The morning dew was thick in the air, and clung to the douglas-fir pillars that surrounded the prison. The cons were being fitted with the Oregon-Boot, a device that was attached to a boot, with metal rods moving up the leg. Attached to these rods were half-moon weights that could run between five to thirty-five pounds. These weights were locked together around the ankle, after the boot was put on the prisoner, and every prisoner was fitted with one Oregon-Boot before leaving the prison.

Standing in line to leave the prison was Matt Corey, # 057, and Ty Morgan, his number was 048. There were thirty-two convicts waiting in line for the wagons that would take them to the various business in the area. The warden would put them to work in the lumber mills, cutting fire-wood, clearing roads, or at the Sash and Door Factory, while some would be put to work in the brick-yard. All the profits from this labor went to the Warden and his associates.

Matt Corey was dressed in the usual prison clothing of pink and white striped shirt and pants, and a pair of boots, one of which carried a twenty-five pound weight attached to his ankle. "Did you talk to the guard?" Corey asked Morgan. "I talked to him a week ago during the evening meal."

The prisoners could hear the wagons pulling up to the gate. "What did he say?" Morgan looked around for anyone who might be prying into their conversation. He saw one of the guards un-locking the front gate. There were other guards on horse-back waiting just outside the prison walls. "I offered him a hundred dollars, and he said he would take care of it."

"Straighten that line up!" one of the guards called out, as he brought his rifle up to port-arms. He looked at the front gates. They were opened now and it was time to get as much work out of these convicts as they could before loading them onto the train that had arrived late the previous evening.

"Let's go! Onto the wagons." The guard called out. This time, there were three other guards standing near-by. Matt Corey leaned closer to Morgan as the other cons standing in line started to move towards the gate. "Good!" he told Morgan, "That guard has to make this happen before we get back to the prison."

"Don't worry Matt, his family lives near-by and he knows we have someone watching them until he carries out his part of the deal."

"Corey..., Morgan! How many times you gotta be told, now shut-it, and get on the wagon. You're heading for the Sash and Door Factory today. Morgan, you're going with him." The guard was staring at Morgan, there was a slight nod from the guard as they walked by. The two cons raised their palms up and looked at the guard who's heart was pounding in his chest. He had taken a hundred dollars from them, and now they had threatened his family.

"Yes sir boss! You won't get any argument out of us, not today." This was exactly what was supposed to happen Corey thought, and if the guard cared about his family at all, and if he wanted to keep himself from doing time for aiding an escape, he had better carry out the rest of the plan.

When the wagons were loaded, and the cons were seated, they turned the wagons towards town. There were three wagons, and on each side of them were two armed guards on horseback.

The citizens of Seatco had gotten used to seeing the convict work crews rolling through town. Every day they would arrive and every evening they would head back to the prison. There were few worries about escapes due to the Oregon Boot. None of them would get very far even if they tried, not with one of those things attached to their ankles.

The sun was providing just enough light to see, and Warden Billings of the Seatco prison was going to make sure the cons were out to work before Superintendent Paine and Warden Justice had their first cup of coffee.

He was aware of the governor's orders and he would see to it they were returned to the prison with sufficient time to get them all on the train, and when he considered the time of their late arrival the previous evening, Warden Billings did not expect the Superintendent from Walla Walla to arrive at the front gates of his prison for a few more hours.

Leroy Cotton walked into the Sash and Door Factory closely following Matt Corey and Ty Morgan. The place was cold and everything outside was covered with the wet moisture that comes with the rising sun. They were deep in the Cascade Forest and it would be mid, to late morning before things would begin to dry out.

"I know what you're planning." Cotton whispered as he stood behind Corey. There was no response, but Corey's expression turned cold. Morgan wanted to turn around but two of the guards were standing near-by.

Cotton was a no-body, he was doing time for assaulting and killing a young sixteen year old woman, after leaving an opium den in Seattle. Her body was found half dressed in a wet, dark alley. The other cons had no respect for Cotton, and Matt Corey was not about to entertain any manner of conversation with such a man.

"I saw your friend here pass off some money to that guard." Cotton whispered.

"What do you want?" Morgan whispered in return.

"Cotton! Get over here." A guard called out sternly, as he pointed a finger at the convict. "You're working outside today. Now get your ass over here." The guard said as he began to take a couple of steps in his direction. Cotton smiled at Morgan and quickly whispered, "You're taking me with you." Then he turned and walked away.

Matt Corey and Morgan watched Cotton, as he walked over to the prison guard.

"Matt." Morgan began to say.

"I know," Corey whispered, as he paused to look over his shoulder. Through the small windows he could see Cotton looking back at him.

"Matt, we have a problem.."

Matt Corey saw a narrow piece of rusting door hinge lying near-by, kicking it with his toe so Morgan would notice, Corey called out to one of the guards, "Can I tie my boot, Boss?"

He pointed to the floor. "Before I get hurt," he added. The guard glanced over at him. "Go ahead." The guard responded.

Morgan waited for Corey to drop to one knee, then stepping between him and the guard, he watched his partner take the broken piece of metal and slide it into the boot that did not carry the extra weight. When Corey stood up he looked at the guard and said, "Thanks Boss."

They glanced out the windows again, then Matt whispered, "If Cotton becomes a problem, I'll take care of it."

Morgan nodded quietly, before walking away.

The hours passed and Matt Corey spent most of them wondering what to do about this irritant situation. There were only two scenarios he could think of. One, Cotton might take some money to keep his mouth shut, and two, he might be serious about taking leave of his prison term and disappear into some dark corner of the territory. The first scenario was risky, and the second would make him a liability which would leave one other option.

He could kill Cotton, if time permitted, but he knew there was a train waiting for them, and he knew there had been other plans already put into motion. He could not jeopardize those plans for anything. Then, Corey's mind began to ponder on a couple of other possibilities.

A whistle sounded loudly and with the shrill of that whistle, the cons began to stop their work, a moment later, another whistle sounded, this time there were two short bursts, and the cons began to line up in front of the guards.

Morgan stepped closer to Corey, "What are you going to do, Matt?"

"Tell the guard, the plan has changed a little."

"Matt, we can't take Cotton with us."

Matt Corey looked at Morgan and smiled, then he glanced at Cotton who was watching them from several feet away. "The way I see it Morgan, that guard can find some way of shooting Cotton for attempting to escape, or we can take Cotton with us."

"Matt, are you crazy? We can-not take that snitch with us."

"Think about it Morgan."

"Think about what? We are not taking him with us."

The guards stepped closer, "All right, on the wagons, your day is done."

Morgan sat in the wagon, next to Corey, wanting a clear answer to his concern. Cotton had gotten into one of the other wagons, so Matt Corey leaned a little closer, "How long have we been partners, Ty?"

"Since we celled-up together in that hell-hole."

"Knowing Cotton's jacket, how do you think he would get on with my uncle?

Ty Morgan sat back against the side rails of the wagon. "He wouldn't." Morgan said, glancing over at the other wagon where Cotton was sitting, then back at Corey. "If he was lucky, he might last twenty-four hours. As soon as your uncle found out Cotton was a snitch, he'd put a bullet in him.

The wagons pulled up outside the prison and the cons started to fall in-line. One of the guards began walking the line and checking the restraints, as he did a key was dropped into Ty Morgan's hand, then the guard moved on to the next man in line.

Morgan had sown a pocket to the inside of his pants along the waist-line. After slipping the key into the pocket, Morgan's attention was drawn to three riders approaching the prison.

"Who do you think they are, Matt?"

The gates opened, and the cons were marched inside the prison stockade.