THURSDAY EVENING

Devlin lay on his back on the embankment, hidden by the stubby growth of scrub while he tried to repair the damage to his bandage and staunch the ooze of blood from the wound. He wasn't sure where the Marshal was but he knew all the rest were locked inside the lounge car. It would be fish in a barrel time he thought with gratification, and then cursed himself for not bringing something to start another fire with.

He knotted the bits of Deke's apron tightly around his arm and rolled over, scanning the row of idle train cars. The ground was damp and cold through his clothes and the scrub that grew adjacent to the rail line was brittle and sharp. His eyes lifted to the sky and he frowned as he saw heavy dark clouds massing and moving quickly in his direction. A shiver ran down his back and he knew it wasn't fear; the temperature was dropping as night approached.

Ryan closed the door and gave Jonas a pat on the back before moving inside to face the passengers. His first action was to check on Amos.

"How's he been?" He asked no one in particular.

"Sleeping mostly. Penny's laudanum has kept him quiet, resting." Cybil answered, moving to Ryan's side and raising an inquiring brow. "Anything for my story, Marshal?"

He gave her a cold glance and turned away, calling for attention. "This is the situation," he began, relating the events to date and the suggested action to be taken—which was none.

"You mean we're just gonna sit here with that killer outside watching us?" Howden blubbered, holding out his hands as the Judge turned on him.

"We've got all these guns now why can't we just go out and get him?" Harriet demanded.

"'Cause the we ain't you, Mrs. Dingwall, it's the Marshal and a group of amateurs." Judge Tumbler stated loudly. "Devlin's a no conscience, nothing to lose killer who's probably well hidden and he's armed."

"My suggestion," Ryan continued, "is for everyone except our first watch, find a comfortable spot and get some sleep; we're gonna need to be as fresh and alert as we can."

"I'll take first watch," Judge Tumbler volunteered.

"Okay, you and uh, Jonas?" Jonas nodded. "Okay. You and Jonas, one each door and don't expose yourself to a shot. We'll kill the lamps except one or two to help. I'll relieve you with Stanley in a couple of hours." Stanley handed Jonas the rifle and began looking after the lamps.

There was a bustle of confused movement as the passengers sought a comfortable place to rest and in the end Ryan found himself between Cybil and Penny in the darkened car.

"I feel much safer now, don't you, Penny?" Cybil smiled. Ryan humphed and crawled across the aisle to sit next to Abner. "What a terrible way to treat a pair of ladies."

"When one's an actress and the other keeps a notebook? I don't think so." Ryan tempered his remark with a hint of a grin and before any more conversation could ensue, pulled his hat down over his eyes and settled down to sleep.

There was a pile of blankets on a shelf behind the bar kept for just such circumstances and Stanley made himself a hero by distributing them to the ladies then he and Carl checked on Amos before moving into the quiet corner behind the bar.

"Guess you'll have another story to tell the boys back at the station, eh Carl?"

"If we get back to the station. Without a bridge across that gorge we won't be goin' anywhere on this train."

"There's a line runs from Judgement to Ainsworth ain't there?"

"That's a good month's journey by the time you get switched over to the GM&R line again. Company'd prob'ly okay it but my missus would tan my hide bein' away that long."

"But if you don't have a choice...?"

"You ain't married are you, Stanley?" Stanley shook his head. "Didn't think so. Best sleep while we can, enough jawin'"

Jean settled down beside her sister and draped the blanket over the both of them. Hannah didn't budge as Jean snuggled close for warmth. She stared across the aisle at Abner Wentworth and considered his ability to be a fair and honest witness for the government. Abner, it seemed, was more interested in her sister and Harriet Dingwall and with his influence in court, perhaps what they might secure as compensation. Abner had a noticeably greedy streak.

Penny saw Jean and Hannah sharing a blanket and she glanced at Peter sitting near her, his arms wrapped about his chest. She lifted the blanket and held a corner toward him, miming her offer. Cybil gave her a look and then softened it, smiling and shifting away, drawing her own blanket around her.

"I'm not enough of a gentleman to refuse sharing your blanket in front of everyone, Miss Hatcher. Thank you, I was thinking I might freeze to death."

"We can't have that, Mister—"

"Peter... please, remember?" He considered adding how close they'd been earlier but decided not to.

"Peter then." They adjusted the cover over them and both sighed together.

The occasional whisper could be heard throughout the car as the passengers voiced concerns or talked to distract from the danger. A faint warm glow from the two lamps that were left burning, flickered as the wind outside picked up and the car shuddered. Snow had begun and was sticking the windows where Jonas and the Judge were keeping watch and they both held their weapons a little tighter and strained their eyes a little harder.

Harriet had watched Jean and James earlier, and her jaw set in a rigid line as she recalled his offer to help the other woman get compensation. She would have to find a way to make a move of her own on the fickle Mister Howden if she wanted to exploit Seth's death financially. Meanwhile she let her thoughts run to the judge who had threatened Howden; another one opposed to seeing Harriet get her due.

Across the car toward the middle, Cybil was huddled down alone and Harriet thought that a sympathetic ear in the newspaper might just do wonders in her quest. She stood and trailing her blanket, moved down the car to sit beside Cybil.

"May I?"

"Cybil sat up and made room." Sure, might even be warmer this way."

"It is getting fiercely cold isn't it." Harriet arranged her blanket and settled beside the reporter.

"Are you holding up okay, I mean after your husband...?"

"It's mighty hard, Miss Marsh. Mighty hard. Seth was all I had after Rainey... my niece. That- that was..."

"I know. I understand."

"Do you? Can you, Miss Marsh?"

"Well I mean I-"

"If only more people like yourself could know and understand what we've been through... and now that Seth is..." She sniffled and dabbed at her nose with a hanky.

"More people will know, Harriet. May I call you Harriet? When my story gets out it will be on people's lips across the entire country."

"Really? Do you think it might uhm... influence the amount of compensation... oh dear, that sounds so crass?"

Cybil glanced sidelong at the woman and noted the steely, dry-eyed look; this was not a grieving widow, this was a conniving, mercenary woman looking for the best advantage for realizing her goal. When she didn't reply, Harriet turned and saw the skepticism on her face and she exhibited a faint smirk.

"Life doesn't reward those who sit mute on the sidelines, Miss Marsh."

"As harsh as this might sound, Harriet, I think life already gave you the reward you were seeking."

Harriet's complexion darkened in the weak glow from the lamps and she bared her teeth as she replied, with a spate of venom that made Cybil shiver, before leaving for another part of the car.