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bounding into Keno’s room to
announce her plans to get married. Lord, she’d sounded so damn happy. Yes, she
probably wouldn’t be opposed to the notion of marriage. Well, maybe she might
be reluctant at first since she didn’t know him, but he didn’t see that she’d
have much choice in the matter once her brothers got to reasoning with her.
    Like
me. No choice .
    He supposed he ought to court her some. He couldn’t do
it long, though, because he planned to get married and have at least a month to
settle into marriage before he went back to marshalling. He still wasn’t sure
when he would finally turn in his badge. The hands already working the ranch
could handle things for a spell and he knew Taos would keep an eye out as well.
    A strange hissing sound drew his attention. His hand
shifted automatically to his Colt and he looked cautiously around. A few feet
away a snake slithered into the brush and he relaxed a bit. Yet he continued to
wonder about the unusual noise. It seemed too much for that small of a snake.
    Taos appeared uneasy, too.
    Something yellow floated in the sky above the town. He
reined Demon in and snapped, “What the hell?” He’d seen one of these
contraptions before, back east. A balloon. He had seen one list off to one side
like that right before it fell out of the sky. “Damn thing’s gonna crash!”
    He headed hell-bound toward the heart of town with
Taos hot on his heels.
    * * *
    The wind picked up again, jerking the balloon around.
Whiskey slid against the side of the basket. “Dadblamed horse’s patootie !” She used one of the many phrases she’d learned
growing up around her father’s ranch and the various saloons he’d owned. She
rubbed her aching shoulder. Her entire body felt like one big bruise. This
adventure hadn’t quite turned out like she’d imagined.
    With the next gust of wind the foul odor of manure
from the cattle pens below drifted up. She tried to hold her breath. Then she
caught sight of the toll bridge on the Arkansas River at the end of town.
Relief swept over her. The Wakefield Ranch wouldn’t be far away now; she was
almost home. Thank God.
    She carefully manipulated the gas valve and tried to
judge the weight of remaining ballast, concentrating on steering the balloon to
a safe landing just on the north side of town.   But the wind jerked her again. She
unintentionally turned the gas valve off. The silken globe began collapsing.
    Her stomach knotting, she raced to untie the ballast
bags, hoping to keep some altitude.
    To her distress, the balloon continued collapsing in
on itself and drifted while rapidly losing altitude.
Her heart pounded. Lord, don’t let me
slam into the side of a building .
    The balloon floated only a few dozen feet above the ground,
swaying and rocking. Morgan was rolled up into a protective black-and-white
ball and bounced around the basket floor. All she could do was pray and
desperately throw the dragline over the side.
    She looked down once more and saw a pair of riders racing
through town, dodging around the chaos that reigned in the street. Riders
struggled to control startled horses. Wagons stopped at all angles with their
drivers staring skyward in disbelief.
    Up and down the wooden boardwalks people gaped.
Children pointed. Even Bat Masterson with his drooping mustache and familiar
bowler hat stood next to Deputy Wyatt Earp just outside the Occident Saloon
watching in fascination.
    The two riders she’d spotted thundered in her
direction. She blinked and her breath froze. The leaner man, face ashen with
worry, looked up at her: Taos . She
felt momentary relief.
    Suddenly the balloon did another wild bob. She grabbed
the rope with the anchor attached from the floor, and then tossed it over the
side. Unfortunately, she hadn’t paid any attention when she tossed the rope.
    As she peered over the side, she heard the anchor hit
the flat roof of Kelly’s Opera House with a clunk! “ Darn, double darn !” she grumbled.
    A