“There’s folks all over the country that needs jobs—special jobs—done,” Ebersole said. “If we kill both MacCallister and Cody, we’ll be known as the kind of people who can do those special jobs. We’ll be able to hire out our guns, and we’ll make a ton of money from it.”
“Yeah,” Dewey said. “I guess you have a point there. It ain’t somethin’ I’ve ever thought about, though.”
“How are we goin’ to break him out?” Hawkins asked.
“We’ll do it tonight when the town is real quiet,” Ebersole said. “Like as not they won’t have no more than one man a-watchin’ over things at the jail. We’ll just go in and force him to let Billy go.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
When he was but fifteen years old, Frank Barlow joined the army to save the Union. Captured at Kennesaw Mountain, he was one of the youngest prisoners of war in the Confederate Prison of War camp at Andersonville, Georgia. He spent just under a year in the prison where over 13,000 died, emerging from his incarceration weighing only ninety-four pounds. When he went back to Indiana he worked on his pa’s farm until, learning of land to be had simply by homesteading out West, he got married and moved to Wyoming Territory.
It was a gamble and both his family and his new bride’s family had tried to talk him out of it, but he was adamant, and his wife Ann backed him in his resolve. Now the gamble seemed to have paid off, and Frank owned a small but successful ranch. Last year he not only managed to support his family, he actually turned a profit, and he was already thinking about taking on a few hands to help him run the place.
His son Davey, who was eight years old, had just celebrated his birthday and yesterday he and Ann had thrown a little party for him. He was looking forward to the time when Davey would be old enough to become a full partner in the operation of the ranch.
Frank pumped water into the basin, worked up lather from a bar of lye soap, then washed his hands and face. The cold well-water was bracing, and he reached for a towel and began drying off, thinking about the chicken and dumplings Ann had cooked for their supper. He had worked hard today and the enticing aroma was already causing his stomach to growl.
Barlow had the towel over his face when he thought he felt a presence. Dropping the towel, he was surprised to see two mounted men looking down at him. Where had they come from? He had neither seen nor heard them before this moment.
“Oh, you surprised me,” he said. “Can I help you gentlemen?”
The two men unnerved Frank. There was something about them, suddenly appearing as they did, that left him with a troublesome and unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Are you Frank Barlow?” one of the men asked.
“Yeah, I’m Barlow.”
“Barlow, you’ve got twenty-four hours to get off this property.”
“What are you talking about? Why the hell would I do that?”
“You are occupying land that belongs to the Bellefontaine Mineral Asset Development Company.”
“The hell I am,” Frank replied angrily. “I homesteaded this land near ten years ago. I have clear title to it.”
“Show him the paper, Regret,” one of the men said.
The one called Regret dismounted, and took a paper over to show to Frank.
“Can you read?” Regret asked.
“Yes.”
“Then read this.”
Frank took a folded piece of paper from Regret, then opened it up to read.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
All homestead claims for land located within the boundaries of the area known as the Big Horn Basin, are herein invalidated. Occupants of this land, whether it be Home Site, Ranch, or Farm, are hereby ordered to vacate the property.
Ownership will be transferred to the Bellefontaine Mineral Asset Development Company for the purpose of extracting gold, silver, lead, tin, iron, or any and all such minerals as may be found there.
– Clarence King,
Secretary of the Interior
Frank finished reading the document, then looked Regret.
“This ain’t no way right,” he said.
“What do you think, Davis. He don’t believe it.”
“Are you questioning the United States government?” Davis asked.
“Why would the government give me this land, then come take it away from me?”
“How many men do you employ on this place of yours?” Davis asked.
“Nobody. There is just me, my wife, and my boy.”
“Well, there’s the answer for you. Bellefontaine employs near thirty people. We will expect you to be off this property by noon tomorrow,” Davis said.
“Mister, I’ve got a hundred head of cattle,” Davis said. “What am I supposed to do with them?”
“This order don’t pertain to your cattle, just to your land. You can take your cattle with you.”
“Take them where? This is a small ranch. I told you, there is only my wife, my boy and me. And my boy’s only
