They had ridden most of the morning and into the mid-afternoon with a couple of stops along the way to tend to their horses, and to their own needs should the situation call for it. It was during one of these stops that John Barnabus once again looked at the map Sheriff Cooley and his deputy provided, before they left Olympia.

The small stream where the horses were watering was cold, clear and inviting. Kyle stooped at the water's edge and cupping his hands, he washed his face and sipped on the next handful. Then, stopping all movement, his head raised, and his eyes peered into the trees, allowing his senses to take in the sights and sounds of the forest.

The sun was casting dark shadows upon the ground, which began to get shorter with the rising of this heavenly orb. Sharp beams of sunlight breaking between each gap of the tall pines that stood at least sixty feet or more. Kyle looked at the flat rocks along the bank of the stream, and listened to the bubbling brook as it washed over and around any obstacle in its path.

His eyes took in the thick brush, the wet moss and deep green foliage covering hidden pockets in the earth that provided homes to critters he could not see. His ears could hear the small birds high in the trees, and in the warm beams of sunlight, he saw butterfly's dancing around brightly colored flowers.

For a moment he forgot that the forest was also a very dangerous place. Mother nature demanded respect, and if you ignored that fact, then you may not make it out alive. Standing up he turned to walk over to where John was still perusing the map.

"What do you think, John?" Kyle asked. " We have found four of the out-buildings so far, and not one of them show any signs of recent activity.

"No! But there are signs of riders in the area." John commented. "Though most of them are old."

Paterson walked up holding the reins to his horse. "How many more buildings show up on the map, John?"

"According to this map, there are only three more. Just up ahead of us is a large grassy meadow, somewhere along the tree-line, there should be a winter bunk-house. At least that's what deputy Henry calls it."

"We must be getting into some grazing land then." Paterson said.

"Well, let's go check this place out." Kyle commented, as he gathered up the reins to his horse.

When they reached the crest of a hill, they all stopped to look at the landscape below. Just beyond the tree-line was a large meadow with lazy cows grazing at the edge of the trees. To the far left of them, another group of bovine were doing the same.

At the end of the meadow was a thick growth of tall pine trees. From where they were at, the three of them could see reflections of the sun glistening off the surface of a small lake. Paterson pointed to the horizon.

"That snow-capped peak you see out there is Mt. Rainier. There should be two other mountain peaks jutting up from this forest. They would be Mt. Baker, and Mt. Adams."

The three of them began working their way down from the crest, stopping just short of the tree-line, and the tall grass, where the meadow began. Staying in the shadow of the trees, they took care to look for any movement out in front of them.

John Barnabus pointed, "There!" Kyle looked in that direction, then john said again, "There, in that clump of trees."

"I see it." Paterson said.

"John, how do you propose we get close enough to observe, without being seen ourselves?" Kyle asked.

"Well, these trees are thick enough to provide pretty good coverage if we can just stay quiet."

Several feet behind them a man's voice was heard. "I would agree, but you boys just weren't quite enough."

Instincts kicked in and there was movement.

"Eeeasy boys! If you make one move towards your guns you won't live long enough to turn around."

Holding only his reins, John Barnabus brought his hands up high, feeling very uneasy. Kyle and Joseph Paterson did the same.

"If you boys are planning to rustle some cattle, you best ride clear of here. Take a look around, just inside the tree-line there are six other men waiting for any of you to make one wrong move, just one. I can guarantee you'll be fitted for a pine box before the day is out."

"Mr. we ain't looking to rustle any of your cattle." Kyle said.

"What are you doing on Blackburn property?"

"We're looking for a man, we're not looking to rustle any cattle. We're just looking for someone we were told might be out here on this property." John said. "Can we lower our hands now, and not get shot?"

"Who is it you're looking for?"

"Samuel Blackburn, we were told he was staying out here."

There was a long pause in their conversation before the rider spoke again. Then, irritation in his voice, he said, "If you're part of that bunch, you just turn your horses and ride on out of here. You won't find Sam, or the rest of that bunch around here. This family disowned that boy a long time ago. We want nothing to do with him or anyone who rides with him."

"Mister, I don't know who you are, but I'm working with the law, and if you will just let us relax for a moment I would like to show you something." John Barnabus requested.

There was another long pause before the rider said anything. Then he rode out to the side of the three men, stopping just to the front of them, where he could look at John Barnabus.

"If you're with the law, what is it that you want to show me?" John brought his hands down, and so did Kyle and Joseph, but they kept their hands on the pummel of their saddles. John reached into his pocket.

"This is a wanted poster, it has the name of your son, Samuel Blackburn on it."

"Sam ain't my son, he's the bosses son."

"Mister, we have reason to believe Samuel Blackburn is riding with another man, by the name of Bo Meadows. He's the one we're really looking for. Is there anything you can tell us about these men that might help us?"

The rider sat quiet for a moment, looking into the eyes of the three men in front of him. He glanced at the tree-line where he knew his men were waiting for some sign, showing them there was no eminent threat.

Looking back at John Barnabus, the rider began talking.

"They were here for a few days. Mr. Blackburn, Sam's Pa, he's been at the lumber yard preparing an order for the lumber mill in Tenino. We haven't said anything to him, because Sam has brought enough grief to Mr. Blackburn.

Once we realized, objecting to their stay would only mean someone would end up dying. Sam told us they would only be around for a short time. So we've ridden out here every day to check on the cattle and to see if they had left."

"So they're not around. Do you have any idea where they were heading?" John asked.

"I can't say for certain, because what Sam told us, just didn't make any sense."

"What do you mean?" Kyle spoke up.

The rider looked at Kyle, "Sam told us that Matt Corey was going to join their gang and they would be riding out soon to meet him."

"Who is Matt Corey?" John inquired.

"Matt Corey is the last partner that Sam rode with. Sam told us, they were going to hook up again."

"You said something didn't make any sense?"

"Well, that's because Matt Corey has been doing time at the Seatco Prison for the last year and a half." The rider paused, and glanced at all three of them;

"He ain't getting out, none too soon."

At that point, the conversation stopped, each man looked at the other. "How far from here is the Seatco Prison?" John asked the rider.

The man thought for a moment, "Well, Tenino is just a small community south of here about five miles, and Seatco can't be more than five or six miles farther south of there."

"Would you let us rest over-night, at that building." John pointed, "Over there in the trees. We've been riding all day and we could use the rest. We'll be gone before the sun breaks the top of the trees in the morning."

The rider looked across the meadow, "You'll be gone by early morning?"

"We'll be gone before the sun wakes up." John said.

"All right, I'll let the men know." The rider began to turn his horse but then he was given to another thought.

"Barnabus! If you're looking to apprehend these men, do me a favor and take Sam away as well. I got no liking for the men he rides with, and Sam? Well he just ain't the same. He turned bad, and one day I'm afraid he will come back to kill Mr. Blackburn for cutting him out of the family inheritance."

There were no words exchanged, the rider just turned his horse and rode away. As the three of them sat still in their saddles, they all noticed the quiet movement in the shadows behind the trees. The men hiding in the forest, protecting their foreman, were leaving.

"Are you thinking about a possible prison break, John?" Kyle asked.

"I think it's possible Kyle. We should get to the Seatco Prison as soon as we can, to warn the Superintendent."

"So we head for Seatco, in the morning."

"Early morning Kyle. I've got a feelin' there's fire and brimstone in front of us, and the devil's own tornado pushing us forward."