Several hours previous, Maggie Baldridge had arrived at home to find Charlene Lancer sleeping peacefully on her couch. After being awakened, Charlene explained the reason for her presence and the two women talked well into the night. Maggie, in turn, explained the reason that she had deliberately missed her husband's funeral, and Charlene had grimly smiled her approval as she listened to the story of Jones' demise.

They found that they had many similarities between them and soon became fast friends. Both loved horses, and the outdoors. Both had a streak of tomboy in them, and both knew how to handle weapons. Maggie however, had attempted to discard her back-woods mannerisms, and had tried her best to play the part of a lady. Yet she often slipped back into her mountain idiosyncrasies and speech. Even though she struggled to drive all traces of her upbringing from her speech and actions, she would never forget her roots and was beginning not to care what other people thought of them.

As it became late, Maggie invited Charlene to supper and then to stay over for the night. There was no sense in her having to ride off in the darkness. Charlene averred as to how she often rode alone at night and that the prospect didn't frighten her in the least. Nevertheless, Maggie would have none of it and Charlene finally gave in and stayed.

They were awakened early in the morning by the lowing of cattle and the sound of men driving them. Charlene knew that there ought not be any cattle being moved anywhere near there. Maggie and Roy owned a few head, but they were over two miles away, up in the mountains grazing. The cattle they heard, could not be more than a mile away, probably, considerably less. Charlene had risen from bed, dressed herself and then informed Maggie that she was going to have a look. Charlene was certain that the men she heard were rustlers. She told Maggie to wait there, but to keep her gun handy. Charlene said she'd be back as soon as she could, but that if she wasn't back within an hour, for Maggie to head out straight for the Murdoch Ranch and to tell Moose about it. Maggie had agreed, and Charlene left.

It wasn't difficult for Charlene to creep up close enough to identify the cattle without being seen. She noted that the men driving the cattle were mostly Mexican, and she managed to get close enough to some of the cattle to recognize the BAR-O brand by the light of the bright moon. "So that's it. Tanner had hired Esperanza to rustle from the BAR-O!" she thought angrily.

She quickly returned to the Baldridge place, dismounted, and went inside. She began explaining what she'd seen to Maggie. "So ya see, I have ta get back an tell Uncle Angus. Maybe we can get up some men and catch the rustlers before they get too far." She was saying as the door was smashed open and a voice said, "I no theenk that ees sush a goood idea. I theenk eet more better eef joo Se¤oritas come weeth us."

The speaker was Emillio Esperanza and right behind him stood the evil, terrifying figure of Angel de Muerte, smiling in anticipation. "Forgeef me for no eentroduceeng myself and mi compadre. My name ees Emillio Esperanza, and thees ees my freen who they call, Angel de Muerte. Eet no hees real name, but he no tell anyone what hees real name ees so we call heem Muerte."

Pointing to Charlene he said, "Joo, I know, guera. Senorita Charlene Lancer, Moose Murdoch's sobrina, no?"

"That's right, I'm his niece!" Charlene said, then thinking quickly, said, "This here's my sister Maggie, who's also Moose's niece."

The reason she lied was to protect Maggie. As far as she knew, she might have some value as a hostage for ransom because of who she was. Maggie Baldridge, on the other hand, would be seen as having no value and would no doubt be raped and abused repeatedly until they tired of her and killed her or made her into a camp slave of sorts.

Esperanza cocked his head to the side, squinted as he looked Charlene directly in the eye, then said, "Hmm. I hear of joor brother the pistolero, but Emillio no hear that joo haf a seester. She no look like joo. She no haf blondie hair." Esperanza remarked as he was looking at Maggie's dark auburn hair.

"She ain't blond-headed cause she's my HALF sister." Charlene lied.

"No problemo. We take joo both. Maybe joor uncle pay mucho dinero to geet joo both. Eef Emillio fine out that joo are lying, he cut out joor tongue an I geef the woman to my men. Comprende?"

"I understand." Charlene said resignedly.

The men then bound the women's hands behind their backs, put them on their horses, then led them away. "After we sell the cows, I seend a messeenger to joor uncle an tell heem to breeng mucho dinero eef he ever want to see joo alive again. Joo be good an Emillio treat joo like ladies. Eef joo geef Emillio any trouble, I let my men treat joo like putas for a leetle while." Emillio explained.

If they had any doubts as to the truthfulness of his words, they were quickly dispelled when, glancing around them, both women noticed the leering, drooling, lust-filled visages of the men surrounding them. The thought of being used as whores by such men was terrifying and sickening. Yet both women, put on a bold front and displayed no outward signs of fear.

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