Ok an almost all Ethan chapter since Keevler has him and is being you know nasty to him. I know you guys are probably ready to throw dirty socks at me but sorry I had to do something... Thanks to OneTreeFan for her ACKingly exuberant reviews, it spurred me on to write this nice little chapter about our poor Ethan. I stole the title from an old Calvary saying (how appropriate huh?) Ethan's POV.

15- Twenty Miles A Day on Beans and Hay

We've been riding about twenty miles a day it seems. Right now my wrist are so raw that every time my horse takes a step they burn. At least Keevler has been taking good care of Blue, as for his care of me, I can't say that it has been anything great. Mostly he is feeding me stale biscuits with burned bottoms and occasionally a few beans that he shoves into my mouth and almost makes me choke. I can tell that I'm losing weight or muscle, maybe, it's heard to tell at this point. I just know that when Keevler jerks me down from my horse that my pants and shirt are both looser.

I am sure that it is close to the end of April now, I can tell by how the nights are, they're getting where they aren't as cool or we're getting closer to Texas. I can smell the whiskey as Keevler drinks himself into oblivion every night as I laid tied to a tree or a picket stake if he can't find a tree. He's also been tying up my feet at night. The worst is the smell of the whiskey and my wrist. I guess Keevler has to drink to be able to live with himself for what he is doing and what he has done.

Four days later we are riding along, and I have been feeling myself getting weaker and weaker. I feel myself getting woozy and without having any hands to keep myself upright, I topple off my horse. Blue spooks away from my falling body and Keevler turns around. "Goddamint brat! What in the hell are you doin'? Stay on yer hoss!" he hollers at me. He stops and gets down coming over to me. I just lay there, I'm to weak from not having any substantial food for so long to move. Keevler grins down at me, his crooked yellow teeth making me want to throw up. He stares down at me and then kicks me in my rib area. I can hear them crack and now I'm sure that they're broken. Then as roughly as he can he picks me up and throws me back on my horse. I groan in pain, I know better than to make to much noise, or Keevler will only make it worse.

I have learned in our time together that his abduction of me has nothing to do with my step mother scorning him five years ago; it has to do with me; with me escaping from him and causing him to be caught and put into jail for the past five years. I can tell that he has been planning this during that five years, he only travels trails that he is bound to not see anyone on, he keeps my hands bound and binds my feet at night and he feeds me only minimal food. I know now that I would never be able to run away, I'm too weak. Now with cracked or broken ribs to go along with it, I am pretty much useless to myself.

When we stop for the night, Keevler again stakes me out like he would a horse and then stuffs my mouth full of grass. "There brat, eat some grass fer yer supper." He laughs as he says it and goes over to open a can of beans and warm them over his fire. I spit the grass out and just lay there. My ribs are hurting considerably and Keevler must have known that as he comes to me later with a full can of beans.

"Here brat. Ya can have these to eat tonight." He says. Then he reaches down and unties my hands.

I take the can from him and tip it back like you would a water glass. I have bean juice running down my face and I stop myself. I'm going to get sick, I start throwing up the half can of beans I have just eaten. Keevler laughs at this, like he knew what was going to happen. He had, I was sure of it.

I eat more slowly after that and at least keep down the first half way nourishment I had since that day that I had eaten lunch with my family.

Keevler comes over, gives me some water and then yanks the cuffs of my shirt down over my sore wrist before tying my hands up again. "There ya go brat. Ya know in a few more days I'll probably get rid of you, throw ya in the river or somethin'."

I lay on my side, the one that doesn't hurt and use my hat as a pillow, little that it was. As I lay there I think of Emily and wonder what she's doing. Is she worrying about me or is she just happy as a lark with that fella that came in on the train with her? What's happening with Ma and Pa and the little un's? Is anyone even looking for me?

My main thoughts are of Emily though and I'm glad that the fine pocket watch that she gave to me is laying on my dresser at home. At least I know that it can be passed on to Caleb or Will or given back to Emily if Keevler gets sick of dragging me around and just kills me. At this point in time I almost, almost, wish that Keevler would just kill me and leave me for the coyotes to have.

That night, I dream. I've had it several times, I see Emily and I, she has one of our children in her arms, a little girl with brown hair and big blue eyes and a little fella that looks an awful lot like me when I was a youngster. We're working our farm, Emily's hanging out laundry on the line, the little boy is playing in the yard and the baby is laying in her bassinet on our shaded porch. I'm out farming taking care of our land. That is where the dream becomes a nightmare. I come home from working the fields to find that Keevler has killed them all and left me alone. Then he comes and he shoots me, point blank in the chest. I can feel my life blood draining from my body as I lay there, uncaring.

I wake up, in a sweat, looking around to find myself alone, tied to a picket stake, and then I look over and see Keevler, passed out on his blankets. It seems that most of my nightmare may be coming true.

A short chapter I know but that way we all know what is going on with Ethan now that Keevler has him and has been dragging him around the countryside. Next chapter is more of an Emily and Ethan's family POV about wondering what happened to Ethan. Now please R&R and I will be most happy to continue