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Mathew almost raised his head, "Of course you do. But we'll make it out of here together, all of us…"
Chase nearly smiled, because this young man, even though he loved Katherine held no grudge. It was good. Mathew was a good kid.
"I hope so, but Hawks is clever. And Mathew, if he draws on you, don't hesitate to kill him. It's the hesitation that kills you, he won't," Chase advised.
"I'll remember that. Besides, the man killed my brothers. And I won't be forgetting that. I aim to see him dead for that." Mathew cried quietly. "I couldn't believe he done it. I was sitting there waiting on them to catch up, then I saw Jesse fall over to the ground and Hawks had that gun pointed straight at him. I don't know how I got out of there. One minute I was starin' at Jesse and the next, my horse bolted and I was out of there."
"Rufus or Paul?" Chase asked.
"Yeah, it'd be like 'em to spat my horse. They always did protect me," Mathew told him with tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry for that Mathew," Chase whispered. "You had a good family."
"My brothers is all I had. My family, we were close. All I can think about is how he shot them down in cold blood. While I sat there on that danged horse and watched. I just couldn't believe he done it." Mathew whispered. "We rode with the man…"
r /> Chase listened quietly, feeling the boy's pain and understanding it too. Revenge could be a quick painkiller. If he got the chance he'd let Mathew kill Hawks.
"When darkness comes, we will sneak in closer. Once we are there, we'll surround him. He'll have to go for his gun, when he does, don't hesitate, I won't," Chase said quietly.
"What are you gonna do with Katherine?" Mathew wanted to know.
Chase debated whether he should tell him, but somehow maybe Mathew could accept things better if he knew the truth. "You are young, and I’m not sure you'd understand it, but I feel I must tell you, for your sake. Katherine is not all white. She's part Indian, she doesn’t know this yet, but she is, and I aim to take her to her people, her other people."
"My brothers and I talked about that. The fact that she's darker than her kin. That she's the only one. We wondered. Not that it makes a bit of difference to me. But I still love her…is that wrong?"
Chase relaxed just for a few minutes. "Love is never wrong, Mathew."
Mathew almost nodded but remembered not to move. "Yeah, I guess it ain't."
There was a long silence, and then Mathew glanced at him again.
"Do you think she'll go with you?" Mathew asked.
"I don't know. I hope she will. She has a special power that she knows nothing about. It can help her people. But the decision is hers…I will not force her," Chase added.
"You got any folks?" Mathew asked curiously.
"Yes, they are in Indian Territory. A white mother and Indian father, I belong to the Shawnee tribe there," Chase said thinking of them now.
"My folks were killed coming out here by the Comanche. They burned our wagon, would have taken me and my brothers but we out run them to get away."
"How long ago?" Chase asked.
"Nine years ago. We came from Ohio valley."
"And now…what will you do?" Chase asked, curious about this young man he had grown to like so quickly.
"My folks had land back in Ohio, reckon I might go back there and live…got some Aunts and Uncles back there. Lot of cousins I grew up with, it'd be a home." Mathew replied, "But first I'm going to blow Hawks to kingdom come."
After a long silence Mathew glanced at Chase with a question, "What you reckon he wants? My brothers and I knowed he was watchin the station, but we always thought he was just sorta seein' after them. But that wasn't it, was it?"
"There are only two things a man will kill for as far as I know other than blood vengeance, a woman or money."
"He don't seem to want Katherine, I mean, he's hanging around here like he ain't got a care in the world. Don't he know he could have a price on his head for killin' my family?"
Chase studied the question then raised his brow, "He'd probably blame it on the Indians."
"Dammit, I want to go git him. I can't just lay here till its dark…I want his blood," Mathew cried out.
