Of ranches and the turning of the seasons

 After returning Patience to her father, the posse settled down to life in Steaming Rock. Loretta had amassed enough money to claim some land and set up the beginnings of a ranching business, whilst the others worked odd jobs and enjoyed modest lifestyles. The ranch had a successful first season earning enough to pay back the mortgage before any interest was due, so a celebration was in order and a rodeo party was arranged. 

Loretta managed to tame a bucking bronco without being thrown once, earning applause from the crowd, but Fox's display of sharp shooting was less successful until Patience appeared with her trusty shotgun to finish blasting the bottles from the wall. As the party wound down, a gentleman rancher called Howard Ross introduced himself and requested help in returning the body and personal effects of his good friend Thomas Vance who had unfortunately passed away in Silver City. All expenses would be paid, and no trouble was expected. As there was other business to attend to, the posse agreed to help out a neighbour.

Silver City proved to be an interesting diversion and it didn't take long to track down Maxwell Kinnear, the erstwhile suitor of Patience Rockliffe, who had evidently been spending his time drinking in the saloon since leaving Steaming Rock.

The next morning dawned, the coffin was loaded on the stagecoach and an examination of the saddlebags of the late Mr Vance revealed some unsigned papers claiming a large tract of land with some complicated legal chicanery to obfuscate the original Apache ownership of the land. Things were proving to not be as straightforward as first thought.

It seemed the papers were also sought by person or persons unknown, as the coach was ambushed en route by snipers hidden in the rocks. Some lucky shooting and impressive doctorin' skills to save the life of the hapless Archibald who was shot in the throat, saw off the threat and the attackers were rounded up and captured to face justice back in Steaming Rock. 

The posse now have some interesting decisions to make ...