User blog:Sam samurai/Red Dead Redemption: Legends of the West - Once a Treasure Hunter, Always a Treasure Hunter

Note
Well, much to my surprise, my first story was quite a hit. Many of you asked for more, so here it is. Remember to leave me feedback in the comment section. Without further ado...

Red Dead Redemption: Legends of the West - Once a Treasure Hunter, Always a Treasure Hunter

 * John Marston loaded the last bag of grain into the back of the wagon. Clapping his hands together to rid them of the dust, he walked around to the front of the wagon. His son, Jack, jumped down from the driver's seat.
 * "Jack, stay with the wagon. I'm gonna go pay for this grain."
 * "Alright, Pa," Jack said as John walked back inside the general store. Jack climbed back into the seat of the wagon.
 * Inside, John made idle chat with the general store owner as he finished paying for the grain. "You come back, now," the man waved goodbye. John simply nodded and walked away. He had learned not to make promises.
 * As he was exiting the store, someone was coming in. The stranger was looking down as he walked, and he bumped right into John. "Whoa! Watch it, there, friend." John gave a friendly grin.
 * The small, hunched man looked up, and John took a step back in surprise. It was Seth! However, it wasn't the Seth that John had remembered. It appeared that the crazy man had actually...washed! If John wasn't mistaken, he may have also brushed his teeth. His clothes certainly looked better! His hole-filled boots had been replaced with leather dress shoes, and his tattered shirt and pants had been discarded for a new suit.
 * John grinned again. "Seth! You look...half-way decent!"
 * "Oh, hey, John..." Seth kept walking, seeming barely surprised to see him. John curiously followed him.
 * "So...what're you doin' here, Seth? Is there some gold somewhere in the hills nearby?" John chuckled.
 * Seth turned and looked at John, obviously not amused. "For your information, partner, I live here now."
 * "Here? In Manzanita Post?"
 * "Yep. Don't ask me how, but I scrounged up some money to buy a cabin here."
 * "And some new clothes and..." John looked at Seth from head to toe. "a bath."
 * "Yeah, well. A little girl that lives around here's gone missin'. I'm just gettin' some supplies, and I'm gonna go help get her back."
 * "What? What happened?" John's smile was faded after hearing this news.
 * "Whatever's left of Dutch's Gang is trying to gain some respect after what happened. I guess they're startin' small and workin' their way up. They took her on up to Cochinay. A posse of folks that live 'round here is gatherin' near there. They're gonna get the girl back. Figured that since I'm part of the community, I ought're do my part."
 * Leaving John to think about this, Seth walked to the counter of the general store and began purchasing bullets and other supplies. After a moment, John walked up behind him. "Better double that, Seth. I'll help you get the girl back." He walked back to the wagon, where Jack was waiting.
 * "Who's that you were talkin' to, Pa?" The boy questioned.
 * "An old...acquaintance. Look, somethin's come up. I've gotta help him with a little problem." John grabbed the Evans Repeater that was sitting in the seat of the wagon and checked the load inside.
 * Jack stood up in worry. "But, Pa, you just got back! You're gonna leave again?"
 * "I'm sorry, but I'd feel guilty if I didn't help."
 * "At least tell me what's goin' on."
 * John sighed. "A young girl's been kidnapped from Manzanita Post. There's a posse forming to get her back from the remnants of Dutch's Gang."
 * At that moment, Jack thought about his older sister who had passed a while back. Perhaps that what his father was thinking about as well. "Let me come with you."
 * "That's brave, boy, but I need you to go back to the ranch and tell your mother."
 * "It's not a long ride. Wait for me to get back!"
 * "Jack, do as I've told you. No nonsense, ya' hear?"
 * Jack sat back down and grabbed the reins. "Yes, sir..."
 * "Now go on. I don't know when I'll be back."
 * Jack snapped the reins and drove the wagon down the rode. At that time, Seth lead two healthy-looking horses over to where John was standing. John swung into the saddle, and awaited Seth's lead.

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 * At the base of Nekoti Rock, Seth reined his horse to a halt, John following suit. After a moment of Seth simply sitting in the saddle, looking in all directions, John spoke up, "What'd we stop for, Seth?"
 * "This is where we're supposed to meet the rest of the posse," Seth provided.
 * "They're supposed to be here already, aren't they?" John looked around with Seth, trying to spot anybody else.
 * "Yep. Well, guess they ain't here. We should press on."
 * "We ain't gonna wait?"
 * Seth looked over his shoulder. "John, there's a little girl up in the mountains that's gettin' who knows what done to 'er. Does that seem like somethin' we need to wait on?"
 * John sighed. "Lead the way, Seth."
 * "Now we're gettin' somewhere..." In a quieter voice, one in which John couldn't hear, Seth said, "Oh yes, we are..." He chuckled maniacally.

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 * At the front gates of Cochinay, John and Seth crouched behind a boulder, guns drawn. No outlaw was in sight, and the gates were still blown open from when John, Ross, Fordham, and the Army had attacked and rid Cochinay of Dutch's Gang.
 * "Where is everyone?" John cautiously questioned.
 * "C'mon! It's our chance, John! We can't waste this chance!" Seth ran straight through the gates and up the path towards the actual fort of Cochinay. John cursed and ran after him, Evans in hand.
 * Finally reaching the entrance to the section of the fort where the numerous tents were spread, they stopped to rest. So far, they had met no opposition. Now, they faced closed gates with a large lock dangling in front of the wooden barriers.
 * "Here, John." Seth handed John a bundle of dynamite. "Go blow that sum'bitch wide open!"
 * "Are you sure about this?" John took the dynamite doubtfully.
 * "We haven't met any trouble yet. There must be enough in there for use two fellers to handle! Now c'mon, blow the gates!"
 * John threw himself from behind the boulder they were using as cover and dashed to the gates, snow kicking up at his heels. Digging a small hole, he shoved the dynamite in and lit a match. As soon as the spark hit the fuse, John turned and sprinted back behind the boulder.
 * With a loud boom! John and Seth rushed inside the fort. They spotted several people spread throughout the camp. They were stunned, and didn't know how to react.
 * Seth started shooting and John simply watched as he mercilessly poured on the gunfire. The opposition didn't appear to be affiliated with Dutch's Gang. They just seemed to be a random group of people.
 * Seth ran deeper into Cochinay, and John followed. Catching up, he saw a few more of Seth's victims. As John followed his crazed friend, a man jumped out of one of the many tents lining both sides of the aisle he walked down.
 * The attacker grabbed onto John's Evans and the two wrestled to fight each other away. The man was large, with a black beard and a smile to match it.
 * John overpowered him and slammed the gun into his face, forcing the man to loosen his grip. He threw the attacker down on the ground and drew his Cattleman. One shot, and the man moved no more.
 * John looked up to Seth climbing up the ladder to the top of the wooden fort. He saw someone take aim at Seth with a rifle. Before the shot could be taken, John raised his own rifle and quickly killed the man. Seth ran into the caves leading into the mountainside.

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 * Finally catching up to him in the tunnels deep inside the mountain, John found Seth down on his knees and digging in the dirt with his hands. "Seth, what're you doin'?"
 * "I'm gettin' what's comin' to me!" Seth laughed and finally pulled a large metal box out of the dirt.
 * At that moment, John realized what was going on. "Damn it, Seth. Dutch's Gang never kidnapped a little girl, did they? There was never any posse! This was all another stupid treasure hunt!"
 * "I thank you for your help, John! It's been good seein' ya'!" Seth waved John away and began working on getting the lock off of the chest.
 * "I wish I could say the same..." With his words having no affect on the man who he remembered as being at least half-way sane, he said, "There's no more hope for you, Seth. You're gonna die dirty and alone all because of some fictional treasure hunt!" The Evans hung loosely in John's hand. "I thought you had changed, but it's too late for you now..."
 * Leaving Seth with those words, John turned and left Cochinay and returned home.

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 * It was early morning a few days later, and John Marston opened the front door of his ranch house at Beecher's Hope. Stepping outside after breakfast, he nearly tripped on something laying on the porch.
 * Looking down, he saw a large bag. It had made a jingling sound when he hit. Kicking it with the toe of his boot, it made the sound again. Picking it up, he looked inside to see a bunch of gold coins and a note.
 * The note read, "And this was only half!
 * John chuckled and closed the bag. Calling back inside, he said, "Jack, get the shovel for me..."

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And that's that. Honestly, I'm disappointed in this one. To me, it's not as good as 'El Rato Returns.' Maybe it was how difficult I found it was to portray Seth correctly. I can't tell if I did well with him or not. Let me know what you thought, if you don't mind. Good or bad, I hope you got some kind of enjoyment out of reading it. Thanks!