Thankfully, the buffalo herd turned west about a mile from Jackson and freed up the coach. Cole snapped the reins and the horses broke into a near run that they maintained all the way in to town.

 

The coach pulled up in front of the Elk Country Inn and dropped off the passengers, who scuttled inside as quickly as they could.

 

After unloading the passengers' luggage and leaving it with them in the hotel lobby, Whiplash and Cole drove over to the local office of the stage coach company and secured the coach and horses with an armed guard.

 

The two then hustled down the boardwalk to Miss Starlene's Cafe and were soon tucking into steaming bowls of chili and washing it down with hot black coffee.