The Oak Hill Gang and Sheriff Tom Caylor (and posse) ride towards Black Horse. But as they come into town, they see it on fire. The Sheriff asks the gunslingers for help putting out the fire. The gang agrees and quickly begins organizing the townspeople into a bucket brigade. Several buildings are already well on the way to being destroyed, including the local Pony Express office.The Boys see the local manager hurredly taking packages, boxes and satchels over to the Black Horse Savings & Loan for presumed safekeeping.
While Ezra and Jack battle the flames, Royce sneaks away from the bucket brigade and peers in through a back window of the bank. He watches two men (presumably the bank manager and Pony Express manager) secure the packages in the bank safe. Louis joins him and manages to artfully make his way through the window. By low lamplight, Louis cracks the safe and rifles through its contents. He retrieves the letter and sketches of Jack, Jobe, Shady and himself, as well as a map to the Dreamcatcher Temple mentioned by Lloyd Watsbough. This satchel is all that Louis takes from the safe.
Meanwhile, Royce investigates a lifeless body he spies just outside a nearby church. He sees it’s a preacher, badly burned with multiple sear-points. It seems evident the preacher has been dumped just in front of the door.
Louis exits the bank, being careful to leave as little trace of the heist as possible. He burns the letter and sketches. This theoretically once again puts him, Jack, Shady and Jobe in the clear.
Louis and Royce tell Sheriff Caylor of their body discovery at the church’s steps. He agrees it should be investigated, but not now’s not the right time.
Royce and Louis hear singing coming from the south. They investigate it and find the Kossuth worshippers seeming to celebrate the “cleansing fire” that is claiming Black Horse. They don’t offer to help put out the fires. And again ask The Boys to worship with them. They do so, but then eventually leave their camp to help put out the fire. The town exhausts itself. But the fire is extinguished.
The next day, The Boys talk with Sheriff Caylor, who again gets their story on what happened at Gene Elliott’s farm and with Carrie Shuss. Royce again insists he did not pay Carrie Shuss. The sheriff doesn’t quite seem to believe Royce and company. He suggests further investigation is needed and asks The Boys to stay in town a bit longer.
As the gunslingers leave the sheriff’s office, they see the Kossuth worshippers leaving town. Louis helps the sheriff put two and two together, suggesting that last night’s fire might have been caused by the fire god worshippers. “And you oughta talk with those folks before they leave town…”
Caylor agrees and rides out to the small wagon train. From a distance, The Boys see Caylor ride out ahead of the wagons and stop in front of them. Words are exchanged between the lawman and Father Rastus, the pilgrim leader. Jack notices the sheriff’s horse getting a little too nervous as tensions rise. And then suddenly, the gang sees several bolts of fire energy leap from the fingers of Father Rastus. More fire comes from other Kossuth worshippers. And before Caylor has too much of a chance to react, firing some wildly placed shots into the air, he falls from his horse, dead.
The caravan rolls on.
Dry Gulch Bugle 