In this western, you play as Thomas Marshall, a former member of the army searching for your wife, Claire, in this flyspeck town. But after the mayor's daughter, Lucy, goes missing, the sheriff doesn't trust you. If you want to clear your name and continue your quest, you better find Lucy first.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 1 of the game.
SPOILERS AHEAD. Reading a walkthrough prematurely can sometimes diminish one's enjoyment of an interactive fiction game. Please make an honest effort to play the game before reading this walkthrough.
With most conversation menus in this game, you can usually just lawnmow through the options until they're all gone. Only when the options are persistent will you need to change that strategy.
> x woman. talk to Ella.
> 1(hi)
> 1(wild)
> 1(coffee)
She puts a cup and a cookie on the counter.
> 1(fight?)
> 1(Mifflin?)
> 0(end)
> x counter. take cookie.
> x coffee. drink it. g. g.
> x tables. x chairs. x stage.
> x beams. x lamp. x nail.
> out —or— n.
Main Street
None of the other buildings are open yet.
> x sun. x tumbleweed. x buildings.
> x office. x cat.
> x general store. x barber. x pole.
> w.
Ranch
> x hut. x stable. x horses. x paddock. x grass.
> x woman. talk to her.
> 1(help?)
> 1(Michael?)
> 1(name?)
> 1(happened?)
POW! You remember telling Claire you were joining the army. You wake up in...
Sheriff's Office
> look. x sheriff. x star. talk to him.
> 1(happened?)
> 1(Lucy?)
> 1(my problem?)
> 1(Lucy?)
> 1(leave?)
> 0(end)
> x table. take bag. open it.(just gun and money)
> i.(The drawing and cookie never left you.)
> x beds.
> out —or— se.
Main Street
When I first played, my instinct was to ask everyone in town about Lucy, when really, I should've returned to the ranch for clues first.
> w.
Ranch
A noise from the west is a clear signal to continue west.
> w.
Mine
> x white. take it. x hanky.("LT")
> x torches.
> x man.(He orders you to leave.)
> talk to man.(nope)
Return to Ella:
> e. e. s.
Saloon
> talk to Ella.
> 1(Lucy?)
> 1(hankie)
> 1(mine entrance)
She says there used to be a tunnel south of the mine, now buried by rubble.
> 0(end)
Check that area out.
> n. w. s.
Wind Pump
> x windmill. x rods. take rod.
> x vane.(squeaking source)
> w.
Hill Chain
> x rocks.(You don't find anything but a faint smoke smell.)
> n.(no path)
> drop rod.(You'll use it here later.)
> e. n. e. n.
General Store
> x Bill. x counter. x shelves.
> talk to him.
> 1(hi)
> 1(sale?)
> 1(labels)
> 1(Lucy?)
> 1(missing)
> 0(end)
> s. ne.
Barber Shop
> x barber. talk to him.
> 1(Moin?)
> 1(brought?)
> 1(gunshot wound?)
> 1(wife?)
> 2(mine?)
> 2(borrow Molly?)
> 0(end)
> x Molly. talk to Molly. g. g. g.
> x chair. x mirror. x bottles.
> sit on chair.(no time for that)
> take Molly.(nope)
> give cookie to Molly.(She eats it.)
> take Molly.(success!)
> sw. w. s. w.
Hill Chain
> x rocks.(Molly hops onto a specific boulder and squawks "FIRE!")
> move boulder.(not by hand)
> x boulder.(gap found)
> take rod.
> put rod in gap.(gap isn't wide enough)
> drop rod.
Leave Molly where she is.
> e. n. e. n.
General Store
> talk to Bill.
> 1(chisel?)
> 1(gooseneck?)
> 1(look maybe?)
> 1(pince-nez?)
They're on his wife's grave.
> 0(end)
> s. e.
Gallows
> x gallows. x noose.(cut)
> x platform. move sand.(need a tool)
> n.
Cemetery
> x bushes. x crosses.(which?)
> 1("Biff Clayton" / "1837-1868")
> 2("Mathilda Brooks, née Walker" / "1808-1869")
> 3("Wendy Porter" / "1816-1875")
> 4("Lucille Thompson, née Powell" / "1845-1878")
> 0(end)
Hm. Bill never told you his wife's name, did he?
> s. w. n.
General Store
> talk to Bill.
> 1(wife's name?: Mathilda)
> 1(shovel?: see Marten)
> 0(end)
> s. ne.
Barber Shop
> talk to Marten.
> 1(shovel?)
> 1(borrow shovel?: he gives it)
> 0(end)
> x shovel.
> sw. e.
Gallows
When you first enter the gallows while carrying the shovel, an elderly woman tells you off. "Looking for your friends, eh?"
> n.
Cemetery
Mathilda's name was on the second cross.
> x grave.
> 2(found the pince-nez!)
> 0(end)
> x pince-nez.
> s. w. n.
General Store
> talk to Bill.
> 1(give pince-nez)
> 1(crowbar?: he puts it on the counter)
> 0(end)
> take crowbar. x it.
> s. w. s. w.
Hill Chain
> put crowbar in gap.(You widen the gap.)
> take rod. put rod in gap.
The boulder moves, but you also black out and remember Claire getting her portrait drawn.
Molly is gone. The rod is bent and no longer useful.
> n.
Cave
Foolishly, try to continue in the dark. This is a necessary step.
> n.
It's too dark to go further. Duh. Return to the saloon.
> s. e. n. e. s.
Saloon
> talk to Ella.
> 1(lamp?: you may take it)
> 0(end)
Although you can't take or move a chair, you can do this:
> put chair under lamp.
> stand on chair. take lamp. d.
> x lamp.(It is filled...)
> light lamp.(... but how to light it?)
> talk to Ella.
> 1(light the lamp?: ask Bill)
> 0(end)
> n. n.
General Store
> talk to Bill.
> 1(matches?: You buy some.)
> 0(end)
> take matches. x them.
> s. w. s. w. n.
Cave
> light lamp.(with matches)
> look.
> x boulder. x precipice.
> climb boulder.(not without gear.)
Hike back to Bill once more.
> s. e. n. e. n.
General Store
> talk to Bill.
> 1(climb)
> 1(rope)
> 0(end)
> s. ne.
Barber Shop
> talk to Marten.
> 1(gallows)
> 1(rope: He put it in the hatch and nailed it up.)
> 0(end)
> sw. e.
Gallows
> dig sand with shovel.(hatch now visible)
> x hatch.
Surely there's another way to phrase this command without "use"?
> use crowbar on hatch.
> x opening. take rope. x rope.
> w. w. s. w. n.
Cave
> tie rope to boulder. d.
Vault
> x fellow. x alcove. x Lucy. x Michael.
> x kettles —or— x vats —or— x balls.
> take gun. shoot fellow.(no: too rash)
> talk to Lucy.(no: take care of guard first)
> throw hanky.(The man bends down to pick it up.)
> hit guard with shovel.(The men didn't notice. You take the hanky back.)
> talk to Lucy.
> 1(okay?: You use the crowbar to free them.)
> 1(happened?)
Lucy pulls you and Michael into the niche as Ron Thompson (Lucy's stepfather) and Calvin Mifflin enter the vault. After an outburst from Lucy, Ron sees the prisoners are free, and the men start reaching for weapons.
In this crisis, tIme slows down. You have time to examine things before you act.
> look.(You see a cart loaded with barrels.)
> x barrels.(One has "NG")
> x cart.(You see a wedge under a wheel.)
> shoot wedge.(The cart of nitro rolls towards you! You push Lucy and Michael to the ground...)
💥 EXPLOSION 💥
Sheriff's Office
You wake on a bed. Michael, Lucy, and Sheriff Dunder are here.
> talk to sheriff.
> 1(happened?)
> 1(re Michael's head)
> 1(end up there?)
> 1(they doing?)
> 1(Lucy's mother?)
> 1(Thompson?)
> 1(produce?)
> 1(effort)
> 1(show drawing)
> 1(where?)
> 1(must go!)
> 1(give hankie)
> 0(end)
Steppe
You head eastward to the city, wondering who told Claire you were in a military prison.
*** FIN ***
> x Billy. i.
I assume you returned all your borrowed tools to their owners, and gave the matches to Ella.
Extras
Characters
Thomas Marshall is the player-character. He served in the army after he was drafted five years ago.
Claire is your wife. You miss her and you're trying to find her. You see her in memories.
Ella is the friendly saloon operator.
Lucy is the sobbing woman at the ranch. After she goes missing, you learn she's the mayor's step-daughter.
Horses are in the stable. At game's end, you'll be riding the fastest one, Billy.
Sheriff Dunder doesn't trust you since you're new to town and somehow mixed up with Lucy's disappearance. In short order, you're doing the legwork of looking for her, and he's getting some more nap time.
Bill is the shopkeeper in the general store. You can't find anything yourself in there. You must ask him for what you want.
Marten is the barber. Also, the closest thing this town has to a doctor, and he's also the town's gravedigger.
Molly is Marten's parrot. She shrieks at the sight of smoke.
Michael is a rancher and Lucy's fiancé. You find them both kept as prisoners in a cave.
Calvin and Bob Mifflin are brothers operating a mine on the west end of town. Bob might be the hollow-eyed man seen outside the mine, but I can't verify that. Calvin is seen later inside the mine, but he dies in the explosion.
Mayor Ron Thompson is clearly in charge of the illegal drug operation in the mine.
Bandits are busy working in the cave, overseen by a guard.
During the game, there are random sightings and cameos:
A cat is lying in the shade outside Dunder's house.
A pack of coyotes is briefly seen near the wind pump.
A gecko is briefly seen in the cemetery.
A little boy is briefly seen with a ball of cloth at the ranch.
A rattlesnake is briefly seen at the ranch.
A scrawny dog runs past you at the ranch.
An elderly woman berates you when you first arrive at the gallows with a shovel.
A few mice run away when you open the hatch in the gallows platform.
Mentioned:
Deputy Miller found you unconscious at the ranch and brought you back to the sheriff's office. He's also the first one to respond to the mine explosion.
Biff Clayton (1837-1868) is buried in the first grave.
Mathilda Brooks, née Walker (1808-1869) is buried in the second grave. She was Bill's wife and usually called Hilda.
Wendy Porter (1816-1875) is buried in the third grave.
Lucille Thompson, née Powell (1845-1878) is buried in the fourth grave. Almost certainly this is Lucy's mother who died last year because of smoking opium.
Credits
This is the response to CREDITS:
Many thanks to Olaf Nowacki, Hannes Schüller, Michael L. and my family for testing and helpful advice. This game was translated from the original German version Staub with kind help from mathbrush and DeepL. The cover image was created with help from Stable Diffusion XL.
Inventory
One of the more awkward features of this game is establishing a need for something before you can talk to anyone about it. Your character will be doing a lot more walking than would otherwise be necessary because of these design choices.
clothing. You're wearing it.
Examine it; you're in western cowboy gear.
When you examine the drawing for the first time, you conceal it within your clothing.
a shoulder bag. It's in the your room's nightstand.
In the vault, after Ron Thompson discovers that the prisoners are free, time slows down so you can look around before you act. Examining the cart reveals a wedge stopping it from rolling; examining the cart's barrels, you see one marked NG (meaning nitroglycerine). Shoot the wedge to get the cart rolling and cause a huge explosion.
Examine it. It's proof you served in the military, and also reminds you of your own name: Thomas Marshall.
After you're attacked at the ranch, you wake up in the sheriff's office. The sheriff doesn't trust you yet, so he's keeping this paper until this business with Lucy is resolved.
During the denouement in the sheriff's office, the sheriff gives you your notice back.
In the general store, you use some of your money to buy matches.
a cookie. Ella puts it on the saloon's counter when you ask her for a cup of coffee.
In the barber shop, give the cookie to Molly (the parrot) to gain her interest.
a metal rod. Take it from the wind pump.
In the hill chain, after Molly has hopped onto a specific boulder, examine the boulder to see a gap underneath. Put the crowbar in the gap to widen it, then put the rod in the gap to move the boulder. The rod is now bent and useless thereafter.
a handkerchief. It's the white thing in the shrub near the mine.
After you obtain the hanky, go to the saloon and talk to Ella about it. She tells you about a tunnel south of the mine entrance, but buried under rubble. This knowledge will help you get the shovel and Molly from the barber shop.
In the vault, drop the hanky to distract the guard, then hit him with the shovel. You automatically take the hanky back.
During the denouement in the sheriff's office, you give the hanky back to Lucy.
a shovel. Marten has one you can borrow.
After you've tried to move the sand on the gallows's platform, talk to Marten about borrowing his shovel to get it.
After you learn where the rope is from Bill, at the gallows, dig the sand with the shovel to expose the hatch in the gallows's platform.
In the vault, after you drop the hanky to distract the guard, hit him with the shovel to knock him out.
Molly. This parrot is on her perch in the barber shop.
After learning from Ella about the buried tunnel south of the mine entrance (see hanky), and visiting the hill chain and noticing the smoke, go to the barber shop and talk to Marten about borrowing Molly. He gives his consent as long as she consents also. Give the cookie to Molly; she eats it. Now she lets you take her, after a quick look at Marten for his approval.
At the hill chain, search the rocks. Molly hops onto a specific boulder and squawks "FIRE!"
After you move that boulder (see crowbar and rod), Molly flies away. Eventually, she returns to her perch in the barber shop, and won't accompany you again today.
a pince-nez. They're on Bill's wife's grave in the cemetery.
After you've seen the gap under the boulder in the hill chain (see Molly), talk to Bill in the general store. He doesn't have a chisel, but he does have a gooseneck, which is another name for crowbar. But to find the crowbar in the back, he needs his pince-nez which he left on his wife's grave. His wife's name was Mathilda, or Hilda for short.
In the cemetery, examine the crosses. The second cross has Mathilda's name. Examine the second grave to get the pince-nez.
Back in the general store, talk to Bill. Give the pince-nez and ask for the crowbar. This time you get it.
a crowbar. Bill has one you can borrow, but you must first find his pince-nez and return them to him.
In the hill chain, put the crowbar in the gap under the boulder to widen the gap.
At the gallows, pry the hatch open with the crowbar.
In the vault, after knocking out the guard with shovel, pry the bars with with the crowbar to free the prisoners.
a lamp. It's hanging from a nail on a high beam in the saloon. Examine the beams to spot it.
In the dark cave, try to go north to establish a need for light. In the saloon, talk to Ella and ask to borrow the lamp. She allows it. Now put a chair under the lamp, stand on the chair, take the lamp, and go down (off the chair).
Light the lamp with the matches; now you can see in the dark cave.
You can't extinquish the lamp and you never need to.
some matches. Bill has some for sale.
After you obtain the lamp, you've established a need for matches. In the general store, talk to Bill: buy some matches (using some of your money).
