The children ran through town as if the devil pursued him. Instead it was a posse of men on horseback led by P.J. They split up and three of them raced past Tiny's livery stable and in between buildings. P.J. lifted his hand to halt his posse.
"Wait a minute. We got two birds with one stone."
Amelia had been walking down the street and watched the scene play out in bewilderment. First the children running down the street past her and then P.J. and his men on horseback. Claire and the two Chinese boys ran down the railroad tracks hoping that her brothers provided a useful diversion in the center of town. They had to find a better hiding place quick before the men on horseback caught the boys and dragged them back to their pitiful lives working the mines.
Sinclair berated P.J. when he dropped by the office.
"A militia. You're a lawman Brackenhouse. Do you ever do anything yourself?"
P.J. sighed, running a hand through his hair. Clearly feeling the stress of being a marshal and appeasing his other boss in front of him.
"I'll take of Cord later. Right now we can get the children back and confiscate the store. The Chinaman has the children. He's defying the law of the state and the nation. It's an insurrection."
A clearly peeved Sinclair gestured with his hands.
"Just arrest him and snatch the boys."
"No it'll be cleaner this way. Cord won't fire on the militia. Look better for the mine."
Sinclair sighed, exasperated.
"Well do whatever you're going to do Brackenhouse but do it."
P.J. left seriously feeling the pressure and the walls beginning to close on him. He'd come to Paradise thinking the marshal position in a small dying mining town would be a cinch to serve his political ambitions. But it'd been a disaster from the start. Cord had proven a major thorn and Amelia hadn't favored him, if he didn't know better he'd thought she had a thing for Ethan.
John Taylor had a knack for always showing up at the right place at the right time. Especially when trouble lurked on the horizon. So now he headed up the steps into Mr. Lee's hardware store driven by his unfailing intuition of a long life traveled rich in experiences.
Mr. Lee walked over to help him.
"I'd like to buy a shotgun Mr. Lee. I thought I'd go hunting turkey."
Suddenly Joseph walked up to him.
"John Taylor we're in trouble."
"I know. Any of you can find Ethan?"
Joseph sighed.
"None of us know where he is."
Amelia walked up to both of them. It seemed that all of them had the same idea. John Taylor knew that meant the bad guys would have the same idea.
"I'm expecting a courier in Patch from Angel's Camp. He's probably riding with that."
John Taylor gestured to Joseph with his head and the young boy dashed out of the store. The Indian picked out his shotgun.
"I think I'll take this one Mr. Lee and a box of shells."
Mr. Lee went to fetch them. Amelia narrowed her eyes.
"I didn't know you fancied weapons Mr. Taylor."
"I don't."
"Well what you going to do then?"
John Taylor loaded the ammo in his shotgun.
"I'm going to sit on the porch and rock in a chair. Seen folks do that. Always wanted to give it a try."
He walked on out the door with his gun and Amelia and Mr. Lee just looked at each other.
John Taylor sat in his rocking chair and held the shotgun next to him casually waiting for the standoff he knew was coming.
Out walked Min. He smiled at the little boy.
"Fine day isn't it?"
He patted his lap and picked up the boy so he could sit on it.
"Come here. Day like this is like having a friend. Makes you feel better."
Ben and George came outside as well to sit with him.
"Hello boys, we were just discussing fine days and friendship."
Ben shrugged.
"He can't understand you John Taylor."
"Probably not."
George piped up from his lap.
"His name is Min."
Ben looked unhappy.
"With no one to take him in with his brother, they'll have to go back and work in the m…mine."
John Taylor countered.
"There's nothing wrong with hard work. Some folks have a lot of reverence for it."
George looked up at him.
"For children?"
"Why children are the hardest workers of all."
Ben widened his eyes.
"They are?"
"Sure. Children work all the time even when they don't have to. Run when they can just easily walk. Chase things they know they can't catch just to polish their skills. When you see something new, you don't say that's the way it is and then forget about it. No sir, you want to know why it's like that. All that wondering, all that figuring things out. You can't tell me that's not hard work."
George agreed.
"It is hard."
John Taylor nodded. But Ben frowned.
"But it's not a job like m…making something."
"Why it's making a future Ben. That's children's work. There's nothing harder or more important."
He glanced at Min.
"We'll have to tell them at the mine that we can't spare a single worker."
Suddenly a whole cadre of men on horseback wearing army uniforms walked their horses up the street towards Mr. Lee's store. John Taylor and the children looked at them as they approached. John Taylor called to Mr. Lee.
"Boys go with Mr. Lee."
They all went inside leaving John Taylor alone to face the armed forces. But he grabbed his gun and was ready.
He saw P.J. riding right in front of them. He'd never trusted the new marshal. The leader of the Calvary barked orders to his men. One of them was to prepare their shotguns and P.J. rode up in front.
"Why the shotgun John Taylor?"
The Indian smiled at him.
"I'm going turkey hunting Marshal."
P.J. sighed.
"Call out Mr. Lee he's under arrest."
John Taylor didn't budge.
"I'm not legally deputized."
P.J. drew his pistol.
"Call him out."
The army leader interjected.
"I'll take care of this marshal. Sir the proprietor of this store is charged with stealing private property."
John Taylor stood up with his gun and the army men pointed their guns at him.
"Prepare to fire."
Amelia walked out of the store to join John Taylor staring at the men on horseback aiming guns at them. P.J. saw her.
"No concern of yours Amelia. Stand aside."
She not only disobeyed him, she took several steps forward.
"I decided it is my concern."
Ethan rushed up on horseback pulling up in front of the armed soldiers with his friends behind him. He couldn't believe it. P.J. leaning the army to aim guns at John Taylor and Amelia. It was worse than what Joseph had reported to him.
He got off his horse and stood in front of them, drawing his gun to aim back at them.
"As I said marshal this is my town. Anything that happens here is my concern."
John Taylor walked down the steps to join Ethan.
"Glad to see you Ethan. Now I can go shoot me some turkeys."
"Go shoot them on the side John Taylor."
"I'll stay here…"
The army leader objected.
"Your weapon is trained on my men sir."
Ethan didn't budge.
"I know."
John Taylor stood beside him.
"He's just protecting a few friends and some children."
Claire and her younger brothers along with Toy and Min ran out onto the front porch to join the others. P.J. just sighed.
"Drop the gun Ethan or we will shoot."
The army leader countered.
"Who are those children marshal…and those? What is going on here?"
P.J. protested.
"The law's the law lieutenant. Those Chinese belong to the mine."
Amelia tilted her face looking at P.J.
"People don't belong to mines."
P.J. tugged on his horse's reins impatiently.
"Lieutenant…"
"What do you want us to do Marshal?"
"Seize the Chinese children and the store. Do your duty lieutenant."
John Taylor nodded.
"Yes do your duty. That is why you joined the military?"
The lieutenant made up his mind and shouted to his men.
"Return company."
The men lowered their shotguns and the lieutenant turned to P.J.
"You said there was an insurrection in Paradise Marshal."
P.J. protested pointing at the store.
"That merchant…"
The lieutenant wasn't hearing it.
"This is your insurrection. Local law enforcement is your job."
The lieutenant issued orders to his men and they all rode off down the street out of Paradise leaving P.J. to deal with it all alone.
Sinclair rode up to the marshal in utter disgust.
"Brackenhouse you're through. You sent for troops to arrest children. You hired Sweet to kill Cord. The money we pay you we can pay a man to do his own dirty work."
Ethan's ears heard that and he nudged his horse towards the two men. Sinclair rode away in disgust and Charlie rode up alongside the marshal. Ethan shot him a look.
"Go home Charlie. This is personal."
Charlie rode away feeling relieved, leaving the two men alone. Ethan turned towards the porch.
"Joseph, Claire get the kids inside."
He didn't want them to see what he had planned. But the adults watched as the two men squared off.
"Step down P.J."
The marshal shot him a cold look.
"Sure thing Ethan."
Then he spurred his horse forward in a gallop, knocking Ethan down. Amelia's eyes widened.
"Ethan…"
Ethan scrambled on his feet and shot down two of P.J.'s cronies. Then he took off after P.J. Amelia tried to stop him.
"Let him go Ethan."
But he was a man in pursuit intent on reaching his target. He spurred his horse faster as they raced down the dirt road until he caught up with a fleeing P.J. After reaching over to grab hold of him, he flung him off the horse.
Both men fell on the ground, continuing their fight but who would win it?