The Magnificent Seventh
Chapter Three Two Down"The Magnificent Seven are, alas, now only six. You've won over Holliday and me, time to get the rest." Buffalo Bill said as we stood at the bottom of the gangplank to the Aquila.
"Proceed directly to Cooper's Roost, young Matthew. Wild Bill and Calamity Jane settled down there to run the Silver Spur Saloon together."
"If I know Jane, she'll have kept tabs on the rest of us. Go win them over. I'll meet you back in Tumbleweed after I've set my show in order."
I nodded as I shook Buffalo Bill's hand. "Thank you, sir. We'll see you in Tumbleweed."
I stepped aboard the Aquila as her capstan brought up her anchor, and as her sails were unfurled, we sailed out of the docks of Buffalo Bill's Traveling Medicine Show before emerging from the other end of Arroyo Grande into Cooper's Roost Skyway.
Dropping anchor at the docks of Cooper's Roost, I and my trusted associates walked to the Silver Spur Saloon, where Bill Peacock, dressed in a red waistcoat over a white shirt, blue bowtie, and a white apron was at the bar, wiping down some glasses.
I sat down at the bar, and I nodded for Bill to slide down a glass of Yum down the counter. After I had downed my glass, I set down the glass gently on the counter with a sigh of satisfaction. "I hear the Magnificent Seven's getting back together in Tumbleweed. Are you and Jane planning on going?"
Bill Peacock looked up from the glass he was wiping to look at me like I was crazy, and he was probably right. "Did I hear you right? You may have dealt with the Red Sash Gang, but now you're suffering from delusions of grandeur."
"Those days are long gone. Jane and I have settled down. Gallivanting around the Skyways is a game for the young. Besides, it's too dangerous." Bill Peacock said as he shook his head. Miss Jane Canary then emerged from the doorway to the kitchen.
"Well, I'm going, dangerous or not. You're too afraid to join the party, that's your problem." Jane Canary said as she put her hands on her hips, and Bill Peacock sighed. "Well, I'm not going to let you go by yourself! Alright, I'm in. I'm getting too old for this."
"Young Matt, you're in luck. Bat Masterson is right here in Cooper's Roost. Or under it, I should say." Jane Canary said to me. "Head down to the mines, and you'll find him. We'll be getting ready here."
"Thank you both. I'll see you two later." I said as I got off my stool. Leaving some money on the counter, the others and I headed down to the silver mines underneath Cooper's Roost, where Bat Masterson himself was perched atop a crate of silver.
"Ah, we meet again! Do you need more silver?" Bat Masterson asked as we approached him, and I shook my head. "We're reuniting the Seven, and we've already got four of them. Are you in?"
"Of course I will join my old companions! But there is one problem…" Bat Masterson said, scratching a part of his bald head underneath the brim of his derby hat.
"The miners have worked unpaid for weeks as I've awaited a strongbox from Santo Pollo containing their wages. I fear the Banditoads have stolen it. I cannot leave these men unpaid. If, however, you were to recover the wages…"
"We'll get that money back." I promised, and Bat Masterson rubbed the tips of his wings together in satisfaction. "You will do it? Good, good!"
Leaving Bat to pack up, we boarded the Aquila to hunt down the Banditoads in Cooper's Roost Skyway. As we neared the border between the skyways of Cooper's Roost and Santo Pollo, David Clutterbuck, the port gunnery officer shouted from his perch atop the railings. "The Banditoads are on us, captain!"
"Beat to quarters!" I shouted as the men hurried to their battle stations with gunpowder and round shot. "Port guns, raking fire!"
David shouted as he pointed his finger at the bow of the Banditoad paddle steamer, and all guns fired upon her, knocking several holes in the Banditoad paddle steamer.
As the Aquila drew level with the Banditoad paddle steamer's port side, the first half of the boarding party leapt aboard as the swivel guns aimed and fired at the paddle wheel, destroying it.
While the boarding party kept the crew of Banditoads distracted, the Aquila came about around the stern of the paddle steamer and fired again at the other paddle wheel, destroying it.
"Hook us in! Bring her close!" Rena shouted as she drew her sword and pointed it at the paddle steamer. The men aboard the Aquila threw grappling hooks onto the railings of the paddle steamer, and began pulling her closer so that the other half of the boarding party could leap across.
"Man the swivels! Cover from the quarterdeck!" David shouted as he fired his pistol at one of the Banditoads, and the men manning the swivels hurried to load grapeshot into their guns to thin out the enemy crew.
"The ship is yours, Rena!" I shouted as I let go of the pilot's wheel. As Rena seized it, I drew one of my swords and ran down the stairs to join the rest of the boarding party on the quarterdeck, where we leapt aboard the paddle steamer, shouting battle cries.
The Banditoad crew was already exhausted from fighting the first half of the boarding party, so they were easily overpowered by the second charge, and we soon had them tied to the railings while we searched their cargo hold.
Once inside, we found strongboxes filled with silver coins, enough to pay Bat's miners their daily wages for months, and as soon as we were finished loading the cargo aboard the Aquila, we left the Banditoads for Cooper's Roost.
I and my trusted associates each carried a strongbox full of silver coins, which we placed in front of Bat as we entered the silver mines. "Well done, strangers! Now I can place my assistant in charge and be rid of this place. Oh, how I hate caves! It will be a great thing, fighting the good fight once again. Lead on!"
Bat flapped his bat wings to lift himself up into the air, and he followed us to the Silver Spur Saloon, where Wild Bill Peacock and Calamity Jane Canary were waiting for us, dressed in their old gear.
Calamity Jane wore a cowboy hat and a leather waistcoat over a white shirt with a red bandana, black trousers, leather riding boots with spurs, and she held a rifle in her hand.
Wild Bill Peacock was dressed in a gray overcoat open over a brown waistcoat and white shirt with a yellow bow, gray trousers held up by a leather belt, and he held a revolver in his hand.
"You got Bat on board? I figured he'd be eager – this town's too dang quiet." Calamity Jane said quietly to me as we leaned against the bar while watching Bat land on a table for a drink.
I shrugged as I accepted a drink from the bartender behind me. "There's nothing wrong with a quiet town. Now let's be about finding Billy the Kid."