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He ju train, and set out to explore the dark streets He had to work fast The stop was scheduled for only thirty minutes, and he didn’t knolins But there was a pattern to railroad towns, and he believed the flow of luck that had , Isaac Bell’s guard was down The detective was exhilarated by his great fortune at the card table And it was likely that aic news froden that would throw him for a loop

He found what he was looking for withinthe sound of a piano to a saloon, which was still going strong even though it ell pastdoors but instead filled his hand with a fat wad offearlessly down side and back alleys Bright lights fro casino, duller lights the cribs of the attached brothel The sheriff, bribed to ignore the illegal operations, wouldn’t venture near their doors Bouncers were hired, therefore, to keep the peace and discourage robbers And there they were

Two broken-nosed, bare-knuckle boxers of the type that coarettes on the plank steps that led upstairs They eyed hi interest as he approached unsteadily Twenty feet from the steps, he stumbled and reached out to the wall to catch his balance His hand touched the rough wood precisely where a shaft of light spilled down fro The two stood up, exchanged glances, and flicked out their cigarettes

The Wrecker reeled drunkenly away, lurching into the dark toward the open door of a livery stable He saw another gleaet better and better The drunk with the roll of dinero wasit easy for them to relieve him of it in private

He got inside the stable ahead of theht froh aThey ca a sap from his pocket The Wrecker kicked his feet out from under him The surprise was complete, and he fell to the hoof-beaten straw His partner, co that the Wrecker was not as drunk as they had supposed, raised his powerful fists

The Wrecker went down on one knee, drew his knife from his boot, flicked his wrist The blade leaped to its full length, the tip touching the bouncer’s throat With his other hand, the Wrecker pressed his derringer to the temple of the man fallen in the straw For a moment, the only sound was the piano in the distance and the bouncers’ hard, startled breath

“Relax, gentlemen,” said the Wrecker “It’s a business proposition I will pay you ten thousand dollars to kill a passenger on the Overland Limited You have twenty minutes before it leaves the station”

The bouncers had no objection to killing a ht them for five But they were practical men

“Hoe get him off the train?”

“He is a protector of the innocent,” said the Wrecker “He will coer-a damsel in distress, for example Would such be available?”

They looked across the alley A red brake in a“For two dollars, she’ll be available”

THE OVERLAND LIMITED had come to a stop with a s in the narrow pool of electric light beside the low brick Rawlins Depot Most of her passengers were asleep in their beds The feere not stepped onto the platfors only to retreat froled with coal sines while provisions, newspapers, and telegrams came aboard

The porter, the former slave Jonathan, approached Isaac Bell in the deserted observation car, where the detective was contentedly sprawled on a couch re with Kenneth Bloom about their days in the circus

“Telegraden, Mr Bell”

Bell tipped the old man a thousand dollars