Background

• Sidney is hired to guard the judge by Rudy Marsh, JJ's friend; JJ volunteers because the man to be hanged is his brother's killer
  
• Start off in Silverwood
  
  • $150/per for the job; can hire another by cutting the stake by $50 each
    
    • Agree to do so; hire a cowboy named Carson "CC" Holmes, who seems competent, but has one arm and seems a bit slow on the draw
      
• Tommy "The Fork" Timbers has been on the run with the o'Hare gang (Thomas and Martin) for a while
  
  • Most famous for robbing a Union coach, which gave them their initial capital
    
  • The Fork has murdered at least 15 men by most accounts
    
  • Has been caught by the law twice before; escaped once, was broken out once
    
  • Judge Holiday is going to try him in Dead Rivers, and hopefully he will finally hang–but word is that the o'Hares are hoping to get him acquitted
    
    • Not on trial for JJ's brother, but another man
      
    • Hope that shooting Holiday will get him a more lenient judge
      
  • Trial is a week from now, w/ a 2 day ride there
    
  • Thomas o'Hare has a distinctive scar on his right eye; Martin likes to wear a red scarf
    

Traveling to Dead Rivers

• Take the quicker mountain path through Indian Country
  
  • Path is narrow; cliffs up to one side and down to the other
    
• As the sun sets, two horses charge us, riderless
  
  • The party steps out of the way
    
  • Both horses are saddled; one has a buffalo rifle tucked in the saddle, the other has a soldier being dragged behind it
    
    • Manage to catch the latter; the face is unrecognizable, but we can tell the eye has been shot out
      
    • Has a single-action revolver (6-shot), & the horse is good quality
      
    • Sidney mounts the dead man in the saddle, sitting up
      
• Wait until dark, then advance
  
  • See some riderless horses in the pass ahead of us
    
  • JJ climbs up the side of the pass to look ahead
    
    • Sees a man-shaped shadow move against the side of the pass, slumped against the wall; 3 or 4 other people all lying on the ground near him that don't seem to be breathing
      
      • Talking in a low murmur, don't recognize the language; sounds pained
        
      • Beside the slumped man is a rifle
        
    • Further down are more horses, grazing
      
    • The man starts speaking Spanish; says "Don't kill me"
      
    • Sidney: "We're not gonna hurt you–are you hurt?"
      
    • Native american, no older than 18; two puncture wounds in his abdomen and a knife in his thigh
      
      • "What happened here?"
        
        • He identifies himself as a member of the Chicawa tribe; he and his brothers escaped the reservation
          
        • The soldiers followed him and his brothers from the reservation
          
        • Asks to be burned if he dies; hands us a pendant to give to anyone we meet from his tribe
          
        • Drinks all of JJ's whiskey, and half of Sidney's water; then leans back and dies
          
      • Four other native american men dead on the ground, plus six men in blue army uniforms–the ground is soaked in blood
        
      • Bring the army men with us, burn the native americans as they asked
        
  • LOOT
    
    • 4 horses (2 marked army)
      
    • Dbl-Barrel Shotgun (w/ buffalo carved stock)
      
    • 2x SAR 6-shot
      
    • 2x Army Rifle
      
    • Food
      
    • Tobacco, whiskey
      
• As we leave the pass, notice a hill with a grassy top among the red clay earth; camp there for the night
  
  • Just before dawn, some native americans approach the hill; we saddle up and ride rather than interact with them
    

Arrive in Dead River

• Town is bustling as we arrive, and all the people are wearing their Sunday best (even tho it's Monday)
  
  • Trader Jim (the saddle salesman) lets us know everyone's in town to watch the hanging
    
• Drop off the dead soldiers at the West End Corral, where the military depot is
  
  • Get $24 for the horses, split $8/pc
    
• Arrived just a little earlier than expected; beat the o'Hares, take a bath and freshen up
  

Meet the Sheriff

• Sheriff Gabriel Cortez
  
  • Just him and Deputy Brown
    
• Has a wounded left leg and a weak hand
  
• Judge is usually in the saloon, but hasn't arrived in town yet
  
  • Will be staying in the Grand Hotel
    
• Sheriff seems nervous–feels a bit overwhelmed by the whole thing
  
• Not sure he can let us have our weapons; owner of the Grand Hotel (Mayor Dwight "Longhorn" Heeler–don't call him that to his face) has more influence than the sheriff
  
• Frank "The Slinger" Brooks may also be riding with the O'Hares
  
  • Missing his front tooth
    
• Sheriff shows us drawings of all three
  

Meet the Mayor

• Sidney introduces himself to the mayor
  
  • Appeals to his greed; implies that if the judge dies, the trials will be called off and the tourists will leave
    
  • Mayor gives Sidney dispensation to (discretely) carry a gun in the Grand Hotel
    

Scoping the Vantage Points

• JJ checks out the Cosmopolitan hotel; business is… not great. Nor is the proprietor.
  
• Gets the two rooms with a view of the hallway where the Judge's room is in the Grand Hotel for $8
  
• Checks for other lookouts
  
  • Hafford's Saloon has roof access from the outside and inside, but no view of the inside of the Grand
    
    • Pays Carey the Jester $2.50 now (and another on delivery) to let him know if the O'Hares arrive
      
• Campbell and Hatch Saloon is derelict, but the local kids hang out there
  
  • JJ buys them more balls, gains their loyalty
    
• Alhambra Saloon is abandoned completely
  

Meeting the Judge

• Judge Holiday arrives and heads straight to the Oriental Saloon (the town's nice saloon)
  
  • He doesn't intend to alter his habits to make our job easier
    
  • The saloon is relatively nice and calm, but people are armed, including the dealers
    
• Looking at the map of the town; highest threat is on the street
  

Waiting for the O'Hares

• Sidney bribes kids to watch out for the O'Hares
  
• We have a separate room in the Grand from the judge
  
• Tuesday, Wednesday are uneventful, but the town continues to fill up
  

Wednesday Night

• Sheriff out front the Grand notices a fire near the courthouse and leaves
  
• JJ sees Carey running from Hafford's to the Cosmopolitan
  
  • He meets her in the hallway; she lets him know she saw Slinger, about an hour ago
    
    • He had a friend, not one of the O'Hares
      
    • Slinger has two five-shooters, wearing white chaps
      
    • Don't know where he went after he left the saloon
      
• Sidney hears bells ringing outside; sees the glint of fire
  
  • Signals CC to stay put
    
  • Takes position against one wall of the bar
    
• Man w/ red scarf and an unknown man walk into the bar
  
  • Man w/ the red scarf shakes his head when he sees the deputy upstairs; both walk out
    
  • Deputy didn't notice, but JJ has eyes on them as they leave
    
• Talking to each other as they leave the Grand
  
  • Martin stops by the tobacco shop, and adjusts his hat
    
  • JJ follows the nondescript guy as he walks down fifth street; seems to be leaving town in a daze
    
    • Holds him up at at gunpoint
      
    • 19 years old, Pete "Tubbs" McGraw
      
    • Owes the O'Hares money; about $125
      
    • Tells him to leave and not come back; kid turns around and takes off in the other direction
      
• Sidney finds out the whole sheriff's office has burned down
  

Thursday

• Morning: Congregation in front of the courthouse worried about the hanging
  
  • The Fork was not in the sheriff's office
    
• Day: Sidney talks to his vagabonds
  
  • The Slinger started the fire last night
    
  • Think they saw the O'Hare brothers leaving w/ their horses from the feed yard after the fire
    
• The sheriff shows Sidney that he has the Fork bound and gagged in the basement of the Grand
  
• Makes the same offer for JJ, who declines
  
• Night: Judge, Sidney, Sheriff, and Deputy all head to the Oriental
  
  • JJ posts up on the roof of the Cosmopolitan
    
  • CC is at the feed yard
    
    • Thinks sometimes the O'Hares are using different stables
      
• JJ sees a lit cigarette on top of the Hartford saloon; can't tell who it is at this distance
  
  • Street is starting to clear out, but sees two people that kind of stand out
    
• Sidney gets the paper with the locations of all the suspicious guys
  
• The drunk guy with the knife stumbles into the Oriental, asks someone to roll him a cigarette; Sidney obliges and the sheriff disarms him
  
• The party leaves the saloon–
  
  • The man standing at 4th drops his tobacco
    
  • The man on the roof of the Hafford aims a rifle when the party is in front of the Liquor store, and JJ takes the shot at him
    
  • Two men run around the corner of 4th onto Allen with guns drawn
    
  • The man who dropped his pipe takes off running
    

Gunfight

• Ready
  
  • The sheriff tries to drag the judge into the brewery, but the door is locked; the deputy stands in front of them
    
  • JJ reloads, and the man atop the saloon stays still
    
  • Martin hunkers down where he's at, but Thomas charges forward towards the Cosmopolitan
    
• Aim
  
  • JJ shoots at Thomas directly below him
    
  • Thomas empties his shotgun at Deputy Brown and the Sheriff
    
  • Martin shoots at Sidney and the Judge
    
  • Sidney takes a single shot at Martin
    
  • Slinger shoots at JJ
    
• Fire
  
  • JJ plugs Martin with all three shots, riddling his shoulders with bullets
    
  • Martin fires three times at Sidney, narrowly missing him
    
  • Sidney shoots over the crate at Thomas, and the bullet goes completely wide
    
  • Slinger hits JJ in the left hand, but only barely injures him
    
  • The sheriff blows the handle off the door
    
  • Thomas's shots fly completely wide, missing entirely
    
• Ready
  
  • Sheriff runs into the brewery, throws the judge over the bar
    
  • Sidney runs into the brewery after the judge
    
  • Carson comes up 4th St and gets the drop on Martin
    
  • Deputy Brown stays where he is, between the door and Thomas
    
  • Thomas runs to the front of the door
    
  • Martin and Slinger stay where they are
    
• Aim
  
  • Deputy Brown throws a knife at Thomas
    
  • Thomas fires at Deputy Brown, Sidney, and the Sheriff
    
  • Carson and Martin fire at each other
    
  • Sidney fires at Thomas
    
  • Slinger and JJ empty their guns at each other
    
• Fire
  
  • JJ puts a bullet in Slinger's leg, and he drops
    
  • Martin puts a bullet in Carson's head, and he immediately drops
    
  • Deputy Brown throws his knife into Thomas's left shoulder, inflicting a glancing blow
    
  • Sidney hits Thomas in the left arm, and he finally stumbles to the ground under the weight of his wounds
    
• Ready
  
  • Martin takes off running down Allen street as fast as he can
    
  • JJ reloads his rifle
    
• Aim
  
  • JJ fires his rifle into Martin's back
    
• Fire
  
  • JJ hits Martin in the shoulder
    
• Ready
  
  • JJ reloads
    
• Aim
  
  • JJ aims at Martin
    
• Fire
  
  • JJ puts a bullet into Martin's abdomen; he goes down
    

Aftermath

• JJ runs out to Carson; the teenagers he befriended help him move the injured man
  
  • They bring him to the doctor; it doesn't look good
    
    • He doesn't make it
      
• Deputy Brown runs to arrest Martin
  
• Everyone… celebrates? in the brewery for a bit.
  

Friday

• Trial for Thomas, The Fork, and Martin are all put on trial
  
  • The jury finds them all guilty
    
  • By evening, all three are put to the gallows without a last word; the whole town turns out in their best clothes to watch
    
• After collecting their money, JJ and Sidney ride out of town together, into the sunset