By that evening, the town was getting noisy especially over at the saloon. Mac stood in front of the sheriff's office and looked over toward the saloon. He could hear people talking loudly and others shouting their agreement. He knew something was brewing and it always started at the saloon. Men got over there and got drunk and disorderly and started talking about things and getting everyone all riled up.

Ben Cartwright came out and stood beside Mac. "Well, it's beginning," he said.

Mac nodded. "We best be ready for whatever they do." He looked up. "Get Jo to sit on top of the hotel there so he can keep a watch. Have Hoss sit at the General Store. The rest of us will stay here at the jail. From up there, they should be able to see anyone sneaking around from back there who might be wanting to get a shot at the prisoners while all the chaos is going on."

"I'll get on that." Ben went back inside.

Mac stepped off the boardwalk and walked over to the livery stable. He wanted to check on Avalanche. He had paid a boy to take him to the stable and feed him and rub him down. When he walked in, Avalanche was standing at his stall door looking frisky as always. "How you doin', boy?" Mac asked. The horse blew at him. Mac patted his nose and rubbed his neck. He could feel that the horse had been rubbed down well and even brushed. "You had a very thorough care giver, boy. I will have to find that young man and thank him."

Mac poured a little corn into the trough. "That should get you ready for tomorrow," he said. He made sure there was plenty of water. "We'll be leaving early."

Mac started to leave the stable but then he heard a footstep behind him. He pretended not to hear it but as he stepped further toward the door, he took a sidestep and moved into one of the empty stalls. He heard the footsteps stop short as the person knew he had heard them. Mac pulled his gun out and waited a moment. "You better throw that gun down," he said.

Suddenly, Mac heard running feet and he realized the man was running back the way he had come. Mac stepped out of the stall he was in and went after the man. He rounded the corner of the barn and realized the man had gone toward the left and out through the trees. He was wary about following that guy out there. He could be trying to lure him out where there were more waiting for him.

Mac put his gun back in the holster and turned to go back in the barn. Just as he was inside the door of the barn, something hard hit him on the back of the head. Mac fell to the ground and grabbed the back of his head. He tried to get up, but he could not. Then someone grabbed him and jerked him up off the ground. Something was stuffed into his mouth to keep him from yelling for help and then he was blindfolded.

Mac was addled and could not put up much of a fight so they took him out the back door of the stable and dragged him out through the trees. Mac was not sure where they were going but he could hear the rustling of the leaves in the trees and bushes. Finally, they stopped and threw him to the ground. Mac waited nervously to see what they would do.

"You need to go back to Wyoming," someone whispered. "If you don't, you're going to wind up in Boot Hill. This is just a warning."

Mac wondered what they would do next but he did not wonder long because they jerked him up and beat him. When he came to, he was back in the stable. Even though he was still blindfolded, he could smell the hay. He opened his eyes and looked around him and found that he was in one of the stalls. He grunted as he rolled over on his back. He knew he had touched a nerve somewhere in that gang. He was getting close to them and they did not like it.

Mac heard someone come into the stable. He reached for his gun, and found that they were still in the holsters. "Marshall Taylor!" someone called.

Mac recognized that voice as Adam Cartwright's voice. "I'm here," Mac said.

Adam whirled around and looked into the stall. He hurried over to Mac. "What happened?" he asked.

"They jumped me. I think we're on the right track."

"Come on." Adam helped Mac up and they headed back to the jail.

"Stop," Mac said as they were about to get where people could see them. "I don't want them to see you helping me walk."

"You're hurt."

"I won't let them see me hurt."

Adam let go of Mac. He stumbled slightly but he was determined. He wiped the blood off his face and began walking toward the jail as he put his hat on. He did his best to walk upright and keep from limping. Adam knew why Mac was doing that. This town would go ballistic if they saw that the Marshall had been beat up. They would think that he could not do anything about this gang and they would be even more determined to take the law into their own hands. He had to admire Mac's determination. He knew he was in pain because he had been leaning on him heavily.

They got to the jail and went inside. Mac stumbled when they got inside the door. "What happened to you?" Roy asked.

"Somebody jumped me in the stable," Mac said as they helped him to a cot in the back room. He winced as he lay down on the bed.

"Did you see who did it?"

"No. I didn't recognize the voice because he whispered."

"We better get a doctor over here," Ben said. "Adam, go get Doc Martin."

"Wait!" Mac said. "Don't bring him in through the front door."

"I'll keep it secret," Adam assured him and left out the back way.

Ben looked at Sheriff Coffee. "This is going too far," Ben declared. "Now, they've attacked a U.S. Marshall."

"I'm surprised they didn't kill him," Roy replied as they were helping Mac to unbutton his shirt.

"Whoever it was said this was a warning," Mac said. "They warned me to go back to Wyoming. He said next time, I would wind up in Boot Hill."

"They mean it too," Ben said. "They've already stooped to murder."

Mac felt extremely tired. He did not think anything was broken, but he was certainly bruised and sore. The doctor finally arrived through the back door. He went over to the bed that Mac was lying on. He examined Mac and then looked at the others. "He has a lot of bruises but nothing is broken," he said. "He needs to rest."

Mac opened his eyes. "I don't have time to rest," he said.

"You can rest for the night."

"I want to find out who did this to me and when I find that, I will find out who is terrorizing your town here."

"That may be so but you still need rest."

Mac could not argue with that. He was very tired. "I have to go to Carson City in the morning," he said.

Mac was drifting off to sleep as he was talking. The doctor stood and looked at the others. "This is just plain attempted murder," he said. "They could have easily hurt him worse than that."

"I agree," Ben replied. "They're trying to use scare tactics now to see if we'll back down."

"They'll get a real clear answer when those two in there go to trial," Roy declared.

Suddenly, they heard gun fire around behind the jail. Adam, Roy and Ben ran to the back door. They saw two men running into the shadows. "They were sneaking up to the jail," Jo said. "They fired into the cell!"

Ben went back in to check on the prisoners while Roy and Adam went out to see if they could find the ones who were running. However, they were nowhere in sight. "They had to go somewhere around here," Adam said.

"I know, but where?" Roy asked.

They listened but did not hear a sound in the darkness except the noise going on at the saloon which they could hear where they were. "That rabble over there is getting louder," Roy pointed out.

"Yes, there will be trouble before this night is over I think," Adam said.

They went back to the jail where Ben was waiting for them. "Whoever it was has bad aim," he said.

Just then, they heard something at the front door of the jail. Roy closed the back door and they moved to the front. Roy opened the door to find that the noise makers from the saloon were standing outside the jail. "We want those men in there," one of them said.

"You're not getting them," Roy replied.

"You give them to us or we will take them! They murdered our friends! I don't know how you can stand here and protect them, Coffee! They were your friends too!"

"I know that, but I am obliged to uphold the law in this town and that's what I'm gonna do! Now, you get on back over there to that saloon and stop causing all this trouble! There'll be a trial tomorrow and you can all see what happens!"

"We sure will!"

One of the others stepped forward. "Are we going to just stand here and let him talk to us that way?" he asked. "There's more of us than there are of them! They killed my brother! I want those two to hang!"

The crowd all agreed loudly. "Now, you hold on there!" Roy yelled above the noise. "There will be no hanging tonight! In case you haven't noticed, you're being watched from overhead, so if you start causing any trouble here, somebody is going to wind up in a coffin!"

The men looked up to see Jo and Hoss aiming their rifles down toward the crowd. They did not look so certain then. The two in the lead of the crowd glared at Roy. "You gonna shoot your own?" one of them asked.

"I don't want to," Roy replied. "But if you try to break your way into this jail, I will have to."

The crowd realized they were getting nowhere without someone getting shot, so they all turned around and went back to the saloon. Roy, Ben and Adam went back into the jail. "That may not be the end of it," Roy told them.

"We'll be here all night, Roy," Ben replied.

Mac slept most of the night, but not soundly. His mind was still worrying about the situation and what he had to do the next day, and his body was in pain. He felt something cold on his forehead and it seemed to relax him more.

Ben was sitting beside Mac's bed and putting a cold cloth on his head. "He has a little fever," he said.

"Should I bring the doctor back?" Adam asked.

"No. It goes along with injury."

"What do you think is going to happen when that trial starts?"

Ben shook his head. "I don't know but since the Marshall here is going to Carson City, we will have to make sure we're on our toes to help the sheriff. This town is still fit to be tied."

"Maybe they will have respect for the court. It seems to be quieter over there. Maybe they all went home and they'll be settled down tomorrow."

By the time morning came, Mac was feeling no better, but he felt a little rested. He sat up on the side of the bed as the doctor was coming in. "I'm feeling as good as can be expected," Mac said.

"I'll look you over anyway," the doctor replied.

"It's just bruises." Mac grimaced as he put his shirt on.

"You really should rest more."

"I'll rest when this is over. Right now, I have to get more information."

"Do you really think it's going to help this situation for you to ride over to Carson City? What if they jump you again while you're on the way over there?"

"I've thought of that." Mac had to admit, it would be a dangerous trip. He had to expect that they would be watching him. However, they had given him that warning, so maybe they would think he was leaving town. He shook his head. No, that guy would not fall for something like that. They must know they could not intimidate a Marshall. They just wanted to flaunt their might with what they did the night before. "I think I know who our man is but I have to have proof."

"I would suggest that you search for that proof somewhere here in this town where you have friends."

Mac knew the doctor was right but he still thought someone should find out about that poker game in Carson City. Maybe he would just send a wire to the sheriff over there and ask about it. He always liked to do things in person but this was a particularly dangerous situation and he wanted to make it back to Wyoming to see Stella again.

Mac went into the other room where the others were. "Well, good morning," Ben said. "How do you feel this morning?"

"Like I've been beat up," Mac replied. "But I will live. I want to send a wire to that sheriff in Carson City rather than trying to make that trip over there."

"I think that's a good idea. Whoever did this to you last night would most likely be watching you and wouldn't want you to make it over there."

Mac poured himself a cup of coffee. "That's what I think too." He put his hat on and his gun belt. "I'm going over to the telegraph office now. I think we all need to get a good meal this morning and maybe this trial will go smoothly since everything has been quiet since last night."

"Hopefully it will," Ben replied.

Mac took his cup of coffee and went out the door and Adam followed. Mac felt a little stiff this morning and the cool air did not help any. Still, he would not lie around while everyone else tried to solve this crime. He looked toward the General Store which was already open with the door standing open. He wanted to get a chance to talk to Mary Townsend without her fiancé standing there. He had to get the wire sent to that sheriff first though.

Mac went into the telegraph office and wrote out a message to the sheriff of Carson City. "Make sure that gets there right now," Mac said and paid the telegrapher. "That's a very important message."

"Yes, sir," the man replied and went over to his telegraph.

"I want to know as soon as you get an answer and don't let anyone else know about it unless it's Adam or some of the other Cartwrights or the Sheriff."

"Yes sir."

Mac walked out of the telegraph office and he and Adam looked up and down the street. "What's next?" Adam asked.

"I want to talk to Mary Townsend," Mac replied.

"You don't think she knows anything about this, do you?"

"Not consciously, but she might know some bit of information that could help us."

"And how are you going to get that bit of information?"

"Get her to talk about her fiancé."

"You think he's in on this?"

"I do."

"So you think he and his brother are in this up to their necks?"

"Have you seen his brother lately?"

Adam considered that. "As a matter of fact, I haven't seen Carl Withers in town for several days," he said.

"I think his brother is taking charge of things and he's keeping him out of town to keep him from talking to anyone, and maybe he doesn't even realize everything that's going on."

"You think he's being held captive out there at his own ranch?"

"Not 'captive' but probably being advised to stay out of town."

"Advised very strongly?"

"I think his brother can be very convincing."

"I haven't really had a chance to get to know that brother but from what I hear, he's a shrewd businessman."

"I'm going over to the General Store to see what Mary has to say."

"I'll go with you. She might be more comfortable talking to me."