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his boot. In a flash, she drew her pistol. Firing inside a stagecoach might be dangerous, but she knew what she was doing and had to take the chance. Swiftly aiming, she pulled the trigger and shot the knife out of Seth’s hand just as it began a downward arc toward Lloyd’s chest.
    The explosion was like a cannon in such close quarters. Smoke filled the cabin, making everyone gasp and cough.
    Violet yelled that she was deaf.
    Sarah fainted.
    Lloyd threw himself against the door at his back and toppled onto the ground.
    Seth fell right behind him.
    Rufus Ward, the driver, leaped from his box. “What in thunderation is goin’ on back here?” His gun was drawn.
    Lloyd scrambled to his feet, knocking dirt from his coat and trousers before pointing at Seth, who had made no move to get up. “Him. He’s stage crazy. That boy”—he nodded toward Kitty, who was still in her seat—“if he hadn’t shot that knife out of Barlow’s hand, he might’ve killed me.”
    Rufus looked down at Seth. “Is that true, Barlow? You pull a knife on Pendergrass?”
    Seth made a hissing sound. “I’ll cut them all if they don’t leave me alone. The women are throwing themselves at me, and Pendergrass is taking up for them, and him”—he pointed at Kitty—“he’s the worst. He tried to kill me.”
    Pete Dorcas, the guard, looked down from where he stood in the box. Shotgun in hand, he laughed and said, “He’s a damn good shot, too. Blew that knife outta your hand without a scratch.” Leaning over, he directed his voice to the inside. “Where’d you learn to shoot like that, boy?”
    Kitty did not respond.
    Pete shrugged at Rufus. “I don’t think I’ve heard him say a word since we took over.”
    “He never speaks,” Lloyd said. “But he saved my life.”
    Rufus grunted. “Well, it’s a good thing he had a clear shot, or he might’ve killed somebody.”
    At that Kitty could not resist snapping, “If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have fired.”
    Everyone looked surprised that she had spoken, then Rufus allowed, “No, I don’t reckon you would have.”
    Violet had got out of the stage and was standing with her hands pressed to her ears.
    Rufus shouted at her, “You’ll be fine in a while, miss. It just takes time to get the ringing out.” He glanced inside and saw Sarah had collapsed. “She’ll be fine, too.”
    After asking Lloyd to see if he could bring Sarah around, Rufus called to Pete to throw down the handcuffs. “I’m not taking no chances before we get to El Paso.”
    Seth fought against the cuffs, and Pete finally had to jump down from the box to help subdue him.
    “A gag would help,” Violet snapped as he was wrestled back into the coach.
    Rufus assured her that if he heard one more foul word or threat out of Seth, he would personally ram his bandanna in his mouth…all the way to his lungs.
    With a black look of resignation, Seth settled into grudging silence.
    When they were under way again, Lloyd held out his hand to Kitty “Thanks for saving my life.”
    Fearing he now felt a sense of kinship and would want to make conversation, she ignored his outstretched hand and returned to her vigil at the window.
    With a sigh, he left her alone…as did everyone else.
    The home station in El Paso was a welcome respite to Kitty for many reasons. She was able to find a private place to take a bath and had time to wash her overalls and shirt and allow them to dry in the Texas heat without anyone seeing her undressed. There was also good food and plenty of cold milk and even a cot in an obscure corner.
    She did not realize she had slept for so long till Rufus shook her awake and said they would be rolling soon.
    “You were tired, so I let you sleep,” he said, sitting down on the side of her cot as he rolled himself a smoke.
    She fought the impulse to shrink away from him. After all, it was supposed to be just two men talking and not mattering that one of them was in bed.
    He struck a match, lit the cigarette,