She batted her eyelashes then dashed her full drink into the man’s face. Amber liquid dripped down onto his collar. Her face transformed into a mask of fury and she began dressing down the insulting cowboy. She punctuated her narrative with a sound slap across the man’s face.

Crease interrupted him. His lip curled as he spoke. “Mr. St. Peter, this here journey ain’t a prayer meeting. No matter who you woulda picked to guide you through rough country, dangers are gonna be there. If you and your people didn’t expect some hazard on a trip like this, then you are all fools in a fool’s fantasy.”

Boyd Hutton led these outlaws. He heard the shot from the back room with no change of expression to alter his grim face. He watched his safe man, Henry, work the “soup” into the crack between the safe and door. The gap was sealed with a clay putty. Once sealed, the nitro was carefully poured in. Henry inserted a blasting cap into the top pour space and the fuse was lit. Boyd Hutton and his men moved quickly to the back room where the bank teller lay dead, and the “closet” door was open revealing empty shelves.

His name was Cabbage Jackson and he had been in Boguillas for just a few days. The events of the days prior to his arrival in Boguillas weighed heavily upon him. Any preoccupation which settled his restive mind was a welcome exercise. The quiet conversation and casual mood among the loungers suited him.

Rigo laughed, showing perfect teeth. He tightened the rope into a smaller loop as he turned to his visitors. "Forgive the delay, Gentlemen. Horses, like women, require a cer-tain amount of attention,” Rigo looked fully at the young vaquero. He seemed to be evaluating this worthy, perhaps making a mental note for future reference.

Juliana had sat in her blankets near the fire for a long time. Until this night, she had not realized how much Cab had buff-ered her from Hutton’s intense manner. Cab made it his busi-ness to see to her comfort. He conducted all of the activities pertaining to her physical sustainment. He was also a source of information and some comfort in those rare moments he risked casual conversation with her.