Even though it was his off day, Jimmy hated not doing anything, so he had straightened and cleaned the bunkhouse. Now it was midmorning and he had decided to ride over to Steven�s to see how Lee was getting along with her new job. He had just come out of the bunkhouse when he saw Jacy come flying into the station. He wondered why she was in such an all fire hurry? He walked out to meet her.

Seeing Jimmy, she halted her horse in front of him. "Jimmy, oh Jimmy, thank god you�re here." She jumped off her horse and ran into his arms. She held on to him as she tried to calm herself down in order to tell him what was wrong.

"Jacy, what�s wrong?" He asked with genuine concern in his voice.

She pulled back and looked at his face. "It�s Melissa. That darn no account two-bit rattlesnake, Jake took off with her. They�ve left Dreamville. I have to find her and bring her back before something awful happens to her. She�s still just a child. Please Jimmy, please help me find her. Please!"

Jimmy nodded. "Alright, alright. Calm down. I�ll help ya. How long have they been gone?"

"Since some time last night. I found her note this morning when I went to get her out of bed. I just thought she was sleeping late, but she wasn�t there. Instead there was a note saying that she was leaving with Jake. I�ll . . . I�ll wring his neck if he hurts her." Now her voice rung with anger instead of hysteria.

"Ok with them in Jake�s wagon, we should be able to overtake them in no time at all. Let me get my gear and tell Rachel, then we can go."

She nodded. She watched as Jimmy ran into the bunkhouse. A few minutes later he ran out and over to the barn to get Sundancer. As he passed by Jacy, he noticed that she was pacing back and forth, eager to get started, he knew. He stopped his horse by hers, and then ran inside the house to inform Rachel that he was leaving.

"Rachel I�m going out with Jacy to find Melissa. That scoundrel, Jake, took off with her. We should overtake them today, but I don�t have a run until tomorrow evening. If I�m not back, Cody is off tomorrow, and he owes me a favor, so have him take my run, ok?"

Rachel nodded. "Alright Jimmy." As Jimmy was about to leave, she said, "Jimmy." He turned back around to look at Rachel. "Jimmy, please be careful."

Jimmy nodded, "I will Rachel. Don�t worry." He left the house and joined Jacy. They galloped off to town. Jimmy wanted to pick up the wagon�s trail, and he thought their best bet for that would be to start on the outskirts of town where Jake had kept his wagon.

*****

Jimmy and Jacy were about to leave the wooden area when they saw some men riding off with Melissa. Scared Jacy wanted to immediately go after them but Jimmy stopped her. "They might harm Melissa if they see us." Jacy knew he was right, but still she wanted to rescue her sister.

After the outlaws disappeared from sight, they rode over to the ravine where a body was lying on the ground. Even though the face was turned away from them, she suspected who it was, so she quickly told Jimmy. "I�ll help her if you�ll follow the outlaws. I don�t want us to loose them. We have to rescue Melissa. I�ll see to her, and then I�ll catch up with you."

"Are you sure?" Jimmy inquired.

"Yes, please . . . please don�t let them hurt Melissa." She pleaded.

"Alright, I�ll see you later." Jimmy took off to follow the outlaws.

She jumped down off Justice and turned the girl over. She was right. It was her twin. Then she noticed Jake�s wagon, so she climbed down the ravine. Silently and slowly she went around to the other side of the wagon.

Seeing the shadow, the Marshall looked up and said, "Ma�am could you please untie me?" She stood in front of him and upon noticing the badge, she quickly undid the knots as fast as she could. The Marshall stood up. "Much obliged, ma�am." Then she noticed Jake tied to the wagon, too, but fortunately for her, he was knocked out or asleep.

"I�ll untie him and then you think you can take care of him while I go after the outlaws?" The Marshall watched the girl as he undid Jake�s knots. She seemed to be debating on how to answer that question, he wondered why. Thinking that she wasn�t going to give him an answer, he asked another question. "Did you see a girl? Was she hurt?"

"Yes, she�s hurt. I have to get her to a doctor. She�s unconscious but her pulse is steady. My friend Jimmy is following on the outlaws� trail, and I need to get the girl back to Dreamville. What about him?" She was referring to Jake.

"You think you can carry her on your horse to Two Forks? It�s only about fifteen more miles from here. It�s a whole lot quicker to go to Two Forks than to go back to Dreamville." He paused to see if she understood what he was telling her, and then he continued, "There�s no way you can take him. You need a buckboard for him. You can get some fellas from Two Forks to come out and get him once you get the girl to town and have the doc look at her. I can�t let those outlaws get away, or I�d help ya."

"I don�t see how you�re going to go after them? There�s only my horse. The others are dead." She decided to point that out to the Marshall in case he didn�t know. The Marshall whistled and his horse Terror came galloping into view. She smiled. "Now I see."

"I�m going to go see to the girl while you finish that." She hurried off and back up the ravine. She grabbed her blanket off Justice and quickly wrapped her twin up in with only her eyes and nose left for viewing. She sighed as the Marshall came riding Terror up the ravine. She had just got it done in time. She saw the puzzled expression on his face and decided that he needed an explanation. "I thought it best to keep her warm. I thought it would help since I don�t know why she�s unconscious and won�t wake up."

The Marshall nodded as he dismounted. "Alright. If you�ll mount up I�ll hand the girl up to ya. I wish I had a gun to leave that fella down there, but as it is I only have my rifle now because them outlaws took both of my pistols."

"Sorry Marshal, but this is the only gun I have." Her hand hit her revolver on her holster as she informed him.

"Well, hopefully he�ll be alright. It shouldn�t take you to long to get to town."

She mounted up and Marshall Trevors handed the girl up to her. "Take care, ma�am."

"I will. And Marshall find those outlaws and rescue my sister, ok?"

"I�ll do my best, ma�am." He nodded, mounted up and rode off.

With her twin in tow she headed for Two Forks.

She hadn't gone but five miles when three gentlemen came riding up to her. "Kitten what happened? Who's she?" John had been on Kitten's back trail all the way from Wyoming to Nebraska. He had decided not to catch up to her even though he could have because he wanted to find out what she was up to. He had two of his hired hands with him just in case he needed some more firepower on this trip.

Obviously this man knew her or thought he knew her. He might be mistaking her for Jacy, so she would have to play along. "This girl is hurt, and I'm taking her to the doctor in Two Forks. The Marshall went after some outlaws along with a friend of mine, Jimmy Hickok. They are after the outlaws, and they have Melissa. I've got to get her to the doctor and then go and help Melissa."

Puzzled John asked, "Who's Melissa?"

"She's my little sister. And if they hurt one hair on her pretty little head, they will be in serious trouble." She was angry and afraid at the same time. She didn't want anything to happen to Melissa.

"Alright, well give the girl to Mack here." John pointed to Mack. "He'll take her to Two Forks and to the doctor while we go look for Melissa."

For a few minutes this made her speechless. She couldn't let Mack take her twin sister to Two Forks. She didn't want anybody to see her double. Now what was she going to do? "Uh . . . ummm . . . no I can't have him do it. I have to take her to Two Forks."

"Why?" John didn't understand her negative reaction.

"Because I have to send a few guys out here to rescue someone who is hurt, and I have to give them instructions as to where he is. Mack doesn't know where he is, so that won't work." She had to get rid of them though because she didn't want them to follow her to town. They might get a chance to see her twin, and if she could help it, it wasn't going to happen. "Why don't you three head out and find the outlaws. As soon as I get her taken care of then I'll try and find you. I shouldn't be too long."

John didn't like the idea of Jacy going off alone, so he made a suggestion. "Well, why don't you take Mack or Stan with you. I'd feel better if one of them were looking after you."

She thought about his offer for a minute then she replied, "No, I would rather they went with you. Those outlaws are dangerous, and you'll need them to help you rescue Melissa. Besides I'll catch up with you as soon as I can. Then we'll all be together. Please." She begged with a smile, and it worked like a charm.

"Alright, go on then. We'll meet up again later, but be careful." He was afraid to let her out of his sight, but what she had said had merit. She pointed them in the right direction and then she rode on.

After arriving in Two Forks, she took the girl straight to the doctor. He looked her twin over, and told her that he didn't see any broken bones. "She might have a concussion that's why she hasn't gained consciousness." Seeing the shock on the girl's face, he continued, "But she will probably wake up soon."

"Doc could you do me a favor and not tell anyone about my twin sister." She asked.

"I could do that, buy why?"

Thinking fast on her feet, she answered, "Because some people would try to kidnap her if they knew about her. I have enough trouble trying to keep my younger sister out of trouble let alone having to keep this one out of trouble, too."

"Well don't worry young lady, I can keep a secret."