THE BACKGROUND
Maxwell Lewison built his first fortune on coal mines in Ohio. His business grew quickly and he soon became one of the most powerful men in the state. But his success was soon to be turned in failure. During the economic crisis of 1847 he lost most of his fortune, and had to sell the mines to be able to pay his debts.

In 1849 the gold rush started and Lewison left for California. He left his wife and their two sons in Cleveland, since he thought that the boys should be given a proper education.

Lewison stayed in California for five years. He opened stores and sold supplies to the miners. His prices were very high and he made a lot of money. When the gold rush was over, Lewison was a rich man again, unlike the many who had worked hard looking for gold, and left without finding anything at all.

1855 Lewison invested a large sum of money in land and cattle, and started what would later become the Diamond L ranch. The land, 20 000 acres of first class pastures, was in the newly conquered New Mexico, north of a small tributary to the larger Pecos River. On the south side of the river a group of settlers was building a small town. The settlers built their town and named it Liberty, to remember the liberation from Mexico. Lewison wasn‘t happy about all this, but he could tolerate them as long as the settlers stayed on their side of the river. To this day no buildings have been erected on the north side.

In the summer of 1861, Lewison‘s wife Josephine moved out to the ranch. Two years later she caught pneumonia and never recovered. She died and was buried at the ranch. After his wife‘s death, Lewison‘s two sons were all the family he still had left. He soon realised that none of his sons were qualified to take over the ranch.

Justin was a snobb who had never done an honest day of work in his life. He only wanted to have fun, and had never shown much proof of intelligence.

Andrew, the second son, was more intelligent and more ambitious than his brother. But he never obeyed his father and didn‘t know his own good. Andrew also had another view of life than his father, and they often had heated arguments about it.

Lewison was convinced that his sons would destroy his life‘s achievement if he left them the ranch. So he drew up a will that excluded the sons. He kept the will in a secret compartment in his desk, and was planning to give it to a good friend when he had the opportunity.

But before he could do that he fell victim to an assassin. Unknown to anyone, Andrew had grown tired of waiting for his father to die, and had been planning his murder for a long time. He himself had an alibi when his father was murdered, since he was on a trip at the time.

After his father‘s death, Justin had plans on his own. He forged a will together with his fathers lawyer in Liberty, Edward Carrington. When Andrew came back to Liberty and the will was read, he realised that all his troubles had been for nothing. Justin inherited the entire fortune, and Andrew was left with nothing.

But Andrew is convinced that the will is a forgery, and he refuses to give up. He hires a man named Al Gardner and gives him the task of finding some good and reliable men.

INTRODUCTION
The PCs shoud be in a town only a few days ride from Liberty, when the adventure starts.

It is summer, the sun is hot and relentless and the heat is stifling. The PCs have gone to the local saloon to escape the heat, and to have some cool beers.

As they sit there, sweating and cursing, the door is opened and Al Gardner walks in. He stops just inside the door and examines the crowd in the saloon. Then he walks up to the bar and orders a beer. When he has finished his beer he turns to the curios customers.

— I‘m looking for some good and reliable men. They have to be good riders and be able to handle a gun as well if need be. It‘s only for a while, and I pay $100 a month.

If the PCs take up on the offer, Gardner will sit down with them and tell them that they will be hired to help someone who has been cheated on some money. He won‘t say anything else until they have left town. He guides them towards the hunting cabin.

At the cabin the PCs meet Andrew, and he tells them the following story.

— My name is Andrew Wesley Lewison, you might have heard of me. If not, I can tell you that I‘m the son of one of the richest ranchers in the area. Three weeks ago when I was on a business trip to Roswell, I heard that my father had been killed in a terrible accident.

A couple of days later, I heard my father‘s last will. To my surprise everything went to my brother, Justin. This is so absurd, my brother is a useless idiot, I think that he and the lawyer wrote the will themselves. I need your help to get that will, and a letter with my fathers handwriting. Then I can use an honest lawyer to get back the part of the inheritance that is mine, by birthright. I‘m prepared to do anything to succeed, I‘ll even resort to violence. Gentlemen, if you help me, I‘ll make sure you are handsomely rewarded.

Tuesday 1 August, 1871 (Day 1),
Andrew takes the stagecoach to Roswell. Before he leaves he mails a letter from the postoffice. The letter is for Maxwell Lewison (see also Andrew‘s letter).

Thursday 3 August, 1871 (Day 3),
The stagecoach arrives in Roswell. Andrew checks into a hotel.

Friday 4 August, 1871 (Day 4),
Andrew disguises himself and takes the stagecoach back towards Liberty.
Maxwell Lewison and Stewart Huddleson rides out to the hunting cabin.

Saturday 5 August, 1871 (Day 5),
Andrew gets off the stagecoach in Ft. Sumner. He buys two horses and rides towards the hunting cabin.

Sunday 6 August, 1871 (Day 6),
Maxwell Lewison is murdered (see also The hunting cabin). Andrew rides back to Roswell. He alternates between the two horses, and is able to cover the distance in a very short time. After 25 miles he stops and hides his disguise. He changes to his normal clothes, and goes on towards Roswell.

Tuesday 8 August, 1871 (Day 8),
Andrew reaches Roswell in the late evening. At the same time Huddleson returns to Diamond L ranch with the body of Maxwell Lewison.

Friday 11 August, 1871 (Day 11),
Andrew takes the stagecoach from Roswell.

Saturday 12 August, 1871 (Day 12),
The stagecoach from Roswell arrives in Liberty.
Andrew is informed of his father‘s death.

Wednesday 16 August, 1871 (Day 16),
Andrew and Justin hears the reading of the forged will.

Sunday 20 August, 1871 (Day 20),
Al Gardner steps into the saloon, to hire the PCs.

ANDREW´S LETTER
The letter is in an opened envelope. The stamp is a five cent Lincolnstamp, and it is postmarked in Liberty, August 1.

The letter goes as follows:

Dear mr Lewison
It have been made aware of the fact that you are having some small problems with a man named Jeremiah Wilstach. For a modest sum of $500, I will give you information concerning mr Wilstach‘s past. I guarantee that this information will enable you to exert total control over mr Wilstach. If you are interested, meet me at Grant‘s Peak, sunday, August 6, at noon.

LEWISON´S LAST WILL
If Justin or Andrew finds the will they will immediately destroy it.

The will lies in a white envelope, sealed with a red wax seal. According the Lewison‘s last will his trusted servant Charles Osman shall get the ranch and the entire fortune. Lewison‘s sons won‘t get a single dollar.

Osman has always worked hard for his master, and has always been a close friend. He is a shrewd businessman, and has helped Lewison on more than one occasion. Osman has all the qualifications for continuing the business in the same spirit as Maxwell Lewison.

THE FALSE WILL
The forgery is far from perfect, but it has all the correct stamps and seals. But if you compare the writing with that of the writing in a letter that Maxwell Lewison wrote himself, you will notice some important differences.

The will only has a few short sentences, and it clearly states that Justin is to inherit the ranch and the fortune.