast he or someone he hired cooked good food. Getting dressed in black suit (although today he decided not to put on the vest) John picked up his suitcase and went outside.

Looking around for an toady to recruit John noticed the guy that been beaten up yesterday in the bar by Frenchie. His nose already healing well though still swollen. “You there." John said as he approached the man. "I apologise for what happen yesterday, the Frog can take things to the extreme sometimes.”

“Anyway, I assume you are looking for work correct? Well I may be able to help you, for today atleast.” John added on as he handed the man an Union American dollar bill “Me and friends are looking for the father’s friend Charlie’s ghost rock mine”

“I am willing to pay 10 dollars to anyone who can take us there. Additionally, at 2 dollars per day I’m also looking for two labours to carry some equipment for us and likely some mining depending on the state of the mine….”

Is 2 dollars enough? Let’s see what says.

“please spread word of this around town. If you can find all three: the guide and two labours there’s an extra dollar in it for you.."

"Not looking for work mister. Looking for Lilly. That waitress, you seen her? I, I fucked up. I have a thing for her. Tell her, if you see her, tell her that I'm sorry. I fucked up. I spended the morning waiting on her at the train station. She never showed."

He says all this stumbling about his words and scratching at his face.

"You say $10 dollars and $2 a day on top of that?" a dirty man with a needful look asks.

"I've got some fellas could take you out that way. Don't know exactly where you unnerstand, but we seen abouts where he were goin' with all that gear."

John Blackburn- The Plan

"Not looking for work mister. Looking for Lilly. That waitress, you seen her? I, I fucked up. I have a thing for her. Tell her, if you see her, tell her that I'm sorry. I fucked up. I spended the morning waiting on her at the train station. She never showed."

“oh… well I’ll keep an eye out for her, If she has any brains in her head she would prepare first for trip instead of just jumping on the first available train…..You almost always end up regretting that.” John chuckled as he remembered an particular bloody train ride.

"You say $10 dollars and $2 a day on top of that?" a dirty man with a needful look asks.

"I've got some fellas could take you out that way. Don't know exactly where you unnerstand, but we seen abouts where he were goin' with all that gear."

Dreadful English these colonials speak…. Better than French I guess

John chuckled “well in that case let’s make it into a completion! Gather up your friends and meet me and the bed & breakfast... Once we reach the area whoever finds the mine first get’s the $10 bonus!”

Leaving the two locals John returned to the bed and breakfast by now his companions along with solider boy and Miss Aveline had awoken and where awaiting/eating breakfast.

“Good morning” John said as he sat down in few spot and opened his briefcase to take out some Birtish Grey tea.

For a few brief movements John’s suitcase was open and anyone nearby curious to look inside (skill check perhaps?) could notice that for an “business man” John had some rather odd things inside: A very sharp looking steel… stake? what appeared to be silver… bullets? an opium flower, some sort of badge, similar to a sheriff but differently sharped and a small vial with a red liquid inside… why would John have these things?

Closing the case John began to prepare some Birtish grey tea for everyone has he spoke “I’ve hired some local… labours to carry the mining equipment and take us to Charlie’s mine

or well the general area

“Once we finish Breakfast I suggest we head out there, locate the mine and hopefully unaltered Ghost rock.” John said as he finished making the tea and began handing it out to those who wanted some. “We may even be able to find out what Charlie in the process.”

“Likewise, once down in the Mine I doubt will we need Leblanc’s… Skills so he can use the time to hunt down the escaping Panther, I know you need the money.” John added on as he turned to the solider boy “Speaking of which we could use another Guard... Pay’s $2 dollars a day if you interested.”

“I’d also like you to come Miss Aveline…” John said as he turned to Young women and took a slip of his tea “Mines can be dangerous places and we could use someone with medical knowledge”

While the newcomers ate breakfast and talked together, about whatever folk from wherever they were from talked about, the two locals shook hands then divided up through the town looking for folk to recruit. Were an easy enough job. Didn't know how many folk the queer strangers were lookin' fer but that didn't really matter too much. Two dollar a day per man, plus ten to whoever found that mine. That were a pretty reasonable wage.

One of 'em run around to the Taxidermist knowin' he might be like to up the price on that cougar to make sure it got caught. Damn things were makin it hard to catch smaller critters. Truth be told the fuckin things were makin it hard to get much a anything done around here. Sure enough the news got Zeke all riled up. Old fool got up and come headin outside to see what were goin on. He seen the town had come alive. Morning was gettin on and folks were kickin up dust, ready to make a buck.

Number o' capable men and a few more weathered or still drunk folk had gathered around to try an' get in on the mine hunt. Couple of older folk, couple a younger bucks with sharps eyes, and a good few that was lookin' like they was just roused from a deep sleep. Ol' Zeke sent his bartender fella into the Bed and Breakfast to talk. He come up and asked the party if'n they weren't going to finish the job and get that other cougar. Said Zeke figgered he could rustle up a few men and get the job done with Kaufmann if he were up to it.

Rick Matthews – Salina

Rick was on his bed looking at the ceiling. It had been some time since he had slept in a real bed. For the past few weeks, he had spent most of his time on the road, sleeping on the ground or beds that didn’t deserved being called a bed. This one was soft and comfortable, which to him felt odd but satisfying.

He was hesitant to et up, but had no choice, he needed to fetch Civil and feed him, unless he had found some food on his own. Plus, he needed to keep an eye on those foreigners, see what their true intentions were. Also, should he come across a ghost rock mine, he would need to let his superiors know.

He got dressed, and the enticing smell of bacon called to him. He headed to the dining room and requested a breakfast plate, nothing like some good bacon and eggs in the morning. He quickly scarfed down his food, and followed it up with some dark coffee. He headed outside, the sun shining high in the sky, relentless as always. He pulled out a pre rolled cigarette and lit it as he looked around for his horse.

He let out a distinct whistle and waited for a bit. Soon he saw his black horse turn the corner walking nonchalantly down the road. He had left the saddle by the Inn, and picked ‘em up and saddle Civil up. As he was adjusting the straps, the town folk seemed to be gathering together. The foreigners had been offering job opportunities for their venture, and it seemed another group was headed to hunt a mountain lion.

Normally, he’d be mighty tempted to go out and shoot himself a mountain lion. But, the mine issue was more pressing. He pulled out his revolver and snapped it to the side opening up the barrel. He checked to ensure he was loaded, and snapped it close again, and re-holstered. He took a long drag of the cigarette, and then threw it on the ground and snuffed it with his boot.

Day wore on past noon. Few folk got their eyes on the parties what were assembling and figgered maybe they'd be better off just minded their own damn business. Rough folk out to do what may likely turn out to be some rough work. Were always something safer to do work about town even if it didn't pay but to keep your heart tickin. Lot of folk said they wanted to go out huntin' after this cursed mine camp or that man eating cougar, but you know well as I do money talks and bullshit walks. So the bullshitters found something else to do and the party they got to talking.

Old Zeke convinced his "fellow countryman" to come along with him and help hunt down that damn idjit cougar. Offered him the full pay for the cat and the protection of a little posse of his friends. Crazy old coot really had it out for that critter. Said he already had it's mate nicely emptied out and she'd soon be fit fer showing. Soon as he got even just the slightest nod from that Kaufmann feller he got to stammerin' and asking all kind of question 'bout where he were from and what it were like and did he know the Mullers of Munich or the Richters of Rostock or maybe those schweinhund Schmidts from Sarrbucken?

Rest of the party, them that were still willin' to head out under that unforgivin' sun that is, them all got together and headed out down the path to Poor Ol' Charles' Mine. Learned pretty quick from one of the hire ons that it were a good long trip. Them hire ons aim to push a hard pace, seems there were a few of the lot who had, purely out of civic duty mind you, followed Ol' Charles out a bit toward the mine fore he lost em or they got tired and headed back for home. This time though they meant to get out there and collect that damn re-ward, quick like too afore the sun came down too far.