Chapter Ten

Run Newton Run

Once they got home and had rested from the long drive, Allie was chomping at the bit to go see her friends and distribute all the gifts she had brought back. Nathan let her know he would be taking Newton for a ride and would be back in about an hour or so then he planned to go visit with Bill and Cyrus to get a report of what had been going on while he was gone. Instead of cooking later, he told her they would eat supper at the cafe.

Since Nathan was not officially on duty that day, he figured he had no set time schedule. As far as he was concerned though, he was always on duty so he stuck his Sheriff's badge into his shirt pocket. He was proud of his new position in town and was ready to get back to work but first he and Newton needed a much deserved ride. He went to the stable and saddled up his buddy. Newton had not been ridden since Nathan had gone to the city and the horse seemed quite ready to oblige.

"I may have bought a motor vehicle, but you will alway be my buddy", he assured Newton, patting him on the neck as they headed out of town.

After about thirty minutes of riding, he noticed smoke from what may have been a campfire and decided to go check it out and introduce himself if need be.

"Hello.", Nathan said in a friendly voice as he was rode up to the campfire. He didn't want to startle anyone not knowing if it would be friend or foe he might meet.

He quickly encountered three men. Assessing the situation he could tell they were on their way to getting quite intoxicated. They were obviously drinking whiskey outside by the campfire which was situated a ways back from a lean-to shack. Nathan sensed these guys were trouble but maybe he could find out a little about them by just talking with them.

"Hey fellas. I'm Nathan Grant from Hope Valley. I don't believe I've met you men before have I?" He was hoping for a friendly exchange. He had not expected trouble on his ride and had not yet been to the office to get his gun which was locked inside the gun safe.

He figured he would get a little information to make sure the men were there with good intentions.

"Nathan who?", one of them growled loudly.

"Well, hell-o Na-than Grant. WE are the Buxton brothers", another brother slurred mockingly.

As Nathan dismounted Newton, he was unexpectedly rushed by the three drunk brothers. They pulled him off balance, knocked him out with the butt of a large gun then commenced kicking him after which they dragged him inside the old, rickety lean-to shack and tied him to the heavy, iron stove.

"Look boys!", one of the men said when he noticed the Sheriff badge that had dropped out of Nathan's shirt pocket. "We got us a bonafide lawman!"

When Nathan regained consciousness, his head was throbbing from the blow. Blood trickled down the side of his head. The dizziness left him unable to completely focus for a while but he managed to get a good look at the men. He did not recognize any of them. He was in trouble.

"Listen guys. Untie me and we can talk about this. This is a mistake. If you don't then you will eventually be caught and what you're doing could lead to jail time…or worse. Right now we can work this out before it's too late"

Another kick in the stomach let Nathan know they had no intention of letting him go.

"Those stinking Pinkertons are after us and we're gonna show them we ain't afraid. When they see your dead body they will know just what we'll do to them too. So shut up!"

The brothers went outside to the campfire. He could hear them boasting about capturing a sheriff and were incoherently saying something about getting the Pinkertons too. They continued to down the whiskey. One was the obvious older brother and the ring leader. The other two just did what they were told.

When Nathan had not returned home when he said he would, Allie got worried so she took the car to go try to find him herself. She figured he had just lost track of time but it was unlike him.

It was still light enough outside that she was able to see some smoke in the distance and drove towards it thinking it could be a distress signal. When she got close, she saw a lean-to type shack but she could not see Uncle Nathan. The sound of the vehicle alerted the three men who had been sitting outside by the campfire.

"Well lookie what we have here" one of the men said as she was pulling up. He was grinning and showing his rotting teeth. The hair stood up on Allie's arms. She could sense trouble but did not want to show fear.

"I'm just looking for my Uncle Nathan is all. Have you seen a tall dark haired man riding a brown horse?"

One of the men reached and grabbed her by her arm and pulled her out of the vehicle.

"We got us a car boys...and we can find a use for this thing too [indicating Allie]", the man said while slurring his words. He was obviously whiskey drunk.

From inside the shack, Nathan had heard the car pull up and the men harassing Allie.

"Let her go!", yelled Nathan from inside the hut. "I will help you if you just let her go,"

"Uncle Nathan!", yelled Allie while straining against the bad man's grip yet she was trying not to sound too scared. She knew she had to be brave. She had seen her uncle be brave many times. She knew she could and should do it too...now. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. This is not good, she thought as they pulled her by the arm into the shack then pushed her to the floor by Nathan. "Tie her up Jefferson", ordered the older man.

Allie had been taught by her uncle just how to hold her hands and arms while being tied so that she could finagle out of the ropes. Nathan had been unable to do the same since they tied him while he was knocked out cold.

The men stumbled back outside to the campfire and their whiskey while discussing their captives and how they were going to show the Pinkertons how bad the brothers could be.

While the men were busy in their drunkenness, Allie managed to wiggle loose from the ropes. She immediately started to untie Nathan but he told her to only loosen the ropes on him so as to look like he was tied. He needed to stay and find out what these men had planned then he would get free. He already knew their intentions were not good but he wanted to find out specifics. He wanted Allie to safely get far away as fast as she could. He needed to come up with a plan while the men were preoccupied outside.

When the brothers were not in the shack, Nathan whispered to Allie telling her where they had tied Newton behind the shack.

"When I tell you, I need you to be as quiet as you possibly can and sneak out through those missing boards over on that back wall. Newton is tied up back there. Do you remember what I taught you about riding?", he whispered. She shook her head to indicate that she did.

He whispered, "Hop on Newton, when you hear me yelling at the men, then you ride Newton as fast as you can straight to town and get Bill and Cyrus. Tell them where this place is and what's happening. These men are dangerous and I do not for any reason want you coming back here. Do you understand?"

Allie's eyes teared up. "I don't want to leave you behind Uncle Nathan"

"I know. I love you. Be as brave. Now very quietly go out, get on Newton and get ready. When I start yelling to get their attention you ride like the devil is after you and do not look back. These men want to keep me alive for a while until the Pinkertons come around so don't worry about me. Are you ready?"

As a tear rolled down her face, she nodded. When Nathan knew she had time to get on Newton and was ready, he started yelling at the drunk men outside in the front and in their drunken stupor they yelled back and laughed gleefully at the Sheriff's plight. Banging on their pot and pans in a taunting way made much more noise and Nathan knew that would help Allie with her get away.

She could barely breath thinking about leaving Uncle Nathan behind but she knew if she didn't they both might not make it. When the noise began she kicked Newton in the flanks. Newton followed command and leapt into a full run. Run Newton run, she said to herself. It was fight or flight and right now she had no choice but to pick flight.

Rain had started coming down fairly hard making it difficult for her to see. It was hard to tell the raindrops from her tears. Newton knew the way home instinctively. She reached town in a full gallop, full bore with clods of mud slinging out from under the horse's hooves.

Cyrus, Lee, and Bill had been standing under the awning in front of the judge's office while getting ready to part ways and head home. They stopped in their tracks when they saw Newton racing into town and coming to a sudden stop with back hooves digging into the wet street directly in front of them. Allie was soaking wet, the rain and tears still stinging her eyes as she tried blinking them away.

"Bill! Bill! Cyrus! Uncle Nathan has been hurt. There are three guys that ambushed him and they beat him up and they tied him up inside the shack and they tied me up and I got untied but Uncle Nathan said he wouldn't leave yet until he found out more and he made me escape on Newton and come and get you. He needs help. Please hurry, please! The men are whiskey drunk and no telling what they might do."

She was talking so fast they could barely understand her.

"Whoaaaa! Slow down a bit Allie. Where is this shack and how did you find this out?", asks Bill.

"I went to look for Uncle Nathan when he didn't come home from his ride. I took the car and saw some smoke and followed it to a shack so when I drove up to it then they jerked me out of the car and tied me up too but I did what Uncle Nathan had taught me about holding my hands in a way that I could get out of the ropes. I wanted to untie Uncle Nathan but he would only let me loosen the ties because he wanted to stay and find out what those three guys were planning. Up to no good that's for sure. They had said something about showing the Pinkertons what they could do with a Sheriff…I'm not sure what they are going to do but I think they are planning on hurting Uncle Nathan…or killing him. I didn't want to leave but Uncle Nathan insisted. He started making loud noises so I could slip out back where Newton was tied and come get you otherwise we would both be in trouble. I rode as fast as I could. Please help him. He is in real trouble."

"How many did you say there were Allie?", Cyrus asked.

"There were three…brothers and whisky drunk."

By the time she had finished, Bill and Cyrus had mounted their horses and were off in a full-on gallop.

Lee had offered help but was instructed to take Allie to his house and have Rosemary help her get dry clothes. When Lee and Allie opened the door to his house, both Elizabeth and Rosemary were sitting at the table. Startled by the look of the frightened, dripping wet Allie, they both jumped up and ran to her. Sobbing, Allie ran into Elizabeth's arms. She didn't care whose arms she was in, she was just scared for her Uncle Nathan.

"Allie…Allie. What is it? What happened?", asked Elizabeth and Rosemary at the same time. Rosemary quickly went and grabbed a big blanket and wrapped it around Allie.

"Nathan has been ambushed by three bad men and is being held at some shack a few miles down the road. Cyrus and Bill are on their way right now and I'm sure they will get Nathan back safe", Lee said, trying to assure Allie, Elizabeth and Rosemary. "I'm going to go gather a few more men in town and we'll ride out as backup."

"Oh Lee," whined Rosemary. "Be safe. I know you will." She hugged him as tight as she could not wanting to let go.

"I've got to go now Rosemary. I love you and will see you soon."

"I love you too Lee."

"Godspeed.", Elizabeth said. "Godspeed."

"Allie, I'm going to get you some dry clothes." Rosemary said as she ran upstairs to find something dry for Allie to wear. She looked over at Elizabeth in a questioning manner.

Elizabeth said assuringly, "I've got her Rosemary. I've got her.", She was still hugging the wet, scared, brave young lady tightly.

Allie looked up at Elizabeth. "I thought you were just in Hamilton?"

"It's a long story. Let's get you taken care of and we can talk about Hamilton later."