Upon arrival at the BAR-O ranchhouse, the party found it to be nearly deserted save for Erastus, Bolton's negro cook, and old Sam Cummins, one of Bolton's oldest and most reliable cowhands. "Howdy Sam. Where's Joe?" inquired Moose.

"Hell, ya'll missed him by a couple of hours. When he heard what happened to Dan, he rounded up the rest of the boys what was handy and headed to town. Told me ta keep an eye on the place here." Cummins replied.

"How's the old man takin' it?" queried Shane.

"Well, when he first got the news, he sat down in that thar rocker with his head in his hands. Wouldn't say nary a word to nobody fer bout half an hour. Then he picked hisself up, went out to the bunkhouse and rounded up the boys that were there, cep fer me, and headed fer town, said he wuz gunna bury his boy an that's all." answered Cummins.

"You be careful Sam." Moose advised as they rode out toward Olsen's Falls.

"Not a right smart thing ta do, goin' off and leavin' only that old Sam and the cook to guard the house." remarked Tommy Mason.

"Hellfire! What other choice did he have?" retorted Brazos, "If he went to town alone he might just end up like his son. Leastways, he had enough of his wits about him ta figure that much out."

"Well, the sooner we hit town the better. Bolton's gonna need all the support we can give em." remarked Moose grimly.

******* At that moment, Joe Bolton was just riding into Olsen's Falls, and Morgan Tanner was sitting in a small two room adobe hut on the outskirts of the Mexican side of town across the table from a short, wiry Mexican with a scar across his cheek and an eye-patch over his left eye. The man was Emillio Esperanza, leader of the infamous Esperanza gang.

The Esperanza gang raided on both sides of the border, stealing stock and selling them where they could. They had also been known to supply the Comanches with guns and ammunition from time to time. Emillio was a sly and dangerous man, who had managed to evade the Texas rangers for many years. He'd rustled the M brand many times, and on one occasion, his brother-in-law had lead a rustling expedition there only to be caught by Brazos and the Mason brothers. A gun battle had ensued which had left his brother in law and six companions, dead. Brazos had strung up the bodies on the nearest grove of trees and simply left them there to the mercy of the buzzards and the elements as a testimony of the fate that would befall future rustlers.

Since that time, the Esperanza gang had sought easier prey, but a smoldering resentment still burned within the heart of Emillio. No one had ever treated him or his gang with such utter contempt and disrespect--and lived to tell about it. Though he feared little in life, he held a healthy respect for the Murdochs, remembering all too well Moose's rangering days, and the devastation Murdoch had wreaked upon many other border gangs.

Emillio was a patient man, and assured himself that in time, his chance for revenge would come. Though it had not yet arrived, it seemed as though that chance was rapidly approaching, and the rich Gringo across the table was the man who could make things happen for him.

"You know what to do then, Senor Esperanza?" asked Morgan Tanner.

"Si." was the outlaws simple reply.

Tanner shoved a handful of bills across the table and said, "There is half of it, the other half will be paid when you have completed your task. See to it that you do this muy pronto, and no foul-ups or I'll deny I've ever seen you and you will receive nothing more. Comprende?"

"Si. I already toll you, Emillio know what to do. Thees ees no prohblem. What Emillio weesh to know ees when do joo help Emillio to geet hees revenge for hees brother een law?" asked Esperanza?

"Soon my friend, soon. First things first though. Murdoch's not ready yet. We must wear him down some. But I promise you, that when the time comes, you will get your chance at Brazos Murdoch, and you can make him die as slowly as you like." said Tanner.

With that, both men rose to their feet, nodded, and left separately; Tanner out the front door, and Esperanza out the back. Unbeknownst to either of them however, was the fact that their clandestine meeting had been observed by Conchita Mireles, who had just finished catching up on her sleep, and whose house was adjacent to the hut.

She knew Emillio Esperanza and was terrified of him. The man was known to be a merciless killer, who loved to torture his victims in ways that would make the Apaches turn pale. She also knew that wherever Emillio Esperanza was, his bodyguard and protector, Angel de Muerte (Angel of Death), was likely not far away. Muerte (as he was commonly called) was the most feared gunman in Mexico. No one knew how many he'd killed, but his gunfights that were known of approached twenty. However, he'd dispatched many others with a knife, from ambush, and a few with his bare hands.

She debated whether or not to tell Logan of what she'd seen. She finally resolved not to do so. She knew Logan was good with a gun, but she also felt that he was no match for Muerte who was a dark legend in Mexico and around the Texas border as well. For Logan's safety as well as her own, she would simply put the incident out of her head and tell no one, at least for now.

Emillio rode out south from the Mexican section of Olsen's Falls. He soon neared a clump of Mesquite trees taller than a man on horseback. As he entered the grove, he was met by a group of around thirty horsemen led by a fierce looking man loaded down with guns and ammunition. Angel de Muerte stood about six-two, wore a mustache and the beginnings of a beard. At that moment, he was bare-chested except for a leather vest. He had two Colt 44s, one on each hip, and one Remmington 44 tucked into his waistband, and a machete strapped to his shoulder. There was a huge jagged gash across his left check from the time he had fought it out with a Comanche and had been tomahawked there. He still carried that Comanche's scalp attached to his saddlehorn.

Esperanza met him and gave them swift instructions in Spanish, and the group circled the town, then headed north, just missing Moose and his party by a couple of miles.

Their instructions were to hide out in Javalina Canyon about eight miles northeast of Olsen's Falls. They were to wait there until notified, and then hit the BAR-O ranch with everything they had. Tanner wanted them to wait until Joe Bolton and his men returned from town if possible, but if not, the Esperanza gang would wipe out whoever and whatever was there, and rustle the herd that even now, was being gathered for them by a group of twenty MT gunhands. However, they were to wait until further notification from Tanner before doing anything. Should Bolton decide to sell Tanner the ranch, then Tanner would get word to Esperanza and Bolton and his hands would be spared. However, Esperanza would still get the herd that the MT gunmen were gathering.

Emillio explained all of this to Muerte in Spanish. Muerte merely nodded in agreement. However, deep down inside, he hoped Bolton would refuse to sell. He was eager to kill and maim once again. The mere thought of which, aroused him in a way that even the most beautiful of women, never could. Nevertheless, he would obey Emillio's orders. Though Muerte was far more dangerous, it was Esperanza who was the leader of the gang for good reason. He was a far better tactician and planner, and both Muerte, and the rest of the gang well knew this. Were it not for Esperanza, most of them would have been hanged or killed long ago, and few of their raids would have been successful. Not only that, but several years back when Muerte was in his teens, Emillio and some of the gang had saved him from a group of Apaches who were in the process of torturing him to death. Muerte was and would be, loyal to Emillio Esperanza to the finish.

Regardless, the Esperanza gang stood to make a great deal of money from the cattle which already had a buyer who'd been located by one of Tanner's gunmen, Chico Portalis. This job, Muerte reasoned, would be easy. If Bolton refused to sell, it would also be fun. He smiled to himself in anticipation.

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