"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
Speed returned fire to distract the gunman from the citizens, he recognized the men as Steelgrave men. He quickly ducked behind a large barrel and took another shot.
Del Vincent, Zeb Freeman, and Will Carter turned and sent a three shot volley at Marshhal Guiyer, but other than ripping open the shoulder seam on Carter's jacket, there were no hits. Vincent drew a second gun and his first shot was a dud. A common occurrence with ammunition on the frontier. But he was not alone, both of the the others produced a second pistol Knowing it was the law shooting at them, they scrambled for cover as well. This could be a drawn out affair.
Speed turned his attention to the men racing for their horses, He couldn't allow them to escape, even if he knew where they had come from, getting there and arresting them would be harder fought than this street fight! The Evergreen was not a hospitable place for the law. He silently wished Pike would ride in on that hammer head roan of his and even up the odds a bit.
It never fails, Morgan thought to himself. Every town he had been in, no matter how large or small...something was always going on. Morgan had ridden into Kalispell just a short time ago. He had paid to have his horse taken care of at the Livery due to the long ride he had just finished. His mount deserved a rest.
Morgan had been walking down the wooden sidewalk, his bedroll and saddlebags over one shoulder and his rifle in his other hand. He had noticed the commotion farther down the way but he was also a firm believer in minding his own business until something happened to change his mind. That something had been a shot. He could see a body laying in the street as the people began scrambling around and screaming. He couldn't make out a lot from his position but he could see the two men moving in his direction with a woman who most definitely did not want to accompany them. Morgan glanced around and then tossed his bedroll and saddlebags against the wall of the closest storefront.
Next, Morgan took his Winchester 73 in both hands and worked the lever to chamber a round. He noticed a pair of horses tied ahead of him and guessed they belonged to the two men heading toward him. They had lost the woman during their movement so that eliminated one problem. Morgan let them get close enough to be reaching for their reins and be distracted when he spoke. He was kneeling perhaps ten yards down the sidewalk from them when he spoke.
"Hold it!" He kept the Winchester barrel about middle way between the two, ready to turn and fire at the first one to make a move against him...
That door now opened. Constance spun about to see who had opened it, wide eyed.
For a moment, Anna was taken aback by the appearance of Constance near the back door of the General Store. She hadn't expected to see her there but she was relieved that she was.
"Thank goodness, you are all right. I don't how you found your way here considering the maze of back streets but I'm glad you did."
She went up Constance and smiled warmly, "The best place for you right now is inside. Mrs. Wilson always keeps a pot of coffee on the stove and I think you might need a cup."
@ [Wayfarer
Storyteller / Shared NPC
The two causes of this whole mess now were close to making their horses, the one hit in the leg dragging behind though in quite a bit of discomfort.
"Hold it!"
Both men turned to look. Who the hell was this jasper? Looked like some mountain man or...maybe a bounty hunter? No matter, they were not going to give up, given what they'd already done.
The man closest to the horses dove for cover shooting wildly without looking in the general direction of the rifle bearer. But the second man, gritting his teeth thru the pain of his leg, stood there and brought up his pistol to shoot this latest threat.
***
Further behind the Evergreeners, kneeling behind some barrel, Ralph now took more careful aim and fired at one of the three men engaged in pouring fire at the marshal. If that meant he'd shoot one of them in the back, Ralph didn't care. This was no gentlemens' duel, this was kill or be killed.
The man closest to the horses dove for cover shooting wildly without looking in the general direction of the rifle bearer. But the second man, gritting his teeth thru the pain of his leg, stood there and brought up his pistol to shoot this latest threat.
The one cowpoke might have gotten lucky with his wild shooting, but then again, you can die falling off your horse when it gets spooked. Morgan had been shot at enough in his life not to worry too much over scared men throwing wild rounds without looking. The one with the hole in his leg, however, was standing his ground and actually aiming his pistol at Morgan. That took guts...absolutely no brains, but a lot of guts. Morgan shifted the Winchester's barrel to his torso and squeezed the trigger. His hand worked the lever out of long practice as he stayed kneeling on the sidewalk...
Hector Wigfall was fortunate in that he'd only been shot once. Hector Wigfall was unfortunate in that that one shot had done a good deal of damage and needed more care than could be meted out on the boardwalk.
"We need to get him to the hospital," he told Clara, relieved that she was of a strong constitution and was keeping her composure, "do you think you can help me get him there?"
At least it was away from the shooting, back one block then off the main street, so once they got around the corner they'd be clear of the shooting.
"I'll keep ya covered," Addy assured them, "just stick close to th' walls."
The hospital wasn't open just yet, but it was close enough, there were beds where Hector could be treated, and the equipment he'd need was there...somewhere...
"We need to get him to the hospital," the doctor told Clara, "do you think you can help me get him there?"
Clara did not hesitate to nod, "Of course, whatever needs doing."
Addy assured them both she'd keep them covered. Clara had no doubt about that either.
Slowly the unlikely pair labored to move the injured young man, he was in effect dead weight being unconscious and it was not easy even for someone his size, as Clara was learning. But she was no weakling either.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
What had started out as being nothing more than a off the cuff attempt to scare a couple of local ladies had turned into the worst day of the man's life, make that the last day too. Already wounded, desperate to get out of there, and his usual temper overriding common sense, he now leveled his revolver to shoot this latest busybody.
It was a fatal mistake. The other man fired first and the rifle bullet struck him full in the chest. He went backward and hit the street dirt hard with the back of his head. No matter, he was dead within seconds.
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
There was a flurry of activity in the street, people trying to move the wounded Hector, a stranger stepping in and firing on the wounded Evergreen cowhand gunman. He broke for his horse and the rifle that would help even the odds, that was when he saw one of the trio on the boardwalk take a hit in the back, arching and then falling forward dropping his guns as he fell face first on the boardwalk.
Speed levered several shots at the others who were shooting back so his aim was off as was theirs! Every shot seemed to be quick and inaccurate, with the exception of the newcomer with the Winchester.
It was Ralph who killed the man just down from the saloon, forcing his compatriots to seek better cover. Guyer smiled and waved, then fired another four shots at the two remaining on the boardwalk. He had lost sight of the gunman who had run for his horse. These things had a speed of their own, sometimes almost slow motion, other times faster than a man might keep up with.
Speed fed fresh cartridges from his gunbelt into the rifle's magazine as woodchips from the plank beneath him showed him with splinters, forcing him to look away.
Morgan saw his target sprawl back with a red flower blooming on his chest. Even if he was not dead, a bullet in that location meant he had a lot more to worry about than continuing the gunfight.
Staying still like a potted plant was a good way to draw fire in a gunfight. Motion was your friend even if was nothing but changing your stance from standing to kneeling or laying flat. Morgan stayed crouched as he backed up to the corner of the shop he had been standing in front of.
His rifle barrel moved back and forth as he sought a target before he stopped at the corner. Morgan stood to keep his rangy form behind as much cover as possible as he looked for the man who had thrown the wild rounds at him a few seconds ago. Morgan's eyes picked out the man still among the spooked horses and he brought the rifle to his shoulder. He lowered the sights until he picked out a boot among the horses' hooves and he fired another round...