150 Years Ago

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lake_wrangler
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by lake_wrangler »

Just when I thought the plot couldn't get any thicker... a photo drops out of a card...


And, true to his word, Sarge now tells us, in-story, why Jin is wearing mourning attire. And it makes all the sense in the world.

I love this story. As I have mentioned before, I would have been more than happy if it had merely been some back story for Cornelius. But the way you guys have inter-weaved it with the rest of the Wapsiverse is creative, clever, and entertaining. I'm loving it!
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by jwhouk »

Oh, but you ain't seen nothin' yet...

---

"…I honestly think he would have found it repulsive to have a simpleton carry his name. He was a rather divisive person, General Forrest was. Not that I ever met the man, of course. He and I were involved in different theaters of the war."

Neil took a moment to sip on some of the lemonade that Phix had provided.

"So – any further questions?"

"Yes," came a voice from the door. "Perhaps you could tell the girls a bit about your interactions with the 44th Wisconsin Regiment? Maybe about a young private, named Oscar Watts?"

They all turned. Atsali was the first to recognize the man standing at the doorway.

"Mr. Houk? What are you talking about?" The two ursamorphs looked somewhat surprised as he walked into the room.

The four naiad girls, however, were shaking in their seats.

"You… you're the fearless one…" came a squeak from Devyn. The other three were slack-jawed.

"I think Mr. Antonia knows much, much more than I do," he said, strolling into the office. "Nice place you got here, Neil."

"I thought your face was familiar, Joe," Neil said with a smile. "So where is he in your family tree?"

"My great-grandmother on my mom's side" he said. "Last name of Watts." He pulled out a photo from his coat pocket, and handed it to Neil before removing his coat.

"Jin slipped this in her thank you card from the wedding. Since my great-great-grandfather is the only one of my direct relatives that fought in the War Between The States, I pretty much figured it was him."

Neil inspected the photo.

"Must have been taken after he got back to Paducah," he said, nodding. "You definitely have his receding hairline, that's for certain."

"His second youngest daughter married a man from Mineral Point, named James," he explained to Atsali. "She died six months after giving birth to their third child. He remarried her younger sister, Winifred. Their oldest daughter was my grandmother Harriet."

Neil handed the photo back to him. "So I take it you want to know how I know Private Watts?"

"The Library has been rather helpful with the story of your little cruise up the Ohio River," he replied. "However, the only 'official' documentation after that was about some incident at Parkersburg, then something in Hagerstown. After that – well, the book only said, 'rejoined unit, March 18, 1865'." He looked around for a moment. "Got a chair handy? I suspect this story might take a bit longer than the one about Gettysburg."

Neil pointed to an extra chair to his left. "Pardon any dust, I don't usually get this many visitors to my study."

Joe had a seat, and leaned back. "Understand completely. So – do tell."

"Well, we'd just pulled out of a little port known as Ravenswood…"

---
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by jwhouk »

"This is humiliating," the soldier mumbled under his breath to Alexander for about the fifth time since they'd left the stateroom.

"If y'all gots a better idea, I'm all for it," he said quietly as the soldier in front of him walked beside their "prisoner". "B'sides, I'm sure you'n done something similar in your years of expertise."

The other "soldier" walking in front of the three seemed slightly amused at the whole thing. He kept up the charade, however. They were now walking down the gangway of the main deck, heading back to the original room where they'd kept the prisoner.

"But why did I get roped inta pretendin' to be him?" The "prisoner" complained a bit. They had done up some makeshift "bonds" with ropes, which made it look like he was tied up more than he actually was.

"Cause the wig fit on ya, Corporal," the soldier at his side said as they reached the outside of the door. He looked up "Uh, Mr. Alexander, the stiletto is still in the ceiling."

Ebbie looked up, reached up easily and pulled it down. "Souvenir," he mumbled, sliding it into an outside coat pocket.

The door to the suite was still in disrepair since the spy had tried to break in the last time. In the doorway, they found Private Richards of the 12th Indiana standing guard over the empty suite.

"Suh!" He came to attention, with a full salute to Ebbie. "Suite's as best as we could get it, suh. Bullet holes made it a bit difficult to take care'n the door, though."

"I see, that, Private," he said, motioning the three into the room. "After discoverin' the room we'd moved 'im to was the spy's aitch-Q, we really din' have a choice. Fortunately, we're only 'bout two hours out of Parkersburg." They guided the "prisoner" into the sleeping room of the suite, where they took some of the chains and made a show of locking him up. The "soldier" whispered something in the prisoner's ear, who then replied with a nod – and promptly laid down on the bunk.

"Welp," the "soldier" said, closing the door. "There y'go, Mr. Alexander." Ebbie turned to him, after dismissing Private Richards.

"We made a show of walkin' from the front of the boat all the way back here," Ebbie said. "Right now, pretty much anyone who might be snoopin' is thinkin' yer'n there – centurion." He turned and smiled at the other "soldier" – who looked a bit ill-suited for the uniform he was wearing.

"Just how the hell do you know about that, anyway?" Cornelius – who was disguised as the one soldier who'd escorted the prisoner (Corporal Austin) to the old quarters – asked of the Pinkerton detective.

"Billens an' I go back a ways," he replied. "An' mah daddy told me a lot about the Great Library when I was growin' up." He looked at the other soldier. "Douglas, go on out and watch the hallway." The crewman in soldier's clothes nodded and took his position outside the remnants of the door.

"So – I have a question for you, suh," Alexander motioned to a seat, which Cornelius accepted.

"What all do you know of the Timekeeper's Daughter?"
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: 150 Years Ago

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Just across the gangway from the sleep room where Austin wore the Sailor's uniform, there was no door or accommodation- the upper forward hold was just the other side of that wall. After all the shifting of cotton bales, there seemed no urge to properly replace them- thus a fair gap existed right at the space across from the sleep room. The wall dividing the gangway from the hold had rough boards on the hold side and lath-and-plaster on the gangway side with white-painted wainscoting to 32". 'Tanner' had no difficulty prying a couple of boards loose, then carving a small peephole with a carpenter's gimlet- he couldn't hear too well what was going on, but he could actually see well enough. He had one slip of plaster he used to cover the tiny hole when not in use, and spent a bit of time carving into the wall to create a thin area where the Henry could deliver a fatal blow without risking the barrel or himself.
By now he was beyond hungry- no food or liquids for most of the day was beginning to tell. He would collect nothing without either a live Confederate or a dead body, so he was determined to finish this effort one way or another.
After all- it's not like he enjoys killing...
Last edited by Sgt. Howard on Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by jwhouk »

A few minutes before:

Dashnois was a bit edgy as he paced the upper deck of the ship, between the stateroom and the port side gangway.

"I'd feel a heckuva lot better about the rest'n this trip if we knew where that spy was," he mumbled as he and Hatch passed each other on sentry duty.

"You and me both, Dashy," Hatch acknowledged.

They passed by each other once more, when the whistle indicating the top of the hour sounded. As the two met at the entrance to the suite, a pair of eyes down on the main deck watched from the edge of the opening to the chain locker.

There was only about enough room there for a man; even those damn centaurs couldn't get down here, Tanner thought as he used his spyglass to keep an eye on the patrol. The soldiers that had embarked at Huntington were keeping their patrols more to the sides of the boat, monitoring for possible attacks again. The ones on the second deck were also kept to the sides, because of the design of the ship; the gangway on that deck was only two stairwells that led up to the Promenade deck. As a result, he hadn't seen anyone – or anything – since the little "procession" about an hour ago.

Tanner suspected that there was a ruse in the prisoner exchange. They had made a big to-do of walking down essentially the center line of the ship, down the main gangway and back to where they'd put the prisoner at first. It was a logical assumption on his part that they hadn't fixed the door – one that was confirmed when he saw a soldier standing outside the suite.

He had paid attention to the little group that had gone down the gangway. That damn Pinkerton was in there with them – that meant he'd have only one shot. The way he'd seen him move and act suggested that he was the leader of the centaurs – though he couldn't confirm it. That'd make it doubly difficult to deal with him.

There seemed something "off" about the prisoner in that little charade – it didn't look like the man he'd been assigned to take out. For one, the man had a rather long nose. Not on the same level as that damn Pinkerton behemoth, though.

He risked peeking over the side of the ropes that had provided him cover when the two soldiers had nearly spotted him earlier. The soldier was there, pacing back and forth across the main gangway, toward the aft part of the ship. He slipped his long spyglass down on the ropes, and used his duster to cover it – making it look as inauspicious as possible.

The soldier was clean shaven – young, but not baby-faced. And he had a long nose. Not the same as his target, though.

He'd seen a tonsorialist come out of the stateroom on the Promenade deck. It was a safe bet he wasn't there because that big Belgian who had lost his lunch at the start of this cruise needed a shave.

He quickly pulled the glass back, and aimed it back up toward the Promenade balcony. He saw two more faces emerge from the top of the stairs; it was two of the other soldiers. He vaguely recalled that they were the two that had been in the cabin when he'd tried to break in earlier. They were probably going to be a bit difficult to deal with.

He risked a peek behind him, to see where exactly they were on the river. There was a bend coming up to the right, where there'd be a few moments of shadow that would allow him to remove himself to one of the access hatches to the forward hold – and, from there, make his way back to the cabin where he could at least try to determine…

"Hey!" A voice called out from the promenade deck. "What the hell's a hat doing down on the fore deck?" The one soldier had seen him! He quickly ducked below into the chain locker, less than a second before the first shot rang out.

"HE'S DOWN THERE!" came a yell from above. Tanner cursed silently to himself. He looked down into the locker – the chains were tethered a large pulley that had only about a three-by-three foot clearance – and that didn't include the chain itself.

Without thinking, he dove into the window. Unfortunately, his coat got snagged on one of the sides, and before he could reach back, it went flying off – and into the river.

The only thing he'd managed to keep from flying off was the Henry. Everything else… gone.

There were more shots fired as he heard commotion above deck. He quickly pressed himself against the metal bulkhead where the chain was attached. A few shots broke through the deck above his head.

"Hold off!" He heard a cry. "Look!" There was a pause. "Damn se'shunist spy jumped inta the river."

"McCreary! See if you can snag that thing 'fore it gets into our paddles!"

"I think… I think… GOT it, suh!"

Damnation and a half, Tanner thought to himself. Now they'll know who I… He stopped himself. All the papers he had on him were forgeries – if they could still read any of them. And all the other armaments and such were useless, as they were waterlogged.

He looked up quickly at the window between the chain and the locker opening. He thought he saw a rifle barrel pointing down. He quickly looked around – there was a winch next to him, where he'd landed after crawling through the opening.

"Don't see nothin', suh!" came a cry from above. "Mighta got tugged unner the prow."

"If that's the case, then he's good as gone," came a harsh voice. It was that Alexander fellow. "Take that cloak up to Billens. Wright, have the boys below check the paddles, just in case he managed to survive the fall."

They believed him dead or drowned. This worked in his favor – but not for long if he couldn't find his way out.

The small winch room where he found himself was smaller than an outhouse – and almost as pungent. He had several scrapes and bruises from landing on the side of the winch…

…which had a hand crank on it. That meant…

He saw it immediately: a small access panel, just above the winch. There were a few metal rungs welded into the bulkhead wall that would allow access to the winch. The panel opened with the hinge to the fore of the boat…

This actually worked to his advantage. He struggled to see what he could out the window. The shadow he saw on the water meant they were slowly turning to the east in the mid-afternoon sun. He had to try what he'd planned earlier – even if it meant being captured or shot.

He climbed up, pushed up on the hatch as quietly as he could. There was no one around. He took in a breath and, with the rifle beside him, he launched himself up through the crack in the hatch and onto the deck.

The access hatch to the forward hold was right next to him! He quickly pressed himself down onto the deck, and – with some deft maneuvering – undid part of the tarp over of the hatch. The shade of the main structure of the boat kept him hidden from any eyes as he slid down into the hold.

He found himself on the other side of the bulkhead where he'd climbed out of the chain winch moments before. Acclimating himself to the darkness, he could see that the hold wound its way back to the middle of the ship, almost to the boilers where he saw the centaurs prior.

He might still get out of here in one piece. Take out the target, dive over the side, swim to the shore, and go collect his fortune. That motivated him – the money, not the killing.

It wasn't like he enjoyed killing, of course... at least, that's what he kept telling himself.

---

The coat was soaked from its dousing in the water, and most of the papers that had been held within were waterlogged and illegible. The only scrap that they had been able to read indicated the name of "Edward Tanner" – whom, Ebbie had confirmed, was on the manifest as the lodger of the stateroom.

"All we know is that he boarded at Cincinnati," Alexander confirmed to Billens at the old suite. "What's troublesome is that his final port of call was the same as yours: Parkersburg."

Billens wasn't in a fair mood over the information. "I'm not gon' be satisfied until we have a body, Ebbie. Don' care what that major from French Lick is sayin' to his boys."

---

He worked his way to the back of the hold. The cotton bales removed from the hold made for a large empty space – and, if he remembered right, this one wall was directly across from the room where they'd kept his target.

He only had one knife on him presently. If he timed it right, he could perhaps take one of the soldiers wandering the boat, slit his throat and take his uniform. That would make things a lot easier for him, trying to escape.

He thought back for a moment, as he navigated over the last crates and containers. First, he'd killed that man in Cincinnati to gain his alias for the journey up river. Then he shanked the cabbie who had refused to take his greenbacks as payment for the ride to the port. Once on board, of course, he had to take out that Pinkerton, and that damned nurse.

What would one Union soldier be, then? It's not like he enjoyed killing, of course. Least, that is what he kept telling himself.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: 150 Years Ago

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Having secured his new 'post', Tanner decided to get some form of vittles- he knew the galley was on the same deck as his present situation, so he snuck about to see how he could get in. In the furthers corner of the hold, he could smell food- but there was no door or window there. Looking up, he saw the ventilation shaft. With a few efforts of moving cotton bales, he gained access- to a tiny, tight crawlway that he could barely negotiate. Following his nose, he found himself directly over the large, cast iron stove that four cooks labored over. There was no grill between himself and the Galley space- easy to be seen, but also easy to pilfer from. A large double hooked rod hung from an eyebolt near the opening- feeling over his head, Tanner found the damper that it operated. Several dipping ladles hung from the front of the stove- several large mugs sat on a rack behind the stove top surface. Waiting for a moment unobserved, Tanner used the hooked rod to pick up a ladle and a mug- then placed the hooked rod back. In another opportune moment, he dipped the ladle into a large pot of stew and filled his mug. Then, leaving the ladle in the ventilation shaft, he backed with his prize to the cargo hold, slipped down, dispersed the cotton bales, retreated to his corner and had a bowl of stew.
In the meantime, one of the cooks was demanding to know who had absconded with his mug... and accusing his fellow cooks.
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by jwhouk »

Billens walked right past the galley, overhearing the cooks arguing over a missing coffee cup.

"Got a killer spy wandering the ship, and they're worried about a cup," he grumbled to himself as he headed back up to the stateroom.

The Pinkerton recognized him immediately as he reached the top of the stairs. "We're about an hour out of Parkersburg, sir. Cap'n wanted you to know that."

Billens nodded. "Anything new on the search for our killer?" The Pinkerton only shook his head.

Billens sighed and went over to the entrance to the stateroom. Both Hough and Watts were reloading their guns, after both had emptied their chambers trying to capture the spy.

"I just have a feeling he's still on the boat, suh," Oscar said to Billens as he was allowed into the sitting room. "An' he's gonna at least try once more to get Cornelius -" Watts had decided to completely do away with the "Younger" charade - "'Fore we get in to port."

"I agree completely, private," Billens said. "Dashnois, you and Watts go down there and get Mr. Younger back up here... What did you do to your splint?"

"Don't need it, suh," Dashnois said, his hand unbandaged. "Pain's toler'ble. And I kin least move my fingers." He demonstrated with a wave.

"Well, don't try shooting with it if you can avoid it," Billens said. "Watts, go down with him and bring Mr. Younger back up here."

"Will do, suh."

---
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by Sgt. Howard »

After inspecting and discussing the contents of the duster, Billens went his way and Cornelius considered Ebbie's earlier question.
"What do I know about ... the 'time keepers daughter'? I'm pretty sure you mean the one known as 'Jin', am I correct?"
Alexander nodded.
"Whelp, I'm pretty sure I met her in the Mexican War, around August of 1847 when we were knocking at the front door to Mexico City- she went by the handle of 'Conejo' back then... 'Rabbit', I think it means... little bitty gal with a right hook that would drop YOU. As I understand it, her actual moniker is 'Jin'- but I suspect she's gone by more than a few titles over the years,"
"Mebbe so... Billens tells me... you've got a paramour that yer pinin' for- an' she's the Librarian?"
Cornelius smiled- "He shore has a mouth, don't he? Yup... I had thought her dead... come to find out not so... I will claim her, if death don't take me,"
Ebbie considered for a moment- "How did you seduce a Sphinx?" he finally asked.
"Didn't intend to- she challenged me and it is not in my nature to back down. I kept goading her, something I'm sure she never dealt with from a mortal before- I knew my cadences well enough that I pretty much knew when she would strike- and I was ready for her. Broke her nose and put her in a choke hold,"
"??... I didn't know you COULD put a Sphinx in a choke hold,"
"If it breaths, you can choke it. As a young Signus, I choked a lioness to death that had threatened our encampment... she tore up my arm a little, but not too badly. In truth, I never realized what that would mean to a Sphinx, however... I only caused her to pass out, I never desired to kill her... I certainly had no thought of seduction, per say- I didn't know how she would respond to what I did,"
"You... conquered a Sphinx, without knowing the consequences? Hmmm... Had you known...?"
"Would I have done it?- I had often wondered about that- Personally, had anybody told me what might happen, I likely would not have entered the Library at all... do I regret that I did? Hell, no!"
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by jwhouk »

---

I couldn't help but chuckle at that comment.

"And you still mean it, right?" I asked Neil.

"Damn straight, skippy." He had the broadest of smiles on his face.

For some reason, this elicited a smile from Nadette - and a blush from Atsali.

"So - my grandma's grandpa came down to get you. Was that when the spy tried to off you again?"

Neil shook his head. "Not quite."
Last edited by jwhouk on Tue Oct 20, 2015 8:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by Sgt. Howard »

The boat pulled into the North channel around Blennerhassett Island as it approached the port- on the Starboard side of the vessel, Private Dunway of the 12th Indiana was standing watch... bored silly. He watched the island pass by, hoping to get a leave to see his Uncle in Marietta.
He suddenly noticed a wire loop over his head... and pull tight around his neck. Dropping his musket, he tried to grasp the wire- he could not breath, he could not call out. Too late, he realized that discharging his musket would have brought assistance... not that it mattered now. The blood no longer was flowing to his brain. His world went black...
Putting the soldier in his own raggedy outfit was not much of a challenge. He had found a vest to cover the suspenders of the boy's uniform pants- many civilians wore such pants, it would hardly merit a second glance. Nobody had a good look at his natural face.
And that damn Yankee nurse is dead- she will not identify him.

As the boat came into the harbor, several shots rang out on deck one- Pinkertons and 12th Indiana found the bodies in the 'prisoner's suite' and noticed the holes blown through the wall on the opposite side. Rushing to the Starboard side they saw a body, matching the spy, floating off towards the Island. "He's faking!" somebody cried out- in a matter of minutes, the body was riddled and sank. The hold was ransacked- the empty Henry was found right where Tanner dropped it. In the prisoner's suite, Austin, Billens, Hough, Watts, Dashnois and Hatch lay where they fell. Cornelius nursed the wound he suffered to his upper arm. Alexander busied himself with a pocketknife, digging the two rounds that struck him out of his flesh. The promenade outside the window swarmed with soldiers as did the gangway, all looking for any clue regarding the spy- not all were convinced by the corpse, but there seemed no other explanation. In the suite, First Sergeant Miller leaned down to the body of Billings and whispered-
"I'm pretty sure he's nowhere near- but even so, we will sweep- that was probably one of our own- shame the boys got carried away, but he doubtless was already dead,"
"As long as I don't have to wear this damn iron long shirt after this, I'm happy," Billens replied quietly, "you other rascals still alive?"
Very quietly, each acknowledged life.
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Re: 150 Years Ago

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Bumping dock at Parkersburg, the Queen City Belle was tied off and a runner immediately hit the dock and ran for the sheriff's office. Tanner was watching from the third deck promenade, acting as nonchalant as one could expect of an unaware passenger. He walked down the main stairway as if he owned the boat. Nobody challenged him. He had no firearm of any stripe. His only weapon was a small dirk. The Sheriff came aboard, talking about a 'murder'- Tanner smiled to himself. Soon the gangplanks were secured and the 12th Indiana formed up and marched off the boat... followed by the 44th Wisconsin boys and their prisoner!
Tanner did a double take- Younger had been shaved and shorne! And he was walking off the boat along with everybody who had been guarding him! Once on the dock itself, the 12th Indiana Formed a block around the prisoner and marched in the direction of the B & O railroad station.
He did not notice the tall woman in Mourning dress standing behind him- but she noticed him. As he rushed down the gangplank, she made a motion to another widow on the dock- a short figure in black who had been there all morning. This one immediately followed the 12th, falling in step with the soldiers' cadence.
The walk to the Station was uneventful, save that Tanner was desperately trying to find a way to get in and kill Younger that allowed his escape. Once there, he was aware of an arrival of a brigade of Union Infantry... Union Infantry wearing Tam-o-shanters and the occasional Kilt with sporran. He rushed up to the back of the 12th Indiana when suddenly, in front of these newcomers, the tiny widow in black turned on him and stopped him with an accusatory finger-
"YUU'LL NO CALL ME GUD 'OOSBAND A PHUL FER CARRRRYIN' TH' COLORS, YE COWARD!!" she bellowed out in a thick, Scottish burr.
As one, the 79th New York, the 'Fighting Highlanders', stopped their conversations and looked at the pair in shock.
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by DinkyInky »

Sgt. Howard wrote:Once there, he was aware of an arrival of a brigade of Union Infantry... Union Infantry wearing Tam-o-shanters and the occasional Kilt with sporran. He rushed up to the back of the 12th Indiana when suddenly, in front of these newcomers, the tiny widow in black turned on him and stopped him with an accusatory finger-
"YUU'LL NO CALL ME GUD 'OOSBAND A PHUL FER CARRRRYIN' TH' COLORS, YE COWARD!!" she bellowed out in a thick, Scottish burr.
As one, the 79th New York, the 'Fighting Highlanders', stopped their conversations and looked at the pair in shock.
*snickergiggle*
Yanno how some people have Angels/Devils for a conscience? I have a Dark Elf ShadowKnight and a Half Elf Ranger for mine. The really bad part is when they agree on something.

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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by Sgt. Howard »

Tanner stood there, uncomprehending- he didn't speak 'burr' very well-
"?... what ... are ... you...?"
"AN' NOOOW YE TRY T' DENUY HIT? HIT TOOK FOIVE BULLETS T' KILL 'IM, YE CUR!!! FOIVE!!!! AN' AT THAT, HE LIVED LONG 'NUFF T' HAND T' THE BLOKE NEXT T' 'IM!!! BUT YOU, YE COWARDLY SASNACH, YOU COME T' LAY AN' 'AND ON ME, AN' 'IS BODY NO YET IN T' GRAVE!!!"
Tanner had had enough of this- "Stand aside Madam, I have no interest in you OR yer damn ... 'oosband'... you've got me mistaken with somebody else, you shrill harpy- now stand asi..."
A LARGE pair of hands turned Tanner around just in time for a LARGER fist to slam into his nose with enough force to push it to the right side of his face.
"Noow dun't ye go a killin' 'im there Murdock," a voice piped up, " we ALL wants a turn here, ken ye,"
Playful laughter erupted from these troops, punctuated with the occasional collision between fist and face, or fist and gut, or fist and ... something, after a while it really didn't matter. A massive, ruddy faced Sergeant-Major in full regimental came up to the tiny widow-
"There neew, Mum- no need t' worry yerself about th' wretch- HE'LL be larnin 'is manners, I assure ye. An' pray tell, yer Guud 'Osband- what Coompany did 'e sarve?"
"Twere... (sniff)... twere no less than Coompany Oi, he was th' colors bearer of,"
"Coompany Oi... McDonald? Leonard McDonald were yer Guud Man? LADS!!! 'Tis LEONARD McDONALD'S WIDOW WE HONOR! Bring th' scallywag with us, 'es guud entertainment, 'e is!" he then turned to the little woman, "Know ye a decent Pub hereabouts? Strangers we are t' these parts,"
"McDermitt's is but a block from here- they'll no be open on th' Sabbath... but I suspect fer a WAKE, they'll make an hexception..."
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
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Sgt. Howard
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by Sgt. Howard »

Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
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Sgt. Howard
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Re: 150 Years Ago

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Even though the Brigade was scheduled to take another train east, the whole lot formed up to march the scant block to McDermitt's Public House- only to be stopped by the men of the 44th Wisconsin. Billens led the pack-
"Who is your Commander?"
The big Sergeant Major glared down at Billens, "An' WHO wants ter know, says I,"
"Federal Marshal Jebadiah Billens- that man you have is a Confederate spy and assassin- there is information we need to get out of him before we hang him," Billens flashed his credentials to the big Sergeant.
"I command these ruffians," came the gruff voice of Colonel Sam Elliot, " and if ye want information, just let us know what questions t' ask, I'm sure we can make him talkative,"
"Beggin' the Colonel's pardon, Suh- but he don't have enough face left t' talk with- yer boys got a might ... rambunctious ... with him... we'll have to heal him before we can even hang him... " Billens complained.
Suzi McBride, having doffed her widows gown and run to the station in her nurse uniform, came upon the group. Tanner... or what was left of him... was on his back with one highlander at each foot, ready to drag him in this fashion towards the Pub once the order to march was given.
"Billens, this miscreant is in mortal danger- these fellows have had a little too much ... fun... with him. we need to get him back on the boat,"
Tanner opened his left eye as much as it would allow... there was a lag of focus there, but eventually he recognized who was looming over him. He attempted to protest as much as his broken jaw, missing teeth, floating upper palate and nasopharyngeal hemorrhage would allow... to no avail. Two sturdy highlanders carried him back to the boat... where, unfortunately, he did not survive...
Seems he bled to death...
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
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lake_wrangler
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by lake_wrangler »

Sgt. Howard wrote:Seems he bled to death...
Oh? So he died of natural causes, then... After all, it's only natural to die, once you've been exsanguinated... :mrgreen:
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by Sgt. Howard »

"We actually stayed in Parkersburg one night- there I spoke with Jin and learned about the time machine and how she wasn't sure just WHEN things would work out, but that after 2012 she would pull some strings to make me find Phix again. We caught the second morning train to Baltimore, transferred onto a train to go to DC... There was another agent in Hagerstown, but he wasn't particularly... gifted... in the trade- Watts tripped him up with some simple questioning and he was arrested. I spoke with Stanton, and then with Lincoln- was given a full pardon... heh.. and offered a commission... I turned it down. I wandered back out west, where I had hidden my satchel in a lava tunnel in Mount Lassen. Down in Red Bluff, I purchased 60 acres of land and planted and watered seeds- once I had fruit growing, I extended my life by occasionally sipping the juice. I DID do a rejuvenation in 1897 as I saw the possibility of war between Spain and the US. I served under Teddy Roosevelt. I took a serious wound on San Juan Hill... when you're studying THAT war, I'll tell you what I know,"
The six girls were awe-struck at what they had just learned. Finally, Alexis spoke-
"And ... you were guarding the Hunley?"
"That's right- perhaps the biggest military development at that time,"
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by jwhouk »

Darn. And here I was going to add a bit about reading this on the train to Baltimore:
With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by jwhouk »

=== ===

"Does it surprise you that it took 'em so long to find the ship?" I asked.

"A bit." Neil considered. "I read some of the research about it - seems that after it sank, people thought the Housatonic had landed right on it. No one had thought to look to the seaward side of the wreck. Turns out the Hunley was right there the whole time."

"Girls," Phix poked her head back in to the study. "Neil and I have some things to do this evening. If the seven of you need more for your classwork, I'm sure he'll be willing to help you out tomorrow."

The girls rose and thanked Neil for his help. Both Berdine and Nadette shook his hand - and, surprisingly, they both turned and shook my hand as well.

"You've been a great help for Calista," Berdine said. "Just so you know." Nadette just nodded.

"Nice seeing you again, Mr. Houk!" Atsali waved as she and Nadette wandered out with the other girls.

Devyn seemed a bit non-plussed, but the other three girls were still in a bit of shellshock, even as they walked past Phix and into the Library proper.

"Nice bunch of girls, they are," Neil commented.

"I'd say. And a very nice teacher they have," she said, sauntering over to him.

That was when I noticed that Phix was in her human guise - dressed in a simple cardigan vest over a blouse, with a dark skirt.

"We have plans?" Neil said.

"Why, yes." She coyly walked up to her beloved and put her hands around him from behind his chair. "We were going out to dinner tonight. There's this lovely place, called the 2510. I understand they have some wonderful ribs. And we've been meaning to take Joe and his wife out for dinner, haven't we?"

"We have?" he replied.

"You have?" I replied - just as stunned.

"Certainly. And Shelly's agreed to watch Aeternia -" She gave Neil a look - "While we're out. Oh, and Joseph, I've already talked to Sarah - she's game, especially when I said it was on us."

"Well... uh... I'm kinda gonna need to get cleaned up a bit..."

"That's fine," she smiled. "I think Neil will need to do the same. Right, honey?"

We both looked at each other.

"Well... it's a steak dinner," he said with a shrug.

"Yeah - and maybe you can tell me what it was like meeting Lincoln."

"OR..." Phix reached over onto Neil's desk. "You can just read what your great-great-grandfather had to say about it in his diary," she said as she handed it to me.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Julie
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Re: 150 Years Ago

Post by Julie »

Okay...FINALLY caught up again. *grins* Remind me not to go on vacation without regular internet access again while you guys are writing. Your posts are so rapid-fire that I end up with pages of backlog to try and get through while you're still posting. :P
"Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful."
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