Colonel Richmond and Jim sat at the table talking quietly as the waitress approached with their food. They stopped their conversation until she had placed the plates before them and resumed when she turned and walked away.

"Why would President Grant send you here? We haven't even had time to get ourselves in place yet let alone assess the situation and decide if we will need outside help." Jim sounded hurt.

"It's not like that James. When there was no word from Artemus…" Richmond began and Jim's head snapped up from his plate of steak and eggs.

"What do you mean no word from Artie? There's no way to contact you from here." Jim looked worried.

"He was supposed to send Henrietta with a message when he arrived and when the bird failed to show up we sent Arabella. She returned alone." Richmond watched Jim closely.

"But he left days before me and I know I took the same trail he did, it's the only one you can take from the ferry landing." Before Jim could ask any questions an old fur trader stumbled into the back of his chair. Jim looked up, instinctively on guard for trouble.

"Sorry mister." The old timer mumbled as he winked at the Colonel.

"Sir, have you eaten yet?" Richmond asked as he stared intently at the old man.

"No sonny I haven't, that's why I come in here." The old man smirked.

"Please, we have only just started to enjoy our meal, join us." Jim's jaw dropped.

"Sir…"

"Now, Mr. West, I need to hear as much input as possible from everyone in these parts." Richmond quickly slipped into his role as a land baron. "And who better to speak to than a fur trader?" Richmond gestured to the man to take a seat and he ordered another breakfast.

"Artie, where have you been?" Jim demanded harshly as the waitress brought out the meal.

"I was just about to ask if you had seen him, Jim. It's me Jeremy." Jim did a double take, Jeremy had made a fantastic effort looking so much like his partner would have in disguise.

"I take it Mr. Pike that you have not seen our wayward agent then." Richmond stated disappointingly.

"No, sir. When I got here I fully expected to meet up with him but no one in town recalls seeing another fur trader. Jim, Artemus didn't say anything to you about changing his disguise did he?"

"No, when he left he had everything he needed for the fur trader outfit. I helped him pack the pelts myself. Jeremy did you check all over town, it seems unlikely that no one saw him." Jim asked curious.

"Trust me, Jim, I checked every place in this town. Heck, I even checked outlying farms hoping he had stopped somewhere but no one has seen him." Jeremy shook his head.

"You checked every business?" Richmond asked as he took a bite of food.

"Yes, sir…well all but the doctor's office. I was on my way there when I saw you two. Quite frankly, sir, it was a bit of a shock to see you here. May I ask why you are here?' Jeremy looked at their boss over a steaming mug of coffee.

"The President thought it might be better to have someone with more authority in town just in case something went wrong." Richmond scowled. "And of course we all know NOTHING ever goes wrong where West and Gordon are concerned." Jeremy snickered and Jim rolled his eyes.

"Well, sonny, I don't like people much." Jeremy slipped quickly back into character when the waitress moved past them to a table near the back of the restaurant. "But iffn you want my opinion I'll be happy to give it ta ya."

"Why yes, old timer, I want the opinion of all the citizens. I want my ranch to be accepted readily. And that means getting the opinion from every citizen of these parts." Richmond lowered his voice when the woman headed back into the kitchen.

"Sir, if we could get back to the matter at hand." Jim pressed the Colonel.

"Yes, Jim. I'll go speak to the doctor myself. I can use my cover as James Richmond, cattle and land baron." Jeremy and Jim exchanged glances and Jeremy snickered.

"You find something funny, Mr. Pike?" Richmond glared at his subordinate.

"Uh…no sir, it's just that weren't you the one who taught us at the academy to come up with names for our undercover selves?" Jim snorted his coffee spilling some onto the tablecloth.

"Yes, MR. Pike I did teach that, however this situation called for something a little different." Richmond glared, daring him to continue. When Pike remained silent Richmond went on.

"Jim, find a Mr. Trenton McKenzie. He's the one trying to set up shop here. He may be able to shed some light on the situation. Mr. Pike I want you to scout around the area…keep looking there may be something you've missed or someone you haven't spoken to yet."

"Yes, sir." Both men answered in unison as Jeremy rose to leave.

"Thank you for the meal, sonny. I'm sure I'll be seeing ya around town. I'm gonna go look for my friend again." Jeremy nodded and touched the brim of his hat in salute before he turned and left.

Jim and Richmond sat speaking quietly for a few minutes before Jim excused himself to complete his assigned task. Richmond fluttered around the dining room chatting amicably with the customers, getting to know them before he too left.

WWWWWWWWWW

"It's done, Boss. We dumped him on the doctor's porch just like you said." Jeff was fidgeting.

"And you are certain no one saw you? No one followed you back here?" The man looked at him with a steely glare.

"I'm positive, Boss! It was still dark and no one was around. We dumped him and left."

"Did you burn the ID like I told you to?" the man asked without looking up from the paperwork spread out before him.

"Yeah I took care of that myself, Boss." Jeff shifted his weight from foot to foot. If he finds out I lost it on the way back here he'll kill me for sure.

"Fine. I spoke to Running Bear yesterday. He assures me his people will do what I want." The man remarked. "It seems they practically worship this creature we have and they will do anything to get him back. Rotten savages…when this is all over I want you to round up all the Indians that are helping me and kill them." The look in the man's eyes told Jeff there would be no room for mistakes this time.

"Yes, sir, it'll be done." Jeff didn't wait to be dismissed, he turned and quickly left the room.

WWWWWWWWWW

Jones felt Artie's forehead and asked his wife to get some ice water. He took a folded cloth and dabbed at the sweat on Artie's forehead. He had known this could happen but he had fervently hoped it wouldn't. This man's system was seriously overtaxed as it was and contracting a fever or worse might not bode well for him.

Hannah entered the room to find her husband trying to hold the patient still. He seemed to be in the grips of some kind of nightmare. She placed the large basin with the chunk of ice surrounded by water on the nightstand beside the bed.

"How is he doing?"

"He's a sick man, Hannah. He's been babbling about someone named Jim and seeing a beast."

"You don't think he means…" She let her sentence trail off.

"Hannah you know I don't believe in those creatures, if he came across one I do not think we would be having this conversation. No, most of these wounds were caused by a fall. I have to talk to the Sheriff. If this man did indeed meet one of these 'mythical' beasts and they are going to start attacking people on the road he's going to have to do something."

"Edward you've heard the stories. Surely you can't disbelieve them." Hannah reproached him.

"Unless I see one with my own eyes I can not believe they truly exist. It's probably some man dressed in a costume trying to scare people off. There are a dozen reasons for someone to want to get his hands on the land in this area." Jones stared icily at his wife. Hannah and Edward turned to look at their patient when he began to moan.

"Gotta find Jim…gotta talk to Jim. Jim? I gotta tell you about the men." Edward shook his head sadly.

"The poor man's in a state of delirium. This fever's hit him pretty hard."

"What would cause this? We've not seen this in any of your other patients who claimed they were attacked." Hannah asked.

"I've never had a patient in this bad of shape before. He's pretty banged up and we have no idea how long he went untreated. He had a lot of infections in his wounds."

"Will he make it, dear?" Hannah wasn't sure she wanted to know. "Seems a terrible way for an old man to go."

"Things are not always as they seem Hannah." His wife looked at him quizzically. "Only time will tell but he seems to have a strong will and he is in remarkable shape. We'll just keep up with the ice water and medications and pray for the best." Edward tucked the blankets around Artie and told his wife to keep up the ice water treatments. He grabbed his hat and jacket and headed out to find the Sheriff.

WWWWWWWWWW

Jeremy tied his mule to the hitching post and approached the doctor's home and office. Stepping up to the door he rapped with his knuckles. Jeremy rumpled his hair and held his tattered hat in his hands wringing the brim while he waited. He looked up as the door was opened by an older woman wiping her hands on a small towel.

"If you're looking for the doctor he isn't here right now but I expect him back soon." The woman smiled at him.

"Maybe you kin help me. I'm looking for a friend of mine. I was ta meet him here in town yesterdee and he ain't showed up." Jeremy looked at her hopefully.

"What's he look like?" The woman asked, a little wearily as she glanced back inside the house.

"Well…I guess a lot like me." Jeremy replied scratching his bewigged head. "You know, you seen one old fur trader you seen em all." He chuckled and the woman smiled.

"I've been busy with spring cleaning. I don't think I've seen your friend. But if you don't mind waiting you could come and wait for my husband. The doctor should be back after he sees the Sher…a sick patient he's been looking in on." Jeremy pretended not to notice her quick if clumsy correction.

"No thank you ma'am. I'll just come back later if that's all right. I gotta sell some of my pelts and I'm ta see the man over at the mercantile before noon. I'd sure appreciate it ifn you could tell the Doctor I was here and that I'll be back." Jeremy winked at her and put his hat back on his head and turned to leave.

"I'll…do that. If you come back around noon you're welcome to stay to dinner." She called to him as she watched him untie his mule and pull him behind him as he headed toward the mercantile.

WWWWWWWWWW