They crept around the one-level building. When Pritchard and Ditch reached the front, they found the door wide open. They peered inside. Someone was lying on the schoolhouse floor.

“Paul!” Ditch cried out. They rushed in.

Paul Clemson was dead. He’d been shot several times. Empty cartridge cases lay about, but his revolver and rifle were gone. Ditch touched his brother’s shoulder and lowered his head.

“They took Idelle,” a voice said. Pritchard and Ditch looked up to find Alice Nettles, her eyes red from crying, standing in the doorway.

“Who did?” Pritchard asked.

“Sheriff Foster and Deputy Gaines,” she said. “They were here, along with men I’ve never seen in town before.”

“That’s not possible,” Ditch said, wiping his eyes. “They couldn’t have ridden all the way from Kansas City already.”

“They didn’t,” she said. “I heard them talking. They bragged to Idelle about commandeering a locomotive in Kansas City and forcing the engineer to bring them here at gunpoint.”

“That would explain it,” Pritchard said. “Was Idelle hurt?”

“No,” she said. “At least she wasn’t when I last saw her. Paul put up a terrific fight. He shot three of them, but there were just too many.”

“Where’s your husband?”

“He’s in the house, lying down. One of them pistol-whipped him, for no reason at all. He’s groggy, but he’ll be all right.”

“Do you know where they went?” Ditch asked.

“They told me to tell you they’d be at the Sidewinder Saloon, if you wanted to get Idelle back.”

“Do they know who I am?” Pritchard said.

“I don’t think so,” Alice Nettles said. “They know about Ditch, because Sheriff Foster and Deputy Gaines recognized Paul. They think you’re a Texas Ranger named Joe Atherton. They’re confused as to why you’re here, along with the Clemson brothers, causing trouble.”

“You’d best get back to your husband,” Pritchard said. “Thank you for speaking with us.”

“I’m sorry about Paul,” she said, starting to cry again. “I remember he was a good boy.”

Ditch handed his rifle to Pritchard. He took the elderly schoolteacher in his arms and comforted her. “Paul was a good brother, too,” he said, dropping a few tears himself.

Once they’d collected themselves, and Mrs. Nettles went home, Pritchard handed Ditch back his rifle.

“I have to get Idelle,” Pritchard said.

“Wrong,” Ditch said, his face hardening. “We have to get Idelle. After that, I’m gonna kill every one of those sons of bitches who had a hand in murdering Paul.”

“Wrong yourself,” Pritchard said. “We’re gonna kill ’em. C’mon. Let’s get the horses.”

They returned to the stand of trees where their horses were concealed. “You ain’t expecting us to ride to the Sidewinder?” Ditch asked. “We’d make pretty easy targets.”

“Nope,” Pritchard said, opening his saddlebags. “We ain’t ridin’ anywhere. I need to fetch something.”