Cowboys and Cosmic Horrors!

A late-night conversation between Lotus Ashford, Frank Cannon, Bill McCloud, Nurse Agatha Pettenkoffer, as well as Daniel and Esteban, two Mexican vacheros. The party is approaching the Mitscher Ranch, a couple of miles North of Lincoln, New Mexico. A gibbous moon is hanging low over the mountains, and it is fairly chilly on very early Sunday, December 28, 1924.

                                        

Daniel and Esteban

"So what is the plan again, and why?" McCloud was looking at the two armed ranch hands standing on the wraparound porch of the Mitscher Ranch.

"Daniel is really good with them horses, and he should be just fine over at yonder copse". Nurse Pettenkoffer was referring to the fact that the horses had been left half a mile away with one of the vacheros when the party spotted a strange and oddly disturbing shape descending upon the Mitscher Ranch. But what were these strange and repulsive flying...things that caused so much distress with animals and left the compatriots with a feeling of unease, and even dread?

"I'll take point, Frank will follow and Lotus will be rear guard. We'll round the ranch and see if we can approach via the stables and back yard." Nurse Pettenkoffer and Daniel will remain here and cover the guards and the front yard of the ranch." Bill McCloud was relying on hos experiences from the Great War, but also making things up on the fly. Meanwhile, Frank Cannon was loading shells into his pump-action shotgun, one after one, while double-checking each and every shell for any flaws.

"We just do not know what we're facing here. This schmuck Otto Argo seems to be a major shady character over here, and his band of goons headed by Boss Martin did a real number on the poor injuns they visited last morning."

"Yes, indeed, what a barbaric way to treat such noble people. It is distressing to see how we treat the poor primitives. Why, we should introduce them to the qualities of our modern American culture, and not rely on brute force and oppression!" Lotus Ashford was letting everyone know that he was from New England, and his Puritan ancestry was shining through almost as much as his fantastic Western-style outfit. "And I am so grateful that we were provided with fine lodging and a chance to recuperate at the behest of Nurse Pettenkoffer in Carrizozo."

"Ma pleasure," Nurse Pettenkoffer replied "I just wonder still what the deal is with the Antahueca Apache and whatever y'all might have seen. The chief didn't seem to have too much to do with sucj things, and where was that Old Horse medicine man? He seemed to be up to nuthin' good, bein' out in nature an' all, an' all by himself."

"Okidoki, let's head out." McCloud cocked his carbine while Frank Cannon took a final look at the Mitscher Ranch through the binoculars. Lotus Ashford checked his attire twice, and Nurse Pettenkoffer and Esteban the vachero took up positions, gun in hand, to cover the ranch from 150 or so yards.

Bill McCloud walked slowly and quietly through the moonlit forest, and he gave the Mitscher Ranch considerable wide berth without losing track of his progress. After a long hour, the three compatriots had reached the northern outskirts of the ranch. The stables were strangely devoid of horses, and apparently used for storage or just left empty. As Ashford, Cannon and McCloud were observing the ranch, an oddly repulsive red light started streaming out of two of the bottom windows. The compatriots also started noticing a strange humming noise not unlike the noise both Ashford and Cannon had noticed outside their hotel room windows back in Lincoln a couple of days ago. The noise was numbing, and it seemed to affect both concentration and even balance. Nevertheless, the compatriots crawled stealthily up towards the window, and peeking in to the dimly red-lit rooms, they beheld a gruesome sight: a strange insect- or crustacean- like creature had just finished sawing open the skull of Daniel , who had been taking care of their horses just about an hour ago. Nurse Pettenkoffer seemed to lie next to him, but where was Esteban? The sight was fearful to behold, but the despite a distinct feeling of dread and horror, Frank Cannon didn't hesitate. He pulled up his shotgun and fired.