Danielle led him back to the room. Once inside Artie looked around for some clues. He stumbled over to one of the desks and squatted down to examine something under it. He leaned in to pick up something that looked like dirt or clay and he bumped his shoulder against the desk, causing him to see fireworks. Danielle glared at him and knelt down beside him.

"Here, let me do that. What is it you're after?"

"That dirt or whatever it is. I need to see some of it," Danielle scooped some into the palm of her hand and brought it up to him.

"It's dirt," she said, not seeing what was so special about it.

"Nothing is ever 'just dirt'. It has a story to tell."

"A story?"

"Sure, see this bit here…? Well, that probably came from Jim or Jeremy…it matches the soil out by the train. It's this bit that I'm interested in. See this discoloration? Can you tell me where around here this could be found?"

"I never paid any attention to that sort of thing before," Danielle looked at the dirt thoughtfully.

"Wait a second…I do know someone who could probably tell us. There's an Assay Office just down the street," She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door.

"Hold on, we have to finish checking the room."

Artie looked over the room, finding very little else of use. He grabbed a piece of paper from one of the desks and shoved it in his pocket. He finally allowed Danielle to lead him back outside and to the horse. She helped him back into the saddle and climbed on. She led the horse down the alley and toward the Assay Office

WWWWWWWWWW

Jim woke and sat up quickly. He looked around, disoriented. Then he remembered what had happened. He and Jeremy had been in the records room and Jeremy had found a file he had wanted Jim to look at. He had stood up to go check it out when someone put a cloth over his face that had a strange odor. He remembered seeing someone creep up behind Jeremy with a similar cloth. He looked around and found Jeremy on a cot across the room. Jim rose and went over to him.

"Hey, Jeremy, wake up," Jim shook him.

"Mmmm…" Jeremy mumbled, Jim shook him again, this time he woke up.

"What the…what happened, James?"

"We were drugged…"

"I vaguely recall someone putting something over my face then nothing."

"That would be the chloroform, gentlemen. A very handy little drug don't you think?" Both men turned toward the sound of the voice.

"Who are you and why did you bring us here?" Jim demanded to know.

"Your questions will be answered in due time, gentlemen. If you will follow me please," the man gestured toward the door beckoning them to follow.

The man followed them down a hall and to another room. The man again gestured to them and they entered the room. It was sparsely furnished with a small table and some chairs and a lamp on the table as well as what appeared to be a gas lamp on the wall. They were directed to the chairs and they took their seats. A man entered the room and crossed to the desk. He sat down and stared at them for a long moment.

"Gentlemen, do you know why you're here?" he asked rhetorically.

"Because your goons kidnapped us for talking to loud" Jeremy ventured.

"Silence!" the man thundered.

"You gentlemen are engaged in an investigation that must not go forward.:

"Why is that?" Jim asked.

"There are certain parties who feel this investigation will do more harm than good for everyone involved."

"You mean those who are getting rich stealing government money," Jim snapped.

"The government is unfairly taxing its citizens…this merely makes the playing field a little more even."

"An even playing field would be if your partner's took that money and distributed it amongst everyone."

"There are certain economics involved that a mere Secret Service Agent can not grasp."

"I think I have a pretty good grasp of the situation. Just state your terms."

"Our terms are quite simple, really. You agree to stop the investigation and we let you go."

"You know we can't do that," Jim replied.

"Mr. West, you two are the agents in charge of this investigation… you can do anything you want."

"Suppose we don't want to stop the investigation…then what?"

"Then we stop it for you." Jim and Jeremy exchanged glances.

"You gentlemen have until morning to give me your answer. Take them back to their room," he waved them away.

"Any bright ideas as to who his partners in crime might be?" Jeremy asked when they were alone again.

"Not yet, but unless I miss my guess that clerk at the record office is part of this."

"What makes you think that?"

"He was wearing the same ring and tie pin that man back there was wearing and they don't belong to any University or fraternity I have ever seen."

"Oh, I see. Well, James did you happen to bring anything that would help us get out of here?" Jim checked his pockets, secret and otherwise.

"I seem to have been liberated of all my useful items. We'll just have to wait for Artie," Jim leaned back against the wall behind him and grinned.

"Artemus? What makes you think anyone will allow him anywhere near here even if he could find this place?"

"I know my partner. When we didn't show up for supper he got worried."

"Again, what makes you think Danielle will let him use the WC let alone come looking for us?"

"If Artie is anything it's stubborn. He'll keep pushing or using charm or anything he has in his little bag of tricks until he talks her into it."

"All we have to do is sit here and wait," Jim closed his eyes and sighed.

WWWWWWWWWW

When they reached the Assay Office Danielle slipped off the horse and went inside. Artie waited for a few minutes. When she didn't return he slid off his horse and stumbled up to the door. A couple passing by commented on the fact that he appeared intoxicated, Artie just ignored them and reached for the doorknob. He missed and this time slid his hand along the door until he hit the knob. He turned the knob and entered the office.

"Artemus, what are you doing in here?" Danielle asked sternly.

"A man sitting on his horse with his eyes closed seems to draw quite a lot of attention in this town."

"Oh, you're right. I didn't think of that, I'm sorry," she turned to the Assay clerk.

"Artemus, this is Thadius Taylor…Thad…Artemus Gordon," they nodded to one another.

"Thad was just looking for the place your soil is found," Artie leaned heavily on the counter looking at the map.

"As I was telling Danielle, there are three possible locations for that soil to be found. Here….here…and…here…" Thad said as he circled the spots on the map.

"Any particular reason you want to find this place?"

"Some friends of mine went there and I'd like to find them. They forgot to leave me a map…all they left was this dirt all over the floor," Artie said quickly, cutting Danielle off.

"Well, then, this one would do you no good," he crossed one of the circles out, "There's nothing there hunting or fishingwise…no people nothing."

"Thank you. Would you mind if we took this map?" Artie asked gesturing to it.

"Not at all, help yourself," Artie clumsily rolled the map and turned to leave when Thad stopped Danielle.

"Danielle, are you sure you're friend is up to traveling like this?"

"No, he isn't, Thad, but when we find his friends I assure you the only thing he'll be doing is resting."

"Brother, do I feel sorry for you!" Thad, knowing how stern minded Danielle could be, chuckled Artie just smiled and went outside.

Danielle waited patiently by the horse to help him mount and looked back just in time to see Artemus duck around the corner into the alley the map thrown to the ground momentarily forgotten. She rushed to him just as he began violently retching. Danielle gently rubbed circles on his back between his wounds. When he finished he leaned heavily on her for a moment before he pushed away. Danielle noted his face was becoming flushed again and she put her hand on his forehead.

"Artemus, you're coming down with a fever again. We need to get you back to the train and soon," she told him, concerned.

"Soon…as soon as we find Jim and Jeremy. They're in trouble…I have to help," Artie replied with a sigh as he climbed back up on his horse. Danielle grabbed the map and pulled herself up, glaring at him.

They reached the first site on the map and Danielle insisted Artie stay on the horse. She dismounted and scouted the area. There didn't seem to be any signs of anyone here let alone Jim or Jeremy. In fact it looked like this place had not seen any human traffic in years. Danielle sighed and headed back to Artie. I really hoped this would be the right spot, she thought, Artemus needs to be in bed not tromping around the countryside looking for his partner. Why does he have to be so stubborn? I guess that's part of what makes him Artemus Gordon, she thought as she returned to Artie.

"Artemus, what if I were to take you back to the train and I checked the other area myself? As your nurse I really can not condone this," she told him.

"And as a Secret Service Agent I can not condone you traipsing off by yourself."

"You are hardly in a position to argue that point. You should be in bed not looking for a partner that can take care of himself," Danielle snipped worried about her patient.

"If everything were okay, Jim would have been at the records office. He wasn't therefore they are in trouble and it's my job to pull his fat out of the fire," Artie used his best smile on her and it seemed to work.

"And just who's job is it to pull YOUR fat out of the fire?" she demanded.

"I would say that would be your job, my dear," Artie replied as he extended his hand and helped her up.

They rode on toward the next spot on the map, Artie worrying about his partner and Jeremy and Danielle worried about the man on the horse behind her. She could feel the heat beginning to radiate from him again and knew she should call this whole thing off and just head back to the train. But she also knew he would find a way to help his partner with or without her. At least with me here I can render whatever medical assistance might be needed.

Artie was having trouble staying focused and he knew it. He also knew he had to find Jim and Jeremy and soon…before he passed out. The fever is coming back, I can feel it, and if I can feel it Danielle can feel it. At least she's a bright woman, when we get there I can have her help me get them out. Artie involuntarily tightened his hold on Danielle's waist as a wave of dizziness and nausea swept over him. She pulled up on the reins and turned to look at him. She noted the pained look, sweating and the pale skin even with the flush of fever.

"Artemus, that's it! We are heading back to the train this instant. I will not allow you to kill yourself trying to save Jim and Jeremy!" Danielle kicked her heels into the horse, prodding it to turn around.

"The decision isn't yours to make. Anyway we're here," Artie reached around her and pulled the horse to a stop.

"We're there? There's nothing here."

"Not here look over there," he pointed to a hollow about a half-mile below them, "see the smoke from that chimney?"

"Yes, is that where they are?"

"I'm fairly certain of that, yes. It's the only place on this side of the mountain."

"Well then, let's go get Jim and Jeremy," she prodded the horse forward but Artie again stopped the animal.

"Why did you do that?" she asked.

"I'm going to do something that is against just about everything I believe in and just might cost me my job. Danielle, I can't go down there and get Jim and Jeremy. Not in a conventional way, anyway. A duck could walk faster than I can right now."

"I'm going to have to ask you to help me and lord help me when the Colonel finds out! In my pocket you'll find some clay…take it with you. When you find Jim give it to him he'll know what to do with it."

"How will I find him? I can't just waltz in there and ask where they are keeping them."

"Honey, you could waltz in there and ask for the Taj Mahal and get it," Artie laughed as he regarded her with a smile.

"No, what you do is look for a window that has bars on it or has some kind of covering the others don't. That will most likely be where they are holding them."

"They weren't expecting anyone this far out…I don't see any guards so that will work in our favor. I think I see some horses tied off in the trees. Take three of them and set the rest free," Artie was having a difficult time keeping his mind focused.

"Artemus? What about you? When we ride out of there we'll have to ride hard and fast there's no way you can do that," Danielle asked full of concern.

"Don't you worry about that. I have a plan."

"Oh brother, isn't that what got you into this whole mess in the first place?" she groaned at him.

"Keep that attitude up and I'm not going to ask you on a date," he clicked his tongue at her with a smile this time it was her turn to stare at him open mouthed.

"Now get going, I don't know how much longer I can sit a horse," Artie said as he gently pushed her off the horse.