5- Trouble with Treasure

Andi holds her brother Mitch’s life in her hands when a back-country camping trip goes desperately wrong.

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Chapter One

The Map

San Joaquin Valley, California, Early Summer 1881

A blast of hot summer air struck thirteen-year-old Andi Carter as she led her palomino mare, Taffy, from the barn. She’d been looking forward to the ride into Fresno this afternoon, but now the thought of climbing on a horse and galloping around in this heat made her reconsider. Already she felt rivulets of sweat trickling down the back of her neck.

“Is it always this hot around here?”

Andi turned toward her friend, Jenny Grant, who was leading a paint pony a few steps behind Taffy. Jenny’s face was nearly as red as her fiery hair, which was pulled back into a long, tight braid. In the two weeks since she’d arrived at the Circle C ranch for a visit, dozens of new freckles had popped out.

The California sun did not suit Jenny at all.

Andi grinned. “It’s barely June. You should be here in August. Then you’d know what hot really feels like.” She pulled her wide-brimmed hat forward to shade her eyes. It offered some protection from the glare but none from the heat. “Don’t you have summer where you’re from?”

Jenny shook her head. “Not like this. During those rare days when the sun does blister me, I run down to the dock and jump in the bay. There’s nothing like a ducking to cool a body off good and proper. And we have tall, shady trees just a stone’s throw away.” She gave Andi a weak smile. “Not many places to cool off around here, are there?”

“Nope,” Andi confessed. “I’m afraid not.” Andi looked around the yard and tried to imagine the tall fir trees of Washington Territory standing in place of the scattered valley oaks around her ranch house and outbuildings. “You get used to it, I reckon.”

Jenny raked a sleeve across her forehead, jammed the black felt hat Andi had lent her onto her head, and sighed. “Well, I don’t want to stand around jawing all day. Let’s go.”

“It’s a long, hot ride to town,” Andi said. “Are you sure you want to go? Maybe we should stick close to the ranch and wait for Mitch to take us up in the hills. It’ll be cooler there, and you’ll feel at home. Lots of mountains and pine trees up at that logging camp.”

Jenny wrinkled her forehead. “I’ve seen my share of logging camps.” She clambered into the saddle on Patches’s back and secured the reins. “If I don’t see the town this week, then I’ll miss it completely. Soon as we get back from our trek into the hills, it’ll be time for me to pack up and head home.” She took a deep breath and set her jaw. “If this heat doesn’t bother you, then it ain’t gonna bother me neither.”

No matter how hard Jenny Grant tried to walk and talk like a lady, she couldn’t seem to shake the influence of living thirteen years in the company of loggers in the middle of nowhere. Not even a year at a fancy San Francisco girls’ school had done much to curb Jenny’s wild ways.

Andi was glad it hadn’t. She liked Jenny’s carefree and sometimes reckless view of life. Why, next to Jenny Grant, Andi appeared almost a lady! She muffled a giggle and mounted Taffy. “All right, let’s go see the town.”

The two horses were in no mood to hurry in the heat, so Andi let Taffy have her head, and Jenny followed suit. The ride to town—normally an hour’s trip—took longer than Andi liked. By the time they plodded down the dusty street and dismounted in front of Goodwin’s Mercantile, Andi and Jenny were drenched in sweat and their canteens were empty. The horses were bound to be thirsty too.

No sooner had they led Taffy and Patches to the watering trough than Andi heard a familiar shout.

“Andi!” Cory Blake skidded to a stop beside the girls. Dust rose in a cloud. He waved it away and pulled a yellowed piece of paper from his pocket. “You won’t believe what Ollie traded me. Look here. It’s a—” He paused at the look on Andi’s face. “What’s wrong?”

Andi rolled her eyes and let Taffy finish her drink. She hadn’t seen Cory since last February, when three flooding creeks had overrun the town. Instead of a holiday, Andi had been shipped off to school in San Francisco to finish out the winter term. She’d also stayed for the spring term.

Now she was home at last, and Cory was waving a dirty old paper in her face and acting like he’d seen her only yesterday. She wrapped Taffy’s reins around the hitching rail a few yards away and returned to the trough.

“No ‘Howdy-Andi-glad-you’re-back-how-was-the-city’?” she said, scowling at her friend’s lack of manners.

“Oh! Sorry.” Cory pulled off his hat and gave her a cocky grin. “Howdy, Andi. Glad you’re back. How was the city? Hope you didn’t pick up any snooty ways at that fancy school you went to.” He shoved his hat back on his blond head and turned his attention to the paper clutched in his hand. “Now take a look at—”

“You must be Cory.” Jenny grasped Cory’s hand and pumped it. Her words tumbled out. “I’m Jenny Grant. I’m staying with Andi for a few weeks. We were roommates at school. I heard lots about you. All your fishing and racing your horses and playing ball. Nice to meet you.”

Cory threw Andi a helpless look.

She smirked. “That’s what happens when you’re in such an all-fired hurry to blab about your latest scheme instead of showing my guest some manners.”

Cory slid his hand free from Jenny’s sweaty grasp and wiped it on his britches. “Pleased t’ meet you, Jenny,” he said with a red face. Some of his enthusiasm had drained away.

Andi dipped her hand in the horse trough and swirled the tepid water around. “So, what did Ollie trade you?”

Cory’s face broke into a wide smile, and he settled himself on the edge of the trough. “Well, you know that Ollie’s pa works at the land office. They got some new survey maps in to replace the old, outdated ones, and”—he smoothed the paper across his knees—“I traded Ollie five aggie marbles, the largest toad in Fresno County, and two genuine arrowheads for this old map.”

Jenny peered over Andi’s shoulder. “What do you want with an outdated map? Looks to me like the waste of a good toad.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Andi said with a giggle.

“Look here,” Cory persisted. “It’s an old survey map of the area up around Fresno Flats. See all these symbols? They show gold claims and old diggings that nobody bothers about any longer. Most folks around those parts are ranching or logging now. The little diggings are likely all played out and no good to anybody.”

Andi laughed. “Are you thinking of prospecting for gold? Don’t you remember what happened the last time we tried that?” She and Cory had panned plenty of gold up in the hills a few years back, but it wasn’t the right kind of gold.

Fool’s gold was worth nothing.

Cory grunted. “I know better now.” He tapped the map with his finger. “This shows places along creeks where real gold was found years and years ago. Seems like a fella could dig down into the creek bed, slosh the dirt around in a pan, and see what he could find.”

He shot Andi a sly grin. “Remember that fella who found the forty-ounce gold nugget in Coarse Gold Gulch? He was purely lucky, that’s all. Why not take a couple of weeks and see what kind of treasure I can find?”

Andi snatched the map from Cory’s hand and peered at it. It was faded and partially smeared, but she could read the words Grub Gulch, Potter Ridge Mine, and McFarland’s Ranch. Tiny drawings of pickaxes were scattered here and there along the curved and twisted contour lines. A dotted line with the word flume snaked its way across the page.

Jenny traced the flume with her finger. “I know what this is. Loggers send timber down from the mountains in a flume. Saves a heap of time instead of using horses and wagons.” She squinted at the tiny print. “Looks like this flume goes clear up to the Sugar Pine logging camp.” She looked at Andi. “Isn’t that the name of the camp your brother’s taking us up to see?”

Andi nodded and handed the map back to Cory. “Tell you what, Cory. Mitch is heading up to the Sugar Pine camp next week, and just for fun he’s taking Jenny and me along. If we happen to stumble across any gold on the way, I’ll tell you all about it.”

“You’re going here?” He thumped the paper. “Right past all those swell gold diggings? Are you taking the stage or packing in on horses?”

“Packing in, of course. I can’t wait. Just Mitch, Jenny, and me for two whole weeks on the trail.”

Cory grew quiet. He carefully folded the map and secured it in his trouser pocket. After a few moments, he said, “Do you suppose Mitch would like another fella along on that trip to keep him company?”

Andi considered. She glanced at the sliver of paper peeking out from Cory’s pocket. A tingly feeling shot up her neck. Real gold! “I’ll ask Mitch,” she said, “and you ask your folks. But any gold you find with that map we split three ways—you, me, and Jenny. Deal?” She stretched out her hand.

Cory’s eyes gleamed as he took her hand. “It’s a deal,” he said in a low voice, “but we’ve got to keep this to ourselves. No telling what would happen if word leaked out about our treasure hunt.”

“Why are you whispering?” Andi asked. “There’s nobody around but us and the horses.”

“You can’t be too careful,” he replied with a shrug.

“You can’t be too careful about what?” a new voice called from the mercantile doorway.

Jack Goodwin strolled out from his father’s store, sucking on an ice chip. The screen door slammed shut behind him. Smacking his lips, he sat down next to Cory on the edge of the horse trough and brushed his unruly dark hair from his eyes. “You can’t be too careful about what?” he repeated.

“Treasure,” Andi said, swallowing hard. That ice chip sure looked good. “Cory has a map. He thinks he’s found another get-rich-quick scheme. Want to hear about it?”

Cory shot Andi a keep-your-mouth-shut look, but she just laughed.

Jack snorted. “Nope. Not me, Cory. Not since that time you got both our backsides tanned for snitching ice from Pa’s ice house and selling it door to door.” He shook his head. “A treasure hunt? I’m not fool enough to follow a phony map some shyster sold you.” He finished his ice chip and ran the back of his hand across his wet lips.

“Get us some ice, Jack,” Andi pleaded. “My guest isn’t used to this kind of heat.”

For the first time, Jack looked at Jenny. Andi made a quick introduction and repeated her request. “Your pa won’t mind. I’m sure he won’t.”

“I’ve got a better way to cool off.” Jack twisted around, leaned over the horse trough, and plunged his head in.

Andi gasped. “Jack!”

“He’s plumb crazy,” Jenny said, laughing.

Jack pulled his head from the trough. Dark hair plastered his forehead and covered his ears. Water streamed down his face. “That’s what I call cooling off.”

Andi wasn’t convinced. “That’s disgusting—that dirty old horse water. Taffy used it ten minutes ago.”

Jack wiped his face. “Well, I’m not drinking it, Andi. Besides, I watched them fill it not more than an hour ago. Your horses were the first ones to drink from it. It’s as clean as the water from our kitchen pump.” He reached into the trough and tossed a handful of water in Andi’s face.

Andi leaped up and wiped her face. “That’s not funny, Jack.”

“But you gotta admit it felt good—near as good as an ol’ ice chip, I bet.”

Andi bit back an angry reply. Yes, it had felt good. She looked at Jenny. Her friend was gazing longingly at the cool water. Andi turned back to Jack. “You sure it’s clean?”

At Jack’s nod, Andi leaned over and splashed the water against her face.

Jenny joined her and let out a sigh when the water dribbled down her cheeks. “This is pure heaven.” She leaned close to Andi and whispered, “I’m hot enough to pull that trick your friend did. My head’s burning up.”

Jack whooped. “I heard that, and I got an idea. How ’bout a head-ducking contest? See who can keep his head under the longest.” He didn’t wait for Jenny’s answer, but turned to Cory. “You game?”

Cory’s blue-gray eyes glinted in fun. “I’m game. How ’bout you, Andi?”

Andi didn’t answer right away. Last summer she would have joined in without hesitation. But she was thirteen years old now—too old to play foolish games with the town boys, even if they were good friends she’d known for years. Wading in the creek, yes. Splashing in the town’s fountain, maybe. But ducking her head in a horse trough in the middle of the street?

For once, Andi decided to think before she acted. “No, I’d better not.”

“Well,” Jenny said, “I’m game.” She tossed her hat aside.

“You don’t live here,” Andi said. “Nobody knows you. But me? Everybody around these parts knows my family. I don’t want to give the town gossips an excuse to wag their tongues.” She sighed. “I reckon I’ll sit this one out.”

Cory shrugged. “Suit yourself. You can judge who wins.”

“I can do that. Then Jenny and I will be on our way. I’m showing her the town.” She stared at the still water and said, “You ready?”

Jenny, Cory, and Jack leaned over the horse trough as one.

“Ready!” Jenny yelled.

“Go!”

The three contestants plunged their heads deep into the water. Andi counted slowly and waited for the first head to pop up. “Thirty, thirty-one . . .” she continued. Would they never come up for air?

Andi was suddenly glad she’d refused to participate. She liked to win, but she had no chance in this contest. She couldn’t hold her breath so long.

With a gasp, Cory’s blond head flew up from the trough, throwing water droplets everywhere. His chest heaved beneath his soaking wet shirt as he coughed and sputtered. A second later, Jack was sucking in air. Then Jenny emerged, tossing her long, wet braid back and forth.

She straightened up, gulping air. “That was mighty fine!” she burst out when she’d caught her breath.

“You won,” Andi said, “but not by much. You three cooler now?” She settled herself on the edge of the trough and splashed another handful of water on her face. It helped a little, but she wished—

“You look mighty hot, Andi.”

She turned in time to hear Cory shout, “No, Jack!” Then she felt a push and tumbled backward into the trough.

The shock of the cool water didn’t douse Andi’s fury. She sat up, choking back a mouthful of water. Oh no! She was soaked from head to toe. Sitting in the watering trough, she would soon become the laughingstock of the town.

It was time to mount Taffy and head for home before any of the town gossips saw her.

Jenny’s sightseeing is over.

Andi gripped the edges of the trough and struggled to stand up. Cory reached out a helping hand, but she slapped it aside. “Some friend you are. Why didn’t you keep Jack from dunking me?”

Jenny rushed to Cory’s defense. “It happened too fast.” She glared at Jack. “You remind me of my brother Eli—playing no-good jokes on folks.”

Jack didn’t flinch at Jenny’s rebuke. “Sorry, Andi. I didn’t mean no harm. You got wet. So what? Climb out, and I’ll ask Pa for some licorice.”

Andi ignored Jack’s half-baked apology and clambered over the side of the trough. She didn’t want any licorice. Getting out of town unseen was the only thing on her mind right now. “Come on, Jenny. Let’s go.”

Too late. A man’s voice stopped her cold.

“What in blazes is going on here?”

Chapter Two

Under Arrest

Andi spun around and came face-to-face with Fresno’s new young deputy, Hugh Baker. Her heart skipped a beat.

“I asked you a question,” Hugh snapped. “What’s going on?” He bored into her with a dark, impatient glare. His deputy’s badge flashed in the sunlight.

Instead of answering, Andi looked at her friends. They stood stock-still on the other side of the horse trough, looking every bit as frightened as Andi felt.

It was no secret that Deputy Baker stalked the streets, looking for an excuse to round up would-be troublemakers. Andi had listened to more than one conversation around the supper table lately about the cocky new deputy. Her brothers didn’t like him at all. And no wonder. New to his job and trying to impress his boss, he’d arrested more folks in the six weeks he’d been deputy than Sheriff Tate arrested in six months.

Andi didn’t want to be next.

A sudden grip on her arm wrenched Andi from her thoughts. “You deaf, girl? Answer me.”

“I fell in. That’s all.”

Hugh snorted his disbelief and flicked his gaze to the others. “You three, get over here.”

Jenny, Cory, and Jack hurried into the street and stood next to Andi.

“You know the ordinance against messing with the livestock troughs, especially during the hot months. The sheriff’s office got a number of complaints about this very thing. It ain’t fitting to use the troughs for bathing pools or any other shenanigans, you hear?”

Four heads bobbed up and down.

“This trough is on its last leg, and now it’s leaking all over the place.”

Andi glanced behind her shoulder. Although she couldn’t imagine how it might have happened, a number of small cracks were oozing water. It wouldn’t be long before the trough was completely empty.

“It won’t happen again,” Cory said. “We’ll fix it right away. I’ll run get the tools.”

Hugh shook his head. “I’m taking you four in. You’ll sit in the sheriff’s office while I round up your folks.”

“You mean you’re arresting us?” Jenny squeaked.

The deputy smirked. “Yep. The town’s getting a new water trough from the fines your folks will be paying.”

Andi didn’t care about the fines. She didn’t care about the small crowd of curious bystanders that had gathered on the boardwalk. She only cared about being arrested and sitting in the sheriff’s office.

With a sinking heart, she remembered her brother Chad’s story of how the deputy had arrested Tom and Zeke Hollister for painting the drayman’s gray horse a bright red in the middle of the night. It wasn’t like it hadn’t happened before. The drayman usually complained, the artists paid the five-dollar fine, and the Fresno Expositor had news for an otherwise dull edition of the paper.

But this time Deputy Baker had locked the rowdies up, hoping Mr. Anderson would press serious charges. Andi had laughed, but Chad hadn’t intended the story to be funny. Now she understood. The horse-painting incident suddenly didn’t sound funny to her either. Seeing Hugh Baker up close, Andi felt sorry for Tom and Zeke.

She felt sorry for herself.

Andi and her friends shuffled along behind Deputy Baker, heads down. The crowd had grown to at least a dozen townsfolk. Most shook their heads and murmured assurances.

“Russ will set things right, so don’t you kids worry none,” someone shouted.

Andi sure hoped Sheriff Tate would step in and rescue them. It wasn’t like they’d broken any real law . . . or had they?

“Hugh, ain’t you got nothing better to do than arrest decent folks’ kids?” another man complained.

A few folks, on the other hand, applauded the deputy’s decision.

“It’s about time somebody tries to corral this town’s troublemakers.”

Hugh’s supporters were Mr. Evans, the undertaker, and his gossipy wife. The old couple never had a good word to say about the youth of Fresno. Andi tried to put as much distance between herself and the undertaker’s family as she would an ornery rattlesnake. One never knew when Mr. or Mrs. Evans would strike.

No doubt Mrs. Evans will tattle to Mother, Andi thought with a sigh.

Mr. Evans stood along the street, giving hearty approval to Hugh’s recent arrest. In his fancy black suit and top hat, he looked ridiculously out of place in the heat. He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked while the kids trooped past.

By the time Hugh herded them into the sheriff’s office, Andi’s heart was racing. In spite of the sweat now trickling down the back of her neck, a cold, hard lump had settled in her stomach.

Hugh shut the door. “Here we are. Make yourselves at home while I fill out the paperwork.” He strolled across the tiny office and plunked down in the chair behind the sheriff’s desk. He pulled open a drawer, pawed through it, then slammed it shut. “There’s got to be a pencil around here somewhere,” he muttered.

Andi glanced at her friends. They hadn’t moved since entering the office. No one had said a word. Andi gathered up her courage and asked, “When can we see the sheriff?”

Andi liked Sheriff Tate. His honesty and his easygoing manner made him a favorite with the citizens of Fresno—young and old alike. Only real law-breakers feared him. Andi’s heart slowed down. The icy lump in her stomach began to melt. Yes, she and her friends would get a fair shake from the sheriff.

Hugh found a pencil stub and began scribbling on a piece of paper. “Huh? What did you say?”

“I want to know when we can talk to Sheriff Tate,” Andi said. You’re just the deputy and haven’t got much say, she added silently. She didn’t dare say it aloud.

“Sheriff ain’t here,” Hugh answered without looking up. “Gone to Merced for a couple o’ days. Left me in charge.” His voice held a hint of gloating as he continued to scribble.

Andi exchanged a worried glance with Cory. Now what?

Hugh looked up. He pointed the stubby pencil at Andi. “If you kids think you’re going to bleat to Sheriff Tate about this, you got another think coming. It’s my duty to arrest folks who disturb the peace, start fights, shoot each other, rob banks, spit on the boardwalk, and engage in disorderly conduct.”

“Listen, Deputy Baker,” Cory said. “We said we’re—”

“I ain’t finished,” Hugh cut in. “I’m charging you four with just that—disorderly conduct and destroying public property. I’m writing up the official charges, and the judge will be seeing you sometime next week about the fines. This time there ain’t no sheriff around to overrule me.”

Andi felt sick. Cory and Jack groaned.

Jenny squeezed Andi’s hand and whispered, “Can he do that? I thought we were going up in the hills with Mitch next week.”

“He can do it,” Jack said sourly. “He’s mean enough to do it too.”

“You got something to say, boy?” Hugh snapped.

“No, sir,” Jack said.

Andi saw he was shaking with the injustice of it all. She was shaking too. This spiteful, meaner-than-a-cornered-rattlesnake of a deputy was fixing to ruin all of Andi and Jenny’s plans, and there wasn’t a thing she could do about it.

“I thought you were going to find our folks,” Cory said. “I’d just as soon get this over with quick. I’m tired of waiting.” He put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the door. “I got things to do.”

That was a brave thing to say, Andi thought.

The deputy shoved the chair back and rose to his full height. He wasn’t much taller than Cory, but he seemed a lot bigger with the holster strapped around his middle and his deputy’s badge glimmering. “Oh, you do, do you?”

With a great show of bluster, he stomped across the office and yanked a large ring of keys from a hook. “You four, come with me.”

Andi looked at the metal ring. She knew what the keys were for—the jail cells. She caught her breath. “You can’t lock us in a cell. It’s . . . it’s . . .” She faltered. She wasn’t sure why he couldn’t do it. She only knew it wasn’t right.

“It’s unconstitutional,” Jack finished.

Everybody stared at Jack. Andi was surprised he knew the word. Jack wasn’t the best scholar in the Fresno grammar school.

The deputy gave the kids an amused grin. He motioned for them to follow him. “Fine. You show me in the Constitution where it says I can’t lock you up, and I’ll be happy to abide by it.” He marched them down a dim hallway and unlocked a large cell. “Until then . . . in you go.”

The cell door slammed shut. The key rattled in the lock. Hugh’s grin turned into a chuckle. “That should bring you kids down a peg or two.” He twirled the ring of keys. “Don’t go away. I’ll be right back. Soon as I get my paper and pencil, I’ll take down your names. Then you can cool your heels in here while I track down your folks.”

Andi slumped onto one of the cots in the otherwise bare cell. “You didn’t have to lock us up, Deputy. We would’ve stayed put until you brought our folks.”

“So you say,” Hugh replied. “This way I ain’t taking any chances.”

The deputy sauntered down the hall and into the office. The door clicked shut behind him.

As soon as Deputy Baker disappeared, Jack gripped the bars of the cell and pushed his face up against them. “I think we’re in trouble.” He rattled the door and stepped back. “Yep. A heap of trouble.”

“At least it’s nice and cool in here,” Jenny said. She sat down next to Andi and leaned back against the cold brick wall.

Andi shivered. It was a mite too cold. Her wet riding skirt clung to her legs. Her feet sloshed around in her boots. She removed one boot and turned it upside down. Water drizzled onto the floor in a puddle.

She glared at Jack. “This is your fault, you know.” She took off her other boot and dumped the water out. Then she pulled on her boots, stood up, and stamped her feet into place. It didn’t help much.

Jack turned from the bars and gave Andi a sorrowful look. “I really am sorry, Andi.” This time he sounded sincere. “I was just foolin’ around and didn’t think anything would come of it. I reckon I got us all into this fix.”

“It’s kind of an adventure,” Cory said from the other cot. “I’ve never been in jail before.”

“Some adventure,” Andi said. For her it was not an adventure. It was a disaster. She fell back on the cot and worked on squeezing the water from her two long, dark braids.

Jack joined Cory on the cot. “Deputy Baker sure is taking his time finding a paper and pencil.”

“I bet you anything he’s taking his time on purpose,” Jenny said. “He’s a mean one, that deputy.”

Just then the door to the sheriff’s office opened. Andi and her friends leaped to their feet and shoved their way to the bars. The sooner they gave their names to the deputy, the sooner this whole matter would be done with.

Sure enough, Hugh Baker came through the doorway. But he had no paper and pencil in his hands. Instead, he was accompanied by an unsmiling Justin Carter. The two men walked up to the cell without speaking.

Andi’s eyes widened at the sight of her oldest brother. Oh, no! She had never seen Justin look so furious. It made her weak with fear. Her throat tightened. It wasn’t my fault! she wanted to explain. Instead, she backed away from the cell door. Her friends did the same.

Justin gripped the bars of the cell, flicked a quick glance over the prisoners, then turned all his attention on Hugh. “I’d hoped it was merely a vicious rumor begun by some wagging tongues in town,” he said in an icy voice. “It’s a good thing I decided to check the rumor out. I never considered that you might actually arrest and lock up four children without their parents’ knowledge.”

“I was getting to that, Mr. Carter,” Hugh said. “Ten minutes more and the parents would be here, answering to their youngsters’ crimes.”

“Crimes? Don’t be ridiculous.” Justin laughed. But he didn’t look amused.

Hugh crossed his arms and stood his ground. “Don’t get on your high horse, Counselor. I’ll ask you the same question I asked when you busted into my office two minutes ago. What’s your interest here? Surely Sheriff Tate didn’t ask a fancy lawyer to watch over his deputy while he’s out of town.”

Justin ignored Hugh’s mocking tone. His voice grew soft and—to Andi’s ears—dangerous. She was glad he was talking to the deputy and not to her.

“A lot of folks are fed up with the high-handed way you’ve been doing things since you took this job. Russ needs the help, and that’s the only reason you haven’t been run out of town on a rail—yet. However, when the sheriff gets back from Merced, some of us will be having a word with him about you.”

Hugh lost his smug look. “I-I’m just doing my job,” he stammered. “I arrest folks. The judge decides if they’re guilty or not.”

Justin motioned to Hugh’s ring of keys. “You’ve gone too far this time, Deputy Baker. I want my sister and her friends released. You can set whatever fines you think fair for the broken water trough, but that’s as far as it goes.”

Hugh’s eyes flashed. “Your sister? So that’s what this is all about.” He puffed up. “Well, I won’t kowtow to you or anybody else when it comes to my job. I locked them up so I could find their folks. Now, unless you got official business here—”

“Deputy! Deputy Baker!” Footsteps clattered through the office. Phil Washburn, the harness maker, poked his head through the open door. “Thank the good Lord I found you. The bank’s been robbed. Looks like two, maybe three gunmen, but nobody knows for sure. There’s a dreadful commotion down there. They shot a teller. We need to get a posse together right away.”

Hugh’s face turned pale.

“Well, it looks like you’ve got a real crime on your hands now, Deputy,” Justin said. He held out his hand for the keys. “I’ll take care of this. With any luck, these cells will soon hold a couple of bank robbers instead of kids.”

Hugh flung the keys in Justin’s direction and raced out the door.

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