The stallion was still saddled, tied outside the corral.  Nate mounted and was wheeling the big black around when the door opened and out rushed Winona.
   "Where are you off to?"
   "Zach will fill you in."
   Nate lit out as if rabid wolves nipped at his heels.  He had to cover a lot of ground quickly.  Rather than waste precious time going to where Lou and his son had been attacked by the men, he angled to the north to cut their trail, Zack had said the pair rode westward.  Assuming they were headed for the same general vicinity as the night before, they had to cross a broad meadow a mile from the cabin.   That was where he would pick up their trail.
   In short order Nate was there, searching along the meadow's west fringe.  Freshly churned earth bore out his guesswork.  The imprint of shod hoofs was plain as day.
   "You're mine, you mangy bastards,"  Nate declared as he brought the stallion to a trot.  The two men had been riding at a brisk walk.   Apparently, they were convinced they had given Zach and Lou the slip and assumed they were safe.
   They were about to learn differently.

   Zach resumed circling.   If he could get the drop on them, he'd free Frazier.  Once on the run, he would use all the tricks he'd learned from his father and his Shoshone friends to elude the cutthroats.
   "I'm tired of you pestering me,"  Kendrick was saying.   "So if you want equal shares for your brother and you, scat.  Or the rest of us will divide it up five ways."
   Five!  Kendrick had said five!  Zack remembered seeing that many near the old trapper earlier but now there were only four, plus Billy.   One of them had disappeared while Lou and he were riding down the ridge.  But where to?
   The answer came in the form of a distinct metallic click as a gun muzzle was jammed against his temple.