McKay's words gave Sully pause, but after a moment's hesitation he said, "Then I guess I'm just gonna have to win my trial, ain't I?"

     "You sound awful sure of yourself," Hank said cynically.

     Sully eyes met Hank's.  "No, Hank, I ain't sure of nothin'," he replied.  "I just know that punishin' Bancroft depends on me bein' free to do what I gotta do."

     "Sully, nobody here is denying you your right to see justice done," said McKay.  "But you've got to be realistic.  We don't know how soon your case will come to trial.  But the army certainly would not permit you to go to Denver to testify at Bancroft's trial while you're under arrest yourself.  And if you're tried before Bancroft, and you should lose—“ he hesitated.  "Well, you can't do anything from a prison cell.

     "There's one more thing," he added carefully.  "Sully, how much weight do you think your word will carry, when you yourself have been accused of treason and murder?"

     Sully looked back at him steadily.  "With all due respect for what you're sayin', Sergeant—none of that matters.  I'm gonna win—‘cause I gotta win.  For Michaela, and for Robert E., too.  I just gotta have my trial as soon as possible."  He glanced back at Hank.  "You heard from the circuit judge yet?"

     "There was no word 'fore I left," Hank replied. "I ain't had a chance to talk to Horace yet and see if I got any telegrams while I was gone."

     "Well, go find Horace, then," Sully told him.  "And if you ain't had word, wire the judge again."

     "Well, sure," Hank answered  a trifle sarcastically.  "Any other requests while I'm at it?"

     Sully heard the sarcasm, but ignored it.

     "Look Hank, you been fightin' as hard as I have to track down Bancroft and Flagg," he said.  "You and me both know what Bancroft did here in the past.  You should understand better than anybody what's at stake here.  I'm askin' you—as a favor—to help me make 'em pay."

     "Yeah, alright," Hank said after a moment, sounding mollified.  "I'll go to the telegraph office when I leave here."

     "Thanks," Sully said.

     "Wait!"  Matthew spoke suddenly.  "There may be a way that Sully AND Dr.Mike can testify—without havin' to go anywhere."

     "What do you mean?" asked McKay.

     "They could make statements—write down everythin' that happened, and sign them."  He looked toward Hank.  "You could witness them, as an officer of the law.  You too," he added to McKay.

     "That might work," McKay acknowledged thoughtfully.  "I'd have to get my superiors to agree to enter them into evidence . . . " he ruminated for a moment, then turned to Hank.  "Would you be willing to witness Sully's and Dr. Quinn's written statements?"

     "Yeah, I guess so," Hank allowed.  "Seems like it could work.”

     "'Course it will!" Sully said, sounding animated for the first time.  "Thanks, Matthew—I owe you."

     "No you don't," Matthew answered.  "Sully, don't you think I want to make Bancroft pay as much as you do?  Every time I think of Dr. Mike gettin' shot and almost dyin' . . . every time I remember Robert E.'s face that first night they beat him—and I was part of it . . . and when I think of how he almost died at the end of a rope—well, I'd do anything to make sure Bancroft gets what comin' to him."

     Sully stood up and came around the desk.  Reaching out, he laid his hand on Matthew's shoulder.  "I know you would, Matthew," he said quietly.  "And I'm mighty grateful to have you on my side."

     The door to the recovery rooms opened and Marjorie poked out her head.  "Sully," she said, her eyes alight.  "Michaela's awake—she's asking for you.  You too, Matthew."

     "I gotta go to her," Sully said immediately to the others.

     "Go on," said McKay.  "We're about finished here for now—aren't we?" he added, addressing himself to Hank.

     "Looks like it," Hank confirmed.

     Sully followed Marjorie through the doorway, and Matthew started after him.

     "Oh—Mr. Cooper—could you wait a minute?  I had one more question," McKay said.

     Matthew nodded.  "Go on, Sully—I'll catch up," he called through the door, then returned to McKay.

     "Your testimony could also be valuable," McKay said.  "Would you be willing to make a written statement as well?"

     "Whatever it takes," Matthew said promptly.  "I'll write it down, I'll testify at the trial—whatever I got to do."

     "Good," McKay said, satisfied.  "Well, I won't keep you any longer."

     Matthew turned to leave again, but was interrupted by a light rap on the clinic door, which still stood ajar.  Simultaneously, Horace stepped hesitantly around the edge of the door.

     "Hey, Horace," Matthew greeted the telegraph operator.

     "Hey, Matthew," Horace answered.  Bobbing his head slightly he said, "Sgt. McKay—Hank." After a pause he added to Matthew,  "How's Dr. Mike doin'?"

     "Gettin' better," Matthew told him with a relieved smile.  "She's awake—I was just goin' in to see her."

     "That's good news," Horace said sincerely.  "I was hopin' maybe I could pay her a visit—maybe tomorrow?"

     "I'm sure that would be fine," Matthew assured him.

     "Well, that's good," Horace said politely.  "I'll plan on stoppin' by."

     "Was Dr. Quinn your reason for coming, Mr. Bing—or did you need to see me?" asked McKay.

     "Well, I wanted to ask after Dr. Mike, of course—but fact is . . . "  Horace hesitated.

     "What is it, Horace?" Matthew encouraged.  The tall telegraph operator's expression remained polite, but his eyes looked unusually grave.

     "Fact is—I come to see you," Horace finished, looking at Hank.

     "Ain't that convenient—I was just about to come lookin' for you, Horace," Hank answered.  "Any telegrams come for me while I was gone?"

     "Yeah—I was bringin' 'em to ya," Horace confirmed slowly. "One come in yesterday—and one just now."  In his hand he held two buff-colored sheets of paper.  Almost reluctantly, he held them out to Hank.

     Hank accepted the telegrams, his eyes regarding Horace curiously.  He looked down and scanned the contents of the top sheet of paper.

     "Well, what do ya know," he said aloud.  "Looks like the judge was readin' our minds, too—this is from the circuit judge.  Says he'll be here in a week to conduct Sully's trial."

     "Sully will be glad to hear that," Matthew commented.

     "Glad?" Horace repeated, looking confused.  "I thought—this was bad news."

     "It all depends," Matthew said.  "We don't know how the trial's gonna turn out, but Sully's anxious to get it over and done with.  Seems he got his wish."

     "Because--of Jedidiah Bancroft?" Horace ventured.

     "What do you mean?" McKay said sharply.

     "I guess I shouldn't have said nothin'—I took an oath," Horace answered apologetically.  "But-"  He broke off and nodded toward the telegrams in Hank's hand.

     While they had been talking, Hank had been reading the second of the two wires.  Suddenly, with an explosive oath, he crumpled the telegram in his hand and threw it into the corner.

     "What is it?" Matthew demanded.  McKay was equally startled.  Horace, already aware of the wire's contents, stood by uncomfortably.

     "Bancroft's dead!" Hank said grimly.  "Cut his wrist and bled to death with a deputy not ten feet away!"

     "I don't believe it," Matthew said.

     "Believe it," Hank said shortly.

     "How did he get hold of somethin' to cut himself?" Matthew asked, still incredulous.

     "The wire don't say," Hank replied angrily.  "What difference does it make—dead is dead."

     "This is shocking, I agree, and it robs Sully of the chance to see Bancroft brought to justice—but it isn't completely bad news," McKay commented.  "At least Bancroft isn't a problem any more, and Sully won't have to worry about testifying against him."

     "Bancroft may be out of the picture, but Flagg ain't," Hank said bitterly.  "That wasn't all the wire said.  In the confusion over findin' Bancroft's body, Flagg somehow got the drop on the deputy.  He knocked him out and took his gun.  Flagg's escaped."

     "He's loose?" McKay exclaimed.

      "And he's armed," said Matthew.

* * * * * * * * * *

     The four men stared at each other in silence for several moment.  Finally Horace stirred.

     "Guess my business here is done," he said awkwardly.  "I'll be goin' now."  He turned toward the door,

     "Mr. Bing!" McKay said suddenly.  Horace turned back.  "I must ask that anything you've heard here, or read on the telegraph, be kept in confidence."

     Horace nodded.  "Sure thing, Sergeant," he said promptly.  "I apolgize again for what I said before.  It just—seemed like all of ya knew all about this, so I spoke without thinkin'."

     "It's all right, Horace," said Matthew.  "We trust you."

     "I promise I won't let another word pass my lips," Horace vowed.

     "See that ya don't," Hank warned.

     Horace glared at him, then looked more politely toward Matthew and McKay.  "Good day Matthew, Sergeant," he said, and left.

     Silence fell again for a few seconds.

     "Maybe we shouldn't tell Sully," McKay said abruptly.

     "What are you talkin' about—we gotta tell Sully!" Matthew objected.

     "Matthew's right," Hank echoed.  "You can't keep news like this quiet for long—not in a small place like this.  Even if Horace keeps his mouth shut, the news will be all over town 'fore ya know it."

     "Why would you want to keep this from Sully to begin with?" Matthew asked McKay.

     "I agree we can't keep Sully in the dark for long," McKay acknowledged.  "But I think we should hold off telling him for a day or two, to give us time to apprehend Flagg.

     "Up to now, Sully has been very cooperative about being arrested and under guard here at the clinic," McKay elaborated.  "But there's no way to predict how he'll react when he hears that the man who almost killed his wife is on the loose—with a weapon—and that he could be on his way here to try again."

     "You could be right," Matthew said reluctantly.  "Sully almost went crazy when he found out Dr. Mike was shot—and it nearly killed him seein' her so close to dyin'.  To be honest—I ain't sure myself what he'd do."

     "Maybe it's time to lock him up," Hank suggested.

     "No, you can't!" Matthew protested.  "Not when Dr. Mike is finally awake.  He needs to be with her--and she needs him to be there."

     "I ain't bein' hard-hearted," Hank said.  "But Michaela ain't in danger no more—and ya just said yourself—Sully can't be trusted."

     "I didn't say that," Matthew argued.  "I just said—he'd be upset."

     "Ya said ya don't know what he'll do.  'Sides, Bancroft was 'upset' too—and look what he done," Hank reminded him.

     "So what are you gonna do—let Sully be a target?"  said Matthew.  "How can he defend himself if he don't know what's comin'?  And what about Dr. Mike?  She's helpless."

     "The army will protect Sully and Dr. Quinn," said McKay.

     "I still say, If Sully's in jail, he can't go after Flagg and Flagg can't get to him," said Hank.

     "You don't know that," Matthew argued.  "'Sides, the jail's gonna be the first place Flagg looks—the army camp will be the second."

     "And the clinic will be the third!" Hank said.

     "Let's calm down a minute and think about this logically," McKay interrupted.   "If we keep this news to ourselves for the moment, we have no reason to worry that Sully will attempt to escape and go after Flagg.  I'll have men watching the jail and the clinic, and I'll station perimeter guards around the camp.  I also intend to send out a detail of men to begin searching for Flagg.  With any luck, my men can track him down and capture him without Sully ever having to be the wiser."

     "Considerin' you was the one who accused Sully of shootin' his own wife just a few days ago, you seem mighty willin' to be generous to him now," Hank observed cynically.

     "I've had several opportunties to speak with Sully these last few days," McKay answered him after a moment.  "I have to say that he's impressed me with his integrity and sense of honor."

     "Well, ain't that nice," Hank said sarcastically.

     "Come on, Hank—let up on Sully," Matthew said.  "Bein' spiteful ain't gonna solve nothin'."

     "Maybe not—but I just want ta remind both of ya that I'm the sheriff here, and Sully's still a prisoner—even if everybody else seems willin' to forget it," Hank said.

     "Understood," McKay replied.  "I will of course consult you—and defer to you if necessary—about any actions we take regarding Sully.  Is that acceptable?"

     Hank nodded.

     "What about Robert E.?" Matthew asked suddenly.

     "What do you mean?" asked McKay.

     "Well, you said you want to keep all this confidential from the town, and you want to keep Sully from findin' out about Flagg escapin'.  Are  you plannin' on keepin' it from Robert E., too?  Seems to me he's got a big stake in this—he's the one Bancroft tried to kill four years ago—and he could be a target now, just like Dr. Mike and Sully.  He ought to know what he's up against, so he can protect himself."

     "If he was told the truth, do you think he'd be willing to conceal the news of Flagg's escape from Sully?" said McKay.

     "About as willin' as I am," Matthew said.  "But if he believes that lyin' to Sully might save his life, then I guess Robert E. would probably go along."

     "I suppose you're right—Robert E. deserves to know that he and his family could be in danger," McKay acknowledged.  "Go ahead and tell him—but please stress to him that if he cares about Sully, he needs to keep this quiet."

     "All right," Matthew agreed reluctantly.

     McKay looked back at Hank.  "And Mr. Lawson—do I also have your promise of silence regarding the situation with Bancroft and Flagg?" asked McKay.

     Hank pushed a lock of hair back behind his ear, and strolled over to the door.

    "For now," he said.