Chapter 21 - The Name Beneath the Ink
The judge ordered a handwriting examination.
The forged documents were compared with Rourke's known records.
The similarities were undeniable.
But the most important discovery came from the original land records.
Beneath a layer of altered ink was an older notation.
Nathaniel Carter had registered a protective water covenant years earlier.
Someone had deliberately covered it.
The covenant protected not only Samuel's ranch but neighboring families.
Rourke's scheme collapsed.
His attorneys withdrew.
He was arrested on fraud and conspiracy charges.
Mercer cooperated in exchange for consideration for his testimony.
Sheriff Bell resigned.
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But Samuel's victory created a new question.
What would happen to the water?
