Matt Corey sat next to the window, his fingers touching the restraints around his wrists. The train was nearing a bend that would take them eastbound along the Columbia River. He could feel the slightest vibration reverberating from the iron rails upward and eventually through his body.

He could smell the change in the air as they got closer to the water. To him, there was a growing sense of freedom, a freedom that he had not known for some time now.

He saw the sky was beginning to change colors, as the sun crossed overhead, and the deep dark shadows of the thick forest were becoming sparse. As the shadows thinned out, his memories of this land started to return. He knew the thick forest would be replaced with a more desert like landscape, and he knew that somewhere along these tracks, Bo Meadows would be waiting to free him from his captivity.

Ty Morgan leaned forward slightly allowing his hands to rub the lower calf of his left leg. It wasn't really his leg he was touching, but the Oregon Boot that had been anchored to that leg, and the twenty pound weight that was secured to it.

"These damn boots have almost crippled me." Morgan thought. Then he sat up in his seat and his fingers found the pocket he had sewn to the inside of this waistband. "Not for much longer." Morgan felt the key the guard had given him when they returned to the prison.

Corey was sitting next to Morgan, feeling his movement he turned. Morgan smiled, but they said nothing. Corey looked around the train car, to the front were two prison guards and to the back of the car, there was one prison guard. He was older, and as he watched him for several minutes, he decided the older guard could be easily distracted. There were ten rows of seats in front of them and three rows behind them.

Corey looked at Morgan again, who was looking at his waist, his eyes followed Morgan's and he saw in Morgan's right hand he was holding a prison key. That key would get them out of their restraints when the time came. Morgan slid the key back into the pocket, and Corey went back to looking out the window, anticipating their freedom would not be long coming.

The door at the back of the car came open and Levi Sawyer walked in, followed by Badger and Casper Hayes. "Everything quiet?" Levi asked the older guard. "Yes sir." he said. Levi walked between the seats followed by Badger, while Casper stayed with the prison guard.

Levi visually checked all the restraints on one side, while Badger checked the restraints on the other side. When they got to the front of the car, Levi asked the guards if they needed a break. After they both declined, Levi and Badger returned to where Casper was waiting.

"Looks good, Casper." Levi said.

"All right!" Casper replied, "Then we should check the con's in the next car."

__________________________________________________________________________

"What is it, Pete" Bo Meadows said to the man who had just rode up to the small homestead house. Meadows was standing on the porch when the cowboy stepped from his saddle.

"Boss, we saw smoke coming from Ceader Bluffs."

Meadows took a drag from his freshly rolled quirley. "I been waiting for that. It looks like the train will be reaching the river soon." Meadows said.

There were twelve hard men standing in front of the house. After several moments of thought, Meadows spoke again, "Pete, take two men and ride up on the bluffs about five miles from the Blalock Station. Stage yourselves high enough to look down on the train when it passes."

Pete waited to see if there were any more instructions. Seeing his hesitation, Meadows said, "You know what to do when the train passes." He stared at Pete, "Or do I have to spell it out for you."

"No sir," Pete said, quickly turning to gather his men.

Meadows looked around at the others, "Byron, you take two more, and find a place, a little closer to the station."

Byron Smith, was a lean man, standing six feet tall, with a square jaw, and a face full of deep lines and thick stubble. He nodded his head, "Yes sir, boss." Turning he pointed at two other men, and motioned for them to follow him.

"Byron," Meadows called out. "We need to cut their numbers by as many as possible, before they reach Blalock Station."

"Understood, Boss." The outlaw turned and walked away.

Meadows looked at the other six men, "Carter, you're going to be point man. You ride out about a mile from the station. As soon as you hear any gunfire, you get back here. We need to be at the station and ready when the train arrives."

Carter turned and walked away to saddle his horse.

"The rest of you, make sure you have everything ready, when Carter reports in, we ride out... No Excuses. That train will need to take on water for its boiler. If it misses this station it won't make it to Walla Walla."

Alvin Marks was just twenty-two years old, and up to now he had always held his own. He stood silent and watched the others as they left the front of the small house, and headed for the barn.

Marks had met Meadows three years earlier, when he was down on his luck, and needed to steal, just to survive. He was taken in by the images he had in his head of all the adventures he could have on the outlaw trail.

Over time, he had reached a point where he didn't like the things he had witnessed, and yes, he had to admit, some of those things, he had participated in. So now he was riding with this man just to stay out of prison.

There were two things he learned along the way. One was that Meadows was an evil man, he was born void of any humanity. The other thing Marks had learned, was that Bo Meadows scared him. Deep down, he scared him to the core.

But Alvin Marks had never been faced with the concerns that consumed him at that moment. The owners of this small farm were an elderly couple who had done nothing wrong. They had spent their whole lives caring for a tiny piece of land that could barely provide for them, and now they were tied-up in a small bedroom at the back of the house.

Meadows struck a match to what was left of the quirley. He looked up at the changing sky and thought it was going to be a beautiful night. Soon their plan would be put into play, and Matt Corey would be riding at his side once again.

Nothing could stop him now.

____________________________________________________________________________

"Hey, Levi. Look at this." Casper said as he held his coffee in one hand, and pointed out the window of the train car with the other. Levi had just gotten a cup and was pouring his own coffee when he heard Casper. Looking in his direction, he could feel the pull of the train as it rounded the curve.

Badger glanced over and smiled, "You don't want to miss this, son." Badger said as he walked over to join Casper.

As Levi bent to glance out the window, a bald eagle was dropping, gliding across the smooth ripples in the water, its reflection moving over the surface. Levi was in awe of the majesty in such a bird. The wings were pulled back, high. His body arched slightly as the predators talons stretched toward the water.

Levi couldn't help but think there was an intelligense in this bird of prey, and then suddenly the talons reached through the surface of the water, and came out with a large fish. The wings flapped with a beautiful grace, another powerful movement of the wings and it soared high into the air. As it did, Levi took in the colors of the setting sun.

Badger smiled at the expression on Levi's face, for he was deeply proud of this young man, and honored to have been a part of his life. "What do you think, Levi." Casper said. Levi was still looking out the window.

The sky was dotted with clouds that were dark gray on one edge, but the sun's reflection gave a deep golden-yellow color to the edge closest to the horizon.

Running through these clouds were streaks of soft blue sky, and purple hues, inner-laced with orange and gold bands that stretched across the far horizon. In the reflections on the river you could see a narrow line, deep golden in color, that pointed directly at the setting sun.

"Sure is a sight to behold, ain't it." Levi said.

"Sure is," Badger replied.

Warden Justice entered the train car about that time.

"Levi,"

"Yes, John." Levi said, as the three of them turned.

"We got one more stop to make on up the tracks a ways. We'll be stopping at the Blalock Train Station to take on more water."

"How much farther?" Levi asked.

"It'll be another hour, maybe a little longer."

"Thanks, John, we'll make another round and notify the others."

Warden Justice turned to leave the car when Levi said, "We've been real lucky so far, but we have not needed to stop the train until now." They looked at each other, then the old mountain man said, "We better make those rounds, Levi."

"I'll go with Badger." Casper said.

"Okay, I'll find J. B. and Kyle. You and Badger take the back of the train, and We'll take the front of the train."

"Levi," Badger spoke up as they started to part company.

"Yes, Badger."

"Once that sun sets, it's going to get real dark out here."

Nothing more was said, but they all understood what Badger meant. The old man paused before turning around. He watched Levi walk to the front of the train car and into the next.

"Badger!" Casper Hayes called over his shoulder.

"I'm right behind you, Casper."