Over at the Dog Eye Saloon, it seemed like just a normal day. Dog Eye himself was an early riser, and before the others had made a showing, he had tidied up the place as much as was possible. He'd even found a cheap rug to cover up the blood stains. By the time Gabby and Wyatt Earp came over to have a chat with him, the room looked a damn sight better. After a quiet conversation, the two men were convinced that the saloon keeper would manage to stay quiet about what he'd seen. McNary was too savvy to be played off with some story, but he wanted some peace and quiet in the town as much as Earp did and he knew the value of holding his tongue.

That morning, after taking breakfast alone as Randolph was nowhere to be found, Coraline paid the old priest a visit up at the Union Church as she had promised she would. After listening to what of the tale that she told him, he seemed to accept her story without question and agreed to take what remained of the melted down scalpel into his custody. While he didn't specifically promise that he could without certainty ensure that it didn't fall into the wrong hands again, he agreed that it was unlikely that it should if given into his care. He hinted that he had experience caring for such things, but didn't speak further on the matter.

The remainder of Independence Day passed without incident, at least by Dodge City standards. There were fights and scuffles, but as the crowds were starting to leave the town, so was the tension, and there was a marked reduction in conflict as there were fewer and fewer people to fill the streets. By the end of the day, it seemed like a different place altogether. There was another, smaller fireworks show that night as well, quite reminiscent of the night before, save that it was absent a few grizzly deaths in the streets by a man driven mad by a tainted scalpel.

Sky Dog's attempts to look after Suzy's well being would lead him only to Doc Smith's house. For one reason or another, Doc Smith seemed incredibly reluctant to let anyone into his residence, deputy or no. He said that he would make a house call if needed, but that his own home office would not be open for patients that day. The good doctor assured the shaman that Suzy was well, and being well cared for. Simpkins and the Wilderness Riders, on the other hand, seemed to have skipped town during the night. No one quite knew where they had gone to, or why.

It wasn't till the morning of the fifth that they had all been called back to meet with Earp as scheduled.

"Thirty dollars to each of you as promised. It hasn't been easy for any of us, but with all the shit you've all had to put up with, I'd say it's well earned," said the law man as he handed each of them the payment they'd been promised, giving them their choice of coin or banknote by the issuing nation of their preference.

He asked for all their tin stars back as well. "You want this back?" he asked Sky Dog, in reference to the tin horse the Siberian had given him in exchange for the tin star.

In addition to Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson was sitting behind another table that hadn't been there the night before. He greeted them as they arrived politely, but he was mostly preoccupied with making notations of a map of Kansas that he had on the table in front of him.

Gabby took his pay in coinage, since it would spend better in California than dubious banknotes. He handed the star back. "Well, I'm glad to have been able to work with ya, and I reckon this will be one July 4th I won't forget in a hurry." He says. "Still feelin' a bit jumpy that we ain't seen the Wilderness Riders in a while."

He didn't add that it was Wainwright potentially showing his face around now that the holiday was over and Gabby wasn't wearing a badge anymore, but he kept that to himself.

He looked over at the map of Kansas Bat Masterson was poking at. "Have there been any more attacks like the one in Hays?" He asked.

"You and me both, Gabby. It doesn't sit right with me, the Wilderness Riders being gone like that, all of a sudden. I have a feelin' that Simpkins is up to no good, and that we won't find out about it until whatever he's up to is already well on its way to somewhere bad," he said.

"No, nothing like that, thank God," he said. "I'm just trying to figure on where the Night Riders might strike next. We put out word a couple days ago that we're forming up a posse to hunt them down."

After he accepted his pay from Earp, Morgan shook the man's hand. "It's been an honor, Marshal. Truly."

He remained silent when the talk shifted to Jake Simpkins and the Wilderness Riders. Gabby and Earp were right to be wary about that group's disappearance. Wherever they ended up, trouble was certain to follow.

Stepping over to Masterson, Morgan's eyes narrowed as he studied the map. "Truth be told, Sheriff," he said, "It's been my intention all along to try to hunt down the Night Riders, just as soon as my business here in Dodge was concluded. I certainly don't want to speak for anyone else here, but I know that several had expressed interest in doing the same."

His gaze fixed on the mark signifying Hays. "Have you come by any information that might suggest their next target?"

Randolph handed Earp his tin star and took the banknotes in exchange. Then he offered his hand: "I'm proud to have worked for you, Deputy Earp, and I admire the way you keep peace in this town. I wish you much success."

He ambles over to Masterson's table. "You can count me in on your hunt for those animals, Masterson. I expect this deputying money will get me a decent horse and saddle. Are you supplying provisions, or do we have to bring our own?"

He glances at the map. "I heard someone say you used to hunt buffalo. Sky Dog here has an idea where we might look for the Night Riders. He even drew a picture of the place, but hasn't found anyone who recognizes it. Maybe you know the terrain well enough to give him an idea."

"Well, I reckon you're a United States Marshal, so we could probably use some guidance from you," he said to Caleb.

"We haven't come across any information as such. We're just figuring on where they might strike next. I'd like to hear your thoughts on our discussion. We could go to Hays, but the trail's likely gone cold by now. Maybe not, but we'd be hoping on a slim chance that there's any sign left of where these killers have gone. I thought maybe we'd try to figure on where they were most likely to hit next. They're only attacking towns that lean for the Union so...we should be able to find a pattern."

"We're not really doing much providing on this, Mr. Darling. Every man that wants to ride with us brings what he's got, and we bring those murderers to justice. Bring them to trial if we can. If we can't...." He favored the holster where his Buntline Special was at his waist.

"Then we do things the other way. This isn't really the law in Dodge City doing this. This is just how it's done sometimes. It may not be what you're used to back East, but sometimes out here you just have to do what you have to do. Ain't that right, Marshal?" he asked Caleb.

"Hell, maybe you could deputize us this time around."

A rather grizzled, hungry looking man walked in next. He wasn't nearly as well groomed as Masterson, and there wasn't anything on him to mark him as a law man, but he walked in with a confidence and a swagger that said he belonged there. "Bat. Wyatt." He gave the two men a nod, and nodded a general greeting to the others there. He gave a curious glance at the jailed Mansfield, but nothing else.

"These folks gonna ride with us?" he asked the Dodge City lawmen.

"If you're goin' against the Night Riders, then I am." Gabby says. "We think it's Quantrill, or someone claimin' to be him. That's what we got from the survivors from Hays, anyhow."