Players:
NPCs:
* List NPCs in the scene here.
Summary: Saving Town of doom.
Date: February 3rd.
The Dam
Boarding house then Up Near the Dam
"Iffen ya feel lahk rahdin' ovah to Idyho Springs, er Georgetown, ya jest go ahaid.. this tahm uv yeah, maht take ya foah, five days. 'Lessen ya ain't trustful uv no Cripple Creek miner's try at it." He tosses the too short length of fuse onto a table, 'Dahlin' when everboddy figahs out whut they want dun, fetch me yore shears an' thet measurin' wrap uv yourn."
CJ steps inside and looks to Marlow "Ah's lahk t' help ifa yew be needin' an extrah paira hands." He had been out getting his store set up, but still meant it when he told Chiane previously , he'd like to help.
Chiane nods to Marlowe. "Well you gentlemen should decide what to do .. but ya know… perhaps gettin' an avalanch to stop up the creep furthur up the creek might not be a bad idea.. it would stop the flow on the current dam.." she shrugs and moves over to a small basket filled with all kinds of knitting and sewing supplies. Pulling out a pair of shers and measuring tape, she moves back to Marlowe and hands it to him.
Matthew dusts the snow off of his jacket as he klomps in. He takes his hat off and shakes the snow off outside. "Hello Lady and Gentlemen." He's only sporting his pistol at the moment, obviously not wanting to carry his rifle.
Marlowe sits down at the table with the measuring tape and the length of fuse. Doing some figuring on the table with his fingernail, he carefully stretches the length of fuse out. "Maht could blow it a bit upstream," he acknowledges, "Mebbe come back ta bite us in the ass, but it maht not..whyn't y'all vote onnit whilst Ah do whut AH gotta."
Equally carefully, he measures an eight inch section of the fuse and snips it through with one sharp cut. He then measures out a six, a five and a four inch length, and sets them aside.
CJ looks to the other two men and back to Marlowe "Ah's saiz we's tahk air chances. That thar dam goes en we's nawht hava worrry bout ennythang, buts its air town, Ah's saiz we's goes fo it, tahk air chances. Yew boys agree?"
Matthew glances at the man holding the fuse and watches him cut the fuse. He then glances around the room at the men and at Chiane. "Planning to blow something up?"
Steven places a couple of cans on the table, "That might help some. Yall find anythen better?"
Chiane frowns and ponders. She looks as if about to say something, then looks up to Matthew as he comes in. Offering a tired smile, "Aye… the last avalanch created a dam. The dam is 'bout to break and drown out half the town. We figger we need to make a second dam to stop the buildup of the first.. jus' to give us time to plan and fix the problem." She looks around to the group of men. "Ill bring us all some coffee.." She turns towards the kitchen.
Marlowe leans back in the chair, and regards the two cans of powder, 'Maht at thet," he muses, 'We'll jest plant it with thet stick uv dynamite Chiane's got tucked into her coat pocket.
Steven says, "It gonna be a little bit more stable that dynamite… But it'll kick harder. Don't get it near the lamp.. case some stuck to the side."
CJ stands near the table with his hands in his pockets. "Ifa Ah's guts enny thang of use Mistah Marlow, yew be welcomed t' it."
Matthew nods his head slowly. He looks over at Marlowe. "I'll help where I can Sir." He moves over to a chair and sits down.
Chiane heads off into the kitchen to make coffee, after handing her husband the single stick of dynamite they had managed to scrounge, and he leans back looking at it. Ah bet6tah take this heah outsahd," he finally says, "We ain't wantin' it to be sweatin' nun." Gingerly, he takes the explosive out to the shed and returns.
Steven crosses his arms across his chest, and watches as people move about the room, "When you gonna have this shindig?"
Marlowe shrugs, "Reckon thar ain't tahm lahk now. Ain't lahlk Ah need no posse 'round."
CJ watches the goings on and listening mostly. Leans up against the back of a chair.
Marlowe says, "SHore wuldn't mahnd hevin' mebbe one person hangin' back..case thar's sumpin goes wrong, they kin mebbe let folks know."
CJ looks to Marlowe "Ah's cud do that, ifa yew wunt meh t'." He looks the man steadily.
Shore." He stands, and reaches for his heavy coat. "Jest lemme go tell mah wahf."
CJ nods his head "Figuah Ah's go up wit yew, then stand bouts half ways up, that ways Ah's knawh's wuts goin' on."
Marlowe steps into the kitchen, and returns several minutes later with the dynamite and an old Army field glass, which he hands to CJ.
CJ takes the field glass and nods his head. "thunkaya." Inhales and motions to the dynamite "Yew jest be cahful thar,eh?"
(The Dam)
Marlowe eyes the original dam and shakes his head, 'Ain't gittin' it no tahm too soon." He points up the hill to the west, "Ah'm haided up thar a mite, yu bettah stay heah."
CJ looks the situation over and he nods his head "Ah's be watchin'fo yew, gud luck Mistah Marlow."
The 'breed slowly makes his way up the hill, his figure dropping behind boulders only to show again, higher. Finally, he selects a spot to begin, well above the existing dam, and prepares the charges.
CJ moves to a probably safe area and he steps up to get a good view and uses the field glass and watches in direction of Marlowe,seeing him pop up a few times and he beneath his breath "Pray gawd this heah wohks, fo' town sake en fo' mistah Marlowe's own safety too, Lawd." He speaks to himself and course to whatever God was listening.
The area Marlowe had selected was near the end of a thick slab of blue ice and snow, teetering on a ledge, with many boulders and several trees in the path of the ice and snow.
He can be seen cutting the dynamite into quarters, and insert the fuses. He places one charge, and moves north and west, placing the others.
CJ continues to watch thru the field glass, and watches his every movement. "Jesus Mistah gits on th' edge,eh? Cah'ful thar." He again speaks to himself. He guesses the man is a good 3 quarters of a mile to maybe less than a half.
There is a flare of light, as the 'breed fires a match, then holds it close to his face, puffing on a cigar. When the tip glows red, he bends, touching it to the end of the first fuse..24 seconds long, and breaks into a run towards the second, back down the trail.
CJ counts to himself and watches for the explosion. He with one hand reaches for a cigar not to smoke just yet but to chew on the end. "Cah'ful."
He makes it to the second charge, and moves to the third, fumbling a bit with it. Getting it to spark, the 'breed starts for the final charge, then seems to stumble, and fall on the treacherous footing. Quickly, the 'breed scrambles up, still making for the final charge when the side of the mountain erupts in a flash of flame, and there comes a low, steady rumble.
CJ held his breath when he fell and he could hear the rumbling of the explosion as dust begins to bellow. "Whar yew be? Come on. "Having counted the charges , that meant one was not yet lit. "Gawd if yew guts that miracle, nawh's th' time t' give it."
The mass of ice, timber and stone crashes into the backed up creek, perhaps a quarter mile from the old dam, sending a towering wall of white water boiling across the top of the eroding structure, trees tumbling like toothpicks in the liquid maelstrom.
CJ was standing away from harm's way and watches this , would it be a castastrophy or what would save a town from impending doom, he watched then turned to see if he could see Marlowe yet, his hands trembling abit as he held the field glass.
As the thunderous avalanche dies down, it does indeed accomplish it's purpose, that of making a second dam upstream to relieve the pressure on the first. But as the roiled waters behind the old dam settle into lapping waves, no sign of Marlowe can be seen. The place where he had dove for the tree was bare rock, not even a twig left to show.
CJ sighs a relief, the town being spared and he frowns when he turns to search the area for Marlowe, no this can't do, he's got a wife and babe on the way and he shoves the field glass into a pocket and the man starts to head up the way to see if he can find Marlowe. "Gawd, whar that thar injun go." He'd search while he had daylight left.
CJ searches only to find bareness, not a living thing in sight, not a twig not a field rat to scurry and his face just drops for the longest moment. Rocks still tumble. He inhales as he searches until his resources are depleated. And he reaches for the field glass once more and looks for the man, in hopes but no hope comes. He'd have to go back down, he wasn't looking forward to the news that he'd have to bare.
(back at boarding house)
Steven says, "How did it go?"
CJ returns, his hands are dirty and the tip of the field glass can be seen jutting out of his pocket and he closes the door behind him and he looks up to the man speaking "Town ain't en hahm's ways nawhs mo'"
Steven smiles slightly, "Well thats a good thing then.."
CJ nods but says nothing right off , then speaks "Mizz Chiane arounds? Ah's needin' t' speak t' heh."
Steven shakes his head ain't seen her.. I though she went with you boys?"
CJ shaking his head "Nah, Mistah Marlowe wouldn't let heh, she be en family way. She didn' follow us neitha." He rubs his hands together, something clearly was amiss. He wasn't going to like this one bit, telling chiane the grave news. She and were friends and that some how made it even harder.
Steven raises an eyebrow, "What happened?." He glances back towards the door, "Wheres her husband?"
CJ sinks down into a chair and shook his head "He wuz cumin' down afta lightenin' up th' fih wohks, was headin' fo' th' last en that's th' last Ah's seed of'em, ain'ted nawhs fo' suh wut happened, aftah th' fih'wohks, settled Ah's went up en ain't hide nah haih of'em enny whar. Ah's guts t' be one t' tell mizz chiane. Its bettah if it cum from meh. Ah's looked awl ovah, en ain't nawh sign of'em enny whar."
Steven blinks in surprise, "You didn't find a body?"
CJ rubs his face and then looks to Steven and shook his head no. "Nawh body found but nawhs ways fo' ennyone t' suhvive dat, if yew seed it, yew knaws whut ah's mean. Man must've given his life fo this heah town." He seen the man fall but nothing except the explosion after that. "He'd fallin', en aftah he'd dun that, th' explosions began. Ah's went up en Ah's seahched all ovah, ain't even a field mouse t' be found."
Steven shakes his head, "Daylight.. We're goin back up there. I ain't comin back without somethen for her to bury. If he did die.. We're gonna make damn sure he ain't lyin busted up somewheres."
CJ nods his head "Sound gud t' meh, Jest ifa we's still dun find enny thang, Ah's ratha be th' one t' tell heh, awhrigh'?"
Steven says, "You can break the news.. But if'n its me.. I ain't tellin 'er that he's dead till I find his body…""
"Ain'ts gunna tell heh,he's daid, jest missing." After a while he mosses up to his room, still pondering how to tell folks.
