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"Yeah, we're homesteading" says John Wade, "some good land just opening up, with a railway so you can get your goods to market. Worth a punt, I'm from Liverpool myself, where if you've got land then you are, well, you know, upper class."

John Wade watches as Eddy plays with the child. He's small and weak and less confident himself. But he is a bit curious what a young boy is doing making such a long journey alone, without apparently anyone to even see him off at the station. He does wonder at Meg's subterfuge. It doesn't seem necessary to lie. All they are doing is transporting a crate full of mining equipment. But it doesn't quite make sense. Why hire a group for that?

He sighs, and watches the Texan countryside slip past the train window. He's too suspicious, he reflects, he's seeing problems where there are none.

“No you didn’t!” the child objects, “that ain’t even a gun. Just yer finger.”

Nevertheless, he’s obviously listening to every word Eddy says and then looks down at his pocket.

“I don’t got a…” he trails off as he spots the watch. “Hey, neat! How’d you do that?!” he asks as he pulls it out of his pocket excitedly and opens it up to look at it, immediately winding the dial and messing up the actual time.

"Robbers do too shoot people!" he announces then, still playing with the watch. "I know they do."


The woman speaking with Meg and John smiles again as she's assured the pair are already wed. Though she leans in with a bit of advice. "Really, dear, you should have a ring. Even if only a tin one until you can afford better. Otherwise people will talk," she says, as if it's difficult to imagine much worse.


Toward the front of the passenger car, the younger woman's baby starts to fuss. "Shhhh...." she whispers to it, rocking it several times to quiet it and thankfully it seems to go back to sleep.

Eddy raised a finger as he spoke. "Nope. Dumb-dumb robbers shoot people. Clever robbers distract people. Did you see how I waved my left hand around a lot? That's when I snuck the watch in your pocket. See you make lots more money and get in less trouble as a robber if you don't go around shooting like a dumb-dumb." He glanced sideways at the boy, seeming unperturbed by the dismantling of his watch. "So you a dumb-dumb or a clever kid?"

He would glance around at the others. The carriage had become a bit more quite which seemed to suit him, although when the baby cried his head gave an involuntary jerk. Luckily, the woman seemed to be quieting the baby down. A smirk also crossed his face when he overheard the marriage advice for the other two.

Eddy seems to be better with the unruly boy than he himself could ever be, John Wade thinks ruefully.

"It will be a hard life, as a schoolteacher in the West" he says to the woman, "particularly with kids being what they are these days. No respect for elders."

The boy's mouth hardens and he suddenly looks down, twisting the crown on the watch faster and harder to make the second hand spin around, rough enough that if were a poor quality watch, he might actually break it soon.

"I ain't dumb," he mutters and Eddy gets the very distinct impression he's angry. But when he the looks back up, it's with more apprehension. "You a robber?"


"Well, I simply won't abide by any disrespect in my classroom," Petunia Krump, the nosey woman, says. She then goes on to tell them a rather long and boring story about her time as a teacher in Philadelphia and how she answered an advertisement in the newspaper for this teaching position.

Mr. Charles chimes in. "There's plenty of opportunity out there, that's for sure. All these folks flocking west. There's a small fortune to be made!"

Eddy studied the boy's reaction and shakes his head, his words tone changing slightly to become more kindly. "No, my friend. I don't think you're dumb and I ain't no robber." He reached over and ruffled the boys hair slightly. "Caught my fair share, though. Always found the clever ones a bit more interesting. The dumb-dumbs just shot a bunch and got people hurt. Guns still kinda get me spooked, you know."

He nodded at the watch. "You're pretty good at that. You know there are more little bits working around in there than there are in my rifle. All that effort to tell time and so little effort to hurt people. Pretty weird ain't it?" He pulled out his canteen and took a much needed sip, then offered it to the boy. "Need a sip, buddy?"

"Good," the boy said, seeming glad for the confirmation that Eddy was not, in fact, a robber.

He set the wooden gun and the watch down on the seat so that he could take the offered canteen and took a sip, mimicking Eddy's motions as closely as possible. "I'm Zeke," he offers then as he hands the canteen back.

"You a lawman then, mister? Iffin' you catch robbers?"

"We're homesteading" says John Wade, lying through his teeth, "a few pigs, a cow for milk. We'll plant trees for a high value cash crop you don't need much effort to maintain. It won't be easy, but it will be easier than in Liverpool, where I'm from".

He sighs. He's tired from the fight yesterday, and it's a long journey ahead.

Eddy nodded. "Yes, sir. And iffin' you're willing I could probably use a little help with some clever robbers." He leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially. "You think, you're up to the job? You wanna be my deputy?"

The journey continues for several hours. The nosy woman, Petunia Krump, bores the "newlyweds" with advice and stories. She seems well-meaning, but overbearing. She reveals that she does hope to find a good man to marry in Odessa and that she's a bit nervous about moving so far from home.

Mr Charles reads his newspaper for awhile and then drifts off to sleep.

The baby up front fusses once in awhile and her young and lovely mother rocks her until she quiets down.

The three other men that are each sitting separately haven't talked at all.

Zeke is now sticking to Eddy like glue, mimicking his actions as much as possible. Though the lawman's new deputy would soon get a first hand encounter with robbers...




Suddenly those aboard hear a shot fired, quickly followed by several more. The passengers begin to scream and duck for cover under the seats while the express car guards run to the windows and level their rifles.

“It’s a robbery! One Eyed Bobby! Shit, its One Eyed Bobby!” shouts one of the guards as he lets lead fly at the outlaws that have ridden up alongside the train.

Windows shatter as bullets fly and ricochet around the passenger car. Passengers are screaming and crying while the outlaws fire repeatedly, yelling, “YEEEEHAW!”

While Miss Krump drones on for hours, Meg wonders if she would have better off to let the woman think they had eloped. Maybe she would be quiet now.

Her ears also pick up on bits of the conversation across the aisle. She wonders why a lawman would be picking up this kind of job unless he's investigating either his employer or one of his co-hires. And that thought worries her though she tries her best to hide it.

Meg's heart sinks at the first crack of gunfire. It's a sound she knows rather well and has been trying to escape from.

She reaches across and drags Petunia to the floor with her. Then she takes a few moments and a couple deep breaths to steel her own nerves. She shushes the screaming woman next to her and adds, "Welcome to the West, Miss Krump. Stay here. And give them what they want if they find you."

Meg glances across at Lawman Eddy to gauge his reaction to the predicament. Then, while trying to keep from being conspicuous, she glances about the car for the three sketchy-looking fellows. If this is more than a run-of-the-mill train robbery, it would be likely for the bandits to have planted a few accomplices on board.

To Meg’s surprise Eddy had vanished from sigh while she and the others were distracted. A couple might have seen him walk through the carriage gagging slightly, but otherwise he had vanished into the next carriage with next to no notice. Mr. Charles was likely glad to be rid of the man who stunk of liquor. In fact, even little Zeka had been unnaturally quiet after it appeared Eddy had convinced him to play some manner of hide and seek. After sneaking around for a time the boy had been gone.

However, this had all been planned out by Eddy and his deputy. Eddy burst into the express car, claiming he needed to vomit. This had been enough to keep the guards at a safe distance while he made unholy sounds on the other end of the carriage. Meanwhile, young Zeke had been told take something of the guards, using sleight of hand that Eddy had spent the better part of an hour teaching him. Eddy could not stop himself from smiling in between his grunts and howls.

While Zeke ransomed back the guard’s belongings Eddy had pried open a corner of the crate and inspected what he could see through the crack. It had not been quite what he expected, but he made not of it in a small leatherbound book. He stuffed the book back into the jacked that he had spent the morning dousing in alcohol and prayed that none of the lingering liquid would further damage his book, particularly his latest notes.

He was attempting to quietly close the crate when things started kicking off. His eyes shot to Zeke and the guards, his mind having gone to the worst case scenario. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the boy and the guards were equally terrified by the gunshots. When the guards turned to see Eddy inspecting the crate things got worse for him. “Zeke get this to the Englishman!” He yelled pulling out his book and tossing it to Zeke. He was ready to fight the guards, but hoped they had bigger fish to fry.

Miss Krump's screams quiet down to a whimper as she nods shakily to Meg, her eyes still wide as saucers.

As Meg scans the three men, she finds the one closest to them has gotten down on the floor of the passenger car the same as she and Petunia, arms flung up over his head to protect his face from the shattering glass, muttering a stream of vulgarities. The one all the way up front hurries across the isle, pulling the woman and her baby down to the floor. Maybe a little too roughly, but only because of the stress of the situation. Despite the man's rough and dirty appearance, he seems to be trying to use his body to shield her and the child. The third, who was sitting toward the middle and sported the mutton chops, is also now down on the floor, though Meg doesn't have a good enough vantage point to make out what he's doing.


Dan and Lewis are the two guards stationed inside the express car and they both jump at the sound of gunfire, caught a bit flatfooted since they'd been "babysitting" the boy.

Dan runs to the window and levels his rifle at one of the riders that's coming up alongside the express car at a gallop, trading shots with the bandit while a second rider draws level with the steps to the express car, trying to catch the railing.

Lewis, meanwhile, brings his rifle up to point it at Eddy as he sees the man breaking into the crate instead of throwing up like he'd led them to believe. To him, the timing seems a little too coincidental. And he immediately suspects Eddy of being in league with One Eyed Bobby. Maybe that Englishman too that Eddy seems so keen on getting information to. But one problem at a time. "Get down on the floor, now!" he orders.

John Wade is confused. Is this some sort of a joke by Eddy? It's hard to see how he could have conjured up horse-riding robbers. But why has Eddy disappeared?
John Wade get to the floor, a pulls out his revolver. Then he crawls to the express car where the crate is. He knows that railway carriage bodyworks are flimsy and provide not much protection from gunshots.

((Is the train still going or has the driver brought it to a halt ?))

((The train is still moving. It's traveling at about 20-25 miles per hour.))

As John emerges onto the small platform at the back of the passenger car, Zeke comes out of the express car, Eddy's leatherbound book grasped in his hand. But as he sees one bandit riding next to the car, trying to get a hold of the railing, he freezes with fear and indecision.

Doing some more quick thinking, Eddy decided it was better to play along. Maybe the bandits would take interest in a man arrested by the guards. "Alright, you caught me. But you might wanna take a look, yourself." He lowered himself to the ground and placed his hands behind his back. This was going to be an interesting ride.

"Get down!" screams John Wade at Zeke, "Press yourself flat against the floor!".
He crawls over to where the boy is.
"Don't make any movements or antagonise them, and you're going to be alright' he reassures him.

He now regrets accepting the job from Mr Grainger. The tycoon probably knew there was a plot afoot to steal the contents of the crate. But having accepted the risk, it is now his duty to defend the goods from attack. He sees if he can get a clear shot at the bandit trying to grab hold of the railing.

Percival was shocked with the others, though he didn't dive for the floor. He only ducked his head, taking his hat off to shrink himself as a target. His beady eyes darted around the carriage, at the women and the younguns, and he took a preparing breath before making his way to the express car with a low, squatting waddle. It wasn't a simple feat for his bulk.

His rifle, which had been leaning next to him, was now ready in his hands when he approached John and the boy. He didn't try to exchange any words, only took a lumbering step over them, with a small grunt, and was on his way to find Eddy being detained in the express car. Why was he in the express car?

Percy straightened up and eyed him briefly, not attentive enough to catch the disturbance of the crate, yet the hootin' and hollerin' turned his attention to the bandits again. He returned to his crouching position and made his way to a window, opening it if it weren't already, and would proceed to gauge his move and aim.

(( i'm not sure all the things i should be rolling for ))

Zeke lets himself be pulled down easily enough by John. Remembering Eddy's instructions, he tries to shove Eddy's notebook at the Englishman.

From here Mr Wade has a clear shot at the man trying to grab ahold of the railing. His face is half-covered, but John can see he's got the dark skin of a Navajo, though he wears the cloths of a white man along with a bowler hat. Two feathers stuck into the brim of the hat the only indication of his heritage. Depending on if John takes notice of 'Wanted' posters, he might recognize the man as Sparrow Hawk, a well-known accomplice of One-Eyed Bobby.

On the other side of the tracks, another rider is drawing close to attempt the same thing from the other side. This one is a tall, plainly dressed white man with a patch over one eye. One-Eyed Bobby himself. The entrance to the express car certainly seems like it's going to be a popular area.

(Sorry, forgot to include die rolls! Another post forthcoming for inside the express car, but I'm at work, so might not be immediately!

12+ to transfer from horse to train. )