The next morning, Quantro's men broke camp at first light and much to Robert's relief, the leader wasn't only coherent but walked to the wagon unaided.

Robert on the other hand was a little worse for wear as Stephen lead him toward the wagon, his hands still tied.

"What's the matter Doctor," Quantro said after Robert sat down heavily next to him. "Our travel doesn't agree with you?"

"Apparently not," Robert said angrily.

Quantro only laughed as the wagon started down the river again and Robert closed his eyes and suppressed the urge to get sick.

Festus climbed onto Ruth as the three men headed into the river and took a moment to look around.

"You don't think they headed down stream?" Newly said as Matt looked down stream.

"It would be the surest bet," Matt said indecisively as he looked up stream to where Festus was. "What do you think, Festus?"

"I'm not so sure sure Matthew," Festus said pointing at the broken branch. "Something or someone came though here and broke this here branch," he said as Matt and Newly headed up stream.

"I think you're right," Matt said looking at the branch. "That limb is still green which means it was freshly broken and it wasn't windy enough yesterday to cause that."

"But," Newly said looking up stream. "Why would they go North when Mexico is south?"

"To throw us off the trail," Matt said evenly. "Quantro's men would have caught up and warned the others that we're not dead!"

"And they prolly figured on us coming after Robert," Festus said with a nod.

"So they've gone north to throw us off the trail," Matt stated thoughtfully. "And there's plenty of rivers that connect to this one that they could follow straight to Mexico."

"That there is true enough Matthew," Festus said with a nod. "I've been down some of them myself."

"The only problem is," Matt said looking at both of his deputy's. "We have no way to let the army know which way we're going. As far as they're concerned, we're headed to Texas!"

"Which means that in a fight, it's just going to be us," Newly said evenly as Festus nodded.

"Just so we all know what we're up against," Matt said starting up stream as Newly and Festus followed.

(Dodge)

Abelia shivered as Kitty placed another cold compress on her forehand.

"Here," Doc said handing the saloon owner a glass with a cloudy liquid inside. "Get her to drink this, it's quinine, it'll bring that fever down."

Kitty nodded as she took the glass and put it to Abelia's lips. "I know, it tastes awful," Kitty said after Abelia made a sour face.

"But it works," Doc said swiping his mustache. "Kitty, I'm going to see about sending off that telegraph for Matt now."

"Alright, Doc," Kitty said looking at Abelia. "She'll be alright while you're gone."

Doc nodded as he left his office and headed down the stairs. Reaching the street, the physician stopped when he heard multiple horses coming.

Looking up the street with several of Dodge's townsfolk, the physician watched as a platoon from the army came down front street and stopped in front of the jail.

"I sure am glad to see you," Doc said as the platoon leader dismounted. "I was just about to send this message to the army for Marshal Dillon!"

The Sargent took the message and read it before looking at Doc. "The Marshal and two deputy's went after a murder like Quantro alone?"

"Well," Doc said evenly. "Quantro took a hostage with him. A doctor to treat his wound but he's also the son of one of the deputy's."

"I see," the Sargent said putting the message in his pocket. "Don't worry, we'll find them!"

Doc watched as the Sargent climbed back onto his horse. "Lets move out!" he ordered.

Festus watched along the banks for any sign that Quantro's men or the wagon may have left behind as did Matt and Newly so they could have a definite answer that they're hunch was right.

Suddenly, Newly let out a whoop when he rode his horse up onto a sand bar deep inside a narrow branch of the river.

"What is it?" Matt said riding over to meet him as Festus followed.

"They made camp here!" Newly said as Festus looked around.

"That there is wagon tracks alright," he said looking at both men. "They did come this a way!"

"They can't be but half a day ahead of us," Matt said with a urgent nod. "Let's keep going!"

Robert forced himself to sit up and look around when the wagon drove roughly over the bank of the river and on to dry land.

Quantro looked around and nodded as the wagon started to climb a steep hill. Coming to rest atop the hill, Robert looked out the side of the wagon to the river below.

"If those friends of yours are following us," Stephen said irately. "Here is where it'll end!"

"You're going to ambush them, aren't you?" Robert said looking from the bend in the river back to Stephen.

"Did you think we would allow them to follow us all the way to Mexico," Quantro said with a haughty laugh. "Tell Ernesto and the others to be ready. It won't be much longer!"

Robert closed his eyes as Stephen ran off to give Quantro's orders to Ernest and the other men. He had to think of a way to alert his father of what Quantro had in mind otherwise, they were going to be easy targets.

"Hold up a minute," Matt said stopping and looking ahead.

"What is it Matthew?" Festus said as Matt turned his horse around. "Get off of Ruth. Newly, you climb down off your horse as well."

Robert watched as Quantro sat up in the wagon to get a better view of the river below. Looking around, the physician realized, it was just him and the leader. Stephen and Ernest were hundreds of feet away and the rest of Quantro's men were aligned near the river.

"I need to tell you something Quantro," Robert said with a smirk as the leader turned to look at him.

"What is it?" Quantro asked harshly.

"You taking me with you wasn't a good idea because I won't be alive much longer for you to use me," Robert said evenly.

"What are you talking about Doctor?" Quantro said as Robert smiled.

"I'm a dying man Quantro," Robert said with a grin. "And dying men don't have anything to live for now do they!"

Matt released his horse as Festus and Newly did the same. "Let's see what happens," Matt said bracing himself against the rock wall with his two deputy's.

The sound of gunfire erupted along with a lot of yelling and screaming that Festus noticed wasn't aimed at them.

"Something's a going on up there Matthew," Festus said as Matt nodded.

Several of Quantro's men stood up from their hiding places along the top of the cliffs and ran for their horses.

"Quick," Matt ordered. "Get the horses!"

When Stephen yelled that horses were coming down the river, Quantro turned his back to Robert which gave the physician the chance to reach into his bag and take out the gun he had hidden in the bottom.

Firing the gun into the air, sent the horses into a frenzy of fear and they galloped away with the wagon still attached and no on controlling the reins.