Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"And there I see the cows," Roland declared, dipping the rim of his hat to salute them as the pair passed by the grazing animals, "my respects for your sacrifice."
"Good ta have a purpose in life, ain't it!" she called to the cows, then glanced at Roland. "Reckon ya could try eatin' me, but I don't reckon as I'd taste so good, all tough an'..."
Her attention was diverted at the approach of a rider. "That's Mike Wentworth, he's th' foreman," she explained to Roland, pulling Arabesque to a stop.
"Miss Addy, nice to see you again."
"Mike." Smiling, she nodded. "Good ta see ya. This here's Mister Roland Smith. Roland, Mike Wentworth," she gave the formal introduction. "Always nice ta be out here, right pretty spread, an' cows worth eatin'!"
A good person is like a good gun: Reliable to the Last.
"Reckon ya could try eatin' me, but I don't reckon as I'd taste so good, all tough an'..."
Roland's mouth fell open slightly, as he vividly imagined just what it might be like to eat Addy Chappel. None of his imaginings suggested anything less than a succulent, tender meal.
But just as her words were interrupted, so too was his train of thought.
A rider had been approaching them, and was now near enough for a greeting. Addy was kind enough to make the introductions. Roland lifted a hand to tip his hat in Mike's direction.
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Wentworth. It's been my pleasure and honor to be invited to dine at the ranch this evening.
It will be good to finally meet the young owners and their wards, who have suffered so much uncertainty and unkindness of late, and perhaps we can grope together for some scintilla of hope in these troubling times."
Well... it didn't take long after meeting Roland to figure out that he was a talker, and the social anxiety of a new encounter only exacerbated that tendency.
He fell in with Mr. Wentworth, beside Bongo, as they rode together to the ranch house.
Mike acknowledged the man after Addy's introduction. As he listened to Roland, Mike was not impressed by his verbosity. He liked people who spoke plainly and had little use for words that were better suited in the parlours of grand mansions back east. Although he grown in such a place, it was one of the things that made him to want to get away from it as soon as he could. However, it was not his place or inclination to judge a man he barely knew.
Turning to Roland, he nodded, "I agree that these are troubling times. We've had a few people on Lost Lake either wounded or killed but that was while Shade was gone. Now that he's back, there is concern that it might step up a notch or two. Whatever happens, I know that the hands and I are prepared for it. I just hope it can be resolved without too much more killing, but I highly doubt it. Elias Steelgrave is a man on a mission and it will be hard to stop him."
Bongo @[Cuban_Writer]
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Elias Steelegrave don't got th' brains God give a polecat born on a rainy Sunday afternoon!" Addy grumbled, although that wasn't exactly true. The man was smart enough, he just didn't have any scruples, nor caring for other people!
"We come ta talk things over, see if there's a way ta help," she continued on to explain. "Leastways keep blood t' a minimum. Oh, an' we heard rumors th' foods pretty good, too!" Maybe that was the best could be done, but it was something, and hopefully Evergreen would get past its nonsense of trying to provoke a range war.
A good person is like a good gun: Reliable to the Last.
"I had the misfortune of meeting Mr. Steelgrave recently," Roland said, "and it seems to me the general opinion of the fellow is distressingly accurate."
Roland then went on to completely misunderstand Mike's statement about Shade.
"I am unfamiliar with this Shade individual. If he is in the employ of Mr. Steelgrave, I can't imagine he's a shining example of humanity."
That might have been unfair, even if it had been true.
Roland himself could be classed as being in Mr. Steelgrave's employ, depending on how one interpreted recent events.
Addy named Steelgrave as dumb as a polecat, and Roland rode for a little while before asking, "What is a Polecat?"
Perhaps it was some manner of American lion that people hunted around here? A reason for people to buy his hunting rifles?
They came onto the ranch proper as the conversation continued, and soon were within hailing distance of the ranch house. Lost Lake truly was a vision of splendor. He could tell why people might be willing to fight and die for this place. It looked like a slice of heaven on Earth.
@[Bongo]
‘Over the Mountains of the Moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow, ride, boldly ride, The Shade replied - If you seek for El Dorado
The sound of horses' hooves on the stones of the entry courtyard sent the twins racing for the door. Shade sharply warned them not to open it and was pleased to see them waiting patiently. He ruffled Cody's hair and took Nettie's hand as he pulled the doors open, but he held back and let Quentin precede him out of the door to greet them. After all, he had been the one to arrange this get-together.
Shade knew Addy and Mike, of course, and offered both a pleasant nod and smile while he sized up the man riding with them. Quentin had mentioned that one of their guests was to be Roland Smith, the town's new gunsmith. Shade hoped this gentleman lasted longer than the others had.
Roland Smith was a tall man of medium build with wisps of white gray in his hair and neatly trimmed facial hair. He sat his horse with ease and not the stiffness that some older men would exhibit leading Shade to assume he was in overall good shape. These things were important. He was distracted from his mental impressions of the man as Nettie began dancing excitedly and tugging on his hand as she recognized Mike and Addy. Cody, however, had spotted the stranger and had moved back to stand close to Shade, but slightly behind him.
Shade maintained his silence, waiting on Quentin to take the lead.
Tags Longshot
Quentin moved past everyone and crossed the distance as Roland and Addy finished dismounting. He reached and shook Roland's hand while nodding to Addy. "Roland, Addy...good to see you. Glad you could make it..." Quentin turned and walked with them and Mike back to the group standing just off the porch. He looked at them as he began making introductions.
"Everyone, this is Roland Smith. He's the new Gunsmith in town and the inventor of my Mare's Leg, so I am indebted to him considering what may be about to happen.
Quentin then turned to glance at Roland before going along the people standing opposite him. "Roland, allow me to introduce Shade Thornton. His brother was half of the couple who owned Lost Lake. His brother was married to my sister..."
Shade smiled warmly at Addy and Mike and then nodded politely to Roland, giving the man's hand a firm, but friendly shake.
Quentin then turned and held out his hand, taking Harriet's hand and holding it as she descended the steps. "Roland, Allow me to present Harriet Mercer, Esquire. She was the lawyer who helped my sister and Shade's brother with the ranch's legal issues. She hunted me up when they were killed and has been...irreplaceable since then..."
Like Shade, Harriet smiled and greeted Mike and Addy warmly before turning and offering her hand to Roland Smith while surreptitiously sizing the man up.
Quentin finally turned. "And finally, allow me to..." Quentin's words trailed off as he looked around the front porch and yard. "Well...I was going to introduce you to the twins, but they appear to have beat a retreat for the time being."
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Polecat..." Addy grinned, elaborating, "Skunk, that's a polecat, an' best steer clear'a them!"
As they rode into the yard they were met by hands who took control of the horses, and Addy grinned as she swung to the ground and approached the house. There were familiar faces that she hadn't seen in a while, and she found that that was going to make the afternoon all the better!
"Shade, Miss Harriet." With a nod, she looked behind Shade, then asked, "Where's them kids? I brung 'em somethin'," she pulled a small bag from her pocket that rattled as she shook it, "but I reckon if they ain't here, I can just keep it for myself!"
‘Over the Mountains of the Moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow, ride, boldly ride, The Shade replied - If you seek for El Dorado
"Shade, Miss Harriet." With a nod, she looked behind Shade, then asked, "Where's them kids? I brung 'em somethin'," she pulled a small bag from her pocket that rattled as she shook it, "but I reckon if they ain't here, I can just keep it for myself!"
Harriet smiled and greeted Addy with, "I think you could probably just call me Harriet or H.G. by now, Addy."
Before Shade or Quentin could summon the twins, Cody and Nettie raced out from across the courtyard to throw their arms around Addy's legs.
"Miss Addy! Miss Addy!" Both children chorused at the same time.
"We haven't seen you in soooo long," Cody added quietly with his gentle, shy smile.
"What did you bring us?" Nettie asked boldly, her eyes bright with interest.
"Nettie! That was very impolite," Harriet admonished with a fond laugh. She still held onto Quentin's hand, squeezing it gently as she spoke to the lively little girl.
Nettie immediately looked contrite, "It is lovely to see you after all this time, Miss Addy."
By now one of the hands that worked primarily around the ranch house and main barn had arrived. Shade nodded to him, "Jase will see your horses settled. Come on inside."
Quentin walked with Harriet as everyone slowly made their way inside. "I am afraid the kids have inherited Shade's manners, but we're working on it." Once everyone was in the foyer, Quentin glanced at the group. "Do we want to have dinner first, or have our discussion first?"