Redden stayed with Wilson at the icehouse and watched Charles Ingalls enter the building. The wooden door quickly closed behind him.
Ingalls solemnly walked toward the town doctor and set the bucket down. Charles knelt and began hacking at the ice to get smaller pieces. As the doctor scooped down to retrieve the smaller chucks of ice he noticed the look on Charles' face. Ingalls wasn't sure how he was going to fill the doctor in on what had happened over at the icehouse, without tipping his hand to the robbers.
Doc Baker stood with some of the ice and wrapped it in a cloth before placing it on the Reverend's wound. Baker was now curious about what Charles was trying to convey so he knelt down and also chipped at the ice, "What's up, Charles?" he whispered.
Charles took a quick glance over his shoulder before looking his eyes onto the doctor's, "I met the sheriff," Ingalls said in a hushed voice, "he has a plan."
Baker stood and packed more ice around Alden who groaned from the cold. The doctor surveyed the room - the Doyles sat all huddled together at the furthest of the rear doors, while the trio of robbers mingles near the wood stove. Every now and again one of them would look over at the doctor.
Baker knelt down again, "What do we do?" his voice was low but firm.
Charles hacked louder at the ice, "Tell me to get more ice. One of the deputies will dress like me and bring it back," Charles checked over his shoulder.
Baker bit his lower lip, "How's that going to help?" he looked up at the Reverend and then back to Charles, "It's going to put us in further danger."
Charles nodded, "I know. As the deputy," he stopped talking as he heard one of the gun men approaching, "What are you talking about?" he hissed.
Baker stood, "I need more ice. This isn't going to be near enough to break this man's temperature."
The gun man looked down at the Reverend, "Doesn't look like he's going to make it anyway."
"I'm a doctor. I have to do everything I can to help him. I swore an oath." Baker stated loudly.
The gun man twisted his mouth and looked back to his boss, "He says he needs more ice."
"Why?" the leader bluntly.
"He says this old man might die otherwise, and he swore some oath to save him," the gun man snorted.
"Whatever…" the leader scoffed, "Tell them to get the ice, and make it snappy."
Baker nodded, "Thank you…"
Charles stood and looked at the doctor – he hadn't finished telling him the plan. Charles pursed his lips and hoped that Baker would be all right, "I'll be right back," he then deliberately knocked the basin of water off the table. Both Ingalls and Baker knelt down to clean up the mess, but more so to finish what Charles was telling him.
"The deputy will try and get the man at the door, others will come through the back at the same time. Be prepared," Charles stated quickly. Baker nodded, "Go quickly," the doctor urged. Charles nodded and gripped the doctor's upper arm, "God, I hope this works."
"Me too, Charles. Me too," Baker whispered.
Charles stood and pulled his hat on before he hurried down the front steps of the church and through the rain toward the icehouse - the lanterns from the adjacent buildings were his only light, aside from the occasional flicker of lightening.
Ingalls scurried down the stairs of the icehouse and was happy to see the sheriff had already chopped a chunk of ice off and that his deputy stood waiting in his long underwear to change into Charles' clothing. As Ingalls undressed, he looked at Redden, "I want to be in the group that goes through the back door," he said as he pulled off his shirt.
"I can't let you do that," Redden said and stepped forward.
Charles stopped, "I have to. Those are my friends in there. I have to go," Charles swallowed hard, "Please."
Redden turned and thought for a moment, "Okay. But you have to do exactly as I say."
Charles nodded and then continued to exchange his clothes with Wilson as his involvement in the rescue seemed like a slight glimmer of hope to the farmer.
What seemed like a reasonable amount of time to chop ice, Wilson and Redden were ready to put their plan to the test. "Ingalls, you come with me. Wilson, give us five minutes to get the other men to the back of the building and in place."
Wilson nodded and placed Charles' hat on his head, "What do you think?" he asked Redden about his appearance and whether he'd passed as the farmer.
Redden nodded and smiled, "Just keep your head down. They'll never know what hit them." Wilson prepared the bucket of ice before he stuffed his revolver into his waste of his trousers.
Charles' heart was pounding in his chest so hard he thought that the other two men could hear it. Ingalls followed the sheriff up the stairs and out of the icehouse. Redden looked passed the little timber building and motioned for the farmer to follow him around the back and out of sight. The timing of the plan was crucial.
Baker kept himself busy with the Reverend while also half watching the Doyles and the gun men. He tried to listen for clues at the back door, but there seemed to be a strange energy in the room and all of a sudden, the three robbers grew more animated, "Doc, what if that old preacher doesn't live?" the leader strolled a little more forward to the makeshift table.
"Baker looked down at the Reverend, "I suspect that the authorizes would not take that favourably and that you will likely face a jury for murder," Baker didn't mince words - he wanted them to know the truth and he gave it to them.
The leader hand his hand under his nose, scratching it before he turned back to his other men, "See, I told you. And you had to go and shot him, didn't you Cooper?! Always too quick with your gun!" the leader threatened to strike Cooper.
"You saw him! He was coming toward me and I didn't know what he was going to do!" Cooper yelled.
Doctor Baker watched on as the rift seemed to unravel the remaining nerves within the little group of robbers. He thought in two directions on their behaviour - they would either implode or explode and he hoped it was the former.