Chapter 9

Earl Martin came out of the hotel entrances and walked only a couple of feet when he was attacked. A tall man with greasy hair, dusty and disheveled struck him with his fist. He knocked him down, Earl came up fighting but was not able to stay on his feet, his lip and nose were bleeding, his hand was swelling up. He was out of it for a moment but that was all that was needed for the other man to drag him over to the water trough and dunk him a few times. When Earl came up a man stood in front of him, and a few people in town were watching as well.

"You leave my sister alone! You will not come near her ever again!" said the man with the dusty cowboy clothes and greasy hair. Wiping his nose on his shirt. He then turned to leave…

"Hey, who are you?!" said Earl Martin.

The cowboy stopped, he turned around and was ready to draw his gun. Earl put his hands up to show that he had no weapon. The cowboy narrowed his eyes, and watched the other man's hands and said:

"The name's Mack Beason! Why do you want to know?"

Earl looked at him for a minute, then said:

"We need to talk, this is about your sister and your farm!" said Earl as he stood up and walked toward the saloon. Mack stood for a moment and watched as the people who had surrounded them slowly walked away not wanting to be involved. He followed Earl to the saloon and stepped inside. Earl was sitting in a chair off to the corner by a window. His back was to the wall, which meant that Mack could either sit with his back to the window or he could face the window with his back also to the wall. He looked at Earl. There was a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. Against his better judgement he decided to pull up a chair and sit facing the window. He wanted to be able to leave if something came up. He did not trust people at all but he would listen to them.

"What is this about my sister and the farm?" he said as he took the glass and poured his drink?"

Earl sat there looking at Mack.

"Well Mr. Beason, it seems that a company that has hired my father's firm had decided to take the farm out from under your sweet sister. They thought that her brothers were gone and that she would have no one to help her keep the farm." Earl said as he took a drink from his glass and then poured more into the glass."

Mack just listened to Earl tell him about the scheme and that Earl was a part of the scheme as well. Mack was about to get up and slug him again when he outright apologized to Mack for hitting on his sister.

"Mack, What I have said is true. But, I have begun to have some feelings for her and would like to continue seeing her!" said Earl.

"I have not let her know that I am alive. Our brother did not make it through the war. He perished during the last battle. I want to keep it that way. I have been watching and taking care of her from a distance but I have found that if anyone can run that farm she can! So, if you want to see her, I doubt she is going to want to see you anytime soon!" Besides, if you are the kind of man that I found out from a friend in the Pinkertons that preys on spinsters! Then I would not expect to see you come courting my sister at all!" Mack stopped to take a final drink and then said:
"I think that it is best that you get out of town before I run you out. And on your way take your father and his friends with you! She has the deed and she will be able to keep it and run the farm without your help or anyone else's!" He took a last drink put the glass down, upside down and walked out of the saloon. He saw Abby across the street and did not want her to see him. He had been watching her now for a couple of years and did not see a reason that she should know if he was alive or dead. He had decided that it was in her best interest. She left going the opposite direction with another young lady so he made his way back to his horse and left town. Without a second glance.

Since he had talked a little about the farm, he decided to go over to the farm to take a look. He arrived and looked at the little house, it looked as if she had been packing. He went in and looked at the familiar living room, the kitchen, and upstairs the three 'bedrooms'. Well, closets anyway, one for him and his brother Rick, one for mom and dad and one for Abby. He went into the room he had shared with his brother and looked around. The two little cots were on one side and their clothes on a wall on hooks. He had outgrown most of the clothes but he assumed that Abby had kept everything in case they came home. He sat on a cot and reached underneath and found the little box he had managed to hide before he left for the war. Rick had gone first, he was the oldest, and then he left. Barely 15, he was when it took place. He was all ready to fight the Rebs, his mom had come upstairs and asked if he could not just stay for one or two more days, hoping he would not leave. But he did. Before he left, he put the pocket watch and gold piece that his dad had given him and his brother in the little box. As he was reminiscing, he heard a noise. He went to the top of the stairs but quietly, not sure who was in the house. He heard voices:

"Tack, I want you to make sure that she never comes back here. I want all her things packed and out of the house, then burn it. She will have no place to come back to and will not have a way to keep the farm!" Mr. Monroe said.

Eli Martin had come with him and said:

"I think we should wait until she comes because then we can 'rescue her' from the fire. She won't be charged with burning the house down for insurance!"

Monroe looked at him and said: "I will allow that, we wouldn't want that pretty young lady getting into trouble now would we?" Eli felt better but had a bad feeling about what Monroe might do.

"One more thing, Monroe!" said Eli.

"It seems that Earl had an encounter with a cowboy who claims to be Miss Beason's brother. He could possibly cause us some problems!" Monroe nodded and understood. They heard a board creek and suddenly they went silent.

"Tack, let's leave now!" Monroe said making motions that he would talk to them outside.

They went outside and as soon as they were out of earshot he sent Tack around to the back door. If there was someone there, he could definitely do something about the intruder.

Mack came down the stairs slowly, his gun drawn. He heard them leave but did not want to take any chances. He made it to the bottom step and turned toward the living room door. If someone was still, there they would be coming in the back door.

"Hold it right there Mister! Said Tack, Mack stopped and was about to turn and shoot when Tack hit him square on the back of his head with his gun. Monroe came back in and they tied him up and decided to take him over to the old mine.