This is where the Shadow Mountain Mining crew was supposed to be the morning they vanished. The Sheriff is currently investigating.
Elmer was late. And now he was hurrying toward the mine site, at least as fast as his aching leg would allow. It had pained him since back before the war, when a railcar stacked high with timbers had broken loose and come crashing down. Elmer hadn't quite gotten out of the way in time and had been nearly crushed. And even though that was now a long time ago, he moved with a noticeable limp that only grew worse the faster he moved.
But it didn't seem to dampen his spirits at all and he was singing as he walked...
Darling, I am growing old,
Silver threads among the gold,
Shine upon my brow today,
Life is fading fast away.
But, my darling, you will be,
Always young and fair to me,
Yes, my darling, you will be
Always young and fair to me.
Darling, I am growing old,
Silver threads among the gold,
Shine upon my brow today;
Life is fading fast away.
When your hair is silver white,
And your cheeks no longer bright,
With the roses of the May,
I will kiss your lips and say,
Oh!...
His song petered out as the site came into view. "By hooky... where's everyone at?" Elmer's feet stopped moving and he stood still for a moment, surveying the scene with a look of confusion over his face.
He started forward again, moving up to the where the mules where hitched, ready to head into the mine. "Where'd Sammy go?" he asked the mule, giving it an affectionate pat on the neck. But of the course the animal didn't answer. Elmer spent the next few minutes looking around, growing increasingly perplexed and worried. "Strange and stranger..."
"Feller, you mind giving me a ride back down ta town? We best go fetch the sheriff... or see if the rest of the fellers went on a strike or something..." he said aloud, still talking to the mule as he unhitched it from the mining cart. The harness wasn't ideal for riding, but he could make do and soon was headed back to Shadow Gorge.
(Continued in main RP thread: https://www.rprepository.com/group-site/4081/topic/79331)
But it didn't seem to dampen his spirits at all and he was singing as he walked...
Darling, I am growing old,
Silver threads among the gold,
Shine upon my brow today,
Life is fading fast away.
But, my darling, you will be,
Always young and fair to me,
Yes, my darling, you will be
Always young and fair to me.
Darling, I am growing old,
Silver threads among the gold,
Shine upon my brow today;
Life is fading fast away.
When your hair is silver white,
And your cheeks no longer bright,
With the roses of the May,
I will kiss your lips and say,
Oh!...
His song petered out as the site came into view. "By hooky... where's everyone at?" Elmer's feet stopped moving and he stood still for a moment, surveying the scene with a look of confusion over his face.
He started forward again, moving up to the where the mules where hitched, ready to head into the mine. "Where'd Sammy go?" he asked the mule, giving it an affectionate pat on the neck. But of the course the animal didn't answer. Elmer spent the next few minutes looking around, growing increasingly perplexed and worried. "Strange and stranger..."
"Feller, you mind giving me a ride back down ta town? We best go fetch the sheriff... or see if the rest of the fellers went on a strike or something..." he said aloud, still talking to the mule as he unhitched it from the mining cart. The harness wasn't ideal for riding, but he could make do and soon was headed back to Shadow Gorge.
(Continued in main RP thread: https://www.rprepository.com/group-site/4081/topic/79331)
(Continued from main RP-forum https://www.rprepository.com/group-site/4081/topic/79331)
Dorothy turned out to be a surprisingly good and fast rider, and had Jack not had his head start, he weren't sure if he would have beaten her to the mining site. Luckily, life had taught him that the honesty and good sportsmanship didn't necessarily make a victory. Cheating was way more reliable.
"Don't fall too far behind, Dotty-Darlin'," Jack said, trying to hide the fact that the intense race had made him a little short of breath. His horse panted too, and seemed to appreciate the stop. "We don't want you to get caught by the ghosts or the Owl Monster!"
Dorothy turned out to be a surprisingly good and fast rider, and had Jack not had his head start, he weren't sure if he would have beaten her to the mining site. Luckily, life had taught him that the honesty and good sportsmanship didn't necessarily make a victory. Cheating was way more reliable.
"Don't fall too far behind, Dotty-Darlin'," Jack said, trying to hide the fact that the intense race had made him a little short of breath. His horse panted too, and seemed to appreciate the stop. "We don't want you to get caught by the ghosts or the Owl Monster!"
For a few moments, particularly early in the race, Dorothy thought she'd be able to catch Jack as Pongo's strides started to eat the distance between them. "Whooooo!" she yelled, leaning low over the pinto's neck, enjoying the sense of freedom and exhilaration that came along with sitting atop 1000 lbs of thundering muscle and hooves.
But by half a mile into their 1 mile race, her horse was still holding his own, though no longer gaining any ground. And Jack beat her by roughly the same amount of time as his head start.
She slowed Pongo to a trot, circling him a few times as his nostrils flared hard from both the run and the excitement.
"Why'da'ya think I let ya get here first?" Dorothy asked, similarly a bit out of breath, but smiling at the fun of it. "If there's a monster, he'll get you fore he gets me..." she said with a smirk and swung herself down off the saddle on the right side.
((Becca, the mules and such are still here, right?))
But by half a mile into their 1 mile race, her horse was still holding his own, though no longer gaining any ground. And Jack beat her by roughly the same amount of time as his head start.
She slowed Pongo to a trot, circling him a few times as his nostrils flared hard from both the run and the excitement.
"Why'da'ya think I let ya get here first?" Dorothy asked, similarly a bit out of breath, but smiling at the fun of it. "If there's a monster, he'll get you fore he gets me..." she said with a smirk and swung herself down off the saddle on the right side.
((Becca, the mules and such are still here, right?))
Jack strike the side of his horse’s neck while its panting became less heavy. It had done well, and despite Cesare’s advice never to get closer to a horse, than you could shoot it if it became slow or ill, Jack made it a silent promise of a turnip or an extra helping of oats back at the stable. For now, it would have to make do with the water in the trough by the hitching post.
“I think we both know that you stayed back, because you enjoyed the view ahead,” Jack teased back. He noticed her atypical dismount, and realised that he per default had been moving over towards her to lift her down from the saddle, like they always did with Esme. The women had close to nothing in common, but Jack wasn’t truly used to riding with other lady company than their landlady.
“I’m guessing Sparrow taught ya how to ride a horse?” He said, commenting on the side, she dismounted on.
“I think we both know that you stayed back, because you enjoyed the view ahead,” Jack teased back. He noticed her atypical dismount, and realised that he per default had been moving over towards her to lift her down from the saddle, like they always did with Esme. The women had close to nothing in common, but Jack wasn’t truly used to riding with other lady company than their landlady.
“I’m guessing Sparrow taught ya how to ride a horse?” He said, commenting on the side, she dismounted on.
(Thanks!)
"A horse's ass?" Dorothy asked with a smirk.
"Mostly," she answered his question about Sparrow teaching her to ride, not terribly surprised by the observation. Smitty liked to give her a hard time about it sometimes, asking her if she was a squaw now. (She couldn't help but notice that he had never ragged on Sparrow Hawk about how he got on and off a horse.)
"He was a good teacher. Spent a lot of time teachin' me how to jump on and off him when he's moving. Dunno if I'll ever get as good at it as he was though."
"Sparrow mostly broke Pongo here, but he taught me a little bit a that too," she said, giving the pinto Indian pony an affectionate pat on the neck. It was almost amusing to her now that she'd been so scared of Sparrow back when she first joined up with Bobby. Probably because he never smiled... at least not with his mouth. Later, she learned how to recognize it in his eyes.
"Wanna have a look 'round fore the others get here?" she asked. Not that she had any intention of venturing down into the mine itself... just poke around the surface and see if there were any obvious tracks to find.
"A horse's ass?" Dorothy asked with a smirk.
"Mostly," she answered his question about Sparrow teaching her to ride, not terribly surprised by the observation. Smitty liked to give her a hard time about it sometimes, asking her if she was a squaw now. (She couldn't help but notice that he had never ragged on Sparrow Hawk about how he got on and off a horse.)
"He was a good teacher. Spent a lot of time teachin' me how to jump on and off him when he's moving. Dunno if I'll ever get as good at it as he was though."
"Sparrow mostly broke Pongo here, but he taught me a little bit a that too," she said, giving the pinto Indian pony an affectionate pat on the neck. It was almost amusing to her now that she'd been so scared of Sparrow back when she first joined up with Bobby. Probably because he never smiled... at least not with his mouth. Later, she learned how to recognize it in his eyes.
"Wanna have a look 'round fore the others get here?" she asked. Not that she had any intention of venturing down into the mine itself... just poke around the surface and see if there were any obvious tracks to find.
“He taught me a thing or two, when I was just a boy. Shame he’s gone so early. He ain’t deserve that...” Jack said as he tied his horse’s reins in the kind of knot, Sparrow had taught him; one the horse couldn’t break free from, but Jack would be able to untie in a second, should the need for a quick getaway arise.
The site felt oddly full yet empty at the same time. The equipment and mules were there, as if everything had gone as usual, and suddenly the workers had sunk into the ground - except the man, Dorothy had told him about.
“Sure, let’s have a poke around. If we are lucky, they left all the goods ripe for the takin’. You want me to find ya a jewel, Dotty?”
Jack wasn’t actually sure, what they were mining here. His question had been meant as a flirt, to hopefully make Dorothy look in his direction, rather than the direction of whatever man, Dorothy was waiting for.
The site felt oddly full yet empty at the same time. The equipment and mules were there, as if everything had gone as usual, and suddenly the workers had sunk into the ground - except the man, Dorothy had told him about.
“Sure, let’s have a poke around. If we are lucky, they left all the goods ripe for the takin’. You want me to find ya a jewel, Dotty?”
Jack wasn’t actually sure, what they were mining here. His question had been meant as a flirt, to hopefully make Dorothy look in his direction, rather than the direction of whatever man, Dorothy was waiting for.
It was odd, thinking about the fact that Bobby and Sparrow both would have known Jack when he was just a boy. And it gave Dorothy a moment's pause to realize that neither of them had ever shared the story of how Sparrow had met Bobby. She'd simply assumed that somehow it had something to do with the war, but perhaps it had been longer than that.
Later, she'd have to ask Flinch if he knew.
Her attention came back to Jack, his flirt having the intended result, and his offer of finding her a jewel made her grin widely. "Ain't sure there's much here worth stealin'," she said, walking over toward the mules to have a look and the other equipment. "Less ya want want one ah these pieces a buzzard bait?"
The weren't really poor quality animals. But she'd always thought they looked a little funny with their long ears. "Looks like a ding jack rabbit..." she said, poking fun at the closest equine.
Later, she'd have to ask Flinch if he knew.
Her attention came back to Jack, his flirt having the intended result, and his offer of finding her a jewel made her grin widely. "Ain't sure there's much here worth stealin'," she said, walking over toward the mules to have a look and the other equipment. "Less ya want want one ah these pieces a buzzard bait?"
The weren't really poor quality animals. But she'd always thought they looked a little funny with their long ears. "Looks like a ding jack rabbit..." she said, poking fun at the closest equine.
((OOC: Is the mine entrance in the side of the mountain that someone could walk right in? Or is it accessed via some kind of lift system that descends into the earth?))
Jack gasped dramatically and turned to face Dorothy rather than the horses.
“Why my darlin’ Dorothy, are you assuming that Imma offer you a stolen gem. I was plannin’ on entering the mine and findin’ one for ya, but now I don’t think, you deserve my chivalry, when your thoughts of me are so low!”
He sent her a wink, and then joined her by the mules, looking through the carrier bags of them all, just in case someone had snuck themselves a nugget of gold, and then left it in a saddle bag with plans to bring it home later. Unfortunately, the search left him with nothing.
“You wanna explore that mine over there?” He asked her.
“Why my darlin’ Dorothy, are you assuming that Imma offer you a stolen gem. I was plannin’ on entering the mine and findin’ one for ya, but now I don’t think, you deserve my chivalry, when your thoughts of me are so low!”
He sent her a wink, and then joined her by the mules, looking through the carrier bags of them all, just in case someone had snuck themselves a nugget of gold, and then left it in a saddle bag with plans to bring it home later. Unfortunately, the search left him with nothing.
“You wanna explore that mine over there?” He asked her.
The amused laughed returned as Jack simultaneously feigned innocence in his gem finding intentions while digging through the bags. "I can tell ya walk the straight an' narrow..." she teased.
After the warnings she'd gotten from the town folk, Dorothy felt a small flutter of nervousness at the idea of venturing into the mines. But Jack had already laughed at her once for giving just a hint of credibility to those kind of rumors, so she pushed down any feelings of misgivings. Besides, Conner and the sheriff were going to be here soon, weren't they?
"I'm game if you are," she said, not about to look like a ding coward. She dug a match out of her saddle bags and got one of the lanterns lit.
"Ya think it's odd...? Bunch a folks go missin' and ain't no one here checkin' ta see if there was a cave in or sumthin'?"
After the warnings she'd gotten from the town folk, Dorothy felt a small flutter of nervousness at the idea of venturing into the mines. But Jack had already laughed at her once for giving just a hint of credibility to those kind of rumors, so she pushed down any feelings of misgivings. Besides, Conner and the sheriff were going to be here soon, weren't they?
"I'm game if you are," she said, not about to look like a ding coward. She dug a match out of her saddle bags and got one of the lanterns lit.
"Ya think it's odd...? Bunch a folks go missin' and ain't no one here checkin' ta see if there was a cave in or sumthin'?"
“Ain’t for nuthin’ they call me ‘Good Guy Jack’,” Jack continued to joke, finding nothing but a length of rope, a matchbox, a pocketknife and a tin of tobacco, which smelled like it was mixed way more than half burnt chicory root. He left the tobacco behind, and took the rest.
“I don’t find it that odd. Minin’ sounds like a job that is about as fun as diggin’ shrapnel out of ya arm. They probably went on strike, or called it quits all at once. Twelve buddies of mine called it quits during the war, thinkin’ the size of the group would keep ‘em safe. All got shot as deserters, but if they can believe numbers keep ‘em safe, why wouldn’t the miners think the same?”
Jack used one of the matches to light his lantern as well, and threw the burnt-out little splinter on the ground.
“Let’s start explorin’, Darlin’,” Jack said, pulling his duster up to cover the lower half of his face, just in case anyone from the town arrived soon, and recognised him from the wanted posters.
“I don’t find it that odd. Minin’ sounds like a job that is about as fun as diggin’ shrapnel out of ya arm. They probably went on strike, or called it quits all at once. Twelve buddies of mine called it quits during the war, thinkin’ the size of the group would keep ‘em safe. All got shot as deserters, but if they can believe numbers keep ‘em safe, why wouldn’t the miners think the same?”
Jack used one of the matches to light his lantern as well, and threw the burnt-out little splinter on the ground.
“Let’s start explorin’, Darlin’,” Jack said, pulling his duster up to cover the lower half of his face, just in case anyone from the town arrived soon, and recognised him from the wanted posters.
"Still seems funny," she pressed, not ready to concede her point, even if it didn't make a lick of difference to the current situation. "That miner in town... didn't catch his name. Seemed like he thought they mighta gone on strike too, but they weren't in town. Think they'd be at the saloon drinking, wouldn't'ya?
"Course, that old man seemed a little off his rocker, so who knows," she added with a shrug, then pulled her own scarf up over her mouth and nose. Not because she was on any wanted posters. At least not in Wyoming. Just because she wanted to keep some dust out of her mouth and nose.
"Let's go then, Good Guy Jack," she said, approaching the entrance and holding her lantern up to shed some illumination. “Dad used ta work in the mines. Died when I was pretty little, but geesh, he’d be black from head ta toe when he come home. Could just see the whites a his eyes. Mum’d make him come in the basement and strip dahn to his gutchies fore she’d let him upstairs.”
"Course, that old man seemed a little off his rocker, so who knows," she added with a shrug, then pulled her own scarf up over her mouth and nose. Not because she was on any wanted posters. At least not in Wyoming. Just because she wanted to keep some dust out of her mouth and nose.
"Let's go then, Good Guy Jack," she said, approaching the entrance and holding her lantern up to shed some illumination. “Dad used ta work in the mines. Died when I was pretty little, but geesh, he’d be black from head ta toe when he come home. Could just see the whites a his eyes. Mum’d make him come in the basement and strip dahn to his gutchies fore she’d let him upstairs.”
George waved them over to some bushes s few feet away from the entrance. " Over here." He said pulling away the bushes revealing a surprisingly large opening, which looks to have not been used for a long time. "This is where my tribe used to store excess food. We haven't used it in decades." George explained.
Eager to resolve this mystery, Connor dismounted quickly and made a signal to his horse to merely wait for him.
Already expecting trouble, the Kiowa brave pulled out his tomahawk and gave it a testing twirl before taking point next to George, always feeling like he needed to be in front. And he would to, the people accompanying him didn't exactly look like fighters, save for maybe the sheriff.
"No one has explored this part of the mountain since the Shoshone left?" He asked incredulously. It was such a large opening, how could have these settlers missed it? Oh, right... they were settlers. Connor did not have the best opinion of Europeans even though he himself was half British.
Already expecting trouble, the Kiowa brave pulled out his tomahawk and gave it a testing twirl before taking point next to George, always feeling like he needed to be in front. And he would to, the people accompanying him didn't exactly look like fighters, save for maybe the sheriff.
"No one has explored this part of the mountain since the Shoshone left?" He asked incredulously. It was such a large opening, how could have these settlers missed it? Oh, right... they were settlers. Connor did not have the best opinion of Europeans even though he himself was half British.
Jack was about to enter the mine with his lantern held up high, when he heard the sound of hoofs approaching them. There was definitely more than two horses, so either PJ had brought both Cesare, Flinch and Smitty to haul them back to the safe house, or the search party from Shadow Gorge had arrived.
“Looks like we have company, Darlin’,” Jack said, nodding in the direction of the approaching party. He adjusted his hat and duster, so that his face was covered, but not in a way that would look like he was hiding his identity.
“You wanna go on our own, or you wanna join ‘em?”
“Looks like we have company, Darlin’,” Jack said, nodding in the direction of the approaching party. He adjusted his hat and duster, so that his face was covered, but not in a way that would look like he was hiding his identity.
“You wanna go on our own, or you wanna join ‘em?”
The sheriff, deputy, George, Wilbur, Conner, and Elmer would see two saddled horses hitched outside the mine, near the mules that belonged to the Shadow Mountain Mining Company. Again, Elmer had fallen a bit behind the group as his borrowed horse kept taking advantage of his mild-mannered nature, diving for grass at every opportunity. He was glad to finally get down off the animal, missing his own good-mannered horse.
Dorothy turned to look along with Jack. They must be hidden in the shadow of the mine entrance, she realized, as none of them seemed to notice the pair of them standing just inside, only a few feet away. Maybe that's why it was called Shadow Mountain...
"Best join 'em," she said after a few moments of observing the rather interesting phenomenon. Then stepped out with her lit lantern, her scarf still pulled up over her mouth & nose, mostly so that Jack's didn't look out of place. "Was just headin' in ta look for 'em."
Elmer gawked at the opening, even more surprised than Conner. There was no way the mine's surveyor was that inept at his job, was there? If so, imagine all the gold they were probably missing! "Don't look like they all went in there," he commented, since the newly revealed entrance didn't appear to have been used in a long time. "There a bunch of these?" he asked.
Dorothy turned to look along with Jack. They must be hidden in the shadow of the mine entrance, she realized, as none of them seemed to notice the pair of them standing just inside, only a few feet away. Maybe that's why it was called Shadow Mountain...
"Best join 'em," she said after a few moments of observing the rather interesting phenomenon. Then stepped out with her lit lantern, her scarf still pulled up over her mouth & nose, mostly so that Jack's didn't look out of place. "Was just headin' in ta look for 'em."
Elmer gawked at the opening, even more surprised than Conner. There was no way the mine's surveyor was that inept at his job, was there? If so, imagine all the gold they were probably missing! "Don't look like they all went in there," he commented, since the newly revealed entrance didn't appear to have been used in a long time. "There a bunch of these?" he asked.
George looked inside the previously hidden entrance. " Did anyone bring lanterns? Once we have a light. I'm sure we'll be able the navigate the caverns." he said before going to his horse and retrieving a knife and his bow from his saddle, he liked to keep them on his horse in case he needed them. " No, we haven't." George said answering Connor.
Jack grabbed his own lit lantern, as well as two unlit ones from the entrance - maybe the people in the search party hadn’t brought enough. The gesture was small, but hopefully it would make a good first-hand impression on the other people, and remove a little of the suspicious aura surrounding the masked, armed man and woman, who approached them.
“Come along now, Dotty,” Jack said, adjusting the rein of the shotgun that hung across his back, and placing his free hand on the small of Dorothy’s back to guide her in the direction of the search party.
“Hello there!” He greeted from a proper distance, so they’d know that their intentions were friendly. “Y’all look like y’all could use a lil’ light!” He held up the extra lanterns.
“Come along now, Dotty,” Jack said, adjusting the rein of the shotgun that hung across his back, and placing his free hand on the small of Dorothy’s back to guide her in the direction of the search party.
“Hello there!” He greeted from a proper distance, so they’d know that their intentions were friendly. “Y’all look like y’all could use a lil’ light!” He held up the extra lanterns.