Micah had to take a prisoner to Yuma.  I told him I'd cover for him while he was gone.  I thought while I was in town I'd have Henry Waller, the gunsmith give my rifle a going over.  His son Jeffrey was learning the trade from his Pa.  Henry said that before breakfast Jeffrey had it broken down, barrel reamed, and a new spring cut.  "That's fine Henry, your teachin' your boy a good trade."  "You know Lucas, a man likes to pass a trade on to his son," said Henry.  He started to leave.  He backed away from the door and was looking out the window.  "What's wrong?" I asked.  "Holliver," said Henry.  "John Holliver," I asked.  "That's him, with one of his men," said Henry.  They headed for the saloon.  "I had never seem him before but I heard about him, and his share of gunfights."  "They weren't gunfights Lucas, they were executions," said Henry.  He seemed nervous, scared.  "He made us wait five years. But he meant it when he said he'd be back!" Said Henry.  "Made you wait for what?" I asked.  Two riders rode in.  "That must be the rest of his gang," said Henry.  "Somebody in North Fork is sure gonna die Lucas."  He started to leave.  "Henry, what happened five years ago?"  He started to tell me but hurried off.  

I thought I'd go out and make my rounds.  Eddie was setting on the front porch of the hotel.  He looked like something was bothering him.  "What's the matter Eddie?"  "Nothing, Lucas, nothing." he said.  "You look like you've got trouble."  "Well with Holliver coming back only means one thing, he'll be leavin' us with somebody to bury," said Eddie.  "What happened five years ago Eddie?"  "Henry Waller was too upset to go into it."  "Well, Holliver came to town alone. He killed a nineteen year old boy." "He picked a fight with him and made it seem like the boy pulled his gun on him."  He shook his head.  "It was murder Lucas. Pure murder," said Eddie.  They couldn't officially charge Holliver with anything so we ran him out of town on a rail." "I don't know how we ever got up the nerve unless it was because of there being so many of us. Holliver was alone, but we must have been loco that night." "Knowing Holliver to be a professional killer....."  "Why did he wait five years if he'd been wanting to get even? That's what I don't understand," I said.  "I don't know Lucas, I don't know."  I told Eddie there was nothing I could do unless Holliver gave me reason. 

Holliver and Deecie got a room at the hotel.  Deecie didn't like the waiting.  With the marshal and most of the folks out of town he thought this was the right opportune time to do what they came to do and get out.  Holliver wanted to have himself some fun.  If you call drawing against somebody, fun.  He liked watching a man sweat. He wanted to kill him a man.  He wanted to give North Fork something to remember him for.  He wanted revenge!

I had gone back to the office.  I wasn't there long when Nils came in.  He stood in the door way watching the two riders that just came in.  "Lucas, who's Holliver really after?" Asked Nils.  "He doesn't have to be after anyone Nils."  "Those two aren't just standin' out there."  "We're having a meeting in my livery stable in twenty minutes, everybody stickin' together on this," said Nils.  No harm in that in fact I thought it was a good idea.  But who's to say Holliver has his eye on someone?  "Lucas, will you back us?"  "That's my job until Micah gets back."  He thanked me, and then left. 

I went over to see Henry.  Jeffrey was showing Mark the trade of being a gunsmith.  Mark was staying with Jeffrey while I was covering for Micah.  When I walked in Henry knew right away why I was there.  He told Jeffrey to go and fix supper for him and Mark.  I told him Eddie told me what had happened that night five years ago.  I told him Holliver is probably passing thru town and not looking for any trouble, just like him.  He didn't agree with me.  Henry was really upset.  He felt that Holliver wouldn't come back to North Fork unless he wanted to get even.  "What got into me that night? I knew he was an evil man, a killer." "Why didn't I mind my own
business?"  "Nils talked me into joining that night! He had no right to take advantage of me! I'm a sick man, I was sick then." "Holliver was lookin' right at me that night when we tied him to the rail." "He'd remember me!" "He might even think I was the ring leader!" "They knew I wasn't well.....they knew it." "If they wanted to be so brave and run a killer out of town on the rail why didn't they go ahead and do it, instead of involving a sick man?"  I told him to settle down.  He thought himself a coward.  Nobody could think of him as a coward for being afraid of a man like Holliver.  Henry told me it wasn't just Holliver.  He had always been afraid.  "Man.....I make a mockery of the word," said Henry.  "There isn't a person in North Fork who doesn't have the greatest respect for their gunsmith, that's you!" I said.  I tried reassuring him.  He was convinced he was a coward and there was no changing his mind.  "Nobody can blame a sick man...."  "A sick man," interrupted Henry.  "These pills that I'm always takin' that Doctor Burrage gives me, sugar pills!"  I told him I'd have a talk with Holliver and see what was on his mind.  He was all for that.  He wanted me to put the blame on the others and to tell them that the others had more to do with it then he did.  I couldn't believe my ears.  He apologized.  I told him to meet me at the livery stable with the other men.  "I'll be there when I finish talking to Holliver." "Henry, calm yourself down, will ya'?"

I went over to the saloon.  Holliver was eating his supper.  I introduced myself.  He motioned for Deecie to leave.  I told him that some of the folks were wonderin' about his business here in town.  He said he was back to collect something.  He felt the town owed him and he came back to collect.  I asked him what that might be.  He called it self respect.  He wanted satisfaction from the town of North Fork.  He wanted a representative of this town to meet him in the street at sun up.  I asked him why he waited five years to come back.  He knew they would worry.  He didn't want anyone to stop worrying.  I told him to forget all of this and if he didn't I would be on that street when he walked out at sun up.  He said his boys would be there to make sure he gets a fair shake. "There will be other men on the street behind me to," I said.  "You better think twice before carrying this any farther, Holliver!"  He laughed.  "Me! McCain! Sun up!"

I went over the livery stable to talk to Nils and Henry and Eddie.  They already had a meeting of their own.  They decided they would all stand behind the one that Holliver goes for.  I told them that Holliver and I just had a few hot words.  I told them I was to meet him in the street tomorrow to represent the town to recoup his so called honor.  Holliver didn't remember any of them.  They liked it that way.  This changed everything.....for them.  They felt they had been worrying for nothing.  "There's still worrying to do, we have to decide how we're going to handle Holliver tomorrow.   We've got four guns against his four."  I don't think Holliver figured on that.  They didn't plan on backing me.  I would have to face Holliver alone.  Nils and Eddie left.  "They can't be blamed Lucas, fighten' ain't their business," said Henry.  "Neither is it mine!"  Then he started that sick man thing of his, again!  I stood there and watched him walk away.

Mark was upset.  He didn't want me to face Holliver and his gang alone.  He wanted to strap on a gun and help.  I couldn't let my boy do this.   "Someday you'll be standing along side me, the two of us together, both of us men. But right now
you've got something coming first. A growing up time."  "Growing up time?" Questioned Mark.  "You see son, a man either has a time to look back on or he doesn't have it. It's an awfully nice time. When you see an old man dozing in the sun and he looks like he's smiling, well, he's looking back on his growing up time-thinking back and living it all over again. Mark, I want you to have that time. I want you to be a boy while you are a boy. I don't want you doing man things. It's really very important. And then when you're a lot older and you begin thinking back instead of ahead, well, you'll know what I mean."

Mark went over to Jeffrey's.  The boys got ready for bed.  Neither one could get any sleep. They were both upset and crying.  "Can you sleep Mark?" Asked Jeffrey.  "No!" Replied Mark.  Wiping away the tears.  "I can't either," said Jeffery.  The boys were told to stay there until it was over.  "Mark! It ain't like my Pa is afraid," cried Jeffrey.  "He handles a gun real good! So it ain't like he's afraid!"  "I didn't say anything like that. I didn't say nothing like that Jeffrey," cried Mark.  The tears streaming down both of these boys faces.  "It's just, well he's so sick, if my Pa was better he'd help your Pa tomorrow, not leave him out there alone!" Cried Jeffrey.  "I'm sorry Mark, I'm real sorry!"  The boys comforted each other.

It was sun up.  Holliver and Deecie walked out of the hotel.  The other two men joined him in the street.  I grabbed my rifle and headed out to face Holliver and his gang.  "It does me good McCain to see North Fork boasting a one soul with a little bit of backbone. Kinda strengthens my faith in fellow man," said Holliver.  "You may be calling this turn Holliver, but make no mistake, your callin' whether you live or .....die!"  "Well I guess either way the town will be remembering me. That's kinda important to me Mr. McCain," said Holliver.  Just then Henry walled out of his gunsmith shop with a gun and holster strapped to his side.  He walked over and stood next to me.  Then behind me, Nils and Eddie walk out of the hotel, armed.  Deecie was getting nervous.  Holliver just stood there laughing.  "Looks like the sheep have grown horns. Well I expect we should call the whole thing off," said Holliver trying to fool us as he took off his hat.  We knew what he was up to.  He was hoping to get the drop on us.  It didn't work.  We all drew against each other. We won, Henry, Nils, Eddie and I because we chose to stick it out together. We just stood there in silence after it was all over. I hate to think what might have happened that day.

Mark and I watched Henry and Jeffrey put a sign up out in front of their shop.  They were mighty proud.  It read: "Henry Waller & Son Gunsmith"        

"Waller & Son. Gee Pa that makes them partners!" Said Mark.  "That's right!"  "That gives me an idea.....why don't we put a sign like that up on our barn?" Asked Mark.  "Do you think we need a sign.....partner?" I asked.  We both laughed.  We had something more then that.  We didn't need a sign to have that!