Although Captain Russell Fogg escaped, he himself was badly wounded, and he only had eight men left, including himself. Fortunately for him, they were his finest gunmen. Dain, Slade, Lomax, Slinger Hawk, Nighthawk, Dancing Jack Haylock, and his son Billy. Of all of these, Haylock was the only one wounded. His left arm was crippled by a bullet which had shattered it at the elbow. Captain Fogg, had been shot through the right lung and was in serious danger. He gave orders for Nighthawk and Dain to watch the ranch and report back to him on Tanner's activities. The rest, opted to chance it, and headed for Olsen's Falls. Captain Fogg had to get to a doctor, or he stood no chance of survival. The plan was to sneak in to the doctor's office, and if necessary, as Logan and Lancer had done earlier to Dr. Macdonald, kidnap Dr. Anders as soon as the doc had patched Captain Fogg up enough to ride.

The move was risky since there was no telling what the town's reaction would be, nor whether or not any of Tanner's men would make it back before Fogg could leave. Yet according to Nighthawk, it was unlikely that they'd run into any of Tanner's gunmen in town for at least a couple of hours after their arrival. Hopefully, that would be enough time. It would have to be, and they would simply have to take their chances with the townsfolk.

A couple of hours after they'd left, Nighthawk and Tyler Dain silently watched Tanner's badly depleted posse depart, heading north, toward the ranch. Satisfied for the moment, the two headed toward their own ranch, in order to ascertain what was left, neither, expecting much. * * *

As Tanner had entered the Glass Mountains, he ordered Terrell, Scurlock, Collins and Tyree, to head on into Olsen's Falls. He wanted to find out what had taken place there, and wished to know the temperament of the townsfolk. He himself, would return to the ranch and meet them in Olsen's Falls the next day. Should there be any trouble he needed to know about, they were to return to the ranch and inform him immediately. He was especially concerned about finding out what Ballard and Duane had done thus far, and how the townspeople were reacting to the accusations made by Moose Murdoch before their fight in the Boar's Head Saloon the previous day. * * *

It was nearing nine-thirty in the evening in the Town of Olsen's Falls, Texas. The good folk of the town were preparing for bed while the other part, those who thrived upon the night-life, were filling up the Saloons. Miners, seeking to erase the day's toils by drowning their sorrows in whiskey, the gamblers, who sought to relieve them of their hard earned pay, and the soiled doves, whose pay was earned largely upon their backs. The town although somewhat shaken from the events of the last few days, was anything but quiet.

Logan, Sheriff Ballard, and Lancer had straggled in some three hours ago. Their prisoner had died along the way unfortunately. Nevertheless, they had the body of Emillio Esperanza with them and all the townsfolk gathered around, eager for a glimpse of the feared Mexican desperado. It hardly seemed possible that he could be dead. The questions were hurled at the trio like stones. How? Where? Who killed Esperanza? What happened to Muerte. The task of explaining, Logan left to the loquacious duo of Lancer and Ballard who, although tired, were willing enough to recount the events in detail. No, Muerte's body was never recovered, there hadn't been time. Could he have survived? Not hardly, no man could have survived such a fall. Who killed Esperanza? It was hard to say, although both Lancer and Ballard could have sworn that they had seen Logan firing at him and him falling off his horse immediately after, Logan wasn't saying.

The fact was, Logan HAD, killed him. Nevertheless, the reason he wasn't admitting to it was not so much due to modesty, but due to the fact that he was disgusted with himself. They had intended to bring Esperanza back alive in hopes to get him to testify that Tanner had hired him. But during the chaotic fight, just as Logan had been drawing a bead on Esperanza's shoulder, his horse had bumped into another member of the posse's, and his aim had been thrown off just enough to kill Esperanza instantly.

It was true however, that even as his body had been tumbling to the ground, Esperanza had been hit by a number of other bullets, a couple, in and of themselves would have been fatal, had he not been dead already. Ballard and Lancer explained it to the crowd, much to Logan's chagrin. The crowd cheered him as a hero however, but Logan wanted no part of the reward money. He simply bid them good day, and retired to the hotel for a couple of hours. Ballard, and Lancer retired to the sheriff's office and barred the door, hanging up Sheriff Orr's old worn--and frequently employed, "Do not disturb, OR ELSE!" sign on the door, and appropriated a couple of cots, then promptly dozed off to sleep.

By now though, Logan had awakened, and was currently in the Boar's Head, nursing a beer and talking with Conchita Mireles and Bill Wyler at the bar attempting to satisfy their boundless curiosity by filling in the unanswered details concerning the events of the past few days.

A few blocks away, Doctor Edward Anders was nervously engaged in an attempt to save the life of one Captain Russell Fogg. Tuck Lomax and Slinger Hawk were trying to set Dancing Jack Haylock's left elbow. They were also trying to follow the Doctor's instructions which he offered now and then as he was working on the feverish Captain Fogg. Blackjack Slade had his gun upon Anders, needlessly, for the moment at least. All it seemed to be accomplishing was to make the doctor more nervous and his hands less steady.

Noting this fact, Lomax said, "Fer crying out loud, Slade, put the gun away fer now. Yer gonna make the doc so nervous he might kill the Cap'n!"

"Shut yer hole, Lomax, 'afore I shut it for ya! I'm just makin' sure he knows that if Captain Fogg don't make it, then the good doc ain't goin' to neither." Slade growled.

Overhearing the argument, Captain Fogg weakly ordered, "Put it away, Blackjack. He's doin' his best."

The fact was, Doctor Anders WAS doing his best, but had been shocked when Captain Fogg refused to allow himself to be administered any type of anesthesia. Fogg wished to remain as wide awake as possible, in the event that trouble should arise. Nevertheless, he soon passed out.

Billy Fogg lounged against the wall, a bored expression etched across his boyish features. Finally, he asked, "How long will he be out doc, and how soon can he travel?"

"Oh, It'll be at least another hour, but I would highly recommend against his traveling anywhere for a day or two at least!"

"Well doc, WE highly recommend that he DO! And you're goin' with us, so you'd best get that straight right damn quick!" Blackjack Slade snapped harshly.

"I can't! I have obligations here in town. Doctor Macdonald is still at the Murdoch Ranch and I'm the only doctor this town has at the moment!" Doctor Anders protested weakly.

"Doc, get this straight. We don't give a SHIT about your stinking town, or anybody in it. Matter of fact, I don't give a SHIT, about YOU-- unless you can save my paw. You're goin' with us, and if you don't. I'll shoot you through both kneecaps before we leave. And more'n that, when we do leave, if paw dies later, and I even think you didn't try hard as ya could ta save 'em, I'll get Nighthawk ta carve ya up worse than Muerte did that sheriff. Comprende?!" Billy Fogg threatened menacingly.

"I-I-I understand." Dr. Anders stammered fearfully.

"Damn straight ya do! Now, I'm goin' on over to the Boar's Head and spend about an hour with that puta, Conchita. I'll be back in one hour. By then doc, you'd better have Paw ready ta travel." Billy said.

Blackjack and Slinger looked at one another and shook their heads in disgust. Both figured it was a stupid and dangerous move on Billy's part. Either would have forced him to stay put, had he not been Captain Fogg's son, and had they not to some degree feared the boy's mentor, Tyler Dain, whom all four considered just about the fastest gunman in existence. Even Blackjack was not certain he could take Dain. Haylock, however, protested.

"Hell Billy, you know better'n that! Captain gave orders ta lay low, so's the town won't know we're here. You go out there an everybody will know!"

"Like hell they will, I'll sneak out like we come in, from the back door. An only thing they'll know is that I'm in town. Anyone asks, I'll tell 'em it's only me an they can be damned afore I'll tell 'em anything else. I'll be back in one hour. Anything goes wrong, leave without me. Paw's out cold, that leaves me in charge til he comes to, and them's my orders. See ya in an hour." Billy Fogg said as he exited out the back door.

"Little shit's gonna get us all killed one day." Lomax complained.

"Hell, why didn't one of ya stop 'em? You all know the Captain would have." Haylock asked in frustration.

"'Cause that would mean we'd maybe have ta go against his guardian angel, Dain." Lomax said sullenly.

"Shit, if anyone could, it would be one of you three, and I don't think Dain would risk swapping lead with any of ya just case ya smacked the pup inta line over somethin' this important." Haylock replied.

"I ain't afraid of Dain. I think I can take 'em, but I'd take lead for it, and I ain't gonna do it over the pup. I'd like as not have ta kill Billy just ta make 'em mind, what with the Captain out cold an all. That would let the town on ta us bein' here too, and then I'd have both the Captain and Dain after me. That's too much. I'd just as soon shoot my way out of town." Slinger Hawk said.

Haylock merely sighed, and the men became silent as they watched the doctor perform his precarious chore. * * *

Jesse Logan was still in conversation with Bill Wyler and Conchita Mireles when Billy Fogg, right hand still wrapped up in the same soiled bandages, sauntered cockily through the swinging doors of the Boar's Head. The crowd quieted somewhat for a moment as Billy swaggered directly over to Logan and Conchita.

"Well now, if it ain't Mr. chained-lightnin hisself. Hell Logan, Nighthawk told us all about how he had ta rescue you and that purty little blond filly from that big bad Muerte fella. Hell, had I been in yer boots, I'd of gotten loose, got me a gun and killed that ugly son-of-a-bitch myself!" Billy bragged.

Logan sighed and drawled sarcastically, "Yeah, yeah, we all know what a tough hombre you are Billy. No doubt you would have. You're just too damn smart and fast fer a greenhorn like Muerte."

Billy glared at Logan for a moment, not certain, but feeling like he had just, in a round about way, been insulted. "Damn straight, Logan, and don't you ferget it!" he snapped.

Grabbing Conchita's wrist roughly he ordered, "Wyler, gemme a bottle of yer best. Me an Connie here have some serious love-makin' ta catch up on fer the next hour."

Conchita stiffened, then pulled her wrist from his grasp and said, "No! Conchita ees beesy right now. Joo come back later Beelly Fogg."

"Hell, busy my ass. I can see you're just sittin' here talkin' with Logan, and he ain't payin' ya fer that. Hell, I've got money, get your purty little ass upstairs!" Fogg commanded, as he roughly seized her wrist once more.

"That's enough, Fogg. You heard the lady, she don't want to go. Leave her alone." Logan ordered, his gaze intensifying as his eyes bored steadily into Fogg's.

"You'd best stay out of my way, Logan, if ya know what's good fer ya." Fogg said.

"Billy, I respect your father, and consider Nighthawk a friend. Don't make me kill you." Logan replied.

Billy stepped back from the bar, then kicked over a nearby chair and said, "Mister, you couldn't out-draw me on your best day. Tyler Dain's faster than you, he told me so, and he taught me everthing he knows!"

"Boy, you ain't Tyler Dain. In fact, you'll never even amount to a wart on his ass! And right now, you're becoming a mighty big pain in mine. Get out of the saloon while you still can." Logan said.

"Be damned if I will!" cried Billy as he crouched low, then went for his gun.

Fogg's pistol cleared leather then discharged harmlessly into the floor as Logan's 44 slug plowed through the young man's heart. The gun slipped from Billy's lifeless fingers as he slumped to the floor.

Logan looked at Wyler and said, "Damn! I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. I just don't understand why he had to push it."

"Me neither, Jesse. But sure as hell now, Dain's gonna be gunnin' for ya." Wyler said.

"I know. But I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Right now, I'm heading back to the ranch. Too much killing for me the past few days. If I'm going to have ta face Dain, I want ta make sure I see Charlene first. Otherwise, I may never get the chance again. If I see 'em on the way out of town, I'll settle up then. If not, and you see 'em, let him know I ain't hiding, I'll be back. Take care Wyler." Logan said and tiredly walked through the swinging doors, mounted up, and rode out of town.

With his marriage to Charlene having not yet taken place, he hated to have such a gun battle looming over his head, especially, against Tyler Dain. He was tempted to grab Charlene and leave the territory. Tyler was too much for him if anyone was, and he instinctively knew it. Nevertheless, he quashed such thoughts. He had never run away from trouble in his life. He was not about to start now. Once a man started running, he could never stop. Pretty soon, he could never face himself in the mirror, let alone a wife or children. No, he would face Dain, if he had to, knowing full well that it would more than likely be his final gun battle. He prayed silently that Dain would understand that Billy had left him no other choice.

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