Chapter Twelve: Noah

Less than two weeks had passed since my last letter to Elizabeth. I knew I couldn't expect a reply yet, but that didn't keep me from hoping there would be one. I hoped she would be understanding about what I had shared.

Many people had a negative opinion of anyone who came from the South, no matter that that person's opinion had been regarding the war. It was a prejudice that chafed because of how unfair it was. I'd left my home state before the war for a reason. I'd seen how the political state was heading and wanted no part in any of it.

And even coming West, I'd encountered people who heard my accent and assumed I was a rebel trying to escape punishment. This had resulted in countless fights over the years. I'd learned quickly how to defend myself. As of yet, I'd avoided a gunslinger. I knew if I faced someone fast with a gun, I was a dead man.

I had no idea how the people of Indiana had viewed the war. Some states had been passionate abolitionists, others more focused on keeping the country together. Either viewpoint would influence how Elizabeth took my news.

In fact, I was a little surprised that Burns hadn't tried to use my origins against me in his campaign to ruin me. It seemed like the most obvious detail about me that he would have used to blacken my reputation.

Maybe he just hadn't realized? After the first two years on my own, I'd done my best to purge the Southern drawl from my speech. Now, I prided myself on a neutral way of speaking, though my accent came out if I wasn't careful enough.

In any event, I focused on making any needed repairs on my barn. I knew from growing up just easily a small thing can become a major problem if it was left too long. And if, somehow, Elizabeth forgave me, I wanted to have the place looking it's best for her.

How I hoped she would forgive me!

When night fell, I was more than ready to take to my bed. I'd fallen into the habit of wishing the photograph good night before I blew out the lamp. A sentimental thing that would have earned me teasing if anyone knew.

Something woke me in the middle of the night.

I lay awake on my bed, frowning up at the dark. My mind was still fuzzy from sleep as I tried to work out what had disturbed my sleep. I was sure I'd left Winston outside to patrol his domain, so he hadn't jumped up on my face, something he tended to do whenever he was inside during the night.

All of the sudden, I realized that it was lighter in the room than it had been when I first opened my eyes. How had it gone from pitch black to something resembling just past dawn? I can only blame my sleep filled mind for how long it took for me to register the light forming through the window.

Not the rose-gold of the sun coming up. It was the red-orange glow of something on fire.

I sat upright. And swung my legs off the bed. Fire? What could be on fire at this time of the night? The glow was growing brighter, meaning it was close and getting bigger. I shoved my feet into my boots, anxious to see what was happening. Without bothering with a shirt or jeans, I reaced for the front door, stumbling around the kitchen table.

My growing suspicion was confirmed as soon as I stepped out into the cool air: the barn was on fire.

"No!" left my lips, though I knew no one would be near enough to hear me. No one, that is, who would help me. It was on me to save my barn and everything in it. My first reaction was to try to run to the structure to open the door.

My common sense reasserted itself, though, and I changed direction. The snap and crackle of fire consuming logs filled the air as I ran to the well. I hauled on the rope to draw up the bucket, only to realize when the rope rached the top that the bucket had been cut off.

"No!"

My barn was being destroyed and I had no way to stop it.

"Nonono!"

It was then that I realized that there was no other sound beyond the crackling flames. I had two horses in the barn. They should be screaming from fear, trying to get away from the blaze. Were they already dead? Had the fire reached them before they could react?

And where were... I turned towards the corral. The herd of cattle I expected to see was gone. The corral was just empty. The gate was still in place. I could see that much in the light of the burning barn. My herd, the venture I had put my savings in for the future, were nowhere in sight.

Shock hit me then and I collapsed on my knees. Years of work—saving and building—were gone. Tools and feed that I kept safely in the barn were now lost. How was I going to recover from this?

Who hated me so much to take such drastic, destructive action?

Because this had to be the work of someone malicious. The night was clear, so there had been no lightning strike to light the blaze. I hadn't had a lantern with me when I finished my chores for the evening since the sun had still been above the horizon. Nothing about this could be accidental.

Prt of the roof collapsed, sending sparks and cinders flying. I forced myself to my feet. There was still something I could do to minimize the damage, such as it was. With a quilt, perhaps I could keep the fire from spreading.

At least, it was something to do.

~*~

The barn was still smoldering a couple of hours after dawn. I had been on my feet the whole time, beating out any stray sarks that attempted to spread. The smoke was rising into the air, creating a haziness and making my cough if I breathed in too deeply.

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I leaned against the empty corral. Every muscle ached. Though I was reasonably sure the fire was dying down, I couldn't bring myself to turn my back. It would be just my luck for some random ember to suddenly blaze up and catch the grass on fire.

A shout caught my attention. Steeling myself for the worst, I turned to see a wagon coming my way. My hand moved toward the fence out of habit before I remembered that I'd left my rifle in the cabin like a fool.

"Noah!" the owner of the wagon shouted.

A sigh of relief left me and I sagged against the fence. It was Earnest, and not anothe threat. How had he... Before I could even finished thinking the question, I saw that there were two horses tied to the back of the wagon. My horses. They hadn't been killed. They'd gone to a place they knew as safe.

Earnest brought his wagon to a stop. "Noah, what happened?" he demanded. "Are you alright?"

For a moment I coudln't think of the words to explain. I gestured vaguely at the smoking remains of my barn. "I'm standing," was all I said. I wasn't even sure how long I would keep that up.

My friend and neighbor awkwardly climbed down from the wagon. Right. He wasn't fully healed yet. He leaned heavily against his cane as he came toward me. "How did it happen?"

Would he think me paranoid if I told him what I suspected?

Beating out embers and sparks had taken focus to make sure I didn't miss any, but in the last hour I'd had more than enough time to think. There was only one person in the territory who hated me at the moment. Though it was difficult to believe he was capable of this.

"Noah?"

"I don't know for sure," I said honestly. "I woke up to the barn on fire. My cattle were gone. My well was tampered with, or the bucket worked it's way off the rope on it's own overnight. I couldn't draw water to fight the blaze."

"Someone did this on purpose?" Earnest asked, his tone appalled. He paused and then shook his head. "Of course it would have to be. I've never known you to be careless and there was no storm last night."

Wearily, I just nodded. There was nothing more I could add. The evidence was right in front of him.

"But who?" was Earnest's next question. He stared at the barn as though fascinated and horrified by the sight. "Who would be so malicious?"

He knew as well as I did that there was only one person who had the motivation to ruin me. It was a stretch to think that Burns would jump from attacking me with rumors to destroying my property, but I didn't know what else to think. He would know as much as anybody how much expense and time went into a barn.

"No," Earnest said as though he read my mind. He twisted around to focus on me. "He wouldn't have gone this far! What would he have to gain by it?"

"I cannot pretend to understand why John Burns has done or said anything this year," I told him, shaking my head. The action made my head reel for a moment. I needed to eat something. "What did he have to gain from ruining my reputation?"

"But this?" Earnest gestured at the ruins. "This is just..."

His voice trailed off as though he couldn't think of the right words. "I know," I agreed with a sigh. "This. But I wouldn't have expected Mrs. Burns to threaten to shoot me either. I suppose nothing they do surprises me anymore."

"What are you going to do?

That was the question. I took a deep breath and straightened up. "First, I am going to collect my cattle if I can find them before someone takes them for strays. I still have to brand them, you know. And then..." My voice trailed off. What then? I was without a barn or any place to shelter my animals from the elements.

"I think that first you should put some clothes on," Earnest said, nodding towards my attire of long underwear and boots. "And have a bite to eat. Even I can see you're almost dead on your feet."

Surprised, I glanced down. I'd forgotten that I wasn't dressed for the day. "Well, yes," I agreed. "Clothes it is. But I don't have time to cook anything. The sooner I get out there, the sooner I can get my herd back in one piece."

If that was even possible.

"At least eat some bread." He sounded like a motherphen, but I appreciated his concern. His expression was troubled, and I knew he'd have joined me for the search if he'd been able.

"Fine."

"And you're welcome at my place for a few nights," he continued. "At least it will give you a place to stay where you won't be looking over your shoulder all the time. I can make room for your animals."

I knew for a fact that he didn't have the room for a herd of cattle, though I appreciated the offer. I turned to the corral. It looked mostly intact, the fence rails untouched. Except... My eyes narrrowed. On the opposite side of where I stood, one of the posts was leaning, making one of the slats loose. Almost as if someone had taken the fence apart to free the cattle, only to shoddily put it back together to hide what had happened.

"New plan," I said, trying to motivate myself. "I will fix my coral, and then start searching for my cattle. After that? I'll just have to work out what comes next as I go."

Earnest followed my gaze. "It is long past time for us to see about getting a sheriff," he said, glaring at the damage. "This is beyond acceptable."

While I didn't disagree, it couldn't help me now. If I managed to get my cattle back and I had a place to put them, would I have to guard them every minute? I shook my head. There was no time to think about that right now. It was too exhausting to think I would always have to look over my shoulder now.

"At least, he wasn"t cruel enough to leave the animals in the barn when he lit it on fire. Whoever he might be," Earnest commented.

That was true. It would have been unforgivable if Burns' had left the horses and cow tied in their stalls. So what did that say about him? That he wouldn't hurt an animal, but didn't care how much he hurt a person? Was that a redeeming fact?

"I'll go to the Harpers' place," Earnest said, referring to the nieghbors to my east. "They might be able to help round up your cattle. At least, they could send any they see back this way."

The Harpers were a family that kept mostly to themselves, but they had never been unkind. We'd helped each other a few times over the years. I had no idea if they'd heard the rumors about me or if they even cared. Still, it wouldn't hurt to reach out to them.

"Thanks," I responded. "I don't expect them to go out of their way, but if they could send any cattle they see back to me, I'd appreciate it."

Earnest looked like he was about to say something else, but he didn't. He shook his head and turned back to the barn. I followed his gaze. It would be out of my means to build another one this year. And yet, it was necessary to keep my farm going. Without it, there would be no way to shelter my animals from the wind, rain, or snow of winter. It would be a sure thing that they would sicken and even die.

"And here I was worried about a mouse in the grain," I commented. "Seems like such an ironic turn of events. There'd be no mice to worry about now.

Earnest heard my mutter and shook his head. I was reminded of the smallest resident of my land. "I hope Winston wasn't in the barn." I'd grown fond of the little creature.

As if he'd heard me say his name, Winston came wandering out from under the porch. He made an exaggerated stretch and then yawned. He sat down and gave a truly pathetic meow.

"Looks like someone slept through the whole thing," Earnest said with a chuckle. That seemed unlikely, but at least Winston wasn't traumatized by what had happened. "And now he's in search of his breakfast."

"Sorry, Winston. You're going to have to fend for yourself this morning," I said, only feeling a little ridiculous for talking to the cat. I crouched down and held my hand out. The cat deigned to walk over and rub against my fingers. Then, he sauntered on his way.

"Is there anything else you need before I head off?" Earnest asked.

"Well, a new barn, but I know better than to wish for the impossible." I forced a smile. "Do you want to stay for a cup of coffee? You can't have had time to eat anything this morning. I don't have much but you're welcome to it."

Chickens. They were also missing. Would they wander back when they were hungry? If I had to put some priority on the stock of my farm, the chickens were not at the top. Something else I would have to worry about later on.

Given how much I was pushing for later, I was going to have a lot to worry about.

"I won't turn down a cup of coffee, but then I'll be off. But, would you mind putting some pants on first?"

"No, I won't mind at all." Hopefully, a cup of coffee would give me the energy to search for my cattle. I had the feeling I was going to need all my strength for the day to come.

~*~

By the time the sun was sinking below the horizon, I was exhausted. I'd managed to follow the tracks of some of the cattle. But I'd only found a fraction of the herd, huddled next to a creek. I'd guided them back to the corral, which was a difficult task. They were skittish from their run and wary of returning to where the fire had frightened them.

I tried to stay out as long as I could, forgoing a midday meal. However, I was forced to turn back when the sun went down. It was just too hard to search the dirt for hoof tracks.

To my surprise, my little cabin was lit from within. Not by a raging fire, but by lamps in the windows. Lack of sleep and no real meal all day made it difficult to think. Someone was in my house. Who? Earnest? If he'd come back, I'd have strong words...

My front door swung open. "There you are," Henry Harper called out. He was a large man, probably the most solidly built man I'd ever met. "We were begining to think that we were going to have to form a search party to find you."

"Evening, Mr. Harper," I greeted, trying to summon some energy. Why had he come? And he'd made himself at home?

"Get down and come in already," the man said, coming down the porch steps. "The missus has a meal ready and she will be fit to be tied if none of us enjoy it soon."

His missus? Mrs. Harper had come with him? I couldn't believe it as I dismounted. Company was the last thing I wanted. "I'll put your horse up," Harper said, reaching to take the reins. "You must be about to fall over. Get inside and off your feet."

"There's..." Words failed me. He must have seen the barn. Well, what was left of the barn. There was no place to put Charger for the night. The only reason I had a saddle was because I'd kept an old saddle in a corner of my house. "I don't—"

"I know," the older man said, his tone compassionate. He patted my arm. "A problem for after a meal and some rest. I'll manage."

Well, I had been putting the majority of things aside to worry about later. What was one more thing?

"Get yourself in here, Noah Coleman," Martha Harper called out. "I have four boys in here who are about to chew their arms off, they're so hungry. Don't make them wait much longer."

A chuckle escaped me. She sounded so much like my own mother that for a moment I felt like I was twelve years old again. I took a step towards the porch, only to pause. "I don't know if you've heard," I began to say, turning towards Mr. Harper. After all, the Harpers kept to themselves. It was only fair that I warn them that I wasn't the most popular person in the territory and the town. "What I mean to say is—"

"I've heard," Harper interrupted, keeping his voice low. "I put it down to overdrinking because it was ridiculous. Again, a problem for tomorrow, if Earnest is correct that it is all somehow connected. Now go on in before Martha decides to drag you in."

He led Charger off, leaving me dumbfounded. Here I had felt the lowest I'd ever felt in years. Few friends, reputation destroyed, and now no barn. Here, though, were friends that I hadn't even been looking for!

"Have you fallen asleep on your feet?" Mrs. Harper demanded, getting my attention.

"No, I'm coming," I said, forcing myself to move. "Mrs. Harper, you didn't have to make me a meal."

"If I'm going to feed five men, what is one more?" she said, waving her hand. She looked down. "You have a vocal cat. You'd have thought he was starving from how he kept crying! As if I couldn't see his fat little belly!"

Winston meowed a greeting of his own as I reached the porch. I reached down to pet him, but he had other ideas and off he dashed into the darkness.

"Now I want to hear all about your young lady," Mrs. Harper continued as she stepped back into my home. "Why is this the first I am hearing about you courting a young lady? What is her name? Where is she from?"

"Does she have a sister?" Matt Harper, nineteen years old and as tall as a beanpole, called from in the house. "She's beautiful!"

"Mind your own business, Matthew!" Mrs. Harper scolded. "He hasn't even said a word about her. She might have an independent attitude that you don't like."

Her oldest son sputtered at the rebuke. "Her name is Elizabeth and I ruined everything with her," I found myself saying. Maybe it was because I was so tired and she was being kind that made me confess the truth.

In the light from the lamps, I could see the concern in her expression. "Well, sit down and eat," she told me. "And then tell me what you did so we can work out a solution."

~*~

Dear Elizabeth,

I hope I can still call you that. But if I don't send this letter, you will never know. With any luck I will be able to clear my thoughts. Somehow, explaining things to you helps me to work things out in my head.

Maybe it will be for the best if you never write to me again. I'm almost afraid to go into town and check for a letter. Call me a coward, but as long as I don't know you've told me to never speak to you again, I can still hope that...

I am ruined. Well, I suspect I am close to being ruined. I spent much of my savings on an idea to expand my farm into a cattle ranch. I thought this would be a lucrative venture; something that would provide for a family.

Two nights ago, my barn was burned to the ground. There is no way it was an accident. I can only assume that Burns, who I told you about before, had some hand in it. If he did not set the fire himself, then I'm sure that the rumor he has spread about me might have compelled someone else to take action against me. The thing is I can't prove any of this.

Whoever it was also made a point of setting my new cattle herd free. A better man might be grateful that they weren't killed, but it isn't easy to track each cow in the wilderness. I'm bound to lose several head from this.

The good thing about this is that I discovered friends I didn't know I had. One of the more established families, who usually keep to themselves, came as soon as they heard what happened. Mr. Harper is determined that we will get a second barn up before winter, but I'm not sure how he intends to do that. Lumber is hard to come by and cutting down trees to make the lumber is time consuming.

Perhaps things are not as bad as I think they are.

You are always on my mind, Elizabeth. Mrs. Harper was eager to hear about you when she saw your photograph. She took me to task for being an idiot and not being honest with you from the start.

I miss learning what you think in your letters. I have reread your letters every day. I should have been honest with you from the start, as Mrs. Harper said, and I keep praying you will forgive me. I don't see how that will happen since I can't forgive myself. There must be something I have done wrong for things to have gone so wrong this year...