Clay Gang Episode 2

The Clay Gang Chronicles: Part 2: Helping Mr Wilks

Ron Fargo – Rich – A wise beyond his 19 years scout
Clay White – Dave – A well dressed gambler, coward turned psychopath
Jack White – Paul – Albino gunfighter from Mississippi
Bull Baxtor – Matt – Big, mean and bad blacksmith, hailing from Texas
Bill Peckerwood – Stu – An inexperienced, eager, but grim-faced gunfighter

The story opens with our (anti) heroes on the run from the law, hiding out in a saloon in Louisville with a posse from Cutter’s Bend on their trail. They have left 3 dead bodies, an empty stable and a destroyed saloon behind them. Rewards have been posted on them for assault, murder, criminal damage, horse theft, looting, robbery and damaging public property.

A pre-dawn knock on the door wakes Clay and Jack White (no relation). At the door stands Kurt Wilks, who describes himself as a man in need of the kind of help that the Clay Gang can offer. At the same time he can help them by offering a place to hideout. Mr Wilks then heads off, telling the gang to meet him just North of the railroad tracks if they are interested. The Gang get it together, grab a quick breakfast, pay a rather expensive bill and head off to meet Kurt. On the way out of town they see (and are seen by) an old woman and a rather idiotic old man.

Heading North of the railroad track the miscreants expect and ambush and check their dynamite to consider an explosive solution. Unfortunately it appears to be sweating pure nitro-glycerine and is best left where it is. Luckily there is no ambush and they and Mr Wilks head off to his farm, to the NW of Louisville. For a while they follow new-looking railway tracks until they abruptly end. Its half a day’s journey to Kurt’s place and on the way they chew the fat, hearing about how Kurt has left his kids and wife Betty back East while he gets the farm set up. They reach the farm in its valley and meet the only other occupant – Bill Peckerwood. Its only when they are safely installed in the small farm’s stable that Kurt spills the beans on why he has been desperate enough to offer known killers shelter.

It seems that Mr. Wilks is being warned off his land by some rough fellows for reasons unknown (maybe the railroad, maybe gold – like in nearby Smithville, maybe the farmland…) and they have threatened to kill him if he didn’t sell. Kurt decided that some desperate killers of his own might come in handy.

Our heroes spend the next couple of days preparing the farm for the arrival of these roughnecks, and several crackpot trap ideas are considered and then rejected. Jack does manage to construct an escape route through the fence at the back of the farm. A shopping list is constructed and Kurt and Bill, being the only ones not wanted by the law, head to Louisville to pick it up. They return at a gallop twelve hours later, pursued by five gunmen.

Kurt and Bill ride straight into the farmyard and around the back of the house. The mystery gunmen ride into the yard, weapons in hand and are met by Clay. Not one for a chat, he asks what they are doing there and then blasts the nearest guy in the leg with his shotgun. Enraged the guy fires back, catching Clay in the belly and knocking him back into the farmhouse. At this point all hell descends as the rest of the Clay Gang begin blasting away at the horsemen from their positions in the barn and the farmhouse. Soon two of the mystery gunmen are down on the ground while our heroes have not been hit. Bill Peckerwood appears around the corner of the barn and also lays down some fire.

At this point, Ron begins to get something of a reputation, as he shoots one of the gunmen straight between the eyes. The second guy he has done that to in a gunfight in the space of a week. Jack, Bull and Bill hit targets and Clay appears, shooting his second barrel before being hit himself again, this time in the leg.

At this point the bad guys have had enough and turn and run. One of them makes it as far as the gate before a shot hits him in the back and he slumps over the horse and falls off the side. The last guy makes it another fifty foot before a rifle shot blows him off his horse. All five of the bad guys horses are miraculously unhurt and head off into the distance in the general direction of Louisville.

Our heroes search the bodies, taking the few dollars, plus guns and ammo. Kurt is full of gratitude, knowing that without any help he and Bill would be dead. Kurt guarantees that the gang have a share in the future of the farm and a place to stay whenever they are in the area.

Extracts from the latest copy of the Louisville Times (picked up in town by Bill the afternoon before the gunfight)……

Louisville Bank Robbed – Clay Gang Blamed

Yesterday masked raiders conducted a daring raid on the Louisville bank. They got away with several hundred dollars worth of cash. It was only the fact that the key to the safe was not on the premises which saved the town from ruin. The three raiders fled before the sheriff could get to the scene. The Clay Gang, recently sighted in Louisville are the main suspects in the robbery.

Massive Explosion by Louisville Railroad Chaos!

In the heat of the day on Monday the town was brought to a standstill by the sound of a huge explosion just north of the railroad tracks, right in town. Some blame abandoned gold mining explosives left in the wake of the ongoing Smithville exodus, others blame sabotage. The railway tracks were not damaged in the blast.
Cutters Bend and Louisville See Record Numbers of Out of Towners Arrive
Lots of new faces are being welcomed into Louisville in recent days. Gold-fever means that the flow of hopefuls coming to town before heading off to Smithville and the hills around Louisville has not slacked off, whilst a number of other characters appear to have been attracted by the possibility of a reward on the feared Clay Gang. It is rumoured that a US Marshall may be en-route to keep order and lead an organised search for these murderers.

Classifieds:

The Daniels family seek information on the whereabouts of Clay White. A reward is available for information leading to the discovery of this individual. Contact James Daniels via the Louisville saloon.