They came in search of gold, but what they needed most was water. Without it, they would be driven out of their camp and into the wilderness, where they would need to start the search for paydirt all over again.
The land the miners had settled on was rich, and the Triskett Gang knew it. But unlike the wide-eyed rubes that spent their days poking around in the dirt, they knew the lay of the land, and its great weakness.
A single stream flowing through the rugged mountainside was the only source of water for miles around. Up in the hills, the bandits had built a crude but functional system of dams that let them control the water flowing down into the Kneeland Ravine where the miners had set up camp.
And with this simple act of engineering, Boss Triskett became the baron of Kneeland Ravine. Week after week a lockbox was carted through town, and week after week it either came back filled with cash, or the water got shut off. As miserable as it was, folks learned pretty quickly just what to expect if they didn’t kick in their fair share.
The funny thing was… none of the miners had ever seen the bosses face before, even though they had all felt a sinister hand reach into their pockets again and again. No one dared climb the hills where the Triskett Gang’s hideout was, and so all they ever saw was the lockbox being carted in and out town by a different rider every week.
Determined to drive their shadowy antagonist out of hiding, some of the miners stopped kicking in their share of the water tax. Others demanded that the camp should take a vote to elect an official Sheriff who could hunt down Boss Triskett and end the tyranny of the Triskett Gang once and for all. Not everyone in camp thought it was a good idea to test fate, but it only took a few rabblerousers to send the whole town into chaos.
The first time the payments came up short, some bandits rode into town and seized control of a few local shops, taking whatever money of the top was needed to make sure the boss got paid up. After a couple missed payments, entire buildings burned to the ground as a warning to others about what happens when you cross Boss Triskett.
Everyone who came to Kneeland Ravine knew frontier life would be tough. The only thing that kept them going was the promise of seeing a bit of shiny stuff sticking out of the dusty patch of dirt they worked every day. Well…. that and the booze, gambling, and dueling that they indulged in every night.
Are you ready for a Gold Rush?