Tom Barkley quickly went outside and asked Ed, one of the hands, to saddle
his horse. Victoria had Jarrod and Nick wait outside while she discussed
the situation with Tom inside in the study.
Jarrod and Nick followed Ed into the barn. They checked their horses to see if the saddles and blankets had already been removed. The saddle had already been taken off of Jarrod's horse, but Nick's Coco was still saddled.
"Bill, put the blanket and saddle back on Jarrod's horse," Ed instructed. "The boys are going back out with Mr. Barkley."
Bill muttered something under his breath and grabbed the saddle blanket near Jarrod's horse.
****
As soon as the study door was closed Victoria turned to her husband with a worried look on her face. "Tom, I'm concerned that Jarrod and Nick may have witnesses a murder. I hope I'm wrong, but we have to consider that idea,"
Tom hugged his wife as much to give himself support as for her. "I know Victoria. The same thought crossed my mind. I hope the boys are mistaken, but we must prepare for the eventuality that Jarrod and Nick may have to testify in court."
Tom pulled away from Victoria saying, "I better go see if Washington is saddled. We'll finish this talk later."
As if on cue Tom and Victoria were approached by Silas, their butler. "Your horse is ready Mr. Barkley."
"Thank you Silas," Tom replied before the butler walked off towards the kitchen.
Tom Kissed Victoria on the cheek and grabbed his hat from the hat rack. "Don't worry Victoria, we'll get to the bottom of this and the boys will be fine."
Victoria closed the door behind Tom with a sigh. She wished she could be as confident as her husband.
Tom headed out to the barn. Jarrod and Nick were still there waiting for their father.
"Mount up boys and we'll go to the stream where you saw Mr. Mosley and the other man arguing," Tom instructed.
"You believe us Father," Nick announced as he hugged Tom.
Tom smiled as he embraced his son. "Yes Nick, I know you and Jarrod wouldn't lie to you mother and me."
"No Father. We never would," Nick assured.
Over an hour later as the three neared the stream and Tom brought his horse to a stop. Jarrod and Nick stopped their horses and pulled up alongside their father.
Nick looked over at Tom with a puzzled expression. "We're not at the stream yet Father. Why did you stop?"
"We'll dismount and go on foot the rest of the way. If there are any tracks I don't want the horses stepping all over them," Tom answered as he helped Nick dismount.
"Can I lead the way?" asked Nick as he grabbed his father's hand.
Tom looked down at the boy replying, "No son, Jarrod is older. He better lead the way."
Jarrod flashed a big grin at Nick, deflating the younger boy's ego even more. Nick stuck out his tongue at Jarrod in defiance. They had briefly forgotten why they were there.
Tom decided to put an immediate end to the sibling rivalry and remind the boys of the reason for the ride. "Jarrod, are you sure you remember where you saw the argument?"
Jarrod immediately turned his attention away from taunting Nick. "Yes Father. I made it a point to remember so I could tell people where it happened. It was near the big tree stump."
"Good boy. Now lead the way," Tom instructed.
Jarrod led the way through the bushes and past a large tree stump he had mentioned. The oldest Barkley son came to a stop about a hundred yards later. Tom felt Nick squeeze his hand tightly as they approached the scene of the possible crime.
"It's alright Nick. There's nothing to be afraid of. I won't let anybody hurt you," Tom reassured the young boy.
Tom scanned the terrain looking for signs of a struggle. Jarrod and Nick both looked confused and bewildered. They had expected to see the stranger lying on the ground dead, or at least injured. But there was nobody else in sight.
"Where's the stranger?" Nick asked in amazement.
"I know this is the spot," Jarrod chimed in.
"I don't see a horse around. The strange probably only injured and got up and left," Tom surmised.
Jarrod and Nick followed Ed into the barn. They checked their horses to see if the saddles and blankets had already been removed. The saddle had already been taken off of Jarrod's horse, but Nick's Coco was still saddled.
"Bill, put the blanket and saddle back on Jarrod's horse," Ed instructed. "The boys are going back out with Mr. Barkley."
Bill muttered something under his breath and grabbed the saddle blanket near Jarrod's horse.
****
As soon as the study door was closed Victoria turned to her husband with a worried look on her face. "Tom, I'm concerned that Jarrod and Nick may have witnesses a murder. I hope I'm wrong, but we have to consider that idea,"
Tom hugged his wife as much to give himself support as for her. "I know Victoria. The same thought crossed my mind. I hope the boys are mistaken, but we must prepare for the eventuality that Jarrod and Nick may have to testify in court."
Tom pulled away from Victoria saying, "I better go see if Washington is saddled. We'll finish this talk later."
As if on cue Tom and Victoria were approached by Silas, their butler. "Your horse is ready Mr. Barkley."
"Thank you Silas," Tom replied before the butler walked off towards the kitchen.
Tom Kissed Victoria on the cheek and grabbed his hat from the hat rack. "Don't worry Victoria, we'll get to the bottom of this and the boys will be fine."
Victoria closed the door behind Tom with a sigh. She wished she could be as confident as her husband.
Tom headed out to the barn. Jarrod and Nick were still there waiting for their father.
"Mount up boys and we'll go to the stream where you saw Mr. Mosley and the other man arguing," Tom instructed.
"You believe us Father," Nick announced as he hugged Tom.
Tom smiled as he embraced his son. "Yes Nick, I know you and Jarrod wouldn't lie to you mother and me."
"No Father. We never would," Nick assured.
Over an hour later as the three neared the stream and Tom brought his horse to a stop. Jarrod and Nick stopped their horses and pulled up alongside their father.
Nick looked over at Tom with a puzzled expression. "We're not at the stream yet Father. Why did you stop?"
"We'll dismount and go on foot the rest of the way. If there are any tracks I don't want the horses stepping all over them," Tom answered as he helped Nick dismount.
"Can I lead the way?" asked Nick as he grabbed his father's hand.
Tom looked down at the boy replying, "No son, Jarrod is older. He better lead the way."
Jarrod flashed a big grin at Nick, deflating the younger boy's ego even more. Nick stuck out his tongue at Jarrod in defiance. They had briefly forgotten why they were there.
Tom decided to put an immediate end to the sibling rivalry and remind the boys of the reason for the ride. "Jarrod, are you sure you remember where you saw the argument?"
Jarrod immediately turned his attention away from taunting Nick. "Yes Father. I made it a point to remember so I could tell people where it happened. It was near the big tree stump."
"Good boy. Now lead the way," Tom instructed.
Jarrod led the way through the bushes and past a large tree stump he had mentioned. The oldest Barkley son came to a stop about a hundred yards later. Tom felt Nick squeeze his hand tightly as they approached the scene of the possible crime.
"It's alright Nick. There's nothing to be afraid of. I won't let anybody hurt you," Tom reassured the young boy.
Tom scanned the terrain looking for signs of a struggle. Jarrod and Nick both looked confused and bewildered. They had expected to see the stranger lying on the ground dead, or at least injured. But there was nobody else in sight.
"Where's the stranger?" Nick asked in amazement.
"I know this is the spot," Jarrod chimed in.
"I don't see a horse around. The strange probably only injured and got up and left," Tom surmised.
