Back in Cy's office, Wolcott is there, examining the claims Cy has already purchased off the dumbass prospectors who have bugged out due to panic. Commissioner Jarry, who I am really starting to hate, comes in to announce that the notice about the claims has been delivered to Merrick. He has a good laugh about how disturbed Merrick was about the statement. Except he doesn't laugh for long. Leon bursts through the door to announce that Merrick has posted the statement outside the press office, on the door, and that the smelly men of Deadwood are going batshit over it -- "people are fuckin' riled." Jarry asks for clarification, curious if they are "riled or frightened?" Leon: "Riled, sir." Cy says that's not exactly the kind of unsettlement they were banking on. Wolcott sends him out to handle the situation.

And what a situation it's become. The gathered men can't quite translate the notice Merrick's posted, and are taking it out on him. The head honcho hoople, Steve, can't figure out what the word "mitigated" means, and Merrick's attempts to explain it are only making matters much worse. Steve threatens to punch Merrick in the nose, just for posting the crazy statement, and demands to know where the commissioner is. Cy walks up at this moment to pour his snake oil on the waters. He asks, all innocence, what's going on. "New commissioner in town," Steve says, "give Merrick a statement mitigating us into an ass-fucking." Cy, ever the wordsmith, gives a flick of his mustache, and simply says "ouch."