They thought it would be easy. One was a dude from the East, softened by easy living. The other was no more than white trash. They discovered Lon didn’t kill any easier than Chancy, and they both fought back, aided by two men those of the valley believed to be no more than legends. The Indians called them Lance and Knife. As well as the sons discovering why, so do their enemies when a family once torn apart unite to make war.
Excerpt
“Trouble coming,” Kyle told Chancy as he shook him awake.
Chancy’s first thought was Lon. “Is he better?” he asked anxiously, not knowing if the quiet was good or bad.
“Yeah, he’s sleeping finally.”
He moved off quickly, leaving Chancy to follow. He was back to the front window when Chancy moved up behind him.
“What’s the smoke from?” Chancy asked.
Faraway answered. “Torched da new house, them sneaky cowards.”
“Just as well he isn’t awake to see it,” Kyle said. “Chancy you watch from the bedroom. Faraway, you take the kitchen.”
“Are they going to attack?” Cathy asked from the bedroom door.
The three men turned to look at her, impressed with her steadiness. Kyle answered. “Reckon they will. They didn’t come just to burn an unfinished house. You better stay with Lon.”
“Chancy will be close to him. I can help. I know how to shoot.”
“I heard,” Kyle said with a grin, “but we’ve already got more guns than they expect. If Lon wakes up, he will need you more than we will.”
“He’s—” Chancy startled, breaking off with a jerk and flinch.
He was not the only one to jump. “Damn!” Kyle exclaimed, looking around as if he expected the walls to cave in. “They’re using cannons on us.”
“Ain’t yar never heared a Hawkins ‘fore?” Faraway asked with a chuckle. “‘Bout dang time.”
“It didn’t come at us,” Chancy said. He jerked again when a second boom sounded.
Kyle peered out the window. “More than one of them.”
“How can you tell?” Cathy asked.
“Two booms, two guns, two men,” Faraway cackled in glee.
“Hawkins are a single shot,” Chancy explained with a dubious look at Faraway. “They have to be reloaded after each shot. There wasn’t time to reload one before the second sounded.”
Cathy looked at Faraway, too, for a different reason. “Who is out there, Faraway?” she asked.
“Surprise, missy,” he told her with a wink.
“It seems impossible for it to be the only person I can think of,” Cathy stated.
“What do you mean?” Kyle asked.
“Lon would never have told him about Chancy. He knew it from another source,” she said, and Faraway chuckled again.
“Who do you think it is?” Chancy asked.
“Don’t ya tell, missy. Don’t ya tell,” Faraway told her before he told them, “Best be watching them winders. They cain’t be watching all sides.”
“Lord, it could be a diversion,” Kyle shouted as he ran to the kitchen.
Chancy ran to the bedroom. Cathy stayed to watch Faraway. He winked at her again, grinning widely and told her, “Best ya be seeing ta Lon.”
“Faraway, it isn’t—?”
“Ya’ll be seeing soon ‘nough, missy, soon ‘nough.” He turned to the front window and muttered to himself. “‘Bout time, ya ole coot, ‘bout time.”
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“Trouble coming,” Kyle told Chancy as he shook him awake.
Chancy’s first thought was Lon. “Is he better?” he asked anxiously, not knowing if the quiet was good or bad.
“Yeah, he’s sleeping finally.”
He moved off quickly, leaving Chancy to follow. He was back to the front window when Chancy moved up behind him.
“What’s the smoke from?” Chancy asked.
Faraway answered. “Torched da new house, them sneaky cowards.”
“Just as well he isn’t awake to see it,” Kyle said. “Chancy you watch from the bedroom. Faraway, you take the kitchen.”
“Are they going to attack?” Cathy asked from the bedroom door.
The three men turned to look at her, impressed with her steadiness. Kyle answered. “Reckon they will. They didn’t come just to burn an unfinished house. You better stay with Lon.”
“Chancy will be close to him. I can help. I know how to shoot.”
“I heard,” Kyle said with a grin, “but we’ve already got more guns than they expect. If Lon wakes up, he will need you more than we will.”
“He’s—” Chancy startled, breaking off with a jerk and flinch.
He was not the only one to jump. “Damn!” Kyle exclaimed, looking around as if he expected the walls to cave in. “They’re using cannons on us.”
“Ain’t yar never heared a Hawkins ‘fore?” Faraway asked with a chuckle. “‘Bout dang time.”
“It didn’t come at us,” Chancy said. He jerked again when a second boom sounded.
Kyle peered out the window. “More than one of them.”
“How can you tell?” Cathy asked.
“Two booms, two guns, two men,” Faraway cackled in glee.
“Hawkins are a single shot,” Chancy explained with a dubious look at Faraway. “They have to be reloaded after each shot. There wasn’t time to reload one before the second sounded.”
Cathy looked at Faraway, too, for a different reason. “Who is out there, Faraway?” she asked.
“Surprise, missy,” he told her with a wink.
“It seems impossible for it to be the only person I can think of,” Cathy stated.
“What do you mean?” Kyle asked.
“Lon would never have told him about Chancy. He knew it from another source,” she said, and Faraway chuckled again.
“Who do you think it is?” Chancy asked.
“Don’t ya tell, missy. Don’t ya tell,” Faraway told her before he told them, “Best be watching them winders. They cain’t be watching all sides.”
“Lord, it could be a diversion,” Kyle shouted as he ran to the kitchen.
Chancy ran to the bedroom. Cathy stayed to watch Faraway. He winked at her again, grinning widely and told her, “Best ya be seeing ta Lon.”
“Faraway, it isn’t—?”
“Ya’ll be seeing soon ‘nough, missy, soon ‘nough.” He turned to the front window and muttered to himself. “‘Bout time, ya ole coot, ‘bout time.”
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