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Arthur glanced back at Caleb, who had been quietly listening to the exchange. "You alright, Caleb? You're quiet back there." Hearing this, Caleb let out a soft chuckle. "Well, I just like listening to the banter between you two. It's like watching siblings who haven't seen each other for some time."
Trelawny laughed, his tone warm. "Why, that's cute, dear boy. Very cute."
The conversation died down as they continued to ride alongside the cliff, their eyes never leaving the boat below. Trelawny eventually broke the silence, his voice urgent. "Push up, come on." He urged his horse to pick up the pace, and Arthur and Caleb followed suit.
Trelawny continued, his tone serious. "Apparently, there's a camp somewhere around here where the bounty hunters meet and transfer prisoners before continuing out west. I imagine that's where they're headed."
The three of them kept their eyes on the boat as it eventually came to a stop on the shore. Trelawny reined in his horse and gestured for the others to do the same. "Look, they've stopped. Get your binoculars out and let's see what we're dealing with here."
Caleb, Arthur, and Trelawny quickly retrieved their binoculars and trained them on the scene below. They watched as a bounty hunter grabbed a man whose hands were tied behind his back and whose head was covered with a sack. The man was roughly pushed off the boat, and two more bounty hunters approached him.
Caleb, playing the role Javier would have taken if he were there, asked, "So, who are these bounty hunters?"
Arthur's voice was low and steady. "Don't know too much about Ike Skelding's boys, but I hear they're a big crew and wild. Built some reputation in the last year or two catching bounties."
Trelawny chimed in, his tone confident. "Well, that looks like dear Sean to me, Arthur."
Arthur nodded, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Certainly kicking up enough of a fuss. Yep, that's definitely Sean."
As they watched, one of the bounty hunters delivered a couple of sharp kicks to Sean, who stumbled but remained defiant. Caleb couldn't help but comment, "Well, they're giving him a decent kicking, I should say."
Arthur chuckled, his tone almost fond. "Well, Caleb, you can't imagine the shit he must have been giving them."
Caleb laughed softly, knowing all too well how Sean could be from his memories of the game. "I can only imagine how."
The bounty hunters began leading Sean up the canyon, and Trelawny pointed it out. "They're taking him up the canyon."
The three of them used their binoculars to scan the area, and Arthur was the first to spot Charles and Javier on the other side of the canyon. He lowered his binoculars and turned to the others. "There's Charles and Javier on the other side. Let's go."
With Arthur's words, the three of them turned their horses left to ride down the cliff. As they began their descent, Caleb spoke up, his voice low but urgent. "What should we do with the two bounty hunters that stayed behind to guard the boat?"
Trelawny, ever the quick thinker, responded immediately. "I've got an idea. Follow me." Under Trelawny's lead, they continued along the cliff for a bit before turning right onto a narrow canyon path that led them down toward the river.
The path eventually brought them to a crossing point where they could make their way to the other side, where the bounty hunters were taking Sean.
As they rode down, arriving several steps away from the river, they spotted the two bounty hunters standing side by side but facing opposite directions, clearly on guard.
Arthur signaled for Caleb to dismount, and Caleb followed suit, slinging his Carbine Repeater over his shoulder after retrieving it from Morgan's saddle. Trelawny, still on his horse, turned to face Arthur and Caleb.
Arthur stepped closer to the river, his voice barely above a whisper. "We should do this quietly and take them out without alerting the others."
Trelawny nodded, his expression calm but determined. "Leave it to me, gentlemen. I'll go around and create a distraction. Then you two sneak across and do the dirty work."
Arthur gave a curt nod. "Okay."
Trelawny turned his horse and rode off to the left, crossing the river at a different location to approach the bounty hunters from another angle. Meanwhile, Caleb crouched low, his knife in hand, and whispered to Arthur, "We should get into the river and hide behind those rocks. We'll wait for Mr. Trelawny to distract them before we move in."
Arthur agreed, and the two men crouched down, entering the river silently. They hid behind a large rock in the shallow part of the river, their eyes fixed on the bounty hunters. They didn't have to wait long before Trelawny made his move.
Trelawny rode up to the bounty hunters, his voice panicked and exaggerated. "Gentlemen, gentlemen! Excuse me, dear brothers! My wife is taken ill, gravely ill!" He dismounted his horse and approached the two bounty hunters, who immediately raised their guard.
One of the bounty hunters, a burly man with a thick beard, stepped forward. "What's the problem?"
Trelawny continued his act, his voice trembling. "It's dear Bessie! She's! she's!" He clutched his chest dramatically, his breathing heavy. "I'm beside myself! If I lose Bessie, I lose everything!"
The other bounty hunter, a younger man with a scar across his cheek, tried to calm Trelawny down. "Calm down, mister. Where is she?"
Trelawny shook his head wildly, his hands flailing. "Oh, oh, I ca-can't! I can't! I-I'm having a fit!" With that, he collapsed to the ground, feigning a panic attack. The two bounty hunters, now thoroughly distracted, looked down on him, unsure of what to do.
Arthur, watching from behind the rock, whispered to Caleb, "You take the one on the right, and I'll take the one on the left. Stay low."
Caleb nodded, his grip tightening on his knife. The two men crept forward, their movements silent and deliberate. As they reached the bounty hunters, Arthur struck first, driving his knife into the side of the neck of the bounty hunter on the left. The man crumpled to the ground not uttering a sound.
Caleb, meanwhile, moved swiftly behind the bounty hunter on the right. He clamped his left hand over the man's mouth to muffle any cries and sliced his throat with the knife in his right hand. The bounty hunter struggled briefly before Caleb silenced him with a final stab to the heart. He lowered the body to the ground gently, ensuring it made no noise.
Trelawny, still on the ground, glanced up and saw that the deed was done. He stood up, brushing himself off with a satisfied smirk. "A pleasure as always, gentlemen. I think you have it from here." With that, he mounted his horse and rode off, leaving Arthur and Caleb to handle the rest.
Caleb quickly searched the body of the bounty hunter he had killed, finding 2 dollars and a silver pocket watch. He tucked the items into his satchel before standing up. Arthur did the same with the other bounty hunter, then drew his Cattleman Revolver from its holster.
"Come on, Mr. Thorne," Arthur said, his voice low but firm. "Let's get up there and rescue Sean."
Caleb nodded, slinging his Carbine Repeater into his hands and cocking it to ensure it was ready to fire. The two men moved cautiously toward the canyon entrance, their eyes scanning for any signs of danger.
Caleb remembered from the game that there were two more bounty hunters stationed halfway up the canyon path. He crouched behind a rock and peered around the side, spotting the two men just as he had expected.
"We've got two of them halfway up the canyon, Mr. Morgan," Caleb whispered. "Let me deal with them."
Arthur nodded, his expression serious but approving. "Go ahead. Show me what you've got."
Caleb took a deep breath, steadying his aim. He raised his Carbine Repeater, lining up the sights on the head of one of the bounty hunters. He exhaled slowly and squeezed the trigger. The shot rang out, and the bounty hunter dropped instantly. The second man, startled, fumbled for his revolver, but Caleb was already taking aim again. Another shot, and the second bounty hunter fell.
Arthur didn't have time to praise Caleb's marksmanship. Shouts erupted from further up the canyon, and the sound of gunfire filled the air. "Come on, Caleb!" Arthur barked. "We need to get past these sons of bitches. Let's move!"
The two men sprinted into the canyon, staying low to avoid the hail of bullets raining down on them from their front and above. The canyon walls echoed with the sound of gunfire as Ike Skelding's men opened fire from their positions. Arthur and Caleb returned fire, their shots precise and calculated.
Caleb's heart raced as he moved from cover to cover, his Carbine Repeater barking with each shot. He took down another bounty hunter who had been trying to flank them, his aim steady despite the chaos. Arthur, meanwhile, was a force of nature, his revolver spitting lead with deadly accuracy.
Caleb and Arthur continued to press forward, their guns blazing as they took cover and moved strategically through the canyon. The air was thick with the sound of gunfire, the smell of gunpowder, and the cries of the Ike Skelding boys as they fell one by one.
Caleb, feeling the pressure of the situation, decided it was time to use his Dead Eye skill. The world around him slowed, his vision tinged with a faint yellow hue as he focused on the bounty hunters ahead. He marked five of them with red X's on their heads, his instincts taking over as he commanded his body to fire.
His Carbine Repeater barked in rapid succession, each shot finding its mark with deadly precision. The five bounty hunters dropped instantly, their heads snapping back as the bullets struck true.
Arthur, who had been firing beside him, paused for a moment, clearly impressed by Caleb's display of skill. After the skill he shown at the entrance if the canyon, he was already impressed but he was much more impressed, as he doesn't expect such precision from the young man, but it was clear that Caleb could hold his own in a fight.
As the seven seconds of Dead Eye passed, Caleb felt the world return to normal speed. He quickly crouched behind a rock, but not fast enough to avoid a grazing bullet that tore through the fabric of his shirt and bit into his shoulder. The searing pain hit him like a wave, but he gritted his teeth and took a deep breath, refusing to let it slow him down.
Arthur, noticing Caleb's injury, called out, "You okay there, Caleb?"
Caleb nodded, his voice steady despite the pain. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just got grazed. Keep firing, Arthur!"
Without wasting another moment, Caleb reached into his satchel and pulled out a tonic that was said could lessen the feels of pain. He downed it quickly, the bitter liquid numbing the pain in his shoulder almost instantly. He tossed the empty bottle aside and raised his Carbine Repeater again, joining Arthur in the fight.
Above the canyon, Charles and Javier had entered the fray, their revolvers barking as they picked off the remaining Ike Skelding boys from their elevated position. The combined firepower of the four men quickly turned the tide of the battle. Reloading and firing in unison, they managed to clear the canyon of enemies.
Arthur seeing that it was over, shouted over to Caleb, "Come on, quick! Let's get up there and regroup with Charles and Javier!" Caleb followed Arthur as they moved to the left side of the canyon, following the path upward. As they turned a corner, Caleb remembered from the game that two more bounty hunters would be lying in wait. He called out a warning, "Be careful, Arthur!"
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Name:Caleb Thorne
Age: 23
Body Attributes:
- Strength: 6/10
- Agility: 6/10
- Perception: 8/10
- Stamina: 6/10
- Charm: 5/10
- Luck: 5/10
Skills:
- Handgun (Lvl 1)
- Rifle (Lvl 1)
- Firearms Knowledge (Lvl 2)
- Past Life Memory (Lvl MAX)
- Knife (Lvl 1)
- Blunt Weapon (Lvl 1)
- Sneaking (Lvl 1)
- Horse Mastery (Lvl 1)
- Poker (Lvl 1)
- Hand to Hand Combat (Lvl 1)
- Eagle Eye (Lvl 1)
- Dead Eye (Lvl 1)
Money: 142 dollars and 88 cents
Bank: 40 dollars, 2 gold bars, and a large bag of jewelry