The ranch owned by the Wilson family. The Shoshone employee of theirs might have some insight into the mountain's history.
Mae and Wilbur waited on their horses just under the ranch's sign for the others to arrive.
Elmer's borrowed steed seemed to have picked up on the fact that his rider was not an overly forceful personality and was taking full advantage of the situation. It had slowed to a walk, its nose diving frequently to the ground to snatch at tempting patches of grass.
"Com'on fella, none a that. We got work ta do..." the miner said, pulling the horse's head up once again.
Which led to him falling further behind the Wilson siblings, Conner & the deputy. "They're all waitin' for us. Hurry up..." he urged the horse, kicking it with his heels as it continued along at its slow pace. Though within another couple minutes, he was finally re-joining the others.
"Heh, sorry ta be the hold up," he said sheepishly.
"Com'on fella, none a that. We got work ta do..." the miner said, pulling the horse's head up once again.
Which led to him falling further behind the Wilson siblings, Conner & the deputy. "They're all waitin' for us. Hurry up..." he urged the horse, kicking it with his heels as it continued along at its slow pace. Though within another couple minutes, he was finally re-joining the others.
"Heh, sorry ta be the hold up," he said sheepishly.
" It's alright. It just matters that you made it here." Mae said calmly understanding that Elmer was having issues with the horse he was riding.
Sure enough, Connor didn’t have any problem keeping up with the others and just as well, though his hood covered most of his gaze, one could be rest assured that he was aware of his sorroundigs.
He noticed how Elmer kept glancing at him, right up to him struggling to keep his horse in line. The old man didn’t trust him, but that was fine with him, Elmer didn’t strike him as evil and that was ultimately his only concern.
For now he followed the others but he never had his hand too far away from his sword, or his guns, or his axe, or his bow.. or the many knives on his bandolier. He seemed to be armed to the teeth and was definitely expecting trouble.
He noticed how Elmer kept glancing at him, right up to him struggling to keep his horse in line. The old man didn’t trust him, but that was fine with him, Elmer didn’t strike him as evil and that was ultimately his only concern.
For now he followed the others but he never had his hand too far away from his sword, or his guns, or his axe, or his bow.. or the many knives on his bandolier. He seemed to be armed to the teeth and was definitely expecting trouble.
the deputy showed up with Sherriff Flint in tow. Mae smiled now that the group hap made it. " Ok, George is most likely in the barn. He can be standoffish, so I'll greet him first before we ask him about the mountain. Does that sound alright?" Mae asked.
"Find anything, Sheriff?" the old miner asked as Flint rejoined the party.
Then looked to Mae. "Fine by me, ma'am," he said. He'd never met George before, so trusted that Mae knew better how to approach the Indian man than he did.
A bit stiffly, he dismounted from his borrowed horse, grunting and huffing from the strain on his bad leg.
Then looked to Mae. "Fine by me, ma'am," he said. He'd never met George before, so trusted that Mae knew better how to approach the Indian man than he did.
A bit stiffly, he dismounted from his borrowed horse, grunting and huffing from the strain on his bad leg.
" As a matter of fact, according to the reports filled out by several miners, they discovered a chamber in the mine after digging to a certain point, there was some sort of idol in the center and after someone removed it, a few of the miners started to act strange and started talking about shadows and devils in the mine. I hope George knows more about this." he said.
" As a matter of fact, according to the reports filled out by several miners, they discovered a chamber in the mine after digging to a certain point, there was some sort of idol in the center and after someone removed it, a few of the miners started to act strange and started talking about shadows and devils in the mine. I hope George knows more about this." he said.
Elmer listened to Flint's answer as they waited outside for Miss Mae to either motion for them to come inside the barn or to bring George out to meet them.
"Being down there all day can play tricks on ya. Thought I saw somethin' odd a time or two myself. Ain't good for a man... bein' underground all the time," Elmer said with a shake of his head, downplaying any sightings of shadows or devils as merely the side effect of long, claustrophobic hours. Nearly enough to drive anyone insane.
"Being down there all day can play tricks on ya. Thought I saw somethin' odd a time or two myself. Ain't good for a man... bein' underground all the time," Elmer said with a shake of his head, downplaying any sightings of shadows or devils as merely the side effect of long, claustrophobic hours. Nearly enough to drive anyone insane.
Mae walked to the barn and opened the door, George was indeed tending to the horses. She greeted him before gesturing to the group to join her in walking into the barn.
So here was the elusive George at long last. Connor followed the others and seemed like he wanted to talk to George first but he wanted to see how he interacted with Mae first before doing anything.
Mae stepped towards George. " George. Some people are missing from the mine. Your people warned the mining company not to disturb the mountain. Can you tell us anything about why?" she asked. George looked at the group behind her, and took a deep breath. " What do you want to know?" he asked.
Elmer went along into the barn with the others, still casting a rather suspicious glance at Conner every now and again. Then looking at the deputy to see if he really was keeping an eye on the man like he said he would.
He listened to Mae start the conversation with George. When the man looked over at the group of them, Elmer thought the 'why' was secondary to the 'where'. Still important, of course, so it didn't happen again. But if his buddies were in immediate trouble, that seemed the most pressing thing to him.
"Do ya know where they are?"
He listened to Mae start the conversation with George. When the man looked over at the group of them, Elmer thought the 'why' was secondary to the 'where'. Still important, of course, so it didn't happen again. But if his buddies were in immediate trouble, that seemed the most pressing thing to him.
"Do ya know where they are?"
George shook his head " I don't know exactly where they are, but they are likely still in the mountain. Not in your mines though." he said.
Elmer's brow scrunched. "Ya mean that chamber we found? I don't know if they could all fit in there!"
George shook his head. " The mountain has many chambers. Of course, people don't go there by their own will."
Connor pursed his lips thoughtfully as George spoke. He seemed like a mild mannered sort, hardly the warrior type or a medicine man, but looks could be deceiving.
He decided to step forward and address him directly. “Wachin Ksapa Yo.” Connor greeted him a Lakota saying.
“These settlers say that they were warned not to go into the mountain by the Shoshone who were here before them. What can you tell us about that?”
He decided to step forward and address him directly. “Wachin Ksapa Yo.” Connor greeted him a Lakota saying.
“These settlers say that they were warned not to go into the mountain by the Shoshone who were here before them. What can you tell us about that?”
" Yes, my people warned them about the mountain. When I was a child several people from my tribe went hunting near the mountain. They went missing for a few weeks and returned, different. They would try to bring people back to the mountain. My chief thought this was odd and gathered some warriors to see what was happening. They discovered that the Mountain's caves were used at one point as a place to summon demons and evil spirits. Anyone who was brought there was killed as an offering to these demons. Now, we warn people from our tribe or not to leave the mountain alone in case they awaken the spirits. " George explained gravely.
Elmer's brow scrunched even harder, torn between worry that something similar had befallen his friends, relief that he'd been late getting to work this morning, and skepticism of the whole affair.
"Sounds like a bunch of ballyhoo," he muttered under his breath unconvincingly.
But there was one other very interesting thing in what George said.
"Ya said there were caves?" He hadn't been there in the earliest days of the mine, so didn't really know if the existing entrance was freshly cut or if it followed a natural cave. "There another way in?"
"Sounds like a bunch of ballyhoo," he muttered under his breath unconvincingly.
But there was one other very interesting thing in what George said.
"Ya said there were caves?" He hadn't been there in the earliest days of the mine, so didn't really know if the existing entrance was freshly cut or if it followed a natural cave. "There another way in?"