shadows_over

       In 1882, James Monahan smiled to himself as he looked down into the little valley, where the small Victorian town lay. Mountains ran endlessly in each direction. A blue-brown colored river separated the little town from the noblest of the mountains. This mountain was blanketed in pine trees, until stone topped the mountain. In parts of the stone lay snow, even in mid-summer. Beside the nineteen-year-old young man, stood an aspen tree, unlike the noble Kendall Mountain, this particular mountain he was on was a mix of aspen and pine trees. Turning his gaze from the surroundings to the sky, he noticed there wasn't a cloud in sight. The sky was a pure blue running on for miles. The sun scowled down at him to move on, and so he did.
       He made his way around the town, up Kendall Mountain, and over to a small mine. Nearby the mine ran a small creek, making its way downhill into the larger one beside the town. Turning from the mine, he looked at the cabin, no more than one room by the looks of it. The cabin was nestled deep along the mountainside and was almost hidden by the pine trees. He could tell that he wouldn't want to leave this area; the mountains were too beautiful.
       "Hey, what are you doin' here?" snapped a voice from behind, there was the clicking of a shotgun being cocked. "You ain't got no right comin' here on my land."
       "Now A.L., I thought I was welcome, aftere all, I did get a letter sayin' you needed a partner and wanted me to come out here."
       "Why, it's my little brother, Jim!" Jim soon found himself caught up in a welcoming hug from A.L. Turning; he noticed there was another man nearby, who had lowered a gun. The man was somewhat in his mid-thirties. A.L. nodded to the other man, "This here's Bill, he's been helping me out for a few days in the mine, showing me some good diggin' spots."
        Jim smiled at Bill, who eyed Jim and nodded; there was no apparent joy in the man's face at meeting Jim. The lack of conversation made them all uncomfortable.
       "Well, seein' as your brother's here, I'd best be on my way," Bill said, breaking the silence. Jim wasn't sure if the scowl from Bill was because of a glare from the sun or the arrival of himself. Untying the coarse, gray mule, Bill left the clearing. As he left, it seemed as though a dark cloud lifted and the two brotheres began catching up on the latest events.
       "So little brother, that's a fine horse. How'd you get the money to buy such a beauty?" asked A.L., as he ran his hand along the neck of the honey-brown mare.
       "Now see, while I was walkin' out here, I came by this town which had just gotten a nice ran. Now I was somewhat tired of walking, when some rich man trotted by on his horse, splashing some mud up on me. So I figured that he didn't really need this fine creature too badly," grinned Jim in reply. He had always believed in repaying unkindness. His brother just shook his head and laughed, motioning for Jim to follow him into his cabin.
       Inside it was dark, except from the patch of sunlight falling through the only window to the floor. The floor was a mix of dirt and pieces of grass that had not been pulled up. One of the cabin walls had been turned into a makeshift fireplace. Hanging beside the fireplace was an iron skillet for cooking various foods. Sitting of the ground was a dirty tin mug, bowl, and eating utensils. Near this lay a thick sleeping pallet, far from the window. Along the last wall were some poorly built shelves. On these were some food cans and A.L.'s few belongings. Beside the shelves were a few bags of food and tools. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a very unsteady looking wooden chair.
       "Ain't much here, A.L.," commented Jim, as he took in the sparse room.
       "I'm too busy minin' to decorate," said A.L. as he took a can of beans off one of the shelves and picked up the skillet. He took these outside and lit a fire to cook dinner.
       "A.L., what's the little town that ways called?"
       "Silverton, it's a beauty ain't it?" A.L. smiled in rememberance of his last visit to Silverton.
       "So Jim, you gonna be my minin' partner?"
       "Yep, I kinda figured that's why you wanted me to come here for."
       "I thought you come 'cause Mum died and you had no wheres better to go to."
       "A.L., I woulda been here sooner, but it wouldn't have been right leavin' MUm alone with no one to care for here. I'm mad that Emma couldn't have come back to help here, even if she's older than me. Where is Emma anyhow?" asked Jim, glancing around the area and ignoring the small cough from A.L.
       "Emma lives in town, you should know this is no place for a young woman. We'll probably head to town when winter comes, it's not too safe to be minin' out here in the winter. Hey, I'll show you around the mine after we eat," A.L. swiftly changed the subject as he began to cook the food.