"Firing into the Brown" #63 - meet The Jolly Boys, real estate, and stuff

"So Carnehan weeds out the pick of his men, and sets the two of the Army to show them drill and at the end of two weeks the men can manoeuvre about as well as Volunteers. So he marches with the Chief to a great big plain on the top of a mountain, and the Chiefs men rushes into a village and takes it; we three Martinis firing into the brown of the enemy".

Kipling "The Man Who Would Be King"

Time for another update... and apologies for the lack of posts the last couple of weeks - October is traditionally busy in Steve the Wargamers alternative life, as it is lift out season [clicky]  which marks the end of sailing for 2024...

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'Old' Tex at the Livery stables wasn't either of course...  neither old, nor a Texan - but what was certain was that he was damn angry about losing his nest egg, and even more angry at the way it had happened. 

Sitting down at the table on the evening of the robbery, he laboriously put pen to paper, and the next morning rode into town to send telegrams off to a couple of friends who he went way back with...

So it was that a couple of weeks later two mysterious figures turned up at the cabin a few days apart, and on the evening the second figure arrived, anyone who might have been passing (errr... no one given how remote it was 😏) might have been surprised to see the lights burning in the cabin late into the night, and the sounds of voices singing what sounded very much like “The Bonnie Blue Flag*”, yes, Tex's friends were old comrades from his time in the 7th Virginia cavalry. 

He, Zeke and Robbie (for it is they... 😁) had all served together under Ashby and 'Jeb' Stuart, and had got into, and more importantly, out of, more scrapes than they rightly should have done, but he and they shared a long history and were close friends. Together they would get Tex's nest egg back pronto, or die trying...

Meanwhile, Black and Cole are holed up in the gang's hideout, a small log cabin deep in a canyon about five miles from town with the paddock for the gang's horses just outside. The paddock only contains their two horses - the rest of the gang are away on 'business', the only reason they were not with them was that they had still been recovering from the wounds received when they robbed Tex, but they were now fully recovered.

Over the next couple of days, Tex, Zeke and Robbie reconnoitre the canyon, and then agree they have a plan and are ready to spring their attack..

* A marching song [clicky] popular in the Confederate Army 

Table set up:

Log cabin and paddock surrounded by rocks, low hills and scrub brush. Everything not a flat surface is classed as rough going. Tex, Zeke and Robbie approach the cabin from different sides; Black and Cole are in the cabin.

The dramatis personae..  Black and Cole left, Tex and the rest of the Jolly Boys right..

Stay tuned for the game..

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Three quarters of the buildings for Cedar Gulch are now done..  just the Saloon/Hotel to do..  very pleased with these, they went together well, and the small additions I made (embossed wood planking plasticard mostly) have dry brushed well...

This is sold as the Sheriffs office, but I plan to use it for that any number of other purposes.. Assay Office, Gunsmith, Telegraph office etc.

This one looks like a bank to me but again it will double for multiple other uses as required..

Wood planking roof worked well...

...and lastly the trading post - the dry goods and general store - this one kind of has it's identify nailed to the mast.. 😀

Start of Cedar Gulch's main street..

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 Laters, as the young people are want to say...