Sunset Survivor

Tom Richland and his son Tommy, barely seventeen, were killed instantly near the woodpile a few feet from the log cabin they knew as home. Their bodies were riddled with bullet holes from the rifle fire. They were dead immediately and within fifteen seconds there was complete silence as if nothing had happened at the Richland ranch.

Tomes moved from behind the boulder where he watched his men complete the job. He walked to where his horse was tied and mounted the stallion. The other gunmen followed his lead and rode into the yard of the Richland ranch.

Tomes and his crew arrived over a half-hour earlier and waited for the right minute to start their attack. They remained hidden and covered the house from every angle. Tom and Tommy were the only members of the family at the ranch house when the massacre took place. Tomes finally motioned his men into action, killing these two Richlands, and now he would send the best of his gunmen to kill Josh, the older son.

Tomes had the men gathered in a tight circle for orders. He told the men to search the house and barn for guns and ammunition, then let the animals out of the barn and corral. He said, keep two horses to carry the bodies and then burn all the buildings.

Ten minutes later the burning barn and cabin provided the light as darkness set in over the valley. Tomes had his men grouped once again for final instructions. He picked two men and sent them to bury the bodies where they would never be found. The two rode away, the two horses following with Tom and Tommy strapped over their backs.

Tomes called out to Snake and Bud. They came forward to face the barons angry eyes. He told them to take the three brothers that were good at tracking and find Josh. Tomes looked into each of their eyes and said, Don't ever come back until Josh is dead. Snake and Bud were ruthless men and seasoned gunfighters but they would not cross Tomes because no one had ever lived that opposed him.

Tomes kept the rifle that belonged to Tom Richland and passed out the other guns and saddles to the men. He told them to wipe out as many tracks as possible. Tomes would later remove the rubble and take over the valley and rebuild on the same location. He intended to log a claim on the vacated property and run his cattle on the range in the next few days. The crew remounted and rode south from the ranch with Tomes. The other five men heading north over the range searching for Josh Richland.

Tomes and the eight men would get back to headquarters the next morning. It was near the Colorado territory town bordering the land he owned and controlled over the line in the New Mexico territory. Tomes was thinking of the vast land area he now controlled. The ride was long and gave him much time for thought and his men dared not speak unless he spoke to them first. His range measured in miles, not acres like the small ranchers and homesteaders.

This last valley completed the land grab Tomes had started four years earlier just before the war began. He would now spend more time on his plan for political control of the vast holdings. He controlled most of the range along the Santa Fe trail and now he intended to govern this land when the war between the North and South was concluded. He didn't really care about the results of the war for he had many contacts with both sides. The Union forces were in control of the Colorado territory and he provided most of their food and mounts. He only needed to be patient and wait. For before long he would be completely rid of the Richland boy.

The word of Josh being killed would complete his plans to control this western empire.

Josh Richland was sitting on the ground leaning back against a large aspen tree looking west over his mothers grave and thinking about the leaves turning yellow in the next few days as winter settled over Richland valley. The valley of Richland range covered twenty miles in length and almost five miles at the widest point.

Josh visited this spot once a week. He, Tommy, and his dad ate early as they did on this day each week. It was the most rewarding day of each week for Josh. He enjoyed the solitude and memories of his mother who died when he was eleven and Tommy almost seven. His mother, Mary, had spent much time teaching Josh to read and write, and he still enjoyed reading every paper or book he could scrounge or pick up at the trading post.

He was on a hill next to a creek watching the sunset. The sun was halfway behind the western mountain range. Looking to the south and his left, he could still see the cabin and barn a little over a half mile away in the fading light. Their cattle were scattered along the creek to the north end of their range and it was an inspiring sight as he had often read in the books he treasured.A gun shot broke the silence of the valley. Continuous firing after that first shot made it sound like a war, but quietness returned momentarily. Josh was on his feet and facing the ranch house before the volley of rifle fire was finished. He didn't believe it was an Indian raid because it sounded more like a military unit firing their rifles.

Their family had been friends with the mountain tribes for years although the plains tribes caused occasional trouble. He didn't believe it was Indians attacking at nightfall. The main thing that troubled him was the number of shots and how quickly it was over. That was not Indian style and they didn't have that number of rifles.

Josh ran down the valley on the pathway at the edge of the tree-lined creek which was within fifty feet of the barn fence so he was under good cover. He could see the men and horses all around the yard. It had taken him ten minutes to get to the home place and already the barn and cabin were sprouting flames.

The fire would destroy the dry wood of the barn and cabin in minutes. Josh remained in the woods and could distinguish the words of the men as they approached a big man mounted on a beautiful stallion. He moved into the bushes to see the rider's face and to hear what he was saying to the other men.

The minute Josh saw his face clearly from the light the fires provided, he recognized Shad Tomes. Having seen him once three years ago while witnessing an argument between his dad and him on the streets at the trading post that day. Tonight Josh would remember him until he killed him with his own bare hands.

Tomes told two men to take Tom and Tommy and bury them in a remote location where their bodies would not be found by anyone. He was holding Josh's dad's rifle while he talked. Josh could see the double RR on the rifle stock. One letter each for his dad and his grandfather Richland. He would get that rifle back when he killed Shad Tomes, no matter how long it would take him.