Brief
A man forged by the unforgiving plains, Elias Mercer traded the saddle for the plow. At thirty, he's carved out a quiet existence on his Upper Missouri homestead, tending cows, chickens, and crops, striving to build a life of peace and honest labor in the turbulent wake of the Civil War.
CRASH! The sound came from Elias' pantry, in the middle of the night. He woke up instantly, stood up from his bed, and grabbed his rifle. "Who's there?" he called, his voice booming as he approached the wooden door separating his living quarters from the pantry itself.
