The party wakes up and everyone has breakfast at the hotel in Salida. We all pay $1 for room and board. Lawrence and Charlotte had been sharing a room, and he offers to bring her breakfast so she can continue to rest. After this Charlotte takes a (much needed) bath. Thaddeus works the dining room to see if he can sell any bottles. He sells bottles at 3 tables. Lawrence hangs around Charlotte. The hotel owner brings the group out to meet the stagecoach drivers, Earl and Susan Baker. They are quiet. Earl drives the coach and she drives the wagon. This is one of the first trips since the mountain passes just cleared.
There is a passenger joining the group here that they have not met. He is well dressed and carrying two pistols. He calls himself Maverick. We introduce ourselves, especially Charlotte – we’re not sure if she’s a prostitute, but she’s definitely a whore. Lawrence is also well dressed this morning and does not seem to be carrying a pistol. He always has cards in his hands and is doing card tricks. He and Charlotte remain close together. Maverick meets Lawrence and convinces him that he doesn’t know cards, so Lawrence agrees to teach him.
Earl explains that the trip is 120 miles and is a rough ride. We will stop in Del Norte which is a little more than half way. He has made the trip many times and there are no interruptions for the long bumpy excursion. We start off on the trail. Conversations ensure.
Maverick and Magnus compare West Point rings and stories, as they were both in the military. Thaddeus shares stories of his travels and how he learned of his cures which the group finds mostly boring. Lawrence seems to be sticking close to Charlotte after their encounter last night, but she doesn’t react one way or the other. Lucille does not talk at all, but when Maverick asks a somewhat rude question — what percentage she is — suddenly explains that she is half white, by rape from a plantation owner.
We stop for lunch, a basic meal of beans, jerky and bread. We keep going and the afternoon goes quickly. Lawrence talks about the city and has letters from Poker Alice. (Is her nickname because….) She says there has been a crime element from people who have come into town this last year. You had to be part of their group to share in the benefits of Paradise Falls. There is lots of opportunity, however. There is ghost rock in the area and the silver mind is booming. Bill Jenkins runs the town and she likes him. He is very entrepreneurial and wants people to be successful. There is also some religious folk in town (Catholics) that have caused some trouble.
Late afternoon we pull into Del Norte. The view of the mountains is spectacular, though the town is on a flat piece of land. There is a lot of activity in town. Many people packing stagecoaches. They are leaving in the morning for Paradise Falls. There are cowboys, miners, gentleman, ladies, kids. The town is packed. There is a creepy guy standing next to the graveyard on the way into town. He is burying someone, and gives the party a look with this one eye.
Earl stops us at a hotel, and they unload our stuff. We spread out around town. There are several people with brand new equipment, obviously tender feet but seem like a gang. Lucille investigates the sheriffs office, looking at wanted posters. She does not seem to find what she is looking for.
Several of the group meet up at one of the town’s many bars. Lawrence asks Maverick to play a no stakes card game. Thaddeus joins in. Maverick wins $30 from Lawrence, which Lawrence is not happy about, but he doesn’t guess that Maverick is a veteran card shark. Maverick offers to buy him a drink to make up for it, which seems to lighten Lawrence’s spirits a bit.
Charlotte goes and chats up some of the greenhorn cowboys. They warm up to her, and start complaining about their jobs. They are from the region and are working for a boss, but they don’t want to talk about him. They talk about rolling people for money. Charlotte takes them to The Rusty Bucket Saloon. They spread out and start drinking and gambling. Lawrence, Maverick, Thaddeus, and Magnus are all there. The gang starts whistling at Lucille when she walks in.
The activity picks up in the bar. We notice one guy with goggles and a shock of white hair. He approaches Magnus and starts a conversation. He is part of the Sciencing Guild, which is a group who have been doing with ghost rock and they produce low quality, dangerous stuff. They are primarily in Colorado. They look a little wild and crazy. He has a design for a lightning gun. His name is Professor Etrian von Klemp. He invites us to see his inventions later. Magnus creates a translator and speaks German to him, and von Klemp is impressed. Von Klemp tells Magnus that he is not going to Paradise Falls because Soapy’s gang has taken over the town.
After a while, the place starts getting rowdy. A shorter Irish dude in a bowler comes in and bosses everyone around. They abuse the staff and act like they own they own the place. One serving girl is quite thick and may not really be a girl, and is not taking as much crap. Late in the evening people start getting surly. Thaddeus notices a well coiffed stranger enter the bar wearing upscale traveling clothes. He looks Mexican and has an understated air of authority. The man comes up behind Magnus, and Thaddeus lets him know that someone is approaching. The man discreetly shows Magnus a badge. He asks Magnus to accompany him, and they both go outside. No one else notices this in the crowded bar. They return in about 15 min and Magnus doesn’t say anything about the encounter.
Maverick asks the bartender about the Irishman. His name is Edward O’Kelley, one of the lieutenants of Soapy’s gang. The bartender is putting bottles below the bar because of impending violence. One of the cowboys pinches the large serving girl and she punches him. A massive bar fight ensues.
Lucille is punched and shaken. Charlotte leaves. Lucille punches the guy who hit him. Thaddeus hides behind the bar, joined by Maverick. Magnus pulls a device, points it like a pistol and creates a tunnel/barrier to the door. Lucille lays a guy out with a beer bottle. She also picks his pockets. Thaddeus and Maverick head through the tunnel and out the door. Magnus follow them. The fighting is also happening out in the street.
The fighting escalates. Maverick intimidates one guy by pulling out both of his guns, and the man pauses. Charlotte shoots him in the face and he goes down. Lucille picks up her meat shield and pushes through the crowd. More gunplay. Lucielle drops one guy and so does Thaddeus. Magnus creates a shield that protects the group. Several of them shoot at us but the shield deflects them or they miss. Maverick is hit and shaken.
A stranger with one eye strides into the light and takes out two guys with a shovel. The stranger moves very quickly. Lucille pushes her meat shield into one of the other guys. The group focuses their attacks on O’Kelley, who is yelling profanities. Magnus shoots Edward O’Kelley with his shotgun. Maverick also shoots him with a double tap. Charlotte wings him.
Prof von Klemp shows up on the street with a lightning gun, calling out to Magnus. He charges up his weapon and fires it at the cowboy standing next to O’Kelley, and he is turned into a pile of ash. Unfortuntely this also starts the building on fire. O’Kelley is wounded and shaken, but clears his head and shoots at Magnus, who is shaken. Other people shoot but miss, except for one who wounds Maverick.
Shovel man takes out another guy. Thaddeus drops Edward and all of the remaining cowboy scatter. Magnus and shovel man attack a few more people as they run away. Citizens converge on the burning building and begin to put out the flames. Magnus wades through them, wanting to make sure O’Kelley is dead, but after breaking through the crowd he sees that O’Kelley is gone.
The town takes the fight in stride. It seems like a normal day. The party heads back to the hotel. Fossor, AKA shovel man, takes the bodies to be buried, and negotiates for a good price — 50% more than what he normally gets.