"Well it could hardly be anything else. And I'm sure they can't get much larger than this. Unless they evolved a skeletal system more like a mammal..." He begins to mutter to himself for a moment, then shakes it off. "No time for that now. I need to make sure those things didn't damage Dr. Hellstromme's machine!" He scrambles back into the cock pit and begins to check the machine for damage.
Leon turns to Drake. "Well, it seems we've met a scientist of some kind. Seems Hellstromme and Irish are engineers, and here's the budding biologist. Now all we need's a chemist." He shakes his head and kicks one of the insects. "Probably ought to check on the others, I reckon. Unless you want to stab another carving into these things?" The preacher gives Drake a sidelong glance and starts to walk back to the train car.
"Another..." Drake looks at Leon for a moment, his hand just barely moving towards his revolver. "I don't know what you think you're talkin' about Preacher, but I'm as inclined to get away from these things as you are." As the two move away from the others, Drake pulls Leon aside, his hand at his tomahawk.
"I don't know what you think you saw, Preacher. But we ain't gotta talk about it anymore, alright? If'n you know what's good for ya, you'll keep quiet about that. We understand each other, Leon?"
Leon turns to look at the Apache and frowns as he makes his comments. "I'm a man of God, but I'm also a man of the world. I know there's plenty of folks out there do some strange things. Some hard things. And there's plenty deserve to have those things done to 'em."
The preacher pulls the cigar from his mouth and blows a cloud of smoke out, turning away from Drake. "I reckon we've both done some things we had to. I've heard of you, rumors, anyway. And I don't plan on saying anything, if that's what you're worried about. The people you've... well, there's a lot to answer for on every side." He turns to Drake and suddenly, there's a knife in his hand. "But don't threaten me, and don't take me for a fool who doesn't know what he's looking at."
He slides the knife back into its scabbard and puts the cigar back in his mouth. He looks right and left to be sure no one is close enough to hear before continuing. "Look, Drake, I think you and I'll be mighty fine friends if we get past the posturing, so I'll put it out there. I know at least a little of what you've done. I'm wanted for several crimes myself, back East, to the tune of a few hundred dollars on my head. I reckon the 'Wendigo Killer' has a mite more than that, but my point is it'd do me no good to turn on you anyway. So let's just work together, at least 'til Lost Angels." He sticks out a hand. "Deal?"
Drake puts the tomahawk away, still staring at Leon for a moment. "A few hundred? Heh, that's funny." He eventually takes his hand off Leon's shoulder, stepping back away from the wall. "Still, I see your point. You ain't doin' yourself no favors contactin' the marshals, and neither am I. Alright, fine. You got a deal, Preacher-- err, Leon." He claps his hand into Leon's giving a firm handshake.
"Let's check on the others. Don't know if any o'them critters ended up down there."
Making their way back to Hellstromme's train car, they find the rest of their companions gathered around the car safely. No one else seems to have been hurt, and the car itself wasn't even attacked by more than one or two of the creatures. The doctor himself is outside with the rest of the group and looks rather satisfied with your work. "Nicely done gentlemen!" he says. "Nicely done indeed! It seems I have you to thank for the safety of my engineer and my equipment. I believe that some compensation is in order." He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out two small rolls of dollar bills. Each roll contains twenty bills.
"Thank you kindly, doctor. I'll be sure to put this toward the good Lord's work." Leon slides the roll into a pocket in his duster and pats it. Oughta cover a new bottle of good bourbon, if I can find one. Seems fair, seeing as You took away my last one.
"So, what's happening now the excitement's over? On to Lost Angels, I'm guessing. Through thick or thin, you're gonna win, that's the plan?"
"Just so my good man." Hellstromme seems almost excited. "Aside from this little distraction, no one will see us coming until it's far too late. Three more days and the Great Rail Wars will come to an end. And, if I might be so bold, I would like to invite your entire group to ride through to Lost Angels with me. I have more than enough room in my train and it's not every day that you see history being made. Mr. Buckner and a few of my officers will be riding through as well as Mr. O'Malley, so you'll have plenty of company."
Leon smiles at Hellstromme and gives a small nod. "That's a mighty generous offer of you, Doctor Hellstromme. I reckon I can't turn it down."
His thoughts turn back to the iron man with the gatling gun arm. And for more reasons than etiquette.
"You want me to... really? Yeah, I wanna take a ride in that screaming metal death trap. With..." Drake looks over at the strange, robotic contraption just as Leon does. "You know what? Changed my mind. Sounds like a great damn idea."
Hellstromme actually smiles, though his smile is just a little bit crazy. Not terribly unexpected considering who it's coming from. "Then let's not waste any more time!" He turns toward the cap and shouts. "Back to work you lot! We have a war to win!" The workers hurry back to work and in a few minutes you hear the drill spin up and continue tunneling through the mountains. "Feel free to rest in camp. There's plenty of room and my men will make sure you're comfortable."
The doctor heads back into his caboose and the rest of the party disperses back to camp. As you start to head back, you're intercepted by Lacy O'Malley. "That was... interesting," he says, sounding a little winded. "Not every day you're attacked by tunnel monsters. This will make a hell of a headline. You two alright? I saw you run off to help out Hellstromme's man. Mighty brave thing to do."
"Apart from, you know, being attacked by "subterranean inseects", I'd venture to say I'm not doing half bad." Drake looks over his shoulder at the men still working, still talking to O'Malley. "I don't buy it. The damned engineer is so certain they're some sort'a cave bug. Load a shit, is what that is. Ain't never seen a bug that big, or that fierce. Or hell, that f*ckin' creepy."
O'Malley's eyes narrow slightly and you catch the ghost of a smile crosses his lips before his expression returns to normal. "You know Mr. Wills, I believe you're right. There are some truly strange things in this world. You never know just what you'll find in the dark places. And it says a lot about a person to see how they react to them."