Mark was riding into town to meet me when he came across a stranger. He was on his hands and knees.  It appeared as if he was looking for something. "What's a matter mister?" Asked Mark. "Now be careful, my glasses," he said.  "On the trail here some place. Can't see without my glasses. Spooky horse never gave me time to duck the brush."  "Let me look, maybe I can find them. Must be pretty tuff needin' glasses that bad and then losing them," said Mark. Mark found them; they were pretty dusty, but not broken.  Beaumont's  eyes were bad, his lens on his glasses were really thick.  His hands were shaky and he looked older then he was. Mark was glad he could help. He asked Mark if he was going into town.  He wanted to give Mark some money for sweets for finding his glasses. "No, I couldn't take it for.....helpin'," said Mark. "I owe you something, I never forget a debt," said Beaumont. "It's nothing. If your alright now, I better be going."

When Beaumont got into town he headed straight for Micah's office. He was just paroled from Leavenworth and he needed Micah's signature. One of the conditions of his parole is to check in with the town marshal. Micah asked him what brought him way out here. He told Micah he wanted to get a fresh start, the further the better. He asked Micah not to say anything about this. "As long as he didn't cause trouble," said Micah. He didn't want trouble, so he said.  He had spent 15 years  for a bank robbery.  He had no plans on going into a cage again. He was carrying an old scatter gun, and asked Micah if that was okay. Micah checked it out and told him there was no reason why he couldn't.  He told Micah he wouldn't use it on anything unless it needed killing. Just then I walked into Micah's office. I told him I'd come back later. Micah said that they were finished and told me to come on in.  He then introduced me to Beaumont.  When I extended my hand;  he started coughing.  I thought it strange, but I asked him if he was staying in town. He told me he planned on staying a while. He was gonna camp down by the river. He asked me if I could use a swampier out at my ranch. I told him that my boy does all the chores and this time of the year it's not enough to keep him busy. Just then Mark walked in, he had gone to check for the mail. He and Beaumont seem to know each other. Beaumont told us about him and Mark meeting earlier. He told Mark he still owed him something; he'd see him later. "Any mail son?"  I asked. There was one, no postmark. I opened it.  It read.....McCain I'm cashing you out.  I showed it to Micah.  He thought a kid wrote it. I thought it might be some lonesome cowboys idea of horseplay. I asked him if he knew of any strangers in town.  He thought he better tell me about Beaumont.

As I was leaving Micah's office, Eddie called to me. He had something for me.  He handed me a letter that he found lying on the desk.  It had no postmark or anything else on it. I opened it.  It read.....Your time is almost up.  "Eddie, any strangers check into the hotel?" "Strangers? Oh just a whiskey drummer named O'Brien. He left on the morning stage. A tin horn gambler who calls himself Smith." "John?" "No, just Gus, he was alone."  "And an elderly gentleman who just registered today by the name of John Beaumont, but didn't say where he was from." Hmmmmm.....Beaumont said he was gonna camp on the river. Eddie had to get back to work. I was standing there thinking about all this when Gus Smith came out of the hotel and deliberately bumped into me. I thought I knew Smith. I remembered him from a card game in El Paso, he was called Ralph Gustine then. I asked him if he wrote the note I had just received. "Hardly! I go to kill a man I don't warn him first. I'm just here in North Fork to run my little faro game." 

Gus went over to the saloon. He wasn't there too long when Beaumont came in. Gus asked him if he wanted to play cards. He told Gus he didn't gamble. Gus kept pushing.  He was making Beaumont angry.  "Did you ever do time, Back east?" Asked Gus. "Please don't tease mister," said Beaumont. Beaumont showed Gus his shaky hands and told him he can't hardly defend himself. "Take off the glasses. That shuffle of yours, you didn't get that at no dancing school." said Gus. Sweeney tried to get Gus to back off.  "It's alright bartender. Gay dog just sniffling around the old hound, see if he gets bit." "Take off the glasses!" "Not a chance you jack legged rum pot. Now you beat it," said Beaumont. "Tell you what. I'm going to let you sing Old Dog Trey and dance the tune," said Gus. "I'll dance on your grave," said Beaumont. Gus was calling Beaumont out. "Start dancing," said Gus.  He drew his gun, but Beaumont shot and killed him. "Nobody torments and old 'Shotgun Man', nobody," said Beaumont, then he left the saloon.

Mark and I were having dinner at the hotel.  Mark saw Beaumont leaving the hotel. "Pa, is there some sort of trouble between you and Mr. Beaumont? Has it got something to do with those letters?"  I had no idea of any trouble between Beaumont and me, if there was, he was carrying it.  Mark felt sorry for him. He was alone.  I tried to tell Mark that it could be his own fault.  "I'll be right back Pa."

Mark had gone out to talk to Beaumont.  "Mr. Beaumont. Do you remember what you said when I found your glasses?"  "I said I always pay my debts," said Beaumont. Mark told him that I was a good man.  Beaumont had a different opinion. Mark felt there was a mistake between the two of us. Mark wanted us to be friends. That wasn't the debt that Beaumont had in mind. He was sure I owed him something. He told Mark to go on, he'd settle their account another day. He wouldn't change his mind.

Mark came back to the hotel. He told me that Beaumont was the one whose been sending me those letters.  He told Mark that I owed him something.  I had no idea what I owed him.  I decided to go out and confront Beaumont.  I told Mark to wait there in the hotel for me.  "He's got that shotgun Pa." "I know."

He told me he waited 15 years to face him. I told him to start at the beginning. Get it out of his system. "Alright suppose your a young man fast on the draw. Straight of eye and strong as a bull. You went with a top gun by the name of Barton into a bank. There was a kid deputy who knew old Barton by sight. He started shooting till nobody was standing except Barton and a young man named Johnny Beau, more dead then alive." I remembered, they were sent to Leavenworth together. "They put Johnny Beaumont in solitary confinement, crust of bread and a can of water. One thing kept Johnny Beaumont going.....the one thing was the name of Lucas McCain. Burned his eyes, racked his nerves to shreds, turned his hair white, his body to a pulp. I'd died right there if I he hadn't the name of Lucas McCain to bite down like a lead bullet. Johnny Beau they called him, nothing left but hate. Just hate and an old debt to pay."  "That was strong medicine to carry you thru 15 years," I told him.  "That's right! food, drink, religion and comfort. I'm here now and I'm gonna kill you the hardest way I know how." I told him to give himself time.  He said he was going to get me when I least expect it. "I'll tell you something Johnny! You're not interested in killing. You just want to see me beg and crawl. Well, I'll leave you to your misery. I'm not gonna play cat and mouse. I'm not even gonna give you revenge. I'd help him buy a ticket back to Leavenworth."  I turned my back on him and walked away. "McCain, McCain your gonna be paid!" I dropped to the ground and rolled. He shot his shotgun.  I turned and shot him. He fell into the chair, yelling, "Finish it McCain. I'm not going back to that rock pile. Finish it I said!"  "It is finished Johnny."  Then I walked away.

I told Mark I was going over to the harness shop, he was supposed to go over and see if Hattie got the brown sugar in yet. I also reminded him to pay her for those peppermints and pickles he charged.  He told me he'd needed a dime. "Alright, remember, a man's gotta pay his debts." "That's funny," said Mark. "That's what Mr. Beaumont said. Mark felt sorry for Beaumont and wanted to know if that was wrong. "No I wouldn't say that's wrong. You can't help how you feel about Beaumont.  He showed you one side of himself and me the other." "Does that mean you felt sorry for him too?" Asked Mark. "Now that you mention it, maybe I should."