Three horses and four riders were pounding across the open prairie. They didn't speak until they'd reached the wagon. Even then, they only said what few words were needed to get ready to get back onto the trail.

It wasn't until that night, in the small town of Warrenton, after Heyes had made the promised report to the sheriff, when the foursome was seated around a table in the hotel restaurant, that they spoke of what had happened. They'd checked in as two married couples. Joshua and Gertrude Smith along with his sister Miranda Jones and her husband, Thaddeus. Heyes had asked for two adjoining rooms so they could make the switch without anyone being the wiser. He had also ordered a hot bath for each room, and they'd taken turns having a nice long soak. Only now, after they'd eaten healthy helpings of the chicken and dumpling special and were tsckling the generous slices of apple pie, did Heyes bring up the subject of that day's misadventures.

"So," he began slowly, "you two ladies wanna tell us what happened today?"

"It's all my fault," confessed Miranda. "I kept tellin' Trudie I didn't wanna go to that fancy college and have to wear dresses all the time and act like a lady."

"No,no, it's all my fault," Trudie interrupted. "I was the one that said we should do what Randi said, that we should go out on our own and become lady outlaws. It sounded so…exciting and …romantic… when she'd described it last night. Like something out of a book."

"But it wasn't…?" asked Heyes tentatively.

"It started out gloriously," the young woman replied, her eyes shining. "We were galloping across the open plains on Mariah's back, our hair streaming behind us, not a care in the world," Trudie paused, then continued in a quiet voice,. "But then…but then…" her voice faltered.

Miranda took over for her. "We came to the farmhouse and decided to rest Mariah. We had brought food with us and we were sitting under a shade tree having a nice little picnic. That's when Bert and Deke showed up. They were friendly at first, but they became more and more vulgar. I insulted them, hopin' to just run them off. But that's when they turned mean. And some outlaw I turned out to be - I let those morons get the drop on me. If you hadn't come along when you did…." She paused, swallowed hard and finished simply, "Thank you. Thank you for coming after us."

"So you had enough of the Outlaw Life," asked Heyes gently.

Miranda met his eyes, her own filling up. She darted an apologetic look at Trudie, then explained, "We were tired of men always telling us what to do. First our pas, then you two. At Maryville, it'll be more of the same. We wanted to get away, to live our lives on our own terms. We didn't really think it all the way through," she said sheepishly. "I guess you must think we're pretty stupid."

"Listen, Randi," answered Heyes softly. "How old are you two? 17 and 19, right? If you only knew all the stupid things we did at that age…."

"Yeah," agreed Curry, shaking his head, his mouth quirking into the shadow of a smile. "I reckon we definitely beat you on that score. Right, Joshua?"

Heyes smiled sympathetically at the girls, his dimples framing his even, white teeth, and said, "You're the perfect age for doing stupid things. Just don't do any more, okay?"

"We won't," both young ladies fervently promised.

"We talked it over," said Trudie, glancing at Miranda, who nodded. "We both want to go to Maryville. That'll be enough of an adventure – at least for now. After we finish college, we can decide what comes next."

"It's all settled then," pronounced Heyes. "And a good thing, too. When I left the horses at the livery this afternoon, the liveryman told me we're only two days away from St. Louis.