MIRACLE AT SANTA MARTAisanother in my list of favorite episodes (is there a pattern developing here between favorite episodes and Kid in distress episodes?), but I just couldn't find a missing piece. So, moving on to:

21 DAYS TO TENSTRIKE

(It is intimated that, after recognizing Heyes and Curry, Ralph and Bud go the the trail boss, Jake to tell him what they know. This conversation predates that, as Ralph and Bud discuss their options, a discussion that did not make it into the episode, so, here it is now).

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"Yeah, you're right. It's them. I'd recognize them two anywhere," Bud told Ralph as the two men rode side-by-side along the outer edges of the herd as they each made their way to their assigned positions that morning. "What do you suppose they're doing here?"

"Hiding from the law, most likely. Probably a damn good way to hide, too. Who would ever suspect a couple of known outlaws to be riding drag with a herd of cattle? Ralph replied."

"The sooner we get them tied up, the better," Bud lamented.

"Well, we can't just up an arrest them out here in the middle of nowhere, and we can't let them figure out that we know who they are or they'll just run off," Ralph replied.

"You said twenty thousand dollars, uh?" Bud asked and Jake nodded.

Bud smiled. "We can say good-by to these cattle drives. Never hafta spend a day eating trail dust again."

"Gotta get em captured and turned in somewhere, first."

"Maybe we should let the others know. Mr. Tynan, and Jake, maybe some of the others. You know, strength in numbers when it comes to capturing em."

"That'll split that twenty thousand with more and more people. I don't particularly wanna do that, do you?" Ralph asked

"So why not just wait till we get to Tenstrike?" Bud asked.

"The closer we get, the more likely they are to run off."

"They'll wanna get paid first."

Ralph shook his head. "Them two likely have stolen money hidden all over Wyoming, maybe the entire west. A lousy cattle-drive wage ain't something they're going get all lathered up about."

"Tenstrike is still eighteen days away, Bud. Not sure I like spending all that time with a couple of armed outlaws, not unless we have some help," Bud said.

Ralph chewed his bottom lip as he tried to think of a solution. Bud didn't notice and just continued talking.

"That bigger one held his own in that fight with you, better than anyone else I ever seen do that. The way it stands right now, it would just be two against two. I don't like them odds, not with them two, anyway."

Ralph nodded, but was only half listening as he tried unsuccessfully to come up with a plan.

"Maybe we'll talk to Jake if we can get him alone when we take a break for lunch. Jake's pretty handy with a gun. If we count him in, it'll even up the odds and twenty thousand dollars split three ways is still a fair amount of money."

"I still don't like the idea of them two loose for another eighteen days, Ralph."

"Then it's settled. We'll talk to Jake as soon as we can get him alone. I've known Jake a while. He's tough, but he's fair. I trust him," Ralph replied.

They arrived at the first flank position, the position where Ralph would be spending the day. Both men pulled their horses to a stop.

"Ralph, I ain't sure we can trust anyone, not where twenty thousand dollars is concerned."

"No, Jake's fair, Bud. You don't have to worry about him. He'll help us, once he knows what we're dealing with."

"I hope you're right, Ralph."

"You go one, now. I'll meet up with you at lunch. If you see Jake this morning, tell him we got something to talk to him about."

Bud nodded, and then smiled. "No more eating trail dust, Ralph. That's almost worth twenty thousand dollars all by itself."