As the stage was traveling on its way to North Fork, a young traveler hiding behind a rock hops unto the back of the stage and hitches a ride. "That dirty little dead head.....we'll let him ride a piece and then give hi
m some real walking to do," said Cole. Unknown to the rider the stagecoach driver and the shotgun guard were aware of his presence and the shotgun guard crawled unto the roof of the stagecoach and loosened the rope so their uninvited traveler would fall off of the stage.
After being dumped from the stage, the traveler had no choice but to walk. Exhausted from the walk and the heat, the young traveler falls to the ground. Mark & I just happen to be riding by and saw the stranger lying on the road and we stop to help him. Seeing how tired he was we decided take him home with us and let him rest up before sending him on his way.
He told Mark about his stories from back east, that he is from New York. Mark is so enthralled with his stories and b
egan asking him all kinds of questions! "Is it as big as they say?" Ask Mark. "Bigger!" Said Mahoney. "Buildings 10 stories high and the girls!" By this time I am beginning to feel a little uneasy with this guy. Then he got out his knife and opened it and proceeded to go on about the girls the garters and he held in his hand a garter he took of a a girl himself, so he says! "MAHONEY," I said forcefully. "If you liked New York so much why did you come west?" He told us that he sold papers for a Mr. Greely and that he use to always say "go west young man, go west." So he did and he still would be going west had the stagecoach driver not dumped him from the stage! Knowing I was upset with him, he wanted to know what the next "boig" is? (Ne
w York slang for 'burg') Mark wants him to stay until we go into town, which would be in 3 days, but I was eager for him to leave. He knew it! I told him he could hitch a ride with Jackson & Cramer's freight wagon, and that they would be coming by later today on the North Road and he can get a ride with them at that time.
Mahoney and Jackson got to the freight station. When they got inside, Cramer was upset and accuses Jackson of stealing $2,000 from their account, plus their cash box was a $1,000 short. Cramer also wanted to know why there are unanswered queries about why he left Yuma. Jackson wanted to explain but Cramer doesn't want to hear it, he calls him a thief and an embezzler and that he was going to the Marshal. Jackson wanted to make good or so he says, but Cramer wouldn't listen, so Jackson shoots him in the back. Mahoney is shocked and scared and he runs off. With Jackson accusing Mahoney of killing his partner!
Mark and I are out rounding 
up stray cattle when I run in to Micah, Jackson, and some towns people. They are looking for Mahoney. Jackson told me of how Mahoney had killed Cramer right before his eyes and that he was a cold blooded murderer. Jackson also mentioned he is offering a $200 reward. He went on to say that Cramer was more then a partner, he was a friend. He was upping the reward to $300. Micah reminded everyone that he is the Marshal and as long as the boy doesn't force his hand, he will take him in alive! I decided to join the posse, not for the reward but to make sure Mahoney did get back alive.
Little did I know that in the meantime Mark had run into Mahoney. He found him again lying on the road exhausted from running from Jackson. He told Mark what had happened and asks Mark to help him. Mark agreed and Mahoney followed Mark and did as he said. First he told him to take his boots off so no one could track them thru the pass that they would be taken'. He also showed him how to make a false trail by walking backward heels first in the dirt.
As Micah and I were tracking Mahoney we thought i
t kind of strange how he knew some of these tricks for a eastern dude. How trail wise he was and then we noticed that some of the boot prints were smaller then the other ones, just about the size of Mark's. I sent Micah one way I headed the other way hoping to run into whoever was making these tracks. Sure enough.....here comes Mark! I ask him where his friend is and he refuses to tell me. "He didn't, He didn't Pa, he didn't do it. He saw Jackson kill Cramer and Don wouldn't lie to me. He's running because he's scared, scared of Mr. Jackson. "I'm not gonna tell ya' Pa! You said yourself.....nothing better then a friend and no matter what, stick by 'em. Don's my friend. I can't tell ya'!" I told Mark for his friends sake he should tell me and what a good job he did covering up their trail and that he had learned well. But he knew I could find Don with out his help if I had to. That now we need to help hi
s friend. Mark tells me he had hidden Don in a cave at the end of Rivers Canyon. "Let's go get him!"
We didn't know that Jackson was listening to every word we were saying and he rushed to the cave ahead of us and was trying to get to Don before anyone else could. He planned on killing him before anyone could hear his story. As we got closer to the cave we could hear shots. As we approached the area Jackson hears us and claims the killer is inside and Mark says that Jackson is the killer, that Don had told him. And he just keeps getting confused and gives himself away. When he sees that we know he is the killer he tries to shoot me, but I am faster and I shoot first and kill him. With that Don came out of the cave. "Thanks Mr. McCain!" "Don't thank me, thank Mark"
Don came back to the ranch with us. He started telling Mark about New York again. He sure could be annoying. Oh well, Mark seem to be enjoying his stories. He told Mark that Mr. Greely, the man who told Don....."go west young man, go west," stayed in New York. Don said he'd be glad when he got back there. I told Don that I had asked Jackford if he could use a strong boy, but since he wanted to go back to the Bowery, well that decision was his to make. He told me to tell Jackford that he'd be happy to work for him. "If you wanna know the truth about it.....the Bowery stinks!" Said Don. Mark and I started laughing.
