As Told By Jack Kollath…
The boys and I had an uneventful trip escorting the payroll to Fort Apache with Col. Willcox and the U.S. cavalry. It was a welcome respite from murderous contest. And it was an easy one hundred dollars each.
Upon our arrival at Fort Apache, Col. Willcox introduced us to a local sheriff Grant Henslee, the law in nearby Globe, Arizona. Henslee explained his small town is overrun with opium. His son has developed the habit. While I do not personally have an issue with folks finding their pleasures wherever they may, we decided to help. We were not doing anything at the time. And we had some previous run-ins with Chinamen.
When we got into Globe we decided the best course of action would be to head to the upscale whore house, Chez Ami. As a group we doubted it would live up to its name. But it was not actually a bad place. The owner, Amy, introduced herself to the group when we walked in. She wasn’t French, which disappointed Royce a little. Amy thought adding a Parisian flair would be good for business. She had a point. The place was full up and it was only noon.
The madam also made sure we knew the rules of the establishment.
Lewis and I grabbed a seat at the bar and ordered drinks. Royce sat at the bar and chatted up a soiled dove, while Erza sought out the company of a young lady named Lacey.
Ezra found out from Lacey that the bartender, a young Chinaman named Sam, sold something to make people “feel more comfortable.” This was the Chinese molasses connection we were looking for.
Meanwhile, Louis and I chatted up Sam and Louis ended up buying opium from the bartender. Louis then eventually went upstairs to spend time with an attractive lady. (I was told later she wasn’t French either, but good at her job.)
Eventually I was joined by Ezra and we compared notes. Ezra used his arcane clothing to charm Sam and learned the drinkslinger’s source for the drugs: Fung Yap. Turns out Fung Yap was upstairs with one of his favorites, Lela.
Never underestimate the value of five dollars. I was able to convince Amy that I wanted to see Lela straight away and was willing to pay a premium for the privilege. This got me understanding which room Fung Yap was in upstairs. With some time – and after interrupting Louis – a striking figure in his skivvies – we followed Yap to his nearby dry goods store. He was apprehended. And under continued threat of pain and stress, we learned there were three places that sell opium in town and that at midnight tonight, a large shipment was being picked up at Utter Freight, a local business run by a Derek Utter. We gave Sheriff Henslee a report and Fung Yap was taken to jail.
We head to the No. 10 Saloon, one of the opium distribution points. After covertly talking up Derek and his associates, Philando Childs and Emiliano Overturf at the saloon, we scout the warehouse. Posing as one of the drug smugglers, Ezra talks his way into the warehouse before midnight and we take two guards into custody.
Five Chinamen show up at midnight in a buckboard. Derek and his men are also present. We wait until the drugs change hands. And to ensure the safety of the locals, as well as avoid a gunfight in town, we follow the Asian smugglers out of town.
They head east, then north. We struck in the wee hours after they had set up camp. While we sustained some injuries, four of the Chinamen were fatally wounded. After binding the fifth smuggler and threatening him with the same fate as his associates, the man told us the drugs were headed to William Cooley’s ranch. We are very familiar with Cooley.
We discussed several different options on what to do next. But eventually, we hauled the the wagon, bodies, opium and the remaining smuggler back to Globe.
Sheriff Henslee appreciated us getting to the bottom of what has happening in his town. He had heard of Bill Cooley and told us that dealing with him was above his pay grade. So we needed to wait for orders on what to do next.
However, there was something else that needed some further investigation: schoolteacher Rubie Bellamy didn’t show up for class yesterday. And when the deputy rode out to her family’s homestead, he found it had been destroyed. The family, missing.
Henslee asks us to learn more. And we weren’t doing anything at the time…
Dry Gulch Bugle 