Few people filled the streets as Lou McCloud made her way up the steps to the Bank of Sweetwater. She had gone to the bank to deposit some money. Lou's brother Jeremiah, and sister Theresa were in an orphanage in St. Joseph, Missouri and she was saving the money with hopes of returning for them some day and starting a new life with them. She regretted having to leave them in an orphanage, but with their mother dead, and their father gone, she had no way to care for them. Disguising herself as a boy, she took a job with the Pony Express at the Way Station in Sweetwater. It wasn't until The Kid, a fellow rider, who was taking care of her after she had been shot, had discovered that she was a girl, did any of them know. But her father had shown up one day and changed all that. Now all of them, except for Teaspoon Hunter, the man in charge of the Way Station, knew her gender. They had all agreed to keep it a secret, fearing that she would loose her job if Teaspoon found out that she was really a girl.

"Morning Mr. Witherspoon." Lou said politely as she closed the door behind her. Daniel Witherspoon was busy writing something down in a ledger when he looked up and saw the Pony Express rider standing at the counter.

"Good morning Lou. What can I do for you today?"

"Came to deposit some money. I know it ain't much, but I guess every little bit helps."

"It certainly does. Before you know it you'll have a nice little sum tucked away." He replied taking the five dollars from her hand. Just as he was writing down the transaction in his ledger, the door burst open, and two men with bandannas over their faces entered.

"Nobody move. Do as I say and you won't get hurt." Bart Davis said as he pointed his pistol at the banker. His partner, Aaron Mitchell, tossed a leather bag on to the counter.

"We'd like to make a withdrawal sir." Said Aaron sarcastically.

Nervously, Witherspoon began stuffing bills in to the leather bag. Lou wanted desperately to stop the men but with a gun pointed in her direction, there was nothing she could do.

"You won't get away with this." Daniel said shoving the bag across the counter.

Before Aaron or Bart could utter a reply, their attention was shifted to the sound of the doorknob being turned. All eyes focused on the door as George McKinley, a local farmer entered the bank. Seeing the two robbers with guns pointed, he stopped suddenly and raised his hands in the air to show that he wanted no trouble.

In an instant, Bart's gun was against Lou's head as he wrapped his free arm around her, holding her against him. She trembled inside, knowing that one foolish move could end her life forever. Lou would have been at the bank earlier, but she had stopped to help Ike with one of his chores at the station. It had only been ten minutes that she had spent helping him, but that ten minutes would have gotten her to the bank earlier, before the robbers arrived.

"Take them through that door and tie 'em both up." Bart knew that the men would be free as soon as another customer arrived and heard their pleas for help. "Cover their mouths good so's they can't yell." He decided that they could use some insurance in case anyone came looking for them.

"You're coming with us boy. We're gonna walk out that door nice and easy and I don't want to hear a sound out of you. Don't try nothin' funny or you'll be a lot worse off than your friends here."

"Got 'em tied up real good Bart. We best get out of here before somebody else shows up." Aaron said as he headed towards the door. Lou could feel the gun in the small of her back as Bart pushed her forward.

"Remember what I said boy. No funny business or you won't live to tell folks what happened."

Lou didn't say a word as they casually made their exit from the bank. Two horses, one a black mare, the other an auburn colored gelding, were tied to the hitching post outside. Bart gestured to Lou, indicating that she was to get on first. He then placed his foot in the stirrup and climbed up behind her. The three rode off without attracting any attention.

"Rider coming!" He heard Jimmy yell, as Kid hoisted himself up on his horse and grabbed the leather mailbag from the rider that sped passed him. Cody was tired and hungry as he climbed down from his horse. It was early afternoon and the other riders were busy finishing up chores.

"Emma around? I sure am starved." He asked looking over at Buck who was fixing a step on the porch.

"She's inside." He replied as Cody leaped up the steps, almost undoing the work that Buck had done. Cody burst through the door, to see Emma working over the stove.

"Heard you coming Cody. Got some leftovers from lunch. They're heatin' right now." Emma said as she smoothed the apron she was wearing.

"Smells mighty good Emma. I had the best tastin' duck when I was on the trail, but I don't think it could compare to your cookin'"

"Why Cody, are you tryin' to flatter me?" Emma asked with a smile.

"Just telling the truth is all." He replied removing his hat and taking a seat at the table.

About a half-hour had passed before another customer entered the Sweetwater Bank. Dorothy Bates was a widow who lived in a large house on the North edge of town. Her husband Edgar had died of tuberculosis two years earlier, but had left her a sizeable nest egg to live off of.

"Mr. Witherspoon?" She called out not seeing anyone around.

Hearing muffled sounds, she opened the door and was stunned at what she saw. Daniel Witherspoon and George McKinley were tied up and lying on the floor.

"Oh my lord, what happened?" She asked incredulously. The two men went on to explain how they had been robbed and the men had escaped taking one of the Pony Express riders with them as a hostage.

"George, run to the Marshal's office and get Sam." He said rubbing his wrists where the rope had been tied. George was out the door in a flash, running down Main Street to the Marshal's office. Sam was sitting behind his desk with his legs propped up on it as George came bursting in.

"Bank's been robbed Marshal Cain. Two men, 'bout a half hour ago. Took Lou McCloud with 'em. Tied me and Witherspoon up so's we couldn't get help."

With those words, Sam jumped up from his chair, grabbed his hat and took off out the door.

"Ride out to the Way Station and let Teaspoon Hunter know." Sam yelled as he mounted his horse. Riding down the street he stopped in front of the saloon. Johnny Nelson was standing outside with a young female employee named Nellie Cooper. The two were laughing as Marshal Cain approached them.

"Afternoon Marshal Cain." Nellie gave him a smile, looking him up and down.

"Nellie, Johnny." The marshal greeted them quickly, and got right down to business.

"The bank was robbed about a half hour ago. Two men did it. They took a hostage, Lou McCloud, one of the Express riders. Didn't happen to see anything did ya?"

"No sir Marshal Cain. Nellie and I were, well you know, occupied. Just stepped outside for some fresh air." Johnny replied.

"Thanks anyway. I'm gonna need a posse if you're interested Johnny."

"You bet, Marshal." With that remark he kissed Nellie on the cheek.

"I'll be back before you know it." He said following Sam in to the Saloon.

A number of tables were occupied while several men sat at the bar. A lively tune could be heard from the piano in the corner. Suddenly the music stopped, and everyone's attention was on Sam. "There's been a hold up at the bank. Took place about half an hour ago. There were two men and they took Lou McCloud as a hostage. I need a posse, as many men as I can get." Not all of the men knew who Lou was but voices were heard explaining that she was a rider for the Pony Express. Of course the men all assumed that Lou was a male. Shouts of agreement were heard as a number of men rose from their seats and gathered in front of Sam.

"Did anyone see anything, or anybody ridin' out of town?" Would have been three people, most likely two horses." Sam asked gazing around the room.

"Come to think of it, I did see some horses ridin' pretty fast when I came out of the Barber Shop. Didn't know why they were in such a hurry, but I guess I didn't worry about it too much." Zeke Lawson said, downing the last of his beer.

"Which way were they headed Zeke?" Sam asked, eyeing the man.

"Looked like they were headed towards the old Kinsey place. Can't say for sure, but that direction anyway." Zeke replied.

Ike was chopping some wood, when he heard the hoofbeats of the approaching rider. Putting the axe down, he hurried over to George as he climbed down from his horse.

"Teaspoon around?" George asked as Ike pointed to the barn.

"The bank's been robbed. Lou was in there when it happened. They took him hostage."

Teaspoon was busy putting away some tools when he heard the men rush in to the barn. Ike quickly flashed some signs but Teaspoon couldn't keep up with him.

"Slow down Ike. I can't understand a word you're saying."

Ike motioned for McKinley to tell the story. He related the details of how the bank had been robbed, and he and Daniel Witherspoon had been tied up and gagged, while the two men escaped with Lou as a hostage.

"Marshal Cain's roundin' up a posse right now."

"Well I'm sure he can use all the men he can get. Saddle up Ike, I'll get the rest of the boys and be back in a flash."

Teaspoon hurried into the house. Jimmy and Buck were playing cards at the large Walnut table, while Cody had retired to the bunkhouse to get some sleep.

"There's been some trouble in town." He told the boys. "Banks been robbed and they took Lou as a hostage."

Emma stopped what she was doing, eyes wide with fright. "Oh Lord." was all she could say.

"Looks like we won't be around for supper." Teaspoon said giving her a worried look.

The boys needed no further instructions as they ran out the door and headed to the bunkhouse. Cody, not happy at being awakened, changed his tune when the two related the details of the bank robbery. Climbing down from the bunk, he dressed hurriedly and fastened his gun belt around his waist. Quickly, they gathered up a few supplies, including extra ammunition and headed back out the door. Teaspoon, George, and Ike were waiting impatiently on their horses. The others mounted and in a flash they were gone.

The two outlaws rode hard, trying to put as much distance between them and Sweetwater as they could. They were headed west, not really knowing what their destination was.

"I say we head south, into Kansas territory." Aaron suggested.

"Towns are sproutin' up all over down there. With all this money we could find ourselves a nice little town, far away from here and set up a business." Replied Bart.

"Us working for a livin'?" Aaron chuckled at the thought of them actually doing honest work. "One thing I like about you Bart, you're always good for a laugh."

Lou was hungry, but she didn't figure the men were going to stop until they had gotten far away from the area. She had no Idea what the men were going to do with her, but was thankful that they didn't know she was a girl. Teaspoon was a pretty smart man, she reasoned, and if he couldn't figure it out, then she didn't think they would either. Turning south, they rode until sundown. A gentle rain began to fall as they hurried to find shelter.

Teaspoon and his boys rode up to the group of men that were assembled in front of the saloon.

"What's your plan Sam?" Teaspoon asked impatiently.

"Zeke says he saw two men riding fast out of town earlier. Could be them. Says they were headed towards the old Kinsey place." Sam informed them.

"Lets go!" Jimmy ordered. "Ain't gonna find Lou sittin' around here."

With that command, the posse took off. The men rode silently, only speaking when the need arose. Within a short time, they approached the abandoned farmhouse which had belonged to Joe Kinsey.

"Looks like rain movin' in." Cody said pointing toward the west. Rain was not a good thing. It would wash away any tracks that the robbers had left, making it difficult for the posse to find them. They continued to follow the trail as best they could. After riding for about ten miles, the rain set in.

"What do we do now Sheriff?" One of the men asked.

"Guess we'll have to split up, since we don't know which way they went from here. We'll meet back here tomorrow at dawn.. If you find them, fire off a shot if you're able to."

There were eight men in the posse, along with Sam, and the Pony Express gang. Four of them men headed North, the other four headed west, and the Pony Express gang headed south. Sam took off in his own direction, circling the area.

The outlaws had found a small clearing behind some woods off to the left. They made camp under a grove of large maple trees, the leaves partially sheltering them from the rain. Lou was cold, tired, and hungry. She said nothing as they bound her wrists and ankles with rope.

"Wish we could make a fire but the Sheriff's probably out lookin' for us. Good thing it started rainin'. They'll never be able to follow us now. We'll be clear into Kansas and they won't know where we are." Aaron said laughing.

"Yep, looks like things are going our way for a change." Bart added as he wrapped his blanket around his shoulders.

Lou knew that Sam would be out searching with a posse, and of course the riders would be looking too. There was no question about that. When one of them was in trouble, they all got together and did what had to be done. But how would they find her? The rain had surely washed away all of the tracks by now. If only she could leave some kind of a sign along the trail. Something that would tell them she had been through the area.

"I'm a rider for the Pony Express. People'll be lookin' for me and they won't stop until they find me. I won't say anything if you let me go." She thought maybe the men might let her go if she agreed not to say anything. She was wrong. Suddenly Aaron was holding a gun in her face.

"You're just sayin' that so we'll let you go. We ain't stupid, if that's what you think. You just keep your mouth shut boy. When we want you to tell us something we'll ask you. You understand?" He asked pointing the loaded gun at her.

Lou nodded her head to indicate that she understood exactly. The men, exhausted, laid down to rest, while Lou sat awake pondering the situation. Her hands and ankles were tightly bound, offering her no chance to get out of the ropes. The men snored loudly as they fell into a deep sleep. Finally, exhaustion taking over her, Lou drifted off to sleep herself.

Teaspoon led the boys down a well-traveled path. It was dark but a full moon gave them plenty of light. They searched every nook and cranny in the area but could find no clues. A gentle rain continued on through the night. The gang knew they wouldn't find any tracks and decided to stop and rest for awhile. They were wet, tired, and most of all frustrated at not being able to find Lou. Only a few hours of darkness remained. They slept lightly as the gentle rain provided a soothing sound.

At dawn, Sam was waiting on the rest of the party to return. Zeke and his men showed up minutes later, and the men that rode with Jonas Blake arrived soon after.

"Ain't seen hide nor hair of anybody, Sheriff." Zeke said, thankful that the rain had stopped.

"We'll wait 'til Teaspoon and the others get here. Maybe they found something."

About a half an hour had passed when Teaspoon and the Express Riders came in to sight.

"Any luck?" Jimmy asked.

"Not a bit. They got a head start on us, but they couldn't have gotten that far. We'll spread out again and see what we can come up with." Sam replied.

The men took off in different directions, hoping to find some sort of a clue. The riders headed south again, but after about five miles, they turned west. After riding a ways they found another barely worn path on the left, and they decided to try it. No path would be left untraveled as far as they were concerned. The path was full of obstacles but they made their way down it without much of a problem. After going about ten miles, Teaspoon, in the lead, spotted something on the ground up ahead. When he came upon the object, he brought his horse to a halt, and climbed down from it.

"Find something Teaspoon?" Cody asked, climbing down from his horse too.

"It's a lady's handkerchief." He replied in a disappointed tone of voice. It was Lou's. Of course Teaspoon wouldn't think it was Lou's because he still believed that she was a boy, and a boy certainly wouldn't have a woman's handkerchief. Suddenly Ike started making frantic signs. He recognized the handkerchief as Lou's, but how would he and the other riders explain to Teaspoon that it was her's.

Buck read the frantic signs that Ike was giving them and translated to the others who weren't watching.

"Ike says it's Lou's. Says he showed it to him one time. It was his mother's. One of the few things he has left of hers. He carries it around with him because it makes him feel close to her."

"Ike, you're sure this belongs to Lou?" Teaspoon asked.

"Positive." Ike signed back. "He told me his mother loved Roses, pink ones. I remember what it looked like; just like this one."

"That's his alright." Cody added. "Saw him with it one time; Thought he had himself a girl, 'til he told me who it belonged to."

"It's a sign." Jimmy said as he held the handkerchief in his hand. "Lou must have dropped it hoping that one of us would recognize it. Why else would it be here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Jimmy, you just may be on to something." Teaspoon said, climbing back up onto his horse. "I say we follow this path and see where it leads us."

Lou hated giving up her handkerchief. Kid had given it to her and it meant so much. He knew that she was getting restless, dressing like a boy all the time. She wanted to dress more like a girl, to wear dresses and have pretty things like the women she saw in town. He had hoped that it would ease her restlessness somewhat. As much as she hated leaving it on the trail, she knew it was her only hope of giving the riders a clue as to her whereabouts. Luckily, neither one of the men had noticed as she slipped her hand in her back pocket and quickly slid it out.

Coming to a small stream, they decided to stop and water the horses. Bart untied Lou's hands so that she could get a drink. Her hands were free, and she wished that there was something she could do, but it was two against one, and she had no weapons. She waited until the men were looking the other way. Slowly she inched farther away from the men and made a run for it. Bart turned around and saw her running away.

"He's gettin' away!" Bart yelled.

Lou turned her head to look back and in that instant her foot got caught on a tree root sticking out of the ground. She tumbled to the ground, hitting her head on a small rock. Darkness flooded her mind as she lay there. Aaron and Bart stooped down to examine her and realized that she was unconscious. About a half an hour had passed before she came to.

"Where am I?" Lou asked with a puzzled look on her face. This got the men's attention and they quickly turned their heads towards her. They figured that she was just disoriented from the fall but soon found out that it was more than just that.

"Where am I? Who are you?" She asked again, giving the men a cautious glance.

"You really don't know where you are?" Bart asked laughing.

"No, I don't. How did I get here? And who are you?" Lou wanted to know.

"Why, you're in Kansas boy." Aaron replied.

"What am I doin' in Kansas? How did I get here?"

"My buddy and I found you wonderin' on the trail a few miles back. Said you came down from Nebraska territory." Bart replied.

"Nebraska?" Lou asked. Suddenly she panicked. She couldn't remember being in Nebraska, or wondering on the trail. She couldn't even remember her own name. Her hand felt a trickle of warm blood running down the side of her face. She looked at the blood on her fingertips.

"I'm bleedin'"

"Had a little accident. You hit your head on a rock. Knocked you out for a spell." Aaron filled her in on the details of her fall.

"I don't remember anything. Don't remember Nebraska or bein' on the trail. Don't even know where I'm goin'. Did I tell you where I was headed?" Lou asked frantically.

"Settle down boy. You told us your name was Johnny and you run away from an orphanage. Said you might as well stick with us 'til you figure out where you're gonna go." Aaron told her.

"I don't remember anything. 'Specially about bein' in no orphanage. Must have hit my head pretty hard on that rock." Lou, not remembering anything, took the men's word for it. She had no other choice at the moment.

"We best be gettin' along." Bart said as he stood up.

The threesome mounted their horses and resumed their journey. They rode for another twenty miles, turning west again. After a short time, they began to see scattered farmhouses in the distance. The town of Prairie View was nearby.

"Hows about we stop in town and get us something to eat? Nobody'll know who we are." Aaron asked, hoping that Bart would agree with him.

"We can stop, but not for too long." Bart warned.

Prairie View was a small town, but growing everyday. They found a saloon as they rode down the main street and rode up to the hitching post in front of it. Tying their horses to the post, they entered through the swinging doors. Picking a secluded table, they sat down to rest. Within seconds, the bartender was at their table.

"What can I get for you fellas?" He asked politely.

"You serve food here?" Aaron asked, thinking that he smelled the aroma of meat cooking.

"We do. Got pork roast today, peas, potatoes and gravy, and homemade buttermilk biscuits."

Bart's mouth watered as the bartender rattled off the menu to them.

"Three plates, and two mugs of beer. A sasparilla for the boy here." He said as the bartender called out to a young girl named Lucy. He gave her the order and then went behind the bar to fill their mugs. Minutes later, Lucy arrived at their table with three steaming plates of food.

Lou was ravenous, having not eaten since lunch the day before. The three wolfed down their food quickly. At a nearby table, several men were involved in a poker game. Aaron looked over and saw two of the men stand up. He overheard one of them say that he had been cleaned out. The two men turned and left the saloon. The remaining man was well dressed, giving the outlaws the impression that he was well to do.

"Can I interest you gentlemen in a game of cards?" Samuel Horn studied the men carefully. They didn't look like they had much money, but appearances could be deceiving. Little did he know that the men carried a large sum of money on them. Money that was taken from the Sweetwater Bank just twenty four hours ago.

Bart didn't see any harm in taking a little time to enjoy themselves. After all, they had ridden hard, trying to get away from Sweetwater, and they deserved it. And now they could breath easier knowing that Lou didn't remember anything. She couldn't give them away so they were safe.

"I think we can spare some time mister." Bart answered, nudging Lou on the arm. The three rose and walked over to the large round table.

"Samuel Horn." The man said introducing himself. The outlaws didn't want to give their real names so Bart, quickly thinking, made up names.

"I'm Jed, and this here's my brother Ezra. The young one's an orphan boy we took in awhile back. Name's Johnny."

Samuel began dealing the cards as he motioned for the bartender to bring a round of drinks to the table. Bart and Aaron were cautious about betting too much money. They didn't want anyone to know that they were carrying a large amount of cash on them. They started out winning the first few hands. Then their luck took a turn for the worse. Samuel had won the next five hands straight, quickly depleting the men's cash to just a small sum.

"You men aren't looking for work are you?" Samuel asked, studying his cards.

"No sir. We're headed down to Texas. Never been there before but we been told there's lots of opportunity down there." Bart replied, tossing five dollars into the pot.

"I own a ranch east of town and I need some ranch hands. Thought you men might be interested, but since you're headed to Texas, guess you won't be." Samuel raised the pair another twenty dollars. He knew the men had lost all their money on the table, but wondered if they might have more stashed away.

"Guess you cleaned us out Mr. Horn. Don't look like we can match your twenty dollars." Aaron said.

The two men had been trying to decide what they were going to do with Lou. They had taken her with them to use as a hostage, in case anyone caught up with them, but so far they had been lucky. No one had been able to find them. Bart didn't want to keep her around, since he had no use for her, and he figured that sooner or later they would have to get rid of her. He didn't know how long her memory lapse would last and he wanted to be far away when she regained it. Suddenly an idea popped into his head. Horn had said he was looking for ranch hands. They could wager the boy, he thought, and if they lost, their problem would be solved. Horn would take Lou with him and she would be stuck on his ranch.

"Ain't got no more money Mr. Horn, but we got this here boy we can use. Met up with him along the trail a ways back and he just kinda stayed with us. He's a hard worker, and strong for his age. With some discipline he might just turn out to be a good ranch hand for you. Course, he's a feisty one, and might just try to run away so you'd better keep a close eye on him."

Samuel thought for a minute, before agreeing to accept Lou as part of the wager.

"Alright, the boy it is." He replied, eyeing Lou carefully.

Bart only had a pair of jacks, but he saw that Aaron had a full house as he laid his cards on the table. He was disappointed, thinking that Aaron might win, and they would be stuck with Lou.

To his delight though, Samuel Horn's hand consisted of a strait which beat Aaron's full house.

"Looks like I win again. Well, son, I guess you have yourself a new home."

Lou supposed it didn't much matter since she believed the story that the men told her about her being a runaway orphan. She didn't have any place else to go so she went along with it. The two outlaws stood and said their farewells. Samuel bid them goodbye and took a frightened Lou by the arm. She had only just met the man and didn't know anything about him.

"We'll be heading back to the ranch now. Once we get there I'll have Sadie find you some clean clothes and show you to the bunkhouse. Doesn't look like you've had much to eat lately. But don't worry, Sadie's cooking will plump you up in no time." Samuel said, leading Lou towards the swinging doors.

The riders traveled on, hoping to find another clue. They were able to follow the tracks now which made things easier for them. They came to an intersection of a well traveled road and in the distance ahead, they saw a wagon coming. As the wagon neared them, they could see a middle aged man and his wife, with three children peeking out from inside the wagon. The man nervously brought the wagon to a stop.

"Afternoon." The man said tipping his hat to the strangers.

"Afternoon yourself." Teaspoon replied nodding to the couple. "We're looking for a couple of men. The tracks show they came this way recently. Had a boy with 'em. Seen anybody come through here fittin' that description?" Teaspoon asked.

The middle aged man replied. "Saw a couple of horses pass through here a short time ago. They were traveling pretty fast. Didn't get a look at them cause they were too far away. Looked like there were two horses. Could've been the boy was riding on one of the men's horses. They were headin' south."

The path on the other side of the road looked as if it had been well traveled, compared to what they had been on.

"Much obliged to ya." Teaspon said nodding in thanks. The riders rode on. A feeling of elation was starting to overcome them. Finally, some clues that could help them.

Lou's eyes widened when she saw the large house in the near distance. She couldn't recall seeing a house that big before, but then she couldn't recall anything at the time.

"That's my house up ahead." Samuel informed her. "I own all this land around here. We'll get you fed and see about getting you some more clothes."

The wagon pulled up in front of the large house as a young black woman stepped out on to the porch. Samuel stepped down and Lou followed, a bit apprehensive.

"This here's Johnny. He'll be working for me. See that he's fed a good meal, and see what you can do about getting him some more clothes. This appears to be the only set he has."

"Yes sir Mr. Horn." Saidie replied as she took Lou by the hand and led her up the steps. When they entered the house, they walked down a hallway as Lou's eyes took everything in. Reaching the kitchen, Sadie motioned for Lou to have a seat at the table. Cutting up some vegetables and left over beef, Sadie added them to a small pot along with some gravy. She placed the pot on top of the stove to cook. Surprisingly, Lou was hungry again. The aroma filled her nostrils as she impatiently waited for the food to be done. Finally, Sadie filled a bowl with the steaming concoction and placed it in front of her. She sliced off a large chunk of fresh baked bread and handed it to Lou, who ate greedily.

"Got some old clothes, belonged to my son Robert. I think they'll fit you just fine." Sadie said taking the bowl from the table.

"What happened to your son ma'am?" Lou asked curiously.

"Died last year of pneumonia. He was about your age. Handsome boy, and a hard worker too. I had such hopes for him."

Sadie paused for a moment, and then rose from the table.

"I best get this kitchen cleaned up 'fore Mr. Horn comes in here."

Lou thought she noticed a tear streaming down Sadie's face as she turned away. The loss of her son must have been hard on her she thought. When Sadie was done in the kitchen she motioned for Lou to follow her. They walked up the long staircase and Sadie led her in to the room that she occupied. An old trunk sat against the wall, covered by a beautiful quilt made from a variety of patterns.

"My mama made this quilt. It's the only thing I have left of hers."

"It's very pretty ma'am." Lou said. Opening the chest, Sadie pulled out a pile of clothing and handed it to Lou.

"Why don't you put on something clean and I'll wash the clothes you got on."

"Yes ma'am." Lou responded.

"Come down stairs when you're finished and we'll go find Mr. Horn." Sadie said as she left the room.

Teaspoon and the riders began to see houses in the distance and knew they were approaching a town. Things had definitely changed Teaspoon thought. He hadn't been this far south in a long time and areas that once were deserted now flourished with towns. They passed a church on the right, and reading the sign in front of it they discovered they were entering a town called Prairie View.

"Wonder if they're here." Jimmy said, scoping out the town.

"They may have stopped for a bit, but it's not likely that they stayed. They gotta figure there's a posse out searchin' for 'em." Teaspoon responded. "We'll ask around town and find out if anyone's seen 'em."

They rode up to the livery stable as a young man was leading a horse outside.

"Was wondering if you could help us out sir." Cody asked as the man turned to see the group of riders reign up in front of the building.

"What can I do for ya?" The young man asked, making sure the saddle on his horse was secure.

"We're looking for some men." Jimmy added. New in town. There's two of 'em. One's got dark hair and a beard; the other's got sandy colored hair. They've got a boy with 'em, dark hair and glasses. Seen anybody around like that today?" He asked with great anticipation.

The young man thought for a moment and then replied. "Can't say as I have."

The riders were disappointed. They were hoping that the man could tell them something, but he knew nothing.

"What next?" Buck asked.

"I know we gotta find Lou, but my stomach's been growlin' for awhile now. Any chance we can grab a bite to eat? I don't function well on an empty stomach."

"Yeah Cody, I suppose we ought to. Looks like there's a little restaurant down the street there." Teaspoon replied turning his horse around. The other riders followed him as he trotted down the main street. Abby's restaurant was a small place, but quaint. The gang seated themselves at a round table near the door. A young girl of about sixteen made her way over to the table.

"Hello" She greeted the men with a smile.

"Hello yourself." Teaspoon answered. The riders gave their orders and waited impatiently for their meals. After what seemed like forever, the young girl and an older woman returned to the table with steaming plates of food.

"I apologize for the wait, but my cook is a little under the weather today. Just me and Mary here."

Abigail was a tall slender woman, with golden hair wrapped neatly into a bun at the nape of her neck. She had opened the restaurant only a year ago and it was already a big success. The town was growing, and the only other place to get a meal was at the saloon. She had thought it would be nice to have a place where a family could go. Mary was the youngest child, the other two had married and moved away. With plenty of time on her hands she had decided to open a business.

The riders ate heartily, downing the roast beef and ham with nods of approval. When Abby made her way back to the table to see if there was anything else they needed, Teaspoon decided to ask if she had seen the men and Lou.

"We're looking for some people and we were wondering if maybe you saw them around today. Two men and a boy. The men robbed the bank up in Sweetwater, and took the boy hostage."

"No one's been in here like that. Like I said, it's just me and Mary today so we've both been in here all day. Sorry I can't help you."

"Guess we'll be on our way then. Teaspoon said, handing her some money to pay for the meals.

"Now what do we do?" Jimmy asked

"Maybe we ought to check the saloon." Buck suggested.

Everyone nodded in agreement as they turned their horses and headed back down the street.

The Black Stallion saloon was quiet as they entered through the swinging doors. Only a few patrons were in there as the Express gang made their appearance. Joe, the bartender, had taken over for Terrance McGraw, who had been tending bar earlier in the day. Terrance owned the saloon and frequently worked in it. He had some errands to run and had asked Joe to cover for him for a spell.

"Can I get you fellas a drink?" Joe asked inspecting the newcomers.

"No thanks. We're not here for drinking mister. We're looking for a couple of men that had a boy with them. Thought they might have stopped in here. One of the men has dark hair with a beard, and the other was sandy colored. The boy has dark hair and wears glasses. Seen anybody that fits that description?" Teaspoon asked, hoping that they would get some good news.

"Haven't seen anybody like that. You men seen anybody like that in here?"

The men nodded their heads indicating that they hadn't seen anyone like that either.

Teaspoon shook his head in despair. He had no idea what they were going to do next. Tipping his hat to the bartender, he turned and headed towards the door. The others followed suit.

"What do we do now Teaspoon?" Jimmy asked.

"I don't know Jimmy. Maybe they didn't come here. Would make sense if they were trying to avoid bein' seen."

"I say we head East. We've gone West and South, and I have a feeling that east is the direction we should go in." Buck had a feeling that the outlaws had gone in that direction. He didn't know why, it was just a feeling he had.

"I guess it can't hurt." Teaspoon replied. The group headed east, hoping for another clue.

Sam and his posse decided to head back to Sweetwater. He knew Emma would be worried and he wanted to get back to her. Teaspoon and the express riders were probably still out looking and he figured that they wouldn't stop until they found Lou. Riding fast and hard, they finally saw Sweetwater in the distance.

"Thanks for your help men. I'm sure Teaspoon and the riders are still out there searching. If Lou's out there, they'll find him. I need to ride out to the Way Station but don't stray too far 'cause I may need you again."

The men tipped their hats to the Marshal and rode off. Sam turned his horse around and rode out to the Way Station. Hearing a rider approach, Emma Shannon opened the front door and stepped out on to the porch. Seeing that it was Sam, she raced down the steps and into his arms.

"Did you find Lou?" She asked anxiously.

"No." Sam said somberly. "But Teaspoon and the boys are still out there looking. They'll find him. Don't worry Emma, everything's going to turn out alright." Emma rested her head on Sam's chest. She wished she could believe him. She wanted to believe him, but something told her that Lou was in danger. It might have just been women's intuition, but whatever it was, it was there.

"Come in. I'll fix you something to eat. You must be exhausted." Emma said taking Sam by the hand and leading him up the steps.

After Lou changed clothes, she returned to the kitchen to find Sadie.

"They're a little big, but they'll do." Sadie said, eyeing the boy that stood in front of her. "We best find Mr. Horn. Come along."

The pair headed out the back door and down a path to a large barn. Lou could hear screams coming from the barn.

"We best wait outside 'til Mr. Horn's done." Sadie gave her a warning look. After a few minutes, Samuel Horn emerged from the barn.

"Come with me Johnny and I'll show you where the ranch hands stay."

Lou followed him cautiously as they approached a building at the end of the path. The building was deserted as they made their way inside. All of the ranch hands were busy working in one location or another.

"This is where you'll stay. You can have this bunk right here." Samuel pointed to a top bunk on the far side of the room.

"Yes sir." Lou responded. Suddenly she heard hoofbeats approaching. Samuel opened the door to find Luke Sanders riding up.

"We got the fence fixed on the North side and Joe and Pete found two of the horses that were stray."

Luke Sanders was a large, muscular man with several days growth on his face. He had worked for Samuel Horn for three years. It was hard work but the pay was decent, and he had a roof over his head and three meals a day so he couldn't complain. Samuel Horn was an honest man who treated his hands fair, but if anyone ever cheated him, they would have the devil to pay. He remembered the night that Jack Harper had tried to sneak away with several of the ranch's finest horses. One of the other hands had spotted him and alerted the others to what was going on. When Samuel found out, he made sure that Jack was punished. Twenty-five lashes across the back. That was enough to teach the other hands a lesson. Once they saw what would happen to them, there were no more incidents like that one. Jack was forced to leave on foot and no one ever heard from him again. Luke wondered where he was at and what he was doing, when his attention was averted to the boy that was standing next to Samuel.

"Luke, this here is Johnny. We met in town this afternoon and he's going to be working for me. I want you to take him back out with you and show him the ropes. I've been told he's a good worker, although he is a bit on the thin side."

"He'll stay that way if he has to eat Billy's cooking." Luke said with a chuckle. Samuel gave Luke a half smile, then motioned him off to the side.

"Keep a close eye on the kid. He belongs to me now and I don't want him getting away."

"Sure thing Mr. Horn." Luke replied. The pair headed over to the coral and Luke picked out a young mare for Lou to ride. There were still a few good hours before sundown and there was plenty of work to be done.

Teaspoon and the Express riders decided to split up. They could cover more territory this way.

"We'll meet back here at sundown." He told them. The riders took off in different directions, with Jimmy heading north, Buck east, Cody and Ike went south, and Teaspoon to the west.

A cool breeze blew across Teaspoon Hunter's face as he headed in the direction of the sun. After riding about ten miles from town, he noticed a ranch in the distance. He saw two men on horseback, trying to rope a horse off to the left. Thinking that they might know something, he rode up beside them.

"Afternoon fellas."

"Afternoon mister." The two men replied. "Somethin' we can do for you?" Jim Coleman asked the older man.

"Well, I'm looking for a couple of fellas that robbed the bank in Sweetwater. I run the Pony Express Station up there and they took one of my riders hostage. He's a boy in his teens, dark hair, wears glasses. Name is Lou McCloud. Have you seen anybody fittin' that description come through here lately?"

"No sir mister. Haven't seen nobody like that." Jim answered.

Teaspoon let out a groan. Finding Lou wasn't going to be easy. He tipped his hat to the men and road on. As he approached the house he saw a young black woman in the back removing clothes from a line. Sadie looked up and saw the stranger approaching her.

"Afternoon ma'am." Teaspoon said tipping his hat to the young woman. Sadie nodded as she removed a pair of pants from the line.

"I don't know if you can help me or not. I'm looking for two men that robbed a bank up in Nebraska territory, Sweetwater to be exact. I run a Pony Express Station in Sweetwater and one of my riders was at the bank when it was bein' robbed. The men took him hostage when they made their getaway." Before Teaspoon could finish, the young black woman cut him off.

"You best talk to Mr. Horn. I been inside all day and ain't had a chance to see nobody. You stay here and I'll go fetch him."

Sadie turned and headed towards the door of the house. Teaspoon glanced around the area, when suddenly something caught his attention. A shirt and a pair of pants that were hanging on the line looked strangely familiar to him. He thought back to what Lou was wearing the day she disappeared. Although he couldn't be one hundred percent positive that those were her clothes hanging on the line, he knew there was a good chance they could be. The pants were slender and could easily be Lou's size and the shirt looked like one he had seen her wear before. His eyes moved to the door of the house as he saw the black woman return with an older man.

"Samuel Horn." The man said as he stretched his arm out to shake Teaspoon's hand.

Teaspoon shook the man's hand as he introduced himself. He related the details of the bank robbery and explained why he was there. During the conversation, he kept turning his eyes to the shirt and pants that were hanging on the line. Something told him that those were Lou's clothes. Samuel thought about Johnny but decided not to say anything. After all, the boy's name was Johnny, not Lou. And the men had said that Johnny was an orphan that they had picked up along the way. Of course, if they had robbed a bank, they wouldn't be telling anyone the truth about who they were or who the boy was that was traveling with them.

"I was in town earlier today but I saw no one fitting those descriptions. I'm sorry Mr. Hunter that I can't help you out. I hope you find those men and your boy. Now if you'll excuse me I have some important business to attend to before dinner." Samuel tipped his hat to the man and walked away.

Teaspoon wasn't sure if he believed the man's story. He seemed a bit fidgety and there was something about the tone of his voice. Turning his horse around he decided to see if he could find out where the man was headed. Reigning up behind a large oak, his eyes followed Samuel until he met up with another man. The two talked briefly, then the younger man rode away on his horse. Teaspoon figured that the younger man was a ranch hand. He knew that it would be getting dark soon, and the ranch hands would be returning for supper. Maybe he would spot Lou with them. Looking around the immediate area, he found a close knit group of trees. Tying his horse to a branch, he decided to wait out the last remaining hour before sunset. He made himself comfortable on the ground, feeling secure that no one would see him. He would hear the horses when they came.

That last hour seemed like an eternity. He was supposed to meet the riders in town at sunset but he couldn't leave now. Suddenly he heard hoofbeats and jumped up from his spot. Eyeing the men carefully, he saw no one that resembled Lou. If Lou was there, it was possible that Samuel Horn had told the ranch hand to keep her away until it was dark. They could sneak back in the darkness without being seen and he would never know. He waited impatiently for about another half an hour when he heard more hoofbeats. The quarter moon didn't provide much light

"You handled them horses pretty good Johnny." Luke commented as the two approached the barn.

"Guess I just got a way with 'em." Lou responded.

Teaspoon heard the voices and knew instantly that one of them was Lou's. He wanted to do something but there was nothing he could do without attracting attention. If they knew he was out there they would surely come after him and he couldn't risk that. Teaspoon decided that the best course of action would be to ride back to town and meet the others. He knew they would be wondering where he was at. He trotted away slowly, heading in the opposite direction, hoping that they wouldn't hear his horse. When he felt that he was a sufficient distance away, he kicked his horse into a fast gallop.

"Teaspoon must have found a clue, or else he would have been back by now." Cody said enthusiastically.

"I hope you're right Cody." Jimmy added. "Guess we'll just have to wait here until he returns. I wish he'd hurry up though, I hate waiting!"

"Well, you know what they say; good things come to those who wait." Cody said.

"Now is not the time to be gettin' philosophical Cody."

Jimmy was pacing back and forth. He never was a patient one and didn't know how much more he could stand. He didn't understand how Buck and Ike could just sit there. Finally, they heard a horse approaching in the distance. Jimmy silently prayed to himself that it was Teaspoon. His prayers were answered when the older man called out to them.

"Where the hell you been Teaspoon? We been sittin' here waitin' for you." Jimmy said, a bit annoyed.

"Boys I found him!" Teaspoon said with a smile, ignoring Jimmy's remarks.

"Where?" Jimmy asked impatiently.

"He's workin' on a ranch about ten miles or so west of here."

"A ranch? How'd he get to be workin' on a ranch?" Cody wanted to know.

"Well," Teaspoon replied. "I don't rightly know the answer to that Cody. I came upon a couple of ranch hands and asked if they had seen anybody fittin' the description of Lou and the men. They said they hadn't so I rode on farther. When I came to the ranch I talked to a woman who was outside takin' down clothes from a line. She didn't know anything but she went and got the owner for me. While she was gone, I got to lookin' at the clothes that were still on the line. There were a pair of pants and a shirt still hangin' on it, and suddenly they looked familiar to me. I realized that they were Lou's clothes. When the owner came out, a man by the name of Samuel Horn, I asked him about Lou and the men. He said he hadn't seen anyone fittin' those descriptions. I got the feelin' that he wasn't bein' honest with me so I decided to hang around for a spell. I followed him a ways and saw him talking to one of the other ranch hands."

"Did you see Lou? Was he there?" Jimmy asked impatiently with a touch of anger in his voice.

"Now hold on Jimmy. Let me finish the story. Anyways, I figured it was only gonna be about another hour before it started gettin' dark. About that time the hands would be headin' back for supper. I figured if Lou was there he'd be coming back with the other hands. That fella seemed to take off in a hurry. That's what gave me the idea that Lou was with 'em. They finally came back but I didn't see Lou. I thought that maybe Horn wouldn't want to take any chances in case I stayed around. I didn't see the other fella that he talked to earlier so I figured maybe he stayed behind to wait until dark to bring Lou back. After about a half hour I heard the horses comin'. There wasn't much moonlight so I couldn't see who they were but then they started talking. He must have figured that if I didn't see Lou the first time, I would think he wasn't there and I would leave. They didn't say much, but then they didn't need to. I recognized Lou's voice."

"Why didn't you do something? You could have pulled your gun on him and got Lou away." Cody said Buck, who had remained quiet the whole time, finally spoke up.

"If Teaspoon would have tried to do something, that would have alerted the others that there was trouble. He couldn't take the chance of them finding out that he was there."

Cody realized that he was right. They had been searching for two days and now that they were getting close, they couldn't risk it all. "What do you suggest we do now Teaspoon?" Buck asked, with Ike nodding his head, also wanting to know.

"I suggest we get some sleep. We'll find a spot to rest our weary bones, and in the morning we can ride out there. All we have to do is tell that Horn fella that we know Lou's there and he'll have to give him to us."

Jimmy didn't like the idea of finding a place to camp for the night. If it was up to him they would ride out to the ranch right then and there and charge in and rescue Lou. That was his way of doing things, but he knew that Teaspoon was right. They were all exhausted from riding and he figured that Lou would be okay for the night. After finding a small clearing in the woods, they unrolled their blankets and called it a night.