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the trio of riders said:
    ‘I regret we must take your rifles and pistols, senors. Then we will escort the wagon. The weapons will be left where they will be easily found?’ There was a quizzical tone in his voice, a question in his eyes.’
    North nodded and side stepped away from his rifle and gunbelt as he said:
    ‘We got no choice, Edge.’
    ‘No sweat.’ Edge backed off a couple of paces.
    Although the man had spoken of rifles in the plural, Edge deliberately did not look to the right where his and Isabella’s geldings waited contentedly some fifty yards away.
    ‘Bueno ,’the Mexican murmured and continued to divide the aim of his Colt between Edge and North as the men flanking him slid cautiously down from their saddles and moved to gather up the discarded rifle and gunbelts. Then the mounted man spoke a terse command in Spanish and Edge groaned inwardly as the one with his gunbelt loped off toward the bolted horses. Where he paused for just long enough to slide Edge’s Winchester from the boot. When all three young Mexicans were back in their saddles, two of them burdened with confiscated weapons, their spokesman tipped his hat and said evenly:
    ‘If you feel the need to attempt to follow us, we will feel the necessity to kill you. Which will be little trouble for us to do, since you are now unarmed?’
    North sighed and shook his head ruefully.
    Edge sent a stream of saliva at the ground and nodded.

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    Then spurred heels were thudded hard into horseflesh and the three riders raced away at the same time as the wagon was once again jolted into a fast start. Trail dust was flung high into the night air and settled slowly back down as the sound of the departing wagon and horses faded into the darkness and distance.
    ‘That was one hell of a thing to have happened,’ Edge growled as he bleakly eyed the two surviving horses while the dejected North squatted to remove his saddle and accoutrements from the dead animal.
    ‘Can’t argue with that,’ the dour lawman said as they turned away from the carcase. ‘Reckon I’m going to be in all kinds of trouble for letting them grab my material witness in a murder trial.’
    Edge pointed out: ‘There’s a bright side.’
    North grimaced. ‘Damned if I can see one from where I’m looking at things.’
    ‘Being in trouble is better than being dead, feller.’
    The other man nodded his baleful qualified agreement as he gazed over his shoulder and along the now deserted trail that bisected the valley floor and muttered: ‘We got took bad, mister.’
    Edge showed a mirthless smile as he glanced in the same direction and rasped: ‘Yeah, it sure does make a feller feel sick.’
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    CHAPTER • 5
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    THEY CAME upon their rifles and gunbelts with revolvers replaced in the holsters heaped in the middle of the trail about three miles from the scene of the ambush. A folded sheet of grubby paper was lodged securely under one of the Winchesters, a message printed in pencil on it: WAIT IN TOWN. YOU WILL HEAR FROM US. But when they rode to within sight of Bishopsburg they saw signs that George North had more to do than hang around waiting for a promised explanation of the kidnapping of Isabella Gomez.
    For although it was after one o’clock in the morning as they approached the small, widely scattered community the two riders saw that many lights continued to burn. Closer still they saw several people were moving on the broad main thoroughfare that ran north to south for about a mile before it became an open trail again.
    ‘I guess the place ain’t always this busy at this time of night, sheriff?’ Edge said. North did not interrupt his deeply concerned survey of the town when he answered absently: ‘It never was before.’
    ‘Something, sheriff?’
    ‘Yeah?’
    ‘Whatever all the excitement’s about, you won’t forget you owe me another five bucks?’
    North shot him a sidelong glance that