John Barnabus had just filled his canteen and was standing next to his horse when the shot was fired. Grabbing his rifle he darted across the stream and into the tall brush and foliage, disappearing into the trees.

From there he turned and saw Paterson on the ground, then he scanned the opposite bank, there was no sign of Badger, only his horse Sallie-May, standing in amoung some trees. He began moving up-stream looking for the assassin who dry-gulched Paterson.

Badger noticed that J. B. was moving too quickly through the trees, he whispered silently to himself, - damn fool, slow down. The foliage and limbs were springing back into their original place, giving his position away as he moved up-stream,

Badger could follow him too easily. The old mountain man had already started up-stream right after that first shot was fired. His soft moccasins gave his feet padding, not un-like that of a bear or couger, making his movements almost silent, then he stopped. Something had moved in the trees, and it was out of place, un-natural, and just for an instant. So he stopped and waited, watching for it to happen again.

He glanced across the stream looking for J. B.. It didn't take long before he saw movement, then he saw him stop and stand in the shadows. Out of the corner of his vision Badger saw it again. That un-natural movement. It was the barrel of a rifle extending from behind a tree. The way it was moving told Badger whoever was behind that tree had seen John Barnabus.

That dry-gultcher was just waiting for an opportunity to send John Barnabus to the bone orchard. Badger set his rifle up against some fallen timber. The foliage was too thick from his position to make a clean shot, so he began to move slow and deliberate. Making his way to a position just above the assassin's location.

Ned Harding tucked the rifle snug against his shoulder, he had already missed one opportunity, he would not miss another.

John Barnabus had stopped to look at the terrain out in front of him. There was a large boulder and a wet mossy ridge right next to the stream. He knew he would be too exposed and vulnerable if he tried to work his way around that side, but he thought the other way might take him too deep into the woods before he could climb above the boulder.

J. B. had paused too long, Ned Harding had him in his sights. With his rifle resting in the fork of a limb and pressed against the side of the tree, his finger carressed the triger. He took a breath, and began to exhail slowly. Patiently waiting for the right moment before taking his shot. One bullet, and John Barnabus would be dead.

At that moment, the outlaw felt someone grab his hair and pull his head back violently. The blade intered deep between his ribs, ripping through his lung. Badger twisted the blade and pulled. Then the sharp blade of the bowie-knife intered lower into the outlaws kidney. The blade was twisted again and pulled from his body.

Badger eased the dead man to the ground, There was no room for remorse, this man was a threat, and this threat had been removed.

Paterson was trying to crawl to a small berm where he thought he could take cover and hide. Matt Cory's bullet had shattered his left shoulder and his arm was useless. The pain brought tears to his eyes but if he wanted to live he had to find some form of cover, so he reached out with his right hand and pulled himself as quickly as he could, fearful of standing.

Badger heard someone moving carelessly through the trees on the same side of the stream he was on. He retrieved his rifle and followed what appeared to be the panic movements of someone running.

When the movements stopped, Badger stopped. Slipping into the shadows he waited for an ambush. There was nothing, then, suddenly there were sounds of a horse in the distance. Someone was high-tailing it out of there.

The old mountain man waited in silence wanting to be sure of his assessment. When things were quiet, he began to make his way back to where Sallie-May was left. He needed to check on her and he needed to check on Joseph Paterson.

Matt Cory lay prone on the top side of a large boulder. He was proped on his elbows waiting for Paterson to move again. At first he thought he was dead, then he saw movement, but Paterson had stopped moving again, so he waited, believing his partners were still there, still hiding.


He hadn't seen the old man in buck-skins, so he was sure he was dead, and John Barnabus had also disapeared. As far as he could tell, the only one left alive was Paterson. So Matt Cory waited, and watched.

Un-comfortable with the silence, Cory brought his rifle to his shoulder. He would find out if Paterson was alive or not, by putting another bullet in him.

Paterson was trying to manage the pain, he was almost at the berm but his shirt was soaked in blood and his head was dizzy, trying to manage so much pain.

The bullet hit the top of the berm and Paterson knew there were only seconds left before the next bullet would find its mark if he did not get to that raised berm.

Cory adjusted his elbows to steady himself before he brought Paterson into his sights again. As his finger slipped from the indexed position, to the trigger, he felt the cold end of a revolver pressed against the back of his head.

"Eeeasy now. Put the rifle down, It's over." John Barnabus said as he stood over him.

Otis Jackson had chased off one of the horses and hid in the tall foliage waiting for whoever it was chasing him. He was hopeful of killing the man pursuing him, but no one came, so he began to work his way back to the stream, looking for Ned or Matt.

Soon he spotted three horses through the trees and watched as John Barnabus escorted Matt Cory across the stream. Badger was moving through the trees close to where Sallie-May had been left, when he heard a disturbance in the water drawing his attention to J. B. and the outlaw..

Paterson had proped his back against the berm and laying his head back he closed his eyes for a moment, hoping to ease the strain on his body, when he heard a strangers voice calling out to John Barnabus.

Jackson was standing near a tree. He had spotted Paterson, the blood stained shirt and the long drag marks left by his boots as he tried to get to the berm. Seeing him now, Jackson believed Paterson was dead. There was only one man keeping Matt Cory from walking away,

"Let him go!" Jackson said.

John Barnabus instinctively reached out to grab Cory by the arm. Jackson's revolver was already in his hand, his thumb pulled the hammer back. This was followed by a sudden look of surprise as his body jerked.

The second bullet hit him and he fell to the ground. John stood still for a moment not sure of what had just happened. Turning his attention to the small berm a few feet away Paterson wasn't moving. Resting in his right hand was his revolver.

Badger went to Paterson to check on him while J. B. told Matt Cory to sit against a fallen timber near-by. Turning away from the outlaw John asked Badger, "How is he?"

Badger's palm was resting on Paterson's right shoulder when he looked at John. "He's as tough as they come J. B.. Looks like he's passed out, but his heart's still beating."

John Barnabus sighed with relief. "He saved my life Badger, he better make it."

While they waited for Paterson to gain some of his strength back, Badger had gone after the outlaw's horses and brought two of them back. "What now?" Paterson asked. His left arm was resting in a sling, and wrapped tightly against his body.

John turned and looked at Badger. Paterson waited for someone to break the silence. Then Badger spoke up.

"Joseph, you need a sawbones as soon as possible." He turned and looked back at J. B., "...and you need to make sure Matt Cory gets back to the hoosgow, real pronto like. Mr. Paine will be wanting to know what happened."

"What about Meadows?" John inquired.

"Meadows is no longer your concern, John. Joseph's care, and getting this convict back to the big-house, is."

"What are you suggesting Badger?"

"I'm suggesting you take this convict back to prison now, and you make sure that Joseph gets proper doctorin'."

There was a short pause as the three men glanced at each other. John turned and looked at Matt Cory, then he walked up to Badger. "It's going to take a while to get back here."

"John, you get back to the river and take that steam boat up stream to a little community called Wallula Junction, from there you can follow the stage line to Walla Walla. If you leave soon, you should make it back by mid-day tomorrow."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to ride into Arlington. I'll take care of Sallie-May, and then I'll get me some grub."

"Then you'll wait for me?"

"No! John, don't come back here. You take care of what you need to take care of, and then you check on Levi and Kyle. I ain't waitin'.."

"Badger..."

"John you best be makin' hay."

Badger turned to walk over to Sallie-May,. The last time John Barnabus heard from Badger, was just before he was ready to ride out.

"John, you and Joseph, you take care"

Then the old mountain man smiled a wry smile and said, "Someone once told me, when the fiddler starts playing, it's time to dance. There are even those who say, the devil himself plays a fiddle. John, the way I see it, the fiddler's a playin'."

He turned and stepped into the saddle, after taking the reins, his voice lowered to a more personal tone.

"It's time for me and Bo Meadows, to settle what's between us."

Without another word, Badger turned Sallie-May towards Arlington.