*** Session 04 - Cast of Characters ***

"One-Eyed" Earl: A 65 year old prospector from California. He's a rough, mountain man type but is missing an eye from an injury earlier in his life.

Squantum: A 27 year old Indian scout of an undetermined tribe. He's tough, if strange, and is hideously scarred.

Franklin Hennessy: A 45 year old barber from Maine. He's also quick with a knife or a pocket pistol.

Johnny Coltrane: A young hunter from the area looking for new ways to make money.

"Tex": A 29 year old cowboy from Texas. He has a dog named "Dog" and a horse named "Tonto" and carries lots of guns.

And introducing...

Annie: A young cowgirl who works for Tex's father.

*** Session 04 - Scene 1 (of 10) ***

The group has spent the last couple of months lying low in an effort to hope that no one puts together the proximity of the Indian getting kicked out of the tent revival for attempting to steal from the collection plate, with the mysterious fire that broke out a short time later. So far in town, speculation has mostly been about the pesky Frese boys, but no one has been able to tie them to the fire.

During this time, Tex shows back up into town. He successfully hunted down the last of the men who ambushed their group in the canyon. He has brought back a young, yet quiet and grumpy, cowgirl named Annie who used to work for his father. No one is sure what the relationship between the Texan and the girl with the faint smell of patchouli is, but some wonder if she is his intended.

When Tex locates the others at the Black Bear Inn, he is surprised to see the burned Franklin. He also is introduced to the burned Coltrane. Tex jokes if Coltrane is the new leader. Coltrane notes he just got there.

Tex insists they come up with a new leader. He wants it to be Jane, though she is still recovering from her gunshot wounds. Franklin isn’t so sure Jane has the temperament for a leader, but Tex says she’d be better than the new guy, old Earl, or the Indian (conveniently leaving himself out of the discussion).

Even though Jane isn’t available yet, everyone decides it is time to try and get some work as they are still in need of money. Earl says he heard the stagecoach was looking for some people. They also still have the option to go looking for the McLaughlin Gang or Iron Mask for the open bounties.

Ultimately, they decide to go talk to the stagecoach company as it sounds safer than getting shot looking for criminals (again). Tex takes point on going down to do the talking, taking Earl and Franklin with him.

The coach driver is a rough, grizzled man named Darren Bowman. He asks what they want and Tex says they are looking for work. Bowman explains he needs guards for the stagecoach as he’s been having problems with Mexican banditos along the main trails. Tex sympathizes, throwing out some racial epithets. He wants to hire them to ride alongside the coach, agreeing to take them all on.

Tex delicately explains one of their number is an Indian. Bowman clearly doesn’t like that, throwing out some epithets of his own. Tex explains having the Indian there to get shot first is always handy. Bowman agrees it is OK as long as the Indian gets shot first. Earl agrees to help make sure that happens. Bowman and Tex agree at least the man won’t be a former slave or something worse like an Irishman or Italian.

Bowman and Tex continue on, talking about not knowing what the country is coming to with letting so many undesirables in these days. Bowman says someone ought to build a wall to keep them out and make the country great again.

The discussion then turns to the payment. Bowman explains he’ll pay them all ten dollars apiece if they can get everyone to the destination. He outlines the trip as heading south down past Wheatdale, to the towns of Harrington and Odessa before their final destination in Ritzville. He plans to stop in each of the towns along the way.

Tex tries to negotiate for the same deal on the return trip, but Bowman says he’ll need to see what business he can drum up in Ritzville. Tex also wants to split the wages for anyone who dies along the way, along with Bowman paying any burial fees. Bowman agrees to the split, but says the only “burial fees” he’ll pay is leaving a dead body for the buzzards.

Earl isn’t so sure this sounds any safer than going after the man in the iron mask, but agrees with the others they should take the job. They plan to start out first thing the next morning. Bowman tells them they’ll need to bring their own horses or ride on top, as he doesn’t allow anyone riding with the guests. He also explains there is a woman passenger, so he won’t tolerate any smoking, drinking, or swearing around her.

Franklin asks about the passengers. Bowman says there are four of them. He’s the only employee currently, as his last guard was killed by Mexicans.

Tex wants someone with a rifle up with the driver. He asks Bowman about tactics, but the man says since they are used to working together he’ll let them figure it out. His only admonishment is the Indian can’t sit up next to him, making another derogatory comment.

*** Session 04 - Scene 2 (of 10) ***

After the deal is made, Tex suggests they all head down to Ernie's Tavern to have a celebratory drink. They find the man in poor spirits, still complaining about doing all the work because of his absent bartender and he doesn't even have her ass to stare at. Annie doesn't drink, so she has a sarsaparilla while the others have a whiskey and beer chaser (except for Squantum, who isn't welcome at the tavern and thus isn't invited).

One of the large, rough miners comes over to Annie and starts trying to chat her up. She brushes him off but he continues to hassle her. Tex watches with amusement, wondering if Annie will shoot him. She draws her gun and aims it at the man's groin, getting him to back off. Everyone else finds it amusing.

Earl spends some time in the bar asking around about Jake Kilburn. No one has seen him since he ran out of town. Earl does hear something about Iron Mask being spotted down near Odessa. Earl wonders if they'll manage to collect the bounty along the way.

Franklin asks around about Preacher, finding he has been in seclusion since the death of his parishioners. Tex asks why they want to know about the preacher, but Earl explains about the fire and Jane's belief the man was involved in more than just ministering.

After they get done celebrating, they go tell Squantum about the job. The Indian asks how much money the coach is carrying, but they explain it is only passengers. Earl makes a comment to Squantum about the tent fire, but Squantum insists he had nothing to do with it and helped by saving children. Earl makes another comment about Squantum's love for children.

Tex and Coltrane work out the plan for the next day. They will have one man on the carriage while the other four ride around it. Since Squantum is a scout, he can ride ahead while they have two men in front of the coach and two behind. Tex gives the pistol he took off the man in the canyon to Franklin so he has two handguns to use (along with the Sidewinder he's borrowing from Jane).

*** Session 04 - Scene 3 (of 10) ***

The next day, everyone meets up with Bowman at dawn. They get a chance to meet the four passengers.

The first is an older gentleman, a retired doctor named Boone. The second is a pregnant woman named Lucy Mallory who is heading down to Ritzville to meet her husband, a cavalry officer stationed there. The third is a whiskey salesman named Samuel Peacock (who, unknown to the others, was the acquaintance of Sonny). And the fourth is a woman likely of questionable repute calling herself Dallas.

Tex looks over the passengers to see if any are carrying guns. None appear to be openly carrying anything nor do they seem to have anything concealed. He does notice the doctors may have some slight tremors, suggesting the man could be a drunk.

Earl asks Dallas if she’s ever worked for Kilburn, noting he doesn’t recall procuring her services. She explains the Kilburns are the reason she is leaving town. She wants to remain an independent operator. Dallas goes on to say she wants to settle in Ritzville where she can open her own high-class bed and breakfast and entertainment venue, calling it something classy like “The Comfort Inn”.

After they help load the luggage on top of the coach, they all head out. Tex has Annie sit on top of the coach, with Earl taking her horse (named “Donkey”, naturally). Tex and Franklin take the point positions, leaving Earl and Coltrane to cover the rear.

Tex also coordinates with Bowman on what to do if they encounter any trouble. Darren’s preference is for them to circle the wagon since the coach isn’t fast enough to get to cover. Tex tells him to keep the coach moving and they’ll keep him protected.

*** Session 04 - Scene 4 (of 10) ***

The first leg of the trip is down to the town of Harrington, named after banker W.P. Harrington. They are about ten miles out of Quebrada Cruz when Squantum spots horses coming along the trail from the opposite direction. He unslings his rifle and puts it across his lap.

About a hundred yards back, Tex spots Squantum's movement. He looks on the horizon and sees there is someone on the road up ahead. He gives the signal for the others to stop, with him and Franklin heading up to Squantum while leaving the others back to guard the coach.

As Squantum waits, the figures get closer. By the time Tex and Franklin get up to him, they see there are three men. Franklin can tell they are a cavalry patrol.

Tex flags the coach that it is safe for them to head on. As the men approach, the head of the men, Lt. Blanchard, greets them. He looks over Squantum a bit before deciding he is not of the local tribe. Squantum says his tribe is one he's never heard of.

Franklin asks the sergeant if he's ran into any trouble along the road. Blanchard says he hasn't, though he's looking for some. Tex asks if he knows Lt. Mallory, but Blanchard explains he does not. After a minute, they resolve the confusion by understanding Blanchard is from Ft. Harney up near the Rio Grande while Mallory is stationed at Ft. McCoy down at the Mexican border near Ritzville.

Blanchard asks if they've heard of the "Ringo Kid", an outlaw of these parts who recently escaped from the stockade. The lieutenant explains that is who his patrol is out looking for.

Tex asks about any bounty on the man. Blanchard says there is, saying the Kid is out for revenge against another outlaw named Luke Plummer who killed the Kid's father and brother. Tex asks about a bounty on Plummer but Blanchard isn't aware whether there is one on him or not.

Squantum asks for a wanted poster on the Kid, but Blanchard doesn't have one. He tells them just to be on the lookout for anyone in a black and white striped prisoner outfit with chains around his hands and ankles. Tex mocks the description, saying the Kid likely switched out by now.

Blanchard says something about the Ringo Kid being unlikely to get the chains off without help from a blacksmith. He asks if they know any around. Tex says they did, but explains he was recently killed by Jake Kilburn's men. The lieutenant comments that crossing the Kilburns is a short way to a pine box and Tex is forced to agree it was indeed. Blanchard advises them to stay away from those sorts.

After discussing the particulars of the Kilburn family for another few minutes, they exchange farewells and go on their separate ways.

*** Session 04 - Scene 5 (of 10) ***

Nothing else happens until they arrive in Harrington later that afternoon. Bowman makes his way over to the Grange Supply store, saying something about the passengers and him having rooms at the boarding house / beer parlor called the Harrington Haus (ran by a local German family), but that there were no other rooms available so they will need to sleep outside.

Peacock is excited about getting the chance to sell his whiskey to the establishment, while Doc Boone just wants to get a drink. Lucy Mallory spends her time complaining about having to share a room with a woman like Dallas.

Next door to the Harrington Haus is the Harrington Opera House, where the nightly variety show plays. Coltrane wants to go see the variety show and asks the others. Earl likes the sound of it. Franklin also wants to go but has no money. Tex offers to spot him and Annie, who also refuses to pay for it.

Squantum who is dissuaded by the “No Injuns or Mexicans” sign prominently displayed at the entrance. Tex tries to get Squantum inside the opera house by insisting Squantum is talent, a humorist. Squantum’s idea of a joke is to say, “This my friend One-Eyed Earl”. The man at the door says that won’t qualify.

Since the Germans who own the tavern are more lenient, Squantum is able to go there. Tex accompanies him to keep him out of trouble.

While the others listen to the guitar and banjo duet of “Pickin’ and Grinnin’", Tex and Squantum have some beers along with house sausage and something called “Sauerkrauten”, a sort of pickled cabbage that neither man was familiar with but found pleasant enough to eat.

As they drink, a southern dandy with a Georgian accent approaches and asks how they are doing. He has a very flamboyant style. Squantum greets him while commenting how many stupid people come from Georgia. The man laughs, saying “Well aren’t you the living end?”

The man suggests they have some fun, asking if they play cards. Squantum says he likes cards. The man suggests they sit down with some lemonade and have a friendly little game. Squantum only agrees after asking the man if he has a steamship (which he does not) or a lot of money (which he says he has some).

Realizing Squantum means to gamble, Hatfield is excited. He asks Tex, who initially shies off. The man continues to ask, but Tex makes a warning about shooting cheaters. The man assures him that won’t be a concern.

The man gives his name as Richard Hatfield. Tex gives his name as “Tex” (to which Hatfield says, “How original”) while Squantum calls himself “Tonto” after Tex’s horse (which Hatfield declares to be “more interesting than a magnolia patch in winter”).

Hatfield takes a deck of cards out of his pocket and begins shuffling. He asks Squantum if he knows how to play “Piquet”. When the Indian says he does not, Hatfield starts talking about it being the classic card game from France. He offers to teach him.

Squantum agrees to learn the rules from Hatfield, but insists they get a new deck of cards from the bartender to make sure everything is fair. Tex checks them out to make sure they aren’t marked first.

Getting lucky on the first deal with a carte blanche elder hand, Squantum quickly picks up the game and ends up winning ten dollars by the end of the partie. Hatfield finds it hilarious he was outwitted by the Indian, saying if only the boys could see him now.

Squantum, thinking of robbing the man, tries to offer to take him “out back” to show him another card game. Hatfield declines, saying he needs to rest from the warm weather as “this flower is wilting”.

*** Session 04 - Scene 6 (of 10) ***

The next morning, everyone gets back together for the next leg of the trip. Bowman tells them to look alive, as he has two new passengers joining them.

Just about then, Hatfield exclaims his surprise to find his stagecoach trip will be accompanied by Tex and Squantum. He tells Squantum he was naughty for taking all his money last night, joking he will use it to go buy himself one of those fancy headdresses.

Tex tells Hatfield they will be providing protection for the coach. Hatfield says he is happy to have so many big strong men looking after him, saying "well ain't that a peach?"

The other passenger is a stiff-looking businessman named Henry Gatewood. Gatewood grumbles something about having an important business meeting in Ritzville and has no time so small talk with any of them, brushing off Tex's attempts to ask him a question.

Tex notices the man holds his satchel bag very tight and doesn't let it out of his sight. He signals Squantum about it but isn't sure the Indian catches on.

The other passengers start loading up. Hatfield takes a sip of whiskey out of a flask and Doc Boone asks for some as well until Bowman yells at them about no drinking allowed on the coach.

Lucy Mallory, spotting the flask, notes it has the crest of her family, Bancroft, on it. Hatfield explains he won it during war in a poker game and subsequent discussion reveals he served under her father, Gen. George Bancroft, in the Confederate Army.

Doc Boone, visibly already drunk, mentions being a surgeon for the north in the war and he and Hatfield begin arguing over whether the proper name for the war is "The War of the Rebellion" or "The War of the Southern Confederacy".

Everyone holds back, not sure they are paid to stop the passengers from fighting each other. Between Doc Boone's drunken punches going wide and Hatfield mostly flailing his arms about, no one is injured but Bowman does eventually step in to break things up.

To keep things calm, Bowman suggests the dandy ride outside with the horses. Earl offers to switch places with him, preferring the comfort of inside the carriage. Hatfield says something about not riding a horse in years and how he hopes he can handle having such a large beast between his legs.

*** Session 04 - Scene 7 (of 10) ***

As they travel to Odessa, Squantum spots a man along the side of the road up ahead. He is on foot, but there is a horse on the ground near him. Squantum again signals the others and they repeat the process from the previous day.

Inside the cabin, Gatewood gets very nervous, asking why they stopped. Earl explains they must have seen something. Annie keeps a lookout from the bench beside Bowman.

Earl tells the others inside they should give him any valuables to hide in case they are up against robbers. Lucy hands over her pearl necklace and Dallas her coin purse. Doc Boone also tries to give his pocket watch but is too drunk to get it out of his jacket, while Gatewood insists he’ll watch out for himself.

Up on top, Annie looks around carefully for anyone approaching from other directions. She doesn’t spot anyone and motions the all clear to Tex.

Tex, Franklin, and Squantum approach the man. Tex looks to check on the horse’s condition; it isn’t dead but appears to have a broken leg.

The man appears to be a young cowhand; he yells out a greeting. Tex asks what happened. The man explains the horse stepped in an armadillo hole and broke its leg. It needs to be put down, but the young man says he doesn’t have a gun.

Franklin jumps down and tries to break the horse’s neck. Naturally, this doesn’t work but he does manage to get bit.  Tex puts it down with a knife, quickly cutting its throat.

The man explains he was looking for a rogue calf that broke off from his cattle drive before his horse broke its leg. He says he’s stuck in the desert and his ranch is a day’s ride out, but asks if he can accompany them back into Odessa so he can arrange to get back home.

Tex tells him he’ll have to talk to the stagecoach driver. He takes him over to Bowman and the others. The young man gives his name as Henry Wayne and explains his situation. Hatfield comments on what a shame it is about his horse, noting they’ll have another young man to join their merry band. Bowman isn’t so sure about taking him along, but the two women complain about not wanting to leave the man alone in the desert until he agrees to take him.

Squantum is still suspicious. He wants Coltrane to ask the man the name of the ranch he works at. Henry gives the name of a ranch that Coltrane recognizes, the Lexington ranch, and he lets the Indian know.

*** Session 04 - Scene 8 (of 10) ***

Nothing else of interest occurs that day until they get near Odessa, the small farming town named after the region in Russia where the immigrant farm families in the area originally came from. Squantum can see black smoke on the horizon, indicating trouble.

Tex wants to go check out the town with Squantum, leaving Franklin behind to keep watch with the others. As they approach, they see several buildings have been burned and many dead bodies lie in the streets.

A couple of cavalrymen approach them, asking who they are. Tex explains they are there to escort a stagecoach into town. The cavalryman, named Cpl. Joseph Burnett, says they just missed all of the action; the town was attacked by a force of Mexican bandits.

When Tex says they've been warned about the bandits, Burnett says it's good they didn't arrive earlier. He notes they lost several men in the conflict, but killed fifteen out of the at least 31 bandits.

Burnett says they are picking up the dead and wounded to take back to Ft. McCoy now. Squantum asks where the bandits went. The corporal explains they went back into the hills.

Tex asks about pursuing the bandits, but Burnett says he has to wait for reinforcements to come from the fort.

The Texan then inquires about Lt. Mallory, saying his wife is on their stagecoach. Burnett tells him he is sorry to have to tell him, but the lieutenant was one of the men killed in the fight. Tex notes that isn't good.

Tex flags in the stagecoach but tells Burnett he'll have to inform Mrs. Mallory about her husband. He has the coach head over towards the livery.

As it heads in, Earl keeps an eye on Gatewood and Wayne. He can't tell if Gatewood looks more nervous than normal. Henry, however, definitely seems shook up by what has happened.

When Burnett tells Mallory about her husband, she has a hysterical reaction and goes into labor. Hatfield yells out, "Oh my, she's got the vapors!"

Rather than trust the drunken Doc Boone with Mrs. Mallory, Squantum elects himself and Franklin to perform the birth. Burnett is disgusted at the idea of an Indian seeing the woman's "unmentionables" and Earl says he may sacrifice it in some sort of pagan ceremony. Hatfield simply expresses his surprise that either of them have medical training.

Tex doesn't want the baby delivered in the livery so he has her moved to the nearby hotel. He then goes out and finds a local midwife to assist with the delivery. Between the midwife and Franklin's medical skills, they manage to deliver the baby (despite a breech birth), saving the life of mother and child.

While the others deliver the baby, Tex takes charge to have the rest of them help put out fires around town. Since they won't let Squantum near the woman, he heads up the water tower to keep a lookout in case the bandits return.

Later that night, everyone meets up in the parlor of the hotel. Despite the likely threat of the bandits the following morning, Bowman discusses wanting to push through and get the trip to Ritzville over with rather than waiting around to see if the cavalry ever catch the bandits or not. Tex believes it is too risky, but Bowman doesn't offer any more money.

Henry, who seems to be getting along well with Dallas, says he'll continue to accompany them along to Ritzville in order to keep Dallas and the other passengers safe as payment for them helping him. Doc Boone elects to stay in Odessa with the recovering Lucy Mallory and her baby girl (which she names Francine after Franklin), and Peacock stays as well to sell his whiskey.

*** Session 04 - Scene 9 (of 10) ***

With just Hatfield, Gatewood, and Dallas as passengers, they move out the following morning towards Ritzville (named after banker Phillip Ritz). Bowman gives Wayne a gun so he can help defend the coach. Tex has Annie sit inside with the passengers as well, as he wants her to keep an eye on Henry.

Unfortunately, Squantum’s scouting skills leave a little to be desired this morning, and the Mexican bandits emerging from the nearby hills catch them all by surprise. As they rush in and fire from their horses, a shot hits Bowman in the chest, killing him instantly.

Squantum can see there are six of the bandits headed their way and there is little cover in the area. He pulls out his rifle and gets off his horse, ready to fire.

Tex charges ahead at the bandits, riding in a way to use his horse as cover. Franklin follows behind, readying a pistol. Coltrane stays behind to guard the coach.

Inside the coach, Annie tries to climb out the window to get up top to take control. But she slips as she heads out, causing her to grasp on for dear life.

Seeing the problem, Earl rides over and jumps from his horse onto the coach. To everyone’s surprise, he makes it. He shoves the body of Bowman aside and takes the reins.

The bandits continue to charge forward. A lucky shot hits Squantum in the shoulder. He hears the bone break and knows he won’t be able to fire the rifle. He gets back on Ching Chong and rides off to safety.

Back at the stagecoach, Annie is having problems hanging on to the side. Earl slows the coach down and maneuvers it away from the fight, giving Annie enough time to get back inside.

Coltrane gets off a shot before following, hitting one of them in the gut. He falls over in his saddle. Henry fires from inside the coach, but misses as well.

Tex fires off a shot with his rifle as well, but misses. Franklin gets a lucky shot with his pistol, hitting one of the other bandits in the arm.

The remaining four bandits fire back, hitting Tex and the stagecoach. The coach provides enough protection for everyone inside, but Tex takes a light injury to his arm.

With the bandits getting closer, Tex grits through the pain of his wound and takes out his shotgun and blasts both barrels. Two of the bandits are hit and go down.

Back inside the stagecoach, Annie leans out a window and takes a shot alongside Henry. Henry misses but Annie hits one of the bandit’s horses, causing it to crash to the ground and spill out its rider. Franklin and Coltrane finish off the other bandits (the one left firing and the one with the injured arm).

After Tex makes sure all the bandits are dead (killing one of the injured bandits who does nothing but swear at him in Spanish), they take back off to Ritzville. They find no sight of Squantum, who headed back to Odessa. Tex makes sure to take any of the bandit horses left alive with them to sell.

*** Session 04 - Scene 10 (of 10) ***

When they arrive in town, the stagecoach is met by town marshal Curly Wilcox and a small force of cavalry. Tex tells him how they encountered Mexican bandits trying to rob them on their trip. He continues on, explaining how they left the bodies out in the desert and need someone to show them where the stage depot is located as their driver was killed in the fight.

The marshal leads the coach over to the depot. Along the way, he catches sight of Gatewood and asks if he knows him, saying he looks familiar. Gatewood assures him he does not.

Gatewood mumbles something about being late for an appointment. When they reach the depot, he quickly heads off. Earl keeps an eye on him, but when he turns he notices Henry has slipped away as well.

Franklin and Annie head off to follow Gatewood along after Tex gives them the nod. Tex, Earl, and Coltrane accompany the marshal back to his office to fill out a report.

While Tex is sitting in the office, he notices one of the wanted posters on the wall is a 150 dollar reward for a banker wanted for embezzlement; the picture is remarkably similar to Gatewood. Tex points it out to Earl and Coltrane and tells them to go help the others.

The marshal is surprised they recognize the man. When Tex explains he was one of the passengers, the marshal is surprised, saying they are on the lookout for a different man, the Ringo Kid – wanted for bank robbery and escaping prison. He shows the poster to Tex, which looks very similar to Henry Wayne.

Tex tells the marshal the Ringo Kid was on the coach too. He tells the marshal he and his men can catch Gatewood and they should look for Henry. Unfortunately, Tex has no idea where Henry might have gone.

Across town, Gatewood heads quickly to the train depot where Franklin observes him buying a ticket for the train leaving for Kansas City in just a few minutes.

Pouring ether in his hat, Franklin sneaks up behind the man and puts the hat over his face. The rather unconventional trick works, and Franklin incapacitates him. Franklin calls out the man must have fainted.

Tex arrives just as the man collapses. He tells Franklin the man is wanted and to tie him up. He then tells him to take the man back to the marshal, but not to hand over the bag the man obviously wasn't carrying.

Franklin checks the bag and finds it contains a bank bag obviously full of cash. He gives the bag he "found" over to Tex for safe-keeping.

Tex, Earl, and Coltrane start checking around town for the Ringo Kid, looking at the stables and local bank. Before long, they hear a shoot-out on the main street.

When they go to investigate, they find the Ringo Kid, dead, along with another man inside the local saloon. Apparently the Ringo Kid went to the local saloon to find Luke Plummer and his two brothers. The Kid, and one of the Plummer brothers, were killed in the shoot-out.

Back at the marshal's office, Franklin gets the hundred and fifty dollar reward for Gatewood (though Wilcox notes it would have been another hundred had they been able to recover the thousand dollars the man stole from the bank). He also collects their twenty dollars apiece from the coach company.

At the end of the day, they get a couple of rooms at the fancy Empire Hotel and celebrate as they split up the cash.

*** Session 04 - Session Notes ***

Let's see - this session occurred back in early October. It went pretty well, except for the last-minute cancellation by the Jane player (which also occurs next session). The new character Annie is a not quite fully-formed character played more or less by Tex's daughter, who we all thought we'd seen the last of since she hasn't been to a session in weeks. But, now she's back again. Sigh.

This session's story is heavily adapted from the movie Stagecoach (or at least, the Wikipedia entry describing the movie as I haven't actually seen it).

* Blaming the Frese boys for the fire was my way of not having the group lynched.

* The joke about Annie being Tex's intended is a joke for the write-up because that player doesn't read them and won't see the joke about him marrying his daughter. The joke suggesting she's a hippy is also only in the write-up, an in-joke about a recent incident that left her expelled from school.

* Tex trying to organize who the leader is, while clearly topping from the bottom himself, is one of those odd things that happens in RPGs; no one wants to say they are the leader but then they always try and take charge.

* The coach driver is based partially on a friend of mine from high school.

* The political joke was a lot funnier back before the election results.

* The other towns mentioned are all named after real towns near the town Quebrada Cruz is based on.

* Everyone loved my bad joke about the Comfort Inn.

* The Tex player kept trying to get the stagecoach driver to discuss tactics. Since I wanted the PCs driving the action, I kept putting it back on them to make those decisions.

* I had to start having some of the taverns be more tolerant to Squantum to avoid that player getting overly sidelined.

* The players kept wanting information about their Old West Variety Show, so I brought up Hee Haw on YouTube.

* Sauerkrauten obviously isn't a real word but I claim rule of funny.

* There is a character named Hatfield in Stagecoach, but my version is more Walton Goggins from Vice Principals meets John Waters from his guest spot on The Simpsons (and one joke taken from King of the Hill). He's intended to be an over the top dandy who constantly exhibits flamboyant stereotypes as a running gag.

* Hatfield plays piquet because I thought that sounded pretentious enough. I have no idea how the game works so I just threw some terms into the write-up from the wiki entry.

* The corporal in Odessa is based on another high school friend of mine (who was a specialist in the army).

* The Franklin player was very happy about saving the baby, a great role-playing moment.

* The bandit attack is a bit of an unavoidable encounter, but the PCs all knew it was coming. The Squantum player, however, was really annoyed by the lucky shot that took him out of it and because of the ribbing the other players gave him about running off.

* Everyone was surprised I let Franklin get away with the "ether in the hat" routine. I thought it was inventive and he did make his luck roll.

* The Empire Hotel being fancy is a joke because it is based on a motel.

* The players totally cut Squantum off from any of the money they took, which was hilarious.

*** Session 05 - Cast of Characters ***

"One-Eyed" Earl: A 65 year old prospector from California. He's a rough, mountain man type but is missing an eye from an injury earlier in his life.

Squantum: A 27 year old Indian scout of an undetermined tribe. He's tough, if strange, and is hideously scarred.

Franklin Hennessy: A 45 year old barber from Maine. He's also quick with a knife or a pocket pistol.

Johnny Coltrane: A young hunter from the area looking for new ways to make money.

"Tex": A 29 year old cowboy from Texas. He has a dog named "Dog" and a horse named "Tonto" and carries lots of guns.

Annie: A young cowgirl who works for Tex's father.

*** Session 05 - Scene 1 (of 9) ***

Squantum makes his way back across the desert, his shoulder pain and blood loss from his wound make him drowsy as Ching Chong walks him through the desert plains back to Odessa. The heat coming off the ground forms a haze, disorienting him. He begins to get a vision – a tribe of Iroquois being mauled by a pack of young bears. It is very disturbing, the sort of thing one would not expect to see in a hundred years.

By the time he reaches a farm outside of Odessa, he falls off his horse. The local farmer finds him and tends to his wound, letting him and Ching Chong sleep out in the barn.

*** Session 05 - Scene 2 (of 9) ***

Back in Ritzville, Tex, Franklin, Annie, Johnny, and Earl decide what to do next. They decide they may as well go looking for Squantum; besides, Iron Mask was rumored to be in that area and they still want the bounty.

Tex decides the best thing to do might be to go back to the stagecoach company. Earl points out that as they have no driver, he is skilled enough to drive it and perhaps they could go into business with the company.

They make their way over to the company and Tex negotiates with the company clerk there. They wait around to see if they can find anyone wanting to head back towards Odessa and eventually find someone after a couple of days.

Tex is surprised to find their passenger is the Southern dandy gambler, Hatfield. Hatfield says he found out they took over the coach and wants to go find the Indian to win back his money with another game of piquet. He laughs about saying how happy the prospect of gambling for money makes him, saying "You could say I'm gay for pay." Earl agrees that seems to be fitting.

Despite the bandits in the area, they manage to get to Odessa without any trouble. Tex asks around town and discovers there is an Indian staying out at the Grimway farm. Rabbie Grimway, the Russian Jewish farmer, shows them back to the barn where he has Squantum healing up. They see the man has patched up the Indian's shoulder and the man's sons, Randolph and Robert, are feeding Ching Chong some sugar cubes.

Squantum wakes up to find his companions, and Hatfield, standing over him. Hatfield welcomes him back to the land of the living in his usual animated manner. Squantum mutters something about thinking they were all killed by bears. Hatfield suggests someone has been into the fire water.

Tex asks Squantum what happened. After the Indian rambles about bear cubs for another minute, the Texan gets him to recall they were in a firefight with the bandits.

Squantum explains he was shot and had to leave to avoid getting killed. Tex scoffs, saying he nearly lost his arm in the fight (referring to the glancing scratch he received) and didn't run off. He says they could have used him in the fight. Earl reminds him the Indian is a coward. Squantum calls them stupid white men.

Tex then pays Squantum his cut of the stagecoach earnings, giving him twenty dollars. Squantum thanks him, saying it will help buy his steamship.

The conversation then turns to whether he's been to town or had a chance to hear anything about Iron Mask. He says he did not, not remembering much after the incident with the bears.

Squantum decides he feels better enough to accompany them into town even though he won't be able to fire his rifle any time soon. Hatfield says he'll catch up with them later, saying something about heading to the haberdashery to get a new scarf, and tells Squantum they'll be playing some more piquet so he can win some of that twenty dollars.