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HE YEAR WAS 1860, AND CIVIL WAR WAS LOOMING LARGE ON THE HORIZON IN THE UNITED STATES. THE BROWN FAMILY IN IOWA, HOWEVER, HAD MORE PRESSING CONCERNS THAN THEIR COUNTRY’S POLITICS — SUCH AS NOT BEING ABLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET WITH THE INCOME FROM THEIR FARM.

T

STORY MATT BADHAM ART MACABICH COVER MACABICH

4 SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD ABRAHAM BROWN COULD WORK LIKE A HORSE — A QUALITY THAT HIS LAZY ELDER BROTHER, ROBERT, TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF. WHILE HE LOUNGED THE YOUNGSTER TOILED.

HOW AM I DOING, BRO’?

JUS’ FINE, LITTLE BRO’. I’LL HELP IN A MOMENT, AS SOON AS I’VE CAUGHT UP ON MY SLEEP.

THEIR WIDOWED MOTHER, ELIZA, SEEMED BLIND TO ROBERT’S FLAWS. SHE SAW TOO MUCH OF HIS DEAD FATHER IN HIM TO EVER JUDGE THE BOY TOO HARSHLY.

TIME TO EAT, BOYS. COME AND GET IT.

5 LIKE ALL BOYS, THEY WERE COMPETITIVE AND ABRAHAM HAD A HEAD START AS HE HADN’T BEEN LYING AROUND WHEN THEIR MOTHER CALLED THEM.

RACE YA…OOF!

BUT IF ROBERT COULDN’T WIN FAIRLY, THEN HE WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO CHEAT, TRIPPING THE YOUNGER LAD. HAVING SENT HIS BROTHER SPRAWLING, HE RACED ON TOWARDS THE HOUSE — AND THE ILL-DESERVED MEAL.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR TRIP.

I SHOULDA EXPECTED THAT.

6 ALTHOUGH ELIZA DISAPPROVED OF ROBERT’S HORSEPLAY, SHE FOUND HERSELF UNABLE TO STAY ANGRY WITH HIM FOR LONG.

YOUR PRANKS ‘N’ TRICKS’LL GET YOU INTO TROUBLE ONE DAY.

I’M ONLY FOOLING, MA. ABRAHAM DOESN’T MIND.

AS THE YOUNGSTER JOINED THEM, ELIZA COULDN’T KNOW HOW TRUE HER NEXT WORDS WOULD BE.

YOU’LL BE THE DEATH OF ME, ROBERT BROWN. YOU REALLY WILL.

NOT ME, MA, NOT ME.

7 TIME PASSED AND THE WORK AT THE FARM DIDN’T GET ANY EASIER, FOR ABRAHAM ANYWAY. AS HE TOILED, HIS BROTHER DREAMED.

ONE DAY I’M GONNA LEAVE THIS PLACE, LITTLE BRO’.

BUT MA NEEDS US, ROBERT. SHE COULDN’T RUN THIS PLACE ON HER OWN.

ROBERT, AS USUAL, THOUGHT ONLY OF HIMSELF.

I NEED TO SEE WHAT’S OUT THERE IN THE WIDE WORLD. I NEED TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULL.

IT SURE WOULD BE FINE TO SPREAD MY WINGS. BUT, IF IT MEANS LEAVING MA IN THE LURCH, THEN… NO DICE.

8 WHILE THE BOYS DREAMT OF ADVENTURE, CHANGE WAS SEIZING AMERICA. IN NOVEMBER OF 1860, AFTER THE REPUBLICANS’ VICTORY IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, SEVEN SOUTHERN STATES LEFT THE UNION.

WHAT DO THEY THINK THEY’RE DOING LEAVING THE UNION? NOTHING GOOD CAN COME OF THIS.

OR MAYBE IT’LL ALL BLOW OVER. A STORM IN A COFFEE CUP?

BUT, SURE ENOUGH, IN APRIL of 1861, WAR WAS DECLARED BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA — THE UNION — AND THE SECEDED CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA. THE CIVIL WAR HAD BEGUN. AT FIRST LITTLE SEEMED TO CHANGE. ROBERT WAS REGULARLY SPREADING HIS WINGS AT MOON CREEK, THE NEAREST TOWN. UNKNOWN TO ABRAHAM OR ELIZA, HE WAS GAMBLING AWAY WHAT MEAGRE FUNDS THE FAMILY HAD LEFT.

TWO PAIRS. I THINK THIS IS MY HAND. NOT SO FAST, NEIGHBOUR…

9 PLAYING WITH PROFESSIONALS, THE FARM BOY WAS ALWAYS GOING TO COME OFF WORST. HIS FACE FELL AS ONE OF THE OTHERS LAID DOWN A WINNING HAND.

FULL HOUSE.

WHERE DID HE GET THAT FROM?

NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME, ROBERT HAD GAMBLED MORE THAN HE HAD. AS HE WAS UNABLE TO PAY UP, HE HAD TO SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES — A THOROUGH BEATING AT THE HANDS OF A COUPLE OF THUGS.

WORK HIM OVER GOOD, BOYS. AND THERE’S PLENTY MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM IF HE DON’T SETTLE HIS DEBTS. YOU BETTER GET SOME MONEY QUICK, FARM BOY.

FOOLISHLY HE THOUGHT HE COULD RAISE THE CASH TO GET OUT OF THAT JAM BY GAMBLING…

10 …ONLY TO HAVE ANOTHER DISASTROUS NIGHT OF LOSSES. THE CARD SHARP NOW MADE GOOD ON HIS PROMISE. ABRAHAM WAS OUTSIDE WHEN ROBERT’S HORSE BROUGHT HIM HOME, BLEEDING HEAVILY FROM A DEEP WOUND IN HIS SIDE. MA, MA, COME QUICKLY! ROBERT’S BEEN KNIFED. HE NEEDS HELP.

THE LOCAL DOCTOR WAS FETCHED. AFTER HE HAD CHECKED THE WOUND, HE STITCHED THE YOUNGSTER BACK TOGETHER, BANDAGED THE DAMAGE AND GOT HIM TO HIS BED. ELIZA WAS BESIDE HERSELF WITH WORRY. THE BOY WAS LUCKY. DONE ALL I CAN. BED REST IS WHAT HE NEEDS NOW AND PLENTY OF IT. MY BOY, MY BOY.

ROBERT AIN’T SAID HOW THIS HAPPENED. I WONDER…

Dornier Do 317A

In 1940, Dornier laid plans for an improv established Do 217 ement to their bomber with a pre ssurised cabin and defensive guns mo unted in remotely-c ontrolled mini-turre distinctive triangu lar ts.

400plus mph top spe fins, a heavier — 3000kg — bomb loa With d and predecessor. The pro ed it turned out to be no better than its tot cabins and spent the ypes were completed without pressu re ir lives launching Hs glide bombs.

293 radio-controlled

Abraham Brown’s older

brother Robert went off to serve in the Army of the North in the American Civil War…and he didn’t come back. Abraham followed in his footsteps grimly determined to avenge his brother’s death.

But when he discovered that it hadn’t been enemy action that ended Robert’s life but a pack of outlaws he saw only one way to settle the score — and that meant deserting the flag he had signed up to serve.

Recall: R17-27-Apr-11

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