Prelude: Leaving the farm

[Brennor]

The man hanging the side has a tin star attached to a brown vest. His hat is pulled tightly onto his head, shading his eyes. The man is facing the wall he is hanging the sign on, pounding in the last nail right now.

The hat hides his facial features, but not the black hair visible underneath the rear brim. Nor does it hide his stature. This man is pretty tall; certainly taller than the average man, and built pretty well as well; certainly better than the average person.

His light-colored shirt fits well underneath the vest. It is just barely visible beneath the waist length brown jacket the man is wearing.

At his hips, one on either side are the butts of two pistols. Some shiny pieces are also visible on the belt.

The man finishes pounding in the last nail and turns around. His clean shaven chin is visible beneath the brim of the hat.

[od]

Sitting atop his wagon the weathered negro pulls up alongside the sheriff. Though not built heavy, the lean man looks like the sort that could run for days. The ladies might find him handsome, but only certain ladies, he's about as dark as Blacks come and there ain't no doubt how he must of got to this country. Plain clothes make him look a farmer, but the cross outside his shirt and the bible on the seat with him could make you think otherwise.

"He passed through the Blackstone ghost town about a week back," Lucas says, not really bothering with introductions. "Course it wasn't a ghost town till he showed up. Heading west, heading this way." Lucas spits on the ground, "God's thinking I should kill him. Might be you got some information to help me with that, sheriff?"

[Brennor]

The jacketed man looks around as the other man pulls up, as if looking for someone. He turns slightly, away from where he was hanging the sign.

"I don't see the Sheriff. Where was he?"

He is still looking away while posing the question. He hasn't really looked at the man sitting on the wagon yet.

Almost as an afterthought, he motions towards the sign. "Well, if you kill him, you are eligible for the reward."

Now that the man is no longer concentrating on the sign, the words on his badge are visible:

U.S. Marshal

[od]

Lucas just ignores the mans need for an ego boost. "Well Marshal, that's nice. I suppose I'll just keep looking for him then." Lucas says as he starts to pull the wagon away. "Sorry to bother you with questions about a guy that's killing whole towns."

[Brennor]

William holds up his hand. "Wait just a moment before you take off."

He looks around again, to see if the Sheriff is still around. "Since I don't see the Sheriff, I assume you mistook me for him."

He looks over the other man, not seeming to have much of a reaction to the black man's presence.

"Now, what questions did you have about this man? And what can you tell me about him?"

[od]

"Not much," Lucas admits. "From what I can tell he's a gambler, and a good one, won the shirts off a tavern full of people. He's a gunslinger, and a good one, shot everyone in a tavern without getting a scratch. He's a huckster, and a damnably evil one, zombified a tavern and had then kill a whole town. Came here to Denver and is either still here, or likely in Injun territory by now." Lucas says down to the man from his seat. "Though, if he's in Injun territory I reckon you don't care that much no more."

[Brennor]

The Marshal nods his head, seeming a little shocked at a portion of the description, but pointing towards the sign. "A different description than what I've got, but it definitely goes towards the 'unnatural acts' portion of the poster."

He pauses a moment, looking up the street, towards the west. "I believe he is headed towards Injun territory too." He leaves that thought where it lay, though he seems determined to catch this man.

"How far behind him were you?"

[od]

Lucas shrugs at the Marshalls question, "Set out bought a week behind him. But he's moving faster than me, I reckon, figure he's got a few more days on me round about now."

[Brennor]

William sighs.

"Well, it is highly likely that he has already passed through here then. I just recently got here myself. Shame, I was hoping to catch him before he left the US. This man moves very quickly."

He looks the other man up and down, pondering something. "I suppose that it is hoping too much that you have contacts among the Injun's?"

[od]

Lucas shakes his head, "None specific, but I've always found I get along well with the Injuns. Something about getting oppressed by the white man builds a comroddery." the Negro jests.