Shiwana and Amos are hired by a scientist named Terwilliger to recover at least one of his experimental weapons. It was lost somewhere between Cheyenne and Debtmarsh, on the rails. He agrees to pay them fifty dollars each, so they hit the trail. After a couple of days searching fruitlessly they hear gunshots ahead. Moving up carefully, Shiwana recognizes several members of the posse and he and Amos decide to watch them for a while.
The posse is trying to construct a strainer - they plan to drain the pond with the fish but don't want to let them loose in the swamp. As they're working, Frank gets that “someone stepped on my grave” feelin' and catches sight of them. Hank uses a hex to move closer while the others ready weapons. When Frank calls out a challenge, Shiwana and Amos reveal themselves.
A quick discussion ensues: Amos sees a box labeled experimental weapon on the porch of the shack, but Urek makes it clear that they're US property under his protection and won't be going to Terwilliger. He and Shiwana reluctantly agree to help when Urek mentions that one box might "accidentally" fall off the train. As the others explain the plan and gather equipment, Shiwana insists that his superior tracking skills will reveal more info and heads off for the locale of the train wreck.
The rest of the group follows shortly thereafter, but there's no sign of Shiwana; apparently he got lost trying to arrive cross country. They set to work and the swamp is soon draining. Eventually Shiwana makes his way to where they are (Crowe's decision to dynamite some fish makes their location kind of obvious). When it becomes clear that the pond will take several hours to drain, they head back to Lebeaux's place and make camp.
Shiwana and Amos leave to go and retrieve their horses. When they arrive, the box is already strapped to Shiwana's horse. Apparently he doubled back on the posse and stole the one from the porch. He and Amos head to town but, thinking better of their decision, decide to turn the weapon in to the marshall. After doing so, Amos wires to Smith & Robards to ask about a potential reward. Meanwhile, Urek has realized they stole the weapon and vows to kill them.
In the morning, Shiwana and Amos agree to accompany a detachment of soldiers back to the train wreck. About 3/4 of the way there, they bump into Urek, who promptly has them arrested before taking everyone back to the wreck. With the help of the soldiers they quickly load the weapons.
The soldiers balk at moving the dead (although there are only 18 dead, rather than the 23 expected), as do the two prisoners, so Urek and Crowe wind up doing it. Crowe notices a trap door in the bottom of the car. Further investigation reveals that it leads under the car to a spot where it looks like there might have been another vehicle which is now gone.
Urek decides not to investigate further and takes his prisoners and the nineteen weapons to the fort. The weapons are welcome, but the Marshall seems confused by the arrest. Eventually, Urek lets them go, warning them never to cross him again. Amos checks the telegraph office, but no news of a reward has been sent. He and Shiwana decide to join up with the posse on their way to Debtmarsh to look for the missing professors.
Meanwhile, Hank and Crowe have decided to stay. There search turns up signs of some blue flairs almost 1000 yards from the crash site; the tracks there show some scratches on the inside, below the rails. Following those to their end, about 200 yards from the crash, they find a wrecked vehicle, which looks like it might have been the “escape hatch” from the train.
They decide to check nearby homes, since it now seems certain that the professors managed to escape. They sneak into the O'Reilly place, but after opening several bedroom doors, Hank gets spotted. Luckily, the girl isn't quite sure and, rather than screaming, calmly goes to tell her father. The pair decide to light out using the Shadowalk hex, but they aren't as successful as they'd hope. Crowe switches to “shoeleather walk” but Hank tries another hex.
The results are nearly catastrophic as a manitou seizes control of his right leg leaving him barely able to stand, much less walk. Together he and Crowe manage to escape capture (thanks to Crowe's burning barn diversion). In the morning they head back to the next place on the tracks to see what they might know. They wind up talking to two Chinese men who admit they're the ones who moved the track. After finding out that the victims were soldiers, they seem very remorseful and ask to help; Crowe agrees.
The four of them start heading back to Cheyenne but are met by Urek and the posse is finally reunited.
Steve: They're at this old shack and they seem to be pulling on the walls and stuff
Dave: They haven't noticed the door yet.
Joe: Chicken pluckin'
Steve: Chicken what?!
Joe: Pluckin'. Ain't no privacy here.
Steve: You see these odd fish. They're not very big, but they're mostly mouth
Joe: Oh no, they're Kincaid fish
(Kincaid has gone for help and the group figures he's lost)
Steve: Not until he goes to sleep; then he might get lost; he is following the railroad track.
Tim: We never shoulda told him to walk toward the sun.
Hank: There's Frank, Shiwana and Amos and they're all still alive.
Crowe: Well, two outta three...
(Shiwana insists on leaving his "jail" to pee)
Lou: Damn! Where's Phantom Fingers when you need it
Dave: Oh! Lou wants to hold it from me.
Crowe: Please release them to my custody, I'm the distict attorney
Corporal: You gotta deal with the Marshall, sir
Crowe (indignantly): I gotta deal with the Marshall every day!
Hank: Terwilliger sounds like a fake name.
Crowe: Yeah, Mr. Terwilliger sounds like the sort of name you'd use.
Crowe (exasperated): Sasquatch...
Hank is paralyzed during his escape when he backlashes on a hex
Joe: I jog back over to where he is... thanks for the book!
Hank: Do you feel lucky?
Crowe (poking at his still paralyzed leg): Do you feel this?
Crowe (dreamily): O'Reilly girls...
