Chapter 19

Preston could have kicked himself for not bringing his doctor bag. Already, his father and Mr. Burnett sported bloodied lips, and that was just from a wrestling match with each other. They were now close to the gold mine, and Preston could only wonder what would meet them. Someone had shot Frank, and he thought it was one of the managers.

Fritz sat away from him with a puzzled look on his face. Preston had to wonder who his allegiance would be to. He worked for Burnett but didn't seem loyal to the man. Had he been brought from Germany as a match for Millie?

Millie hadn't appeared fond of Fritz, but then she was a hard one to figure out. She was still angry with him for missing his appointments with her. Not that he could blame her. Still, she was the girl he'd dreamed about while growing up. Even when returning to Denver, she was the woman he looked forward to meeting.

The two older men sat in the front and drove the sleigh. They had been talking for some time. At first, they were quiet. Then, one of them opened a ledger he'd brought along. They began comparing notes. For two old mountain men at odds with one another, they suddenly seemed to have joined forces.

Jeremiah Chadwick stopped the sleigh before entering the valley where the gold mine originated. He looked back. "Load your rifles. Check they are ready to fire. We don't know what to expect once we get down there."

Preston shook his head. "Father, shouldn't we talk with them first?"

"We will, son. But if they want to talk with bullets, we need to be ready." Jeremiah elbowed Raul in the ribs.

Preston glanced at Fritz. "Sorry you got dragged into this."

Fritz shrugged. "I'm here for the boss. I hope there is no bloodshed, but the way those two are acting, they are up for a fight."

Taking in a deep breath, Preston braced himself. He wasn't one prone to violence, but he would stand up for his father. His heart rate sped up as he handled the rifle. I'm more of a healer than a fighter, he reminded himself.

His father turned around. "I'm stopping the sleigh right here. We'll walk down and see if we can't surprise them. With the snow on the ground and the coming storm, we should be able to sneak up on them."

Preston looked at the skies and saw that there were dark blue clouds to the north. Were they just crazy to be caught up here with what looked like a blizzard coming? Not that Father or Mr. Burnett seemed to care.

Jeremiah Chadwick motioned for Preston to follow him. "We're going to our mine office and see if we can catch Mullins fixing the books. Burnett and Fritz are going to their office. Be quiet and follow my lead. I can trust you to fire that thing if you need to, can't I?"

"Yes, Father. You think I'm weak, but I never enjoyed killing things. I'm a doctor. My life is geared around healing. Why can't you understand that?"

Jeremiah stared at him and put a hand on his son's shoulder. "I do understand that, son, but I need to know if it comes down to it. Can you be counted on to help me when we confront Mullins?"

Preston nodded. "Yes, I'll be ready." He'd never been in a situation where he needed to prove his courage. Is that why Father had brought him along? In Boston, there'd been no reason to have to prove himself. Once, he'd protected his sisters from a wolf. He'd yelled and chased it away. He'd never fired a gun at a man before. He'd never had to.

Frank probably had and at an even younger age. But he was different. He was more like Father. Preston had always had a tender heart and brought back injured animals to try and heal. Millie would help him.

When they were younger, she'd found a rabbit with a broken leg. They spent hours caring for it until the day came for them to turn it loose. Frank had laughed and said it probably got eaten by a bobcat, but they believed it hopped away and lived a happy life.

They neared the office and swept around to the back. Despite the cold, Preston wiped sweat from his eyes but was sure to watch his father. After Jeremiah waved to Raul and Fritz at the other mine office, they broke through the back door, rifles at the ready, and Father yelling.

Mullins jumped, closed one ledger, and threw another on the floor. "What is the meaning of this?"

Preston aimed the rifle at Mullins. "Get your hands up."

Father went to the desk and grabbed the ledgers. "I think we have the evidence we need."

In one quick move, Mullins shoved Jeremiah to the floor and pulled a pistol, aiming it at Preston. "Drop the rifle, and neither you nor your father will get hurt."

A shot was heard from the other mine office.

Mullins turned his head, and Preston swung his rifle at Mullin's hand, dislodging the pistol. Then he pulled the rifle back and jabbed it into Mullin's stomach. "Get on your knees and keep your hands up. Father, can you find something to tie his hands?"

Jeremiah found some rope, tied Mullin's hands behind his back, and pushed him toward the door. A crowd of men came from the mine at the same time Burnett and Fritz shoved Vander ahead of them.

Jeremiah grabbed his rifle and held it in the air. "These men have been stealing from us, and we're taking them to the sheriff."

One of the miners who had been there since the beginning came forward. "There are others who have joined to steal from you. They threatened us to keep quiet. It's been some time since either of you came into the mines to see what is going on."

Another miner nodded. "I think we better get to the mine now. There's a bad storm coming." He took Jeremiah's arm. "My father helped you and Mr. Burnett dig out that big nugget."

Jeremiah glanced at Burnett. "Have we been fools for so long?"

Raul nodded. "It would seem the easy way of life put a blinder on our eyes." A gust of biting wind swirled down from the mountain, bringing the first of the stinging sleet. "Fritz, Preston, get the horses and sleigh and put them in the barn. We'll be in the mine. Won't be the first time we survived a blizzard in the deep parts of the earth." He laughed and shoved Vander ahead of him.

Preston raced to the horses. He was already shivering from the cold. He remembered the killer cold and blizzards from the past. If left outside, many died. He prayed for his family and Millie. Once again, he couldn't be with her and show her how he cared for her. Once again, he was kept from her. He'd been so sure they belonged together.

Fritz caught up to him. "Looks like a bit of a storm. We have them in Germany, too. I guess the mine will keep us safe."

"We used to keep firewood and food in one of the rooms. Our two families had some good times together. Those were the early days before we were rich, and our fathers got along. Then came the big strike and the big vein of gold. We found the ten-pound nugget and, within months, moved to Denver into big houses fit for kings. The feud started later that year."

Preston grabbed the reins and led the horses into the camp. The animals knew what was coming and bolted in fear. He hung onto the reins and, with Fritz's help, got them into the barn and shut the door. It didn't take long to unhitch them and get them in a stall.

"We'll have to bring them water. I hope the storm won't last too long." Preston wanted to take one of the horses and ride for Denver to warn Millie. But it was already too late to risk the icy temperatures.

Fritz threw hay into their stalls and then ran to the door. "Snow is starting to come down. The wind is blowing it sideways. Before it's a whiteout, we better get to the mine."

Preston nodded. "Let's go."