Sam Whiskey

An audacious adventurer and charming rogue, Sam Whiskey uses wit and nerve to chase a risky payday. He crafts plans on the fly, leveraging allies and improvising weapons to outmaneuver Fat Henry and his gang. Despite his roguish exterior, he forms loyalties and pursues Laura’s goal with calculated audacity.

A wealthy widow from a prominent political family, Laura sees the gold as a means to protect her name and avoid conviction. She maneuvers Sam and the others with calculated allure, masking her true motives behind a poised, socialite demeanor. Her involvement reveals the era's tension between wealth, power, and justice.

Jed is a practical blacksmith whose craftsmanship and loyalty help anchor the team. He brings mechanical know-how and steady nerve, even when captured by Fat Henry's gang. His partnership with Sam and Bandy provides the physical and moral ballast for the caper.

A former Army friend turned inventor, Bandy contributes technical ingenuity, building the diving helmet and improvising tools to reach the sunken gold. He balances bravado with practical skill, essential to the trio's plan. His ingenuity keeps the plan moving under pressure.

A menacing gang leader who chases the trio, Fat Henry provides the antagonistic pressure that drives the escape and counter-moves. He represents the ever-present danger of frontier crime and the ruthlessness of pursuit in a lawless age. His failures at the river and mint sting with dramatic irony.

Masquerading as a government inspector, Bromley adds another layer of deception to the plan. His impersonation lets Sam slip into the mint and manipulate the system from within. This character embodies the era's fragile lines between official authority and corrupt opportunity.