"I am moving to your fair town, with intentions to buy a property I saw advertised in New York.  Addy was moving my things and myself by wagon from Oakdale.  But I'd be moving into your cemetery instead, were it not for this remarkable young lady."

Speed grinned. "Yes sir, we all know about Addy. She is remarkable. I know you hate that stuff Addy, but we keep tellin' you it's true."

"On the first day of our travels from Oakdale by wagon, we encountered a couple of chaps with a broken cart.  Stopping to help, a third came up behind us.  When he saw that I noticed him, he fired off a snap shot with his coach gun.  Ruined that side of the wagon, but fortunately not my face.  At least, it's not any worse than it was before.

" There was a report of about the same thing, but with no County Sheriff, there was little I could do. Then What happened, Mister Smith?" Speed asked.

Then he lifted his cup in Addy's direction, "She thought fast.  Charged the pair in front by bringing our horses to action, surprising them and forcing them to leap aside.  Then, once we'd gotten a distance up the road, she brought us to a halt at a defensible position.  The men advanced on horseback, firing upon us.  I managed to hit one with my rifle.  The other two took cover, attacking from the right and left flanks. 

When they ran out of ammunition and started to reload, good Addy here suggested a charge.  Hers was more successful than mine.  The fellow I came upon pulled a knife, and I stumbled back and knocked my head on a rock.  

I wager that God fired at that brigand for me, as I was knocked quite senseless.  But the Lord's aim was true, if not mine, and he was shot dead. 

Addy took her own man easily, then came about to recover me.  It was hours before I was capable again.  I still have a lump at the back of my head under my hat and hair.  But at the end of it all, this was discovered."

"Sounds like the two of you handled as well as anybody could have. And you managed to clean up some men that have been causing quite ruckus over the past few months.

Roland withdrew the wanted poster from his pocket and laid it upon the man's desk.

"Confirmed criminals, if this is to be believed, even before they attempted to rob us."

"Oh it is to be believed, Mister Smith. Roy Gruber. Well, he's no stranger to poster paper. Let's see," Speed pull the draw open and rifled through a number of flyers before he came to the one he was looking for. "Yep, Roy Grubber, Nate, and Charlie Nesbit, there's a likeness of them on this, they the ones?"

"Looks to me like there's a tidy little sum for those three. So, if you don't mind paper, we can settle up right now." Speed offered. "Coin would be tomorrow and I'm not sure they have six hundred dollars in coin, though they might.

"Got their horses, tack an' weapons over to th' Millegan barn," Addy set a small pack on Speed's desk, "an' this is th' rest of their belongin's, save th' clothes, of course."

"Fair enough, We've no use for the guns or any of the rest, so I'll trust you'll take care of it." Speed said. "There's likely enough in that reward money for a couple pieces of hard candy at the mercantile."

Tags Bongo, Cuban Writer

"Alright, then."  Addy nodded, keeping her eyes on Speed.  "Though I don't know what I'd do with hard candies, 'less maybe them outlaw horses'd like some."  She grinned, sensing Weedy fidgeting behind her.  There would be plenty of hard candies, once the reward was divvied up!  "Paper'd be acceptable," she added, "I  got an account over t' th' bank."  That actually had a tidy sum, waiting for Weedy to grow up, although it was going to take a bit of it to repair her wagon.

She glanced at Roland.  "We can hash out th' horses an' all whenever that ya got time, I don't mind havin' in th' stable fer a few days, only that Weedy can use a proper saddle."  The boy loved his Indian pony, but the saddle he was using was old and bare, so it looked like he'd be getting a new one!  And there were no qualms about splitting up the goods, she hadn't asked to be robbed, nor her wagon shot up, and Roland hadn't asked to be near-killed.  Those men had made their choices, and that was that!

"And a gun, too?"  Weedy stepped forward hopefully, but shrank back at the glares he got from both Addy and Speed.  It was worth a try, but the boy wasn't getting a gun any time soon!

All of it was business, and it wasn't urgent, so it was time to give herself a treat.  "Me'n Weedy're headed over t' th' Lickskillet fer steak an' pe-can pie, if either of ya gents are a mind ta join us." 

"Weedy isn't the only one interested in a gun," Roland said, rising as Addy got up to leave.  

"Or several, as the case may be."

He waved vaguely at the wall, as though indicating the obscured territory beyond.   "I'd be willing to surrender any interest I may have in the horses.  That's your trade.  But I could use the guns to fill out my stock.  If it isn't unseemly to so openly discuss the disposition of a dead man's chest." He glanced between the Marshal and the Wagoner who'd fought beside him on the road.

When she invited him to supper, he held up a hand, "We can discuss such business later.  I would join you for dinner, but I'm only slightly less tired than those bandits.  I only hope not to sleep as deeply."  

He reached into his pocket, finding a dollar coin.  Enough for four steaks and a tip besides.

"It would honor me deeply if I could buy you and your son's dinner. 

I meant what I said before, Addy.   I owe you my life.  My gratitude doesn't die with dinner.  You ever need anything, you only have to ask."

@[Bongo]

Flip

"It'd be fun, but I'm behind in several areas of things so I will have to pass." Speed declined, as much as he would like to go with them for supper work did not permit it. "Now, as to the guns and horses, do as you wish." He then counted out the money and laid the sheaf of bills in front of Addy.

"Sorry Weedy, no hard candy in the money box, but here," There was some change in the box, so he took out a dime and handed it to the lad, "That should buy you plenty of hard candy at the mercantile, maybe the General Store."

Tag addy, Cuban Writer

"Guns'er yers, horses mine," Addy agreed, adding, "there's a couple'a pocket watches, too, you can have them."  It seemed a fair split, the firearms she'd collected were mostly of good quality, and she had no use for them.  Taking the coin from Roland, she gave him a nod.  "Thank ya much, but I'd'a been in a tight spot if you weren't there, too."

As much as she was no-nonsense and tough, she could only do so much, and taking on three bandits alone could have had a dire outcome, and then where would Weedy be?

"I'll keep yer guns with th' rest'a yer equipment, until yer set up."  Standing, she took the money that Speed laid out, stashing it into a pocket.  "I'll send over some pie for ya, Speed.  Don't work so hard."

As he came over to collect his dime, Weedy smiled and nodded.  "Thank you, Marshal."  He knew that Addy wouldn't approve of too many sweets, so he'd buy a pencil, so he could say he used the money for 'good'!  The rest would go to plenty of treats for him and Wyatt!

"Gentlemen."  She glanced at Roland before heading out the door.  "Just send word when yer ready ta get yer things, Weedy'll bring 'em right over!"

Speed also got to his feet with a smile. "What with the mine, the business, and Marshallin' sometimes I have no time. But we'll do that soon, promise. Weedy, you take of Addy, will you? And not too much candy, it might be good, but it's not good for you." He said. "And Mister Smith, a pleasure and I'll be dropping around once you're settled in. Time to time I get guns, maybe I could have you get them ready for resale, and we could split the profits? Just a thought."

"Have a good evening folks. Good to see you." He said. There was much that had been overlooked what with the Copper Queen, and his business that he needed to catch up on, plus a couple of reports of things that didn't amount to much. But a few extra hours and he would be caught up. And, he was unsure of when Alice would be popping in and insisting on supper.

Tag Bongo, Cuban Writer.