Kyle turned the latch at the end of the train-car and opened the door. As he stood between the cars, he began to feel the train slowing down. To keep his balance, he reached for the ladder at the back of the timber-box. There were two loud but short whistles by the trains conductor. He reached out to grasp both sides of the ladder when he heard the latch to the door behind him. Holding onto the ladder with one hand he turned and called out;

"John, is that you?"

He waited, but the latch went silent, and the door remained closed. Kyle paused for a moment doubting himself, but when no one opened the door he turned and proceeded up the ladder to the top of the tender-box. From there he could see John Barnabus talking to the conductor, the prison guard began to throw another chunk of wood into the furnace but the conductor stopped him.

"John, I need to talk to you, Kyle raised his voice, as the trains whistle cried out once again into the dark early morning. The train began to slow even more. It was crawling towards the water tower now, so Kyle climbed over the back of the tender-box and was making his way to the engine-car where J. B. was standing.

The latch turned again and the door opened this time. Caleb Hoag had placed the knife back into its scabbard and he was checking out the land as the train began its approach to the water tower. He looked both ways, paused to listen for anyone who might be near-by.

Then he jumped from the train. As his feet fought to keep his balance, the dark shadows of the night did their job of hiding him. and the steam bellowing from the sides of the train as its mass slowed to a stop, muffled any noise the outlaw might have made.

His feet stumbled and he rolled into a patch of tall wild grass. When Hoag stood up he began making his way to where he thought Bo Meadows would be waiting. Then he heard another whistle. This time it wasn't the trains whistle, this was different. Only seconds had passed when he realized what it was.

The guards on the train carried whistles around their necks to alert anyone of trouble. Caleb Hoag heard the shrill of the guards whistle again and he stood frozen in the darkness, not knowing if the guard had seen him. He dropped to his knee and waited silently among the trees and tall grass along the railroad tracks.

"Stop!" the guard called out.

Two figures were running toward the river. The guard put his rifle to his shoulder and took aim. When neither of the two men stopped as they were ordered to do, the guard fired, and one of the men dropped to the ground, the other one continued to run. The guard took aim again, and fired..., the second man dropped to the ground.

The outlaw waited, there were no more shots. He looked toward the train and saw a handful of men gathering along side one of the train cars. Then he saw the reflection of a tin star as Levi Sawyer interacted with the other men.

While Hoag was on the train he overheard many conversations taking place, and Hoag had done his best, to remember any information, he could take back to Bo Meadows.

So it was true then, there is a sheriff on this train, Hoag thought. But what about the two men who came with him?

Unfortunatly those conversations only revealed their names, but he knew nothing of them. He did know the Pinkerton Agency had sent someone to look for Meadows, so he began to wonder if one of the men riding with the Sheriff might be the Pinkerton man. He waited in the darkness, knowing the sun would be rising soon.

The men who had gathered at the train began moving in an organized manner. Some began moving in the direction of the two convicts who had run from the train, others began walking along the side of the train.

Caleb Lucius Hoag was focusing on Levi Sawyer every time the light from the train-cars reflected off of that tin badge.

He took his revolver from the holster and braced the back of his right hand against the trunk of a tree, his left hand gripped the handle of the revolver to help steady his aim.

"You won't be looking for us much longer Sheriff." Hoag whispered to himself as he waited, and watched for the reflection of that tin star to identify his target.

Levi turned and the outlaw fired, then he dropped to one knee, hiding in the brush, beside the tree. The bullet had missed it's intended target, it missed the sheriff's heart. Hoag's aim was off, but Levi felt the sudden pain as it tore a hole in his flesh just above his right hip.

Levi's legs buckled and he fell to the ground. One of the men called out his name. Levi was too fearful to look at the damage, he was in shock and he could feel the warmth of his blood as it soaked into his shirt.

"Levi's been shot!" one of the men cried out.

John Barnabus was one of the men who had started down the path toward the convicts, Kyle Sawyer was just a few yards from Levi at the time. Casper Hayes and Badger along with two prison guards were moving toward the stock-car intending to get their horses. They were all returning to check on Levi.

"Did you see where the shot came from?" J. B. asked, looking at Kyle.

"No, we were all focused on returning the convicts to the train,"

Casper interrupted the conversation, "We need to get Levi on the train, so we can check the wound."

Badger stared into the darkness as if he could see right through it. Casper had seen that look before, and he knew what was building inside his old friend. He also knew that Badger would see to it there would be no more trouble tonight.

Warden Justice ordered four of his prison guards to gather up the two convicts and return them to the train, then he and another prison guard who had treated bullet wounds before looked at Levi's side. The bullet had gone clear through.

They cleaned the wound and dressed it the best they could. After Casper had the opportunity to check on Levi, he left the train to find Badger.

"How's Levi?" Badger asked.

Casper was startled at first, because he only heard Badger's voice. But then again, he should have expected such a thing. He knew Badger wouldn't be seen in the mountains unless he wanted it that way.

Casper smiled as his old friend approached, "The bullet went clean through, and the wound has been taken care of, best we could, but he will have to be checked out by a saw-bones when we get back. Levi's in better spirits now. For a moment there, he thought he was going to die."

Badger was quiet for a long time, after Casper spoke those words, then he said, "That would have meant I had broken my promise to Elizabeth." Casper had wished he had kept his mouth shut. "You have never broken your promises. Not to me, not to Levi, not to Elizabeth..., not to anyone, and you won't break this one, my friend."

"He's still out there, Casper. Meadows is still out there."

"Yes, but his days are getting shorter, and we'll.....," Casper, was interrupted, when they heard several men standing outside, calling for Superintendent Paine. As the two of them walked closer they could see that only one of the convicts had been returned.

"Mr. Paine," one of the prison guards said, "This one was cowering in the dirt. He must have gotten real scared after bullets started flying."

"What about the other one?" Paine asked.

"He's nowhere to be found sir. We looked, but in this low light, we ain't gonna find any sign of that one."

Mr. Paine looked over their shoulders from the top steps of the train. The river was right there, not more than a hundred yards from the train, and across the river was Oregon Territory. He whispered something under his breath, then he said;

"Alright, get this one back on the train, put him in shackles and one of you stay with him until we get back to Walla Walla.

"Casper," Badger said quietly, "I need to ask something of you."

By the time Casper headed back to check on Levi several minutes had passed and Badger began walking along the train-cars. Casper wasn't happy about the message he had to give to Levi, and his brothers, but he would do what the old mountain man had asked of him.

"Casper! I'm glad I found you." John Barnabus said as he approached him from the side of the train. "John, what's on your mind?"

"Now that we know that Levi is going to make it back, We talked it over, and with him laid up, and a train full of convicts to get back to Walla Walla, I figure, as a federal agent, I'm the only person here with the authority to arrest Bo Meadows and his men."

Casper looked puzzled, "By your self?"

"No! Kyle is going to ride back with Levi, and stay with him until he can recover from his wound. I was hoping you and Badger would join me in my search for Meadows."

"John!" A man called out from the train. Their conversation interrupted, they turned to find Joseph Paterson standing behind them.

"John, Kyle told me what you're planning. You're not the only Pinkerton man on this train."

:Sorry Joseph, you're right, I'm not."

"I'm riding with you." Paterson said.

J. B. started to comment, but before he could say anything, Paterson continued, "I've been on Meadow's trail for a long time now, and it was me who Mr. Pinkerton sent you to for information. So don't think that I'm just going to sit this out..."

"Joseph," J. B. said. "...I'm glad you want to finish this. You know this country much better than I do."

There was a pause in their conversation when John looked around, surprised that Badger wasn't at Casper's side. "Where is Badger anyway?"

He's saddling his horse." Casper said.

"Good, then it's settled. We'll see him at the stock-car."

"I won't be going." Casper replied.

John Barnabus looked straight into Casper's eyes, wanting an explanation, but not wanting to ask for one, so he stood patiently.

"Badger has a debt of honor to pay, and I have a promise to keep for him, so he can pay that debt." Before anyone could say more, Casper said, "Don't ask, and if you want to ride with Badger, you better get going, cause he ain't waitin'."

John Barnabus and Paterson turned to walk away when Casper called out one last time.

"John!"

J. B. turned around.

"Let Badger be. Don't tell him what to do or how to do it."

Casper raised his arm and with an open palm he pointed to the horrizon. As he passed his out-stretched arm toward the river and the mountains, that silhouetted the rise of the morning sun, he said;

"This is where Badger feels most at home, this is his element. Out here, there is no better man to have at your side. Now that he knows Meadows is still alive there is nothing that will stop him."

Casper paused just for a moment, deciding on the wisdom of voicing his thoughts any further, then he said, almost in a whisper;

"Not even you."

"Thanks, Casper." John said, trying not to read more into those words than was needed.

"Before you go."

"What is it, Casper?" John Barnabus said, before turning away.

"Like I said, John. Out here there is no better man to have at your side, but understand me when I say this. If you give him reason, nothing would frighten me more than to have that man hunting me in these mountains. Not with the fire that's burning inside of him right now, and when you find Meadows. "

Casper took a few steps closer; "...I would be very careful about what you do next."