text: [Themes: historical, western]
  
  With a defeated look that would rival a whore's walk of shame, you pull the bounty from your pocket and place it on the table.
  
  "Ha-ha that's what I thought. Hmm that picture doesn't look much like me, does it partner?" One-Eyed asks you.
  
  "It's definitely you... partner," you answer.
  
  "I suppose we're at a crossroad then. I could easily kill you here and dump your miserable body in the Colorado with the other 'mysterious strangers' that wander into town. Or I suppose I could bring you on our crew. I could always use another hired gun. Sometimes the folks 'round here need a little motivation to follow the 'law'. You seem smart enough to choose my employ over death."
  
  > trust Lady Luck and exit this place guns blazing
  "Alright have it your way," you answer reaching your fingers towards the the ever familiar grip of your revolver.
  
  In the heat of the moment, time feels to have slowed down. The adrenaline pumping through your veins gives you heightened senses. In the corner of your eye, you see Billy drunkenly struggling to pull his pistol from its holster. As the barrel of your gun settles aimed at One-Eyed, you see Han-Lee lunging forward with a bowie knife. Before the deadly blade strikes true, you shift your aim left and fire. Han-Lee's head jerks back in a violent motion as his body flies back. With one motion you snatch the knife with your empty hand and fling it towards the still-scrambling Billy. Both bodies hit the ground with a simultaneous thud. Taking advantage of your distracted state, One-Eyed McCaw flips the table upon you spilling money, booze, and cards all over the floor. You recover to find an empty door swinging.
  
  "It seems his boasts were a little over-zealous," you say noticing the other saloon patrons weren't pulling their guns on you.
  
  "He was a mean man," Trixy says walking towards you. "We had to do as he said. The few who stood up to him all were killed. I'm surprised the oriental didn't put up more of a fight. I've witnessed how deadly he was with those knives."
  
  "We're not out of this yet," you say soberly. "One-Eyed may have escaped for now, but I'm willing to guess he'll be back. How many men does he have?"
  
  "I've seen a handful. Maybe four or five. All killers. They frequently raid upon travelers upon the main road east out of town. Their main headquarters are somewhere in the canyon though. Only a handful of people have been there and survived. Most of 'em are party girls. If you'd be willing to hunt down McCaw and the rest of his gang, I can assure you'll be rewarded well."
  
  "I'll be sure to pay them a visit," you reply with a tip of your hat.
  
  > prepare for the journey
  As you're loading up your horse, a woman approaches. She reminds you of Maddie, the farmer's daughter you were "friendly" with in your earlier years. Well, besides the fact this woman was armed with a revolver and had more womanly attributes. Her slightly sun-bleached blonde hair signifies to you she is accustomed to spending time outdoors.
  
  "Can I help you, Miss?" you ask.
  
  "Word around town is that you're hunting down the McCaw gang," she says. "I want in."
  
  "Respectfully, it's too dangerous. Do you have a death wish or something?"
  
  "If my death guarantees his, then yes."
  
  "That's quite the bargaining chip you've given me. Sure, you can come along. I hope you know how to use that peacemaker you got there," you answer pointing to her hip.
  
  "You're not going to ask what he did to me?"
  
  "Should I? Does it matter?"
  
  "No. The only thing you need to know is I want him dead."
  
  "I suppose that means you don't care about the bounty money...."
  
  "Oh we're sharing the money," she adamantly replies. "It's two of us doing the work. Why wouldn't we share the money?"
  
  "Well, because I could do it alone."
  
  "You could try to do it alone. You need me. The McCaw Gang are deadly. There's a reason they took over this town. There's plenty of capable gunslingers this far out. Just none of them paired up to take 'em down."
  
  "Fine, we'll share the bounty. But only if you keep up. There's no reason to share it 50-50 if one of us is doing most the work."
  
  "Fair enough," she replies. "Let's get a move on... unless you can't keep up and forfeit part of your share!"
  
  > Into Canyon Diablo
  By sunrise you've made significant progress into the canyon. Without a guide, the journey would have proved difficult. Isabella has already proved her worth, showing barely noticeable trailheads and dangers to avoid. Growing up near the canyon certainly has its benefits. Unfortunately, getting strong-armed by the McCaw Gang is another result of being near the canyon.
  
  "If things were so bad in Twin Arrows, why didn't you just leave?" you ask
  
  "Is that how you wanderers solve problems? By just leaving?" she retorts.
  
  "If it solves the problem, then yeah. There's no reason to stay in one place due to stubbornness or being afraid to act. If leaving will solve the issue, then that's the best path to take."
  
  "Well it's not the best path for me... or Lizabeth – my sister."
  
  "So that's the reason why you want One-Eyed dead. My guess was that you were former lovers and things didn't end well. That or you had a kid to protect or something."
  
  "Me with that son of a bitch? That's insulting. Besides, he only had eyes, well an eye, for my sister."
  
  "Did she return the look?"
  
  "Maybe at first, though not in any serious way. When the gang first rolled into town, all the unhitched girls fawned over One-Eyed. Back then he was just "McCaw" with two eyes. At first, he seemed like a hero. He drove out the natives that raided travelers in the canyon. That's how he lost an eye. Guess things got too boring once the natives were gone. McCaw and his boys started raising trouble and eventually just took over the place. "
  
  "So how does your sister fit into all this?"
  
  "She believed she could turn him back to his 'shining armor' ways. She went missing the night she confronted him."
  
  "When was that?" you ask.
  
  "Two months ago."
  
  "You think she's in the canyon somewhere?"
  
  "I have to think so. I can't imagine her being anywhere else. You've traveled around these parts. You know there's nothing for miles."
  
  "If she's out here, we'll find her," you say.
  
  > continue talking
  "What's his name? you ask.
  
  Her eyes meet yours in a quizzical glance.
  
  "What?"
  
  "That necklace you keep fiddling with. It's too plain for something your sister would get you. A man gave you that trinket, and I'm willing to bet he's not around by the way you clutch at it."
  
  "You're right in the sense that Lizabeth didn't give me this."
  
  She pulls the necklace from the top of her dress and holds it out for you to see clearer. The aged silver appears almost a pewter. The chain itself is nothing special. Small links chained so tightly together that it looks like a singular thread. A tiny carved bird lies at the crest.
  
  "Seems someone fancies you as their little bird."
  
  "My father – he called me his songbird."
  
  "Sing for me."
  
  "This is hardly the place or time for that."
  
  "We may die out here. This could be the only time and place for it."
  
  "Does that mean you don't believe in heaven?"
  
  "What? No. I mean that's not what I meant."
  
  "I know," she says with a smile. "I'm just messing with you."
  
  "Ok now you owe me," you smile back.
  
  "Fine," she takes a deep breath.
  
  He stands our faithful bulwark
  Against our savage foe;
  Through lonely woodland places
  Our children come and go;
  Our flocks and herds untended
  O'er hill and valley roam,
  The Ranger in the saddle
  Means peace for us at home.
  
  "....wow that was beautiful," you say.
  
  "Thanks," she replies red-faced.
  
  > Onward
  A couple days later, you reach the opening of a cave. Isabella took you through several pathways that were naturally hidden by overgrown vines and fallen rocks. The pathways themselves were lined against the sheer wall of the canyon and looked as if they were nothing more cracks upon the surface. From behind a rock outcropping, you view the entrance at a safe distance as to not alert any roaming members.
  
  "They've got to be here," she says.
  
  "Is this like common knowledge? I'm sure there are plenty of caves just like this one out here," you reply.
  
  "Not like this one. This one has an underground spring. It's almost an unlimited source of freshwater. If there's a place they've secured as a base, it's this one. Lizabeth and I used to come here as girls. There was one time where –"
  
  "Shh there's movement," you whisper and push her head down with your palm.
  
  Giving you an annoying look, she fixes her hair and peers out along with you from behind the rock.
  
  A man emerges from the dark opening. His cowboy hat hangs at his back tied by two strings at his neck. Upon crossing into the sunlight, he promptly flips it on and pulls a hand-rolled cigarette from his front pocket. A slight "ahh" echoes towards you as he inhales the smoke and leans casually against a boulder.
  
  "That's Packin' Johnny," Isabella informs. "As far as McCaw gang members go, he's not so bad. He's no saint either though, but I've seen him be kind on occasion to a few of the townsfolk, which is more than I can say for the rest of the lot."
  
  "It's easy to see how One-Eyed got his name, but I wonder how Packin' Johnny got his... he's only got a simple six-shooter—," you begin when realization hits you. "Oh I get it..."
  
  "There are no shortage of tasteless men out here."
  
  "As far as tasteless goes, this isn't so bad. I once saw a man enter a whorehouse with only a pineapple and—"
  
  "Maybe we should focus on the task at hand," she stops you.
  
  "Story for another time then. What do you suggest we do about Packin' Johnny here?"
  
  "I'd prefer to save our bullets for McCaw and the rest of his good-for-nothing gang, but if Packin' decides to be a hero then it could be over before it began."
  
  > draw your pistol
  Packin' Johnny Hit Points: 100/100
  
  You stand directly across from Packin' Johnny with your .45 in hand. You're done with talking now. You stare across the dusty canyon at your opponent. Neither of you is a novice when it comes to settling things with a well-aimed shot. You wave Isabella back. You're settling this one on one. A bead of sweat appears on his forehead as his fingers grasp his six-shooter.
  
  Packin' Johnny is a tough son of a gun. You best aim well.
  
  Hit points: 100/100
  Bullets: 6/6
  
  > run away
  You abandon the gunfight to run away. Unfortunately, Packin' Johnny still has his pistol aimed at you. It's a lot easier to hit a target that's not firing back. His bullet strikes through the back of your head. You die instantly.