Silver Moon
Adventurer
Chapter Eight, “The Consequences of Name Dropping”, Friday, November 24, 1882:
The teenagers arrive outside the adobe and wood office of the Dead Mule Weekly Gazette. Outside of the front door secured to a six-foot-long iron chain is a bear. It appears to be sleeping and block the doorway. Emily and Colleen move forward towards the animal. Ginnie suggests that they talk to it.
Emily casts a Speak with Animals spell “Hello, Good morning” she states. She then asks “Can we go by?” The bear replies, “Uhh, I know you? You don’t smell like I know you?” Emily replies “No, we want to talk to the man inside.” “You hurt master?” the bear asks. “No, no, just talk,” Emily states. “You have food?” the bears asks. Emily exclaims “Yes.” “You have food for me?” the bear asks, adding “I want food.” Emily passes this information on to her friends.
They sort through their pocks and hand over several sticks of beef jerky. The bear asks if they have any more. Emily explains that they do not. The bear seems content with what he has been given and starts to eat it. The teenagers quickly head inside. Ginnie recognizes the publisher Frank Washbuck. He is seated at a desk writing something out. Frank looks up with a surprised expression on his face. “What’s happened to bear!” he exclaims.
“The bear is fine,” Emily states. “Why did he let you in?” Washbuck states. Colleen calmly states “We fed it.” “DO NOT FEED THE BEAR!” he shouts. Emily asks, “Why not? He was grateful.” “Of course he was little girl, but you should not be feeding the bear. How do I know that you didn’t poison him?” the man states. “Why would we do that?” Cathleen states. He replies, “A lot of people want to kill that bear.” “We don’t” states Colleen.
Washbuck says, “How do I know that? Who they heck are you people? What are you kids doing here?” Ginnie says, “Well, we were coming to interview you for a special publication, but I guess from your manner you aren’t interested. We can always leave.” “No, wait, pull up a chair, let’s talk,” he states.
Across the street Jake is just sitting casually, making sure that the bear didn’t eat the kids. He sees a couple heading down the street, a young man of around twenty and a young woman a few years younger. She is carrying a baby in her arms. He is carrying a shotgun, pointed casually towards the ground. When they are ten feet away the man points to Jake and yells out “Is that him?” She says, “Yeah, he’s the man.”
Jake replies, “Excuse me Ma’am? I don’t believe we’ve met.” The young man begins to lift his shotgun, however before he has it pointed he is looking down the receiving end of Jake’s Colt. Jake states, “You put that gun down boy!” The says “Look, I didn’t mean to hurt you mister, but…” Jake interrupts with a louder “Put The Shotgun Down Boy, Before You Say Another Word! And then we can have a nice chat.” The young man lowers the shotgun.
Jake lowers the hammer on his gun and slowly replaces it in his holster. “Now, what was it you wanted to talk about boy?” he asks. The young man exclaims, “I want to talk about my sister’s honor. Listen you skunk, you knocked her up, she had your kid, you’re gonna pay.” Jake calmly replies, “The young woman is not telling the truth sir.” “You calling my sister a liar?” the man asks.
Jake looks to the woman and says, “Ma’am, it would be awful if I called you a liar, get your brother angry, and the end result be him dying from a gunshot wound. Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?” The woman exclaims, “Yeah, I made a mistake getting involved with you Mister Cook.” Jake softly mutters “I’m not liking where this is going.” The kids across the street hear the yelling and look out the window. “What now?” Ginnie exclaims.
Jake states “So, young lady, what’s your name?” She breaks into tears and exclaims “You don’t remember my name?” “Afraid not,” Jake answers. The young man exclaims, “This is my sister Margaret and you damned well better remember her!” Ginnie heads out across the street to join them. Jake takes a good look at the baby, deducing it to be four or five months in age.
He states, “I’ve got to say Ma’am, I don’t think we’ve ever met, and if we did it wasn’t very memorable.” “You insulting my sister?” the young man states, adding “I think we’d better go see the Sheriff, let him settle it, or maybe the Justice of the Peace.” Jake says, “Well then, let’s go see the Sheriff.” They head that way, Ginnie tagging along.
The arrive at the Sheriff’s office. The glass in the windows is grimy and stained. Several old wanted posters are on the walls. They see mine assaying equipment in there, assuming that if the man’s primary job. A tall man who does bear some resemblance to Promise City’s Biff Johnson stands up. “Can I help you?” he asks. The young man points to Jake and blurts out “Yeah, this skunk got my sister pregnant and won’t own up to it!”
Jake states, “Well Sheriff, there seems to be a scam being had here I think, and it seems like somebody is trying to get some money from me. I never met this woman before.” The Sheriff looks to Jake and asks “Who are you?” “My name is Jake Cook, sir,” he replies. Sheriff Johnson replies, “Well Jake Cook Sir, are you a Yankee?” Jake states “A Yankee? I live in the Arizona Territory Sir.”
Johnson states, “You don’t sound like Arizona Territory folk. Where you from originally?” Jake replies “Philadelphia.” Johnson blurts out “Yankee!” “Does that matter in the eyes of the law here?” Jake asks. Johnson points to the young couple and says, “These guys sound like they are from Texas. I think I’d believe a Texan before I believe a Yankee.”
Jake interjects “I think your cousin Biff would believe me.” “You know Biff?” Johnson asks. “Oh yeah,” Jake states. “How do you know Biff?” Johnson asks. Jake says, “He shaves me.” Johnson says, “Uh huh, so you thinking dragging in the name of my stinking cousin is going to help you out Yankee? Why don’t you spend a day or two in the lockup out back, then we can talk about this.” “And what would be the charge sir?” Jake inquires.
Johnson pauses and states, “Well, obviously you….you’ll have to go before the Judge to discuss her claim.” Ginnie states, “Can I ask you a question?” The Sheriff looks down and asks, “Who are you? Are you his daughter?” Ginnie laughs and states “That would be an impossibility.” He points to the baby and says “And this is his other daughter?” Ginnie says, “That would also be an impossibility.” The Sheriff looks back to Jake and gesturing to the baby states “Can you prove that this isn’t your daughter?” “And what would you accept as proof?” Jake asks. “Well, certainly not the word of a Yankee,” he states.
Ginnie gestures to the young woman and asks, “Sheriff, has this girl been out of this town or the New Mexico Territory in the last fifteen months?” Sheriff Johnson says, “I never met I. I never saw any of you until ten minutes ago.” The young man says, “We just got into town. We’ve been looking for this skunk for quite some time.” Ginnie glances at the baby’s eyes, concluding that they are too close to Jake’s in color to use that as the argument against. She asks, “Then where exactly did this….connection…happen?”
The young man pauses then states “Nebraska. We had a farm in Nebraska last year. A family farm.” “What town in Nebraska sir?” Jake asks. “Omaha,” is his reply. And when was I in Omaha?” Jake asks. “A year ago fall, Look, all we want is for him to do the right thing. Either he needs to marry Margaret, or at least see that the baby is financially supported,” the boy replies. The Sheriff suggests that they could go across the street to the Justice of the Peace.
Jake looks back at the young couple and asks, “So, when did you get into town you two?” The young man says, “A few hours ago.” “Really, and how did you know I was coming to town?” Jake asks. The man says, “We’ve been looking for you for a while. We asked around.” “Asked around where?” Jake inquires. “The Trading Post. They said you’d stopped by,” he states. Jake says, “Right, but how did you know to come to this exact town to begin with?”
The young man states, “We’ve been looking all over for you.” Jake states, “Yes, but how did you know to come here now?” The young man states, “We’ve been following your tracks.” “Really, and where have I been?” Jake then asks. The young man says, “You’re a famous gambler, you gamble from town to town, we just had to ask around.” Ginnie interjects “Well then, where was the last place you followed his tracks from?” The boy states “Albuquerque.” “And how long ago was that?” she asks. “Maybe a month ago,” she replies.
Ginnie pulls out her notebook, which has a page for each Lucky Lady employee, and shows the Sheriff that Jake has not been in Albuquerque in seven months. This new evidence creates enough uncertainty that the Sheriff says, “I think the Judge should probably decide this.” Jake says, “Look, this is embarrassing. I am an honest man, here to look after some children, and considering some business opportunities and..” The Sheriff interjects “You take care of other people’s children but won’t take care of your own?” “That’s not my child Sir,” is Jake’s reply.
Ginnie asks the young man a few more questions, which he is evasive in his answer to. She then asks him pointed as to when he heard that Jake would be in the town of Dead Mule. The young man says, “Two weeks ago.” Ginnie says, “Interesting, given that this trip here wasn’t planned until four days ago and I can produce multiple witnesses to that fact. There was no trail to find, you’re lying.” The Sheriff decides to eject all of them from his office, telling them “Come back when you folks have settled this.”
Once outside the young man again appeals to Jake for money. The woman grabs his arm and says, “Jerry, let’s just go.” Jake says, “Jerry, that’s your name? Listen, I’ve pulled hundreds more scams than this. You’re not very good at it and you’re not getting any money from me. You should have done your homework Jerry, you could have found out where I’d been and when I’d been there. I’ve got witnesses. I’ve got the money to prove the facts as they really are.” The young man hesitates and then says, “Let me talk to my sister, we’ll check in with you later.”
While the men have been talking Ginnie takes the woman aside and sternly states, “You need to stop this. You know he’s not the father. For all I know that man claiming to be your brother is really the father. I can prove Jake isn’t the father. I would strongly suggest you get out of town before Jake becomes really annoyed with you.” The young lady grabs the man’s arm and leads him away.
The teenagers arrive outside the adobe and wood office of the Dead Mule Weekly Gazette. Outside of the front door secured to a six-foot-long iron chain is a bear. It appears to be sleeping and block the doorway. Emily and Colleen move forward towards the animal. Ginnie suggests that they talk to it.
Emily casts a Speak with Animals spell “Hello, Good morning” she states. She then asks “Can we go by?” The bear replies, “Uhh, I know you? You don’t smell like I know you?” Emily replies “No, we want to talk to the man inside.” “You hurt master?” the bear asks. “No, no, just talk,” Emily states. “You have food?” the bears asks. Emily exclaims “Yes.” “You have food for me?” the bear asks, adding “I want food.” Emily passes this information on to her friends.
They sort through their pocks and hand over several sticks of beef jerky. The bear asks if they have any more. Emily explains that they do not. The bear seems content with what he has been given and starts to eat it. The teenagers quickly head inside. Ginnie recognizes the publisher Frank Washbuck. He is seated at a desk writing something out. Frank looks up with a surprised expression on his face. “What’s happened to bear!” he exclaims.
“The bear is fine,” Emily states. “Why did he let you in?” Washbuck states. Colleen calmly states “We fed it.” “DO NOT FEED THE BEAR!” he shouts. Emily asks, “Why not? He was grateful.” “Of course he was little girl, but you should not be feeding the bear. How do I know that you didn’t poison him?” the man states. “Why would we do that?” Cathleen states. He replies, “A lot of people want to kill that bear.” “We don’t” states Colleen.
Washbuck says, “How do I know that? Who they heck are you people? What are you kids doing here?” Ginnie says, “Well, we were coming to interview you for a special publication, but I guess from your manner you aren’t interested. We can always leave.” “No, wait, pull up a chair, let’s talk,” he states.
Across the street Jake is just sitting casually, making sure that the bear didn’t eat the kids. He sees a couple heading down the street, a young man of around twenty and a young woman a few years younger. She is carrying a baby in her arms. He is carrying a shotgun, pointed casually towards the ground. When they are ten feet away the man points to Jake and yells out “Is that him?” She says, “Yeah, he’s the man.”
Jake replies, “Excuse me Ma’am? I don’t believe we’ve met.” The young man begins to lift his shotgun, however before he has it pointed he is looking down the receiving end of Jake’s Colt. Jake states, “You put that gun down boy!” The says “Look, I didn’t mean to hurt you mister, but…” Jake interrupts with a louder “Put The Shotgun Down Boy, Before You Say Another Word! And then we can have a nice chat.” The young man lowers the shotgun.
Jake lowers the hammer on his gun and slowly replaces it in his holster. “Now, what was it you wanted to talk about boy?” he asks. The young man exclaims, “I want to talk about my sister’s honor. Listen you skunk, you knocked her up, she had your kid, you’re gonna pay.” Jake calmly replies, “The young woman is not telling the truth sir.” “You calling my sister a liar?” the man asks.
Jake looks to the woman and says, “Ma’am, it would be awful if I called you a liar, get your brother angry, and the end result be him dying from a gunshot wound. Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?” The woman exclaims, “Yeah, I made a mistake getting involved with you Mister Cook.” Jake softly mutters “I’m not liking where this is going.” The kids across the street hear the yelling and look out the window. “What now?” Ginnie exclaims.
Jake states “So, young lady, what’s your name?” She breaks into tears and exclaims “You don’t remember my name?” “Afraid not,” Jake answers. The young man exclaims, “This is my sister Margaret and you damned well better remember her!” Ginnie heads out across the street to join them. Jake takes a good look at the baby, deducing it to be four or five months in age.
He states, “I’ve got to say Ma’am, I don’t think we’ve ever met, and if we did it wasn’t very memorable.” “You insulting my sister?” the young man states, adding “I think we’d better go see the Sheriff, let him settle it, or maybe the Justice of the Peace.” Jake says, “Well then, let’s go see the Sheriff.” They head that way, Ginnie tagging along.
The arrive at the Sheriff’s office. The glass in the windows is grimy and stained. Several old wanted posters are on the walls. They see mine assaying equipment in there, assuming that if the man’s primary job. A tall man who does bear some resemblance to Promise City’s Biff Johnson stands up. “Can I help you?” he asks. The young man points to Jake and blurts out “Yeah, this skunk got my sister pregnant and won’t own up to it!”
Jake states, “Well Sheriff, there seems to be a scam being had here I think, and it seems like somebody is trying to get some money from me. I never met this woman before.” The Sheriff looks to Jake and asks “Who are you?” “My name is Jake Cook, sir,” he replies. Sheriff Johnson replies, “Well Jake Cook Sir, are you a Yankee?” Jake states “A Yankee? I live in the Arizona Territory Sir.”
Johnson states, “You don’t sound like Arizona Territory folk. Where you from originally?” Jake replies “Philadelphia.” Johnson blurts out “Yankee!” “Does that matter in the eyes of the law here?” Jake asks. Johnson points to the young couple and says, “These guys sound like they are from Texas. I think I’d believe a Texan before I believe a Yankee.”
Jake interjects “I think your cousin Biff would believe me.” “You know Biff?” Johnson asks. “Oh yeah,” Jake states. “How do you know Biff?” Johnson asks. Jake says, “He shaves me.” Johnson says, “Uh huh, so you thinking dragging in the name of my stinking cousin is going to help you out Yankee? Why don’t you spend a day or two in the lockup out back, then we can talk about this.” “And what would be the charge sir?” Jake inquires.
Johnson pauses and states, “Well, obviously you….you’ll have to go before the Judge to discuss her claim.” Ginnie states, “Can I ask you a question?” The Sheriff looks down and asks, “Who are you? Are you his daughter?” Ginnie laughs and states “That would be an impossibility.” He points to the baby and says “And this is his other daughter?” Ginnie says, “That would also be an impossibility.” The Sheriff looks back to Jake and gesturing to the baby states “Can you prove that this isn’t your daughter?” “And what would you accept as proof?” Jake asks. “Well, certainly not the word of a Yankee,” he states.
Ginnie gestures to the young woman and asks, “Sheriff, has this girl been out of this town or the New Mexico Territory in the last fifteen months?” Sheriff Johnson says, “I never met I. I never saw any of you until ten minutes ago.” The young man says, “We just got into town. We’ve been looking for this skunk for quite some time.” Ginnie glances at the baby’s eyes, concluding that they are too close to Jake’s in color to use that as the argument against. She asks, “Then where exactly did this….connection…happen?”
The young man pauses then states “Nebraska. We had a farm in Nebraska last year. A family farm.” “What town in Nebraska sir?” Jake asks. “Omaha,” is his reply. And when was I in Omaha?” Jake asks. “A year ago fall, Look, all we want is for him to do the right thing. Either he needs to marry Margaret, or at least see that the baby is financially supported,” the boy replies. The Sheriff suggests that they could go across the street to the Justice of the Peace.
Jake looks back at the young couple and asks, “So, when did you get into town you two?” The young man says, “A few hours ago.” “Really, and how did you know I was coming to town?” Jake asks. The man says, “We’ve been looking for you for a while. We asked around.” “Asked around where?” Jake inquires. “The Trading Post. They said you’d stopped by,” he states. Jake says, “Right, but how did you know to come to this exact town to begin with?”
The young man states, “We’ve been looking all over for you.” Jake states, “Yes, but how did you know to come here now?” The young man states, “We’ve been following your tracks.” “Really, and where have I been?” Jake then asks. The young man says, “You’re a famous gambler, you gamble from town to town, we just had to ask around.” Ginnie interjects “Well then, where was the last place you followed his tracks from?” The boy states “Albuquerque.” “And how long ago was that?” she asks. “Maybe a month ago,” she replies.
Ginnie pulls out her notebook, which has a page for each Lucky Lady employee, and shows the Sheriff that Jake has not been in Albuquerque in seven months. This new evidence creates enough uncertainty that the Sheriff says, “I think the Judge should probably decide this.” Jake says, “Look, this is embarrassing. I am an honest man, here to look after some children, and considering some business opportunities and..” The Sheriff interjects “You take care of other people’s children but won’t take care of your own?” “That’s not my child Sir,” is Jake’s reply.
Ginnie asks the young man a few more questions, which he is evasive in his answer to. She then asks him pointed as to when he heard that Jake would be in the town of Dead Mule. The young man says, “Two weeks ago.” Ginnie says, “Interesting, given that this trip here wasn’t planned until four days ago and I can produce multiple witnesses to that fact. There was no trail to find, you’re lying.” The Sheriff decides to eject all of them from his office, telling them “Come back when you folks have settled this.”
Once outside the young man again appeals to Jake for money. The woman grabs his arm and says, “Jerry, let’s just go.” Jake says, “Jerry, that’s your name? Listen, I’ve pulled hundreds more scams than this. You’re not very good at it and you’re not getting any money from me. You should have done your homework Jerry, you could have found out where I’d been and when I’d been there. I’ve got witnesses. I’ve got the money to prove the facts as they really are.” The young man hesitates and then says, “Let me talk to my sister, we’ll check in with you later.”
While the men have been talking Ginnie takes the woman aside and sternly states, “You need to stop this. You know he’s not the father. For all I know that man claiming to be your brother is really the father. I can prove Jake isn’t the father. I would strongly suggest you get out of town before Jake becomes really annoyed with you.” The young lady grabs the man’s arm and leads him away.
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