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The Ambush
Topic Started: Nov 26 2011, 12:30 PM (26 Views)
IBcondemned
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*Taylor listened closely to the...plan as it was. Seemed like alot of flying by your pants kind of stuff but he could see how that would be better then a fully laid out plan...you know if things always fell to shit for them. He smiled at the thought, it wasn't like he'd been doing any better and atleast they had some organization. He nodded when he was asked to follow Anne and lay out some traps. He wasn't keen on leaving the lasso behind but he could always get another rope. He wondered what kind of traps he might be able to set up if any depending on the route*

"I'll see what I can do and no worries on me getting lost. Your horses make enough noise for me to follow."

*He smiled, the skilled rancher in him showing through but that was a story for another time he supposed. He was ready to ride, he'd run from the union army during the war, this wasn't nearly as worrisome*

Taking off trail route was risky as hell so Jacob had packed the horses a lightly as he could without leaving them without enough supplies to make the trip. One thing he had bought in addition was rope. In as much as Jacob would be reluctant to leave his gun behind Jacob suspected Taylor would be reluctant to leave his lasso so he had prepared. Pulling it from his saddle he simply caught Taylor's attention with a glance then silently threw the rope to him.

Riding down wasn't an option, they had a ways to go before it would be safe so Jacob took his horses reigns and, without a word, headed for the treeline. To Taylor the mans silence might seem strange but to the others it was normal. Jacob, after all, was a man of few words.

Anne nodded silently then looked to Jacob. “Is it possible to save a bit of that rope to tie our horses together? You can lead mine and I can face the opposite direction to be ready to take down anyone that may think to follow us.” She said to him seriously. “Keeping my eyes from the road will better my aim.”

*Baines followed Jacob's lead. This was not unusual. One of the reasons Baines leadership had been so successful into the civil war and since was due to the fact he was willing to let his people dictate the course of action. Baines was a brillant man but he knew his limitations. He knew what many military men did not. He was wise enough to know two heads....or in this case....four heads were better than one. Rather than be a hardass....he simply led with a more relaxed manner...and let his people do what they were best at. He gave a simply set of intructions....and let them do the rest. Why not?? After all....the eccentrics were not fools. they were the best of the best.

Despite this he did have a few further suggestions.*

Anne makes and excellent point. Our horses should remain in a tight line. And we should ride single file to hide our numbers.

*Taylor eyed Jacob for a moment and then nodded to him in thanks as he caught the rope he was offered and looked it over. It seemed sturdy enough to him to make an interesting little ambush out of. He'd prefer to set quite a bit more but one nice big trap should do enough if the pass was as difficult to pass as they said. He simply hoped there would be something along the way to make a large thud and block the path when they came along. Taylor's attention shifted to Anne and then to Baines, they were right of course, single file and tied together they'd do a good job hiding their numbers and might even give them the edge they needed to slip away*

"Looks like someone had some foresight, now just to figure out what kind of trap this here route allows me to set. I'm ready to do this when ya'll are."

*He honestly shouldn't be this ready to do stuff like this but hell what was life without some excitement*

"I would not recommend riding them down, it is very steep," it was also why he had not suggested tieing horses together lest one of them lose their footing and drag them all down the perilously steep slope. It would make it difficult for the army to follow them down on horseback also, another reason why it was worth the risk they were taking, which would make even the most basic traps even more potentially lethal if it caused a horse to trip and/or throw his rider should army try to overtake them on horseback.

He did however oblige Annie and pulled some more rope from a saddlebag so that he could tie her horse to his and keep it close as the others followed. If they chose to ride it was their choice. It might be faster, but whether or not they'd life to see the bottom was anyone's guess. Jacob personally preferred to live and before too long they would join up with a older, disused trail that, while still not as steep as the main trail, would allow them to remount their horses once they reached it

“I will unmount as we reach that bit of trail.” She said seriously, nodding her thanks to Jacob as he lashed their horses together to give her one less thing to worry about. “Another way to conceal numbers is to sweep away the tracks with a branch or bit of bush. Their tracker will see past it, but… she will not be directing them for a bit… if at all. We have shared words of friendship.” She reported.

*Baines found himself guided by Jacob's words. He was one of his most experienced people among the eccentrics and he knew the land better than the rest of them. Baines had to laugh thinking how so many had such low opinions of people in Jacob's race....particularly among those in his native south. What hogwash it was think that a person of Jacob's color was anything but person....to be treated as such.

A wry smile crossed his lips thinking of nonsense he had heard spewed out at social functionss by wealthy, arrogant clods who treated being white as meaning that made them somehow superior. Baines knew better....and had known better since he was a child...despite the ravings of his friends...and even his parents. Damn fool bigots.

Regardles. Jacob merely began to arrainge things to his liking without consulting Baines. That suited the former confederate officer fine. clever and skilled as Baines was he saw no need to stick his nose into this when others clearly had a better read on the situation. He simply would follow along. Baines was never fool enough...or pompous enough to fall into that trap.

Meanwhile....as things became arrainged via Jacob's direction....Baines took the precaution of double checking his pistols....he carried two....one in plain sight....one concealed...making sure they were loaded. He then double chcked his namesake scattergun and dismounted his horse. He hated having to walk. Years of sleeping out doors in tents on cold, misty nights and had given him more than a little touch of reumatism. He was fine for short strolls...but a walk down the mountain....well...it was going to be a gimpy day tomorrow that was for certain.*

*Taylor had long ago learned that walking along side a horse was better for both the man and horse. Mounting up was for escapes or when no one was chasing you that you might need to run from. A horse can get tired just as easy as a man can and it's always better to have a fresh mount when you need to run. He knew his horse, knew he'd follow him closely without the need for him to hold the reigns or tie him to anything. One of those great benefits of being the one to train him he supposed. Regardless he began to fiddle with the new rope wondering what kind of tricks he'd get to play on this tracker. Anne was right though, sometimes the simplest tricks proved the most effective and sometimes simply securing a long branch to your horses tail could do the job of masking your tracks.

Taylor wasn't big on doing that to hise horses but he'd seen it done in certain needed moments along his travel. He worked the rope into a new lasso, not nearly as quick or easy to work but it would do specially for a one time effort. He moved to his mount and patted his neck and then rested his head against him, both oddly breathing together as he did it. Taylors eyes moving over the gang, there wasn't much more to say in his mind, simply alot of doing ahead of them*

Though he was mostly invisible in the darkness that surrounded them Annie might notice him glance back in her direction and nod in response to her report. It was good to know that they had a potential ally on their side in the enemy camp, even if it did not keep the army from finding them. They still had a ways to go before they reached the older trail where they could remount.

Suddenly movement behind them caught Jacob's attention and he froze in his tracks, crouching down near the horses as he gazed back through the darkness. The silhouette of a man could be seen above the ridge at the treeline. Jacob simply watched him, trusting the others would do the same until they could be sure of the mans intentions. The route they had had to take had brought them close to a road block set up by the army on the main trail so he was likely a guard from that camp taking a look around. Whatever his intentions however, he seemed to be coming down their way.

Jacob glanced to Baines, either Annie or Taylor were going to have to deal with this before the man spotted them and brought down the wrath of the small army camp above them.

Anne immediately had an arrow ready to go, as she fell in beside Jacob. Baines knew that arrow would strike true, all she needed was the word and it would fly, but until they were sure of who or what this man was… she would wait and be ready.

*Baines was not pleased by this turn of events. He had hope to get down the mountain with no muss or fuss. Good as they were....four ecemtrics could not defeat the 7th calvary and 1000 man strong unit. Granted they were broken up into smaller bands to cover as much of the mountain as possible. But still...4 vs groups of 100 with reinforcements nearby? That was asking plenty.

Anne had an arrow at the ready. It would be the most useful weapon they had. Guns would alert the entire search force. But an arrow was a stealth weapon.One perfect shot meant a dead intruder. The question was....who was this intruder? Killing an innocent that might have blundered into there midst was not Baines style.*

Taylor. *He whispered.* You and Anne sneak up on our friend here. Bind and gag whoever it is....and bring them here. If they are army...kill them. If not....bing them along. We'll free them when we are out of harms way.

*Taylor was a bit startled by Baines' voice but he looked and listened all the same. So..they were going to capture this guy and maybe kill him? Seemed like alot of work when an arrow would do the job quicker but no need in wasting life...though he'd prefer not risking his to save another...trading one life for someone else's more or less his own didn't suit him. He switched ropes not wanting to change the new one missing any and motioned for Anne to follow him. He'd pat his horse and whisper stay so he wouldn't follow them after this man, talk about a give away. It wouldn't take long before they'd have a better angle and when Anne was ready he'd launch the lasso and pull him to them quickly. He might be able to get him there but Anne was going to have to figure out a way to keep him quiet*

Jacob waited silently, at the two advanced on the man. With any luck they would deal with him swiftly and they could move on. Jacob didn't like trying to hold the horses on such uneven ground but they had no choice. If they weren't successful and the man was able to alert the camp above they could have at least half a dozen more to deal with before they made it to the trail below and made their escape. As much as Jacob liked a good fight, especially after all the waiting and watching they had done while hoping the army would simply move on, they would suffer from a distinct disadvantage of trying to defend themselves on lower ground while trying to retreat.

She nodded to Taylor and moved along swiftly behind him. She was practically built for this kind of movement.

Once they had a superior angle, she trained her arrow on the man again before she nodded once more to Taylor to let it fly.

The point of an arrow would be more than enough deterrent to keep quiet, but incase more was needed, she did have a knife as well – cut out the throat before it can squawk.
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