Hi all. Here is chapter 9. Hope you enjoy it.

I just want to say that I own nothing, except the characters I have added. (Josie, Wolf, Lassie, Thowra, ect) All credit goes to Jannette Oke, Crown Media ect… There is some dialogue from season 1 episode 1.

I do want to say that what I have seen of season 4 is AWESOME! I am so glad we get season 5!

Chapter 9

"Okay children, listen up."

It was school time in Coal Valley. Elizabeth continued speaking.

"I have some rules that you all need to follow. One, there is to be no talking while I am speaking. Two, if you need to leave your seats, you need to ask permission first." A loud whistle interrupted, but she kept talking. "Three, if you want to ask a question…." She stopped as the children began to run out of the saloon.

"Stop, come back here. You haven't asked permission!"

"Miss Thatcher. Miss Thatcher."

Elizabeth turned around "Yes"

"My name is Rachel. And no disrespect mam, but you shouldn't try and stop them."

"Why's that?"

"The whistles from the mine, it means that more of the daddy's have been found."

"Found?" Elizabeth questioned, just realizing what it meant.

"Yes mam, now their folks can take them and bury them proper." Rachel replied.

Elizabeth turned and walked to the window. Everyone was coming out of the houses and buildings and started to walk down the road towards the mine. "Everyone, follow me." She ordered, going to the door….

Josie had just shot a prairie hen and was in the process of re-loading her rifle when the whistle blew from the mine. She finished re-loading, then put the rifle into the holder. She grabbed hold of the saddle horn and swung up onto Thowra.

She kept him at an easy canter, because she needed him not to wear himself out, for she still had more miles to cover before they would go home. She turned a corner and slowed Thowra to a walk and whistled for Wolf to come to her. Wolf came over to her and sat down beside the stallion just as Mr. Ansvile began to speak.

"Neighbours, we have done what we promised. Today we dug up the last of the lost men. Now I know that these past few months have left us all feeling like, well like…" He paused, trying to find the right words. "Like there ain't nothing right in this world. But besides finding the brave men that their lives, we found something else today. Now I hope that it will bring comfort to at least one Coal Valley family." He said, holding up the plank of wood.

Everyone gasped and looked wide-eyed at the plank and its message.

"What's it say, Teacher?" A little boy asked.

"Forgive me. Pa." she replied.

Mr. Ansvile passed the plank to Mr. Gowen. "We also found this." He held up the pail. "Luke Blackwell wrote this message for his daughter, Josephine." He pulled out the photo and held it up as well. "I can confirm that this pail belongs to Josie because of this photo. Josie…." He motioned to the girl hiding at the back on her horse.

All eyes turned towards Josie. "Stay, Wolf. Git up." She whispered, walking Thowra forward. She stopped Thowra when she was close enough to the Superintendent. She leant forward and took the pail with tears running down her face.

"Thank you, sir." She said softly. She then backed Thowra out of the way, which unfortunately was in front of Gowen's car.

Gowen spoke up when everyone had gotten over the shock of what they had found. "Ladies, I promise I'll take good care of this plank until it is decided what we're going to do with it."

Mr. Palmer spoke up. "A miner, one of our own, spent his last minutes on the earth writing those words to his family. We should decide where it goes." The crowd assembled mumbled their agreement.

Gowen turned and started to walk away with the plank. "Back to my office, Mr Spurlock." He ordered, hopping into his car.

The miners walked over and stood in front of the car. "Kindly step aside Mr. Palmer." Gowen ordered.

"This ain't your decision Mr. Gowen. This is a matter for the miners and the windows to decide and your neither sir."

Josie and Thowra were standing a little way back from the car on the road. She didn't want to get into trouble so she tried to move her horse out of the way. Thowra wouldn't budge. "Come on, Thowra." She kicked him harder, trying to get him going, then she realized he was going to rear. "Get out of the way." She screamed as her stallion reared, striking out with his forelegs. He hadn't forgiven the man that abused him with the groom and all he wanted was to bite that pussy cat of a man, Mr. Spurlock.

The miners quickly moved away from the black horse that was really fighting his rider's wishes.

"Thowra no!" Josie yelled again, yanking hard on the reins as he reared again. Mr. Spurlock started the car and began to drive forwards, honking the horn. Thowra bellowed with fury and lashed out again, nearly kicking Mr. Spurlock in the head. He left Josie with now choice, but to hit him as hard as she could on the rump with her rifle. Thowra kicked out and bolted off, nearly crashing into the Constable's horse, with Wolf following as fast as he could.

The car had stalled and stopped. The miners walked back in front. Gowen was starting to get really annoyed. "Step aside, Mr. Palmer."

"Or what or, or you'll run me down. Is that what you want, Mr Gowen. One more dead miner?" Mr Palmer started towards the car.

Jack quickly rode up. "Whoa back there!" He commanded.

"Who's that, Miss Thatcher?" Rachel asked.

"That's a Mountie."

Jack rode over to the car. "Sir, would you like to tell me what is behind this commotion."

"We had a mine disaster in this town recently."

"I'm aware of that"

"Today, this was found." Gowen said, motioning at the plank of wood on his lap. "The identity of the deceased miner who wrote this is unclear. Now understandably everyone's very emotional about it, but this is a distraction we can ill afford."

Mr. Palmer spoke up. "No one is going to be thinking about that job until we find the owner of that message."

"There is no reason why both can't happen at the same time. Folks." Jack said, turning his horse around. "Only fair way to judge who should have it is for all the widows to submit a sample of their husbands writing to Mr. Gowen as evidence. I'm sure we can come to an agreement within three days."

"And who might you be, young man?" Gowen asked.

"My name is Jack Thornton. I'm the new Constable of Coal Valley," He turned his horse and moved him down the road towards town…

Josie had a hard time getting her horse to stop. They had been bolting through the forest for about five miles and Thowra was still terrified. When she finally got him to stop, she leapt off him in one swift motion and softly talked to him. "Easy, easy boy. What were you thinking? I know you hate Mr. Spurlock, and I don't like him either, but what were you thinking, crazy horse? You could have me in big trouble mister."

Thowra snorted again, trembling. His eyes were wild and terrified and he was foaming and sweating profusely from fear. Josie stood there with her horse, stroking and talking to him.

Jack stomped up the stairs that lead to the store and telegram office. He was really in a bad mood. Now it all made since to him why he had been assigned here and that reason was Miss Prim and Proper. Miss Thatcher!

He quickly dictated to Mr Yost a telegram demanding to be sent to a new post. As Ned was sending the message, Jack's eyes strayed to the waste paper basket. There was a crumpled telegram paper. He pulled it out and read.

To: Randall Pope

President Pacific Northwest Mining Company

Place: 5622 NT New York

In regards to Questions of negligence or safety violations liability has been managed

Responsibility averted

Matter appeared to be resolved

Henry Gowen Managing Director- Coal Valley Operations

End of Telegram

Jack quickly folded it up again and placed it into his jacket pocket as a customer walked in through the door. He left the store and went to the jail.

After a long time, Josie finally got Thowra calm and let him catch his breath after his mad run. She had shot a hen so she decided it was best for her to go home and hunt down a deer later.

She placed the reins over Thowra's head, grabbed the saddle horn and sprung up. As she rode, she admired the hen she had gotten. It was a good size and would feed her for at least two days.

When she got home, she un-tacked Thowra and lead him into his stall, gave him his food and fed the rest of the animals.

Afterwards, she went into the house to prepare the bird for eating. When she looked at her father's lunch pail that was on the table. She read and re-read the message again and again over in her head. She couldn't stop the tears from coming and broke down. Cougar came over to her and she threw her arms around Cougar, burying her face in her lion's thick fur.