SEPTEMEBER 11, 1861

Max stopped the wagon and jumped down. “Howdy.”

Teaspoon nodded and pretended to inspect the orphans. “They’ll do. Load them into my wagon.”

“Hold on, wait a minute, where’s my money?” Max was irritated that he didn’t have his money yet.

“It’s over there in my satchel, and as soon as you put the orphans into my wagon, I’ll hand it over.” Teaspoon was stalling for time because he didn’t see Kid yet.

Max wanted the money first, but he didn’t see any need not to move the orphans to the other wagon first. The old man and the orphans couldn’t get away in the wagon. It wouldn’t be all that fast. He could just shoot the old man if he tried anything funny.

As Max had the children get off his wagon and start climbing into Teaspoon’s wagon, Teaspoon got the satchel out and went to Max just as Kid and Ike came riding up. Max saw the tin star attached to Kid’s shirt, so he quickly stuck the satchel behind his back. “Good evening sheriff, what brings you out here?”

Kid looked serious, when he inquired, “What’s going on here?”

“Nothing sheriff, we’re just taking the kids for a ride.” Max replied.

Kid and Teaspoon both let Max sweat a little before Kid spoke. “You’re under arrest.”

Startled Max turned to look at his partner in crime and then back at Kid. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that it’s illegal to sell kids, especially to someone who wants to exploit them.” Kid and Ike withdrew their guns and pointed them at Max.

Ike wanted this criminal round up to go as easy and quickly as possible because he didn’t want any gunfire, especially with the children around. He jumped down and headed for Max. Standing beside Max, Ike signed to Kid to throw him the handcuffs.

But before anything else could be done about Max, four men came along with their guns drawn. “Drop those guns, all of you. Those are my orphans.” Rick declared as Teaspoon, Kid and Ike complied and slowly dropped their guns to the ground. Rick had hired him three men to help him collect on his purchases. Rick and his men tied Max, Teaspoon, Kid and Ike in Max’s wagon. Rick told them if he ever saw them again, he’d kill them on sight. Rick opened up the satchel and found wanted posters. He dumped them onto the ground. Max saw it and turned and growled at Teaspoon because he couldn’t hit him.

One of Rick’s men jumped into the wagon occupying the orphans and started it rolling northwest. After the orphan wagon got far enough away, Rick and the other two men let off a couple of shots that sent the wagon with Teaspoon, Max, Kid and Ike running off to the north, and it also spooked Kid and Ike’s horses so that they took off towards the west. Rick and his men caught up with the orphan wagon and followed behind them.