Minutes after the train transporting two Special Secret Service agents, and their horses, came to a squealing stop at the small, and desserted, train station, they were on their horses riding into the town of Devil's Pitchfork.

Riding side-by-side, more-or-less, Artemus Gordon and Jim West spoke in asides just loud enough to be heard above the clip-clopping of their horses' hoves...

"Are you getting any bad feelings about this one, Artie?"

"I hate to admit to it, but yeah...I do."

"We should be riding across the town's outermost edge in a few more minutes," Jim said with another heavy sigh.

"Yeah," replied an equally tense Artemus. "We should be seeing buildings at any moment."

As if on cue, again, the outermost edge of Devil's Pitchfork rose into view...

"There it is, Artie."

"Yeah, so I see. Ready, Jim?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, Artie."

Falling into an eerie silence, the two rode into a recently created, by some as yet unknown manner, ghost town. A fact that was not lost on these two agents of the United States government.

As they brought their respective steeds to a slow halt, the two listened intently on the sound of anyone at all still living in this town.

They heard nothing at all. Save for the blowing of a mediocre wind through the main dirt street, as well as the adjoining side dirt streets and alleyways.

Absolutely desserted.

Artemus and Jim rode their horses up to the nearest hitching post, then climbed off and lashed their horses' reins around the horizontal wooden bar...

Then, after absently adjusting their gun belts, walked into the first public bulding, a grocery store called "Willy's Grocery", as far as the sign said attached to the roof overhang protecting the wooden sidewalk, running before several buildings at a time.

Shielding citizenry and patrons from both the heat of the sun beating down, as well as rains that came about more-or-less steadily during certain parts of the year.

After opening the door, Jim and Artemus stepped inside...

"Hello!" called out Artemus. "Anyone here?"

After waiting an unnervingly long time before moving or speaking, Jim and Artemus made their way through the amply supplied store, looking for any clue as to what had happened to the store keeper named Willy...

"Nothing," finally succinty stated Artemus, even as Jim took a closer look behind the all-wood counter. "What are you looking for, Jim?"

"Anything that will shed some light on what the hell's going on in this town, Artie."

After being joined by Artemus, so the two could search in opposite directions behind said counter, the two came to the self-same set of conclusions...

"Whatever happened," began Jim for the both of them, adjusting the cowboy hat of blue, which matched his form-fitting suit, upon his handsome head, "it happened fast. There's no sign of a struggle. No blood."

"Yeah," agreed Artemus, as he opened the metal cash register to see the contents of the till, "and there's still money here."

After slamming the till shut, the two step out from behind the counter, to stand silently once again, in the middle of "Willy's Grocery". Suddenly, there is a sound coming from the back of said grocery store...

Causing both Artemus and Jim to pull their guns, quickly and with a specific purpose, as they quickly, although quietly, made their way toward the rear rooms of the grocery store.

Cautiously, yet quickly.

Finally entering the rear rooms, where Willy the grocer apparently lived and slept, Jim and Artemus found the source of the sound, which had brought them both back...

An overturned wooden chair, that looked as if someone had purposely knocked it over. That made Jim and Artemus more tense than they already were.

Something was playing with them. Toying with them. Leading them.

"What do you think, Jim?" asked Artemus in a hushed aside to his friend and collegue.

"The same as you, Artie," answered Jim West reservedly, also in a hushed aside. "Someone's still in this town. And they don't want to be found. Just yet."

"Well, let's not keep whomever it is waiting, Jim."

"Yeah," tensely nodded Jim without looking at Artemus. "Let's not."