some of the townsfolk on Yates's orders. Reno is suspicious but asks where Nona would be if not in the saloon, and Hodges sends him to Nona's ranch outside of town. Reno rides off to see her. Meanwhile, Yates gathers his men who are armed with the rifles from the sheriff's office. Reno arrives at the ranch and starts to talk to Nona about their past, but they are interrupted by two of Yates's henchmen and held at gunpoint. Reno grows suspicious and voices a theory—that maybe Conners is in fact innocent and the townsfolk want him silenced. The two henchmen inform him that it doesn't matter, and that they'll just hold him at the ranch until Conners is dead. Reno manages to throw a piece of furniture at the guards, distracting them long enough for him to draw and shoot them both dead. He reconciles with Nona and sets off for the town, where he arrives just in time to prevent Hodges from turning Conners over to the armed mob outside. Reno holds the crowd at gunpoint and has Hodges disarm them. The sheriff, his backbone strengthened by reinforcements, seizes the rifles back. Reno and Hodges hole up in the jail where Reno questions Conners and learns that he and his brothers were strangers in town who were plied with drink by the "friendly" townsfolk. After being called out into the street to check their horses, Chief Little Bears's son rode by and then appeared to be shot down by a hail of bullets from everywhere, after which the Conners brothers were accused of the crime by an angry mob. Taking advantage of a momentary distraction, Joe and Ed fled into the desert. Reno begins to put the pieces together and realizes that the mayor and his friends likely were the ones who actually killed the Chief's son and are framing Conners to appease the chief and the tribe. After this, Hodges notices a disturbance in the street and they emerge to find the mayor and his men organizing an evacuation of the town under the guise of fear of an Indian attack. All the women but Nona leave the town along with the children and most of the men. Only about a dozen of Yates's confederates stay behind to "defend" the town. Hodges is now convinced of the guilt of the mayor and agrees to follow Reno's lead,