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"There is only one road away from trouble, and this is along the straight and narrow road." - Otto Wood, in his book, The Life of Otto Wood, written in prison in 1926.

The sound of the jail door closing startled Sinta, and brought her back to the present. She had hardly been listening to Maddox when the lawman explained the situation to the local sheriff Ryan and the other man, called Mayer. She did not need to listen to the words, since she knew what Maddox was going to say. He had already said the same words to her when they were riding towards Sabbath. After he had arrested her. After he had killed Marc Corman.

Maddox had not changed since she met him in Canyon City. Men like Maddox hardly ever changed. The tough and unyielding lawman. Corman had called him out. The fool had drawn his gun, Maddox told her. And she believed him. There was no reason for Maddox to lie. Sinta had gone with Corman to order some new saddles for Bronson, and on their way back she had stopped at a nearby farm to greet a friend of Laura´s and Corman had waited her close by. The woman had given Sinta a letter to take to Laura, as a present for her recent marriage to Hurd Price. Then she heard a gunshot and ran out. Maddox had pointed his gun at her instinctively, and then he recognized her. From Canyon City. And from his list. The list.

Maddox was just an instrument of law. He had explained that the judge would probably not be too harsh on anyone. It had been an unfortunate accident. And there were even witnesses that could testify that Sinta was in her room when the shooting started. Maddox then went on to say that for now Sinta would have to go to Bannock to face trial, but she had two options. She could stay in jail until they rode to Bannock, and face trial. Or she could help Maddox as a deputy!

Basically, she would help him track down the rest of the men on the list, and convince them to follow Maddox to Bannock. And maybe avoid unnecessarily and dumb gun play. She would testify about their identities, and most likely they would get a fine. End of story. But for a period of time, she would be on the side of the law, next to Maddox. Wearing a tin star.

Sinta had not expected that, and she did not know how to react. And they had not spoken another word afterwards. Now she was all alone in the jail room. Bronson would find out any minute what was going on. There was a big chance he would get her out. But what then? She would owe the big man. And what was worse, she would be a fugitive. On the other hand, if she accepted the star of the deputy and helped Maddox, how would Bronson react? And her friends?

The more Sinta thought about how things were, the more confused she felt.