<hr/><div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/thumb/e/e4/Natehunter.png/437px-Natehunter.png)</div><br/><strong>Name:</strong>Nathan Hunter<br/><strong>Faction:</strong>Senior Deputy (Law Dogs)<br/><strong>Date:</strong>May 3rd, 1876<br/><strong>Time of Day:</strong>Early Evening<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Main Street<br/><strong>Tagged:</strong>Margeurite, Open<br/><hr/><br/>The fact that Vigilance Ranch was ten hours by horseback from Gomorra, and still considered 'near' the territory spoke to the distance between even small homesteads In the West.  The lawman had paused to give a chance to stretch legs an take a few bites to eat, giving Ergo a much needed break for water as well.  The journey had been uneventful, though unpleasantly hot, as if the Maze refused to offer a climate of any kind that could be considered 'pleasant.'<br/><br/>Put then the Maze had come into view, for the last few hours of their ride – the great long miles of shattered rock and water channels, the islands that sat high atop columns of red rock.  Painted ladies hung from distant mesas, and occasionally the mast of a ship or the puff of steam from a smokestack could be seen winding its way through the channels.  Despite all its dangers, there was a certain magnificence to the place, and it stretched in either direction as far as the eye could see.  It was another hour of riding the edge of the Maze before they reached a second ranch – this one located near to a suspension bridge that stretched a hundred feet from one mesa to the next.  It swayed in the wind, and even as skilled a rider as Nathan Hunter was, he didn't try to make Ergo cross the great bridge.  Instead he brought the horse to the satirically named 'Alright Corral.  There were dozens of horses stabled at it, and the deputy seemed familiar with the owner, greeting Evelyn by name and clapping his hand in a firm handshake.<br/><br/><strong>“Good to have you back, deputy,”</strong>he said, with surprising fervor.  Hunter raised an eyebrow, and the rancher blinked in surprise.<strong>“You ain't heard – Coleman's been shot.”</strong><br/><br/>hunter's eyes widened, his posture growing perfectly stiff and still, disbelief easily read in his gaze.<strong>“How badly?”</strong>he asked, his voice barely a whisper.<br/><br/><strong>“Dead,”</strong>said the rancher,.<strong>“Last night.  Mayor called a meeting this morning, there's gonna be a new Sheriff.  Folk been wondering if you're dead or running against Nash Bilton.”</strong>Hunter blinked, and shook his head.<strong>“I haven't rightly...  I need to find out what's going on,”</strong>he said.<strong>“Who killed him?”</strong><br/><br/>Evelyn frowned.<strong>“Newspaper says Black Jack.  Mayor says his crew.”  </strong><br/><br/>Nathan blew out a breath, and looked back to Margeurite.<strong>“Thank you, Evelyn.  We need to be getting across.” </strong>The bridge they needed to cross dangled and swung in the wind, and Hunter offered her the crook of his arm.<strong>“May I offer you an escort?”</strong>For once, it seemed his mind had something else to be preoccupied with besides Margeurite Tuerny.