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Once again, a scourge of the Wild West has descended on the sleepy Gila Wilderness Territory. Arriving full of venom, Rowdy Russ and his treacherous woman, Anything Goes Andrea arrived with killing on their minds and loot in their dreams. They brought with them a nefarious family member, reputed to be a nephew of Rowdy’s, Quiet Kody Kahle. They wasted no time in teaming up with Dirty Dustin, a local ranch hand of ill-repute.
Capt. Bates, upon seeing the lawbreakers arrive, quickly called for reinforcements. First to arrive was Lt. Dianna, under the guise of a theatre star by the name of “Ginger.” Capt. Bates then calmly sat back and waited for his three aces to arrive…
In no time, the baffled citizenry heard a stagecoach pulling into town. The contraption was like never seen before, and it was piloted by Capt. Bates’ mercenaries. Killer Kevin was the leader, and he stepped from the stage with a proud swagger; as well he should, because his deputies consisted of his upstanding young sons, Krazy Krayson and Eerie Isaac Ike. The three quickly gathered with Capt. Bates and Lt. Dianna in the local saloon (it served Sarsaparilla to the young ‘uns), where they put to study the map and clues.
The next morning, Russ, Andrea, and Kody were off at the crack of dawn. Russ had previously spread word about town that they were heading to Loco Mtn to search for loot; however, they instead were heading to Fence Tank. The plan was to entice the Posse to head for Fence tank later in the day, only to discover the loot previously plundered by the purloiners.
The Posse arrived at the livery Tuesday morning, to discover that the Outlaws were already long gone. They had their work cut out for them and were LOCO to try to catch up, but by 9am, the Posse was moving out with alacrity. The plan was to head for camp, but perhaps stop by Fence tank for a breather and a chance to spot some loot.
The Outlaws had a head start, but Capt. Bates knows all the shortcuts to Fence Tank, and the Outlaws arrived scant minutes prior to the Posse. The Outlaws had barely minutes to begin searching when the Posse arrived, chasing them away from the area. The Outlaws were loathe to fight, knowing they were outnumbered 5-2, as the Posse could tie up their horses but the Outlaws were left with one of them holding their mounts. Thus, Andrea and Kody loped off to the North, while Russ kept an eye on the Posse’s progress. At one point, Russ saw Capt. Bates ride off to reconnoiter Andrea and Kody, and Russ tried to maneuver for a shot at the Deputies, but Capt. Bates came galloping back to run the vermin off.
Capt Bates stood watch as the rest of the Posse searched in vain for the missing loot. The Capt returned to find his team in turmoil. Their map/clues were numbered incorrectly. As much as they tried, the clue just didn't make sense. Capt Bates set his team straight and Lt. Smith found the loot in minutes. After a good start to the week, the Posse unsaddled their trusty steeds and turned them out. The Posse then enjoyed lunch and a long nap in the shade at Fence Tank. After a few hours they were refreshed, and they saddled back up and were headed to Loco Mountain to look for the loot that was hidden there.
Meanwhile, the Outlaws were heading to a camp that had been set up by Dustin some time earlier. Upon their arrival, the three scoundrels took one look at the camp and decided they could find better quarters. Namely, the Posse camp. After seeing to their horses, the four villains hiked to the Posse camp. They expected the Posse to be hot on their trails from Fence tank, and they took cover, where they waited…..
…and waited…
…and waited…
…and waited…
The Posse, meanwhile, headed to Loco Mountain. The studied their clue, and they decided that when looking for loot on Loco, it is best to have an arborist along, as alligators really do grow on trees in the southwest. (Inside joke, folks, don’t even bother trying to figure it out).
In the meantime, the Outlaws were hiding restlessly in the Posse camp, anxiously awaiting their return……
On Loco Mountain, the loot was quickly located by the IcKey Boys (as the Outlaws had taken to calling Ike and Krayson). They happily started back down the mountain toward their camp, but an hour out, they discovered they had to return to the mountain to check for some missing equipment. Another detour added hours to the ride to camp.
At the same time, the Outlaws were nervously eating dinner and watching the sun dip in the western sky, thinking that maybe, just possibly, they’d been hoodwinked.
The ride back for the Posse was long and arduous. Capt. Bates kept saying the camp was just ‘round the next bend. Kevin grumbled that there were too many bends in New Mexico.
In the Posse camp, the Outlaws were restless and unsure what to do. They’d been staking out the cabin for hours, and full darkness was approaching. Finally, they decided that they’d invested too much time at the camp to give up. They boarded up the entrances to the cabin and waited, ears tuned to the night, for someone to show up.
Near 10 pm, the Posse finally arrived at their camp. After seeing to their horses, Capt. Bates checked the camp. Immediately noticing the fortifications, he informed the Posse that the camp was full of Outlaws. The Posse sat about trying to decide what to do. They were already down one fighter, as Lt. Dianna was a bit under the weather with a case of the vapors. Finally, Capt. Bates gave Ike and Krayson directions to the Outlaw camp. After throwing some lead at the camp, the boys ran like thieves in the night towards the opponents’ camp. Unfortunately, they were like thieves without a compass, and they soon became hopelessly lost.
Capt. Bates and Kevin stood just outside the camp perimeter, deciding on a course of action. They decided to head to the Outlaw camp for supplies, since theirs were presently in the midst of the scurrilous bandits. Capt. Bates was heard to inform Kevin that Rowdy Russ would probably be injunin’ around, not sleeping, and they’d best be careful. A voice behind them agreed completely, and they turned to see Russ standing there within knife distance. Two quick kills and he slipped away into the darkness, but not before leaving a note, informing the Outlaws that they could reclaim their camp in exchange for a loot bag.
Three AM found Capt. Bates hauling Outlaw horses overland into the Posse camp. “Just let them *******’s try to find loot with no horses!” mused the New Mexico lawman. Just after dawn, he went back into town to check the new dodgers that had just arrived via stagecoach.
Come morning, the Outlaws still had the camp, but they were looking longingly at two items nearby: (1) their horses, and (2) a recently built outhouse. Andrea and Russ, spoiling for a fight, stepped from the safety of the cabin and glared at the Posse, an implicit challenge clearly given. Kevin and the Boys knew a challenge when they saw it, and they charged the camp, guns blazing. During the battle, Dustin was hit in the arm, and Russ was shot down after the first of many suicide runs, but Kody and Andrea managed to finish off the three lawmen.
After the battle, negotiations commenced. The Outlaws demanded a lootbag in exchange for the comforts of the cabin. The Posse, being schooled by Capt. Bates, blithely claimed to have found no money in the rocks. The Outlaws, having been cooped up for a full day on stake-out, were in no mood to interrogate the four. After some discussion and wondering WWPD (What Would Preston Do), the Posse made a deal, knowing that the only reason the Outlaws wanted their horses was to go loot hunting @ Fence Tank & Loco Mountain. Therefore, they agreed on a different exchange: their horses, plus a three hour head start for parts unknown. An accord was reached, and the Outlaws headed out.
With the Outlaws out of the picture for awhile, the Posse would have time to fortify their cabin and look for loot within walking distance of their camp (the remaining four bags were ALL within walking distance of BOTH camps). The Posse was back, safe in their cabin when the storm began - lightning, thunder, a bit of hail, and lots of rain. Capt Bates returned that evening to find his Posse in possession of the cabin and heard stories of the events of the day. No loot had been found in the canyon, but a good effort was made.
At the same time, the Outlaws decided to head for a local favorite watering hole for some R & R. They saddled up and headed for Snow Lake. Although the trip was a long one, they looked forward to a cold dip in the refreshing water. Several hours later, they arrived at the lake to find it deserted and perfect for skinny-dippin’. They decided that after a quick bath they’d head to Loco Mountain for the loot bag, then return back to camp well before dark.
Soon enough however, a ferocious storm blew up, complete with menacing black clouds and lightening strikes. They Outlaws took cover and waited out the storm. A few hours later, they headed into the wilderness, knowing they were going to be late in their plans.
The four outriders got to the base of Loco and had a discussion. Whether they stopped at the loot location or not, they were guaranteed to arrive after dark at their camp. They decided to make a quick run up the mountain and see if they could locate the lootbag quickly, for the clue seemed easy. Arriving in the area, they searched until after dark, finding neither the loot nor the signs that the Posse had been there previously. Another meeting was held, and it was decided that the Posse definitely had the loot at Fence Tank, despite the Law Officers’ denials. Rowdy and Andrea felt that they had to stay to make a thorough search of Loco in the daylight. Dustin was against the idea, thinking of the long night sagehenning in the forest, away from food. Kody, typically, had no opinion. Thus, the scoundrels turned their horses out to graze, and spent the night on Loco Mtn.
Back at the Outlaw camp, Kevin & Krayson went up the canyon to the Outlaw camp on a recon/harassment mission, while the Capt, Lt, & Ranger Ike lurked in the shadows @ Posse camp. They fired several shots, but found the Outlaw camp completely abandoned. Even the horses were gone. The Posse stayed up late waiting for the Outlaws to attack their camp. They went to sleep disappointed.
Thursday morning, Capt. Bates stood watch, while the rest of the Posse hiked 30 minutes up the canyon to the Outlaw camp. They had no idea what they would (or wouldn't) find. Again, the camp was void of humans & horses, but it was full of loot and the Outlaws' prized Coca-Cola. When the Posse left the camp, it was also void of loot (found by Ranger Kevin) and Coke. The Posse hoped that the theft of the Coke would provoke an attack from the Outlaws. No such luck.
Upon their return to the Posse camp, the rangers found that their beloved Capt Bates had indeed been busy while they were away. As the cabin was still under construction, there were plenty of building materials for the taking. Capt Bates had enclosed the "breezeway" with sheet-metal leaving only a couple of slots from which to fire and one hinged door. Windows that could be locked, were locked and those that couldn't, were wired shut It was a fortress. Feeling confident that he could defend the camp alone, Capt Bates again sent his team up the canyon to hunt for loot. A few HOT hours in the sun looking for loot and the Posse returned empty handed. Capt Bates returned again to town on business. The Posse waited for the attack that they knew was coming.
The Outlaws had risen early, but took a couple hours to permit their horses to graze. They then began a methodical search for the loot, knowing that if it was there they had to find it. After many hours of searching, tired and discouraged, they had to admit that the loot was no longer there, and it was time for the long, hot ride home.
Upon their return to camp, signs were clear that their home had been infiltrated by their opponents. No one expressed surprise or even anger, as they didn’t care for the camp anyway. Rowdy decided he needed to go on one of his patented suicide runs, to make himself feel better for the unsuccessful search for the loot. Kody elected to come with him, while Dustin and Andrea bedded down for a nap.
Russ and Kody made the trek on foot to the Posse encampment, and saw that it was good that this was a suicide run, as the cabin was fortified to withstand fire from dozens of outlaws, much less two. A short battle ensued, as the two men attacked the cabin with abandon, but they were gun-downed without drawing blood. Capt. Bates returned to camp that evening. His fortifications had proven worthy.
Back at the Outlaw camp, discussions on how to breach the Posse camp were bandied about. Several ideas were discussed and discarded, with a few ideas passing muster. It was clear that the Outlaws had few options: the capture of the outhouse was one, with a prolonged siege of the cabin; a blockade of the horses was another, preventing the Posse’s escape to HQ was another. All of the Outlaws agreed that a frontal assault on the cabin was worthless, as the fortifications were too strong. They also agreed that if Capt. Bates returned to the Posse Cabin, chances of a successful siege or tricking the Posse from their encampment were slim, at best.
The Outlaws slipped up to the camp, and seeing that Capt. Bates had indeed returned, negotiations commenced. It was decided that the Posse could keep the loot that they had found, and that the rest of the night and next day would be spent deciding on who was the better quickdraw, and which team was the best at fighting. Quickdraws were had that night, and after a nice evening Thursday night around the campfire, Friday morning saw a tremendous battle in Pine Canyon, with many deaths and resurrections on both sides. Both teams made the trek back to the Gila HQ, feeling satisfied with their week of exploits. |
