This is great stuff, coz. IMHO you have captured the political environment of that era perfectly. Once you actually start playing Victoria I won't know what's going on, but the story is really good!
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Another good Chapter Coz1, I really enjoyed it, especially how you captured the political enviroment at that time with both The Irish and The African-Americans aswell and how The Irish recieved backlash too back then, very good, I enjoyed it and it is definatly coming together. I hope you update soon and I hope you tell the story of how Kinchin and Mary met, that would be good.
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jwolf - Glad you like it. I'm trying to do a lot more research than I did on the Persia tale. Part of the reason why it's taking a bit longer to get up. And don't worry about when the game gets going. It should read as though the game is barely there - simply a skeleton for the story structure.
Flavius Aetius - Yes, hopefully it will continue to make more sense. It just takes a bit of time to set the characters and time period.
Ksim3000 - Yeah, I wasn't sure if anyone got that they were Irish yet - well actually Sonny's mother is Scots-Irish, or in America, Scotch-Irish. And fear not, that story will come out eventually too, but maybe not right away.
Wamo - Thanks, and you're in luck as another will follow directly.
Give me a chance to make a final pass for typos and then read on. Thanks once again for all of you reading, enjoying and commenting!
jwolf - Glad you like it. I'm trying to do a lot more research than I did on the Persia tale. Part of the reason why it's taking a bit longer to get up. And don't worry about when the game gets going. It should read as though the game is barely there - simply a skeleton for the story structure.
Flavius Aetius - Yes, hopefully it will continue to make more sense. It just takes a bit of time to set the characters and time period.
Ksim3000 - Yeah, I wasn't sure if anyone got that they were Irish yet - well actually Sonny's mother is Scots-Irish, or in America, Scotch-Irish. And fear not, that story will come out eventually too, but maybe not right away.
Wamo - Thanks, and you're in luck as another will follow directly.
Give me a chance to make a final pass for typos and then read on. Thanks once again for all of you reading, enjoying and commenting!
Chapter II (cont.)
* * *
Missouri, 1855
It was a beautiful summers day and Sonny Gamble had gone fishing with his best friend, Thomas Bowers. The two nine-year-old boys sat at the edge of the small man-made lake with their pants rolled up and their feet in the water.
They had been forced to take Sonny’s cousin Margaret who was one year his junior and they had both shown their displeasure, but Kinchen had left them with an ultimatum, “Either take her along, or you can get back to work in the field.”
They boys did not take long to decide. She had been a bother to them at first, but had since grown fascinated by a frog and had watched it hop its way down the shore of the lake, as she giggled every so often.
Thomas craned his neck to see how far away Margaret was, decided she was far enough off and shoved his fishing pole into the dirt. He went shuffling through his satchel and Sonny looked intently to see what his friend was searching for. A smile came across his face as Thomas produced a corncob pipe.
“Care for some baccy?” he asked Sonny. It took no time for Sonny to shove his own rod into the dirt and nod in the affirmative.
“Where’d ya get it?” Sonny asked.
“Ahh, took some from my paw when he went out this mornin’. Ain’t like he’s gonna miss it. Do you think she’ll tell?” Thomas asked gesturing to Margaret.
“Naw, not if she don’t know. Sides, I’ll tell her I’ll beat her up if she does.”
The two boys smiled and after Thomas had filled the pipe with tobacco, he produced a strikable from his satchel and struck it against a rock. Allowing the flame to subside, he lit the tobacco in the pipe, took a few drags and passed it over to his friend as he slowly exhaled.
“Ahh, I loves some good tobacco.”
Sonny nodded his head in agreement as he took a few puffs of the pipe himself. He snuck a quick glance down the lakeshore to make sure his cousin was still occupied and lay back in the grass, handing the pipe back to Thomas. “So, how’s your sister?” he asked, with a wry smile on his face.
“What you wanna know for?”
“Jest askin’, that’s all. She’s purty.”
“Hey, don’t talk about Kitty like that!” Thomas said, irritated.
“Alright, keep your pants on. I’s jest sayin’ it.”
“Yeah, well don’t!” Thomas tamped down the tobacco with his finger and took a few more puffs.
All of the sudden, they both heard a scream somewhere fairly close. Thinking it was his cousin; Sonny shot up and looked over to where Margaret was. She was still standing where she had been when she was poking at the frog, but she had heard it also and ran back to the boys.
“You boys are smokin’. I’m gonna tell on you!” she said, forgetting that they had heard someone calling out.
“Never mind that Margie, run on back and get yer brother. Quick,” Sonny told her. “And if you say anything about this here smokin’ I’m gonna wup ya good!” he hollered after her.
Both boys ran up the hill to where they thought they had heard the screaming, and when they reached the top, they could see in a nearby clearing, two figures seemed to be leaning up against a tree and standing very close to each other. They ran towards the clearing, and as they got closer, both of them could tell that one of the two people was Thomas’s sister, Kitty.
Her hair was disheveled and she had tears in her eyes, and the young man with her had her pinned against the tree with her arms behind her back. “Come on, Kitty, don’t you wanna kiss…just a little?” he was saying to her.
Sonny picked up a stick and threw it at the young man.
“Ow,” the young man cried out as the stick hit him in the back. He turned around, and Sonny could clearly see that before him stood his own brother.
“Dinny, what you doin’ to that girl?” Sonny yelled at him.
“Get on back home, this ain’t none of yer business,” Dinny yelled back.
“Well it’s mine seein’ as how that’s my sister,” Thomas said as he walked in front of Sonny and into Dinny’s face.
Dinny pushed him to the ground without much effort. “Little stump, what in hell are you gonna do?”
Sonny rushed at Dinny and with all his strength pushed him to the ground and jumped on top of him. His fists began to fly, hitting his brother wherever they landed. Soon Thomas joined him and it seemed that the two nine-year-olds were a match for Dinny Gamble.
Dinny finally took one in the eye, and that was enough. He pushed Thomas off of him and grabbed Sonny by the arms. “Get the hell of me you stupid jackass. Don’t you know I can hurt you if I wanted to.”
“Well then do it then,” Sonny cried out as he tried to wriggle out of Dinny’s grasp. Dinny threw Sonny away from him and stood up, holding his eye. With his other eye, he saw Sonny coming at him again and he braced himself, but before his brother could move, another hand reached out and grabbed the collar of Sonny’s shirt.
“What’s goin’ on here?” Will McElderry asked. He looked around and saw Katherine Bowers holding her little brother, who was crying. He went over to see if she was all right, and she pulled away from him when he tried to touch her. He turned again and looked at Dinny, still holding Sonny to keep him away from his brother.
“Will, this ain’t cause for you to get involved,” Dinny shouted at his cousin.
“Appears like maybe it is,” Will calmly replied. “All I know is my sister comes runnin’ and tells me someone’s been hurt. I come up to see what it is and I see the two of you scufflin’ on the ground and these two a cryin’. What in hell am I supposed to think?”
“Nothin’. Just leave it between us,” Dinny answered.
“Ain’t gonna do it, or you’re da would have my hide.”
“Just cause you’re a year older don’t give you no right to tell me what to do.”
“It do too if’n it means a wuppin’ for me. Now, you two all right?” Will asked the Bowers’.
Kitty Bowers stood up and drew her arm across her face to wipe away tears, “We’ll be fine, William McElderry. But that one there won’t,” she said as she pointed towards Dinny. “If you think I’ll ever kiss you Dinny Gamble, you’ve got another think coming mister.”
She walked over to Will and Sonny. “But this one here, he’s a real hero. Him I’ll kiss.” She bent down and kissed Sonny Gamble square on his lips. Sonny swooned, but soon recovered himself and the desire to fight his brother wasted away.
Kitty walked back over to Thomas and helped him stand up. She brushed him off, and giving an evil eye towards Dinny, started walking with her brother down the hillside. After a few feet, they all heard her ask Thomas, “Have you been smoking?”
Dinny was incensed, but Sonny didn’t care anymore. He gave a big broad smile towards his brother and started walking back towards the lake slowly. Dinny started after, but Will grabbed him, “Uh-uh, Din. He done got his today, and it looks like you got yourn to.” He helped Dinny brush the grass and dirt off and they started back towards the farm.
“You let Sonny be. He done the right thing today. You didn’t,” Will said to him as they walked.
“Aw hell, Will...just tryin’ to get a little peck, that’s all.”
“Well, there are better ways of goin’ at it, Din. And forcin’ ain’t it.”
“I know that, but she was flirtin’ with me and looked like she wanted me to. Then, when I go in for the kiss, she pulls away like that ain’t what she wants after all. Damn girls! Don’t make no sense.”
“You got that right. But we’ll figure it out sooner or later. I been tryin’ to court that Becky Newton up to Farmington. Think her poppa might let me. Just give it time. Been sweet on her for two years now. Kitty probably likes you, but just don’t want to show it yet. They like that…like to make you chase ‘em a bit for they let you do nothin’.”
“Don’t think she’ll let me do much of anything now.”
“Hell, Din…she’ll get over it. Sides, you got a reminder there on that eye to keep you from tryin' this again,” Will said with a laugh.
“Don’t you laugh at me, boy. I’ll give you one too if you don’t watch it.”
“Fine, fine…just leave ‘ol Sonny alone about it, hear?”
“Well, he gonna get somethin’. But I promise I won’t hurt him.”
The two young men walked in silence down the rest of the hill towards the farm and when they reached the barn, Will gave Dinny a wave and walked the rest of the way to his house. Dinny wiped his mouth to make sure there wasn’t any blood, and felt his eye again. It was sore and he was sure it was going to be a shiner, but he knew Will was right. He deserved it.
He walked up the main path towards the house and saw Sonny sitting out on the front porch. He was tempted to go at him again, and once Sonny saw him, he stood like he was ready to bolt in the house, but Dinny stopped himself.
“Ain’t gonna do nothin’ pipsqueak. You done right today and I done wrong. Happy?”
Sonny’s smile came back, “Yup.”
“Well, let’s go on in and see what’s for supper. Ma’s gonna give us both a scoldin’ if she finds out we been fightin’.” Dinny walked up onto the porch and went into the house, and Sonny followed.
When they got inside, their Uncle Mac was sitting on the sofa in the parlor with their mother and Aunt Clara. He seemed upset about something and Dinny thought it might be a good chance to sneak past without having to explain his eye. But before he could pass by the parlor door, his mother called out to him, “Dinny Gamble? What have you been up to?!”
Thinking he was in trouble, he started to think of a good excuse, but before he could say anything, she called out again, “You go on and get cleaned up. I don’t know what you did to that eye, but your da will talk to you about it when he gets back. Your Uncle Mac had some trouble in the town today and your da’s gone to see about it. Supper’s on the table when you and Sonny are ready to eat.”
Dinny wanted to know what the problem was, but since he didn’t seem to be in any trouble, he started back towards their room, “Come on Sonny. Let’s do what she says.” Sonny passed by the parlor door noticing that his aunt and uncle were upset and his mother was holding Aunt Clara’s hand.
He followed his brother back to their room and cleaned himself off. Afterwards, they both went into the dining room and ate by themselves, trying to listen to what the adults were saying in the other room. Not long after, they heard their father return and voices gained volume in the parlor.
“Old man Tanney said his boy was drinkin’ today and was ready to fight anybody,” they heard their father say. Sonny rose from the table and walked over to the door that entered into the parlor. He opened it slightly just enough to see what was happening, ignoring Dinny trying to tell him not to.
Uncle Mac was answering Kinchen, “…don’t know what got him set off, but just the mention of Kansas seemed to put him into a rage.”
“Well, what did you say anything about that for?” Kinchen asked.
“Didn’t. I just minded my own business and one of them Dalton boys started getting’ at him. They from slavers, you know and Bill ain’t. Ever since last year, seems the whole state’s up in arms. I was just walkin’ up to the counter when he saw me. Since we had that spat this past spring about the back field…I don’t know, he just went red in the face.”
“Well, you don’t look hurt in any way, Mac,” Sonny’s mother said.
“We didn’t come to blows, but he laid on the talkin’ pretty thick. Said he’d kill any one of my horses he saw cross over and anyone of my family too. I told him that weren’t the problem and it was his horses crossin’ over. Took them Dalton’s to hold him back. He didn’t like that too much and it probably would have gone somewhere if’n Sheriff Bennet didn’t come in the store right then. Bill seemed to calm down real quick after that.”
Kinchen walked over to the side table and poured himself and Mac a drink. “Go on and drink this. You got supper to feed to them little one’s and your da and Margie are back at the house with little Nellie.” Looking up at the dining room door, he asked, “I suppose Will’s back to the house by now too?”
Sonny sheepishly opened it and stood with his head held low answering, “Dunno, da.”
“Well, how ‘bout you, in there? You seen your cousin?”
Dinny Gamble walked into the parlor and nodded yes to his father. Kinchen stepped over to him and looked hard at his eye. After whistling first he said, “That’ll be real nice when it comes in. Hope you learnt your lesson, eh?”
“Yes, da.” was Dinny’s only reply. Kinchen looked down at Sonny and put his hand under his chin to raise his head up to face him. He didn’t say a word, but just winked.
Mac and Clara went on home after that, and the Gambles finally sat down to supper together. The talk was slim while they ate, with only a few mentions of the work that needed done the next day in the field. Kinchen never mentioned another word to either of his sons about what happened that day regarding the fight, and both boys never knew how he seemed to know. But the events in the town between Daniel McElderry and Bill Tanney were just beginning. Of that, they would hear much more.
To be continued...
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Good update Coz1, I enjoyed this Chapter and thought it was more action packed and I must say it was I am interested in how the situation with Bill Tanney turns out, it seems he has been involved with The Gamble Family and McElderry Family longer than before The Civil War. Still I liked how you did the fight between both Brother's and how oyu do the language of Southerners during that time period. Very good! ANyway update soon!
OOC Note - Thankyou all. I will respond to specific feedback prior to my next update, however I wanted to let you readers know that I have added a place and date before each post in which that information changes. I hope that makes it slightly easier to read and understand.
Despite the fact that the conversations don't have as much of the dignified feeling as i had when i read your persian AAR it is nevertheless superb, you are a master at this style of writing Coz1! I applaud you!
it is nevertheless superb, you are a master at this style of writing Coz1! I applaud you!
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Judge - Dinny can be quite the ass at times, but than, so can't we all? I know I did plenty of stupid things in my earlier years.
Wamo - thanks, and I'm glad the dates make it a bit easier to read.
Ksim3000 - Hopefully the action will continue to rise, and there will be plenty to explain where Tanney fits into the whole thing.
Estonianzulu - thank you sir
TriezeV - Quite a compliment coming from you sir! Vive L'Empereur is a true classic IMHO. Yes, these folks don't quite have the education nor inclination to "purty" their dialogues up too much. Hope it's not hard to understand. I try to speak it out loud to make sure it sounds right.
Thanks once again to all that are reading, enjoying and commenting. I've been working on this section for the last few days in and around the gazette stuff. Sorry it's taken so long, but give me one swipe with the typo gun and the next update will follow shortly.
Judge - Dinny can be quite the ass at times, but than, so can't we all? I know I did plenty of stupid things in my earlier years.
Wamo - thanks, and I'm glad the dates make it a bit easier to read.
Ksim3000 - Hopefully the action will continue to rise, and there will be plenty to explain where Tanney fits into the whole thing.
Estonianzulu - thank you sir
TriezeV - Quite a compliment coming from you sir! Vive L'Empereur is a true classic IMHO. Yes, these folks don't quite have the education nor inclination to "purty" their dialogues up too much. Hope it's not hard to understand. I try to speak it out loud to make sure it sounds right.
Thanks once again to all that are reading, enjoying and commenting. I've been working on this section for the last few days in and around the gazette stuff. Sorry it's taken so long, but give me one swipe with the typo gun and the next update will follow shortly.
Chapter II (cont.)
* * *
Missouri, 1858
The Gamble Family sat around the table eating supper. Talk was over the normal everyday chores each had to do and occasionally over Dinny’s desire to move out West on his own. Kinchen had explained many times that he was needed on the farm, but as Dinny grew older, it became more and more difficult to keep him from going his own way. He was after all, nineteen years of age now, and it is always difficult to force someone that old to do anything.
As Mary Gamble was serving her husband some more stew, a knock came upon the front door. Before any of them had a chance to answer it, Mac McElderry rushed into the dining room, his face as white as a ghost.
“Kinch…something’s happened.”
“What? What is it Mac,” Kinchen asked him as he stood up, knowing it could be many different calamities.
“There’s three horses down…on the back acres. They been shot, Kinch…shot dead.”
Both men stood there for a moment, unable to come up with something to say. Kinchen was not sure he heard his brother-in-law correctly.
“What you mean shot? You mean to say someone kilt 'em…just like that? Who would do such a thing…” He stopped himself because he immediately knew who the culprit must surely be.
“That’s right. It’s that damn Tanney. Scuse me Mary,” he said realizing that he had cursed in front of his own sister. “I’m just upset. Thought things had cooled down after that bit last year. We don’t bother him no more and he hadn’t bothered us. But I’m afraid his blood’s rushin’ a bit quick since he took up with them abolitionists. They been runnin’ raids into Kansas territory goin’ on a full two years now.”
“But he knows we don’t own no slaves and we sure as heck ain’t ruffians! Ain’t had nothin’ to say to him since he busted that fence last year and Old Man Tanney paid for it. You think he’s aimin’ to mix us in with that bunch?”
“Kinch…all I know is I ain’t about to wait and find out. I’m goin’ up to that house tonight, either with ya or without ya. But I ain’t lettin’ that man walk over me. Whatever made him do this, it ain’t gonna stop until we show we ain’t afeared. I know them boys up North are mighty angry ‘bout that business over to Marais de Cygnes, and I would be too, but that don’t have nothin’ to do with us and if’n he thinks he can group us with that lot, he’s got another think comin’. That and my gun.”
Mary stood and looked at her husband. “What has Clara to say about this?”
“Sister, she understands that a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do. Now Kinch? Are you with me here or not?”
Kinchen looked back at his wife and could see the tears begin to form in her eyes. He walked over to her and took her into his arms. “Dearheart, we ain’t gonna do nothin’ but talk to the man. Sides, his old man has always been far more agreeable than he has.”
“Kinchen, you look at those two boys there,” Mary said pointing at Sonny and Dinny. “They need their father and if you go and get yourself killed, who’s going to do that for them?”
“Mary, we’re just gonna talk to him, that’s all. Now you boys go on and get to bed. We got lot’s to do in the mornin’. Don’t you give your mother a hard time and I’ll come check with ya when I get home.”
In unison, the two boys answered, “Yes, da.” After they had left the room, Kinchen went to the sideboard and opened a drawer to the left. He pulled out his revolver and hip belt and put it on. He saw that Mac had already thought of weapons and had taken his musket off the wall. Handing it to Kinchen, Mac seemed to have a slight smile on his face.
“What you grinnin’ about,” Kinchen asked. Mac started to answer, but saw that Mary found nothing funny about the situation and then simply turned and left. Kinchen looked back at his wife, gave her a kiss on her cheek and followed after.
* * *
Dinny Gamble woke to see his younger brother standing over him.
“You awake Din?”
“I am now, Sonny. What you doin’?”
“We got to go see about da.”
“See about him? What you talkin’ about?”
“I’m scared Din. Somethin’ might happen to him.”
Even in the darkness, Dinny could tell the fear that his brother had in his voice. Sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes, he gave out a sigh and decided the only way to make his brother feel better was to show him.
“Ok, Sonny. We can take the back way through the fields. We’re just gonna go and make sure he’s OK and then come back. If da finds out we been out, he’ll whip us for sure.”
Sonny was already putting his coat on, having dressed himself before even waking his brother. Dinny laughed for a second, realizing Sonny was planning on doing this with or without him.
“Well, come on Din. Da’s been gone for close to an hour already.”
“I’m comin’, I’m comin’. Gonna take us a while to get there anyway. For all we know, they’re on their way back already. Da’ll get home and find us out of bed and we’ll get the whip. But if this is what you wanna do, I’ll do it with ya.”
Dinny pulled his boots on and they both quietly left their room through the window. The night was fairly dark, save for a slight bit of moon in the sky. It was not cloudy, however, so that light made it easier to travel.
They moved down the hill and crossed over to the McElderry side of the property, passing the barn as they went. The animals were sleeping, or at least not making any sound. They headed towards the cornfields and then out through the pasture where the horses were kept. The horses stood still in the night air, some looking up to see who was passing by and paying no further attention, went back to grazing or resting.
The pasture took up several acres behind the fields, and eventually butted up to the Tanney property. As they approached the back fence, they saw the three horses that Mac had told Kinchen about. The birds had already been picking on them, and flies were buzzing around. Sonny tried to take a closer look, but Dinny grabbed his coat. “You stay away from them, hear? Sides, we’re almost there.”
Dinny climbed over the back fence made of split logs, and waited for Sonny. It was a relatively new structure since the old one had been torn down by Bill Tanney the previous year. As Sonny was climbing over himself, he suddenly stopped and looked down at his hand.
“What is it?” Dinny asked.
“Damn splinter!” Sonny answered.
“Aah, that ain’t nothin’ you baby. Come on.”
Sonny swung his leg over and jumped down to the other side. The two boys then carefully made their way through the woods separating their property with the Tanney home. The woods were full of over-growth and tall Oak trees, and every now and then, an owl would let out a hoot, startling Sonny. Dinny would keep on moving, however, and Sonny was not about to be left behind.
As they approached the Tanney house, they could make out a faint light ahead. Dinny turned to Sonny and put his finger to his lips to make sure he kept quiet. When they were close enough to see the people standing in front of the house, Dinny got down on his belly and motioned for Sonny to do the same.
The Tanney house was much larger than the Gamble’s or McElderry’s. Old Man Tanney had made a good living early in his life with cattle and had since taken to living a more quiet life with his sons. He had build a nice two story Greek revival home that might have been the envy to many back east. It was clear he was from money.
Bill Tanney was his oldest child, and he had two other sons, one of whom died not two years prior in the John Brown raid at Osawatomie. The other son was a bit slow, but followed Bill’s lead at pretty much everything. There were also two daughters, but they had since married and moved away with their husbands.
As Dinny and Sonny looked on, they could see Bill Tanney on the front porch holding something in his hand, and his brother was holding a torch to see who had come to see them. Sonny looked over to Dinny and asked, “What’s that he’s holding?”
“Probably his revolver…now hush.”
Out in the front yard of the house, Kinchen and Mac were sitting on their horses, and along with them were three other men, none of which Sonny recognized. He started to ask Dinny who they were, but Dinny put his hand over Sonny’s mouth. It seemed that the men had just arrived not long before the boys did and they were in the midst of talking.
“…knowed it was you who come up to my place and kilt them horses. Now what you gonna do about it?” Mac was saying.
Tanney just squinted out trying to make sure he knew who he was talking to. “Now listen here Daniel McElderry. I ain’t done nothin’ to nobody’s horses scept my own. My brother here can back me up,” he said as he nodded to the slow-witted one.
“Then why do I have three down in my back pasture? Suppose they just died of natural causes?”
“Might be,” Tanney replied.
“Hell, you know that ain’t true. They been shot and I know by who!”
Tanney scratched the whiskers on his face and remained silent for a moment. “Suppose you brought these fellas out here to do a number on me then, is that it?”
Kinchen spoke out, “Nothin’ of the sort Bill. We just want payment for what’s rightly ours. We settled our differences ‘bout the fence and we’ll settle this too if’n you keep it peaceful. And these here boys aim to do just that.”
“Don’t look to peaceful to me. You boys ride up with your guns drawn and start shouting accusations at me. What in hell am I supposed to think? Looks like to me you’re a trespassin’.”
“Just like you done when you kilt them horses!” Mac yelled out as his horse started towards the front porch of the house.
“Now you just stay right where you are, fella. I don’t want to have to get the sheriff out here to clean up some dead man in my front yard,” Tanney cautioned as he brought his weapon up and pointed it square into Mac’s direction.
Before another word was said, a figure appeared behind the two Tanney boys. It seemed shorter and appeared to move much slower than a man. Suddenly a voice called out. “What in blazes is going on out here?”
“Ain’t nothin’ paw. Just some old ruffians,” Tanney replied.
Dinny turned to Sonny and whispered, “It’s Old Man Tanney.”
Sonny looked back and the old man had moved in front of his son, between the revolver and Mac McElderry. “It’s nothing of the sort, son. These boys are the farmers what live up that road apiece. What bad blood has been spilt now?”
“Don’t know, paw. They’s just tryin’ for some trouble tonight.”
“Ain’t true Mr. Tanney,” Kinchen interrupted. “We found three dead horses in our back field, and we sure didn’t kill ‘em.”
Old Man Tanney turned and looked at Kinchen Gamble. He was an old man, in his early eighties in fact, but his mind was till sharp and he could tell when a man was lying. He could tell that Kinchen Gamble spoke the truth and he had a good mind over who killed the horses.
“Son, did you shoot these men’s horses?” he asked his Bill.
“They was tryin to bust down the fence again, paw. If they keep comin’ over to our side, they gonna get on our pasture and eat everything in sight.”
“Not what I asked. Did you shoot ‘em?” the old man repeated.
Bill Tanney turned and looked at his younger brother, and then back at his father. “Weren’t me, but Charlie here done it. I caught him just as it was happenin’," he said. "I stopped him from shootin’ any more of ‘em.”
Kinchen and Mac were taken aback by this outright lie, but before they could object, Old Man Tanney answered his son, “Then first thing tomorrow, you take four horses over to these men as payment, you hear? I’ll not have feuds destroying my house. Is that clear?”
“But paw!” Tanney started to argue.
“But paw, nothing. You do as I say or I’ll make sure you get nothing when I go to meet my maker. These are good men, William and I want no more of this. Do I make myself clear?”
Bill Tanney shot the men on his front lawn an evil look, knowing he was beat by a frail old man, though really his loss came at expense of his greed. He holstered his revolver and spit on the ground. “Four horses, tomorrow. Yes, sir.” He turned and stormed back in the house, yelling "Damn Paddys" as he went.
Old Man Tanney went to his other son and simply put his hand on his neck. He looked him hard in the eye and knew that Bill had lied to him. He turned to Kinchen, Mac and the others and said, “I hope that is satisfactory gentlemen. I’m afraid that is the best offer I have to make amends for this. My son is wild and given to distemperment. I do apologize and hope that we can keep this between ourselves.”
“I would be fine with that, sir. But only if you can keep your son under control,” Kinchen answered him back.
“Believe me gentlemen, I know what keeps my son in line and rest assured you have my word.”
This seemed to be enough for the crew, and Mac motioned for the other three to get a move on. He looked over at Kinchen who had trotted his horse close to the porch. He reached up and shook the old man’s hand to seal the deal. After, he snapped the reins of his horse and joined Mac as they moved down the road and back towards home.
Sonny and Dinny quietly crept back away from the scene and slowly made their way back through the woods. It was slightly harder as they had been looking into a lighted area and now with it gone, the blackness seemed to take over. A few times, Sonny tripped, but eventually both regained their night vision and made it back to the house.
Their father had not yet retuned when they climbed back into their bedroom window. As they undressed out of their boots and clothes, Sonny asked his brother, “Do you think that old man can really keep his son from hurting da and Uncle Mac?”
“Dunno, Sonny…dunno. Hope so. Guess I just need to stick around a bit longer and find out.”
“That’d be good Din. That’d be real good. Da would like that. I would too."
“Go on and get some sleep before da gets back.” he told Sonny. He rested his head on his pillow and after the two had been quiet for a few moments, he said, “Me too, Sonny. Me too.”
To be continued...
Good update, coz, very good. Nice to see how the bad boy once had a father who had the best of him. That's not a viewpoint one sees often.
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Looks like a very fragile peace as long as the old Tanney is alive. And as soon as he dies...
Coz, this is a great story. I look forward to more.
Coz, this is a great story. I look forward to more.
Well, after reading all the current AARs, this one is extraordinary. It is especially different from all AARs I have read.
Another excellent update Coz, I like how you are developing The Feud between The Tanney's and The Gameble's/McElderry's, very good. Thank goodness Old Man Tanny managed to stop the situation from escalating out of control. I can definatly see our Civil War Feud also bubbling up aswell. Still very good, update soon!