"I'm not speaking to you, Caine. Your bacon is cooked. I'm making my offer to the others. I've got no time to wait, my men. Are you coming?"
A bullet from Caine's revolver whistled past my ear. I stayed no longer, but fell back to the stairs and took to my heels. A bullet chipped away a splinter of wood beside me as I ran.
I found Dugan stretched on one of the long saloon seats, already being ministered to by Morgan and Evelyn. Alderson had locked one door and was on guard at the other, cutlas and revolver in hand.
"Well done, Alderson. That's the way to keep a lookout," I sang out cheerfully.
"Thank you, sir. Were you hit? That was risky, sir, talking to them without cover."
"They can't hit a barn door," I answered with a laugh.
I had moved over to the hospital corps and was looking down at the wounded man.
"Is he badly hurt?" I asked.
Evelyn looked at me with an expression I did not understand.
"I don't think so. You mustn't do that again, Mr. Sedgwick. It isn't right to take unnecessary risks." Her voice was a little tense and strained.