chapter One
Texas
Dust began swirling as the wind came up. Dark clouds were gathering on the western horizon and lightning flashed in the distance. Peals of thunder rolled across the prairie.
Blaise Jamison and his son seven-year-old son, Case finished repairing a fence that had been damaged by one of his bulls trying to get at a heifer. Blaise kept a wary eye on the sky, since it was the season for tornados.
The repair was finished and he began gather ing his tools. The sky turned an ominous green color, and as he watched, a funnel cloud stretched from the ground to the dark clouds above.
“Case, get your Mama and go to the root cellar now ! Hurry.” The urgency in his voice propelled Case into a run to the house.
“Mama,” he yelled . “Papa says we have to get in the root cellar. Hurry, Mama. Pa will be there in a minute.”
Maddie Jamison took a quick look from the doorway, hurried to her bedroom, and emerged holding her family Bible, candles, and matches.
She pushed Case ahead of her down into the dark root cellar, leaving the wooden door open so her husband would have quick entry.
She stood on the steps in the cellar and watched for her husband an interminable time. The intensity of the wind had increased. Blaise appeared, running hard. The wind made it difficult to keep his balance, and knocked him down twice in his mad dash across the yard.
He took one last look over his shoulder at the clouds, the darkest he had ever seen. Debris was flying across the yard. He scrambled into the cellar and pulled the door down over the opening. He slid the piece of lumber into the notch to secure it. “I’ve never seen it this bad,” he told his wife.
The wooden door flapped loud er as the wind lashed at it. With a loud rumbling, roaring sound, the door shook and rattled. Maddie put her arms around her son and held him close. He couldn’t hear what she was saying above the roar outside, but he knew she was praying for their safety.
After less than two minutes, it grew quiet a nd the roaring ceased. Blaise waited another ten minutes, unbolted the door, and raised it. Tumbleweeds and tree limbs piled high around the entrance.
Turning, he surveyed the damage . “The house is ruined, Maddie. The barn doesn’t appear to have much damage. No telling about the livestock. I hope the hands made it to safety.
“Come on out, it’s all over, let’s see what we have left.”
chapter Two
Raid On The Lazy J
After moving his family and cattle to Montana, Blaise Jamison had prospered. Beef was bringing a premium price, and his herd increased each year and now numbered over one thousand head. His land holdings were approaching three thousand acres.
The largest buy er of his cattle was the US Army, and he filled the needs of the growing population of Helena as well. His wife Maddie, was active in the Helena Christian Church, while he and his twenty-two year old son, Case devoted their time to the ranch. They had a comfortable, pleasant life.
This all changed late in 1865 when a raiding party of Red Cloud’s Oglala Sioux attacked the ranch, killing both Blaise, and his wife, Maddie, along with the ranch hand left to look after things. Thrown from his horse the day before, Blaise was unable to join Case and Luke in rounding up strays from the herd.
Case and Luke Haskins had gone out the day before to round up strays that had separated from the main herd. Case spotted the smoke when they came over the ridge near the river, and pointed it out to Luke.
They spurred their horses and began driving the strays faster . After forcing them back into the main herd, they headed for the ranch at a gallop. As they came closer, they realized the smoke was coming from the barn.
Wheeling to a stop, Case ran to the still smoldering barn, where he found his father on his back with two arrows protruding from his chest. His mother, Maddie was lying in the barn entrance beside
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