Night time crept upon the Rogers household and sleep did not come easy for Williams wife. She had spent most the evening with busy work in an attempt to keep her mind preoccupied. When there was no more to be done she laid on her bed and wept silently. When sleep did finally come, it was filled with nightmares and visions of violence warnings of death. When she awoke, she sent for her brother Tom who lived just over the hill. When he arrived he found his sister in a pitiful state, her mind and talk was full of fright. He calmed her a bit and listened as she told him of her missing William. Tom reassured and said he would set out at once to fetch him back. He never let on or gave an indication that he feared the worst for.
Tom rode off on his black spotted gray horse, dirt and dust rose from the ground with each trot of his trusty steed. Once he was out of sight of the house, Tom gave the reins a hard crack and the creatures slow pace quickly set off into a frenzied gallop. His plan was to get to Elizabethton and question all he could find as to Williams last known whereabouts.
It never got to that…..Three miles down the dirt road Tom saw something out of the corner of his eye, he didn’t quite catch enough of it to fully understand what he saw, but instinct screamed danger. With a hard jerk on the reins, his horse protested while it came to a full stop. Tom was already off the weather beaten saddle and running towards a clearing in the trees that opened up to reveal the crystal clear waters of the Watauga river. What he had caught a glimpse of was Williams horse standing in about 2 foot of the river, observing it’s surroundings and every now and again lowering it’s head to fill it’s throat with the cool waters.
Tom made it to the lone horse and quickly scanned the terrain around him. He scanned and rescanned but William was nowhere to be seen. He took Williams horse back to the road where his was anxiously waiting. Tom took notice of how skittish the animals became, and was having a difficult time calming them when he spied William not more than 30 feet away. William was laying on his side, facing away from Tom. Tom hurried over, all the while calling out Williams name. Any hope quickly faded away when he reached down to turn William over to him, rigor mortis had set in and he was as stiff as a tree trunk. Tom got him rolled over and saw that a rifle ball had pierced his forehead and penetrated his brain. A dry, crusty, trail of crimson came from the wound and down his face, and under his head. Tom gathered him up and laid William across his horse for one final ride.
Tom made his way slowly back to his sister’s home, full of sorrow for her, and dread for having to deliver such news to her. The latter was somewhat spared over for him for she saw him riding back and had already came running down the path from home. The air filled with a mournful wail, followed by “Noooooooooooo, nononononono”, his eyes met hers for a brief moment before he saw her collapse to the unforgiving rocky soil.
As in all the other times in the murderous, unforgiving feud, inquires were made, investigations brought no satisfaction to the family. Local folk were full of speculation, many a accusation was thrown around as well. Some had a wild theory that Williams oldest somehow grow 5 years overnight and sought vengeance for his father’s slaying.
To the more logical however, there was another most likely theory on who was the killer.
It would be two years passed before light finally exposed the truth. On one particularly dreadful, stormy day, in Elizabethton, a familiar and shadowy figure sat in a dim light corner of the local tavern. This man had drank pint after pint of Apple Jack and his tongue talked rather loosely. He claimed he had killed William and had found tremendous satisfaction knowing he had sent him to meet his no account, murdering father. One citizen claimed when they got close enough and their eyes adjusted to the low light, everything at once made since. He remembered…..When the elder Johnstone was gunned down in cruelty, he had two sons, James the older became the father’s avenger. Now his brother had come home and set right (in his mind anyway) the untimely and violent end to James.
Time to go! Mountains are calling and the final installment is next week!
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