The heat of the sun didn't bother her, she was well used to it and rode her horse had a comfortable cantor once away from the town. She had plenty of water in her canteen and planned on being out skirting the area for a while. The Marshall never returned to the house until late into the afternoon any how and more times than not the evenings were devoid of him too, she didn't mind at all. What he did with his time was his own business, but it meant that she could go out unhindered to the ranch house that was first on her list.<br/><br/>Before she came to the building, she alighted from her horse and quietly made her way behind a small hillock where she tied her horse to a small tree. Getting to her knees she crawled upwards so she could see just over the ridge to the house. It looked derelict, as if no one had even squatted inside it not mind lived there. Patiently she watched the place and after twenty minutes or so, with sweat beading on her forehead she unleashed her horses reigns and guided him on foot to the house.<br/><br/>A shutter blew back and forth in the wind, slamming noisily against the house but that was the only noise she could detect. Sarah tied the horse up to the porch railing and slowly withdrew the rifle from the saddle holster. She swallowed nervously, this was not like how she imagined it would feel. She wasn't even sure if there was anyone inside and yet her stomach was a knot of apprehension. The rifle was cocked and primed and she held it ready before her as she tapped the door open with the toe of her boot. Gradually she moved in and listened carefully, nothing but the banging shutter.<br/><br/>Further she moved through the house, wondering if a fate similar to her own, had befallen the owners of this homestead. Her horse whinnied outside and she turned with her rifle trained on the front door but no one came in. Her heart slammed in her chest so loud it sounded like the shutter and its erratic beating against wall and broken window frame. Slowly she turned from it and moved towards the kitchen at the rear of the house, if someone were to have stayed recently here then surely they would have left evidence there.