How To Shoot At Someone Who Outdrew You

The idiosyncrasies of English idiom become an obstacle to my making a point here. There's a significant excluded middle between the commonly accepted meanings of 'a fan of' and 'not a fan of'. If you're a fan of something, you like it a lot (probably, and let's ignore those members of fandoms who appear to despise whatever they claim to be fans of). But if you say that you're not a fan of something, that is liable to be taken as expressing a significant dislike of it. So what about all the things you don't actively dislike, yet don't get particularly enthusiastic about?

That's where the genre known as 'the western' falls for me. On the one hand, I've watched and derived some enjoyment from at least half a dozen of the classics. But there are plenty of other renowned westerns that I've never seen, and have no real motivation to watch. I bailed on the original BBC screening of Silverado at the point where I realised it was not the Blazing Saddles-esque parody that an ingeniously edited trailer had made it appear to be. A local charity shop's overzealous enforcement of their '5 for £1' offer on DVDs has led to my acquiring dozens of previously unseen films alongside the ones I actually wanted to buy, but westerns constitute only a tiny minority of my 'give it a try just to make up the numbers' purchases. I don't hate westerns, but I'm not likely to go out of my way to watch one, either.

Thus, when it became apparent that Six-Gun Friday, the mini-adventure by Gaetano Abbondanza in Fighting Fantazine 13, was a western, I was neither enthusiastic nor filled with dread. Playing it almost immediately after Starhunt: Void Slavers, I may have been a little concerned at the lack of choice presented at the end of section 1, but it soon became apparent that this was a much better, properly interactive mini-adventure. And then the forum where I was logging the results of the 'play all FF in order' venture for which I was playing SGF got deleted in a fit of pique, which did nothing good for my motivation. By the time I finally resumed my initial attempt at the adventure, I'd lost track of what I'd done and encountered, so I don't know if the wrong decision that ultimately enabled the villains to elude justice was because I forgot an incidental clue or if it was a blind choice and I just picked the bad option.

When SGF came up in the randomised series playthrough I organised last year in celebration of FF's 40th anniversary, an unwise decision early on got me into a fistfight with an unexpectedly adept thug, who beat me to death. Randomness being what it is, the adventure has also already come up in this year's follow-up to that challenge, and in that attempt, I got a bullet through the lung courtesy of a young outlaw named William - wonder where the author got the idea for him.

A lot depends on my stats, and there’s less scope for allocating dice than usual, as there are only two stats here.
Skill: 11
Stamina:20
On this occasion there’s no need for me to switch dice around, but a low Skill would probably have been my ticket to Boot Hill.

I also get to pick two special skills from a list of five, and since not having Fast Draw contributed to at least two wounds and one death when I played SGF before, I think I'll take it this time. Tracking has definitely helped in the past, so I'll pick that as the other. And I can choose the type of revolver I carry, too: the Colt .45 Peacemaker improves accuracy, while the Smith & Wesson Schofield .45 does more damage. With that Skill, I think I’ll risk the Schofield – the slight risk of missing a shot is, I think, outweighed by the advantage of being able to kill outlaws faster and give them fewer opportunities to shoot at me.

The 'Background' section differs slightly from the norm, as it doesn't really say anything about the imminent adventure. Instead, it consists of a brief history of the town of Bent Reed and my character, town marshall Matthew Slade, presumably on the assumption that readers know enough about the genre to expect that the adventure will involve more than just the "property theft, drunken brawls, cattle burglary and the occasional gunfight" that I usually deal with.

Things remain pretty low-key once the actual adventure gets going. Rodrigo, my Native American 'acting jailer', beats me at chess, and a local farmer comes in to complain about missing chickens, showing signs of being prejudiced against members of Rodrigo's ethnic group. I have to get through that first, somewhat gratuitous section transition before the real action commences: a couple of ranchers hurry in to report that the local hardware store is on fire, one of them also passing on a rumour that it's arson and the perpetrator is at the Sagebrush Hotel.

Telling Rodrigo to stay put in case I have to arrest anybody, I hurry off to the hardware store. By the time I get there, the fire has taken a strong enough hold that there's no realistic prospect of saving the building, but the proprietor's wife is convinced that he's still inside, so prompt action is still required.

Avoiding the obvious entrance, I head round to the rear of the building and, finding the door locked, break a window to gain entry. Finding crates of goods but no sign of the missing shop owner, I head further in before something catches my eye. A man stands outside a window, intently watching the interior of the shop, and when I indicate for him to move away, he pulls out a pistol and fires, shattering the window but missing me as I dive to the floor.

Forgetting about the man I was trying to rescue, I leap through the now empty window frame to chase after the stranger who tried to shoot me. He's fast, and vanishes around the side of a barn, and when I follow, he is nowhere to be seen. His boot prints peter out, but my Tracking ability enables me to work out that the man doubled back on himself, and is now hiding under the canvas that covers a nearby wheelbarrow. I warn of my intent to shoot a few holes in the canvas, and the man gives himself up.

In the course of babbling about how he was only trying to scare me, not kill me, the man lets slip that he was not responsible for the fire, but had been left to keep an eye on the store. A few threats elicit the further information that he was acting under the instructions of the 'Friday boys', and that the fire is just a distraction to draw attention from what's going on at the bank.

Ordering the man to turn himself in at the jail, I acquire a codeword and hurry off to the bank. By the time I get there, it's almost too late, as I can see a group of horsemen galloping away. One horse remains tethered outside, though, and as I approach, its owner emerges from the bank and saddles up. I order him to stop, he trains his pistol on me, and before he can shoot, I use my Fast Draw skill and fire first, clipping his wrist and causing him to drop the gun. He issues some threats and, confident that a lawman won't shoot a wounded man in the back, gees up his horse and follows after the rest of the gang, leaving me with only a second codeword.

Some of the town militia join me, having heard word that the bank was being robbed. They let me know that the hardware shop owner was saved from the burning building, and we head into the bank to see what has happened. Inside we find the banker, Hastings, bound and gagged behind the counter. Once we've untied him, he confirms that the notorious Friday clan robbed the bank while the townspeople were dealing with the fire.

A meeting is held, and while one citizen is in favour of pursuing the robbers to Cheyenne before they can spend what they've stolen, most are too afraid of the gang's reputation for violence to take action themselves. In the end, I decide to go after the outlaws on my own, but ask the mayor to request federal back-up for me in Cheyenne.

Before I depart, the first codeword I picked up enables me to check up on Simmons, the man who'd been keeping watch on the hardware store. He did turn himself in as instructed, and a comparatively friendly talk with him provides me with a lead: the Friday clan will be gambling in the Black Dinah saloon while they're in Cheyenne. Armed with this information (and a few extra guns), I'm about to set off when Rodrigo advises me to wait until morning, so the Friday boys will have had time to hit a bottle or two, and unwind and lower their guard.

The next day I ride to Cheyenne without incident, and decide to keep my marshall's badge out of sight. The old-timer who stables my horse tells me that the closest saloon is the Blind Pig, and also mentions Black Dinah's, which is better quality but on the other side of town. Remembering what Simmons told me about the Friday boys' plans, I take back my horse and head for the more distant establishment.

Once I'm in the right part of town, Black Dinah's is impossible to miss. In addition to two bars and an assortment of gaming tables, it has a stage on which a band and a group of can-can dancers are performing, and there's just a gaping aperture where you'd expect to find the main door, purportedly because they never close. I take a seat at one of the bars, and as I'm paying for my drink, I inadvertently reveal my marshall's badge to the man sitting next to me. Figuring that I'm not here just for a bit of off-duty activity, he wants to know whom I seek to apprehend.

If he were with the Friday lot, he'd probably be shooting rather than asking questions. I mention that I'm from Bent Reed, and he knows enough about what's happened to comment that I'm either very brave or naïve. I comment on how well-informed he is, and he reaches into his coat. On this occasion I don't make use of Fast Draw: if the man wanted me dead, he'd either have attacked the moment he realised I was a lawman, or he'd be more subtle now he's learned enough to perceive me as a threat.

Rather than a weapon, he produces a badge which reveals him to be from the Pinkertons. The author seems to assume that there's no need to explain what this means, and while I have heard of that Detective Agency, it wouldn't surprise me if some readers were a bit puzzled until they reached the later paragraph that clarifies the point.

Frank, the Pinkerton man, is arrogant and condescending, and also a little bit tipsy, and I exploit this, pretending to be the overawed hick he thinks I am. Eager to show off, he displays the wanted poster he carries, which depicts the whole clan, and tells me about them. Most of what he tells me is probably fairly common knowledge, but towards the end of the conversation he lets slip that the Fridays have friends in high places, namely the Wyoming Stock Growers Association.

After Frank shambles away, I spend a while watching the clientele of Black Dinah's. One of whom, distracted by the dancers, trips over my foot and drops his drink. Some onlookers find this amusing, so he knocks me off my seat and gives me a kicking to restore his reputation. My priorities lie elsewhere, and once I've picked myself up, I turn my attention to one of the gaming tables, hoping to overhear something that might give me a lead.

Conversation around the table centres on the game in progress, which is of no real value to me. I'm about to give up and move on when an incident gets my attention. One of the players gets accused of cheating, and his reaction gives me my first opportunity to get a good look at him. At first glance he appears little more than a boy, though a little facial scarring suggests that he's not as inexperienced as he looks. The nervous reaction of some of the other players is also telling.

The youth shoots his accuser dead without warning, and reacts badly when the dealer addresses him as 'William'. This is indeed the youngest and potentially the most dangerous of the Friday clan, and I think I'll pass up the opportunity to take action right now. Based on my earlier attempts at this adventure, I know that there's no way of apprehending him at this stage, and that later on there will be a codeword check to establish how many of the Friday boys have a personal grudge against me. This time round there's already the man I wounded outside the bank, and I doubt that incurring William's enmity as well will do anything to improve my odds of surviving the coming confrontation.

Well, that was my plan, but when William starts seriously threatening the dealer, I wind up holding him at gunpoint anyway. I tell him he's under arrest, and he invites me to play a hand of cards and offers me a drink. My last, apparently, as he indicates that 'brother Abel' is behind me. Refusing to be taken in by the oldest trick in the book, I persist in attempting to arrest William. He flips over the table, and while I shoot through it, I only wound him (thereby acquiring another codeword), and he now has cover while I'm in the open. I take refuge behind another table, and William makes a bid for freedom, using the dancers as cover until he can get outside.

By now night has fallen, and pursuing a homicidal outlaw in unfamiliar territory while it's dark seems like an effective way to get myself killed. I seek directions to the closest hotel and book in for the night. The conversation I have with the clerk gives him a good idea of why I'm in town, and his reaction indicates that, like Frank, he doesn't think I have much chance of success, though his tone is regretful rather than condescending.

I head for the hotel restaurant for a meal, and when a sleazy individual starts harassing the wife of one of his employees at a nearby table, I intervene. He's not happy about this, and gives me a choice between allowing him to force his unwelcome attentions upon the woman and settling the matter with a fight. Not wanting to risk getting in trouble with local law enforcement, I go for a third option, showing my marshall's badge and threatening to make things official. He backs off, but suggests that something unpleasant might happen to me if I don't return to Bent Reed very soon, and I gain another codeword to show that this is no idle threat.

After that the night passes without incident. The next day I resume my investigations, following up the lead carelessly provided by Frank. A codeword check suggests that if I didn't have a clear goal in mind, I'd now be facing consequences for the altercation in the restaurant, but as I know where I'm going, I have no cause to meander into a part of town where that sleazebag's associates can remonstrate with me.

The Stock Growers' office isn't difficult to track down, and there I claim to be a ranch-owner seeking a buyer for a large herd of cattle. This gets me a letter of introduction and directions to the club where members of the Association tend to hang out. While queuing to enter the club, I learn that its clientele include many prominent citizens, even a senator and a judge. While I'm not as well-dressed as those around me, that letter suffices to get me through the door, and a young man escorts me to the drawing room.

It's all pretty decadent in here, and there are more than a dozen men already in the room, some talking, others gathered around a billiards table, the rest reading. The place has a selection of newspapers from big cities, and I take the opportunity to do a little reading myself. Fortuitously, I pick up a copy of the Chicago Daily Tribune which contains an article on the Friday clan. This mentions that they've recently started to focus on train heists, and includes photos of all six of the outlaws. So even if I hadn't had run-ins with a couple of them or seen Frank's poster, I'd still be able to recognise them as an attendant ushers them into the room...

The Association members present clearly know and have some arrangement with the Friday clan, which has doubtless helped the outlaws to evade justice for so long. Abel, the leader of the gang, requests that the other members vacate the room while he and his boys conduct a little business with me, and it's time for that codeword check. I don't have as many of the relevant codewords as I could, which is probably a good thing - the maximum could lead to my being shot on the spot for being too much of an annoyance. Still, having two rather than just the one I did the last time I got this far is still liable to mean trouble.

As it turns out, I seem to have got the optimal number of codewords. When I had just the one, the man I'd previously injured wanted to settle the score in a personal showdown. With two, the clan definitely want me dead, but when I point out that even if they kill me, they won't be able to avoid retribution forever, Abel agrees, and reveals that they're planning on moving to fresh territory. This prompts other members to start talking about their long-term plans, and an argument breaks out between William and Zeke, whose prospects are limited by the fact that he's slowly dying of tuberculosis.

While the bickering takes the Fridays' attention from me, I decide to try and make a break for it, as my chances of surviving a six-against-one confrontation are less than negligible. Diving for cover behind a divan, I manage to avoid being hit by any of the shots fired at me. The gang members cease fire and make moves to encircle me, but one of the Association members in the corridor outside, wondering if the sudden silence indicates that the showdown is over, opens the door a crack to peer inside. Seizing the opportunity, I dash through the door and make for the exit.

Sprinting in the direction of the constable's office, I catch sight of a group of mounted officers, accompanied by a more familiar face. Rather than stay put in Bent Reed like I told him to, Rodrigo has opted to provide me with a little additional back-up. The leader of the mounted officers introduces himself as Captain Hendricks of the 18th Cavalry, and indicates that he and his men are ready to act on whatever information I can provide to assist with the capture of the Fridays. I lead them to the club I so recently vacated, and bystanders mention that six men, one of them wounded, rode away a short time ago.

Allowing for the possibility that those men were decoys, Hendricks has some of his officers enter the club to search the building and question everyone still inside. The rest of us will attempt to catch up with the six, and based on what Abel said to me (plus process of elimination following on from my earlier failure), I figure that the railway station is where we need to go.

I doubt that I'm going to make it through the whole of the endgame before the end of this month, and this seems like a decent point at which to pause the action, so I'll post what I've achieved so far, and pick up the reins again when I have a bit more time to spare.