The year went on. Summer gave way to autumn, or fall, as the Americans liked to call it. Winter made its appearance. Young Mister Driver was doing rather well. The idea of a place to stop and get shoes for horses fixed along the road was a novelty that many enjoyed. I suspected he would be doing far better if he had a better personality, but I worked with what I had.

  The winter retreated slowly again, and spring rolled in. I became more aware of the world around me as Driver provided me with the local newspaper semi-regularly. I was not sure, but was the West as violent here as it is in my world? It seemed like every month, there were reports of clashes and gunfights between gangs or the Federal authorities.

  Could these reports have been blown out of proportion? I suspected this was the case. Newsmen have to sell papers, after all.

  I was reading the latest edition of the local paper. Among the adverts and reports on local cattle prices was the story of Adam Pilgrim. He was leading a gang down in Colorado. He was hitting silver mines and trains, robbing them and moving on. It seemed he was the new boogeyman. The Federal government had a hefty bounty out on him.

  I closed the paper sitting on a sarcophagus in the crypt under the church. I had moved the weapons from above downstairs. I looked around using my avatar body, which I summoned to read the paper. I was hiding my gold and the challenger offerings of the successful in it. I had used all the silver dollars I once had to set Driver up with his new business. I still felt their loss.

  I was not expecting any financial return from him more than….

  [Alert! Intruders are not recognised as Challengers.]

  "What the hell! I have been here less than an hour!"

  Dismissing my avatar's body, I went to the gates. I got there as four men were entering. Outside was a wagon loaded with supplies. Looking the men over, I could make out that they were prospectors from their attire and tools on the wagon. They were all white men with dirty and wild appearances. They were all armed with rifles and handguns. I went in close to hear their conversation.

  They were talking about gold. It quickly became apparent they were looking for the money hidden here. They were walking far past the courtyard at the gates heading north. I followed them as they walked into the Dungeon. They stopped and checked the mausoleums as they went. They became confused as the tombs were all empty. This caused more conversation as they walked.

  The day was still in the afternoon, and the night was far away. The spirit would not be around for a few hours. They approached her hunting grounds, but she would not get involved. My other hunters were now shadowing them; they were taking their time, which allowed them to get close.

  "The spirit will not be joining you today; her hunting grounds are open."

  I had to keep watch in case this took longer than expected. The night was still hours away, but my hunters might spend too long stalking, watching for an opportunity. I stayed with the four men. They were getting closer to the mausoleum with the body of the spirit. Exposing it to sunlight would not be good for her.

  Looking around, I saw the hunters drawing closer. They were moving to attack. McGregor was a bit too aggressive; I felt he risked exposing himself. I knew he was looking to increase his kill count after his resurrection. The men were more focused on the search, and two remained on a rough lookout as the tombs were being searched.

  When they looked around bored, the hunters waited. When they started walking again, they moved with them. McGregor was behind now, and the other two were ahead. What was their plan? I doubted there was one, as they were solitary hunters by nature.

  One went to a tree and undid his trousers. He started urinating as the others continued to walk. They did not bother to wait, and the distance grew between them. McGregor moved closer. His target had not heard his approach as he shook off and began putting his penis away. He turned to walk and rejoin his comrades. This allowed McGregor to cross the last few feet between them.

  Before the intruder could react, his hand clamped his mouth from behind, pulling his head back and exposing his throat. McGregor's knife sliced across it, opening up his windpipe. The man struggled, but McGregor knew what he was doing. He held him as his kill collapsed to the ground. Red blood was pumping from the wound as he drowned in his blood.

  [A Hunter has made a Kill]

  One down. McGregor got up and pulled the body from sight.

  The other three were focused on the next mausoleum and did not realise the other was dead. Two went up to the door, opened it, and went inside, hoping that this one would contain something. The third outside turned to see where the fourth was but saw no one where he should be.

  His exclamation of shock brought the others out, and all got their weapons ready. They asked each other where the missing man was and started calling for him. They started walking back the way they came. They slowly spread out as they walked, looking for the missing man.

  The other two hunters were moving up behind them. They were so focused on looking ahead that they were unaware of them. Their stealth skills were also helping. It looked like they would rush two, but what about the third?

  The hunters had their weapons out and were almost close enough when the body was discovered. The three men rushed over to it, and all the hunters struck—the two at the back first attacked a man each. The third turned as his companions were assaulted, and that allowed McGregor to come into play. As his target aimed his rifle, he was attacked from behind. One rifle was discharged but missed as everything was close quarters.

  The resulting fight was brutal and bloody. My hunters had the advantage, they never gave it up. My hunters all smiled gleefully as they killed these men.

  [A Hunter has made a Kill]

  [A Hunter has made a Kill]

  [A Hunter has made a Kill]

  "Ok, with that over, you all know what to do."

  The hunters all nodded and got to work. They had all been through this enough times that I did not need to tell them what to do. The bodies were looted and buried. Next, the wagon was searched and looted. It was taken around the Dungeon along the path to the ravine and dumped into it. The horses were released.

  Back at the church, what loot was not claimed by me was split amongst the hunters, and they retired with their tobacco and alcohol. I was left with more money, two watches, a few other items and the firearms.

  I created my avatar and moved everything downstairs. Putting everything away took about ten minutes. The highlight was getting three new silver dollars to add to my collection. The weapons were checked and unloaded.

  "Overall, a good day."

  I dismissed the avatar and went around the Dungeon. Everything looked right, and I spotted no issues. I used [Hide the Crime!] to remove most of the blood. The rest will be washed away after the next few storms. If necessary, I would use my skill again. I learned that blood was thicker and heavier than water and needed more attention to make it go away.

  The plant life in my Dungeon was doing well. Over time, more migrated into the Dungeon, even with the effects of the spatial bubble. I looked around at the new plants and flowers sprouting.

  "Should I take up gardening?"

  It was a strange thought that came to me as I wandered around. I often found myself looking for a distraction or something to do. In my life as a human, I knew that outside of my hobbies, I did not do much else. Could now be a chance to remedy this?

  I found myself back at the church as I thought. Around the building, some areas could be used as flower beds. Looking closer at the layout of the paths, it seemed that was the function of these areas. I had most of the tools needed in storage. It was the wrong time of year for planting. Next year, I might give it a try. I could try to gather some seeds. The weather was now starting to turn, and many plants were getting ready for winter.

  These thoughts stayed with me as autumn passed into winter. The year rolled on and ended. I was more aware of this thanks to the papers from Driver. The locals continued on with their daily lives. Now, I was a bit more aware of them. I gave him the $59.67 we had looted off the bodies. That would get him through the winter, combined with his other sources of income. I advised him to save it in the local bank, which had just opened, and some more in his home.

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  He came to the Dungeon now to deliver the papers but never went further than the courtyard. He said he would, but I doubted it. Like many who had never had money before, I believed that, based on his words and the new possessions, he was spending it. I should have been annoyed, but I would not get involved as long as he performed his job as planned.

  I watched him ride off after delivering the latest edition of the paper. I went back to the church and laid it out on the altar.

  "January 8th, 1880. This year will mark my first decade."

  The main story was of Adam Pilgrim again. He had attacked several mining towns and robbed two trains. The authorities reported he was wintering now but were still actively looking for him. There are no reports of casualties or the amount stolen. Odd, they usually shouted those things from the rooftops.

  There were some other fluff pieces, but one thing did interest me. In the announcement section, a report was listed that made me smile.

  Mr Augustus Rochester has announced his engagement to Ms Elizabeth McDonald. Both families are pleased to report the wedding will be in the spring.

  "It looks like that young Augustus is doing well out there. What will he be now twenty? Twenty-one?"

  The rest of winter rolled on, and spring came. I had been thinking about creating flower beds and marked out several plots. As soon as the snow retreated, I started to prepare the area.

  "I have no idea how to do this."

  I started digging up the top layer of soil to get rid of the grass and other plants. I had to shrug and go on. It was all a learning experience.

  My life became a cycle of working on the floor beds and watching the world and weather from the top of the bubble. I was strangely content. I should have been stark raving mad at all the deaths and boredom, but I was feeling mentally pretty good right then.

  The spring rolled on to summer, and three fools visited and died. They were barely worth thinking about it—three men at separate times, all looking for the gold hidden here. McGregor got two and Rodriguez the third. What little loot was split up, and I got more weapons and five silver dollars. That did make me happy.

  Things were happening in the country around me, and the papers I was supplied kept me abreast of some things. Adam Pilgrim was back, moving and attacking. The US cavalry is now looking for him. Thomas Edison was doing things out east, and several land disputes with the Southern Pacific Railroad had gotten violent. Augustus had his first child, a boy named Joshua, meaning his wife was already pregnant when she walked down the aisle from my mathematics.

  Naughty boy!

  It was midsummer. I was down near the gates waiting for the Driver to arrive. He would be here shortly. I had pressed on him my dislike at being left waiting. I thought about my flower beds. They were a disaster, but I was starting to make headway. Give me a few more years, and I might have something presentable.

  I spotted him through the trees. I waited to make sure he was alone. He got off his horse and walked to the gates. When I was happy, I created my avatar. He was still not used to seeing my avatar forming from black, wispy smoke.

  "Morning, Mister Keeper." He tipped his hat to me.

  "Good morning, Mister Driver. What do you have for me today?"

  "Something different, but I reckon you'll like." He reached into a satchel he was carrying and pulled out a book. When close enough, he reached out, and I took it. I inspected the title.

  The American Republic. The first century, 1776-1876 A.D.

  It took all my control not to scream in joy!

  "Very good, Mister Driver. Anything else?"

  He shook his head. It was time to start the next part of the plan.

  "It's time to start your true purpose. Are you ready?"

  "Yes, sir. I will send any single or small group of travellers on the path here. Not locals but people passing through or new to the area." He recited his orders.

  "Excellent. Off with you now."

  I walked away as he left, and as soon as he was out of sight, I ran back to the church with the book. Once inside, I placed it on the altar and opened it. There is so much to learn!

  The first years covering the Revolutionary War and after independence seemed the same as my own history; admittedly, I do not remember much about this time. I soon reached the War of 1812, when I found the first differences. The war ended in 1815 with a British victory. As I remember, the US Army invaded Canada and was beaten back. The US Navy performed badly, losing two major engagements off Boston and New York. I did not remember them. Washington was invaded and burned. The Battle of New Orleans happened in August 1814 with a British victory.

  Now, that was different; I knew about this battle. It seemed that the British army invaded from Cuba using their new colony troops to bolster the Regular army. General Jackson tried to retake the city near the end of the year but was severely beaten at the second Battle of New Orleans.

  "Ok, that is different. Jackson won that battle, but… in 1815. I think. What is this about Cuba being a British colony?"

  There was no mention of that information. This defeat added to the naval and earlier failed invasion of Canada and sparked a succession crisis with New England. The British offered terms, and the author went into detail about the peace terms. The Louisiana Purchase would remain with The United States, and New Orleans would be returned. The price was that Britain could have the Oregon region, and the border was set along similar lines as my world, apart from one disputed area in Maine that was going to Canada. The last significant change was the recognition of the Tecumseh Confederation. They claimed what, in my time, was the state of Michigan. It was part of the US but separated simultaneously, like the reservations that came later but on a much larger scale.

  The author claimed to be a historian, but his language and tone were very… propagandist or maybe jingoistic. I continued reading. The knock-on effects of the conflict were interesting to see. The US Army got more funding, and the US Navy was reduced. The Navy was kept closer to the East Coast to defend the shipping routes and significant ports, making the US much more insular.

  In the 1820-30 period, we had a Senator, not President Jackson, leading the push to remove the Native population from the eastern states. This would lead to the Trial of Tears and the mass death of many members of the Native Tribes. In this timeline, they were moved to the Confederation, resulting in fewer deaths. The author's view shone through here with terms such as "primitive" and "savage" used extensively in describing people in the events.

  After this, there was a period of relative peace. It did not last long, as there were reports of Natives attacking settlers from the protection of the Confederation. This led to counteractions and an increased presence of the US Army in the land to the south.

  "Hmm... I think there is a lot of revisionist history going on here."

  Things hit a crisis point in 1842 when, after several "provocations", the US Army entered the Confederation to secure the area as bandits were plaguing the border. Britain protested but made no effort to support the Native Tribes openly; it seemed they were more focused elsewhere. The author describes a two-year campaign I recognised as a hit-and-run or insurgency tactics against the US Army. It was reported that the Army lost over four thousand men in the conflict, not counting wounded. Native losses were not listed.

  The US Congress annexed the land, which the author claimed was a great victory. I found this passage interesting.

  "With the lands of the former Tecumseh Confederation brought back under the rightful rule of the United States Government, the land was opened to settlers as the Indian Tribes once there had fled north. Allowing proper God-fearing peoples to bring the land…"

  If I read between the lines right and from the reports of the fighting, the Native Tribes had realised they could not win against the US Army and had planned accordingly. They used small units to disrupt and delay as they evacuated the civilians into Canada.

  "Does this mean that Canada has an even larger Native population these days?"

  I was getting answers, but they were leading to more questions. I continued, fascinated. The American-Mexican war broke out in 1851. I could not remember the reasons in my timeline, but again, attacks on settlers were used as a pretext, like the attack on the Confederation.

  Something interesting was revealed in my reading. It turned out that the Texas War of Independence was a failure at this time. Santa Anna left a small siege force at the Alamo and bypassed it to attack Houston's army, catching it by surprise. He was defeated in detail and the uprising fell apart with his death in the battle. The Alamo surrendered a little later, and the Americans (or were they Texians?) there were sent home and paroled under the agreement, never to return. Most of the other settlers returned to the US over the years.

  The US Army invaded and found a Mexican Army that did a bit better than in my history. The conflict lasted for four years, as the Mexican army took a more defensive orientation to its battles, forcing the Americans to attack them in more substantial defensive positions. The Mexicans were pushed back to Mexico City and were forced to the peace table. The US took all the same territories as in mine, along with Texas and all of Baja California. The combined casualties were American, 34,123 Mexican, 37,245.

  This was all happening with the issue of slavery burning in the background. The states were split along the Madison-Dixie line and tensions rose every year. The addition of large tracks of land from the last war only heightened these tensions. Congress was deadlocked, and no resolution could be found. Many tried, but it only delayed the inevitable.

  The only international issue that America was involved in was protesting the British annexation of Alaska after the Crimean War. The territory was added to the Canadian territories.

  In 1861, the election of Republican President David Crockett Jr. and his running mate, Abraham Lincoln, brought things to a head. Crockett was the son of the famous frontiersman and was from Tennessee. His home state disowned him for his views on containing slavery. His father had never gone to the Alamo and was more active in American politics. Several of his other children had entered politics like he had, including the son bearing his name. Crockett was then and possibly the youngest President at thirty-nine when elected.

  The Southern States left the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. Fort Sumter was attacked, and the American Civil War started. As McGregor told me, it ended in 1866. As I read the book's overview, it became clear that it was a far more brutal war than mine. General Lee commanded in the east, and General "Stonewall" Jackson in the west for the Confederates. The Union went through several Generals but Grant in the east and Sherman in the west were settled on.

  The Confederates held off the Union but were getting ground down. The US Navy was not large enough to implement the anaconda strategy to strangle the Southern economy, which meant foreign suppliers better supplied the Rebel army.

  It looked like the Confederates might force a peace, but the re-election of Crockett and the deaths of Lee (heart attack) and Jackson (in battle) in late 1865 changed everything. Longstreet took over, but he could not contain his Union opponents. The Rebel lines collapsed, and they were beaten down. Longstreet signed the surrender of all Confederate armed forces in September 1866. The total casualties reported were Union, 1,0,23,567 and the Rebels, 978,459.

  President Crockett Jr. was assassinated three days after the surrender, bringing Lincoln to the Oval Office. By then, slavery was outlawed by the Constitutional Amendment, and he oversaw the reconstruction of the Southern states, which were still occupied when this book was published. The rest of the book was about the increasing number of people emigrating to America and the movement of many westward. There were some indications of clashes with the Native Tribes of the Great Plains.

  This ended the book.

  I closed it.

  "Well, that explains a few things."