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Q: Can you get the filename of the jsp file using a taglib in the taglib code Is it possible to get the filename of the jsp file that uses a taglib from the java code? I.e. public int doStartTag() throws JspException { try { String xxx = pageContext.? Where xxx would get the filename of the jsp file (which of course could be a nested include file) br /B A: It's not possible to get the name of the JSP file simply because at this point it has been compiled and you're dealing with compiled version rather than source JSP file. You can get the name of the class JSP has been compiled into via pageContext.getPage().getClass().getName(); and try to derive the JSP name from it but the naming scheme differs between JSP containers.	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
Relationship of classical and non-classical risk factors with genetic variants relevant to coronary heart disease. In addition to the well established cardiovascular risk factors, evidence suggests a possible role of genetic and non-classical risk factors in the development and progression of atherothrombosis. We aimed to determine the relationship of classical and non-classical cardiovascular risk factors with candidate gene polymorphisms potentially involved in cardiovascular risk in the general Mediterranean population. Cross-sectional study. We have determined the prevalence of classical (lipid profile, blood pressure, glycaemia, diabetes, smoking, body mass index, menopause and family history of coronary heart disease) and non-classical cardiovascular risk factors (infectious processes, homocysteinaemia, oxidative status, C-reactive protein, lipoprotein (a) and fibrinogen) in a population-based study. We analysed the relationship of these risk factors with the following five gene polymorphisms potentially involved in cardiovascular risk: ATP-binding cassette transporter A1-R219K, Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-alpha-L162V, Lipoprotein lipase (LPL)-HindIII, Paraoxonase (PON)1-Q192R, and Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-G-308A. We found PPAR-alpha-V and LPL-H alleles to be associated with decreased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) concentration and with increased total cholesterol : HDL-c and triglyceride : HDL-c ratios. Regarding the non-classical risk factors, C-reactive protein concentration was higher for the PPAR-alpha-V allele. A higher oxidative status was shown in homozygotes for LPL-H and TNF-alpha-G alleles, although the latter also had lower homocysteinaemia. Three of the genetic variants analysed, PPAR-alpha-L162V, LPL-HindIII, and TNF-alpha-G-308A, were associated with non-classical risk factors, specifically lipid profile, inflammation, and oxidative status.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
647 F.Supp. 1035 (1986) James MESSER, Jr., Appellant, v. Ralph KEMP, Warden, Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Center, Respondent. Civ. A. No. C86-173R. United States District Court, N.D. Georgia, Rome Division. July 7, 1986. 1036 Howard J. Manchel, Atlanta, Ga., for appellant. Mary Beth Westmoreland, Asst. Atty. Gen., Atlanta, Ga., for respondent. ORDER ROBERT H. HALL, District Judge. James Messer, Jr., who is scheduled to be executed before July 9, 1986, petitions this court for a writ of Habeas Corpus, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. This court has stayed petitioner's execution pending a full review of the issues raised by the petition. For the reasons set forth herein, the court DENIES prisoner's petition, and accordingly lifts the stay of execution. FACTS Petitioner, James E. Messer, Jr., was indicted by the grand jury of Polk County, Georgia, during the November Term, 1979, for kidnapping with bodily injury and for the murder of Rhonda Tanner. A special plea of insanity was filed on behalf of the petitioner. After two subsequent state sponsored psychiatric examinations established that petitioner was mentally competent to stand trial, the special plea of insanity was withdrawn. At his trial petitioner pleaded not quilty. Following a trial by jury on February 7, 1980, petitioner was found guilty on both charges and sentenced to death for both offenses. Petitioner received the death penalty for murder after the jury found the presence of two statutory aggravating circumstances, (1) that the murder was committed during the course of another capital felony, the kidnapping with bodily injury, and (2) that the murder was outrageously and wantonly vile, horrible or inhuman in that it involved torture to the victim. The jury found one aggravating circumstance with respect to the kidnapping with bodily injury charge, that the crime was outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible or inhuman in that it involved aggravated battery and torture to the victim. The death sentence was imposed 1037 on February 8, 1980. Petitioner's motion for a new trial was denied after hearing on May 20, 1980. On direct appeal, the petitioner raised six issues, including denial of the motion for an independent psychiatric examination. The Supreme Court of Georgia considered these allegations and also conducted a sentence review, finding that the evidence supported the verdict, that the sentence was not imposed under passion or prejudice, that the evidence supported the aggravating circumstances, that the death penalty was not disproportionate and that the charge at the sentencing phase was proper. Thus, the court affirmed both the convictions and the sentences. Messer v. State, 247 Ga. 316, 276 S.E.2d 15 (1981). A motion for rehearing was denied on March 18, 1981. Petitioner subsequently filed a petition for a writ of certiorari in the Supreme Court of the United States challenging the denial of an independent psychiatric examination. This petition was denied on October 5, 1981. Messer v. Georgia, 454 U.S. 882, 102 S.Ct. 367, 70 L.Ed.2d 193 (1981). Petitioner then filed a petition for habeas corpus relief in the Superior Court of Butts County, Georgia, on January 5, 1982. On or about January 25, 1982, the petitioner filed an amendment to the petition and a brief in support. Petitioner did not raise the denial of the motion for independent psychiatric examination. The state habeas corpus court denied relief without a hearing on February 23, 1982. Petitioner's Application for Certificate of Probable Cause to Appeal was denied on April 20, 1982. Subsequently, a petition for a writ of certiorari was filed in which the petitioner challenged the admission of his confession and asserted that he was arrested without probable cause. Certiorari was denied on October 4, 1982. Messer v. Zant, 459 U.S. 882, 103 S.Ct. 182, 74 L.Ed.2d 148, rehng. den., sub. nom, Cape v. Zant, 459 U.S. 1059, 103 S.Ct. 479, 74 L.Ed.2d 626 (1982). Petitioner filed an application for habeas corpus relief in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Rome Division, on November 23, 1982. In that petition, the petitioner raised the denial by the trial court of the motion for an independent psychiatric examination and funds for an expert. The case was transferred to the Atlanta Division and an evidentiary hearing was held before United States Magistrate Joel M. Feldman on August 5, 1983. On February 1, 1984, the magistrate entered a report and recommendation recommending that relief be denied as to the conviction, but suggesting that relief be granted as to the sentencing phase finding that counsel was ineffective during the closing argument at the sentencing phase. On March 30, 1984, this court entered an order adopting all portions of the magistrate's report and recommendation except that portion dealing with the effectiveness of counsel at the sentencing phase. This court concluded that petitioner had failed to show any prejudice resulting from this allegation. Messer v. Francis, No. C82-419A (N.D.Ga. March 30, 1984) (Hall, J.). This court also ruled on certain other allegations not addressed by the magistrate and denied a certificate for probable cause to appeal. Id. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals granted the certificate on June 1, 1984. Subsequently, a panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed this court's decision denying habeas corpus relief in an opinion dated April 30, 1985. Messer v. Kemp, 760 F.2d 1080 (11th Cir. 1985). Only three issues were raised on appeal; the denial of the motion for a mistrial, the allegation of ineffective assistance of counsel and the question of whether jury instructions were correct on the kidnapping with bodily injury charge. A petition for rehearing en banc was denied on August 23, 1985. Petitioner then filed a petition for a writ of certiorari in the Supreme Court of the United States which was denied on January 21, 1986. Messer v. Kemp, ___ U.S. ___, 106 S.Ct. 864, 88 L.Ed.2d 902 (1986). On June 17, 1986, an order was signed setting a new execution time frame beginning at noon on July 2, 1986, and ending at 1038 noon on July 9, 1986. Petitioner filed a petition for habeas corpus relief in the Superior Court of Butts County, Georgia on June 26, 1986, raising five allegations, including the allegation that he had been denied funds for an independent psychiatric examination and that the death penalty was applied in a discriminatory fashion. No evidence was proffered to the state habeas corpus court by the petitioner, nor did petitioner assert that any was available. On June 27, 1986, respondent filed a motion to dismiss the petition. At 8:00 a.m. on that day, a hearing was held before the Honorable Hal Craig on the petition, request for a stay and motion to dismiss. At 3:10 p.m. on that date, an order was filed denying the stay, dismissing the petition as successive as to four counts and finding the remaining count to be without merit. Petitioner filed a notice of appeal and an application for certificate of probable cause to appeal that afternoon. On Monday morning, June 30, 1986, petitioner filed an amendment to his application for a certificate of probable cause. Respondent filed a response to the application. On that same date, the Supreme Court of Georgia denied the application for a certificate of probable cause to appeal. Petitioner then filed the current petition with this court on July 1, 1986. This court orally granted petitioner's motion to proceed in forma pauperis. DISCUSSION Petitioner contends that he was convicted and sentenced to death in violation of the Georgia Constitution and the Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Petitioner argues that under Ake v. Oklahoma, 470 U.S. 68, 105 S.Ct. 1087, 84 L.Ed.2d 53 (1985) he was denied funds to have an independent psychiatrist to aid in his defense, in violation of his rights under the Fourteenth Amendment. (Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus custody ("Petition")). Petitioner also argues that the imposition of the death penalty violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment because it will be applied in a racially discriminatory manner. As an initial matter, the court finds that petitioner's claim that imposition of the death penalty violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment because it will be applied in a racially discriminatory manner, is without merit and cannot provide a basis for the relief sought. McCleskey v. Kemp, 753 F.2d 877 (11th Cir.1985) (en banc).[1] Respondent pleads abuse of the writ under Rule 9(b) of the Rules Governing § 2254 cases. Specifically, respondent asserts that all claims raised in the instant petition have been raised in a prior federal habeas corpus petition. (Respondent's Answer/Response, "Response").[2] Therefore, to determine whether any ground for relief is properly before this court, the court must consider whether petitioner has abused the writ in bringing a successive petition. This court holds that petitioner abused the writ in raising his Ake (denial of independent psychiatric evaluation) claim in his second habeas petition. Rule 9(b) of the Rules Governing 28 U.S.C. § 2254 provides: A second or successive petition may be dismissed if the judge finds that it fails to allege new or different grounds for relief and if the prior determination was on the merits, or if new and different grounds are alleged, the judge finds that the failure of the petitioner to assert those grounds in a prior petition constitutes an abuse of the writ. 1039 28 U.S.C. § 2254 (1977). However, a petitioner may rebut the state's contention that he abused the writ in a successive petition in one of two ways: "(a) If the ground was previously addressed in a federal habeas corpus proceeding, the petitioner must demonstrate that the decision was not on the merits, or the ends of justice would be served by reconsideration on the merits ... (b) If the ground was not previously presented in a federal habeas corpus proceeding, the petitioner must demonstrate the failure to present the ground in the prior proceeding was neither the result of an intentional abandonment or withholding nor the product of inexcusable neglect." Witt v. Wainwright, 755 F.2d 1396, 1397 (11th Cir.1985), rev'd on other grounds 469 U.S. 412, 105 S.Ct. 844, 83 L.Ed.2d 841 (1985) (emphasis supplied) see also, Sanders v. United States, 373 U.S. 1, 83 S.Ct. 1068, 10 L.Ed.2d 148 (1963). In the instant case, it is not disputed that petitioner properly raised the claim of the unconstitutional denial of an independent psychiatric evaluation in his first habeas petition.[3] Because this court finds that petitioner's denial of independent psychiatric evaluation claim constitutes a successive petition that has been decided on the merits in the previous habeas corpus proceeding, the court now turns to whether the "ends of justice" would be served by a reconsideration of this claim. Petitioner contends that reconsideration is required by an intervening change in the law applicable to the constitutionality of denying petitioner's request for an independent psychiatric evaluation for the purpose of preparing a defense of insanity. This court cannot agree. Respondent urges that the Supreme Court's recent decision in Kuhlmann v. Wilson, ___ U.S. ___, 106 S.Ct. 2616, 2626, 91 L.Ed.2d 364 (1986) addressing the "ends of justice" standard, controls the instant case.[4]Kuhlmann involved a Sixth 1040 Amendment claim of denial of right to counsel based on court's denial of motion to suppress statements made to a jailhouse informant. The prisoner, in a successive petition for a writ, claimed that the change in the law occasioned by the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Henry, 447 U.S. 264, 100 S.Ct. 2183, 65 L.Ed.2d 115 (1980) mandated reconsideration of the Sixth Amendment claim. An opinion written by Justice Powell and joined in pertinent part by Chief Justice Burger, Justices Rehnquist and O'Connor, stated that: In light of the historic purpose of habeas corpus and the interest implicated by successive petitions for federal habeas relief from a state conviction, we conclude that "the ends of justice" require federal courts to entertain such petitions only where the prisoner supplements his constitutional claim with a colorable showing of factual innocence. Kuhlmann v. Wilson, 106 S.Ct. at 2626. The plurality stated that its purpose in requiring a "colorable showing of factual innocence" was to provide a specific guideline for district courts to use in resolving the "ends of justice" issue. For several reasons, this court finds that Kuhlmann is not controlling precedent with respect to the "ends of justice" determination. First, the precedential value of a four justice opinion is highly suspect.[5] Simply stated, a position that does not garner the votes of at least five justices cannot be binding precedent where there is a contrary body of Supreme Court decisions. In Marks v. United States, 430 U.S. 188, 97 S.Ct. 990, 51 L.Ed.2d 260 (1977), the Supreme Court restated the familiar notion that a four justice plurality opinion has no binding effect.[6] Second, this court's belief that a majority of the court rejected the notion that the "colorable showing of factual innocence" is the only element to consider in deciding the "ends of justice" issue is supported by Justice Stevens' dissent. Justice Stevens explicitly rejected Justice Powell's "single factor" approach, contending that whether the petitioner has advanced a colorable claim of innocence is but "one of the facts that may be properly considered." Id. (Stevens, J. dissenting). Justices Stevens, Brennan and Marshall explicitly endorsed the court's traditional approach under Sanders, supra that the decision whether to hear a successive petition was committed "to the sound discretion of federal trial judges." Sanders, 373 U.S. at 18, 83 S.Ct. at 1079. Thus, based on a mere plurality of four votes, Kuhlmann does not change the basic approach of Sanders.[7] 1041 Petitioner urged at oral argument that the recently decided case of Fleming v. Kemp, 794 F.2d 1478 (11th Cir.1986) should control the outcome of the case. In Fleming the Eleventh Circuit, without deciding the merits of that prisoner's habeas petition, stayed the scheduled execution pending further order of that court. Id. In deciding that the prisoner did not abuse the writ in raising an identical claim on a successive habeas petition, the circuit court reached the question of whether the "ends of justice" would be served by a second review of the claim. Id. The court reiterated that the "ends of justice" are defined by objective factors, such as whether there was a full and fair hearing on the original petition, or whether there was an intervening chanqe in the facts of the case or the applicable law. Id. There, the alleged intervening change in the applicable law was the Supreme Court's decision in Batson v. Kentucky, ___ U.S. ___, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986) (juror exclusion based on race held unconstitutional). The Fleming court, however, did not discuss the Supreme Court's ruling in Kuhlmann, which was handed down the day before. Because the circuit did not consider and discuss the Kuhlmann case, this court feels Fleming's precedential value is questionable with respect to the "ends of justice" determination. Additionally, Fleming contains no discussion of the many other objective factors courts consider when making the "ends of justice" determination. In Fleming, the fact that there was an intervening change in the applicable law alone was held to be enough to grant reconsideration of the petition. The Fleming court failed to discuss any other factor. In essence, that court proposed its own "single factor" approach, and ignored the Sanders line of cases which leave it to the sound discretion of the district courts to weigh these factors. No opinion in Kuhlmann supports the position that an intervening change in the applicable law standing alone requires reconsideration of a successive petition. Although this court finds the Kuhlmann decision does not control the outcome of this case, this court cannot ignore the fact that four justices supported an opinion that would make a "colorable showing of factual innocence" the sole factor to consider when deciding the "ends of justice" question. Thus, to the extent the Fleming court did not explicitly consider whether the petitioner there had made a "colorable showing of factual innocence in making its "ends of justice" determination, this court feels Fleming is not controlling. This court finds that neither Kuhlmann nor Fleming essentially alter the traditional approach to the "ends of justice" test set forth in Sanders v. United States, 373 U.S. 1, 83 S.Ct. 1068, 10 L.Ed.2d 148 (1963). The burden lies with the petitioner to demonstrate that a reconsideration would serve the ends of justice. Sanders, 373 U.S. at 15-19, 83 S.Ct. at 1077-79; Bass v. Wainwright, 675 F.2d 1204 (11th Cir.1982). In Sanders the court held: If factual issues are involved, the applicant is entitled to a new hearing upon showing that the evidentiary hearing on the prior application was not full and fair ... If purely legal questions are involved, the applicant may be entitled to a new hearing upon showing an intervening change in the law or some other justification for having failed to raise a crucial point or argument in the prior 1042 application. Id. at 16-17, 83 S.Ct. at 1078. The court went on to qualify its remarks in the following ways: First, the foregoing enumeration is not intended to be exhaustive; the test is "the ends of justice" and it cannot be too finely particularized. Second, the burden is on the applicant to show that, although the ground of the new application was determined against him on the merits on a prior application, the ends of justice would be served by a redetermination of the ground. Id. at 17, 83 S.Ct. at 1078. The Eleventh Circuit has elucidated the Sanders holding stating that "the `ends of justice' are defined by objective factors, such as whether there was a full and fair hearing on the original petition or whether there was an intervening change of the facts of the case or the applicable law." Witt v. Wainwright, 755 F.2d 1396, 1397 (11th Cir.1985). Briefly stated then, the law of Sanders leaves the decision to grant reconsideration of a successive petition to the sound discretion of the district court which may properly consider several objective factors in reaching this decision. Courts have considered the following factors proper in making the "ends of justice" determination. First, the plurality opinion in Kuhlmann indicates that four justices were willing to adopt the "colorable showing of factual innocence" test as the sole factor in making the "ends of justice" inquiry. Indeed, Justice Stevens' dissent acknowledges this test as "one of the facts that may properly be considered," although he did not feel it was an essential element to the reconsideration of a successive petition. Kuhlmann (Stevens, J. dissenting). Justice Stevens went on to conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion because Kuhlmann was "one of those close cases in which the district court could have properly decided that a second review of the same contention was not required despite the intervening decision...." Id. Thus, at a minimum, five justices agree that whether petitioner has made a colorable showing of factual innocence is properly a factor to consider in making the "ends of justice" determination. In the instant case, petitioner has made no such showing. Petitioner's counsel declined this court's invitation to make such a showing, arguing alternatively that the mere allegation that petitioner was insane established a "colorable showing", or that petitioner's claim regarding the "ends of justice" issue was established by other factors under Sanders such as an intervening change in the applicable law. (Transcript of oral argument on petition for habeas corpus p. 8-12, "Transcript"). When asked by this court whether petitioner had any claim of factual innocence, petitioner's counsel responded "there is a claim of innocence here. It's not a claim of factual innocence, it's a claim of legal innocence by reason of insanity." (Transcript at 10) Thus, by his own words counsel disavowed any showing that could establish the existence of this factor. Where, as here, both this court and the Eleventh Circuit in reviewing petitioner's first petition explicitly stated that the evidence of petitioner's guilt was "overwhelming", without making any showing of factual innocence whatsoever, petitioner has not made out a "colorable showing.[8]Messer v. Francis, No. C82-419R at 3 (N.D.Ga. March 30, 1984) (Hall, J. unpublished opinion) aff'd sub nom, Messer v. Kemp, 760 F.2d 1080, 1084 (11th Cir.1985). Petitioner contends that other countervailing objective factors demonstrate that the "ends of justice" would be served by granting reconsideration. Namely, petitioner contends that the intervening change in law announced in Ake supra requires such a result. This court disagrees. Even assuming arguendo (1) that Ake did change the law relevant to the constitutionality 1043 of denying this petitioner an independent psychiatric evaluation for the preparation of his defense, and (2) that Ake applies retroactively to this petitioner on collateral review, this court feels an intervening change in law alone is insufficient to warrant reconsideration. In light of the plurality opinion in Kuhlmann that indicates the importance of the "colorable showing of factual innocence" factor, and three dissents in that case that emphasize the multiplicity of factors that may properly be considered, this court feels it would be inappropriate to give the change in intervening law alone controlling weight.[9] The petitioner's failure to appeal an adverse ruling on his prior habeas petition is a factor to be considered in the "ends of justice" calculus of the Sanders test. Johnson v. Wainwright, 702 F.2d 909 (11th Cir.1983); Bass v. Wainwright, 675 F.2d 1204 (11th Cir.1982). Here, this court ruled on the merits of Messer's first petition on March 30, 1984. The court explicitly considered and denied relief on the denial of an independent psychiatric evaluation along with seven other grounds. Messer v. Francis, supra at 15. The Ake decision, the intervening change in law argued by petitioner as grounds for reconsideration of this opinion, was decided February 26, 1985. Ake supra. Petitioner on appeal from this court's denial of relief on his first petition did not raise Ake as a ground of appeal. This court has already ruled that this omission does not amount to "abandonment" of the claim, but as a factor to be considered under the ends of justice calculus it does weigh against petitioner. See discussion supra. There are other factors that may be properly considered by this court, which are relevant to whether the ends of justice would be served by allowing reconsideration of a prisoner's second petition. The fact that a man's life is at stake is a weighty factor that this court fully appreciates. Potts v. Zant, 638 F.2d 727, 752 (11th Cir.1981). Also relevant is possible prejudice to the state e.g., here whether the state has access to witnesses that would be necessary to rebut petitioner's claim of insanity at the time of the offense. Id. Finality, here serves the state's legitimate punitive interests. When a prisoner is freed on a successive petition, often many years after the crime, the state may be unable successfully to retry him. Peyton v. Rowe, 391 U.S. 54, 62, 88 S.Ct. 1549, 1553, 20 L.Ed.2d 426 (1968) see Pate v. Robinson, 383 U.S. 375, 86 S.Ct. 836, 15 L.Ed.2d 815 (1966). The state has offered no showing to support such a conclusion on this case. However, the litany of direct appeals and collateral attack in this case, demonstrates the point. See facts supra. After weighing all the above-mentioned factors and carefully examining the record in this case, the court feels the "ends of justice" would not be served by reaching the merits of the successive petition. First, petitioner has chosen to make no showing of factual innocence. Thus, petitioner fails to satisfy this factor. It is the concern of at least five members of the Supreme Court that a "colorable showing of factual innocence" be one of the factors properly considered by a district court in ruling on reconsideration of a successive petition. Although this court assumes arguendo that Ake supra is an intervening change in the law applicable to the facts of petitioner's case, and that it applies retroactively to this petitioner, standing alone such is insufficient to require reconsideration. Where (1) petitioner has made no showing of factual innocence, (2) the evidence of petitioner's guilt was found to be "overwhelming" by both this court and the circuit court, and (3) petitioner had the opportunity, yet failed to raise the Ake ground of relief on appeal from this court's *1044 order denying petitioner's first petition, the court feels the "ends of justice" do not require reconsideration. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the court considers this petition for a writ of habeas corpus to be a successive petition, and because this court feels the "ends of justice" would not be served by reconsideration, this court accordingly DENIES petitioner a writ of habeas corpus. The stay of execution ordered by this court is hereby lifted effective at noon July 8, 1986. NOTES [1] The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari in McCleskey v. Kemp, No. ___ U.S. ___, 106 S.Ct. 3331, 92 L.Ed.2d 737 (1986), to consider whether the death penalty is being applied in a racially discriminatory manner. This court feels the grant of certiorari should not alter the court's denial of the petition in the case at bar. [2] In its Response, respondent pleads exhaustion contending that all the qrounds raised in the instant petition have not been previously raised in state proceedings. (Response at 2) However, respondent does not pursue this contention in its brief and the court does not feel compelled to discuss its merits. [3] Respondent raised at oral argument a conceptually distinct problem arising from the posture of this case. As the court holds, petitioner properly stated his denial of independent psychiatric evaluation as a ground for relief in his first habeas petition. However, he did not renew this argument on appeal. Respondent argues petitioner, thus, intentionally abandoned his claim. The "intentional abandonment or withholding" doctrine applies on a second habeas only where petitioner has not "previously presented [the ground for relief] in a federal habeas corpus proceeding." Witt; supra; Cf. Sanders v. United States, 373 U.S. 1, 83 S.Ct. 1068, 10 L.Ed.2d 148 (1963). Here, petitioner did present this ground in the first habeas petition, and this court considered and rejected his arguments. Messer v. Francis, No. C82-419R (March 30, 1984) (Hall, J.) (unpublished opinion). aff'd Messer v. Kemp, 760 F.2d 1080 (11th Cir.1985) reh denied, ___ U.S. ___, 106 S.Ct. 864, 88 L.Ed.2d 902 (1986). Once this ground was raised in the first habeas petition, as required under Witt and Sanders supra, no abandonment for abuse of writ purposes could occur. Fleming v. Kemp, 794 F.2d 1478 (11th Cir.1986). Additionally, there is no evidence that the failure of petitioner to brief the issue on appeal was to "vex, harass, or delay" Sanders supra 373 U.S. at 18, 83 S.Ct. at 1078. Therefore, any contention that petitioner abused the writ by this "abandonment" is groundless. [4] Kuhlmann involved a situation in which defendant, after arraignment on charges of a 1970 robbery and murder, was confined in a cell with another prisoner who had previously agreed to act as a police informant. The defendant made incriminating statements, and the informant reported them to the police. Prior to trial, defendant moved to suppress the statements on the ground that they were obtained in violation of his Sixth Amendment right to counsel. The trial court denied the motion finding that the informant had obeyed a police officer's instructions not to question defendant about the crimes and that defendant's statements were "spontaneous" and "unsolicited". In 1972, defendant was convicted for common law murder and felonious possession of a weapon. The State Appellate Court affirmed. In 1973, defendant sought federal habeas corpus relief, asserting a Sixth Amendment violation based on the same grounds. The district court denied the writ, and the Court of Appeals affirmed. After the 1980 decision in United States v. Henry, 447 U.S. 264 100 S.Ct. 2183, 65 L.Ed.2d 115 (1980), which applied the "deliberately elicited" test of Massiah v. United States, 377 U.S. 201, 84 S.Ct. 1199, 12 L.Ed.2d 246 (1964) to suppress statements made to a paid jailhouse informant, defendant unsuccessfully sought to have his conviction vacated by the state courts. In 1982, defendant filed a habeas corpus petition in district court, again raising the Sixth Amendment claim. The district court denied relief, but the court of appeals reversed. [5] Powell, J. announced the judgment of the court. Burger CJ., Rehinquist and O'Connor, JJ., joined Powell's discussion of the "ends of justice" test. Brennan, J. dissented joined by Marshall, J. Stevens, J. dissented separately. White and Blackmun, JJ., did not join Powell's "ends of justice" discussion. [6] The most commonly recognized theory on dealing with four vote pluralities is the statement in Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153, 96 S.Ct. 2909, 49 L.Ed.2d 859 (1976) that "when a fragmented court decides a case and no single rationale explaining the result enjoys the assent of five justices, `the holding of the court may be viewed as that position taken by those members who concurred in the judgment on the narrowest grounds.'" See Note, The Precedential Value of Supreme Court Plurality Decisions, 80 Columbia L.Rev. 756 (1980) for a fuller discussion of the "narrowest grounds" approach. [7] If it is truly apparent that a "single factor" test is needed for the policy reasons set forth in Justice Powell's Kuhlmann opinion, this court feels the better analysis would be to extend the test of Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984), used in evaluating effectiveness of counsel issues on original habeas petitions, to the "ends of justice" question on successive petitions. This test would contemplate allowing reconsideration where there is a "reasonable probability that, but for [the denial of an independent psychiatric evaluation in preparation of an insanity defense that would have been a significant factor a trial], the result of the proceeding would have been different." Id. at 694, 104 S.Ct. at 2068. Restated simply, if the denial of the independent psychiatric evaluation in preparation for trial could reasonably have resulted in a different outcome, then reconsideration should be granted. This test has also been used as the test for materiality of exculpatory information not disclosed to the defense by the prosecution, United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 104, 96 S.Ct. 2392, 2397, 49 L.Ed.2d 342 (1976), and in the test for materiality of testimony made unavailable to the defense by government deportation of a witness, United States v. Vallenzuela-Bernal, 458 U.S. 858, 102 S.Ct. 3440, 73 L.Ed.2d 1193 (1982). This test would achieve the goals desired by Justice Powell and the three justices that joined his Kuhlmann opinion by (1) providing a clear rule for the district courts to apply, and (2) denying reconsideration to prisoners who have no chance of prevailing at retrial because "guilt is conceded or plain" Kuhlmann, 106 S.Ct. at 2626. The proposed test would also avoid problems where the "colorable showing of factual innocence" test does not logically apply. One example of these problems arises where a prisoner alleges constitutional error in the sentencing phase of a capital case. Guilt or innocence seems to be irrelevant in that context. See Kuhlmann, 106 S.Ct. p. 2622, n. 7 (Brennan, J. dissenting). [8] In Kuhlmann, the plurality noted the circuit below stated that the evidence of prisoner's guilt in that case "was nearly overwhelming." Kuhlmann, 106 S.Ct. at 2628. Here, the Eleventh Circuit stated, "[i]f ever there was an open and shut case, this is it ..." [9] Before Kuhlmann, a change in applicable law seemed to guarantee reconsideration in the Eleventh Circuit. This court is aware of no published case regarding successive petitioners in which the Eleventh Circuit has ever denied reconsideration where there was an intervening change in law which applied retroactively to a prisoner. Cf Young v. Kemp, 758 F.2d 514 (11th Cir.1985); Smith v. Kemp, 715 F.2d 1459 (11th Cir.1983); Fleming supra (granting reconsideration where intervening change applicable law occurred.)	{ "pile_set_name": "FreeLaw" }
Five Crazy Headlines: Babies for sale, a DUI hood ornament and a cartoon getaway van How much is a baby worth nowadays? In China, one was enough to buy a new iPhone and a motorbike. A young couple were arrested in China after they sold their 18-day-old baby to a man they met through the Chinese messaging app QQ. The couple planned on using the money from the sale to buy several different items including a motorbike and an iPhone. The 19-year-old father was sentenced by a judge to three years in jail, while the underage mother of the baby received a two and a half year suspended sentence since she had not yet completed her schooling. After hearing about the arrests of the parents, the man who bought the baby turned himself in to authorities, but it is unclear at this time if he has been sentenced to jail time. The baby is now being raised by the sister of the buyer, as the judge determined that the conditions the birth parents currently faced were too difficult for raising a child. At a city-run pregnancy seminar, the mayor of Tangerang City, Indonesia gave expectant mothers a warning. Feeding babies instant noodles or milk formula will make them gay. Arief R. Wismansyah explained that because parents today are so busy that they feed their babies instant foods and formula, it has a negative impact on children’s development. He added that it is because of this that there have recently been more gay people. Homosexuality is not widely accepted in Indonesia, but it is also not illegal except for in the province of Aceh, which follows Sharia law. Source: DNA India No officer, I’m not drunk. It’s a hood ornament! If you are drunk and try to drive, just know you aren’t as subtle as you think you are. Recently an officer in Roselle, Illinois pulled over and arrested a man for driving under the influence. The officer suspected something was wrong when he saw a car driving along with a 15-foot-tall tree stuck in the front grill. When he got closer he noticed the airbags had been deployed inside the car. He then arrested the man for DUI. His case is still pending. A video of the incident was posted on the department’s Facebook page, where it has now been shared almost 20,000 times. Source: NBC Chicago A couple dollars for you and a couple million dollars for me Brothers James and Bob Stocklas hit it big recently, when they combined to win $291,000,007 from the Florida lottery. James won the $291 million Powerball jackpot. Bob won $7. James Stocklas, a judge from Pennsylvania, was eating breakfast at his favorite restaurant when he discovered he had won the jackpot. To celebrate his winnings, he paid for the meal of everyone in the restaurant at the time. To commemorate the pair of winners, the Florida State Lottery also printed off a full-size winner’s check for Bob’s $7 prize. Source: CNN Like, zoinks! The cops are after us! A 51-year-old woman in Redding, California is being sought after by police after she led them on a high-speed chase last week in a van painted up to look like the Mystery Machine from the Scooby-Doo cartoons. Sharon Kay Turman was wanted for violating her probation when an officer from the Redding Police Department tried to pull her over. Turman then led police on a high-speed chase, speeding through major roads and highways before running a red light and crashing into four cars. She managed to continue driving after the crash, and later abandoned her van and fled on foot.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Q: How to bind web service in jquery easy ui CRUD DataGrid I am developing an website in c# asp.net using jQuery EasyUI CRUD datagrid. But i need to replace the .php files with my web service to bind the datagrid as in the following snippet.Please suggest me a way to do so. <table id="dg" title="My Users" style="width:700px;height:250px" toolbar="#toolbar" pagination="true" idField="id" rownumbers="true" fitColumns="true" singleSelect="true"> <thead> <tr> <th field="firstname" width="50" editor="{type:'validatebox',options:{required:true}}">First Name</th> <th field="lastname" width="50" editor="{type:'validatebox',options:{required:true}}">Last Name</th> <th field="phone" width="50" editor="text">Phone</th> <th field="email" width="50" editor="{type:'validatebox',options:{validType:'email'}}">Email</th> </tr> </thead> </table> <script type="text/javascript"> $(function(){ $('#dg').edatagrid({ url: 'get_users.php', saveUrl: 'save_user.php', updateUrl: 'update_user.php', destroyUrl: 'destroy_user.php' }); }); </script> A: You can use jQuery Ajax, with jTemplate. $.ajax({ url: "Your webservice path", type: "POST", data: "JSON formated data to pass in the webservice", contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8", dataType: "json", cache: false, success: function (data) { //You can further use jTemplate to output the data. }, error: function (data) { } }); The following link shows a simple example for jTemplate: http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/45759/jQuery-jTemplates-Grid	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
We are excited that you will be attending the Madison Mission Trip! The trip will be exciting opportunity for participants to strengthen their relationship with Jesus, step out of their comfort zone, learn the needs of the Madison area, serve our community and have fellowship with members of all three church sites. It is a four day mission trip in our own backyard from Sunday, April 13th to Wednesday, April 16th. Everyone is welcome- young, old, families, couples, singles. Whether you have gifts to share, or you're not sure how God can use you in Madison, you are welcome to join us on this adventure! To participate in the mission trip you must complete this form by Saturday March 1st.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Assessment of quality of life in head and neck cancer patients. Seventy-five consecutive patients were selected to evaluate a disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaire (UW QOL). The new test was compared to two established equality of life evaluation tools, the Karnofsky scale and the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP). Each test was administered on three separate occasions: (1) several days preoperatively; (2) immediately postoperatively; and (3) 3 months postoperatively. The Karnofsky scale is relatively crude and lacks the ability to measure subtle changes. The SIP is a detailed questionnaire that is quite sensitive to change. However, due to its length, the SIP is inefficient and expensive to administer, and patient non-compliance is often a problem. The three questionnaires were compared according to the following factors: Acceptability: 97% of the patients favored the UW QOL scale compared with the SIP because it was more concise and easier to complete. VALIDITY indicates the ability of the test under investigation to measure what it was intended to measure. Using the SIP as a gold standard, the UW QOL scale demonstrated an average criterion validity of 0.849, whereas the Karnofsky average criterion validity was 0.826. Reliability: Reliability is a measurement of the reproducibility of the data. The UW QOL questionnaire scored > 0.90 on reliability coefficients versus 0.80 for the Karnofsky and 0.87 for the SIP scale. Responsiveness: Responsiveness is the ability of the test to measure clinical change. The UW QOL scale faired better than the Karnofsky and the SIP scale in detecting change. The UW QOL scale is comparable to the Karnofsky and SIP scales when tested for validity and reliability. It was the preferred test format of 97% of patients and provided the greatest responsiveness to clinical change.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
Introduction {#Sec1} ============ Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated, inflammatory skin disorder that is currently incurable. Consequently, the majority of people with psoriasis require long-term treatment to maintain disease control. Traditional immunosuppressive systemic treatments, such as acitretin, methotrexate, cyclosporine, hydroxyurea, and thioguanine, may be effective in controlling psoriasis in some patients but significant toxicity and the need to closely monitor patients limit the viability of these treatments for long-term, continuous use \[[@CR23]\]. Recently developed systemic therapies that selectively target specific pathways in the inflammatory cascade of psoriasis generally have a much improved safety profile compared with traditional therapies \[[@CR26]\]. Efalizumab (anti-CD11a; Raptiva^®^) is a recombinant humanized monoclonal IgG~1~ antibody that has been approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis. It interferes with the pathogenesis of psoriasis via multiple mechanisms, including inhibition of T-lymphocyte trafficking and T-lymphocyte activation and reactivation \[[@CR1], [@CR10], [@CR11], [@CR21], [@CR25]\]. The safety and efficacy profile of efalizumab has been established in numerous clinical trials, in which more than 3,500 patients were enrolled and treatment was assessed for up to 3 years \[[@CR4]--[@CR6], [@CR12]--[@CR17], [@CR22]\]. Although psoriasis can be associated with the co-morbidity of psoriatic arthritis, a minority of patients with psoriasis (7--30%) will develop this joint disease \[[@CR27]\]. Nevertheless, psoriatic arthritis constitutes a major consideration in patients who are receiving long-term treatment for their psoriasis. A Nordic study of more than 5,000 patients with psoriasis showed that patients with arthritis exhibited greater impairment of psoriasis-related quality of life (QoL), longer disease duration, and greater self-reported disease severity, compared with patients who had psoriasis but no co-morbid arthritis \[[@CR27]\]. A low incidence of arthropathy adverse events (AEs; any form of joint disease) associated with efalizumab treatment has been reported in both clinical studies and routine clinical practice \[[@CR8], [@CR12]\]. However, anecdotal reports of arthropathy in routine clinical practice have expressed concern that efalizumab may be associated with exacerbation of arthropathy \[[@CR8]\]. To address this concern, we conducted a large-scale pooled analysis of safety data from five Phase III clinical trials (including open-label extensions of two of these studies) and two Phase III open-label clinical trials of efalizumab to explore whether arthropathy AEs were associated with efalizumab treatment in patients with psoriasis. Methods {#Sec2} ======= The primary objective of this pooled safety analysis was to assess the incidence of arthropathy AEs in patients who had received either efalizumab or placebo. Safety data were pooled from five randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials (including data from two open-label extension studies of two of these trials) and two open-label clinical trials of efalizumab \[[@CR4]--[@CR6], [@CR12]--[@CR17], [@CR22]\]. Patients included in these Phase III studies were aged ≥18 years and had moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis, a psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score of ≥12 at screening, and plaque psoriasis covering ≥10% of body surface area. All patients were candidates for either systemic anti-psoriatic therapy or had received systemic anti-psoriatic therapy. Patients included in these trials received subcutaneous injections with efalizumab, 1--4 mg/kg once weekly or 2 mg/kg once-every-other week, or placebo. Details of individual study methodologies are described in other publications \[[@CR4]--[@CR6], [@CR12]--[@CR17], [@CR22]\]. Arthropathy AEs were defined according to the Coding Symbols for Thesaurus of Adverse Reaction Terms (COSTART) \[[@CR3]\] preferred terms 'arthritis' and 'arthrosis', or the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA, <http://www.meddramsso.com/NewWeb2003/index.htm>) preferred terms 'arthritis not otherwise specified (NOS)', 'psoriatic arthropathy', 'arthropathy NOS', 'monoarthritis', 'polyarthritis', and 'osteoarthritis NOS'. Treatment groups analyzed {#Sec3} ------------------------- Due to the variety of study designs, five analyses were considered: 'first-treatment phase', 'first exposure phase', 'extended treatment phase', 're-treatment phase', and 'long-term treatment' (see Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}). Table 1Summary of the Phase III data from five placebo-controlled clinical trials (including data from two open-label extension studies of two of these trials) and two open-label clinical trials of efalizumab included in the pooled safety analysisPublication (protocol number)Study designNumber of patients in each analysisFirst treatment (0--12 weeks)Efalizumab sc 1--4 mg/kg qw or 2 mg/kg qowFirst exposure\ Extended treatment (13--24 weeks)Long-term treatment^a^(≤36 months)Re-treatmentPlaceboEfalizumab 1 mg/kgEfalizumab 2 mg/kgLeonardi \[[@CR13]\] (ACD2058g)Randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled170162166462123--55Lebwohl \[[@CR12]\] (ACD2059g)Randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled122232243579289----Gordon \[[@CR4]\] (ACD2390g)Randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled187368--368------Papp \[[@CR17]\] (ACD2600g)Randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled236449--449--449--Sterry \[[@CR22]\] (IMP24011)Randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled264529--772308--145Papp \[[@CR16]\] (ACD2062g)Open-label------34137--365Gottlieb \[[@CR5], [@CR6]\] (ACD2243g)Open-label------339^b^290339--Menter \[[@CR14]\] (ACD2391g)Open-label extension^c^of study ACD2390g \[[@CR4]\]------174342----Menter \[[@CR15]\] (ACD2601g)Open-label extension^c^of study ACD2600 g \[[@CR17]\]------217622635^d^--Pooled analysis97917404093,3942,111n.a.^e^565qow once-every-other week, qw once weekly, sc subcutaneous^a^Number of patients at start^b^Patients received combined therapy with fluocinolone acetate (n = 169) or petrolatum (n = 170) for weeks 9--12; for months 3--15, the dose of efalizumab could be escalated to 4 mg/kg per week for up to 4 weeks if clinically indicated^c^Some patients are included in the analyses more than once because patients in the open-label extension studies are also included in analyses of the parent studies^d^Included patients who received either efalizumab or placebo in the parent study \[[@CR17]\]^e^Not applicable because data are analyzed and reported separately for the study by Gottlieb et al. \[[@CR6]\] and the study published by Papp \[[@CR17]\] and Menter \[[@CR15]\] It is worth noting that most of the studies included in this pooled analysis were designed and conducted before efalizumab had received regulatory approval and before it was known that doses of more than 1 mg/kg once weekly (the approved dose) did not confer additional treatment benefit (EMEA, Raptiva Summary of Product Characteristics; FDA US, FDA Prescribing Information for Raptiva). For this reason, only the efalizumab 1 mg/kg once-weekly dose data are reported for the 'first treatment phase' of the analysis. Due to the wide variety of study designs included in the pooled analysis, data for patients receiving any dose of efalizumab are combined for all other treatment phases analyzed. The 'first treatment phase' analysis included 0--12-week data from patients in the five placebo-controlled studies who received either efalizumab 1 mg/kg once weekly or placebo. This analysis allows a comparison between the efalizumab and placebo treatment groups. The 'first exposure phase' included 12-week data from all studies in patients who had their first exposure to any dose of efalizumab and, thus, did not include placebo data. This analysis was conducted to include the maximum number of patients who received efalizumab for their first 12 weeks of treatment (i.e., it included those patients who first received efalizumab treatment after crossing over from a placebo group, as well as the patients who first received efalizumab during weeks 0--12). The 'extended treatment phase' analysis included 13--24-week data in patients given any dose of efalizumab who had already received efalizumab during the first treatment phase. The 'long-term treatment phase' analysis included all patients who received continuous long-term treatment (up to 36 months) with any dose of efalizumab. Data were analyzed in 12-week segments to assess change in the incidence of arthropathy AEs over time. This analysis included data from two long-term studies \[[@CR6], [@CR15], [@CR17]\], which were analyzed separately due to differences in study design. The 're-treatment phase' analysis included all patients who re-started treatment with efalizumab following a treatment-free observation period. Statistical analyses {#Sec4} -------------------- Descriptive statistics were used to explore the association between efalizumab and the occurrence of arthropathy AEs. Results are expressed as point-estimates of the incidence rates (ratio of the number of patients with an arthropathy AE to the total number of patient-years at risk of an arthropathy AE) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Descriptive comparisons are provided; no formal statistical tests were performed. Analyses were also conducted to explore the relationship between onset of arthropathy AEs during efalizumab treatment and a previous history of arthropathy (reported as a narrative by patients at the baseline visit) and the incidence of arthropathy AEs and clinical response to efalizumab treatment \[measured at 12 weeks using the Physician Global Assessment (PGA) and PASI scales\]. Differences in patient and psoriasis characteristics at baseline were also compared between patients who had arthropathy AEs and those who did not. An additional analysis of data from patients included in the first treatment phase of the study by Sterry et al. \[[@CR22]\] (Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}) was conducted to assess the incidence of psoriatic arthropathy in these patients. This was the only study to define arthropathy AEs according to MedDRA; other studies used the COSTART, which did not include 'psoriatic arthropathy' specifically as a preferred term. Baseline demographics and psoriasis characteristics and the proportion of patients with a previous history of arthropathy (as reported by patients at the baseline visit) were tabulated by presence/absence of an arthropathy event. Results {#Sec5} ======= The number of patients included in each of the pooled safety analyses from each of the seven trials and two open-label extensions is summarized in Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}. Up to 3,394 patients received at least one dose of efalizumab. A total of 2,719 patients were included in the first treatment phase analysis, of whom the majority (64%; 1,740 patients) received efalizumab 1 mg/kg per week; 979 patients (36%) received placebo. Efalizumab 2 mg/kg per week regimen was given to 409 patients (15%) in two of the five studies \[[@CR12], [@CR13]\]; consequently, these patients were not included in the first treatment analysis. Patient demographics and baseline psoriasis characteristics were similar between treatment groups in the first treatment phase (Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}). Table 2Baseline demographic and disease characteristics for patients in the placebo-controlled first treatment phaseCharacteristicsPlacebo (n = 979)Efalizumab 1 mg/kg per week (n = 1,740)Efalizumab 2 mg/kg per week (n = 409)Mean age (years), mean (SD)45 (12)45 (12)45 (13)Weight (kg), mean (SD)90.0 (20.0)89.4 (19.6)93.6 (20.5)Mean BMI^a^ (kg/m^2^)30.4 (6.4)30.2 (6.3)31.4 (6.6)Race,n (%) Caucasian891 (91)1,569 (90)356 (87) Other88 (9)171 (10)53 (13)Duration of psoriasis, mean number of years (SD)19.2 (11.4)19.1 (11.4)17.6 (11.7)History of arthritis,n (%)286 (29.2)529 (30.4)141 (34.5)BMI body mass index^a^Due to missing height data, BMI was calculated for 971 patients in the placebo group, 1,719 patients in the efalizumab 1 mg//kg per week group and 404 patients in the efalizumab 2 mg/kg per week group First treatment phase (weeks 0--12) {#Sec6} ----------------------------------- During the first 12 weeks of treatment a similar proportion of patients had an arthropathy AE in the efalizumab 1 mg/kg group (3.3%) and the placebo group (3.5%; Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}a). Correspondingly, the incidence of arthropathy AEs per patient-year was 0.15 in the efalizumab 1 mg/kg group (95% CI 0.11--0.19) and 0.16 in the placebo group (95% CI 0.11--0.22; Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}b). The majority of the arthropathy AEs was mild-to-moderate in intensity in both the efalizumab (41/58 events; 71%; 95% CI 57--82%) and placebo groups (31/34 events; 91%; 95% CI 76--98%). Fig. 1a Proportion of patients who had arthropathy adverse events (AEs) during each phase of the safety analysis and b incidence of arthropathy AEs per patient-year for each phase The additional analysis of data from the study by Sterry et al. \[[@CR22]\] demonstrated that the incidence of psoriatic arthropathy per patient-year was lower in the group treated with efalizumab 1 mg/kg per week (0.10; 95% CI 0.05--0.18) than in the placebo group (0.17; 95% CI 0.08--0.30); the proportion of patients with psoriatic arthropathy was 2.3% (12/529 patients) in the efalizumab group and 3.8% (10/264 patients) in the placebo group. First exposure phase {#Sec7} -------------------- In total, 3,394 efalizumab-treated patients were included in this analysis. A small proportion of patients had an arthropathy AE (3.6%; Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}a) and the incidence of arthropathy AEs per patient-year was also low (0.16; 95% CI 0.14--0.19; Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}b). The incidence of arthropathy AEs in this group of patients was similar to that in the placebo group in the first treatment phase, as indicated by the overlap in CIs. Extended treatment phase (weeks 13--24) {#Sec8} --------------------------------------- In total, 2,111 patients were included in the extended treatment phase analysis. During this phase, a low proportion of patients had an arthropathy AE (3.8%; Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}a) and the incidence of arthropathy AEs per patient-year was also low (0.17; 95% CI 0.14--0.22; Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}b). Overlap in the CIs indicates that the incidence of arthropathy AEs in this group of patients was also similar to that in the placebo group in the first treatment phase. Long-term treatment phase {#Sec9} ------------------------- The results of two long-term studies were analyzed separately to assess the incidence of arthropathy AEs in patients treated with efalizumab. In both of these studies (Fig. [2](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}), there was no overall increase in the incidence of arthropathy AEs over time. Furthermore, the incidence of arthropathy remained similar to that of the placebo group in the first treatment phase and stable between 12-week periods. Fig. 2Incidence of arthropathy AEs in long-term studies of patients treated with efalizumab a for up to 36 months and compared indirectly with pooled placebo data from the first treatment (FT) phase \[[@CR5], [@CR6]\] and b for up to 15 months and compared with the study's placebo group during month 0--12 \[[@CR15], [@CR17]\]. \Following the first 3-month double-blind, placebo-controlled phase of this study, patients in the placebo group who continued were switched to open-label treatment with efalizumab. Consequently, the month 6, 9, 12 and 15 results included patients who had received placebo during the initial 3 months of the study In total, 339 patients were included in the analysis of the study by Gottlieb et al. \[[@CR6]\]. These patients received continuous treatment with efalizumab 2 mg/kg once weekly for weeks 1--12 (fluocinolone acetate or petrolatum was co-administered during weeks 9--12), followed by continuous maintenance treatment with efalizumab 1 mg/kg once weekly for up to 36 months in patients who had a ≥ 50% improvement in PASI score. For months 3--15, the dose of efalizumab could be escalated to 4 mg/kg per week for up to 4 weeks if clinically indicated, then maintained at 2 mg/kg per week. During the entire study period, there was little variation in the incidence of arthropathy AEs (range 0.06--0.19; Fig. [2](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}a). Reasons for discontinuation were diverse and were representative of the overall population; refer to Gottlieb et al. \[[@CR6], [@CR7]\] for details of discontinuations. For the other long-term study, the analysis included 3-month data from 449 efalizumab-treated patients in the placebo-controlled first treatment phase of the study \[[@CR17]\] and data from 635 patients who entered the open-label extension phase and received efalizumab treatment \[[@CR15]\]; 218 of the 635 patients included in the open-label extension had switched from placebo to efalizumab after completing the first treatment phase. Patients who entered the open-label extension phase continued to receive, or initiated treatment with, efalizumab 1 mg/kg once weekly for up to 15 months continuously. As in the long-term study by Gottlieb et al. \[[@CR6]\], there was little variation in the incidence of arthropathy AEs during the entire study period (range 0.06--0.12; Fig. [2](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}b). Re-treatment phase {#Sec10} ------------------ In total, 565 efalizumab-treated patients were included in the re-treatment phase of the analysis. In this phase, a lower proportion of patients had an arthropathy AE (2.7%; Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}a) compared with the first treatment phase, and the incidence of arthropathy AEs per patient-year was also lower (0.12; 95% CI 0.07--0.19; Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}b). The incidence of arthropathy AEs in this group of patients was lower than in the placebo group in the first treatment phase. Baseline characteristics and previous history of arthropathy {#Sec11} ------------------------------------------------------------ There were no differences in baseline demographics or disease characteristics between the patients who had arthropathy AEs and those who did not. Patients who experienced an arthropathy AE during treatment with efalizumab appeared to be more likely to have a history of arthropathy prior to treatment. Of the patients who never developed an arthropathy AE during efalizumab treatment, 27% reported a previous history of arthropathy compared with 59% in patients who did have an arthropathy AE. During the first treatment phase, 88% (n* = 34) and 76% (n = 79) of patients who developed an arthropathy AE had a history of arthropathy prior to receiving placebo or efalizumab 1 mg/kg once weekly, respectively. Arthropathy AEs and clinical response to efalizumab {#Sec12} --------------------------------------------------- Arthropathy AEs appeared to be less likely to occur in patients who had a good clinical response to treatment (≥75% improvement in PASI score; 2.3% of patients had events) than in patients who had a partial response (50--74% improvement in PASI score; 3.5% of patients had events; Fig. [3](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"}) and non-responders (\<50% improvement in PASI score; 4.5% of patients had events). The corresponding incidences of arthropathy AEs per patient-year were 0.10 in patients with a good clinical response (95% CI 0.05--0.18), 0.17 in patients with a partial clinical response (95% CI 0.11--0.25), and 0.21 in patients who did not respond (95% CI 0.15--0.28). Fig. 3a Proportion of patients with an arthropathy AE by response category on the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) and physician global assessment (PGA) scales and b incidence of arthropathy AEs per patient-year by response category on the PASI and PGA scales When assessed using the PGA scale, arthropathy AEs also appeared to be less likely to occur in patients who had better clinical responses to treatment with efalizumab (Fig. [3](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"}). During the extended treatment phase, the incidence of arthropathy AEs per patient-year was 0.17 in patients with responses categorized as 'cleared', 'excellent' or 'good' on the PGA scale (95% CI 0.10--0.25) and 0.25 in patients with responses categorized as 'fair', 'slight', 'unchanged' or 'worse' on the PGA scale (95% CI 0.17--0.35). Discussion {#Sec13} ========== The placebo-controlled results of this large-scale pooled analysis of arthropathy data from seven clinical trials show that efalizumab does not appear to increase the risk of developing arthropathy AEs compared with placebo during the first 12 weeks of treatment. In addition, for patients treated with efalizumab, the incidence of arthropathy AEs did not appear to increase over time. The proportion of patients who had an arthropathy AE within any 12-week treatment period was low (\<4.1%) through all treatment phases (first treatment, first exposure, extended treatment, re-treatment, long-term treatment). Joint disease has also been reported as a side-effect of other approved biological treatments for psoriasis, namely infliximab (EMEA public statement on infliximab, <http://www.emea.eu.int/pdfs/human/press/pus/444500en.pdf>) \[[@CR2], [@CR18], [@CR19]\], alefacept (Biogen safety presentation on Alefacept to the FDA, <http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/02/slides/3865S1_04_Biogen-Safety/sld007.htm>) \[[@CR20], [@CR24]\], and etanercept (EMEA Scientific discussion for the approval of Enbrel, <http://www.emea.eu.int/humandocs/PDFs/EPAR/Enbrel/014600en6.pdf>). Indeed, placebo-controlled studies of infliximab and alefacept indicate that in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis the incidence of arthralgia (joint pain) is 7 and 5%, respectively (Biogen safety presentation on Alefacept to the FDA, <http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/02/slides/3865S1_04_Biogen-Safety/sld007.htm>) \[[@CR18], [@CR24]\]. Psoriatic arthritis has been reported as serious treatment-related AE in three placebo-controlled studies of etanercept in the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis (incidence data have not been published) (EMEA Scientific discussion for the approval of Enbrel, <http://www.emea.eu.int/humandocs/PDFs/EPAR/Enbrel/014600en6.pdf>). The incidence of arthropathy AEs in the current analysis of efalizumab appears to be similar to that for arthralgia in studies of infliximab and alefacept. Moreover, the term 'arthropathy', used in the current study encompasses a variety of joint diseases, not just a single joint condition such as arthralgia or psoriatic arthritis, and therefore has greater potential to include more patients. However, this between-study comparison is indirect and thus should be treated with caution. Moreover, no arthropathy event (defined by any of the MedDRA or COSTART preferred terms) was excluded from the analysis. Also, data from first treatment phase of the study by Sterry et al. \[[@CR22]\] indicate that the proportion of patients with psoriatic arthropathy specifically was low (2.3%) in patients treated with efalizumab 1 mg/kg per week---in fact, lower than in the placebo group (3.8%). It should be noted, however, that psoriatic arthropathy events were not confirmed by a rheumatologist---this is a potential limitation of the study. However, the umbrella term 'arthropathy' was designed to capture all joint diseases, including 'psoriatic arthropathy'. Also, the incidence of psoriatic arthropathy in the study by Sterry et al. was in line with the incidence of 'arthropathy' in the overall pooled analysis. To put the results of this pooled analysis, which by its very nature included select patient populations (determined by the inclusion/exclusion criteria and study designs), in the context of routine clinical practice, post-marketing surveillance data were assessed. During post-marketing surveillance of efalizumab, which accounts for approximately 17,500 patient-years to date, serious arthropathies requiring hospitalization were reported with a frequency of about 4.8 per 1,000 patient-years in patients receiving efalizumab. It should be noted, however, that underreporting of AEs in routine clinical practice setting may lead to an underestimate of the true incidence of arthropathy. For both the 12-week first treatment and first exposure phases of the current analyses, the proportions of patients reporting an arthropathy AE appeared to be lower in the efalizumab groups than in the placebo group in the first treatment phase. Correspondingly, the incidences of AEs per patient-year in these treatment phases were also lower in the efalizumab groups than that observed in the placebo group in the first treatment phase. However, the proportion of AEs that were moderate or severe was greater in the efalizumab groups than in the placebo groups; too few patients had events to draw any meaningful conclusions. During the extension phase (weeks 13--24), the incidence of arthropathy AEs in efalizumab-treated patients remained similar to the placebo group in the first treatment phase. Previous history of arthropathy and poor clinical response may potentially indicate a risk for occurrence of new arthropathy AEs during treatment. Indeed, arthropathy AEs were most frequent in patients who did not respond to therapy with efalizumab or in patients with a history of arthropathy. Importantly, the data from the two long-term studies of efalizumab indicate that the incidence of arthropathy AEs remains stable and low for up to 3 years of continuous treatment. These results, coupled with efficacy data showing that the clinical improvements of the skin after 3 months of efalizumab therapy are maintained throughout 36 months of continuous dosing \[[@CR5]\], support the suitability of efalizumab for the chronic, continuous treatment of patients with psoriasis. Reasons for patients' discontinuations in the 36-month study by Gottlieb et al. \[[@CR6], [@CR7]\] were diverse and representative of the overall population included in this analysis and have been described previously. When considering the long-term analysis of the 36-month study (Fig. [2](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}a), it should be noted that the number of patients who remained in the study decreased over time. This discontinuation rate is not unexpected for a study that is 3 years in duration but, by month 36, there is a small number of patients on which to base comparisons with the first treatment phase. Another factor that may confound between-phase analysis comparisons was the possible use of concomitant medications for psoriasis after the first treatment phase in the study by Gottlieb et al. \[[@CR6]\], which permitted the use of topical corticosteroids and ultraviolet B phototherapy. Accordingly, it should be noted that comparisons of the results between any of the treatment phases of this analysis are observational (i.e., not direct) but do confirm the results of the long-term treatment phase and the placebo-controlled 12-week first treatment phase studies, suggesting that the risk of joint disease is not increased with continued efalizumab treatment and that the incidence of arthropathy is low and similar to placebo. Further investigation is needed to confirm the results of this preliminary analysis of arthropathy events during long-term treatment with efalizumab. In patients who re-started treatment for a further 12 weeks following an intervention-free period, the proportion of patients who had an arthropathy AE was lower than during the first treatment phase; the same was true for the incidence of arthropathy AEs per patient-year in re-treated patients. Although this scenario is likely to occur infrequently in clinical practice, these data show that if a patient needs to stop (e.g., during pregnancy) and then restart treatment, there appears to be no increased risk of arthropathy AEs. Although arthritis in patients with psoriasis has a significant impact on QoL \[[@CR9], [@CR27]\], it can, in most cases, be managed effectively \[[@CR8]\]. In the small minority of patients who develop arthropathy during treatment, the symptoms can be managed successfully with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs \[[@CR8]\]. In conclusion, the results of this pooled analysis show that efalizumab does not appear to increase the risk of developing arthropathy AEs compared with placebo. Long-term studies of efalizumab indicate that the incidence of arthropathy AEs remains stable and low for up to 3 years of continuous treatment. This study was sponsored by Serono International S.A. The authors thank Tom Potter, MSc, for his assistance with manuscript preparation.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Central" }
Optically variable devices are used in a wide variety of applications, both decorative and utilitarian. Optically variable devices can be made in multitude of ways to achieve a variety of effects. Optically variable devices (OVDs) such as holograms are imprinted on credit cards and authentic software documentation; color-shifting images are printed on banknotes, and OVDs enhance the surface appearance of items such as motorcycle helmets and wheel covers. Optically variable devices can be made as a film or a foil that is pressed, stamped, glued, or otherwise attached to an object, and can also be made using optically variable pigments. One type of optically variable pigment is commonly called a color-shifting pigment because the perceived color of images appropriately printed with such pigments changes as the angle of view and/or illumination is tilted. A common example is the number “20” printed with color-shifting pigment in the lower right-hand corner of a U.S. twenty-dollar banknote, which serves as an anti-counterfeiting device. Some anti-counterfeiting devices are covert, while others are overt intended to be noticed. Unfortunately, some optically variable devices that are intended to be noticed are not widely known because the optically variable aspect of the device is not sufficiently dramatic or distinguishable from its background. For example, the amount of color-shift of an image printed with color-shifting pigment might not be noticed under uniform fluorescent ceiling lights, but may be more noticeable in direct sunlight or under single-point illumination. This can make it easier for a counterfeiter to pass counterfeit notes without the optically variable feature because the recipient might not be aware of the optically variable feature, or because the counterfeit note might look substantially similar to the authentic note under certain conditions. Optically variable devices can also be made with magnetic pigments. These magnetic pigments may be aligned with a magnetic field after applying the pigment (typically in a carrier such as an ink vehicle or a paint vehicle) to a surface. However, painting with magnetic pigments has been used mostly for decorative purposes. For example, use of magnetic pigments has been described to produce painted cover wheels having a decorative feature that appears as a three-dimensional shape. A pattern was formed on the painted product by applying a magnetic field to the product while the paint medium still was in a liquid state. The paint medium had dispersed magnetic non-spherical particles that aligned along the magnetic field lines. The field had two regions. The first region contained lines of a magnetic force that were oriented parallel to the surface and arranged in a shape of a desired pattern. The second region contained lines that were non-parallel to the surface of the painted product and arranged around the pattern. To form the pattern, permanent magnets or electromagnets with the shape corresponding to the shape of desired pattern were located underneath the painted product to orient in the magnetic field non-spherical magnetic particles dispersed in the paint while the paint was still wet. When the paint dried, the pattern was visible on the surface of the painted product as the light rays incident on the paint layer were influenced differently by the oriented magnetic particles. Similarly, a process for producing of a pattern of flaked magnetic particles in fluoropolymer matrix has been described. After coating a product with a composition in liquid form, a magnet with desirable shape was placed on the underside of the substrate. Magnetic flakes dispersed in a liquid organic medium orient themselves parallel to the magnetic field lines, tilting from the original planar orientation. This tilt varied from perpendicular to the surface of a substrate to the original orientation, which included flakes essentially parallel to the surface of the product. The planar oriented flakes reflected incident light back to the viewer, while the reoriented flakes did not, providing the appearance of a three dimensional pattern in the coating. By way of background prior art, United States Patent Application 20050106367, incorporated herein by reference, published May 19, 2005 in the name of Raksha et al., assigned to JDS Uniphase Corporation, describes a method and apparatus for orienting magnetic flakes such as optically variable flakes. Although some of the aforementioned methods for providing visually appealing and useful optical effects are now nearly ubiquitous, these devices require enhancements and additional features to make them more recognizable as an authentic article; for example it would be preferable to have the ability to provide yet additional security features. For example it would be highly desirous to have a security device which provided a color shift with change in incident light or viewing angle including magnetically aligned flakes and optical features associated therewith; and, providing such a device which had a reasonable amount of tactility would be highly advantageous. It would also be preferably to have such a device wherein there was significant contrast and sharpness between regions of the device that Were functionally different. For example a magnetically aligned region of thin film color shifting flakes directly adjacent an embossed region could offer benefits not realizable in two adjacent different magnetically aligned regions. It is an object of this invention to provide a method for forming an image of a plurality of contrasting, discernible regions, wherein at least one region has magnetic flakes thereon aligned by an applied magnetic field having a predetermined orientation, and another of the discernible regions adjacent to the first discernible region having flakes thereon or an absence of flakes caused by mechanically impressing or pushing away flakes from said second region. It is an object of this invention to provide a tactile image wherein a tactile transition can be sensed by touching a transition between at least the first and second discernible regions. It is an object of this invention to provide a banknote or security document which has tactile properties to assist the blind in verifying the authenticity of the note or document. It is an object of this invention to provide an image having an optically variable region and having a tactile region about the optically variable region.	{ "pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds" }
Struma ovarii: hyperthyroidism in a postmenopausal woman. A rare case of struma ovarii producing hyperthyroidism in a postmenopausal woman is reported. The ovarian tumor demonstrated uptake of both [99mTc]pertechnetate and 131I, allowing preoperative diagnosis of the condition. In females with unexplained hyperthyroidism and low 131I uptake by the cervical thyroid gland, imaging of the pelvis should be considered.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
Fray Mocho (magazine) Fray Mocho was an Argentine weekly magazine that published general interest topics. Its first number was published on May 3, 1912, with historian and journalist Carlos Correa Luna being its first director. Fray Mocho'''s staff included former collaborators of Caras y Caretas who had left the magazine in disagreement with its editorial line. The magazine was named after José Sixto Álvarez (1858–1903), writer and journalist who was notable for his humorous texts, apart of having been the founder of Caras y Caretas. Fray Mocho published 196 issues until its closure in 1929. History The magazine was founded with the purpose of continuing the editorial line of Caras y Caretas that had significantly changed since the death of Sixto Alvarez in 1903. Some of Fray Mocho founders and main collaborators were Carlos Correa Luna, Spanish illustrator José María Cao, writer Luis Pardo (under the seudonym "Luis García"), Félix Lima, painter Juan Peláez, Czech cartoonist José Friedriech,La Revista Fray Mocho y un tango dedicado by León Benarós on Todo Tango website and artist Juan Hohmann.Fray Mocho was an alternative to general-interest magazines such as Caras y Caretas or PBT, with an average of 80,000 copies printed. In 1922 the magazine added more articles about classical culture and art, ceasing the use of illustrations on its covers and adding more photographs and paintings until 1929 when it ceased to be published. The magazine covered a wide range of topics, some of its permanent sections were theatre activities, provinces, women, Montevideo, readers' letters, children's literature, horse racing, other countries' traditions and costumes, and everyday life, among others. Visual styleFray Mocho's visual aesthetic had influences of the romanticism and art nouveau styles at its first steps, then changing to art deco. The rise of art nouveau in Argentina in the 1900s influenced not only magazines' visual styles but facades of private houses, and was quickly adopted by the middle class. That aesthetic renovation was also visible on typography, illustration and design of Fray Mocho, as well as advertisement, facades of public buildings and even clothing in the Argentine society of that age. See also Caras y Caretas'' Notes References Category:Argentine satirical magazines Category:Magazines established in 1912 Category:Magazines disestablished in 1929 Category:Media in Buenos Aires Category:Argentine political magazines Category:Argentine political satire Category:Spanish-language magazines Category:Weekly magazines	{ "pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)" }
Despite the stereotype impression people have about Africa, as a place of wars, famine and underdevelopment, it will surprise some that Africa has some of the most livable cities in the world. In Africa like in any other place in the world there are metropolitan cities with mixed cultures, good road network, electricity and other social amenities as well opportunities for economic growth a comfort which greatly attract people. At the African Exponent we bring to you 10 cities in Africa which are livable irrespective of the part of the world a stranger is coming from. 1. Cape Town, South Africa The mother city is usually ranked among the most beautiful cities in the world \| Image Credit: Naij Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and boasts all the luxuries and amenities of the best urban areas around the world. Located between the ocean and the mountains, it is also where you will find the advertising execs and creative minds, with many retailers and fashion designers headquartered. Housing options vary, from Tuscan-styled homes (a trend seen across the country), funky “SoHo”-style downtown lofts, and gated urban estates. The city is awash in hiking and water sports, plus it’s near hundreds of vineyards that produce some of the world’s best wines. Cape Town is the center for the insurance and digital sectors in Africa and recently, the city’s public transportation underwent some impressive improvements, making it the kind of city where it is best to have your own car to get around. 2. Accra, Ghana Accra is home of lively night life and world class shopping \| Image Credit: Buzzghana Accra is a weekend-getaway destinations for privileged travelers and understandably so, for its lively culinary scene, nightlife, and world class shopping. There are several affluent areas including East Legon, home of the famous Accra Mall—and Osu, often called “Oxford Street” for its high-end shops. The warmth of the Ghanaian people is an asset and is an important part of what attracts strangers to want to spend time in Accra. The tropical climate makes it all the more appealing and welcoming. Many Ghanaians returning home from the West are bringing with them enthusiasm, fresh ideas and businesses lighting up the city and upgrading its urbanism. Coupled with the government’s commitment to Investing proceeds into social and physical infrastructure, one can only imagine that Accra will become even more livable in the years to come. 3. Nairobi, Kenya Nairobi is home of the promising Silicon Savanna tech industry \| Image Credit: Muthaigatravel Nairobi is fast becoming the African city of choice for multinational companies seeking a foothold for their African operations. Nairobi is a gracious city that possesses much of the sophistication of any urban city; Nairobi has a promising technology industry and reputably some of the best Internet connectivity in Africa. As for the housing options, there are spacious suburban-style homes at prices quite affordable compared to other African cities, as well as luxury apartment complexes with swimming pools and fitness centers. Although getting around may be complex, other options that offer quite an experience include the mini-bus matatu to boda-boda motorcycle taxi—both mainly used by locals. Recently, several multinational companies have opened up branches in Nairobi, including Rockefeller Foundation, General Electric and China’s CCTV news broadcaster. 4. Johannesburg, South Africa Joburg is a multicultural city, perhaps the most diverse city in Africa \| Image Credit: Niaj From the moment you step off the plane at OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA), it becomes clear why Johannesburg is considered a world-class city. The airport rivals some of the best airports in developed worlds. Johannesburg is one of the wealthiest modern cities in Africa; full with a lot of investment and career opportunities. Recently, the government invested in building up the inner city, and today you will find cleaner streets and renovated buildings. The city is also home to world-class malls like Sandton City and Eastgate. When craving some fresh air, Johannesburg claims the title to having the largest man-made forest in the world. Joburg as often referred to offers a wealth of stores and restaurants, and has been dubbed the Africa Africa’s economic capital. It is host to the plush headquarters of AngloGold Ashanti and many African companies. It is also a multi-cultural city as it hosts many who migrated to work there since the 1800s. 5. Gaborone, Botswana Gaborone is home of some largest diamonds in the World \| Image Credit: O-travel The capital of Botswana enjoys political stability and economic strength adding to the fact that it is one of the largest rough diamond producers in the world. Botswana’s capital is considered to one of the most peaceful cities in Africa. Despite its size, with a population of just over 230,000, Gaborone offers a diverse mix of people, and places to see. The popularity of Gaborone as one of the livable cities in Africa can also be tied to its rapid growing tourism industry which attracts huge number of tourists yearly. Gabs, as it is popularly known, today is synonymous to precious stone which continues to play a major role in the city’s development. Recently, leading diamond producer de Beers announced it would be moving some of its operations to Gaborone. With regards to the development of modern sports facilities, Gaborone played host to a successful Africa Junior Athletics Championships in 2011 which further opened the doors of the city to the world. 6. Tunis, Tunisia Tunis is among the most affordable cities in Africa \| Image Credit: Airlines-airports A lot has changed here since the Arab Spring unrest which started nearly two years ago. Tunisia may be one of the smallest countries in North Africa, but it is currently seeing a lot of development. Tunis is a city with strong French ties, but it is very culturally diverse. In fact it is one of the first Arabo-Muslim towns and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Life expectancy is remarkably high here, with the average person living to 74.6 years old. This could be because Tunis was ranked the second-happiest place in Africa. Once on the wealthiest cities in the Muslim world, Tunisia’s capital is now also considered to be the least expensive city (for expats) in the region. Getting around is fairly easy with the extensive rail network that links the capital to other parts of the country. Worth 7. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Dar es Salaam is the third fastest growing African city \| Image Credit: Naij Dar es Salaam sees an annual population increase of 3 percent, making it the third fastest-growing African city. The city is Tanzania’s political and economic hub and in recent years has seen great investment in education. Millions have been spent over the past five years to improve the cities roads, making traveling a lot more efficient. Situated close to the equator, the city enjoys tropical conditions for most of the year which greatly attracts tourist. There has been great Investment in education here, with an extensive program to provide free primary schooling, efforts that were lauded by international bodies when enrollment rates reached over 90 percent. The city is also home to the largest and oldest public university in Tanzania, the University of Dar es Salaam, which recently celebrated its 50-year anniversary and has seen a sharp increase in the number of registered students 8. Durban Durban offers a lot more than beautiful, golden beaches \| Image credit: Flysaa The City of Durban is a natural paradise known for its coastline of gorgeous beaches and subtropical climate, situated on the eastern seaboard of South Africa. People live in and flock to Durban for its diverse culture, urban lifestyle and scenic diversity. It is a trendsetter in offering great lifestyle, speckled with adventure activities, blessed with glorious beauty and is an astonishingly livable city. In Durban you will find the world’s oldest and largest ultra-marathon, the Comrades Marathon, the world’s tallest bungee swing at the Moses Mabhida stadium and the largest shopping mall in the southern hemisphere, Gateway Theatre of Shopping. Whether you are a business delegate or a leisure traveler, Durban will always provide you with a warm African flavor that will capture your heart forever. 9. Windhoek, Namibia Windhoek is perhaps best known for its beer, Windhoek Lager \| Image Credit: CCTV-Africa From the language to the architecture, German culture has greatly influenced Windhoek; it has adequate healthcare services and good educational institutions. Windhoek has a small-town feel, but is also home to nearly every national government institution, making it Namibia’s political, cultural, social and economic capital. If Namibia is best known for the Namib Desert, the oldest in the world, then Windhoek is best known for its beer. Windhoek Lager is one of the fastest-growing premium beers in the region and is sold abroad in over 20 countries. The central business district hosts many cool restaurant, bars. When visiting Windhoek, expect to meet a diverse range of people with a multitude of background, from the indigenous San, Hereo, and Kavango groups to expat Europeans. Windhoek is attractive because it is clean, safe and getting around the city is easy with its well-maintained roads. Both taxis and buses are available to provide efficient transport services. 10. Kigali, Rwanda Kigali forms the heart of Rwanda, the fastest growing economy in Africa \| Image Credit: Focus Located in the heart of Rwanda, Kigali is home to nearly 1 million people, many of whom are expats. The new Kigali Tower, a 20-floor office and retail complex, has had a lot of buzz. From the expansion of its Central Business District to the recent road construction project to help ease traffic congestion, Kigali is slowly becoming one of the most rapidly developing and livable cities on the continent. Tourism remains an important source of revenue as the country’s largest foreign exchange earner: The increase is likely to see further Investment in the hotel, service, and tourism industries. The weather is moderate most of the time and there are varieties of exciting activities and good social amenities for the residents. The people are friendly and always welcoming. Worthy of note of other livable cities in Africa are Kumasi in Ghana whose people have been cited as one of the most friendly on the continent, Algiers capital of Algeria is noted for its French-Arab blend cultures, beaches, huge expat community and buoyant economy, Limbe a seaside town of Cameroon cannot be left out on this, popularly called the town of friendship the seaside town is home to a host of diverse communities from almost every west African country. Header Image Credit: Muthaigatravel	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
#define YEAR 2013 #define STATUS "release" #ifndef ROOT_DIR #define ROOT_DIR ".." #endif #define BUILD_DIR ROOT_DIR + "/build/NetBox/ #ifndef SOURCE_DIR #define SOURCE_DIR ROOT_DIR + "/src/NetBox" #endif #ifndef OUTPUT_DIR #define OUTPUT_DIR ROOT_DIR + "/build" #endif #ifndef BINARIES_DIR_FAR2 #define BINARIES_DIR_FAR2 BUILD_DIR + "/Far2" #endif #ifndef BINARIES_DIR_FAR3 #define BINARIES_DIR_FAR3 BUILD_DIR + "/Far3" #endif #ifndef PUTTY_SOURCE_DIR #define PUTTY_SOURCE_DIR "C:/Program Files/Putty" #endif #define FileSourceMain_Far2x86 BINARIES_DIR_FAR2 + "/x86/NetBox.dll" #define FileSourceMain_Far2x64 BINARIES_DIR_FAR2 + "/x64/NetBox.dll" #define FileSourceMain_Far3x86 BINARIES_DIR_FAR3 + "/x86/NetBox.dll" #define FileSourceMain_Far3x64 BINARIES_DIR_FAR3 + "/x64/NetBox.dll" #define FileSourceEng SOURCE_DIR + "/NetBoxEng.lng" #define FileSourceRus SOURCE_DIR + "/NetBoxRus.lng" #define FileSourceChangeLog ROOT_DIR + "/ChangeLog" #define FileSourceReadmeEng ROOT_DIR + "/README.md" #define FileSourceReadmeRu ROOT_DIR + "/README.RU.md" #define FileSourceLicense ROOT_DIR + "/LICENSE.txt" #define PluginSubDirName "NetBox" #define Major #define Minor #define Rev #define Build #expr ParseVersion(FileSourceMain_Far2x86, Major, Minor, Rev, Build) #define Version Str(Major) + "." + Str(Minor) + (Rev > 0 ? 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DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin2X86Dir}"; Components: main_far2_x86; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceRus}"; DestName: "NetBoxRus.lng"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin2X64Dir}"; Components: main_far2_x64; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceRus}"; DestName: "NetBoxRus.lng"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin3X86Dir}"; Components: main_far3_x86; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceRus}"; DestName: "NetBoxRus.lng"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin3X64Dir}"; Components: main_far3_x64; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceChangeLog}"; DestName: "ChangeLog"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin2X86Dir}"; Components: main_far2_x86; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceChangeLog}"; DestName: "ChangeLog"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin2X64Dir}"; Components: main_far2_x64; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceChangeLog}"; DestName: "ChangeLog"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin3X86Dir}"; Components: main_far3_x86; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceChangeLog}"; DestName: "ChangeLog"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin3X64Dir}"; Components: main_far3_x64; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceReadmeEng}"; DestName: "README.md"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin2X86Dir}"; Components: main_far2_x86; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceReadmeEng}"; DestName: "README.md"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin2X64Dir}"; Components: main_far2_x64; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceReadmeEng}"; DestName: "README.md"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin3X86Dir}"; Components: main_far3_x86; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceReadmeEng}"; DestName: "README.md"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin3X64Dir}"; Components: main_far3_x64; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceReadmeRu}"; DestName: "README.RU.md"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin2X86Dir}"; Components: main_far2_x86; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceReadmeRu}"; DestName: "README.RU.md"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin2X64Dir}"; Components: main_far2_x64; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceReadmeRu}"; DestName: "README.RU.md"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin3X86Dir}"; Components: main_far3_x86; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceReadmeRu}"; DestName: "README.RU.md"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin3X64Dir}"; Components: main_far3_x64; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceLicense}"; DestName: "LICENSE.txt"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin2X86Dir}"; Components: main_far2_x86; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceLicense}"; DestName: "LICENSE.txt"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin2X64Dir}"; Components: main_far2_x64; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceLicense}"; DestName: "LICENSE.txt"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin3X86Dir}"; Components: main_far3_x86; Flags: ignoreversion Source: "{#FileSourceLicense}"; DestName: "LICENSE.txt"; DestDir: "{code:GetPlugin3X64Dir}"; Components: main_far3_x64; Flags: ignoreversion ; Source: "{#PUTTY_SOURCE_DIR}\LICENCE"; DestDir: "{code:GetPluginX86Dir}\PuTTY"; Components: main_x86 pageant puttygen; Flags: ignoreversion ; Source: "{#PUTTY_SOURCE_DIR}\LICENCE"; DestDir: "{code:GetPluginX64Dir}\PuTTY"; Components: main_x64 pageant puttygen; Flags: ignoreversion ; Source: "{#PUTTY_SOURCE_DIR}\putty.hlp"; DestDir: "{code:GetPluginX86Dir}\PuTTY"; Components: main_x86 pageant puttygen; Flags: ignoreversion ; Source: "{#PUTTY_SOURCE_DIR}\putty.hlp"; DestDir: "{code:GetPluginX64Dir}\PuTTY"; Components: main_x64 pageant puttygen; Flags: ignoreversion ; Source: "{#PUTTY_SOURCE_DIR}\pageant.exe"; DestDir: "{code:GetPluginX86Dir}\PuTTY"; Components: main_x86 pageant; Flags: ignoreversion ; Source: "{#PUTTY_SOURCE_DIR}\pageant.exe"; DestDir: "{code:GetPluginX64Dir}\PuTTY"; Components: main_x64 pageant; Flags: ignoreversion ; Source: "{#PUTTY_SOURCE_DIR}\puttygen.exe"; DestDir: "{code:GetPluginX86Dir}\PuTTY"; Components: main_x86 puttygen; Flags: ignoreversion ; Source: "{#PUTTY_SOURCE_DIR}\puttygen.exe"; DestDir: "{code:GetPluginX64Dir}\PuTTY"; Components: main_x64 puttygen; Flags: ignoreversion [InstallDelete] [Code] var InputDirsPage: TInputDirWizardPage; function GetFar2X86InstallDir(): String; var InstallDir: String; begin if RegQueryStringValue(HKLM, 'Software\Far2', 'InstallDir', InstallDir) or RegQueryStringValue(HKCU, 'Software\Far2', 'InstallDir', InstallDir) then begin Result := InstallDir; end; end; function GetFar2X64InstallDir(): String; var InstallDir: String; begin if RegQueryStringValue(HKCU, 'Software\Far2', 'InstallDir_x64', InstallDir) or RegQueryStringValue(HKLM, 'Software\Far2', 'InstallDir_x64', InstallDir) then begin Result := InstallDir; end; end; function IsFar2X86Installed(): Boolean; begin Result := GetFar2X86InstallDir() <> ''; end; function IsFar2X64Installed(): Boolean; begin Result := GetFar2X64InstallDir() <> ''; end; function GetDefaultFar2X86Dir(): String; var InstallDir: String; begin InstallDir := GetFar2X86InstallDir(); if InstallDir <> '' then begin Result := AddBackslash(InstallDir) + 'Plugins\{#PluginSubDirName}'; end else begin Result := ExpandConstant('{pf}\Far2\Plugins\{#PluginSubDirName}'); end; end; function GetDefaultFar2X64Dir(): String; var InstallDir: String; begin InstallDir := GetFar2X64InstallDir(); if InstallDir <> '' then begin Result := AddBackslash(InstallDir) + 'Plugins\{#PluginSubDirName}'; end else begin Result := ExpandConstant('{pf}\Far2\Plugins\{#PluginSubDirName}'); end; end; function GetPlugin2X86Dir(Param: String): String; begin Result := InputDirsPage.Values[0]; end; function GetPlugin2X64Dir(Param: String): String; begin Result := InputDirsPage.Values[1]; end; function GetFar3X86InstallDir(): String; var InstallDir: String; begin if RegQueryStringValue(HKLM, 'Software\Far Manager', 'InstallDir', InstallDir) or RegQueryStringValue(HKCU, 'Software\Far Manager', 'InstallDir', InstallDir) then begin Result := InstallDir; end; end; function GetFar3X64InstallDir(): String; var InstallDir: String; begin if RegQueryStringValue(HKLM, 'Software\Far Manager', 'InstallDir_x64', InstallDir) or RegQueryStringValue(HKCU, 'Software\Far Manager', 'InstallDir_x64', InstallDir) then begin Result := InstallDir; end; end; function IsFar3X86Installed(): Boolean; begin Result := GetFar3X86InstallDir() <> ''; end; function IsFar3X64Installed(): Boolean; begin Result := GetFar3X64InstallDir() <> ''; end; function GetDefaultFar3X86Dir(): String; var InstallDir: String; begin InstallDir := GetFar3X86InstallDir(); if InstallDir <> '' then begin Result := AddBackslash(InstallDir) + 'Plugins\{#PluginSubDirName}'; end else begin Result := ExpandConstant('{pf}\Far Manager\Plugins\{#PluginSubDirName}'); end; end; function GetDefaultFar3X64Dir(): String; var InstallDir: String; begin InstallDir := GetFar3X64InstallDir(); if InstallDir <> '' then begin Result := AddBackslash(InstallDir) + 'Plugins\{#PluginSubDirName}'; end else begin Result := ExpandConstant('{pf}\Far Manager\Plugins\{#PluginSubDirName}'); end; end; function GetPlugin3X86Dir(Param: String): String; begin Result := InputDirsPage.Values[2]; end; function GetPlugin3X64Dir(Param: String): String; begin Result := InputDirsPage.Values[3]; end; procedure CreateTheWizardPage; begin // Input dirs InputDirsPage := CreateInputDirPage(wpSelectComponents, 'Select plugin location', 'Where plugin should be installed?', 'Plugin will be installed in the following folder(s).'#13#10#13#10 + 'To continue, click Next. If you would like to select a different folder, click Browse.', False, 'Plugin folder'); InputDirsPage.Add('Far2/x86 plugin location:'); InputDirsPage.Values[0] := GetDefaultFar2X86Dir(); InputDirsPage.Add('Far2/x64 plugin location:'); InputDirsPage.Values[1] := GetDefaultFar2X64Dir(); InputDirsPage.Add('Far3/x86 plugin location:'); InputDirsPage.Values[2] := GetDefaultFar3X86Dir(); InputDirsPage.Add('Far3/x64 plugin location:'); InputDirsPage.Values[3] := GetDefaultFar3X64Dir(); end; procedure SetupInputDirs(); begin InputDirsPage.Edits[0].Enabled := IsComponentSelected('main_far2_x86'); InputDirsPage.Buttons[0].Enabled := IsComponentSelected('main_far2_x86'); InputDirsPage.PromptLabels[0].Enabled := IsComponentSelected('main_far2_x86'); // InputDirsPage.Edits[1].Visible := IsWin64(); // InputDirsPage.Buttons[1].Visible := IsWin64(); // InputDirsPage.PromptLabels[1].Visible := IsWin64(); InputDirsPage.Edits[1].Enabled := IsComponentSelected('main_far2_x64'); InputDirsPage.Buttons[1].Enabled := IsComponentSelected('main_far2_x64'); InputDirsPage.PromptLabels[1].Enabled := IsComponentSelected('main_far2_x64'); InputDirsPage.Edits[2].Enabled := IsComponentSelected('main_far3_x86'); InputDirsPage.Buttons[2].Enabled := IsComponentSelected('main_far3_x86'); InputDirsPage.PromptLabels[2].Enabled := IsComponentSelected('main_far3_x86'); // InputDirsPage.Edits[3].Visible := IsWin64(); // InputDirsPage.Buttons[3].Visible := IsWin64(); // InputDirsPage.PromptLabels[3].Visible := IsWin64(); InputDirsPage.Edits[3].Enabled := IsComponentSelected('main_far3_x64'); InputDirsPage.Buttons[3].Enabled := IsComponentSelected('main_far3_x64'); InputDirsPage.PromptLabels[3].Enabled := IsComponentSelected('main_far3_x64'); end; function NextButtonClick(CurPageID: Integer): Boolean; begin if CurPageID = wpWelcome then begin // SetupComponents(); end else if CurPageID = wpSelectComponents then begin SetupInputDirs(); end else if CurPageID = InputDirsPage.ID then begin WizardForm.DirEdit.Text := InputDirsPage.Values[0]; end; Result := True; end; function BackButtonClick(CurPageID: Integer): Boolean; begin // MsgBox('CurPageID: ' + IntToStr(CurPageID), mbInformation, mb_Ok); if CurPageID = InputDirsPage.ID then begin // SetupComponents(); end; if CurPageID = wpReady then begin SetupInputDirs(); end; Result := True; end; procedure InitializeWizard(); begin // Custom wizard page CreateTheWizardPage; WizardForm.LicenseAcceptedRadio.Checked := True; end;	{ "pile_set_name": "Github" }
/* fre:ac - free audio converter * Copyright (C) 2001-2020 Robert Kausch <robert.kausch@freac.org> * * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as * published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of * the License, or (at your option) any later version. * * THIS PACKAGE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR * IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED * WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. / #include <dialogs/config/configcomponent.h> #include <config.h> #include <resources.h> #ifdef __WIN32__ # include <smooth/init.win32.h> #endif using namespace BoCA; using namespace BoCA::AS; freac::ConfigComponentDialog::ConfigComponentDialog(Component component) { BoCA::Config config = BoCA::Config::Get(); BoCA::I18n i18n = BoCA::I18n::Get(); i18n->SetContext("Configuration"); layer = component->GetConfigurationLayer(); if (layer != NIL) { mainWnd = new Window(component->GetName(), Point(config->GetIntValue(Config::CategorySettingsID, Config::SettingsWindowPosXID, Config::SettingsWindowPosXDefault), config->GetIntValue(Config::CategorySettingsID, Config::SettingsWindowPosYID, Config::SettingsWindowPosYDefault)) + Point(60, 60), layer->GetSize() + Size(8, 73)); mainWnd->SetRightToLeft(i18n->IsActiveLanguageRightToLeft()); mainWnd_titlebar = new Titlebar(TB_CLOSEBUTTON); divbar = new Divider(39, OR_HORZ \| OR_BOTTOM); btn_cancel = new Button(i18n->TranslateString("Cancel"), Point(175, 29), Size()); btn_cancel->onAction.Connect(&ConfigComponentDialog::Cancel, this); btn_cancel->SetOrientation(OR_LOWERRIGHT); btn_ok = new Button(i18n->TranslateString("OK"), btn_cancel->GetPosition() - Point(88, 0), Size()); btn_ok->onAction.Connect(&ConfigComponentDialog::OK, this); btn_ok->SetOrientation(OR_LOWERRIGHT); Add(mainWnd); mainWnd->Add(mainWnd_titlebar); mainWnd->Add(divbar); mainWnd->Add(btn_ok); mainWnd->Add(btn_cancel); mainWnd->GetMainLayer()->Add(layer); mainWnd->SetFlags(mainWnd->GetFlags() \| WF_NOTASKBUTTON \| WF_MODAL); mainWnd->SetIcon(ImageLoader::Load(String(Config::Get()->resourcesPath).Append("icons/freac.png"))); #ifdef __WIN32__ mainWnd->SetIconDirect(LoadImageA(hInstance, MAKEINTRESOURCEA(IDI_ICON), IMAGE_ICON, 0, 0, LR_DEFAULTSIZE \| LR_SHARED)); #endif } else { mainWnd = NIL; mainWnd_titlebar = NIL; btn_cancel = NIL; btn_ok = NIL; divbar = NIL; } } freac::ConfigComponentDialog::~ConfigComponentDialog() { if (layer == NIL) return; DeleteObject(mainWnd_titlebar); DeleteObject(mainWnd); DeleteObject(btn_ok); DeleteObject(btn_cancel); DeleteObject(divbar); } const Error &freac::ConfigComponentDialog::ShowDialog() { if (layer != NIL) mainWnd->WaitUntilClosed(); else error = Error(); return error; } Void freac::ConfigComponentDialog::OK() { if (layer->SaveSettings() == Error()) return; mainWnd->Close(); } Void freac::ConfigComponentDialog::Cancel() { mainWnd->Close(); }	{ "pile_set_name": "Github" }
Benign Childhood Epilepsy with CentroTemporal Spikes (BECTS), an extremely common type of childhood epilepsy, is traditionally assumed to have a benign course, but recent studies have shown that cognitive function, especially language, is often impaired in BECTS patients. However, it is not clear whether the seizures, the centrotemporal spikes (CTS), or other factors cause the negative cognitive consequences that may impact school performance and social interaction. BECTS patients have scattered seizures but very frequent CTS, and may be suffering with undiagnosed cognitive and language deficits. This suggests a causal role for CTS that has not yet been investigated in detail. This project will examine the impact of seizures and CTS on neurocognitive function in BECTS patients, at diagnosis and after one year. We will gather critical information regarding the effect of the antiepileptic medication levetiracetam on CTS, which will inform a future Phase III clinical trial aimed at eliminating CTS and improving long term outcome. This study will explore the interactions between CTS, seizures and neuropsychological outcomes using Functional MRI of language in order to decipher changes in neural circuitry that underlie language deficits found in children with BECTS. Using standardized neuropsychological testing and fMRI at the time of diagnosis, this study will first characterize the nature and incidence of language problems in children with BECTS, separating the effects of CTS and seizures. It is expected that children with BECTS will perform below normative standards on tests of language skill, accompanied by aberrations in the neural circuitry supporting language processing as tested with fMRI. These data will also make it possible to characterize which children with BECTS are most at risk for language problems, by taking into account contributing factors such as number of seizures, age of onset, and frequency and lateralization of CTS. The proposed exploratory clinical trial will also provide key information needed to properly design and conduct a future double blind Phase III randomized clinical trial (RCT) children aimed at improving language outcome through elimination of CTS. Using an open-label dose-ranging selection design and 1-year follow up, we will determine which dose of levetiracetam control seizures, eliminate CTS is well tolerated and should be used in the Phase III trial. We will also examine the extent of changes in language function and neural circuitry of language with 1-year follow-up neuropsychological testing and fMRI in LEV-treated and untreated BECTS compared to controls (which will document the natural history of neuropsychological function in untreated BECTS children and give additional information about the effect of levetiracetam). The future double blind RCT will compare levetiracetam to carbamazepine (the current standard of care that does not eliminate CTS) in BECTS. This future study would change clinical practice by demonstrating the need for AED treatment in all BECTS children to eliminate CTS, in turn improving long term language and cognitive outcome. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project examines how seizures, and abnormal brain activity, affect language skill in children with Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centro-Temporal Spikes (BECTS). BECTS is a common type of childhood epilepsy, and while BECTS patients stop having seizures by their late teenage years, many studies have shown that these children have language problems that may lead to academic and social difficulties. Using standardized language testing, monitoring of brain activity, and MRI brain imaging, this project aims to determine what particular combination of BECTS symptoms put children most at risk for language problems and what dose of the anti-epileptic medication levetiracetam may be helpful. Disclaimer: Please note that the following critiques were prepared by the reviewers prior to the Study Section meeting and are provided in an essentially unedited form. While there is opportunity for the reviewers to update or revise their written evaluation, based upon the group's discussion, there is no guarantee that individual critiques have been updated subsequent to the discussion at the meeting. Therefore, the critiques may not fully reflect the final opinions of the individual reviewers at the close of group discussion or the final majority opinion of the group. Thus the Resume and Summary of Discussion is the final word on what the reviewers actually considered critical at the meeting.	{ "pile_set_name": "NIH ExPorter" }
Background {#Sec1} ========== Hypoxia is common after stroke, and associated with poor outcomes. In this article, we have reviewed the physiology of oxygen transport, the cerebrovascular response to hypoxia and pathophysiology, incidence and aetiology behind hypoxia in stroke and its subsequent clinical consequences. We have then reviewed all randomised clinical trials looking at the use of supplemental oxygen therapy in acute stroke and made conclusions regarding current evidence and recommendations for clinical practice. Oxygen physiology {#Sec2} ================= The normal adult range of arterial oxygen pressure (PaO2) is 11.0--14.4 kPa and the normal range for arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) is 95--98% \[[@CR1]\]. The term hypoxia refers to oxygen levels below normal. It includes both tissue (e.g. brain, myocardium) hypoxia and hypoxia in the blood (hypoxaemia). Tissue hypoxia is defined by the concentration of oxygen in blood and also tissue perfusion, whilst hypoxaemia is defined by the concentration of oxygen in inspired air and its transfer into the blood \[[@CR2]\]. Following inhalation oxygen is taken up in the lung capillaries via diffusion down an oxygen concentration gradient across the alveoli \[[@CR3], [@CR4]\]. Oxygen binds to the haemoglobin molecule, which can carry four oxygen molecules; each binding and changing the shape of the haemoglobin molecule and increasing its affinity for oxygen \[[@CR5]\]. A small amount of oxygen is also dissolved in plasma. This proportion increases in hyperoxia, when all haemoglobin is saturated \[[@CR6]\]. Oxygen dissociates from the haemoglobin molecule in the tissues owing to the relatively hypercapnic and acidic environment (the Bohr effect) \[[@CR3]\]. Oxygen is a vital substrate that supports virtually all metabolic processes. 90% of oxygen intake is engaged in the cytochrome C oxidase system in the mitochondria \[[@CR7]\] generating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which acts as the main energy substrate within cells. A continuous supply of oxygen is required to secure a continuous supply of ATP maintaining sufficient energy for cerebral neuronal and cellular activity. This facilitates an efficient energy producing process making 38 molecules of ATP during aerobic respiration, equivalent to 1270 joules (J) energy, in comparison to two molecules of ATP (67 J of energy) during anaerobic respiration \[[@CR7], [@CR8]\]. The anoxic brain {#Sec3} ================ 20% of all human oxygen consumption is utilised by the brain \[[@CR9]\]. The brain has no oxygen or glucose (the other important substrate in the ATP producing equation) stores. Thus complete disruption of cerebral blood flow very rapidly results in an anoxic, hypoglycaemic state, which via a variety of mechanisms ultimately leads to cell death. Excitatory neurotransmitters, such as glutamate, bind to a variety of receptors and allow for an influx of calcium ions that help formulate the chemical signal for depolarisation \[[@CR10], [@CR11]\]. Normally the re-uptake of glutamate is an active energy-driven process. In the absence of ATP this process fails, resulting in an extracellular accumulation of glutamate, which continually stimulates receptors leading to a persistent influx of calcium ions \[[@CR12]\]. Furthermore, the Na+/Ca2+ ATP driven pump normally used to eliminate calcium fails, also due to a lack of ATP \[[@CR13]\]. The resultant high intracellular calcium triggers multiple cascades that ultimately lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. Furthermore, instead of producing ATP, glial cells have been shown to release ATP extracellularly \[[@CR11]\]. Aside from rendering this unusable by mitochondria, ATP also stimulates the P2X7 receptor, which again leads to significant calcium influx and ultimately cell death \[[@CR13]\]. The other major mechanism of cellular demise is via the formation of free radicals facilitated by the reduction of iron from its ferric (Fe3+) to its ferrous (Fe2+) form and the initiation of inflammatory cascades \[[@CR12]\]. Cerebral blood flow in hypoxia {#Sec4} ============================== In normoxic states, cerebral blood flow is very tightly controlled by the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO~2~). Any hypocapnic state will result in vasoconstriction and reduction in regional cerebral blood flow and a hypercapnic state leads to the reverse with vasodilatation and an increase in cerebral blood flow. Cerebral blood flow is somewhat less responsive to changes in PaO~2~, which has the opposite effect to carbon dioxide; a hypoxic state causing cerebral vasodilatation with the aim of improving oxygen delivery and a hyperoxic state causing vasoconstriction \[[@CR14], [@CR15]\]. In a hypoxic state, whilst the vasodilatory response improves flow, the detection of hypoxia by peripheral chemoreceptors will in turn lead to an increase in respiratory drive, increasing arterial oxygen content. However, the consequence of this is also an increase in the clearance of carbon dioxide, which would theoretically cause vasoconstriction and reduced cerebral blood flow \[[@CR9]\]. It appears there is a threshold to which the hypoxic response predominates (and the carbon dioxide one attenuated) at a PaO~2~ of around 50--60 mmHg \[[@CR9], [@CR14]\]. Whilst the carbon dioxide mediated vascular response is mediated via a direct change in vessel wall pH \[[@CR15]\], the oxygen response appears to be mediated by the deoxygenated erythrocyte via a number of mechanisms; which include release of ATP and the subsequent actions of endothelial nitric oxide synthase on the vessel wall, reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide and the activity of S-nitrosohaemoglobin \[[@CR9]\]. The cerebral vascular response to hypoxia is not uniform. A study found that in an induced isocapnic hypoxic state increases in cerebral blood flow were most prominent in basal ganglia nuclei, the putamen, thalamus, nucleus accumbens and pallidum \[[@CR16]\]. Studies of blood flow in individual vessels have found that flow in the internal carotid artery is maintained during hypoxia and that vertebral artery flow is increased \[[@CR17]\]. This had led to the hypothesis that blood flow is increased in this region to preserve vital brainstem structures, or that possibly the posterior circulation vasculature is less susceptible to the effects of carbon dioxide for similar reasons. Neurological effects of hypoxia {#Sec5} =============================== The neurological consequences of hypoxia are dependent upon the speed of onset, the severity of hypoxia, and the level of tissue perfusion. Rapid decreases in PaO~2~, as in a cardiorespiratory arrest, can lead to permanent neurological damage within minutes. However, lower, less abrupt changes, can be tolerated if the decrease in oxygen occurs in a gradual manner, such as ascending at altitude, where individuals can acclimatise and develop tolerance to lower oxygen partial pressures or, (to a lesser degree), in chronic smokers. Initial clinical features include altered judgement, difficulty in completing complex tasks, and impairment in short term memory \[[@CR18], [@CR19]\], but in the longer term deficits can be more widespread and span physical and neuropsychological domains. Seizures occur in up to a third of individuals within a day of exposure to hypoxia, and are commonly partial complex or myoclonic in nature. Intractable forms of either of these types of seizure are associated with a poor prognosis \[[@CR20]\]. Cognitive impairment domains include amnesia, visuospatial deficits, frontal lobe symptoms, impairment of executive function, and impairments in language \[[@CR21]\]. These are covered in more detailed reviews on the subject \[[@CR22], [@CR23]\]. Involvement of the basal ganglia, a region particularly susceptible to hypoxic injury, can result in delayed Parkinsonism in older subjects, dystonia mainly in younger people, choreo-athetosis, and tremors \[[@CR20]\]. Varying degrees of unilateral or bilateral motor impairment may be observed depending on both the anatomical level and extent of corticospinal tract involvement. In very rare cases, the syndrome of delayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy may occur weeks after a seemingly rapid recovery from the original insult. This condition is characterised by rapid deterioration in cognition, emergence of extra-pyramidal signs, and loss of executive function as a results of severe demyelination \[[@CR24]\]. The severity of leukoencephalopathy can be assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) \[[@CR20]\]. Electroencephalography, somatosensory evoked potentials and MRI can provide valuable information about the severity of hypoxic injury, but also aid in prognostication together with overall clinical state \[[@CR25]\]. Hypoxia in the context of a stroke {#Sec6} ================================== There is no specific definition as to what constitutes hypoxia in an acute stroke, and it is therefore reasonable to assume that normal values for the general population apply. Sulter and colleagues \[[@CR26]\] monitored 49 consecutive patients who presented with an acute stroke within 12 h duration using pulse oximetry for 48 h. Patients were considered hypoxic and treated with supplemental oxygen if saturations were below 96% for more than 5 min. This occurred in 63% \[[@CR31]\] of patients, with 28 of those returning to 'normal' oxygen saturations following administration of up to 5 L/min of oxygen. The remaining three required much higher concentrations. Factors associated with hypoxia in this group were stroke severity, presence of dysphagia, and older age. Roffe et al. \[[@CR27]\] recruited 118 patients (100 of whom had adequate measurements by pulse oximetry) and found that the mean daytime awake SO~2~ was 94.5 ± 1.7% in stroke patients and 95.8 ± 1.7% in healthy controls. Nocturnal saturations were reduced to 93.5 ± 1.9% in the stroke group and 94.3 ± 1.9% in controls. In the stroke group the average 4% oxygen desaturation index (ODI) (number of times per hour the saturation dipped more than 4% from baseline) was higher than in controls. At night almost a quarter of the stroke group had desaturations below 90%. The same group also looked further at the differences between day and night oxygen saturations \[[@CR28]\]. In stroke patients who were not hypoxic (defined as SaO~2~ less than 90%) during the day, baseline daytime saturations were measured between 9am and 9pm and nocturnal saturation between 10pm and 6am. In total 40 patients were recruited and in addition to SaO~2~, respiratory rate and sleep/awakeness was measured twice in each time period. The mean respiratory rate day vs. night was 20 and 18 breaths per minute respectively. The mean daytime SaO~2~ was 95.5% (87--98.6%) and 94.3% (80--98%) at night. There was a strong correlation between respiratory rate, SaO~2~ and the 4% ODI, making it clear that borderline daytime hypoxia could predict nocturnal hypoxic episodes. Comparisons in a later study were then made with matched controls overnight \[[@CR29]\]. In this study the mean nocturnal oxygen saturations were found to be 0.5% less than controls, with the lowest measured desaturation in this group of 79.4%, still almost 6% lower than the control group. The largest difference was in the percentage of patients with more than 10 desaturations per hour (42% stroke vs. 15% controls). Hand et al. \[[@CR30]\] performed a study looking at the feasibility of MRI as an imaging modality in hyperacute stroke assessment. One of the eligible 138 patients for the study could not be scanned owing to pulmonary oedema severe enough to cause considerable hypoxia. For a variety of reasons it was only possible to consistently measure oxygen saturations in 61 out of 85 patients. In those in whom saturations could reliably be measured, 11 out of 61 developed hypoxia (lowest 74%) and of those who received oxygen during the scan only two could be monitored successfully. This highlights not only the prevalence of hypoxia in acute stroke, but the logistical difficulties acute hypoxia may pose for assessment. Another study examined the effect of five different, but randomly ordered body positions, each for 10 min on the impact on oxygen saturation \[[@CR31]\]. Interestingly, lying on the left hand side reduced oxygen saturations, but only in those who hand a right hemiparesis. Those who were able to sit in a chair were able to achieve much higher mean SaO~2~, albeit suffering from more minor strokes. It was felt that a severe stroke, with a right hemiparesis and underlying chest disease were the greatest predictors of desaturation, but only when lying on the left side. A subsequent systematic review \[[@CR32]\] comprising of three randomised controlled trials (173 patients) and one case controlled trial (10 patients) found that body position only played a role in oxygen saturations if patients had underlying respiratory co-morbidities. The risk of aspiration is well documented in acute stroke (see below), but independent of this the question as to whether feeding (oral or nasogastric) contributes to hypoxia has also been examined. Dutta et al. \[[@CR33]\] reported that nasogastric feeding caused no decrease in SaO~2~. A later study \[[@CR34]\] found a small but statistically non-significant trend towards hypoxia when tube fed, in particular in patients that were fed overnight. Rowat and colleagues looked at the impact of oral feeding on oxygen saturations, using hospitalised elderly patients and young healthy controls as comparators \[[@CR35]\]. The baseline SaO~2~ was lower in the stroke cohort than the other two, with a very small decrease in SaO~2~ with oral feeding in the stroke (0.1%) and the elderly groups. Nearly a quarter of stroke patients dropped SaO~2~ to less than 90% (16% elderly, 0% young), but this did not occur in close relation to the time of swallowing, and thus no immediate risk could be attributed to oral feeding. There is relatively little research on the correlation between hypoxia and clinical outcome. Hypoxia has been shown to be an independent clinical risk factor for post stroke dementia \[[@CR36]\]. Rowat et al. \[[@CR37]\] found that hypoxic patients were more likely to have respiratory disease and this led to an increased mortality. A smaller study looked at the prevalence of hypoxia in patients undergoing rehabilitation and found no significant difference in mean SaO~2~ at baseline, in nocturnal SaO~2~, the lowest nocturnal SaO~2~ or in the 4% ODI \[[@CR38]\]. In conclusion, no association between SaO~2~ and functional outcome was found. Hypoxia has, however, been shown to correlate with the degree of white mater disease on MRI. White matter hyperintensity volumes were greatest in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients compared with non-OSA patients and more explicitly in hypoxic compared to non-hypoxic patients \[[@CR39]\]. Causes of hypoxia in acute stroke {#Sec7} ================================= Pneumonia is a frequent complication of acute stroke. A recent consensus defined the term stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) as a representation of a spectrum of lower respiratory tract disorders occurring within 7 days after the onset of stroke \[[@CR40]\]. The criteria were based on a modified version of the centre for disease control (CDC) criteria, with a probable SAP fulfilling all CDC criteria but not meeting typical chest radiography changes and definite SAP fulfilling all CDC criteria including typical chest X-ray changes. In addition the consensus group concluded that there was a limited role for C-reactive protein, white blood cell count and other inflammatory biomarkers in the diagnosis \[[@CR40]\]. A meta-analysis of 64 studies showed that the definition of stroke---associated pneumonias varied widely \[[@CR41]\]. The incidence of pneumonia post stroke has been reported to range between 1 and 44% \[[@CR42], [@CR43]\] and has been shown to increase mortality (threefold) and overall hospital care costs \[[@CR42]\]. Two recent studies have looked at the utility of prophylactic antibiotics to reduce pneumonia. The STROKE-INF study \[[@CR44]\] randomised patients with acute stroke and dysphagia to 7 days of prophylactic antibiotics (to be commenced within 48 h of stroke onset) or standard care and found no reduction in the incidence of pneumonia (OR 1.21, 95% CI 0.71--2.08, p = 0.489). The PASS study \[[@CR45]\] investigated the effects of prophylactic ceftriaxone and found that this did not affect functional outcome at 3 months. While there was a significant reduction in infections overall, there was no effect on the incidence of pneumonia (OR 0.67 95% CI 0.39--1.15, p = 0.18). Therefore, current evidence does not support the use of antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent pneumonia. There are several validated risk scores which can help the clinician to identify patients at high risk of stroke-associated pneumonia \[[@CR46]--[@CR48]\]. Given the considerable morbidity and mortality, and the lack of benefit from prophylactic treatment, highlighting patients at high risk to allow early identification and treatment of established infection is important in the care of stroke patients. Aspiration is a frequent cause of pneumonia post stroke, especially in patients with dysphagia. Dysphagia is seen in up to 50% of ischaemic strokes \[[@CR49]\], although the reported incidence can vary between studies. Individuals suffering from dysphagia were three times more likely to develop pneumonia and this number increased to eleven times if they were shown to aspirate \[[@CR50]\]. Often aspiration occurs silently (reported in up to 40%), that is, with few or no clinical signs. The presence of either dysphagia or a subsequent pneumonia is predictors of a worse clinical outcome \[[@CR51]\]. An often neglected aspect of stroke treatment is oral care. Poor oral hygiene leads to proliferation of bacteria and debris in the oral cavity \[[@CR52]\], which are liable to be aspirated causing respiratory tract infection \[[@CR53]\]. This is particularly important in nasogastric tube fed patients in whom oral care can easily be missed. Sleep apnoea is a common cause of intermittent nocturnal hypoxia after stroke, affecting up to 60% of patients \[[@CR54]\]. This condition has also been shown to be a risk factor for future stroke and stroke mortality, if not appropriately treated. A few small studies have shown that nocturnal continuous positive airway pressure ventilation is feasible \[[@CR55], [@CR56]\], and can improve wellbeing in some stroke patients with sleep apnoea during the acute and rehabilitation phase, but compliance with the intervention is poor, especially in patients with delirium or cognitive impairment \[[@CR57]\]. Obstructive sleep apnoea can cause or accentuate many traditional vascular risk factors, in particular hypertension \[[@CR58]\] and atrial fibrillation \[[@CR59]\], and has been shown to be an independent risk factor for stroke \[[@CR54], [@CR57], [@CR60]\]. A review of the cohort of the Wisconsin Sleep Study found a significant association between sleep disordered breathing and stroke prevalence, the more severe the indices of sleep apnoea, the greater the risk \[[@CR61]\]. Respiratory muscle function is also a potential cause of hypoxia either directly by associated muscle paralysis or as a result of a secondary infection. Several studies have shown (some in comparison to matched controls) a significant reduction in forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, peak expiratory flow rate and maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures \[[@CR62]--[@CR64]\], suggesting impairment in function of accessory respiratory muscles as well as the diaphragm. This may pave the way for treatment strategies aiming to improve respiratory muscle function \[[@CR65]\]. Less common stroke complications resulting in hypoxia include pulmonary embolism, which despite its low incidence in most reported series (around 1%), is associated with increased in hospital mortality (31.5 vs 12.7% in a review of over 11,000 patients in the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network), length of stay and severity of disability \[[@CR66]\]. The risk of pulmonary embolism can persist for up to 4 weeks post stroke \[[@CR67]\]. A review of a relatively small cohort of cryptogenic stroke patients found a significant incidence of silent pulmonary embolism (37%), but did not comment as to whether or not this led to a resultant hypoxic state \[[@CR68]\]. Improvements in mechanical, pharmacological and therapy based regimes are the likely reason pulmonary embolism is now a relative rarity. Cardiac failure and very rarely neurogenic pulmonary oedema \[[@CR69], [@CR70]\] are among the other causes. Oxygen therapy for acute stroke {#Sec8} =============================== Oxygen treatment can be used to maintain normal oxygen saturation or to increase the oxygen saturation above normal in patients with acute stroke. The rationale for the latter is that blood with higher oxygen content may improve oxygen action in ischaemic brain areas \[[@CR2]\]. When considering oxygen treatment it is important to weigh up potential adverse effects against benefits. Potential adverse effects of oxygen treatment after stroke {#Sec9} ---------------------------------------------------------- Oxygen treatment is not without side effects. Attachment to a wall delivery system as an inpatient restricts mobility in the acute phase and may represent an infection risk. In critical ill states or when bordering on the anaerobic threshold for exercise capacity, the body has several intrinsic systems to increase oxygen tension and deliver oxygen at the required rate in order to produce ATP and meet energy demands. One of the by-products of ATP formation is the formation of oxygen free-radical species, which, if not dealt with, can lead to cell apoptosis and developmental of tissue damage. In normal states the body has several intrinsic enzymes to neutralise free radicals by pairing them with so called donor electrons to form substances like oxygen or hydrogen peroxide which can then be efficiently removed. When high concentrations of oxygen are given this leads not only to increased oxygen delivery from red blood cells but also increased delivery via plasma. This then by-passes and overrides usual mechanism of clearance and is one the reasons tissue damage develops in inappropriately high concentrations of oxygen \[[@CR71]--[@CR73]\]. The cascade outlined above is only partially reversed during reperfusion, even though oxygen delivery has improved. Most of the clinical problems surrounding oxygen toxicity initially affect the lungs. High concentrations of oxygen may displace all nitrogen present in the alveoli and owing to the significant alveolar plasma gradient, the oxygen rapidly diffuses and dissolves into the plasma, effectively reducing the alveolar volume and leading to subsequent collapse. Hyperoxia may also impair mucilliary clearance and alter surfactant properties which may cause an 'adhesive collapse' \[[@CR73], [@CR74]\]. Neurological consequences outside of those described in the context of stroke include cerebral vasoconstriction, a by-product of excessive free radical formation, confusion, and seizures \[[@CR73]\]. Oxygen toxicity more often occurs during use of high concentrations of oxygen or in hyperbaric conditions. In the clinical setting a stroke patient is exposed to, these are highly unlikely scenarios to occur. Recommendations from national and international stroke guidelines {#Sec10} ----------------------------------------------------------------- A review of the most recent societal guidelines shows uniformity in the approach to oxygen therapy in acute ischaemic stroke. The Royal College of Physicians guidelines \[[@CR75]\] advise use of supplemental oxygen only if oxygen saturation drops below 95% and is not contraindicated, and recommends no supplemental oxygen for saturations of 95% or above. The European Stroke Organisation \[[@CR76]\] advises supplemental oxygen use for oxygen saturations of less than 95%. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Guidelines \[[@CR77]\] advise that in the pre-hospital setting, oxygen supplementation to maintain oxygen saturations above 94% is reasonable and recommended for suspected stroke patients and that on presentation to hospital saturations should be continually monitored to watch out for hypoxia. This guidance is based on the American Heart Association post cardiac arrest guidelines \[[@CR78]\] and thus the same advice applies to stroke patients. Again the guidelines do not support the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Randomised controlled trials of supplemental oxygen in acute stroke {#Sec11} ------------------------------------------------------------------- A plausible solution to aid the correction of cerebral hypoxia in stroke would be to provide supplemental oxygen therapy in the acute phase, potentially helping to correct or prevent many of the catastrophic cerebral changes that may occur. To date 6 randomised controlled trials have tested this hypothesis. A quasi-randomised study of routine oxygen supplementation within the first 24 h of acute stroke by Ronning and Guldvog \[[@CR79]\] showed that routine oxygen treatment (3 L/min for 24 h) in unselected stroke patients did not reduce morbidity or mortality. Subgroup analyses suggested worse outcomes in patients with mild strokes treated with oxygen and a trend towards better outcomes in severe strokes (Scandinavian stroke scale score \<40), but the study was not large enough to identify with certainty those who are likely to derive benefit. Oxygen saturation before or during treatment was not reported and it is therefore impossible to determine whether or not oxygen was ineffective because it failed to improve oxygen saturation or because of a genuine lack of effect on the ischaemic brain. A small study (n = 16) delivered oxygen at a rate of 45 L/min for 8 h, commencing with 12 h of stroke onset. Perfusion-diffusion mismatch on MRI showed that cerebral blood volume and blood flow within ischaemic regions improved in the hyperoxia. Neurological deficit improved at 4 h (during treatment), 24 h and at 1 week. By 24 h MRI of the brain showed reperfusion and (asymptomatic) petechial haemorrhages in 50% of hyperoxia treated patients and 17% of controls (p = 0.06). No long-term clinical benefit was seen at 3 months \[[@CR80]\]. This study was too small to draw reliable conclusions, leading to a larger (unpublished) study by the same group (<http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00414726?term=singhal&rank=1>) which initially planned to enrol 240 patients, randomising to either room air or high flow oxygen (30--45 L/min for 8 h) within 9 h of acute stroke onset. After enrolment of 85 patients, the study was terminated early due to an imbalance of deaths favouring the control arm, though it is noted that the excess in mortality in the treatment group was not considered related to the treatment by an external blinded assessor. An Indian study \[[@CR81]\] enrolled 40 patients within 12 h of an acute anterior circulation ischaemic stroke and a National Institute Stroke Scale of more than 4 to receive either 10 L/min for 12 h via face mask in the treatment group versus room air or 2 L/min to keep oxygen saturation above 95%. There was no significant difference in NIHSS, modified Rankin or Barthel index scores between the two groups. There was also no statistically significant difference between DWI lesion volumes in either group, though there was a trend towards smaller lesions in the treatment group. In the Stroke Oxygen Pilot study \[[@CR82]\], oxygen was given for 72 h and the dose was dependent on baseline oxygen saturation (2 L/min if the saturation was \>93%, 3 L/min if the saturation was 93% or less). Initial results showed that the treatment regime increased oxygen saturation by about 2% in the treatment arm and this was associated with a small, but significant improvement in neurological recovery at one week. At 6 months \[[@CR83]\] there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups, although there remained a small trend towards overall benefit with supplemental oxygen. This data led to the Stroke Oxygen Study (SO~2~S) \[[@CR84]\], in which 8003 patients within 24 h of hospital admission with acute stroke were randomized 1:1:1 to receive either continuous supplemental oxygen, supplemental oxygen only at night (9pm--7am) oxygen, or no supplemental oxygen treatment for 72 h. This study has completed recruitment and is expected to report in 2016. Conclusion {#Sec12} ========== Oxygen is a vital substrate to the continual function and survival of cerebral tissue. Rapid reduction in partial pressures can very rapidly lead to catastrophic and permanent cerebral injury and physical disability. Whilst evidence does not currently support the additional supplementation of oxygen to stroke patients, it remains important to prevent hypoxia in stroke patients by identifying and treating reversible causes rapidly. Results of the Stroke Oxygen Study will provide new evidence of whether prophylactic oxygen treatment can prevent neurological deterioration and improve recovery. PF and CR both equally participated in the search of the literature and writing of the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript. Acknowledgements {#FPar1} ================ None. Competing interests {#FPar2} =================== The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Consent for publication {#FPar3} ======================= No individual patient information used.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Central" }
Simon Cowell Just Let Slip Which X Factor Judges Are Paid The Most! There has always been speculation about the pay packets of the panel but Simon has just added fuel to the fire. When it comes to judges on the X Factor, it's only the best for Simon Cowell. The talent show boss is no stranger to coughing up the cash either, with reports he was prepared to pay Mariah Carey £1 million to appear on the panel. With just weeks to go until X Factor returns to our screens for its thirteenth series with Simon Cowell has shed light on just how much his co-judges are being paid and even let slip that some are paid more than others. According to the SyCo label boss, Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger and former judge Cheryl cost him the most money they paid favourably in comparison to fellow judge Louis Walsh, who is also set to reprise his role on the panel this year. Simon believes paying his female stars more is a pioneering move and a stark contrast to the BBC, who received backlash last month after their highest paid stars were revealed to be men. Speaking about his female co-stars, he told The Sun: “For once this is good news. Victory. Yeah, they definitely are [paid more]. I just don’t tell Louis.” The revealing interview also shed light on X Factor USA, which ran for two years between 2010 and 2012, as Simon confirmed he paid Britney Spears a hefty fee to appear on the panel. Speaking about the comparison between wages, Simon explained: “If they get the money, it doesn’t matter to me whether you’re a boy or a girl. But I would say we’ve probably paid girls more money than guys over the years.” “The truth is, in showbusiness normal circumstances, you are paid by your worth and that’s just the way it goes."	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Q: What is C#.net meaning in conjuction with terms like Javascript, HTML5, CSS etc? I recently got an offer for a traineeship for C#.NET. However before being allowed in the traineeship I need to make a small program which displays my programming skills in "C#.net". I don't know what to do now. I've downloaded visual studio 2015 and when I open it I see lots of stuff like console application/windows application etc and even .asp.net applications for web. In the traineeship document terms are used like " Object Oriëntated, Object Orientated Analysis and Design, UML, Database Design, SQL, XML, Scrum, Javascript, HTML5 CSS3, jQuery, Ajax, Design Pattern (MVC) and WCF. I don't have a clue where to start! If they wanted ASP websites they could've explicated this right? Should I make them a keygen music mp3 player in a console application? Srs please help. I got 1 week for this. A: Usually when asked to perform such task with as vague description as possible, the recruiters want to see your creativity and general knowledge of the technology. You don't have write another Windows system, so it's entirely up to you on what you decide to write. Just make sure it will work and it will follow general coding guidelines and it should be okay :)	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
Effect of residual mercury content on creep in dental amalgams. For most of the tested amalgams, the increased mercury content caused by delayed compaction increases the flow or creep. The amalgams that had high creep values when packed early were decidedly affected by the increase in mercury content caused by delay in compaction. Amalgams made with Dispersalloy, Tytin, Sybraloy, and New True Dentalloy are not as sensitive to the mercury content as are some of the others tested. Tests for creep may be related more to clinical practice if they are performed on specimens compacted three minutes after trituration rather than on specimens compacted immediately (a half minute) after trituration. In clinical practice, small amounts of amalgam should be mixed and used immediately after trituration. If the delay between trituration and compaction is longer than three minutes, additional mixes are required. We therefore conclude that, in making a large amalgam restoration, many small mixes have superior results over one large mix.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
Raw deep sequencing cannot be provided because these data are derived from patient samples. Because of the Minimum Necessary Requirement of the HIPAA Privacy Rule these data may not be deposited into a public repository. A Supporting Information File accompanying the submission contains the de-identified results and interpretations of all clinical NGS tests included in our analysis next to the results of single-gene testing of the same specimen. Introduction {#sec001} ============ The advance of next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a cornerstone of a recent development in molecular pathology, variably referred to as "personalized," "precision," or "individualized" medicine. Much of the focus of clinical NGS has been on oncology, as there are clear diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications for a multitude of genomic mutations in both solid and liquid malignancies. For example, in non-small cell lung cancers, activating mutations of the EGFR gene predict therapeutic response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) such as erlotinib, gefitinib, and afatinib \[[@pone.0152851.ref001]--[@pone.0152851.ref003]\]. The KRAS protein acts downstream of EGFR, and thus mutations of the KRAS gene predict resistance to TKI \[[@pone.0152851.ref002],[@pone.0152851.ref004]--[@pone.0152851.ref006]\]. In metastatic melanoma, BRAF V600 mutations predict response to dabrafenib, vemurafenib, and trametinib \[[@pone.0152851.ref007]\]. Mutations of the FLT3 and NPM1 genes affect the prognosis of karyotypically normal acute myeloid leukemia and aid in the decision whether or not to pursue hematopoietic stem cell transplantation \[[@pone.0152851.ref008]\]. In addition, activating mutations of JAK2, which encodes a tyrosine kinase essential for cytokine and growth factor signaling, are found in a large proportion of patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms \[[@pone.0152851.ref009]\]. Ruxolitinib is a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor approved for the treatment of myelofibrosis \[[@pone.0152851.ref010]\], and additional JAK2 inhibitors are in clinical development \[[@pone.0152851.ref011]\]. Detection of mutations in EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, FLT3, NPM1, and JAK2 is most commonly accomplished by targeted tests that are designed to detect one or at most a small number of mutations in a single gene. However, NGS is gaining momentum as a complementary test for a number of reasons. Firstly, clinical trials for targeted cancer therapies rely on detection of mutations that are frequently not covered by existing targeted tests. In contrast to the laborious and lengthy process of validating and implementing a new molecular assay testing for one or a few mutations, NGS greatly simplifies the task of providing coverage of one of more additional mutations of interest. Secondly, targeted tests can provide misleading results. For example, the widely used FDA-approved cobas® EGFR Mutation Test only detects exon 19 deletion and L858R mutations, which together only comprise the mutations found in 85% of EGFR-mutated lung cancers \[[@pone.0152851.ref012]\]. In a significant proportion of cases, this test fails to identify therapeutically targetable mutations. Thirdly, targeted tests may fail to detect the very mutation they are designed to detect. Our group has recently reported a striking failure of two separate single-gene tests for the BRAF gene to detect a V600E mutation in a melanoma specimen \[[@pone.0152851.ref013]\]. The mutation was clearly demonstrated by concurrent NGS analysis. Finally, as has recently become apparent, tumors frequently harbor mutations that are therapeutically targetable but are not typically seen in that tumor type. Due to its massively parallel nature, NGS is very well-suited for detecting mutations in unexpected genes. One study reported a three-fold increased yield of clinically actionable mutations with NGS as compared to traditional molecular approaches targeting mutation hotspots \[[@pone.0152851.ref014]\]. Multiple recent studies have investigated the potential utility of NGS for detection of clinically actionable cancer mutations with encouraging results \[[@pone.0152851.ref014]--[@pone.0152851.ref025]\]. With the exception of one study \[[@pone.0152851.ref021]\], all demonstrated excellent performance of NGS on various platforms as measured by detection of point mutations and small insertions and deletions (indels). In many cases, additional potentially important variants were uncovered by NGS. All of the aforementioned studies were designed to validate clinical NGS pipelines that were not yet in clinical practice. As a consequence, they enrolled selected samples from previously examined specimens. With the exception of one commercially-sponsored study \[[@pone.0152851.ref014]\], in all cases a very limited number of samples was re-examined (range 13--61), often from only a single tissue type. While these important contributions confirm the potential usefulness of clinical NGS, they do not address the important question whether a well-validated NGS pipeline performs at an acceptable level in day-to-day clinical practice. Here we present a summative analysis of mutation results and quality control metrics obtained during the first year (March 2013 through March 2014) of clinical solid and liquid malignancy NGS carried out at the Center for Personalized Diagnostics at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. More than 900 specimens were submitted and processed during this time frame. We report that using our validated molecular and bioinformatics pipeline \[[@pone.0152851.ref026]\] with pre-determined tumor percentage and DNA quality cutoffs, we achieved excellent NGS data quality as determined by virtually perfect concordance between NGS and targeted single-gene tests for various genes in a large number of solid and liquid malignancy specimens. Materials and Methods {#sec002} ===================== Specimen Characteristics and Processing {#sec003} --------------------------------------- Over the course of the study duration, 938 liquid and solid tumor specimens were submitted to the Center for Personalized Diagnostics ([Table 1](#pone.0152851.t001){ref-type="table"}). Specimens were eligible for NGS if they passed the tumor percentage, DNA quality, and DNA quantity thresholds that had been determined at the time of the validation of the NGS assay, which preceded the study period. Briefly, specimens with \<10% tumor were not eligible for NGS, because sequencing of samples with lower tumor percentages frequently yielded changes that were represented in fewer than five unique reads, making it difficult to distinguish true variants from sequencing artifacts. For similar reasons, DNA quality and quantity were judged to be insufficient, and the specimen was ineligible for NGS, if the DNA concentration was \<1 ng/μL; the DNA concentration was \<5 ng/μL with \>20% DNA degraded; the DNA concentration was \<50 ng/μL with \>45% DNA degraded; or DNA degradation was \>60%. Degraded DNA was defined as the proportion of DNA under 1000 bp in length. 10.1371/journal.pone.0152851.t001 ###### Characteristics of Specimens by Tumor Site. ![](pone.0152851.t001){#pone.0152851.t001g} Tumor site Number of specimens submitted for NGS Specimens with DNA quality or quantity inadequate for NGS analysis Number of "shared" specimens (i.e., results are available from both NGS and targeted tests) ------------------ --------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lung 196 13 (6.6%) 101 (51.5%) Brain 174 9 (5.2%) 6 (3.4%) Bone Marrow 161 0 95 (59.0%) Lymph Node 70 8 (11.4%) 32 (45.7%) Peripheral blood 56 0 29 (51.8%) Liver 36 4 (11.1%) 5 (13.9%) Skin 23 2 (8.7%) 5 (21.7%) Other 222 24 (10.8%) 31 (14.0%) Tumor site is not necessarily tissue of origin. Please note that in contrast to solid tumor specimens, all liquid specimens (bone marrow and peripheral blood) were adequate for NGS processing. To determine the tumor percentage and volume of solid tumors, hematoxylin- and eosin-stained tissue specimens were evaluated by an anatomic pathologist, and the region with the highest tumor burden was marked. Genomic DNA was extracted from fresh bone marrow or peripheral blood using the Gentra Puregene Cell Kit (Qiagen, Netherlands). For formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens, tissues were macro-dissected from 5 μM or 10μM slides. Scrapings were dewaxed with Qiagen Deparaffinization Solution and purified with Gentra Puregene Tissue reagents following the manufacturer's protocol (Qiagen, Netherlands). DNA quantification was performed using the Qubit Broad Range assay following manufacturer's protocols (Life Technologies, CA). Agilent Genomic TapeScreens were used following manufacturer's protocols to assess the degree of DNA degradation (Agilent, CA). Targeted Molecular Testing {#sec004} -------------------------- ### EGFR, KRAS, and BRAF Assays {#sec005} The mutational status of EGFR exons 19 and 21 was determined using a laboratory-developed test (LDT) as previously described \[[@pone.0152851.ref027]\]. Briefly, genomic DNA was extracted from FFPE tissue and amplified with primers covering two regions, one that is commonly deleted in exon 19, and a part of exon 21 that encompasses codon 858. The L858R missense mutation in exon 21 creates a new Sau96I cleavage site within exon 21. The amplification products were digested with Sau96I and then separated by capillary electrophoresis. KRAS mutations in codons 12 and 13 were assayed using a LDT as previously described \[[@pone.0152851.ref028]\]. Briefly, genomic DNA was extracted and amplified using primers designed to detect point mutations, hybridized to target-specific capture probes, and subjected to a bead assay (Lumina, TX). BRAF mutations were assayed by pyrosequencing of an amplified portion of the BRAF gene including codon 600, as previously described \[[@pone.0152851.ref029]\]. ### FLT3 Assay {#sec006} DNA was extracted using the QIAamp DNA Blood Mini Kit (Qiagen, Netherlands). Mutation analysis of the FLT3 gene was performed using multiplex PCR amplification with two sets of fluorescently labeled primers. For internal tandem duplication (ITD) detection, PCR was performed with the following primers: 5'-GCA ATT TAG GTA TGA AAG CCA GC-3' (forward) and 5'-CTT TCA GCA TTT TGA CGG CAA CC-3' (reverse); forward primers were labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescin (6-FAM), and reverse primers were labeled with VIC. An internal tandem duplication (ITD) was determined to be present if a product larger than the wild-type (329 bp) product was detected by capillary electrophoresis. Detection of the D835 mutation of FLT3 (NM_004119.2: c.2503_2505) was based on the fact that this mutation abolishes an EcoRV cleavage site. PCR was performed with the following primers: 5'-GTA AAA CGA CGG CCA GCC GCC AGG AAC GTG CTT-3' (forward) and 5'-CAG GAA ACA GCT ATG ACG ATA TCA GCC TCA CAT TGC CCC-3' (reverse); forward primers were labeled with NED at the 5' end. After EcoRV digestion, PCR products were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis using a 3500xL Genetic Analyzer (Life Technologies, NY). A D835 point mutation was indicated by the presence of a 129 bp fragment. ### NPM1 Assay {#sec007} Total RNA was extracted using the QIAamp RNA Blood Mini Kit (Qiagen, Netherlands), reverse transcribed, and amplified in a multiplex PCR reaction using primers designed to detect common mutations in NPM1 (NM_002520.4) using the Signature NPM1 Mutations Assay (Asuragen, TX). Labeled PCR products were hybridized to target-specific capture probes covalently bound to fluorescent microspheres in a liquid bead array followed by analysis with a Luminex 100 (Luminex, TX). Interpretation was based on the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) obtained from a minimum of 50 microspheres. ### JAK2 Assay {#sec008} Genomic DNA was isolated from leukocytes using the QIAamp DNA Blood Mini Kit (Qiagen, Netherlands) and amplified using real-time PCR with primers flanking JAK2 codon 617. Allelic discrimination between the normal sequence and the JAK2 V617F (NM_004972 c.1849G\>T) mutation was subsequently accomplished by simultaneous differential hybridization of two sequence-specific probes, each labeled with a different fluorescent marker (MutaScreen Assay, Qiagen, Netherlands). Next-Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatic Analysis {#sec009} ----------------------------------------------------- For solid tumors, target enrichment was performed with the TruSeq Amplicon Cancer Panel (Illumina, CA), a cancer gene panel consisting of 212 target amplicons covering mutation hotspots of 47 cancer genes. For hematologic malignancies, an in-house developed gene panel was utilized, which is composed of 382 amplicons covering 33 genes. For all successful sequencing runs, read depth was 250x at any given position, with 1000x mean coverage across the entire targeted sequence, and a Q30 at greater than 75% of reads. An in-house bioinformatics pipeline \[[@pone.0152851.ref026]\] was used to map reads, detect variants, and annotate them. Reads were de-multiplexed, mapped to the hg19 version of the human reference genome, filtered to remove off-target and poor-quality reads ([Fig 1](#pone.0152851.g001){ref-type="fig"}). Using custom scripts, four types of variants were extracted: single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), small indels, copy number variants, and large indels. Variants were then compared to an in-house developed knowledge base, which draws from publicly available sources such as PubMed, dbSNP database \[[@pone.0152851.ref030]\], COSMIC database \[[@pone.0152851.ref031]\], 1000 Genomes \[[@pone.0152851.ref032]\], and the Exome Variant Server ([http://evs.gs.washington.edu](http://evs.gs.washington.edu/)). Using this knowledge base, variants were classified into 1 of 5 categories: disease associated mutation (DAM), likely pathogenic mutation (LPM), variants of uncertain significance (VUS), likely benign (LB), or benign (B). DAMs include mutations previously reported and associated with disease, including gain-of-function mutations in oncogenes (e.g., the canonical KRAS G12D mutation) and truncating mutations in known tumor suppressor genes. LPMs were classified as variants that had some evidence of disease association, such as case reports, but are not well described otherwise. Variants were classified as VUS if they had not been previously reported either as a disease-associated mutation or as a normal variant on the Exome Variant Server, but whose pathogenicity could not be established with certainty. Variants were classified as LB if there was no report of association with disease and if they occurred in regions of the gene not predicted to have pathologic consequences. Variants noted on the clinical report, which are the ones included in this analysis, included the DAM, LPM and VUS (not LB or B). All reported variants were manually reviewed using the Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV) \[[@pone.0152851.ref033]\] by at least two pathologists. ![Next-generation sequencing data analysis pipeline.\ Data analysis occurs in three sequential stages, pre-processing of NGS reads, variant calling, and variant annotation. Of note, large indels are detected by an examination of reads that failed to map to target regions of the reference genome and are recovered from a pool of rejected reads ("Trash"). SNVs, single nucleotide variants. CNVs, copy number variation.](pone.0152851.g001){#pone.0152851.g001} Ethics Statement {#sec010} ---------------- Patient data were analyzed anonymously in accordance with institutional practice guidelines. The institutional review board of the University of Pennsylvania determined this study to be exempt. Results {#sec011} ======= Study Design and Specimen Characteristics {#sec012} ----------------------------------------- The University of Pennsylvania Health System began routine clinical NGS of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies in February of 2013. During validation of our NGS pipeline, we established thresholds for acceptable tumor percentage (10%) and DNA quantity and quality (see [Methods](#sec002){ref-type="sec"} for details). For a large number of specimens, clinicians ordered targeted single-gene tests and NGS analysis on the same specimen ([Table 1](#pone.0152851.t001){ref-type="table"}): this occurred frequently with pulmonary and hematological specimens, but relatively rarely with specimens derived from other sites such as brain. We reasoned that comparing results from targeted and NGS testing of all "shared" specimens (i.e. specimens that had been analyzed by both NGS and single-gene tests) would allow us to probe the robustness of our NGS pipeline. We therefore set out to compare NGS and targeted test results in specimens that underwent NGS analysis during the first year of operation of the NGS pipeline (March 1, 2013 through March 1, 2014). During this time, 938 specimens (717 solid and 221 hematologic) were submitted for NGS analysis. While the majority of solid tumor specimens were composed of \>50% tumor cells ([Fig 2](#pone.0152851.g002){ref-type="fig"}), a fraction of solid tumors was not tested due to low tumor percentage. The most common tumor sites were lung, brain, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and peripheral blood ([Table 1](#pone.0152851.t001){ref-type="table"}). A small fraction of solid tumor specimens could not be analyzed by NGS due to inadequate DNA quantity or quality (n = 60, 8.3%), however this was not an issue with peripheral blood and bone marrow specimens. ![Tumor Percentage of Solid Tumor Specimens.\ Specimens were analyzed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) within the study period of March 1, 2013 and March 1, 2014.](pone.0152851.g002){#pone.0152851.g002} Comparison of EGFR and KRAS Gene Mutations by NGS and Targeted Testing {#sec013} -------------------------------------------------------------------------- We were particularly interested in the performance of EGFR testing in our NGS assay, because mutations in this gene may be therapeutically targetable, and because it is often challenging to analyze, as DNA degradation and low tumor percentage are frequently encountered in lung cancer specimens. Since KRAS mutations were frequently evaluated alongside EGFR in cases of lung cancers at our institution, we also wanted to compare the performance of both methods on this gene. The tumor percentages for all specimens for which targeted EGFR mutation analysis was reported during the study period (n = 283) are shown in [Fig 3](#pone.0152851.g003){ref-type="fig"}. Approximately 10% of the cases evaluated by targeted testing had a tumor percentage below the cutoff for NGS. ![Tumor Percentage of Specimens Analyzed by Targeted EGFR Tests.\ Cases were placed into 5 bins (\<5%, 5--10%, 11--25%, 26--50%, \>50% tumor cells in specimen).](pone.0152851.g003){#pone.0152851.g003} We compared NGS and targeted testing in 139 specimens that had been tested for EGFR mutations ([Fig 4A](#pone.0152851.g004){ref-type="fig"}) and 138 that had been tested for KRAS mutations by both methods ([Fig 4B](#pone.0152851.g004){ref-type="fig"}). Among the shared specimens, all generated a result with the targeted single-gene methods. However, 15/139 (11%) of shared EGFR-tested and 13/138 (9%) of shared KRAS-tested specimens were excluded from NGS analysis due to insufficient DNA quality or quantity. ![Concordance Analysis of Solid Tumor Specimens.\ The specimens shown were submitted for both NGS and targeted tests for EGFR (A), KRAS (B), and BRAF (C) mutations. Note that all mutations seen by targeted testing were also found by NGS when specimens with inadequate DNA quantity and/or quality are excluded.](pone.0152851.g004){#pone.0152851.g004} In the remaining specimens, all mutations detected by the targeted assays were also detected by NGS. Conversely, NGS identified a number of mutations that the targeted tests were not designed to detect. For example, our targeted EGFR mutation test only covers deletions in exon 19 and the L858R mutation in exon 21. Similarly, the targeted KRAS test only detects mutations in codons 12 and 13. In 10 EGFR shared cases (6%), additional pathogenic mutations were detected by NGS. In two of these cases, the T790M mutation was found, which predicts resistance to TKI therapy \[[@pone.0152851.ref004]\]. Additionally, NGS detected EGFR amplification in five cases; the predictive value of this copy number alteration in the context of TKI therapy is currently unclear. In four KRAS shared cases (3%), NGS detected mutations in codon 61, which predict resistance to TKI therapy \[[@pone.0152851.ref034]\]. Comparison of BRAF Gene Mutations by NGS and Targeted Testing {#sec014} --------------------------------------------------------------- The BRAF single-gene test was performed less frequently in parallel with solid tumor NGS than the EGFR or KRAS tests, because thyroid fine-needle aspiration samples, for which BRAF testing was frequently ordered, were not originally validated for the NGS assay. Of 224 specimens that were tested with targeted BRAF tests, 38 were also analyzed by NGS ([Fig 4C](#pone.0152851.g004){ref-type="fig"}). Among the shared specimens, all generated a result with the targeted BRAF test. In contrast, 8/38 shared cases (21%) could not be analyzed by NGS due to poor DNA quality or inadequate DNA quantity. All remaining shared specimens showed perfect concordance between NGS and targeted testing. Comparison FLT3, NPM1, and JAK2 Mutations by NGS and Targeted Testing {#sec015} --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Of 221 hematologic specimens tested by NGS during the study period, 118 were also tested with the FLT3, and 98 with the NPM1 targeted tests. In two cases, the targeted FLT3 test detected an internal tandem duplication (ITD) that was not automatically called by the NGS analysis pipeline ([Fig 5A](#pone.0152851.g005){ref-type="fig"}). However, manual review of the sequencing data demonstrated ITD mutations at allele frequencies of 1.3% and 1.6% ([Fig 6A and 6C](#pone.0152851.g006){ref-type="fig"}, respectively). In one of these two cases, the hematologic malignancy NGS panel additionally detected a pathogenic FLT3 D839G (c. 2516A\>G) mutation ([Fig 6B](#pone.0152851.g006){ref-type="fig"}); this mutation was not detected by the FLT3 single-gene test that is designed to detect only ITDs and D835 mutations. ![Concordance Analysis of Hematologic Malignancy Specimens.\ The specimens shown were submitted for both NGS and targeted tests for FLT3 (A), NPM1 (B), and JAK2 (C) mutations. Note that all samples were adequate for testing by both single-gene assays and NGS.](pone.0152851.g005){#pone.0152851.g005} ![Two Specimens with Low-Allele Frequency FLT3 Internal Tandem Duplications.\ In one specimen (A and B), a 24 bp internal tandem duplication (ITD) was seen in 7 out of 529 reads for an allele frequency of 1.3%. (A) Four of the reads containing insertions (purple bars) are shown using the Integrative Genomics Viewer. This specimen additionally harbored a FLT3 D839G mutation in 45% of reads (B). A second specimen (C) harbored a 33 bp FLT3 ITD in 12 out of 739 reads, for an allele frequency of 1.6%. Nine of the reads carrying an ITD are pictured.](pone.0152851.g006){#pone.0152851.g006} In the remainder of FLT3 shared cases, and also in all NPM1 shared cases ([Fig 5B](#pone.0152851.g005){ref-type="fig"}), NGS and targeted tests were concordant. Additionally, a small number of specimens (n = 8) that had been tested for JAK2 mutations by both modalities were analyzed and showed complete concordance ([Fig 5C](#pone.0152851.g005){ref-type="fig"}). Discussion {#sec016} ========== In this study, we report the properties of solid and liquid malignancy specimens processed during the first year of clinical oncologic NGS performed within the University of Pennsylvania Health System. We found that when we adhered to two predetermined quality control metrics, i.e., tumor percentage and DNA quantity and quality, we achieved excellent NGS data as determined by virtually perfect concordance between NGS and targeted, single-gene testing. While a number of recent studies have confirmed the potential utility of clinical NGS for oncology \[[@pone.0152851.ref014]--[@pone.0152851.ref025]\], there have been none, to our knowledge, that have evaluated the quality of data generated during day-to-day practice at a clinical oncologic sequencing facility. Additionally, in contrast to previous validation studies, we examined a larger number of specimens from a greater variety of tissues, and our data is therefore less subject to sample selection bias and may also more accurately reflect the expected annual case volume and distribution of tissue types encountered at a major academic medical center. Solid tumors and hematologic malignancy specimens differed considerably in their performance across the established quality control measures. We found that a sizable fraction of solid but not liquid specimens yielded DNA of insufficient quality or quantity for NGS testing. With respect to specimens tested for EGFR and KRAS (predominantly lung), this was likely largely due to formalin fixation, which degrades DNA through cross-linking as well as other less well understood mechanisms \[[@pone.0152851.ref035]\]. One potential approach to reduce the number of samples that are currently rejected from NGS analysis might be to determine the amplifiability of extracted genomic DNA, for example by using the human genomic DNA quantitation and quality control assay by Kapa Biosystems (Wilmington, MA). Our study highlights the complementarity of NGS and targeted tests for mutation detection. In a number of instances, NGS detected clinically important mutations that were not captured by targeted assays. For example, the EGFR test specifically interrogates potential exon 19 deletions and L858R mutations, which constitute about 85% of EGFR mutations in lung cancers \[[@pone.0152851.ref012]\]. In 9 shared cases, EGFR mutations were found in different regions of the gene by the NGS assay ([Fig 4A](#pone.0152851.g004){ref-type="fig"}). Similarly, clinically important KRAS mutations occur in codons 12, 13, and 61, but only codons 12 and 13 were evaluated by the in-house KRAS single-gene test. In 4 shared cases, KRAS mutations in codon 61 were detected by NGS only. Targeted assays generally outperformed NGS in specimens with low tumor percentage, DNA quantity, or quality. In fact, we identified actionable mutations by targeted analysis in multiple cases that were unable to be analyzed by NGS (data not shown). In two specimens, a FLT3 ITD mutation, which was not automatically called by the NGS pipeline, was readily detected by the targeted assay. While FLT3 ITDs can be challenging to detect by NGS due to the complex structure of the mutation \[[@pone.0152851.ref036]\], the problem in these two cases was that the allele frequency fell below the validated threshold for automatic detection of 4%. However, manual inspection of the FLT3 exon 14 and the flanking intronic sequence using the Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV) \[[@pone.0152851.ref033]\] clearly showed the presence of ITD mutations in both cases ([Fig 6A and 6C](#pone.0152851.g006){ref-type="fig"}). The detection of NGS for indel mutations, in contrast to single nucleotide variants, is not fundamentally limited by PCR artifacts and sequencing errors. Therefore, we validated our pipeline for the detection of FLT3 ITDs with allele frequencies of 1%, and we altered the indel allele frequency calling threshold specifically for FLT3 ITDs. Reanalysis of the two FLT3 cases with updated parameters, which was part of the revalidation study, revealed the expected results. These findings highlight the importance of manual review of the sequencing data. Low tumor percentage was also limiting in solid tumor cases. Approximately 10% of specimens submitted for EGFR mutation testing were found to contain less than 10% tumor ([Fig 3](#pone.0152851.g003){ref-type="fig"}), thereby failing tumor percentage requirements for NGS testing. All of these specimens generated a result with the targeted assay. It should be noted, however, that as NGS methodologies continue to mature, the ability of NGS to detect single nucleotide variants in specimens with lower tumor percentage will improve. Rare variant detection by NGS is hampered by the high rate of amplification and sequencing errors, which can approach 1% for single nucleotide variants \[[@pone.0152851.ref037]\]. Various approaches to increase analytic sensitivity for rare variants by NGS have recently been described, including barcoding of each DNA fragment before amplification \[[@pone.0152851.ref038]--[@pone.0152851.ref040]\], barcoding of both strands of each fragment \[[@pone.0152851.ref041]\], and generation of multiple linked tandem copies of each DNA fragment by rolling circle amplification \[[@pone.0152851.ref042]\]. In particular, the latter method has been shown to improve sensitivity of rare variant detection by more than 100-fold without introducing excessive computational inefficiency. There are a number of limitations to this study. First, only genes for which both NGS analysis and single-gene tests are performed at our institution were included in the analysis. While the genes examined in this study currently represent the essential core of cancer gene testing, it is possible that NGS might function less reliably with certain other genes or specific mutations that were not assessed. Of note, our NGS pipeline produced excellent results for the challenging genes EGFR and FLT3. We therefore expect that most other genes covered by our cancer panels generate NGS data of similarly high quality. Second, not all specimens that were submitted for NGS analysis were also tested by single-gene methods. For example, only 3.4% of brain tumor specimens submitted for NGS were at the same time examined by targeted tests, and therefore our conclusions may not necessarily extend to all tumors at this time. Additionally, the specimens tested did not contain the entire spectrum of mutations that can be evaluated by our targeted tests. Finally, our findings may not be generalizable to other platforms, especially those that utilize more complex gene panels. Recently issued recommendations for validation and quality control of clinical NGS data \[[@pone.0152851.ref043]\] include monitoring of quality metrics (e.g., sequencing quality scores, depth of coverage, uniformity of coverage, mapping quality), proficiency testing, and confirmation of actionable results by independent methods. Multiple studies that appeared after these recommendations were published have established that particularly for solid tumors, tumor percentage and DNA quality are important additional metrics \[[@pone.0152851.ref014],[@pone.0152851.ref022],[@pone.0152851.ref023]\], and we found this as well in our validation studies (not shown). Proficiency testing for cancer NGS is not yet available but is currently being developed by the College of American Pathologists (CAP). A proposed requirement to confirm actionable mutations by independent molecular methods \[[@pone.0152851.ref043]\] has been called into question \[[@pone.0152851.ref023]\]. Since single-gene tests such as Sanger sequencing may not have inherently greater sensitivity than a well-scaled NGS pipeline \[[@pone.0152851.ref015],[@pone.0152851.ref044]\], verification by these methods might not improve the accuracy of test results. Accordingly, very recent guidelines by the College of American Pathologists leave the decision when and how to perform confirmatory testing of NGS results to the clinical laboratory \[[@pone.0152851.ref044]\]. Our EGFR single-gene test had greater analytical sensitivity than NGS, detecting mutations in samples with well under 10% tumor. However, our finding that within pre-defined tumor percentage and DNA quality cutoffs NGS showed perfect concordance confirms the notion that it is unnecessary to confirm each actionable mutation detected via NGS by a single-gene test. In addition, single-gene tests frequently do not cover important disease-associated mutations and in some instances fail to detect the very mutations they target \[[@pone.0152851.ref013]\]. Based on these considerations, we propose a workflow that integrates NGS as an adjunct diagnostic modality for solid and liquid neoplasms ([Fig 7](#pone.0152851.g007){ref-type="fig"}). The typical turn-around time of the NGS assay at the time of the study was around 7--10 days from receipt in the sequencing facility to the time the final report was signed out in the electronic medical record. Turnaround is generally faster for targeted tests, and thus it is advantageous to perform targeted tests, perhaps in addition to NGS, in clinically urgent situations. Specimens with low tumor percentage or DNA quantity or quality should be subjected to targeted tests that we found to be more analytically sensitive than NGS. On the other hand, when DNA quality and quantity is adequate and a turnaround time of 7--10 days is acceptable, NGS holds clear advantages, including increased clinical sensitivity within targeted genes of interest and additional information from other covered genes on the panel. In these cases, our data suggest that targeted tests may be safely omitted. ![Proposed Workflow for NGS and Single-Gene Assays.\ Three main decision points are highlighted. Specimens requiring an urgent turnaround time are routed directly for single-gene testing (possibly followed by NGS). Additionally, single-gene testing is performed on samples with less than 10% tumor or DNA inadequate for NGS (i.e., degraded or low quantity). In samples not meeting any of the above criteria, NGS is performed instead of single-gene testing. NGS results do not require confirmation by single-gene testing.](pone.0152851.g007){#pone.0152851.g007} Supporting Information {#sec017} ====================== ###### Raw Data for Comparison Analysis. (XLSX) ###### Click here for additional data file. We thank Daniel Desloover for comments on the manuscript. [^1]: Competing Interests:The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. [^2]: Conceived and designed the experiments: MCH DBR SK CDW RDD JJDM. Performed the experiments: MCH SK. Analyzed the data: MCH SK. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: MCH SK DL JZ CDW RDD JJDM. Wrote the paper: MCH SK JZ CDW RDD JJDM. [^3]: Current address: BioReference Laboratories, Elmwood Park, New Jersey, United States of America [^4]: Current address: Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America [^5]: ‡ These authors also contributed equally to this work	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Central" }
Methanol-inducible gene expression and heterologous protein production in the methylotrophic yeast Candida boidinii. Methylotrophic yeasts can obtain all of their required carbon and energy from methanol, a promising feedstock for biotechnological and chemical processes and a potential replacement for coal and petroleum. When these yeast cells are cultured in the presence of methanol, the enzymes involved in methanol metabolism are massively produced, indicating that the gene promoters of these enzymes are strong methanol-inducible promoters. Using these promoters, high-level heterologous gene expression systems have been developed in several methylotrophic yeast strains, including Pichia pastoris, Hansenula polymorpha, Pichia methanolica and Candida boidinii. In the present minireview we describe recent insights into the molecular basis of methanol-inducible gene expression in C. boidinii. In addition, the utility of C. boidinii gene expression systems for the production of various enzymes is also reviewed.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
, 736, 735? -o + 738 What is the u'th term of -39, -128, -217, -306? -89u + 50 What is the q'th term of -1046, -2094, -3142, -4190, -5238? -1048q + 2 What is the b'th term of -1664, -1687, -1724, -1781, -1864, -1979, -2132, -2329? -b3 - b2 - 13b - 1649 What is the h'th term of 82, 165, 226, 253, 234, 157? -2h3 + h2 + 94h - 11 What is the g'th term of -24, -179, -576, -1335, -2576, -4419, -6984, -10391? -20g3 - g2 - 12g + 9 What is the p'th term of -156, -171, -186, -201, -216, -231? -15p - 141 What is the u'th term of 217, 225, 235, 247, 261, 277? u*2 + 5u + 211 What is the j'th term of -27, -26, -25, -24? j - 28 What is the c'th term of 26, 46, 54, 44, 10, -54, -154, -296? -c*3 + 27c What is the y'th term of -12, -25, -50, -93, -160, -257? -y*3 - 6y - 5 What is the h'th term of 2757, 2777, 2809, 2859, 2933, 3037, 3177, 3359? h*3 + 13h + 2743 What is the p'th term of 7, 31, 79, 157, 271, 427, 631, 889? p*3 + 6p*2 - p + 1 What is the f'th term of 231, 210, 189, 168, 147? -21f + 252 What is the d'th term of 36, 74, 112? 38d - 2 What is the g'th term of -29, -35, -57, -107, -197, -339, -545? -2g*3 + 4g*2 - 4g - 27 What is the w'th term of -1277, -2553, -3829, -5105, -6381? -1276w - 1 What is the x'th term of 65, 119, 177, 239, 305? 2x*2 + 48x + 15 What is the j'th term of -6, -28, -52, -72, -82? j*3 - 7j*2 - 8j + 8 What is the b'th term of -295, -593, -891, -1189? -298b + 3 What is the y'th term of -27574, -55147, -82720, -110293, -137866, -165439? -27573y - 1 What is the s'th term of 63, 62, 61, 60, 59, 58? -s + 64 What is the w'th term of -89, -186, -293, -416, -561, -734? -w3 + w2 - 93w + 4 What is the m'th term of -309, -342, -365, -372, -357, -314, -237? m3 - m2 - 37m - 272 What is the o'th term of 290, 289, 290, 293, 298, 305, 314? o*2 - 4o + 293 What is the x'th term of -42, -77, -112? -35x - 7 What is the p'th term of 5, 29, 89, 203, 389, 665, 1049? 3p*3 + 3p - 1 What is the g'th term of -3409, -3418, -3439, -3478, -3541, -3634? -g*3 - 2g - 3406 What is the w'th term of 544, 542, 538, 532, 524, 514, 502? -w*2 + w + 544 What is the g'th term of 211, 416, 615, 808, 995, 1176, 1351? -3g*2 + 214g What is the c'th term of -41, -97, -183, -293, -421, -561, -707? c*3 - 21c2 - 21 What is the d'th term of 925, 1839, 2741, 3625, 4485, 5315, 6109, 6861? -d3 + 921d + 5 What is the p'th term of 139, 278, 421, 568, 719, 874? 2p*2 + 133p + 4 What is the c'th term of -206, -202, -196, -188, -178, -166? c*2 + c - 208 What is the d'th term of -20, -26, -36, -50, -68, -90? -2d*2 - 18 What is the k'th term of 2801, 5604, 8407? 2803k - 2 What is the s'th term of 52, 180, 384, 658, 996, 1392? -s*3 + 44s*2 + 3s + 6 What is the r'th term of 26, 71, 154, 293, 506, 811, 1226, 1769? 3r3 + r2 + 21r + 1 What is the s'th term of 15, 47, 107, 201, 335, 515, 747, 1037? s*3 + 8s*2 + s + 5 What is the w'th term of 8003, 7998, 7989, 7976, 7959? -2w*2 + w + 8004 What is the f'th term of -71, -135, -199, -263? -64f - 7 What is the v'th term of 470, 938, 1406, 1874, 2342? 468v + 2 What is the b'th term of 100, 405, 912, 1621, 2532, 3645? 101b*2 + 2b - 3 What is the h'th term of 257, 515, 771, 1025, 1277, 1527? -h*2 + 261h - 3 What is the a'th term of -531, -525, -509, -477, -423, -341, -225, -69? a3 - a2 + 2a - 533 What is the w'th term of 345, 344, 343, 342, 341? -w + 346 What is the v'th term of 2146, 2144, 2142, 2140, 2138? -2v + 2148 What is the s'th term of 468, 930, 1382, 1818, 2232? -s3 + s2 + 466s + 2 What is the l'th term of 697, 702, 711, 724, 741, 762? 2l*2 - l + 696 What is the t'th term of 391, 365, 301, 181, -13? -3t3 - t2 - 2t + 397 What is the r'th term of -50, -41, -42, -59, -98, -165? -r3 + r2 + 13r - 63 What is the l'th term of 41, 13, -41, -127, -251, -419? -l*3 - 7l*2 + 49 What is the q'th term of 9, 27, 51, 81? 3q*2 + 9q - 3 What is the f'th term of -84, -345, -780, -1389, -2172, -3129, -4260? -87f2 + 3 What is the n'th term of 5, 11, 11, -1, -31, -85, -169, -289? -n3 + 3n*2 + 4n - 1 What is the m'th term of 2852, 2832, 2800, 2750, 2676, 2572, 2432, 2250? -m*3 - 13m + 2866 What is the n'th term of 21, -49, -225, -555, -1087? -8n3 - 5n*2 + n + 33 What is the z'th term of 5, 24, 53, 92, 141, 200, 269? 5z*2 + 4z - 4 What is the w'th term of 53, 208, 465, 824? 51w2 + 2w What is the g'th term of -41, -343, -1153, -2723, -5305, -9151, -14513? -42g3 - 2g*2 - 2g + 5 What is the a'th term of -9473, -9470, -9465, -9458? a2 - 9474 What is the j'th term of -22, -100, -232, -412, -634, -892, -1180, -1492? j3 - 33j2 + 14j - 4 What is the y'th term of 456, 457, 458? y + 455 What is the m'th term of 14, 68, 162, 302, 494, 744, 1058, 1442? m*3 + 14m*2 + 5m - 6 What is the d'th term of -27, -33, -63, -129, -243, -417? -2d3 + 8d - 33 What is the o'th term of 181, 390, 627, 898, 1209, 1566, 1975, 2442? o*3 + 8o*2 + 178o - 6 What is the h'th term of -2592, -2591, -2590, -2589, -2588? h - 2593 What is the r'th term of -35, -65, -103, -155, -227, -325, -455? -r*3 + 2r*2 - 29r - 7 What is the t'th term of -13, -14, -15, -16, -17? -t - 12 What is the i'th term of -20, -137, -464, -1109, -2180, -3785? -18i3 + 3i*2 - 5 What is the w'th term of 1, 21, 53, 97, 153, 221? 6w*2 + 2w - 7 What is the a'th term of 113, 118, 123? 5a + 108 What is the z'th term of 120, 128, 148, 186, 248, 340? z3 + z + 118 What is the s'th term of 37, 174, 405, 730? 47s*2 - 4s - 6 What is the n'th term of -1, 46, 125, 236, 379, 554, 761? 16n2 - n - 16 What is the o'th term of -11, -72, -247, -596, -1179, -2056, -3287, -4932? -10o*3 + 3o*2 - 4 What is the q'th term of -139, -547, -1227, -2179, -3403, -4899, -6667? -136q*2 - 3 What is the u'th term of -4180, -4183, -4186, -4189? -3u - 4177 What is the u'th term of -3, -17, -61, -153, -311, -553, -897, -1361? -3u3 + 3u*2 - 2u - 1 What is the z'th term of 2, -29, -80, -151, -242, -353? -10z2 - z + 13 What is the o'th term of -36, -21, -2, 21, 48, 79, 114? 2o*2 + 9o - 47 What is the u'th term of 23, 99, 225, 401, 627, 903, 1229? 25u2 + u - 3 What is the k'th term of 43, 66, 101, 154, 231? k3 + 16k + 26 What is the g'th term of -311, -302, -281, -242, -179, -86, 43? g*3 + 2g - 314 What is the k'th term of -31608, -31610, -31612? -2k - 31606 What is the j'th term of 230, 206, 182? -24j + 254 What is the n'th term of 4, -2, -8? -6n + 10 What is the m'th term of 14, 51, 142, 311, 582, 979, 1526, 2247? 4m*3 + 3m2 + 7 What is the x'th term of -97, -201, -327, -481, -669, -897? -x3 - 5x2 - 82x - 9 What is the k'th term of -3780, -3640, -3490, -3324, -3136, -2920, -2670? k3 - k2 + 136k - 3916 What is the d'th term of 30, -29, -90, -153, -218, -285, -354? -d2 - 56d + 87 What is the n'th term of -208, -205, -200, -193, -184, -173, -160? n2 - 209 What is the y'th term of -26535, -26531, -26525, -26517, -26507, -26495, -26481? y2 + y - 26537 What is the n'th term of 99, 185, 261, 327, 383, 429? -5n2 + 101n + 3 What is the m'th term of 3, 7, 11, 15, 19? 4m - 1 What is the d'th term of 3, 20, 51, 102, 179, 288, 435, 626? d3 + d2 + 7d - 6 What is the t'th term of 2289, 2287, 2287, 2289? t*2 - 5t + 2293 What is the n'th term of 2229, 4463, 6697? 2234n - 5 What is the l'th term of -15, -24, -45, -84, -147, -240, -369, -540? -l3 - 2l - 12 What is the k'th term of -59, -64, -55, -26, 29, 116, 241, 410? k3 + k2 - 15k - 46 What is the h'th term of -99, -162, -223, -282, -339, -394? h2 - 66h - 34 What is the o'th term of 26, 43, 48, 23, -50, -189? -3o3 + 12o*2 + 2o + 15 What is the s'th term of 27, 34, 47, 66, 91, 122? 3s2 - 2s + 26 What is the v'th term of -19, -48, -75, -100, -123, -144? v*2 - 32v + 12 What is the h'th term of 5728, 5727, 5726, 5725, 5724, 5723? -h + 5729 What is the k'th term of -116, -229, -342? -113k - 3 What is the s'th term of -37, -23, -1, 35, 91, 173, 287, 439? s3 - 2s*2 + 13s - 49 What is the l'th term of -7, -62, -211, -502, -983, -1702, -2707, -4046? -8l3 + l2 - 2l + 2 What is the l'th term of 89, 168, 237, 290, 321, 324? -l3 + l2 + 83*l + 6 What	{ "pile_set_name": "DM Mathematics" }
Q: HTML 5 input range-thumb disappeared after updating Chrome to version-49 I've themed HTML5 input range-thumb in one of my Client website using pseudo classes :after and :before and using the -webkit- prefix. And it was displaying all fine until I updated my Chrome browser (Desktop, Windows 7) to Version 49.0.2623.87 m. Can anyone please suggest, what has changed here? Thanks! Here is the css I used for Chrome: input.thickness { -webkit-appearance: none; float: left; width: 72%; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 8px; margin-left: 0 /for firefox/; padding: 0 /for IE/; } input.thickness:focus::-webkit-slider-runnable-track { outline: none; } input.thickness::-webkit-slider-runnable-track { width: 100%; height: 8px; background-color: #2f9de2; border-radius: 4px; } input.thickness::-webkit-slider-thumb { -webkit-appearance: none; position: relative; background: transparent; width: 22px; height: 12px; margin-top: 8px; } input.thickness::-webkit-slider-thumb:after, input.thickness::-webkit-slider-thumb:before { bottom: 0; left: 0; border: solid transparent; content: " "; height: 0; width: 0; position: absolute; pointer-events: none; } input.thickness::-webkit-slider-thumb:after { border-color: rgba(136, 183, 213, 0); border-bottom-color: #2f9de2; border-width: 10px; } input.thickness::-webkit-slider-thumb:before { border-color: rgba(194, 225, 245, 0); border-bottom-color: #2f9de2; border-width: 10px; } <input class="thickness" type="range" min="0" max="100" value="50" /> A: This is intentional. It's also on par with Gecko's behaviour.	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
Affecting factors in second language learning. The present study investigated the influence of sex, handedness, level in second language (L2) and Faculty choice on the performance of phonological, syntactical and semantic tasks in L2. Level in L2 and sex were the most affecting factors. Subjects who achieved higher scores on L2 tasks had strong second language aptitude skills since they were those who had obtained a professional degree in the second language. Females performed better than males in syntax and semantics which is explained by the general female superiority on verbal tasks based on differences in hemispheric specialization for language functions between the sexes. Handedness and Faculty choice on the part of the participants had an impact on our results but only when combined with other factors.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
1. Field of the Invention This invention relates in general to biased magnetic recording, and in particular to a biased cross-field recording head having increased short wavelength recording effectiveness.	{ "pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds" }
Peculiarities of the course of bronchial asthma in patients with excessive body weight or obesity. Introduction: Clinical studies that were devoted to the analysis of the asthma course during concomitant obesity or excessive body weight, demonstrated a number of typical features. Both asthma and obesity or overweight are diseases that form a persistent chronic inflammatory process in the body. The combination and mutual enhancement of the factors of chronic inflammation leads to a more severe clinical course of asthma and reduced control of the disease. The aim: The main goal of our study was to determine the peculiarities of the course of bronchial asthma of various degrees of severity in patients with excessive body weight or obesity. Materials and methods: Anamnesis and examination of 86 patients with a major diagnosis of bronchial asthma were performed. According to the body weight index, patients were divided into two groups: main and comparison, and 20 somatic-healthy patients who were included in the control group also participated in the study. Results and conclusions: The patients had upper respiratory tract diseases, namely rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia. A different incidence rate of respiratory infections in a child was noted in patients, depending on the severity of the course. The patients in the main group took an antibiotic on an average 3-4 times a year, of whom patients with severe bronchial asthma took antibiotics 4-5 times a year. In the comparison group, the average level of antibiotic ingestion coincided with that of the control group, namely 1-1.5 times a year. The patients have a close direct correlation between the asthma test and the body mass index. 28.75% of the patients in the main group had no symptoms of allergy. Damp basements, rooms with lots of dust or outdoor work with high concentrations of dust or pollen have a negative effect on the patients with asthma. 81% of the patients in the main group did not adhere to the appointments of the doctor, it should be noted that these are patients with any course of asthma.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
Introduction {#s1} ============ All organisms live in environments that vary through time and such environmental heterogeneity can impose highly variable selection pressures on populations. In this situation, an allele may be beneficial during one environmental regime and subsequently deleterious during another. Such an allele would be subject to short bursts of directional selection, alternately being favored and disfavored. When this situation occurs in diploids, the heterozygote can have a higher geometric mean fitness than either homozygote and allelic variation at this locus could be maintained for long periods despite being subject to directional selection at any given time [@pgen.1004775-Gillespie1]--[@pgen.1004775-Hedrick1]. This situation is referred to as marginal overdominance and is a form of balancing selection. There is substantial evidence for the maintenance of phenotypic and genetic variation by temporally variable selection in a variety of organisms. For instance, evolutionary response to rapid changes in selection pressures has been demonstrated for morphological and life-history traits in mammals [@pgen.1004775-Gershenson1], [@pgen.1004775-Grant1], birds [@pgen.1004775-Tarwater1]--[@pgen.1004775-Wall1], plants [@pgen.1004775-Brakefield1], invertebrates [@pgen.1004775-Hairston1]--[@pgen.1004775-RodriguezTrelles1], and others (reviewed in [@pgen.1004775-Bell1], [@pgen.1004775-Siepielski1]). Chromosomal inversions and allozyme alleles in a variety of drosophilids vary among seasons [@pgen.1004775-Dobzhansky1]--[@pgen.1004775-Ananina1] suggesting that these polymorphisms confer differential fitness in alternating seasons. Further, in some species of drosophilids, life-history [@pgen.1004775-Bouletreaumerle1], [@pgen.1004775-Schmidt1], morphological [@pgen.1004775-Stalker1], [@pgen.1004775-Tantawy1] and stress tolerance traits [@pgen.1004775-Miyo1], [@pgen.1004775-Dev1] also fluctuate seasonally suggesting that these traits respond to seasonal shifts in selection pressures. Although theoretical models suggest that temporal variation in selection pressures can maintain fitness-related genetic variation in populations [@pgen.1004775-Gillespie1]--[@pgen.1004775-Hedrick1] and empirical evidence from a variety of species [@pgen.1004775-Gershenson1]--[@pgen.1004775-Dev1] demonstrates that variation in selection pressures over short time periods does alter phenotypes and allele frequencies, we still lack a basic understanding of many fundamental questions about the genetics and evolutionary history of alleles that undergo rapid adaptation in response to temporal variation in selection pressures. Specifically, we do not know how many loci respond to temporally variable selection within a population, the strength of selection at each locus, nor the effects of such strong selection on neutral genetic differentiation through time. We do not know whether adaptation at loci that respond to temporally variable selection is predictable nor do we know the relationship between loci that respond to temporally variable selection and spatially varying selection. Finally, it is unclear whether rapid adaptation to temporally variable selection pressures is primarily fueled by young alleles that constantly enter the population but cannot be maintained for long periods of time or, rather, by old alleles that have possibly been maintained by variable selection associated with environmental heterogeneity despite short bursts of strong directional selection. To address these questions, we estimated allele frequencies genome-wide from samples of D. melanogaster individuals collected along a broad latitudinal cline in North America and in the spring and fall over three consecutive years in a single temperate orchard. We demonstrate that samples of flies collected in a single Pennsylvania orchard over the course of several years are as differentiated as populations separated by 5--10° latitude. We identify hundreds of polymorphisms that are subject to strong, temporally varying selection and argue that genetic draft [@pgen.1004775-Gillespie3] in the wake of rapid, multilocus adaptation is sufficient to explain the high degree of genetic turnover that we observe in this population over several years. We examine the genome-wide relationship between spatial and temporal variation in allele frequencies and find that spatial genetic differentiation, but not clinality per se, in allele frequency is a good predictor of temporal variation in allele frequency. Moreover, at SNPs subject to seasonal fluctuations in selection pressures, northern populations are more similar to spring populations than southern ones are. Next, we show that allele frequencies at SNPs subject to seasonal fluctuations in selection pressures become more 'spring-like' (i.e., they move towards the average spring frequency) immediately following a hard frost event and that seasonally variably SNPs tend to be associated with two seasonally variable phenotypes, chill coma recovery time and starvation tolerance. Finally, we demonstrate that some of the loci that respond to temporal variation in selection pressures are likely ancient, balanced polymorphisms that predate the split of D. melanogaster from its sister species, D. simulans. Taken together, our results are consistent with a model in which temporally variable selection maintains fitness-related genetic variation at hundreds of loci throughout the genome for millions of generations if not millions of years. Results/Discussion {#s2} ================== Genomic differentiation through time and space {#s2a} ---------------------------------------------- To test for the genomic signatures of balancing selection caused by seasonal fluctuations in selection pressures, we performed whole genome, pooled resequencing of samples of male flies collected in the spring and fall over three consecutive years (2009--2011) in a temperate, Pennsylvanian orchard. We contrast changes in allele frequencies through time with estimates of allele frequencies we made from five additional populations spanning Florida to Maine along the east coast of North America over a number of years (2003--2010) largely during periods of peak abundance of D. melanogaster ([Fig. 1A](#pgen-1004775-g001){ref-type="fig"}, [Table S1](#pgen.1004775.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). From each population and time point, we sampled approximately 50--100 flies and resequenced each sample to average read depth of 20--200× coverage ([Table S1](#pgen.1004775.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}, and see [Text S1](#pgen.1004775.s011){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Estimates of allele frequency using this sampling design have been shown to be highly accurate [@pgen.1004775-Gillespie3]. ![Experimental design and genomic turnover through time and space.\ (A) Map of sampling locations in North America used in this study. Grey boxes represent individual samples from each locale. Genome-wide differentiation among spatially (B) and temporally (C) separated samples, measured as genome-wide average F~ST~ (y-axis). Lines represent the predicted value of F~ST~ based on the linear (A; y = a+bx) and non-linear (B; y = ab^X^) regression. Note: Pennsylvanian samples are not represented in (B) and the negative F~ST~ in (B) results from the conservative correction of heterozygosity [@pgen.1004775-Rashkovetsky1], [@pgen.1004775-Turelli1]. In addition, please note that there are four estimates of pairwise F~ST~ between the two replicate Maine and Florida samples (corresponding to a difference in latitude of 20°) and that there are two estimates of F~ST~ between each of the remaining clinal populations and each Maine and Florida replicate sample. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals based on 500 blocked bootstrap samples of ∼2000 SNPs.](pgen.1004775.g001){#pgen-1004775-g001} As a point of departure and to provide context for understanding the magnitude of genetic variation through the seasons, we first examined genetic differentiation along the cline ([Fig. 1B](#pgen-1004775-g001){ref-type="fig"}, [Fig. S1A](#pgen.1004775.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). We calculated genome-wide average F~ST~ among pairs of populations (excluding Pennsylvanian populations; hereafter 'spatial F~ST~') as well as the proportion of SNPs where average spatial F~ST~ between a pair of populations is greater than expected by chance conditional on our sampling design and assuming panmixia using allele frequency estimates of 500,000 common polymorphisms ([Table S1](#pgen.1004775.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Genome-wide average spatial F~ST~ ([Fig. 1B](#pgen-1004775-g001){ref-type="fig"}) as well as the proportion of SNPs where spatial F~ST~ is greater than expected by chance ([Fig. S1A](#pgen.1004775.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) is positively correlated with geographic distance (r = 0.75; p = 7e-5), a pattern consistent with isolation by distance [@pgen.1004775-Wright1]. Pooled resequencing did identify polymorphisms in or near genes previously shown to be clinal in North American populations (see [Text S1](#pgen.1004775.s011){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) demonstrating that clines are stable over multiple years. This suggests that populations sampled along the cline represent resident populations, and further confirms that our pooled resequencing design gives accurate estimates of allele frequencies [@pgen.1004775-Zhu1]. Next, we calculated genome-wide average F~ST~ between samples collected through time in the Pennsylvanian population ('temporal F~ST~') as well as the proportion of SNPs where average temporal F~ST~ is greater than expected by chance given our sampling design and assuming no allele frequency change through time ([Fig. 1C](#pgen-1004775-g001){ref-type="fig"}, [Fig. S1B](#pgen.1004775.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Genome-wide average temporal F~ST~ ([Fig. 1C](#pgen-1004775-g001){ref-type="fig"}) as well as the proportion of SNPs where the observed temporal F~ST~ is greater than expected by chance ([Fig. S1B](#pgen.1004775.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) increases with the difference in time between samples. The temporal F~ST~ increases non-linearly with duration of time between samples (slope ~log-log~ = 0.59, p ~log-log\ slope = 1~ = 0.0004, df = 19). Genome-wide average temporal F~ST~ appears to asymptote by ∼7 months, corresponding to the duration of time between fall samples and the subsequent spring sample. Remarkably, samples of the Pennsylvanian population collected one to three years apart are as differentiated as populations separated by 5--10° latitude, demonstrating high genetic turnover through time. Identification and genomic features of seasonal SNPs {#s2b} ---------------------------------------------------- We sought to identify alleles whose frequency consistently and repeatedly oscillated between spring and fall over three years with the assumption that these polymorphisms would be the most likely to be adaptively responding to selection pressures that oscillate between the seasons. We identified seasonally variable polymorphisms that had a large and recurrent deviation from spring to fall around the average frequency using a generalized linear model (GLM) of allele frequency change as a function of season (spring or fall) that took into account read depth and the number of sampled chromosomes (see [Materials and Methods](#s3){ref-type="sec"} for details). Of the ∼500,000 common SNPs tested, we identified approximately 1750 sites that cycle approximately 20% in frequency between spring and fall at FDR less than 0.3 (hereafter 'seasonal SNPs'; [Fig. 2A](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}, [Fig. S2A](#pgen.1004775.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Statistically significant changes in allele frequency of this magnitude at seasonal SNPs correspond to selection coefficients of 5--50% per locus per generation ([Fig. 2B](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}, see [Materials and Methods](#s3){ref-type="sec"}), assuming 10 generations per summer or 1--2 generations per winter. Given the statistical power of our experiment ([Fig. 2B](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}), we estimate there may be as many as 10 times as many sites that could cycle either directly in response to seasonally varying selection or could be linked to seasonal SNPs. ![Genomic features of seasonal SNPs.\ (A) Allele frequency change at each of the ∼1750 seasonal SNPs. Allele frequencies are polarized so that spring allele frequencies are higher than fall allele frequencies. (B) Power to detect seasonal SNPs (black line) is limited and we estimate that we have only identified ∼10% (red line) of all SNPs that repeatedly change in frequency through time (black line). The units of the x-axis (S) are the cumulative selection coefficient. See the [Materials and Methods](#s3){ref-type="sec"} for the definition of S. (C) Enrichment (log~2~ odds ratio) of seasonal SNPs that are annotated for each class of genetic element relative to control polymorphisms. (D) Seasonal F~ST~ surrounding seasonal SNPs decays to background levels by ∼500 bp. (E) Allele frequency estimates at seasonal SNPs outside any large, cosmopolitan inversion (non-inv) or within the cosmopolitian inversions (diamonds) during the spring (blue) or fall (red). Allele frequency estimates at SNPs perfectly linked to the inversion during the spring and fall are denoted by circles. Error bars (C) and confidence bands (D) represent 95% confidence intervals based on blocked bootstrap resampling.](pgen.1004775.g002){#pgen-1004775-g002} Our rationale for focusing on the1750 seasonal SNPs at the FDR of 0.3 is that we are seeking to assess general molecular and evolutionary features of polymorphisms that may underlie rapid adaptive evolution in response to seasonal fluctuations in selection pressure. To assess these general features and enrichments, we require a sufficient number of true positive SNPs while maintaining as low a false positive rate as possible. Reducing FDR rates to lower values yielded an insufficient number of polymorphisms to assess enrichments with adequate precision (FDR of 10% yields 11 SNPs; FDR cutoff of 20% yields 200 SNPs). We note that our estimation of ∼1750 seasonal SNPs and their associated FDR should only be taken as a rough estimate of the number of seasonally varying SNPs: variance in linkage disequilibrium through the genome, heterscedasticity due to possible demographic events, limited statistical, unbalanced sampling of flies and variance in read-depth among samples, and modeling assumptions will affect our ability to infer the exact number of seasonally varying SNPs. One way to address some of these issues (e.g., heteroscedasticity) is to model allele frequency change through time with generalized linear mixed-effect (GLMM) or general estimation equation (GEE) models that account, to varying degrees, for the structured, time-series nature of our data. Seasonal SNPs inferred with these models are highly congruent with seasonal SNPs inferred using a simple GLM ([Fig. S2D,E](#pgen.1004775.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) and q-q plots of the distribution of p-values from GLM, GLMM and GEE models suggest that GLM and GLMM modeling strategies fit the bulk of the genome well, with GEE models appearing to be anti-conservative ([Fig. S2B,C](#pgen.1004775.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). However, the identification of a statistical excess of seasonally oscillating SNPs by any modeling strategy will be subject to a number of assumptions that will almost certainly be violated in some way or another and such violations could possibly lead to an increased false-positive rate. Because the false positive and false negative rates are inherently difficult to estimate, we adopt an empirical strategy to demonstrate that the seasonal SNPs identified though a simple GLM are not a random sample of SNPs but rather are enriched for true positive SNPs that directly underlie the adaptive response to seasonal fluctuations selection pressure. The identified seasonal SNPs are enriched for many signatures consistent with natural selection relative to control SNPs that are matched for several biologically and experimentally relevant parameters such as chromosome, recombination rate, allele frequency, and SNP quality coupled with a rigorous blocked-bootstrap procedure that accounts for the spatial distribution of seasonal SNPs along the chromosome (see [Materials and Methods](#s3){ref-type="sec"} and [Table S3](#pgen.1004775.s010){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). We now proceed to demonstrate these enrichments. Seasonal SNPs are enriched among functional genetic elements. These polymorphisms are likely to be in genic (i.e., 3′ and 5′ UTR, synonymous and non-synonymous, and long-intron SNPs; p = 0.054) and coding regions (synonymous and non-synonymous; p\<0.002) and are enriched among synonymous (p\<0.002), non-synonymous (p = 0.002) and 3′ UTR (p = 0.024, [Fig. 2C](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}) relative to control, putatively neutral polymorphisms in short-introns [@pgen.1004775-Lawrie1]. The p-values of the enrichment tests were calculated after controlling for the spatial distribution of seasonal SNPs along the chromosome using a block bootstrap procedure coupled with the identification of paired control SNPs matched for several key genomic features ([Table S3](#pgen.1004775.s010){ref-type="supplementary-material"}), such as recombination rate, average allele frequency in the Pennsylvanian orchard, chromosome, and SNP quality (see 'Block Bootstrap' section in [Materials and Methods](#s3){ref-type="sec"}). Enrichment of adaptively oscillating polymorphisms among these genetic elements, including synonymous sites, suggests that these SNPs may affect organismal form and function through modification of protein function, translation rates, or mRNA expression and stability [@pgen.1004775-Lawrie1], [@pgen.1004775-Pechmann1]. Next, we show that rapid shifts in allele frequency at seasonal SNPs perturb allele frequencies at nearby SNPs. Adaptively oscillating polymorphisms are in regions of elevated temporal F~ST~ ([Fig. 2D](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}) and the elevation of temporal F~ST~ decays, on average, by ∼500 bp, consistent with patterns of linkage disequilibrium in D. melanogaster [@pgen.1004775-Mackay1]. Elevation of temporal F~ST~ within 500 bp of seasonal SNPs could contribute to high levels of genome-wide average F~ST~ through time ([Fig. 1C](#pgen-1004775-g001){ref-type="fig"}). However, excluding SNPs within 500 bp of seasonal SNPs did not change patterns of genome-wide differentiation through time suggesting that genome-wide patterns of F~ST~ through time are not driven by the seasonal SNPs themselves nor the SNPs in their immediate vicinity ([Fig. S3](#pgen.1004775.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Seasonal SNPs are spread throughout the genome ([Fig. 3A](#pgen-1004775-g003){ref-type="fig"}) and there is a 95% chance of finding at least one seasonal SNP per megabase of the euchromatic genome. This result suggests that seasonal SNPs are not exclusively concentrated in any single region (such as an inversion) nor distributed among a small number of regions (such as a limited number of genes). Although seasonal SNPs are distributed throughout the genome, their distribution is over-dispersed. To assess this, we calculated the number of seasonal SNPs per 1000 SNPs under investigation in non-overlapping windows of 1000 SNPs. If seasonal SNPs are homogeneously distributed throughout the genome, the rate of seasonal SNPs/1000 SNPs should follow a Poisson distribution with mean equal to the variance. After accounting for heterogeneity in recombination rate throughout the genome (see [Materials and Methods](#s3){ref-type="sec"}), we find that the variance in the rate of seasonal SNPs is ∼2.3 times greater than expected under a Poisson distribution (p\<10^−10^) implying that some regions have an excess of seasonal SNPs and some have a deficit of seasonal SNPs. The overdispersion of seasonal SNPs throughout the genome could be caused by several factors including variation in the density of functional elements, multiple functional and clustered seasonal SNPs, variance in the age of seasonal SNPs, or inversion status. ![Spatial and temporal variation in allele frequencies.\ (A) Genomic distribution of clinal (black line) and seasonal SNPs (red line) per megabase per common polymorphism used in this study ([Table S1](#pgen.1004775.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). (B). Enrichment (log~2~ odds ratio) of seasonal SNPs with spatial F~ST~ greater than or equal to value on x-axis relative to control SNPs. (C) Enrichment (log~2~ odds ratio) of seasonal SNPs with --log~10~(spatial q-value) greater than or equal to value on x-axis relative to control SNPs. (D) Absolute difference between average spring (blue) and fall (red) frequencies in the Pennsylvanian population and frequency estimates along the cline. Confidence bands represent 95% confidence intervals based on blocked bootstrap resampling.](pgen.1004775.g003){#pgen-1004775-g003} In general, we find no evidence that seasonal SNPs are enriched among large, cosmopolitan inversions segregating in North American populations (p\>0.05, [Fig. S4](#pgen.1004775.s004){ref-type="supplementary-material"}), with only one inversion, In3R(Mo), marginally enriched for seasonal SNPs (p = 0.02, with p = 0.18 after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing). In addition, seasonal SNPs are significantly more common in the Pennsylvanian orchard population than polymorphisms perfectly linked [@pgen.1004775-Kapun1] to large cosmopolitan inversions ([Fig. 2E](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}) and polymorphisms linked to inversions do not vary between seasons ([Fig. 2E](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}, p\>0.05), including those linked to In3R(Mo). Therefore, enrichment of seasonal SNPs within In3R(Mo), if present, is most likely due to increased linkage disequilibrium caused by decreased recombination surrounding this inversion [@pgen.1004775-CorbettDetig1]. Taken together, these results indicate that the inversions themselves do not cycle seasonally in the Pennsylvanian population in any appreciable manner ([Fig. 2E](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}) and suggests that adaptive evolution to seasonal variation in selection pressures may be highly polygenic. Relationship between spatial and temporal variation in allele frequencies {#s2c} ------------------------------------------------------------------------- To test the hypothesis that spatially varying selection pressures along the latitudinal cline reflect seasonally varying selection pressures in the Pennsylvanian population, we examined the relationship between temporal and spatial variation in allele frequencies. To quantify spatial variation in allele frequency, we calculated two statistics. First, we estimated average pairwise F~ST~ among all populations for each SNP ('spatial F~ST~'). Second, we estimated clinality for each SNP by calculating the per-SNP false discovery rate (FDR) of the relationship between allele frequency and latitude using a generalized linear model that takes into account read depth and the number of sampled chromosomes (hereafter 'clinal q-value'). Spatial F~ST~ and clinal q-value are highly correlated (r = 0.63, p\<1e-10; [Fig. S5](#pgen.1004775.s005){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) demonstrating that most, but not all, spatial variation along the latitudinal cline is represented by monotonic changes in allele frequency between northern and southern populations. We calculated the number of clinally varying polymorphisms (clinal q-value\<0.1) and the number of adaptively oscillating polymorphisms per common segregating SNP (average, North American MAF\>0.15) per megabase of the genome ([Fig. 3A](#pgen-1004775-g003){ref-type="fig"}). Approximately one out of every three common polymorphisms varies with latitude with FDR\<0.1 (i.e., clinal q-value\<0.1) whereas only one out of every three thousand polymorphisms varies predictably between seasons with seasonal FDR\<0.3 ([Fig. 3A](#pgen-1004775-g003){ref-type="fig"}). Although our ability to detect clinal SNPs at FDR\<0.1 is greater than our ability to detect seasonal SNPs at FDR\<0.3 (cf. [Fig. 2B](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}, [Fig. S6](#pgen.1004775.s006){ref-type="supplementary-material"}), differences in power cannot explain the three order of magnitude difference in the number of detected clinal and seasonal SNPs (cf. [Fig. 2B](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}, [Fig. S6](#pgen.1004775.s006){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Next, we formally tested whether seasonal SNPs are enriched among spatially varying SNPs. Spatially varying SNPs, as defined by spatial F~ST~, are more likely to be seasonal SNPs than expected by chance ([Fig. 3B](#pgen-1004775-g003){ref-type="fig"}), and the odds of this enrichment increases with increasing spatial differentiation. In contrast, we cannot reject the null hypothesis of no enrichment of seasonal SNPs among clinal SNPs as defined by clinal q-value ([Fig. 3C](#pgen-1004775-g003){ref-type="fig"}). The observed differences in the enrichment of seasonal SNPs among SNPs with high spatial F~ST~ and low clinal q-value may reflect aspects of our sampling design and differences in the evolutionary forces that shape allele frequencies through time and space. We sampled flies along the East Coast during different years and at different points of time relative to the progression of the growing season in each population ([Table S1](#pgen.1004775.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Thus, in each sampled clinal population, seasonal SNPs would be at different points in their adaptive trajectory. Consequently, seasonal SNPs would not likely have exceedingly low clinal q-values, a statistic which reflects the deviation of observed allele frequencies from the predicted value as estimated by a GLM. Rather, seasonal SNPs would likely be highly differentiated along the cline (i.e., have a large spatial F~ST~). SNPs with low clinal q-values, therefore, represent those SNPs that do not change in frequency between seasons and possibly reflect long-term demographic processes or adaptation to selection pressures that vary clinally, but not seasonally. Because of the relationship between spatial differentiation and seasonal variation in allele frequencies ([Fig. 3B](#pgen-1004775-g003){ref-type="fig"}) and because of parallels between spatial and seasonal variation in climate, we hypothesized that northern populations should be more 'spring-like' and southern populations should be more 'fall-like' in allele frequencies at the seasonal SNPs. To test this hypothesis, we calculated the absolute difference in allele frequencies for each population sampled along the cline with the average spring and fall allele frequency estimates for the Pennsylvanian population for all seasonal SNPs. Indeed, allele frequency estimates at seasonal SNPs from high latitude populations are more similar to spring Pennsylvanian populations and those from low latitude are more similar to fall populations ([Fig. 3D](#pgen-1004775-g003){ref-type="fig"}) demonstrating that latitudinally varying selection pressures at least partially reflect seasonally varying selection pressures. Immediate adaptive response to an acute frost event {#s2d} --------------------------------------------------- In the late fall of 2011, about two weeks after our 2011 fall sample was collected, a hard frost occurred in the Pennsylvanian orchard ([Fig. 4A](#pgen-1004775-g004){ref-type="fig"}). We were able to obtain a sample of D. melanogaster approximately one week after the frost and we estimated allele frequencies genome-wide from this sample. We hypothesized that allele frequencies at seasonal SNPs would predictably change following the frost event and would become more 'spring-like.' To test this hypothesis, we calculated the probability that post-frost allele frequencies at seasonal SNPs overshoot the long-term average allele frequency (i.e., become more 'spring-like'). We also estimated this probability for control polymorphisms, matched to adaptively oscillating polymorphisms by several characteristics ([Table S3](#pgen.1004775.s010){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) including, importantly, difference in allele frequency between the long-term average and the pre-frost allele frequency. This later control is essential given that some shift in the 'spring-like' direction is expected here simply by chance due to regression to the mean. The probability that seasonal SNPs overshoot the long-term average allele frequency is ∼43%, whereas only ∼35% of control polymorphisms overshoot the long-term average. This significant excess of adaptively oscillating polymorphisms that become more 'spring-like' following the frost event ([Fig. 4B](#pgen-1004775-g004){ref-type="fig"}; log~2~(OR) = 0.48, p\<0.002) suggests that these SNPs respond to acute changes in climate and that cold temperatures associated with winter is one selective force acting on this population shaping allele frequencies between seasons. ![Adaptive evolution to frost.\ (A) Temperature records at a weather station close to the focal orchard. Grey lines indicate collection dates for pre- and post-frost samples. (B) Probability that post-frost allele frequencies at seasonal and control SNPs overshoot the long-term average (based on 2009 and 2010 estimates) allele frequency at each site. Confidence intervals based on blocked bootstrap resampling.](pgen.1004775.g004){#pgen-1004775-g004} Association with seasonally variable phenotypes {#s2e} ----------------------------------------------- Chill-coma recovery time and starvation tolerance are two phenotypes that vary seasonally in drosophilid populations [@pgen.1004775-Gibert1]--[@pgen.1004775-Sisodia1]. Accordingly, we hypothesized that the winter-favored allele at seasonal SNPs would be associated with decreased chill-coma recovery time and increased starvation tolerance. To test this hypothesis, we used allele frequency data from previously published tail-based mapping of chill-coma recovery time and starvation tolerance [@pgen.1004775-Huang1]. We show that the winter favored allele at seasonal SNPs is more likely to be associated with fast chill coma recovery time than expected by chance across a range of GWAS p-values ([Fig. 5A](#pgen-1004775-g005){ref-type="fig"}). A similar analysis of starvation tolerance was equivocal but the general pattern is that the winter-adaptive allele is associated with increased starvation tolerance ([Fig. 5B](#pgen-1004775-g005){ref-type="fig"}). ![Association with seasonally variable phenotypes.\ Enrichment (log~2~ odds ratio) of seasonal SNPs that change in frequency in the expected direction at SNPs associated with chill coma recovery time (A) and starvation tolerance (B) relative to contronl SNPs. The x-axis represents the threshold -log~10~(GWAS p-value), i.e. values along the x-axis represent the minimum -log~10~(GWAS p-value) for SNPs under consideration. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals based on blocked bootstrap resampling.](pgen.1004775.g005){#pgen-1004775-g005} Long-term balancing selection {#s2f} ----------------------------- Balancing selection caused by variation in selection pressures through time can in principle maintain allelic variation at adaptively oscillating loci and elevate levels of neutral diversity surrounding these balanced polymorphisms. Thus, if seasonal variation in selection pressures promotes balanced polymorphisms we hypothesized that seasonal SNPs would be old and present in regions of elevated polymorphism. We tested the hypothesis that seasonal SNPs are old by first examining their allele frequencies in a broad survey of African D. melanogaster populations [@pgen.1004775-Pool1]. Approximately 5% of seasonal SNPs are rare in Africa (MAF\<0.01), however these SNPs are not more likely to be rare in Africa than control polymorphisms (log~2~(odds ratio) = 0.96; p = 0.328). Interestingly, for seasonal SNPs where one allele is rare in Africa, the summer favored alleles are more likely to be rare in Africa than winter favored alleles (log~2~(odds ratio) = 0.475; p = 0.018). Because the vast majority of seasonal SNPs segregate in Africa, it appears that adaptation to temperate environments, and particularly winter conditions, relies primarily on old, standing genetic variation. Balancing selection acts to maintain alleles at intermediate frequencies for long periods of time and, in some instances, can maintain polymorphism across species boundaries [@pgen.1004775-Klein1], [@pgen.1004775-Leffler1]. We examined whether seasonal SNPs showed signatures of long-term balancing selection by examining patterns of polymorphism surrounding orthologous regions in D. simulans, the sister species to D. melanogaster. We note that the following analyses are conservative because we underestimate D. simulans diversity given the small number (\<6) of D. simulans haplotypes used. First, we demonstrate that seasonal SNPs are approximately 1.5 times more likely to be polymorphic and share the same two alleles identical by state in both species relative to control SNPs. This pattern is observed for all seasonal SNPs ([Fig. 6](#pgen-1004775-g006){ref-type="fig"}, p\<0.002) and for seasonal SNPs residing in genes ([Fig. 6](#pgen-1004775-g006){ref-type="fig"}, p\<0.002). The increased probability of shared polymorphism between D. melanogaster and D. simulans at seasonal SNPs could, in principle, be driven by an over-representation of synonymous, genic SNPs ([Fig. 2C](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}). Unless synonymous SNPs are in four-fold degenerate positions, certain mutations may cause them to be non-synonymous thereby limiting the number of possible neutral allelic states and increasing the probability of shared polymorphism between species. However, adaptively oscillating SNPs that do not reside in synonymous sites are also more likely than expected by chance to be polymorphic and share the same two alleles by state in D. melanogaster and D. simulans ([Fig. 6](#pgen-1004775-g006){ref-type="fig"}, p = 0.014). ![Long term balancing selection.\ Enrichment (log~2~ odds ratio) of seasonal SNPs among SNPs that polymorphic and identical by state among 6 lineages of D. simulans relative to control SNPs. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals based on blocked bootstrap resampling.](pgen.1004775.g006){#pgen-1004775-g006} The co-occurrence of shared polymorphism between D. melanogaster and D. simulans could result from three evolutionary mechanisms. First, trans-specific polymorphisms could result from adaptive introgression. This scenario seems implausible given the high degree of pre- and post-zygotic isolating mechanisms between these two species [@pgen.1004775-Welbergen1], [@pgen.1004775-Sturtevant1]. Furthermore, if trans-specific polymorphisms resulted from recent adaptive introgression we would expect average pairwise divergence between D. melanogaster and D. simulans surrounding seasonal SNPs to be smaller than at control SNPs. However, there is no significant difference in estimates of divergence between seasonal and control SNPs (p = 0.7 for windows ±250 bp). Second, trans-specific polymorphisms could result from convergent adaptive evolution. Finally, trans-specific polymorphisms could be millions of years old [@pgen.1004775-Tamura1], predating the divergence of D. melanogaster from D. simulans. While we cannot differentiate these latter two mechanisms, we postulate that the most parsimonious explanation is that trans-specific seasonal SNPs predate the divergence of these two sister species. Seasonally variable selection is required to generate genome-wide patterns of allele frequency change through time {#s2g} ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Despite empirical support for the conclusion that seasonal SNPs show many signatures consistent with adaptive response to seasonally variable selection, drift, caused by cyclic population booms and busts, or migration from neighboring demes are alternative mechanisms that could drastically perturb allele frequencies in the Pennsylvanian population and could generate some of the genome-wide patterns we observe. We address these possibilities here and conclude that neither cyclic changes in population size nor seasonal migration can plausibly explain the extent of genome-wide genetic differentiation through time, the observed number of seasonal SNPs, nor the enrichment of seasonal SNPs among many distinct genomic features (e.g., [Figs. 2](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}--[6](#pgen-1004775-g006){ref-type="fig"}). At the same time, we also show through several simulation approaches that rapid adaptive evolution in response to seasonal fluctuations in selection pressure is sufficient to explain patterns of allele frequency change through time. Furthermore, we discuss how large-scale migration is internally inconsistent with certain aspects of our data. Taken together, we conclude that rapid adaptive evolution to seasonally variable selection is required to explain the patterns of allele frequency change through time at seasonal SNPs and at linked neutral loci that we observe in our dataset. First, we assessed the possibility that extensive drift caused by population contraction every winter [@pgen.1004775-Knibb1], [@pgen.1004775-Band1], [@pgen.1004775-Ives1] could generate genome-wide patterns of genetic differentiation through time observed in our data. To do so, we conducted forward genetic simulations that model biologically plausible variation in population size and included loci that cycle in frequency due to variable selection pressures [@pgen.1004775-Messer1]. For these simulations, we modeled a 20 Mb chromosome with constant recombination rate of 2 cM/Mb, representing the genome-wide average recombination rate in D. melanogaster [@pgen.1004775-Comeron1]. We simulated population contraction to one of various minimum, 'overwintering' population sizes followed by exponential growth over 10 generations in the 'summer' to a fixed maximum population size. In these models, we included various numbers of loci that respond to seasonally varying selection. Selection coefficients for each locus were set such that allele frequencies at selected sites oscillated by ∼20%, between 60 and 40%, representing the average change in allele frequency we actually see between spring and fall at seasonal SNPs. Finally, we placed 500 neutral loci randomly along the simulated chromosome and measured F~ST~ at these neutral loci between three 'spring' (i.e., first generation of population expansion) and 'fall' (last generation of population expansion) samples. See [Materials and Methods](#s3){ref-type="sec"} for more details these models. In the absence of seasonal selection, these forward simulations suggest that overwintering N~e~ would have to be exceedingly low (∼20; [Fig. 7A](#pgen-1004775-g007){ref-type="fig"}) to generate levels of F~ST~ between spring and fall as high as we observe in our data (arrow in [Fig. 1C](#pgen-1004775-g001){ref-type="fig"}). However, with overwintering N~e~ of 200 and 5--10 seasonally adaptive SNPs per chromosome arm, simulated F~ST~ at neutral loci is on the order of 0.002 ([Fig. 7A](#pgen-1004775-g007){ref-type="fig"}), which we observe in our data (arrow in [Fig. 1C](#pgen-1004775-g001){ref-type="fig"}). While we do not know overwintering population size, we speculate it could be on the order of 200 flies or likely substantially larger [@pgen.1004775-Band1], [@pgen.1004775-Ives1] and conclude that at least 25--50 (5--10 per main chromosome arm) loci are sufficient to generate patterns of differentiation we observe through time. Note that increasing the overwintering population size requires concomitant increase in number of seasonally selected loci. ![Demographic models.\ (A) Expected value of F~ST~ between simulated spring and fall samples (y-axis), conditional on overwintering effective population size and the number of seasonally adaptive alleles (color key). Dotted line represents observed average, genome-wide after F~ST~ between spring and fall samples from the Pennsylvanian population. (B) Expected number of SNPs that would vary repeatedly between seasons three times in a row conditional on founding deme size for a simple model of recolonization of the orchard population. Dotted line represents the observed number of seasonal SNPs and the corresponding founding deme size required, in this case 5 flies. (C) Minimum population size (y-axis) for the required for varying number of seasonally selected loci (x-axis) under a truncation selection model assuming independent response to selection at each locus. Dotted line represents our best guess of fall population size and corresponding number of loci that could independently respond to truncation selection. Confidence bands based on resampling of observed allele frequency change at seasonal SNPs.](pgen.1004775.g007){#pgen-1004775-g007} We regard overwintering population sizes of ∼20 flies to be inconsistent with certain aspects of our data and also implausible given what we know about the biology of the species. First, such a severe population contraction would result in reduction of genetic diversity, particularly for low frequency alleles. However, the observed allele frequency spectrum between fall and the following spring samples is similar and spring samples do not exhibit the expected loss of low frequency polymorphisms that would result from a population contraction to 20 individuals ([Fig. S7](#pgen.1004775.s007){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Second, population contraction to 20 individuals would often lead to population extirpation in the Pennsylvanian orchard and would certainly lead to extirpation at localities further north that experience more severe winters. However, D. melanogaster are routinely collected in Northern orchards very early in the season [@pgen.1004775-Schmidt3] and are routinely found in populations at as far north as 45° (Schmidt pers. obs). Furthermore, certain rare alleles have persisted in northern D. melanogaster populations for upwards of 30 years [@pgen.1004775-Ives2] cf. [@pgen.1004775-Coyne1] and allele frequency clines are relatively stable over decadal scales [@pgen.1004775-Umina1] demonstrating that high latitude populations are not frequently extirpated and that overwintering bottlenecks cannot be so severe as our neutral simulations would require. In our forward simulations, seasonally variable selection is sufficient to generate high levels of genome-wide genetic differentiation through time. In addition, our forward simulations are consistent with the increase of genome-wide average F~ST~ through time excluding polymorphisms that are within 500 bp of seasonal SNPs ([Fig. S3](#pgen.1004775.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). In our simulations, 500 neutral loci were placed randomly along a 20 Mb chromosome and were initially completely unlinked to selected loci. Therefore, the high levels of simulated F~ST~ are a consequence of genetic draft acting over long physical distances with low to moderate linkage disequilibrium between neutral and selected polymorphisms. Our observation that genome-wide average F~ST~ (excluding polymorphisms near seasonal SNPs, [Fig. S3](#pgen.1004775.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) increases with time resembles our simulations suggesting that draft can perturb allele frequencies over long genetic distances. We also note that long-range genetic draft, caused by rapid frequency shifts of ancient balanced alleles to seasonally variable selection would likely cause an asymptotic change in genome-wide temporal F~ST~, whereas a purely drift-based model would likely cause a linear increase in genome-wide F~ST~ through time. Seasonal SNPs tend to be old and are therefore likely found on a diverse array of haplotypes. Therefore, the exact composition of haplotypes that rise and fall every seasonal cycle will be somewhat stochastic giving rise to a high genome-wide F~ST~ over a duration of time less than ∼7 months (the duration of time between fall and the following spring). Among years, genome-wide average F~ST~ would possibly plateau if local N~e~ were large (as we suspect it is, see [Results and Discussion](#s2){ref-type="sec"}: The plausibility...), coupled with the effects of recombination, gene conversion, and low-level migration from neighboring demes or populations. Finally, we note that because seasonal SNPs likely exist on a diverse array of haplotypes we do not expect genome-wide average F~ST~ to oscillate with a period corresponding to approximately 6--7 months. For such oscillations to occur, a large (i.e., much larger than we identify) number of loci would have to be repeatedly shifting between seasons. Next, we explore the possibility that migration could drastically alter allele frequencies in the Pennsylvanian population and generate the large number of loci that vary repeatedly among seasons. First, we examined a simple but general demographic model where the Pennsylvanian orchard population becomes extirpated every year and recolonized from a refugium such as a southern population or a large, local site such as a compost pile. Either situation is plausible given the purportedly high rates of migration in North American D. melanogaster populations [@pgen.1004775-Coyne1], [@pgen.1004775-Berry1] and what little is known about the overwintering biology of high latitude D. melanogaster [@pgen.1004775-Ives2]. In our model, we envisioned a resident, refugial population with stable allele frequencies across years that colonizes the orchard population. In this model, the orchard would be colonized early in the season with a random subsample of flies from the refugium and would therefore have aberrant allele frequencies. As more migrants arrived to the orchard from the refugium, allele frequencies at the orchard would stabilize to that of the source population. In such a scenario, allele frequencies in spring samples could vary considerably and a small fraction of SNPs might, by chance, have the same aberrant allele frequencies year after year and would appear to cycle seasonally. We calculated the expected number of SNPs that would cycle by chance alone as a function of the number of initial migrants ([Fig. 7B](#pgen-1004775-g007){ref-type="fig"}). For instance, if five migrants arrived at the orchard prior to our spring sample every year, approximately 1300 SNPs would cycle seasonally producing similar patterns to the observed change in allele frequency through time as at 'seasonal SNPs' ([Fig. 2A](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}). However, if four migrants arrived at the orchard prior to our sampling, ∼2600 SNPs would vary repeatedly but if six migrants arrived, only ∼700 would. Although the expected number of sites that oscillate under this migration model with 5 migrants is approximately the number we observe, we note that the expected number is highly dependent on the exact number of migrants. It seems unlikely that exactly five flies would migrate from the refugium to the orchard before our first spring sample three times in a row. Therefore, the extreme sensitivity of the expected number of sites to the number of migrants makes this general demographic scenario implausible. We are therefore led to conclude that the simple migration model presented here is likely to be insufficient to explain changes in allele frequency through time in the Pennsylvanian orchard. In addition to our conclusion that a simple model of recolonization of the orchard is insufficient to explain the number of seasonally variable loci we observe, our data are also inconsistent with large-scale migrations from adjacent populations. For instance, if a large-scale migration from the South to resident northern populations were to occur, we would expect that clinally varying SNPs should also vary seasonally. Such a pattern would be expected both if a large-scale migration occurred randomly or were genotype dependent. However, seasonal SNPs are apparently not enriched among clinally varying polymorphisms ([Fig. 3C](#pgen-1004775-g003){ref-type="fig"}). A similar logic would apply for an early season migration from the North followed by a subsequent, late season migration from the South. We also note that this dual migration model is biologically implausible. The relationship between latitude and the onset of spring would suggest that far northern populations would be quite small in the early part of the growing season and the subsequent probability of emigration to southern locales would be low. Therefore, we conclude that large-scale migration does not play a major role shaping seasonal variation in allele frequencies in the Pennsylvanian orchard. Furthermore, even if seasonal SNPs were enriched among clinally varying polymorphisms (which they do not appear to be), adaptation to seasonally variable selection would need to be invoked in order to explain the yearly shift in allele frequencies every winter. Taken together, the models presented here demonstrate that seasonal boom-bust or migration-based scenarios are insufficient to explain allele frequency change through time in the Pennsylvanian population. While temperate populations of D. melanogaster clearly undergo cyclic population booms and busts due to changes in climate associated with the season, the extent of these population contractions necessary to generate the patterns of genetic variation through time that we observe would be too extreme to allow for stable population persistence. Similarly, the Pennsylvanian population certainly exists as a part of a complex metapopulation and experiences immigration and emigration. However, analysis of a simple demographic model of population recolonization during the spring is also insufficient to explain the patterns of allele frequency change through time that we observe and our data are internally inconsistent with a model of large-scale migration from neighboring populations. Finally, we point out that the boom-bust and recolonization models we presented here undoubtedly are oversimplifications and that there are other, more complex demographic models that we have not explored. Nonetheless, any stochastic demographic event would affect SNPs throughout the genome with equal probability. Many aspects of our data clearly show that seasonal SNPs are not a random set of common SNPs but rather show signatures consistent with both functional effect and long-term balancing selection such as enrichment in specific classes of genetic elements, association with seasonally variable phenotypes and predictable and virtually instantaneous shifts in allele frequency in response to frost. Therefore, while we cannot conclusively rule out the possibility that demographic events affect the temporal dynamics of allele frequencies at seasonal- and non-seasonal SNPs in the Pennsylvanian population, these demographic events are most likely coupled with adaptive evolution in response to temporally varying selection pressures. The plausibility of seasonally variable selection {#s2h} ------------------------------------------------- We have previously argued that adaptive response to seasonally fluctuating selection at no less than 25--50 loci is necessary to generate the high levels of genome-wide genetic differentiation through time observed in the Pennsylvanian population. Next, we considered the plausibility of such strong selection and estimated the upper bound of the number of loci that could independently respond to seasonally variable selection. To do so, we modeled independent selection at 1--10,000 simulated seasonal SNPs whose allele frequency change was drawn from the observed allele frequency change at seasonal SNPs. Using a simple Poisson model (see [Materials and Methods](#s3){ref-type="sec"}), we estimated the minimum fall census size required for that number of loci to shift in allele frequency during one or two rounds of truncation selection. Using these models, we sought to estimate the most likely number of seasonal SNPs that could independently respond to seasonally variable selection by contrasting model-based estimates of population size with our best estimates of population size in the field. Although fall census size of D. melanogaster in the focal Pennsylvanian population is unknown, some estimates of drosophilid population size have been made. Global population size of D. melanogaster is likely to be extremely large, greater than 10^8^ [@pgen.1004775-Karasov1]. However, estimates of local population size made from mark-release-recapture methods report census sizes on the order of 10^4^ to 10^5^ [@pgen.1004775-Mckenzie1]--[@pgen.1004775-Powell1]), with considerable variation among seasons, years and locales. D. melanogaster samples from orchards and vineyards often exceed 10^4^ flies [@pgen.1004775-Gravot1], [@pgen.1004775-Bastide1] and thousands of flies can easily be collected over large compost piles (Bergland pers. obs.). Therefore, we speculate that census size of temperate D. melanogaster populations at any locale is a function of the local ecology (e.g., amount of windfall fruit, number and size of compost piles, humidity) and given the favorable conditions in the focal Pennsylvanian orchard (Schmidt pers. obs.), large census sizes of more than 10^5^ are conceivable. If fall census size in the Pennsylvanian population is on the order of 10^5^, our truncation selection model suggests that no more than several hundred (200--700, [Fig. 7C](#pgen-1004775-g007){ref-type="fig"}) seasonal SNPs could respond to seasonally varying selection independently. We note that increasing the number of generations of winter-like selection pressures or the fall census size would lead to a concomitant increase in the number of seasonally selected loci that could independently respond to seasonally varying selection pressures. Our survey of temporal changes in allele frequency identified 1750 seasonal SNPs that cycle significantly by ∼20% between seasons at FDR of 0.3. Unless local census size in the Pennsylvanian population were unrealistically large -- on the order of 10^10^ or 10^20^ -- it is unlikely that all of these loci respond to selection independently. Our model suggests, however, that a large fraction, on the order of 200--700 could vary independently in every cycle. One explanation for cycling in the remaining SNPs is linkage with loci responding to seasonally variable selection. It is possible that this linkage is generated either stochastically and neutrally or, alternatively, by selective processes such as assortative mating [@pgen.1004775-Kirkpatrick1] or epistatic selection [@pgen.1004775-Lewontin1], [@pgen.1004775-Giesel1]. For instance, if winter adapted flies were more likely to mate with other winter adapted flies during the summer, winter adapted alleles may become coupled and linkage disequilibrium between these alleles could increase. Similarly, certain forms of epistatic interactions could also generate linkage disequilibrium between seasonal SNPs if, for instance, couplings of winter and summer favored alleles at multiple loci were particularly deleterious relative to winter-winter or summer-summer combinations. The net effect of selective mechanisms that promote positive linkage disequilibrium between seasonal SNPs is that the effective number of 'independently' seasonally selected loci decreases. If seasonal SNPs are in linkage disequilibrium due to selective processes, it would imply that more than 200--700 seasonal SNPs contribute to organismal form and function and modify fitness during the summer and winter. Conclusions -- Summary {#s2i} ---------------------- Herein, we present results from population based resequencing of samples of flies collected along a latitudinal cline in North America and over three years during the spring and fall in a Pennsylvanian orchard. We identify repeatable and dramatic changes in allele frequencies through time at hundreds of polymorphisms spread throughout the genome. Response to strong selection at these seasonal SNPs likely drives genetic differentiation through time at linked, neutral polymorphisms. This process leads to genome-wide differentiation between samples collected several years apart comparable to populations separated by 5--10° latitude. Seasonal SNPs are likely to be functional as they show enrichment at functional sites, vary predictably among populations sampled along the cline, respond immediately to a hard frost event, and are associated with phenotypes previously shown to vary seasonally in temperate D. melanogaster populations. Finally, our results suggest that some adaptively oscillating SNPs are possibly millions of years old, predating the split of D. melanogaster from its sister species D. simulans. Taken together, our results provide the first genomic picture of balancing selection caused by temporal fluctuations in selection pressures and provide novel insight into the biology of marginal overdominance. Conclusions -- Functional properties of adaptively oscillating polymorphisms {#s2j} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Temperate populations of D. melanogaster are exposed to high levels of environmental heterogeneity among seasons due to changes in various aspects of the environment including temperature, humidity, and nutritional quality and quantity. These shifts in the environment are primary determinants of cyclic population booms and busts [@pgen.1004775-Ives2], [@pgen.1004775-Mckenzie1], [@pgen.1004775-McInnis1] and impose strong temporally and spatially variable selection. Intuition, theoretical models [@pgen.1004775-Lewontin2], laboratory experimentation [@pgen.1004775-Schmidt1], and inference from patterns of clinal variation [@pgen.1004775-Schmidt4]--[@pgen.1004775-Arthur1] and seasonal variation in morphological, behavioral and life-history traits suggest that alternate seasons favor differing life-history strategies. In general, populations exposed to more harsh conditions such as those from Northern locales or those collected early in the season are larger [@pgen.1004775-James1], [@pgen.1004775-Robinson1], more stress tolerant [@pgen.1004775-Karan1]--[@pgen.1004775-Parkash1], [@pgen.1004775-Arthur1], longer lived [@pgen.1004775-Schmidt5], and are less fecund [@pgen.1004775-Schmidt5], [@pgen.1004775-Lazzaro1] than those collected in Southern locales or during the fall. The general picture that emerges, therefore, is that in temperate populations winter conditions select for hardier but less fecund individuals whereas summer selects for high reproductive output at the cost of somatic maintenance. Nonetheless, there is surprisingly little evidence directly linking adaptive differentiation between seasonally favored genetic polymorphisms, phenotypes and environmental perturbations (but see [@pgen.1004775-Schmidt1]). Herein we present several key results that link seasonal and spatial patterns of genotypic and phenotypic variation with environmental perturbations. First, our data suggest that that acute bouts of cold temperature elicit adaptive response at seasonally oscillating polymorphisms ([Fig. 4](#pgen-1004775-g004){ref-type="fig"}). Heretofore, the specific environmental factors altering allele frequencies through time and space among dipteran species has generally remained elusive largely stemming from the fact that many aspects of the environment co-vary over temporal and spatial scales. Here we show that acute exposure to sub-freezing temperatures in the field shifts allele frequencies in a spring like direction at seasonal SNPs but not at control polymorphisms, thereby suggesting that sharp modulation of temperature can act as a selective force in the field. While post-frost allele frequencies at seasonal SNPs move in a 'spring-like' direction, they do not reach average spring allele frequencies. This suggests that multiple frost events, long-term exposure to cold temperatures or other selective factors linked to winter conditions such as starvation also impose strong selection in temperate populations. Next, we demonstrate that environmental differences among populations predict, to a certain extent, changes in allele frequency at seasonal SNPs. Environmental factors that vary over seasonal time scales also vary with latitude. This fact has facilitated studies that substitute space for time and has led to a paradigm in many aspects of contemporary research in drosophilid evolutionary ecology of examining phenotypic and genetic differentiation along latitudinal (and altitudinal) clines as a proxy for studying adaptation to temperate environments [@pgen.1004775-Singh1]. Using allele frequency estimates that we made from populations sampled along the North American latitudinal cline, we demonstrate that southern populations are more 'fall-like' at seasonal SNPs whereas northern populations are more 'spring-like' ([Fig. 3D](#pgen-1004775-g003){ref-type="fig"}). Northern populations experience more severe winters and have shorter growing seasons; therefore, we speculate that the changes in allele frequency at adaptively oscillating polymorphisms along the cline is because (1) the summer favored allele would be at lower frequency due to stronger selection during the winter and (2) the summer favored allele would not rise in frequency as much during the summer because of the shorter growing season. The converse would be the case for Southern populations. Finally, we relate seasonally variable SNPs with ecologically relevant phenotypic variation. Previous studies have demonstrated that two important stress tolerance traits, chill coma recovery time and starvation resistance vary in predictable ways among temperate populations of D. melanogaster. Northern populations tend to have fast chill coma recovery time [@pgen.1004775-Ayrinhac1]--[@pgen.1004775-Overgaard1] recapitulating deeper phylogenetic patterns among drosophilids originating from temperate and tropical locales [@pgen.1004775-Gibert1]. Evidence for latitudinal variation in starvation tolerance is more equivocal with low latitude populations of D. melanogaster being more starvation tolerant in some studies but not significantly so in others [@pgen.1004775-Karan1], [@pgen.1004775-Gilchrist1] and closely related species showing equally ambiguous patterns [@pgen.1004775-Schmidt2], [@pgen.1004775-Hoffmann2], [@pgen.1004775-Gilchrist1]. However, diapause-competent genotypes that are at high frequency in Northern populations and in the spring show increased starvation tolerance [@pgen.1004775-Schmidt2] suggesting that spatial and temporal differentiation in starvation tolerance may be parallel in the context of specific polymorphisms. Nonetheless, because selection pressures along latitudinal clines are generally parallel with seasonal selection pressures (e.g., [Fig. 3D](#pgen-1004775-g003){ref-type="fig"}) we reasoned that winter adapted alleles at seasonal SNPs would be associated with fast chill coma recovery time and increased starvation tolerance. We show that winter adapted alleles at seasonal SNPs are likely to be associated with fast chill coma recovery time and, to a lesser extent, starvation tolerance ([Fig. 5](#pgen-1004775-g005){ref-type="fig"}). The strength of the relationship between seasonal SNPs with these two phenotypes likely differs for many reasons, including intrinsic differences in the statistical power and the complex genetic architecture of these traits. Nonetheless, the fact that seasonal SNPs are associated with chill coma recovery and starvation tolerance in the predicted direction given our prior knowledge of seasonal variation in these two traits strongly suggests that seasonal SNPs are functional and affect seasonally dependent fitness via stress tolerance traits. In addition, the concordance between seasonal SNPs and SNPs moderately associated with chill coma recovery time and starvation tolerance suggests that the intermediate frequency SNPs that we are investigating here have small effects on phenotype but nonetheless have large effects on average population fitness. Taken together, our analysis has linked adaptive oscillations at hundreds of polymorphisms in D. melanogaster to specific and persistent differences in climate and to phenotypes known to be under diversifying selection through time and space. Our results support the hypothesis that stress tolerance traits are favored during the winter and disfavored during the summer. Stress tolerance traits such as chill coma recovery time and starvation tolerance often have negative genetic correlations with reproductive output [@pgen.1004775-Schmidt2], [@pgen.1004775-Ayroles1] or development time [@pgen.1004775-Reynolds1], two phenotypes that would be favored during exponential growth during the summer. Therefore, it is likely that a subset of seasonal SNPs directly contribute to a tradeoff between stress tolerance and reproductive output. Because D. melanogaster originated in sub-Saharan Africa and colonized the world in the wake of human migration 200--10,000 years ago [@pgen.1004775-David1] it has been hypothesized [@pgen.1004775-Sezgin1] that phenotypes favored during the winter are derived whereas those favored during the summer are ancestral with respect to tropical, African populations. Although we show that the vast majority of seasonal SNPs are common in Africa, a small set (∼5%) are rare, segregating at less than 1%. Somewhat surprisingly, summer favored alleles are more likely to be rare in Africa than winter favored alleles (see [Results and Discussion](#s2){ref-type="sec"}: Long term...) suggesting that some environmental aspects of summer in temperate orchards are new for D. melanogaster. Consistent with the observation that flies sampled at low latitudes are likely subject to intense intra- and inter-specific competition [@pgen.1004775-James1], we speculate that the cornucopia of rotten fruit during the summer in mid- to high-latitude locales coupled with decreased inter-specific competition is a novel environment for D. melanogaster that has allowed formerly rare alleles associated with increased reproductive output to flourish. Conclusions -- Long-term, polygenic balancing selection, and ecological generality {#s2k} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Herein, we present several lines of evidence demonstrating that hundreds of loci adaptively respond to seasonal fluctuations in the environment. Despite (or because of) the fact that these loci promote rapid adaptive evolution, many have remained polymorphic for millions of generations within D. melanogaster and some possibly predate the divergence of D. melanogaster and D. simulans ∼5 million years ago. Taken together, these observations suggest that alleles at these loci have may have been maintained by environmental heterogeneity for exceptionally long periods of time. Long-term balancing selection is typically regarded as an evolutionary oddity, found predominantly in the genetic systems regulating host-pathogen interactions, self-incompatibility, and sex-determination [@pgen.1004775-Klein1], [@pgen.1004775-Langley1]. Herein, we provide evidence that environmental heterogeneity might promote long-term balanced polymorphisms at hundreds of loci that affect quantitative, stress tolerance traits. Theory predicts that temporal variation in selection coefficients can maintain adaptive genetic variation for long periods of time when certain genetic and ecological conditions are met. Classic models suggest that the adaptive variation can be maintained in populations because of temporal shifts in selection pressure only when the heterozygote has a higher geometric mean fitness than either homozygote [@pgen.1004775-Gillespie1]. Such conditions are necessary for both finite and infinite populations and, moreover, in finite populations the persistence time of adaptive polymorphisms may be shorter than for neutral ones [@pgen.1004775-Hedrick1]. However, alternative models have demonstrated that overlapping generations [@pgen.1004775-Ellner2], the combination of spatial and temporal variation in selection pressures [@pgen.1004775-Ewing1], habitat fidelity [@pgen.1004775-GarciaDorado1], [@pgen.1004775-Hedrick2], and multiple liked loci subject to temporally variable selection [@pgen.1004775-Korol1] will increase the persistence time of balanced polymorphisms maintained by environmental heterogeneity. Each of these conditions are met in for D. melanogaster. First, flies are highly fecund [@pgen.1004775-Bergland1], iteroparous insects with generation time a fraction of lifespan [@pgen.1004775-Schmidt4], [@pgen.1004775-Schmidt5]. Therefore natural populations are likely to be highly age structured which will prevent the loss of balanced alleles during alternate seasons. Second, spatial selection pressures vary on the order of meters to kilometers [@pgen.1004775-McKechnie1], [@pgen.1004775-Rashkovetsky1], all well within the dispersal radius of flies [@pgen.1004775-McInnis1]. In addition, flies often return to the substrate they were collected on [@pgen.1004775-Turelli1], [@pgen.1004775-Hoffmann3] and flies collected within a locale show signatures of population structure on the order of tens of meters [@pgen.1004775-Wallace1], [@pgen.1004775-Oshima1]. Therefore, low to moderate levels of migration between demes separated by various distances [@pgen.1004775-Coyne1], [@pgen.1004775-Berry1], [@pgen.1004775-McInnis1] and environmental heterogeneity over small spatial scales may help mitigate the loss of balanced polymorphisms in any one orchard. Finally, our study identified hundreds of adaptively oscillating polymorphisms. Although the vast majority of these polymorphisms are unlinked due to the large physical distance between them, there is evidence of heterogeneity in the abundance of seasonal SNPs throughout the genome suggesting that some might be in partial linkage disequilibrium. Some models [@pgen.1004775-Korol1] have suggested that linkage between polymorphisms subject to temporally variable selection can allow for long-term persistence of both alleles at multiple sites. Taken together, we suspect D. melanogaster satisfies several key features required for the long-term maintenance of balanced polymorphisms due to temporal (and spatial) variation in selection pressures. Nonetheless, how do we account for the observation that these polymorphisms have been possibly maintained across different continents with clear differences in climate and between species with different ecologies [@pgen.1004775-Capy1]? The long-term persistence of these adaptively oscillating polymorphisms across populations, continents, and species suggests that these polymorphisms contribute to short-term and local adaptation in response to very generalized environmental conditions. This is in contrast to the hypothesis [@pgen.1004775-Ginzburg1] that adaptation to temperate environments in D. melanogaster was largely in response to novel environments, exclusively associated with life in northern, temperate locales. Rather, we speculate that the selective pressures associated with seasons in temperate environments are merely manifestations of general selective pressures resulting from cyclic population booms and busts. That is, during times of plenty, such as during the summer in temperate locales, populations rapidly expand and alleles that confer increased reproductive output or faster time to sexual maturity are strongly favored. Likewise, when population size contracts due to biotic and abiotic stressors such as those experienced during winter, alleles that confer increased stress resistance are favored. Cyclic population booms and busts are almost certainly a perennial feature of D. melanogaster populations, are a likely common occurrence in highly fecund species that exploit ephemeral resources, and may be an inherent property of most species in general [@pgen.1004775-Ginzburg1]. If true, we speculate that such species may harbor alleles that promote reproductive fitness during population growth (at the cost of somatic maintenance) and increase stress tolerance (at the cost of reproductive growth) during population contraction. Such balanced polymorphisms may be particularly common for species whose population cycles are decoupled from predictable environmental cues (e.g., photoperiod) but are rather linked to stochastic changes in resource abundance. For species such as these, including many microorganisms and invertebrates, balanced polymorphisms maintained by environmental heterogeneity through time and space may be the norm rather than the exception. Materials and Methods {#s3} ===================== Fly collections {#s3a} --------------- We resequenced samples of D. melanogaster from populations sampled over several years (2003--2010) largely during periods of peak abundance along a broad latitudinal cline in North America and during multiple time points over three consecutive years (2009 to 2011) at the Linvilla Orchard in Media, PA (39.9°N, 75.4°W). From each locality and sampling period, we collected ∼50--200 D. melanogaster largely by aspiration from individual fruits or baiting at strawberry fields and apple and peach orchards, established isofemale lines and collected male progeny at generation 1--5 for sequencing. One male progeny per isofemale line per population was pooled together to generate template DNA for high throughput sequencing ([Table S1](#pgen.1004775.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). The only two exceptions are the second replicate sample from Maine which was derived from wild-caught males and the sample from North Carolina which was sampled from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) inbred lines. For the DGRP population, we resequenced a pooled sample consisting of one male from each of 92 DGRP strains and used allele frequency estimates from pooled samples when estimating clinality (see [@pgen.1004775-Wright1] for more information on this sample and [@pgen.1004775-Mackay1] for more information on this population). Note, there is evidence that two samples (Florida replicate 2 and post-frost Pennsylvania) show low levels of contamination with the sister species D. simulans (i.e., ∼ one wild caught D. simulans was accidentally included in our pooled sample). However, we have no evidence that the low level of contamination in two samples affects our results in any way (see [Text S1](#pgen.1004775.s011){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Sample preparation, sequencing, and bioinformatics of pooled samples {#s3b} -------------------------------------------------------------------- DNA libraries were prepared for sequencing on the Illumina HiSeq2000 platform. To generate these libraries, we homogenized whole, male flies in 200 µL lysis buffer (100 mM Tris-Cl, 100 mM EDTA, 100 mM NaCL, 0.5% SDS) using a motorized pestle grinder. An additional 200 µL of lysis buffer was added to each sample and the homogenate was incubated at 65°C for 30 minutes. After lysis, we added 800 µL of 2 parts 5M potassium acetate, 5 parts 6M lithium chloride solution and incubated on ice for 15 minutes to precipitate proteins. The homogenate was centrifuged for at 12 K rotations per minute (RPM) for 15 minutes at room temperature, 1 mL supernatant was transferred to a new tube, and the sample was centrifuged again at 12K RPM for 15 minutes at room temperature. To precipitate DNA, we added 800 µL of isopropanol and centrifuged the sample at 12K RPM for 15 minutes. The supernatant was discarded and the DNA pellet was washed with 70% ethanol and centrifuged at 14K RPM for 10 minutes, washed with ethanol again and centrifuged once more. The ethanol was removed and the pellet was allowed to dry at room temperature. We resuspended the pellet in 100 µL TE buffer. DNA was prepared for Illumina sequencing by shearing, end-repair and ligation. To do so, 50 µL of DNA was mixed with an additional 50 µL of TE and this DNA was sheared to ∼500 bp using a Covaris machine. DNA was eluted to 30 µL using a QIAGEN PCR-purification kit (product number 28104). We performed end repair by incubating each sample of DNA with 5 µL T4 DNA ligation buffer (New England Biolabs \[NEB\] product number B0202S), 4 µL of 10 mM dNTPs, 2.5 µL T4 DNA polymerase (NEB product number M0203S), 0.5 µL Klenow large fragment (NEB product number M0210S), 2.5 µL T4 PNK (NEB product number M0201S), and 5.5 µL nuclease free water for 30 minutes at 20°C. Following incubation, DNA was purified using a QIAGEN PCR-clean up kit. Next, we performed dATP addition by incubating 32 µL of DNA with 5 µL 10× NEBuffer 2 (NEB product number B7002S), 1 µL 10 mM dATP, 3 µL Klenow Exo-minus (NEB product number M0212S), and 9 µL nuclease free water at 37°C for 30 minutes. Following incubation, DNA was purified using a QIAGEN MinElute kit (product number 28004) to a final volume of 11 µL. Sequencing adapters (custom synthesized by IDT) were ligated to DNA using T/A ligation by incubating 10 µL DNA with 2 µL T4 DNA ligation buffer, 1 µL T4 ligase (NEB product number M020S), 40 µL of 40 µM pre-annealed adapter mix and 6 µL nuclease free water for 15 minutes at 20°C followed by 65°C at 10 minutes to deactivate the DNA ligase. Finally, we performed size-selection and PCR amplification as a final step to prepare DNA sequencing libraries. Immediately following ligation, DNA was loaded into a 2%, pre-cast SizeSelect E-Gel (Life Technologies product number G661002) and run along side a 100 bp ladder. DNA at ∼500 bp was removed from the gel into a volume of ∼15 µL nuclease free water. To amplify ligated DNA, we performed two replicate PCR reactions for each sample where we used 7.5 µL template DNA, 0.25 µL of 100 µM forward and reverse primers (custom synthesized by IDT), 0.5 µL 10 mM dNTPs, 4 µL 5× High-Fidelity buffer (NEB product number B0518S), 0.5 µL Phusion High-Fidelity DNA polymerase (NEB product number M0530S), and 5 µL nuclease free water. Note, the use of two replicate PCR reactions and a high volume of template DNA was meant to prevent PCR-jackpotting. PCR was performed by 30 sections of initial denaturation at 98°C followed by 11 rounds of 10 seconds denaturation (98°C), 30 seconds annealing (65°C), 30 seconds elongation (72°C), followed by a final elongation at 72°C for 5 minutes. DNA was purified using a QIAGEN PCR-cleanup kit. Following PCR, DNA was quantified on a Life Technologies Qubit spectrophotometer as well as with a Agilent Bioanalyzer. Libraries were diluted to the appropriate concentration and sent to the Sequencing Service Center at the Stanford Center Genomics and Personalized Medicine for sequencing on the HiSeq 2000 platform. Raw, paired-end 100 bp sequence reads were mapped to the D. melanogaster reference genome version 5.39 using bwa version 0.5.9-r16 [@pgen.1004775-Li1] allowing for a maximum insert size of 800 bp and no more than 10 mismatches per 100 bp. PCR duplicates (∼5% per library) were removed using samtools version 0.1.18 [@pgen.1004775-Li2] and local realignment around indels was performed using GATK version 1.4--25 [@pgen.1004775-McKenna1]. We mapped SNPs and short indels (i.e., those occurring within the sequence reads) using CRISP [@pgen.1004775-Bansal1], excluding reads with base or mapping quality below 10. SNPs mapping to repetitive regions such as microsatellites and transposable elements, identified in the standard RepeatMasker library for D. melanogaster (obtained from <http://genome.ucsc.edu>) were excluded from analysis as were SNPs within 5 bp of polymorphic indels. SNPs with average minor allele frequency across all populations less than 15%, with minimum per-population coverage less than 10× or maximum per-population coverage greater than 400× were removed from analysis. Finally, to ensure that the examined SNPs were not artifacts of our pooled resequencing, we removed any SNP not present in the SNP tables provided by freeze 2 of the DGRP [@pgen.1004775-Mackay1] (<http://www.hgsc.bcm.tmc.edu/projects/dgrp/>). The inclusion of reads with read and mapping qualities greater than 10 (rather than greater than 20) is justified because we are restricting our analysis to common SNPs that have been previously identified in the DGRP. Of the 1,500,000 SNPs initially identified, ∼500,000 SNPs remained after applying these filters ([Table S2](#pgen.1004775.s009){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). SNPs were annotated using SNPeff version 2.0.5 [@pgen.1004775-Cingolani1]. Short intron annotations were taken from [@pgen.1004775-Lawrie1]. An annotated VCF file with allele frequency calls, genic annotations, and seaonsal/clinal p- and q-values is avaible on DataDryad (doi:10.5061/dryad.v883p). Raw sequence data are available from NCBI SRA (BioProject accession PRJNA256231, and see [Table S1](#pgen.1004775.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"} for accession numbers of individual libraries). F~ST~ estimates {#s3c} ----------------- To estimate average differentiation between populations or between samples collected trough time, we calculated genome-wide average (mean) F~ST~ between pairs of populations. F~ST~ was calculated as,where H~total~ is the expected heterozygosity between two populations under panmixia and H~with~ is the heterozygosity averaged between the two populations. Estimates of heterozygosity were corrected for read depth and number of sampled chromosomes by the factor,where,and where N~chr~ is the number of sampled chromosomes and N~rd~ is the number of reads at any site [@pgen.1004775-Nei1]--[@pgen.1004775-Feder1]. We performed a parametric permutation analysis to calculate the expected, genome-wide average F~ST~ between pairs of populations under the null hypothesis of panmixia (spatial) or no allele frequency change through time (temporal) conditional on our experimental sampling design. To do so, we calculated the average allele frequency between any two pairs of populations or samples and randomly generated two estimates of allele frequency conditional on the average allele frequency, the number of reads at that site and the number of chromosomes sampled. To calculate the proportion of SNPs where observed F~ST~ is greater than expected by chance, we generated 500 block bootstrap samples of ∼2300 SNPs, where one SNP was drawn per 50 kb interval. The proportion of SNPs where the observed F~ST~ distribution is greater than expected by chance is thus,with standard deviation,where i refers to the i^th^ SNP from j^th^ block bootstrap sample. Identification of seasonally and clinally varying polymorphisms {#s3d} --------------------------------------------------------------- To identify clinally varying and seasonally oscillating polymorphisms, we used generalized linear models implemented in R 2.10 [@pgen.1004775-R1] with binomial error structure and weights proportional to the number of reads sampled at a site and the number of chromosomes sampled (see above, N~eff~). To identify clinal polymorphisms, we regressed allele frequency at each site (excluding all Pennsylvanian samples) on latitude ([Table S1](#pgen.1004775.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) according to the form,where y~i~ is the observed allele frequencies of the i^th^ SNP and ε~i~ is the binomial error given the number of effective reads (see above) at the i^th^ SNP. To identify seasonally oscillating polymorphisms, we regressed allele frequency for the three sets of spring and fall samples on a binary variable corresponding to spring or fall according to the form,In addition, we modeled allele frequency change through time using generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) implemented in the lme4 R package [@pgen.1004775-Bates1] and generalized estimation equations (GEE) implemented in the geepack R package [@pgen.1004775-Hjsgaard1]. We fit GLMMs with the model,where (1\\|population~i~) corresponds to the random effect of population j and ε~i~ corresponds to the binomial error. We fit GEEs with the model,where population~j~ corresponds to the population level strata and ε~i~ corresponds to the binomial error fit with an autoregressive order one correlation structure. q-q plots ([Fig. S2](#pgen.1004775.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) demonstrate that these models (clinal and seasonal) fit the bulk of the data adequately, with the exception of the seasonal GEE model which appears to be exceedingly anti-conservative. The false discovery rate was estimated using the Benjamini & Hochberg procedure [@pgen.1004775-Benjamini1]. For seasonal SNPs, we estimated the cumulative selection coefficient as,where f~Sp~ is the average allele frequency at seasonal SNPs in the spring and f~Fall~ is the average allele frequency at seasonal SNPs in the fall. This estimation of S is derived from a basic model of logistic growth of a beneficial allele [@pgen.1004775-Ewens1], namely,Because we do not know the specific values of heterozygosity (h) nor the number of generations of selections during each season (t), we calculate S as the product of s, h, and t. Modeling the distribution of seasonal SNPs throughout the genome {#s3e} ---------------------------------------------------------------- We sought to test whether seasonal SNPs were homogeneously distributed throughout the genome. To do so, we grouped the genome into bins of 1000 non-overlapping SNPs (utilizing the ∼500,000 SNPs under investigation). For each window, we calculated the number of seasonal SNPs. The number of seasonal SNPs is Poisson distributed and we examined whether the observed distribution is over-dispersed after correcting for variation in rates of recombination within chromosomes and between the autosomes and X-chromsome. To do so, we fit the generalized linear model,where n is the count of seasonal SNPs per 1000 SNPs, chrType is the binary classification of autosome or X-chromosome, and rec is the average recombination rate estimated in [@pgen.1004775-Comeron1], and ε is the Poisson distributed error. To explicitly test if the number of seasonal SNPs is overdispersed, we used the dispersiontest function in the R package AER [@pgen.1004775-Kleiber1]. Control polymorphisms and the block bootstrap {#s3f} --------------------------------------------- Throughout our analysis, we contrasted seasonal SNPs with control polymorphisms ([Figs. 2](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}--[6](#pgen-1004775-g006){ref-type="fig"}). For these analyses, we identified 500 sets of control polymorphisms matched to each seasonal SNP. For each test described in the results, control polymorphisms were identified based on different sets of characteristics that have been shown, or could plausibly, influence the parameter we sought to investigate. In general, we matched seasonal SNPs to control SNPs by chromosome, recombination rate, and allele frequency in either Pennsylvania, North Carolina, North America, and/or Africa. The choice of which population to match allele frequencies was determined by the specific test. These three parameters (chromosome, recombination rate, allele frequency) correspond with many important evolutionary processes as well as genetic patterns (e.g., [@pgen.1004775-Begun1]) and therefore control SNPs will be matched to seasonal SNPs with respect to long-term evolutionary history, gene-density, and background levels of genetic variation. In general, we used as many parameters as possible while still identifying a sufficient number of control SNPs for each test and a full list of the matched characters for each test are listed in [Table S3](#pgen.1004775.s010){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. For continuous characters, such as allele frequency, we typically rounded values so that a sufficient number of unique control sites could be identified. If no matched control SNPs were identified for a seasonal SNP, that seasonal SNP was removed from subsequent analyses. In addition, we implemented a block-bootstrap procedure to ameliorate positive dependence of our test-statistics due to linkage disequilbrium between seasonal SNPs. We generated 500 sets of seasonal SNPs where one seasonal SNP was sampled from each 50 kb consecutive interval of the genome. This block-bootstrap yielded ∼850 SNPs that were spaced approximately every 50 Kb. Estimates of expected values (E) of test statistics \[e.g. log~2~-odds-ratios ([Fig. 2C](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}, [3B--C](#pgen-1004775-g003){ref-type="fig"}, [6A](#pgen-1004775-g006){ref-type="fig"}), F~ST~ ([Fig. 2D](#pgen-1004775-g002){ref-type="fig"}), probability ([Fig. 4B](#pgen-1004775-g004){ref-type="fig"})\] and standard deviations (SD) about those expected values were calculated as, where i refers to control bootstrap set i and j refers to block bootstrap set j of any test-statistic, TS. Power calculations {#s3g} ------------------ To calculate statistical power of our experiment and to estimate the expected number of SNPs that are likely to vary repeatedly between seasons and along the cline we used Monte Carlo simulations based on the observed changes in allele frequency between spring and fall at seasonal SNPs or Maine and Florida at clinal SNPs. We calculated statistical power to detect seasonal SNPs as the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis of no repeatable change in allele frequency between spring and fall over three years given our sampling effort (e.g., number of chromosomes from nature and distribution of read depths in our Pennsylvanian samples) at α\<∼1e-5, corresponding to observed seasonal q-value of 0.3, conditional on S, the cumulative change in allele frequency between seasons calculated from the logistic function. Similarly, we calculated statistical power to detect clinal SNPs as the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis of no change in allele frequency with latitude given our sampling effort at α\<0.02, corresponding to the observed clinal q-value of 0.1, conditional on beta, the slope of the relationship between allele frequency and latitude. The expected number of seasonally (clinally) varying SNPs is then, the number of observed seasonal (clinal) SNPs at a particular value of S (beta) divided by the power to detect a seasonal (clinal) SNP at a selection coefficient S (beta). Comparison with D. simulans {#s3h} --------------------------- To estimate the extent of trans-specific polymorphism between D. melanogaster and D. simulans, we used D. simulans haplotype data available from the DPGP [@pgen.1004775-Begun2] (<http://www.dpgp.org/>). First, we remapped raw shot-gun sequences of each D. simulans strain (GenBank accessions AASS00000000 - AASW00000000) to the latest release of the D. simulans reference genome [@pgen.1004775-Hu1] with bwa version 0.5.9-r16 using the bwa-sw method. To convert the genomic coordinate system of the new D. simulans genome to the D. melanogaster genome, we generated a lift-over file using lastz [@pgen.1004775-Harris1] and components of the UCSC genome-browser toolkit [@pgen.1004775-Kent1]. Gap parameters corresponded to those used to generate the lift-over file between the first generation D. simulans genome and the D. melanogaster genome (<http://hgdownload.soe.ucsc.edu/goldenPath/dm3/vsDroSim1/>). The lift-over file to translate the coordinate system of the second generation D. simulans genome to the D. melanogaster version 5 genome is available on Data Dryad (doi:10.5061/dryad.v883p). We calculated average pairwise distance between D. melanogaster and D. simulans haplotypes at seasonal SNPs that were polymorphic in both species and shared the same two alleles by state. We calculated average pairwise distance at two windows surrounding seasonal SNPs, ±1--250 bp. Note, we excluded the focal, seasonal SNP. Pairwise distance calculations were performed using the ape [@pgen.1004775-Paradis1] package in R. Forward genetic simulations {#s3i} --------------------------- To simulate genome-wide allele frequency change due to cyclic changes in population size and selection at seasonally adaptive polymorphisms, we used a modified version of the forward genetic simulation software SLiM [@pgen.1004775-Messer1]. Source code for the modified version of SLiM is available upon request. In these simulations, we modeled a 20 Mb chromosome with constant recombination rate of 2 cM/Mb. For all simulations, we seeded the chromosome with 500 neutral mutations randomly placed along the chromosome all starting at 50% initial allele frequency and in complete linkage equilibrium. The number of loci under selection varied between 0 and 30 and loci under temporally heterogeneous selection were placed equidistantly along the chromosome. Selection coefficients for each selected locus were set to produce adaptive oscillations between 40 and 60% frequency every 2 (simulated 'winter') and 10 (simulated 'summer') generations. Genotypic state was assigned randomly to each simulated diploid genome at each selected locus. Population size varied over the course of each simulation. Populations grew exponentially each 'summer' to a maximum population size of 10^5^ over 10 generations. Population size instantaneously crashed at the start of winter to between 5 and 10^4^ individuals and was held constant for two generations. Simulations were run for 100 generations and F~ST~ was estimated from the last three summer-winter cycles. Truncation selection model {#s3j} -------------------------- To estimate the upper bound of the number of loci that could plausibly respond to seasonally variable selection, we modeled a simple truncation selection scenario. For these models we calculated the expected number of winter adaptive alleles in the fall and the spring as the sum of average allele frequencies of the winter alleles in our fall and spring samples. If the oscillating alleles segregate independently, the variance in the number of winter alleles at any given time follows a Poisson distribution with mean and variance equal to the expected number of winter alleles. Therefore, the proportion of the population in the selected tail over winter is the probability of sampling the expected number of winter alleles in the spring from a Poisson distribution with mean equal to the number of winter alleles in the fall. To vary the number of independently oscillating polymorphisms in the spring and fall, we sub-sampled the number of oscillating polymorphisms 500 times for a range of values. Supporting Information {#s4} ====================== ###### Genomic turnover through space and time -- average F~ST~. Proportion of SNPs where average F~ST~ among populations sampled along the cline (A) and through time (B) is greater than expected by chance conditional on our sampling design and panmixia among spatially separated populations or no allele frequency change through time, respectively. Lines represent the predicted values of Prop(Fst~Obs~\>Fst~Exp~) for the (A) linear relationship between Prop(Fst~Obs~\>Fst~Exp~) and difference latitude and (B) from non-linear relationship (y = ab^X^) between Prop(Fst~Obs~\>Fst~Exp~) and difference in months. Points represent mean F~ST~, error bars represent 95% confidence intervals based on blocked-bootstrap resampling. (TIF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### q-q plots and congruence of GLM, GLMM and GEE models. (A--C) Standard q-q plots of p-values of GLM, GLMM and GEE models, respectively. q-q plots show that GLM and GLMM models fit the bulk of the genome well whereas GEE models appear to be anti-conservative. (D) log~2~(odds-ratio) that the top 1750 seasonal SNPs identified with the GLM model are among the top 1750 seasonal SNPs identified with the GLMM model. (E) log~2~(odds-ratio) that the top 1750 seasonal SNPs identified with the GLM model are among the top 1750 seasonal SNPs identified with the GEE model. (TIF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Genomic turnover through time excluding SNPs within 1 Kb of seasonal SNPs. (A) Genome-wide average F~ST~ between samples of flies collected through time, excluding SNPs within 1 Kb of seasonal SNPs. (B) Proportion of SNPs where F~ST~ between pairs of samples collected through time is greater than expected by chance given the null hypothesis of no allele frequency change through time and our sampling design. Solid line represents predicted relationship between genome-wide F~ST~ and time excluding SNPs within 1 Kb; dashed line represents predicted relationship between genome-wide F~ST~ for all common SNPs and time. The similarity between the solid and dashed line demonstrates that SNPs near seasonal SNPs are not driving genome-wide patterns of F~ST~ through time. Lines represent the predicted values of Fst (A) and Prop(Fst~Obs~\>Fst~Exp~) (B) from non-linear regression (y = ab^X^). Points represent mean F~ST~, error bars represent 95% confidence intervals based on blocked-bootstrap resampling. (TIF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Enrichment among cosmopolitan inversions. Log~2~ odds ratio that seasonal SNPs are enriched among the large cosmopolitan inversions relative to control polymorphisms. Inversion breakpoints are defined as ±2.5 Mb from the proximal or distal breakpoints. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals based on blocked bootstrap resampling. (TIF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Spatial F~ST~ and clinal q-value. Scatter plot of the relationship between spatial F~ST~ (x-axis) and --log~10~(clinal q-value). Colors of the hexagons represent the density of points in that interval. (TIF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Power to detect clinal SNPs. Power to detect clinal SNPs (black line) is moderate and we estimate that we have identified ∼50% (red line) of all SNPs that change in frequency monotonically with latitude (black line). (TIF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Site frequency spectrum of seasonal samples. Unfolded site frequency spectrum of spring (blue) and fall (red) samples from 2009--2010 (A) and 2010--2011 (B). Solid lines represent observed site frequency spectra, dashed lines represent simulated spring site frequency spectra conditional on one generation of bottleneck to 20 individuals and dotted lines represent simulated spring site frequency spectra conditional on two generations of bottleneck to 20 individuals. The increase in low frequency alleles in the spring 2010 sample (B, blue line) is due to the high coverage of this library. Site frequency spectra only included SNPs with allele frequencies greater than 2/(read depth) or less than 1--2/(read depth) to account for sequencing errors. (TIF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Population sampling locales. (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Basic SNP statistics. (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Table of control characteristics. (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Assessing the possibility of contamination with wild caught D. simulans. Discussion of previously identified clinal polymorphisms in relation to clinal resequencing described here. (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. We thank the members of the Petrov and Schmidt labs for useful discussion and comments on previous versions of this manuscript. We also thank nine anonymous reviewers, Daniel Bolnick, and Hopi Hoekstra whose comments substantially improved the quality of this manuscript. [^1]: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. [^2]: Conceived and designed the experiments: AOB ELB KRO PSS DAP. Analyzed the data: AOB PSS DAP. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: AOB ELB KRO PSS. Wrote the paper: AOB PSS DAP.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Central" }
IFUP-TH 2013/21 1.4truecm [Background Field Method,]{} .5truecm [Batalin-Vilkovisky Formalism And]{} .5truecm [Parametric Completeness Of Renormalization]{} 1truecm Damiano Anselmi .2truecm Dipartimento di Fisica “Enrico Fermi”, Università di Pisa, and INFN, Sezione di Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo 3, I-56127 Pisa, Italy, .2truecm damiano.anselmi@df.unipi.it 1.5truecm Abstract We investigate the background field method with the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism, to generalize known results, study the parametric completeness of general gauge theories and achieve a better understanding of several properties. In particular, we study renormalization and gauge dependence to all orders. Switching between the background field approach and the usual approach by means of canonical transformations, we prove parametric completeness without making use of cohomological theorems; namely we show that if the starting classical action is sufficiently general all divergences can be subtracted by means of parameter redefinitions and canonical transformations. Our approach applies to renormalizable and nonrenormalizable theories that are manifestly free of gauge anomalies and satisfy the following assumptions: the gauge algebra is irreducible and closes off shell, the gauge transformations are linear functions of the fields, and closure is field independent. Yang-Mills theories and quantum gravity in arbitrary dimensions are included, as well as effective and higher-derivative versions of them, but several other theories, such as supergravity, are left out. 1truecm Introduction ============ The background field method [@dewitt; @abbott] is a convenient tool to quantize gauge theories and make explicit calculations, particularly when it is used in combination with the dimensional-regularization technique. It amounts to choosing a nonstandard gauge fixing in the conventional approach and, among its virtues, it keeps the gauge transformations intact under renormalization. However, it takes advantage of properties that only particular classes of theories have. The Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism [@bata] is also useful for quantizing general gauge theories, especially because it collects all ingredients of infinitesimal gauge symmetries in a single identity, the master equation, which remains intact through renormalization, at least in the absence of gauge anomalies. Merging the background field method with the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism is not only an interesting theoretical subject per se, but can also offer a better understanding of known results, make us appreciate aspects that have been overlooked, generalize the validity of crucial theorems about the quantization of gauge theories and renormalization, and help us address open problems. For example, an important issue concerns the generality of the background field method. It would be nice to formulate a unique treatment for all gauge theories, renormalizable and nonrenormalizable, unitary and higher derivative, with irreducible or reducible gauge algebras that close off shell or only on shell. However, we will see that at this stage it is not possible to achieve that goal, due to some intrinsic features of the background field method. Another important issue that we want to emphasize more than has been done so far is the problem of parametric completeness in general gauge theories [@regnocoho]. To ensure renormalization-group (RG) invariance, all divergences must be subtracted by redefining parameters and making canonical transformations. When a theory contains all independent parameters necessary to achieve this goal, we say that it is parametrically complete. The RG-invariant renormalization of divergences may require the introduction of missing Lagrangian terms, multiplied by new physical constants, or even deform the symmetry algebra in nontrivial ways. However, in nonrenormalizable theories such as quantum gravity and supergravity it is not obvious that the action can indeed be adjusted to achieve parametric completeness. One way to deal with this problem is to classify the whole cohomology of invariants and hope that the solution satisfies suitable properties. This method requires lengthy technical proofs that must be done case by case [@coho], and therefore lacks generality. Another way is to let renormalization build the new invariants automatically, as shown in ref. [@regnocoho], with an algorithm that is able to iteratively extend the classical action converting divergences into finite counterterms. However, that procedure is mainly a theoretical tool, because although very general and conceptually minimal, it is practically unaffordable. Among the other things, it leaves the possibility that renormalization may dynamically deform the gauge symmetry in physically observable ways. A third possibility is the one we are going to treat here, taking advantage of the background field method. Where it applies, it makes cohomological classifications unnecessary and excludes that renormalization may dynamically deform the symmetry in observable ways. Because of the intrinsic properties of the background field method, the approach of this paper, although general enough, is not exhaustive. It is general enough because it includes the gauge symmetries we need for physical applications, namely Abelian and non-Abelian Yang-Mills symmetries, local Lorentz symmetry and invariance under general changes of coordinates. At the same time, it is not exhaustive because it excludes other potentially interesting symmetries, such as local supersymmetry. To be precise, our results hold for every gauge symmetry that satisfies the following properties: the algebra of gauge transformations ($i$) closes off shell and ($ii$) is irreducible; moreover ($iii$) there exists a choice of field variables where the gauge transformations $\delta _{\Lambda }\phi $ of the physical fields $\phi $ are linear functions of $\phi $ and the closure $[\delta _{\Lambda },\delta _{\Sigma }]=\delta _{[\Lambda ,\Sigma ]}$ of the algebra is $\phi $ independent. We expect that with some technical work it will be possible to extend our results to theories that do not satisfy assumption ($ii$), but our impression is that removing assumptions ($i$) and ($iii$) will be much harder, if not impossible. In this paper we also assume that the theory is manifestly free of gauge anomalies. Our results apply to renormalizable and nonrenormalizable theories that satisfy the assumptions listed so far, among which are QED, Yang-Mills theories, quantum gravity and Lorentz-violating gauge theories [@lvgauge], as well as effective [@weinberg], higher-derivative [@stelle] and nonlocal [@tombola] versions of such theories, in arbitrary dimensions, and extensions obtained including any set of composite fields. We recall that Stelle’s proof [@stelle] that higher-derivative quantum gravity is renormalizable was incomplete, because it assumed without proof a generalization of the Kluberg-Stern–Zuber conjecture [@kluberg] for the cohomological problem satisfied by counterterms. Even the cohomological analysis of refs. [@coho] does not directly apply to higher-derivative quantum gravity, because the field equations of higher-derivative theories are not equal to perturbative corrections of the ordinary field equations. These remarks show that our results are quite powerful, because they overcome a number of difficulties that otherwise need to be addressed case by case. Strictly speaking, our results, in their present form, do not apply to chiral theories, such as the Standard Model coupled to quantum gravity, where the cancellation of anomalies is not manifest. Nevertheless, since all other assumptions we have made concern just the forms of gauge symmetries, not the forms of classical actions, nor the limits around which perturbative expansions are defined, we expect that our results can be extended to all theories involving the Standard Model or Lorentz-violating extensions of it [@kostelecky; @LVSM]. However, to make derivations more easily understandable it is customary to first make proofs in the framework where gauge anomalies are manifestly absent, and later extend the results by means of the Adler-Bardeen theorem [@adlerbardeen]. We follow the tradition on this, and plan to devote a separate investigation to anomaly cancellation. Although some of our results are better understandings or generalizations of known properties, we do include them for the sake of clarity and self-consistence. We think that our formalism offers insight on the issues mentioned above and gives a more satisfactory picture. In particular, the fact that background field method makes cohomological classifications unnecessary is something that apparently has not been appreciated enough so far. Moreover, our approach points out the limits of applicability of the background field method. To achieve parametric completeness we proceed in four basic steps. First, we study renormalization to all orders subtracting divergences “as they come”, which means without worrying whether the theory contains enough independent parameters for RG invariance or not. Second, we study how the renormalized action and the renormalized $\Gamma $ functional depend on the gauge fixing, and work out how the renormalization algorithm maps a canonical transformation of the classical theory into a canonical transformation of the renormalized theory. Third, we renormalize the canonical transformation that continuously interpolates between the background field approach and the conventional approach. Fourth, comparing the two approaches we show that if the classical action $S_{c}(\phi ,\lambda )$ contains all gauge invariant terms determined by the starting gauge symmetry, then there exists a canonical transformation $\Phi ,K\rightarrow \hat{\Phi},\hat{K}$ such that $$S_{R\hspace{0.01in}\text{min}}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)=S_{c}(\hat{\phi}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\tau (\lambda ))-\int R^{\alpha }(\hat{\phi}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\hat{C})\hat{K}_{\alpha }, \label{key0}$$ where $S_{R\hspace{0.01in}\text{min}}$ is the renormalized action with the gauge-fixing sector switched off, $\Phi ^{\alpha }=\{\phi ,C\}$ are the fields ($C$ being the ghosts), $K_{\alpha }$ are the sources for the $\Phi^{\alpha}$ transformations $R^{\alpha }(\Phi )$, ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ are the background fields, $\lambda $ are the physical couplings and $\tau (\lambda )$ are $\lambda $ redefinitions. Identity (\[key0\]) shows that all divergences can be renormalized by means of parameter redefinitions and canonical transformations, which proves parametric completeness. Power counting may or may not restrict the form of $S_{c}(\phi ,\lambda )$. Basically, under the assumptions we have made the background transformations do not renormalize, and the quantum fields $\phi $ can be switched off and then restored from their background partners ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$. Nevertheless, the restoration works only up to a canonical transformation, which gives (\[key0\]). The story is a bit more complicated than this, but this simplified version is enough to appreciate the main point. However, when the assumptions we have made do not hold, the argument fails, which shows how peculiar the background field method is. Besides giving explicit examples where the construction works, we address some problems that arise when the assumptions listed above are not satisfied. A somewhat different approach to the background field method in the framework of the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism exists in the literature. In refs. [@quadri] Binosi and Quadri considered the most general variation $\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }=\Omega $ of the background gauge field ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ in Yang-Mills theory, and obtained a modified Batalin-Vilkovisky master equation that controls how the functional $\Gamma $ depends on ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu } $. Instead, here we introduce background copies of both physical fields and ghosts, which allows us to split the symmetry transformations into “quantum transformations” and “background transformations”. The master equation is split into the three identities (\[treide\]), which control invariances under the two types of transformations. The paper is organized as follows. In section 2 we formulate our approach and derive its basic properties, emphasizing the assumptions we make and why they are necessary. In section 3 we renormalize divergences to all orders, subtracting them “as they come”. In section 4 we derive the basic differential equations of gauge dependence and integrate them, which allows us to show how a renormalized canonical transformation emerges from its tree-level limit. In section 5 we derive (\[key0\]) and prove parametric completeness. In section 6 we give two examples, non-Abelian Yang-Mills theory and quantum gravity. In section 7 we make remarks about parametric completeness and recapitulate where we stand now on this issue. Section 8 contains our conclusions, while the appendix collects several theorems and identities that are used in the paper. We use the dimensional-regularization technique and the minimal subtraction scheme. Recall that the functional integration measure is invariant with respect to perturbatively local changes of field variables. Averages $\langle \cdots \rangle $ always denote the sums of connected Feynman diagrams. We use the Euclidean notation in theoretical derivations and switch to Minkowski spacetime in the examples. Background field method and Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism ======================================================== In this section we formulate our approach to the background field method with the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism. To better appreciate the arguments given below it may be useful to jump back and forth between this section and section 6, where explicit examples are given. If the gauge algebra closes off shell, there exists a canonical transformation that makes the solution $S(\Phi ,K)$ of the master equation $(S,S)=0$ depend linearly on the sources $K$. We write $$S(\Phi ,K)=\mathcal{S}(\Phi )-\int R^{\alpha }(\Phi )K_{\alpha }. \label{solp}$$ The fields $\Phi ^{\alpha }=\{\phi ^{i},C^{I},\bar{C}^{I},B^{I}\}$ are made of physical fields $\phi ^{i}$, ghosts $C^{I}$ (possibly including ghosts of ghosts and so on), antighosts $\bar{C}^{I}$ and Lagrange multipliers $B^{I}$ for the gauge fixing. Moreover, $K_{\alpha }=\{K_{\phi }^{i},K_{C}^{I},K_{\bar{C}}^{I},K_{B}^{I}\}$ are the sources associated with the symmetry transformations $R^{\alpha}(\Phi)$ of the fields $\Phi ^{\alpha }$, while $$\mathcal{S}(\Phi )=S_{c}(\phi )+(S,\Psi )$$ is the sum of the classical action $S_{c}(\phi )$ plus the gauge fixing, which is expressed as the antiparenthesis of $S$ with a $K$-independent gauge fermion $\Psi (\Phi )$. We recall that the antiparentheses are defined as $$(X,Y)=\int \left\{ \frac{\delta _{r}X}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}Y}{\delta K_{\alpha }}-\frac{\delta _{r}X}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}Y}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\right\} ,$$ where the summation over the index $\alpha $ is understood. The integral is over spacetime points associated with repeated indices. The non-gauge-fixed action $$S_{\text{min}}(\Phi ,K)=S_{c}(\phi )-\int R_{\phi }^{i}(\phi ,C)K_{\phi }^{i}-\int R_{C}^{I}(\phi ,C)K_{C}^{I}, \label{smin}$$ obtained by dropping antighosts, Lagrange multipliers and their sources, also solves the master equation, and is called the minimal solution. Antighosts $\bar{C}$ and Lagrange multipliers $B$ form trivial gauge systems, and typically enter (\[solp\]) by means of the gauge fixing $(S,\Psi )$ and a contribution $$\Delta S_{\text{nm}}=-\int B^{I}K_{\bar{C}}^{I}, \label{esto}$$ to $-\int R^{\alpha }K_{\alpha }$. Let $\mathcal{R}^{\alpha }(\Phi ,C)$ denote the transformations the fields $\Phi ^{\alpha }$ would have if they were matter fields. Each function $\mathcal{R}^{\alpha }(\Phi ,C)$ is a bilinear form of $\Phi ^{\alpha }$ and $C$. Sometimes, to be more explicit, we also use the notation $\mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},C)$ and $\mathcal{R}_{B}^{I}(B,C)$ for $\bar{C}$ and $B$, respectively. It is often convenient to replace (\[esto\]) with the alternative nonminimal extension $$\Delta S_{\text{nm}}^{\prime }=-\int \left( B^{I}+\mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},C)\right) K_{\bar{C}}^{I}-\int \mathcal{R}_{B}^{I}(B,C)K_{B}^{I}. \label{estobar}$$ For example, in Yang-Mills theories we have $$\Delta S_{\text{nm}}^{\prime }=-\int \left( B^{a}-gf^{abc}C^{b}\bar{C}^{c}\right) K_{\bar{C}}^{a}+g\int f^{abc}C^{b}B^{c}K_{B}^{a}$$ and in quantum gravity $$\Delta S_{\text{nm}}^{\prime }=-\int \left( B_{\mu }+\bar{C}_{\rho }\partial _{\mu }C^{\rho }-C^{\rho }\partial _{\rho }\bar{C}_{\mu }\right) K_{\bar{C}}^{\mu }+\int \left( B_{\rho }\partial _{\mu }C^{\rho }+C^{\rho }\partial _{\rho }B_{\mu }\right) K_{B}^{\mu }, \label{nmqg}$$ where $C^{\mu }$ are the ghosts of diffeomorphisms. Observe that (\[estobar\]) can be obtained from (\[esto\]) making the canonical transformation generated by $$F_{\text{nm}}(\Phi ,K^{\prime })=\int \Phi ^{\alpha }K_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},C)K_{B}^{I\hspace{0.01in}\prime }.$$ Requiring that $F_{\text{nm}}$ indeed give (\[estobar\]) we get the identities $$\mathcal{R}_{B}^{I}(B,C)=-\int B^{J}\frac{\delta _{l}}{\delta \bar{C}^{J}}\mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},C),\qquad \int \left( R_{C}^{J}\frac{\delta _{l}}{\delta C^{J}}+\mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{J}(\bar{C},C)\frac{\delta _{l}}{\delta \bar{C}^{J}}\right) \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},C)=0, \label{iddo}$$ which can be easily checked both for Yang-Mills theories and gravity. In this paper the notation $R^{\alpha }(\Phi )$ refers to the field transformations of (\[smin\]) plus those of the nonminimal extension (\[esto\]), while $\bar{R}^{\alpha }(\Phi )$ refers to the transformations of (\[smin\]) plus (\[estobar\]). Background field action ----------------------- To apply the background field method, we start from the gauge invariance of the classical action $S_{c}(\phi )$, $$\int R_{c}^{i}(\phi ,\Lambda )\frac{\delta _{l}S_{c}(\phi )}{\delta \phi ^{i}}=0, \label{lif}$$ where $\Lambda $ are the arbitrary functions that parametrize the gauge transformations $\delta \phi ^{i}=R_{c}^{i}$. Shifting the fields $\phi $ by background fields ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$, and introducing arbitrary background functions ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Lambda }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ we can write the identity $$\int \left[ R_{c}^{i}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\Lambda )+X^{i}\right] \frac{\delta _{l}S_{c}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })}{\delta \phi ^{i}}+\int \left[ R_{c}^{i}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Lambda }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-X^{i}\right] \frac{\delta _{l}S_{c}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })}{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{i}}=0,$$ which is true for arbitrary functions $X^{i}$. If we choose $$X^{i}=R_{c}^{i}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Lambda }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-R_{c}^{i}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Lambda }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }),$$ the transformations of the background fields contain only background fields and coincide with $R_{c}^{i}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Lambda }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })$. We find $$\int \left[ R_{c}^{i}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\Lambda +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Lambda }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-R_{c}^{i}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Lambda }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })\right] \frac{\delta _{l}S_{c}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })}{\delta \phi ^{i}}+\int R_{c}^{i}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Lambda }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })\frac{\delta _{l}S_{c}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })}{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{i}}=0. \label{bas}$$ Thus, denoting background quantities by means of an underlining, we are led to consider the action $$S(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=S_{c}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-\int R^{\alpha }(\Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{\alpha }-\int R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }-K_{\alpha }), \label{sback}$$ which solves the master equation $\llbracket S,S\rrbracket =0$, where the antiparentheses are defined as $$\llbracket X,Y\rrbracket =\int \left\{ \frac{\delta _{r}X}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}Y}{\delta K_{\alpha }}+\frac{\delta _{r}X}{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}Y}{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }}-\frac{\delta _{r}X}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}Y}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}-\frac{\delta _{r}X}{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}Y}{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }}\right\} .$$ More directly, if $S(\Phi ,K)=S_{c}(\phi )-\int R^{\alpha }(\Phi )K_{\alpha } $ solves $(S,S)=0$, the background field can be introduced with a canonical transformation. Start from the action $$S(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=S_{c}(\phi )-\int R^{\alpha }(\Phi )K_{\alpha }-\int R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }){\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }, \label{sback0}$$ which obviously satisfies two master equations, one in the variables $\Phi ,K $ and the other one in the variables ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$. [A fortiori]{}, it also satisfies $\llbracket S,S\rrbracket =0$. Relabeling fields and sources with primes and making the canonical transformation generated by the functional $$F_{\text{b}}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime })=\int (\Phi ^{\alpha }+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha })K_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\int {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }^{\prime }, \label{casbac}$$ we obtain (\[sback\]), and clearly preserve $\llbracket S,S\rrbracket =0$. The shift ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ is called background field, while $\Phi $ is called quantum field. We also have quantum sources $K$ and background sources ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$. Finally, we have background transformations, those described by the background ghosts ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ or the functions ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Lambda }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ in (\[bas\]), and quantum transformations, those described by the quantum ghosts $C$ and (\[esto\]) or the functions $\Lambda $ in (\[bas\]). The action (\[sback\]) is not the most convenient one to study renormalization. It is fine in the minimal sector (the one with antighosts and Lagrange multipliers switched off), but not in the nonminimal one. Now we describe the improvements we need to make. #### Non-minimal sector So far we have introduced background copies of all fields. Nevertheless, strictly speaking we do not need to introduce copies of the antighosts $\bar{C}$ and the Lagrange multipliers $B$, since we do not need to gauge-fix the background. Thus we drop ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\bar{C}}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$, ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{B}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ and their sources from now on, and define ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }=\{{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{i},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{I},0,0\}$, ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }=\{{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\phi }^{i},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{C}^{I},0,0\}$. Observe that then we have $R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\bar{R}^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\{R_{\phi }^{i}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }),R_{C}^{I}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }),0,0\}$. Let us compare the nonminimal sectors (\[esto\]) and (\[estobar\]). If we choose (\[esto\]), $\bar{C}$ and $B$ do not transform under background transformations. Since (\[esto\]) are the only terms that contain $K_{\bar{C}}$, they do not contribute to one-particle irreducible diagrams and do not receive radiative corrections. Moreover, $K_{B}$ does not appear in the action. Instead, if we choose the nonminimal sector (\[estobar\]), namely if we start from $$S(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=S_{c}(\phi )-\int \bar{R}^{\alpha }(\Phi )K_{\alpha }-\int R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }){\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha } \label{sback1}$$ instead of (\[sback0\]), the transformation (\[casbac\]) gives the action $$S(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=S_{c}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-\int (\bar{R}^{\alpha }(\Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-\bar{R}^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }))K_{\alpha }-\int R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }){\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }. \label{sback2}$$ In particular, using the linearity of $\mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}$ and $\mathcal{R}_{B}^{I}$ in $C$, we see that (\[estobar\]) is turned into itself plus $$-\int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{\bar{C}}^{I}-\int \mathcal{R}_{B}^{I}(B,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{B}^{I}. \label{bacca}$$ Because of these new terms, $\bar{C}$ and $B$ now transform as ordinary matter fields under background transformations. This is the correct background transformation law we need for them. On the other hand, the nonminimal sector (\[estobar\]) also generates nontrivial quantum transformations for $\bar{C}$ and $B$, which are renormalized and complicate our derivations. It would be better to have (\[estobar\]) in the background sector and (\[esto\]) in the nonbackground sector. To achieve this goal, we make the canonical transformation generated by $$F_{\text{nm}}^{\prime }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime })=\int \Phi ^{\alpha }K_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\int {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{B}^{I\hspace{0.01in}\prime } \label{casbacca}$$ on (\[sback\]). Using (\[iddo\]) again, the result is $$\begin{aligned} S(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }) &=&S_{c}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-\int (R^{\alpha }(\Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }))K_{\alpha } \nonumber \\ &&-\int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{\bar{C}}^{I}-\int \mathcal{R}_{B}^{I}(B,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{B}^{I}-\int R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }){\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }. \label{sbacca}\end{aligned}$$ This is the background field action we are going to work with. It is straightforward to check that (\[sbacca\]) satisfies $\llbracket S,S\rrbracket =0$. #### Separating the background and quantum sectors Now we separate the background sector from the quantum sector. To do this properly we need to make further assumptions. First, we assume that there exists a choice of field variables where the functions $R^{\alpha }(\Phi )$ are at most quadratic in $\Phi $. We call it linearity assumption. It is equivalent to assume that the gauge transformations $\delta _{\Lambda }\phi ^{i}=R_{c}^{i}(\phi ,\Lambda )$ of (\[lif\]) are linear functions of the fields $\phi $ and closure is expressed by $\phi $-independent identities $[\delta _{\Lambda },\delta _{\Sigma }]=\delta _{[\Lambda ,\Sigma ]}$. The linearity assumption is satisfied by all gauge symmetries of physical interest, such as those of QED, non-Abelian Yang-Mills theory, quantum gravity and the Standard Model. On the other hand, it is not satisfied by other important symmetries, among which is supergravity, where the gauge transformations either close only on shell or are not linear in the fields. Second, we assume that the gauge algebra is irreducible, which ensures that the set $\Phi $ contains only ghosts and not ghosts of ghosts. Under these assumptions, we make the canonical transformation generated by $$F_{\tau }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime })=\int \Phi ^{\alpha }K_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\int {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }^{\prime }+(\tau -1)\int {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{I}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{C}^{I\hspace{0.01in}\prime } \label{backghost}$$ on the action (\[sbacca\]). This transformation amounts to rescaling the background ghosts ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{I}$ by a factor $\tau $ and their sources ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{C}^{I}$ by a factor $1/\tau $. Since we do not have background antighosts, (\[backghost\]) is the background-ghost-number transformation combined with a rescaling of the background sources. The action (\[sbacca\]) is not invariant under (\[backghost\]). Using the linearity assumption it is easy to check that the transformed action $S_{\tau }$ is linear in $\tau $. Writing $S_{\tau }=\hat{S}+\tau \bar{S}$ we can split the total action $S$ into the sum $\hat{S}+\bar{S}$ of a quantum action $\hat{S}$ and a background action $\bar{S}$. Precisely, the quantum action $\hat{S}$ does not depend on the background sources ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ and the background ghosts ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$, but only on the background copies ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ of the physical fields. We have $$\hat{S}=\hat{S}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)=S_{c}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-\int R^{\alpha }(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },C,\bar{C},B)K_{\alpha }. \label{deco}$$ Note that, in spite of the notation, the functions $R^{\alpha }(\Phi )$ are actually $\bar{C}$ independent. Moreover, we find $$\bar{S}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=-\int \mathcal{R}^{\alpha }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{\alpha }-\int R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }){\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }, \label{sbar}$$ where, for $\phi $ and $C$, $$\mathcal{R}^{\alpha }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=R^{\alpha }(\Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-R^{\alpha }(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },C,\bar{C},B). \label{batra}$$ These functions transform $\phi $ and $C$ as if they were matter fields and are of course linear in $\Phi $ and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$. Note that formula (\[batra\]) does not hold for antighosts and Lagrange multipliers. In the end all quantum fields transform as matter fields under background transformations. The master equation $\llbracket S,S\rrbracket =0$ decomposes into the three identities $$\llbracket \hat{S},\hat{S}\rrbracket =\llbracket \hat{S},\bar{S}\rrbracket =\llbracket \bar{S},\bar{S}\rrbracket =0, \label{treide}$$ which we call background field master equations. The quantum transformations are described by $\hat{S}$ and the background ones are described by $\bar{S}$. Background fields are inert under quantum transformations, because $\llbracket \hat{S},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }\rrbracket =0$. Note that $$\llbracket \hat{S},\llbracket \bar{S},X\rrbracket \rrbracket +\llbracket \bar{S},\llbracket \hat{S},X\rrbracket \rrbracket =0, \label{uso}$$ where $X$ is an arbitrary local functional. This property follows from the Jacobi identity of the antiparentheses and $\llbracket \hat{S},\bar{S}\rrbracket =0$, and states that background and quantum transformations commute. #### Gauge-fixing Now we come to the gauge fixing. In the usual approach, the theory is typically gauge-fixed by means of a canonical transformation that amounts to replacing the action $S$ by$\ S+(S,\Psi )$, where $\Psi $ is a local functional of ghost number $-1$ and depends only on the fields $\Phi $. Using the background field method it is convenient to search for a ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$-independent gauge-fixing functional $\Psi (\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })$ that is also invariant under background transformations, namely such that $$\llbracket \bar{S},\Psi \rrbracket =0. \label{backgf}$$ Then we fix the gauge with the usual procedure, namely we make a canonical transformation generated by $$F_{\text{gf}}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime })=\int \ \Phi ^{\alpha }K_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\int \ {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\Psi (\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }). \label{backgfgen}$$ Because of (\[backgf\]) the gauge-fixed action reads $$S_{\text{gf}}=\hat{S}+\bar{S}+\llbracket \hat{S},\Psi \rrbracket . \label{fgback}$$ Defining $\hat{S}_{\text{gf}}=\hat{S}+\llbracket \hat{S},\Psi \rrbracket $, identities (\[treide\]), (\[uso\]) and (\[backgf\]) give $\llbracket \hat{S}_{\text{gf}},\hat{S}_{\text{gf}}\rrbracket =\llbracket \hat{S}_{\text{gf}},\bar{S}\rrbracket =0$, so it is just like gauge-fixing $\hat{S}$. Since both $\hat{S}$ and $\Psi $ are ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ independent, $\hat{S}_{\text{gf}}$ is also ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ independent. Observe that the canonical transformations (\[backghost\]) and (\[backgfgen\]) commute; therefore we can safely apply the transformation (\[backghost\]) to the gauge-fixed action. A gauge fixing satisfying (\[backgf\]) is called background-preserving gauge fixing. In some derivations of this paper the background field master equations (\[treide\]) are violated in intermediate steps; therefore we need to prove properties that hold more generally. Specifically, consider an action $$S(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\hat{S}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)+\bar{S}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }), \label{assu}$$ equal to the sum of a ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$- and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$-independent “quantum action” $\hat{S}$, plus a “background action” $\bar{S}$ that satisfies the following requirements: ($i$) it is a linear function of the quantum fields $\Phi $, ($ii$) it gets multiplied by $\tau $ when applying the canonical transformation (\[backghost\]), and ($iii$) $\delta _{l}\bar{S}/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }$ is $\Phi $ independent. In particular, requirement ($ii$) implies that $\bar{S}$ vanishes at ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }=0$. Since $\bar{S}$ is a linear function of $\Phi $, it does not contribute to one-particle irreducible diagrams. Since $\hat{S}$ does not depend on ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$, while $\bar{S}$ vanishes at ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }=0$, $\bar{S}$ receives no radiative corrections. Thus the $\Gamma$ functional associated with the action (\[assu\]) satisfies $$\Gamma (\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\hat{\Gamma}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)+\bar{S}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }). \label{becco}$$ Moreover, thanks to theorem \[thb\] of the appendix we have the general identity $$\llbracket \Gamma ,\Gamma \rrbracket =\langle \llbracket S,S\rrbracket \rangle , \label{univ}$$ under the sole assumption that $\delta _{l}S/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }$ is $\Phi $ independent. Applying the canonical transformation (\[backghost\]) to $\Gamma $ we find $\Gamma _{\tau }=\hat{\Gamma}+\tau \bar{S}$, so (\[univ\]) gives the identities $$\llbracket \hat{\Gamma},\hat{\Gamma}\rrbracket =\langle \llbracket \hat{S},\hat{S}\rrbracket \rangle ,\qquad \llbracket \bar{S},\hat{\Gamma}\rrbracket =\langle \llbracket \bar{S},\hat{S}\rrbracket \rangle . \label{give}$$ When $\llbracket S,S\rrbracket =0$ we have $$\llbracket \Gamma ,\Gamma \rrbracket =\llbracket \hat{\Gamma},\hat{\Gamma}\rrbracket =\llbracket \bar{S},\hat{\Gamma}\rrbracket =0. \label{msb}$$ Observe that, thanks to the linearity assumption, an $\bar{S}$ equal to (\[sbar\]) satisfies the requirements of formula (\[assu\]). Now we give details about the background-preserving gauge fixing we pick for the action (\[sbacca\]). It is convenient to choose gauge-fixing functions $G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\partial )\phi ^{i}$ that are linear in the quantum fields $\phi $, where $G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\partial )$ may contain derivative operators. Precisely, we choose the gauge fermion $$\Psi (\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\int \bar{C}^{I}G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\partial )\phi ^{i}, \label{psiback}$$ and assume that it satisfies (\[backgf\]). A more common choice would be (see (\[seeym\]) for Yang-Mills theory) $$\Psi (\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\int \bar{C}^{I}\left( G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\partial )\phi ^{i}+\xi _{IJ}B^{J}\right) ,$$ where $\xi _{IJ}$ are gauge-fixing parameters. In this case, when we integrate the $B$ fields out the expressions $G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\partial )\phi ^{i}$ get squared. However, (\[psiback\]) is better for our purposes, because it makes the canonical transformations (\[casbacca\]) and (\[backgfgen\]) commute with each other. We call the choice (\[psiback\]) regular Landau gauge. The gauge-field propagators coincide with the ones of the Landau gauge. Nevertheless, while the usual Landau gauge (with no $B$’s around) is singular, here gauge fields are part of multiplets that include the $B$’s, therefore (\[psiback\]) is regular. In the regular Landau gauge, using (\[backgf\]) and applying (\[backgfgen\]) to (\[sbacca\]) we find $$S_{\text{gf}}=\hat{S}_{\text{gf}}+\bar{S}=S_{c}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-\int R^{\alpha }(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },C,\bar{C},B)\tilde{K}_{\alpha }-\int \mathcal{R}^{\alpha }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{\alpha }-\int R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }){\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }, \label{sbaccagf}$$ where the tilde sources $\tilde{K}_{\alpha }$ coincide with $K_{\alpha }$ apart from $\tilde{K}_{\phi }^{i}$ and $\tilde{K}_{\bar{C}}^{I}$, which are $$\tilde{K}_{\phi }^{i}=K_{\phi }^{i}-\bar{C}^{I}G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },-\overleftarrow{\partial }),\qquad \tilde{K}_{\bar{C}}^{I}=K_{\bar{C}}^{I}-G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\partial )\phi ^{i}. \label{chif}$$ Recalling that the functions $R^{\alpha }(\Phi )$ are $\bar{C}$ independent, we see that $\hat{S}_{\text{gf}}$ does not depend on $K_{\phi }^{i}$ and $\bar{C}$ separately, but only through the combination $\tilde{K}_{\phi }^{i}$. Every one-particle irreducible diagram with $\bar{C}^{I}$ external legs actually factorizes a $-\bar{C}^{I}G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },-\overleftarrow{\partial })$ on those legs. Replacing one or more such objects with $K_{\phi }^{i}$s, we obtain other contributing diagrams. Conversely, replacing one or more $K_{\phi }^{i}$-external legs with $-\bar{C}^{I}G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },-\overleftarrow{\partial })$ we also obtain contributing diagrams. Therefore, all radiative corrections, as well as the renormalized action $\hat{S}_{R}$ and the $\Gamma $ functionals $\hat{\Gamma}$ and $\hat{\Gamma}_{R}$ associated with the action (\[sbaccagf\]), do not depend on $K_{\phi }^{i}$ and $\bar{C}$ separately, but only through the combination $\tilde{K}_{\phi }^{i}$. The only $B$-dependent terms of $\hat{S}_{\text{gf}}$, provided by $\llbracket S,\Psi \rrbracket $ and (\[esto\]), are $$\Delta S_{B}\equiv -\int B^{I}\tilde{K}_{\bar{C}}^{I}=\int B^{I}\left( G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\partial )\phi ^{i}-K_{\bar{C}}^{I}\right) , \label{chio}$$ and are quadratic or linear in the quantum fields. For this reason, no one-particle irreducible diagrams can contain external $B$ legs, therefore $\Delta S_{B}$ is nonrenormalized and goes into $\hat{S}_{R}$, $\hat{\Gamma}$ and $\hat{\Gamma}_{R}$ unmodified. We thus learn that using linear gauge-fixing functions we can set $\bar{C}=B=0$ and later restore the correct $\bar{C}$ and $B$ dependencies in $\hat{S}_{\text{gf}}$, $\hat{S}_{R}$, $\hat{\Gamma}$ and $\hat{\Gamma}_{R}$ just by replacing $K_{\phi }^{i}$ with $\tilde{K}_{\phi }^{i}$ and adding $\Delta S_{B}$. From now on when no confusion can arise we drop the subscripts of $S_{\text{gf}}$ and $\hat{S}_{\text{gf}}$ and assume that the background field theory is gauge-fixed in the way just explained. Background-preserving canonical transformations ----------------------------------------------- It is useful to characterize the most general canonical transformations $\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }\rightarrow \Phi ^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime }$ that preserve the background field master equations (\[treide\]) and the basic properties of $\hat{S}$ and $\bar{S}$. By definition, all canonical transformations preserve the antiparentheses, so (\[treide\]) are turned into $$\llbracket \hat{S}^{\prime },\hat{S}^{\prime }\rrbracket ^{\prime }=\llbracket \hat{S}^{\prime },\bar{S}^{\prime }\rrbracket ^{\prime }=\llbracket \bar{S}^{\prime },\bar{S}^{\prime }\rrbracket ^{\prime }=0. \label{tretre}$$ Moreover, $\hat{S}^{\prime }$ should be ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime }$ and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime }$ independent, while $\bar{S}$ should be invariant, because it encodes the background transformations. This means $$\bar{S}^{\prime }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\bar{S}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }). \label{thesisback}$$ We prove that a canonical transformation defined by a generating functional of the form $$F(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime })=\int \ \Phi ^{\alpha }K_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\int \ {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }^{\prime }+Q(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime }), \label{cannonaback}$$ where $Q$ is a ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime }$- and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$-independent local functional such that $$\llbracket \bar{S},Q(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)\rrbracket =0, \label{assumback}$$ satisfies our requirements. Since $Q$ is ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime }$ and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ independent, the background fields and the sources ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{C}$ do not transform: ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime }={\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$, ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{C}^{\prime }={\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{C}$. Moreover, the action $\hat{S}^{\prime }$ is clearly ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime }$ and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime }$ independent, as desired, so we just need to prove (\[thesisback\]). For convenience, multiply $Q$ by a constant parameter $\zeta $ and consider the canonical transformations generated by $$F_{\zeta }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime })=\int \ \Phi ^{\alpha }K_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\int \ {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\zeta Q(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime }). \label{fg}$$ Given a functional $X(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime })$ it is often useful to work with the tilde functional $$\tilde{X}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=X(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }),{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })). \label{tildedfback}$$ obtained by expressing the primed sources in terms of unprimed fields and sources. Assumption (\[assumback\]) tells us that $Q(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)$ is invariant under background transformations. Since $\Phi ^{\alpha }$ and $K_{\beta }$ transform as matter fields under such transformations, it is clear that $\delta Q/\delta K_{\alpha }$ and $\delta Q/\delta \Phi ^{\beta }$ transform precisely like them, as well as $\Phi ^{\alpha \hspace{0.01in}\prime }$ and $K_{\beta }^{\prime }$. Moreover, we have $\llbracket \bar{S},\tilde{Q}\rrbracket =0$ for every $\zeta $. Applying theorem \[theorem5\] to $\chi =\bar{S}$ we obtain $$\frac{\partial ^{\prime }\bar{S}^{\prime }}{\partial \zeta }=\frac{\partial \bar{S}}{\delta \zeta }-\llbracket \bar{S},\tilde{Q}\rrbracket =\frac{\partial \bar{S}}{\delta \zeta }, \label{tocback}$$ where $\partial ^{\prime }/\partial \zeta $ is taken at constant primed variables and $\partial /\partial \zeta $ is taken at constant unprimed variables. If we treat the unprimed variables as $\zeta $ independent, and the primed variables as functions of them and $\zeta $, the right-hand side of (\[tocback\]) vanishes. Varying $\zeta $ from 0 to 1 we get $$\bar{S}^{\prime }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\bar{S}^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime })=\bar{S}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }),$$ where now the relations among primed and unprimed variables are those specified by (\[cannonaback\]). We call the canonical transformations just defined background-preserving canonical transformations. We stress once again that they do not just preserve the background field (${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime }={\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$), but also the background transformations ($\bar{S}^{\prime }=\bar{S}$) and the ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ independence of $\hat{S}$. The gauge-fixing canonical transformation (\[backgfgen\]) is background preserving. Canonical transformations may convert the sources $K$ into functions of both fields and sources. However, the sources are external, while the fields are integrated over. Thus, canonical transformations must be applied at the level of the action $S$, not at the levels of generating functionals. In the functional integral they must be meant as mere replacements of integrands. Nevertheless, we recall that there exists a way [@fieldcov; @masterf; @mastercan] to upgrade the formalism of quantum field theory and overcome these problems. The upgraded formalism allows us to implement canonical transformations as true changes of field variables in the functional integral, and closely track their effects inside generating functionals, as well as throughout the renormalization algorithm. Renormalization =============== In this section we give the basic algorithm to subtract divergences to all orders. As usual, we proceed by induction in the number of loops and use the dimensional-regularization technique and the minimal subtraction scheme. We assume that gauge anomalies are manifestly absent, i.e. that the background field master equations (\[treide\]) hold exactly at the regularized level. We first work on the classical action $S=\hat{S}+\bar{S}$ of (\[sbaccagf\]) and define a background-preserving subtraction algorithm. Then we generalize the results to non-background-preserving actions. Call $S_{n}$ and $\Gamma _{n}$ the action and the $\Gamma $ functional renormalized up to $n$ loops included, with $S_{0}=S$, and write the loop expansion as $$\Gamma _{n}=\sum_{k=0}^{\infty }\hbar ^{n}\Gamma _{n}^{(k)}.$$ The inductive assumptions are that $S_{n}$ has the form (\[assu\]), with $\bar{S}$ given by (\[sbar\]), and $$\begin{aligned} S_{n} &=&S+\text{poles},\qquad \Gamma _{n}^{(k)}<\infty ~~\forall k\leqslant n, \label{assu1} \\ \llbracket S_{n},S_{n}\rrbracket &=&\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+1}),\qquad \llbracket \bar{S},S_{n}\rrbracket =0, \label{assu2}\end{aligned}$$ where “poles” refers to the divergences of the dimensional regularization. Clearly, the assumptions (\[assu1\]) and (\[assu2\]) are satisfied for $n=0$. Using formulas (\[give\]) and recalling that $\llbracket S_{n},S_{n}\rrbracket $ is a local insertion of order $\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+1})$, we have $$\llbracket \Gamma _{n},\Gamma _{n}\rrbracket =\langle \llbracket S_{n},S_{n}\rrbracket \rangle =\llbracket S_{n},S_{n}\rrbracket +\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+2}),\qquad \llbracket \bar{S},\Gamma _{n}\rrbracket =\langle \llbracket \bar{S},S_{n}\rrbracket \rangle =0. \label{gnback2}$$ By $\llbracket S,S\rrbracket =0$ and the first of (\[assu1\]), $\llbracket S_{n},S_{n}\rrbracket $ is made of pure poles. Now, take the order $\hbar ^{n+1}$ of equations (\[gnback2\]) and then their divergent parts. The second of (\[assu1\]) tells us that all subdivergences are subtracted away, so the order-$\hbar ^{n+1}$ divergent part $\Gamma _{n\text{ div}}^{(n+1)}$ of $\Gamma _{n}$ is a local functional. We obtain $$\llbracket S,\Gamma _{n\text{ div}}^{(n+1)}\rrbracket =\frac{1}{2}\llbracket S_{n},S_{n}\rrbracket +\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+2}),\qquad \llbracket \bar{S},\Gamma _{n\text{ div}}^{(n+1)}\rrbracket =0. \label{gn2back}$$ Define $$S_{n+1}=S_{n}-\Gamma _{n\text{ div}}^{(n+1)}. \label{snp1back}$$ Since $S_{n}$ has the form (\[assu\]), $\Gamma _{n}$ has the form (\[becco\]), therefore both $\hat{\Gamma}_{n}$ and $\Gamma _{n\text{ div}}^{(n+1)}$ are ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ independent, which ensures that $S_{n+1}$ has the form (\[assu\]) (with $\bar{S}$ given by (\[sbar\])). Moreover, the first inductive assumption of (\[assu1\]) is promoted to $S_{n+1}$. The diagrams constructed with the vertices of $S_{n+1} $ are the diagrams of $S_{n}$, plus new diagrams containing vertices of $-\Gamma _{n\text{ div}}^{(n+1)}$; therefore $$\Gamma _{n+1}^{(k)}=\Gamma _{n}^{(k)}<\infty ~~\forall k\leqslant n,\qquad \Gamma _{n+1}^{(n+1)}=\Gamma _{n}^{(n+1)}-\Gamma _{n\text{ div}}^{(n+1)}<\infty ,$$ which promotes the second inductive assumption of (\[assu1\]) to $n+1$ loops. Finally, formulas (\[gn2back\]) and (\[snp1back\]) give $$\llbracket S_{n+1},S_{n+1}\rrbracket =\llbracket S_{n},S_{n}\rrbracket -2\llbracket S,\Gamma _{n\text{ div}}^{(n+1)}\rrbracket +\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+2})=\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+2}),\qquad \llbracket \bar{S},S_{n+1}\rrbracket =0,$$ so (\[assu2\]) are also promoted to $n+1$ loops. We conclude that the renormalized action $S_{R}=S_{\infty }$ and the renormalized generating functional $\Gamma _{R}=\Gamma _{\infty }$ satisfy the background field master equations $$\llbracket S_{R},S_{R}\rrbracket =\llbracket \bar{S},S_{R}\rrbracket =0,\qquad \llbracket \Gamma _{R},\Gamma _{R}\rrbracket =\llbracket \bar{S},\Gamma _{R}\rrbracket =0. \label{finback}$$ For later convenience we write down the form of $S_{R}$, which is $$S_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\hat{S}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)+\bar{S}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\hat{S}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)-\int \mathcal{R}^{\alpha }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{\alpha }-\int R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }){\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }. \label{sr1}$$ In the usual (non-background field) approach the results just derived hold if we just ignore background fields and sources, as well as background transformations, and use the standard parentheses $(X,Y)$ instead of $\llbracket X,Y\rrbracket $. Then the subtraction algorithm starts with a classical action $S(\Phi ,K)$ that satisfies the usual master equation $(S,S)=0$ exactly at the regularized level and ends with a renormalized action $S_{R}(\Phi ,K)=S_{\infty }(\Phi ,K)$ and a renormalized generating functional $\Gamma _{R}(\Phi ,K)=\Gamma _{\infty }(\Phi ,K)$ that satisfy the usual master equations $(S_{R},S_{R})=(\Gamma _{R},\Gamma _{R})=0$. In the presence of background fields ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ and background sources ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$, ignoring invariance under background transformations (encoded in the parentheses $\llbracket \bar{S},S\rrbracket $, $\llbracket \bar{S},S_{n}\rrbracket $, $\llbracket \bar{S},S_{R}\rrbracket $ and similar ones for the $\Gamma $ functionals), we can generalize the results found above to any classical action $S(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })$ that satisfies $\llbracket S,S\rrbracket =0$ at the regularized level and is such that $\delta _{l}S/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }$ is $\Phi $ independent. Indeed, these assumptions allow us to apply theorem \[thb\], instead of formulas (\[give\]), which is enough to go through the subtraction algorithm ignoring the parentheses $\llbracket \bar{S},X\rrbracket $. We have $\delta _{l}S/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }=\delta _{l}\Gamma /\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }=\delta _{l}S_{n}/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }$ for every $n$. Thus, we conclude that a classical action $S(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })$ that satisfies $\llbracket S,S\rrbracket =0$ at the regularized level and is such that $\delta _{l}S/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }$ is $\Phi $ independent gives a renormalized action $S_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })$ and a $\Gamma $ functional $\Gamma _{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })$ that satisfy $\llbracket S_{R},S_{R}\rrbracket =\llbracket \Gamma _{R},\Gamma _{R}\rrbracket =0$ and $\delta _{l}S_{R}/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }=\delta _{l}\Gamma _{R}/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }=\delta _{l}S/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }$. The renormalization algorithm of this section is a generalization to the background field method of the procedure first given in ref. [@lavrov]. Since it subtracts divergences just as they come, as emphasized by formula (\[snp1back\]), we use to call it “raw” subtraction [@regnocoho], to distinguish it from algorithms where divergences are subtracted away at each step by means of parameter redefinitions and canonical transformations. The raw subtraction does not ensure RG invariance [@regnocoho], because it subtracts divergent terms even when there is no (running) parameter associated with them. For the same reason, it tells us very little about parametric completeness. In power-counting renormalizable theories the raw subtraction is satisfactory, since we can start from a classical action $S_{c}$ that already contains all gauge-invariant terms that are generated back by renormalization. Nevertheless, in nonrenormalizable theories, such as quantum gravity, effective field theories and nonrenormalizable extensions of the Standard Model, in principle renormalization can modify the symmetry transformations in physically observable ways (see ref. [@regnocoho] for a discussion about this possibility). In section 5 we prove that this actually does not happen under the assumptions we have made in this paper; namely when gauge anomalies are manifestly absent, the gauge algebra is irreducible and closes off shell, and $R^{\alpha }(\Phi )$ are quadratic functions of the fields $\Phi $. Precisely, renormalization affects the symmetry only by means of canonical transformations and parameter redefinitions. Then, to achieve parametric completeness it is sufficient to include all gauge-invariant terms in the classical action $S_{c}(\phi )$, as classified by the starting gauge symmetry. The background field method is crucial to prove this result without advocating involved cohomological classifications. Gauge dependence ================ In this section we study the dependence on the gauge fixing and the renormalization of canonical transformations. We first derive the differential equations that govern gauge dependence; then we integrate them and finally use the outcome to describe the renormalized canonical transformation that switches between the background field approach and the conventional approach. These results will be useful in the next section to prove parametric completeness. The parameters of a canonical transformation are associated with changes of field variables and changes of gauge fixing. For brevity we call all of them “gauge-fixing parameters” and denote them with $\xi $. Let (\[cannonaback\]) be a tree-level canonical transformation satisfying (\[assumback\]). We write $Q(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },\xi )$ to emphasize the $\xi $ dependence of $Q$. We prove that for every gauge-fixing parameter $\xi $ there exists a local ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$- and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$-independent functional $Q_{R,\xi }$ such that $$Q_{R,\xi }=\widetilde{Q_{\xi }}+\mathcal{O}(\hbar )\text{-poles},\qquad \langle Q_{R,\xi }\rangle <\infty , \label{babaoback}$$ and $$\frac{\partial S_{R}}{\partial \xi }=\llbracket S_{R},Q_{R,\xi }\rrbracket ,\qquad \llbracket \bar{S},Q_{R,\xi }\rrbracket =0,\qquad \frac{\partial \Gamma _{R}}{\partial \xi }=\llbracket \Gamma _{R},\langle Q_{R,\xi }\rangle \rrbracket , \label{backgind}$$ where $Q_{\xi }=\partial Q/\partial \xi $, $\widetilde{Q_{\xi }}$ is defined as shown in (\[tildedfback\]) and the average is calculated with the action $S_{R}$. We call the first and last equations of the list (\[backgind\]) differential equations of gauge dependence. They ensure that renormalized functionals depend on gauge-fixing parameters in a cohomologically exact way. Later we integrate equations (\[backgind\]) and move every gauge dependence inside a (renormalized) canonical transformation. A consequence is that physical quantities are gauge independent. We derive (\[backgind\]) proceeding inductively in the number of loops, as usual. The inductive assumption is that there exists a ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$- and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$-independent local functional $Q_{n,\xi }=\widetilde{Q_{\xi }}+\mathcal{O}(\hbar )$-poles such that $\langle Q_{n,\xi }\rangle $ is convergent up to the $n$th loop included (the average being calculated with the action $S_{n}$) and $$\frac{\partial S_{n}}{\partial \xi }=\llbracket S_{n},Q_{n,\xi }\rrbracket +\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+1}),\qquad \llbracket \bar{S},Q_{n,\xi }\rrbracket =0. \label{inda1back}$$ Applying the identity (\[thesis\]), which here holds with the parentheses $\llbracket X,Y\rrbracket $, we easily see that $Q_{0,\xi }=\widetilde{Q_{\xi }}$ satisfies (\[inda1back\]) for $n=0$. Indeed, taking $\chi =S$ and noting that $\left. \partial S^{\prime }/\partial \xi \right\| _{\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }}=0$, since the parameter $\xi $ is absent before the transformation (a situation that we describe using primed variables), we get the first relation of (\[inda1back\]), without $\mathcal{O}(\hbar )$ corrections. Applying (\[thesis\]) to $\chi =\bar{S}$ and recalling that $\bar{S}$ is invariant, we get the second relation of (\[inda1back\]). Let $Q_{n,\xi \hspace{0.01in}\text{div}}^{(n+1)}$ denote the $\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+1})$ divergent part of $\langle Q_{n,\xi }\rangle $. The inductive assumption ensures that all subdivergences are subtracted away, so $Q_{n,\xi \hspace{0.01in}\text{div}}^{(n+1)}$ is local. Define $$Q_{n+1,\xi }=Q_{n,\xi }-Q_{n,\xi \hspace{0.01in}\text{div}}^{(n+1)}. \label{refdback}$$ Clearly, $Q_{n+1,\xi }$ is ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ independent and equal to $\widetilde{Q_{\xi }}+\mathcal{O}(\hbar )$-poles. Moreover, by construction $\langle Q_{n+1,\xi }\rangle $ is convergent up to the $(n+1)$-th loop included, where the average is calculated with the action $S_{n+1}$. Now, corollary \[corolla\] tells us that $\llbracket \bar{S},Q_{n,\xi }\rrbracket =0$ and $\llbracket \bar{S},S_{n}\rrbracket =0$ imply $\llbracket \bar{S},\langle Q_{n,\xi }\rangle \rrbracket =0$. Taking the $\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+1})$ divergent part of this formula we obtain $\llbracket \bar{S},Q_{n,\xi \hspace{0.01in}\text{div}}^{(n+1)}\rrbracket =0$; therefore the second formula of (\[inda1back\]) is promoted to $n+1$ loops. Applying corollary \[cora\] to $\Gamma _{n}$ and $S_{n}$, with $X=Q_{n,\xi }$, we have the identity $$\frac{\partial \Gamma _{n}}{\partial \xi }=\llbracket \Gamma _{n},\langle Q_{n,\xi }\rangle \rrbracket +\left\langle \frac{\partial S_{n}}{\partial \xi }-\llbracket S_{n},Q_{n,\xi }\rrbracket \right\rangle +\frac{1}{2}\left\langle \llbracket S_{n},S_{n}\rrbracket \hspace{0.01in}Q_{n,\xi }\right\rangle _{\Gamma }, \label{provef}$$ where $\left\langle AB\right\rangle _{\Gamma }$ denotes the one-particle irreducible diagrams with one $A$ insertion and one $B$ insertion. Now, observe that if $A=\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n_{A}})$ and $B=\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n_{B}})$ then $\left\langle AB\right\rangle _{\Gamma }=\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n_{A}+n_{B}+1})$, since the $A,B$ insertions can be connected only by loops. Let us take the $\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+1})$ divergent part of (\[provef\]). By the inductive assumption (\[assu2\]), the last term of (\[provef\]) can be neglected. By the inductive assumption (\[inda1back\]) we can drop the average in the second-to-last term. We thus get $$\frac{\partial \Gamma _{n\ \text{div}}^{(n+1)}}{\partial \xi }=\llbracket \Gamma _{n\ \text{div}}^{(n+1)},Q_{0,\xi }\rrbracket +\llbracket S,Q_{n,\xi \hspace{0.01in}\text{div}}^{(n+1)}\rrbracket +\frac{\partial S_{n}}{\partial \xi }-\llbracket S_{n},Q_{n,\xi }\rrbracket +\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+2}).$$ Using this fact, (\[snp1back\]) and (\[refdback\]) we obtain $$\frac{\partial S_{n+1}}{\partial \xi }=\llbracket S_{n+1},Q_{n+1,\xi }\rrbracket +\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+2}), \label{sunpi}$$ which promotes the first inductive hypothesis of (\[inda1back\]) to order $\hbar ^{n+1}$. When $n$ is taken to infinity, the first two formulas of (\[backgind\]) follow, with $Q_{R,\xi }=Q_{\infty ,\xi }$. The third identity of (\[backgind\]) follows from the first one, using (\[provef\]) with $n=\infty $ and $\llbracket \hat{S}_{R},\hat{S}_{R}\rrbracket =0$. This concludes the derivation of (\[backgind\]). Integrating the differential equations of gauge dependence {#integrating} ---------------------------------------------------------- Now we integrate the first two equations of (\[backgind\]) and find the renormalized canonical transformation that corresponds to a tree-level transformation (\[cannonaback\]) satisfying (\[assumback\]). Specifically, we prove that There exists a background-preserving canonical transformation $$F_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime },\xi )=\int \ \Phi ^{A}K_{A}^{\prime }+\int \ {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{A}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{A}^{\prime }+Q_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },\xi ), \label{finalcanback}$$ where $Q_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },\xi )=Q(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },\xi )+\mathcal{O}(\hbar )$ is a ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$- and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$-independent local functional, such that the transformed action $S_{f}(\Phi ^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime })=S_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\xi )$ is $\xi $ independent and invariant under background transformations: $$\frac{\partial S_{f}}{\partial \xi }=0,\qquad \llbracket \bar{S},S_{f}\rrbracket =0. \label{gindep2back}$$ Proof. To prove this statement we introduce a new parameter $\zeta $ multiplying the whole functional $Q$ of (\[cannonaback\]), as in (\[fg\]). We know that $\llbracket \bar{S},Q\rrbracket =0$ implies $\llbracket \bar{S},\tilde{Q}\rrbracket =0$. If we prove that the $\zeta $ dependence can be reabsorbed into a background-preserving canonical transformation we also prove the same result for every gauge-fixing parameter $\xi $ and also for all of them together. The differential equations of gauge dependence found above obviously apply with $\xi \rightarrow \zeta $. Specifically, we show that the $\zeta $ dependence can be reabsorbed in a sequence of background-preserving canonical transformations $S_{R\hspace{0.01in}n}\rightarrow S_{R\hspace{0.01in}n+1}$ (with $S_{R\hspace{0.01in}0}=S_{R}$), generated by $$F_{n}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime })=\int \ \Phi ^{A}K_{A}^{\prime }+\int \ {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{A}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{A}^{\prime }+H_{n}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },\zeta ), \label{fn}$$ where $H_{n}=\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n})$, and such that $$\frac{\partial S_{R\hspace{0.01in}n}}{\partial \zeta }=\llbracket S_{R\hspace{0.01in}n},T_{n}\rrbracket ,\qquad T_{n}=\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n}). \label{tn}$$ The functionals $T_{n}$ and $H_{n}$ are determined by the recursive relations $$\begin{aligned} T_{n+1}(\Phi ^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },\zeta ) &=&T_{n}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,\zeta )-\widetilde{\frac{\partial H_{n}}{\partial \zeta }}, \label{d1} \\ H_{n}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },\zeta ) &=&\int_{0}^{\zeta }d\zeta ^{\prime }\hspace{0.01in}T_{n,n}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },\zeta ^{\prime }), \label{d2}\end{aligned}$$ with the initial conditions $$T_{0}=Q_{R,\zeta },\qquad H_{0}=\zeta Q.$$ In formula (\[d1\]) the tilde operation (\[tildedfback\]) on $\partial H_{n}/\partial \zeta $ and the canonical transformation $\Phi ,K\rightarrow \Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }$ are the ones defined by $F_{n}$. In formula (\[d2\]) $T_{n,n}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime })$ denotes the contributions of order $\hbar ^{n}$ to $T_{n}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime }))$, the function $K(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime })$ also being determined by $F_{n}$. Note that for $n>0$ we have $T_{n}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime }))=T_{n}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime })+\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+1})$, therefore formula (\[d2\]), which determines $H_{n}$ (and so $F_{n}$), does not really need $F_{n}$ on the right-hand side. Finally, (\[d2\]) is self-consistent for $n=0$. Formula (\[thesis\]) of the appendix describes how the dependence on parameters is modified by a canonical transformation. Applying it to (\[tn\]), we get $$\frac{\partial S_{R\hspace{0.01in}n+1}}{\partial \zeta }=\frac{\partial S_{R\hspace{0.01in}n}}{\partial \zeta }-\llbracket S_{R\hspace{0.01in}n},\widetilde{\frac{\partial H_{n}}{\partial \zeta }}\rrbracket =\llbracket S_{R\hspace{0.01in}n},T_{n}-\widetilde{\frac{\partial H_{n}}{\partial \zeta }}\rrbracket ,$$ whence (\[d1\]) follows. For $n=0$ the first formula of (\[babaoback\]) gives $T_{0}=\widetilde{Q}+\mathcal{O}(\hbar )$, therefore $T_{1}=\mathcal{O}(\hbar )$. Then (\[d2\]) gives $H_{1}=\mathcal{O}(\hbar )$. For $n>0$ the order $\hbar ^{n}$ of $T_{n+1}$ vanishes by formula (\[d2\]); therefore $T_{n+1}=\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+1})$ and $H_{n+1}=\mathcal{O}(\hbar ^{n+1})$, as desired. Consequently, $S_{f}\equiv S_{R\hspace{0.01in}\infty }$ is $\zeta $ independent, since (\[tn\]) implies $\partial S_{R\hspace{0.01in}\infty }/\partial \zeta =0$. Observe that ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ independence is preserved at each step. Finally, all operations defined by (\[d1\]) and (\[d2\]) are background preserving. We conclude that the canonical transformation $F_{R}$ obtained composing the $F_{n}$s solves the problem. Using (\[gindep2back\]) and (\[give\]) we conclude that in the new variables $$\frac{\partial \Gamma _{f}}{\partial \xi }=\left\langle \frac{\partial S_{f}}{\partial \xi }\right\rangle =0\qquad \llbracket \bar{S},\Gamma _{f}\rrbracket =0, \label{finalmenteback}$$ for all gauge-fixing parameters $\xi $. Non-background-preserving canonical transformations --------------------------------------------------- In the usual approach the results derived so far apply with straightforward modifications. It is sufficient to ignore the background fields and sources, as well as the background transformations, and use the standard parentheses $(X,Y)$ instead of $\llbracket X,Y\rrbracket $. Thus, given a tree-level canonical transformation generated by $$F(\Phi ,K^{\prime })=\int \ \Phi ^{\alpha }K_{\alpha }^{\prime }+Q(\Phi ,K^{\prime },\xi ), \label{f1}$$ there exists a local functional $Q_{R,\xi }$ satisfying (\[babaoback\]) such that $$\frac{\partial S_{R}}{\partial \xi }=(S_{R},Q_{R,\xi }),\qquad \frac{\partial \Gamma _{R}}{\partial \xi }=(\Gamma _{R},\langle Q_{R,\xi }\rangle ), \label{br}$$ and there exists a renormalized canonical transformation $$F_{R}(\Phi ,K^{\prime })=\int \ \Phi ^{A}K_{A}^{\prime }+Q_{R}(\Phi ,K^{\prime },\xi ), \label{f2}$$ where $Q_{R}(\Phi ,K^{\prime },\xi )=Q(\Phi ,K^{\prime },\xi )+\mathcal{O}(\hbar )$ is a local functional, such that the transformed action $S_{f }(\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime })=S_{R}(\Phi ,K,\xi )$ is $\xi $ independent. Said differently, the entire $\xi $ dependence of $S_{R}$ is reabsorbed into the transformation: $$S_{R}(\Phi ,K,\xi )=S_{f}(\Phi ^{\prime }(\Phi ,K,\xi ),K^{\prime }(\Phi ,K,\xi )).$$ In the presence of background fields ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ and background sources ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$, dropping assumption (\[assumback\]) and ignoring invariance under background transformations, encoded in the parentheses $\llbracket \bar{S},X\rrbracket $, the results found above can be easily generalized to any classical action $S(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })$ that solves $\llbracket S,S\rrbracket =0$ and is such that $\delta _{l}S/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }$ is $\Phi $ independent, and to any ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$-independent canonical transformation. Indeed, these assumptions are enough to apply theorem \[thb\] and corollary \[cora\], and go through the derivation ignoring the parentheses $\llbracket \bar{S},X\rrbracket $. The tree-level canonical transformation is described by a generating functional of the form $$F(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime })=\int \ \Phi ^{\alpha }K_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\int \ {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }^{\prime }+Q(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },\xi ). \label{fa1}$$ We still find the differential equations $$\frac{\partial S_{R}}{\partial \xi }=\llbracket S_{R},Q_{R,\xi }\rrbracket ,\qquad \frac{\partial \Gamma _{R}}{\partial \xi }=\llbracket \Gamma _{R},\langle Q_{R,\xi }\rangle \rrbracket , \label{eqw}$$ where $Q_{R,\xi }$ satisfies (\[babaoback\]). When we integrate the first of these equations with the procedure defined above we build a renormalized canonical transformation $$F_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime },\xi )=\int \ \Phi ^{\alpha}K_{\alpha}^{\prime }+\int \ {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha}^{\prime }+Q_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },\xi ), \label{fra1}$$ where $Q_{R}=Q+\mathcal{O}(\hbar )$ is a local functional, such that the transformed action $S_{f}(\Phi ^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime })=S_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\xi )$ is $\xi $ independent. The only difference is that now $Q_{R,\xi }$, $\langle Q_{R,\xi }\rangle $, $T_{n}$, $H_{n}$ and $Q_{R}$ can depend on ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$, which does not disturb any of the arguments used in the derivation. Canonical transformations in ----------------------------- We have integrated the first equation of (\[eqw\]), and shown that the $\xi$ dependence can be reabsorbed in the canonical transformation (\[fra1\]) on the renormalized action $S_{R}$, which gives the $\xi$-independent action with $S_{\rm f}$. We know that the generating functional $\Gamma_{\rm f}$ of one-particle irreducible Green functions determined by $S_{\rm f}$ is $\xi$ independent. We can also prove that $\Gamma_{\rm f}$ can be obtained applying a (non-local) canonical transformation directly on $\Gamma_{R}$. To achieve this goal we integrate the second equation of (\[eqw\]). The integration algorithm is the same as the one of subsection \[integrating\], with the difference that $Q_{R,\xi}$ is replaced by $\langle Q_{R,\xi}\rangle$. The canonical transformation on $\Gamma_{R}$ has a generating functional of the form $$F_{\Gamma}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime },\xi )=\int \ \Phi ^{\alpha}K_{\alpha}^{\prime }+\int \ {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha}^{\prime }+Q_{\Gamma}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },\xi ), \label{fra2}$$ where $Q_{\Gamma}=Q+{\cal O}(\hbar)$ (non-local) radiative corrections. The result just obtained is actually more general, and proves that if $S$ is any action that solves the master equation (it can be the classical action, the renormalized action, or any other action) canonical transformations on $S$ correspond to canonical transformations on the $\Gamma$ functional determined by $S$. See [@quadri] for a different derivation of this result in Yang-Mills theory. Our line of reasoning can be recapitulated as follows: in the usual approach, ($i$) make a canonical transformation (\[f1\]) on $S$; ($ii$) derive the equations of gauge dependence for the action, which are $\partial S/\partial\xi=( S,Q_{\xi}) $; ($iii$) derive the equations of gauge dependence for the $\Gamma$ functional determined by $S$, which are $\partial \Gamma/\partial\xi=( \Gamma,\langle Q_{\xi}\rangle)$, and integrate them. The property just mentioned may sound obvious, and is often taken for granted, but actually needed to be proved. The reason is that the canonical transformations we are talking about are not true changes of field variables inside functional integrals, but mere replacements of integrands [@fieldcov]. Therefore, we cannot automatically infer how a transformation on the action $S$ affects the generating functionals $Z$, $W=\ln Z$ and $\Gamma$, and need to make some additional effort to get where we want. We recall that to skip this kind of supplementary analysis we need to use the formalism of the master functional, explained in refs. [@masterf; @mastercan]. Application ----------- An interesting application that illustrates the results of this section is the comparison between the renormalized action (\[sr1\]), which was obtained with the background field method and the raw subtraction procedure of section 3, and the renormalized action $S_{R}^{\prime }$ that can be obtained with the same raw subtraction in the usual non-background field approach. The usual approach is retrieved by picking a gauge fermion $\Psi ^{\prime }$ that depends on $\Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$, such as $$\Psi ^{\prime }(\Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\int \bar{C}^{I}G^{Ii}(0,\partial )(\phi ^{i}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{i}). \label{gfno}$$ Making the canonical transformation generated by $$F_{\text{gf}}^{\prime }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime })=\int \ \Phi ^{\alpha }K_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\int \ {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\Psi ^{\prime }(\Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }) \label{backgfgen2}$$ on (\[sback\]) we find the classical action $$S^{\prime }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\hat{S}^{\prime }(\Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)+\bar{S}^{\prime }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }), \label{sr2c}$$ where $$\hat{S}^{\prime }(\Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)=S_{c}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-\int R^{\alpha }(\Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })\bar{K}_{\alpha },\qquad \bar{S}^{\prime }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=-\int R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }-K_{\alpha }), \label{sr2gf}$$ and the barred sources $\bar{K}_{\alpha }$ coincide with $K_{\alpha }$ apart from $\bar{K}_{\phi }^{i}$ and $\bar{K}_{\bar{C}}^{I}$, which are $$\bar{K}_{\phi }^{i}=K_{\phi }^{i}-\bar{C}^{I}G^{Ii}(0,-\overleftarrow{\partial }),\qquad \bar{K}_{\bar{C}}^{I}=K_{\bar{C}}^{I}-G^{Ii}(0,\partial )(\phi ^{i}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{i}). \label{chif2}$$ Clearly, $\hat{S}^{\prime }$ is the gauge-fixed classical action of the usual approach, apart from the shift $\Phi \rightarrow \Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$. The radiative corrections are generated only by $\hat{S}^{\prime }$ and do not affect $\bar{S}^{\prime }$. Indeed, $\hat{S}^{\prime }$ as well as the radiative corrections are unaffected by setting ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }=0$ and then shifting $\Phi $ back to $\Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$, while $\bar{S}^{\prime }$ disappears doing this. Thus, $\bar{S}^{\prime }$ is nonrenormalized, and the renormalized action $S_{R}^{\prime }$ has the form $$S_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\hat{S}_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)+\bar{S}^{\prime }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }). \label{sr2}$$ Now we compare the classical action (\[sbaccagf\]) of the background field method with the classical action (\[sr2c\]) of the usual approach. We recapitulate how they are obtained with the help of the following schemes: $$\begin{tabular}{cccccccccc} (\ref{sback}) & $\stackrel{(\ref{casbacca})}{\mathrel{\scalebox{2.5}[1]{$\longrightarrow$}}}$ & (\ref{sbacca}) & $\stackrel{(\ref{backgfgen})}{\mathrel{\scalebox{2.5}[1]{$\longrightarrow$}}}$ & $S=$ (\ref{sbaccagf}) & \qquad \qquad & (\ref{sback}) & $\stackrel{(\ref{backgfgen2})}{\mathrel{\scalebox{2.5}[1]{$ \longrightarrow$}}}$ & $S^{\prime }=$ (\ref {sr2gf}). & \end{tabular}$$ Above the arrows we have put references to the corresponding canonical transformations, which are (\[casbacca\]), (\[backgfgen\]) and (\[backgfgen2\]) and commute with one another. We can interpolate between the classical actions (\[sbaccagf\]) and (\[sr2gf\]) by means of a ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$-independent non-background-preserving canonical transformation generated by $$F_{\xi }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime },\xi )=\int \ \Phi ^{\alpha }K_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\int \ {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\xi \Delta \Psi +\xi \int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{B}^{I\hspace{0.01in}\prime }. \label{ds}$$ where $\xi $ is a gauge-fixing parameter that varies from 0 to 1, and $$\Delta \Psi =\int \bar{C}^{I}\left( G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\partial )\phi ^{i}-G^{Ii}(0,\partial )(\phi ^{i}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{i})\right) .$$ Precisely, start from the non-background field theory (\[sr2c\]), andtake its variables to be primed ones. We know that $\hat{S}^{\prime }$ depends on the combination $$\tilde{K}_{\phi }^{i\hspace{0.01in}\prime }=K_{\phi }^{i\hspace{0.01in}\prime }-\bar{C}^{I\hspace{0.01in}}G^{Ii}(0,-\overleftarrow{\partial }), \label{kip}$$ and we have $\bar{C}^{I\hspace{0.01in}}=\bar{C}^{I\hspace{0.01in}\prime }$. Expressing the primed fields and sources in terms of the unprimed ones and $\xi $, we find the interpolating classical action $$S_{\xi }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=S_{c}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })-\int R^{\alpha }(\Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })\tilde{K}_{\alpha }(\xi )-\xi \int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })\tilde{K}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\xi )-\int R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\tilde{K}}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }(\xi )-\tilde{K}_{\alpha }(\xi )), \label{sx}$$ where $\tilde{K}_{C}^{I}(\xi )=K_{C}^{I}$, $$\tilde{K}_{\phi }^{i}(\xi )=K_{\phi }^{i}-\xi \bar{C}^{I\hspace{0.01in}}G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },-\overleftarrow{\partial })-(1-\xi )\bar{C}^{I\hspace{0.01in}}G^{Ii}(0,-\overleftarrow{\partial }), \label{convex}$$ while the other $\xi $-dependent tilde sources have expressions that we do not need to report here. It suffices to say that they are $K_{\phi }^{i}$ independent, such that $\delta _{r}S_{\xi }/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }=-R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })$, and linear in the quantum fields $\Phi $, apart from ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\tilde{K}}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\phi }^{i}(\xi )$, which is quadratic. Thus the action $S_{\xi }$ and the transformation $F_{\xi }$ satisfy the assumptions that allow us to apply theorem \[thb\] and corollary \[cora\]. Actually, (\[ds\]) is of type (\[fa1\]); therefore we have the differential equations (\[eqw\]) and the renormalized canonical transformation (\[fra1\]). We want to better characterize the renormalized version $F_{R}$ of $F_{\xi }$. We know that the derivative of the renormalized $\Gamma $ functional with respect to $\xi $ is governed by the renormalized version of the average $$\left\langle \widetilde{\frac{\partial F_{\xi }}{\partial \xi }}\right\rangle =\langle \Delta \Psi \rangle +\int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{B}^{I}.$$ It is easy to see that $\langle \Delta \Psi \rangle $ is independent of ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$, $B$, $K_{\bar{C}}$ and $K_{B}$, since no one-particle irreducible diagrams with such external legs can be constructed. In particular, $K_{B}^{I\hspace{0.01in}\prime }=K_{B}^{I}$. Moreover, using the explicit form (\[sx\]) of the action $S_{\xi }$ and arguments similar to the ones that lead to formulas (\[chif\]), we easily see that $\langle \Delta \Psi \rangle $ is equal to $\Delta \Psi $ plus a functional that does not depend on $K_{\phi }^{i}$ and $\bar{C}^{I}$ separately, but only on the convex combination (\[convex\]). Indeed, the $\bar{C}$-dependent terms of (\[sx\]) that do not fit into the combination (\[convex\]) are $K_{\phi }^{i}$ independent and at most quadratic in the quantum fields, so they cannot generate one-particle irreducible diagrams that have either $K_{\phi }^{i}$ or $\bar{C}$ on the external legs. Clearly, the renormalization of $\langle \Delta \Psi \rangle $ also satisfies the properties just stated for $\langle \Delta \Psi \rangle $. Following the steps of the previous section we can integrate the $\xi $ derivative and reconstruct the full canonical transformation. However, formula (\[d2\]) shows that the integration over $\xi $ must be done by keeping fixed the unprimed fields $\Phi $ and the primed sources $K^{\prime } $. When we do this for the zeroth canonical transformation $F_{0}$ of (\[fn\]), the combination $\tilde{K}_{\phi }^{i}(\xi )$ is turned into (\[kip\]), which is $\xi $ independent. Every other transformation $F_{n}$ of (\[fn\]) preserves the combination (\[kip\]), so the integrated canonical transformation does not depend on $K_{\phi }^{i}$ and $\bar{C}^{I}$ separately, but only on the combination $\tilde{K}_{\phi }^{i\hspace{0.01in}\prime }$, and the generating functional of the renormalized version $F_{R}$ of $F_{\xi }$ has the form $$F_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime },\xi )=\int \ \Phi ^{\alpha }K_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\int \ {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }^{\prime }+\xi \Delta \Psi +\xi \int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{B}^{I\hspace{0.01in}\prime }+\Delta F_{\xi }(\phi ,C,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\tilde{K}_{\phi }^{\prime },K_{C}^{\prime },\xi ). \label{fr}$$ Using this expression we can verify [a posteriori]{} that indeed $\tilde{K}_{\phi }^{i}(\xi )$ depends just on (\[kip\]), not on $K_{\phi }^{i\hspace{0.01in}\prime }$ and $\bar{C}^{I}$ separately. Moreover, (\[fr\]) implies $${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha \hspace{0.01in}\prime }={\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha},\qquad B^{I\hspace{0.01in}\prime }=B^{I}+\xi \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }),\qquad \bar{C}^{I\hspace{0.01in}\prime }=\bar{C}^{I},\qquad K_{B}^{I\hspace{0.01in}\prime }=K_{B}^{I}. \label{besid}$$ In the next section these results are used to achieve parametric completeness. Renormalization and parametric completeness =========================================== The raw renormalization algorithm of section 3 subtracts away divergences just as they come. It does not ensure, per se, RG invariance, for which it is necessary to prove parametric completeness, namely that all divergences can be subtracted by redefining parameters and making canonical transformations. We must show that we can include in the classical action all invariants that are generated back by renormalization, and associate an independent parameter with each of them. The purpose of this section is to show that the background field method allows us to prove parametric completeness in a rather straightforward way, making cohomological classifications unnecessary. We want to relate the renormalized actions (\[sr1\]) and (\[sr2\]). From the arguments of the previous section we know that these two actions are related by the canonical transformation generated by (\[fr\]) at $\xi =1$. We have $$\hat{S}_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime }+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime })-\int R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }^{\prime }-K_{\alpha }^{\prime })=\hat{S}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)-\int \mathcal{R}^{\alpha }(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{\alpha }-\int R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }){\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }. \label{ei}$$ From (\[fr\]) we find the transformation rules (\[besid\]) at $\xi =1$ and $$\phi ^{\prime }=\phi +\frac{\delta \Delta F}{\delta \tilde{K}_{\phi }^{\prime }},\qquad K_{\bar{C}}^{I}=K_{\bar{C}}^{I\hspace{0.01in}\prime }+G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\partial )\phi ^{i}-G^{Ii}(0,\partial )(\phi ^{i\hspace{0.01in}\prime }+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{i})+\frac{\delta }{\delta \bar{C}^{I}}\int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{J}(\bar{C},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{B}^{J}, \label{beside}$$ where $\Delta F$ is $\Delta F_{\xi}$ at $\xi=1$. Here and below we sometimes understand indices when there is no loss of clarity. We want to express equation (\[ei\]) in terms of unprimed fields and primed sources, and then set $\phi =C={\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime }=0$. We denote this operation with a subscript 0. Keeping ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\bar{C},B$ and $K^{\prime }$ as independent variables, we get $$\begin{aligned} \hat{S}_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi _{0}^{\prime }+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime }) &=&\hat{S}_{R}(0,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },0)-\int B^{I\prime }(K_{\bar{C}}^{I\hspace{0.01in}\prime }-G^{Ii}(0,\partial )(\phi _{0}^{i\hspace{0.01in}\prime }+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{i})) \nonumber \\ &&-\int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })\frac{\delta }{\delta \bar{C}^{I}}\int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{J}(\bar{C},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{B}^{J\hspace{0.01in}\prime }-\int R^{\alpha }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha 0}+K_{\alpha }^{\prime }). \label{uio}\end{aligned}$$ To derive this formula we have used $$\hat{S}_{R}(\{0,0,\bar{C},B\},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)=\hat{S}_{R}(0,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },0)-\int B^{I}K_{\bar{C}}^{I}, \label{mina}$$ together with (\[iddo\]), (\[besid\]) and (\[beside\]). The reason why (\[mina\]) holds is that at $C=0$ there are no objects with positive ghost numbers inside the left-hand side of this equation; therefore we can drop every object that has a negative ghost number, which means $\bar{C}$ and all sources $K$ but $K_{\bar{C}}^{I}$. Since (\[chio\]) are the only $B$ and $K_{\bar{C}}^{I}$-dependent terms, and they are not renormalized, at $\phi =0$ we find (\[mina\]). Now, consider the canonical transformation $\{{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\bar{C},B\},\breve{K}\rightarrow \Phi ^{\prime \prime },K^{\prime }$ defined by the generating functional $$F(\{{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\bar{C},B\},K^{\prime })=\int {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }K_{\phi }^{\prime }+\int \ {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }K_{C}^{\prime }+F_{R}(\{0,0,\bar{C},B\},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },0,1). \label{for}$$ It gives the transformation rules $$\begin{aligned} \Phi ^{\hspace{0.01in}\prime \prime } &=&{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }+\Phi _{0}^{\prime },\qquad \breve{K}_{\phi }=K_{\phi }^{\prime }+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\phi 0},\qquad \breve{K}_{C}=K_{C}^{\prime }+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{C0}, \\ \breve{K}_{\bar{C}}^{I} &=&K_{\bar{C}}^{I\hspace{0.01in}\prime }-G^{Ii}(0,\partial )\phi ^{i\hspace{0.01in}\prime \prime }+\frac{\delta }{\delta \bar{C}^{I}}\int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{J}(\bar{C},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })K_{B}^{J\hspace{0.01in}\prime },\qquad \breve{K}_{B}=K_{B}^{\prime },\end{aligned}$$ which turn formula (\[uio\]) into $$\begin{aligned} \hat{S}_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime \prime },K^{\prime }) &=&\hat{S}_{R}(0,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },0)-\int R_{\phi }^{i}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })\breve{K}_{\phi }^{i}-\int R_{C}^{I}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })\breve{K}_{C}^{I} \nonumber \\ &&-\int B^{I}\breve{K}_{\bar{C}}^{I}-\int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })\breve{K}_{\bar{C}}^{I}-\int \mathcal{R}_{B}^{I}(B,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })\breve{K}_{B}^{I}. \label{fin0}\end{aligned}$$ Note that $(\hat{S}_{R}^{\prime },\hat{S}_{R}^{\prime })=0$ is automatically satisfied by (\[fin0\]). Indeed, we know that $\hat{S}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)$ is invariant under background transformations, and so is $\hat{S}_{R}(0,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },0)$, because $\Phi $ and $K$ transform as matter fields. We can classify $\hat{S}_{R}(0,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },0)$ using its gauge invariance. Let $\mathcal{G}_{i}(\phi )$ denote a basis of gauge-invariant local functionals constructed with the physical fields $\phi $. Then $$\hat{S}_{R}(0,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },0)=\sum_{i}\tau _{i}\mathcal{G}_{i}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }), \label{comple}$$ for suitable constants $\tau _{i}$. Now we manipulate these results in several ways to make their consequences more explicit. To prepare the next discussion it is convenient to relabel $\{{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\bar{C},B\}$ as $\breve{\Phi}^{\alpha }$ and $K^{\prime }$ as $K^{\prime \prime }$. Then formulas (\[for\]) and (\[fin0\]) tell us that the canonical transformation $$F_{1}(\breve{\Phi},K^{\prime \prime })=\int \breve{\phi}K_{\phi }^{\prime \prime }+\int \ \breve{C}K_{C}^{\prime \prime }+F_{R}(\{0,0,{\breve{\bar{C}}},\breve{B}\},\{\breve{\phi},\breve{C}\},K^{\prime \prime },0,1) \label{forex}$$ is such that $$\hat{S}_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime \prime },K^{\prime \prime })=\hat{S}_{R}(0,\breve{\phi},0)-\int \bar{R}^{\alpha }(\breve{\Phi})\breve{K}_{\alpha }. \label{fin0ex}$$ #### Parametric completeness Making the further canonical transformation $\breve{\Phi},\breve{K}\rightarrow \Phi ,K$ generated by $$F_{2}(\Phi ,\breve{K})=\int \Phi ^{\alpha }\breve{K}_{\alpha }+\int \bar{C}^{I}G^{Ii}(0,\partial )\phi ^{i}-\int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}(\bar{C},C)\breve{K}_{B}^{I},$$ we get $$\hat{S}_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime \prime },K^{\prime \prime })=\hat{S}_{R}(0,\phi ,0)-\int R^{\alpha }(\Phi )\bar{K}_{\alpha }, \label{keynb}$$ where the barred sources are the ones of (\[chif2\]) at ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }=0$. If we start from the most general gauge-invariant classical action, $$S_{c}(\phi ,\lambda )\equiv \sum_{i}\lambda _{i}\mathcal{G}_{i}(\phi ), \label{scgen}$$ where $\lambda _{i}$ are physical couplings (apart from normalization constants), identities (\[comple\]) and (\[keynb\]) give $$\hat{S}_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime \prime },K^{\prime \prime })=S_{c}(\phi ,\tau (\lambda ))-\int R^{\alpha }(\Phi )\bar{K}_{\alpha }. \label{kk}$$ This result proves parametric completeness in the usual approach, because it tells us that the renormalized action of the usual approach is equal to the classical action $\hat{S}^{\prime }(\Phi ,K)$ (check (\[sr2c\])-(\[sr2gf\]) at ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }={\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }=0$), apart from parameter redefinitions $\lambda \rightarrow \tau $ and a canonical transformation. In this derivation the role of the background field method is just to provide the key tool to prove the statement. We can also describe parametric completeness in the background field approach. Making the canonical transformation $\breve{\Phi},\breve{K}\rightarrow \hat{\Phi},\hat{K}$ generated by $$F_{2}^{\prime }(\hat{\Phi},\breve{K})=\int \hat{\Phi}^{\alpha }\breve{K}_{\alpha }+\int {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{i}\breve{K}_{\phi }^{i}+\int {\hat{\bar{C}}}^{I}G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\partial )\hat{\phi}^{i}-\int \mathcal{R}_{\bar{C}}^{I}({\hat{\bar{C}}},\hat{C})\breve{K}_{B}^{I}, \label{cancan}$$ formula (\[fin0ex\]) becomes $$\hat{S}_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime \prime },K^{\prime \prime })=S_{c}(\hat{\phi}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\tau )-\int R^{\alpha }(\hat{\phi}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\hat{C},{\hat{\bar{C}}},\hat{B})\widetilde{\hat{K}}_{\alpha }, \label{y0}$$ where the relations between tilde and nontilde sources are the hat versions of (\[chif\]). Next, we make a ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ translation on the left-hand side of (\[y0\]) applying the canonical transformation $\Phi ^{\prime \prime },K^{\prime \prime }$ $\rightarrow \Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }$ generated by $$F_{3}(\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime \prime })=\int (\Phi ^{\alpha \hspace{0.01in}\prime }+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha })K_{\alpha }^{\prime \prime }. \label{traslacan}$$ Doing so, $\hat{S}_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime \prime },K^{\prime \prime })$ is turned into $\hat{S}_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime }+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime })$. At this point, we want to compare the result we have obtained with (\[ei\]). Recall that formula (\[ei\]) involves the canonical transformation (\[fr\]) at $\xi =1$. If we set ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\prime }=0$ we project that canonical transformation onto a canonical transformation $\Phi ,K\rightarrow \Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }$ generated by $F_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime },0,1)$, where ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ is regarded as a spectator. Furthermore, it is convenient to set ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }=0$, because then formula (\[ei\]) turns into $$\hat{S}_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime }+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime })=\hat{S}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K),$$ where now primed fields and sources are related to the unprimed ones by the canonical transformation generated by $F_{R}(\Phi ,\{{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },0\},K^{\prime },0,1)$. Finally, recalling that $\hat{S}_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime \prime },K^{\prime \prime })=\hat{S}_{R}^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime }+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K^{\prime })$ and using (\[y0\]) we get the key formula we wanted, namely $$\hat{S}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)=S_{c}(\hat{\phi}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\tau (\lambda ))-\int R^{\alpha }(\hat{\phi}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\hat{C},{\hat{\bar{C}}},\hat{B})\widetilde{\hat{K}}_{\alpha }. \label{key}$$ Observe that formula (\[key0\]) of the introduction is formula (\[key\]) with antighosts and Lagrange multipliers switched off. Checking (\[sbaccagf\]), formula (\[key\]) tells us that the renormalized background field action $\hat{S}_{R}$ is equal to the classical background field action $\hat{S}_{\text{gf}}$ up to parameter redefinitions $\lambda \rightarrow \tau $ and a canonical transformation. This proves parametric completeness in the background field approach. The canonical transformation $\Phi ,K\rightarrow \hat{\Phi},\hat{K}$ involved in formula (\[key\]) is generated by the functional $\hat{F}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\hat{K})$ obtained composing the transformations generated by $F_{R}(\Phi ,\{{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },0\},K^{\prime },0,1)$, $F_{1}(\breve{\Phi},K^{\prime \prime })$, $F_{2}^{\prime }(\hat{\Phi},\breve{K})$ and $F_{3}(\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime \prime })$ of formulas (\[fr\]), (\[forex\]), (\[cancan\]) and (\[traslacan\]) (at ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }=0$). Working out the composition it is easy to prove that $${\hat{\bar{C}}}=\bar{C},\qquad \hat{B}=B,\qquad \hat{K}_{B}=K_{B},\qquad \hat{K}_{\bar{C}}^{I}-G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\partial )\hat{\phi}^{i}=K_{\bar{C}}^{I}-G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\partial )\phi ^{i},$$ and therefore $\hat{F}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\hat{K})$ has the form $$\hat{F}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\hat{K})=\int \Phi ^{\alpha }\hat{K}_{\alpha }+\Delta \hat{F}(\phi ,C,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\hat{K}_{\phi }^{i}-{\hat{\bar{C}}}^{I}G^{Ii}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },-\overleftarrow{\partial }),\hat{K}_{C}), \label{frhat}$$ where $\Delta \hat{F}=\mathcal{O}(\hbar )$-poles. Examples ======== In this section we give two examples, non-Abelian gauge field theories and quantum gravity, which are also useful to familiarize oneself with the notation and the tools used in the paper. We switch to Minkowski spacetime. The dimensional-regularization technique is understood. Yang-Mills theory ----------------- The first example is non-Abelian Yang-Mills theory with simple gauge group $G $ and structure constants $f^{abc}$, coupled to fermions $\psi ^{i}$ in some representation described by anti-Hermitian matrices $T_{ij}^{a}$. The classical action $S_{c}(\phi )$ can be restricted by power counting, or enlarged to include all invariants of (\[scgen\]). The nonminimal non-gauge-fixed action $S$ is the sum $\hat{S}+\bar{S}$ of (\[deco\]) and (\[sbar\]). We find $$\begin{aligned} \hat{S} &=&S_{c}(\phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })+\int \hspace{0.01in}\left[ g(\bar{\psi}^{i}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\bar{\psi}}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{i})T_{ij}^{a}C^{a}K_{\psi }^{j}+g\bar{K}_{\psi }^{i}T_{ij}^{a}C^{a}(\psi ^{j}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\psi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{j})\right] \\ &&-\int \hspace{0.01in}\left[ ({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\mu }C^{a}+gf^{abc}A_{\mu }^{b}C^{c})K^{\mu a}-\frac{1}{2}gf^{abc}C^{b}C^{c}K_{C}^{a}+B^{a}K_{\bar{C}}^{a}\right] ,\end{aligned}$$ and $$\begin{aligned} \bar{S} &=&gf^{abc}\int \hspace{0.01in}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{b}(A_{\mu }^{c}K^{\mu a}+C^{c}K_{C}^{a}+\bar{C}^{c}K_{\bar{C}}^{a}+B^{c}K_{B}^{a})+g\int \hspace{0.01in}\left[ \bar{\psi}^{i}T_{ij}^{a}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{a}K_{\psi }^{j}+\bar{K}_{\psi }^{i}T_{ij}^{a}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{a}\psi ^{j}\right] \nonumber \\ &&-\int \hspace{0.01in}\left[ ({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\mu }{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{a}){\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\mu a}-\frac{1}{2}gf^{abc}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{b}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{c}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{C}^{a}-g{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\bar{\psi}}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{i}T_{ij}^{a}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{a}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\psi }^{j}-g{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\bar{K}}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\psi }^{i}T_{ij}^{a}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{a}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\psi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{j}\right] . \label{sbary}\end{aligned}$$ The covariant derivative ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\mu }$ is the background one; for example ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\mu }\Lambda ^{a}=\partial _{\mu }\Lambda ^{a}+gf^{abc}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\mu }^{b}\Lambda ^{c}$. The first line of (\[sbary\]) shows that all quantum fields transform as matter fields under background transformations. It is easy to check that $\hat{S}$ and $\bar{S}$ satisfy $\llbracket \hat{S},\hat{S}\rrbracket =\llbracket \hat{S},\bar{S}\rrbracket =\llbracket \bar{S},\bar{S}\rrbracket =0$. A common background-preserving gauge fermion is $$\Psi =\int \bar{C}^{a}\left( -\frac{\lambda }{2}B^{a}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\mu }A_{\mu }^{a}\right) , \label{seeym}$$ and the gauge-fixed action $\hat{S}_{\text{gf}}=\hat{S}+\llbracket \hat{S},\Psi \rrbracket $ reads $$\hat{S}_{\text{gf}}=\hat{S}-\frac{\lambda }{2}\int (B^{a})^{2}+\int B^{a}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\mu }A_{\mu }^{a}-\int \bar{C}^{a}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\mu }({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\mu }C^{a}+gf^{abc}A_{\mu }^{b}C^{c}).$$ Since the gauge fixing is linear in the quantum fields, the action $\hat{S}$ depends on the combination $K_{\mu }^{a}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\mu }\bar{C}^{a}$ and not on $K_{\mu }^{a}$ and $\bar{C}^{a}$ separately. From now on we switch matter fields off, for simplicity, and set $\lambda =0$. We describe renormalization using the approach of this paper. First we concentrate on the standard power-counting renormalizable case, where $$S_{c}(A,g)=-\frac{1}{4}\int F_{\mu \nu }^{a}(A,g)F^{\mu \nu \hspace{0.01in}a}(A,g),\qquad \qquad F_{\mu \nu }^{a}(A,g)=\partial _{\mu }A_{\nu }^{a}-\partial _{\nu }A_{\mu }^{a}+gf^{abc}A_{\mu }^{b}A_{\nu }^{c}.$$ The key formula (\[key\]) gives $$\begin{aligned} \hat{S}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K) &=&-\frac{Z}{4}\int F_{\mu \nu }^{a}(\hat{A}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },g)F^{\mu \nu \hspace{0.01in}a}(\hat{A}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },g)+\int \hat{B}^{a}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\mu }\hat{A}_{\mu }^{a}-\int \hat{B}^{a}\hat{K}_{\bar{C}}^{a} \nonumber \\ &&+\int \hspace{0.01in}(\hat{K}^{\mu a}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\mu }{\hat{\bar{C}}}^{a})({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\mu }\hat{C}^{a}+gf^{abc}\hat{A}_{\mu }^{b}\hat{C}^{c})+\frac{1}{2}gf^{abc}\int \hat{C}^{b}\hat{C}^{c}\hat{K}_{C}^{a}, \label{sat}\end{aligned}$$ where $Z$ is a renormalization constant. The most general canonical transformation $\Phi ,K\rightarrow \hat{\Phi},\hat{K}$ that is compatible with power counting, global gauge invariance and ghost number conservation can be easily written down. Introducing unknown constants where necessary, we find that its generating functional has the form $$\begin{aligned} \hat{F}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\hat{K}) &=&\int (Z_{A}^{1/2}A_{\mu }^{a}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{Z}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{A}^{1/2}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\mu }^{a})\hat{K}^{\mu a}+\int Z_{C}^{1/2}C^{a}\hat{K}_{C}^{a}+\int Z_{\bar{C}}^{1/2}\bar{C}^{a}\hat{K}_{\bar{C}}^{a} \\ &&+\int (Z_{B}^{1/2}B^{a}+\alpha {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\mu }A_{\mu }^{a}+\beta \partial ^{\mu }{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\mu }^{a}+\gamma gf^{abc}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\mu b}A_{\mu }^{c}+\delta gf^{abc}\bar{C}^{b}C^{c})\hat{K}_{B}^{a} \\ &&+\int \bar{C}^{a}(\zeta B^{a}+\xi {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\mu }A_{\mu }^{a}+\eta \partial ^{\mu }{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\mu }^{a}+\theta gf^{abc}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\mu b}A_{\mu }^{c}+\chi gf^{abc}\bar{C}^{b}C^{c}) \\ &&+\int \sigma \hat{K}_{\bar{C}}^{a}\hat{K}_{B}^{a}+\int \tau gf^{abc}C^{a}\hat{K}_{B}^{b}\hat{K}_{B}^{c}.\end{aligned}$$ Inserting it in (\[sat\]) and using the nonrenormalization of the $B$ and $K_{\bar{C}}$-dependent terms, we find $a=\beta =\gamma =\delta =\zeta =\theta =\chi =\sigma =\tau =0$ and $$\xi =1-Z_{\bar{C}}^{1/2}Z_{A}^{1/2},\qquad \eta =-Z_{\bar{C}}^{1/2}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{Z}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{A}^{1/2},\qquad Z_{B}=Z_{\bar{C}}. \label{zeta}$$ It is easy to check that $Z_{\bar{C}}$ disappears from the right-hand side of (\[sat\]), so we can set $Z_{\bar{C}}=1$. Furthermore, we know that $\hat{S}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K)$ is invariant under background transformations ($\llbracket \hat{S}_{R},\bar{S}\rrbracket =0$), which requires ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{Z}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{A}=0$. Finally, the canonical transformation just reads $$\hat{F}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\hat{K})=\int Z_{A}^{1/2}A_{\mu }^{a}\hat{K}^{\mu a}+\int Z_{C}^{1/2}C^{a}\hat{K}_{C}^{a}+\int \bar{C}^{a}\hat{K}_{\bar{C}}^{a}+\int B^{a}\hat{K}_{B}^{a}+(1-Z_{A}^{1/2})\int \bar{C}^{a}({\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{D}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\mu }A_{\mu }^{a}),$$ which contains the right number of independent renormalization constants and is of the form (\[frhat\]). Defining $Z_{g}=Z^{-1/2}$ and $Z_{A}^{\prime }=ZZ_{A}$ we can describe renormalization in a more standard way. Writing $$\hat{S}_{R}(0,\hat{A}+{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },0)=-\frac{1}{4}\int F_{\mu \nu }^{a}(Z_{A}^{\prime \hspace{0.01in}1/2}A+Z_{g}^{-1}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },gZ_{g})F^{\mu \nu \hspace{0.01in}a}(Z_{A}^{\prime \hspace{0.01in}1/2}A+Z_{g}^{-1}{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },gZ_{g}),$$ we see that $Z_{g}$ is the usual gauge-coupling renormalization constant, while $Z_{A}^{\prime }$ and $Z_{g}^{-2}$ are the wave-function renormalization constants of the quantum gauge field $A$ and the background gauge field ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{A}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$, respectively. We remark that the local divergent canonical transformation $\Phi ,K\rightarrow \hat{\Phi},\hat{K}$ corresponds to a highly nontrivial, convergent but non-local canonical transformation at the level of the $\Gamma $ functional. If the theory is not power-counting renormalizable, then we need to consider the most general classical action, equal to the right-hand side of (\[scgen\]). Counterterms include vertices with arbitrary numbers of external $\Phi $ and $K$ legs. Nevertheless, the key formula (\[key\]) ensures that the renormalized action $\hat{S}_{R}$ remains exactly the same, up to parameter redefinitions and a canonical transformation. The only difference is that now even the canonical transformation $\hat{F}_{R}(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },\hat{K})$ of (\[frhat\]) becomes nonpolynomial and highly nontrivial. Quantum gravity --------------- Having written detailed formulas for Yang-Mills theory, in the case of quantum gravity we can just outline the key ingredients. In particular, we stress that the linearity assumption is satisfied both in the first-order and second-order formalisms, both using the metric $g_{\mu \nu }$ and the vielbein $e_{\mu }^{a}$. For example, using the second-order formalism and the vielbein, the symmetry transformations are encoded in the expressions $$\begin{aligned} -\int R^{\alpha }(\Phi )K_{\alpha } &=&\int (e_{\rho }^{a}\partial _{\mu }C^{\rho }+C^{\rho }\partial _{\rho }e_{\mu }^{a}+C^{ab}e_{\mu b})K_{a}^{\mu }+\int C^{\rho }(\partial _{\rho }C^{\mu })K_{\mu }^{C} \\ &&+\int (C^{ac}\eta _{cd}C^{db}+C^{\rho }\partial _{\rho }C^{ab})K_{ab}^{C}-\int B_{\mu }K_{\bar{C}}^{\mu }-\int B_{ab}K_{\bar{C}}^{ab}, \\ -\int \bar{R}^{\alpha }(\Phi )K_{\alpha } &=&-\int R^{\alpha }(\Phi )K_{\alpha }-\int (\bar{C}_{\rho }\partial _{\mu }C^{\rho }-C^{\rho }\partial _{\rho }\bar{C}_{\mu })K_{\bar{C}}^{\mu }+\int \left( B_{\rho }\partial _{\mu }C^{\rho }+C^{\rho }\partial _{\rho }B_{\mu }\right) K_{B}^{\mu },\end{aligned}$$ in the minimal and nonminimal cases, respectively, where $C^{\mu }$ are the ghosts of diffeomorphisms, $C^{ab}$ are the Lorentz ghosts and $\eta _{ab}$ is the flat-space metric. We see that both $R^{\alpha }(\Phi )$ and $\bar{R}^{\alpha }(\Phi )$ are at most quadratic in $\Phi $. Matter fields are also fine, since vectors $A_{\mu }$, fermions $\psi $ and scalars $\varphi $ contribute with $$\begin{aligned} &&-\int (\partial _{\mu }C^{a}+gf^{abc}A_{\mu }^{b}C^{c}-C^{\rho }\partial _{\rho }A_{\mu }^{a}-A_{\rho }^{a}\partial _{\mu }C^{\rho })K_{A}^{\mu a}+\int \left( C^{\rho }\partial _{\mu }C^{a}+\frac{1}{2}gf^{abc}C^{b}C^{c}\right) K_{C}^{a} \\ &&\qquad +\int C^{\rho }(\partial _{\rho }\varphi )K_{\varphi }+\int C^{\rho }(\partial _{\rho }\bar{\psi})K_{\psi }-\frac{i}{4}\int \bar{\psi}\sigma ^{ab}C_{ab}K_{\psi }+\int K_{\bar{\psi}}C^{\rho }(\partial _{\rho }\psi )-\frac{i}{4}\int K_{\bar{\psi}}\sigma ^{ab}C_{ab}\psi ,\end{aligned}$$ where $\sigma ^{ab}=i[\gamma ^{a},\gamma ^{b}]/2$. Expanding around flat space, common linear gauge-fixing conditions for diffeomorphisms and local Lorentz symmetry are $\eta ^{\mu \nu }\partial _{\mu }e_{\nu }^{a}=\xi \eta ^{a\mu }\partial _{\mu }e_{\nu }^{b}\delta _{b}^{\nu }$, $e_{\mu }^{a}=e_{\nu }^{b}\eta _{b\mu }\eta ^{\nu a}$, respectively. In the first-order formalism we just need to add the transformation of the spin connection $\omega _{\mu }^{ab}$, encoded in $$\int (C^{\rho }\partial _{\rho }\omega _{\mu }^{ab}+\omega _{\rho }^{ab}\partial _{\mu }C^{\rho }-\partial _{\mu }C^{ab}+C^{ac}\eta _{cd}\omega _{\mu }^{db}-\omega _{\mu }^{ac}\eta _{cd}C^{db})K_{ab}^{\mu }.$$ Moreover, in this case we can also gauge-fix local Lorentz symmetry with the linear gauge-fixing condition $\eta ^{\mu \nu }\partial _{\mu }\omega _{\nu }^{ab}=0$, instead of $e_{\mu }^{a}=e_{\nu }^{b}\eta _{b\mu }\eta ^{\nu a}$. We see that all gauge symmetries that are known to have physical interest satisfy the linearity assumption, together with irreducibility and off-shell closure. On the other hand, more speculative symmetries (such as local supersymmetry) do not satisfy those assumptions in an obvious way. When auxiliary fields are introduced to achieve off-shell closure, some symmetry transformations (typically, those of auxiliary fields) are nonlinear [@superg]. The relevance of this issue is already known in the literature. For example, in ref. [@superspace] it is explained that in supersymmetric theories the standard background field method cannot be applied, precisely because the symmetry transformations are nonlinear. It is argued that the linearity assumption is tied to the linear splitting $\Phi \rightarrow \Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ between quantum fields $\Phi $ and background fields ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$, and that the problem of supersymmetric theories can be avoided with a nonlinear splitting of the form $\Phi \rightarrow \Phi +{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ $+$ nonlinear corrections. Perhaps it is possible to generalize the results of this paper to supergravity following those guidelines. From our viewpoint, the crucial property is that the background transformations of the quantum fields are linear in the quantum fields themselves, because then they do not renormalize. An alternative strategy, not bound to supersymmetric theories, is that of introducing (possibly infinitely many) auxiliary fields, replacing every nonlinear term appearing in the symmetry transformations with a new field $N $, and then proceeding similarly with the $N$ transformations and the closure relations, till all functions $R^{\alpha }$ are at most quadratic. The natural framework for this kind of job is the one of refs. [@fieldcov; @masterf; @mastercan], where the fields $N$ are dual to the sources $L$ coupled to composite fields. Using that approach the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism can be extended to the composite-field sector of the theory and all perturbative canonical transformations can be studied as true changes of field variables in the functional integral, instead of mere replacements of integrands. For reasons of space, though, we cannot pursue this strategy here. The quest for parametric completeness: Where we stand now ========================================================= In this section we make remarks about the problem of parametric completeness in general gauge theories and recapitulate where we stand now on this issue. To begin with, consider non-Abelian Yang-Mills theory as a deformation of its Abelian limit. The minimal solution $S(g)$ of the master equation $(S(g),S(g))=0$ reads $$S(g)=-\frac{1}{4}\int F_{\mu \nu }^{a}F^{\mu \nu \hspace{0.01in}a}+\int K^{\mu a}\partial _{\mu }C^{a}+gf^{abc}\int \left( K^{\mu a}A_{\mu }^{b}+\frac{1}{2}K_{C}^{a}C^{b}\right) C^{c}.$$ Differentiating the master equation with respect to $g$ and setting $g=0$, we find $$(S,S)=0,\qquad (S,\omega )=0,\qquad S=S(0),\qquad \omega =\left. \frac{\mathrm{d}S(g)}{\mathrm{d}g}\right\| _{g=0}.$$ On the other hand, we can easily prove that there exists no local functional $\chi $ such that $\omega =(S,\chi )$. Thus, we can say that $\omega $ is a nontrivial solution of the cohomological problem associated with an Abelian Yang-Mills theory that contains a suitable number of photons [@regnocoho]. Nevertheless, renormalization cannot turn $\omega $ on as a counterterm, because $S(0)$ is a free field theory. Even if we couple the theory to gravity and assume that massive fermions are present (which allows us to construct dimensionless parameters multiplying masses with the Newton constant), radiative corrections cannot dynamically “un-Abelian-ize” the theory, namely convert an Abelian theory into a non-Abelian one. One way to prove this fact is to note that the dependence on gauge fields is even at $g=0$, but not at $g\neq 0$. The point is, however, that cohomology per se is unable to prove it. Other properties must be advocated, such as the discrete symmetry just mentioned. In general, we cannot rely on cohomology only, and the possibility that gauge symmetries may be dynamically deformed in nontrivial and observable ways remains open. In ref. [@regnocoho] the issue of parametric completeness was studied in general terms. In that approach, which applies to all theories that are manifestly free of gauge anomalies, renormalization triggers an automatic parametric extension till the classical action becomes parametrically complete. The results of ref. [@regnocoho] leave the door open to dynamically induced nontrivial deformations of the gauge symmetry. Instead, the results found here close that door in all cases where they apply, which means manifestly nonanomalous irreducible gauge symmetries that close off shell and satisfy the linearity assumption. The reason is – we stress it again – that by formulas (\[kk\]) and (\[key\]) all dynamically induced deformations can be organized into parameter redefinitions and canonical transformations. As far as we know now, gauge symmetries can still be dynamically deformed in observable ways in theories that do not satisfy the assumptions of this paper. Supergravities are natural candidates to provide explicit examples. Conclusions =========== The background field method and the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism are convenient tools to quantize general gauge field theories. In this paper we have merged the two to rephrase and generalize known results about renormalization, and to study parametric completeness. Our approach applies when gauge anomalies are manifestly absent, the gauge algebra is irreducible and closes off shell, the gauge transformations are linear functions of the fields, and closure is field independent. These assumptions are sufficient to include the gauge symmetries we need for physical applications, such as Abelian and non-Abelian Yang-Mills symmetries, local Lorentz symmetry and general changes of coordinates, but exclude other potentially interesting symmetries, such as local supersymmetry. Both renormalizable and nonrenormalizable theories are covered, such as QED, non-Abelian Yang-Mills theories, quantum gravity and Lorentz-violating gauge theories, as well as effective and higher-derivative models, in arbitrary dimensions, and also extensions obtained adding any set of composite fields. At the same time, chiral theories, and therefore the Standard Model, possibly coupled with quantum gravity, require the analysis of anomaly cancellation and the Adler-Bardeen theorem, which we postpone to a future investigation. The fact that supergravities are left out from the start, on the other hand, suggests that there should exist either a no-go theorem or a more advanced framework. At any rate, we are convinced that our formalism is helpful to understand several properties better and address unsolved problems. We have studied gauge dependence in detail, and renormalized the canonical transformation that continuously interpolates between the background field approach and the usual approach. Relating the two approaches, we have proved parametric completeness without making use of cohomological classifications. The outcome is that in all theories that satisfy our assumptions renormalization cannot hide any surprises; namely the gauge symmetry remains essentially the same throughout the quantization process. In the theories that do not satisfy our assumptions, instead, the gauge symmetry could be dynamically deformed in physically observable ways. It would be remarkable if we discovered explicit examples of theories where this sort of “dynamical creation” of gauge symmetries actually takes place. 12truept [Acknowledgments]{} 2truept The investigation of this paper was carried out as part of a program to complete the book [@webbook], which will be available at [`Renormalization.com`](http://renormalization.com) once completed. Appendix ======== In this appendix we prove several theorems and identities that are used in the paper. We use the Euclidean notation and the dimensional-regularization technique, which guarantees, in particular, that the functional integration measure is invariant under perturbatively local changes of field variables. The generating functionals $Z$ and $W$ are defined from $$Z(J,K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })=\int [\mathrm{d}\Phi ]\hspace{0.01in}\exp (-S(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })+\int \Phi ^{\alpha }J_{\alpha })=\exp W(J,K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }), \label{defa}$$ and $\Gamma (\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })$ $=-W+\int \Phi ^{\alpha }J_{\alpha }$ is the $W$ Legendre transform. Averages denote the sums of connected diagrams (e.g. $\langle A(x)B(y)\rangle =\langle A(x)B(y)\rangle _{\text{nc}}-\langle A(x)\rangle \langle B(y)\rangle $, where $\langle A(x)B(y)\rangle _{\text{nc}}$ includes disconnected diagrams). Moreover, the average $\langle X\rangle $ of a local functional $X $ can be viewed as a functional of $\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu } $ (in which case it collects one-particle irreducible diagrams) or a functional of $J,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$. When we need to distinguish the two options we specify whether $\Phi $ or $J$ are kept constant in functional derivatives. First we work in the usual (non-background field) framework; then we generalize the results to the background field method. To begin with, we recall a property that is true even when the action $S(\Phi ,K)$ does not satisfy the master equation. The identity $(\Gamma ,\Gamma )=\langle (S,S)\rangle $ holds. \[th0\] Proof. Applying the change of field variables $$\Phi ^{\alpha }\rightarrow \Phi ^{\alpha }+\theta (S,\Phi ^{\alpha }) \label{chv}$$ to (\[defa\]), where $\theta $ is a constant anticommuting parameter, we obtain $$\theta \int \left\langle \frac{\delta _{r}S}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}S}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\right\rangle -\theta \int \left\langle \frac{\delta _{r}S}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\right\rangle J_{\alpha }=0,$$ whence $$\frac{1}{2}\langle (S,S)\rangle =-\int \left\langle \frac{\delta _{r}S}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}S}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\right\rangle =-\int \left\langle \frac{\delta _{r}S}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\right\rangle J_{\alpha }=\int \frac{\delta _{r}W}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}\Gamma }{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}=-\int \frac{\delta _{r}\Gamma }{\delta K_{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}\Gamma }{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}=\frac{1}{2}(\Gamma ,\Gamma ).$$ Now we prove results for an action $S$ that satisfies the master equation $(S,S)=0$. If $(S,S)=0$ then $(\Gamma ,\langle X\rangle )=\langle (S,X)\rangle $ for every local functional $X$. \[theorem2\] Proof. Applying the change of field variables (\[chv\]) to $$\langle X\rangle =\frac{1}{Z(J,K)}\int [\mathrm{d}\Phi ]\hspace{0.01in}X\exp (-S+\int \Phi ^{\alpha }J_{\alpha }),$$ and using $(S,S)=0$ we obtain $$\int \left\langle \frac{\delta _{r}S}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}X}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\right\rangle =(-1)^{\varepsilon _{X}+1}\int \left\langle X\frac{\delta _{r}S}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\right\rangle \frac{\delta _{l}\Gamma }{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}, \label{r1}$$ where $\varepsilon _{X}$ denotes the statistics of the functional $X$ (equal to 0 if $X$ is bosonic, 1 if it is fermionic, modulo 2). Moreover, we also have $$\int \left\langle \frac{\delta _{r}S}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}X}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\right\rangle =\int \frac{\delta _{r}\Gamma }{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\left\langle \frac{\delta _{l}X}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\right\rangle , \label{r2}$$ which can be proved starting from the expression on the left-hand side and integrating by parts. In the derivation we use the fact that since $X$ is local, $\delta _{r}\delta _{l}X/(\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }\delta K_{\alpha })$ is set to zero by the dimensional regularization, which kills the $\delta (0) $s and their derivatives. Next, straightforward differentiations give $$\begin{aligned} \left. \frac{\delta _{l}\langle X\rangle }{\delta K_{\alpha }}\right\| _{J} &=&\left\langle \frac{\delta _{l}X}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\right\rangle -\left\langle \frac{\delta _{l}S}{\delta K_{\alpha }}X\right\rangle \label{r3} \\ &=&\left. \frac{\delta _{l}\langle X\rangle }{\delta K_{\alpha }}\right\| _{\Phi }-\int \left. \frac{\delta _{l}J_{\beta }}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\right\| _{\Phi }\left. \frac{\delta _{l}\langle X\rangle }{\delta J_{\beta }}\right\| _{K}. \label{r4}\end{aligned}$$ At this point, using (\[r1\])-(\[r4\]) and $(J_{\alpha},\Gamma )=0$ (which can be proved by differentiating $(\Gamma ,\Gamma )=0$ with respect to $\Phi ^{\alpha}$), we derive $(\Gamma ,\langle X\rangle )=\langle (S,X)\rangle $. If $(S,S)=0$ and $$\frac{\partial S}{\partial \xi }=(S,X), \label{bbug}$$ where $X$ is a local functional and $\xi $ is a parameter, then $$\frac{\partial \Gamma }{\partial \xi }=(\Gamma ,\langle X\rangle ). \label{pprove}$$ \[bbugc\] Proof. Using theorem \[theorem2\] we have $$\frac{\partial \Gamma }{\partial \xi }=-\frac{\partial W}{\partial \xi }=\langle \frac{\partial S}{\partial \xi }\rangle =\langle (S,X)\rangle =(\Gamma ,\langle X\rangle ).$$ Now we derive results that hold even when $S$ does not satisfy the master equation. \[blabla\]The identity $$(\Gamma ,\langle X\rangle )=\langle (S,X)\rangle -\frac{1}{2}\langle (S,S)X\rangle _{\Gamma } \label{prove0}$$ holds, where $X$ is a generic local functional and $\langle AB\cdots Z\rangle _{\Gamma }$ denotes the set of connected, one-particle irreducible diagrams with one insertion of $A$, $B$, $\ldots Z$. This theorem is a generalization of theorem \[theorem2\]. It is proved by repeating the derivation without using $\left( S,S\right) =0$. First, observe that formula (\[r1\]) generalizes to $$\int \left\langle \frac{\delta _{r}S}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}X}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\right\rangle =(-1)^{\varepsilon _{X}+1}\int \left\langle X\frac{\delta _{r}S}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\right\rangle \frac{\delta _{l}\Gamma }{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}-\frac{1}{2}\langle (S,S)X\rangle . \label{r11}$$ On the other hand, formula (\[r2\]) remains the same, as well as (\[r3\]) and (\[r4\]). We have $$\left( \Gamma ,\langle X\rangle \right) =\langle (S,X)\rangle -\frac{1}{2}\langle (S,S)X\rangle +\int \frac{\delta _{r}\Gamma }{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\left. \frac{\delta _{l}J_{\beta }}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\right\| _{\Phi }\left. \frac{\delta _{l}\langle X\rangle }{\delta J_{\beta }}\right\| _{K}-\int \frac{\delta _{r}\Gamma }{\delta K_{\alpha }}\left. \frac{\delta _{l}\langle X\rangle }{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\right\| _{K}.$$ Differentiating $(\Gamma ,\Gamma )$ with respect to $\Phi ^{\alpha}$ we get $$\frac{1}{2}\frac{\delta _{r}(\Gamma ,\Gamma )}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha}}=\frac{1}{2}\frac{\delta _{l}(\Gamma ,\Gamma )}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha}}=(J_{\alpha },\Gamma )=(-1)^{\varepsilon _{\alpha }}(\Gamma ,J_{\alpha }),$$ where $\varepsilon _{\alpha }$ is the statistics of $\Phi ^{\alpha }$. Using $(\Gamma ,\Gamma )=\langle (S,S)\rangle $ we finally obtain $$\left( \Gamma ,\langle X\rangle \right) =\langle (S,X)\rangle -\frac{1}{2}\langle (S,S)X\rangle +\frac{1}{2}\int (-1)^{\varepsilon _{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{r}\langle (S,S)\rangle }{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\left. \frac{\delta _{l}\langle X\rangle }{\delta J_{\alpha }}\right\| _{K}. \label{allo}$$ The set of irreducible diagrams contained in $\langle A\hspace{0.01in}B\rangle $, where $A$ and $B$ are local functionals, is given by the formula $$\langle A\hspace{0.01in}B\rangle _{\Gamma }=\langle AB\rangle -\{\langle A\rangle ,\langle B\rangle \}, \label{oo}$$ where $\{X,Y\}$ are the “mixed brackets” [@BV2] $$\{X,Y\}\equiv \int \frac{\delta _{r}X}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\langle \Phi ^{\alpha }\Phi ^{\beta }\rangle \frac{\delta _{l}Y}{\delta \Phi ^{\beta }}=\int \frac{\delta _{r}X}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{r}\delta _{r}W}{\delta J_{\beta }\delta J_{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}Y}{\delta \Phi ^{\beta }}=\int \left. \frac{\delta _{r}X}{\delta J_{\alpha }}\right\| _{K}\frac{\delta _{l}Y}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}, \label{mixed brackets}$$ $X$ and $Y$ being functionals of $\Phi $ and $K$. Indeed, $\{\langle A\rangle ,\langle B\rangle \}$ is precisely the set of diagrams in which the $A$ and $B$ insertions are connected in a one-particle reducible way. Thus, formula (\[allo\]) coincides with (\[prove0\]). Using (\[prove0\]) we also have the identity $$\frac{\partial \Gamma }{\partial \xi }-\left( \Gamma ,\langle X\rangle \right) =\left\langle \frac{\partial S}{\partial \xi }-\left( S,X\right) \right\rangle +\frac{1}{2}\left\langle \left( S,S\right) \hspace{0.01in}X\right\rangle _{\Gamma }, \label{provee}$$ which generalizes corollary \[bbugc\]. Now we switch to the background field method. We begin by generalizing theorem \[th0\]. If the action $S(\Phi ,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu },K,{\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu })$ is such that $\delta _{l}S/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }$ is $\Phi $ independent, the identity $$\llbracket \Gamma ,\Gamma \rrbracket =\langle \llbracket S,S\rrbracket \rangle$$ holds. \[thb\] Proof. Since $\delta _{l}S/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }$ is $\Phi $ independent we have $\delta _{l}\Gamma /\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }=\delta _{l}S/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }$. Using theorem \[th0\] we find $$\llbracket \Gamma ,\Gamma \rrbracket =(\Gamma ,\Gamma )+2\int \frac{\delta _{r}\Gamma }{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}\Gamma }{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }}=\langle (S,S)\rangle +2\int \langle \frac{\delta _{r}S}{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }}\rangle \frac{\delta _{l}S}{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }}=\langle (S,S)\rangle +2\int \langle \frac{\delta _{r}S}{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }}\frac{\delta _{l}S}{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }}\rangle =\langle \llbracket S,S\rrbracket \rangle .$$ Next, we mention the useful identity $$\left. \frac{\delta _{l}\langle X\rangle }{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }}\right\| _{\Phi }=\left\langle \frac{\delta _{l}X}{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }}\right\rangle -\left\langle \frac{\delta _{l}S}{\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }^{\alpha }}X\right\rangle _{\Gamma }, \label{dera}$$ which holds for every local functional $X$. It can be proved by taking (\[r3\])–(\[r4\]) with $K\rightarrow {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{\Phi }\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ and using (\[oo\])–(\[mixed brackets\]). Mimicking the proof of theorem \[thb\] and using (\[dera\]), it is easy to prove that theorem \[blabla\] implies the identity $$\llbracket \Gamma ,\langle X\rangle \rrbracket =\langle \llbracket S,X\rrbracket \rangle -\frac{1}{2}\langle \llbracket S,S\rrbracket X\rangle _{\Gamma }, \label{bb2}$$ for every ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$-independent local functional $X$. Thus we have the following property. The identity $$\frac{\partial \Gamma }{\partial \xi }-\llbracket \Gamma ,\langle X\rangle \rrbracket =\left\langle \frac{\partial S}{\partial \xi }-\llbracket S,X\rrbracket \right\rangle +\frac{1}{2}\langle \llbracket S,S\rrbracket X\rangle _{\Gamma } \label{proveg}$$ holds for every action $S$ such that $\delta _{l}S/\delta {\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }_{\alpha }$ is $\Phi $ independent, for every ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$-independent local functional $X$ and for every parameter $\xi $. \[cora\] If the action $S$ has the form (\[assu\]) and $X$ is also ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$ independent, applying (\[backghost\]) to (\[bb2\]) we obtain $$\llbracket \hat{\Gamma},\langle X\rangle \rrbracket =\langle \llbracket \hat{S},X\rrbracket \rangle -\frac{1}{2}\langle \llbracket \hat{S},\hat{S}\rrbracket X\rangle _{\Gamma },\qquad \llbracket \bar{S},\langle X\rangle \rrbracket =\langle \llbracket \bar{S},X\rrbracket \rangle -\langle \llbracket \bar{S},\hat{S}\rrbracket X\rangle _{\Gamma },\qquad \langle \llbracket \bar{S},\bar{S}\rrbracket X\rangle _{\Gamma }=0, \label{blablaback}$$ which imply the following statement. If $S$ satisfies the assumptions of (\[assu\]), $\llbracket \bar{S},X\rrbracket =0$ and $\llbracket \bar{S},\hat{S}\rrbracket =0$, where $X$ is a ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{C}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$- and ${\mkern2mu\underline{\mkern-2mu\smash{K}\mkern-2mu}\mkern2mu }$-independent local functional, then $\llbracket \bar{S},\langle X\rangle \rrbracket =0$. \[corolla\] Finally, we recall a result derived in ref. [@removal]. If $\Phi ,K\rightarrow \Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }$ is a canonical transformation generated by $F(\Phi ,K^{\prime })$, and $\chi (\Phi ,K)$ is a functional behaving as a scalar (that is to say $\chi ^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime })=\chi (\Phi ,K)$), then $$\frac{\partial \chi ^{\prime }}{\partial \varsigma }=\frac{\partial \chi }{\partial \varsigma }-(\chi ,\tilde{F}_{\varsigma }) \label{thesis}$$ for every parameter $\varsigma $, where $\tilde{F}_{\varsigma }(\Phi ,K)\equiv F_{\varsigma }(\Phi ,K^{\prime }(\Phi ,K))$ and $F_{\varsigma }(\Phi ,K^{\prime })=\partial F/\partial \varsigma $. \[theorem5\] Proof. When we do not specify the variables that are kept constant in partial derivatives, it is understood that they are the natural variables. Thus $F$, $\Phi ^{\prime }$ and $K$ are functions of $\Phi ,K^{\prime }$, while $\chi $ and $\tilde{F}_{\varsigma }$ are functions of $\Phi ,K$ and $\chi ^{\prime }$ is a function of $\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }$. It is useful to write down the differentials of $\Phi ^{\prime }$ and $K$, which are [@vanproeyen] $$\begin{aligned} \mathrm{d}\Phi ^{\prime \hspace{0.01in}\alpha } &=&\int \frac{\delta _{l}\delta F}{\delta K_{\alpha }^{\prime }\delta \Phi ^{\beta }}\mathrm{d}\Phi ^{\beta }+\int \frac{\delta _{l}\delta F}{\delta K_{\alpha }^{\prime }\delta K_{\beta }^{\prime }}\mathrm{d}K_{\beta }^{\prime }+\frac{\partial \Phi ^{\prime \hspace{0.01in}\alpha }}{\partial \varsigma }\mathrm{d}\varsigma , \nonumber \\ \mathrm{d}K_{\alpha } &=&\int \mathrm{d}\Phi ^{\beta }\frac{\delta _{l}\delta F}{\delta \Phi ^{\beta }\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}+\int \mathrm{d}K_{\beta }^{\prime }\frac{\delta _{l}\delta F}{\delta K_{\beta }^{\prime }\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}+\frac{\partial K_{\alpha }}{\partial \varsigma }\mathrm{d}\varsigma . \label{differentials}\end{aligned}$$ Differentiating $\chi ^{\prime }(\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime })=\chi (\Phi ,K)$ with respect to $\varsigma $ at constant $\Phi ^{\prime }$ and $K^{\prime }$, we get $$\frac{\partial \chi ^{\prime }}{\partial \varsigma }=\frac{\partial \chi }{\partial \varsigma }+\int \frac{\delta _{r}\chi }{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\left. \frac{\partial \Phi ^{\alpha }}{\partial \varsigma }\right\| _{\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }}+\int \frac{\delta _{r}\chi }{\delta K_{\alpha }}\left. \frac{\partial K_{\alpha }}{\partial \varsigma }\right\| _{\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }}. \label{sigmaprimosue2}$$ Formulas (\[differentials\]) allow us to write $$\frac{\partial \Phi ^{\prime \hspace{0.01in}\alpha }}{\partial \varsigma }=-\int \frac{\delta _{l}\delta F}{\delta K_{\alpha }^{\prime }\delta \Phi ^{\beta }}\left. \frac{\partial \Phi ^{\beta }}{\partial \varsigma }\right\| _{\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }},\qquad \frac{\delta _{l}\delta F}{\delta K_{\alpha }^{\prime }\delta \Phi ^{\beta }}=\left. \frac{\delta _{l}K_{\beta }}{\delta K_{\alpha }^{\prime }}\right\| _{\Phi ,\varsigma },$$ and therefore we have $$\frac{\delta \tilde{F}_{\varsigma }}{\delta K_{\alpha }}=\int \left. \frac{\delta _{l}K_{\beta }^{\prime }}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\right\| _{\Phi ,\varsigma }\frac{\partial \Phi ^{\prime \hspace{0.01in}\beta }}{\partial \varsigma }=-\int \left. \frac{\delta _{l}K_{\beta }^{\prime }}{\delta K_{\alpha }}\right\| _{\Phi ,\varsigma }\left. \frac{\delta _{l}K_{\gamma }}{\delta K_{\beta }^{\prime }}\right\| _{\Phi ,\varsigma }\left. \frac{\partial \Phi ^{\gamma }}{\partial \varsigma }\right\| _{\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }}=-\left. \frac{\partial \Phi ^{\alpha }}{\partial \varsigma }\right\| _{\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }}. \label{div1}$$ Following analogous steps, we also find $$\frac{\delta \tilde{F}_{\varsigma }}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}=\frac{\partial K_{\alpha }}{\partial \varsigma }+\int \left. \frac{\delta _{l}K_{\beta }^{\prime }}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\right\| _{K,\varsigma }\frac{\partial \Phi ^{\prime \hspace{0.01in}\beta }}{\partial \varsigma },\qquad \frac{\partial K_{\alpha }}{\partial \varsigma }=\left. \frac{\partial K_{\alpha }}{\partial \varsigma }\right\| _{\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }}-\int \frac{\delta _{l}\delta F}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }\delta \Phi ^{\beta }}\left. \frac{\partial \Phi ^{\beta }}{\partial \varsigma }\right\| _{\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }},$$ whence $$\left. \frac{\partial K_{\alpha }}{\partial \varsigma }\right\| _{\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }}=\frac{\delta \tilde{F}_{\varsigma }}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}+\int \left( \frac{\delta _{l}K_{\gamma }}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}+\left. \frac{\delta _{l}K_{\beta }^{\prime }}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}\right\| _{K,\varsigma }\frac{\delta _{l}K_{\gamma }}{\delta K_{\beta }^{\prime }}\right) \left. \frac{\partial \Phi ^{\gamma }}{\partial \varsigma }\right\| _{\Phi ^{\prime },K^{\prime }}=\frac{\delta \tilde{F}_{\varsigma }}{\delta \Phi ^{\alpha }}. \label{div2}$$ This formula, together with (\[div1\]), allows us to rewrite (\[sigmaprimosue2\]) in the form (\[thesis\]). 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Q: How to put debug point I've a php file calling another php file which sometimes calls another php file to execute some actions (all through ajax). What I use to do was to echo at different points to know upto where the codes are executing properly. But with this approach, I can keep echo-ing. So how do I know upto where my code is executing?? Is there a tool for Google Chrome browser to detect it?? A: In your web browser, click the wrench icon, then "Tools", then "Developer tools". You can debug and step through JavaScript, you can see a timeline of requests with the request and response headers and bodies fully inspectable, etc. You should be able to debug all your AJAX request without any additional software/plugins.	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
Despite his recent legal troubles, rapper DMX received some good news yesterday (May 16), when a Maryland judge overturned a $1.5 million defamation judgment against him. The judgment, which was handed down in January, came as a result of a defamation of character lawsuit brought against DMX by Monique Wayne. The suit stemmed from allegations the rapper (born Earl Simmons) made during a 2006 interview with Sister 2 Sister magazine. In the story, Simmons claimed he was raped by Wayne while staying at a hotel in Baltimore in 2003. Simmons comments triggered a $6 million lawsuit that was filed by Wayne in Prince George’s County Circuit Court in Upper Marlboro, Md., in October 2006. The rapper was later ordered to pay Wayne $518,400 in compensation and $1 million in punitive penalties after missing a scheduled court hearing for the case in January. Soon after, Simmons hired The Murphy Firm, a Baltimore-based law firm, to dispute the ruling. According to reports, the New York native was unaware that a hearing was scheduled to take place. Despite the initial outcome, Hassan Murphy, a managing partner of The Murphy Firm, was happy to see his client vindicated by the new ruling, which was handed down by Judge Thomas P. Smith. “Today a very large judgment was vacated by Judge Smith,” Murphy told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “The judge clearly agreed with us that Mr. Simmons was never properly notified and therefore he threw out the judgment.” Although the overturned judgment ended Simmons’ week on a good note, the rapper is still mired in legal drama. Earlier this month, the rapper was arrested on numerous motor vehicle charges stemming from a January incident that involved him driving 114 mph on a local highway with a suspended license. On Thursday (May 15), Simmons pleaded not guilty to various felony drug charges and animal cruelty charges, after arriving an hour late to a court appearance in front of Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner Lisa VandenBerg. The court appearance followed a May 9 raid of the rappers Cave Creek, Arizona home that came after a seven month investigation into animal cruelty charges.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Q: Find matching strings in table column Oracle 10g I am trying to search a varchar2 column in a table for matching strings using the value in another column. The column being searched allows free form text and allows words and numbers of different lengths. I want to find a string that is not part of a larger string of text and numbers. Example: 1234a should match "Invoice #1234a" but not "Invoice #1234a567" Steps Taken: I have tried Regexp_Like(table2.Searched_Field,table1.Invoice) but get many false hits when the invoice number has a number sequence that can be found in other invoice numbers. A: Suggestions: Match only at end: REGEXP_LIKE(table2.Searched_Field, table1.Invoice \|\| '$') Match exactly: table2.Searched_Field = 'Invoice #' \|\| table1.Invoice Match only at end with LIKE: table2.Searched_Field LIKE '%' \|\| table1.Invoice	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
One of the questions we must answer to have greater success in business and life is this: How can we change the errors in the formula for failure into the disciplines required in the formula for success? The answer is by making the future part of our current philosophy. Both success and failure involve future consequences, namely inevitable rewards or unavoidable regrets resulting from past activities. So what do we need to do daily to be on the path to success? We must develop the discipline to look down the road every day. Why are new disciplines so important? They cause us to amend our thinking to keep us on track to creating the successful future we desire. Also, disciplines tend to multiply. We start with one new successful discipline and we build momentum and self-confidence to develop others. Success is about paying attention to what we are doing each day to move us to the future we desire. Failure, on the other hand, is largely a function of neglect. And, not doing the things we know we should leads to guilt and an erosion of self-confidence. When our self-confidence diminishes, so does our activity. We must stay focused on our vision of a successful future. The journey toward the good life begins with a serious commitment to changing any aspect of our current philosophy that has the capacity to come between us and our dreams. Keep developing new disciplines. Each new positive activity weakens the grip of failure and steers us even closer to our destination of choice, our success.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Creative Worx I am an artist whose main focus is on abstract pieces. I love to draw and doodle a design and I love to paint. I love the expression and individualism that art has given me. Art makes me happy and I truly enjoy doing it. I hope you enjoy my work! :)	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
WoW Tailoring Guide 1-600 This WoW Tailoring Guide details the most efficient method of leveling Tailoring from levels 1 to 600 in the World of Warcraft. Tailoring is a primary profession (of which you can only choose two at any point in the game) and allows your character to create a variety of items such as armor, bags and clothing. Tailoring probably complements the Enchanting profession better than any other, as the items that are crafted with Tailoring can be disenchanted to provide materials for Enchanting. Updated for WoW patch 5.2 This guide focuses on making the training path easier by using patterns that can be learned from Tailoring trainers and patterns with the most easily obtained materials. It also looks to make the items that are Green or better quality, as these can then be disenchanted. Unless stated otherwise, all the patterns used in this guide can be purchased for a Tailoring Trainer of appropriate level. If you’re having trouble collecting the cloth required for tailoring patterns, then take a look at the Cloth Gathering Guide for locations (with maps) of the best mobs to farm. 1Alliance players purchase from: Neii in the Traders’ Tier, The Exodar1Horde players purchase from: Deynna in The Bazaar, Silvermoon1There is also a neutral vendor to purchase from: Eiin in the Lower City, Shattrath 2This pattern grants 3 levels at a time3This pattern grants 4 levels at a time4These patterns are available to purchase for 1 x Spirit of Harmony each from vendors in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. Vale of Eternal Blossoms is accesible after completing the quest A Celestial Experience (requires level 87) Alliance Vendor is Raishen the Needle in the Shrine of Seven Stars Horde Vendor is Esha the Loommaiden in the Shrine of Two Moons Specializations As of WoW patch 4.0.1 the tailoring specializations of Mooncloth, Shadoweave and Spellfire have been removed from the game. I hoped you found this WoW Tailoring Leveling Guide useful and that it has helped you on your way to level 600. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
--- record.c.orig 2001-08-14 20:10:46.000000000 +0800 +++ record.c 2011-09-05 15:09:11.000000000 +0800 @@ -31,14 +31,18 @@ ** May 25, 2000 Ver 1.0 / -#include<stdio.h> -#include<fcntl.h> -#include<sys/types.h> -#include<pwd.h> -#include<ctype.h> -#include<errno.h> +#include <sys/types.h> +#include <stdio.h> +#include <stdlib.h> +#include <unistd.h> +#include <sys/stat.h> +#include <fcntl.h> +#include <pwd.h> +#include <ctype.h> +#include <errno.h> -#include"record.h" +#include "record.h" +#include "xjump.h" #define FS '\t' / field separator */	{ "pile_set_name": "Github" }
Q: Append to closest div class (multiple divs with same class on page) I'm trying to append content into the closest div class with name ".infoCatcher", but as of now it is appending to all divs with that class on the page. How do I append this to the closest div? I have this: $(document).on('click', '.btnMoreInfo', function () { $('.item').closest('div').find('.infoCatcher').append('<div class="moreInfo info">' + '</div>'); }); And HTML: <ul> <li> <button class='btnMoreInfo'>More</button> <div class='infoCatcher'></div> </li> <li> <button class='btnMoreInfo'>More</button> <div class='infoCatcher'></div> </li> <li> <button class='btnMoreInfo'>More</button> <div class='infoCatcher'></div> </li> <li> <button class='btnMoreInfo'>More</button> <div class='infoCatcher'></div> </li> <li> <button class='btnMoreInfo'>More</button> <div class='infoCatcher'></div> </li> </ul> Thankful for help! A: Try .siblings. Converted your code to fiddle. Working version is here $(document).ready(function(){ $(document).on('click', '.btnMoreInfo', function (e) { alert('Yes'); $(e.target).siblings(".infoCatcher").append('<div class="moreInfo info">More Content..' + '</div>'); }); });	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
Scars of Love Scars of Love is a 1918 Australian silent film. It is a lost film about which little is known except it is a melodrama featuring a Red Cross nurse and an Anzac soldier which climaxes in the European battlefields of World War I in which both leads die. It deals with the sins of the father visiting the children. Production The film was most likely made by wealthy amateur enthusiasts. It was shot in Melbourne. It was re-released in 1919 as Should Children Suffer. References External links Scars of Love at National Film and Sound Archive Category:Australian films Category:1918 films Category:Australian drama films Category:Australian black-and-white films Category:Australian silent feature films Category:Lost Australian films Category:1910s drama films	{ "pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)" }
1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a health check system, a health check apparatus and a method thereof for providing information on a user's health using a sensor. 2. Description of the Related Art For example, Shuichi Kurabayashi, Naoki Ishibashi, Yasuo Kiyoki: “Scheme for Realizing Active Type Multidatabase System in Mobile Computing Environment,” Proceedings of Information Processing Society of Japan, 2000-DBS-122, 2000, 463-470 and Shuichi Kurabayashi, Naoki Ishibashi, Yasushi Kiyoki: A Multidatabase System Architecture for Integrating Heterogeneous Databases with Meta-Level Active Rule Primitives. In Proceedings of the 20th TASTED International Conference on Applied Informatics, 2002, 378-387, disclose an active meta-level system that dynamically interconnects devices of databases or the like. However, these documents neither disclose nor even suggest any health check system, health check apparatus or method thereof for providing information on a user's health by adaptively using sensors.	{ "pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds" }
Project Summary - Ventricular arrhythmias remain the single most important cause of sudden cardiac death (SCO) among adults living in industrialized nations. Great progress has been made in identifying genes underlying various Mendelian disorders associated with inherited arrhythmia susceptibility as models for understanding more common causes of SCO. The best studied familial arrhythmia syndrome is the congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS). The observation that not all mutation carriers have equal risk for experiencing the clinical manifestations of LQTS (i.e., syncope, sudden death) has motivated the hypothesis that genetic factors other than the primary disease-associated mutation can modify the risk for disease- related morbidity and mortality. This proposal is the first competing renewal of R01-HL68880 which has funded a multi-national translational research collaboration to identify and characterize clinical predictors and candidate genetic modifiers in a large, unique LQTS founder population in South Africa (SA-LQTS). We have hypothesized the existence of two types of modifier genes: genes which affect myocardial repolarization and produce an arrhythmia-prone substrate, and genes which affect the propensity for triggering events acting through the autonomic nervous system. Specific Aim 1 describes our ongoing efforts to collect detailed information regarding the phenotype of the SA-LQTS population. We plan to continue our current focus on major clinical outcomes but will also explore more deeply for intermediate phenotypes related to abnormal myocardial repolarization and autonomic tone. For independent testing of candidate modifier gene hypotheses, we will also use a second large LQTS founder population ascertained in Finland (Fin-LQTS; 80 families, > 600 mutation carriers) that is associated with a different KCNQ1 mutation. The addition of this second LQTS founder population coupled with an important new collaboration with genetic epidemiologists at Columbia University will ensure that our observations are valid and have broad implications. In Specific Aim 2, we will examine the molecular mechanisms responsible for genetic and autonomic influences on the major repolarizing myocardial ionic currents. Finally, in Specific Aim 3 we will study genetic and epigenetic mechanisms to explain variation in the transcription of KCNQ1 and other genes that may act to modify the clinical expression of LQTS. The goals of this study are consistent with the mission of NHLBI. Relevance to Public Health - Identification of long QT syndrome (LQTS) modifiers will enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of an inherited cause of sudden cardiac death (SCO), provide valuable new information to promote more accurate risk counseling for LQTS families, and will contribute to our understanding of more common arrhythmia syndromes associated with highly prevalent cardiac diseases (e.g. ischemic heart disease and congestive heart failure) that are burdened by a high incidence of SCO. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]	{ "pile_set_name": "NIH ExPorter" }
Penicillium atrovenetum Penicillium atrovenetum is a fungus species of the genus of Penicillium. Further reading H. Raistrick, A. Stössl: Studies in the biochemistry of micro-organisms. 104. Metabolites of Penicillium atrovenetum G. Smith: β-nitropropionic acid, a major metabolite* See also List of Penicillium species References atrovenetum Category:Fungi described in 1956	{ "pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)" }
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Metabolic syndrome, Obesity, Insulin resistance, Liver fibrosis, NAFLD treatment Sažetak: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has, although it is a very common disorder, only relatively recently gained broader interest among physicians and scientists. Fatty liver has been documented in up to 10 to 15 percent of normal individuals and 70 to 80 percent of obese individuals. Although the pathophysiology of NAFLD is still subject to intensive research, several players and mechanisms have been suggested based on the substantial evidence. Excessive hepatocyte triglyceride accumulation resulting from insulin resistance is the first step in the proposed 'two hit' model of the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Oxidative stress resulting from mitochondrial fatty acids oxidation, NF-kappaB-dependent inflammatory cytokine expression and adipocytokines are all considered to be the potential factors causing second hits which lead to hepatocyte injury, inflammation and fibrosis. Although it was initially believed that NAFLD is a completely benign disorder, histologic follow-up studies have showed that fibrosis progression occurs in about a third of patients. A small number of patients with NAFLD eventually ends up with end-stage liver disease and even hepatocellular carcinoma. Although liver biopsy is currently the only way to confirm the NAFLD diagnosis and distinguish between fatty liver alone and NASH, no guidelines or firm recommendations can still be made as for when and in whom it is necessary. Increased physical activity, gradual weight reduction and in selected cases bariatric surgery remain the mainstay of NAFLD therapy. Studies with pharmacologic agents are showing promising results, but available data are still insufficient to make specific recommendations ; their use therefore remains highly individual.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Artificial intelligence Devices, machines and vehicles that are fully autonomous will become a reality during the next 20 years. The Global Digital Foundation will explore the social, legal and economic implications of this development.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Q: HttpClient java.net.UnknownHostException exception when the CURL command passes I am trying to use httpclient to make make a call to Jenkins to get a list of jobs. When I run my code, I get an UnknownHostException. I tried to make the same request using curl and I was able to get the result. I am not sure how to interpret this. void nwe() throws ClientProtocolException, IOException { HttpHost target = new HttpHost("https://<JENKINS_URL>/api"); CredentialsProvider credsProvider = new BasicCredentialsProvider(); credsProvider.setCredentials( new AuthScope(target.getHostName(), target.getPort()), new UsernamePasswordCredentials("username", "password")); CloseableHttpClient httpclient = HttpClients.custom().setDefaultCredentialsProvider(credsProvider).build(); HttpGet httpGet = new HttpGet("/json"); httpGet.setHeader("Content-type", "application/json"); BasicScheme basicAuth = new BasicScheme(); HttpClientContext localContext = HttpClientContext.create(); CloseableHttpResponse response1 = httpclient.execute(target, httpGet, localContext); System.out.println(response1.getStatusLine()); } The CURL command on the same URL gives me the expected output Thanks, Amar A: Read the JavaDoc for HttpHost: Parameters: hostname - the hostname (IP or DNS name) So you should use just (omit the protocol and context): HttpHost target = new HttpHost( "<JENKINS_URL>" ); and then HttpGet the /api/json part. Cheers,	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
St Andrew's Church, Redbourne St Andrew's Church is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Redbourne, Lincolnshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. The church stands in the centre of the village, which is to the east of the A15 road, and some south of Brigg. History The church dates from the 14th–15th century. Rebuilding took place in the later part of the 18th century; this included new north and south chapels in the 1770s by William and Thomas Lumby of Lincoln. The plaster ceilings date from 1775–77, and the top two stages were added to the tower in 1785. A new west door, partial rebuilding of the aisles, the chancel, and the clerestory, probably also date from this period. The south chapel was rebuilt in early 19th century as a mausoleum for the Dukes of St Albans. The church was restored in 1888 by the local architect W. W. Goodhand. The restorations included removing the gallery, reordering the seating, and the addition of a new south porch. The church was declared redundant in May 1978. A vestry door was inserted and east side windows were removed in about 1985. Architecture Exterior St Andrew's is constructed in limestone with some rendering. The nave, aisles and clerestory have lead roofs; the mausoleum, vestry and porch are slated. Its plan consists of a three-bay nave with a clerestory, north and south aisles, a south porch, a single-bay chancel with a vestry and organ chamber to the north, and the mausoleum to the south, and a west tower. The tower has a rectangular staircase projection to the southeast. It is in four stages, divided by string courses, on a moulded plinth. In the bottom stage on the west side is a blocked doorway, an arched three-light window, and a square-headed two-light window. On the north and south sides are lighting slits. In the staircase turret are three slits, and a sundial. The second stage contains two-light windows, and in the third stage is a clock face on the west side. In the top stage are two-light bell openings, and the parapet is embattled. The aisles have pointed two-light windows and along the clerestory are square-headed two-light windows. In the south aisle there is a blocked doorway to the west, a blocked lancet window to the east, blocked circular windows to the east and west, and a blocked pointed south window. A carved stone dating from the 10th–11th century has been re-set in the west wall. The chancel has an east window. In the vestry are two two-light windows, and the mausoleum has a south door. All the parapets are embattled, some with crocketted pinnacles. Interior The arcades are carried on octagonal piers. The ceilings are plastered, the nave ceiling being decorated with foliate bosses. The floors are flagged. The baluster-shaped font was made in 1775 by Richard Hayward. The east window contains painted glass by William Collins dating from about 1840. This is a copy of The Opening of the Sixth Seal (part of the Last Judgment) by Francis Danby. Also by Collins are twelve stained glass windows depicting the Apostles. The organ is no longer present. There is a ring of six bells. Five of these were cast in 1774 by Henry Harrison II, and the undated sixth bell is by James Harrison III. Memorials In the north wall of the chancel is a niche containing a black marble graveslab depicting a knight and angels, and is dated 1410. On the south side of the chancel are marble wall tablets to members of the Carter family with dates in the 18th century, and to the 8th Duke of St Albans, who died in 1825, and his wife. On the north side of the chancel is a memorial to the 9th Duke of St Albans who died in 1851 by J. G. Lough, and to his wife, Harriet, who died in 1837, by Chantrey, and a memorial to Charlotte, Lady Beauclerk, dating from about 1825. In the mausoleum are two tiers of tombs of the St Albans family. External features In the churchyard is a gravestone dated 1737 to Rev Josias Morgan, vicar of the parish, It is listed at Grade II. There are also the war graves of a soldier of World War I, and another of World War II. See also List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in the East of England References Category:Grade I listed churches in Lincolnshire Category:Church of England church buildings in Lincolnshire Category:English Gothic architecture in Lincolnshire Category:Churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust	{ "pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)" }
I don't have personal experience to contribute but after talking to a friend who's been through the cloth diaper routine a few times, I changed my planned "all pre-fold all the time" stance to a combo of prefold and pocket diapers. Apparently the pockets are great for overnight, since you can stuff them with extra inserts or more absorbent inserts or whatever. She also directed me towards http://jilliansdrawers.com/ , which has a trial set where you can try out a bunch of brands before committing. As far as I can tell, brand loyalty is basically a religious issue and babies vary in how they fit a given brand, so I'm a little scared to buy a lot before trying them. for us, pockets at night were great when i changed him during the night, but now, its all about how much stuffin i can get on his bottom at night, and layers of prefolds are more effective, and i throw a sheet of microfleece over it to act like the stay dry of a pocket. Of course i couldn't shell out for the hitech pocket stuffin, and just stuff my pockets with prefolds. that said, they are my diaper bag, out and about diapers, all three of them. For out and about I really like my Bummis wet bag - I have a size small, which is 10" x 12" and just right for about three medium sized prefolds, but you can get bigger ones if you use pockets or want it to hold more. I like it because it has a zipper, and the handle unsnaps so I can hang it on something if I need to. I got wet bags from SnuggyBaby on Etsy, but they have their own website you can order from, too. Here are the wet bags. I haven't used them yet (stillllllllll pregnant), but they seem really well made and come in some super cute patterns (which is kind of pointless, but I'm a sucker for cute fabric). I have a diaper sprayer, but again: haven't used it yet. I don't know why I keep posting in this thread when I don't actually have anyone to diaper yet. i have that exact diaper sprayer. i didn't worry too much about breastfeeding poops since they were pure liquid, but once he started eating solids it came in handy. the only thing is the pressure is REALLY touchy, and if you aren't careful you're going to get backsprayed with poo water... _________________Gwyneth Paltrow: "I'm superstitious. Whenever I start a new movie I kill a hobo with a hammer." I saw (but didn't actually read) an article about the dangers of diaper sprayers. I think because of strangulation risks. If you have one or plan to get one I would read it. I think I saw it on the diaper junction blog. I am not saying not to use one but I see the potential hazard, so make sure you have the bathroom door baby proofed. I got wet bags from SnuggyBaby on Etsy, but they have their own website you can order from, too. Here are the wet bags. I haven't used them yet (stillllllllll pregnant), but they seem really well made and come in some super cute patterns (which is kind of pointless, but I'm a sucker for cute fabric). Oh my! I love it! I'm of huge fan of fabric and paper for that matter with design. I actually have the fabric for the "Tranquil Leaves Wet Bag" as a camera bag that I bought on Etsy. i don't have a sprayer- i dunk diapers in the toilet or shake of more solid poops into the toilet. I used to use a scraper, but in the last move, it disappeared (it was a golden cake scraper i picked up at a thrift store, i could replace it, but i'm to cheap and lazy). as they said, until they start solids, you don't need to worry about it. I also figure it keeps me washing my hands, which i should do anyway. oh, and on the cheap and lazy note, for diapering out and about i keep a couple plastic shopping bags in the zippered compartment of my backpack for wet bags. What is your night time set-up? I've been using Nature's Best disposables at night, because they're easier when I'm half asleep and because, now that he's sleeping for more than 2 hours at a time, I don't want a wet diaper against his skin. But lately it seems we have a poop leak every night--poop goes up his back, through his pajamas, and onto my sheets. I never have leaks when he's in cloth, so disposables are actually turning out to be more work. Plus they smell bad. I want to make the switch to cloth at night, so I ordered some fleece-lined hemp doublers. Most nights he's not pooping until 4 or 5am (I think) so if he's in the same diaper 10pm-4am, he's not sitting in poop. Green Mountain Diapers recommends wool for overnight, but obviously I'd like to avoid that. Do you have special covers for nighttime, or do you just use your regular covers with extra absorbency inside? I only had two covers that were Nikky brand. I always saved them for night time because they were bullet proof and fully breathable poly. They run about $14.00 new and worth ever single penny. Nikkys have been around since the early 80's and rival any of todays brands. I would highly receommend trying one for nightime. my two sons never pooped during the night, but they pee'd twice as much as my daughter and nursed every 1-2 hours untile the bitter end. I swear I birthed little piggies. The nikkys were great. I noticed turd through the window of the front-load washer while I was running a load of diapers last night. My husband kindly disposed of it. I guess I need to start making sure all the disposable liners have been flushed. I don't know how that one got past us. ;p I noticed turd through the window of the front-load washer while I was running a load of diapers last night. My husband kindly disposed of it. I guess I need to start making sure all the disposable liners have been flushed. I don't know how that one got past us. ;p Hahaha! I couldn't help but get a mental picture of Mr. Hanky the Christmas Poo from South Park when I read this. Not helpful at all, but it gave me a hearty laugh...On a more helpful note, I really love my Maxwell Designs Diaper Bag, Wet Bag and Changing Pad. My wet bag sounds exactly like what Poopie B described. Also, if you are interested, the Maxwell Designs chic will match your changing pad, diaper bag and wet bag, if you are into that sort of thing. Linky http://tootsntots.com/main/shop/categor ... l-designs/I got the XL and to be honest, I could have gotten by with the L or M. _________________Go gentle unto the night, children. For the flouncin' hat is sure to unflatter even the finest face ~ PandacookieGet with the times, nameless fourth banana ~Tofulish Like Mel I have the Maxwell gear - bag, change pad and wetbag. Mine match because I am into that sorta thing ;) I do love that it zips from a mess containing perspective, but I actually like one of the other bags I have from http://www.applecheeks.com better (it's drawstring style) because I find it easier to load diapers into without getting my hands messy. And maybe it's just me, but I've found having more than 1 wetbag to be pretty beneficial, as sometimes we have crazy weekends and I don't have time to wash one or wait for it to dry before we have to head out again. For overnight, we actually put one of our applecheeks inserts into one of our BumGenius AIO diapers and have never had a leak. We were getting all kinds of leaks with every other combination we tried (we have pockets, the Bumgenius, and a bunch of fitteds with covers - were never into prefolds) but I think we have hit the jackpot. I thought this was a useful page: http://www.esbaby.net/whatdoineed.htm I am still pregnant myself but just spent a good part of the weekend navigating this and interrogating my cloth diapering friends! Things I have learned:- one-size diapers are great, and eventually if I like them I plan to use a mix of one size Fuzzibunz and Flip system. (with flip cloth inserts most of the time and maybe disposable inserts when we travel).. HOWEVER, even my friend with giant babies finds that her kids don't fit well into "one size" diapers until they're a little over 10 lbs, so it's good to have some newborn or small diapers to span that 7-12 lb range. (Assuming you plan to have big babies - my mom and MIL churned 'em out in the 7.5-10+ range so I'm not too worried about fitting a 5lber myself!) From reading around it does sound like the Flip diapers can possibly be used with larger newborns, but I've decided to get plenty of NB options just in case. - count on using about 12 inserts or all-in-one/pocket diapers per day for a newborn, larger babies go less frequently. So then you multiply by how often you want to do laundry, and you probably don't want to go over 3 days because things will get rank. If you plan to air dry, leave time for that! So personally my plan is to have 3 days' worth of diapers, so that means 36 changes. - For all-in-one/pocket diapers, that means one per change for the most part - For prefolds (those are pieces of cloth sewn on the side that you have to put inside a cover) or fitted diapers (these look a little like all-in-ones and have snaps or velcro to hold them together, BUT they're made of non-waterproof material so if you go out or baby moves a lot you need a cover on that), you'll need one prefold or fitted per change PLUS a certain number of covers (that site recommends 5-9 total for a 3 day supply). The covers are just a waterproof shell that go over the diaper. - Personally I've been mulling the tradeoff between nice matchy-match commercial system vs. collecting a little of everything and seeing what I like. After talking it over with the husband and doing some research I've decided that with newborn diapers I'm going to get a few each of different things. All babies are shaped differently and even the same TYPE of diaper can fit very differently between brands! I guess this is why some people RAVE about one brand while others hate it, and vice versa with another brand. So I'm preparing to be flexible! But after doing gobs of research, here's what my newborn shopping list is: [ ] Small Fuzzibunz in various colors: 6-8 (these are pocket diapers, so very convenient for nighttime!) Zulily has these on sale for >1/2 off every once in a while so I'm planning on waiting for the next sale. Already have a couple, they seem very soft and well-made.[ ] Fitted newborn diapers: 6 (lots of options on etsy with cute fabrics! my friend says that if you're just at home with baby still immobile, you don't necessarily need a cover. If you go out, you do. I figure these will be almost as easy as the fuzzibunz at night[ ] Small size indian prefolds - 24 (they're cheap)[ ] Snappis - 2 - these hold the prefolds in place if you don't want to use diaper pins. You need to replace them every 6 mos and need 1-2 of them.[ ] NB/small covers - need 5, ordered 8 of a couple types - Bummis with snaps and the suspiciously cheap Real Nappies with velcro[ ] One Flip system one-size day pack - 2 covers + 6 inserts. I don't know if these will fit a young baby but I'm going to try.[ ] Pondering getting a few newborn all in ones, since there are cute inexpensive ones on etsy. I also am planning on the husband not wanting to do elaborate prefold securing in the middle of the night (nor will I probably!), so I'm hoping to find what works for us among pocket diapers, all-in-ones, and fitted diapers. It sounds like some brands of velcro are easier to remove by older babies than others. I'm not worried about this for NBs, and planning on going with snaps personally because I don't like velcro, but it does sound like it's slightly easier to put on (and, thus, take off). Oh I forgot to mention: one important thing with newborns is that the umbilical cord shouldn't be covered/bothered by a diaper. So for example these newborn fitted diapers (again, these aren't waterproof so they need a cover with them), have a little notch where it's lower to accommodate that: http://www.etsy.com/listing/66693480/tiny-flowers-newborn-tt-fitted-cloth?ref=v1_other_2 Now I don't quite understand exactly what is and isn't compatible, but apparently you can adjust prefolds a little so they're folded under, and some diapers seem to have a setting where the front can be put lower.. The frustrating thing is that talking to people it seems like the cord can come off anywhere between a couple days after birth to weeks and weeks! so it's tough to say how much you need to accommodate this. Maybe the expert diaperers can chime in about this. I'm pretty sure, though, that for example the small fuzzi bunz I bought might not be usable the first few days because of this issue. I've heard of friends just sticking with disposables until the cord is gone and healed, to avoid the issue entirely. And so my backup plan is to just have a pack or two of disposables, honestly. I also considered just going with those until the baby is big enough to fit into one size because the amount you'll spend on newborn cloth diapers can pay for itself if you have a preemie, but if your baby is larger they might be in newborn sizes just a few weeks! For a cost comparison, It looked on diapers.com that Pampers Swaddlers for newborns worked out to about $3/day. Also, EVERY brand seems to have different sizing, so be careful about that, but it sounds like weighs are also just guidelines and you'll need to adjust the fit and even how much absorbent material you stuff in the diaper to suit your particular baby! ACK! I hope all this gets a lot more obvious once I have a baby in diapers.. I agree that it is incredibly confusing! I feel like I spent most of the weekend on this and it's still a mystery. I bought newborn prefolds and covers from Green Mountain Diapers. Prefolds are just squares of quilty cotton fabric that you either pin around the baby or fold in thirds and hold in place with a waterproof cover. Prefolds and covers are the cheapest option, and I've found them very, very easy. My husband only changes one or two diapers each day and always says he can't believe how easy they are. I have pins but I like the snappis fasteners. Green Mountain Diapers has a newborn starter package that lets you try a sampling of different brands of covers. That's a good idea, because you just don't know what you'll like until you try it. I thought I would like velcro, but then it curled under and scratched my son, so now I only use covers with snaps. The covers I thought were adorable had leg holes that were way too small for my kid, so I'm glad I waited before ordering lots of covers in larger sizes. I like thirsties duo covers--size small fits birth through about 15 lbs., size large lasts 15 lbs. until potty training (or so they say). You should just try several brands, see what is easy for you and what fits your kid best. How many diapers and covers you need for a newborn depends on how big your baby is and how fast he/she grows, which is impossible to know now. Walter was out of newborn covers in 3 weeks, so those were kind of a waste of money. But if he had been tiny for a long time, the next size up would have been too big and leaky. So yes, you may end up wasting money on diapers that are too small. An alternative is to just use disposable until the baby grows into size smalls. We used disposables about half the time the first 2-3 weeks. It just felt easier; I was overwhelmed and didn't feel like figuring out a washing routine. Now I think cloth is easier than disposable, but just tossing the diapers in the trash made the first weeks (esp. nighttime) go more smoothly. You're not the only one who finds this all confusing; I spent DAYS reading cloth diapering websites trying to figure it out. The good news is, once you're actually doing it every day, it'll seem easy. You're not the only one who finds this all confusing; I spent DAYS reading cloth diapering websites trying to figure it out. The good news is, once you're actually doing it every day, it'll seem easy. Ha ha. No kidding. I remember being really confused and concerned about it. We went with prefolds and covers (the Thirsties Duos, which are two sizes... which for us were basically newborn and post-newborn) with the plan of moving on to AIOs as the Emperor got older/we could afford them. But I actually found that AIOs aren't a good match for us. They take forever to dry, for one thing, and we don't have a dryer. We ended up sticking with just prefolds etc and I expect that's what he'll be in for the duration. I think there's no real way to know what's going to work for you and your baby til you've got the kid. Alas... By the way, mitten, our nighttime diaper is pretty simple. We use super huge prefolds (toddler sized maybe?), tri fold them, then fold the front over so it's doubled up. So he's got basically six layers of prefold in his pee area overnight. It works really well now that he's older-- we barely every have nighttime leaks. It's really hard to diaper babies so they don't leak some substance when they're younger. We didn't have poop leaks, but we did often have pee leaks when he was younger. I'm another hardcore prefold fan (I love the thirstie duo covers and my husband likes the bummi super brights). We've tried AIOs and pockets, but they've always leaked on us or seem way too baggy. Turns out the cheapest route was the best fix for us! (love when that actually happens!)	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
You are Bigger than Your Anxiety Today’s article is brought to you by AG contributor Bryan3000. Bryan and I have been exchanging ideas for weeks and I’ve enjoyed those conversations. I think that you’ll enjoy his perspective as well. — Paul Dooley So, it’s another Sunday afternoon and I’m lucky enough to be spending some time at home, playing with my little four year old girl and watching football. Life doesn’t get much better. That said, as I sat there… I had some of the usual slow-boiling anxiety that seems to just hang around some days for no particular reason. Attempting to use the things I’ve learned, I did my best to simply accept the symptoms and go about my day. My little girl also was dealing with her own health issues that day. She had another cold, which seem to come on an almost weekly basis at this age. Her forehead felt a little hot, her nose was runny and she occasionally looked up from her toys to cough a few hacking coughs. As I sat dealing with my own discomfort, it dawned on me that she must have been dealing with a good deal of her own. Her outward symptoms surely weren’t the only ones. These colds almost always come with a host of uncomfortable effects on our heads, bodies, moods, etc. Sure, she seemed a little crabby at times, but she kept right on focusing on the little play-set and animal figures she had set up… mouthing words for them to talk to each other, and creating her own little fictional world. She was completely immersed in what she was doing. All of those symptoms, and yet no complaining from her. It appeared to be the furthest thing from her mind. Now, a cynical mind might look at this situation and assume that she’s just a child. She doesn’t know the real dangers of health issues. She’s too young to have developed an actual sense of self-awareness with regards to her health. But, there’s another way to look at this. This child of four years has certainly dealt with sickness before. She’s been to the doctor. She’s gotten shots. (She just loves those!) She’s aware of medication and sometimes even claims to need it. (Likely because it’s cherry-flavored and sugary.) She’s not oblivious to the concept of illness. Instead, she’s just simply not that impressed with it. Of course, at some point… she’ll have a rough flu or illness that does slow her down. It’s part of growing up. But right now, she’s got a view of her illness that just might be one we can all learn from. Now, I’m certainly not the first to suggest that we’re larger than our afflictions. This is a well-covered topic. However, it may be a concept that we need to remind ourselves of, and on a regular basis. The reality of my daughter and I sitting in that living room that day was that her illness was likely a much bigger threat to her than my simmering anxiety was to me. In fact, by this point if you’ve read or listened to enough material from this very website, you know anxiety symptoms aren’t dangerous at all. Yet, there I was doing my best to accept and flow with my symptoms,struggling at times as she sat care-free playing with her toys and urging me to do the same. The problem with panic and anxiety is that by its very nature, it feels so much larger in scope than it really is. The symptoms come on in such a way that it affects that very brain mechanisms that estimate a perceived threat. It’s function is to convince us that we are in trouble. As we all know, that is its biological purpose and is part of all of our make-up. Yet, if you’re reading this, you also probably know that anxiety itself is not a real threat. As Dr. Claire Weeks put it, “don’t be bluffed by a thought.” You are bigger than anxiety. The reality on a short-term basis is that anxiety is probably far-less dangerous than the common cold and certainly less dangerous than the flu. (No, you shouldn’t be afraid of the flu, either!) We all need to remind ourselves every day just how big we are and just how small anxiety really is. Think of your body, mind, spirit, and all of the things that comprise your being. Think of what you’ve accomplished and want to accomplish. Think of the mind you’ve been blessed with and the positive attributes you’ve been given, physically. We all have them, regardless of our conditions. Think of the complex tasks your body completes every day without any effort on your part. Think of all the illnesses your body has defeated over your lifetime. We’re all giants in so many regards. Anxiety pales in comparison. No one else sees your anxiety. It doesn’t even make your nose run! People see you, the giant entity that you are. We all need to give ourselves this daily reminder so the picture becomes (and remains) crystal clear. If we can all view ourselves as bigger than the problem, perhaps we can eventually deal with anxiety as easily as a child deals with a cold. As for me, I did manage to work through the symptoms and enjoy much of the day. I’ll now remember that Sunday as a special time spent with my child, not for the bothersome physical symptoms. I have my struggles like we all do, but life only offers so many of those moments. I don’t intend to let anxiety take them away from me. I hope you won’t, either. Comments Bryan, I agree 100%. I have a four yr old of my own and that guy could care less about feeling bad for too long. He really does have better things to do. And although it is partly ignorance on his part, the bottom-line is that if you don’t focus on the negative, that negative issue shrinks in size. It’s when you sit and worry that the trouble starts. Great article. Hey Emily, thanks for thinking of me. Bryan is right, if you go to the home page and click on the Anxiety Superhero article you’ll find highlighted links to the book title that will take you straight to amazon.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Synovial Fluid Leukocyte Esterase in the Diagnosis of Peri-Prosthetic Joint Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Peri-prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a serious and frequent complication of total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Recently, synovial fluid leukocyte esterase (LE), measurement of which is convenient and fast, has been examined as a marker of PJI. We summarized the articles describing synovial fluid LE as a biomarker for the diagnosis of PJI and assessed its diagnostic value in patients suspected of having PJI. We searched with appropriate key words in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane database, and Science Direct. Eligible studies providing sufficient data to construct 2 × 2 contingency tables were chosen on the basis of several criteria, and the quality of the chosen studies was assessed. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated for those studies. The summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve and the area under the SROC (AUSROC) were used to evaluate the overall diagnostic performance of LE. Eleven studies were found suitable for this systematic review. Among them, eight articles with a total of 1,011 participants qualified for meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and DOR were 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76-0.96), 0.97 (95% CI 0.95-0.98), and 310.76 (95% CI 103.86-929.88), respectively. The SROC was 0.98 (95% CI 0.96-0.99). Sub-group analysis indicated that the sample inclusion criteria might be the main source of heterogeneity. Publication bias was suggested by an asymmetrical funnel plot (p = 0.144). Although the result of synovial fluid LE assay can be influenced by sample-related factors, it is more specific as a means to exclude PJI.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
<?php /** * Copyright © Magento, Inc. All rights reserved. * See COPYING.txt for license details. / namespace Magento\Customer\Controller\Adminhtml\Index; class Wishlist extends \Magento\Customer\Controller\Adminhtml\Index { /* * Wishlist Action * * @return \Magento\Framework\View\Result\Layout */ public function execute() { $customerId = $this->initCurrentCustomer(); $itemId = (int)$this->getRequest()->getParam('delete'); if ($customerId && $itemId) { try { $this->_objectManager->create(\Magento\Wishlist\Model\Item::class)->load($itemId)->delete(); } catch (\Exception $exception) { $this->_objectManager->get(\Psr\Log\LoggerInterface::class)->critical($exception); } } $resultLayout = $this->resultLayoutFactory->create(); return $resultLayout; } }	{ "pile_set_name": "Github" }
? PARTICULAR DESIGN – The excellent design of our karaoke microphone is very suitable for your hand, which can make you feel more comfortable. And the built-in high-quality Bluetooth module can be used as speaker, player and Recorder, compatible with various singing applications ? TWO WAYS CONNECTION – Bluetooth Connection & Cable Connection. You just need to connect your phone with cable or Bluetooth, and then open the singing APP on your phone. The built-in clearly audio and vividly sound effect can make you enjoy listening and singing anytime and anywhere. Great for KTV singing, gathering singing, family singing, travel singing, car stereo, instrument recording, interviews and live ect ? HIGH COMPATIBILITY – Supporting micro SD card max 64GB(NOT INCLUDED) and song switch. The Bluetooth has a great distance of connection(10m), and supports Android, iPhone, iPad, IOS and all Smartphone ? EASY TO USE – Multi-function buttons can adjust the Music, Echo, Volume and PA/R. Free to switch the previous and next song mode. Adjustable echo length effect can bring super surround with immersive enjoy. And the USB port allow you to plug USB and turn this magic piece to MP3 and play directly Introducing Indigi’s MQ09 Portable Handheld Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Karaoke Microphone & MP3 Speaker System, plus built-in Disco LED Dance Light. The MQ09 delivers powerful and full sound with a built-in mixer attached to the device! Connect to a device through Bluetooth 4.0 or use the micro SD Memory card and play music directly through the speaker and sing through the microphone for the ultimate karaoke experience! With the HiFi upgraded microchip, the MQ09 delivers clear and crisp vocals that you’d expect while singing or speaking. And because it’s wireless and ultra-compact, it’s easy to take anywhere. Use it at a friends house to sing karaoke, a family reunion, party, or if you’re a street performer, this will replace your loud speaker! With the built-in dual speakers, you get a 360Âº projection of sound. The Indigi MQ09 Wireless Bluetooth Microphone and Speaker Combo can play unplugged up to 5 hours and can be charged from most USB power sources. The microphone is layered with three types of filters to remove any distortion/background noise from your voice to provide true to life vocals. Play Music and Sing over the chrous while controlling the volume of the music to harmonize The Dual 3W speakers with the full-range provide amazing clarity and sound from both Music through Bluetooth/AUX and your Voice. Fitted with a mixer onboard the MQ09, you can control Treble, Bass, Independant Volume controls for Voice & Music, and also add Echo to your voice. Bluetooth 4.0 wireless transmission solves the need to carry around an AUX cord, but we’ve included one for you incase your device doesn’t have Bluetooth. It also has a micro sd card or TF card slot to play music from the memory card. No special charger needed, fitted with the most popular charger (microUSB) The appearance of new, metallic finish + iron mesh + professional mixer	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Following the footsteps of Microsoft Edge and Chrome, Firefox is -- at long last -- going to offer support for the delivery of notifications through Windows 10's Action Center. The move will please many Firefox users as this is a highly-requested feature, and it brings Mozilla's web browser in line with its rivals. While there is no release date for the finished version of Firefox 64, Action Center notification support has already made its way into the nightly builds. See also: But although the feature has been heavily requested, it's not something that has been met with universal delight. Over on Reddit, Firefox users are already asking whether Action Center notifications can be disabled in favour of using Firefox's own system of notifications. (At the moment, there is no way to do this with the nightlies.) As indicated by a comment on a Bugzilla post, Firefox 64 will address "bug" 1155505: "Implement ToastNotification for Action Center (Notification Center) on Windows 10": Status: NEW → RESOLVED Last Resolved: 3 days ago status-firefox64: --- → fixed Resolution: --- → FIXED Target Milestone: --- → mozilla64 So... Action Center notifications for Firefox 64. In favor, or against?	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Q: Generate XML from a class with JAVA I asked this question before: Generate XML from a class I want to do this with Java. Is it possible to do the same with Java via attributes? or is there a framework i can use for this purpose as well. A: XStream will allow you to represent any class as an XML. You can check here for an example. A: JAXB could be what you want. It's fairly common. You just add some annotations to your properties and any instance of that class can be serialized/deserialized to XML.	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
How do I stop my dog lunging at traffic? (Q) I have awful trouble walking my dog because she lunges and barks at traffic, and she almost has me off my feet. She especially does this with lorries and buses. (A) Jackie Drakeford says: First you need to restore control for your own safety, and I recommend getting a harness that has the lead attachment on the chest. Walk your dog from a lead on her collar, but have a second lead on the harness. It's a lot easier than it sounds to work with two leads, and the beauty of this arrangement is that when your dog lunges, the chest fastening means that as the harness lead comes into play, it turns her towards you. Next you need to look at your dog's motivation. Most dogs who do this are trying to scare the traffic away, because there is a big element of fear involved. Not only is there the size to consider, but the noise, vibration, and the diesel fumes at dog height make these vehicles a very unpleasant experience for the dog as they go by. And of course the traffic does go away, so your dog thinks her actions have succeeded, which is rewarding her. Her imagined success brings with it a big rush of excitement hormones, which are highly addictive, and so prompt her to repeat this behaviour for the thrill of it. Thrill and fear are very closely linked in the mind. If your dog is a herding breed, then she is also genetically programmed to dive at moving things and get them moving faster, so there is yet another another huge reward in this. Every dog has a reaction distance. Right now, you are too close to the traffic, so find places where you can both observe it while being far enough away that your dog doesn't feel the need to react. Sit together watching the traffic going by, while rewarding calm behaviour with a few treats, a toy or a game. If your dog reacts, you are still too close. Go to places where large vehicles are parked, and walk by at a sufficient distance that your dog doesn't react, and reward as before. Don't rush this, but be happy with small victories, and keep lessons very short — five minutes is ample to begin with. These are training sessions, and she will still need to be walked, but away from traffic so she can enjoy a calm time out exercising. At home, concentrate on giving your dog an occupation that makes her think, such as puzzle toys, stuffed Kongs, and scattering some of her food about the garden for her to search out. This will satisfy the reward centres in her brain to replace the high she gets from attacking traffic. Using these methods together, you will gradually desensitise her to traffic, but it will take time and you must go at her pace. Your aim is to stop the lesson before she reacts rather than pushing her to the point when she does.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
• Davis & Elkins Official Announcement • UNC Pembroke Official Announcement BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Mountain East Conference announced today that Davis & Elkins College has accepted an offer of full membership from the conference following a unanimous vote of approval by the MEC Board of Directors on August 27. The league also announced that The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has accepted an invitation of associate membership in the MEC in the sports of football, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, women’s swimming and wrestling after receiving unanimous support from the MEC’s Board. Davis & Elkins will compete in the Mountain East beginning in 2019-20. The Senators currently sponsor 19 of the conference’s 20 championship sports. When combined with UNC Pembroke’s future sports associations with the MEC, the league will be positioned to expand its conference championship sports to 23 -- seven more than when the league began in 2013 -- as early as the 2019-20 season. The MEC is slated to add championships in wrestling and men’s and women’s indoor track. “On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Mountain East Conference, we are pleased to welcome Davis & Elkins as a full-time member into the league, and are equally excited to begin an associate member relationship with UNC Pembroke,” said Dr. Kendra Boggess, Concord University President and President of the MEC Board of Directors. “Davis & Elkins aligns well with the league from a geographical and philosophical standpoint, and we believe UNC Pembroke’s associate membership provides the MEC strength and depth in the five sports they will bring to the conference.” “Adding Davis & Elkins as a full-time member and UNC Pembroke as an associate member is a great step for our league,” said MEC Commissioner Reid Amos. “The leadership at D&E has demonstrated a true commitment to the student-athlete experience which aligns well with the MEC and our other member institutions. Additionally, UNC Pembroke is a great match for us as an associate member. This partnership will provide UNC Pembroke’s student-athletes with a conference home for sports where they do not currently have a conference alignment. In these sports, not only does it provide UNC Pembroke’s student-athletes with a championship experience, it allows the MEC to grow our number of championship sports to provide new opportunities for student-athletes across the Mountain East Conference. “When combined with the recent acceptance of an invitation by Frostburg State, this series of partnerships not only signifies growth for the MEC, but also helps to foster sustainability for our conference’s championship profile while creating increased recruiting opportunities for our MEC member institutions. We have every expectation that the MEC will continue to be a highly competitive conference that is well positioned for continued success in NCAA Division II.” Related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Davis & Elkins College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the mountain highlands of Elkins, W.Va., and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of College and Schools. With a mission to “prepare and inspire students for success and for thoughtful engagement in the world,” Davis & Elkins is leading the way to help students discover their passion in life. D&E recently announced the successful completion of its “Secure the Future” campaign which raised over $100 million. “We are very pleased to have received an invitation to join the Mountain East Conference,” said Davis & Elkins College President Chris A. Wood. “This is welcome news for not only the College and our 320 student-athletes, but parents and Senator fans as well. Athletic contests taking place closer to home allows all to share in the accomplishments of our student-athletes. We look forward to a partnership with the high caliber professionalism the MEC displays.” The Davis & Elkins College athletics department, more commonly known as Senator Nation, is committed to developing excellence in student-athletes, coaches and staff through education, engagement, character and competition. D&E currently sponsors 21 intercollegiate sports, competing in 23 championship seasons, and currently has 320 student-athletes from 30 states and 21 countries. "Today is a day we will remember for years to come," said Davis & Elkins Director of Athletics Jamie Joss. "Joining the Mountain East, one of the nation’s premier NCAA Division II collegiate athletic conferences, provides a tremendous opportunity to align with conference members focused on enhancing the academic and athletic experiences of our student-athletes." Located in the southeast North Carolina town of Pembroke, UNCP is a public, co-educational and historically American Indian liberal arts University that has more than 6,500 students, including more than 800 graduate students. “This is an exciting announcement, both for our athletics department and our University,” said UNCP Chancellor Dr. Robin G. Cummings. “This historic partnership allows all of our teams to have a conference home for the first time in UNCP's 26 years in NCAA Division II. The Mountain East Conference leadership has been visionary, professional and proactive, and we are excited to align with them in such a robust partnership ensuring a championship experience for all of our nearly 400 student-athletes.” UNC Pembroke, one of just two NCAA Division II football teams to make three or more appearances in the NCAA Division II Playoffs in the first 10 years of its program’s existence, will play football in the MEC in 2020. The Braves will compete as early as the 2019-20 season in swimming & diving, as well indoor track & field and wrestling, while football will begin MEC competition in fall 2020. The associate membership with the MEC would give UNCP a conference home for all 16 of its sports for the first time in its 26-year NCAA Division II history as it competes as a full-time member of the Peach Belt Conference. "I think the frequency with which we have faced the MEC and the proximity of some of their institutions will surprise a number of our fans,” said UNCP Director of Athletics Dick Christy. "Our dedication to a championship experience for all student-athletes is at the forefront of our mission, and the necessity of a conference home for these five sports is paramount to the success of that mission.” Established in 2013, the Mountain East Conference has quickly established itself as one of the top all-sports conferences in the country. In just five years, MEC institutions have produced two team NCAA Division II champions, seven national finalists and 13 semifinalists. In addition to the athletic success, the MEC recognizes over 1,500 student-athletes annually for their academic success and has additionally had seven “NCAA Elite 90” winners, which honors the individual with the highest cumulative grade-point average at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
An in vitro and in vivo assessment of the potential of Vibrio spp. as probiotics for the Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. The objective of the work was to determine whether known strains of nonpathogenic vibrios can act as probiotics for the control of Vibrio infections in the Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Of the ten species tested, only Vibrio alginolyticus (NCIMB 1339) and Vibrio gazogenes (NCIMB 2250) showed antagonistic activity towards a panel of shrimp pathogenic vibrios. In the case of V. alginolyticus, this activity depended on the presence of live bacteria while in V. gazogenes both live and dead bacteria showed anti-Vibrio activity. Injection of shrimp with either V. alginolyticus or V. gazogenes at 3 × 10(7) or 3 × 10(5) total bacteria per shrimp resulted in mortality with higher levels in the case of V. alginolyticus (100% mortality 18 h postinjection of 3 × 10(7) bacteria). Juvenile shrimp were fed commercial diets top-coated with either chitin (an immune stimulant) or chitin + V. gazogenes. Both chitin and V. gazogenes caused a significant decline in the number of Vibrio-like bacteria in the fore and hind gut, and changes were also seen in the hepatosomatic index (a measure of digestive health) and the total number of blood cells in circulation. Analysis of mid/hindgut and faecal samples obtained using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism showed that the gut microbiota of shrimp has limited bacterial diversity and that after 8 weeks exposure to the experimental diets there were significant changes in the microbial flora of the GI tract of shrimp as a result of the presence of V. gazogenes. Of the vibrios tested, V. gazogenes has potential as a probiotic for the control of bacterial diseases in shrimp. Overall, this study shows the promise of V. gazogenes together with chitin to improve the health and welfare of shrimp under aquaculture conditions.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
Field This disclosure is generally related to computer networks. More specifically, this disclosure is related to deploying an overlay content centric network across an Internet Protocol network. Related Art Recent research efforts are producing content centric networking (CCN) to re-architect the entire network stack around content. In CCN, packets typically do not contain network addresses for a source and a destination of the packet. Rather, clients issue requests for Content Objects, and routers across the network route these requests directly through the network to a closest network node that stores a copy of the content, which returns a packet that includes the requested Content Object to respond to the request. CCN can use controlled flooding as a mechanism to route the requests to the appropriate content providers, which eliminates the burden of having to configure explicit routes to all possible content providers. However, the benefits produced by this mechanism comes at the cost of an increased overhead of the object-requesting traffic in the network. To make matters worse, the way CCN nodes are connected to each other has a major impact in the amount of Interests present in the network, which makes it difficult to deploy a CCN network without a debilitating overhead. For example, a sub-optimal CCN topology may cause Interests to flow via an undesirably large number of links, and can produce network congestion at certain CCN nodes. This sub-optimal topology can result in unnecessary processing overhead at the CCN nodes, and can increase the delivery time for content accessed by these Interests.	{ "pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds" }
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Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) on Monday said that his team was also denied a tour of a migrant processing facility one day after Sen. Jeff Merkley Jeffrey (Jeff) Alan MerkleyThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Trump, Biden renew push for Latino support Sunday shows - Trump team defends coronavirus response Oregon senator says Trump's blame on 'forest management' for wildfires is 'just a big and devastating lie' MORE (D-Ore.) said he was barred entry from a detention center in Texas. “This is outrageous. Sec. Nielsen owes us answers,” Menendez tweeted — referring to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Kirstjen Michele NielsenMore than million in DHS contracts awarded to firm of acting secretary's wife: report DHS IG won't investigate after watchdog said Wolf, Cuccinelli appointments violated law Appeals court sides with Trump over drawdown of immigrant protections MORE — while adding a link to Merkley’s tweet about being denied entrance to a detention center. ADVERTISEMENT “My team was also barred from touring a migrant processing facility where families are being separated,” the senator added. “When the elected representatives of the people can't observe how our government is operating, we're in an upside down world.” The incident comes amid growing criticism of the Trump administration’s policy that separates children and parents when they cross the border, including those seeking asylum. The policy has been called an attempt to deter migrant parents from coming to the U.S. Merkley on Sunday was turned away from an immigration detention center in Texas which he said was housing immigrant children. In a live stream of the event, he is seen introducing himself to guards outside the detention building and asking for permission to enter. “I was barred entry. Asked repeatedly to speak to a supervisor—he finally came out and said he can’t tell us anything. Police were called on us,” Merkley said in a tweet. I was barred entry. Asked repeatedly to speak to a supervisor—he finally came out and said he can’t tell us anything. Police were called on us. Children should never be ripped from their families & held in secretive detention centers. RT if you agree this is WRONG. pic.twitter.com/GVCuXNjR8d — Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) June 4, 2018 The two events come shortly after it was reported that federal authorities lost track of nearly 1,500 immigrant children that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) placed with sponsors. HHS pushed back on those reports, saying the allegations that the children were lost are “completely false.”	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Q: How to create DNS records for my VPS first of all I should mention that I'm fairly new to the world of DNS. I've purchased a VPS plan and I'm trying to run a web server and also a custom mail server (postfix and dovecot combination), which turns out to be a real pain. I'm aware of the fact that I can make my life easier by using Google App services but nonetheless I want to be able to do it myself. I'm stuck with so called DNS records and as far as my understanding goes I should first of all create an A record for my mail.mydomain.com and afterwards a MX record, am I right? I checked every option my hosting provider provides, but unfortunately I couldn't find anything. If I run: nslookup -q=mx mydomain.com it gives me: Non-authoritative answer: mydomain.com mail exchanger = 10 mail.mydomain.com and for "Authoritative answers" I get nothing. So first question: "'Authoritative answers' are answers from mydomain.com itself and to be able to give such answers I should run my own DNS Name Server and have so called 'zones file' in which I have these records setup, am I right?". And following question would be: "to be able to do it I should have 'bind' software package installed, right?". Another question: "if haven't done any of it how come I get 'Non-authoritative answer' for my MX query? Does it mean I already have one MX record from my service provider?". And the last question would be, since it is for a custom mail server and if you are familiar with it: "could you tell me why do I have to have a reversed domain record (I think it is called PTR) in order to avoid my mail get landed in spam folder?" A: You got Non-authoritative answer because you did not query records from name servers of the domain, and the results may contain IPs. This result is similar as yours. $ nslookup -q=mx google.com Server: 8.8.8.8 Address: 8.8.8.8#53 Non-authoritative answer: google.com mail exchanger = 30 alt2.aspmx.l.google.com. google.com mail exchanger = 20 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com. google.com mail exchanger = 40 alt3.aspmx.l.google.com. google.com mail exchanger = 50 alt4.aspmx.l.google.com. google.com mail exchanger = 10 aspmx.l.google.com. Authoritative answers can be found from: alt3.aspmx.l.google.com internet address = 173.194.204.26 alt4.aspmx.l.google.com internet address = 74.125.141.26 alt2.aspmx.l.google.com internet address = 173.194.219.27 aspmx.l.google.com internet address = 74.125.25.26 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com internet address = 74.125.193.27 So we can find name servers of the targeted domain. $ nslookup -q=ns google.com Server: 8.8.8.8 Address: 8.8.8.8#53 Non-authoritative answer: google.com nameserver = ns3.google.com. google.com nameserver = ns1.google.com. google.com nameserver = ns2.google.com. google.com nameserver = ns4.google.com. Authoritative answers can be found from: ns3.google.com internet address = 216.239.36.10 ns2.google.com internet address = 216.239.34.10 ns1.google.com internet address = 216.239.32.10 ns4.google.com internet address = 216.239.38.10 Then we can get authoritative answer. $ nslookup -q=mx google.com ns1.google.com Server: ns1.google.com Address: 216.239.32.10#53 google.com mail exchanger = 40 alt3.aspmx.l.google.com. google.com mail exchanger = 10 aspmx.l.google.com. google.com mail exchanger = 30 alt2.aspmx.l.google.com. google.com mail exchanger = 50 alt4.aspmx.l.google.com. google.com mail exchanger = 20 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com. As the sample you posted, you can confirm if mail.mydomain.com has pointed to a IP ( so called A record ), and mail related services maight be OK if there are correct MX & A records. You should find out name servers of your domain before you maintain the DNS records. I guess your service provider ( or someone else ) have set up MX record of your domain, you may get more answers from your service provider.	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
The molecular basis of hemophilia A. Due to new, sensitive methodologies, the rate at which factor VIII gene mutations are found is increasing rapidly. The next five years should lead to the discovery of a wide range of defects as well as potential new hot-spots for mutations. Advances in understanding the protein will also provide new insights into the effects of particular mutations. Tremendous strides have been made in carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis. Already diagnosis is possible in 70% of cases with the factor VIII intragenic polymorphisms. Although there is still room for improvement in availability, speed, and cost of the test, many families in the United States and Europe are benefiting from this sensitive detection method.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
CLARK — A park in Clark that will host this weeks’s Union County MusicFest, expected to draw tens of thousands of spectators this weekend, has been sprayed for mosquitoes after health officials discovered an insect carrying the West Nile Virus there last week. A mosquito pool, used by health officials to trap insects for testing, tested positive on Aug. 31, the county said. The pool was located in Oak Ridge Park, the site of the county’s annual free concert festival. “It is not uncommon to find West Nile Virus in mosquito pools throughout the county, and the state of New Jersey as a whole,” Sebastian D’Elia, a county spokesman, said in an e-mail Thursday afternoon. “When it is found, the site is immediately treated.” The state Department of Health and Senior Services, as well as local health offices throughout New Jersey, regularly test mosquitoes for the virus. Hundreds of insects regularly test positive, state reports show. But cases of humans contracting the disease are rare, both the state and county said. In the past several years, there has been only one confirmed human case of the virus in Union County, D’Elia said. MusicFest started earlier this week but will host its featured acts this weekend. Bands include headliners Train and Spoon, as well as OK GO, Soul Asylum, Suzanne Vega, The Bravery and The Zombies. D'Elia urged those planning to attend the concerts to take common precautions such as wearing long pants and applying mosquito repellent.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Q: Looping within a regular expression can regex able to find a patter to this? {{foo.bar1.bar2.bar3}} where in the groups would be $1 = foo $2 = bar1 $3 = bar2 $4 = bar3 and so on.. it would be like re-doing the expression over and over again until it fails to get a match. the current expression i am working on is (?:\{{2})([\w]+).([\w]+)(?:\}{2}) Here's a link from regexr. http://regexr.com?3203h -- ok I guess i didn't explain well what I'm trying to achieve here. let's say I am trying to replace all .barX inside a {{foo . . . }} my expected results should be $foo->bar1->bar2->bar3 A: This should work, assuming no braces are allowed within the match: preg_match_all( '%(?<= # Assert that the previous character(s) are either \{\{ # {{ \| # or \. # . ) # End of lookbehind [^{}.]* # Match any number of characters besides braces/dots. (?= # Assert that the following regex can be matched here: (?: # Try to match \. # a dot, followed by [^{}]* # any number of characters except braces )? # optionally \}\} # Match }} ) # End of lookahead%x', $subject, $result, PREG_PATTERN_ORDER); $result = $result[0];	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
King Kong to Open on Broadway The long-anticipated musical of King Kong, itself based on the 1932 novel of the same name by Merian C. Cooper, will finally be coming to Broadway, complete with the titular mammoth ape. Set to open on November 8, 2018 at the Broadway Theatre, the musical will utilize an innovative mix of robotics, puppetry, and stagecraft to bring this character to life. The production will be directed and choreographed by Oliver Award-winner Drew McOnie (In the Heights). “Based on the 1932 novel, the stage production of King Kong is a contemporary take on the classic tale of beauty and the beast. The story follows a young actress and a maverick filmmaker as they voyage from the bustling streets of 1930s New York to an uncharted island to capture the greatest wonder the world has ever seen. At the center of this 21st-century reimagining: a 20-foot high, 2,000-pound gorilla brought to life by a team of seamlessly integrated artists and technicians. King Kong is a larger-than-life encounter with a legend that’s always been too big to contain.” King Kong’s book writer Jack Thorne won the 2017 Olivier Award and the Evening Standard Award for Best Play for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is poised to make its Broadway premiere this spring. The musical features a score by composer and music producer Marius de Vries (the films La La Land, Moulin Rouge, and Romeo + Juliet) who is a four-time Grammy nominee. Eddie Perfect (songs) is a Helpmann Award winner and composer and lyricist of the Broadway-bound Beetlejuice, Strictly Ballroom The Musical and Shane Warne The Musical. The design team for the Broadway production of King Kong will include Peter England (Set and Projection Design), Sonny Tilders (Creature Design), Roger Kirk (Costume Design), Peter Mumford (Lighting Design), Peter Hylenski (Sound Design), Gavin Robins (Aerial and King Kong Movement Director). Casting will be announced at a later date. Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals and maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
import { ChildProcessReporter } from '@integration/testing-tools'; import { serenity, StreamReporter } from '@serenity-js/core'; export = function () { this.setDefaultTimeout(5000); serenity.configure({ crew: [ new ChildProcessReporter(), new StreamReporter(), ], }); };	{ "pile_set_name": "Github" }
337 F.Supp. 150 (1972) CITY OF NEW YORK, Plaintiff, and Bush Terminal Railroad Users Association, Inc., et al., Intervening Plaintiffs, v. The UNITED STATES of America et al., Defendants. Civ. No. 71-C-1639. United States District Court, E. D. New York. January 20, 1972. 151 152 Louis Walters, Asst. Corp. Counsel (J. Lee Rankin, Corp. Counsel for City of New York, Peter C. Demetri and Eleanor Oppenheimer, Asst. Corp. Counsels, of counsel), for plaintiff. Stacey L. Wallach, New York City (Tenzer, Greenblatt, Fallon & Kaplan, New York City, of counsel), for intervening plaintiff, Bush Terminal Users Ass'n. William C. Mahoney, Washington, D. C., for intervening plaintiffs, United Transportation Union and Brotherhood of Railway, Airline & Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express & Station Employes. John C. McTiernan, Asst. Counsel, N. Y. State Dept. of Transportation, Albany, N. Y., for intervening plaintiff, State of New York. Lloyd H. Baker, Asst. U. S. Atty. (Robert A. Morse, U. S. Atty. Eastern District of New York, of counsel), for defendant, the United States. Theodore C. Knappen, Washington, D. C., Asst. Gen. Counsel, for defendant, Interstate Commerce Commission. G. Clark Cummings, New York City, for defendant, Bush Terminal R.R. Before FRIENDLY, Chief Circuit Judge, MISHLER, Chief District Judge, and WEINSTEIN, District Judge. FRIENDLY, Chief Circuit Judge: In this action against the United States, the Interstate Commerce Commission, Bush Terminal Railroad and certain of the latter's officers and directors, the City of New York, joined by several intervenors, asks us to annul an order of the Interstate Commerce Commission dated December 13, 1971, in F.D. No. 25896, which authorized abandonment of the entire line of Bush Terminal Railroad Company (the Railroad) in Kings County, New York, and Hudson County, New Jersey. The order, which was effective immediately, was entered after the Railroad on December 1, 1971, had unilaterally imposed an embargo on all outgoing freight and announced that on December 15, 1971, it would impose a similar embargo on all incoming freight, because of the allegedly unseaworthy condition of its marine equipment, and after users of the Railroad had begun an action to enjoin the embargo which they considered to be an unauthorized abandonment. The Railroad terminated operation on December 13 immediately on learning of the Commission's order.[1] On December 17, the City began this action and sought a temporary restraining order, see 28 U.S.C. § 2284(3). Judge Weinstein denied this but set the City's motion for a temporary injunction for argument on December 22 before a three-judge court which he asked to have convened, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2321, 2325. At the argument, the Bush Terminal Users Association, Inc., United Transportation Union, the Brotherhood of Railway, Airline and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employes, and the Department of Transportation of the State of New York were allowed to intervene as plaintiffs. Issuance of 153 a temporary restraining order was again refused, but we reserved decision on the motion for a temporary injunction pending the filing of the record and briefs. The Railroad, organized in 1903, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bush Universal, Inc., which had been known as Bush Terminal Company until July, 1968. The purpose of establishing the Railroad was to acquire franchise rights in city streets and extend to new buildings railroad services then being provided in Brooklyn, New York, by Bush Terminal. The line owned by the Railroad is only 1.8 miles long. This connects with some 13.56 miles of track in Brooklyn and car-float and towage facilities that are operated by the Railroad but are owned and had previously been operated by Bush Terminal, allegedly as agent for the Railroad and for trunk line carriers serving New York Harbor. In Bush Terminal R.R. Co. Operation, 257 I.C.C. 375 (1944), the Commission authorized the Railroad, pursuant to § 1(18) of the Interstate Commerce Act, to extend its railroad by acquiring through lease the trackage and other facilities owned by Bush Terminal. The lease took effect on January 1, 1945. Since then the Railroad, as a common carrier, has moved cars between industries in and near the Bush Terminal in Brooklyn across New York Harbor to and from various trunk line terminals in New Jersey. In December, 1968, Bush Terminal, having changed its name and become a conglomerate, controlled by Universal Consolidated Industries, Inc., a still more conglomerated conglomerate, conveyed all its real estate, including some of the land over which the Railroad operates, to a newly organized, wholly owned subsidiary, Bush Terminal Company, Inc. This new subsidiary assumed its parent's obligations under the lease to the Railroad. We will generally refer to Bush Universal, Inc. and Bush Terminal Company, Inc., simply as "the Terminal Company." The Railroad, on October 23, 1969, filed an application under § 1(18) of the Interstate Commerce Act for permission to abandon the operation both of its owned and of its leased properties. Hearings were held in late June, 1970. The application was opposed by users of the service, governmental and quasi-governmental bodies and labor organizations representing the Railroad's employees. In their post-hearing briefs the City, the State, and the Users Association for the first time raised the issue that authorization of abandonment by the lessee, the Railroad, would not relieve the lessor, the Terminal Company, of its independent obligation to operate the leased properties, an obligation that would revive upon discontinuance of operations by the lessee. See Lehigh Valley R.R. Co. Proposed Abandonment of Operation, 202 I.C.C. 659, 663 (1935); Norfolk S.R.R. Co. Receivers Abandonment, 221 I.C.C. 258, 260 (1937); Livestock Terminal Service Co. Abandonment of Operation, 257 I.C.C. 1, 7 (1944); Hoboken R.R., Whse. & S.S. Connecting Co. Operation, 257 I.C.C. 739, 743-44 (1944). The Railroad responded, correctly enough as a matter of law, see Meyers v. Famous Realty, Inc., 271 F.2d 811, 814-815 (2 Cir. 1959), cert. denied, 362 U.S. 910, 80 S.Ct. 681, 4 L.Ed.2d 619 (1960), that this doctrine applies only when the lessor was a "carrier by railroad," see 49 U.S.C. § 1(18), when the lease was made; it claimed that the Terminal Company was not. On June 3, 1971, the examiner rendered a report recommending authorization of the abandonment. He found that, despite various promotional efforts, the Railroad's traffic had seriously declined, due to motor vehicle competition, and the moving of industries away from the Brooklyn area served by it; that the Railroad "has sustained substantial losses for many years, and prospects for reversing the decline in traffic and for profitable operations are very slim;" and that the property owned and leased by the Railroad was in such poor condition that an expenditure by it of approximately $930,000 would be required for 154 rehabilitation of roadway and marine equipment.[2] With the Railroad's long record of losses and negative net worth, these funds could not be obtained except from the parent. The examiner concluded that, despite undoubted hardship to users, which might require many to move, with consequent loss of employment opportunities and revenues to the City and the State, there was no alternative to authorizing abandonment by the Railroad. Turning to the legal argument concerning the obligations of Terminal Company as lessor, the examiner concluded that this raised a factual issue of the lessor's earlier common carrier status, which had never previously been resolved and which could be tested in an action by the objecting parties under § 1(18) and (20). Thus, he declined to condition abandonment by the Railroad upon resumption of operation of the leased properties by the Terminal Company. Following the Commission's general practice in cases of complete abandonment where neither the carrier nor a parent carrier realizes economic advantages other than the termination of losses,[3] see Chicago, A. & S.R.R. Co. Receiver Abandonment, 261 I.C.C. 646, 652 (1946); Okmulgee Northern Ry. Co. Abandonment, 320 I.C.C. 637, 645-646 (1964); Manifestee & Repton R.R. Co. Abandonment, 324 I.C.C. 489, 492 (1964); Tennessee Central Ry. Co. Abandonment of Operations, 333 I.C.C. 443, 453-454 (1968), he declined to impose employee protective conditions. Exceptions and a reply thereto by the Railroad were filed with the Commission in early August. The City's, the Unions' and the Users Association's exceptions requested oral argument. On November 3, the Users Association filed a petition for leave to file a petition to reopen the hearing to include further testimony concerning the willingness of users to pay a surcharge of $25 per car. 155 The Railroad replied by letter. On December 13, the Commission, acting by Division 3, entered the order to which we have referred. This noted that the exceptions had raised "a substantial question of possible damage to the environment" as a result of the substitution of trucks for railroad cars but concluded that "any damage that may occur to environmental amenities by our approval of this application is to be outweighed by the proven economic harm that would result from its denial." It upheld the findings and conclusions of the examiner and decided that, save for the point just stated, the exceptions and reply thereto raised no new or material issue and were not of such a nature as to require the issuance of a report. After denying the petition of the Users Association for leave to file a petition to reopen the record, it adopted the hearing examiner's order of abandonment "as the order of the Commission, Division 3, effective on the date of service hereof," which was specified to be December 13. I. If we were to view the matter apart from certain special considerations urged by the plaintiff and intervenors, it would be clear that the order of abandonment was supported by substantial evidence at the time it was issued. Between 1959 and 1969, the Railroad's traffic declined from 618,053 to 459,685 tons. During the same period, traffic for four types of customers tenants of the Terminal Company; tenants of an unrelated organization, Bush Terminal Associates; customers located on private sidings; and the Brooklyn Army base fell from 13,490 to 4,165 cars, those from the Army base having later dwindled to zero. Losses have been incurred every year since 1959. These attained highs of $368,431 and $376,644 in 1966 and 1967; while the losses for 1968 and 1969 were less, $311,910 and $220,582, respectively, the Railroad persuasively claimed the reduction was due principally to the deferral of maintenance expenditures which would have to be made if it were required to continue operations. The balance sheet as of December 31, 1969, shows current assets of $451,242 and current liabilities of $1,990,754.[4] The story seems to be the familiar one of decreased usage and higher costs leading to deterioration of plant, and deterioration of plant then leading to further decrease in usage and still further deterioration, until a time finally comes when the operation grinds to a halt, with attendant hardship on the remaining users and the employees. Courts are not free to annul the Commission's decision to allow abandonment under such circumstances simply because greater wisdom at an earlier date on the part of all concerned might have preserved a valuable transportation enterprise. See Washington & Old Dominion Users Ass'n v. United States, 287 F.Supp. 528 (E.D.Va. 1968) (three-judge court); Asbury v. United States, 298 F.Supp. 589 (W.D.Va. 1969) (three-judge court). As the examiner said, "an unprofitable operation cannot be expected to continue indefinitely for the benefit of shippers who may be adversely affected but who do not furnish sufficient traffic to support a line, or to furnish transportation during periods when trucks experience difficulty operating, or for such commodities as may not be handled economically by trucks." Before the hearing examiner, the plaintiffs argued that the loss figures constituted only bookkeeping losses which must be disregarded because they reflect intercompany charges arising out of a leasing arrangement between a parent and a wholly owned subsidiary, and that the Railroad and its parent must be viewed as a single entity to obtain an accurate financial picture. The examiner had abundant basis for rejecting these arguments. The Commission had earlier found the leasing arrangement between the Terminal Company and the Railroad to be fair, 257 I.C.C. at 379-381, and the 156 examiner received and adopted new testimony reinforcing this conclusion. Apart from an annual fee of $25,000 for services such as telephones, casual engineering, and payroll accounting, which has remained unchanged since 1945 and which the Examiner permissibly found to be fair, indeed, low, payments were made for services actually rendered such as maintenance work and managerial services of officers of the Railroad who are also officers of the Terminal Company and for rent calculated on the basis of a basic rental component and a percentage rental component as provided in the lease. The percentage rental is 75% of the Railroad's net earnings from both its leased and owned properties; the basic rental is essentially an amount equivalent to property taxes, depreciation, and 5½% of the assessed value of the leased real estate and the agreed value of the other leased property. An owner would have incurred the various service and managerial expenses. No payment of percentage rental has been made since 1959, there having been no net earnings since that date. Finally, the basic rental provides less than a fair rate of return, at least under current conditions where prime corporate bonds command rates in the neighborhood of 7%. In fact, in 1966, 1967, and 1968, the Railroad's actual payments to the Terminal Company were less than the current charges other than rent;[5] if it had been independently operated and had bonds outstanding, it would long since have had to take advantage of § 77 of the Bankruptcy Act. In short, it does not appear that the intercompany charges were either improper or unreasonable. Much is sought to be made of the benefit which the parent received from the Railroad's losses in its consolidated income tax return, but did not pass on to the Railroad. Whatever bearing this might or might not have on a claim by the Terminal Company in the case of insolvency on the part of the Railroad, cf. Western Pacific R.R. Corp. v. Western Pacific R.R. Co., 206 F.2d 495 (9 Cir.), cert. denied, 346 U.S. 910, 74 S.Ct. 241, 98 L.Ed. 407 (1953), the mere fact that, due to other income of the parent, the ultimate impact of the Railroad's losses may be less than if it stood alone, would not justify requiring railroad operations to be continued at a loss. Only the railroad business is to be considered in deciding whether an operation is unprofitable and should be abandoned. See Brooks-Scanlon Co. v. Railroad Comm'n, 251 U.S. 396, 399, 40 S.Ct. 183, 64 L.Ed. 323 (1919). This same principle also disposes of the contention that the parent, with its other profitable businesses, and the Railroad should be viewed as a single entity for financial accounting purposes, thus purportedly eliminating any showing of loss. Problems of constitutional dimensions would be raised by requiring a company to subsidize a losing railroad operation with non-railroad businesses, see id. particularly in a case such as this where the railroad business has failed to show a profit for some ten years. For purposes of this abandonment proceeding, then, the Railroad's historical losses are real, substantial, and not exaggerated by intercompany transactions.[6] Relying on a lease provision obligating the lessor to make capital expenditures 157 with respect to the leased property, the plaintiffs advance a further argument that the serious condition of the equipment used by the Railroad is the result of the Terminal Company's failure to make necessary capital expenditures and the size of the estimated maintenance expenditures now necessary should therefore be appropriately discounted. More specifically, the lease provides that although the lessee is required to maintain the properties at its own expense, the lessor is obligated to make capital expenditures if not occasioned by the lessee's failure to maintain with the provisos that the lessor could terminate the lease if more than $100,000 of such capital expenditures were required in any year and that the lessee could either terminate the lease or make capital expenditures at the expense of the lessor if the latter failed to make necessary capital expenditures. There is evidence in the record which indicates that from 1960 through 1969 the Terminal Company made capital expenditures amounting to $786,751 with respect to the leased properties. This would suggest that only a little more than $200,000 additional capital could have been called upon in that ten year period to replace the large amount of rundown equipment being used by the Railroad. Even assuming that the lessee could have called upon the lessor to make additional major capital expenditures and that the result would have been a substantial reduction in the maintenance expenditures now necessary on the part of the lessee, it should be recognized that in fact any such capital expenditures must ultimately be paid for by the lessee since, among other things, the basic rental consists of a depreciation charge and an interest component. Thus, in the 1960 through 1969 period, depreciation charges payable to the Terminal Company by the Railroad amounted to $592,670. Also the record clearly shows that throughout much of that period the Railroad was in default in the payment of rent. By December 31, 1964, the Railroad owed the Terminal Company over four hundred thousand dollars and that sum increased to more than a million and a half by December 31, 1969. Indeed, since 1965, the annual increase in the Railroad's debit balance to the Terminal Company has exceeded $100,000. In light of these figures, it is very doubtful that the lessor has been obligated to make any capital expenditures for some time[7] at the least, not since the Railroad has been in default on its rent. Consequently, we see no basis for discounting the substantiality of the maintenance expense facing the Railroad should it be required to continue operations. We have reviewed the evidence before the Commission concerning the Railroad's physical and financial condition at this length in order to delimit the extent to which reconsideration of the specific matters here discussed[8] will be necessary on the remand to be prescribed in what follows. Compare Massachusetts Bay Telecasters, Inc. v. FCC, 104 U.S.App.D.C. 226, 261 F.2d 55, 65 (1958), modified, 111 U.S.App.D.C. 144, 295 F.2d 131 (Cir.), cert. denied, 366 U.S. 918, 81 S.Ct. 1094, 6 L.Ed.2d 241 (1961). 158 II. Despite the bleak financial picture of the Railroad's past history and future prospects established before the hearing examiner, we are confronted with a serious argument by the plaintiff and intervenors that the Commission has acted here in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 4321-47. Although this abandonment proceeding was initiated before NEPA became effective on January 1, 1970, all agency hearings and decision-making occurred long after the effective date. Consequently, we have no doubt that NEPA was applicable. Cf. Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. v. Corps of Engineers, 324 F.Supp. 878, 880 (D.D.C.1971); Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. v. Corps of Engineers, 325 F.Supp. 728, 743-744 (E.D. Ark.1971). While the Commission may initially have thought that, as a general matter, abandonment proceedings were not within the provisions of NEPA, subdivisions (A), (B), and (D), among others, of § 102(2), 42 U.S.C. § 4332(2), impose a number of duties on all federal agencies with respect to the consideration and exploration of the environmental effects of their decisions and plans, and the obligation of a federal agency to adhere to these subdivisions in all instances is essentially unqualified.[9] In addition, in cases of "major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment," § 102(2) (C) requires the federal agency to include in its report a "detailed statement" which comprehensively considers the effect of the proposed action upon the environment and alternatives thereto. At the time of the hearings in this proceeding, it may not have been entirely clear from the statute or from the Interim Guidelines published by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), 35 Fed. Reg. 7390-93 (May 12, 1970), revision proposed, 36 Fed.Reg.1398-1402 (Jan. 28, 1971), guidelines published, 36 Fed. Reg. 7724-29 (April 23, 1971), that a railroad abandonment proceeding, despite its potential for increase in the use of alternative modes of transportation with greater polluting effects, such as trucks, constituted the type of federal action which requires a detailed environmental statement as prescribed in § 102 (2) (C). However, the Commission has gone a long way to resolving whatever doubt there was on the question by its proposed rules which include railroad abandonment proceedings among those actions which may have a significant effect on the quality of the environment. See ICC Notice of Proposed Rule Making: Implementation of National Environmental Policy, App. A(d) (2), 36 Fed.Reg. 10807, 10809 (June 3, 1971). And although it is evident that the Commission has been slow in reacting to the directive of the CEQ, 35 Fed.Reg. 7390-93 (May 12, 1970), and of NEPA itself, that each federal agency establish formal procedures to guide the preparation of § 159 102(2) (C) environmental impact statements, this cannot, excuse the Commission's failure to consider adequately the provisions of NEPA once the Act had become effective. The examiner's report gave no consideration to the environmental implications of the abandonment of the Railroad's operations. None of the protestants had sought at the hearing to develop the record in this respect. The environmental issue was first raised by the City in its Exceptions to the examiner's report. It argued there that if 13,500 carloads which it assumed to be the Railroad's annual traffic were moved by truck, substantial additional tonnage of pollutants would be discharged.[10] The Railroad replied that these figures were highly exaggerated, particularly since much of the protestants' argument at the hearing and in their exceptions was not that users would turn to trucks but rather that they would move away as soon as their leases expire, or perhaps even before. Whatever the merits of these opposing views, it is apparent that there is likely to be some adverse environmental effect as a result of the abandonment. Yet the only agency consideration given the environmental issues is the cursory statement of Division 3 which we set out in the margin.[11] In our opinion, this is insufficient to establish compliance with, in particular, § 102(2) (B) & (D), much less with the detailed requirements of § 102(2) (C). We recognize that the Commission was here faced with a relatively new statute so broad, yet opaque, that it will take even longer than usual fully to comprehend its import. The protestants compounded an already difficult situation by waiting until the eleventh hour to raise an important question which would best have been considered from the outset. Further, we are not eager to remand for what may well be a largely ritualistic act. We have serious question whether, in view of the consistent record of losses and the large sums needed to remedy deferred maintenance and for capital expenditures and the unavailability of any likely source for these, there is any alternative to allowing abandonment here, despite adverse environmental effects. A recent offer by the Users Association, discussed infra, perhaps offers at least a glimmer of hope. But at this juncture the Railroad appears unable to continue, and has operated as long as it has only because the 160 Terminal Company has not pressed for collection of increasing amounts now more than a million and a half dollars owed to it. We find no indication in NEPA that Congress meant to authorize an agency to compel a parent or sister company to finance a losing subsidiary or affiliate simply because the latter's demise will have an unfortunate effect on the environment; and there would be the gravest doubt whether it constitutionally could under the circumstances here before us. See Brooks-Scanlon Co. v. Railroad Comm'n, supra, 251 U.S. 396, 399, 40 S.Ct. 183, 64 L.Ed. 323; Railroad Comm'n of State of Texas v. Eastern Texas R.R., 264 U.S. 79, 85, 44 S.Ct. 247, 68 L.Ed. 569 (1924); Pacific Tel. & Tel. Co. v. Tax Comm'n, 297 U.S. 403, 413, 56 S.Ct. 522, 80 L.Ed. 760 (1936) (Brandeis, J.); In re New York, N. H. & H. R. R., 304 F.Supp. 793, 801-803 (D.Conn.1969), aff'd in part and rev'd in part sub nom. New Haven Inclusion Cases, 399 U.S. 392, 90 S.Ct. 2054, 26 L.Ed.2d 691 (1970). On the other hand, such considerations do not justify the Commission's disregard of the law. The tardiness of the parties in raising the issue cannot excuse compliance with NEPA; primary responsibility under the Act rests with the agency. See Calvert Cliffs' Coordinating Committee, Inc. v. United States Atomic Energy Commission, 449 F.2d 1109, 1118-1119 (D.C.Cir. 1971); cf. Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference v. FPC, 354 F.2d 608, 620 (2 Cir., 1965), cert. denied, 384 U.S. 941, 86 S.Ct. 1462, 16 L.Ed.2d 540 (1966); Isbrandtsen Co. v. United States, 96 F.Supp. 883, 892 (S.D.N.Y. 1951) (three-judge court), aff'd sub nom. A/S Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi v. Isbrandtsen Co., 342 U.S. 950, 72 S.Ct. 623, 96 L.Ed. 706 (1952). Furthermore, the legislative history indicates that one of the strong motivating forces behind NEPA, and § 102 in particular, was to make exploration and consideration of environmental factors an integral part of the administrative decision-making process. See S.Rep.No.91-296, 91st Cong., 1st Sess., U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News, p. 2751; 115 Cong.Rec. 40416 (Dec. 20, 1969) (remarks of Senator Jackson). See also Calvert Cliffs', supra, 449 F.2d at 1112-1114. To permit an agency to ignore its duties under NEPA with impunity because we have serious doubts that its ultimate decision will be affected by compliance would subvert the very purpose of the Act and encourage further administrative laxity in this area. The systematic investigation of the abandonment of the Railroad's operations which NEPA requires may well reveal substantial environmental consequences and, given that the most recent offer of the Users Association may possibly provide an economic alternative to abandonment, compel further consideration of its propriety and necessity. In any event, preservation of the integrity of NEPA necessitates that the Commission be required to follow the steps set forth in § 102, even if it now seems likely that those steps will lead it to adhere to the present result. Thus, this proceeding must be remanded to the Commission for it to bring itself into compliance with the law. III. The plaintiff and intervenors in this action have relied heavily on the willingness of the Railroad's users to submit to a surcharge. At the close of the hearing before the examiner, the Users Association suggested that if the Commission were disposed to authorize abandonment, the users would be willing to pay a surcharge sufficient to enable the Railroad to operate without serious loss. In its brief the Association suggested a surcharge of $10 per car, which it claimed would produce added annual revenue of $130,000.[12] The examiner dealt with 161 this in a passage of his report, set forth in the margin.[13] Under the stimulus of a decision of Division 3 in Wellsville, Addison & Galeton R.R. Corp. Abandonment, 338 I.C.C. 604, served August 26, 1971, the Users Association, on November 3, filed a petition for leave to file a petition to reopen. This time the offer was upped to $25 per car, and was supported by affidavits of 21 shippers accounting for 2,000 carloads annually. As previously indicated, Division 3 denied leave to file. Finally, together with its brief in this action, the Users Association filed an affidavit which, in essence, puts forth its most recent and most substantial offer to pay a $25 surcharge. The affidavit purports to establish the willingness of 94 users, who ship and/or receive some 7,000 carloads annually, to pay such a surcharge. Were we not convinced that we must remand for further consideration of NEPA, we would dispose of the Users Association's three surcharge offers seriatim. First, we see no basis for quarreling with the examiner's rejection of the initial $10 offer on what little he had before him. The propriety of the refusal to consider the second offer turns on whether the Commission abused its discretion in denying the petition to reopen. While the Court of Appeals for this circuit has held that an order refusing to reopen is not "wholly immune from judicial examination," Cappadora v. Celebrezze, 356 F.2d 1, 5-7 (2 Cir. 1966); see also Blue Bird Coach Lines, Inc. v. United States, 328 F.Supp. 1331, 1337-1338 (W.D.N.Y.1971) (three-judge court), nevertheless, as recognized in the cases cited, the scope of review of such orders is exceedingly narrow. Courts must always bear in mind the warning of Mr. Justice Jackson: If upon the coming down of the order litigants might demand rehearings as a matter of law because of some new circumstance has arisen, some new trend has been observed, or some new fact discovered, there would be little hope that the administrative process could ever be consummated in an order that would not be subject to reopening. Interstate Commerce Commission v. Jersey City, 322 U.S. 503, 514, 64 S.Ct. 1129, 1134, 88 L.Ed. 1420 (1944). Here there were no "new circumstances" at all. There was only the fact that the examiner's report had made the likelihood of abandonment more vivid for more users than it had been at the hearing stage. Furthermore, the companies joining in the second offer represented only 2,000 carloads which means a maximum of $50,000 in added revenue, making the doubtful assumption that they would continue their present usage at the higher rates. The plaintiff's argument that the Commission's action here cannot be reconciled with that in the Wellsville case, supra, 338 I.C.C. 604, is without force.[14] There was, in short, 162 no abuse of discretion in the Commission's denial of the petition to reopen. Finally, the newly offered affidavit would, in the normal course, be properly excluded from consideration in this action. "The rule is well settled that proceedings [under 28 U.S.C. § 2321] are not de novo, and ordinarily it is improper to allow the Commission's findings to be attacked or supported by evidence which the Commission had no opportunity of considering." Wycoff Co. v. United States, 240 F.Supp. 304, 308 (D.Utah 1965) (three-judge court), citing Louisville & N. R. R. v. United States, 282 U.S. 740, 51 S.Ct. 297, 75 L.Ed. 672 (1931); Mississippi Valley Barge Line Co. v. United States, 292 U.S. 282, 54 S.Ct. 692, 78 L.Ed. 1260 (1934); American Trucking Ass'ns, Inc. v. United States, 344 U.S. 298, 73 S.Ct. 307, 97 L.Ed. 337 (1953). See also Town of Inlet v. New York Cent. R. R., 7 F.Supp. 781, 784 (N.D.N.Y.1934) (three-judge court); Convoy Co. v. United States, 200 F.Supp. 10, 15-16 (D.Ore.1961) (three-judge court); Oklahoma Corporation Comm'n v. United States, 235 F.Supp. 803, 806-807 (W.D.Okl.1964) (three-judge court). The only exceptions to this rule are cases in which the jurisdictional facts doctrine of Crowell v. Benson, 285 U.S. 22, 52 S.Ct. 285, 76 L.Ed. 598 (1932), is raised or, at least in former days, in which a rate order is attacked as confiscatory. Interstate Investors, Inc. v. United States, 287 F. Supp. 374, 386 (S.D.N.Y.1968) (three-judge court), aff'd, 393 U.S. 479, 89 S.Ct. 707, 21 L.Ed.2d 687 (1969). Otherwise, the court's function in a proceeding such as this is only to review the decision of the Commission in light of the record before it. See Sakis v. United States, 103 F.Supp. 292, 313 (D.D.C.) (three-judge court), appeal dismissed by stipulation, 344 U.S. 801, 73 S.Ct. 4, 97 L.Ed. 625 (1952). It is consistent with Mr. Justice Jackson's views concerning petitions to reopen that parties be obligated to develop the record fully before the Commission and not seek continually to introduce additional evidence. This assures that the Commission will be able to perform meaningfully the decision-making functions residing initially with it and that there is some semblance of finality and orderliness in the administrative process. Indeed, this most recent surcharge offer is a classic instance of evidence which could and should have been introduced before the trial examiner. But there is, in our opinion, more at stake here than the interests of the named parties. To be sure, the precise consequences for the City, its economy, and its people are not readily ascertainable; but the Railroad's demise will undoubtedly be followed by the relocation of at least some users with the attendant loss of jobs for employees, loss of business for the users' suppliers and customers, and ultimately both economic and physical deterioration in the local community. Against this background, we note the Users Association's contention that the additional $175,000 in revenue ensured by its most recent surcharge offer, when combined with a union offer to eliminate one train crew producing an estimated annual cost saving of $60,000, see note 6, would make the Railroad's continued operation economically feasible. Considered in the light of 1969 financial figures, the Users Association points out that approximately $175,000 in additional revenues plus a $60,000 cost saving would turn a $220,582 loss into a $14,418 profit. On the record before us we could only speculate on the correctness of the Users Association's position although we do have certain fundamental doubts about its proffered calculations which the parties should seriously consider.[15] The necessity 163 of remand to the Commission for further consideration of the environmental issue allows us to avoid such unwarranted speculation and to give sway to the substantial element of public interest contained in this case by directing the Commission on remand to reopen the administrative record and reevaluate the propriety of abandonment in light of the additional evidence tendered to this court concerning the willingness of users to pay a $25 surcharge.[16] On remand, both sides should present the most recent financial and traffic figures available, thus permitting an accurate reappraisal of the Railroad's future economic prospects assuming a $25 surcharge were put into effect.[17] We consider our action here to be consonant with the general principle that there must be finality in the administrative process; we direct further consideration of the Railroad's financial prospects with the most recent surcharge offer only because we must remand for failure to comply with NEPA in any event. IV. In remanding this action to the Commission for further action we do not vacate its abandonment order of December 13, and thus we allow the Railroad to remain shut down pending further administrative action.[18] Although the Commission's failure to act in accordance with applicable law, specifically NEPA, would provide sufficient basis for vacating the Commission's order, see 5 U.S.C. § 706(2) (A), such action is not compelled. In reviewing the Commission's action, we sit as a court with equity powers, and as such may adjust relief to the exigencies of the case in accordance with the equitable principles governing judicial action. The purpose of judicial review is consonant with that of the administrative proceeding itself, to secure a just result with a minimum of technical requirements. Ford Motor Co. v. NLRB, 305 U.S. 364, 373, 59 S.Ct. 301, 307, 83 L.Ed. 221 (1939). See also Addison v. Holly Hill 164 Fruit Products, Inc., 322 U.S. 607, 619-622, 64 S.Ct. 1215, 88 L.Ed. 1488 (1944). The special circumstances here justify our remanding for further consideration without the vacating of the Commission's order that would normally attend upon this. NEPA is a new and unusual statute imposing substantive duties which overlie those imposed on an agency by the statute or statutes for which it has jurisdictional responsibility. Initially harmonizing and integrating the special duties imposed by NEPA with an agency's traditional regulatory functions is not an easy task. What is more, the plaintiffs who now seek to benefit from the Commission's failure completely to perform the tasks imposed on it by NEPA exacerbated the problem by waiting until after the hearings were completed to raise the environmental question. While none of this can ultimately insulate unlawful administrative conduct from judicial correction, in the exercise of our equity powers we deem this sufficient, considering the seriously deteriorated condition of the Railroad, both physically and economically, as established by the evidence before the Commission, to warrant allowing the December 13 order to remain standing at this juncture for a short period while the Commission supplements the record on the environmental issue and then assesses whether its order should be in any way revised. Cf. Coffey v. Jordan, 107 U.S.App.D.C. 113, 275 F.2d 1 (1959). Even more clearly this is a wholly logical posture in which to have this action proceed insofar as the additional evidence with respect to the surcharge offer is concerned. We have already explored the evidence at length and found that there was substantial basis in the present record for the Commission's conclusions with respect to the Railroad's current financial condition and future economic prospects. Even assuming the most recent surcharge offer so substantially alters the Railroad's financial prospects as to make abandonment inappropriate, it is nonetheless merely additional evidence which could and should have been presented to the hearing examiner. Thus, we do not think that this evidence can impeach the present validity of the December 13 order on the record now before us. At most, under the special circumstances of this case, this additional evidence can and does warrant supplementary action by the Commission albeit this action may ultimately impugn the continuing propriety of the December 13 order and warrant its revision. Cf. Fleming v. FCC, 96 U.S. App.D.C. 223, 225 F.2d 523 (1955); Massachusetts Bay Telecasters, Inc. v. FCC, supra, 261 F.2d at 65-67. We will, then, give the Commission ninety days to conduct whatever further proceedings it may wish concerning the environmental and surcharge issues, to make additional determinations, and to serve, and file with us, a supplemental report consistent with this opinion and the record of any further proceedings. The parties shall serve and file any further briefs within fifteen days after service of the supplemental report; we will hear additional argument if requested. We emphasize the need for expeditious action and holding the Commission to a strict time schedule because we are permitting the December 13 order to stand and the Railroad to remain shut down.[19] In the meantime, we will retain *165 jurisdiction, cf. Addison v. Holly Hill Fruit Products, Inc., supra, 322 U.S. at 619, 64 S.Ct. 1215, and will withhold decision of the motion for a preliminary injunction. Upon the filing of the supplemental report and record we shall deal with this matter as on final hearing. F.R.Civ.P. 65(a) (2). NOTES [1] We understand that arrangements were made whereby New York Dock Railway, apparently using some of the Railroad's equipment, handled distressed freight in the immediate vicinity of the City of New York. [2] The equipment used in the Railroad's operation is owned by the Terminal Company. Under the leasing arrangement, the Railroad is responsible only for maintenance expenses; capital expenditures with respect to the leased properties are the obligation of the Terminal Company. The cost of rehabilitating all the trackage used by the Railroad was estimated at $553,000. A marine consultant had testified that the operating machinery of the tug used by the Railroad was rattling, and that renewal of this plus other necessary tug repairs would cost $115,000. The short term cost of repairing the seven car floats used by the Railroad would be $280,000. These are all maintenance expenses which would have to be paid by the Railroad, leading to the $930,000 estimate. Substantial capital expenditures on the part of the Terminal Company are also needed. The condition and age of the six locomotives four are more than 39 years old; two are more than 25 years old used by the Railroad are such that it would be more advisable to replace them than to repair them. The cost of the three replacements which would be needed was estimated at $379,700. Similarly, the car floats were 25 to 47 years old and all but one leaked. The marine consultant testified that it would be more practicable to buy six new car floats than to repair the seven old ones. New car floats would cost $300,000 each. In arriving at the $930,000 estimate, the examiner included the $280,000 estimate with respect to short term repairs by the Railroad on the car floats while apparently assuming that the Terminal Company would also have to purchase six new car floats at $300,000 each. Review of the marine consultant's testimony suggests that he considered purchase of new car floats as a preferable alternative to repairing the old ones, obviating the need for the expenditure of $280,000 by the Railroad. But even after adjusting for this, the Railroad would still have to make a substantial expenditure of approximately $650,000 to rehabilitate its roadbed and marine equipment. Moreover, in the long run, capital expenditures by the Terminal Company are not a meaningful panacea for the Railroad's interrelated financial and maintenance woes, since under the rental terms the Terminal Company ultimately recoups capital expenditures from the Railroad, see infra. [3] The only property owned by the Railroad, the rails over 1.8 miles of City streets, is likely to have a negative salvage value in light of the City's demand that the Railroad not merely pave over the tracks but remove them and repave the streets. The salvage value of the leased equipment to the owner is nominal. [4] The latter figure includes accrued accounts payable of $1,718,426, of which $1,560,055 was due to the Terminal Company. [5] Furthermore, the Terminal Company has never charged the Railroad interest on its ever mounting debt. [6] Nor, taken alone, would the offer of the unions to eliminate one train crew have meaningfully alleviated the economic plight of the Railroad as established by the evidence before the hearing examiner. Even assuming the full annual cost of approximately $60,000 would be realized as savings, this would not be by any means sufficient to provide the Railroad with a reasonable possibility of bringing expenses into line with revenues, much less to ensure adequate funds for much needed maintenance. Whether, when combined with steps proposed to generate additional revenues, the cost saving produced by the elimination of one train crew would be enough to make the Railroad profitable once again is a separate question, see Part III infra. [7] Thus, while a problem of considerable interest would be raised if a parent used its power to prevent an operating subsidiary from exercising contractual rights against the parent, performance of which might have averted the conditions now requiring abandonment, cf. W. R. Grace & Co. v. CAB, 154 F.2d 271 (2 Cir.), cert. granted sub nom. Pan American Airways Corp. v. W. R. Grace & Co., 328 U.S. 832, 66 S.Ct. 1378, 90 L.Ed. 1608 (1946), dismissed as moot, 332 U.S. 827, 68 S.Ct. 203, 92 L.Ed. 401 (1947), that question is not presented here. [8] We do not at this time decide whether the Commission was correct in concluding that the order of abandonment should not have been conditioned upon resumption of operations by the Terminal Company, or in refusing to impose labor protective conditions, since the further action by the Commission which we direct infra could make review of these questions unnecessary. [9] While § 102 contains the qualification "to the fullest extent possible," this does not appear to have been intended to relax the obligation of administrative authorities to perform the duties set forth in the section. To the contrary, the conference committee which added this language stated that its purpose is to make it clear that each agency of the Federal Government shall comply with the directives set out in [ § 102(2) ] unless the existing law applicable to such agency's operations expressly prohibits or makes full compliance with one of the directives impossible .... Thus, it is the intent of the conferees that the provision "to the fullest extent possible" shall not be used by any Federal agency as a means of avoiding compliance with the directives set out in section 102. Rather, the language in section 102 is intended to assure that all agencies of the Federal Government shall comply with the directives set out in said section "to the fullest extent possible" under their statutory authorizations and that no agency shall utilize an excessively narrow construction of its existing statutory authorizations to avoid compliance. Conference Report No. 91-765, 91st Cong., 1st Sess. (1969), U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News, p. 2770. See also Port of New York Authority v. United States, 451 F.2d 783, 789 n. 26 (2 Cir. 1971). [10] The figures in the City's Exceptions, which were not otherwise of record, were: Emission Tons Per Year (low) (high) Assuming Assuming 26,314 trucks 59,200 trucks Carbon monoxide 14,000 31,000 Hydrocarbons 1,950 4,900 Oxides of Nitrogen 3,900 7,950 Particulate 310 600 [11] This, in full text, is It appearing, That, although a substantial question of possible damage to the environment has been raised, denial of the application herein will almost certainly result in the financial collapse of the applicant, which would, in effect, substitute economic waste for brief postponement of the envisoned environmental damage; and that under the balancing test prescribed by the court in Calvert Cliffs' Coordinating Committee, Inc., et al. v. Atomic Energy Commission, No. 24,839 (U.S.Ct. App., D.C.1971) [449 F.2d 1109], as in accordance with Section 102 of the National Environmental Protection Act, any damage that may occur to environmental amenities by our approval of this application is to be outweighed by the proven economic harm that would result from its denial . . . . [12] The Association used for its calculation an estimated traffic figure of 13,000 cars per year which was apparently derived from data available at that time for the years 1967, 1968, and 1969. More recent experience indicates that annual usage has since decreased by more than one-third, see note 15, infra. [13] No evidence was submitted in the record with respect to this proposal. The 12 protesting shippers, who are members of the Users Association, were not interrogated, and consequently were not cross-examined, concerning their willingness to pay an additional charge. The $130,000 figure was obviously based on all of applicant's traffic, and the Users Association, which has 32 members, was not authorized to speak for the over 300 other users of applicant's line, whether they are agreeable to the additional charge. Even if all shippers were willing to pay the additional $10 per car, the additional $130,000 in revenue would not convert the deficit operation to a profitable one, and would not provide funds for necessary rehabilitation. Also, there is no assurance that shippers would continue to tender the present amount of traffic at the increased rate. In fact, the contrary may be expected, in view of the history of declining traffic. [14] First, Division 3's reversal of a review board in the Wellsville case rested on a number of factors, of which Erie-Lackawanna's offer of increased divisions of revenue with the applicant, 338 I.C.C. at 608, was only one. Also, an offer of increased divisions between two carriers, which can be made immediately effective and will not adversely affect interline traffic, differs substantially from the offer of some shippers to submit to a surcharge on shipments they choose to make by rail, which might or might not be acceptable to others. Finally, the offer of increased divisions in Wellsville was fully developed in the original record, not a belated proffer four months after an examiner's adverse report and when decision was near. [15] In 1969 the Railroad handled approximately 13,000 carloads, whereas the very affidavit submitted by the Users Association to this court indicates that in 1971 the Railroad handled only some 8,000 carloads. If the amount of traffic handled by the Railroad has in fact declined so sharply, gross railway operating revenues today must be substantially less than in 1969 unless rate increases have occurred. Exactly what has happened to costs in the meantime is unclear. And even if the union's offer and the surcharge would cause the Railroad's operations to approach the break-even point, there must be some consideration of its immediate need to make large expenditures in order to repair its seriously deteriorated equipment. [16] Such a direction to reopen the administrative record to take in additional evidence where remand to the Commission is unavoidable on other grounds is not unprecedented, cf. Jarman v. United States, 219 F.Supp. 108, 119 (D.Md. 1963) (three-judge court). [17] Defendants have raised the question of the need for Commission action to make the surcharge binding on all users of the Railroad. Under 49 U.S.C. § 15(1), the Commission may act on its own motion to hold hearings and determine the reasonableness of a proposed rate. In its brief, the Commission argues essentially that the necessary rate-making hearing would be lengthy and complex; the Users Association seems to think not. In any case, we see no inherent obstacle to the Commission making a rate determination in the context of this proceeding. And certainly if the Railroad's traffic is now in fact only 8,000 carloads annually, see note 15, supra, the Users Association's affidavit purporting to establish the willingness of users representing some 7,000 carloads annually provides the Commission with substantial and crucial evidence that the rate increase would not make motor carrier service preferable to rail service. In short, it is possible that the surcharge will be shown to provide economic hope for the Railroad and that the rate increase produced by the surcharge will be shown to be reasonable, and thus we think justified, whatever administrative effort is necessary to investigate these matters. [18] In its brief in this action, the Railroad has argued that even if we were to vacate the Commission's order, our actions would neither remove nor be determinative of the legality of its self-imposed embargo. We find it unnecessary to pass upon this. [19] That this action to review the Commission's abandonment order has had to proceed with the Railroad already shut down and that we have now found it necessary to seek further agency consideration highlights the preferability of the Commission's usual practice of not making its orders of abandonment effective until 30 or 35 days after service. Indeed, the plaintiffs contend that on this ground alone the order was arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion. 5 U.S.C. § 706(2) (A). On the basis of the evidence before the Commission concerning the serious economic and physical condition of the Railroad we are not inclined so to conclude. Without doubt, immediate abandonment had a drastic effect on the users and employees of the Railroad. But all concerned had been on notice of the likelihood of abandonment for two and a half years. The Railroad had even offered the users the services of a transportation consultant to help them devise other means of transportation. Delay in the effectiveness of the order would have been of little significance here were it not now necessary to remand to the Commission for further action, and the matters which have delayed a speedy, final determination of the Railroad's future are ones which the plaintiffs could and should have presented to the hearing examiner long ago.	{ "pile_set_name": "FreeLaw" }
BANGALORE, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Canada's Ram Power Corp RPG.TO said its San Jacinto-Tizate project in Nicaragua encountered construction delays, and was also facing higher material and labor costs, sending shares of the company down to a nearly 21-month low. The project has about $15-$20 million of additional construction costs, the renewable energy company said in a statement. Steven Scott, director of investor relations, said the company is moving to a new contractor as labour and procurement issues had delayed the project. "We just have not had the luck that we thought we would have with our current contractor," Scott told Reuters. Continued...	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
View Transcript Transcript Marketing Man says, "How do we market a product that is known to trigger dispondency and self-mutilation?" Woman says, "So?It has a military application?" Soldier says, "I thought it was just software, but before I knew it I was stabbing myself." General says, "Get me a trillion of there."	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
*2 - sqrt(242)))6 + 0. 99sqrt(2) + 4616 Simplify (-4 + (3 + 2sqrt(1584) + 3 + (2sqrt(1584) - sqrt(1584)))1-1)2. 720sqrt(11) + 14356 Simplify 4 + (((5sqrt(190)-1 + sqrt(190) + -4(-1sqrt(190) + sqrt(190)))4)/(((sqrt(30)-4)/sqrt(3) - sqrt(10)) + sqrt(30)/(sqrt(3)4)))2. 4172/19 Simplify 6(sqrt(2156) + 4 + 3 + sqrt(2156) + (sqrt(440) - (sqrt(440) - ((sqrt(440)-3 - sqrt(440) - sqrt(440))2 - sqrt(440))))/sqrt(10)). 42 + 36sqrt(11) Simplify (sqrt(119)/(-5sqrt(567)) + -5)*2 + sqrt(17) + 4 + 1 + 3(sqrt(17) + -5)*2. -259sqrt(17)/9 + 315917/2025 Simplify ((sqrt(270)-1)/(sqrt(60)/(sqrt(18)/sqrt(3))))2 + sqrt(48)2 + (sqrt(30)/sqrt(10))*22. 8sqrt(3) + 33 Simplify (sqrt(1728) - sqrt(1728)-1 - (2sqrt(60)/sqrt(5) + sqrt(12) + sqrt(12)))/(sqrt(216)-1-4 - (sqrt(216) + (sqrt(216) - 1sqrt(216)) - sqrt(216))5). 5sqrt(2)/6 Simplify ((sqrt(2432) + -1sqrt(2432))/(-2(sqrt(2) + sqrt(6)/sqrt(3))))*2 - -5(-6(5 + (sqrt(19) + 0 - sqrt(19))))2. 4500 Simplify (((sqrt(273) - (sqrt(273) - -5sqrt(273)1))/(sqrt(63)3 + sqrt(7)))/((sqrt(180)/sqrt(6))/sqrt(10) + sqrt(432)))*2. 1/52 Simplify -2(-2 + (sqrt(1331) - (-2 + sqrt(1331))) + (-1sqrt(66) + sqrt(66))/sqrt(6) + -4) + -5. 3 Simplify (-1sqrt(187)-4 - (sqrt(187) - (1sqrt(187)-2 + sqrt(187))))/(sqrt(396)-3 + sqrt(396) - sqrt(396) - (sqrt(88)3)/sqrt(8))-4. 8sqrt(17)/21 Simplify (-5 + -2sqrt(22)/sqrt(2) + sqrt(121)/(sqrt(11) + sqrt(33)/sqrt(3)))*2 + 3 + (sqrt(88)/(sqrt(288) - -2sqrt(288)))*2 + -1. 15sqrt(11) + 8389/162 Simplify (-4 + -3 + 2 + -4sqrt(448) + sqrt(448) + 3 + 1)2 + 5. 48sqrt(7) + 4038 Simplify (1sqrt(304)3)*2 + ((sqrt(114)/(1sqrt(6)))*2 - ((1sqrt(76))/sqrt(4))*2) + sqrt(475)-2 + -5 + sqrt(475) + sqrt(475) + 3 + -3. 2731 Simplify (sqrt(486) - (sqrt(486)1 + sqrt(486)) - (sqrt(384) + sqrt(384)-3 + sqrt(384) + sqrt(384) + sqrt(384)))/(2sqrt(320)/(-2sqrt(10))). 17sqrt(3)/4 Simplify (sqrt(4400) - (sqrt(4400) - (1sqrt(4400)-3 - sqrt(4400))) - -51sqrt(4400))/(-2sqrt(256)14). -5sqrt(11)/32 Simplify 5(-4sqrt(325)-3)*2 + -42sqrt(117)1. -24sqrt(13) + 234000 Simplify (-46-3(sqrt(275) + (sqrt(275) - -4sqrt(275)-6) + -1)-1)2 + 1. 1140480sqrt(11) + 689995585 Simplify ((43sqrt(112)4 - (sqrt(28) + -4 - 5sqrt(42)/sqrt(6))) + -3)*2. 390sqrt(7) + 266176 Simplify ((((-1 + sqrt(1700))5 - sqrt(1700))-2 + -5)*2-6 + 2)-1. -4800sqrt(17) + 652948 Simplify ((((sqrt(102)/sqrt(2))/sqrt(3) - (sqrt(2448)1 + sqrt(17))) + 1sqrt(68) + 1 + 4)-5-1)*2. -2500sqrt(17) + 43125 Simplify (4(sqrt(171) - (0 + sqrt(171))3))*2 + -4 - -6(sqrt(171) + 2(sqrt(171)1 + sqrt(171))*2 + sqrt(171) + 4). 36sqrt(19) + 19172 Simplify -1((sqrt(68)/(3sqrt(256) - sqrt(4)) - ((1 + sqrt(153))*2 + sqrt(153) + -1)) + -1). 206sqrt(17)/23 + 154 Simplify (-3sqrt(187)-5 + sqrt(187)1-4)/(((sqrt(121)-2 + sqrt(121))/sqrt(11) - sqrt(275)3)5). -11sqrt(17)/80 Simplify -1 + (sqrt(32)/sqrt(64) - (sqrt(128) - (sqrt(128) - (sqrt(128)-1 + sqrt(128)))))/(2(sqrt(4) + sqrt(144)-3)). -1 - sqrt(2)/136 Simplify (0 + 3sqrt(2057) + -5)-4 + 0 + (-5 + (0 + sqrt(2057))4)*2. -572sqrt(17) + 32957 Simplify ((sqrt(76)15 + sqrt(76) + (sqrt(76) - 1sqrt(76)2 - sqrt(76)) + sqrt(76))1)/(sqrt(8)/(sqrt(2) - sqrt(2)2) - sqrt(48)/(sqrt(12) + sqrt(300))). -30sqrt(19)/7 Simplify -1(sqrt(190)/(sqrt(10) + (2sqrt(90))/sqrt(9)) + sqrt(171)2 + 5)35. -95sqrt(19) - 75 Simplify (2sqrt(200))*2 + 4 - -1sqrt(200)-2 - (sqrt(16)/sqrt(2) + 1 - (sqrt(800) + sqrt(800) + sqrt(800) + -3 + sqrt(800)))2. -11380 + 604sqrt(2) Simplify ((1sqrt(168) - sqrt(168))/sqrt(12))/(sqrt(600)/sqrt(12)) + (sqrt(1008) + ((sqrt(1008) - (-3 + sqrt(1008)))2 - sqrt(1008)) - sqrt(63)5). -15sqrt(7) + 9 Simplify (3(((62sqrt(85) - sqrt(85)) + sqrt(85))/(sqrt(55)/(sqrt(11)-1)))23 + -3)4 + -1. 88115 Simplify ((4((sqrt(425) - (-1 + 1 + sqrt(425)) - 6(sqrt(425) + 1)) + -5))2 + -3)4. 42240sqrt(17) + 986932 Simplify (-5(3 + 0 + (1 + 2sqrt(1573) - sqrt(1573)) + 2sqrt(1573) + 0 + -1))*2. 4950sqrt(13) + 354150 Simplify (4(-6(sqrt(95) - -1sqrt(95)) + sqrt(95))-3)/(6(2sqrt(405) - sqrt(405)) + sqrt(405) + 5(sqrt(405) + sqrt(405)-1)). 44sqrt(19)/21 Simplify ((-5 + (sqrt(768) + -2 - sqrt(768)))-6)*2 - 1(sqrt(18)/(sqrt(6)-3) + sqrt(3) - 3sqrt(300)). 88sqrt(3)/3 + 1764 Simplify (2(sqrt(187) + (5sqrt(187)-1 - sqrt(187)) + sqrt(187))-1)/((sqrt(66)/sqrt(12))/(sqrt(32)1)). 64sqrt(17) Simplify 2 + ((-1(sqrt(119) + (sqrt(119) + (sqrt(119) - sqrt(119)1) - sqrt(119)))2-6)/((sqrt(504) + (-4sqrt(504)2 - sqrt(504)))/sqrt(8)))2. 25/4 Simplify 3 + (3 + (5 + (sqrt(448) - 5sqrt(448)-1) + 0)2)5. 2400sqrt(7) + 80783 Simplify 4(0 + sqrt(2299)) + sqrt(2299) + 1 + 2 - ((sqrt(19) - (sqrt(684) + (sqrt(684) + sqrt(684) + 0 - sqrt(684))*2)) + (-1sqrt(1900))*2). -1213 + 60sqrt(19) Simplify (-2(sqrt(3645) + (sqrt(3645) - (-3 + sqrt(3645) + sqrt(3645) + -1)) + 3sqrt(3645)-2)6-4)2. -2985984sqrt(5) + 302367744 Simplify (-44(sqrt(228) + -1sqrt(228) + sqrt(228)))/(-5(sqrt(108) - sqrt(12))4). 2sqrt(19)/5 Simplify (-6(-2 + sqrt(13)-1 + sqrt(1872) + -1))*2 + sqrt(6292) + sqrt(52) + -4sqrt(117). -2364sqrt(13) + 56952 Simplify (6-2-2sqrt(133)4)/(sqrt(448) - (sqrt(448) + sqrt(448)1)-6 - -62sqrt(448)). 12sqrt(19)/25 Simplify 1((sqrt(192)-21 - (sqrt(192) + 3 + sqrt(192) + 2))2 + 3)3. 960sqrt(3) + 9300 Simplify 2(5 + sqrt(304)-2) + 2(5(sqrt(171) - -3sqrt(171)))*2. -16sqrt(19) + 136810 Simplify (2 + (2sqrt(320) + 3)-4)*2 + (sqrt(245) + -3sqrt(245)-3 - (sqrt(245) - (sqrt(245) + -2))2-2). 1350sqrt(5) + 20588 Simplify (0 + (3 + (sqrt(2) - (-1 + sqrt(2))) - sqrt(10)/(sqrt(25)/sqrt(5))) + 1 + sqrt(8)/sqrt(4)4 + 4)*2. 54sqrt(2) + 99 Simplify (3(sqrt(84) - sqrt(84)2))/(sqrt(12) - (sqrt(1452)2 + sqrt(1452))) + 2 + (sqrt(49) + 1sqrt(49)-5)/(sqrt(7) - (sqrt(49) + sqrt(784))/sqrt(7)). 2 + 35sqrt(7)/32 Simplify (-1 + -6(5 + (0 + sqrt(1539) + 2 - -1-1sqrt(1539)) + -5))2. 169 Simplify (-54sqrt(448) + -2 + sqrt(448)-3 - (-5 + -2 + sqrt(448) - (sqrt(448) + sqrt(448)3)6))2 + -3. 22 Simplify (-1 + ((sqrt(1728) - (3 + sqrt(1728)))2 - sqrt(1728)) + 4 - ((-4 + 4sqrt(1728))-1)*2)6. -165912 + 4464sqrt(3) Simplify (((2 + sqrt(13))-4)*2 + sqrt(416)/sqrt(2) - 53sqrt(208))-1. -272 - 8sqrt(13) Simplify 6(-6(3 + -4(-1 + sqrt(252))1-43))2. -5598720sqrt(7) + 125848728 Simplify (-4 + sqrt(275)-1 - -2sqrt(275)1)2 - (-1 + sqrt(275) + -2 + (-2sqrt(275) + 4)*2). -822 + 35sqrt(11) Simplify 0 + 3(-4 + (-5 + 52sqrt(11) - (sqrt(99) - (1 + (sqrt(99) - (sqrt(99) + 0)))))). -24 + 21sqrt(11) Simplify 4 + ((-4sqrt(1701))/sqrt(3))2 + ((sqrt(3087) + sqrt(3087)3)/sqrt(9))*2. 14564 Simplify 1 + ((-2sqrt(76)/sqrt(2) + (sqrt(1862) + -2sqrt(1862) - sqrt(1862)))/(sqrt(14)/sqrt(252) - (sqrt(864)/sqrt(12) + sqrt(2))))2. 176785/1681 Simplify -1((5(1 + sqrt(147)))2 + sqrt(147) - (2(sqrt(147) + -3))*2)4. -12304 - 2100sqrt(3) Simplify ((6-2sqrt(147)2 + (sqrt(147) - (-2sqrt(147) + -4) - -3sqrt(147)1))2 + -5)6. -6048sqrt(3) + 285834 Simplify (3(sqrt(320) + -3) + 5)*2 - 1(sqrt(80)/sqrt(4) + 2)*2. -200sqrt(5) + 2872 Simplify sqrt(65)/(sqrt(45)-1)-1 - (sqrt(13) + ((sqrt(13) - sqrt(13)-1)2 - sqrt(13)) + 4 + sqrt(156)/(sqrt(96)/sqrt(8))). -56 - 2sqrt(13)/3 Simplify (sqrt(336)/(sqrt(35)/sqrt(5))-2)/(-5(sqrt(96) - 2sqrt(96)2)). -sqrt(2)/15 Simplify (-4-31(1 + sqrt(320))-145)*2. 921600sqrt(5) + 18489600 Simplify ((2sqrt(252))/sqrt(12) + sqrt(21))/(sqrt(363)2) + ((2sqrt(175) + 1)-3 + -5)*2. 10563sqrt(7)/22 + 6364 Simplify (5((sqrt(1872) - (sqrt(1872) + (-1 + sqrt(1872) + sqrt(1872))2)) + 2 + -6(4sqrt(1872) + -5)))*2. -571200sqrt(13) + 36720100 Simplify (0 + ((sqrt(8)/sqrt(2) - sqrt(4))-3)/(sqrt(8)-3) + (sqrt(12)/sqrt(3)-5 + sqrt(4))/(sqrt(242)3))*2. 32/1089 Simplify ((5sqrt(171)2 + sqrt(171) + -2sqrt(171)6)/(sqrt(81)/(-2sqrt(9))6))2 + 1. 28/9 Simplify -2 + -4 + sqrt(468) + (sqrt(1053) - -2sqrt(1053))2 - ((sqrt(13) + (sqrt(1300) + 0)2 - sqrt(13))6 + (-52sqrt(78))/sqrt(6)). 16sqrt(13) + 1671 Simplify 4*(sqrt(2448) + 1 + sqrt(68)/(sqrt(20)/sqrt(5))) - (sqrt(272) + (sqrt(27	{ "pile_set_name": "DM Mathematics" }
Q: Does a list_iterator garbage collect its consumed values? Suppose I have li = iter([1,2,3,4]). Will the garbage collector drop the references to inaccessible element when I do next(li). And what about deque, will elements in di = iter(deque([1,2,3,4])) be collectable once consumed. If not, does a native data structure in Python implement such behaviour. A: https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/bb86bf4c4eaa30b1f5192dab9f389ce0bb61114d/Objects/iterobject.c A reference to the list is held until you iterate to the end of the sequence. You can see this in the iternext function. The deque is here and has no special iterator. https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/master/Modules/_collectionsmodule.c You can create your own class and define __iter__ and __next__ to do what you want. Something like this class CList(list): def __init__(self, lst): self.lst = lst def __iter__(self): return self def __next__(self): if len(self.lst) == 0: raise StopIteration item = self.lst[0] del self.lst[0] return item def __len__(self): return len(self.lst) l = CList([1,2,3,4]) for item in l: print( len(l) )	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
The lush green hills, limestone headlands, towering trees and giant boulders have attracted a host of artists who are inspired by the stunning nature. Walk among giant karri trees at nearby Tree Top Walk, indulge in top drops from rustic wineries or treat yourself to a tasting tour of the bramble, blueberry and herb farms or the cheese and toffee factories. In town visit the historic fire station, old butter factory, Denmark’s first school, and the popular drinking hole the Denmark Hotel. Explore the town’s maze, alpaca stud, animal farm and sandalwood factory or take a whale-watching tour. Water-lovers can hire canoes, motorboats, paddleboats or aqua bikes and mess around on the river. Throw in a line for herring, salmon and bream at Lights Beach or just kick back and watch the waves crashing over the rocks at Wilson Head and Lions Lookout. Wherever you stay, end your day with a glass of local red under a clear night sky scattered with thousands of sparkling stars. Denmark and the Great Southern Region The great Southern and Albany region is fast becoming one of Australia's leading wine and food regions. How to get to Denmark Travelling by bus/train Daily Transwa bus services are available between Denmark and Perth and there are alternative routes which you may choose from, some of which include transfers to the Australind rail service between Bunbury and Perth. We understand what you are going through, when you are looking for the best deals and the best tours. Should I go on this one or that one should I stay at this one or that one?. Questions,questions you want to know, how many people on the tour?. How old are the people?. What type of accommodation?. Do they do nice food?. Is there a lot of driving?. What type of vehicle do they use? And many more	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
--- abstract: 'We numerically investigate the self-diffusion coefficient and correlation length of the rigid clusters (i.e., the typical size of the collective motions) in sheared soft athermal particles. Here we find that the rheological flow curves on the self-diffusion coefficient are collapsed by the proximity to the jamming transition density. This feature is in common with the well-established critical scaling of flow curves on shear stress or viscosity. We furthermore reveal that the divergence of the correlation length governs the critical behavior of the diffusion coefficient, where the diffusion coefficient is proportional to the correlation length and the strain rate for a wide range of the strain rate and packing fraction across the jamming transition density.' author: - Kuniyasu Saitoh - Takeshi Kawasaki bibliography: - 'diffusion\_overdamp.bib' title: Critical scaling of diffusion coefficients and size of rigid clusters of soft athermal particles under shear --- Introduction ============ Transport properties of soft athermal particles, e.g. emulsions, foams, colloidal suspensions, and granular materials, are important in science and engineering technology [@bird]. In many manufacturing processes, these particles are forced to flow (through pipes, containers, etc.) and the transportation of “flowing particles" is of central importance for industrial applications [@larson]. Therefore, there is a need to understand how the transport properties are affected by rheological flow properties of soft athermal particles. Recently, the rheological flow properties of soft athermal particles have been extensively studied and it has been revealed that the rheology of such particulate systems depends not only on strain rate but also on packing fraction of the particles [@rheol0; @pdf1; @rheol1; @rheol2; @rheol3; @rheol4; @rheol5; @rheol6; @rheol7; @rheol8; @rheol9; @rheol10; @rheol11; @rheol12; @rheol13]. If the packing fraction $\phi$ is lower than the so-called jamming transition density $\phi_J$, steady state stress is described by either Newtonian [@rheol0; @pdf1] or Bagnoldian rheology [@rheol1; @rheol2; @rheol3; @rheol4; @rheol5] (depending on whether particle inertia is significant or not). If the packing fraction exceeds the jamming point ($\phi>\phi_J$), one observes yield stress at vanishing strain rate [@review-rheol0]. These two trends are solely determined by the proximity to the jamming transition $\|\Delta\phi\|\equiv\|\phi-\phi_J\|$ [@rheol0] and rheological flow curves of many types of soft athermal particles have been explained by the critical scaling near jamming [@pdf1; @rheol1; @rheol2; @rheol3; @rheol4; @rheol5; @rheol6; @rheol7; @rheol8; @rheol9; @rheol10; @rheol11]. On the other hand, the mass transport or self-diffusion of soft athermal particles seems to be controversial. As is the rheological flow behavior on shear stress or viscosity, the diffusivity of the particles under shear is also dependent on both the strain rate and packing fraction. Its dependence on the shear rate $\dot{\gamma}$ is weakened with the increase of $\dot{\gamma}$,i.e. the diffusivity $D$ exhibits a crossover from a linear scaling $D\sim\dot{\gamma}$ to the sub-linear scaling $D\sim\dot{\gamma}^q$ at a characteristic shear rate $\dot{\gamma}_c$, where the exponent is smaller than unity, $q<1$ [@diff_shear_md7; @diff_shear_md6; @dh_md2; @diff_shear_exp2; @diff_shear_exp1; @diff_shear_md2; @diff_shear_md3; @diff_shear_md4]. For example, in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of Durian’s bubble model in two dimensions [@diff_shear_md7; @diff_shear_md6] and frictionless granular particles in three dimensions [@dh_md2], the diffusivity varies from $D\sim\dot{\gamma}$ ($\dot{\gamma}<\dot{\gamma}_c$) to $D\sim\dot{\gamma}^{0.8}$ ($\dot{\gamma}>\dot{\gamma}_c$). These results agree with laboratory experiments of colloidal glasses under shear [@diff_shear_exp2; @diff_shear_exp1] and also suggest that the diffusivity does not depend on spatial dimensions. However, another crossover, i.e. from $D\sim\dot{\gamma}$ to $D\sim\dot{\gamma}^{1/2}$, was suggested by the studies of amorphous solids (though the scaling $D\sim\dot{\gamma}^{1/2}$ is the asymptotic behavior in rapid flows $\dot{\gamma}\gg\dot{\gamma}_c$) [@diff_shear_md2; @diff_shear_md3; @diff_shear_md4]. In addition, it was found in MD simulations of soft athermal disks that in a sufficiently small flow rate range, the diffusivity changes from $D\sim\dot{\gamma}$ ($\phi<\phi_J$) to $\dot{\gamma}^{0.78}$ ($\phi\simeq\phi_J$) [@diff_shear_md0], implying that the crossover shear rate $\dot{\gamma}_c$ vanishes as the system approaches jamming from below $\phi\rightarrow\phi_J$. Note that the self-diffusion of soft athermal particles shows a clear difference from the diffusion in glass; no plateau is observed in (transverse) mean square displacements (MSDs) [@diff_shear_md0; @diff_shear_md2; @diff_shear_md3; @diff_shear_md4; @diff_shear_md7; @dh_md2]. The absence of sub-diffusion can be also seen in quasi-static simulations ($\dot{\gamma}\rightarrow 0$) of soft athermal disks [@dh_qs1] and MD simulations of granular materials sheared under constant pressure [@diff_shear_md1]. Because the self-diffusion can be associated with collective motions of soft athermal particles, researchers have analyzed spatial correlations of velocity fluctuations [@rheol0] or non-affine displacements [@nafsc2] of the particles under shear. Characteristic sizes of collectively moving regions, i.e. rigid clusters, are then extracted as functions of $\dot{\gamma}$ and $\phi$, however, there is a lack of consensus on the scaling of the sizes. For example, the size of rigid clusters $\xi$ diverges as the shear rate goes to zero $\dot{\gamma}\rightarrow 0$ so that the power-law scaling $\xi\sim\dot{\gamma}^{-s}$ was suggested, where the exponent varies from $s=0.23$ to $0.5$ depending on numerical models and flow conditions [@dh_md2; @diff_shear_md1]. The dependence of the rigid cluster size on packing fraction is also controversial. If the system is below jamming, critical scaling of the size is given by $\xi\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{-w}$, where different exponents (in the range between $0.5\le w\le 1.0$) have been reported by various simulations [@rheol0; @nafsc2; @rheol16]. In contrast, if the system is above jamming, the size becomes insensitive to the packing fraction (or exceeds the system size $L$) as only $L$ is the relevant length scale, i.e. $\xi\sim L$, in a quasi-static regime [@diff_shear_md2; @diff_shear_md3; @diff_shear_md4; @pdf1]. From a scaling argument, a relation between the diffusivity and size of rigid clusters was proposed as $$D\sim d_0\xi\dot{\gamma}~, \label{eq:rigid_cluster}$$ where $d_0$ is the particle diameter [@diff_shear_md1]. It seems that previous results above jamming,i.e. as $\dot{\gamma}$ is increased, $D/\dot{\gamma}$ changes from constant to $\dot{\gamma}^{-1/2}$ and corresponding $\xi$ undergoes from $L$ to $\dot{\gamma}^{-1/2}$, support this argument [@diff_shear_md2; @diff_shear_md3; @diff_shear_md4]. However, the link between the diffusivity and rigid clusters below jamming is still not clear. In this paper, we study the self-diffusion of soft athermal particles and the size of rigid clusters. The particles are driven by simple shear flows and their fluctuating motions around a mean velocity field are numerically calculated. From numerical results, we extract the diffusivity of the particles and explain its dependence on the control parameters (i.e. $\dot{\gamma}$ and $\phi$). We investigate wide ranges of the control parameters in order to unify our understanding of the diffusivity in both fast and slow flows, and both below and above jamming. Our main result is critical scaling of the diffusivity $D$, which parallels the critical scaling of the size of rigid clusters $\xi$. We find that the linear relation between the diffusivity and size \[Eq. (\[eq:rigid\_cluster\])\] holds over the whole ranges of $\dot{\gamma}$ and $\phi$ if finite-size effects are not important. In the following, we show our numerical method in Sec. \[sec:method\] and numerical results in Sec. \[sec:result\]. In Sec. \[sec:disc\], we discuss and conclude our results and outlook for future. Methods {#sec:method} ======= We perform MD simulations of two-dimensional disks. In order to avoid crystallization of the system, we randomly distribute an equal number of small and large disks (with diameters $d_S$ and $d_L=1.4d_S$) in a $L\times L$ square periodic box [@gn1]. The total number of disks is $N=8192$ and the packing fraction of the disks $\phi$ is controlled around the jamming transition density $\phi_J\simeq0.8433$ [@rheol0]. We introduce an elastic force between the disks, $i$ and $j$, in contact as $\bm{f}_{ij}^\mathrm{e}=k\delta_{ij}\bm{n}_{ij}$, where $k$ is the stiffness and $\bm{n}_{ij}\equiv\bm{r}_{ij}/\|\bm{r}_{ij}\|$ with the relative position $\bm{r}_{ij}\equiv\bm{r}_i-\bm{r}_j$ is the normal unit vector. The elastic force is linear in the overlap $\delta_{ij}\equiv R_i+R_j-\|\bm{r}_{ij}\|>0$, where $R_i$ ($R_j$) is the radius of the disk $i$ ($j$). We also add a damping force to every disk as $\bm{f}_i^\mathrm{d}=-\eta\left\{\bm{v}_i-\bm{u}(\bm{r}_i)\right\}$, where $\eta$, $\bm{v}_i$, and $\bm{u}(\bm{r})$ are the damping coefficient, velocity of the disk $i$, and external flow field, respectively. Note that the stiffness and damping coefficient determine a time scale as $t_0\equiv\eta/k$. To simulate simple shear flows of the system, we impose the external flow field $\bm{u}(\bm{r})=(\dot{\gamma}y,0)$ under the Lees-Edwards boundary condition [@lees], where $\dot{\gamma}$ is the shear rate. Then, we describe motions of the disks by overdamped dynamics [@rheol0; @rheol7; @pdf1], i.e. $\sum_{j\neq i}\bm{f}_{ij}^\mathrm{e}+\bm{f}_i^\mathrm{d}=\bm{0}$, where we numerically integrate the disk velocity $\bm{v}_i=\bm{u}(\bm{r}_i)+\eta^{-1}\sum_{j\neq i}\bm{f}_{ij}^\mathrm{el}$ with a time increment $\Delta t = 0.1t_0$. In the following, we analyze the data in a steady state, where shear strain applied to the system is larger than unity. In addition, we scale every time and length by $t_0$ and the mean disk diameter $d_0\equiv(d_S+d_L)/2$, respectively. Results {#sec:result} ======= In this section, we show our numerical results of the self-diffusion of soft athermal particles (Sec. \[sub:diff\]). We also extract rigid clusters from numerical data in order to relate their sizes to the diffusivity (Sec. \[sub:rigid\]). We explain additional data of the rheology and non-affine displacements in Appendixes. Diffusion {#sub:diff} --------- We analyze the self-diffusion of soft athermal particles by the transverse component of mean squared displacement (MSD) [@diff_shear_md0; @diff_shear_md1; @diff_shear_md3; @diff_shear_md4], $$\Delta(\tau)^2 = \left\langle\frac{1}{N}\sum_{i=1}^N\Delta y_i(\tau)^2\right\rangle~. \label{eq:MSD}$$ Here, $\Delta y_i(\tau)$ is the $y$-component of particle displacement and the ensemble average $\langle\dots\rangle$ is taken over different choices of the initial time (see Appendix \[sec:nona\] for the detail) [^1]. Figure \[fig:msdy\] displays the MSDs \[Eq. (\[eq:MSD\])\] with different values of (a) $\phi$ and (b) $\dot{\gamma}$. The horizontal axes are the time interval scaled by the shear rate, $\gamma\equiv\dot{\gamma}\tau$, i.e. the shear strain applied to the system for the duration $\tau$. As can be seen, every MSD exhibits a crossover to the normal diffusive behavior, $\Delta(\tau)^2\sim\dot{\gamma}\tau$ (dashed lines), around a crossover strain $\gamma=\gamma_c\simeq 1$ regardless of $\phi$ and $\dot{\gamma}$. The MSDs below jamming ($\phi<\phi_J$) monotonously increase with the increase of packing fraction, while they (almost) stop increasing once the packing fraction exceeds the jamming point ($\phi>\phi_J$) \[Fig. \[fig:msdy\](a)\]. The dependence of MSDs on the shear rate is monotonous; their heights decrease with the increase of $\dot{\gamma}$ \[Fig. \[fig:msdy\](b)\]. These trends well correspond with the fact that the non-affine displacements are amplified in slow flows of dense systems, i.e. $\dot{\gamma}t_0\ll 1$ and $\phi>\phi_J$ [@saitoh11]. In addition, different from thermal systems under shear [@rheol10; @nafsc5; @th-dh_md1], any plateaus are not observed in the MSDs. Therefore, neither “caging" nor “sub-diffusion" of the particles exists in our sheared athermal systems [@dh_md2; @dh_qs1; @dh_md1]. ![ The transverse MSDs $\Delta^2$ \[Eq. (\[eq:MSD\])\] as functions of the shear strain $\gamma\equiv\dot{\gamma}\tau$. (a) The packing fraction $\phi$ increases as indicated by the arrow and listed in the legend, where the shear rate is $\dot{\gamma}=10^{-6}t_0^{-1}$. (b) The shear rate $\dot{\gamma}$ increases as indicated by the arrow and listed in the legend, where the packing fraction is $\phi=0.84$. \[fig:msdy\]](msdy.png){width="\columnwidth"} To quantify the normal diffusion of the disks, we introduce the diffusivity (or diffusion coefficient) as [^2] $$D=\lim_{\tau\rightarrow\infty}\frac{\Delta(\tau)^2}{2\tau}~. \label{eq:D}$$ Figure \[fig:diff\](a) shows double logarithmic plots of the diffusivity \[Eq. (\[eq:D\])\] over the shear rate $D/\dot{\gamma}$, where symbols represent the packing fraction $\phi$ (as listed in the legend). The diffusivity over the shear rate increases with $\phi$. If the system is above jamming $\phi>\phi_J$, it is a monotonously decreasing function of $\dot{\gamma}$. On the other hand, if the system is below jamming $\phi<\phi_J$, it exhibits a crossover from plateau to a monotonous decrease around a characteristic shear rate, e.g. $\dot{\gamma}_0t_0\simeq 10^{-3}$ for $\phi=0.80$ [@diff_shear_md3; @diff_shear_md4]. In Appendix \[sec:rheo\], we have demonstrated scaling collapses of rheological flow curves [@rheol0]. Here, we also demonstrate scaling collapses of the diffusivity. As shown in Fig. \[fig:diff\](b), all the data are nicely collapsed [^3] by the scaling exponents, $\lambda=1.0$ and $\nu=4.0$. If the shear rate is smaller than a characteristic value as $\dot{\gamma}/\|\Delta\phi\|^\nu \lesssim 10^4$,i.e. $\dot{\gamma}<\dot{\gamma}_c\simeq 10^4\|\Delta\phi\|^\nu$, the data below jamming ($\phi<\phi_J$) are constant. However, the data above jamming ($\phi>\phi_J$) show the power-law decay, where the slope is approximately given by $-0.3$ (solid line). Therefore, we describe the diffusivity in a quasi-static regime ($\dot{\gamma}<\dot{\gamma}_c$) as $\|\Delta\phi\|^\lambda D/\dot{\gamma}\sim\mathcal{G}_\pm(\dot{\gamma}/\|\Delta\phi\|^\nu)$, where the scaling functions are given by $\mathcal{G}_-(x)\sim\mathrm{const.}$ for $\phi<\phi_J$ and $\mathcal{G}_+(x)\sim x^{-0.3}$ otherwise. On the other hand, if $\dot{\gamma}>\dot{\gamma}_c$, all the data follow a single power law (dotted line). This means that the scaling functions are given by $\mathcal{G}_\pm(x) \sim x^{-z}$ in a plastic flow regime ($\dot{\gamma}>\dot{\gamma}_c$), where the diffusivity scales as $D\sim\dot{\gamma}\|\Delta\phi\|^{-\lambda}\mathcal{G}_\pm(\dot{\gamma}/\|\Delta\phi\|^\nu)\sim\dot{\gamma}^{1-z}\|\Delta\phi\|^{\nu z-\lambda}$. Because this scaling should be independent of whether the system is below or above jamming,i.e. independent of $\|\Delta\phi\|$, the power-law exponent is given by $z=\lambda/\nu=1/4$ as confirmed in Fig. \[fig:diff\](b). ![ (a) The diffusivity over the shear rate, $D/\dot{\gamma}$, as a function of $\dot{\gamma}$, where $\phi$ increases as indicated by the arrow and listed in the legend. (b) Scaling collapses of the diffusivity, where $\Delta\phi\equiv\phi-\phi_J$. The critical exponents are given by $\lambda=1.0$ and $\nu=4.0$, where slopes of the dotted and solid lines are $-\lambda/\nu$ and $-0.3$, respectively. \[fig:diff\]](diff_coeff.png){width="\columnwidth"} In summary, the diffusivity of the disks scales as $$D \sim \begin{cases} \|\Delta\phi\|^{-\lambda}\dot{\gamma} & (\phi<\phi_J) \\ \|\Delta\phi\|^{0.3\nu-\lambda}\dot{\gamma}^{0.7} & (\phi>\phi_J) \end{cases} \label{eq:D1}$$ in the quasi-static regime ($\dot{\gamma}<\dot{\gamma}_c$) and $$D \sim \dot{\gamma}^{1-\lambda/\nu} \label{eq:D2}$$ in the plastic flow regime ($\dot{\gamma}>\dot{\gamma}_c$), where the critical exponents are estimated as $\lambda=1.0$ and $\nu=4.0$. From Eqs. (\[eq:D1\]) and (\[eq:D2\]), we find that the diffusivity below jamming ($\phi<\phi_J$) is linear in the shear rate $D\sim\dot{\gamma}$ in slow flows, whereas its dependence on the shear rate is algebraic $D\sim\dot{\gamma}^{3/4}$ in fast flows. A similar trend has been found in molecular dynamics studies of simple shear flows below jamming [@diff_shear_md0; @dh_md2; @dh_md1] and experiments of colloidal glasses under shear [@diff_shear_exp1]. In addition, the proportionality for the diffusivity below jamming diverges at the transition as $\|\Delta\phi\|^{-1}$ \[Eq. (\[eq:D1\])\], which we will relate to a length scale diverging as the system approaches jamming from below (Sec. \[sub:rigid\]). The diffusivity above jamming ($\phi>\phi_J$) implies the crossover from $D\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{0.2}\dot{\gamma}^{0.7}$ to $\dot{\gamma}^{3/4}=\dot{\gamma}^{0.75}$, which reasonably agrees with the prior work on soft athermal disks under shear [@diff_shear_md0]. Interestingly, the crossover shear rate vanishes at the transition as $\dot{\gamma}_c\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{4.0}$, which is reminiscent of the fact that the crossover from the Newtonian or yield stress to the plastic flow vanishes at the onset of jamming (see Appendix \[sec:rheo\]). Rigid clusters {#sub:rigid} -------------- We now relate the diffusivity to rigid clusters of soft athermal particles under shear. The rigid clusters represent collective motions of the particles which tend to move in the same direction [@saitoh11]. According to the literature of jamming [@rheol0; @pdf1; @corl3], we quantify the collective motions by a spatial correlation function $C(x)=\langle v_y(x_i,y_i)v_y(x_i+x,y_i)\rangle$, where $v_y(x,y)$ is the transverse velocity field and the ensemble average $\langle\dots\rangle$ is taken over disk positions and time (in a steady state). Figure \[fig:corl\] shows the normalized correlation function $C(x)/C(0)$, where the horizontal axis ($x$-axis) is scaled by the mean disk diameter $d_0$. As can be seen, the correlation function exhibits a well-defined minimum at a characteristic length scale $x=\xi$ (as indicated by the vertical arrow for the case of $\phi=0.84$ in Fig. \[fig:corl\](a)). Because the minimum is negative $C(\xi)<0$, the transverse velocities are most “anti-correlated" at $x=\xi$. Therefore, if we assume that the rigid clusters are circular, their mean diameter is comparable in size with $\xi$ [@diff_shear_md1]. The length scale $\xi$ increases with the increase of $\phi$ \[Fig. \[fig:corl\](a)\] but decreases with the increase of $\dot{\gamma}$ \[Fig. \[fig:corl\](b)\]. These results are consistent with the fact that the collective behavior is most enhanced in slow flows of dense systems [@saitoh11]. ![ Normalized spatial correlation functions of the transverse velocities $C(x)/C(0)$, where symbols are as in Fig. \[fig:msdy\]. (a) The packing fraction $\phi$ increases as indicated by the arrow and listed in the legend, where $\dot{\gamma}=10^{-6}t_0^{-1}$. The minimum of the data for $\phi=0.84$ is indicated by the vertical (gray) arrow. (b) The shear rate $\dot{\gamma}$ increases as indicated by the arrow and listed in the legend, where $\phi=0.84$. \[fig:corl\]](corl.png){width="\columnwidth"} As reported in Ref. [@rheol0], we examine critical scaling of the length scale. Figure \[fig:xi\](a) displays scaling collapses of the data of $\xi$, where the critical exponents, $\lambda=1.0$ and $\nu=4.0$, are the same with those in Fig. \[fig:diff\](b). If the shear rate is smaller than the characteristic value, i.e. $\dot{\gamma}<\dot{\gamma}_c\simeq 10^4\|\Delta\phi\|^\nu$, the data below jamming ($\phi<\phi_J$) exhibit plateau, whereas those above jamming ($\phi>\phi_J$) diverge with the decrease of shear rate. Therefore, if we assume that the data above jamming follow the power-law with the slope $-0.4$ (solid line), the length scale in the quasi-static regime ($\dot{\gamma}<\dot{\gamma}_c$) can be described as $\|\Delta\phi\|^\lambda\xi\sim\mathcal{J}_\pm(\dot{\gamma}/\|\Delta\phi\|^\nu)$ with the scaling functions, $\mathcal{J}_-(x)\sim\mathrm{const.}$ for $\phi<\phi_J$ and $\mathcal{J}_+(x)\sim x^{-0.4}$ otherwise. Note that, however, the length scale is limited to the system size $L$ \[shaded region in Fig. \[fig:xi\](a)\] and should be scaled as $\xi\sim L$ above jamming in the quasi-static limit $\dot{\gamma}\rightarrow 0$ [@pdf1; @diff_shear_md3; @nafsc2]. This means that the system size is the only relevant length scale [@nafsc0] and thus we conclude $\xi\sim L$ in slow flows of jammed systems. On the other hand, if $\dot{\gamma}>\dot{\gamma}_c$, all the data are collapsed onto a single power law \[dotted line in Fig. \[fig:xi\](a)\]. Therefore, the scaling functions are given by $\mathcal{J}_\pm(x)\sim x^{-z}$ such that the length scale scales as $\xi\sim\dot{\gamma}^{-z}\|\Delta\phi\|^{\nu z-\lambda}$. Because this relation is independent of $\|\Delta\phi\|$, the exponent should be $z=\lambda/\nu$ as confirmed in Fig. \[fig:xi\](a). ![ (a) Scaling collapses of the length scale $\xi$, where $\Delta\phi\equiv\phi-\phi_J$ and $\phi$ increases as listed in the legend. The critical exponents are $\lambda=1.0$ and $\nu=4.0$ as in Fig. \[fig:diff\](b), where slopes of the dotted and solid lines are given by $-\lambda/\nu$ and $-0.4$, respectively. The shaded region exceeds the system size $\|\Delta\phi\|^\lambda L/2$ for the case of $\phi=0.90$. (b) Scatter plots of the diffusivity over the shear rate $D/\dot{\gamma}$ and the length scale $\xi$, where $\phi$ increases as listed in the legend. The dotted line represents a linear relation $D/\dot{\gamma}\sim\xi$ and the shaded region exceeds the system size $L/2\simeq 44d_0$. \[fig:xi\]](xi.png){width="\columnwidth"} In summary, the length scale, or the mean size of rigid clusters, scales as $$\xi \sim \begin{cases} \|\Delta\phi\|^{-\lambda} & (\phi<\phi_J) \\ L & (\phi>\phi_J) \end{cases} \label{eq:xi1}$$ in the quasi-static regime ($\dot{\gamma}<\dot{\gamma}_c$) and $$\xi \sim \dot{\gamma}^{-\lambda/\nu} \label{eq:xi2}$$ in the plastic flow regime ($\dot{\gamma}>\dot{\gamma}_c$), where the critical exponents, $\lambda$ and $\nu$, are the same with those for the diffusivity \[Eqs. (\[eq:D1\]) and (\[eq:D2\])\]. The critical divergence below jamming in the quasi-static regime, i.e. $\xi\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{-1}$ \[Eq. (\[eq:xi1\])\], is consistent with the result of quasi-static simulations ($\dot{\gamma}\rightarrow 0$) of sheared athermal disks [@nafsc2]. In addition, the scaling $\xi\sim\dot{\gamma}^{-1/4}$ in the plastic flow regime \[Eq. (\[eq:xi2\])\] is very close to the prior work on athermal particles under shear [@dh_md2]. From the results of the diffusivity \[Eqs. (\[eq:D1\]) and (\[eq:D2\])\] and length scale \[Eqs. (\[eq:xi1\]) and (\[eq:xi2\])\], we discuss how the rigid clusters contribute to the diffusion of the particles. The linear relation $D\sim d_0\xi\dot{\gamma}$ \[Eq. (\[eq:rigid\_cluster\])\] holds below jamming (regardless of $\dot{\gamma}$) and in the plastic flow regime (regardless of $\phi$). We stress that the divergence of the diffusivity over the shear rate in the quasi-static regime, i.e. $D/\dot{\gamma}\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{-1}$ \[Eq. (\[eq:D1\])\], is caused by the diverging length scale below jamming, i.e. $\xi\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{-1}$ \[Eq. (\[eq:xi1\])\]. As shown in Fig. \[fig:xi\](b), the linear relation (dotted line) well explains our results if the length scale $\xi$ is smaller than $10d_0$. If the system is above jamming, the length scale increases (more than $10d_0$) with the increase of $\phi$. However, the diffusivity over the shear rate $D/\dot{\gamma}$ starts to deviate from the linear relation (dotted line) and the length scale reaches the system size $L/2\simeq 44d_0$ (shaded region). We conclude that this deviation is caused by finite-size effects and further studies of different system sizes are necessary (as in Refs. [@diff_shear_md3; @diff_shear_md4]) to figure out the relation between $D/\dot{\gamma}$ and $\xi$ in this regime, which we postpone as a future work. Discussions {#sec:disc} =========== In this study, we have numerically investigated rheological and transport properties of soft athermal particles under shear. Employing MD simulations of two-dimensional disks, we have clarified how the rheology, self-diffusion, and size of rigid clusters vary with the control parameters,i.e. the externally imposed shear rate $\dot{\gamma}$ and packing fraction of the disks $\phi$. Our main result is the critical scaling of the diffusivity (Sec. \[sub:diff\]) and size of rigid clusters (Sec. \[sub:rigid\]), where their dependence on both $\dot{\gamma}$ and $\phi$ is reported \[Eqs. (\[eq:D1\]), (\[eq:D2\]), (\[eq:xi1\]), and (\[eq:xi2\])\]. The diffusivity has been calculated on both sides of jamming (by a single numerical protocol) to unify the understanding of self-diffusion of soft particulate systems: We found that (i) the diffusivity below jamming exhibits a crossover from the linear scaling $D\sim\dot{\gamma}$ to the power-law $D\sim\dot{\gamma}^{3/4}$. Such a crossover can be also seen in previous simulations [@diff_shear_md7; @diff_shear_md6; @dh_md2] and experiments [@diff_shear_exp2; @diff_shear_exp1]. In addition, (ii) the diffusivity below jamming diverges as $D\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{-1}$ if the system is in the quasi-static regime ($\dot{\gamma}<\dot{\gamma}_c$), whereas (iii) the diffusivity (both below and above jamming) is insensitive to $\phi$ if the system is in the plastic flow regime ($\dot{\gamma}>\dot{\gamma}_c$). Note that (iv) the crossover shear rate vanishes at the onset of jamming as $\dot{\gamma}_c\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{4.0}$. These results (ii)-(iv) are the new findings of this study. On the other hand, we found that (v) the diffusivity above jamming is weakly dependent on $\phi$ (as $D\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{0.2}$) in the quasi-static regime and (vi) shows a crossover from $D\sim\dot{\gamma}^{0.7}$ to $\dot{\gamma}^{3/4}$. Though the result (v) is the new finding, the result (vi) contrasts with the prior studies of sheared amorphous solids and granular materials under constant pressure, where the diffusivity exhibits a crossover from $D\sim\dot{\gamma}$ to $\dot{\gamma}^{1/2}$ [@diff_shear_md1; @diff_shear_md3; @diff_shear_md4]. Because our scaling $D\sim\dot{\gamma}^{0.7}$ in the quasi-static regime is consistent with Ref. [@diff_shear_md0], where the same overdamped dynamics are used, we suppose that the discrepancy is caused by numerical models or flow conditions. We have also examined the relation between the diffusivity and typical size of rigid clusters $\xi$ (Sec. \[sub:rigid\]). Below jamming, we found the critical divergence $\xi\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{-1}$ in the quasi-static regime as previously observed in quasi-static simulations ($\dot{\gamma}\rightarrow 0$) of sheared athermal disks [@nafsc2]. In the plastic flow regime, the size becomes independent of $\phi$ and scales as $\xi\sim\dot{\gamma}^{-1/4}$. This is consistent with the previous result of sheared athermal particles [@dh_md2] (and is also close to the result of thermal glasses under shear [@th-dh_md1]). Above jamming, however, the size exhibits a crossover from $\xi\sim L$ to $\dot{\gamma}^{-1/4}$ which contrasts with the crossover from $\xi\sim\mathrm{const.}$ to $\dot{\gamma}^{-1/2}$ previously reported in simulations of amorphous solids [@diff_shear_md1; @diff_shear_md3; @diff_shear_md4]. From our scaling analyses, we found that the linear relation $D\sim d_0\xi\dot{\gamma}$ \[Eq. (\[eq:rigid\_cluster\])\] holds below jamming (for $\forall\dot{\gamma}$) and in the plastic flow regime (for $\forall\phi$), indicating that the self-diffusion is enhanced by the rotation of rigid clusters [@rheol0; @diff_shear_md1]. In our MD simulations, we fixed the system size to $L\simeq 88d_0$. However, systematic studies of different system sizes are needed to clarify the relation between $D$ and $\xi\sim L$ above jamming, especially in the quasi-static limit $\dot{\gamma}\rightarrow 0$ [@diff_shear_md3; @diff_shear_md4]. In addition, our analyses are limited to two dimensions. Though previous studies suggest that the diffusivity is independent of the dimensionality [@diff_shear_md7; @diff_shear_md6; @dh_md2], a recent study of soft athermal particles reported that the critical scaling of shear viscosity depends on dimensions [@rheol15]. Therefore, it is important to check whether the critical scaling \[Eqs. (\[eq:D1\]) and (\[eq:D2\])\] is different (or not) in three-dimensional systems. Because we observed qualitative difference from the results of sheared amorphous solids and granular materials under constant pressure [@diff_shear_md1; @diff_shear_md3; @diff_shear_md4], further studies of different numerical models and flow conditions are necessary to complete our understanding of self-diffusion of soft athermal particles. Moreover, the relation between the diffusivity and shear viscosity may be interesting because it gives a Stokes-Einstein like relation for the non-equilibrium systems studied here. We thank H. Hayakawa, M. Otsuki, and S. Takada for fruitful discussions. K.S. thanks F. Radjai and W. Kob for fruitful discussions and warm hospitality in Montpellier. This work was supported by KAKENHI Grant No. 16H04025, No. 18K13464 and No. 19K03767 from JSPS. Some computations were performed at the Yukawa Institute Computer Facility, Kyoto, Japan. Rheology {#sec:rheo} ======== The rheology of soft athermal particles is dependent on both the shear rate $\dot{\gamma}$ and area fraction $\phi$ [@rheol0; @pdf1; @rheol7]. Figure \[fig:rheo\] displays our numerical results of flow curves, i.e. (a) the pressure $p$ and (b) shear stress $\sigma$ as functions of the shear rate $\dot{\gamma}$. Here, different symbols represent different values of $\phi$ (as listed in the legend of (a)). The pressure and shear stress are defined as $p=(\tau_{xx}+\tau_{yy})/2$ and $\sigma=-\tau_{xy}$, respectively, where the stress tensor is given by the virial expression $$\tau_{\alpha\beta}=\frac{1}{L^2}\sum_i\sum_{j~(>i)}f_{ij\alpha}^\mathrm{e}r_{ij\beta} \label{eq:stress}$$ ($\alpha,\beta=x,y$) with the $\alpha$-component of elastic force $f_{ij\alpha}^\mathrm{e}$ and the $\beta$-component of relative position $r_{ij\beta}$. As shown in Fig. \[fig:rheo\], both the pressure and shear stress exhibit the Newtonian behavior,i.e. they are proportional to the shear rate, $p\sim\dot{\gamma}$ and $\sigma\sim\dot{\gamma}$ (dotted lines), only if the area fraction is lower than the jamming transition density ($\phi<\phi_J$) and the shear rate is small enough ($\dot{\gamma}t_0\lesssim 10^{-4}$). However, a finite yield stress, $p_Y>0$ and $\sigma_Y>0$, emerges in the zero shear limit $\dot{\gamma}\rightarrow 0$ if the system is above jamming ($\phi>\phi_J$). ![ Flow curves, i.e. (a) the pressure $p$ and (b) shear stress $\sigma$ as functions of the shear rate $\dot{\gamma}$. The area fraction $\phi$ increases as indicated by the arrow (listed in the legend) in (a). The dotted lines represent the Newtonian behavior, i.e. (a) $p\sim\dot{\gamma}$ and (b) $\sigma\sim\dot{\gamma}$, for low area fractions, $\phi<\phi_J$, where $\phi_J\simeq 0.8433$ is the jamming transition density. \[fig:rheo\]](flow_curves.png){width="\columnwidth"} In the literature of jamming [@rheol0; @pdf1; @rheol7], rheological flow curves are collapsed by critical scaling. This means that the crossover from the Newtonian behavior ($p\sim\dot{\gamma}$ and $\sigma\sim\dot{\gamma}$) or the yield stress ($p\sim p_Y$ and $\sigma\sim\sigma_Y$) to plastic flow regime vanishes as the system approaches jamming $\phi\rightarrow\phi_J$. To confirm this trend, we collapse the data in Fig. \[fig:rheo\] by the proximity to jamming $\|\Delta\phi\|\equiv\|\phi-\phi_J\|$ as in Fig. \[fig:rheo-clp\]. Though the critical exponents are slightly different, i.e. $\kappa_p=1.1$ and $\mu_p=3.5$ for the pressure \[Fig. \[fig:rheo-clp\](a)\] and $\kappa_\sigma=1.2$ and $\mu_\sigma=3.3$ for the shear stress \[Fig. \[fig:rheo-clp\](b)\], all the data are nicely collapsed on top of each other. If the shear rate is small enough, the data below jamming ($\phi<\phi_J$) follow the lower branch, whereas the data above jamming ($\phi>\phi_J$) are almost constant. Therefore, the pressure and shear stress can be described as $p/\|\Delta\phi\|^{\kappa_p}\sim\mathcal{F}_\pm(\dot{\gamma}/\|\Delta\phi\|^{\mu_p})$ and $\sigma/\|\Delta\phi\|^{\kappa_\sigma}\sim\mathcal{F}_\pm(\dot{\gamma}/\|\Delta\phi\|^{\mu_\sigma})$ with the scaling functions, $\mathcal{F}_-(x)\sim x$ for $\phi<\phi_J$ and $\mathcal{F}_+(x)\sim\mathrm{const.}$ for $\phi>\phi_J$. On the other hand, if the shear rate is large enough, the system is in plastic flow regime, where all the data (both below and above jamming) follow a single power law (dotted lines in Fig. \[fig:rheo-clp\]). This implies that the scaling functions are given by $\mathcal{F}_\pm(x)\sim x^z$ (for both $\phi<\phi_J$ and $\phi>\phi_J$) with a power-law exponent $z$. Then, the pressure and shear stress scale as $p\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{\kappa_p}\mathcal{F}_\pm(\dot{\gamma}/\|\Delta\phi\|^{\mu_p})\sim\dot{\gamma}^z\|\Delta\phi\|^{\kappa_p-\mu_p z}$ and $\sigma\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{\kappa_\sigma}\mathcal{F}_\pm(\dot{\gamma}/\|\Delta\phi\|^{\mu_\sigma})\sim\dot{\gamma}^z\|\Delta\phi\|^{\kappa_\sigma-\mu_\sigma z}$, respectively. These scaling relations should be independent of whether the system is below or above jamming, i.e. independent of $\|\Delta\phi\|$. Thus, the power-law exponent is $z=\kappa_p/\mu_p\simeq 0.31$ for the pressure and $z=\kappa_\sigma/\mu_\sigma\simeq 0.36$ for the shear stress as confirmed in Fig. \[fig:rheo-clp\] (dotted lines). Note that the scaling collapses in Fig. \[fig:rheo-clp\] also confirm that the jamming transition density $\phi_J\simeq 0.8433$ is correct in our sheared systems [@rheol0]. ![ Scaling collapses of (a) the pressure and (b) shear stress, where $\Delta\phi\equiv\phi-\phi_J$ is the proximity to jamming. See the text for critical exponents, $\kappa_p$, $\mu_p$, $\kappa_\sigma$, and $\mu_\sigma$, where the dotted lines have the slopes (a) $\kappa_p/\mu_p$ and (b) $\kappa_\sigma/\mu_\sigma$. \[fig:rheo-clp\]](flow_curves_clp.png){width="\columnwidth"} In summary, the rheological flow properties of the disks are described as $$\begin{aligned} p &\sim& \begin{cases} \|\Delta\phi\|^{\kappa_p-\mu_p}\dot{\gamma} & (\phi<\phi_J) \\ \|\Delta\phi\|^{\kappa_p} & (\phi>\phi_J) \end{cases}~, \label{eq:pressure1} \\ \sigma &\sim& \begin{cases} \|\Delta\phi\|^{\kappa_\sigma-\mu_\sigma}\dot{\gamma} & (\phi<\phi_J) \\ \|\Delta\phi\|^{\kappa_\sigma} & (\phi>\phi_J) \end{cases}~, \label{eq:shear_stress1}\end{aligned}$$ in the quasi-static regime and $$\begin{aligned} p &\sim& \dot{\gamma}^{\kappa_p/\mu_p}~, \label{eq:pressure2} \\ \sigma &\sim& \dot{\gamma}^{\kappa_\sigma/\mu_\sigma}~, \label{eq:shear_stress2}\end{aligned}$$ in the plastic flow regime. The critical exponents are estimated as $\kappa_p=1.1$, $\mu_p=3.5$, $\kappa_\sigma=1.2$, and $\mu_\sigma=3.3$. In Eqs. (\[eq:pressure1\]) and (\[eq:shear\_stress1\]), the Newtonian behavior is given by $p\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{-2.4}\dot{\gamma}$ and $\sigma\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{-2.1}\dot{\gamma}$, where the exponents are comparable to those for viscosity divergence below jamming [@rheol7]. The yield stress vanishes as $p_Y\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{1.1}$ and $\sigma_Y\sim\|\Delta\phi\|^{1.2}$ when the system approaches jamming from above \[Eqs. (\[eq:pressure1\]) and (\[eq:shear\_stress1\])\], which is consistent with the previous study of two-dimensional bubbles under shear [@pdf1]. The scaling in the plastic flow regime, $p\sim\dot{\gamma}^{0.31}$ and $\sigma\sim\dot{\gamma}^{0.36}$ \[Eqs. (\[eq:pressure2\]) and (\[eq:shear\_stress2\])\], is close to the prior work on sheared athermal disks [@rheol14], indicating shear thinning as typical for particulate systems under shear [@larson]. Non-affine displacements {#sec:nona} ======================== The self-diffusion of soft athermal particles is also sensitive to both $\dot{\gamma}$ and $\phi$. Because our system is homogeneously sheared (along the $x$-direction), the self-diffusion is represented by fluctuating motions of the disks around a mean flow. In our MD simulations, the mean velocity field is determined by the affine deformation as $\dot{\gamma}y\bm{e}_x$, where $\bm{e}_x$ is a unit vector parallel to the $x$-axis. Therefore, subtracting the mean velocity field from each disk velocity $\bm{u}_i(t)$, we introduce non-affine velocities as $\Delta\bm{u}_i(t)=\bm{u}_i(t)-\dot{\gamma}y_i\bm{e}_x$ ($i=1,\dots,N$). Non-affine displacements are then defined as the time integrals $$\Delta\bm{r}_i(\tau) = \int_{t_a}^{t_a+\tau}\Delta\bm{u}_i(t)dt~, \label{eq:non-affine}$$ where $\tau$ is the time interval. Note that the initial time $t_a$ can be arbitrary chosen during a steady state. It is known that the non-affine displacements \[Eq. (\[eq:non-affine\])\] are sensitive to the rheological flow properties (Sec. \[sec:rheo\]) [@saitoh11]. Their magnitude significantly increases if the packing fraction exceeds the jamming point. In addition, their spatial distributions become more “collective" (they tend to align in the same directions with neighbors) with the decrease of the shear rate. This means that the self-diffusion is also strongly dependent on both the shear rate and density. Especially, the collective behavior of the non-affine displacements implies the growth of rigid clusters in slow flows $\dot{\gamma}t_0\ll 1$ of jammed systems $\phi>\phi_J$, where the yield stress $\sigma\sim\sigma_Y$ is observed in the flow curves (Fig. \[fig:rheo\]). [^1]: The MSDs defined by the total non-affine displacements show quantitatively the same results (data are not shown). [^2]: We define the diffusivity \[Eq. (\[eq:D\])\] as the slope of the MSD \[Eq. (\[eq:MSD\])\] in the normal diffusive regime $\gamma=\dot{\gamma}\tau>1$, where we take sample averages of $\Delta(\tau)^2/2\tau$ as $D/\dot{\gamma}\equiv <\Delta(\gamma)^2/2\gamma>$ in the range between $1<\gamma<10^2$. [^3]: The data for the highest shear rate, $\dot{\gamma}=10^{-1}t_0^{-1}$, is removed from the scaling collapses in Figs. \[fig:diff\](b) and \[fig:xi\](a).	{ "pile_set_name": "ArXiv" }
Q: Is a Python closure a good replacement for `__all__`? Is it a good idea to use a closure instead of __all__ to limit the names exposed by a Python module? This would prevent programmers from accidentally using the wrong name for a module (import urllib; urllib.os.getlogin()) as well as avoiding "from x import " namespace pollution as __all__. def _init_module(): global foo import bar def foo(): return bar.baz.operation() class Quux(bar.baz.Splort): pass _init_module(); del _init_module vs. the same module using __all__: __all__ = ['foo'] import bar def foo(): return bar.baz.operation() class Quux(bar.baz.Splort): pass Functions could just adopt this style to avoid polluting the module namespace: def foo(): import bar bar.baz.operation() This might be helpful for a large package that wants to help users distinguish its API from the package's use of its and other modules' API during interactive introspection. On the other hand, maybe IPython should simply distinguish names in __all__ during tab completion, and more users should use an IDE that allows them to jump between files to see the definition of each name. A: I am a fan of writing code that is absolutely as brain-dead simple as it can be. __all__ is a feature of Python, added explicitly to solve the problem of limiting what names are made visible by a module. When you use it, people immediately understand what you are doing with it. Your closure trick is very nonstandard, and if I encountered it, I would not immediately understand it. You would need to put in a long comment to explain it, and then you would need to put in another long comment to explain why you did it that way instead of using __all__. EDIT: Now that I understand the problem a little better, here is an alternate answer. In Python it is considered good practice to prefix private names with an underscore in a module. If you do from the_module_name import you will get all the names that do not start with an underscore. So, rather than the closure trick, I would prefer to see correct use of the initial-underscore idiom. Note that if you use the initial underscore names, you don't even need to use __all__. A: The problem with from x import * is that it can hide NameErrors which makes trivial bugs hard to track down. "namespace pollution" means adding stuff to the namespace that you have no idea where it came from. Which is kind of what your closure does too. Plus it might confuse IDEs, outlines, pylint and the like. Using the "wrong" name for a module is not a real problem either. Module objects are the same from wherever you import them. If the "wrong" name disappears (after a update) it should be clear why and motivate the programmer to do it properly next time. But it doesn't cause bugs.	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
Q: Control RaspberryPI 3 via Serial/GPIO So I'm working on a bit of a little project with a PI for work. I'm making the PI into a little portable NAS where i can connect it to a network and on boot, it will email me its IP Address (if it gets one). In the case where the network is static, i want to have a way to connect to my PI's terminal and configure a static IP without the need of connecting the PI to a display and mouse and keyboard etc. I want to connect to my PI via Putty and get to the console. I followed this tutorial on enabling the /dev/ttyS0 port which is the GPIO on pins 14 and 15. And from my understanding, this should allow me to do what i want but not sure what the next step is to connect the PI to my PC so i can Putty into it. I was looking at GPIO to USB or something, but unsure what to use. Anyone done this before or similar and knows what i should get to achieve what i want? Many thanks! A: You need an USB to TTL cable. TTL indicates 3.3 V compatibility. "Normal" USB to RS-232 cables work with higher voltages and can damage the Pi. Example USB to TTL cable : https://www.adafruit.com/product/954	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
Q: What frameworks are available in ASP.NET Core (ASP.NET 5) applications? I have seen various frameworks targeted in project.json files, using names such as netcore50, dotnet, dnx451, net45, and others. The documentation for the "framework" section project.json does not (yet) specify how to use this section for different frameworks. What frameworks are available and what name should be used in project.json to target each? A: UPDATE 3 Full list see Target Frameworks. The most common TFMs ASP.NET app developers need to know are: netcoreappx.y = An application that targets .NET Core x.y (e.g. netcoreapp1.0 = .NET Core 1.0) netstandardx.y = A library that targets .NET Standard x.y. (e.g. netstandard2.0 = .NET Standard 2.0). .NET Standard libraries can work on desktop .NET, Windows Phone, Mono, and others. net4xy = A library or console app that targets desktop .NET Framework 4.x.y (e.g. net452 or net46) UPDATE 2 (Dec 9, 2015) Somewhat official docs are now available from dotnet. See .NET Platform Standard → Nuget For libraries targeting multiple platforms that adhere to the .NET Standard, these TFMs (target framework monikers) are available.~ UPDATE (Aug 12, 2015) This Nuget blog post shows additional TFMs available for nuget. It also explains the dotnet TFM. Original response Although this is not official documentation, this blog post by Oren Novotny has an excellent table showing the different target framework monikers.	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
Occupational injury and illness recording and reporting requirements. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor. Final rule. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is revising its rule addressing the recording and reporting of occupational injuries and illnesses (29 CFR parts 1904 and 1952), including the forms employers use to record those injuries and illnesses. The revisions to the final rule will produce more useful injury and illness records, collect better information about the incidence of occupational injuries and illnesses on a national basis, promote improved employee awareness and involvement in the recording and reporting of job-related injuries and illnesses, simplify the injury and illness recordkeeping system for employers, and permit increased use of computers and telecommunications technology for OSHA recordkeeping purposes. This rulemaking completes a larger overall effort to revise Part 1904 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Two sections of Part 1904 have already been revised in earlier rulemakings. A rule titled Reporting fatalities and multiple hospitalization incidents to OSHA, became effective May 2, 1994 and has been incorporated into this final rule as Section 1904.39. A second rule entitled Annual OSHA injury and illness survey of ten or more employers became effective on March 13, 1997 and has been incorporated into this final rule as Section 1904.41. The final rule being published today also revises 29 CFR 1952.4, Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting Requirements, which prescribes the recordkeeping and reporting requirements for States that have an occupational safety and health program approved by OSHA under Section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (the "Act" or "OSH Act").	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
Episode notes It’s spoopy season! Since it’s the most wonderful time of the year, we’re talking about all of the scary stories, myths, and games we heard of and played as teens. Also, Sydnee learns about the Dark Web and we create some of the newest and best conspiracy theories to fuel your nightmares, enjoy! Subscribe on iTunes or RSS! Music: “Baby You Change Your Mind” by Nouvellas	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Pour the batter into the greased mould and bake for about 15 minutes or till the donuts are cooked through.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Q: String Formatting: what is the width for the e format? My IronPython console gives the following: >>> "%9.2e" % 1.236 '1.24e+00' >>> "%10.2e" % 1.236 ' 1.24e+00' >>> The total characters in the output do not seem to correspond to 9 or 10 respectively. A: This is a know bug with IronPython; the width is not handled correctly when using the %<width>e format. CPython handles the width as expected; e.g. '%9.2e' % 1.236 produces a string of length 9. You could try using the format() function instead, if you are lucky it doesn't reuse the same code: format(1.236, '9.2e')	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
/* * linux/fs/super.c * * (C) 1991 Linus Torvalds / / * super.c contains code to handle the super-block tables. / #include <linux/config.h> #include <linux/sched.h> #include <linux/kernel.h> #include <asm/system.h> #include <errno.h> #include <sys/stat.h> int sync_dev(int dev); void wait_for_keypress(void); / set_bit uses setb, as gas doesn't recognize setc / #define set_bit(bitnr,addr) ({ \ register int __res __asm__("ax"); \ __asm__("bt %2,%3;setb %%al":"=a" (__res):"a" (0),"r" (bitnr),"m" ((addr))); \ __res; }) struct super_block super_block[NR_SUPER]; /* this is initialized in init/main.c / int ROOT_DEV = 0; static void lock_super(struct super_block sb) { cli(); while (sb->s_lock) sleep_on(&(sb->s_wait)); sb->s_lock = 1; sti(); } static void free_super(struct super_block * sb) { cli(); sb->s_lock = 0; wake_up(&(sb->s_wait)); sti(); } static void wait_on_super(struct super_block * sb) { cli(); while (sb->s_lock) sleep_on(&(sb->s_wait)); sti(); } struct super_block * get_super(int dev) { struct super_block * s; if (!dev) return NULL; s = 0+super_block; while (s < NR_SUPER+super_block) if (s->s_dev == dev) { wait_on_super(s); if (s->s_dev == dev) return s; s = 0+super_block; } else s++; return NULL; } void put_super(int dev) { struct super_block * sb; struct m_inode * inode; int i; if (dev == ROOT_DEV) { printk("root diskette changed: prepare for armageddon\n\r"); return; } if (!(sb = get_super(dev))) return; if (sb->s_imount) { printk("Mounted disk changed - tssk, tssk\n\r"); return; } lock_super(sb); sb->s_dev = 0; for(i=0;i<I_MAP_SLOTS;i++) brelse(sb->s_imap[i]); for(i=0;i<Z_MAP_SLOTS;i++) brelse(sb->s_zmap[i]); free_super(sb); return; } static struct super_block * read_super(int dev) { struct super_block * s; struct buffer_head * bh; int i,block; if (!dev) return NULL; check_disk_change(dev); if (s = get_super(dev)) return s; for (s = 0+super_block ;; s++) { if (s >= NR_SUPER+super_block) return NULL; if (!s->s_dev) break; } s->s_dev = dev; s->s_isup = NULL; s->s_imount = NULL; s->s_time = 0; s->s_rd_only = 0; s->s_dirt = 0; lock_super(s); if (!(bh = bread(dev,1))) { s->s_dev=0; free_super(s); return NULL; } ((struct d_super_block ) s) = ((struct d_super_block ) bh->b_data); brelse(bh); if (s->s_magic != SUPER_MAGIC) { s->s_dev = 0; free_super(s); return NULL; } for (i=0;i<I_MAP_SLOTS;i++) s->s_imap[i] = NULL; for (i=0;i<Z_MAP_SLOTS;i++) s->s_zmap[i] = NULL; block=2; for (i=0 ; i < s->s_imap_blocks ; i++) if (s->s_imap[i]=bread(dev,block)) block++; else break; for (i=0 ; i < s->s_zmap_blocks ; i++) if (s->s_zmap[i]=bread(dev,block)) block++; else break; if (block != 2+s->s_imap_blocks+s->s_zmap_blocks) { for(i=0;i<I_MAP_SLOTS;i++) brelse(s->s_imap[i]); for(i=0;i<Z_MAP_SLOTS;i++) brelse(s->s_zmap[i]); s->s_dev=0; free_super(s); return NULL; } s->s_imap[0]->b_data[0] \|= 1; s->s_zmap[0]->b_data[0] \|= 1; free_super(s); return s; } int sys_umount(char * dev_name) { struct m_inode * inode; struct super_block * sb; int dev; if (!(inode=namei(dev_name))) return -ENOENT; dev = inode->i_zone[0]; if (!S_ISBLK(inode->i_mode)) { iput(inode); return -ENOTBLK; } iput(inode); if (dev==ROOT_DEV) return -EBUSY; if (!(sb=get_super(dev)) \|\| !(sb->s_imount)) return -ENOENT; if (!sb->s_imount->i_mount) printk("Mounted inode has i_mount=0\n"); for (inode=inode_table+0 ; inode<inode_table+NR_INODE ; inode++) if (inode->i_dev==dev && inode->i_count) return -EBUSY; sb->s_imount->i_mount=0; iput(sb->s_imount); sb->s_imount = NULL; iput(sb->s_isup); sb->s_isup = NULL; put_super(dev); sync_dev(dev); return 0; } int sys_mount(char * dev_name, char * dir_name, int rw_flag) { struct m_inode * dev_i, * dir_i; struct super_block * sb; int dev; if (!(dev_i=namei(dev_name))) return -ENOENT; dev = dev_i->i_zone[0]; if (!S_ISBLK(dev_i->i_mode)) { iput(dev_i); return -EPERM; } iput(dev_i); if (!(dir_i=namei(dir_name))) return -ENOENT; if (dir_i->i_count != 1 \|\| dir_i->i_num == ROOT_INO) { iput(dir_i); return -EBUSY; } if (!S_ISDIR(dir_i->i_mode)) { iput(dir_i); return -EPERM; } if (!(sb=read_super(dev))) { iput(dir_i); return -EBUSY; } if (sb->s_imount) { iput(dir_i); return -EBUSY; } if (dir_i->i_mount) { iput(dir_i); return -EPERM; } sb->s_imount=dir_i; dir_i->i_mount=1; dir_i->i_dirt=1; /* NOTE! we don't iput(dir_i) / return 0; / we do that in umount / } void mount_root(void) { int i,free; struct super_block p; struct m_inode * mi; if (32 != sizeof (struct d_inode)) panic("bad i-node size"); for(i=0;i<NR_FILE;i++) file_table[i].f_count=0; if (MAJOR(ROOT_DEV) == 2) { printk("Insert root floppy and press ENTER"); wait_for_keypress(); } for(p = &super_block[0] ; p < &super_block[NR_SUPER] ; p++) { p->s_dev = 0; p->s_lock = 0; p->s_wait = NULL; } if (!(p=read_super(ROOT_DEV))) panic("Unable to mount root"); if (!(mi=iget(ROOT_DEV,ROOT_INO))) panic("Unable to read root i-node"); mi->i_count += 3 ; /* NOTE! it is logically used 4 times, not 1 */ p->s_isup = p->s_imount = mi; current->pwd = mi; current->root = mi; free=0; i=p->s_nzones; while (-- i >= 0) if (!set_bit(i&8191,p->s_zmap[i>>13]->b_data)) free++; printk("%d/%d free blocks\n\r",free,p->s_nzones); free=0; i=p->s_ninodes+1; while (-- i >= 0) if (!set_bit(i&8191,p->s_imap[i>>13]->b_data)) free++; printk("%d/%d free inodes\n\r",free,p->s_ninodes); }	{ "pile_set_name": "Github" }
Q: OpenCV cvtColor CV_BGR2HSV CV_32FC3 Saturation Range I'm trying to build histograms for materials in OpenCV 3.2 but am confused by the HSV ranges--they don't seem to match the documentation, or I am approaching it wrong. // cv::Mat bgrPhoto contains a test image cv::Mat3f hsvPhoto; bgrPhoto.convertTo(hsvPhoto, CV_32FC3); cv::cvtColor(hsvPhoto, hsvPhoto, CV_BGR2HSV, CV_32FC3); std::vector<cv::Mat1f> hsvChannels; cv::split(hsvPhoto, hsvChannels); // Documentation [0.0, 1.0]: measured here Hue to 360.0, Sat to 1.0, Val to 255.0 double minHue, maxHue, minSat, maxSat, minVal, maxVal; cv::minMaxIdx(hsvChannels[0], &minHue, &maxHue, 0, 0); cv::minMaxIdx(hsvChannels[1], &minSat, &maxSat, 0, 0); cv::minMaxIdx(hsvChannels[2], &minVal, &maxVal, 0, 0); A: When you converted your image from 8-bit to 32-bit, you haven't scaled your values from [0, 255] to [0, 1]. convertTo() simply converts the types; it doesn't rescale the values by default. This is affecting your output since, from the docs for color conversion from BGR to HSV, V simply gets set to max(B, G, R) (which will be a max of numbers going up to 255). You'll notice that in the docs for cvtColor() it says for 8-bit and 16-bit images, they are scaled to fit the [0, 1] range; but not for float images. However, the H channels and S channels still get scaled to the correct ranges because they use V to scale the image. When you do bgrPhoto.convertTo(hsvPhoto, CV_32FC3) you need to divide by 255 to set the values into [0, 1]. If you check out the docs for convertTo() you'll notice a third positional argument can be set which is a scale factor. Simply using bgrPhoto.convertTo(hsvPhoto, CV_32FC3, 1.0/255.0) will, as the documentation states, scale every pixel value by that factor. Also, Miki's point in the comment on the OP totally slipped by me but it was a great catch; check the docs for cvtColor(); the fourth argument is an argument for number of destination channels, not dtype, so cv::cvtColor(hsvPhoto, hsvPhoto, CV_BGR2HSV) is what you want.	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
Waßmannsdorf Waßmannsdorf is a village and a civil parish (Ortsteil) of the German town of Schönefeld, located in the district of Dahme-Spreewald in Brandenburg. As of 2007 its population was of around 1,000. History First mentioned in 1350 as Wasmanstorp, the village was an autonomous municipality until 2003, when it merged into Schönefeld. From 1961 to 1989 its municipal borders with West Berlin were crossed by the Berlin Wall. Geography Waßmannsdorf is located in the southeastern suburb of Berlin, near the districts of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Neukölln and Treptow-Köpenick; and bordering with the quarter of Rudow. The nearest places are Großziethen, Selchow, Schönefeld and Blankenfelde-Mahlow. The village is 20 km far from Königs Wusterhausen, 28 from Ludwigsfelde and 34 from Potsdam. Transport Waßmannsdorf is situated close to the runway of Berlin Schönefeld Airport, that will be merged into the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport in 2017. Crossed by the Berlin outer ring, it will be served by a new railway station on the S-Bahn extension to the new airport (lines S45 and S9). The village is also interested by the Expressway Potsdam-Schönefeld projects. Gallery References External links Waßmannsdorf page on Schönefeld municipal website Waßmannsdorf Fire Service SV Waßmannsdorf football club Category:Villages in Brandenburg Category:Localities in Dahme-Spreewald Category:Bezirk Potsdam Category:Former municipalities in Brandenburg Category:Populated places established in the 1350s	{ "pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)" }
Ventilatory response to CO2 in patients with snoring, obstructive hypopnoea and obstructive apnoea. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is caused by an obstruction of the upper airway. Sufficient sensitivity to CO2 in the respiratory centre is known to be a critical factor for adequate tone in the upper airway muscles. The hypothesis of this study is, therefore, that the ventilatory response to CO2 is reduced in patients with OSA. Twenty-six patients who suffered from snoring, 19 snoring patients with obstructive hypopnoea (OH) and 33 snoring patients with obstructive apnoea (OA), were studied. The control group consisted of 25 subjects from a random sample with no history of snoring or daytime sleepiness. Tests of the hyperoxic and hypoxic ventilatory response to CO2 were performed, as well as static and dynamic spirometry. Subjects in the OA group displayed a higher hyperoxic (VE/FetCO2hy = 12.6 l min-1/%) and hypoxic (VE/FetCO2ho = 15.7 l min-1/%) ventilatory response to CO2 than patients with obstructive hypopnoea (VE/FetCO2hy = 8.6 l min-1/%; VE/FetCO2ho = 15.2 l min-1/%), snorers (VE/FetCO2hy = 8.4 l min-1/%; VE/FetCO2ho = 12.7 l min-1/%) and non-snorers (VE/FetCO2hy = 7.6 l min-1/%; VE/FetCOho = 9.6 l min-1/%). Multiple regression analysis reveals that neck circumference, apnoea index, oxygen desaturation index, PCO2 and sex (male gender) are correlated with VE/FetCO2hy (R2 = 0.43). Multiple regression analysis also reveals that ERV (expiratory reserve volume) and sex (male gender) are correlated with VE/FetCO2ho (R2 = 0.21). Arguing against the hypothesis, patients with OSA displayed an increased hyperoxic and hypoxic ventilatory response to CO2. Nocturnal apnoea frequency and the obesity factor in OSA may have contributed to these results.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
Game Details Assume the role of Timmy, mini action adventure hero, and fight the forces of evil in "Army Men :Soldiers of Misfortune." Timmy's Tan Army Men action figures have run amok, capturing his Green Army Men, and attempting to take control of his little slice of suburbia! It's up to you to defeat the enemy, save your toys and family, and restore order to your home! The house is your playground as you control a 3 inch tall Timmy and a slew of toy weaponry to keep his tan Army Men from achieving "Global Home Domination." You'll never look at your toys the same again... # Battle army men by utilizing toys around the house like squirt guns, tennis balls, foam dart guns, and bowling balls.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Lymphocyte expansion after unrelated cord blood allogeneic stem cell transplantation in adults. Limited information is available regarding the incidence and features of lymphocyte expansions after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Large granular lymphocytes (LGL) expansions have been reported after bone marrow or peripheral blood, but not after unrelated cord blood (UCB) allo-HSCT, associated with indolent clinical courses and favorable outcomes. Here, we considered 85 recipients of UCB allo-HSCT to more broadly define the impact of lymphocytosis, not limited to LGL. Sustained lymphocytosis was observed in 21 (25%) patients at a median onset of 12.6 months and with a median duration of 12 months. Immunophenotypic analysis showed predominantly CD8+ T and/or polyclonal B-cell expansions. Three patients only had monoclonal T-cell expansion. CMV reactivation was significantly more frequent in the group of patients with lymphocytosis (76% vs 28%, P=0.0001), but was not associated with survival. Conversely, 2-year disease-free survival and overall survival were significantly higher for lymphocytosis patients (85% vs 55%, P=0.01 and 85% vs 63%, P=0.03, respectively). In conclusion, expansion of T or B lymphocytes after UCB allo-HSCT in adults is not a rare event. Although occurring relatively late after transplant, this feature is predictive of a better outcome for the patients.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
In the semiconductor industry, metal silicides have typically been used to provide low resistive contacts to source/drain regions and gate electrodes in metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) and CMOS transistors. Titanium silicide (TiSi2) has traditionally been used because of its low resistivity. However, by using the conventional Ti-salicide process the sheet resistance increases for lines having a thickness of less than about 0.35 microns (μm). A high temperature anneal is needed to completely transform the silicide from the high-resistivity C49 phase to the low-resistivity C54 phase. In some lines, the transformation is not complete and the film agglomerates before complete transformation into the low-resistivity state. TiSi2 has been replaced with CoSi2 to circumvent the problem mentioned above. However, CoSi2 consumes significant amounts of silicon during formation, which increases the difficulty of forming shallow junctions for silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates. Further, as the semiconductor industry approaches dimensions less than 65 nm, CoSi2 also exhibits rapid sheet resistance degradation. Specifically, the polysilicon gate sheet resistance Rs increases sharply at narrow line widths due to voids formed by vacancy coalescence at the polySi grain boundary. Ni suicide with low resistivity, low salicidation temperature, small mechanical stress, low silicon consumption and relative insensitivity of sheet resistance to linewidth is currently being investigated to replace CoSi2. Manufacturing a functioning device requires several processing steps after contact formation where the silicide temperature typically exceeds 600° C. Under such conditions, NiSi has been reported to agglomerate and form NiSi2 which has a higher resistivity than NiSi. See, for example, J. Y. Yew, et al. “Epitaxial growth of NiSi on (111) Si inside 0.1-0.6 mm oxide openings prepared by electron beam lithography”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 69(7), (1996); B. A. Julies, “A Study of the NiSi to NiSi2 Transition in the Ni—Si Binary System”, Thin Solid Films, 347, 201, 1999; and M. C. Poon, “Thermal Stability of Cobalt and Nickel Silicides”, Microelectronics Reliability 38, 1495, 1998. Further, when shallow junctions (on the order of about 15 nm or less) are to be formed, nickel disilicide formation is seen under the spacer resulting in shorting of the device between the gate and the source/drain regions. The thermal stability of NiSi has to be improved before it can be used as a contact in submicron microelectronic devices. Co-pending and co-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/334,464, filed Dec. 31, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,560 entitled “Retarding Agglomeration of Ni Monosilicide Using Ni Alloys” describes various metals that can be co-deposited with Ni to prevent disilicide formation. Some of these metals, such as Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, W and Re, prevent nucleation of NiSi2. Ge, Rh, Pd, Pt or mixtures thereof can be used as stabilizing agents. The successful formation of a silicide contact through the salicide process requires deposition of a thin (less than 10 nm) Ni alloy uniformly over the substrate, heating the substrate to form the silicide over regions where silicon is present and finally selectively etching the unreacted metal without attacking the silicide. Any attack of the silicide would reduce the thickness of the line and increase the contact resistance. Further, the etchant should be capable of not only removing Ni, but all the other metals added along with it. Present etchants for removing Ni and Ni alloys in the salicide contact process are based on a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and sulfuric acid at temperatures greater than 60° C. This is disclosed for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,468,901 and P. S. Lee, et al. “New Salicidation Technology with Ni(Pt) Alloy for MOSFETs”, IEEE Electronic Device Letters, 22 (12) 2001. Such etchants are incapable of removing all additional elements especially noble metals such as Pt, Pd, Rh and Re used along with Ni. Presence of the unreacted metal on the spacers and trench isolation regions leads to shorting of the devices thereby preventing the manufacturing of a functioning semiconductor chip. The remaining unreacted metal is referred in the art as stringers. In view of the above, there is a need for providing a new and improved method for forming NiSi contacts which avoids leaving unreacted metals, i.e., stringers, on the spacers and trench isolation regions.	{ "pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds" }
It is known to recover nickel and/or copper from sulfidic ores by comminuting the ore to a finely divided state, subjecting the comminuted ore to froth flotation to upgrade the metal content thereof, and roasting the concentrate in an oxidizing atmosphere to remove the sulfur therefrom as SO.sub.2, followed by the reduction of the oxidized concentrate at an elevated temperature with a carbonaceous material to form molten nickel which is cast to provide pig nickel for use in the manufacture of stainless steel. The foregoing method has certain disadvantages particularly with respect to the formation of SO.sub.2 which is undesirable. Unless the SO.sub.2 is converted to sulfuric acid on site, the SO.sub.2 effluent released into the atmosphere presents environmental problems. Nickel-containing sulfidic minerals and laterites are the two major raw material sources for nickel. The laterites are abundantly distributed throughout the world. However, laterites unlike nickel sulfide ores, cannot be concentrated by froth flotation or magnetically. Compared to other ores, the nickel content is low, for example, may range from 0.5 to 1.5% nickel by weight, with the exception of deposits in New Caledonia and Indonesia in which the amount of nickel is of the order of up to about 3% by weight which is quite high. It has been predicted that by the end of this century, laterites will become the major source for the production of nickel. The conventional process for recovering nickel from lateritic ores is somewhat energy intensive in that the nickel is extracted from the ore by high pressure leaching at elevated temperature in an autoclave. For example, one process for recovering nickel and cobalt from lateritic ores is the well known Moa Bay process involving acid leaching at elevated temperatures and pressures at which iron oxide and aluminum oxysulfate are substantially insoluble. In the Moa Bay process, lateritic ore at minus 20 mesh (95% passing 325 mesh U.S. Standard) is pulped to approximately 45% solids and the nickel and cobalt selectively leached with sufficient sulfuric acid at elevated temperature and pressure (e.g. 230.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. and 405 to 580 psia) to solubilize about 95% each of nickel and cobalt in about 60 to 90 minutes. After pressure let down, the leached pulp is washed by countercurrent decantation with the washed pulp going to tailings. The leach solution pH, which is quite low (e.g., between 0 and 0.5), is then neutralized with coral mud to a pH of about 2.4 in a series of four tanks at a total retention time of about 20 minutes and the thus-treated product liquor (containing about 5.65 gpl Ni, 0.8 gpl Fe and 2.3 gpl Al), after solid-liquid separation, is then subjected to sulfide precipitation. The leach liquor is preheated and the sulfide precipitation carried out using H.sub.2 S as the precipitating reagent in an autoclave at about 120.degree. C. (250.degree. F.) and a pressure of about 150 psig. In the original scheme for treating the mixed sulfides, the sulfide precipitate was washed and thickened to a solids content of 65%. It was then oxidized in an autoclave at about 177.degree. C. (350.degree. F.) and a pressure of about 700 psig. The solution containing nickel and cobalt was then neutralized with ammonia to a pH (5.35) sufficient to precipitate any residual iron, aluminum, and chromium present using air as an oxidizing agent. The precipitate was thereafter separated from the solution and the nickel and cobalt solution then adjusted to a pH of about 1.5. H.sub.2 S was added to precipitate selectively any copper, lead and zinc present. The precipitate was separated from the solution by filtration and the nickel recovered by various methods. One method comprised treating the nickel-containing solution with hydrogen at elevated temperature and pressure to produce nickel powder. The aforementioned method, as stated hereinbefore, had certain economic disadvantages. The conversion of mixed nickel-cobalt sulfide into salable separate nickel and cobalt products was very expensive and there was no market for mixed sulfide precipitates. It is known to subject gold-bearing sulfide ore to oxidative bioleaching. Such methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,788, No. 5,127,942 and No. 5,244,493. The sulfidic material is ground, placed in heaps or piles or pulped or slurried and bioleached to oxidize the sulfide mineral using bacteria at temperatures of about 15.degree. C. to about 40.degree. C. The sulfide particle containing gold occluded within it is biooxidized to physically free up the gold for removal by cyanide leaching or other types of leaching. Attempts to use bioleaching to recover base metals, such as nickel, have not been attractive enough to warrant the building of a commercial plant, particularly since technology was not in place economically at the time for recovering nickel from the solution which were quite dilute at best, except for the use of solvent extraction by means of which more concentrated solutions could be produced for the subsequent recovery of nickel. The recovery of nickel from low grade bioleach solutions by solvent extraction has its problems in that (i) there are organic solvents that preferentially extract nickel from mixed ferric iron-nickel containing solutions such as shown hereinafter in Example 2 and (ii) the micro-organisms present in the bioleach solutions tend to adversely affect the separation of the organic phase from the aqueous phase. The problem with ferric iron is that either the ferric ion will preferentially load on organic solvents, such as DEPHA(di-2-ethyl hexyl phosphoric acid) or it will oxidize the active ingredient in organic solvents such as Cyanex 272; 301 and 302. These reagents are sold by the American Cyanamid Company with the following active ingredients: phosphoric, phosphonic and phosphinic acids. "Third phase" formation during solvent extractions sometimes limits the application of solvent extraction in leaching operations, particularly in a bioleaching circuit because bacteria and organic solvents are not compatible. For example, Thiobacillus ferroxidans is in essence a sulfur-loving bacteria which presents problems in solvent extraction, particularly when the organic solvent contains sulfur, such as in di-nonyl-naphthyl sulfonic acid. Since many nickel sulfide ore bodies have a metal cut-off grade of around 0.2% to 0.5% Ni, it at once becomes apparent that a method is needed to enable the production of nickel solutions of sufficiently high concentration from which the nickel can be recovered economically. Thus, low grade nickel ores, in essence, could then be treated the same as a high grade ore with the same economical advantages. Recent work conducted in the bioleaching of ores has indicated that low grade ores can be economically leached using bacteria as a means for effecting the dissolution of metal, e.g., nickel and/or cobalt, into an aqueous acid solution. An advantage of bioleaching, while time dependent, is the fact that it is not energy and cost intensive. The pregnant solution obtained, however, is quite dilute. One bioleaching method proposed for the recovery of nickel from sulfide ores is disclosed in Canadian Patent No. 2,065,491 which issued on Oct. 9, 1992. According to the Canadian patent, a method disclosed comprises crushing the sulfide ore which is thereafter formed into a heap and the ore heap percolated with an iron sulfate solution which, optionally, carries bacteria, such as Thiobacillus ferroxidans, Thiobacillus thiooxidans or Leptospirillum ferroxidans. By virtue of the oxidation of the sulfide ore, the generation of sulfuric acid occurs, thus forming a sulfate solution. Sulfuric acid or an alkali, such as lime, is added to the solution, if necessary, to control the pH to a range of about 1.2 to 3, preferably from 2.3 to 2.5. An anaerobic bacterium is added to the sulfate solution to cause the precipitation of the dissolved metal as an insoluble sulfide, thus upgrading the metal into a highly concentrated form which then must be treated to recover the metal, e.g., nickel. To bring about sulfide generation of the dissolved metal (e.g., nickel), a bacterium, referred to as Desulforvivrio Desulfuricans, may be added to the solution. After the nickel sulfide precipitates, it is separated from the solution to provide a concentrate high in nickel which must be further treated, such as by high pressure leaching at an elevated temperature in the presence of sulfuric acid to produce a nickel sulfate solution from which the nickel is extracted by known conventional methods. In a paper entitled "The Solubilization of Nickel, Cobalt and Iron From Laterites by Means of Organic Chelating agents" (Denis I. McKenzie et al, International Journal of Mineral Processing' 21 (1987) P.275-292), a group of carboxylic acids were mentioned as chelating agents, including Oxalic Acid, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, among others. The efficacy of the organic acids at natural pH were compared to H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 (15 mM final concentration). Over a 456 hour period, using 15 mM concentrations of acids with 2 grams of ore (West Australian ore) in 150 ml of H.sub.2 O, Oxalic, Citric and Tartaric acids compared somewhat favorably with H.sub.2 SO.sub.4. Amount of nickel dissolved in ppm was 30.3 for H.sub.2 SO.sub.4, 18.5 for Oxalic acid, 20.2 for Citric acid and 16.3 for Tartaric. The same acids employed on Indonesian ore showed that the nickel dissolved amounted to the following: Citric Acid 863 ppm, Tartaric Acid--708 ppm, Oxalic Acid--318 ppm, etc. In a paper entitled "Microbial Leaching of Nickel from Low Grade Greek Laterites," Mineral Bioprocessing, TMS, 1991 page 191-205, the authors indicate a variety of heterotrophic micro-organisms that can produce such organic acids. They include: asperigillus and penicillia concentrations of around 40 grams of organic acid which were readily produced by these microorganisms. Close to 70% of the Ni and less than 5% of the Fe were solubilized after a 51-day leaching period from a laterite ore containing about 1% Ni and 30% Fe. This work also showed an improved extraction when the organisms plus the culture medium were mixed with the laterite ore. An explanation was given: "Once the organisms attach themselves to the surface of the mineral grains, a high metal concentration gradient is experienced which could be toxic to the organisms spurring them to produce more citric acid (possibly as a defense response) which subsequently leaches out more ions from the mineral grains." If the toxic metal were to be removed from the solution, as proposed in accordance with the present invention, either during the leaching process or interrupted by it, the leaching kinetics will be enhanced significantly so long as a low level of the toxic metal is maintained. One method of heap leaching with nutrient solutions containing at least one micro-organisms include those selected from the group consisting of the fungi Aspergillus Niger, Penicillium Sp., Aspergillus Sp., Penicillium Simplicissimus and the bacteria Enterobacter Spp., Bacillus Spp., and Achromobacter Spp. It would be desirable to provide a process for bioleaching relatively low grade as well as relative high grade nickel-containing lateritic ores and sulfidic ores or concentrates thereof in combination with a novel method for concentrating the nickel ions in solution from which nickel is economically recovered.	{ "pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds" }
Q: Using the AngularJS require option to call into another directive I was just reading here about accessing one directive's controller from within another directive via the require option: http://jasonmore.net/angular-js-directives-difference-controller-link/ The directive droppable and dashboard declarations in on my view - on two different divs: <div class="wrapper wrapper-content animated fadeInRight"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-lg-12" data-droppable drop="handleDrop"> <div id="dash" dashboard="dashboardOptions" class="dashboard-container"></div> </div> </div> However I can't seem to get it to work. My dashboardCtrl param below is NULL. Here in my droppable directive, I use the REQUIRE option: .directive('droppable', function () { return { scope: { drop: '&', }, //**************** dashboard directive is optionally requested ******** require: '?dashboard', link: function (scope, element, attributes, dashboardCtrl) { el.addEventListener('drop', function (e) { if (e.preventDefault) { e.preventDefault(); } this.classList.remove('over'); var item = document.getElementById(e.dataTransfer.getData('Text')); this.appendChild(item.cloneNode(true)); // * CALL INTO THE dashboardCtrl controller *** dashboardCtrl.addWidgetInternal(); return false; }, false); } } }); and the dashboard directive : angular.module('ui.dashboard') .directive('dashboard', ['WidgetModel', 'WidgetDefCollection', '$modal', 'DashboardState', '$log', function (WidgetModel, WidgetDefCollection, $modal, DashboardState, $log) { return { restrict: 'A', templateUrl: function (element, attr) { return attr.templateUrl ? attr.templateUrl : 'app/shared/template/dashboard.html'; }, scope: true, controller: ['$scope', '$attrs', function (scope, attrs) { // ommitted for brevity }], link: function (scope) { scope.addWidgetInternal = function (event, widgetDef) { event.preventDefault(); scope.addWidget(widgetDef); }; }; } }]); However, my dashboardCtrl parameter is NULL. Please help me to figure out how to use require. I actually need to call the addWidget() function, which is within the link option; but I suppose I can copy or move that into the controller option. thank you ! Bob A: Here is an example of "parent" directive dashboard requiring droppable, and communication between the two making use of require and passing dashboardCtrl Here is a good article to see directive to directive communication Fiddle example also built from your previous question JSFiddle app.directive('droppable', [function () { return { restrict: 'A', require: 'dashboard', link: function (scope, elem, attrs, dashboardCtrl) { dashboardCtrl.controllerSpecificFunction('hello from child directive!'); scope.addWidgetInternal = function(message) { console.log(message); } } } }]); app.directive('dashboard', [function () { return { restrict: 'A', controller: function ($scope) { $scope.handleDrop = function(message) { $scope.addWidgetInternal(message) } this.controllerSpecificFunction = function(message) { console.log(message); } } } }]); Edit Based on discussion, here is a solution for what I currently understand the problem to be Parent directive dashboard optionally requires child directive droppable and there needs to be communication between the two <div dashboard> <button id="dash" droppable ng-click="handleDrop($event)">Handle Drop</button> </div> app.directive('droppable', [function () { return { restrict: 'A', require: '^?dashboard', link: function (scope, elem, attrs, dashboardCtrl) { scope.handleDrop = function($event) { dashboardCtrl.addWidgetInternal($event); } } } }]); app.directive('dashboard', [function () { return { restrict: 'A', controller: function ($scope) { this.addWidgetInternal = function($event) { console.log($event); } } } }]); Updated JSFiddle	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
On the summary page of the Archos store it says the 28 has bluetooth, when I click on the full specs there is no mention of BT. Checking the product page there is no mention of BT, so I assume there is a mistake on the store summary. Can anyone confirm that it does or does not have BT communications?	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Gaze patterns and audiovisual speech enhancement. In this study, the authors sought to quantify the relationships between speech intelligibility (perception) and gaze patterns under different auditory-visual conditions. Eleven subjects listened to low-context sentences spoken by a single talker while viewing the face of one or more talkers on a computer display. Subjects either maintained their gaze at a specific distance (0°, 2.5°, 5°, 10°, and 15°) from the center of the talker's mouth (CTM) or moved their eyes freely on the computer display. Eye movements were monitored with an eye-tracking system, and speech intelligibility was evaluated by the mean percentage of correctly perceived words. With a single talker and a fixed point of gaze, speech intelligibility was similar for all fixations within 10° of the CTM. With visual cues from two talker faces and a speech signal from one of the talkers, speech intelligibility was similar to that of a single talker for fixations within 2.5° of the CTM. With natural viewing of a single talker, gaze strategy changed with speech-signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). For low speech-SNR, a strategy that brought the point of gaze directly to within 2.5° of the CTM was used in approximately 80% of trials, whereas in high speech-SNR it was used in only approximately 50% of trials. With natural viewing of a single talker and high speech-SNR, subjects can shift their gaze between points on the talker's face without compromising speech intelligibility. With low-speech SNR, subjects change their gaze patterns to fixate primarily on points that are in close proximity to the talker's mouth. The latter strategy is essential to optimize speech intelligibility in situations where there are simultaneous visual cues from multiple talkers (i.e., when some of the visual cues are distracters).	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
As you know, Valentine's Day is coming soon, so get prepare on the time :-) I show you some gift ideas for your love partner and hope you'll find inspiration what to buy and suprise your boyfriend/girlfriend on this fabulous love day. I've made my wishlist. Do you make your list and do you have some ideas how to spend Valentine's Day? Are you planning romantic dinner or maybe romantic journey with your partner?	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
A BIG SKY CHRISTMAS WILLIAM W. JOHNSTONE with J. A. Johnstone PINNACLE BOOKS Kensington Publishing Corp. www.kensingtonbooks.com All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected. Table of Contents Title Page PROLOGUE CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN CHAPTER TWELVE CHAPTER THIRTEEN CHAPTER FOURTEEN CHAPTER FIFTEEN CHAPTER SIXTEEN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE CHAPTER THIRTY CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE CHAPTER FORTY CHAPTER FORTY-ONE CHAPTER FORTY-TWO CHAPTER FORTY-THREE CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE CHAPTER FORTY-SIX CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT CHAPTER FORTY-NINE CHAPTER FIFTY CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE CHAPTER SIXTY CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE EPILOGUE Copyright Page PROLOGUE Montana, 1947 The roar of gunshots seemed to hammer against the old man's ears. Alexander Cantrell couldn't hear well anymore. Time had taken its toll on him, as it does on everyone. But he could plainly hear—or at least thought he could—the dull boom of pistols going off and the ear-splitting crack of rifle fire. The smell of burned powder was strong in his nose. Likewise his vision wasn't what it once had been, but that didn't stop his bleary eyes from making out the sight of dozens of Indians charging toward him, their faces painted for war and contorted with hate as they attacked, yelling and whooping at the top of their lungs. Some people might say he was imagining them, but at this moment, they were as real to him as they had ever been. Behind them leaped giant flames, as if the old man were looking straight into the mouth of Hell itself. . . . "Blast it," the old woman standing beside him said. "Have you gone to sleep on your feet again?" "What? No. No, I'm not asleep." The old man shook his head and smiled at his sister Abigail. They were twins, and even at their advanced age, the resemblance between them was obvious. "Just remembering how things used to be." "Good memories, I hope." Alexander thought about the violence that had wracked this land and the blood that had been spilled. "Well, I don't know." But in a way she was right, he mused. There were plenty of good memories to go along with the bad. In the end, the good outweighed the bad. The violence was the price that had to be paid for the long, happy life that followed. Brought back to the present by the exchange with Abigail, he looked around. They stood side by side at the top of a slight rise. The grassy slope in front of them led gently down into a broad, lush valley bordered by wooded hills on the far side. A crooked line of trees in the middle of the valley marked the meandering course of the stream that watered the range and made it such fine grazing land. There was no more beautiful place in all the world, the old man thought, than this vast ranch where he and his sister had spent much of their childhood. About fifty yards down the slope was a level stretch of ground surrounded by a wrought iron fence. Inside the enclosed area, the grass was cut short and carefully tended. Here and there were bright spots of color where wildflowers had grown up and been left to bloom. The place had a serene beauty about it, surrounded as it was by rangeland and roofed by the huge, arching vault of the blue Montana sky. Big sky country, they called it, and there was no truer description than that. The Montana sky was the biggest and bluest to be found anywhere, and the rich cobalt shade was made even more striking by the white clouds that sailed in it like ships. As a young man he had lain on grassy hills like this one and looked at the clouds and actually seen ships in them, and every other shape under the sun as well. "There you go drifting off again," Abigail said. "If you're not careful the young folks will start thinking you're a senile old man who ought to be stuck in a home somewhere." Alexander snorted. "I'd like to see 'em try." He was tall and spare, with crisp white hair under his Stetson and a white mustache that stood out in sharp contrast against his lean face that the elements had tanned permanently to the color of old saddle leather. He wore a Western-cut suit and boots and looked like he could still leap onto a horse and gallop across the rolling landscape. He was just as glad he didn't have to, though. He knew it would hurt like blazes if he did. The small, birdlike old woman beside him had white hair, too. When it was loose it hung down her back to her waist, but she wore it in long braids that were wound around her head. A stylish hat perched on those braids. She wore a wool dress and jacket that helped keep her warm, even though the day wasn't really cold. Old blood didn't flow as well as young. Alexander glanced over his shoulder at the group of men, women, and children who were waiting a respectful distance away beside the dirt road that led to the ranch and the two big Packards that had brought all of them, his children and grandchildren in one vehicle and Abigail's in the other. He linked arms with his sister and said gruffly, "Come on, we might as well get this done." "You don't have to make it sound so much like a chore. I enjoy coming here to see Ma and Pa." "I do, too," the old man admitted in a quiet voice. Soon enough, he would be coming and staying, like the others laid under the good Montana soil, their final resting places marked by weathered stone monuments. Stiff-kneed, they started down the slope to the small private cemetery. The afternoon was achingly quiet, so quiet he could hear the faint rumble of trucks on the highway more than a mile in the distance. Overhead an airplane cut a trail through the sky. The world had changed so much in the time that he'd been alive, the old man thought. Now you could hop in a car and drive clear across the country, and if you wanted to get where you were going even faster, you could get on an airplane and be at your destination in a matter of hours. People didn't appreciate how lucky they were. It hadn't been like that when he was young, that was for sure. In those days, if you wanted to move across the country, you loaded your belongings in a covered wagon, hitched up a team of horses or mules or oxen, and set off on a journey that would take months. Months of hardship and danger . . . Those journeys had been filled with courage and honor and love. Heroes strode through those days like warrior gods of ancient mythology, towering men who protected the weak and innocent, who stood up for what was right, who brought justice and peace to a lawless land with hard fists and fast guns. CHAPTER ONE Kansas City, Missouri, 1873 People stood aside from Jamie Ian MacCallister. His sheer size alone would have prompted most folks to get out of his way. He was a head taller than most men and had shoulders as wide as an ax handle was long. Despite the fact that he was getting on in years, the comfortable old buckskins he wore bulged with muscles. Strength and power radiated from him. Anybody who wasn't intimidated by how big he was might take a look at the weapons he carried and conclude that he was a man to step lightly around. Holstered on his hips were a pair of Colt .44 Army revolvers, the Model 60 conversion. Tucked under his left arm was a Winchester "Yellow Boy" rifle, also in .44 caliber. A hunting knife with a long, heavy blade rode in a fringed sheath behind the right-hand gun. Jamie was, in the parlance of the time, armed for bear, and those weapons would kill a man even quicker and easier than they would a big old silvertip grizzly. But size and weaponry aside, the real reason most folks naturally left Jamie alone was the intensity of the gaze that came from his deep-set, eagle-like eyes. Those piercing orbs peered out from under shaggy brows and dominated his craggy, unhandsome, but powerful face. They had seen everything, the eyes seemed to say. Seen the elephant and then some. When angered, they could turn dark and threatening as a thunderstorm rolling across the prairie. The thing of it was, when folks got to know him, Jamie's eyes could twinkle with humor or shine with compassion. He was every bit as big and rugged and dangerous as he looked, but his greatest strength was the magnificent frontiersman's heart that beat in his massive chest. At the moment, he was striding down one of the streets in Kansas City, taking a look around on a beautiful, crisp autumn afternoon. He had visited the town before, but it had been awhile. The place had grown quite a bit from the rude frontier settlement that had started life as a fur trading post known as Chouteau's Landing. It was an honest-to-God city and even had a railroad bridge that had opened a few years earlier spanning the Missouri River. Civilization, Jamie thought. He didn't mind it as much as some of the old-time mountain men did, but despite its advantages it would never be able to hold a candle to the prairies, the mountains, and the deserts of the West where he had grown up and lived his life. He had left his rangy, sand-colored stallion Sundown and his pack horse tied in front of a general store to take his pasear along the street. He passed a big open area where dozens of covered wagons were parked. The teams were gathered in a large corral nearby. Men worked on the vehicles, making repairs on things that had broken during the first part of their journey. Women stirred cook pots simmering on campfires. Soon it would be time for supper. Kids ran here and there, playing and enjoying not having to be in school like their peers who were tied down to one place. A lot of immigrants traveled by train these days, since the completion of the transcontinental railroad a few years earlier, but there was still plenty of country where the trains didn't go. If somebody wanted to settle in one of those places, they had to travel by wagon, the same way other pioneers had done for decades. Jamie supposed these pilgrims were on their way somewhere, although he hoped for their sake that their destination wasn't too far off. It was awfully late in the year to be starting a long trek anywhere. Travelers shouldn't cross the plains after winter settled in. A group of riders jogged past him in the street. He glanced over at them, the longstanding habit making him take note of everything that happened around him. A man who had made as many enemies as he had over the years needed to keep a close eye out for trouble. That was one reason he'd stayed alive as long as he had. The riders looked like they might be trouble for somebody, all right. There were about twenty of them, all roughly dressed and well armed. Even though Jamie had never seen any of them before, he recognized the sort of hard-planed, beard-stubbled faces they bore. Drifters, hardcases, maybe out-and-out owlhoots. He felt an instinctive dislike for the men, fueled by the damage similar hombres had done to his family, but as long as they steered clear of him, he wouldn't bother them. One of the men said, "My mouth's so dry I'm spittin' cotton, Eldon. How many saloons are we gonna ride past before we get to one that suits your fancy?" The man riding slightly in the lead of the group turned in the saddle to frown at the one who had spoken. He was a tall, rawboned man with a lantern-jawed face and tufts of straw-colored hair sticking out from under a black, flat-crowned hat with a concho-studded band. "Just keep your shirt on, Jake," he snapped. "We'll stop when I'm good and ready, and if that don't suit your fancy, you know what you can do about it." The man called Jake grinned and held up a hand, palm out. "Whoa. Didn't mean any offense. You know I'm fine with you callin' the shots." "You better be. It's worked out pretty good so far." "That it has," Jake agreed, but Eldon had already turned back around and was ignoring him. The group rode on down the street. Jamie continued on his way, too, forgetting about the hardcases. In the next block, he paused to tip his head back and study the big fancy sign that stretched along the front of the building where he had paused. In gilt letters, it read CHANNING'S VARIETY THEATER. The building was fancy, too, with two stories and a lot of elaborate scrollwork and trim on its front. It had double doors with a lot of glass in them and a window where people could buy tickets to go inside. Posters had been tacked up next to the ticket window announcing that a troupe of actors and entertainers headed by that noted thespian Cyrus O'Hanlon would be performing at the theater. Troubadours and terpsichoreans would put on a show, according to the poster, and after a moment Jamie figured out that was a highfalutin' way of saying singers and dancers. The troupe would also perform excerpts from famous plays through the ages, ranging from Sophocles and Aristophanes to the immortal bard of Avon, William Shakespeare himself. There were pictures of the various players, including several women. Jamie knew that most people considered actresses to be little better than whores, an attitude that had always irritated him because one of his daughters was an actress and she was as fine a young woman as anybody would ever want to meet. He might take in the show while he was in Kansas City, he told himself. If he stayed around long enough. Never could tell when he might take the notion to just up and go. That was what he'd been doing for a while. Drifting. Ever since he had finished the grim chore of avenging his wife Kate's murder. Over the course of several years he had tracked down and killed forty-four members of the gang of outlaws responsible for Kate's death. It had been a long, hard, bloody road he had followed, and the taking of it had drained something from him. When his quest had come to an end, he could have returned to MacCallister's Valley in Colorado and settled down to live out his life on the ranch there, surrounded by his and Kate's children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. It would have been a quiet, comfortable life. But that wasn't Jamie Ian MacCallister's way. He had stayed home for a while, long enough to visit with all the young ones, then he'd slapped a saddle on Sundown, the horse he'd gotten from his son Falcon. Some folks considered Sundown a killer horse, but he and Jamie had come to an understanding and the stallion had served the big man well. From Colorado, he had set out on a journey of memory, determined to revisit many of the places where he had been in his long life, places that were important to him. He'd started out by riding all the way down into East Texas, to the place where he and Kate had been married, where their first child, a daughter named Karen who hadn't survived infancy, was buried. Knowing that he might never get back there, he had found the grave site, carved a new marker for it, and said his final farewell to his little girl. Then he'd turned Sundown's nose west, an appropriate direction considering the horse's name. On across the Southwest he'd gone, adventuring a mite along the way. Then a great loop to the north and back down the Great Plains. Jamie had considered going all the way to St. Louis, then decided that Kansas City was far enough east for him. He could resupply there and he and Sundown could rest for a few days, then they would head back to Colorado. Assuming something more interesting didn't come along first. CHAPTER TWO Dusk was settling down over Kansas City and lights were being lit in most of the buildings. None were brighter than those in the Bella Royale Saloon. The place was so big it took up an entire block, with its entrance situated on one of the corners. Gaily colored lamps hung along the boardwalks on both streets that flanked the double doors. As Jamie paused to watch, a fellow in a swamper's apron went along lighting those lamps with a long match. Even though the doors were closed, Jamie could hear music and laughter coming from inside the place. Obviously, folks had a good time in the Bella Royale. He had planned to return to the store where he had left his horses, put in an order with the proprietor for a load of supplies, and then ask the man for recommendations of good places to eat and sleep, as well as a livery stable where his animals would be cared for properly. As he looked at the gaudy saloon, though, he realized that he had a thirst. It wouldn't hurt anything to wash some of the trail dust out of his throat before he got around to those other things, he decided. Once Jamie had made up his mind, he didn't wait around. He strode across the street, opened one of the doors, and stepped into the Bella Royale. Noise and smoke filled the air, along with the odors of beer, whiskey, bay rum, unwashed flesh, and human waste. The sawdust sprinkled liberally on the floor couldn't soak up all of that typical saloon smell. Jamie's nose wrinkled slightly. Anybody who had ever taken a deep breath of early morning, high country air like he had thousands of times in his life could never be satisfied with this . . . stench. But he could put up with it long enough to down a mug of beer. Then he'd go on about his business. He had seen a lot of horses tied up at the hitch rails outside the saloon, so he wasn't surprised that the place was doing a brisk business. He recognized some of the men lined up along the bar as the ones who had ridden past him in the street a few minutes earlier. The one called Eldon, who seemed to be their leader, stood with his back to the bar, his elbows resting on it as his eyes scanned the room. His gaze lighted on Jamie, but stayed there for only a second. Evidently he didn't consider the big man in buckskins all that interesting. That was fine with Jamie. He walked to the bar, found an empty spot where he could belly up to the hardwood, and nodded to the apron-wearing bartender who came along to take his order. The man had a pleasant, round face that seemed even rounder because he parted his thinning brown hair in the middle and slicked it down. "What can I do for you, mister?" the bartender asked as Jamie laid the Winchester on the bar. The man looked at the rifle, but didn't say anything about it. "If your beer's cold I'll take a mug of it." "Coldest in Kansas City," the bartender replied with a grin. "At least that's what they tell me. I can't say as I've sampled all of it to know for sure. That'd make a good hobby for a man, wouldn't it?" "If he didn't have anything better to do," Jamie said with a grunt. He had always been plainspoken and didn't plan to change his ways. The bartender raised his eyebrows and then shrugged. "Whatever you say, my friend." He filled a mug with beer from a tap and slid it in front of Jamie. "That'll be six bits." "Think mighty highly of the stuff, don't you?" "I don't set the prices," the bartender said as he spread his hands and shrugged. "I just work here." Jamie took a couple coins from the buckskin poke he carried and dropped them on the bar. Then he picked up the mug and took a long swallow of the beer. It was cold and had a good flavor to it, to boot. Maybe it was worth six bits, after all. "Are you callin' me a liar?" The loud, angry voice came from one of the tables where men were sitting and drinking, as opposed to the gambling layouts in the rear half of the big room. Jamie barely glanced over his shoulder at the disturbance. Men got their dander up in saloons all the time. It went hand in hand with guzzling down cheap liquor. As long as the ruckus didn't have anything to do with him, he made it a habit to mind his own business. Another man at the table said, "I didn't call you a liar, Ralston. I just said you'd have a hard time gettin' those wagons to Montana before winter sets in." The man called Ralston smacked a big fist down on the table so hard it made the glasses on it jump. "And I'm sayin' I'll do it!" he insisted. "I'll have those pilgrims in their new homes by Christmas, by Godfrey! An' if you say I can't do it, then you're callin' me a liar!" Judging by the loud, slurred quality of Ralston's voice, he was drunk. Jamie watched in the bar mirror as Ralston leaned over the table and made his point by jabbing a blunt finger against his fellow drinker's chest. That man swatted Ralston's hand away impatiently, and Ralston seized that as an excuse to start the trouble he obviously wanted to. He lunged out of his chair, fist cocked to throw a punch. Jamie sighed, set his half-finished beer on the bar, and turned around. "Hold it!" he snapped. Ralston stopped with his fist poised. He was a thick-bodied man with a round-crowned, broad-brimmed hat tilted back on a thatch of sandy hair. A soup-strainer mustache of the same shade drooped over his mouth. His face was red, the nose swollen from habitual drunken binges. "Who in tarnation are you?" he demanded as he glared at Jamie. Good intentions to avoid trouble notwithstanding, Jamie didn't like the conversation he had just overheard. He stepped toward the table. Sensing a possible ruckus in the offing, a lot of the saloon's patrons had quieted down to see what was going to happen. The girls who worked there, dressed in short, spangled dresses, moved well clear of the table where Ralston stood glowering at the big stranger. Jamie didn't answer Ralston's question about who he was. Instead, he asked one of his own. "Did I hear you say that you're taking that wagon train to Montana?" "That's right. What business is it of yours?" "You're the wagon master?" Jamie's tone of voice clearly registered his disbelief and disapproval. "Damn right I am! Jeb Ralston, finest wagon master on the frontier!" Jamie's skeptical grunt made it plain how he felt about that claim. From the corner of his eye, he saw one of the saloon's front doors swing open. A slender man stepped inside quickly and closed it behind him. He wore a black suit and hat and a collarless white shirt, and a pair of spectacles perched on his nose. He looked utterly harmless, and Jamie barely took note of him since nearly all of his attention was focused on Jeb Ralston. "Look, I'm not trying to pick a fight," Jamie told Ralston. "But it's too late in the year to be starting out to Montana from here. You won't make it before winter, and you don't want to be up there on those plains when the northers start sweeping down from Canada." Ralston sneered at him. "How do you know so much about it?" "Because I've been there myself," Jamie said harshly. "I nearly died in a few of those blizzards." "This doesn't concern you, old man. You'd better shut up and go back to your beer." Jamie wasn't in the habit of backing down when he knew he was right. "If you start to Montana now, you'll be risking the lives of every one of those pilgrims." "They paid me to do the job, and by Godfrey, I'm gonna do it!" "Then they made a bad mistake by hiring a drunken fool like you." He knew Ralston wouldn't stand for that insult. He didn't care. It was true, and Jamie Ian MacCallister was a man who spoke the truth. Ralston's face flushed darker. His eyes widened with outrage. He drew in a deep breath, bellowed in anger, and charged Jamie like a maddened bull. CHAPTER THREE Jamie expected the attack. Ralston was big—although not as big as Jamie—and probably plenty strong. More than likely he had plenty of experience brawling in saloons. But Jamie had fought for his life in desperate battles hundreds of times. He stepped aside, grabbed Ralston, and used the man's own momentum to heave him up and over the bar. Ralston let out a startled yell as he sailed through the air. The crash as he landed against the back bar cut off that yell and replaced it with the sound of bottles shattering. Ralston bounced off and landed in the floor behind the bar. The slick-haired bartender stood a few feet away, his eyes bugging out as he stared at Jamie. The man babbled, "You . . . you just picked him up . . . and threw him!" "Yeah," Jamie said. "Sorry about all the damage. I'll pay for it." He could well afford to. During his wanderings over the past five decades, he had cached small fortunes in gold and silver in numerous places across the West. In addition, he had an entire cave full of Spanish treasure that had been hidden there a couple of centuries earlier. All of that didn't include the money he had made from his ranch and the other successful businesses in which he had invested, many of them operated by family members. The MacCallisters were a dynasty, and a mighty wealthy one, at that. Jamie was aware that the room was completely silent as he took out his poke and counted five double eagles onto the bar. That was more than enough to cover the cost of the spilled liquor. He glanced at his still half-full mug of beer and decided he was in no mood to finish it. "When that fella wakes up"—he nodded toward the area behind the bar where Ralston had fallen—"somebody ought to try to talk some sense into him about starting for Montana this late in the year. If he won't listen to reason, somebody needs to warn those pilgrims he plans to lead them right into trouble." "Nobody talks sense to Jeb Ralston, mister," the bartender said. "He has his own ideas, and he's not shy about using his fists to defend them." "Well, it backfired on him this time, didn't it?" Jamie turned away from the bar to leave the saloon. He had taken only a couple of steps when somebody yelled, "Look out!" Jamie whirled around, and saw that Ralston had regained his senses and climbed to the top of the bar. He leaped from it in a diving tackle aimed at Jamie. Unable to get out of the way in time, Ralston's weight slammed into Jamie's left shoulder, the collision's impact making Jamie stagger. He stayed on his feet, though, planted his left hand in the middle of Ralston's chest, and shoved him back a step. With enough room, Jamie swung a right-hand punch that landed on Ralston's jaw like a pile driver. The blow jerked Ralston's head to the side but didn't put him down. Drunk he might be, but it surely wasn't the first fight he'd had when he was full of booze. He hooked a right fist of his own into Jamie's midsection. The punch landed with considerable power. Ralston could hit. Jamie sent a short, sharp left into the wagon master's face. Ralston came back with a left of his own that tagged Jamie on the chin. For several long moments as the saloon filled with cheers and shouts of encouragement on both sides, the two men stood toe to toe and slugged it out. They were pretty evenly matched, but Jamie was a little taller and heavier and had a slightly longer reach. Those things gave him an advantage. The wagon master fought with the intensity of a crazed animal, though, and for one of the few times in his life, Jamie found himself being forced to give ground a little. His back came up against the bar. Bracing himself against it, he hunched his shoulders to protect his head and snapped two quick lefts into Ralston's face. Ralston's nose was redder and more swollen, but it was from being hit, not drinking. Jamie whipped a right into Ralston's solar plexus. The wagon master leaned forward, his face going gray from the shock of the blow. He lowered his head and plowed forward. The top of his head rammed Jamie's chin, forcing his head back. Jamie grabbed hold of Ralston and pulled him in closer, grappling with him. He got his arms around Ralston's waist and swung him into the air again. The muscles of Jamie's arms, back, and shoulders swelled so much from the effort it looked almost like they were about to burst through the buckskin shirt he wore. Once Ralston was off his feet, he couldn't get his balance to fight anymore. Jamie turned him upside-down and then lifted the wagon master into the air above his head. It was an amazing feat of strength, the stuff of which legends were made. As he supported that massive burden, Jamie took a couple of stiff-legged steps and then smashed Ralston down onto one of the empty tables. Wood splintered and cracked as the table collapsed under the impact. Ralston lay there senseless among the wreckage of the table. He wouldn't be getting up any time soon, Jamie thought. A frown creased his forehead as he saw just how true that was. Ralston's right leg was twisted at an odd, unnatural angle. Something white stuck out through a bloody rip in his trousers. Jamie drew in a deep breath as he realized it was the jagged end of a bone. He had broken the wagon master's leg. He wasn't the only one to notice that. A man in the crowd yelled, "Holy cow! Look at Ralston's leg!" "Somebody better fetch a doctor!" another man added excitedly. Jamie scowled. He had set plenty of broken bones in his time and had no doubt that he could do a passable job on Ralston's leg, but he reminded himself that he was in the middle of a good-sized city where there were probably a number of doctors practicing medicine. It would be better to leave the job to one of them. He noticed the fellow who had come into the Bella Royale just as the fight was starting. The man edged forward to stare at Ralston's unconscious form. His eyes were big with horror behind the spectacles he wore. One of the saloon's patrons nudged the man with an elbow and asked, "What's the matter, mister? Ain't you never seen somebody with a busted leg before?" "Yes, but . . . but . . ." the man stammered. "That . . . that's a piece of bone sticking out!" He suddenly clamped a hand over his mouth, whirled around, and sprinted for the door as several of the customers guffawed at him. The door was still open from the man's hasty departure when another man stepped in, this one a burly, middle-aged individual with a badge pinned to his coat lapel. He had a revolver on his hip and a shotgun tucked under his arm. He strode toward the bar and said in a loud voice, "All right, all right, everybody just settle down. What happened here?" He stopped and frowned at Ralston. "Good Lord, that man's leg is broken!" One thing you could say about folks in Kansas City, Jamie thought. They seemed to have a firm grasp of the obvious. The constable or deputy or whatever he was glared around the room and demanded, "Somebody tell me what happened here. Who busted this man's leg?" Jamie saved everybody the trouble of pointing him out by saying, "That was me." The lawman looked him up and down, still frowning darkly. "And who might you be?" "Name's Jamie Ian MacCallister." Despite the lawman having told them to be quiet, that announcement brought a stir from the crowd. Probably not everyone in the Bella Royale recognized the name, but a lot of them did. Jamie was one of the most famous men on the frontier, and his recent campaign of vengeance against the Miles Nelson gang had added to his already staggering reputation. "MacCallister, eh?" the lawman said after a moment. "What did Ralston do, look crossways at you?" The bartender spoke up. "That's not fair, Deputy. Ralston started the fight. He was drunk and obnoxious, as usual, and he attacked Mr. MacCallister. Mr. MacCallister was just defending himself." "I suppose Ralston should be glad you didn't defend yourself with those Colts," the deputy muttered. "How many men is it you've killed now?" "I don't keep count," Jamie replied curtly. "But I never killed a single one that didn't need killing." The deputy looked like he wanted to say something in response to that, but he didn't. He looked around at the crowd. "Has anybody gone for a doctor?" The saloon's customers looked back at him mutely. "Well, what in blazes is wrong with you?" the deputy roared. "Somebody go and do that!" Several men hurried out of the saloon. The lawman went on. "Anybody here want to argue with the claim that MacCallister acted in self-defense? No?" He blew out an exasperated breath and turned back to Jamie. "I reckon there's no point in arresting you. Under the circumstances, a judge would just dismiss any charges against you." "And justifiably so," the bartender put in. "Nobody's gonna shed any tears over what happened to Ralston. This wasn't the first fight he's caused in here over the past few years, since he showed up and started guiding those wagon trains west. He just picked the wrong fella to try to buffalo this time." The lawman looked at Jamie through narrowed eyes. "Just try to stay out of trouble the rest of the time you're in town, MacCallister. I know your reputation. Anywhere you go, all hell seems to break loose." "That's hell's choice, not mine," Jamie said. The deputy stomped out. As the customers returned to their drinking and gambling and flirting with the saloon girls, the bartender said, "Let me set you up with a real drink, Mr. MacCallister. On the house, of course." "I'm obliged, but what I'd really like is a good meal. Where's the best place to eat in this town?" "Herbert's Steak House, three blocks up and one to the right, is mighty good," the bartender said. "Tell 'em Clancy sent you. That's me." "I'll do that," Jamie promised. He took one more look at Ralston, who was still sprawled on the floor, shook his head, picked up his rifle, and walked out. The room buzzed behind him as people talked about having seen the famous Jamie Ian MacCallister in action. He had never thought of himself as being any sort of famous personage, even though he was. He just went about his business and did what had to be done. As he stepped out onto the boardwalk in front of the saloon, movement to his left caught his attention. He stopped and turned that way, his right hand going to the Colt on his hip. His fingers closed around the gun's grips, but he didn't draw it. The bespectacled man who had run out of the saloon a few minutes earlier stood there. His face was pale and drawn, and he looked scared. He took an involuntary step back and held out his hands, palms toward Jamie. "Please, Mr. MacCallister! Don't shoot me!" CHAPTER FOUR Jamie frowned at the stranger for a second, then took his hand away from his gun and said sharply, "Take it easy, mister. I'm not in the habit of going around shooting people unless they shoot at me first." "That . . . that's good to know. I mean you no harm, Mr. MacCallister." Jamie grunted. The fellow was about half his size and didn't look like any sort of gunslinger or knife artist. The chances of him being able to do any harm were about zero. Jamie wasn't rude enough to point that out, however. "How you do know my name? You ran out of there before I said what it was." "The deputy left the door open some when he went in. I listened to what was going on inside after I . . ." He looked toward the alley. "Well, after my . . . my digestion settled down. From the way people in there were acting, they seemed to recognize your name." "You don't?" "No. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't." A grin split Jamie's rugged face. "Nothing to be sorry about. I don't know your name, either." "Oh. That's right. It's Moses. Moses Danzig." Jamie extended his right hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Danzig." His big paw pretty much swallowed up the other man's hand. Moses Danzig looked nervous, like he was afraid that Jamie would crush his fingers, but Jamie took it easy on him. After they'd shook, Moses said, "Obviously, you're some sort of frontiersman." "Some sort, yeah," Jamie agreed. "Would you happen to be looking for work?" Jamie rubbed his chin. "Not really. But what did you have in mind?" Moses took a deep breath and went on. "I'm traveling with the wagon train that's supposed to pull out tomorrow. We're going to have to find a new wagon master and guide." He paused, then added dryly, "Somebody broke the leg of the one we had." Jamie looked at the smaller man for a moment, then burst out laughing. Moses Danzig might not be very big and his stomach might be a little delicate at the sight of blood, but he had some sand in his craw, that was for sure. "Well, Mr. Danzig, that is a problem, but I can't help you. In fact, I was thinking as I left the saloon just now that it was a good thing Ralston jumped me the way he did. I didn't want trouble with him, but at least with him laid up, that wagon train will be stuck here until spring." "But we can't wait until spring," Moses insisted. "We have to get started to Montana now." Jamie shook his head. "It's too late in the year. You can't get there before winter sets in. Ralston ought to have known that. It's too dangerous." "Mr. Ralston promised he could get us to our destination by Christmas." Jamie snorted and shook his head. "Even if he managed to do that, it's still five or six weeks too late. You might be able to travel up until the end of November, but even that's mighty chancy." "He said winter was going to be late this year. He'd studied the almanac and all the signs and that if we made it by Christmas we would be all right." "And you'd trust your life to some drunk saying that?" Jamie asked. "Because that's what you'd be doing." "It doesn't matter," Moses said, his voice growing hollow with despair. "We can't stay here, you see. There's no money. Everyone with the wagon train . . . spent everything they had to get this far and buy supplies for the rest of the trip." "You've got those supplies," Jamie pointed out. "Live on them until spring." Moses shook his head. "They won't last that long, and even if they did, we couldn't afford to buy more for the rest of the journey." "Sure you could. Some of the folks could get jobs and work over the winter." "Most of the families saved for years to afford to come out here, Mr. MacCallister. They couldn't make enough in a few months. No, they have to reach those homesteads waiting for them in Montana or give up their dreams." "Then maybe that's just what they should do," Jamie said bluntly. "Would you?" Moses asked. "I don't know you, Mr. MacCallister, but you don't strike me as the sort of man who would give up on much of anything you wanted." That was true enough, Jamie thought. When the Good Lord made him, He'd put in a few extra pinches of stubbornness. Sheer muleheadedness, Kate would have called it. And she had, on more than one occasion. "What is it you want me to do?" "You're a frontiersman," Moses said. "Evidently quite an accomplished one, from the way the people in the saloon were acting when they found out who you are. It seems to me that the answer is simple." "I'm listening," Jamie said. "You can take us to Montana." CHAPTER FIVE Jamie didn't know whether to laugh or let out a disgusted snort, but he did neither. "I told you, Moses, I'm not looking for work." "I'll wager that you've guided wagon trains before, though, haven't you?" Jamie's broad shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. As a matter of fact, he had guided several wagon trains to where they were going, but that didn't mean he wanted to do it again, especially under these circumstances. "And you know the country," Moses went on. "You told Mr. Ralston you'd been up there." "I've been to Montana Territory," Jamie admitted. "Where are the homesteads you people are claiming?" "They're in a place called Eagle Valley. Do you know it?" Jamie frowned slightly. "I know it, all right. It's a beautiful little valley with plenty of decent land for farms and ranches. The last time I was there, though, it was covered with buffalo. The Sioux and the Blackfeet considered it part of their hunting grounds and fought over it now and then." "Mr. Hendricks was assured that the Indians in the area had been pacified." Jamie snorted disgustedly. "Who's this fella Hendricks?" "The captain of the wagon train. His name is Lamar Hendricks." Jamie knew that wagon train captain was an elected position, making Hendricks the leader of the immigrants, but it was a title without much real power. The wagon master was really the one in charge. And this bunch didn't have one, since, as Moses had correctly pointed out, Jamie had broken the son of a gun's leg. "Who told Hendricks the Indians weren't a threat?" "Someone with the government. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, I believe. I don't really know the details." That answer didn't surprise Jamie. There must be something in the water in Washington, D.C., that made all those bureaucrats think they knew better about everything than everybody else. Darned fools was what they really were. "I wouldn't go so far as to say that the Indians are pacified. From what I hear, there hasn't been much trouble up there lately, but that's because the big buffalo herds have moved north into Canada and most of the bands have followed them. They could come back any time, and then it's liable to start all over again." "Captain Hendricks and his people just want to live peacefully. I'm sure they'll make every effort to get along with the Indians." Jamie didn't say anything in response to that. All across the frontier, settlers had risked their lives moving into areas where the Indians didn't want them. Running such risks was just part of being a pioneer. The choice was up to them. He was curious about something else, though. "You mentioned Hendricks and his people. Aren't you one of 'em?" Moses smiled and pushed his spectacles up on his nose. "Not really. I'm just traveling with their wagon train, and they agreed to let me stay with them in Eagle Valley until the spring. But when winter's done I'll be moving on to Oregon. I'm supposed to take over a synagogue in Portland." "That's like a Hebrew church, isn't it?" "That's right. I'm a rabbi." Jamie grunted. "First one I've ever met, I reckon. I figured you were a farmer like most homesteaders are." "I am. It's just the crop I help to cultivate consists of people's souls. It's a calling that I've followed all the way from my home in Poland." "From Poland all the way to the American frontier. That's quite a journey." "And it's not finished yet," Moses said quietly. "But I need your help to get where I'm going, Mr. MacCallister. All of us with the wagon train do." "Eagle Valley, eh?" Jamie mused. "Yes. If you could find it in your heart to at least talk to Mr. Hendricks and meet the others . . ." "Well, I suppose that wouldn't hurt anything." Even as he said it, Jamie wondered if he was making a big mistake. He wasn't the sort of man to brood over such things, though, so he put that uncertainty out of his mind. All he'd agreed to do was talk to Lamar Hendricks. He could try to convince Hendricks that it would be best to lay over in Kansas City until the spring. By then, they ought to be able to find another wagon master. Shoot, if it came right down to it, he could help those pilgrims out with enough money to tide them over. He'd never miss it. As long as he had enough for food and ammunition and a few other supplies, that was all he needed while he was on the drift. Moses had a big grin on his face. "That's wonderful, Mr. MacCallister. Come with me and I'll introduce you. You'll stay for supper and get to know everyone. You'll see what a fine group it is." "I need to fetch my horses first and find a livery stable for them." "Bring them with you," Moses suggested. "You can put them in with our livestock. I'm sure you'd all be welcome to spend the night." "You're bound and determined to rope me into this, aren't you?" "It just seems like such a fitting solution. I mean, since you're the one responsible for Mr. Ralston's injury—" "He brought that on himself," Jamie said. "I know, I know. I'm just saying that everything works out for a reason. Like tonight, when Captain Hendricks asked me to look for Mr. Ralston and I had a feeling I'd find him in that saloon—" "I was wondering what you were doing there." "I was looking for the man who's going to lead us to the promised land." Moses chuckled. "And I think I found him, just not the one I intended." As they started walking along the street, Jamie scowled. "If I remember right from reading the Good Book, it was an hombre named Moses who led the Israelites to the promised land. Maybe your name is the Lord's way of saying that you should have the job." "Me?" Moses said with a squeak in his voice. "The biblical Moses took the Israelites to Canaan, all right, but he never set foot in it himself. All he could do was look across the River Jordan at it and see that it was good." A worried note came into his voice. "Do you think that's a bad omen for me, Mr. MacCallister? That I'll make it to Montana but never set foot in Eagle Valley?" Jamie didn't know how to answer that. His ideas of faith and spirituality came more from the Indians than from any of the so-called organized religions. He slapped a big hand against Moses's back hard enough to make the smaller man stumble a little. "Don't worry about that. For now, let's try to figure out the best way to get there." "Does that mean—" Jamie shrugged. "It means I'll talk to those folks and think about it." CHAPTER SIX Inside the Bella Royale Saloon, people were still talking about the brutal fight between Jeb Ralston and Jamie Ian MacCallister. It wasn't every day folks got to see a brawl involving a legendary frontiersman like MacCallister who was known from one end of the West to the other. It was something many of them would tell their grandchildren about. Eldon Swint didn't seem too impressed. He sat at one of the tables with several of his men, a bottle and glass in front of him. He filled his glass again, then leaned back in a chair and stretched out his long legs. "People talk about that fella MacCallister like he was Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie and Kit Carson all rolled into one. He didn't look so dang special to me. Just another old man who ain't had the sense to die yet." Swint downed the drink and licked his lips. "You must be joshin', boss," Three-Finger Jake Lucas said. He was a handsome young man with a quick, cocky grin and a full head of brown hair under his tipped back hat. The last two fingers of his left hand were gone, pinched off cleanly when he got them trapped between his rope and saddle horn as he took a dally to stop a runaway steer during a drive up the trail from Texas. It was a mistake many cowboys had made, which was why many of them were missing a finger or two. Jake had taken the accident hard. It had embittered him, and when the herd he was with reached Abilene and the Texas crew started home, Jake hadn't gone with them. He had stayed in Abilene, spent all his wages on a monumental drunk, and vowed never to return home in his mutilated state. In the four years since then, he had fallen in with bad company, as they say. His best friend Bodie Cantrell knew that . . . because he was a member of that so-called bad company himself. Bodie was sitting at the table with Swint, Jake, and three other men, all of them drinking heavily. Bodie had a pretty fuzzy glow going from the liquor. He didn't like to get drunk as much as some of his companions did, but from time to time he gave in to the urge, anyway. The whiskey usually helped him forget what had happened in Kansas a couple weeks earlier. It wasn't helping so much that night. "It's just a little flag stop out in the middle of nowhere," Eldon Swint said. "There's only one man on duty at night. He's the telegrapher, ticket agent, and baggage clerk, all in one. When we throw down on him, he'll put that flag up, you can bet a hat on that." "Yeah, but will the train stop?" one of the men asked. "It's not an express. It'll stop," Swint said confidently. "That's what it's supposed to do." "Why would they ship all that money from the mint on a train that's not an express?" Bodie asked. "That doesn't make sense to me." "Because they're tryin' to be tricky. They don't think anybody'll suspect the shipment's on a local like that. They got a whole series of 'em set up to get the money from Denver to St. Louis." The outlaws sat their horses on a slight rise looking north toward a small settlement on the rolling Kansas plains. The railroad tracks ran straight as a string east and west, disappearing in the distance in both directions. A small depot sat next to the tracks on the north side, and behind it was the settlement's short, single street with half a dozen businesses on each side. At the far end of the street stood a whitewashed church that doubled as a schoolhouse during the week. Maybe two dozen residences were scattered around haphazardly. Bodie didn't know the name of the place. It was so small it didn't really deserve one, although he was sure it had some sort of official designation on railroad maps since there was a station there. One of the men said to Swint, "You're sure you can trust the fella who told you about all this, boss?" "I'm sure," Swint said with an ugly grin. "He thought he was sellin' out the government for a share of the loot, so he didn't have any reason to lie. He sure was surprised when he found out that his share was a bullet!" Swint's haw-haw of laughter made Bodie's guts clench. He was well aware that he wasn't riding with a bunch of choir boys, but Eldon Swint making a joke out of cold-blooded murder rubbed him the wrong way. Bodie had done plenty of things he wasn't proud of in his life. He had been on his own since he was nine years old, when both his parents had died of a fever while the family was on its way west. The only way he had survived the fifteen years since was by doing whatever it took, even if that meant breaking a few laws. He had stolen money and food plenty of times, and after he got older he had stuck a gun in men's faces and made them hand over their valuables. But he had never killed anybody while committing his crimes, or any other time, either. Maybe he'd just been lucky that things had worked out that way, but he liked to think it was more than that. He hoped he still had a shred of decency left in him. Nobody would ever say that about Eldon Swint. The man had a reputation for being cunning and ruthless, and it was well deserved. The gang he led had been growing for several years, its latest recruits being Bodie Cantrell and Jake Lucas. The two young men had quickly become good friends. Jake had opened up a little to him during long nights standing guard while the gang was on the run from the law. It was how Bodie knew about the bitterness hidden behind Jake's easygoing grin. They were on the verge of pulling their biggest job yet. According to the information Swint had gotten, almost $80,000 in new gold coins would be on the train coming through Kansas tonight, on their way to several banks in St. Louis. Even divided among the almost two dozen men in the gang, that was more than three grand apiece. Bodie could hardly conceive of having that much money. Once he had his share of the loot, he could quit the gang, head farther west, maybe even start a little spread somewhere. After a decade and a half of drifting around, struggling to survive, getting in and out of trouble, the idea of settling down and trying to forge a real life for himself held a powerful appeal. "The east bound's due to come through a little after eight o'clock tonight," Swint went on. "If we all ride in there before that, it's bound to raise some suspicions. So here's what we'll do. Four of us will ride in. Me, of course"—he looked around the gang—"and Charley." Charley Green was one of Swint's top lieutenants. He had been in the gang for a couple years. Swint pointed to another man. "You, too, Hinkley, and . . . Cantrell. You'll be the fourth man." Bodie nodded. He wasn't sure what Swint had in mind for the four of them to do, and he would have just as soon not been picked by the boss outlaw, but he would go along with whatever he needed to do. He wanted that stake. "We'll ride in as soon as it gets dark," Swint continued. "Maybe have a drink in the saloon and size the place up. Then we'll drift over to the depot one by one and get the drop on the fella working there. Once he's raised the flag to get the eastbound to stop, we'll signal the rest of you. You'll be waitin' up here. As soon as the train pulls in, all of you charge down to the station and make sure nobody interferes with us while we're gettin' that loot out of the express car." Bodie had to admit, the plan sounded like it would work. If everything broke their way, they would ride off into the night $80,000 richer, without a shot being fired. It would be a good way to end his career as a desperado, he thought. CHAPTER SEVEN Later that afternoon, while they were waiting in a small grove of cottonwoods for night to fall, Jake came over to Bodie. "I wish the boss had picked me as one of the four to go into town tonight." "It doesn't really matter," Bodie said. "You'll get your share either way." "Yeah, I know, but you boys get to have a drink first, maybe even pat some calico cat on the rump while you're waitin'. I get to hang around out here with a bunch of stinkin', whiskery ol' owlhoots." "I'll be sure to drink a shot of whiskey and flirt with a soiled dove for you," Bodie said with a grin. "Yeah, you do that." Jake grew more serious. "Just keep your eyes open, Bodie. Could be you'll have a chance to slip a few of those double eagles in your pocket without Eldon noticin'. I'll expect you to share your good fortune if you do." Bodie frowned. "I'm not sure I'd risk that, even if I did have a chance. Eldon would put a bullet through a man's head, sure as sin, if he tried to help himself to more than his fair share." "Maybe," Jake said with a shrug. "And maybe it'd be worth the risk." Bodie didn't say anything else about that, and neither did Jake. Bodie worried, though, that sooner or later his friend would give in to temptation and try to double-cross Swint. That could lead to bad trouble. Bodie felt himself getting tense as night approached. The time seemed to go by fast. Too soon, Swint was calling out, "All right, boys, mount up. Time for us to go." The three men he had picked to accompany him swung into their saddles. They circled west of the settlement, crossed the railroad tracks, and came in from that direction. The saloon didn't have a sign on it, just the word SALOON painted in big letters on the upper part of the false front. Swint, Bodie, Hinkley, and Green tied their horses at the hitch rail in front of it and went inside. The place wasn't very busy. Four men were playing poker at a table; three more stood at the bar drinking while a single bartender lazily polished glasses with a grimy rag. Bodie didn't see a woman in the place, so if he told Jake any stories about flirting with one, he'd have to lie. The bartender wasn't talkative like a lot of drink jugglers were. He brought their beers and left them alone, which was fine with Bodie. He'd hoped the beer would calm his nerves a little, but that didn't seem to be the case. He would be glad when the robbery was over and done with. Despite all the things he had done, maybe he wasn't cut out to be an outlaw. When it was good and dark, Swint downed what was left of the beer he'd been nursing and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. "See you later, boys." The other three knew what that meant. Swint was on his way to the depot. The rest of them would follow at short intervals. Green would go first, then Hinkley, and finally Bodie. Soon he was the last of the quartet in the saloon, and it occurred to him that he could go outside, get on his horse, and ride away. The other three were all waiting down at the train station. They wouldn't be able to stop him. He didn't have to go through with it. He could put this life of banditry behind him right here and now. But where would he go and what would he do? Not nearly as far or as much as he could with $3,000, he told himself. No, he would do what he'd said he would do, he decided. He wasn't going to run out on his partners. He left the saloon and strolled toward the station in apparent innocence. As he neared it, a hiss came from the thick shadows beside the building. Bodie darted into the gloom and found the other three men waiting there for him. "All right," Swint whispered. "Cantrell, you go in and ask the fella if the train's on time. That'll distract him while we come in the platform door." Bodie nodded, realized that Swint couldn't see him in the darkness, and said, "I understand." He left them there and stepped back into the dim glow of the lantern that hung over the depot's entrance. Trying not to look as nervous as he felt, he went inside and found himself in a small, dusty waiting room with a ticket window to the left and a storage room to the right. A door on the other side of the waiting room led out onto the platform. The night was warm, and the platform door was open to allow some cross-ventilation. If the agent was behind the ticket window, Bodie would have to lure him into the waiting room some way. Luck was with him, though, and the man emerged from the storeroom, dusting his hands off from moving something around in there. He was a middle-aged, balding man wearing a green eyeshade. With a friendly smile, he asked Bodie, "Something I can do for you, young fella?" "Is the eastbound train on time?" The agent scratched at his jaw. "Yeah, I reckon. Haven't heard anything saying otherwise. You need to buy a ticket? I can flag it down for you if you do. Ought to be here in another fifteen, twenty minutes." While the man was talking, Swint and the other two cat-footed into the depot from the platform behind him. Bodie had to use all his willpower not to look directly at them and give the game away. Of course, it wouldn't really matter if he did. They outnumbered the agent four to one, and he didn't even appear to be armed. Swint put the barrel of his revolver against the back of the man's neck and eared back the hammer. The metallic ratcheting echoed sinisterly in the small room. "Oh, you'll flag down the train, all right, friend. Now don't you move." The agent stiffened and his eyes widened in fear. Bodie felt sorry for the man. He drew his gun and told him, "You just do what we tell you and you'll be all right." The agent's mouth opened and closed, but he didn't say anything. Swint prodded him with the gun again. "You understand, friend?" "S-Sure," the agent stammered. "Just don't kill me." "I won't shoot you," Swint promised. "Not as long as you cooperate." "What is it you fellas want? That train's not carrying anything except freight and a few passengers. There's nothing special in the express car." Swint laughed. "That shows how much you know, amigo. The railroad don't tell you little fellas about the deals it makes with the government. They probably figure it's safer that way, keepin' you in the dark. Might have been, too, if somebody hadn't sold 'em out." "Mister, I don't have the slightest idea what you're talkin' about." "That don't matter. Just come with me and raise that flag so the engineer'll know to stop. You be sure to give him the right signal, too. No mistakes or you'll be mighty sorry." As Swint started to take the agent out onto the platform, he glanced back at Bodie and added, "Go get the horses." Bodie nodded, pouched his iron, and hurried out of the depot. He was back in less than five minutes, leading all four horses. He tied them outside the station and went back in. Hinkley and Green were standing watch just inside the door, in case any of the townspeople should show up, but Bodie saw right away that wasn't the case. The depot was just as empty as he'd left it. Swint waited on the far side of the waiting room by the platform door. Bodie frowned as he realized he didn't see the agent. Then he glanced toward the storeroom door, which was still partially open, and stiffened as he saw a pair of legs on the floor. "What in blazes?" Bodie muttered. He pushed the door open farther and drew in a startled breath as light from the waiting room spilled over the man's motionless body. A dark pool of blood was spreading slowly around his head. Bodie could see the gaping wound where the man's throat had been cut. He turned his shocked gaze toward Swint. "You told him you weren't going to kill him." "I said I wouldn't shoot him," Swint replied with a leering grin. "I didn't. That trusty knife of mine did the trick and made sure he wouldn't try to warn anybody." A ball of sickness rolled around Bodie's guts. He had seen violent death before, more times than he liked to think about, but this was cold-blooded murder and he didn't like it. "They hang men for things like this." "Only when they catch 'em," Swint said. "And nobody's gonna catch us, Bodie." In the distance, a train whistle sounded, a long, wailing cry that seemed to Bodie like the howl of a lost soul. . . . The noise faded from his memory and blended in with the racket from a piano in a corner of the Bella Royale that a sleeve-gartered entertainer had started pounding. Bodie was back in Kansas City again, sitting at the table with Swint, Jake Lucas, and several other members of the gang. The rest of the robbery had gone off without a hitch, a couple weeks earlier. The train had rolled in and stopped just like it was supposed to, and the rest of the gang had swarmed over it, taking control of the engineer and the fireman in the locomotive cab, the conductor in the caboose, and the travelers in the two passenger cars. Swint, Bodie, Green, and Hinkley got the drop on the messenger in the express car. The man had thought about putting up a fight, but with four guns staring him in the face, he had thought better of it. And so they had ridden away just as Bodie had hoped, without firing a shot. Even so, they had left a dead man behind them, a dead man whose face still haunted Bodie's dreams from time to time. What made it even worse was that he hadn't been able to leave the gang like he'd planned. Swint was dragging his feet on divvying up the loot. He had said they would do it once they got to Kansas City. Bodie hoped that was true. He wanted to get away from these men. He hoped he could persuade Jake to take his share and come with him. If they partnered up, they could start a fine ranch somewhere with the money they'd have. "I sure wouldn't want to tangle with MacCallister," Jake was saying. "No telling how many badmen he's sent over the divide in his time." "Stories like that always get blown up bigger than they really are," Swint insisted. "I ain't afraid of that old man, or anybody else for that matter. He'll get his comeuppance one o' these days, and if he ever crosses me, I'll give it to him myself. I'll blow his lights out, I will." Part of Bodie would have liked to witness such an encounter. He thought Swint was completely wrong about Jamie Ian MacCallister, and it might be satisfying to watch the results. Swint changed the subject. "Did you boys notice that theater when we were comin' into town? Posters out front said there was gonna be a show. I hope we haven't missed it." CHAPTER EIGHT "Hark! What light through yonder window—Dadblast it! Who put that board there? I almost tripped and broke my bloody neck! We open tomorrow night, my friends. We can't have things like this happening!" Savannah McCoy put a hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter she felt trying to bubble up her throat. The sight of Cyrus O'Hanlon's portly figure in tights and doublet was pretty ridiculous to start with, and the way he had stumbled as he crossed the stage and nearly fallen on his face made him seem even more like a comedian. He would have made a good one, Savannah thought, if he hadn't considered himself the greatest dramatic actor of his generation. Of course, great dramatic actors didn't head up troupes that played in second-rate variety theaters and opera houses across the Midwest, occasionally venturing as far out on the frontier as Kansas City, which seemed like the Wild West of penny dreadful fame to Savannah. She pushed back the rich brown ringlets of hair that kept trying to fall in front of her face when she leaned through Juliet's "window," which was part of the set the troupe had erected on the stage of Mr. Channing's theater. She pulled up the neckline of her dress. Cyrus had designed the costumes, of course. He had a hand in everything the troupe did. He'd had the neckline cut low enough to display what Savannah considered a scandalous amount of cleavage, especially when she leaned forward to say her lines. "Give the rubes in the front row what they want to see," he always said. Savannah didn't like it. Most people already considered actresses to be little better than harlots. They didn't see that it was a true calling, like any other artistic endeavor. She didn't think it was a good idea to reinforce their prejudice by dressing like a saloon girl. So she pulled the dress up as much as she could, but in the end, Cyrus was the boss. That was why, at the age of fifty-five, he was playing the stripling youth, Romeo. Savannah, though six or seven years older than Juliet was supposed to be in the play, was at least a lot closer to the right age. Cyrus took off the hat with a tired-looking feather plume that he wore, ran his fingers through his mostly gray hair as he recovered his composure, and pulled the hat back on. "We'll begin again," he said in a loud, ringing voice. He was so accustomed to projecting to the back of the house that he talked that way all the time. He launched once again into Romeo's balcony speech, and Savannah tried to concentrate on what he was saying so that she couldn't miss her cues. It was difficult to keep her mind from wandering. She had been doing this scene for months, ever since the platform behind the "window" had collapsed during a performance in Chicago, dumping Cyrus's wife Dollie, the previous Juliet, on her amply padded rear end. Even though she hadn't been injured in the fall, following that accident Dollie had declared that she was too old to be clambering around on scenery and told Cyrus to find himself a new Juliet. The role had fallen to Savannah, who had been with the troupe for about a year. After Cyrus had made that announcement, Dollie had taken Savannah aside and told her, "Cyrus sometimes gets carried away and thinks his love scenes with his leading ladies ought to continue offstage. In fact, that's how the two of us wound up married." "Oh, I'm sure that won't ever happen," Savannah had said. "Mr. O'Hanlon is much too professional." "It had better not," Dollie had warned her. "If it does, you're liable to find yourself stranded in some backwater with more livestock than people. Don't think your acting talents would help you then." Since that day, Savannah had learned that there was some truth to what Dollie had told her. Cyrus had made some advances—subtle ones, to be sure—but unmistakable in their intention. Savannah had gotten quite skilled in fending them off without seeming to do so. She realized that Cyrus had paused and knew it was her line. For a split second, she couldn't think of where they were in the scene, but then it came back to her. Her acting instincts were good and hardly ever let her down. She leaned out the window and delivered her line, and below her on the stage Cyrus started emoting once more. Savannah's mind strayed again, back to the stately white mansion in the Georgia city that had given her name to her. At least, the name she was currently using . . . "No daughter of mine is going to be an actress!" William Thorpe thundered as he stalked back and forth in his study. Her father was good at thundering, Gillian Thorpe thought as she steeled herself against his rage. He preferred to shout rather than discuss anything in a calm, rational manner. He seemed to think that whoever was the loudest in any argument was going to prevail. And to be fair, that was usually what happened when William Thorpe was involved. Goodness knew his wife Helen, Gillian's mother, had long since given up ever trying to convince her husband of anything. He would just shout her down. Arguing with a man who was always right, at least in his own head, was just a waste of time and energy. "Of course, Father," Gillian said. "I understand." He stopped short and frowned at her in surprise. "You understand? Does that mean you're going to give up this mad idea of parading yourself on a stage like a painted woman in a house of ill repute?" For a second Gillian wanted to ask her father how he knew so much about painted women and what went on in houses of ill repute, but she decided not to, probably wisely. "No, Father, I understand why you feel the way you do, but I haven't changed my mind. I still believe that it's my destiny to become an actress." "Destiny!" he snorted. "Romantic claptrap! I realize you're just a female, Gillian, and as such it's your nature to bury yourself in folderol and foolishness, but good Lord, girl, I thought better of you than this! I thought I'd raised you better!" Again Gillian had to restrain an impulse, the urge to pick up one of the paperweights on his desk and throw it at him. Just a female, indeed! "You're not the only one who raised me, Father," she pointed out. "I know," he said with a scathing sneer. "And I'm not really surprised that your mother filled your head with so many foolish notions." "She taught me to do what I believe to be right." "You have no business believing anything except what I tell you to believe." That summed it up, all right, Gillian thought. She had a brain in her head, a good brain, but her father didn't want her to use it. As long as she lived under his roof, he wouldn't allow her to use it. So the solution was simple. Terence had been right. If she wanted to do anything worthwhile with her life, she had to get out of there. She had to run away. With him. Terence Flanagan was an actor, a breathtakingly handsome man. Gillian had met him backstage after a performance of a play she and her mother had attended. She had been impressed with him right away and very pleased that he took an interest in her. From that moment on, a friendship had developed between them . . . a friendship that Gillian sensed Terence wanted to turn into something more. She hadn't yet made up her mind about that, but the two of them had gotten close enough that she had confided her ambitions to him. He had been receptive to the idea right away. "There's a spot for you in the company to which I belong, Gillian dear. All you have to do is say the word and I'll speak to the director. We'll soon be leaving on an extended tour, and I'm sure he'd be willing to take you along." "I don't know, Terence. Leaving home seems like such an extreme step. . . ." They were sitting on a bench in one of Savannah's lovely, gracious parks. The city hadn't suffered as much damage in the Late Unpleasantness as Atlanta and Richmond, for example, and these days it looked much the way it had before the war. With so many people around on the bright, beautiful day, Terence had to be discreet, but he reached over and rested his hand on Gillian's. "I want you to have a chance to fulfill your dreams, my dear. How about this? Perhaps a small role in one of our productions while we're performing here in Savannah? That would allow you to see what the theater is really like, firsthand." The idea held great appeal for Gillian. And the thrill that went through her when Terence's hand pressed warmly against hers made her long for the opportunity to get to know him better. All she had to do was convince her father. . . . Bringing up the idea led to a war on a much smaller scale, but no less passionate. The two of them had gone around and around about it for more than a week, and finally it was too late. The troupe had left the day before, continuing on to the next stop on their tour—Nashville. But Gillian had a plan, and the final confrontation with her father convinced her that she had no choice but to go through with it. She wished that she could tell her mother she was leaving, but she knew if she did, the older woman would just try to talk her out of it. Gillian couldn't blame her for that. She wouldn't have wanted to be left alone with William Thorpe, either. Her father always retired early. He had very lucrative interests in a shipping concern, a bank, and a number of warehouses, and he liked to be at his office before anyone else in the morning. That way he could see when all the employees arrived . . . and the ones who made a habit of being later than William Thorpe thought appropriate would pay for their tardiness. Gillian knew that if she waited until her father was asleep, he wouldn't be aware of what was going on until it was too late to stop her. She had already checked the railroad schedule and knew there was a train for Nashville leaving at ten o'clock. She packed a bag, taking as little as she thought she could get by with, then slipped stealthily down the rear stairs and out of the house. CHAPTER NINE It was frightening to walk to the train station in the darkness. Her heart was in her throat the whole way. But people who never took risks never accomplished anything worthwhile in life, she told herself, and she clung to that thought for strength as she made her way to the depot. Once she was there, she ran into an unexpected obstacle. She had plenty of money, but there were no compartments available on the train. She had to purchase a ticket that allowed her to sit up in one of the regular passenger cars. It was a frightening ordeal, and it lasted a lot longer than the walk to the station had. Several of the male passengers leered at her as she made her way to her seat, and she knew what they were thinking. An attractive young woman, traveling alone . . . well, there was only one sort of woman she could be, as far as they were concerned. She sat stiffly and avoided their eyes, hoping that her chilly demeanor would be enough to keep any of them from approaching her. Atlanta, Chattanooga, the whole trip was just a blur to her. She didn't dare let herself go to sleep so she was utterly exhausted by the time the train pulled into Nashville in the middle of the next day. But she had made it, and all she had to do was find the hotel where she knew the acting troupe was staying. Hansom cabs were lined up outside the station, and she had brought enough money with her to afford one. The driver knew the hotel, and when they got there Gillian was surprised to see that it was rather rundown. She would have thought the troupe would stay somewhere better. She went inside and inquired at the desk for the number of Mr. Flanagan's room. The clerk gave her a smug, knowing smile that irritated her, but he told her the number. Gillian climbed to the third floor and knocked on the door. At first she thought Terence must be out, perhaps at the theater, because no one answered. But then a thick voice said, "Whass . . . who . . . hold on." That was Terence, or at least she thought it was. She heard him muttering curses under his breath as he approached the door. Then abruptly he jerked it open and stood there wearing only the bottom half of a pair of long underwear. His hair was in disarray, his face was puffy and flushed, and his eyes were bleary. Obviously, he had been sleeping, and before that he'd been drinking . . . a lot. But he recognized her and exclaimed, "Gillian! My God. I'd given up on you. Finally worked up the gumption to run away from the old goat, eh?" Before Gillian could answer, a woman's voice said, "Terence? Who is it?" He half turned, so Gillian could see past him into the hotel room. A woman with tousled blond hair was sitting up in the bed, holding the sheet around what was apparently her nude body. "Look who's here, darling," Terence said to her. "That young ingénue I was telling you about. Come on in, Gillian, and I'll introduce you to our leading lady. I'm sure the two of you will enjoy getting to know each other." Gillian was too shocked and stunned to move. It was like her feet were nailed to the floor. What had happened to Terence? All his charm and sophistication had disappeared, leaving only crudeness behind. She couldn't believe she had left her home and come all this way, only to find that he . . . he . . . "Come on, Gillian," Terence said, sounding a little impatient. "It'll be all right. We'll take good care of you." Gillian turned and ran down the dingy hotel corridor, her bag bumping against her leg. Terence stepped into the hall and called out behind her, but she ignored him. The blond woman said something else, and he went back into the room and closed the door. If the trip from Savannah had been a blur, the next few minutes were even worse. Gillian wasn't sure how she made it back downstairs and out of the hotel. She had no idea what she was going to do. She could go home, of course, but if she did she would have to listen to her father browbeat her about her foolishness for the rest of his life. She knew he would never let her forget it. But what else could she do? She was hundreds of miles from home, in a city where she didn't know anyone, and she was scared and desperate. . . . She didn't see the well-dressed older man until she bumped right into him on the sidewalk outside the hotel. She might have fallen if he hadn't reached out and caught hold of her arm to steady her. The elegant-looking woman with the man said worriedly, "Are you all right, dearie? You look like you've had quite a fright." "No, I just . . . I was going to join an acting troupe . . ." The man wrinkled his nose. "Not Flanagan's Players, I hope. They're a sorry lot, if I do say so myself. Den of iniquity and all that. Not the least bit professional, like O'Hanlon's Traveling Company." Gillian shook her head. "I . . . I'm afraid I'm not familiar with them." "Are you an actress?" "Well . . . I want to be." The man was wearing a top hat, which he swept off and held in front of him as he performed a half-bow. "Cyrus O'Hanlon, at your service, miss." The woman with him laughed. "This is my wife, Dollie. If you'd care to discuss joining our troupe, we'd be glad to talk to you. We can always use another player. If you're truly devoted to your craft, that is." "I hope I would be. I think it would be wonderful to be an actress." "Well, you've got a lot to learn," Dollie O'Hanlon said. "But if you throw in with us, at least you'd be learning around decent folks. Not like that lecher Flanagan." Gillian swallowed hard. Her father was right about one thing. She really did believe in destiny and other romantic notions like that. "I think I might like that." "What's your name, dear?" Gillian had thought about that. When her father found out that she was gone, he might hire detectives to look for her. She didn't want to be found, didn't want to return home until it was on her own terms. She had decided that she ought to use a different name to make it harder to find her. But she hadn't settled on a name. She had no time to ponder the question further. She glanced across the street at McCoy's Hardware Store, thought about her hometown, and put a smile on her face as she told the O'Hanlons, "Savannah McCoy. My name is Savannah McCoy." And so it had been ever since, until even she thought of herself by that name, through performances in countless towns and in Kansas City as the troupe ran through its dress rehearsal before the opening performance, which was the next night. She had been lucky. That hotel in Nashville had catered to the theatrical trade, and the O'Hanlon Traveling Company was staying there, too. Cyrus and Dollie had gone out to eat and had been returning to the hotel when she literally ran into them. She'd gone with them to the troupe's performance that night and been welcomed by all the members of the company. Cyrus liked to say that they were like a family and he was the paterfamilias, and it was true. Romantic notion or not, Savannah felt like she had found a home with them. She couldn't imagine anything changing that, at least not any time soon. It would take a new twist of fate, a new rendezvous with destiny, to do that. She figured she was through with such things. CHAPTER TEN Jamie went back to the hardware store where he had left Sundown and the pack horse tied to the hitch rack. Nobody had bothered the animals, which came as no surprise to him. When anybody but Jamie approached the big sand-colored stallion, Sundown got proddy. Any time he bared his teeth and started moving around skittishly, folks tended to make a wide circle around him. "That's an impressive-looking horse," Moses Danzig said as he looked at Sundown with admiration. "He's mean as all get out," Jamie said bluntly. "But he'll run all day if he has to. Run until his heart busts if that's what it takes. He's got as much grit as any horse I've ever seen." He handed the pack horse's reins to Moses. "Here, you can lead this one. He won't give you any trouble." They headed for the open area where the immigrants were camped. As they approached, Jamie heard loud, boisterous music. It sounded like several fiddlers were scraping their bows across the strings of their instruments with great enthusiasm, if not a great deal of talent, and the lively tune made Jamie's blood perk up. He had always enjoyed dancing, although he hadn't done any in quite some time. Not since before Kate died, actually. He put that thought out of his mind and watched the couples spinning and whirling around near the big campfire in the center of the area between the circled wagons. People who weren't dancing had gathered around to watch, too. They clapped in time to the music and called out encouragement to the dancers. Not everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves, though. Jamie noticed one man standing off to the side with a glare of disapproval on his stern face. He was tall and heavily built, with a barrel chest and prematurely white hair that grew in a tangle on his head. He wore a sober black suit, and his big hands rested on the shoulders of two children who stood with him—a boy and a girl about ten years old. Jamie looked closer at the resemblance between the youngsters and realized they were twins. Jamie turned to Moses and nodded toward the glowering man. "Who's that? Not your wagon captain, I hope." "No, certainly not. That's Reverend Bradford. He's on his way to Montana, too, with his children. I'm afraid he doesn't approve of the dancing and has made that clear to Captain Hendricks. He says it's sinful for men and women to cavort around together like heathens. But the captain thinks it's good for the group's spirits to have these little celebrations of life from time to time." "Is that what they're celebrating? Just life in general, nothing in particular?" "Well, in this case," Moses explained, "there's another reason. There was a wedding earlier today. R.G. Hamilton married Alice Dennison. R.G. is one of the single men traveling west—or at least he was—and Alice is the daughter of one of the immigrant families. They're a fine couple and an excellent match, and everyone is happy about it." "Except that fella Bradford," Jamie said with another nod toward the preacher. "Oh, he doesn't mind the marriage. Actually, he performed the wedding ceremony. He just doesn't like dancing . . . among other things." From the sound of that comment, Jamie thought that Moses didn't get along very well with Reverend Bradford. He didn't pursue that question, however, since it was none of his business. As the three fiddlers—two whiskery old-timers and a skinny, gangling man who was much younger—came to the end of the merry tune they had been playing, people laughed and applauded. One couple seemed to be at the center of the dancers, and Jamie ventured a guess that they were the ones who'd gotten hitched earlier. Moses confirmed it, then pointed out the wagon train captain. "There's Captain Hendricks." As the musicians took a break and the immigrants began to mill around and talk he nodded in Hendricks's direction. "Come on, I'll introduce you." Lamar Hendricks was a tall, fair-haired man with a rawboned, middle-aged face under a broad-brimmed brown hat. He wore a brown leather vest over a homespun shirt. As the two men approached him, he said, "There you are, Moses. I was starting to wonder what had happened to you. Where's Mr. Ralston?" "That's an, um, interesting story, Captain," Moses replied. "By the way, this is Jamie Ian MacCallister. He's quite a famous frontiersman." Hendricks grunted. "Is that so?" Obviously, he hadn't heard of Jamie. He held out a hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. MacCallister." "You, too, Captain," Jamie replied with a nod as they shook hands. Hendricks turned back to Moses. "Were you not able to find Mr. Ralston?" "Oh, I found him, all right. But there's been . . . an accident. Mr. Ralston is injured." A look of alarm instantly appeared on Hendricks's face. "An accident? What sort of accident?" Moses looked pretty uncomfortable at the prospect of answering that question, so Jamie saved him the trouble. "I broke the varmint's leg." Hendricks's eyes widened in surprise. "Why in the world would you do something like that?" "Because he was trying to do the same or worse to me." Moses said, "Mr. Ralston attacked Mr. MacCallister, Captain. I found him in that saloon he frequented, just as I feared I might. He had been drinking heavily. When Mr. MacCallister disagreed with him about something, Mr. Ralston started a fight. I saw the whole thing. Mr. MacCallister was only defending himself. He didn't do anything wrong." "Well, maybe not," Hendricks said with a frown, "but don't expect me to be happy about what you did, MacCallister. We were counting on Jeb Ralston to get us to our new homes in Montana." "Then you were counting on a drunken bully," Jamie said, not mincing words. Hendricks controlled his anger with a visible effort. "You'll have to excuse me. I need to start figuring out what we're going to do now. We have to find another wagon master as quickly as possible." "You see, that's just it, Captain," Moses told him. "I've asked Mr. MacCallister if he would consider guiding us to Montana Territory." Hendricks looked surprised again, and still angry. "You had no right to do that, Moses. I'm the captain of this wagon train. We need an experienced guide—" "Ask around town," Moses suggested. "Mr. MacCallister is a famous frontiersman, much more well known and respected than Mr. Ralston. And probably much more capable of leading the wagon train to Montana, I suspect." "No offense, MacCallister," Hendricks said grudgingly. "I'm not aware of your reputation." "I never asked for a reputation," Jamie said. "Just to be left alone to live my life. But I don't control what folks say about me. I can tell you one thing—setting out for Montana this late in the year is a mighty foolish thing to do, and I'd bet this old hat of mine on that." "We have no choice." Hendricks's voice was as stiff as his back seemed to be. "We can't afford to wait for spring. Besides . . . I promised everyone that we'd be in our new homes in Eagle Valley by Christmas." "Maybe you shouldn't make promises you can't deliver." The air of tension between the two men was thick. Moses stepped in. "In your opinion, Mr. MacCallister, what would it take for us to reach our destination in time?" "Well, you'd have to leave pretty quick," Jamie said. "First thing tomorrow morning, if you can." Hendricks shook his head. "That's impossible. It'll take at least another day to finish making repairs on our wagons." "Day after tomorrow, then," Jamie said. "And you may wish later on you had that extra day back." "What else?" Moses asked. Jamie's eyes narrowed in thought. "You'd have to push hard, and I'm talking about livestock and human folks as well. The days on the trail would be mighty long ones, from as soon as it's light enough to see in the morning until it's too dark to go on. Under normal circumstances, you could afford to stop and lay over for a few days every now and then, mainly to give the stock some time to rest. If you leave now, you can't risk doing that. You'll have to push on every day without any breaks. By the time you get there, your teams will be worn down to a nub . . . and so will most of your people." "But we could do all that if we have to," Moses insisted. "Couldn't we, Captain Hendricks?" "We'll do whatever's necessary," Hendricks said with a curt nod. "We all knew when we started out that there would be hardships along the way." Jamie said, "You'd need plenty of luck, too. Luck that you don't run into any Indian trouble, and that the weather cooperates. That last is the main thing. Winter would have to hold off, at least the worst of it. Where you're going, nothing will kill you quicker than a Great Plains blizzard." "We have faith," Hendricks said. "The Good Lord watches over us." "He'd have to, for you to have a chance of getting there." Moses turned to Jamie. "But you could do it," he insisted. "With God's help, of course. You could make all those things happen and lead us to Montana." "I can't do anything about the weather," Jamie said. "But if it did get bad, you could tell us what we need to do to survive. And then when conditions improved, we could move on again." "It would depend on how bad things got"—Jamie's brawny shoulders rose and fell—"but yeah, maybe. If anybody could get you through, I reckon I can." "Then it's settled, right?" Moses said eagerly. "Mr. MacCallister has the job, Captain?" Hendricks peered at Jamie. "Do you want the job, MacCallister?" "Not particularly," Jamie replied, being honest as always. "But this young fella tells me that you'll be setting out for Montana Territory anyway, whether I go with you or not." "That's true. We don't have any choice." "And I can't stand by and wind up with the lives of . . . how many in your bunch?" "Two hundred and seventeen souls, Mr. MacCallister. Men, women, and children." "I won't have the lives of that many people thrown away if there's anything I can do about it. I'll take you to Montana." There. It was done. His earlier idea of paying for them to stay in Kansas City until spring and then set out on their journey was forgotten, and he had a pretty good idea why he had discarded it. Jamie Ian MacCallister wasn't a vain man, but he was a proud one, and Moses had played on his pride in a shrewd manner. That one was plenty smart. "It's settled, then," Moses said again. "You can put your horses with our stock, since you're one of us now. Isn't that right, Captain?" "Yeah, I reckon," Hendricks said, still not completely convinced it was a good idea. Apparently he was going to make the best of it, though. "Then I'll introduce you around. People will need to know what's happened." After taking that short break, the musicians were starting up again. The strains of their new tune filled the night air. Jamie felt one of his booted toes begin to tap slightly in time to the music. It would be a long, hard trail to Montana, he thought, and these pilgrims had no real idea of what they were facing. Let them enjoy what time they had left, before they set out on what might be a trail to disaster. CHAPTER ELEVEN Moses Danzig invited Jamie to share his wagon, but Jamie told the young rabbi that he would just spread his bedroll underneath the vehicle. "I'm pretty sure it's not going to rain, and I've spent many a night sleeping on the ground. Maybe that's not as comfortable for these old bones as it once was, but it doesn't bother me all that much." "Suit yourself, Mr. MacCallister," Moses said. "Call me Jamie." "All right, Jamie. Since we didn't get around to meeting everybody, I'll introduce you to the rest of the group in the morning." "You're acquainted with everybody in the wagon train, are you?" Jamie asked. "Well, most of them, anyway. Once you get to know me, you'll see that I'm the gregarious sort." "Does that mean friendly and talkative?" Jamie asked, even though he knew that was exactly what the word meant. "Yes, it does." "Reckon I'd sort of figured that out already," Jamie said dryly. He had put his horses in the corral after unsaddling Sundown and moving his supplies from the pack horse to the back of Moses's wagon. He would use the pack animal as an extra saddle mount if he needed one and eventually press it into service again as a beast of burden once he parted ways with the immigrants after they reached Montana Territory . . . although he might not be leaving Eagle Valley right away, he realized. That would depend on the weather. If snowstorms closed the passes, it was possible he might have to remain with the pilgrims until spring, unable to reach his home in Colorado until winter was over. He spent the night under the wagon, and as he had predicted, he slept just fine. His muscles creaked a little and his joints popped when he crawled out of his bedroll the next morning, but there was nothing uncommon about that. As usual, he was up well before dawn, had a fire going and his coffeepot boiling by the time Moses crawled out of the wagon with his hair rumpled and a sleepy expression on his face. "What time is it?" Moses asked. "Time for folks to be up and stirring around," Jamie told him. "Most of them already are." It was true. The women had cook fires blazing, and the men were tending to the animals. Jamie had already checked on his horses and knew they were all right. Moses dropped from the tailgate to the ground and ran his fingers through his tangled hair. He put his hat on and hunkered next to the fire. The days were still pleasant some of the time but the nights were almost always cold. His breath fogged a little in front of his face as he held his hands out toward the fire's heat. Jamie handed him a tin cup of Arbuckle's. "That'll warm you up." Moses sipped the strong black brew gratefully. "Once we're on the trail, we'll be moving by this time of the morning every day." Jamie waved a big hand toward the arching gray vault of the eastern sky. "There's enough light for the men handling the teams to see where they're going. That's all we really need." "You weren't joking when you said that the days would be long ones, were you?" "Not one blasted bit. What do you usually do for meals?" "I, uh, prevail upon the generosity of some of my fellow pilgrims, and in return I provide them with some supplies. I'm afraid that I'm not much of a cook myself." "Well, no need for you to do that anymore. I'll fix us some flapjacks and fry up a mess of bacon." "Uh, Jamie . . . I don't exactly eat bacon . . . You know, because of my religion . . ." Jamie vaguely recalled hearing something like that about the Hebrew religion. He wasn't sure how anybody could live without eating bacon or salt jowl, but he supposed that was Moses's business, not his. "We'll just stick with the flapjacks, then, if they're all right for you to eat." "Sure," Moses said with a smile. "Actually, that sounds really good." After they had finished breakfast, Moses offered to clean up. Jamie thanked him. "While you're doing that I'll go talk to Cap'n Hendricks. Point me to his wagon." "Of course." Moses told him how to find the captain's wagon, and he began to walk around the big circle that formed the camp. He had passed about a dozen of the covered vehicles when a figure stepped out from behind one of them and confronted him. Jamie recognized the man Moses had identified as Reverend Bradford. He and the two children with him had disappeared by the time Moses had started introducing Jamie to the rest of the group the previous night. It appeared that Bradford was intent on meeting him. He planted his feet and stood with a stern expression on his face. Jamie could have moved him out of the way if necessary, but it would have taken a little work. "You're MacCallister," the big man said bluntly. "The new wagon master and guide." "That's right." Jamie didn't feel any instinctive liking for the reverend, but he was willing to wait and see what the man had to say, so long as Bradford didn't waste too much of his time. He held out his hand to see if Bradford would shake. "You've befriended the Israelite," Bradford went on, ignoring Jamie's hand and making the words sound like an accusation of some sort. "If you're talking about Moses, I believe he's from Poland," Jamie said as he lowered his hand. His eyes narrowed. It seemed that his initial dislike of Bradford had been right on the money. "I don't care where he's from, he's a Hebrew, and someone like that has no place among decent, God-fearing folks like the ones with this wagon train." "Now hold on a minute," Jamie snapped. "He's got a right to be here, same as anybody else—" Before Jamie could go on, rapid footsteps sounded behind him. He whirled around, instinct making his hand flash to the butts of the .44s holstered at his hips. CHAPTER TWELVE He stopped before he made the draw, as two youngsters skidded to a halt in front of him. Their eyes widened at the sight of the big frontiersman looming over them in a slight crouch, clearly ready to jerk his Colts from leather and set those deadly smokepoles to work. "Good Lord!" Bradford exclaimed. "MacCallister, no! Those are my children." Jamie straightened, took his hands away from his revolvers, and willed the snarl off his face. He drew in a deep breath and smiled as he nodded to the children. "Sorry, younkers. I didn't mean to spook you. It's not a good idea to come running up behind an old-timer like me, though. We spook easy." The boy swallowed. "That's all right, mister. We didn't mean to scare you." That brought a genuine chuckle from Jamie. "That's all right. Just don't do it again." "This is a perfect example of why we don't need some gunman accompanying this wagon train," Bradford said from behind him. "Guns never bring anything but trouble." Jamie glanced over his shoulder at the reverend. "If you ever get set upon by Indians or road agents, you'll be mighty happy to have somebody around who knows how to handle a shooting iron. Now, why don't you introduce me to these young'uns of yours?" Grudgingly, Bradford performed the introductions. "This is my son Alexander and my daughter Abigail." "We're twins," Alexander told Jamie. Jamie nodded. "I can see that. How old are you?" "We're ten," Alexander replied. "And our mama's dead," Abigail added. Jamie looked at Bradford again. "I'm sorry to hear that." "It's true that I'm a widower," the preacher said. "My dear wife, rest her soul, went to be with our Lord more than a year ago." "So you've been raising these little ones by yourself since then?" "That's right," Bradford said. "Bringing them up in the way they should be raised." Alexander said, "We're not so little." "That's right," Abigail said. "We're just the right size for our age." Jamie grinned down at her. "I reckon that's true, missy. I didn't mean any offense." "That's all right," Abigail said graciously. "You're pretty big for your age, aren't you?" "I reckon you could say that." Bradford asked, "What do you children want? I thought you were going to play with the Harper youngsters today." "We were," Alexander said, "but we saw you talking to Mr. MacCallister. Billy Harper says that he's a famous gunman and Indian fighter. We wanted to get a look at him close up." "Do you think the Indians will scalp us, Mr. MacCallister?" Abigail asked. "Don't you worry about that," Jamie told her. "It's my job to see to it that nobody hurts you, Indians or anybody else." "You'll take care of us, then?" "Well . . . that's really your pa's job. But I'll help him any way I can." "All right," Alexander said, evidently satisfied by Jamie's answer. "Let's go, Abby. Billy said he knew where there was a dead frog we can look at." The two children turned and ran off. Jamie watched them go, then looked at Bradford. "That's a couple of fine youngsters you got there. I've got quite a few children myself, and a passel of grandchildren and great-grandchildren." "You and your wife must be proud of them," Bradford said stiffly. "My wife's dead, too," Jamie said, his voice hard and flat. "So I reckon we got that in common, Reverend. Because of that I won't take any offense about what you had to say about my friend Moses . . . this time." Bradford glared, but he didn't say anything else. He just turned and stalked off. Jamie shook his head as he watched Bradford walk away. He hadn't known many Jewish fellas in his life, but Moses Danzig seemed like a decent hombre and Jamie was willing to give any man the benefit of the doubt. Bradford, on the other hand, rubbed him the wrong way. Jamie would try to keep things civil between them because he liked the man's kids. Bradford must not be all bad, he told himself, if he'd had a hand in raising Alexander and Abigail. Jamie started toward Lamar Hendricks's wagon again, but he hadn't gone very far before he was intercepted again. Three men stepped up and barred his path. They wore belligerent expressions and planted their feet as if they didn't intend to move until they'd had their say, whatever that was. Jamie stopped and studied them. The one on his left was tall and lean, but the ropy muscles of his arms and shoulders testified to his strength. His hands were clenched into knobby-knuckled fists. The one on the right was tall, but broad-shouldered and powerful-looking. He sported a bristly black beard, while the other two were clean shaven. The man in the middle probably looked shorter than he really was, since he was standing between the two tall men. He seemed almost as broad as he was tall, and small, piggy eyes were buried in deep pits of gristle above a prominent nose in his round, sunburned face. He was the one who spoke. "You're MacCallister." "That's right." "The man who attacked Jeb Ralston for no good reason and broke his leg." "Well, you've got that half right," Jamie drawled. "Ralston started the fight. As for breaking his leg, that wasn't my intention. It just sort of happened in the heat of battle." Jamie's voice hardened. "But I didn't lose any sleep over it last night." "Jeb is a good man and a top-notch wagon master. He deserves better." "I don't plan on wasting my time arguing with you," Jamie said. "Step aside." "No, sir," the piggish man snapped. "We hired on with Jeb as scouts. We've worked with him before. Now we hear you figure on waltzin' in here and takin' over." "Agreeing to take this train to Montana wasn't exactly my idea. But I've said that I'll do it, and that's what I plan to do, with you men or without you. It makes no never mind to me. We'll get there either way." "One of us should've got that job, blast it! It's not right that you cripple Jeb and then take his job!" "You've seen Ralston?" Jamie was mildly curious about the man's condition. "How's he doing?" "The sawbones says it'll be months before he can walk normal again, if he ever does. He may not ever get over what you done to him." Jamie shrugged. "He should've let it go after I threw him over that bar, instead of coming after me again." In a voice like flint, he added, "He's lucky I didn't kill him." "Mister . . . by the time we get through with you, you're gonna wish it was the other way around!" All three men attacked at the same time, charging at Jamie with fists swinging. CHAPTER THIRTEEN That didn't surprise Jamie. He'd been able to tell as soon as the men got in his way that they were on the prod. They'd just taken a few minutes to talk themselves up into doing something about it. At least they hadn't come after him with guns or knives. Maybe he wouldn't have to kill the stupid varmints. That thought flashed through his brain as he planted his feet and hit the short man first, since he was the closest of the three hombres. Jamie's fist crashed into that prominent nose and flattened it. Blood spurted hotly across his knuckles. The blow rocked the man's head back and stopped him as abruptly as if he'd run into a stone wall. The lanky man with the malletlike fists darted in quickly. Jamie didn't have time to block the punch he threw. All he could do was lean his head to the side and let the man's bony fist scrape along the side of his head. That hurt his ear a little but didn't do any real damage. Jamie hooked a hard left high into the man's midsection, just under the heart. The man hunched over and his face turned a sick shade of gray. He tried to throw another punch, but it was wide and flailing. After dealing with the first two, Jamie couldn't hope to avoid taking a punch from the third man. His fist landed solidly against Jamie's jaw, sending him staggering to the side as his hat flew off his head. The bearded man was the biggest of the three, and he hit hard. Still on his feet, Jamie's head and eyesight were clear. He grinned at his opponent. "That the best you got, son? Can't even put an old, old man like me on the ground?" That gibe had the desired result. The man roared angrily and charged. Jamie twisted out of the way, grabbed the man's shoulder, and slung him up against the nearest wagon. The man crashed headfirst into the heavy side boards and bounced off. He fell on the ground and rolled over, stunned. "Look out, Mr. MacCallister!" a little girl's voice cried. Jamie wheeled around in time to meet another charge from the short, broad man who had recovered his wits after the painful blow that had broken his nose. Blood streamed from his nostrils, smearing the bottom half of his face and giving him a fearsome look. He threw punch after punch as he bored in at Jamie, landing some of them. The big frontiersman shrugged off the blows, and threw a couple of his own, a left-right combination that landed on the attacker's gut and chin. Jamie would have hit him again, but a couple arms like thick cables wrapped around him from behind, pinning his arms to his sides. "I got him, Keeler!" a harsh voice yelled in Jamie's ear. It belonged to the tall, lanky man recovered from Jamie's initial blow. "Teach the old codger a lesson!" A vicious grin split the bloody face of the short, piggish Keeler. He laughed, clenched his fists, and rushed at Jamie, obviously intent on dealing out a lot of damage. Jamie let him get fairly close, then lifted his right leg and planted his boot heel in Keeler's belly. The collision made Jamie's leg bend, but his muscles caught the weight and straightened his leg. That sent Keeler flying away from him, and drove him and his lanky captor backward. The man tripped and lost his balance. When he fell, Jamie's massive form came crashing down on top of him. Jamie rolled away, came up on hands and knees, and surged to his feet. All three of his opponents were still on the ground, stunned. A lot of the immigrants had gathered around to watch the battle, although he hadn't been aware of that while he was fighting. All his attention had been focused on his opponents. Some of the people looked excited, as if the brawl were a welcome break from the monotony of their journey. Others appeared to be shocked and upset by the violence. Reverend Bradford stood to one side, the usual frown of disapproval on his face. Jamie picked up his hat and slapped it against his leg to get some of the dust off of it. "What's the matter, Reverend? Fighting bother you just as much as dancing does?" Bradford snorted. "To tell the truth, Mr. MacCallister, I didn't really expect any better of you." Before Jamie could respond to that, Lamar Hendricks hurried up and demanded, "What's going on here? Someone told me there was a fight." "If you can call it that, Captain," one of the immigrants said. He waved a hand at the men on the ground. "Mr. MacCallister just whipped all three of these fellows!" "Is that right?" Hendricks asked Jamie. "Seems they hold a grudge against me because of what happened to Ralston. They ran their mouths some, then jumped me." Jamie shrugged and nodded toward Keeler. "Well, that fella there is really the one who did all the talking." "Keeler," Hendricks said, making a little face as if the name tasted bad in his mouth. "I'm not surprised. He's a hothead and too fond of drink, just like Ralston. It's no wonder they're friends. But Ralston swore these men were good scouts." "Maybe they are. You can be good at your job and still be a polecat." Hendricks frowned. "Do you want me to discharge them? I'd assumed they would work for you the same way they were going to work for Ralston, but if there's going to be trouble between you all the way . . ." "That's up to them," Jamie said. "I don't hold a grudge against any man over a little ruckus like this." He didn't say it, but he reserved his grudges—and his vengeance—for animals like the outlaws who had murdered his wife. The three men were groaning and moving around on the ground. Hendricks strode over to them and said sharply, "Keeler! Holcomb! Gilworth! Get up." The three men gradually climbed to their feet and shook their heads as they tried to get their wits back about them. Keeler and Holcomb, the tall, lanky one, glared murderously at Jamie, but big, bearded Gilworth looked sort of confused as he stood there shaking his head slowly. "What's the meaning of this?" Hendricks snapped at them. "You had no call to attack Mr. MacCallister." "Ain't you even gonna listen to our side of the story, Cap'n?" Keeler asked in a whining tone. "That's what I'm doing. Why did you attack our wagon master?" "Because he hadn't ought to be the wagon master!" Holcomb said. "Jeb's the rightful wagon master, and we're his scouts." "Not anymore. Mr. MacCallister has the job now, and you'll work for him and take his orders." "Damned if I will!" Holcomb said. "The same goes for me," Keeler rumbled in his gravelly voice. "Then you can gather your gear and get out of here," Hendricks said with a curt nod. "And since we haven't left Kansas City yet, you won't have any wages coming to you." "That ain't right," Keeler insisted. "It's been four days since Jeb hired us. That's four days we could've been workin' at some other job." "No, it's more likely four more days you would have spent lying around whatever saloon or house of ill repute Ralston found you in. Get out of this camp or I'll summon the authorities." With surly, hate-filled glares, Keeler and Holcomb stumbled off. The crowd parted to let them through. Several of the women looked repulsed by the two men. Hendricks looked at the third man. "Well, how about you, Gilworth? Do you have anything to say for yourself?" "Yeah, I do." Gilworth took a step toward Jamie. The crowd drew back a little, and a mutter of anticipation went through the group of immigrants. They expected to see more fighting. Gilworth stuck out his big paw of a hand. "Sorry, Mr. MacCallister. I went along with the others 'cause they got so worked up about what happened to Ralston, but to tell you the truth I was never that fond of the fella myself." He grinned sheepishly. "I reckon I like a good fight, too. From what I'd heard of you, I figured we'd get one." He grunted. "Never figured you'd whip all of us, though. I mean, one—" "One old man?" Jamie finished for him when Gilworth stopped short in his sentence. "Well, yeah. No offense, but you ain't no spring chicken, that's for sure." Jamie snorted. "I'm not ready to be put out to pasture yet, either." Gilworth's hand was still out, so he gripped it. "Jamie Ian MacCallister." "Hector Gilworth. I've heard a heap about you, Mr. MacCallister, and I'm mighty pleased to make your acquaintance." "You want to scout for this wagon train and work with me, Hector?" "Yes, sir. I'd plumb admire to," Hector said with a decisive nod. "That is, if you'll have me." "You don't make a habit of getting liquored up, do you?" "Not when there's a job to do. Don't get me wrong, Mr. MacCallister. I like to blow off steam just as much as the next man, but I reckon there's a time and place for it." Jamie clapped a hand on Hector's shoulder. "You'll do—at least until you give me reason to think otherwise. And you can call me Jamie." "That'd be an honor. I've heard a whole heap about you, Mister—I mean, Jamie. I won't let you down." Jamie looked over at Hendricks. "There's still a problem. We'll need a couple more scouts, since those two quit." "If you know anyone . . ." the captain began. "That's just it, I don't," Jamie said. "I didn't know a soul in Kansas City until yesterday, and I've been a mite too busy to make any acquaintances except here among your bunch." Hector said, "I might know somebody." "Friend of yours?" "My cousin. Name of Jess Neville. I don't think he ever worked as a wagon train scout before, but he's been a fur trapper and a prospector and a bullwhacker and done plenty of wanderin' around. Reckon he probably knows the ground between here and Montana about as well as anybody else would." "He's here in Kansas City?" "Yes, sir, and he's at loose ends. He just quit workin' for a freight outfit not long ago." Hendricks said, "He wasn't fired for drinking or causing trouble, was he?" "No, Jess is the one who up and quit. He never did like stayin' in the same job for too long. When we were growin' up, folks said he was shiftless, but I think it's more like he gets tired of doin' the same thing." Jamie said, "If you can hunt him up, I'll talk to him. If I like the look of him, we'll give him a job, but he'll have to stay with it until the wagons get where they're going. He can't just go wandering off if he feels like it." "Yes, sir. I'll make sure he understands that." "Even if you hire this fellow Neville, you'll still need at least one more scout, won't you?" Hendricks asked. "That's right," Jamie said with a nod. "Hector, let's go see that cousin of yours, and while we're at it we'll see if we can't come up with somebody else." "I really appreciate you puttin' so much faith in me, Jamie." Jamie grinned. "I like to think I can size up a fella's character pretty good, especially after I've swapped punches with him. You'll do. At least, like I said, until you prove different." "You don't have to worry about that," Hector said fervently. "If you want to go hunt up Jess right now, I know where he's been stayin'." As the two big men, one young and one old, were leaving the wagon camp, they passed a group of children who stopped playing to gaze up at them in awe-struck admiration. Jamie spotted the Bradford twins among them and paused to say, "Abigail, that was you who called out that warning to me a little while ago, wasn't it?" The little girl looked embarrassed and didn't say anything, but Alexander replied, "It sure was, Mr. MacCallister. She just beat me to it, though. I was about to yell for you to look out when Abby did it." "I appreciate the two of you looking out for me," Jamie told them. "How about we make the two of you honorary wagon train scouts?" Their faces lit up with grins. Abigail said, "You mean it, Mr. MacCallister?" "I'm not in the habit of saying things I don't mean," Jamie said. "But that's a serious job I'm giving you. You've got to keep your eyes open for trouble, and if you see anything that doesn't look right, you come find me or Mr. Gilworth or Captain Hendricks and tell us about it, all right?" They nodded solemnly in unison, and Alexander promised, "We sure will." Jamie lifted a hand in farewell, and he and Hector walked on. Hector said, "Those are cute kids. The preacher's young'uns, ain't they?" "That's right." Hector made a face. "I probably shouldn't say it, but I'm not all that fond of their pa." "Can't argue with you there," Jamie said. "Come on, let's find your cousin." CHAPTER FOURTEEN Hector Gilworth led Jamie to a rundown hotel on one of the side streets. "I know the place has seen better days, but I reckon it's all Jess can afford right now." "There's no shame in a man being poor," Jamie said. "There's been plenty of times in my life when I didn't have two pennies to rub together." He didn't mention that these days he had more than two pennies to his name . . . a lot more. This was one of many situations in which he'd found himself where how rich he was didn't matter one blasted bit. They went up stairs that sagged a little under their weight and down a dusty hallway to the door of Jess Neville's room. Hector banged a fist against the panel and called, "Jess? You awake in there? It's me, Hector." Jamie heard shuffling footsteps on the other side of the door. It swung open, and a man slightly below medium height peered out at them with bleary, confused eyes. He had thinning brown hair, a couple day's worth of beard stubble, and looked thoroughly unimpressive. Jamie didn't smell liquor, though, so he was willing to give the man the benefit of the doubt and figure that his bleary eyes came from being sleepy, not hungover. "What time is it, Hector?" the man asked as he dragged fingers through his hair. "Sun's been up a couple hours," Hector replied. "Well, the sun may have been up, but I ain't." The man frowned at Jamie. "Who's this big old galoot?" "Jamie Ian MacCallister," Jamie introduced himself. Vague recognition stirred in Jess Neville's eyes. "I think I heard of you, mister. Can't rightly recollect what it was that I heard, though." "He's the new wagon master for that bunch of immigrants I signed on with," Hector explained. "What happened to that fella Ralston?" Neville asked. Hector pointed at Jamie with a thumb and grinned. "Mr. MacCallister—I mean, Jamie—happened to him. Ralston started a ruckus with him in the Bella Royale, and he wound up with a broken leg." "Ralston did?" "Yep. You don't see Mr. MacCallister hobblin' around with a broken leg, do you?" Neville shook his head. "This early in the mornin', I don't trust my eyes not to be playin' tricks on me, so it don't matter what I see. What is it you want?" "The other two fellas who were supposed to be scouts up and quit because of what happened to Ralston. I thought maybe you'd be interested in one of the jobs." Neville hadn't invited them into the room, but that was all right with Jamie. He could look past the man's shoulder and see that the room was sparsely furnished with a chair, a rickety table, and a bed with grimy sheets that were so tangled they resembled a rat's nest. Neville put a hand on the door like he was about to shut it and said, "Dadgum it, Hector. You know I just quit that bullwhackin' job a few days ago. I ain't ready to go back to work yet." "You mean you ain't completely out of money yet." "Same thing, ain't it?" Neville tried to swing the door closed. Hector wedged a big, booted foot between the door and the jamb. "Here's the thing, Jess. We're in sort of a bind. We need a couple scouts, and like I told Jamie, you know the country." Neville frowned. "Where is it those pilgrims are goin' again?" "Montana Territory. A place called Eagle Valley." Neville scratched at his patchy beard as his forehead furrowed in thought. "I think I've heard of it. Wouldn't rightly know how to find it, though." "Cap'n Hendricks has a map. He's the fella the rest of the immigrants elected to be in charge." "I know where it is," Jamie said. "I can get the wagons there. It'd be a lot easier with some good help to scout out the trail, though." "Well, you could get an argument about whether or not I fall into that category, mister." Neville squinted up at him. "Did this big ol' grizzly of a Gilworth tell you that I'm just about the laziest human bein' on the face of the earth." Jamie glanced at Hector and said dryly, "No, I don't reckon he mentioned that." "Well, he should have. It ain't that I don't do my work. I do, and you can ask anybody I ever drew wages from about that. But when I ain't workin', I'm not of a mind to do much of anything except take it easy. That seems to rub most people the wrong way." "You do your job and I don't care how much you sleep," Jamie declared. "That's not any of my business." "Now, see, that's a reasonable attitude. Most folks I work for, they just ain't reasonable." "I'm not most folks," Jamie said flatly. Neville glanced up and down Jamie's tall, rugged frame. "Yeah, I can see that." "You want the job or not?" Hector asked. "Now, don't rush me, don't rush me. That's another problem folks have these days. They're in too much of an all-fired hurry all the time. It don't hurt to just slow down and ponder things for awhile 'fore you make up your mind." "The wagon train's leaving at first light tomorrow," Jamie said. "We don't have any time to waste. If you're not coming with us, Neville, we'll need to find somebody else." "Well, if you're gonna put it that way . . . I promised my aunt Sadie, his mama—Neville nodded at his cousin—that I'd look after ol' Hector here. He's big as an ox, but he ain't much more'n a babe in the woods, you know what I mean?" "Blast it," Hector said. "I been around. You make it sound like I'm some sort of tenderfoot, Jess." Neville ignored that outburst and went on. "I reckon I can come along. Can't stay here in Kansas City, that's for sure. If I did, I might have to take a job clerkin' in a store or something else that's inside. I can't hardly abide havin' walls and a roof around me all the time." "You won't find many walls and roofs on the prairie between here and Montana Territory," Jamie said. Neville grinned. "No, that's sure enough true." He put out his hand. "Count me in, I reckon, Mr. MacCallister." "Call me Jamie." As they shook hands, Jamie went on. "I don't suppose you know somebody else we can hire as a scout." "I surely don't. Sorry." Hector said, "Get your possibles together and come on over to the wagon camp today. You can stay there tonight. Might as well save the cost of this hotel room, and that way there's no chance you'll sleep too late." "Leavin' at first light, you said?" Neville winced a little. "I sure do hate to hear that, but I'll be there. And my word is good." As they were headed back downstairs, Jamie asked Hector, "Is he telling the truth about his word being good?" "Yeah. Jess has got his faults, no doubt about that, but he's honest as the day is long. If he tells you he'll do something, you can count on it." With a note of worry in his voice, Hector asked, "What are we gonna do about findin' another scout?" "We'll just have to look around, maybe check in some of the saloons and hash houses. If we don't find anybody"—Jamie's brawny shoulders rose and fell—"I reckon we'll start out with three scouts, counting me, instead of four. Maybe somebody who's already part of the wagon train would take the job. Some youngster, eighteen or so, who's traveling with his folks." "Scoutin' on the plains is pretty dangerous for somebody who's inexperienced." "Setting out for Montana at this time of year is pretty dangerous for everybody involved," Jamie pointed out. "They all seem bound and determined to do it, though." They left the hotel and turned back toward the main business district. Jamie figured they would have a look in the Bella Royale first. It was early in the day, but there might be somebody already in there who'd be interested in a scouting job. As they passed the variety theater, he glanced at two young men who were looking at the posters for the show that was starting that night. They were dressed like cowboys, which meant they probably had experience with long days in the saddle, and he thought about asking them if they'd like to sign on with the wagon train. They turned away before he could say anything, though, and he didn't go after them. There was bound to be somebody else in Kansas City who wanted to go to Montana. CHAPTER FIFTEEN Now that the gang was in Kansas City, Bodie thought Edwin Swint would go ahead and divide up the loot from the train robbery, as he had said he would. But Swint seemed to be in no hurry to do so. The money, in the form of twenty dollar gold pieces, had been packed in a chest in the express car. He had split the loot between five sets of saddlebags so it could be carried away. All those saddlebags were safely cached in Swint's hotel room, and a couple men guarded them around the clock, everybody in the gang taking a turn at that duty. The night before, Swint had kicked the guards out of the room when he came back to the hotel from the Bella Royale with one of the soiled doves who worked there. He'd told the guards to stay right outside in the hall, just to make sure nobody bothered him and his lady friend . . . and the money. Bodie heard about that from his friend Three-Finger Jake Lucas, who'd heard the story from one of the guards Swint had booted out of the room. The two young men were sitting at a table in a nearby café over a late breakfast. Jake sipped his coffee. "I'm startin' to wonder if the boss plans to double-cross us and just keep all that loot for himself. Otherwise why don't he go ahead and divvy it up like he promised he would?" "I guess he's got his reasons," Bodie said. Jake grunted skeptically. "Yeah, like bein' a dang crook. Think about who you're talkin' about, Bodie. A man like Eldon Swint can't be trusted." Jake's eyes narrowed in thought. "If a man was smart, he might try to get his hands on those double eagles himself and not wait for somebody to just hand him his share." Bodie frowned and put down his coffee cup. "You'd better not be thinking what it sounds like, Jake. Swint would kill anybody who tried that. We've talked about things like this before." "Yeah, and I haven't changed my way of thinkin' about it, either." An easy grin flashed across Jake's face. "But shoot, don't worry about it. I'm just talkin', is all. I'd never go against a pard." He paused. "The thing of it is, Eldon ain't really a pard. He's the boss." Bodie changed the subject. "Are you going to that show tonight?" "To see some singin' and dancin' girls? You bet I am! We've been out on the trail long enough I'm ready for some entertainment." They had stopped by the theater on their way to the café. The place was closed, but Bodie and Jake had stood on the boardwalk in front of the building, looking at the posters tacked up next to the ticket window. The posters had drawings of the members of the troupe on them, and Bodie had been particularly intrigued by one of them, a young woman with a mass of dark, curly hair. Miss Savannah McCoy, her name was, according to the poster. He didn't know which parts she played in the show, but he was looking forward to finding out. Thinking about her and the performance they were going to watch that night made him forget all about the fortune in double eagles for the time being. Even though she had been a member of the troupe for more than a year, Savannah still got nervous before each performance. The butterflies, as Cyrus called them, weren't as bad as they had been starting out, but they were still potent enough to force her to stand backstage with one hand pressed to her stomach while she made herself take deep breaths. She closed her eyes and imagined how the night's performance would go, letting it all play out inside her head. Perfectly, of course. After awhile, the routine began to calm her. She was ready. When Dollie bustled past and smiled at her, Savannah was able to return that smile and mean it. "I just snuck a glance at the crowd," Dollie said. "Looks like we're going to have a full house." "That's good," Savannah said. "You bet it is. We need to do well here." Savannah thought she heard a trace of worry in the older woman's voice. The troupe hadn't been doing as well financially in recent months. Quite a few of the performances in various cities hadn't sold out, and it seemed like the expenses of traveling and staying on the road just kept going up. She didn't think the troupe was in any real danger of folding, but that unwelcome possibility lurked in the back of her head, anyway. If that ever happened, she didn't know what she would do. She had a little money saved up; she could always return to her home in Georgia. But if she did that, it would mean admitting defeat. Worse, there was the chance that her father wouldn't allow her to come home. For all she knew, William Thorpe might have disowned her. She hadn't had any contact with him in more than a year. With a little shake of her head, Savannah put all that out of her thoughts. Concentrate on the thing that was at hand, she told herself, and that was tonight's show. That was the only thing she could do anything about at the moment. A minute later, Cyrus parted the curtain and walked out on stage to loud applause, dressed in his Shakespearean costume. He swept his plumed hat off his head and gave the audience his usual welcoming spiel, then launched into Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" speech. The crowd listened politely, but as she waited behind the curtain Savannah could hear them growing slightly restless toward the end. She knew that some of the men in the audience had come mostly for the singing and dancing, and to look at her and the other female members of the troupe. Cyrus concluded the famous passage and said, "Now, ladies and gentlemen, a beautiful rendition of one of your favorite melodies by our lovely songbird of the South, Miss Savannah McCoy!" Savannah stepped through the curtains and out onto the stage. She smiled as she walked forward, letting her eyes sweep over the audience. As she began to sing Stephen Foster's "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair," her gaze settled on a man about four rows back, in the middle of the theater. She had learned that her performances were always better when she pretended to be singing directly to a member of the audience. It was largely a matter of luck who that person happened to be. As long as they were in a good place, that was all Savannah cared about. The person on the receiving end of her song happened to be a young man who looked a few years older than her, with dark hair and a hard-planed face. He was dressed like a cowboy, as was the young man who sat beside him. The other man was more handsome, but there was something compelling about the man Savannah had selected. Singing to him was no trouble at all. CHAPTER SIXTEEN "I swear, she's lookin' right at you." Three-Finger Jake dug an enthusiastic elbow into Bodie's ribs. "She must be sweet on you!" "I don't even know the girl," Bodie protested. "I mean, I know she's Miss Savannah McCoy, but that's all." "That's what the fella said when he introduced her." "I would have known it anyway. I would have recognized her from her picture on the poster." It was true. The artist had done a good job of capturing Savannah McCoy's likeness. If anything, she was even prettier in person than she was on the poster, although before he saw her Bodie wouldn't have thought that was possible. She sang beautifully, too. Cyrus O'Hanlon had been right to describe her as a songbird. Savannah was lovely and talented, and if Bodie hadn't known better, he might have said that he was smitten with her. But that was loco, of course. He could tell just by looking at her that she was a real lady, despite the immoral reputation that actresses and entertainers sometimes had. She wouldn't ever have anything to do with a lawless ruffian like him. For all he knew, she might already be married to one of the other members of the troupe. Just sit back and enjoy the show, he told himself, and stop thinking about things that could never be. The show was certainly enjoyable. After Savannah's song, a couple jugglers came out and entertained the crowd for several minutes while the curtains were closed behind them. Bodie heard people moving around back there and figured they were getting ready for something else. He was right. When the jugglers finished and the curtains were pulled back, several fellows with what looked like bed sheets wrapped around them were standing on steps with white-painted columns at the top. One of them stood a little apart from the others and started talking, but as he did so, several of his companions took out knives and began to sneak up behind him with evil expressions on their faces. "What the Sam Hill!" Jake exclaimed. "They're gonna stab that hombre like they was red Injuns!" He reached for the gun on his hip. "I'll stop 'em!" Bodie's hand shot out and closed around Jake's wrist before Jake could draw the revolver. "Hold on!" Bodie whispered. "I think it's all part of the show." Not everybody in the audience figured that out as quickly as he did. Several men shouted warnings, which the sheet-wrapped figures on stage ignored. A nervous tingle ran through Bodie's brain. What if he was wrong? What if they were about to commit cold-blooded murder right there on the stage? That was loco, of course, and a moment later he saw proof of that as the men with knives pretended to stab the fellow who was spouting words. They didn't even do a very good job of pretending, but it was enough to make the audience hoot and holler in enthusiasm. The supposed victim of the assault staggered around and made a real production of dying. Once he had slumped onto the steps and wasn't moving anymore—except for a twitch every now and then that Bodie could see—Cyrus O'Hanlon came out again, dressed in a sheet like the others, and started making another long speech about burying Caesar. Bodie couldn't follow all of what O'Hanlon said, but the whole thing was stirring, no doubt about that. O'Hanlon finally shut up and the curtains closed again. An older but still attractive woman came out and sang a song. She was good, Bodie thought, but not as good as Savannah. Then she danced with a young man while another man with a walrus mustache played a piano at the edge of the stage. She was pretty light on her feet, despite her hefty build. After that, everything started to run together a little for Bodie. There were more dramatic scenes, more singing, more dancing, even some acrobats, one of whom was a gal in a scandalously scanty costume that exposed her knees. But he was waiting to see Savannah McCoy again, and when she didn't appear he began to get a little impatient. Cyrus O'Hanlon came out in that silly hat with the feather on it again. "Finally, ladies and gentlemen, to conclude our performance tonight we are proud to present one of the most famous scenes in the illustrious history of the theater . . . the balcony scene from the great tragedy Romeo and Juliet, as written by Mr. William Shakespeare. It will be performed by yours truly and Miss Savannah McCoy." Bodie sat up straighter in his seat and thought that it was about time. Jake elbowed him again. "She's the only one you like, ain't she?" "Shhh," Bodie said. "They're about to start." The curtains parted and went back. Some fake bushes had been placed around the stage to represent a garden of sorts, and to one side rose a wall with a window in it. Bodie edged forward in his seat as Savannah appeared in that window and leaned through it so the audience could get a good look at her. She was worth looking at, wearing a thin gown that was cut almost sinfully low in front. Bodie felt vaguely embarrassed for her having to wear such a getup, but at the same time he couldn't take his eyes off her. She was so attractive that just looking at her felt almost like a punch in the gut to him. Cyrus O'Hanlon strode onto the stage, wandered through the fake bushes toward the wall, and stopped to throw out an arm and bellow, "Hark! What light through yonder window breaks? 'Tis the east, and Juliet is the sun!" Savannah was as bright and pretty as the sun, that was for sure, Bodie thought. He could have sat there and watched her all night, but the scene was over all too quickly as far as he was concerned. The curtains swept across the stage again. Bodie sighed. He didn't want the performance to be finished, but there was nothing he could do about it. The whole troupe came out for a curtain call as the audience cheered, whistled, and applauded, so he got to see Savannah again, if only for a moment. Finally, the audience began to file out of the theater. As they left, Jake said, "Now, ain't you glad we came to Kansas City? If we hadn't, you never would've seen that brown-haired gal. You were practically droolin' over her all night like a dog with a big ol' soup bone." "No, I wasn't," Bodie said. "I think she's pretty, but—" Jake's snort interrupted him. "I reckon you'd marry her if you got the chance—which is a durned fool way to feel, if you ask me. You know what actresses are like. You might as well marry a—" Jake stopped short as Bodie stiffened. He had seen enough gunfights to recognize Bodie's stance as that of a man who was ready to hook and draw. "Sorry," Jake muttered quickly. "I reckon I was all wrong about Miss McCoy." "I reckon you were," Bodie snapped. He forced himself to relax. Jake Lucas was his only real friend in the gang, and he didn't want to lose that friendship. He put a smile on his face, even though he was still a little irritated. As they reached the sidewalk in front of the theater, a very well-dressed man with dark blond hair under his black hat and a neatly trimmed mustache of the same shade bumped hard into Bodie's shoulder. "Watch where you're going, cowboy," the man snapped as he brushed past. "Hey," Jake said angrily. "You're the one who ran into my pard, mister." A couple of larger men in cheap suits were trailing the well-dressed gent. Bodie noticed them and realized they were probably bodyguards. Bulges under their coats told him they were carrying guns. The blond dandy glared at Jake and demanded, "What did you say, Tex?" "I'm not from Texas," Jake shot back as he squared himself up for trouble. Bodie put a hand on his friend's arm. "Let it go, Jake." "But this galoot ran into you and then acted like it was your fault," Jake protested. "It's not worth causing a ruckus over." Bodie steered Jake away from the dandy. The man gave them a sneering smile as they turned to leave. "That's right. I'm an important man in this city. Trifle with me and you'll regret it." Jake looked back over his shoulder and said hotly, "Oh, yeah? Well, you'll regret—" "Come on." Bodie lowered his voice and added, "We don't want the law talking to us, now do we?" "Oh," Jake said in sudden understanding. "No, I reckon we don't." Bodie glanced back at the dandy. The man's arrogant attitude rubbed him the wrong way. If it came down to a fight, Bodie figured he and Jake could have held their own against the bodyguards, whether with fists or guns. But that would have almost certainly landed them in trouble with the law, and they sure didn't need that. If they were arrested, somebody might figure out they were part of the gang that had held up the train in Kansas. At the very least, Eldon Swint might take it as an excuse to split their shares among the rest of the outlaws . . . or just keep that money for himself. Bodie wouldn't forget the blond man's face, though. Maybe one of these days their trails would cross again under different circumstances. If that ever happened, Bodie figured he would give Mr. High-and-Mighty a little lesson in manners. If that meant gunplay, then so be it. In the meantime, he told himself to forget about that hombre and think about Savannah. He just wished there was some way he could let her know how much he had enjoyed her performance. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Since there were only a few female members of the troupe, they used the same dressing room, with the exception of Dollie who shared a dressing room with Cyrus. Savannah was sitting at one of the tables in front of a mirror, removing the makeup she had worn as Juliet, when Cyrus knocked on the door and poked his head into the room. "Ah, ladies, you're all decently attired," he said. As usual, Savannah couldn't tell if he was relieved or faintly disappointed by that. "Savannah, a word with you, my dear?" "Of course. Was there something wrong with my performance tonight?" Cyrus shook his head. "Not at all, not at all. Quite the contrary, in fact. There's a gentleman out here who was in the audience. He wishes to convey his compliments to you in person." Savannah frowned slightly. That was unusual but not unheard of. Sometimes members of the audience—usually middle-aged or even older men—came backstage and tried to approach the women in the troupe, probably because of the reputation that stubbornly clung to actresses. Cyrus fended them off most of the time, but now and then—when he judged that the would-be suitor had plenty of money and might be persuaded to make a donation to the troupe—he allowed them to talk to the women. That bothered Savannah, but she recognized it as a part of her job. She had to be nice to the people who bought tickets. That didn't mean she had to go beyond politeness and surface friendliness, and she never did. "Would you like for me to talk to this man, Cyrus?" "I think it would be a good thing if you did. It shouldn't be too terrible an ordeal. He's rather attractive, you know, and much younger than some of your, ah, admirers." She supposed it wouldn't hurt anything. She nodded. "All right." "The rest of you ladies, let's give Savannah some privacy, shall we?" Cyrus ushered the other female performers out of the dressing room, leaving Savannah alone. She picked up a dressing gown and shrugged into it. She was still wearing the costume she wore as Juliet, which was daring enough onstage. In close quarters, it definitely would be immodest. A moment later a man appeared in the open doorway, holding his hat in one hand. Savannah could tell that the suit he wore was very expensive. He had the unmistakable look of wealth about him, from his carefully barbered dark blond hair to the soft hands to the shoes on his feet that probably cost as much as Cyrus paid her in a year. "Miss McCoy," he said, his lips smiling under the neatly trimmed mustache, "I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed your performance tonight." She returned the smile. "I believe you just did, Mister . . . ?" "Kane. Gideon Kane." He moved closer to her and put out his hand, and without thinking she reached to take it. Instead of shaking hands with her, he turned her hand, held it, lifted it, and pressed his lips to the back of it. She had played scenes where a man kissed the back of a woman's hand, but she had never seen it happen in real life, only on the stage of a theater. Certainly she had never had it happen to her. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or be touched by the melodramatic gesture. She settled for saying, "I'm Savannah McCoy." "I know. Just as I knew when I saw your picture on that poster outside the theater that I had to attend tonight's performance. Kansas City is a rather squalid place, Miss McCoy. I'm not sure a sight as lovely as you has ever been seen here before." Savannah forced a laugh. "You're flattering me, Mr. Kane—" "Call me Gideon," he suggested. "It's not flattery when it's true." She tried to change the subject. "You're in business here?" His smile twisted a little. "My family is. We own stockyards and slaughterhouses and have interests in the railroad as well as other enterprises. All quite successful, of course. None of it particularly interests me, though. I'm more fond of the arts, such as the theater." "It's my calling," Savannah said. "Anyone can tell that by watching you perform. You bring such life and passion to your roles, and you sing wonderfully. I plan to be in the audience every night while your troupe is in Kansas City." "Oh, you wouldn't want to do that. The show doesn't really change. Of course, there are minor differences in every performance, but really, if you've seen one of them—" "Seeing you once is not nearly enough," he broke in. "I don't care about the rest of the performance. I want to see you. Every night." She was starting to get uncomfortable. She had been looked at by men often enough to recognize lust when she saw it. In Gideon Kane's eyes it bordered on obsession. It was time to ease him out of the dressing room. . . . Using the heel of one of those expensive shoes, he closed the door behind him. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Savannah felt a tingle of alarm as the latch clicked shut. "Please, Mr. Kane—" "Gideon." "Please, Mr. Kane," she repeated, "it's inappropriate enough for the two of us to be alone in here. To have the door closed is simply unacceptable." "Not to me. However, I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I'll step out into the hall if you'll agree to have a late supper with me." "I didn't know any restaurants were still open." Kane shook his head. "I'm not talking about going to a restaurant. My carriage is right outside the theater. We'll go to my house. I've already sent one of my men with word for my cook to prepare a meal—" Savannah was shaking her head. "No, I simply couldn't do that. It wouldn't be proper. We just met tonight." She saw the fingers of his hand holding the hat tighten a little on the expensive material. "When I see something I want, it doesn't take me long to make up my mind to have it. Besides, I'm willing to purchase a large block of tickets for every performance, and from the way O'Hanlon talked when I asked him about you, the troupe can use the money. You won't have to do anything . . . unpleasant . . . to insure those sales, Miss McCoy, I can promise you that. Actually, I think you'd thoroughly enjoy spending time with me." He stepped closer to her, and if his blatant lechery hadn't been enough to start her heart pounding with anger and fear already, that would have done it. Once again the wild thought that this was like something out of a melodrama crossed her mind as she said coldly, "I think you've mistaken the sort of woman I am, Mr. Kane." He smiled. "I doubt it. What can I do to get you to call me Gideon?" "Nothing. The only thing I want you to do for me is to leave this dressing room." "Not until I get what I came here for. At least part of it, anyway." He tossed the hat onto the dressing table and reached for her. "A kiss, at the very least—" Savannah had dealt with persistent, unwanted suitors before. She supposed every woman in the theater had at one time or another. Somehow, though, she sensed that Gideon Kane was more dangerous than most. She didn't hesitate. She still wore Juliet's slippers, but that didn't stop her from kicking him in the groin. The blow seemed to take him completely by surprise. As her heel sunk into his flesh, he grunted in pain and bent forward. His hand shot out, grabbed the dressing gown, and ripped it open. Some of the costume came with it, exposing even more of Savannah's skin. She jerked back and pulled free from him, and while he was off-balance she gave him a hard shove that sent him falling back toward the door. He landed against it with a heavy thud. Close by in the backstage corridor, Cyrus called worriedly, "Savannah, are you all right?" Kane held one hand to his painful nether region while the other pressed against the wall to hold himself up. He glared at her and grated, "You little bi. . . ." "Cyrus!" Savannah called. He flung the door open and stood in the doorway with several members of the troupe crowding up behind him, including a couple burly stagehands. "Are you all right, lass?" Still wearing Romeo's costume, he put his hand on the hilt of the prop sword that hung sheathed at his waist. "I'm fine," Savannah said as she pulled her garments closed again, calling on her skills as an actress to sound a lot more calm than she really felt. "Mr. Kane was just leaving." Kane said, "You'll—" "Regret this?" Savannah interrupted him. She shook her head. "I don't think so." "Good night, Mr. Kane," Cyrus said. "The time for backstage visits is over." Kane glared murderously at both of them, then straightened with a visible effort and stepped unsteadily toward the door. Cyrus moved aside to let him out. "Oh, wait!" Savannah picked up Kane's hat from the dressing table, and when he turned back toward her, she tossed it to him. "You wouldn't want to forget your hat." He caught it awkwardly, and his glare grew even darker. He put the hat on and moved slowly past the members of the troupe in the hallway, all of whom frowned menacingly at him. Dollie looked like she would have cheerfully taken a knife to him and carved him up like a turkey. When Kane was gone, Savannah said, "I'm sorry about the tickets he promised to buy, Cyrus. I know the troupe could use the money." Before Cyrus could reply, Dollie said briskly, "Nonsense. We don't need the money of scoundrels like that. Did he hurt you, dear?" "He never laid a finger on me," Savannah replied honestly. "Well, except when he kissed the back of my hand." "He what?" Cyrus exclaimed. "What does he think this is, some French farce?" "Never mind about that." Dollie took her husband's arm. "Come on, everyone. Let's let Savannah get dressed. We'll see you back at the hotel, dear." "Of course," Savannah said with a nod. The others left, and she closed the door and quickly got dressed in her regular clothes. As she did, she worried about what Gideon Kane might do. He hadn't struck her as the sort of man to just forget about what had happened tonight. Even though she had no proof that he was as rich and powerful as he'd said, she didn't doubt it for a second. It took real wealth for a man to display the sort of cruel, careless arrogance that he had. As usual, when the will of someone like that was thwarted, he had started to bluster and threaten. It was possible that Kane might go to the owner of the theater and pressure the man to cancel the rest of the troupe's engagement and refuse to pay them. She had seen men employ tactics like that before when they held a grudge. Actually, it was the sort of thing her father might have done if someone angered him, although William Thorpe would never make improper advances toward a young woman. Savannah stepped out of the dressing room and looked for the others. She didn't see anyone backstage, so she supposed they were waiting for her out front. But Dollie had said they would see her back at the hotel, Savannah recalled. They could have gone on, figuring that she would catch up with them. The hotel was less than two blocks away, after all. Even so, she felt nervous as she walked through the darkened theater. Her footsteps echoed from the cavernous ceiling. Lamps still burned here and there, casting enough light for her to see her way without any trouble. An old man was sweeping up. He nodded to her as she passed. "Good night, miss." "Good night," Savannah told him. For a second she thought about asking him if he would walk her back to the hotel, but then she discarded that idea. That wasn't his job, and she didn't want to inconvenience him. She went out through the theater lobby, past the box office, and stepped onto the sidewalk. The street was fairly dark, but again, she could see well enough to get where she was going. From where she stood, the hotel was even visible a short distance up the street, a warm yellow glow coming from its lobby windows. There was also enough light for her to see the carriage that suddenly pulled up beside her and stopped on the cobblestone street. Two men, large and threatening in the gloom, stepped out of it, and one of them rumbled, "You're comin' with us, Miss McCoy." CHAPTER NINETEEN Bodie couldn't get Savannah McCoy out of his mind. From the theater he and Jake had gone to the Bella Royale for a drink and to see if any of the other boys were there. The saloon had become the gang's unofficial headquarters while they were in Kansas City waiting for Eldon Swint to divide the loot. Bodie nursed a beer at a table with Jake and a couple other outlaws, Clete Mahaffey and Dave Pearsoll. They were playing a desultory game of poker, but Bodie couldn't concentrate on his cards. His thoughts kept straying to Savannah. Jake grinned as he raked in another pot after winning a hand from Bodie. "You know why our pard here keeps losin', boys?" Without waiting for an answer he went on. "It's because he's distracted. He's too busy moonin' over a gal to think about playin' poker." "What gal's that?" Mahaffey asked. "That redheaded soiled dove called Dora who works here, maybe? She knows some tricks that'd sure keep a man's mind occupied . . . among other things." He guffawed with laughter. Pearsoll joined in, and Bodie wished Jake would just shut up about the subject. But Jake wasn't going to do that. "Naw, it's an actress we saw at the theater tonight. We took in the show, and it was a good one. But Bodie here didn't have eyes for nobody but this brown-haired Southern belle named Savannah." The other two men hooted even more. Glaring across the table at his friend, Bodie scraped his chair back. "I don't reckon I feel like playing anymore. Deal me out." "You're gonna quit just because I was hoo-rawin' you a little?" Jake asked. "That ain't like you, Bodie." "I'm just tired, that's all," Bodie said with a shake of his head. "Think I'll head for the hotel and turn in." Jake shrugged. "Suit yourself." He seemed a little insulted. But Bodie didn't really care. He didn't appreciate being made sport of. As he turned to walk away from the table, he heard Jake say to Mahaffey and Pearsoll, "There's somethin' I've been wantin' to talk to you boys about." Bodie didn't hear any more. The hubbub in the saloon swallowed up the rest of Jake's words. Whatever the conversation was, Bodie didn't know or care anything about it. He drew in a deep breath of night air as he stepped out of the saloon. Kansas City wasn't the most fragrant place in the world; the vast stockyards on the edge of town took care of that. The pungent smells that came from there drifted over the whole town. But even so, the air outside seemed cleaner to Bodie than that inside the Bella Royale. After pausing on the sidewalk for a moment, he turned toward the hotel. When he reached the next corner, his steps carried him in a different direction. He realized he was heading toward Channing's Variety Theater. No point in going there, he told himself. The show had been over for a while. All the performers, including Savannah, would have left already and gone back to wherever they were staying or to get something to eat. All he could do was stand in front of the darkened theater and gaze at it, remembering what he had seen inside earlier. It would have to be enough, he decided, and walked a little faster. It wasn't far to the theater. As he approached, he saw the carriage that had pulled up in front of it. Several shadowy forms were moving around on the sidewalk between the street and the theater. Something about the situation made the hackles rise on the back of Bodie's neck. A second later, a woman's voice rang out clearly. "Gideon Kane sent you, didn't he?" "Never you mind about who sent us, gal," a rough male voice answered. "You just come on with us, and there won't have to be no trouble." "Get away from me. I'll scream!" "Look out. She's gonna run! Grab her!" Bodie was already moving. He'd recognized Savannah's voice when the woman first spoke. She lunged away from the two men, but they were too fast for her and had her hemmed in against the building. Bodie left his feet in a diving tackle. His shoulder rammed into the back of the nearest man. The impact drove the man toward his companion. They crashed together, and their feet got tangled up. All three men fell to the sidewalk. Bodie scrambled to his feet first. Savannah stood a few feet away, gaping at him in surprise. His hat had come off when he tackled the first man, so he snatched it off the sidewalk and grabbed Savannah's arm with his other hand. "Come on, Miss McCoy! I'll get you out of here!" He didn't know who the two bruisers were, except that Savannah thought they worked for Gideon Kane, whoever that was. It didn't matter. They had threatened her, and he had to get her away from them. But as they turned to run, one of the men regained his feet and shot out a hand to snag Bodie's shirt collar. Bodie felt himself being jerked backward, away from Savannah. He was whirled around, and a punch exploded against his jaw, knocking him back against the carriage. The big man bored in, obviously intent on keeping Bodie pinned against the carriage with his bulk while he hammered the young outlaw with his fists. Bodie sensed as much as he saw another powerful blow rocketing at his face and dropped desperately out of its path. The punch went over his head and smashed into the side of the carriage. The man howled in pain and danced back, shaking his injured hand. Bodie looked around for Savannah but couldn't locate her. The second man blocked his view, looming up to throw a roundhouse punch that would take Bodie's head off if it landed. Once again, Bodie avoided the blow at the last second, weaving aside so that the man's fist barely scraped the side of his head. He buried the toe of his boot in the man's belly, doubling him over. Moving fast, he clapped his hat back on his head, clubbed his fists together, and brought them down on the back of the man's neck, driving him to the ground. Bodie took a step away from the carriage but didn't even have time to think about finding Savannah and hustling her to safety. Something crashed down on his back from above, knocking him off his feet. The small part of his brain that was still working realized the carriage must have a driver, and that man had leaped from the high seat onto him. The next instant, the man's weight came down hard enough on Bodie to force all the air from his lungs. The world spun crazily and the night turned red in front of his eyes for a second, and he knew he was close to passing out. If he lost consciousness, the three men might stomp him to death. Even worse, they might succeed in kidnapping Savannah. With that thought fueling his efforts, he forced himself to ram an elbow up and back, into the midsection of the man who had tackled him. At the same time, he heaved up with his other arm and his legs. Bodie wasn't big, but he had the lean, muscular build of a panther and had spent years taking care of himself and learning how to survive. He was stronger than he looked, and he was able to throw his opponent off to the side. He surged to his feet, but the other two men had recovered enough to attack him again. He was trapped between them as their fists crashed into him. He couldn't block all the blows, couldn't get set to throw some punches of his own. One man screamed suddenly and reeled backward, pawing frantically at the side of his neck, startling his companion enough to give Bodie an opening. He jabbed a stinging left into the man's face and followed it with a right cross that landed solidly on the hombre's jaw, sending him spinning to the sidewalk. The one who had started yelling staggered into a slanting ray of light coming from a window in a nearby building, and for the first time, Bodie got a good look at his face. A second later, he realized where he had seen the man before. Earlier, the big bruiser had been with the rich, blond gent who had bumped into Bodie outside the theater. That meant the second man was probably the other bodyguard. Based on what Savannah had said, the rich, arrogant son of a gun would be Gideon Kane, Bodie supposed. Not that it mattered. Anybody who wanted to hurt Savannah McCoy, for whatever reason, was his enemy. The yelling man finally plucked whatever was bothering him from his neck and shouted, "Shoot him! Shoot that cowboy!" CHAPTER TWENTY For a second, Bodie didn't know who the man was talking to, then from the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of the driver fumbling under his coat, trying to pull a gun. Nobody would ever mistake Bodie Cantrell for a real gunfighter like Wild Bill Hickok, but he could get his Colt out of its holster fairly fast, and he usually hit what he aimed at. He drew the revolver and smoothly eared back the hammer as the barrel came up. He had beaten the carriage driver cleanly to the draw, so he expected the man to give up. But the driver fumbled out a pistol and thrust it toward Bodie. That took the decision out of Bodie's hands. He squeezed off a shot before the man could pull the trigger. The Colt roared and bucked against his palm. The bullet smashed into the man's shoulder and slewed him around. He yelled as the pistol flew from his fingers. Savannah grabbed Bodie's arm and tugged on it. "Come on!" she urged. "Maybe they won't chase us as long as you've got that gun!" Bodie didn't figure they could count on that. He fired again, aiming low so that the bullet hit the sidewalk near the two men who were still on their feet. The one going after the driver's pistol forgot about it for the moment as they both leaped for cover. Bodie wheeled around and started to run. He took Savannah's arm and pulled her along, making sure he didn't outdistance her with his long-legged strides. He was a little surprised she was still there. He had hoped she would take off running as soon as she got the chance. But she had waited for him and they needed to put as much distance as they could between themselves and the three men. Bodie didn't know where he was going. He wasn't familiar with any of Kansas City except the area around the hotel, the Bella Royale Saloon, and the theater. But as an open stretch of ground loomed up to his right, he saw the wagons parked there and steered Savannah in that direction. "We'll hide among those wagons," he told her in a whisper. "They won't be able to find us." She didn't say anything, but she went with him willingly. Even though he knew perfectly well who she was, she wouldn't have any idea as to his identity. All she knew was that he was trying to help her, and he supposed that was enough for the time being. They ducked around the closest of the big, canvas-covered vehicles. The wagons were arranged in a rough circle, the same formation the immigrants would use when they were traveling out on the prairie. The difference was that away from town, the livestock would be kept inside the circled wagons, not in a corral adjacent to the lot where the wagons were parked. The big campfire in the center of the circle had burned down to mostly embers and a few faintly flickering flames that didn't cast much light. The wagons were dark and quiet. Everybody in the camp seemed to be asleep. Bodie led Savannah farther away from the street. When he thought they were deep enough in the camp, he dropped to a knee beside one of the big wheels and urged Savannah to kneel beside him. He didn't like the idea of her getting her dress dirty, but they needed to hide in the shadows in case the three men came looking for them. He leaned closer to her, and suddenly felt a little lightheaded from the fight or from the clean, tantalizing scent of her thick brown hair. He didn't know which. "Are you all right?" he asked in a whisper. "Did those varmints hurt you?" "No, I'm fine," she replied, keeping her voice as quiet as his. "Just scared." "You don't have to be scared, Miss McCoy. I won't let them get you." "You know who I am?" She sounded a little surprised. "Why, sure I do. I was in the audience at the theater tonight. Right in the center on the fourth row." Their shoulders were touching as they knelt beside the wagon. He felt her tiny start of surprise and wondered what it was about. She whispered, "I saw you while I was singing my first number." "It was a mighty pretty song. My name's Bodie, by the way. Bodie Cantrell." "I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Cantrell. Under the circumstances, very pleased indeed." They crouched there for a moment in silence, catching their breath. Then Bodie asked, "Why were those fellas trying to grab you?" "To take me back to their employer's mansion, I expect. They work for a man named Gideon Kane." "Fancy dressed fella with blond hair and a mustache?" Once again he felt Savannah react slightly. With a note of worry in her voice, she said, "That's him, all right. He's not a friend of yours, is he?" "Not hardly. Me and a pard of mine had a run-in with him earlier this evening. I didn't like him then, and now that I know he likes to have girls kidnapped, I don't cotton to him that much more." "I think he's probably a bad man to have for an enemy." "I've heard it said you can judge a man by his enemies. In this fella's case, I reckon it says some pretty good things about us." She was quiet for a second, then she laughed softly. Bodie had seldom heard a nicer sound. "I think you're right about that, Mr. Cantrell." They were quiet again, and Bodie listened intently, searching the night for any indication that Kane's men were coming after them. When he didn't hear anything that seemed unusual, he asked, "Do you know how come that fella started screaming and grabbing at his neck?" "I certainly do. I stuck a hat pin in the side of his neck as hard as I could." It was all Bodie could do not to burst out laughing. He held it in check and chuckled softly. "I didn't notice you wearing a hat." "I wasn't. But I always carry a hatpin in my bag, anyway, just in case. Tonight it came in handy." "It sure did," Bodie agreed. "That was pretty brave of you, jumping in like that. They had me in a pretty bad spot. I might not have been able to get away from them if you hadn't given me a hand." "You were risking your life to help me. It was the least I could do." Bodie was about to tell her that he would have given his life to save her, but he didn't get a chance to say anything else. At that moment, an arm looped around his neck from behind, closed on his throat like an iron bar, and jerked him to his feet. He felt the cold, hard ring of a gun muzzle pressed to the side of his head. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE One thing about growing older, Jamie had discovered, was that he didn't seem to need as much sleep as he once had. He found himself awake at night fairly often, and he wasn't the sort to just lie there in his bunk or bedroll and stare at the darkness. He felt better getting up and moving around. He liked to stay busy, always had. Besides, even though the wagon train was camped in a city and surrounded by civilization, it didn't mean there were no dangers lurking in the darkness. In some ways, the situation was more precarious than if the immigrants had been out on the prairie. The threats were just different, that's all. For those reasons, Jamie was up and taking a pasear around the camp when he spotted a couple figures skulking beside one of the wagons. They might be two of the immigrants, he told himself. Maybe a boy and a girl who weren't supposed to be courting had slipped out of their families' wagons for a midnight rendezvous. In that case, it wouldn't be any of his business. Young love could run its course—or not—without any meddling from him. However, in one way of looking at it, anything that happened involving the wagon train was the wagon master's business, he thought. Anyway, something about those two struck Jamie as suspicious, and he had long since learned to trust what his gut was telling him. With the same stealth that had allowed him to sneak up unnoticed on countless enemies over the past five decades, he approached the two shadowy forms. One of his Colts came smoothly out of its holster with only the faintest brushing of steel against leather. The two people were whispering to each other and seemed to have no idea he was right behind them. Jamie's eyes, still keen despite his years, made out the fact that one of the figures was male and the other female, but they didn't sound like a couple of love struck kids. Actually, they were talking like they were in some sort of trouble, maybe with the law. Regardless, they were strangers and didn't belong there. Since Jamie had taken the job of getting the pilgrims safely to Montana Territory, his first responsibility was to protect the wagon train. Because the man was armed, Jamie decided the best thing to do was make sure he couldn't yank that gun out and start blazing away. With so many folks around, flying lead could tear through the canvas covers on the wagons and would be a real danger. When Jamie made his move, it was swift and sure, grabbing the man from behind, hauling him to his feet, and pressing the Colt to his head. "Take it easy, mister," he rasped into the man's ear. "It wouldn't take much to make this gun go off and splatter your brains all over that canvas." The woman sprang to her feet, and for a second Jamie thought she was going to bolt. But she didn't. She said urgently, "Please don't kill him! He doesn't really have anything to do with this. Just let him go and . . . and I'll go with you to Mr. Kane's house." The fella Jamie had hold of made a squawking sound, like he was trying to object to what the woman had just said, but he couldn't get any words past Jamie's iron grip on his throat. "Miss, I don't have any idea what you're talking about," Jamie told her. "I don't know anybody named Kane. I just want to know why you're sneaking around these wagons. You plan on robbing some of them?" "No!" the woman exclaimed. "We're not thieves, I swear. We're just trying to hide from some men who . . . who wanted to kidnap me." The story came pouring out of her in disjointed fashion, some wild yarn about her being an actress and a rich fellow who had taken a fancy to her and was used to getting what he wanted, even if that meant taking it by force. Jamie could believe the part about the woman being an actress, because the story she told sounded like something out of a play penned by some crazy scribbler. When the flow of words from her finally ran down, he asked, "So who's this hombre I've got hold of?" "His name is Bodie Cantrell. He risked his life to help me get away from those terrible men. That's all I really know about him." Despite being a little lurid, the woman's story had the ring of truth about it. Jamie had a hunch she wasn't lying to him, and since he was in the habit of following his hunches, he let go of Bodie. There was nothing wrong with being careful. Now that he had a hand free, Jamie reached down and plucked the man's revolver from its holster before Bodie had a chance to stop him. The man was too busy at the moment dragging air back into his lungs after being choked for a couple minutes. Jamie had been careful not to squeeze hard enough to kill him or even make him pass out, so he recovered quickly. Still a little breathless, he asked, "Who . . . who are you?" "Jamie Ian MacCallister. Wagon master for this bunch that's headed to Montana." "You didn't have to try to kill me," Bodie complained. Jamie chuckled coldly. "Mister, if I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be standing there right now. You'd already be shaking hands with St. Peter." He was about to say something else when one of the numerous dogs that belonged with the wagon train started to bark. None of the curs had raised a ruckus when Cantrell and the woman, whatever her name was, had sneaked into the camp a few minutes earlier, but several of them began to carry on. A shaft of light played around the camp from the direction of the street. Somebody had a bull's-eye lantern, Jamie realized. The light darted toward them like a searching finger in the night. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO "Get under the wagon," Jamie told the two strangers in a low, urgent voice. "What?" Bodie said. "Under the wagon," Jamie repeated. "That's probably the varmints who were after the gal." They didn't need any more urging. Bodie took hold of Savannah's arm and helped her crawl underneath the wagon. Jamie moved so that his buckskin-clad legs would help shield them and planted his feet solidly on the ground as several men approached. One of them carried the lantern. The Colt .44 was still in Jamie's hand. He raised the weapon, pointed it at the intruders, and called softly, "Lower that light, by God, or I'll shoot it out!" The light played over him, but only for a second before it dipped toward the ground. It was long enough for the men to have seen that he had the drop on them. "Take it easy, mister," one of them said. "We're not lookin' for any trouble." "You may have found it anyway," Jamie snapped. "I'm the boss of this wagon camp. Who are you, and what are you doing here?" "We're looking for a woman," another man said. "She's a thief. She stole something from our boss, and we're just tryin' to get it back." "That's right," the first man added. "She's got this cowboy with her. I think he's an outlaw. He must be in on it with her." Once again Jamie's instincts passed judgment on what he was hearing . . . and he didn't like it. These men were lying—which meant Cantrell and the woman were probably telling the truth. "Well, there's nobody like that around here," Jamie told the three men. "I've been standing guard all night, and I'd know." The man with the lantern came closer, but he kept the light pointed toward the ground. "No offense, old-timer, but we're not going to just take your word for it. We'll have a look around—" "I don't think so." Jamie's voice was hard, flat, and dangerous as he interrupted. "Look, you may have a gun, but there are three of us—" "Which means I'll have two bullets left over in this old Colt of mine when I get through with you, since I carry the hammer on an empty chamber." There was no mistaking the threat in Jamie's voice. He wasn't bluffing. The men were strangers, and they had bullied their way into the wagon camp uninvited. As far as he was concerned, he would be well within his rights to ventilate all three of them. The moment stretched out tensely until one of the men muttered, "That old coot sounds crazy enough to do it. I've already been shot at once tonight, and I ain't in the mood to have it happen again." The man with the lantern argued. "The boss won't like it if we come back without—" "He's smart. He can figure out what to do about it. Come on," interrupted the other man who had spoken. Two men started backing away, and the one with the lantern wasn't going to stay there and take on Jamie by himself. He blustered, "You don't know how much trouble you're getting yourself into, mister," then turned and followed his companions out of the camp. After a few moments, Jamie said quietly to the couple under the wagon, "You two stay right where you are until I get back." He walked to the edge of the camp where he could look along the street and make sure the three intruders were gone. He saw them walking quickly away from the camp, already more than a block away. He supposed they were on their way to report to the man who had ordered them to kidnap the young woman. If she had told him her name, he had missed it. He pouched the iron and turned back to the wagon where he had left her and her rescuer. He knew it was possible they might have crawled out and lit a shuck without waiting for him, as he had told them to do. However, when he reached the right wagon and said, "Come on out of there," they emerged from under the vehicle. Bodie stood up first, then helped the woman to her feet. "Are they gone?" "Yeah. I made sure of that. Of course, they might circle back and try to slip into the camp again, so why don't the two of you come with me?" "Where are you taking us?" the woman asked nervously. If what she had told him earlier was true, Jamie didn't blame her for not being very trusting. "I want to get the two of you out of sight while we hash this out. We'll go to my friend Moses's wagon. He won't mind us disturbing him. He's a preacher, sort of, so he ought to be used to folks waking him up and needing his help in the middle of the night." Jamie led them across the camp and stopped beside one of the wagons. It was a little hard to tell them apart in the dark, so he hoped he had the right one as he hissed Moses's name through the opening above the tailgate. A moment later, he heard a sleepy mutter from inside the wagon, then Moses stuck his head through the opening. "Jamie? What's going on? It's awfully late." "Yeah, I know. I've got a couple people here who need a place to get out of sight for a little while. Reckon you can let them stay here?" "Well . . . sure, I guess so. Climb on in, folks. These are hardly luxury accommodations, though." "We don't care about that," Bodie said. Jamie lowered the tailgate, and Bodie helped the woman climb into the wagon. Moses gave her a hand, too. When the younger people were inside, Jamie perched a hip on the tailgate. "All right, Cantrell, introduce the lady to Moses and me." "We really just met tonight, too, Mr. MacCallister, but this is Miss Savannah McCoy. She's part of the troupe of entertainers that's performing at Channing's Variety Theater, down the street." "I remember seeing the place," Jamie said with a nod. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss McCoy." "Indeed it is," Moses added. "May I offer you something to drink?" "No, but thank you," Savannah said. "I just want to get back to the hotel where my friends are staying." "We'll see that you get there safely," Jamie promised. "First, though, I want to hear more about those three hombres who were after you." "I'm afraid it's very simple. Their employer, like too many other people, believes that actresses are the same as prostitutes." "My daughter's an actress," Jamie said curtly. "I don't cotton to people who think like that." Bodie shook his head. "Neither do I. Once you're safe, Miss McCoy, I think I might have to look up this Gideon Kane and teach him a lesson." "Oh, no," Savannah said quickly. "You've already done enough for me tonight, Mr. Cantrell. More than enough. You risked your life by fighting those men. And you saved me from being dragged off by them and turned over to that . . . that . . ." "No-good polecat will do," Jamie finished for her. "I reckon I can say that even though I never met Gideon Kane." "You got that right, Mr. MacCallister," Bodie said. "If anything, you're not being fair to the polecats of the world." Jamie laughed. He felt an instinctive liking for this young man. If he had seen the same thing going on, a young woman being threatened, he would have jumped right into the middle of the fracas just like Cantrell had. "What are you doing here in Kansas City? You wouldn't happen to be looking for a job, would you?" Jamie and Hector Gilworth had spent all day trying to find someone else who was willing to sign on with the wagon train as a scout, but they hadn't had any luck. Jamie was prepared to set out with just him, Hector, and Jess Neville to handle the scouting chores, but it would be better if they had at least one more good man. Cantrell hesitated, then said in reply to Jamie's question, "No, I reckon not. I'm not working at anything right now, but I've got some possibilities coming up soon." "Well, if you change your mind between now and first light, let me know," Jamie told him. "I'm looking for another scout to help me get these wagons to Montana." Brodie let out a low whistle of surprise. "Montana's a long way off. You're setting out this late in the year?" "It's their idea," Jamie said. "I've warned 'em about it. Seems like we're going, though, one way or the other." "There's really no choice," Moses put in. Jamie let that pass. There was at least a chance they would make it, and if anybody could get those immigrants where they were going, he knew it was him. That wasn't boastful on his part, just a realistic acknowledgment of his abilities. Savannah said, "I hate to inconvenience you even more, Mr. Cantrell, but do you think you could accompany me back to my hotel?" "Sure," Bodie answered without hesitation. "I planned to all along." "And I'm coming, too," Jamie said. "With both of us along, I don't reckon anybody's liable to bother you. How about you, Moses?" "Well, I wouldn't be any good in a fight, but I'll come along," the young rabbi said. "Strength in numbers, eh?" He fingered the nightshirt he was wearing. "Just let me put some pants on." Bodie and Savannah climbed out of the wagon. Moses joined them a couple minutes later. Together, the four of them left the wagon camp and walked toward the hotel where the O'Hanlon troupe was staying. Jamie kept his right hand on the butt of the Colt on that side, but he didn't need the gun. No one bothered them. When they reached the hotel, he was about to turn back when Savannah said, "If you could just come into the lobby with me. Those men might be waiting." That was true, Jamie thought. It would be a shame to get Savannah this close to safety and then have Gideon Kane's men grab her after all. The lamps in the lobby were turned low, and no clerk was on duty at the desk. It was bright enough in the room for Jamie to get his first good look at Bodie and Savannah. The young woman was a beauty, all right, even with her dress disheveled and dirty from crawling around under a covered wagon. Bodie Cantrell was a medium-sized young man in range clothes, with black hair under his tipped-back hat. The four of them had just entered the lobby when a man stood up from a chair next to a potted plant where he'd obviously been waiting. He started toward them, but clearly he was no threat. Middle-aged and portly, he sported a black eye, and there was dried blood around his mouth. "Savannah!" he exclaimed. "Thank God! We didn't know what had happened to you or if you were all right." Savannah caught hold of his extended hands and gaped at him in surprise. "Cyrus, what happened to you? You look like you've been in a fight!" "I have," Cyrus O'Hanlon said grimly. "Gideon Kane and his men have been here, Savannah . . . and they were looking for you." CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE The news hit Savannah hard. She gasped as if she'd been punched in the stomach. Beside her, Bodie put a hand on her arm to steady her. "Oh, Cyrus, I'm so sorry," she was able to say after a moment. "Are you hurt badly? Was anyone else hurt?" Cyrus waved a hand. "Don't worry about me, child. This isn't the first time I've been roughed up. I'll be fine. Harry Sennett has a broken arm, but no one else suffered anything except bumps and bruises." Bodie asked, "Why would they do something like that?" "Because they were looking for me," Savannah answered before Cyrus could say anything. "Isn't that right?" "Aye," Cyrus answered with a shrug. The gesture made him wince. "Kane demanded to know if you were here, and when I told him you weren't, he said that I was lying. One of his men hit me, and Harry jumped into the fight. He wasn't any match for them, though. The commotion drew the rest of the troupe. We tried to give a good account of ourselves, but"—he shrugged again—"we're performers, not brawlers." "Wish I'd been here to lend you a hand," Jamie MacCallister growled. Cyrus looked him up and down. "My, you're big as a mountain, aren't you, friend? I wish you'd been here, too. Who's this, Savannah?" "This is Mr. MacCallister. He's the wagon master for that wagon train camped down the street. He helped us after Mr. Cantrell got me away from Kane's men to start with." "I'm afraid I'm not acquainted with young Mr. Cantrell, either . . . although you do look a bit familiar, sir." "I was in the audience at the show tonight." "Ah! That explains it." Cyrus still looked puzzled, though. "You're a friend of Savannah's?" "He is now," she said. "He risked his life fighting Kane's men when they tried to kidnap me. We got away and hid among Mr. MacCallister's wagons." "I'm starting to get the players straight," Cyrus said with a nod. He turned to Moses Danzig. "And you are . . . ?" Moses introduced himself, then added, "I'm going to Montana Territory with Jamie and the rest of the wagon train." Jamie asked, "Did anybody send for the law while that ruckus with Kane's men was going on?" Cyrus nodded. "One of our people did. But that just made things worse. When the police came in—" He had to stop and draw a deep breath. "When the police came in, Kane and his men claimed that we had attacked them. He accused us of being criminals. He said we had pickpockets working the crowd and that we were no better than gypsies." "Let me guess," Jamie said with a frown. "The law believed them." Cyrus spread his hands helplessly. "Kane and his family are rich. Of course the authorities believed him. The officers threatened to run us out of town . . . but Kane said he didn't want to cause trouble for us and told them he didn't want to press charges. After the police left, though, he said he would see to it that we were all thrown in jail unless we turned Savannah over to him. Then he told us we had until morning to find her and take her to his house." Savannah felt sick and light-headed. If not for Bodie's hand on her arm, she might have collapsed. How could things have taken such a bad turn, so quickly? She hadn't done anything to cause it. She'd just been going about her job, following her calling, practicing her art. Then suddenly, without any warning, Gideon Kane had walked into her dressing room, and with him had come pure evil. That was just the way things were in life, she told herself. Bad things happened for no apparent reason. But understanding that and being able to accept it were two different things. It wasn't fair for Cyrus and the other members of the troupe to suffer just because Gideon Kane had decided he had to have her. "Listen," she said, speaking quickly so she wouldn't back out on going through with the idea that had just occurred to her. "I have to leave the troupe." "What?" Cyrus said with a confused frown. "No! You don't need to do that. We'll figure some way out of this—" "There isn't any other way out of it," she told him. "Kane will use the law against you, and you know he'll get away with it, too. At the very least, he'll have you run out of town. At worst, you'll all be locked up. I can't stand to have that on my conscience, Cyrus. I just can't." "We'll fight him," Cyrus insisted. "I'll hire a lawyer and fight him in court." Savannah shook her head. "No lawyer worth anything will want to go up against the Kane family. There's just no other answer, Cyrus, and you know it." He looked miserable as he tried to come up with something else to say and couldn't. Finally he managed to ask, "But where will you go?" Savannah turned to look at Jamie MacCallister. "To Montana Territory. You can find a place for me in your wagon train, can't you, Mr. MacCallister?" "It's not really my wagon train," Jamie replied. "I don't have any say over who stays and who goes, as long as they follow my orders once we're on the trail." "I can follow orders. I'm good at taking direction, aren't I, Cyrus?" "You're a quick study," Cyrus admitted. "You won't be playing a part, though, Savannah. You'd really be an immigrant." With a faint smile, she said, "Isn't all life just playing a part, at least to a certain extent? We know what we're supposed to do because we've read it in books and seen it onstage. And then as we live it, it becomes real." "I suppose you could look at it like that," Cyrus said grudgingly. "But I don't want to lose you. Neither will the others." "It's for their own good. The troupe has to come first." Still smiling, she added, "The show must go on." Cyrus winced again. "To have such a hoary old chestnut used against me." He sighed. "Very well. You'll probably be safer with a behemoth such as Mr. MacCallister rather than with a bunch of actors. No offense intended by that behemoth comment, sir." "None taken," Jamie said with a grin. "I know I'm a big galoot." He grew more serious. "I'm not sure about you being any safer, though, Miss McCoy. We're talking about going all the way to Montana, not on some picnic lunch. Hundreds of miles of riding in a wagon that's not very comfortable, miserable weather, maybe hostile Indians and outlaws. Lots of bad things can happen." "Something bad will happen if I stay here," Savannah pointed out. "Gideon Kane has seen to that. Besides, maybe I wouldn't have to go all the way to Montana. The troupe's next stop is Des Moines, isn't that right, Cyrus?" "Yes, we'll be there in a couple weeks." "I could travel with the wagon train for a week or so, long enough for Kane to give up on finding me, then leave and join the troupe again in Des Moines." "You can't go gallivanting across the prairie by yourself." Bodie looked at Jamie. "You still interested in hiring another scout, Mr. MacCallister?" Jamie regarded him with narrowed eyes. "A temporary scout? Just for a week? I don't know about that. But I don't reckon I can stop you from coming along, if that's what you want. You'll have to talk to Captain Hendricks about it, though. He's in charge of the bunch." Savannah frowned. "Mr. Cantrell, I can't ask you to—" "You're not asking me to do anything," Bodie interrupted. "I'm volunteering." He paused. "I'll have to talk to some friends of mine, though, and let them know that I'm leaving." "It's very thoughtful of you to want to help me. I really appreciate it." "Hey, I don't like that fella Kane, either," Bodie said. "Anything I can do to put a burr under his saddle, I'm all for it." Moses spoke up. "I don't want to throw cold water on these plans, but how are you going to convince Kane that you're gone, Miss McCoy? He's liable to think that the troupe is just hiding you." Savannah frowned again. "I hadn't thought about that. I know. I'll write him a letter telling him that I'm leaving Kansas City and leaving the troupe. You can give it to him, Cyrus." "Even if you do that, there's no guarantee that he'll believe it." "He can search the hotel and the theater. He can come to all the performances. I really will be gone, so when he can't find me he'll have no choice but to believe it." Cyrus rubbed his chin and frowned in thought. After a moment he said, "Hmm. It might work. . . ." "It's the only chance we have to keep him from causing more trouble for the troupe." "You won't tell him where you're going, just that you're leaving town?" Savannah glanced at Jamie and Bodie. "That's right. I don't want to cause trouble for those immigrants, either." "I'm not worried too much about some rich young wastrel like that, miss," Jamie told her. "I reckon I've dealt with a lot worse in my time." "All right, it's settled then. I'm starting to Montana with the wagon train. That is, if I can find someone to let me travel with them . . ." Moses said, "That shouldn't be a problem. There are plenty of families who ought to be willing to make room for you. These are good people, Miss McCoy." "I'm sure they are." She put a hand on Cyrus's arm. "And if I don't show up in Des Moines, you'll know not to wait for me. Just go on with the tour." "What are you talking about?" he asked. "Why wouldn't you join us?" "Well, something might happen. As Mr. MacCallister pointed out, a trip like this could be dangerous." Savannah smiled. "Or you never know . . . once I'm on the way, I might decide that I want to be a pioneer woman!" CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR "We'd better go out the back way," Bodie suggested before they left the hotel. Savannah had gone upstairs and quickly packed her carpetbag. Luckily, the troupe's nomadic existence had taught her the art of traveling light. "Kane could've posted somebody outside to keep an eye on the place." Jamie said, "I thought of the same thing. That's why I had a good look around when we came up. I didn't see anybody skulking around, but it's possible I missed something. We'll go out the back just to be sure." Bodie had a hunch it would be hard to out-think Jamie MacCallister, and it was mighty unlikely that he would miss anything, too. He had heard of the big frontiersman. Anybody who had been around as long as Jamie had, leading that sort of adventurous life, was bound to be pretty cunning, not to mention experienced in all kinds of trouble. Savannah had found pen and ink and paper behind the registration desk and quickly written a note for Gideon Kane, telling him that she was quitting the troupe and leaving Kansas City, to boot. She didn't tell him where she was going, but she warned him not to try to find her. She read the message out loud to the others, then sealed it and gave it to Cyrus O'Hanlon to have it delivered to Kane. Cyrus insisted on calling the rest of the troupe down to the lobby so they could say good-bye to Savannah. It was an emotional farewell, full of hugs and tears, and it bothered Bodie that she had to abandon the life she enjoyed just because of some worthless skunk like Gideon Kane. Finally Savannah was able to tear herself away from her friends and colleagues. She and Bodie, along with Jamie and Moses, went to the hotel's back door. Jamie said, "Better let me go out first and have a look around, just to make sure Kane's men haven't set up an ambush for us." "I'll come with you," Bodie said. "No, you stay here. In case anything happens to me, you'll have to look out for Miss McCoy." "What about me?" Moses asked. "Have you got a gun?" "Well . . . no." "Ever fired a gun?" "Actually, I haven't." "Then you'd best stay here with Cantrell and Miss McCoy," Jamie said. "Stick to doing whatever it is rabbis do and let me burn any powder that needs burning." "When you put it like that, I see your point," Moses said. Jamie slipped out the door, moving with unusual grace for such a big man, and returned after a few tense minutes to report that the coast seemed to be clear. "Kane's probably convinced that he spooked your friends so bad they won't have any choice but to turn you over to him, Miss McCoy." "Since we're all going to be traveling together, why don't you call me Savannah?" she suggested. "And the three of you will be Bodie and Moses and . . . Mr. MacCallister." That brought a chuckle from Jamie. Savannah smiled. "It's just that you're old enough to be my, well, my father." "I'm older than that, girl," Jamie said. "I could be your grandpa. But I've never cared much what folks call me, as long as they don't call me late for supper." Bodie grinned. "I figured you were going to say that." Savannah changed the subject. "Kane is underestimating just how tough Cyrus and the others are. They'd never help him." "They wouldn't as long as he didn't box 'em in where they didn't have any choice. Maybe that letter of yours will keep that from happening." They went into the alley behind the hotel. It was pitch black, but Jamie led them through it as if it were bright as day. A short time later, they were back at the wagon train camp, which was still dark and peaceful. Jamie went to one of the wagons, knocked softly on the tailgate, and called, "Cap'n Hendricks." A man with tousled hair stuck his head out of the wagon. "Who's there?" He thrust the twin barrels of a shotgun over the tailgate. Jamie grasped the barrels and shoved them skyward. "Take it easy with that greener," he snapped. "It's MacCallister and Moses Danzig. We've got a couple more pilgrims for your expedition, and one of 'em's going to be my third scout, at least for the time being." Wearing a long nightshirt much like the one Moses had been sporting earlier, Captain Hendricks climbed out of his wagon and listened as Jamie introduced Bodie and Savannah and explained the situation. When Jamie was finished with the story, Hendricks said, "Normally when a person joins a wagon train, they have to contribute something—" "I can pay," Savannah broke in. "I have a little money saved up." Hendricks smiled and shook his head. "I was about to say that under the circumstances, I think we can forget about that, at least for now. Since it's possible you may not be with us for long, there's even less reason to worry about it." The wagon train captain scratched his angular jaw. "Now, there's the matter of finding you a place. . . ." "What about with the Binghams?" Moses suggested. "There's just the two of them, so they'd probably have room in their wagon." "Yes, that might work." Hendricks turned to Savannah. "They're a couple getting on in age, really probably too old to have pulled up stakes and started west like they did, but their children are all grown and Edward Bingham wanted to see some new country. Can't say as I blame him. I feel sort of the same way myself." "Once a man's feet get restless, there's not much he can do about it except move on," Jamie said. "I know that feeling mighty well." So did Bodie. He had been pretty fiddle-footed himself since his parents' deaths had left him alone, but it was from necessity, not choice. As filled with trouble as his life had been, he'd had to stay on the move. That thought reminded him that he still had something to do before morning, something pretty important. He had to see about getting his share of the train robbery loot from Eldon Swint. Now that they had obtained Captain Hendricks's approval for joining the wagon train, Moses took Savannah to the wagon belonging to the elderly couple. Before they left, Bodie said to her, "I'll see you later." "I really hate to disrupt whatever plans you had," she said. "Trust me, I didn't have any real plans, and you're not disrupting a thing." That was true. For her sake, he hated what Savannah was having to go through, but it was a good excuse to leave the gang. He had never been that comfortable riding with Swint and the others, and after the cold-blooded murder of that station agent, Bodie wanted more than ever to get away from them. As Savannah and Moses walked off, Bodie hung back with Jamie. "There's something I have to do before I can leave in the morning." "Yeah, you said something about that before. You need a hand with whatever it is?" That was just the sort of man Jamie MacCallister was, thought Bodie. Jamie had to at least suspect that Bodie's business might involve some degree of danger, but he'd volunteered to come along anyway, without the slightest hesitation. By that, Bodie could tell that Jamie already considered him a friend, and it was a good feeling. He shook his head. "No, I can handle it. But I'm obliged to you for the offer." "We're pulling out at first light. You'll need to be back here by then." "I will be," Bodie promised. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE He left the wagon camp and headed back to the hotel where the gang was staying, which was seedier than the one being used by the troupe of performers. Swint might be there, or he might be at the Bella Royale. Bodie thought the odds were good that he would find the gang leader at one place or the other. On the second floor of the hotel, he found Clete Mahaffey and Dave Pearsoll sitting on ladder-back chairs in the hallway outside Swint's room. "I didn't know you fellas had first shift on guard duty tonight." "Yeah, that's us—just sittin' here while the rest of the boys are out havin' fun," Mahaffey groused. "You need something, Cantrell?" Pearsoll asked. Bodie nodded. "I'm looking for the boss. Is he in his room?" "Nah, we haven't seen Swint for a couple hours. Check the saloon." "That was going to be my next stop. Much obliged." "Wait a minute," Mahaffey said. "Is something wrong, Cantrell?" "No, not at all," Bodie lied. "I just need to talk to him for a few minutes." Clearly, both men were curious what was going on, but they weren't going to poke their noses in another man's business. They just grunted as Bodie lifted a hand in farewell and headed back downstairs. He should have asked them where Jake was, he thought as he left the hotel. Jake was the only member of the gang he considered a friend—one that he wanted to say good-bye to before pulling out with the wagon train. He could find Jake later, he decided. It was more important to settle things with Swint. The hour was getting really late, but the Bella Royale was still busy. Bodie entered the saloon but didn't see Swint anywhere, so he went to the bar and asked the bartender if he'd seen the boss outlaw. The apron nodded toward a closed door. "There's a poker game going on in that private room back there. Swint and some of his boys are sitting in on it. Say, aren't you one of his bunch?" "I was," Bodie said. All that had changed tonight. He hadn't known it at the time, but it had changed the moment he first laid eyes on Savannah McCoy. With that thought in mind, Bodie went to the door and knocked on it. A voice he didn't recognize told him to come in. When he stepped into the room he saw that it was windowless and dark except for a lamp that cast a cone of light over a round table topped with green baize, the cards and money scattered on it, and to a lesser extent, the men who sat around it. Swint sat on the far side of the table, facing the door. That came as no surprise to Bodie; Swint wouldn't want anybody coming in behind him where he couldn't see them. That was just common sense for someone with a lot of enemies and a price on his head. To Swint's right was a frock-coated man Bodie didn't know, probably a professional gambler. To the gambler's right was another man Bodie didn't know who had the well-fed look of a successful businessman. The other three men at the table were members of the gang: Charley Green, who was usually Swint's second in command when the gang pulled a job, a gunman from Arizona named Jack Perkins, and Joe Guerra, a 'breed from the border country down in Texas. It appeared that a hand had just concluded and the frock-coated gambler had won. He finished pulling in the pot, then glanced up at Bodie. "We don't have a chair open right now, but you're welcome to stay and watch in case one of these gents drops out." "I'm not goin' anywhere," Swint said irritably. "Not until I've had a chance to win back that money I lost." The gambler took a slender black cigarillo from his vest pocket, put it between his lips, left it unlit, and rolled it from one side of his mouth to the other. "That's the sort of talk I like to hear. It shows you're passionate about the game, my friend . . . and it tells me I'm going to have a chance to take even more of your money." Swint scowled, and Bodie thought that the gambler didn't really know what sort of loco hombre he was dealing with. Swint was quick to take offense, quick to reach for the gun on his hip. The boss outlaw's reaction lasted only for a second before he controlled it and forced a grin. "You just go ahead and think that way, amigo. We'll see who's rakin' in the pot next time." He glanced up at Bodie. "Did you want somethin', Cantrell, or do you plan to just stand there?" "I need to talk to you for a minute," Bodie said. "In private." Swint's scowl came back. "You got somethin' you can't say in front of these fellas? I'm not sure I like the sound of that." "It's just business, that's all." Swint drummed the fingers of his left hand on the table. "My luck's due to change. I can feel it in my bones. If I sit out this next hand, that luck's liable to pass right over me." "Why don't we take a short break?" the gambler suggested. "That way you can talk to your friend, I'll go get another bottle from Horace, and we can all stretch our legs." "All right," Swint said as he scraped back his chair. "But don't start again without me, you hear? Cantrell, this isn't gonna take very long, is it?" "It shouldn't," Bodie said. Just long enough for you to go upstairs, get the money that you owe me, and hand it over, he thought. Swint stood up. "Come on. We'll step out into the alley." They left the private room and went out through a side door into the narrow passage between the Bella Royale and the building next to it. Swint left the door open so that a rectangle of light slanted through it and the glow lit up most of the alley. "All right," Swint said. "What is it you want?" "My share of the money," Bodie replied bluntly. Swint's scowl got even more fierce. "You know we'll divvy up that loot when the time is right. And I'm the one who decides when that is, Cantrell, not you." "I'm not saying you have to divvy up with everybody." "That wouldn't be fair to the others. What makes you so dang special, anyway?" "I'm leaving the gang," Bodie said. Swint stared at him for a second as if he couldn't comprehend what Bodie had just said. Finally he repeated, "Leaving the gang?" "That's right." Swint's eyes narrowed, and his face began to flush with anger. "What's the matter, we ain't good enough for you anymore? You gonna go out and start your own gang, show ol' Eldon what it's like to be a famous owlhoot?" "It's not like that." It wasn't going as smoothly as Bodie had hoped, but to tell the truth he hadn't really expected Swint to take the news very well. "In fact, I plan to give up being an outlaw altogether." "So you really do think you're too good for the likes of us. But when it comes to the money the rest of us took off that train, you ain't so high and mighty that you'll turn your back on it, are you? You're just as greedy as the rest of us where that loot's concerned." Bodie felt a flash of anger of his own. "Listen here, I did everything you told me to do during that holdup. If there had been trouble, my neck would have been on the line just like yours. So I think I've got a right to my share." Swint hooked his thumbs in his gun belt and sneered. "Only members of the gang get shares. You walk away now and you won't have a damn dime comin' to you." "Now hold on! You never said anything about that before." "Never figured I'd have to explain it. It's just common sense." Actually, it was a chance for Swint to get his hands on an extra share, Bodie realized . . . assuming that the leader of the gang didn't mean to hang on to all the loot. Chances were, Swint didn't really care whether Bodie stayed or went. He had never been any great shakes as an outlaw. Swint could replace him with any of a hundred drifting hardcases. Swint had his pride, though, and he felt insulted. For that reason alone, he was willing to make it an issue. Both men stood tensely in the mixture of dim light and shadows in the alley. It was bright enough for Bodie to see the anticipation of violence in Swint's stance. He knew that if he made even the slightest move toward his gun, Swint would slap leather, too. The killing lust burned in the man's eyes. Suddenly, Bodie felt sick. His guts clenched. But it wasn't from fear. He and Swint were pretty evenly matched when it came to gun speed, he thought. What gripped him was revulsion. He was ready to kill or be killed over money stained with the blood of that murdered station agent. The whole thing was loco. Besides, Savannah McCoy needed his help to stay safe. Sure, if he got himself killed over a pile of ill-gotten loot, Jamie MacCallister, Captain Hendricks, and Moses Danzig would still do their best to look after her. Bodie had a feeling that Jamie would be more than a match for any threat the wagon train might run up against. But even so, there might come a time when he was all that stood between Savannah and disaster, like when Kane's men had tried to grab her earlier. He couldn't afford to run the risk of not being there. He drew in a deep breath. "You know what, Eldon? Keep my share. I don't care." Swint's eyes narrowed with suspicion. Obviously he couldn't comprehend such a decision. "Is this some sort of trick?" Bodie shook his head. "No trick. There are other things I need to do, and they're more important than any stack of gold eagles. You keep my share and divide it up among the other men. Or just keep it for yourself. It doesn't matter to me either way, as long as you're all right with letting me walk away from the gang." "I don't give a damn whether you're in the gang or not," Swint snapped, confirming what Bodie had thought a few moments earlier. "I still think you're tryin' to put somethin' over on me, though." "I'm not. I give you my word." Bodie stuck out his hand. "I'll even shake on it." Swint hesitated, but finally he clasped Bodie's hand. "What is it you've got to do?" Bodie opened his mouth to explain about Savannah, Gideon Kane, and the wagon train, then thought better of it. Swint didn't have any reason to know about any of that. "Just some personal business to take care of." "Fine. It ain't like I care. You remember one thing, though, Cantrell. You walk away from me, and we're done. We ain't partners no more, and if you ever cross me in the future, I'll kill you just as quick as I would a total stranger." Bodie wouldn't have expected anything less from the man. He didn't see any reason his trail ought to cross that of Eldon Swint any time in the future, though. It would be perfectly fine with him if he never saw the lantern-jawed outlaw again. "I understand. You won't have any trouble from me, Eldon." Swint snorted contemptuously. "I'd better not, or you'll wind up filled full of lead, you got that?" Bodie thought back and realized that he had never seen Swint engage in an actual gunfight. The outlaw had killed several men, but always from ambush or when he already had the drop on them. Maybe Swint wasn't quite the deadly pistoleer he always bragged about being. None of that mattered, Bodie told himself. He was going with Savannah, and he would never see Swint again. "You know where Three-Finger Jake is?" he murmured. He still hadn't given up on the idea of saying good-bye to his friend. "I ain't got the slightest idea. It's not my job to keep up with the whereabouts of a bunch of no-account road agents when they're not pullin' a job for me." "All right. If you see him—" Bodie stopped and shook his head. He didn't want to tell Swint that he was going to be traveling with the wagon train. Even though it was unlikely, that might somehow put Kane on Savannah's trail. Bodie wasn't going to take the chance. "So long, Eldon. That's all." "You're loco, you know that?" Swint growled as Bodie turned away. "Givin' up that loot just don't make sense." "It does if maybe you've found something more valuable," Bodie said, thinking about Savannah McCoy. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX Jamie was up long before dawn the next morning, making sure people were awake and getting ready to depart from Kansas City. He had said that he meant for the wagons to roll at first light, and he meant it. As far as he was concerned, the eastern sky barely had to turn gray for it to count as first light. As he was making the rounds of the camp, he came up to one of the cook fires and found Moses Danzig and Bodie Cantrell hunkered beside the flames, sipping coffee from tin cups. The pot was sitting at the edge of the fire, keeping warm. "Some coffee, Mr. MacCallister?" Moses asked. "Don't mind if I do," Jamie said. He'd already had a cup with Captain Hendricks, but a man couldn't have too much coffee when he planned to spend a long, long day in the saddle. Moses went to his nearby wagon and brought another cup, filled it from the pot, and handed it to Jamie. He sipped gratefully at the strong black brew. "Did you get your business taken care of last night, Cantrell?" "Yes, sir, I did," the young man replied. Jamie nodded. "Glad to hear it." He didn't press for any more information. He felt an instinctive liking for Bodie Cantrell, but the young man's affairs were his own and Jamie didn't intend to interfere in them. "Seen Miss McCoy this morning?" Bodie shook his head. "No, but I'm sure she's fine with the Binghams. I wouldn't want to intrude on her." "Moses, you mind going and checking on her? I want to make sure she didn't change her mind about going with us." "Sure," Moses said with a shrug. He ambled off toward the Bingham wagon. Bodie said, "I don't think Miss Savannah would just up and run off." "She was pretty scared last night," Jamie pointed out. "It's hard to tell what somebody will do if they get spooked bad enough. I've seen animals bolt right into danger instead of away from it, all because they were too scared to think straight." Bodie looked worried. He drained the last of his coffee from the cup and rose from his position beside the fire. "Reckon I'll go make sure, too—" "I told Moses to do that," Jamie cut in. "What you need to do is make sure your horse is ready to ride. We've got to get moving soon, or the day's going to be half gone." Bodie squinted and frowned at the eastern sky, which was still almost pitch black with plenty of stars showing. He figured Jamie was a little loco, and a bit of a slave driver, to boot. But like the others in the group, he didn't fully grasp what a difficult undertaking it would be to get the wagons to Eagle Valley in Montana Territory before winter closed in around them and stranded them. Jamie would have to use every available minute of every day to accomplish that goal, and it was going to be hard on everybody, human and livestock alike. They might as well get used to that, right from the start. Bodie went to see to his horse, as Jamie had suggested, and the big frontiersman continued making sure that everything was ready for the journey. Any time he found immigrants who weren't preparing fast enough, he prodded them into hurrying without being overly harsh about it. He was prepared to lay down the law to them if he had to, the law of the trail according to Jamie Ian MacCallister, but they seemed a fairly well disciplined bunch, so he didn't want to do that . . . yet. Once they got started to Montana it might be a different story. Not everyone was completely cooperative. When he got to the Bradford wagon, he found the twins, Alexander and Abigail, struggling to get the team of oxen hitched to the vehicle. The huge, stolid beasts dwarfed the children and paid little attention to their efforts to get them into the traces. "Where's your pa?" Jamie asked the youngsters. "He should be doing this." "He's in the wagon reading the Bible," Alexander said. "Pa always reads some in the Good Book every morning and every night," Abigail added. Jamie scowled. Being spiritual was all well and good, but there was a time for that and a time to get earthly work done, he thought. After all, the book said that the Lord helped those who helped themselves. He stepped to the back of the wagon and saw that a candle was burning inside. "Reverend Bradford?" "What is it?" Bradford answered without lifting the canvas flap over the opening at the rear of the wagon. He sounded clearly annoyed. "We'll be rolling soon. You need to get your team hitched up. Those kids can't do it by themselves." And even if they could, they shouldn't have to, Jamie thought. Bradford pushed the canvas aside and glared out, looking as irritated as he'd sounded. "The needs of a man's immortal soul won't wait, Mr. MacCallister. These wagons will." "That's where you're wrong," Jamie said, making his voice as hard as flint. "If you're not ready to go when the rest of us are, we'll leave you here. Whether or not you catch up is up to you." "You'd abandon us here?" Bradford demanded in obvious outrage. "I won't hear of it. I paid my fee to join this wagon train, just like everyone else. I'll speak to Captain Hendricks about this high-handed behavior." "Go right ahead," Jamie told him. "It won't change anything. I'm wagon master now, and we leave when I say we leave. It's your responsibility to be ready." He didn't like speaking to Bradford this way in front of the man's children, but facts were facts and they needed to get on the trail. "Very well," Bradford said disgustedly. He set aside his big, leather-bound Bible, pushed the canvas flap back farther, and clambered out of the wagon. "But I still plan to speak to Captain Hendricks." "Go right ahead," Jamie invited. It wouldn't make any difference, and he knew it. He waited a moment to make sure Bradford was going to help the two youngsters hitch up the team. When he was satisfied about that, he moved on to the area where the saddle horses were picketed. Bodie was there, tightening the cinches on his saddle. So were Hector Gilworth and his cousin Jess Neville, who were also getting their horses ready to ride. "Did you fellas introduce yourselves to each other?" Jamie asked the scouts. "Sure did," Hector replied. "I'm glad you found somebody to help us with the scoutin', Jamie." "I'll try to live up to the responsibility," Bodie said. "Keep your eyes open and don't do anything foolish, and you'll be fine," Jamie told him. "Are you takin' the point today?" Hector asked. Jamie nodded. "That's right. Bodie, you'll be with me. Hector and Jess, you fellas take the flanks." "Nobody bringing up the rear?" Bodie asked. "Not today. Once we've gotten farther from town, one of us will drop back from time to time to check our back trail. I don't really expect much trouble from behind, though. It's what'll be in front of us that we'll have to worry about." "Meanin' Injuns?" Neville said. "And outlaws and bad weather and flooded streams and buffalo stampedes and just about anything else you can think of," Jamie said with a grin. "This isn't going to be an easy trip. If all four of us make it to Montana Territory alive, we'll be doing pretty good." Of course, Bodie might not be going that far, he reminded himself. That all depended on Savannah McCoy. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN Edward Bingham was a tall man who had once been handsome. With his gray hair and close-cropped, grizzled beard, now he was distinguished, Savannah thought. His tiny, birdlike wife Leticia had long gray hair twisted into braids and wound around her head. The two of them were a good couple. They suited each other, in Savannah's opinion. They were happy to make room for her things in their wagon and give her a place to sleep, as Moses had suggested they would. They had sold most of their goods before they left their long-time home in Reading, Pennsylvania, bringing with them only what they needed for the journey and to set up basic housekeeping in Montana, avoiding the trap of trying to take everything that some immigrants fell into. As Mrs. Bingham prepared breakfast, Savannah offered to help, even though her cooking skills had never been anything to boast about. Living on the road with the troupe as she had, there hadn't been many opportunities to better them. "There'll be plenty of chances for you to pitch in once we're on the trail, dear," the older woman said. "This is your first morning with the wagon train, so I'll take care of this." Savannah suspected that Mrs. Bingham had her own way of doing things and didn't want anybody interfering with that routine. She could go along with that for now, but she was determined to carry her weight during the trip, for as long as she was with the wagon train. She'd expected to see Bodie Cantrell again this morning, she thought as she sipped coffee and ate the hotcakes and bacon Mrs. Bingham had cooked. So far, though, she hadn't seen the young man. She supposed he was busy with whatever duties he had as one of the party's scouts. The most important thing, she told herself, was that she hadn't seen Gideon Kane or any of his men. She would have liked to think that he had already given up searching for her, but she couldn't bring herself to believe that. She had seen a look of pure obsession in Kane's eyes. The look of madness, almost. "Mrs. Bingham, do you happen to have a sun bonnet I can borrow?" Savannah asked when they had finished breakfast. "Of course. You don't need it now, what with the sun not being up yet, but you will before the day's over, I'm thinking." That was true, but the main reason Savannah wanted the bonnet was so that it would obscure her face if any of Kane's men came by the wagon camp looking for her. She had put on her oldest, drabbest dress, and if she wore the bonnet and kept her face turned away from the street as much as possible, she thought there was a good chance she could go unnoticed. "I just want to get used to wearing one." "All right. I'll fetch one of my extras," Mrs. Bingham said. When Mr. Bingham went to hitch up the oxen, Savannah offered to help with that, too. He gave her a dubious frown. "No offense, Miss McCoy, but you don't strike me as a farm girl. Have you ever handled oxen before?" "No, sir, but I'm a quick—" She started to say she was a quick study, then switched from that theatrical term. For the time being, she wasn't an actress. She was a fugitive. "I learn quickly," she said. "And I'm not afraid of hard work, even though I have to admit I'm not exactly accustomed to it." He thought about her offer for a moment, then nodded. "All right. I can always use a helping hand. Just be careful. Those great brutes are peaceful and slow-moving most of the time, but they can be surly beasts now and then." He smiled. "Sort of like people." Jamie MacCallister stopped by the wagon when they were almost ready to go. "Everything quiet the rest of the night?" "Quiet as can be, thanks to you and Mr. Cantrell," Savannah said. "Speaking of Mr. Cantrell, I haven't seen him yet this morning. . . ." "He's around," Jamie said vaguely. "You'll be seeing plenty of him during the trip." He smiled. "I like that bonnet. You look like a real pioneer woman." Savannah smiled. "I suppose for now, that's exactly what I am." A short time later, the wagons began pulling out of their places in the circle and lining up. As captain, Lamar Hendricks had the first spot in line. The others pulled in behind him as they were ready. The Bingham wagon was about halfway along the column by the time the train had finished forming up. Savannah was sitting on the lowered tailgate as Jamie and Bodie rode past. She lifted a hand and waved at them. Jamie nodded and touched a finger to the wide brim of his hat. Bodie followed suit. He didn't smile; his face was serious in the gray light of approaching dawn. That was all right, Savannah told herself. He was handsome in his rugged way, even when he didn't smile. She was looking forward to the chance to talk with him again. But that wouldn't come for a while. Jamie and Bodie rode to the front of the train, where the big frontiersman paused and lifted his right arm above his head. His powerful voice carried along the length of the train as he bellowed, "Wagons . . . hooooo!" With a shuffling of hooves, a creaking of leather, and a rasp of wheels turning, the wagons lurched forward into motion. They were off to Montana. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT Jamie could tell that the big sand-colored stallion Sundown was glad to get out on the trail and stretch his legs again. To tell the truth, so was he. He was even happier to have a destination and a goal again. The drifting he had done since the end of his vengeance quest had felt right at the time, but after a lifetime of getting things done, he was ready to accomplish something again. If he got the pilgrims safely to where they were going, that would be an accomplishment, all right. A mighty big accomplishment. The wagons followed a well-defined trail along the Kansas River westward, keeping the stream to the left. Jamie and Bodie rode about a hundred yards in front of the lead wagon. It wasn't really necessary to do any scouting yet. Their route was easy to follow, and as the sun rose behind them, its golden light washed over the plains and revealed the way before them. Once the wagons were out of town, the trail would lead through farming country for the next few days, so there weren't any significant dangers to watch out for. That would change once they swung to the northwest. The country would become more sparsely settled, and they would be traveling through regions where it was still possible to run into roving bands of Pawnee and Cheyenne that might prove hostile. As they rode, Bodie said, "I'd sure like to hear about some of your adventures, Mr. MacCallister, if you don't mind talking about them." "Make it Jamie. And who said I'd had adventures?" Bodie frowned. "Well . . . just about everybody who's ever heard of you, I reckon." Jamie chuckled. "I'm just joshing you, son. I guess I've run into my fair share of trouble. Ever hear of a place called the Alamo?" "Well, sure." "I was there for a spell, before it fell to the Mexicans, of course. A long, long time ago." Jamie reminisced about that and some of his other exploits as he was growing up a child of a wild, young country. It was a sign that a man was growing old when his own kids didn't want to listen to his stories anymore, but Bodie was an eager audience, paying rapt attention to the yarns Jamie spun. There had been a time when his boy Falcon had been like that, before he had grown up and become one of the most dangerous gunfighters west of the Mississippi. Jamie hipped around in the saddle and peered along the line of wagons from time to time, checking their back trail. Bodie followed that example. "You're making sure Kane isn't following us, right?" "Would you put it past him, if he thought there was a chance Miss McCoy had joined the wagon train?" "Not for a minute. From what I saw of the man, he's loco . . . and poison mean." Jamie nodded. "I haven't met him, but I've got a hunch you're right." The wagons rolled along steadily for several hours before Jamie called a halt to let the livestock rest for a short time. He and Bodie went to Captain Hendricks's wagon, where Jamie asked the man, "Have you got a map of the route you were supposed to follow? I know where Montana is, right enough, but if you were supposed to go a certain way we'll try to stick to it . . . as long as I don't know a better trail." "Actually, yes, I have a map that Mr. Ralston prepared," Hendricks replied. "I'll get it." While they were waiting for him to do that, Jamie glanced eastward behind the wagon train again, just out of habit, and stiffened in the saddle as he spotted several riders following the trail along the river and coming toward them. He caught Bodie's attention, lifted a hand, and pointed. A worried frown appeared on Bodie's face as he looked at the riders. "Kane's men?" "Could be. Let's go find out." Hendricks had climbed over the seat into the wagon to look for the map. As Jamie and Bodie turned their horses toward the rear of the train, he stuck his head back out. "Where are you going?" "Just to check something out," Jamie said. "We'll have a look at that map later." He heeled Sundown into a lope. Bodie rode alongside him. Some of the immigrants waved and called greetings to them as they went past the wagons. Hector Gilworth and Jess Neville had come in from the flanks when the train stopped. They saw Jamie and Bodie approaching, and Hector asked, "Something wrong, Mr. MacCallister?" "Probably not, but come along with us anyway." The four of them reached the end of the wagon train when the newcomers were still about a quarter mile away. Jamie's keen eyes didn't recognize any of them as men he had seen the night before, but that didn't have to mean anything. Gideon Kane was wealthy enough to hire any number of men to do his bidding. Bodie suddenly let out a startled exclamation. "I know those fellas." "Friends of yours?" Jamie asked. "Well, one of them is, anyway. And the others are all right, I think." The four wagon train men reined in and waited for the riders to come to them. As the men approached, Bodie moved his horse out in front of his companions and called, "Jake! What in the world are you doing here?" The riders came up and halted. The one in the lead grinned and said to Bodie, "I'll bet you didn't expect to see me again so soon, did you, pard?" "That's right. I didn't." Bodie glanced around at Jamie. "Mr. MacCallister, this is my friend Jake Lucas." "Three-Finger Jake, they call me, and you can see why." He held up his left hand with its missing digits. "I blame an old brindle steer and my own dumb luck for that. Call it a souvenir of my cowboyin' days." Bodie introduced the other two men. "These hombres are Clete Mahaffey and Dave Pearsoll. Boys, this is Jamie Ian MacCallister, Hector Gilworth, and Jess Neville." The men exchanged nods. Jamie studied the newcomers, sizing them up. Jake Lucas seemed to be a brash, cocky young cowboy, while Mahaffey and Pearsoll were older, more hard-edged. "I thought you were staying back in Kansas City," Bodie said to them. "You know, until that other business got cleared up." Jake shook his head. "There's nothin' I hate worse than sittin' around, Bodie, you know that. When I heard that you'd left town, I reckon it put ideas in my head. We got everything squared away and decided to come after you." A frown creased Bodie's forehead. "I didn't tell anybody I was leaving with this wagon train." "Well, where else would you have gone?" Jake asked with a laugh. "That sounded like something you'd do, takin' off with a bunch of pilgrims bound for Montana. There's a lot of talk about it back in town. In fact, we were thinkin' we might just throw in with you." Jamie watched Bodie's face, but the young man seemed to be keeping his features carefully impassive. Even as insightful as he was, Jamie couldn't tell how Bodie felt about the idea Jake Lucas had just come out with. Bodie shrugged. "That's not up to me. Mr. MacCallister is the wagon master, and the immigrants have a captain they've elected. They'd be the ones to decide who comes along and who doesn't." Something nagged at Jamie, just a vague feeling that maybe not everything was as it appeared to be on the surface. But having three more experienced men along on the journey might not be a bad idea. The wagons were bound to run into trouble somewhere along the way, the sort of trouble that meant gunplay. Even though Mahaffey and Pearsoll had a rough, hard-bitten look about them, they might make good allies. "If it's all right with Captain Hendricks, it's all right with me. That is, if you vouch for these fellas, Bodie." "Sure," Bodie said. "Why wouldn't I?" That was something Jamie wondered about, and he resolved to ask Bodie about it later, in private. "One thing," Jamie went on. "You boys will have to earn your keep if you travel with this train. Bodie's signed on as a scout, and I could use some more pairs of eyes and ears, if you're interested." "Why, that sounds like a bang-up idea, Mr. MacCallister," Jake said. "We'd be glad to work as scouts, wouldn't we, boys?" "Sure," Mahaffey said, and Pearsoll just shrugged and grunted his assent. Jamie turned Sundown toward the front of the train again. "Come on," he told the newcomers. "We'll go see Captain Hendricks and make sure it's all right with him. I expect it will be, though." In a matter of moments, he had gone from having barely enough scouts to maybe having too many, Jamie thought as he rode toward the front of the train. But considering the wild country they would be traversing before they reached their destination, maybe it wasn't possible to have too many scouts. Or too many men who were good with a gun. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE Bodie's head was spinning. Of all the people he might have run into on the way to Montana, Jake Lucas, Clete Mahaffey, and Dave Pearsoll were just about the last ones he would have expected. He had a bunch of questions for them, starting with their reasons for leaving the gang . . . and whether or not they had managed to get their share of the loot from Eldon Swint. That had to wait until later, though. He couldn't say anything about it while Jamie or the other scouts were around. He didn't want to reveal his outlaw past to them. The wagon train was his chance to start over. Maybe his last chance. When he dared to let himself think about it, he thought that Savannah might be a chance to start over, too. She needed one, and so did he. Why not together? Bodie put that thought out of his head for the time being. When they talked to Captain Hendricks, he acknowledged that he and Jake and the other two men had been acquainted for a while and that he trusted them. "That's good enough for me, I suppose," Hendricks said. "I realize I've known you only a very short time, Mr. Cantrell, but Mr. MacCallister seems to trust you. That carries a great deal of weight with me." "Thank you, sir," Bodie said. "I'll try to live up to his trust, and yours as well." He didn't get a chance to talk to Jake privately until the wagons had stopped for the midday meal and to let the teams rest again. Jake was standing on the riverbank, watering his horse, when Bodie walked over to join him. "I don't reckon I've ever been as surprised in my life as I was when I saw you," Bodie said quietly. "Why?" Jake asked. "You didn't think I was gonna stay with that lobo wolf Swint forever, did you?" "You never said anything about leaving." "Maybe that's because you never put the idea in my head until now," Jake said with a shrug. "When Swint told me you were gone, I asked myself why not? It was as good a time as any to make a break. I'll be honest with you, Bodie. Sooner or later, Eldon was gonna land us smack-dab in some trouble that we couldn't shoot our way out of. I don't want to wind up dancin' at the end of a rope, thrown in a cheap pine box, and stuck in some potter's field. That's what was gonna happen if we kept ridin' the owlhoot." "Where we're going, wolves may wind up scattering your bones." "That's a chance I'll take. When I said I was leavin', Clete and Dave wanted to come with me. They're as tired of Swint's bull as I was." Bodie lowered his voice to a whisper. "What about the money? Did you get him to give you your share?" "We did better than that," Jake said with his quick grin. "We talked him into givin' us your share, too, so we could deliver it to you when we caught up. He tried to pull that ol' business about how if somebody left the gang, they didn't get what was comin' to 'em. That didn't fly, and we told him so. He backed down." Until his own confrontation with Eldon Swint, Bodie might not have believed that was possible. He had seen for himself, though, that Swint might be more bluster than real threat, especially when the odds weren't overwhelmingly on his side. He could believe that Swint hadn't wanted to stand up to Jake, Mahaffey, and Pearsoll. "You must have been mighty sure I was with the wagon train, if you figured on bringing my share of the loot with you." Jake chuckled. "Well, if we guessed wrong and hadn't found you, I reckon we would've just had to keep that money ourselves. It would have been a shame, but we could've brung ourselves to do it." Bodie let out a wry laugh and shook his head. "Well, you're here now, and that's all that matters, I reckon. You plan to stay with the wagon train all the way to Montana?" "We'll have to wait and see about that. Right now all that matters is that we're on the move again, and it feels mighty good. I was already tired of that town. Too many people crowdin' around all the time. I'm a Texas boy. Used to wide open spaces all around me, you know." Bodie nodded. "From what I've heard, there'll be plenty of those where we're going." CHAPTER THIRTY Back in Kansas City, Eldon Swint stirred in the grimy sheets of his hotel room bed. Somebody muttered and moaned beside him. Unable to recall which of the soiled doves he had brought from the Bella Royale the night before, he raised himself on an elbow so he could look over at his companion. The tangled mass of hennaed hair on the other pillow looked vaguely familiar. Harriet? Hermione? Helen, that was it, he told himself . . . not that it really mattered to him what the dove's name was. He reached over and smacked a beefy hip under the sheet. Helen groaned again, rolled over, and opened her eyes to slits, wincing at the morning light coming in through the gap between the threadbare curtains over the room's lone window. "What time is it?" she muttered. "Time for you to get up and haul yourself out of here," Swint told her. She didn't seem to have heard his answer. "You can't expect to go again this mornin'. You didn't pay me that much, honey." "I didn't say I wanted to go again. I said you need to get out." To emphasize his point, Swint planted a bare foot against her rump and shoved. Helen let out a yelp of dismay as she slid out of the bed. The thud as she hit the floor cut off her cry. She came up angry, exclaiming, "You son of a—" Swint had already swung his legs out of bed and stood up. Standing on the far side of the bed, his bony frame clad only in the bottom half of a pair of long underwear, he turned his head to look at her. The ice-cold menace in his slate-gray eyes made her shut up in a hurry. "You don't have to treat me so mean." Helen pouted as she started looking around for her dress. She still wore stockings rolled just above her knees, and those stockings, her slippers, and the dress were the only things she had been wearing when Swint brought her to the hotel the previous night. The bare wood floor was cold against the soles of Swint's feet as he went over to a small table where some of his gear was piled. He pawed through it until he found one of the thin black cheroots he favored and a match. He snapped the lucifer to life with his thumbnail and set fire to the gasper. He didn't have any interest in watching the soiled dove get dressed. The night before, he had thought she was beautiful, but a bottle of rotgut whiskey improved any woman's looks immeasurably. "Are you coming to the Bella Royale tonight, honey?" Helen asked behind him. "More than likely," Swint replied without looking around. He stared out the window instead. "Well, I'll be there. You'll look for me, won't you, honey?" "We'll see," Swint said dully. His mouth tasted like something had crawled into it and died. His head was throbbing a little from all the who-hit-John he'd guzzled down the night before. His guts roiled unpleasantly. He had hoped the cheroot would help with those problems, but it wasn't doing a blasted bit of good. Helen tried again. "I had a mighty fine time with you last night." "Forget it," Swint snapped. "Just get out." She sniffed angrily, and a moment later the door slammed behind her on her way out of the room. Swint grimaced as the noise made his head throb harder. It felt like imps straight from Hades were capering around inside his skull, banging on it with ball-peen hammers. Another memory stole back into his thoughts. Bodie Cantrell had quit the gang last night, he recalled with a scowl. That infuriated him. After all he'd done for Cantrell, only to be treated like that! At least Cantrell hadn't insisted on getting his share of the loot. Swint would let the rest of the gang think that he had. That way Swint could pocket it for himself. Thinking about the money made him turn away from the window. When he'd brought Helen back to the hotel, he had hefted the saddlebags before they got down to business. No matter how drunk he was, he always checked on the loot. As the cheroot dangled from his lips, he had the urge to let some of those double eagles trickle through his fingers. That always made him feel better. He went to the wardrobe where he'd stashed the saddlebags, reached inside, and picked up one of them. The weight was comforting, and so was the clink of coins as he set the bags on the table. He unfastened one of the pouches and thrust his hand inside. He knew instantly that something was wrong. His fingers touched coins, all right, but they weren't the right size to be double eagles. And there was something else in the pouch . . . Rocks. Swint's teeth clamped down on the cheroot so hard that he bit off the end and the thin black twisted cylinder fell onto the table next to the saddlebags. Swint ignored it and spat out the piece left in his mouth. He upended the pouch and stared in shock and disbelief at the rocks that fell out onto the table, along with a handful of pennies. After a moment, he ripped the other pouch open and dumped its contents as well. More rocks and pennies spilled out. Bellowing a curse, Swint lunged for the wardrobe to get the other saddlebags. A minute later, he had confirmed the awful truth. Somebody had stolen all the loot. Choking with fury, Swint yanked his revolver from the holster attached to the coiled shell belt lying on the table. He threw the door open and ran out into the hall, still wearing just the long underwear. Two doors down the corridor, Swint hammered on the panel of Charley Green's room and yelled, "Charley! Damn it, Charley, get out here!" When Green opened the door wearing a pair of baggy long-handles, he looked just as bleary-eyed as Swint had been upon first awakening. He coughed and cleared his throat. "Eldon, what's wrong?" Swint started to blurt out that the loot was gone, but then he stopped himself. It might not be smart to let the others know what had happened until he figured it out himself. He grated, "Who was standin' guard here last night?" Green raked his fingers through his tangled hair and frowned. "I dunno," he said after a second. "You must've seen 'em when you came in." "Yeah, but I can't remember—" Swint stopped short as a couple faces locked into place in his mind. "Wait a minute. Mahaffey and Pearsoll. They were the ones." "Well, there you go, then," Green said as he started to turn away and close the door. Clearly, he didn't grasp the depth of the problem. Swint slapped his free hand against the door. "Where are they?" he demanded. "What? Who?" Green gave his head a violent shake as if he were trying to clear the cobwebs from his brain. "Oh, you mean Mahaffey and Pearsoll. Shoot, I don't know. I don't keep track of where everybody is." "We've got to find them," Swint said. "Get dressed. Now!" He stomped back to his room and started pulling on his clothes. Once he was dressed and had his gun belt strapped around his hips, he rousted out the other members of the gang. Green, still confused, helped him. Within ten minutes, everybody was gathered in Swint's room, with three notable exceptions: Clete Mahaffey and Dave Pearsoll, who had been guarding the loot the night before . . . and Three-Finger Jake Lucas. Swint questioned his men, his angry voice lashing them like a whip. Nobody admitted to having seen Mahaffey, Pearsoll, or Lucas since the previous night. Swint ordered them to spread out through the area and conduct a search. There were plenty of saloons, brothels, dance halls, and gambling dens where the three men might be. He had an unhappy feeling that they wouldn't be found in any of those places. By mid-morning the conclusion was inescapable. Lucas and the other two were gone. Only one reason for their disappearance made sense. They had stolen the loot from the train robbery and lit a shuck out of Kansas City. Swint had no choice but to break the news to his men. They took it with startled curses, followed by bitter anger. "What are we gonna do, Eldon?" Charley Green asked when the hubbub in Swint's room subsided. "I'll tell you what we're gonna do. We're gonna find those damned double-crossers and get our money back! And when we do . . . those three are going to wish they'd never been born." CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE Gideon Kane was in the habit of rising late. There was no reason for him not to, since he had never done an actual day's work in his life. Things like that were for lesser men. In the mansion on the outskirts of Kansas City, breakfast and coffee were waiting for him on a table covered with a fine linen cloth in the sitting room next to his bedroom, even though it was late enough that most people were starting to think about their midday meal. He belted a silk dressing gown around his waist and sat down to eat. A bell pull hung within reach. Kane tugged on the cord, and a moment later his butler, Jenkins, appeared in the doorway. "Yes, sir?" Kane sipped from the fine bone china cup and then asked, "Is Harrison here?" "Yes, sir, he's in your study. He arrived a short time ago and said that he had a report for you when you woke up. I assumed that's where you would want to receive it after you'd eaten." "Normally, yes. I'm feeling rather impatient this morning, however. Send him up here." Jenkins inclined his head forward. "Yes, sir. Right away." Kane went back to his breakfast. A few minutes later a knock sounded on the partially open sitting room door. Kane called, "Come in." Eli Harrison stepped into the room. He was a tall, heavy-shouldered man with massive fists and a face like a slab of raw meat. He had worked for the Kane family in a number of capacities over the years, starting out as a stableman. Now he worked exclusively for Gideon Kane as a troubleshooter of sorts. Whenever Kane had a problem, no matter what it was, Harrison found a way to take care of it. He was brutal when he had to be and utterly ruthless. Without looking up, Kane said, "I hope you're here to tell me that you've located that girl and brought her here." "I wish I could, Mr. Kane," Harrison said bluntly, "but my men haven't turned up any sign of her yet." "You kept watch on the hotel where that troupe of entertainers is staying?" "I sent a couple men to do that." Harrison didn't sound happy about what he had to say next. "They got sidetracked. One of 'em felt like he had to stop and pay off a gambling debt. They wound up, ah, gettin' mixed up in a game for a while." Kane frowned as he laid aside the spoon he had been using. "So the hotel went unguarded?" "Not for long. Only about an hour." Kane felt his face warming with anger. Harrison knew as well as he did that a lot of things could happen in an hour. "I want those two fools fired," Kane snapped. "Already done it, sir." Harrison lifted one of his huge fists. The knuckles were skinned and raw. "Had a talk with 'em about falling down on the job, too." "You have men watching the hotel now?" "Yes, sir. If she's still there, we'll pick her up whenever she goes out." Jenkins stepped into the doorway behind Harrison. He cleared his throat. "A note was delivered for you earlier this morning, sir." "Who's it from?" "I don't know." Jenkins lifted a piece of paper that was folded and sealed with wax. "I have it here." Kane pushed his empty plate aside and made a curt gesture toward the table. Jenkins crossed the room and placed the note on the linen. Kane picked it up and ripped the seal open. His eyes scanned the words written in a feminine hand on the paper. More anger welled up inside him. He started to crumple the note, then stopped, set it down again, smoothed the creases from it. "Bring me O'Hanlon," he said softly. "Sir?" Jenkins murmured. "I'm talking to Eli." Kane stared coldly at Harrison. "O'Hanlon, the head of that acting troupe. Bring him here. Now." Harrison nodded and left the room. By the time Harrison returned to the mansion, Kane was dressed and waiting downstairs in his study. He had been pacing back and forth angrily, but he forced himself to regain his composure when Jenkins announced that Harrison was there and had brought Cyrus O'Hanlon with him as ordered. Kane gave the butler a curt nod to indicate that he was ready for them. Harrison gave O'Hanlon a little shove as they came into the study, making the actor stumble. O'Hanlon caught himself before he fell. Drawing himself up straighter, he glared at Kane. "The authorities will hear about you having me kidnapped like this, Mr. Kane." "Kidnapped?" Kane repeated. He smiled coolly. "I don't know what you're talking about. I asked Mr. Harrison to request that you honor me by visiting my home, and that's all that happened, Mr. O'Hanlon." "You know good and well that's not true," O'Hanlon blustered. "This bruiser of yours practically dragged me bodily out of the hotel. My wife witnessed the incident, and so did other members of my troupe." "We've had this discussion before," Kane chided. "As far as the law is concerned, my version of events is what actually happened, not the fantasies of some wild-eyed actor. Now . . ." His voice hardened. "Where is Miss McCoy?" "I have no idea." Kane leaned over and picked up the note from Savannah that he had brought down with him from the sitting room. "You arranged for her note to be delivered to me." "I don't know what you're talking about." "Please. You look after her. You must know where she's hiding." Kane tossed the paper back onto the desk. "I don't believe for one second that she's left town. You've just got her stashed away somewhere, that's all." Stubbornly, O'Hanlon shook his head. "She left the troupe," he insisted. "I hated to see her go, but you made it impossible for her to do anything else, you . . . you . . ." Harrison's big hand came down heavily on O'Hanlon's shoulder as the actor sputtered, searching for a suitable epithet. "I'll find her," Kane said confidently. "I'll involve the law if I have to. The police can scour the entire city for her. Or you can save us all a great deal of trouble by telling me where she is." "I can't tell you because I don't know. And if I did know, I wouldn't tell you!" Kane looked at him for a second, then sighed and nodded to Eli Harrison. The big man kicked O'Hanlon in the back of the right knee. O'Hanlon cried out in pain and toppled to the side as his right leg collapsed under him. Harrison kicked him again as he fell, digging the toe of his boot into O'Hanlon's shoulder blade. O'Hanlon lay on the floor, writhing and making little noises as he tried to keep from crying. "I'll ask you again," Kane said. "Where is Miss McCoy?" "G-go to hell!" O'Hanlon spat out between clenched teeth. "You'll regret that you didn't cooperate with me, O'Hanlon," Kane warned. "I already regret that I ever saw your damned face!" Kane nodded to Harrison again. By the time the big man finished, O'Hanlon had passed out. There wasn't a mark on his face to indicate that he'd been beaten, but Kane wouldn't have worried if there had been. No one was going to believe the actor's story. Harrison stood over the unconscious O'Hanlon and frowned. In his rumbling voice, he said, "I'm startin' to think that he's tellin' the truth, boss. If he knew where the girl was, he'd have spilled it by now." "I believe you may be right." Kane picked up the note again. "But if she's abandoned the troupe and left Kansas City, where could she have gone?" Jenkins cleared his throat again. The butler had been standing to one side during the brutal beating, his unlined face as imperturbable as ever. "I beg your pardon, sir, but I have a thought." Kane turned to face him. "You're a smart man, Jenkins. What is it?" "Miss McCoy has been traveling with this troupe of actors and entertainers, which means she's accustomed to having a group of people around her. I have my doubts that she would set out all alone from a strange place. Didn't your men report that they pursued Miss McCoy and that unknown cowboy to a place where a wagon train was camped? A wagon train that, I believe, departed from Kansas City this morning?" "That's right." Kane closed his eyes for a second and made a face. "Of course! She went with the wagon train!" "That would be my guess, sir." Kane flipped a hand at O'Hanlon and told Harrison, "Take him out and dump him somewhere. If anyone ever asks, he was fine when he left here after our visit. Thieves must have attacked him on his way back to the hotel." "It'll look more realistic if he doesn't have any money left on him," Harrison pointed out. "Fine, fine, I don't care about that. Just put together a group of men and get after that wagon train. Stop it and search it." A thought occurred to Kane and put a smile on his face. "Not right away, though. Let it get several days away from here." He laughed. "That way Miss McCoy will believe that she's gotten away from me. How delicious it will be when she's dragged back here." Harrison nodded slowly. "There's just one problem we might have with that, boss." "I pay you very well to take care of problems," Kane snapped. "What are you talking about?" "From what I've heard, a fella named MacCallister took over as wagon master for that bunch of pilgrims. He's supposed to be a pretty tough gent. A real ring-tailed roarer." "Mr. Harrison . . . did you ever see a man who was tougher than a bullet from a gun?" "Well, no, sir, I haven't." "There's your answer, then," Kane said. "No problem at all. If this fellow MacCallister or anybody else gets in your way, just kill him." CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO As Jamie expected that it would, life on the trail soon settled into a routine. He had the immigrants up early every morning, and they broke camp and the wagons rolled when the sky was still gray. Other than short breaks to rest the teams, he kept them moving all day. Unfortunately, the sun slipped below the horizon a little earlier each day, cutting down the time that they could travel. Late every afternoon, the wagons pulled off the trail and formed a big circle next to the river. He and some of the scouts stood guard while the livestock was watered and then driven into the circle. The train had come far enough from Kansas City that the land was sparsely settled with a few isolated ranches in the area. Jamie didn't think there was any real danger from Indians yet, but it never hurt to be careful. And outlaws, of course, could strike anywhere. Once everyone had eaten supper, they turned in for the night, tired from the long day on the trail. There was no big center campfire where the immigrants gathered to play music, sing, and dance the way they had done back in Kansas City. They didn't have the energy for diversions like that anymore. The hard pace that Jamie established saw to that. He set up guard shifts at night, drawing on volunteers from the wagon train along with his scouts. Moses Danzig was always willing to pitch in and do whatever was needed. He wouldn't be much good in a fight, Jamie knew, but he could stay alert and give the alarm in case of trouble as well as anybody else. So far Lucas, Mahaffey, and Pearsoll had worked out fairly well. Mahaffey and Pearsoll weren't very friendly with the immigrants and the other scouts and kept to themselves most of the time. But they didn't cause any trouble and they did what Jamie told them without any arguments. Jake Lucas, on the other hand, seldom stopped talking and always had a friendly word for everybody. He flirted with all the teenage girls whose families were part of the group and even with some of the married women, which Jamie thought might lead to problems sooner or later. He asked Bodie to have a word with his friend about it. Bodie agreed to do so, but he added, "Jake doesn't mean anything by the way he acts. That's just how he is. He's friendly with everybody." "Get too friendly with a married woman and punches can get thrown," Jamie cautioned. "That's if you're lucky. If you're not, guns go off." "I'll talk to him," Bodie promised. Lamar Hendricks and Jamie had gotten together and studied the map that Jeb Ralston had drawn before they left. The route Ralston had laid out turned northwest away from the Kansas River, followed the Oregon Trail for a good long ways, then cut almost due north, crossing the Platte and continuing to skirt the Rocky Mountains to the east as they headed for Montana. Once they were there the wagons would turn west again, travel through the foothills and on into Eagle Valley. It was a route without any extremely rugged terrain to cross, just plains and rolling hills, which meant the wagons could move fairly fast over it. Jamie planned to follow that route. Ralston might have been a braggart and a bully, and reckless to boot, but he had sketched out a decent trail for the immigrants he was supposed to lead. Several days out of Kansas City, they camped where the Blue River flowed into the Kansas from the northwest. It was where the Oregon Trail turned away from the larger stream. That evening Jamie called his scouts together. "We haven't had much to worry about so far, but from here to the Platte we'll have to be a mite more watchful for trouble. Wagon trains have been taking this trail for a long time, so the Indians are used to seeing them, but you never know when some band will take it into their heads to get proddy." He paused to emphasize the next point. "The important thing is that if we do run into any Cheyenne, Arapaho, or Pawnee, everybody needs to stay calm until we see what they've got in mind. That goes for us as well as the pilgrims. No shooting unless I say so. More blood's been spilled because of itchy trigger fingers than any other reason." The men nodded their agreement, even the normally taciturn Mahaffey and Pearsoll. "Get a good night's sleep," Jamie added. "We'll all be in the saddle early tomorrow." CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE "And where are you off to, my friend?" Moses asked as Bodie stood up from their supper fire after they finished eating. "As if I didn't know." "I've hardly gotten a glimpse of Savannah—I mean, Miss McCoy—since we left Kansas City. And I sure haven't gotten a chance to talk to her. I want to see how she's doing." "Do I need to come with you to serve as a chaperone?" Moses asked with a grin. "I just want to talk to her," Bodie said, slightly irritated. "I don't plan to do any sparking with her, or anything else that'd need a chaperone." He paused. "Besides, I reckon Mr. and Mrs. Bingham will be right there." "I don't know, maybe you could convince her to go for a walk with you around the camp. I'm just saying . . ." Bodie waved a hand at his friend, clapped his hat on his head, and went to look for the Bingham wagon. He wasn't exactly sure where in the big circle it was parked. He was walking past the area where the saddle mounts were picketed when he heard a murmur of voices. Something about the sound struck him as secretive, so he circled around the horses to see what was going on. Several figures stood in the deep shadows next to a wagon. They seemed familiar to Bodie, and as he came closer he recognized Jake Lucas, Clete Mahaffey, and Dave Pearsoll. They were having an animated discussion, but Pearsoll noticed Bodie coming and said something curt to the others, who immediately fell silent. Jake turned to greet Bodie. "What's up? Is MacCallister lookin' for us?" "No, not as far as I know," Bodie replied. "What are you fellas doing?" "Oh, nothin' that amounts to anything," Jake said with a laugh. "This 'tarnal idjit here"—he jerked a thumb at Mahaffey—"is tryin' to claim that he saw a panther today while he was scoutin'. I told him we're a heck of a long way from anywhere that a panther would be. Likely you just saw a coyote, Clete." "Or a prairie dog," Pearsoll added in an uncharacteristic display of dry humor. "You lunkheads are both wrong," Mahaffey snapped. "I know what I saw." "Where are you headed, Bodie?" Jake asked. "I, uh, thought I'd go see how Miss McCoy is doing," Bodie admitted. Jake grinned. "At least we know now why you left the gang back yonder in Kansas City." "I don't want to talk about that," Bodie said as he quickly glanced around to see if anyone was within earshot. "That part of my life is over." "Don't worry. It's the same way with all of us, pard. Although I wonder sometimes if you can ever leave behind who you really are." "Sure you can," Bodie said. He hoped that was true, anyway. He said so long to the three men and moved on toward the Bingham wagon. As he did, he wondered about the conversation they had been having. Even though he hadn't been able to make out any of the words, it had sounded to him as if they were arguing. But somehow he wasn't convinced that they had been arguing about panthers. Thoughts of Savannah crowded back into his mind and made him forget about the encounter with Jake and the other two former outlaws. When he reached the Bingham wagon, Savannah and Mrs. Bingham were cleaning up after supper. The cooking fire had burned down to a small blaze, but it gave off enough light for Bodie to see how pretty Savannah was, even with her face flushed slightly from washing dishes in an iron pot of hot water. "Hello, Bodie," she said brightly. "How are you?" "Fine. How about you?" "Oh . . . all right, I suppose." He realized how stilted and uncomfortable this exchange was, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to relax around her. "I haven't had much of a chance to talk to you since we left Kansas City." "I know. Mr. MacCallister must keep you really busy with your scouting duties." "He does. He's not overbearing about it, though. He just wants to keep the wagon train safe." Leticia Bingham came up beside Savannah. "Goodness, you two need to start talking to each other like actual human beings. Savannah, let me finish up here. You go visit with Mr. Cantrell." "Are you sure?" Savannah asked. "Because I really don't mind—" "Go," Mrs. Bingham said again. "Sit on the wagon tongue. It's a nice night, just a little chilly. If you sit close, you won't be too cold." The thought of sitting close to Savannah made Bodie's pulse race a little faster. He was grateful to Mrs. Bingham for suggesting it. "All right." Savannah dried her hands on the apron she wore, then walked with Bodie to the front of the wagon. They sat down. "I've been keeping an eye on our back trail," Bodie said. "You know, just in case Kane sends anybody after us." "After me, you mean. He probably doesn't have any idea who you are. You haven't seen anyone following the wagon train, have you?" "Not so far. And it's been several days. I think if they were back there, they would have caught up by now." "I hope that means my note worked and that Kane has given up on finding me," Savannah said. "But I don't want to talk about him anymore, Bodie." "I don't blame you. I don't want to talk about the no-good scoundrel, either." He grinned. "How do you like traveling with the wagon train?" She smiled back at him. "Well, it's not like I never traveled by wagon before. The troupe travels from city to city in wagons, so I'm used to riding in one. Although Mr. MacCallister certainly has us covering more ground quicker than Cyrus ever did." Bodie chuckled. "Jamie MacCallister isn't one to let grass grow under his feet, that's for sure." "You sound like you admire him." "I've never met anybody else quite like him. The places he's been, the things he's seen and done . . . I could listen to him talk about them all day. I find myself thinking . . . a fella could do a lot worse for himself than trying to be like Jamie Ian MacCallister." Savannah's voice was quiet as she said, "I think you're doing fine just being Bodie Cantrell." "It's nice of you to say so, but—" She silenced him by leaning closer to him and kissing him. That took him by surprise. He wouldn't have thought she would be so daring with the Binghams only a few yards away. But he certainly didn't pull back from her, instead lifting a hand to rest it lightly on her shoulder as he enjoyed the sweet warmth of her lips on his. "I told Moses we wouldn't need a chaperone," he whispered when she finally broke the kiss after a long, delicious moment. "We don't." Savannah stood up. "I'll be turning in now, Mr. Cantrell. I'll say good night." "Good night to you, too, Miss McCoy," he replied, his voice thick in his throat. He stood there while she went to the rear of the wagon and climbed in. If he was going to tell the truth, he had been thinking about Savannah and wishing he could kiss her ever since they'd left Kansas City. Now that he had . . . Now that he had, he realized as a grin broke across his face, he was ready to do it again. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR "Forget about sharin' the loot with Cantrell," Clete Mahaffey said as the three former outlaws resumed their conversation once Bodie had walked off toward the Binghams' wagon. "That fool doesn't care about money, anyway. The only thing he can think about now is the girl." "She's worth thinkin' about," Jake said. "She's a mighty pretty gal." Dave Pearsoll grunted and declared, "A big pile of double eagles is prettier. That's what we've got, and I agree with Clete. I ain't inclined to share 'em with Cantrell. He didn't do anything to earn a share." "He was with us when we took them off that train," Jake pointed out. "Shoot, he helped Eldon and the others take over the depot and make sure the train stopped. We wouldn't have that pile of double eagles if they hadn't done that." "But he wasn't there when we risked our necks to steal them from Swint," Mahaffey said. "Anyway, he quit the gang back there in Kansas City. That was his own decision." "So did we," Jake reminded him. "But I'm not gonna argue about it with you boys. Bodie don't know we've got the loot, and as long as he don't know he can't say that we're cheatin' him out of anything. So I'll go along with whatever you say. When the time comes to leave the wagon train, we'll go our own way and leave Bodie behind." "Yeah, well, when's that gonna be?" Pearsoll asked. That was the question they had been wrangling about when Bodie came up to them a short time earlier and caused Jake to come up with that story about the panther. Mahaffey and Pearsoll thought it was already time to leave the wagons behind and disappear in the middle of the night with the loot they had liberated from Eldon Swint, but Jake wanted to wait and stay with the train a while longer. "We'll reach the Platte River in a few weeks," Jake said. "By then, we'll know for sure whether or not Eldon's gonna come after us. If we haven't seen hide nor hair of him, we can figure he doesn't know where we are and go wherever we want from there. San Francisco, Mexico, wherever suits our fancy." Despite the fact that he was younger and less experienced than the other two outlaws, he was in charge and he didn't want them to forget it, so his voice hardened slightly. "Until then, we'll stay with the wagons. If Swint and the rest of the gang show up lookin' for us with guns in their hands and blood in their eyes, we'll need all the help we can get fightin' 'em off. Bodie and his new friends will pitch in on our side, I'm sure of that. Those pilgrims will think they're under attack by owlhoots, and that'll be the truth. They just won't know the reason why." "All right, all right," Mahaffey muttered. "I reckon what you say makes sense, Jake. That big varmint MacCallister worries me, though." "Me, too," Pearsoll agreed. "Sometimes when he looks at me, it feels like he can see right through me, Jake. Like he knows everythin' I'm thinkin' or feelin'. Man's got eyes like a hawk . . . or an eagle." "Don't worry about Jamie MacCallister," Jake said. "He's just like Bodie." He grinned. "He don't suspect a thing." CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE Moses was checking the hubs on his wagon wheels to see if they needed to be greased again when he heard rapid footsteps coming up behind him. He straightened and turned quickly, not really expecting trouble right in camp but knowing that it was best to be careful. He relaxed when he saw the two children who had just run up to his wagon. "Hello, Mr. Danzig," Alexander Bradford said. "Hello," his sister Abigail added. "Good evening to you, children," Moses told the youngsters with a solemn nod. "What brings you to see me? Shouldn't you be back at your father's wagon, getting ready to go to sleep? You know how Mr. MacCallister likes to make an early start in the morning!" "We were hopin' you could show us that toy again," Alexander said. "You know, the spinning one," Abigail said. Moses grinned. "Ah, you mean the dreidel. Let me get it." They had seen him idly spinning the dreidel one day back in Kansas City. It helped him to think, and he had explained a little about it to them during that conversation. He climbed into the wagon over the lowered tailgate and emerged a moment later to hop back down to the ground. Motioning for Alexander and Abigail to come closer, he poised the four-sided top on the tailgate. "Here we go." Grasping the little shaft that stuck up from the dreidel, he flicked it between his thumb and index finger and gave it a spin. The top whirled so fast that the four Hebrew letters painted on it, one on each side, blurred and became unreadable. Not that the children could have read them anyway, Moses thought. He was quite probably the only member of the wagon train who could. But they enjoyed watching the top spin. Abigail clapped her hands together and giggled. Alexander grinned and fidgeted, shuffling his feet back and forth. Moses knew the boy was anxious to try spinning the top himself. "We use the dreidel to play a game during one of my people's holidays," Moses told them. "Like Christmas?" Abigail asked. "Well, not exactly. Our holiday is called Hanukkah, which means the Feast of Lights, and even though it comes at about the same time of year as Christmas, it's different—" "Alexander! Abigail!" The angry bellow came from Reverend Bradford, who stalked toward Moses's wagon with his hands clenched into knobby-knuckled fists. The children scurried away from the tailgate, obviously not wanting to incur any more of their father's wrath than they already had by being there. Moses frowned. He didn't like to see children acting so frightened. He worried that they had good reason to be scared. The dreidel had stopped spinning and fallen over onto its side. Moses picked it up and held it in his hands where Bradford could see it and hopefully realize that he had just been entertaining the youngsters with a harmless toy. "Good evening, Reverend." Bradford came to a stop and glared at him. "What are you doing with my children?" "I was just showing them the dreidel," Moses explained. "I was going to let them play with it." "You were preaching your heathen religion to them!" Moses shook his head. "Not at all. I wouldn't do that. They're just children." "I heard you telling them about your Hebrew holiday, the one you celebrate instead of Christmas." Bradford stabbed a blunt finger toward the dreidel. "Look at it! It's got religious symbols painted on it!" "They're just Hebrew letters—" Moses stopped and drew a deep breath. It was true that the markings on the dreidel had some significance in his faith, and as a rabbi he could have explained all that to Bradford in a calm, rational manner, but he knew the man didn't want to hear it. Instead he said simply, "I'm sorry. If you'd rather the children not play with it, I'll honor your wishes, of course." "I'd rather that they not have anything to do with the likes of you," Bradford snapped. "If they come around here again, you send them packing, you hear?" Moses made an effort to hang on to his temper. "All right. They're your children." "And don't you forget it." Bradford turned and stalked off across the camp. Alexander and Abigail had already disappeared, no doubt scurrying back to their wagon. Moses watched the man go and shook his head. It was a shame that Bradford had to be so hostile, but with some people, once they made their minds up there was no changing them. "The reverend's lucky you didn't take a swing at him." The quiet voice made Moses jerk his head around. The huge shape that loomed up in the firelight was instantly recognizable as that of Jamie Ian MacCallister. "Mr. MacCallister," Moses said. "I didn't hear you." He had wondered before how a man as large as Jamie could move so silently. The big frontiersman was as stealthy as Moses supposed an Indian to be. "I was keeping an eye on things. If Bradford had jumped you, I would have stepped in. If you'd needed my help, that is." "I think that's a foregone conclusion. I'm not exactly what you'd call a . . . a brawler." "No, but you've got sand." "Sand?" Moses repeated with a frown. "Courage," Jamie said. Moses shook his head slowly. "I don't know about that. I've never been renowned for my bravery." Jamie hooked his thumbs in his gun belt. "You came all the way to this country from Poland and then set out across it just because that's what your faith told you to do, didn't you?" "Well, yes," Moses admitted. "But that's my calling, I guess you'd say." "You joined up with a wagon train full of folks different from you, knowing that some of 'em wouldn't like you, but you're as friendly as you can be toward them and do everything you can to help out." Moses spread his hands. "What can I say, I was raised to get along with people. And to be practical. I have to get to Oregon somehow, and this seemed like the quickest way." Jamie sat on the tailgate. "Most of my spiritual beliefs, if you can call 'em that, come from the Indians. They figure we all had to get here somehow, and that somebody put us here. Some of them call him Man Above, some call him the Great Spirit. They have other names for the creator, too. But no matter what they call him, there's always somebody bigger than us, somebody who looks out for us and expects us to be the best folks we can." "Nothing in my faith would disagree with that," Moses said. Jamie nodded. "That's what I'm saying. Bradford's got it in his head that he's got all the answers. Me?" The big man chuckled. "I don't reckon I even know all the questions yet. Probably won't while I'm still on this earth. But what I do know is that you'll do to ride the river with, Moses Danzig." "Ride the river? I'm afraid I don't understand." Jamie lifted a hand to say good night, and as he turned away he told Moses, "By the time we get where we're going, you'll have figured it out." CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX The months she had spent with the theatrical troupe had gotten Savannah in the habit of going to bed late and sleeping late in the morning. She'd had to get over that in a hurry, and after a couple days of being extremely groggy most of the day after being rousted out of her bedroll early, she was starting to get used to the schedule set by Mr. MacCallister. In fact, she awoke this morning even before he came around to make sure everyone was up and about, getting ready for the day's journey. The pattering of rain on the wagon's canvas cover may have had something to do with that. It was a soothing sound, but at the same time it was different enough to make Savannah want to get up and see how the weather was. Mr. and Mrs. Bingham slept in an actual bunk built into the side of the wagon, while Savannah rolled up in blankets next to the tailgate. She lifted her head and pushed the canvas flap aside to peer out, only to discover that she couldn't see anything. The thick cloud cover made the pre-dawn hours even darker than usual. Savannah wasn't sure what time it was, but she suspected it was late enough that Mr. MacCallister would be coming around soon. She pushed the blankets aside, sat up, and dug around in the bag she had brought with her until she found her rain slicker. The idea of going out in the rain to attend to her personal needs didn't appeal to her, but she didn't have any choice. She pulled the slicker on and climbed out of the wagon, dropping easily to the ground. It wasn't very muddy yet, which told her the rain hadn't been falling for long. It was just a drizzle at the moment, not much more than a fine mist. Savannah thought she might try to go ahead and rig a cover of some sort so that she could get a fire started using chunks of wood from the supply that the Binghams carried in a rope sling underneath the wagon's body. That would wait until she had taken care of her other chores. She took a couple of steps away from the wagon . . . The arm that came out of the darkness wrapped around her with brutal, startling force, jerking her off her feet. She opened her mouth to scream, but before any sound could come out, a big, powerful hand clamped across her mouth and silenced any cry. During the night a steady rain began to fall. Jamie wasn't surprised. So far the weather had been cool and clear, almost perfect for traveling. He had known that such a run of good luck couldn't last. One thing he and the other scouts would have to keep an eye out for was mud. Heavy wagons had a tendency to bog down on muddy ground. Jamie hoped that they could put some miles behind them as long as the rain wasn't falling too hard. With a slow drizzle, it would take a while before the ground softened enough to cause a problem. "Let's go, let's go!" He called as he strode through the camp, his powerful voice carrying from one side of the circle to the other. "We need to get a move on!" He heard a thud from the direction of one of the wagons, then his keen ears picked up what sounded like a scuffle. As he swung in that direction his eyes narrowed. The thick overcast made it difficult to see, and so did the water dripping off the brim of his hat. He was able to make out several figures near the back of one of the wagons, however, and the way they lurched back and forth told him that a struggle was going on. He broke into a run toward the wagon. He didn't shout or announce in any other fashion that he was on his way, but loped across the ground in near-silence, a runaway locomotive of a man clad in buckskins. As he came closer, he could tell that one of the struggling figures wore a dress, and he had a pretty good idea who the woman was. She had to be Savannah McCoy. A tall, male shape had his arms around her, and two more men hovered nearby, ready to grab her if she managed to get away. Jamie targeted one of those other two men first, clubbing his fists together and swinging them with all the power of his brawny arms and shoulders and his own momentum. They smashed into the back of the unsuspecting man's neck with the force of a sledgehammer, causing him to drop like a stone. The other man yelled in alarm and whirled toward Jamie. The goal of sneaking into the wagon camp during the predawn hours when everybody was asleep, grabbing Savannah, and getting out again without being detected was ruined, so there was no longer any need for stealth. A shot roared as flame gouted from the muzzle of a gun, almost singeing Jamie's face. Before the intruder could fire again, the fingers of Jamie's left hand closed around the wrist of the man's gun hand. He thrust that arm skyward and gave the wrist such a powerful wrench that bones snapped like kindling. The man started to scream in pain, but Jamie put an abrupt stop to that with a pile-driver punch that broke more bones in the man's face and knocked him out cold. When Jamie let go of him, the man flopped to the ground. The hombre who had hold of Savannah swept her up bodily, threw her over his shoulder like she was a sack of grain, and took off running through the cold mist. Jamie couldn't risk a shot with Savannah in the man's grasp, so all he could do was give chase. The man he was pursuing was tall, and his long legs covered the ground quickly. Jamie lost sight of him in the gloom, then spotted him again. He spotted something else, too: tall, bulky shapes that could only be picketed horses. He grimaced. Sundown and the other saddle mounts were back at the camp. If the kidnapper managed to get on one of those horses with Savannah, he could gallop away into the darkness before Jamie could return to the camp and grab a mount of his own. Jamie wasn't built for running, and he wasn't as young as he used to be, but he poured on as much speed as he could and saw that he was closing the gap. Savannah was still struggling, and that threw her captor off his stride. When Jamie judged that he was close enough, he left his feet in a diving tackle that caught the man around the knees. Savannah yelped as the man fell and she went sailing through the air. Jamie hoped she would be all right when she landed, but he didn't have time to check on her. He had his hands full with the man he had just brought down. The kidnapper rolled over and launched a kick that caught Jamie on the left shoulder. It was powerful enough to make the big frontiersman's arm go numb. Jamie grimaced but didn't make a sound. When the man tried to kick him again, Jamie caught hold of the man's foot with his right hand and heaved, rolling the man over onto his belly. Jamie scrambled after him, intending to pin the man down with a knee in the small of his back. His opponent twisted aside and shot a fist upward in a blow that landed on Jamie's jaw, a powerful punch that threw Jamie to one side. It had been a good long while since he had faced anybody who was almost his equal in size and strength. In a way, he almost looked forward to continuing the battle, he thought as he slapped a hand against the muddy ground and pushed himself up. The two men came to their feet at practically the same instant, about ten feet apart. Jamie glanced around to see if he could locate Savannah, but it was still too dark. He saw a fuzzy, wavering glow coming through the rain from the direction of the wagon train, though. The shot that had been fired had roused the immigrants and somebody had lit a lantern. He hoped Savannah was already on her way back to them, seeking help. Then he no longer had time to worry about anything because the other man charged him, malletlike fists swinging dangerously at the end of long, powerful arms. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN They were like two bulls coming together. Jamie blocked the man's first punch, but the second got through and crashed against his sternum, rocking him back a step. Jamie planted a foot on the ground and counterpunched, twisting at the hips as he threw a right that landed cleanly on the man's jaw. For a long moment, they stood there toe-to-toe, slugging away at each other. Jamie was hammering away at his opponent, doing plenty of damage. His massive, heavily muscled form was able to absorb a great deal of punishment, but he knew he couldn't keep it up forever. The man suddenly changed tactics, feinting and then lunging forward to catch Jamie in a bear hug. The collision knocked both men off their feet again. They rolled over and over on the wet ground, grappling and wrestling and trying to get the upper hand. The would-be kidnapper managed to slide his arm around Jamie's neck from behind, and suddenly it clamped down across the big frontiersman's throat like an iron bar, cutting off his air. Jamie drove an elbow back into the man's belly, causing him to grunt in pain and expel a big gust of foul-smelling breath. That loosened the grip on Jamie's neck just enough for him to twist halfway around and wedge his elbow under the man's chin. He levered the man's head back and broke free completely. The separation lasted only a second before they were wrapped around each other again, battling for any advantage. Jamie grabbed the man's hair, hunched his shoulders, and head-butted the man in the face. He sensed the tide swinging in his direction, but at that moment something smashed against the side of his head with stunning force. The dark predawn lit up with jagged red lightning bolts he knew were only inside his head. In the few seconds that his muscles refused to obey his brain's commands, the man shoved him away. Jamie knew there was a good chance the intruder had hit him with a gun, which meant the next thing might be a shot. He forced himself to move, galvanizing his muscles through sheer force of will and rolling across the ground. A revolver went off with a roar like thunder. Jamie saw the muzzle flash, dragged out his right-hand .44, and returned the fire. With rain in his eyes and his head still spinning from the clout he had taken, he couldn't tell if he hit anything. The next moment he heard hoofbeats pounding against the ground and knew his shot hadn't found its target. The intruder had gotten on one of the horses and was fleeing. Jamie lifted the Colt and triggered three more shots in the direction of the sound, but he knew it would be sheer luck if he hit the man. As he climbed to his feet, he saw lights from the wagon train bobbing closer. People were coming to see what was going on. They were probably pretty spooked, so to keep them from getting trigger-happy, Jamie called, "Hold your fire! It's MacCallister!" Bodie Cantrell was in the lead when the group of armed men hurried up to Jamie. "Mr. MacCallister! Are you all right?" Jamie was covered with mud and he knew that by the next day he would be stiff and sore from the fight. "I'm fine. What about Savannah?" "She's all right," Bodie said. "She ran back to the wagons and told us you were out here fighting with the man who tried to carry her off. Where is he?" "Gone," Jamie replied curtly. "He got on a horse and lit a shuck before I could stop him. At least we've got the two I left back in camp." Bodie shook his head. His face was etched with grim lines in the lantern light. "There's only one man in camp, and he's dead. His neck is broken." Jamie grunted. Obviously, the man he'd hit in the back of the neck with his clubbed fists had been injured worse than he thought. It wasn't the first time he had killed a man with his bare hands, but it had been a while since that happened. "There was another one. I'm pretty sure I broke his wrist. May have broken his nose or a cheekbone, too. He was out cold when I left him." "He must have come to, crawled off in the dark, and slipped away," Bodie said. "As soon as it gets light enough, we can search for him—" Jamie waved away that suggestion. "We've got better things to do. As bad as he's hurt, he's not going to be interested in causing any more trouble for us. He'll probably try to find one of the horses he and his friends brought with them and head on back to Kansas City." And if the man wasn't able to catch one of the horses, he'd probably die out there, injured as he was. Jamie wasn't going to waste any time worrying about a no-good kidnapper, though. Bodie said, "They had to be some of Kane's men. They didn't pick Savannah at random to go after." "I reckon you're right about that. Help me find my hat." It was Hector Gilworth who found Jamie's hat in the mud where it had fallen off and gotten trampled on during the battle. "Looks like it's in pretty bad shape," he said as he handed it to Jamie. "The rain'll wash the mud off," Jamie said as he punched it back into shape. "This old hat's been through almost as much as I have. It'll be all right." They trooped back to the wagons. Jamie told Hector and Jess to make sure everybody was awake and preparing for the day's journey, then he went with Bodie to the Binghams' wagon. He wanted to talk to Savannah and see for himself that she was really all right. A lantern was burning inside the wagon, its yellow glow coming through the gaps around the canvas flaps in front and back. Bodie stepped up to the tailgate. "Savannah?" Leticia Bingham pulled the flap aside. "She's resting. What do you want, Mr. Cantrell?" "Mr. MacCallister wants to talk to her." Savannah might have been resting, but she wasn't sleeping. She heard what Bodie said and spoke up from behind the older woman. "It's all right, Mrs. Bingham. I need to speak to Mr. MacCallister, too." "All right, dear, but you've been through an ordeal. You should take it easy for a little while." Mrs. Bingham moved back, and Savannah put her head in the opening at the rear of the wagon. "Mr. MacCallister, are you all right?" she asked anxiously. "I heard some shots . . ." "Nothing to worry about," Jamie told her. "Those fellas are long gone and won't be bothering you again." "You killed them?" Her voice was hushed. "Well . . . only one of 'em." But it wasn't from lack of trying, Jamie thought. He would have gladly sent all three of the varmints packing across the divide. "The other two got away, but I don't think they'll be coming back." "You can't be sure of that." "Not much in this life is certain. Did you get a good look at any of them?" Savannah shook her head. "No. One of them grabbed me from behind. The big one who carried me off. I never even saw him. I didn't even have a chance to fight. But I did manage to kick the wagon tongue. I hoped that would make enough noise to attract someone's attention." "So that's what I heard," Jamie said. "That was fast thinking on your part. If you hadn't done that, they might've been able to drag you off without anybody noticing." A shudder went through Savannah at the thought. "You said a couple of them got away. You know what's going to happen now, don't you, Mr. MacCallister? Now they're sure that I'm traveling with the wagon train. They'll go back to Gideon Kane and tell him, and since this attempt to kidnap me failed, he'll try something else. Something bigger and more dangerous." "Let him try," Bodie said. "We'll be ready for him." "That's right," Jamie agreed. But at the same time he was thinking that Savannah was right. Kane would send a larger group next time, and chances were that they wouldn't be worried about stealth. He would hire gunmen, and their goal would be to catch up to the wagon train and take Savannah away by force. If that happened—when that happened, Jamie amended because every instinct in his body told him that it would—the rest of the pilgrims would be in danger as well. It was too bad he hadn't taken the time to hunt up Gideon Kane while they were still in Kansas. He could have gone ahead and put a bullet in the varmint then and there. Sometimes the simplest ways were the best. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT The rain continued as the wagon train rolled northwestward along the Blue River that morning. The sky was such a flat, leaden gray it seemed like the immigrants traveled in a depressing state of perpetual twilight. The warmth of the sun was nowhere to be found. A dank cold had settled over the landscape, the sort of weather that chilled a person to the bone. Jamie felt it in his bones, that was for sure. He felt every one of his more than sixty years of life. But he didn't let that stop him from doing the job that needed to be done. He was out ahead of the wagon train with Hector Gilworth riding beside him as they watched out for muddy areas that the wagons needed to avoid. The rain grew harder at midday, turning into a slashing downpour that quickly formed large puddles on the already wet ground. Jamie grimaced under the dripping brim of his hat as mud began to suck at Sundown's hooves. "All right," he told Hector. "We might as well turn around and tell the wagons to stop for the day before they get bogged down. If some of those wheels sink down far enough in the mud, it might take days to get them back out again." When they arrived at the lead wagon and told Captain Hendricks of the decision, the leader of the immigrants wasn't happy. "We haven't covered much distance today," he complained. "Don't you think we can push on just a little farther, Mr. MacCallister?" "No, I don't," Jamie replied bluntly. "You'll be risking an even longer delay if you do. It'll be better to stay here, hope the rain stops tonight, and that the sun will come out tomorrow and dry the ground some. It hasn't been a very rainy autumn so far, so the dirt ought to suck up most of the water pretty fast once it gets a chance." Hendricks heaved a sigh and nodded. "Very well. Tell everyone to go ahead and make camp. We're not going to be able to build fires in this weather, though." "It'll be a cold camp," Jamie agreed. If folks were smart, they would gnaw a little jerky, crawl into their blankets, huddle together for warmth, and wait it out. Earlier, he had told Bodie to drop back a ways behind the wagon train and watch for pursuers. It was possible the men who had sneaked into the camp early that morning to kidnap Savannah had been part of a larger force. If that was the case, they might make another attempt, and Jamie wanted some warning if that was going to happen. The other scouts had seen that the wagons were stopped and came on in. Jamie left them to keep an eye on things while he rode back to meet Bodie. He had gone about half a mile before he saw the gray figure plodding toward him on horseback, shrouded in the curtains of rain. Jamie reined in and waited for Bodie to come to him. He slipped a hand under the yellow slicker he wore and tried to dry it on his damp buckskins. He didn't have much luck with that, but it was better than nothing. Then he wrapped that hand around the butt of one of his .44s, just in case it wasn't Bodie Cantrell coming toward him through the downpour. A few moments later Jamie relaxed as Bodie hailed him. He took his hand off the gun. "Any sign of anybody coming after us?" Jamie asked as Bodie rode up to him. Bodie sounded as wet and miserable as he looked. "I didn't see anything but this blasted rain. Ulysses S. Grant could be right behind us with the Army of the Potomac, and I wouldn't know it!" Jamie chuckled. "I think old Useless S. Grant has his hands full right now being president and dealing with that bank panic back east I heard about. He's too busy to be chasing us, even if he had any reason to." "Maybe so, but I still say there could be an army back there. You couldn't prove it by me one way or the other." "We'll figure there's not," Jamie said. "Come on. I'd say you can go get warm, but I'm afraid that may be an impossible chore under these conditions." "How long do you think it's going to rain?" Bodie asked as they rode side by side toward the wagons. "Hard to say. I've seen it settle in and rain like this for days. Maybe even as long as a week. Or it could stop tonight. You don't ever know." "This is why you warned everybody it might be hard to reach Montana by Christmas." "One reason," Jamie said. "There are still plenty of other things that can go wrong, too." When they arrived at the camp, Jamie saw that the wagons had been formed into a circle, as usual, and the men were unhitching their teams. As they passed the Bingham wagon, Savannah stuck her head out the back. "Why don't you two come in here and get out of the rain? It's miserable out there!" "I'll be back as soon as I tend to my horse," Bodie promised. "How about you, Mr. MacCallister?" "I'm going to scout around for a while longer," Jamie said. "Then I reckon I'll climb in with Moses, since he's got that wagon to himself." He touched a finger to the broad brim of his hat. "But I appreciate the invitation, Miss McCoy." Jamie made a big circuit around the camp on Sundown. Satisfied that there were no imminent threats, he rode to Moses Danzig's wagon, tied Sundown's reins to the vehicle, and unsaddled the big stallion. The horses and the other animals were going to be even more wet, cold, and uncomfortable than the humans, but there was nothing that could be done about that. Hardships were part of life on the frontier. The sooner the immigrants knew and understood that, the better. Jamie rapped his knuckles on the tailgate and climbed over it into the wagon. Moses welcomed him. "Come in, Mr. MacCallister. I can't offer much in the way of hospitality other than a canvas roof over your head." "Right now I'll take it." Jamie stripped off his slicker and hung it over the tailgate. Moses sat on a crate beside a candle burning on top of a keg and Jamie perched on a second crate. He handed an airtight to Jamie, who opened it with his Bowie knife. Moses then used the candle flame to heat up the can of beans, although it wasn't very effective for that chore. "All the comforts of home," Moses said with awry grin. "What do you think, Jamie? Is it going to rain for forty days and forty nights, like in the Old Testament?" "It better not. If it does, this prairie will get so muddy it's liable to swallow up the wagons whole." As it turned out, they didn't have to worry about that. The rain stopped during the night. In the wee hours, Jamie woke up enough to be aware that he no longer heard it hitting the canvas cover, then he dozed off again. When he woke up at his usual time, long before dawn, and climbed out the back of the wagon, he tilted his head to look up at the sky. Stars glittered against the ebony backdrop. The overcast had broken and the clouds had moved on, which meant the sun would be shining later. The wagons wouldn't be going anywhere for a while, though. The softness of the muddy ground under Jamie's boots told him that. As long as the vehicles stayed put, they would be all right, but if they tried to move their iron-tired wheels would sink deeply into the earth. There wouldn't be any early start that day. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE Once the sky cleared, the temperature had dropped during the night. Some of the puddles had thin skims of ice on them. But once the sun was up, the temperature began to rise and by noon the day was fairly pleasant. The ground was still too wet for the wagons to risk moving. Out on the plains, there wasn't much chance for rainfall to run off. Once it fell, it had to soak into the ground, which took time. Jamie conferred with Lamar Hendricks. "Let's give it until tomorrow. I hate to waste a day, but we don't want to do anything that'll cost us even more time in the long run." With a gloomy expression on his face, Hendricks nodded in agreement. "I trust your judgment, Mr. MacCallister. I have a feeling that if Jeb Ralston were still our wagon master, we'd be good and stuck here." "You might be right about that." Since he had plenty of time to kill, Jamie took Hector and Jess and rode out to make another big scouting circuit. He would have taken Bodie with him, but he was still hanging around the Bingham wagon so Jamie decided it would be better to leave him where he was. Jamie didn't expect any more trouble from Kane's men right away, but if anything came up, he knew he could count on Bodie to protect Savannah, even if it cost him his own life. Bodie was head over heels in love with that girl. Jamie and his two companions were riding about a mile west of the wagon train when Hector suddenly said, "Look over there, Mr. MacCallister. Is that what I think it is?" Hector was smart enough not to lift his arm and point. Instead he indicated the direction he was looking with a nod of his bearded chin. Jamie didn't have to turn his head to look. He had spotted the Indian pacing them a good five minutes earlier. The lone warrior was riding along the top of a slight rise about a quarter mile away. "Pawnee, if I had to guess," Jamie said quietly. "He's just taking a gander at us." "What else can he do?" Jess asked. "There's one of him and three of us." "There's only one of him that we can see," Jamie pointed out. "Could be fifty more just like him right on the other side of that rise. Maybe more than that." Hector and Jess got nervous expressions on their faces, and Jamie knew they were thinking about what he had just said. "He wants us to see him," Jamie went on, "otherwise we wouldn't know he was there. That's his way of making sure we know he's not afraid of us." "I'm not sure I can say the same thing," Jess admitted. "Redskins make me downright antsy." "He's not looking for trouble right now. He's just curious." "What about later?" Hector asked. "He could come back with a bunch of his friends, and they could be looking for trouble." "We'll just have to wait and see about that," Jamie said. After a few minutes, the distant rider peeled away and disappeared from sight. His absence didn't seem to make Hector and Jess relax. If anything, they were more watchful than they had been earlier. The three scouts rode back to the wagon train in the late afternoon. Jamie told Hector and Jess, "There's no point in saying anything about what we saw today. People would worry about it and might get all worked up for no good reason. I'll tell Cap'n Hendricks, and we'll let it go at that for right now." Hector and Jess nodded in understanding. Captain Hendricks, on the other hand, didn't take the news as well. When Jamie told him about seeing the Indian, he became agitated. "We have to warn everyone on the train." "So they can do what?" Jamie asked. "Keep their eyes open? They're already doing that if they've got any sense, and anyway, that's what the scouts and I are for, to serve as the eyes and ears of this wagon train. You don't want a bunch of inexperienced pilgrims on edge and ready to start blasting away at anything that moves. That's how innocent folks wind up getting shot." Hendricks paced back and forth on the still-muddy ground next to his wagon as they talked. "I suppose you're right. You're a lot more experienced at this sort of thing than I am. But I was hoping we could make it through to Montana without encountering any savages." "We might yet," Jamie said, although he knew how unlikely that was. "What about the ground?" Hendricks asked. "Do you think it'll be dry enough tomorrow that we can get started again and only lose one day?" "Maybe. As long as it doesn't start raining again tonight." Luck held. The weather remained clear, cold, and dry overnight, and the next morning Jamie swung up into Sundown's saddle and rode around the camp, checking the ground. He had waited until the sun was up so he could take a good look at the landscape, and he was satisfied with what he saw. "We'll have to avoid any low spots that might be muddier," he reported to Hendricks, "but I think if we're careful we can get these wagons rolling again." Hendricks heaved a sigh of relief. "I'll pass the word. We'll be ready to leave as soon as possible." Spirits were higher as the immigrants prepared to break camp. They had been able to build fires, cook food, and boil coffee, and even though the air was still cold, not having rain pouring down put people in a better mood. They worked enthusiastically as they got the wagons ready to roll again. Soon the line of canvas-covered vehicles stretched across the prairie again, rolling slowly to the northwest. Jamie sent out the scouts and took the point himself. Bodie Cantrell rode with him. "The river's up," Jamie mused after a while. He nodded toward the line of scrubby, bare-limbed trees that marked the course of the stream, about half a mile west of the wagon train's route. "I can hear it." "Is that a problem?" Bodie asked. "Not necessarily. We won't be crossing it for a good while yet, so it'll have time to go down. But the fact that it's running like it is means that the smaller streams feeding into it are up, too, and we might come upon one of them and need to get across it." Jamie's words proved to be prophetic. That afternoon, he and Bodie came to a creek that cut directly across the path of the wagon train. They reined in to study the fast-flowing stream, which was about sixty feet wide, filling the depression through which it ran. "Normally that creek wouldn't be more than eight or ten feet wide and maybe a foot deep," Jamie said. "How deep is it now?" Bodie asked. "Hard to say. Four or five feet, more than likely." "Will we have to wait for it to go down?" Jamie rubbed his grizzled jaw as he frowned in thought. "That might be the smartest thing to do, but to tell you the truth, I'd rather keep moving." He decided to tell Bodie what he and Hector and Jess had seen the day before. "I've got a hunch there's a band of Pawnee in the area, and I'd just as soon move on out, in case they consider this their hunting ground and figure we're interlopers." "You think they'll attack us?" "They'll be less likely to if they can see that we don't intend to stay and cause them any trouble." Bodie looked around. "You reckon they're watching us now?" "Wouldn't surprise me a bit. Come on. Let's see if we can swim our horses across that creek. If we can, the wagons ought to be able to make it." Sundown and Bodie's horse swam across the creek without any trouble. Jamie could tell that the water was deep enough to float the wagons. The current was fast, but the oxen and mules would be able to handle it. The wagons were catching up, and Jamie and Bodie rode back to tell Captain Hendricks what lay ahead. Then Jamie went along the line of wagons, explaining to the immigrants how they would ford the creek. "We'll take the women and children across on horseback," Jamie told his scouts when he had gathered them around him. "That'll be less weight for the wagons, and it'll be safer for them, too. I think the wagons can make it without any problems, but if any of them get into trouble, I don't want a bunch of kids who maybe can't swim getting dumped in the creek." Jake grinned at Bodie. "I bet I know which of the ladies you'll be ferryin' across, Bodie." "I'll do whatever I'm told," Bodie said stiffly. Jamie jerked a thumb toward the Bingham wagon. "Go ahead and get Miss McCoy, Bodie. Nobody's going to stop you." Bodie smiled somewhat sheepishly and turned his horse to fetch Savannah. Lamar Hendricks had his wagon poised at the edge of the stream. As Jamie moved his horse up alongside the vehicle, Hendricks said, "I'm ready to give this a try, Mr. MacCallister." "Let the team do the work for you," Jamie told him. "Just keep 'em moving as steady and straight across as you can. The current will push you downstream some, but not enough to worry about." Hendricks nodded. He used the whip on the rumps of the stolid oxen and got them moving. They plodded forward into the creek, obviously a little reluctant to fight the current, but as it took hold of them they began to swim and pulled the wagon into the deeper water. Hendricks perched on the seat looking nervous as the vehicle began to float. Sundown, with Jamie in the saddle, swam alongside the wagon. Jamie had his lasso ready to throw if the wagon happened to capsize. He figured he could drop a loop over Hendricks and haul him out if necessary. Hendricks made it to the other side of the rain-swollen stream without any problems. The wagon rolled up the shallow bank and came to a stop as he hauled back on the team's reins. He looked over at Jamie and sleeved sweat off his face, even though the day was still chilly. "I never did like boats, and that's what it felt like I was on when the wagon started floating. I prefer solid ground." "You did fine," Jamie told him with a grin. He turned his horse, took off his hat, and waved it over his head to signal the folks waiting on the other side. "Come on over, one wagon at a time!" The crossing proceeded without incident for an hour, with the men guiding the floating wagons across while the scouts ferried the women and children on horseback. Then one of the women refused to leave her husband to take their wagon across. Hector swam his horse across the flooded creek to report on the situation to Jamie and Hendricks. "The lady's name is Hamilton," Hector said after he passed along the news. "She's being mighty stubborn about it." "That's Alice Hamilton," Hendricks said. "She and her husband R.G. were married just a couple days before we left Kansas City." Jamie nodded. "I remember. You folks were celebrating the wedding the night I met you." "That's right. I suppose Alice doesn't want to leave R.G.'s side because they're newlyweds." Hector looked uncomfortable as he said, "I can take her off the wagon seat and bring her on horseback whether she wants to come or not, but I don't know how her husband will feel about that, Jamie." "I don't reckon we want to go that far. Tell her she can stay with the wagon, but it's her choice." Hector nodded, wheeled his horse, and urged the animal back into the water. The Hamilton wagon was the second in line. Jamie watched as Hector conveyed the message to the young, recently married couple. Alice Hamilton clutched her husband's arm, clearly not intending to leave his side. She couldn't weigh very much, Jamie thought, so it shouldn't really make any difference whether she rode across on the wagon. A short time later, R.G. Hamilton urged his team of mules into the creek. They swam strongly toward the center of the stream. The wagon hadn't reached the mid-point, when Jamie noticed that something was wrong. It was riding lower in the water than the others, and he felt a surge of alarm when he saw that it was starting to tilt. The cracks between the boards in these vehicles were supposed to be sealed with pitch to keep water out, but it was possible the Hamilton wagon had sprung a leak. Jamie cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed, "Hector!" When the burly scout turned to look at him, Jamie waved a hand toward the wagon, urgently gesturing for Hector to get out there and see what he could do to help. As soon as he had done that, Jamie heeled Sundown into motion and entered the creek from the north side of the stream. R.G. could feel the wagon tipping underneath him. So could his wife, who grabbed his arm even harder. He lashed the mules in an attempt to get them to go faster, so the wagon might get across the creek before it capsized, but it was taking on water too quickly for that. Alice screamed as the wagon suddenly rolled to the side. The water caught the canvas cover and pulled it over. Both Hamiltons were thrown off the wagon seat and disappeared into the muddy, fast-moving water. CHAPTER FORTY Jamie jabbed his heels into Sundown's flanks and sent the big stallion churning through the creek toward the overturned wagon. Hector was coming from the other direction. So were Bodie and Jake, having heard shouts of alarm from some of the immigrants when the Hamilton wagon rolled over. Jamie's keen eyes searched the water for any sign of R.G. or Alice popping back to the surface. Even flooded, the creek wasn't really that deep, but it was deep enough for a person to drown in it, especially if he or she was disoriented or had hit their head and was stunned. Alice Hamilton had bright red hair, so she was easy to spot when she broke the surface. The current was carrying her swiftly downstream. Jamie angled after her. With Sundown's powerful legs stroking through the water, Jamie caught up with the young woman in a matter of moments. He leaned down from the saddle and reached for her as she flailed wildly in panic. His hand wrapped around her wrist and he hauled upward, lifting her from the stream almost effortlessly as if she had been a child's toy. Hysterical with fear, she grabbed him, winding her arms around his neck and hanging on in sheer desperation. "Take it easy," Jamie told her. "You're all right, Miz Hamilton. Just settle down. I'll take you to shore." His firm, steady voice seemed to penetrate her shocked brain. She still clung to him, but not quite as urgently. She began to shiver from being dunked in the cold water. Jamie knew she would need to get out of the wet clothes as soon as possible. Some of the women could wrap her in blankets and set her down next to a big fire. That would thaw her out in a hurry. "R.G.," she said. "Where's R.G.?" Jamie glanced over his shoulder as he urged Sundown toward the northern bank. Several of the scouts were looking around, but it appeared they hadn't found R.G. Hamilton yet. "Don't worry, some of the other fellas are helping him." Jamie kept her turned so she couldn't see the search going on in the middle of the flooded stream. It wouldn't do any good to worry the young woman when her husband might come thrashing out of the creek at any moment. Leticia Bingham and Savannah were waiting on the bank when Jamie got there, along with Alice's mother, who was almost as distraught as her daughter. Leticia reached up. "Let us have her, Mr. MacCallister. We'll take care of her." "That's exactly what I planned to do, ladies," Jamie said as he gently lowered Alice into their waiting hands. As the women hustled her away, he turned his horse and plunged back into the flooded creek. "Any luck?" he called to the scouts as he swam Sundown out to join them. Bodie shook his head. "There's no sign of him so far, Mr. MacCallister. He's got to be around here somewhere, though." Jamie had a bad feeling. If R.G. had been knocked unconscious when he fell from the wagon, he could have drowned in as little as a minute or two. Several minutes had passed since the accident, and the situation was beginning to look bleak. "Hey, over here!" The shout came from Jess Neville. He was about fifty yards downstream, where the roots of one of the scrubby trees on the bank extended out into the water. Something was caught in those roots. Grim lines formed on Jamie's rugged, weathered face. The men on horseback headed in that direction. So did some of the immigrants on the northern bank who had heard Jess's shout. They all got there about the same time. As soon as Jamie saw R.G. Hamilton's pale face and the wide, sightlessly staring eyes, he knew the young man was dead. The water had washed away the blood, but a large gash was still visible on his forehead. Obviously he had struck it on something when he fell, just as Jamie feared, and that had doomed him. Jamie didn't think he had said more than a dozen words to the young man during the journey, but he felt sorry for what had happened, anyway. He had known before they ever left Kansas City that not everyone in the wagon train would make it safely to Montana. Trouble along the way was inevitable, and so were losses. But Hamilton was the first to die, and that was painful. Jess Neville looked at Jamie. "What do we do, Mr. MacCallister?" "Work him out of those roots," Jamie said flatly. "Hector, give him a hand." To the other scouts, he added, "The rest of you get back to work. We've still got wagons to bring safely across this creek." One of the people who had come running along the bank, the wagon train captain looked pointedly at Jamie. "We'll get started digging a grave. Reverend Bradford can conduct the service. He's the one who performed the wedding." It was almost dark before the last of the wagons rolled out of the water and onto the northern bank. Some of the time had been spent hooking up extra teams to the Hamilton wagon and dragging it out of the creek. The men set it upright and examined it for the leak that had caused the tragedy and any other damage. All the goods inside the vehicle had been soaked, of course. Some of them were salvageable, and those that weren't would be discarded and done without. Jamie assumed that Alice Hamilton would continue the journey to Montana Territory along with her parents and her two younger brothers. There was really nothing else she could do. They couldn't leave her out in the middle of nowhere by herself. The burial service took place by torchlight that evening. Alice, who had started whimpering and moaning and wailing when she was told of her husband's death, hadn't stopped. Her mother and several of the women, including Savannah, tried to comfort her as best they could, but she was inconsolable in her grief. Reverend Bradford droned on endlessly. Jamie tried to be respectful as he stood with the others, his hat in one hand and his head bowed, but he would have rather been almost anywhere else. When the service was finally over, the women led a weeping Alice away while several of the men began filling in the muddy grave where R.G. Hamilton's blanket-shrouded body lay. Somebody had fashioned a marker to put up. It was a nice gesture, Jamie supposed, but ultimately meaningless. The elements would take that marker in a matter of months. It would fall and rot into the ground as if it had never been there. The mounded dirt would flatten out. And come spring, grass would poke up through that dirt, maybe a few wildflowers. By the next summer, no one would be able to tell there was a grave there. Maybe that was the way it ought to be. Man was on earth and then he moved on, sometimes after a long, full life, sometimes before it seemed like his days ought to be up. The answers to such things were beyond mortals, mused Jamie. They belonged only to the Man Above. Bodie came up to Jamie as the immigrants scattered from the grave site and went about their business. "What are we going to do now, Mr. MacCallister?" "You mean after we try to get some sleep?" "Yeah." "Tomorrow morning, when there's enough light to see, these wagons are rolling north toward Montana again. What did you think we'd do, turn around and go back just because one hombre's bad luck caught up to him?" "No, but—" "This is the first grave we've had to dig since we left," Jamie said. "I can promise you, it won't be the last." CHAPTER FORTY-ONE Gideon Kane sipped from the glass of champagne and watched the woman cross the room toward him. Her walk was a thing of sinuous grace. Her blue eyes were full of temptation, and her mane of blond hair draped over her bare shoulders, dipping toward the creamy swells of her breasts exposed by the scandalously low neckline of the gown she wore. She could get away with such an outfit because her family was rich. Her name was Deirdre Burton. Kane had taken her to his bed a couple times, and she had assumed that meant they would get married, creating a marital and a business relationship between their families. He had other ideas, however. He had quickly become bored with her that first night and given her another tumble later on just to make sure it hadn't been just an off night for him. That experience only confirmed his first impression. The thought of spending the rest of his life with someone as bland and complacent as Deirdre Burton held no appeal for him at all. Good Lord, he told himself when he considered the idea, he'd have to take a new mistress every few weeks just to keep from dying of boredom. Savannah McCoy, now, she would be a different story, Kane thought as he took another drink of his champagne. Someone as fiery as she could keep him interested. She was an actress, after all. From one night to the next, she could be anyone he wanted her to be. . . . "You give the best parties, Gideon," Deirdre said as she came up to him. Musicians played softly on the other side of the big ballroom. "I'd love to dance with you." "Perhaps later," he told her. "I have a lot on my mind right now. Business matters." He had expected Eli Harrison to be back with Savannah by now. It had been more than a week since the wagon train had left Kansas City. Deirdre leaned closer to him and said in a throaty voice she thought was seductive, "I can take your mind off of business if you'd like, Gideon. I guarantee, you won't be thinking of anything except—" He stopped her by pushing the half-empty glass of champagne into her hand. He had spotted Jenkins coming toward him, and he could tell by the expression on the butler's face that something had happened. "Excuse me," he said curtly. She had taken the glass instinctively and stood there with a surprised expression on her face. That look turned angry as he pushed past her and walked away, but he ignored it. "What is it?" he asked quietly as he and Jenkins met in the crowd of well-dressed men and women—Kansas City's elite—filling the ballroom. "Mr. Harrison is back," Jenkins said equally quietly. Kane's pulse surged as he caught his breath. If Harrison had returned, that meant— He quickly asked, "Is she with him?" With a doleful look on his face, Jenkins shook his head. The anticipation Kane had felt was replaced abruptly with fury. "Where is he?" "In the study." Kane stepped past the butler without another word. Several of his guests smiled and spoke to him as he left the ballroom, but he paid no attention to them. His rudeness might cause a minor scandal among the city's upper crust, but he didn't give a damn. Harrison had a haggard look on his ugly face when Kane came into the room. His appearance testified that he had spent several long, hard days in the saddle. Kane closed the door hard behind him and snapped, "What happened?" "We trailed the wagon train for a while, like you said for us to do. The girl's there with those immigrants. We saw her. Hell, I had my hands on her." "But you let her get away?" Kane couldn't believe it. "MacCallister," Harrison spat out. "He stuck his nose in. The man's as big as a blasted grizzly bear, and even faster than that. We tangled, and I did good just to get away from him. The fellas I had with me weren't so lucky." "If you didn't get Miss McCoy, it doesn't matter if you got away from him," Kane said coldly. "You failed." "This time." Harrison's right hand clenched into a huge fist. "I didn't take enough men with me the first time. I'm going to round up some more and go after the wagon train again. I've got a score to settle with that big bas—" "I don't care about your scores," Kane cut in. "I just want Miss McCoy brought back here, and I won't tolerate another failure, Harrison. Do you understand?" "You bet I do. I can hire a dozen men?" "Hire two dozen if you want. Just bring the girl back here." "And if anybody else gets hurt along the way? There are a lot of innocent pilgrims on that wagon train." The scornful look that Kane gave him was more than enough of an answer to Harrison's question. Harrison spent the evening in some of the worst saloons, taverns, and dives in Kansas City, scouring them for gunmen who would be willing to sign on for the job of taking Savannah McCoy away from that wagon train. He had tried being stealthy, sneaking in and carrying off the girl with no one the wiser until it was too late to stop them, and that hadn't worked at all. Things were going to get ugly next time. There would be gunplay, and people would die. And Harrison didn't care as long as he got what his boss was after. If he let Gideon Kane down again, he knew he might as well keep going and never come back to Kansas City. He had seen Kane fly into a rage once when a drunken freighter had bumped into him on the street and his filthy boots had gotten dung on Kane's shoes. Kane had beaten the man to death with his walking stick, right then and there. That wouldn't happen to him; Harrison wouldn't stand still for such an attack, and Kane no doubt knew that. He would just hire as many men as it took to beat Harrison to death rather than do it himself. Harrison was in a squalid saloon, looking for hardcases willing to hire on to use their guns, when two men sidled up to him at the bar. Harrison barely spared them a glance. They were tough enough in a way, he supposed, but not really the sort of ruthless professionals he was after. But the smaller one, who had eyes like a pig and a swinish face, said, "Word's gettin' around that you're hirin' men." Harrison shook his head. "You must have heard wrong, mister." The man got a shrewd look on his face—if a pig could be said to look shrewd. "You're not goin' after that wagon train Jamie MacCallister's leadin' to Montana Territory?" Harrison stiffened. He supposed he had let a few too many hints slip when he was making the rounds of the saloons. But what did it really matter? Where he and the men he recruited would be going, there wasn't much law. In most places, there wasn't any. "What if I am?" The short, squat man said, "My name's Keeler." He jerked a thumb at his taller companion. "This is Holcomb. We signed on as scouts to go with that wagon train when our pard Jeb Ralston was supposed to be the wagon master. That was before MacCallister broke his leg and stole the job for himself." That was interesting, Harrison thought. "So you've got a grudge against MacCallister?" "Damn right we do. But there's more than that, mister. We went over the route with Jeb more'n once. I'd say we know where MacCallister's takin' those wagons just as well as he does. Maybe better." Going by what he'd heard about Jamie MacCallister, Harrison doubted that, but he was intrigued anyway. "You think you could help me catch up to them?" "I know we could," Keeler said confidently. "And if you plan on tanglin' with MacCallister . . . well, we wouldn't mind gettin' in on that, too." He and his men would be able to travel faster if they knew where the wagon train was going, Harrison thought. They might even be able to get ahead of the wagons and set up an ambush. MacCallister would be watching his back trail, but he probably wouldn't expect death to be waiting in front of him. "Keeler," Harrison said as he stuck out a big paw, "you've got a deal." CHAPTER FORTY-TWO Days of searching hadn't turned up any clues to the whereabouts of the men who had stolen the loot from the train robbery. The failure filled Eldon Swint with a fury he was barely able to contain. When he finally found Lucas, Mahaffey, and Pearsoll—and he would find them, he had no doubt about that—he would see to it that they died long and painfully for daring to steal from him. Before he was through with them, they would wish a bunch of bloodthirsty Apaches had gotten hold of them instead. The problem was . . . he didn't know where they were. The frontier was a mighty big place. Without some sort of trail to follow, it might take months, maybe even years, to locate the thieves. Swint was sitting in the Bella Royale, seething as usual and trying to distract himself with a bottle of whiskey. It wasn't working. He glanced up as Charley Green entered the saloon and crossed the room toward him. Green looked a little excited about something, which was unusual for him. He was usually about as stolid as a lump of stone. Without waiting to be invited to sit down, Green pulled back one of the chairs and lowered himself into it. He reached for the bottle, but Swint pulled it out of reach. "You look like you've got something to say, Charley," Swint told his second in command. "Spit it out first, then maybe you can have a drink." "I might have a line on where those three varmints took off to with our money." Swint's bushy, almost colorless eyebrows crawled up his forehead in surprise. He pushed the bottle back where Green could reach it. "Tell me." "Bodie Cantrell." Swint's eyebrows came back down in a frown. "What about him?" "He disappeared the same night, didn't he?" "Well, yeah," Swint admitted. "But he told me he was leaving the gang. He wouldn't have done that if he was mixed up with Lucas and those other two. That was just a, what do you call it, coincidence." "Maybe, but Cantrell and Lucas were friends. Lucas could've told Cantrell what he and Mahaffey and Pearsoll were plannin' to do. Shoot, for all we know, stealin' those double eagles might've been Cantrell's idea." Swint restrained his impatience and the urge to take the bottle away from Green again. "I've been over and over this in my head, Charley. You're not tellin' me anything that I don't already know. Let's say you're right and Cantrell was part of the whole scheme, maybe even the mastermind, although I still don't know why he'd draw attention to himself ahead of time. We don't know where Cantrell went any more than we do Lucas, Mahaffey, and Pearsoll." "Maybe we do," Green said with a self-satisfied smile. "I talked to a fella who saw Cantrell ride out with a wagon train the same morning that the others vanished with our loot." Swint leaned forward sharply in his chair, sensing with his predator's instincts that this might be the lead they had been looking for. "How'd you happen to do that?" "I've still been goin' around town askin' questions, describin' all four of those hombres, not just Lucas and the other two but Cantrell as well, on the chance that he might've been involved. I found a fella who saw him with those pilgrims who were headed to Montana. It was just pure luck, I reckon, Eldon. Luck, and bein' stubborn about it." "But the man you talked to, he didn't see Lucas, Mahaffey, and Pearsoll with the wagon train?" Green shook his head. "No, but that don't mean anything. They could've rendezvoused with it later, after the wagons left town. That probably would've been the smart thing to do." Swint considered the theory. It made sense, but it was far from what he'd consider proof. On the other hand, they hadn't found any other leads so far. . . . "But that ain't all," Green went on. "There's a fella goin' around town puttin' together a crew of hired guns to go after that wagon train." Swint's nostrils flared as he took a sharp, angry breath. "Going after our money?" he demanded. Green shook his head again. "No, from what I hear, they're after a girl who joined up with the immigrants here in Kansas City. She's some sort of actress, and they're workin' for a fella who's stuck on her and wants her brought back." "I don't see what this has to do with us and that missing money," Swint said. "I talked to some of the boys about Cantrell. They said that he was stuck on an actress from that show, too, and I figure it's got to be the same one, boss." "How do you figure that?" "Because he quit the gang with no warnin', and then he shows up with that wagon train, too. It's all got to be connected." Green was a good man, plenty tough, and he followed orders well and could be depended on. Swint had never considered him to be all that smart, though. But as he followed his lieutenant's reasoning, he had to give Green some grudging credit for his intelligence. The theory Green had worked out actually made sense, and it was the best explanation so far for what had happened. Plus it sure beat nothing, which was what they had come up with so far. "So what are you saying, that we need to follow that wagon train?" "Well, it's a place to start, anyway," Green said. "And if you're wrong," Swint snapped, "we'll have lost a lot of time. Enough time that we might never be able to find those blasted thieves." "It's up to you, Eldon," Green replied with a shake of his head. "I've never pretended to be in charge of this gang and don't want to be. You're the boss and we'll do whatever you say. I just thought—" "And you did a good job. I'll admit that." Swint took the bottle back from Green, tilted it to his mouth, and swallowed a long swig of the fiery liquor before thumping the mostly empty bottle down on the tabletop. He had reached a decision. "Round up the rest of the boys. Get some pack animals and lay in plenty of supplies. We're liable to be on the trail for quite a while." "So we're goin' after the wagon train?" Green asked excitedly. "We're going after the wagon train," Swint agreed. "And it's a long way from here to Montana Territory." CHAPTER FORTY-THREE The weather held for several days as the wagon train continued northward. A glittering blanket of frost covered the ground every morning, but it melted away when the sun came up. Chilly winds blew from the north, sending towering white clouds scudding through the blue sky like tall-masted ships. The thick wool and sheepskin coats worn by the immigrants kept them from getting too cold. The brisk air didn't bother Jamie. After the rugged life he had led and the iron constitution it had given him, he was practically immune to the weather unless it became really extreme. He enjoyed the cold, clear conditions. For one thing, the wagon train was making good time again, and he was satisfied with the number of miles they covered every day. There was still a slim chance they would reach Eagle Valley by Christmas. One of the teenage boys in the group had been recruited to drive R.G. Hamilton's wagon. R.G. had no family and had been traveling alone until romance had blossomed between him and Alice and they had wound up getting married in Kansas City. Alice insisted on staying with the wagon, even though she could have gone back to traveling with her family. Savannah rode with the grieving widow sometimes, keeping her company. After several days, Jamie sought her out at the Bingham wagon one evening to ask how Alice was doing. Not surprising, Bodie Cantrell was having supper with Savannah, Edward, and Leticia. Any time he wasn't out scouting, Bodie could be found somewhere near the Bingham wagon. He was so head-over-heels in love with Savannah that Jamie sometimes had a hard time not chuckling at the moonstruck look on the young man's face. The good thing was that Savannah seemed to return the feeling. There weren't many things worse in this world than being desperately in love with somebody who didn't really give a darn about you. At least, Jamie supposed that to be the case. He had never experienced such unrequited love himself, since he and Kate had been soul mates right from the start and that feeling hadn't lessened a whit over the years. It had taken an outlaw's bullet to part them, and Jamie would carry that loss with him for the rest of his life. "Would you like something to eat, Mr. MacCallister?" Leticia Bingham asked him as he came up to the wagon. Jamie shook his head. "No, ma'am, but I'm obliged to you for the offer. Moses and I already had supper a little while ago." He grinned. "I'm teaching him how to cook trail grub." "How's he taking to that?" Bodie asked with a smile. "Not bad. He's a pretty smart fella. Can do most anything he puts his mind to." Jamie tipped his hat back. "I really came to talk to you, Savannah, and ask how Alice Hamilton is getting on." Savannah's pretty face wore a solemn expression. "It's been really hard on her, Mr. MacCallister. That's not surprising, of course, losing her husband like that so soon after they were married . . . although I suppose it would be difficult no matter how long it had been." "Has she said anything about wanting to go back? She might be able to manage that, come spring." Savannah shook her head. "No, it was R.G.'s dream for them to have a place of their own in Eagle Valley, and Alice seems determined to go through with that. She says she's going to take up the homestead R.G. intended to file. But other times . . ." Savannah looked worried. "Other times she acts like she's too overwhelmed with grief to go on. She says she doesn't think she can make it." "Probably be a good idea for you to keep an eye on her as much as you can," Jamie said. "You don't think she'd . . . hurt herself, do you, Mr. MacCallister?" "I hope not, but you never know what folks might do when they've suffered a bad loss." Some folks might even set out to hunt down an entire gang of vicious killers and outlaws, he thought. He put that out of his mind and went on. "If you get a chance, tell Alice's folks about how she's acting." "They already know," Savannah said. "They're worried about her, too. Her mother keeps trying to talk her into coming back to their wagon, but Alice won't hear of it. She insists she's going to stay in the wagon she shared with R.G., because that's where she was happy." "Seems to me like there would be too many reminders of him in that wagon," Bodie commented. "People never really know what they'll do until they're faced with something. Then it's too late to prepare. You've just got to do what it takes to survive." That was something Jamie Ian MacCallister knew all about—survival. The next day dawned clear, but by noon there was a dark blue line on the northern horizon. Within an hour it had grown into a low cloud bank that seemed to be rushing toward the wagon train. To Jamie it looked closer with every minute that passed. He pointed it out to Bodie, who was riding ahead of the wagons with him. "Blue Norther." "A snowstorm, you mean?" "Might be some snow with it, might not be. At this time of year, it's hard to say until the blasted thing is right on top of you. But whether it snows or not, we need to stop and hunker down until it's passed us by." They turned and rode back to the lead wagon. At Jamie's command, Bodie headed on along the line of vehicles, telling the drivers to stop and form up in a circle. "What's going on here?" Captain Hendricks asked. Jamie leveled a finger at the onrushing clouds. "We're in for a bad blow. The wind's going to be so hard it'll seem like these prairie schooners of yours are about to lift up off the ground and fly. The temperature's liable to drop forty degrees in an hour, too." "But it's not much above freezing now," Hendricks protested. "If it drops forty degrees . . ." His eyes widened at the thought. Jamie grunted. "Yeah. That's what happens when you start out on a trip like this so late in the year." Hendricks's face hardened angrily, but he said, "What do we need to do?" "We'll go ahead and make camp. Build fires now while we still can and get some hot food and coffee in everybody. Then tie everything down tight to keep it from blowing away, climb in the wagons, and heap as many blankets and quilts as you can on top of you. It'll be a mighty cold night, but we ought to make it through all right." Hendricks nodded. "I'll make sure everybody gets busy and does what you said." For the next hour, as the Blue Norther rampaged closer and closer, the camp was a beehive of activity. Everyone seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation. As the cloud bank swept in, it grew darker and more sinister. The wind, which had been fairly light, died down to almost nothing as Jamie walked around the circle of wagons, checking to make sure everything was secured as much as possible. Most of the immigrants were worried. He tried to reassure them. They had all been through cold snaps back where they came from, he told them. A great plains norther was a mite more . . . enthusiastic, he explained, but they could ride it out. "Keep everybody close," he said again and again. "And huddle up together. You'll need the warmth by morning." Satisfied that the immigrants were as ready as they were going to be, he headed for Moses's wagon. The clouds had swallowed up the sun, and even though the hour was just past mid-afternoon, it was almost dark as night. The wind hit while Jamie was walking across the camp. He reached up quickly and grabbed his hat to keep it from blowing away. The wind smacked into his face like an icy fist. By the time he reached the wagon he was leaning forward into it, struggling against the violent gusts. He climbed into the wagon, ducked through the opening, and pulled the canvas flap tightly closed behind him, tying it in place with the cords attached to it. He could feel the wagon vibrating from the wind pushing against it. "You know, I've seen some bad blizzards back in Poland," Moses said. "Is this one going to be worse, Jamie?" "Don't know. I've never been to Poland. I don't smell any snow in the air, though. I think we're just going to get the cold wind. But it's going to be mighty cold." "You can smell snow?" Moses sounded like he found that hard to believe. "Sure. Snow, rain, dust storms . . . you get to where you can smell what the weather's going to do if you stay out here on the frontier long enough." "Somehow I don't doubt it. I don't think I'd doubt anything you had to tell me, Jamie." "Oh, I can spin a few windies when the mood strikes me," Jamie said with a smile. "But when it comes to getting by out here, I won't steer you wrong." The wind began to howl in mindless shrieks that sounded like lost souls being tormented in hell. It made the cold seem even more numbing. Jamie dug an old buffalo robe he'd had for more than thirty years out of his gear and wrapped himself in it. Night closed down quickly, and he slept the way any frontiersman would sleep when he had the chance. He woke to shouts, stirred himself, crawled out of the buffalo robe, and untied the flap over the back of the wagon. He had just stuck his head out when Savannah McCoy came running toward the vehicle, carrying a lantern and calling urgently, "Mr. MacCallister! Mr. MacCallister!" "What is it?" Savannah lifted her stricken face toward him. "It's Alice Hamilton, Mr. MacCallister. She's gone!" CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR "What do you mean, gone?" he asked Savannah as he climbed out of Moses's wagon. "I decided she shouldn't be alone tonight and went over to her wagon right after the wind hit. Alice seemed glad to see me. We put our bedrolls next to each other on the floor. I . . . I tried to stay awake, but I dozed off. When I woke up, she wasn't there anymore." Tears began to roll down Savannah's cheeks. "I'm so, so sorry—" "Stop that. It's not your fault. Anything you did to watch out for that gal was from the goodness of your heart, and nobody's going to blame you for what's happened." "Do you think something has . . . happened?" Jamie didn't answer that question directly. "Let's go take a look around. Maybe we can find her." Moses was leaning out the back of the wagon. He had overheard what Savannah said, and asked, "Should I rouse everyone else, Jamie, to help you look?" Jamie considered for a second. The wind was bitingly cold, and it was only going to get worse. Everybody was hunkered down in their wagons, buried in quilts and blankets, and that was where they needed to stay. "Get Bodie and that fella Lucas," Jamie decided. "We won't tell anybody else for now." He reached back into the wagon, got his hat, and tugged it down tight on his head. He pulled out the buffalo robe as well and wrapped it around his shoulders. Then he took the lantern from Savannah and headed for Alice Hamilton's wagon. He studied the ground around the wagon for tracks, but it had dried out since the rain several days earlier and he didn't see any footprints. He found a place where he thought the dry grass had been disturbed, but he couldn't be sure about that. Bodie and Jake Lucas arrived, looking half-frozen already even though they had blankets wrapped tightly around themselves. Bodie asked, "What can we do to help, Jamie?" "We're going to look for Miz Hamilton, but we don't want anybody else wandering off and getting lost, so stay close together while we search." "Do you think that's what happened to her?" Savannah asked. "Do you think she got lost?" "More than likely. She might've stepped out of the wagon to tend to some personal business, gotten turned around, and started off in the wrong direction, thinking she was coming back. By the time she figured out she was going the wrong way, she couldn't locate the camp anymore." That explanation was entirely possible, Jamie thought. But his gut told him it wasn't the only explanation. Since her husband's death, Alice Hamilton had been trying to drag herself up out of a pit of despair. Maybe it had pulled her down so deep she couldn't escape from it. "I'll help you look," Savannah said. "No!" Jamie and Bodie said at the same time. "Get back in the wagon, out of the wind," Jamie told her. "The four of us will find her." As he, Moses, Bodie, and Jake spread out in a fan shape from the Hamilton wagon, Jamie thought about how the chances of finding Alice would be increased if more people were searching for her. But the chances of somebody else getting lost and freezing to death would be greater, too. It was like the old saying about being caught between a rock and a hard place. Whatever he did increased the risk of somebody dying. With the temperature dropping the way it was and the savage wind ripping away any trace of warmth, a person could freeze to death in an hour, maybe less. The frigid cold wouldn't kill as quickly as that flooded creek had, but it could kill just as surely. Jamie cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed, "Mrs. Hamilton! Alice!" The other men began calling her name, too. Somebody at the wagon train might hear the shouting and wonder what was going on, but that couldn't be helped. If Alice was lost and truly wanted to be found, the sound of their voices might save her life. The yelling helped Jamie keep track of the other men, too. He didn't want to lose anybody else. They spread out away from the wagon for what seemed like a long time. When Jamie estimated that they had covered close to a mile, he called his three companions to him. "I don't think she could have gotten this far. We've missed her somewhere." "She could have headed off from the wagons at any angle," Bodie pointed out. Moses suggested, "Maybe we should go back and start over, taking a different direction this time." "That's all we can do," Jamie said. "Come on." The night dragged past. First one hour, then two, then three. Jamie's worry had grown with every minute that ticked by. Somebody could survive in the wind for this long—he and his companions were doing it, after all—but they were all bundled up in thick jackets and blankets. Even so, they were suffering. Jamie knew he was going to have to call off the search soon or else risk the men suffering from frostbite. "I . . . I can't feel my fingers and toes anymore," Moses said, reinforcing Jamie's concern for their safety. "Let's head on back," he said with a heavy sigh. "We can't do any more." "Wait a minute," Bodie protested. "You can't mean to just leave poor Mrs. Hamilton out here." "I don't mean to let you three fellas freeze to death, either. Or lose your fingers and toes." Moses gulped. "Is that what's going to happen?" "It could if we don't get you warmed up." Jamie herded them back to the wagon train. Savannah met them, and the lantern light revealed the worry etched into her face. Her expression fell when she saw that the men were alone. "You didn't find her." It wasn't a question. "We can't stay out there anymore," Jamie said. "Maybe she found a place to get out of the wind and hole up for a while. There are little gullies and such—" "You know she didn't," Savannah said. "She didn't get turned around so that she couldn't find her way back to the wagons, either." "What do you mean?" Jake Lucas asked. Moses said gently, "I suppose she didn't want to live without her husband. She thought the pain was too much for her to bear and she couldn't go on. So she walked off into the night, never intending to come back." Savannah started to cry again. Bodie took her in his arms and drew her against him. Jamie let the young man comfort Savannah for a few moments, then told her, "You'd better go back to the Bingham wagon. The rest of us will hunker down in Moses's wagon. We can start searching again at first light. It'll be easier then." They would be able to see better in the morning, he thought, but the chances of finding Alice Hamilton alive then would be practically nonexistent. He didn't sleep much the rest of the night. Along toward dawn, the wind died down, ceasing its eerie howling. The stars came out as the overcast broke. And the temperature dropped harder and faster, like the bottom had fallen out of the thermometer. Jamie and his companions resumed the search in the gray light of dawn. The air was so cold it seemed to burn their lungs with every breath. Huge clouds of steam fogged the air in front of the men's faces every time they exhaled. It looked like smoke wreathing their upper bodies. They found Alice about half a mile from the wagons. She was in a small gully, all right, but from the way she was lying there it appeared that she had stumbled and fallen into it instead of seeking shelter. It hadn't saved her. Frost glittered on her open, sightless eyes, and her flesh was cold and hard as stone. By the time they got back with her body, everybody in the wagon train knew that Alice was missing. Sobs filled the air as the men carried in her blanket-wrapped form. Alice's mother threw herself on her daughter's body and wailed piteously. Jamie felt the grief that gripped the camp, but didn't show it. In his life he had seen so much death and suffering that he knew it was inevitable. He drew Captain Hendricks and several other men aside. "It hasn't been cold enough long enough to freeze the ground. We'd better get a grave dug while we can." "It's a shame the poor girl couldn't be laid to rest beside her husband," Hendricks said. "I reckon it's a big country on the other side of the divide," Jamie said, "but not so big that the two of them won't be able to find each other." CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE As often happened out on the plains, within a couple days the fierce, freezing wind out of the north was replaced by a much gentler, warmer breeze from the south. Jamie knew it would be only a matter of time until the next Blue Norther came barreling down on them, so he wanted to cover as much ground as he could while the weather was decent. He pushed everyone hard and used every bit of daylight he could. The grinding pace meant there wasn't much time to mourn Alice Hamilton. Her death and that of her husband were tragic and senseless, but those graves were behind the wagon train. Everyone needed to look ahead, because that was where the next challenge would be found. As Jamie could have predicted, that challenge wasn't long in coming. He was riding the point with Hector Gilworth several days later when he spotted riders paralleling their course about half a mile to the west. Without saying anything to Hector, Jamie turned his head and looked to the east. He saw more riders in that direction. That came as no surprise to him. He had been expecting something like this. The wagon train was just too tempting a target. "Ride on back and tell Cap'n Hendricks to have everybody circle the wagons," Jamie said quietly to Hector. "But it's the middle of the day," the burly, bearded scout protested. "We don't usually circle up until we stop at nightfall." "Well, we're going to today, because there are Indians on both sides of us." Hector let out a surprised exclamation. "Are they going to attack us?" "Too soon to say, but we'd better be ready in case they do. Now git!" Hector got, hauling his horse around and galloping back toward the wagons. Jamie reined Sundown to a halt and sat easily in the saddle. As soon as the Indians saw the wagons forming up into a circle, they would know that their presence had been discovered. If they planned to attack, they would probably do it quickly, before the immigrants had time to get set up for defense. On the other hand, it could be that the Indians just wanted to parley. Some of the tribes didn't mind the wagon trains passing through their territory as long as they received some sort of tribute in return for safe passage. They liked to negotiate from a position of strength, though, which is why they usually showed up with a considerable number of warriors, all painted fiercely and bristling with lances, bows and arrows, and occasionally, rifles. They liked to throw a scare into the settlers. It wasn't just for show. If things didn't go well, the Indians would welcome a fight. Jamie turned his head slowly from side to side. More mounted figures were visible in both directions, and they were angling their ponies toward the wagon train. The Indians were closing in, but they weren't getting in any hurry about it. Jamie hoped that meant they just wanted to talk. He turned the stallion and rode back toward the spot where the immigrants were hurriedly pulling the wagons into a circle. Seeing the train stopping, the other scouts and outriders were coming in, too, some of them galloping hard to make it back to the relative safety of the wagons. Bodie Cantrell rode out to meet Jamie a couple hundred yards away from the wagons. "Hector says there are Indians about to attack us." They both reined to a halt. "That's jumping the gun a mite," Jamie said. "Right now it looks to me like they don't want to fight. Of course, that could change mighty quick-like." "What should we do?" Jamie narrowed his eyes in thought. After a moment he said, "Your friend Lucas is pretty good with a gun, isn't he?" Bodie looked a little uncomfortable about answering that, but he said, "Yeah, I suppose so." "He's cool-headed and can take orders?" "I'd say so." "Go get him. The three of us will ride out to see what they want." Bodie nodded. He was aware that what Jamie was asking of him involved considerable risk, but he wasn't the sort to dodge trouble. When Bodie came back, he didn't have just Jake Lucas with him. Captain Lamar Hendricks rode with them, too. Before Jamie could say anything, Hendricks spoke up to explain his presence. "If you're going to talk to these savages, I need to be there. I was elected to be the leader of this wagon train." "And I was hired to be the wagon master," Jamie said. "Who'd you leave in charge back there?" "Hector Gilworth." "Well, Hector's a good man, I suppose. If we all get killed, he'll put up a good fight." Hendricks was a little pale under his tan. "Do you think there's a chance we'll all be killed?" "There's always a chance." Jamie inclined his head toward the north. "I reckon we'll find out pretty soon, because here they come." About a dozen warriors were trotting their ponies toward the four men. As they drew closer, Jamie saw that they were painted for war. But that didn't have to mean anything, he reminded himself. They might still be able to get out of this without a fight. "Somebody else is coming from the wagon train," Jake said suddenly. Jamie twisted around in the saddle to look. It was hard to surprise him, but his eyebrows rose slightly when he saw Moses Danzig riding toward them on one of the extra saddle horses. Confronting a bunch of potentially angry Cheyenne was just about the last thing Moses needed to be doing, Jamie thought. But it was too late to send the rabbi back to the wagons. Jamie turned back to keep an eye on the approaching Indians. As Moses came up beside him, panting slightly from the effort of riding two hundred yards on horseback, Jamie said quietly, "Moses, what in the Sam Hill are you doing out here?" "Hector wanted to let you know that we're all dug in and ready to fight if need be," Moses replied. "He was going to send his cousin to do it, but I suggested that he let me ride out here instead. Jess can use a gun and I can't, so he's of more value there." "If there's a fight out here, you can't even defend yourself." "I'll trust in a higher power for that." Jake said, "On these plains, ain't no higher power than Mr. Colt and Mr. Winchester." "We'll save the theological debate for later," Moses said. "Oh, my. They're certainly savage-looking, aren't they?" The Indians were close enough to confirm by the markings on their faces and the decorations on their buckskins that they were Cheyenne, just as Jamie had suspected. As Moses had pointed out, they looked fierce. Jamie remained utterly calm. That required an effort of will, but he kept his face just as stony as those of the warriors who brought their ponies to a halt about twenty feet away. Beyond them, about as far distant as the wagons were, a hundred more warriors waited on horseback. Jamie raised a hand in the universal signal of friendship and said in the Cheyenne tongue, "Greetings. We come seeking only a trail to travel peacefully to the north." One of the older warriors in the group, a man Jamie suspected was the war chief for this band, responded. "This is our land. We have hunted it for many, many moons. It gives my people life. We would not have it taken away from us." "Nor do we wish to take it," Jamie said with the formality such parleys always demanded. "If we hunt the buffalo, it will be for fresh meat only, and we will kill no more than one." "You already have the buffalo with sleek hides," the Cheyenne said. Jamie knew he was talking about the oxen. "We do," he acknowledged, "but we need them to pull the wagons. They are not for eating." "If you kill a buffalo, you should replace it. Give us one of your animals for this buffalo of ours that you may kill." Hendricks asked nervously, "What are the two of you saying? It sounds very serious." "He wants us to give him an ox," Jamie drawled in English. "I reckon we can spare one. Unless you'd rather fight over one animal." "No, no. Not at all," Hendricks said quickly. "If that's all it takes for them to let us go on safely, then by all means, give them an ox!" Jamie conveyed that to the war chief, but before the Cheyenne leader could respond, one of the other warriors suddenly pushed his pony forward and spoke up angrily. "It is not enough! We must have one of their women in trade for their safety as well!" CHAPTER FORTY-SIX Jamie instantly knew what the interruption was about. The warrior who had just made the outrageous demand was probably one of the war chief's rivals. He didn't want the encounter with the white interlopers to end peacefully. He wanted a fight, wanted the wagon train wiped out so that he could claim credit for the massacre and further his own cause among the tribe. The varmint had to know good and well that the immigrants would never turn over one of their women. "What did that one say just then?" Hendricks asked. "It didn't sound good. What's this about?" The chief turned to glare at the warrior who had butted in as Jamie said, "The other fella has upped the stakes. He wants an ox . . . and one of your womenfolks." The men gasped in shock and anger, and Jake exclaimed, "Why, that dirty—" He grated out a curse and reached for the gun on his hip. He had just cleared leather when Jamie leaned over in the saddle and shot his hand out to clamp around Lucas's wrist to keep him from raising the revolver and firing. It was too late. The damage had already been done. The warrior who had started this ruckus cried out and jerked a rifle to his shoulder, ready to fire. Jamie heard some rapid words he didn't understand behind him, but ignored them. He was about to reach for his Colts, knowing that in another second the air would be full of gun smoke and flying lead and arrows. "Stop!" The voice was old and not exactly powerful, but the piercing timbre of it cut through the air of impending violence and made all the men on both sides freeze in their actions. Another of the Cheyenne pushed his horse forward. He was ancient, his coppery face so lined with wrinkles that he seemed a hundred years old. His braided hair was pure white. But despite his obvious age he sat tall and straight in the saddle, like a much younger man. He leveled a buckskin-clad arm, pointing as he asked, "Who is this mighty shaman?" Jamie didn't have any idea who the Indian was talking about. Realizing that the man was pointing past him, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Moses sitting on horseback, looking terrified. The young man's lips were moving as he muttered unfamiliar words under his breath. The war chief reached over and grabbed the barrel of the angry warrior's rifle, forcing it down. Jamie said harshly to Jake, "Pouch that iron, mister!" They had been given an unexpected respite, and he didn't intend to waste it. "Everybody else, keep your hands away from your guns!" The tension was still thick as the two groups of riders faced each other. Jamie went on. "Moses, the old man is talking about you. He says you're a mighty shaman and wants to know who you are." "A . . . a shaman?" Moses shook his head. "I don't even know what that is." "A medicine man, like I suspect that old fella is himself. Sort of like the spiritual leader of the tribe." "Oh. I suppose you could say that, although Reverend Bradford certainly wouldn't agree." "What was that you were saying a minute ago, Moses?" "I was praying." A glimmer of understanding dawned on the young man's face. "I was praying in Hebrew . . ." Before Jamie could stop him, Moses walked his horse forward, putting himself between the two groups. Several of the warriors lifted lances, but a sharp word from the chief made them lower the weapons. The ancient Cheyenne moved his pony forward until he and Moses sat alongside each other with their mounts facing in opposite directions. Moses began speaking again in Hebrew. Jamie didn't understand a word of the speech, of course. He didn't see how the Cheyenne medicine man could understand it, but the old man listened attentively. When Moses was finished, the old man surprised Jamie by lifting a hand and launching into a long speech of his own. Jamie was fluent in the Cheyenne tongue, but what the medicine man was speaking was something else. It was similar to the Cheyenne language, enough so that Jamie thought he caught a word every now and then, but at the same time the words carried a sense of antiquity with them, as if the old-timer were speaking a long-forgotten tongue that had mostly vanished from the face of the earth. When he was done, he held out his hand. Moses clasped it, and they sat there like that for a long moment. Then the medicine man turned to the warriors and barked words in Cheyenne that Jamie understood. "What's going on now?" Bodie asked in a hushed voice. "The old man is telling them to turn and ride away," Jamie explained. "He says that we're among the favored of the Great Spirit and that their medicine will become very bad if they harm us." "We don't have to give them the ox anymore?" Hendricks asked as the Indians began to turn their ponies and ride away, some with obvious reluctance. They weren't willing to go against the old medicine man's decree. "No, they won't bother us again, thanks to Moses." Bodie said to the young rabbi, "What in the world did you do, pard?" Moses shook his head. "I just called down blessings upon him and his people and told him that we were peaceful and would cause no trouble as we crossed the lands that traditionally belong to them." He smiled faintly. "I said it in Hebrew, of course, and made it all sound a lot more flowery." "And he understood you?" Jake asked, visibly astonished. "I don't know. He seemed to. Or maybe he just understood the tone of what I was saying." "How about all that palaver he gave back to you?" Jamie asked. "Did it mean anything to you?" Moses frowned. "He wasn't speaking Cheyenne?" "Not the Cheyenne I know." "That's . . . odd. I didn't actually understand what he was saying, of course, but every now and then I . . . I sort of felt like I ought to understand. Do you know what I mean?" "Like if you went back far enough, the lingo he was talking had something in common with what you were saying to him?" "Exactly!" Moses exclaimed. "And that makes perfect sense." Bodie said, "How in the world do you figure that?" "Have you ever heard of the Lost Tribes of Israel? In biblical times, the land of Canaan was ruled by twelve tribes. But when Canaan was split into two kingdoms—Israel and Judah—those tribes to the north that formed the Kingdom of Israel vanished from history and are now considered lost. According to legend, they were forced by enemies to leave their homeland and spread out across the world." Moses smiled. "There are some who say that one of those tribes found its way to the North American continent and eventually became the Indians that we know today." "Wait just a doggone minute," Jake said. "You're sayin' that you . . . and those Cheyenne . . . are related somehow? Like distant cousins?" Moses spread his hands. "Well, it's just a theory . . . but you have to admit, that old medicine man responded when he heard me praying in Hebrew. The fact that we're all still alive and no blood was spilled . . . I'd say those prayers were answered, wouldn't you?" Jamie nodded. "I'm not exactly sure how you managed it, Moses, and I don't care." All the Indians had vanished. The plains were empty around them again. "Let's get those wagons lined out and rolling again," Jamie continued. "We've dodged a bullet, and we've still got some daylight left. Let's put some more miles behind us!" CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN Even though the encounter with the Indians hadn't resulted in any fighting, the immigrants were more nervous as the wagon train continued on its way. It took a week for them to stop looking over their shoulders and expecting to see painted, war bonneted savages intent on scalping them. Of course, the more prudent among them continued being watchful as the wagons rolled northward, but that was a good thing. The more alert they were, the better, Jamie thought. They reached the Platte River and crossed the broad, shallow, muddy stream without incident. From there, the route diverged from the Oregon Trail, which headed west toward South Pass. The wagon train would keep going north for several more weeks. They spotted their first buffalo herd a few days later. Jamie had expected to run across the shaggy beasts much earlier. The great herds always moved south for the winter, but other than that one cold blast, the weather had been unseasonably warm. "Good Lord," Bodie exclaimed as he and Jamie reined in atop a ridge and looked at the vast sea of brown in front of them. The herd stretched as far as the eye could see. Jamie grinned and rested his crossed hands on the saddle horn, shifting his weight forward to ease weary muscles. "You haven't seen buffalo before?" "Well, yeah, of course I've seen them," the young man replied. "But never that many in one place. There must be a million of them!" "I wouldn't doubt it. Maybe more than that. I've seen herds go by all day, all night, and all the next day before they finally got out of the way." "We're going to have to stop and wait for this one to go past, aren't we?" Jamie took a pair of field glasses from one of his saddlebags and studied the herd. "They're moving southeast. They'll miss us and ought to be out of our way by tomorrow." With a worried tone in his voice, Bodie asked, "What if they were to turn and stampede toward the wagon train?" "It wouldn't be good," Jamie replied. "A buffalo stampede is just as much a force of nature as floods, fire, and cyclones. Every bit as destructive, too. You can't stop it, so you just have to get out of its way if you can." The big frontiersman turned in his saddle to look behind them. "The wagons are about a mile back. Go tell the cap'n to stop right where he is and don't come any closer. Teams stay hitched to the wagons until those critters are clear of us, in case we have to light a shuck and make a run for it. I'll stay here and keep an eye on the buffalo for now. We'll have scouts watching them all the time, just in case something makes them turn toward the wagons. We'll need as much warning as possible if that happens." Bodie nodded, wheeled his horse, and galloped away. Jamie turned his attention back to the buffalo. He had hunted the creatures many times, sometimes with his Indian friends using lances and bows and arrows, sometimes with groups of white hunters armed with Sharps rifles. Even though the sight of a herd like this made it seem as if the buffalo were endless, Jamie knew that wasn't the case. Many of them had been killed already for meat to feed the crews building the transcontinental railroad several years earlier. They continued to be slaughtered for their hides. Back in southern Kansas, Jamie had seen stacks of those hides piled so high that they looked like shaggy brown hills. It was wasteful and shameful, the unknowable number of carcasses skinned and left to rot, their bones littering the plains. The Indians, at least, used every bit of the buffalo, instead of just taking one part and throwing away the rest. It was such slaughter, he mused, that would spell defeat for the natives in the end. Without the animals they had depended upon to feed and clothe and shelter them for centuries, they would have no choice but to turn to their white conquerors and change their entire way of life. Jamie believed in manifest destiny, but at the same time he could share a moment of sympathy for those swept aside in the inexorable tide of progress. The enormous buffalo herd moved on without menacing the wagon train, and as Jamie had predicted, by the middle of the next day the route was clear again. But they had lost a day to the delay, and with December almost upon them, every day was becoming more and more crucial. A couple days later, they saw something unexpected: cattle. Not wild cattle, but what appeared to be well-grazed stock with wide, spreading horns. "Dadgum it!" Jake exclaimed when he saw them. "Those are Texas longhorns. I've seen 'em down in Kansas at the railheads. What are they doing up here?" He and Bodie and Jamie were scouting ahead of the wagon train. Jamie said, "Some of the ranchers from Texas are moving their herds up here and starting spreads. I've heard tell there are even some in Wyoming and Montana. I'm a little surprised we haven't run across any before now." "I guess it makes sense," Bodie said. "There's plenty of grassland up here. That's about all there is, in fact." "Since the farmers haven't gotten this far west yet, it's all open range. I expect that'll change one of these days, but for now this is some of the best ranching country in the world . . . if you don't count the Indians and the blizzards, of course. But you've got problems like that wherever you go, I reckon." "Those are some fine-looking beef cows," Jake mused as he studied the grazing animals. "Don't get any ideas in your head," Jamie said sharply. "If we slaughter any of those critters for meat, we'll buy them from their owners first. There won't be any rustling." "Never said there would be," Jake replied. Jamie had a hunch that was what had been in the young man's mind, though. His instincts had told him all along that Jake Lucas wasn't the same sort of upstanding young hombre as Bodie Cantrell, even though the two of them were friends. Where there were cows, there were cowboys, and later that afternoon Jamie spotted riders coming toward them. He reined in and motioned for his companions to follow suit. A few minutes later the horsemen rode up, their chaps and big hats telling him that they were from Texas as he had suspected. "Howdy," one of the men called. "Mind if we ask what you fellas are doin' riding on Slash M range?" "That's where we are?" Jamie asked. "Have been for the past five miles," the puncher replied. "This is Mr. Owen Murdock's spread. I'm Jim Haseltine, his foreman." "Jamie Ian MacCallister." Jamie nodded. He leaned his head toward the other two and added, "Bodie Cantrell and Jake Lucas. We're scouting for a wagon train that's coming up about a mile behind us." One of the other cowboys, a lean man with a dark, hawklike face, leaned to the side and spat. "Wagon train," he repeated scornfully. "That means a bunch of damn sodbusters. You better not be intendin' to stay on Slash M range, mister. You'll get a hot lead welcome if you do." Anger darkened Jake's face. Jamie knew the young man was a hothead, so he snapped, "Take it easy. I'm handling the talking here." He turned back to the cowboys. "I'm not going to argue the idea of open range with you. As a matter of fact, the people with those wagons are bound for Montana Territory, so they shouldn't be any concern to you boys at all. We'll just pass through and go on our way." Jim Haseltine had a speculative look on his face. "Seems like I've heard of you, Mr. MacCallister. You wouldn't be the one who tangled with the Miles Nelson gang, would you?" "That was me," Jamie said heavily, recalling the bloody months he had spent avenging his wife's murder. "Doss, don't go makin' threats against this man," Haseltine said to the hawk-faced cowboy. "He chews up and spits out two-bit pistoleers like you." Doss exclaimed, "By God, Haseltine, you can't talk to me like that!" "I just did," Haseltine said coldly. "You can draw down on me if you want. I know you're faster than me. But I don't reckon you'll last long if you do." "You've just been lookin' for an excuse to run me off." "I don't need an excuse other than bein' sick and tired of you. Go back to the ranch and draw your pay. You're done on the Slash M." For a moment Jamie thought Doss was going to slap leather, but the man jerked his horse around and galloped off. "Looks like we caused you some trouble after all," Jamie said to Haseltine. The ranch foreman shook his head. "No, that's been buildin' up for a while. I just got tired of that hombre's blusterin' around all the time. Maybe he's right and I was lookin' for an excuse to tell him to rattle his hocks." "Is he fast on the draw?" Jake asked. "Fast enough to have killed three men in fair fights," Haseltine answered. "Fast enough to get a swelled head and make a blasted nuisance of himself." He changed the subject. "You need any help gettin' through our range, Mr. MacCallister?" "You don't have any of it fenced off, do you?" Haseltine made a face like he had just bitten into a rotten apple. "You won't find any fences within five hundred miles of here, Mr. MacCallister. And that's just the way we like it in these parts." You'd better enjoy it while you can, Jamie thought, because it won't last. "Then I reckon we'll be fine. Obliged for the offer, though. We might cut out one of these steers and butcher it, if you'll tell me what price your boss would want for it." "Don't worry about that," Haseltine said. "We can spare one of the critters. And the boss'll back me up on that." Jamie nodded again. "Obliged." He lifted a hand in a wave of farewell as the cowboys rode on. "Tough-looking bunch," Bodie commented. "Texas cowboys," Jamie said. "They're tough, all right. Let's take Haseltine up on his offer and cut out one of these steers." "Steaks tonight!" Jake said with a grin. The fresh meat lifted the spirits of the immigrants, even though longhorns tended to be a little tough and stringy. The wagons had been on the trail for a long time, and sometimes it seemed like Montana was still as far off as it had been when they started. Jamie knew they had made good progress, but there was still a long way to go. He was standing beside Moses's wagon that evening, sipping from a cup of coffee, when he heard hoofbeats approaching the circle of wagons. He set the cup on the lowered tailgate and turned toward the sound. The horse came to a stop, and as Jamie walked toward the gap between two of the wagons, a tall, lean figure appeared in it. The cowboy called Doss stepped into the glow from several nearby campfires. When he spotted Jamie coming toward him, he stiffened and his hands curled into claws poised above the black butts of the Colts holstered on his hips, ready to hook and draw. "There you are!" he called. "They tell me you're one of the big he-wolf gunfighters, MacCallister! Well, I'm here to call you out!" And with that, his hands streaked for the revolvers. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT There were too many people around. A group of women stood a few yards behind Jamie, talking. Off to his right several kids were chasing each other around, and one of the big yellow mutts that accompanied the wagon train ran after them, barking. It was a peaceful scene. A stray bullet could alter it suddenly, tragically, and irrevocably. There was no time to do anything except kill the troublemaker. Faster than the eye could follow, Jamie's big hands swept down and back up. Even though Doss had already cleared leather before Jamie started his draw, the man never got a shot off. Jamie's Colts crashed, the two shots coming so close together they sounded like one. The pair of .44 slugs punched into Doss's chest and drove him backward. The back of his calves struck a lowered wagon tongue, and he flipped over it. His guns finally roared as his fingers contracted in death spasms, the shots going harmlessly into the heavens. Doss thudded onto his back and his arms fell out loosely to the sides. He didn't move again. One of Jamie's bullets had ripped through a lung. The other had pulped his heart. He was already dead when he hit the ground. The chatter that had filled the camp a couple seconds earlier stopped short, leaving a stunned silence. As the echoes of the shots rolled away, the silence was broken by shouted questions and running footsteps. Jamie holstered the left-hand Colt and began reloading the expended chamber in the other revolver. Bodie Cantrell, Hector Gilworth, and Jess Neville came pounding up to him with their own guns out and ready. Bodie asked, "Jamie, are you all right? What happened?" Jamie leaned his head toward the fallen gunman, whose legs were still visible hanging over the wagon tongue. "That fella Doss came looking for me, I guess he figured he'd add to his reputation by killing me." Jamie paused. "It didn't work out for him." Hector took a lantern from one of the settlers who had come to investigate the shooting and carried it over to shine its light on the dead man. "It sure didn't. Looks like you drilled him dead center twice, Jamie." "And the man already had his guns out before Jamie drew," Moses added, having joined the group, too. "I saw the whole thing. It was amazing." Jamie leathered the right-hand gun and set about replacing the spent cartridge in the other weapon. He turned his head to listen as he picked up the sound of more horses coming toward the wagon train. "I don't know if Doss had any friends, but just in case he did, all these kids and womenfolks ought to get inside where it's safer." Moses and several of the men hurried to spread the word and hustle the women and children into cover. Jamie, Bodie, Hector, and Jess moved to get ready for whoever was galloping toward the wagons. Jake Lucas, Clete Mahaffey, and Dave Pearsoll hurried up as well, and Jamie waved them into position around one of the wagons. They were a formidable group and if the night riders were looking for a fight, they would get it. Instead, the hoofbeats stopped, and a man's voice called, "Hello, the camp! Hold your fire! We're friends!" Jamie grunted as he recognized the voice. "That's Jim Haseltine, the Slash M ramrod." He raised his voice. "Come on in, Haseltine, unless you're hunting trouble!" "No trouble," Haseltine replied. The man walked his horse forward into the light, trailed by several more members of Owen Murdock's crew. "In fact, we came to warn you. That varmint Doss may come looking for you, Mr. MacCallister. There's a trading post a few miles west of here, and Doss was there earlier tonight gettin' liquored up. He was bragging about how he was gonna find you and kill you, and to warm up for it he shot one of my men who tried to talk some sense into his head." "Kill him?" Jamie asked curtly. "No, thank the Lord. Just wounded him." "Well, Doss won't shoot anybody else." Jamie holstered his guns and pointed. "You want to bury him, or should we take care of the chore?" Haseltine swung down from his saddle, walked over to where Doss's body lay, and looked down at it. He let out a low whistle of admiration. "He's got his guns in his hands. I hate to admit it, but he was mighty fast. I guess he ran up against somebody faster, though." "There's always somebody faster," Jamie said. "About planting him . . . ?" "We'll do it. Shoot, we owe you that much. He was always causing trouble. I'm sorry he came here and caused more." "Not your fault," Jamie said with a shrug. "Maybe not, but I hope the rest of your time on the Slash M is a mite more peaceful." A short time later, the Texas cowboys rode off, taking Doss's body with them, draped over the saddle of his horse. The commotion caused by the gunfight settled down quickly. The immigrants knew that come morning, Jamie would have them up before first light, getting ready to push on toward their destination. A chilly rain started a couple days later. There was no wind, so it came straight down from a leaden sky, steady but not hard enough to turn the landscape into a quagmire. The wagons were able to continue their journey, although the rain made everyone cold, wet, and miserable. The sickness started a couple days after that. Some of the immigrants had been sick at times, but none seriously. As the rain continued to fall, fever raged through the train with little warning. So many people were ill, Jamie knew there was no choice but to stop until the outbreak ran its course. Around the clock, the sound of the constant drizzle was punctuated by coughing, wheezing, and gagging from half the wagons. Those fortunate enough not to catch the sickness stayed well away from those who had fallen ill . . . with a few notable exceptions. Moses Danzig seemed to be everywhere at once, doing whatever he could to comfort the afflicted and nurse them back to health. As he explained to Jamie, "For a while back in Poland, when I was younger, I thought I might become a doctor. I even had a little medical training before I accepted the calling to attend rabbinical school. Unfortunately, there's not much even a real doctor could do for these poor people. I just keep them as comfortable as I can and try to help them let their own bodies fight the sickness." A lot of the time, Savannah McCoy was at Moses's side, helping him despite Bodie's objections. Bodie just wanted her to be safe and not come down with the fever herself, so he urged her to avoid those who were sick. "I can't do that, Bodie," she told him. "These people . . . they took me in when I had nowhere else to go. They protected me, gave me a new home." She smiled sadly. "Why do you think I haven't gone back to the troupe? When we left Kansas City, I didn't plan to stay with the wagon train all the way to Montana Territory, you know." "I know," he said softly as they stood under a canvas cover rigged at the back of the Bingham wagon and watched the rain fall. "I couldn't leave. I waited until I thought enough time had passed that it might be safe, but by then . . . I just couldn't. I love Edward and Leticia. They're almost like a second set of parents to me. And I've made so many other good friends, like Moses and Mr. MacCallister and the Bradford twins. Alexander and Abigail had been spending a lot of time with me before this rain started, you know, even though they had to sneak away from their father to do it." Bodie's jaw tightened at the mention of Reverend Thomas Bradford. "Do you know what I heard that so-called preacher saying yesterday?" "I don't have any idea," Savannah replied. "I think he's capable of saying almost anything." "He said the rain, and folks falling sick from it, were because we'd offended God by harboring too many sinners among us." "I'm sure that as an actress I'm one of those sinners he was talking about." "That's crazy!" Bodie exclaimed. "You're about the best person I've ever known, Savannah. The way you and Moses have tried to take care of everybody—" "Reverend Bradford probably thinks that Moses being here is another reason the wagon train is being punished." "Let him think whatever dang fool thing he wants. All I really care about is you taking care of yourself, Savannah. If anything happened to you . . . if you got sick and . . . and . . . I don't know how I'd stand it." Bodie reached out, drew her into his arms, and cradled her against him. She rested her head on his chest and sighed. The two of them clung to each other in the gloom as the rain continued to drizzle down. Four people—two children, a man, and a woman—died during the outbreak of fever. Considering the number of immigrants who had fallen ill, Jamie was surprised the death toll wasn't higher. As he told Moses, "I figure it would have been a lot worse if not for what you and Savannah did." "I just tried to help," Moses replied with a shake of his head, "and so did a lot of other people. Not just Savannah. Bodie pitched in, and Hector and Jess and so many others. We're past the worst of it now, I think. People are on the mend again. Another few days and we might be able to travel again. That is, if this blasted rain will ever stop." The rain did stop. And the wagon train moved on, leaving four new graves behind it. Christmas was less than a month away. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE It was a rare sunny day, and as a result slightly warmer, when the wagon train stopped next to a creek so the immigrants could fill the water barrels lashed to their wagons. The creek had some ice along its edges, but it wasn't frozen over as it would be later on in the winter. All the scouts were out except Jake Lucas and Dave Pearsoll, who had been left behind to keep an eye on the wagons as the pilgrims went about their chores. Jake saw Savannah McCoy walking along the creek bank with the preacher's kids and strolled after them. The youngsters were carrying buckets to help fill their father's water barrels, and he supposed Savannah was watching out for them. They stopped at the edge of the creek, and when Savannah saw him coming, she smiled. "Hello, Jake." The two of them were on friendly terms, even though Savannah had never been around Jake much when Bodie wasn't there, too. He returned the smile and tugged on the brim of his hat. "Nice day, ain't it?" "The nicest we've had lately," she agreed. She watched with approval as Alexander and Abigail Bradford filled the wooden buckets in the stream and then started back toward the wagons with them. "Why don't we walk down there where those trees are?" Jake suggested, pointing to some bare-limbed aspen that grew about fifty yards downstream. "Why would we do that?" Savannah asked with a slight frown of puzzlement. "I want to talk to you about Bodie." Savannah's frown deepened. "There's nothing wrong, is there?" "No, not really. It's just that, well, him and me have been friends for quite a while, and there's something that's worrying me a mite." Savannah hesitated a moment more, but then she nodded. "All right. If it's about Bodie." The kids came back with their empty buckets. Savannah told them to keep carrying water to the reverend's wagon, then she and Jake walked toward the trees. The trunks were close enough together that they formed a screen of sorts and provided a little privacy. When they stopped, Savannah turned to Jake. "Now, what's this about Bodie? What are you worried about, Jake?" A grin stretched across his face. "I'm worried that he don't know how to take proper care of a beautiful girl like you." Before she could stop him, he had his arms around her, pulling her against him. His mouth came down on hers in an urgent, demanding kiss. Savannah stiffened and shoved her hands against his chest, but she couldn't break away from him. Nor could she twist her lips away from his until he broke the kiss and pulled back slightly, grinning again. Her hand flashed up and cracked across his cheek. "How dare you!" she exclaimed. "You . . . you . . . I never—" "Maybe that's your problem," he cut in. His hands were tight on her arms. "Listen, Savannah, you can do a lot better than Bodie Cantrell. I can treat you right, and I've got a lot more money than he does." He didn't explain how he had come by that money. "Once we get to Montana, if you stick with me I'll show you a better time than Bodie ever could." "Let go of me, Mr. Lucas," she said coldly. "If you don't, I'll scream, and the people at the wagons will hear me. Don't think they won't." He knew she was right. He wasn't ready to leave the wagon train just yet, so he released her arms, but he didn't step back. He still crowded close to her, and with the icy stream right behind her, there was nowhere she could go. "Maybe I took you by surprise," he said. "I'm sorry if I did. But I had to tell you how I feel. I had to show you—" "No, you didn't," she snapped. "You could have had the common decency to respect your friend . . . and me. From now on I want you to stay away from me, Mr. Lucas. Far away." Jake's face hardened. He asked harshly, "Are you sure about that?" "I'm positive. And if you don't, I'll tell Bodie—" "You don't want to do that," Jake told her in a hard, menacing tone. "I know Bodie. If you tell him what happened here today, he'll figure he's got to come gunnin' for me. And if he does, I'll kill him. Simple as that. I'm faster than him, and if he draws on me, he'll die." He could see in her eyes that she knew he was telling the truth. Fear sprang up in them, fear for Bodie's life. "If you don't bother me again, I won't say anything." "We understand each other, then." "We do," Savannah said quietly. Jake stepped back to let her go past him. As she did, he told her, "You're makin' a mistake. I can do more for you than Bodie ever can." She didn't reply, didn't even look around as she hurried back toward the wagons. Jake stood there glaring and muttering curses under his breath until a sudden footstep from among the trees made him turn quickly and reach for his gun. "Take it easy," Dave Pearsoll said as he moved out into the open. "What are you doin' skulkin' around here?" Jake demanded. "We're supposed to be keepin' an eye on those pilgrims." "You were sure enough keepin' an eye on one of them," Pearsoll said with a sly grin. "A really close eye, looked like to me." His grin disappeared as he went on. "I reckon I understand now why we're still with this blasted wagon train. We could've taken off for the tall and uncut weeks ago, once we were well clear of Kansas City, but no, you insisted that we ought to stay with 'em a little while longer, Jake. But it's just one of them you're interested in. The McCoy girl." "That's none of your business," Jake snapped. "It is when you're hangin' on to my share of that money," Pearsoll said. "You're doin' just like Swint, draggin' your feet about divvyin' up. What's the idea, Jake? Are you hopin' something will happen to Clete and me so you can keep all of the loot?" "That's just loco," Jake scoffed, although in truth such a prospect had entered his mind more than once. "I'm just still not convinced that Eldon won't come after us. Hell, he could be on our trail right now. It makes more sense to stay where we've got friends who'll back our play if it comes to a fight." "Friends," Pearsoll repeated. "Like the McCoy girl. She didn't look any too friendly when she slapped your face." Jake felt himself flushing. He blustered, "She'll come around. She just needs some time, that's all." "And maybe for something to happen to Bodie. That'd make things easier for you, wouldn't it? Maybe more inclined to keep your word to your real friends and honor the deal you made with them." "Forget it. Nothing's gonna happen to Bodie." "Is that so? You know good and well that if you're ever gonna get that girl, he'll have to die. You change your mind about that, let me know." Pearsoll turned and walked off toward the wagons, leaving Jake standing there with a worried frown on his face. He didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but maybe there was some truth in what Pearsoll said. "I'm getting tired of carrying water," Abigail said. "Can't we do something else?" "Miss Savannah asked us to do this," Alexander told her. "I don't want to let her down." Abigail made a face, but she walked back toward the creek with her brother. As they dipped the buckets in the water, she exclaimed, "Alex, did you see that?" "What?" he asked as he looked around. She pointed. "I saw something up the creek that way. It looked like a pretty bird with bright-colored feathers." "All the birds have gone south for the winter," Alexander pointed out. "You're just saying that because you want me to say we can quit fetching water." "That's not true! I did see it, and if you'll come with me, I'll prove it." "What are you doing, Abby?" Alexander asked as his sister set her bucket aside. "I told you. I'm going to find that bird." She started walking along the creek, toward a bend in the stream a couple hundred yards away where low brush lined the banks. Alexander looked around for Savannah, but didn't see her. A few minutes earlier, she had been talking to Bodie's friend, that other scout Mr. Lucas. But he wasn't in sight, either. Abigail was beyond where the wagons were parked, and she wasn't slowing down. Alexander knew how impulsive and dadblasted stubborn his sister could be when she put her mind to it. She was going to get in trouble if she wandered off. She would get both of them in trouble, since their father would take it for granted that Alexander should have been looking out for her. He trotted after her, calling, "Abby, hold on." When he caught up to her, he frowned. "I'll come with you to look for that stupid bird that's not even there." "It is, too," she insisted. He ignored that. "But then we've got to go back. Just a few minutes, all right?" "I saw it right up here, moving around in those bushes." Alexander still didn't believe it. Either Abigail was seeing things, or she had just made up the story. If she had made it up and their father found out about it, he would punish her. Making up stories was lying, he always said, and lying was a terrible sin. Sometimes it seemed to Alexander that most things in life were terrible sins. The closest wagon was about a hundred yards away when they walked around the bend and into the brush. Alexander looked around. "I don't see anything except a bunch of old dead bushes—" At that moment, something closed around his right ankle and jerked. Before he knew what was happening, he'd been pulled right off the creek bank. Somebody grabbed him, looping an arm around his ribs and squeezing so tight he couldn't breathe. At the same time, a hand covered his mouth and clamped down equally hard, so he had no chance to yell. His eyes widened in horror as he saw an Indian standing a few feet away. The man wore buckskins and had feathers in his hair—feathers!—and the worst thing of all was that he had hold of Abigail and was clutching her tightly to him as she kicked and squirmed. The Indian was more than twice her size, and Alexander knew his sister had no chance of getting away. He knew that an Indian had hold of him, too, and even though he fought, there was nothing he could do. The Indians began walking through the creek, taking their two young prisoners with them. Nobody at the wagon train even knew they were gone, Alexander's panic-stricken brain screamed. CHAPTER FIFTY Jamie knew something was wrong as soon as he got back to the creek where the wagons had stopped to water up. He heard shouting. There was anger in the sound, of course, but there was also something else. Fear. He swung down from the saddle and dropped the reins. Sundown would stay ground-hitched. He walked toward the large group of immigrants gathered beside the stream. Several people were talking at once, but the loudest voice belonged to Reverend Thomas Bradford. "—unforgivable!" he was saying. "I knew I couldn't trust a . . . a shameless jezebel like you to watch my children! I never should have allowed them to associate with the likes of you! I should have put a stop to it as soon as they started sneaking off to visit you!" The crowd parted without Jamie having to say anything. It was just a natural result of his imposing presence. He saw that Bradford was shouting at Savannah. The preacher's rough-hewn face was as red as a brick, while Savannah's, by contrast, had all the color washed out of it. She looked frightened. Moses stepped up. "Please, Reverend, there's no need to browbeat Miss McCoy—" "You stay out of it, you damned Christ-killer!" Bradford roared. Moses went pale, too. Bradford went on. "This harlot was probably seducing some man when she should have been watching my children—" "That's enough," Jamie said as he moved forward. He hooked his thumbs in his gun belt and confronted Bradford. "There's no need for talk like that. You'd better be glad Bodie Cantrell isn't here right now, mister. If he was, I reckon he'd be going after you for saying such things. I'm tempted to myself." "You don't know what she did!" Bradford leveled a finger at Savannah. "My children were with her, and now they're gone! Disappeared!" Now they were getting down to it. Jamie turned to Savannah. "What happened?" "Reverend Bradford is right," she replied in a shaky voice. "It's my fault. I was supposed to be watching Alexander and Abigail while they fetched water, and they . . . they vanished while I was busy talking to someone else." "They can't have gotten very far on foot," Jamie said, keeping his tone calm and reassuring. "Where was the last place you saw 'em?" "They were right here along the creek, getting water for their father's water barrels." Lamar Hendricks spoke up. "I've been asking around, Jamie, and a couple people saw the children walking up the creek toward that bend." He pointed. "But I looked up there and there's no sign of them." There might be sign that Hendricks wasn't experienced enough to see, Jamie thought. "I'll take a look." He glanced around, spotted Jake in the crowd. "Come on, Jake." The young man fell in with Jamie as his long legs carried him along the creek bank. Several other men tagged along, including Hendricks. The banks deepened around the bend. They were about four feet high, and the ground was covered fairly thickly with brush on both sides of the creek. Jamie studied the growth, looking for broken branches that might indicate a struggle. When he didn't find anything, he turned his attention to the creek itself and the narrow band of muddy earth at its edge. His jaw tightened as he spotted a familiar-looking indentation. He pointed it out to the men who had come with him. "That's a footprint. The fella who made it was wearing moccasins." "Indians!" Hendricks exclaimed. "Looks like it." Jamie nodded and pointed to a vertical mark on the bank. "Something skidded along there. A foot, maybe, like somebody slid down the bank . . . or was pulled." He pointed again. "Another footprint there, but not left by the same man. There were two of them." Hendricks said, "They lurked here and kidnapped the Bradford children." "Maybe. I want to look around some more." It took Jamie another few minutes to locate hoofprints left by unshod ponies on the far side of the creek, beyond the clump of brush. The Indians had left their mounts there, skulked along the creek to spy on the wagons, and then when Alexander and Abigail had come wandering up the creek for whatever reason, had grabbed the kids and carried them off. This was bad, Jamie thought, but it could have been worse. Indians seldom killed such young captives. They might murder children in the heat of battle, but if they went to the trouble to take prisoners away with them, they usually kept those captives alive. They would either make slaves of the children, or more likely raise them as members of the tribe. He didn't intend to let either of those things happen. "How long have they been gone?" "Less than an hour," Hendricks replied. Jamie jerked his head in a curt nod. "I'll get after them. There's a good chance I can bring 'em back. There were only two Indians. Probably just out hunting, although they could have been scouting for a war party, I suppose. If I can catch up to them before they get back to their village, I'll rescue those kids." "But what if there wind up being more Indians?" Hendricks asked. "You'll need help, Jamie. I'm coming with you." Several other men voiced their eager agreement with that sentiment. Jamie didn't want to be saddled with a bunch of inexperienced pilgrims, but if there was a whole war party out there, he probably couldn't risk taking them on by himself. That would put the children in too much danger. He compromised. "I'm starting after them right now. Hector Gilworth ought to be coming in soon. Jake, maybe you can go find him and bring him in sooner. Hector can put together a rescue party and lead it after me. He ought to be able to follow my trail. No more than a dozen men, though. The rest need to stay with the wagons. This could be a diversion." Hendricks said, "What do you mean?" "They could've grabbed the kids thinking they'd use 'em to lure most of the men away from the wagons, while the rest of the war party circles around and hits the train from another direction. I don't think that's what's happened here, but we can't risk it." "I understand. We'll do what you say, Jamie." Jamie's long legs carried him back quickly to the wagons. As he was about to swing up into the saddle, Reverend Bradford stormed up to him and demanded, "What did you find out, MacCallister?" Jamie knew the truth would just set off the reverend even more, but Bradford would find it out soon enough from one of the others even if Jamie didn't tell him. "It looks like Indians have them, but I'm going after them right now. I'll bring them back." Bradford looked horrified. "My God!" he burst out. "My poor innocent children, tortured and scalped—!" "Nobody said anything about them being tortured and scalped," Jamie snapped. "Usually when Indians take white kids like that, they adopt 'em into the tribe." That seemed to bother Bradford more. Eyes wide, he said, "I'd rather them be killed than see them turned into godless heathen savages!" Jamie put his foot in the stirrup and swung up onto Sundown's back rather than say what he was thinking. He supposed most people would share the sentiments Bradford had just expressed. That made no sense to Jamie, though. Life was too precious to throw it away that easily. He turned the stallion and heeled Sundown into motion, splashing across the creek. It took him only a moment to pick up the trail of the two unshod ponies as they headed north. He followed it, his eyes constantly scanning the landscape for signs of danger. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE After following the Indians for about an hour, Jamie came to a spot where the hoofprints of the two ponies joined with those of a number of other horses. He reined in, studied the marks on the ground, and frowned. The hoofprints confirmed one of his biggest worries. The two men who had grabbed the kids had rendezvoused with a larger party. The prints were such a muddle, he couldn't tell for sure how many there were. More than a dozen, that was certain. Maybe as many as twenty-five or thirty. Even if the group from the wagon train caught up to him, they would still be outnumbered. But he wasn't going to leave Alexander and Abigail to become part of whatever tribe had taken them. People usually fell into one of two extremes when it came to the Indians. Most folks considered them filthy, bloodthirsty savages, little better than animals. But some people—usually easterners who had never actually seen an Indian, much less had anything to do with them—claimed that they were noble aristocrats of the plains, living in harmony with nature, the land, and each other. As usual, both sides were full of buffalo droppings. There were plenty of things to admire about the Indian way of life, but there was no escaping the fact that most of them suffered through hard, short, brutal existences, struggling to survive and constantly warring on each other. The odds of starving to death, dying of illness, freezing in the winter, or being killed in a raid by another tribe were high. Jamie wasn't going to abandon the Bradford children to such a fate. He would get them back or die trying. Once the two kidnappers joined up with the war party, if that's what it was, the trail was easier to follow. He pushed on, confident that Hector and the others would be able to find him. By late afternoon Jamie entered a range of small, wooded hills, the highest elevations and the most trees he had seen in quite awhile. With his instincts warning him that he might be closing in on his quarry, he used every bit of cover he could find as he continued following the trail. He smelled the camp before he saw it. Wood smoke, cooking meat, and horseflesh. He dismounted and went up the slope ahead of him on foot, moving in silence over a carpet of pine needles. Before he reached the top he took off his hat and got down on his belly to crawl the rest of the way. When he got to the top, he worked his way through a patch of undergrowth, parted some branches, and looked down into a little canyon where more than two dozen Indians had made camp. Blackfeet, Jamie thought as he saw the markings on their buckskins and the way they wore their hair. No women and children in sight. It was a raiding party. Several of the warriors sported crude bandages, which meant they had already been in a fight. They'd probably skirmished with another tribe and were on their way back to their usual hunting grounds, taking with them the two white captives a couple scouts had been fortunate enough to come across. Jamie saw Alexander and Abigail sitting with their backs propped against a fallen log. They appeared to be all right, although their hands and feet were tied and Abigail was slumped against her brother's side, sobbing. Alexander had his head up and Jamie could tell that the boy was trying to be brave, but he had to be scared out of his wits. Not for much longer, son, Jamie thought. The trick was figuring out how to get him out. Jamie studied the landscape around the Blackfoot camp. The canyon was formed by two ridges that dropped off almost sheer for about forty feet. He lay where those ridges angled in and came together. The trail the Indians had used to get into the canyon zigzagged down from that point. Anybody going down it would be in plain sight from the camp below. At the far end, the canyon ended in a shale slope at the top of which rose a stone wall. The drop from the top of that wall to the shale was about twenty feet. However, the cliff face was rugged enough that it would provide handholds and footholds so that a man could climb down part of the way, leaving a reasonable drop to the shale. If a man tried that and landed right, he could slide all the way to the canyon floor. If he didn't land right . . . well, he'd probably break an ankle, at the very least. Jamie didn't see any other way into the canyon. He would have to have help to manage it. He moved back down the near slope and glanced at the sky. About an hour of daylight was left, giving the other men from the wagon train time to catch up to him. He could finish working out his plan then. The sun had just dropped below the western horizon when Jamie heard horses coming. He stepped out of the thick stand of pines where he'd been waiting and waved his hat over his head to signal the approaching riders. They angled toward him. Hector Gilworth was in the lead, with Bodie Cantrell and Jess Neville right behind him, trailed by nine or ten men from the wagon train. Most of them were carrying rifles or shotguns. He didn't see Lucas, Mahaffey, and Pearsoll and figured those three had stayed behind at the wagons. That was good. Jamie wanted some seasoned fighting men left with the rest of the immigrants. He was much less pleased to see Reverend Thomas Bradford with the rescue party. He had hoped that Bradford would stay behind. He didn't trust that the preacher would follow his orders. In his arrogant stubbornness—and, to be fair, his legitimate concern for his children—Bradford was liable to try some foolish stunt that would endanger all of them. Jamie would make sure to tell Hector to keep a close eye on the man. Bradford crowded his mount ahead of the others and said loudly, "Have you found them? Have you found Alexander and Abigail?" "Keep your voice down," Jamie snapped. "Sounds carry farther out here than you think they would, and the Indians are right on the other side of that ridge. I figure they'll be posting guards on top of it any time now since it's getting dark, and we don't want them to know we're here." Bradford was a little quieter as he said, "All right. But what about my children? Have you seen them?" "I have. They look fine, just a little tired and scared." As the men gathered around him, Jamie went on to describe everything he had seen. Jess Neville said, "That ain't good, is it? Them Injuns bein' Blackfeet, I mean. From what I hear tell, they hate white folks more than any of the other tribes in these parts." "That's true," Jamie admitted, "but chances are, if they were going to hurt those kids, they'd have done it before now. We just need to get them out of that camp." "How are we going to do that?" Bodie asked. "It sounds like there's no way in there that wouldn't be suicide." "There's no good way," Jamie explained. "But I think a couple men could work their way around to the cliff above that shale slope and drop down into the canyon from there. The rest of our bunch can cause a distraction that'll keep those Blackfeet busy while the two hombres grab the kids." Bodie shook his head. "No offense, Jamie, but how do they get back out?" Jamie rubbed his chin and frowned, realizing that he hadn't gotten that far in his thinking. After a moment he said, "We'll have to take ropes with us and tie 'em at the top of the cliff. That'll help us get down, and the kids can hang on to us while we use the ropes to climb out." "Us?" Bodie repeated with a faint smile. "I was thinking you might want to come with me." Bradford said, "I'll do it. They're my children." "That they are," Jamie agreed, "but how are you at using a gun, Reverend? There's a chance whoever goes into that camp will have to fight their way out." "I've never believed in violence," Bradford said stiffly. "And I believe in using whatever does the job best. Bodie's coming with me. Unless you don't want to, son." "Try and stop me. Savannah's tearing herself up over this. She'll never forgive herself if we don't get those kids back safe and sound." Bradford started to bluster something, but Jamie stopped him with a hard look. He figured the preacher was about to say something else bad about Savannah, then Bodie would take offense, and they didn't need that complication. "What do you want the rest of us to do, Jamie?" Hector asked. "How do we provide that distraction you were talking about?" "Well, there's only one way to do it as far as I can see. You fellas are about to get your feet wet when it comes to Indian fighting." CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO With a faint glow still in the western sky, Jamie and Bodie started out. They circled wide to come at the canyon from the west. Hector and the other men were dug in behind rocks and trees on the other side of the ridge, waiting for the two rescuers to get into position. Hector owned a railroad watch that had been left to him by his father, and when exactly an hour had gone by, he and the other men would charge the ridge, yelling and shooting, before turning around and dashing back to their defensive positions. The outbreak of gunfire would be the signal for Jamie and Bodie to make their move. As darkness gathered, Bodie asked, "How are we going to find our way to the top of that cliff you mentioned?" "I took a pretty good look at it a while ago," Jamie replied. "Studied the lay of the land while there was still some light in the sky. I'll be able to get us there." "When it comes to surviving out here, is there anything you can't do, Jamie?" A grin stretched across the big frontiersman's rugged face. "There's bound to be, but since I'm still alive I reckon I've figured it out pretty well so far." He led them unerringly to the foot of a ridge where they dismounted. "That canyon where the Blackfeet are camped ought to be just on the other side," Jamie said quietly. "Get the rope off your horse and let's go." The slope on that side of the ridge was too steep for horses, but Jamie and Bodie were able to negotiate it on foot, carrying the ropes with them. As they climbed, Jamie sniffed the air and smelled smoke from the Blackfoot campfire. His instincts had been reliable yet again. When they reached the top of the narrow ridge, the two men crawled forward until they could look down into the canyon. The campfire still burned, and in its flickering orange light they saw some members of the war party still moving around. Others slept. Jamie spotted the two children, dozing as they huddled against the same log where he had seen them sitting earlier. He touched Bodie's shoulder and pointed them out to the young man, who nodded. Moving quickly and silently, they knotted one end of the ropes around the trunks of pine trees that grew atop the ridge. When that was done, they stretched out on the ground again, and Jamie whispered, "Now we wait. Shouldn't be long." It wasn't. Within ten minutes, gunfire suddenly roared in the distance. Jamie saw muzzle flashes from the opposite ridge and knew the Blackfoot sentries posted up there were returning the fire. In the camp, the rest of the war party grabbed rifles and began charging up the twisting path to the top of the ridge. "Let's go," he said. They dropped the ropes over the cliff and swung out onto them, walking down the cliff backwards. It wasn't that far. When they reached the shale, they let go, left the ropes hanging there, and slid down the rest of the way to the canyon floor. Jamie drew his Bowie knife as he ran toward the log where the children were lying, wide awake because of the yelling and shooting. He had warned Bodie against using their guns unless they absolutely had to, since that might alert the Blackfeet that something was going on behind them. With a grace and agility unusual in a man of his size and age, Jamie vaulted over the log and dropped to one knee next to Alexander and Abigail. Abigail opened her mouth to scream. From her perspective, all she could see was a dark, giant figure looming over her. Jamie put his free hand over her mouth. "Hush, Abby. It's me, Mr. MacCallister. Mr. Cantrell is with me. We're going to get you and Alexander out of here." He started sawing through the tough strips of rawhide with which they were bound while Bodie crouched next to the log and kept a lookout. Jamie had Abigail loose when Bodie suddenly hissed, "Somebody's coming!" Jamie looked up just as a couple Blackfoot warriors charged into the firelight. The leader of the war party had sent them back to keep an eye on the prisoners. It was a smart move, but it had occurred to the fellow too late. Spotting the two white men trying to free the captives, the warriors skidded to a halt and tried to raise their rifles. Firelight winked from the blade of Jamie's knife as it flashed across the clearing to bury nearly a foot of cold steel in the chest of one of the Blackfeet. The man gasped, stumbled, and dropped his rifle without firing it. He crumpled to the ground. Less than half a second later, Jamie's left-hand Colt roared. The bullet ripped through the second warrior's throat and bored through the lower part of his brain. He dropped like a puppet with its strings cut. Bodie had drawn his gun but hadn't had a chance to shoot. Jamie's blinding speed had seen to that. Jamie pouched the iron. "Get my knife." It had taken only one pistol shot to dispose of the second warrior, and neither Blackfoot had gotten off a shot. He hoped the single shot had gone unnoticed by the other Indians, since they were busy trading lead with the rest of the rescue party and things were pretty noisy. Bodie ran to the fallen warriors, pulled the knife from the chest of the one Jamie had killed with it, and hurried back to hand the blood-smeared blade to the big frontiersman. While he was cutting Alexander loose, Jamie told Abigail, "You go with Mr. Cantrell now, honey. You'll have to put your arms around him and hang on tight to him while he climbs up a rope. Can you do that?" "I'd rather you take me, Mr. MacCallister," the little girl said. "I'm busy with your brother. Mr. Cantrell will take good care of you. You just do everything he tells you, and don't be scared, all right?" "I . . . I'll try." "Good girl. Go on, now." Bodie scooped Abigail up in his arms and ran for the cliff. It wouldn't be easy getting back up that loose shale while carrying the girl, but he'd manage. A moment later, the last of the rawhide thongs fell away from Alexander's ankles. "You don't have to carry me, Mr. MacCallister. I can run." "Mighty fast?" "Mighty fast!" Jamie grinned in the darkness. "Come on, then." They hurried to the cliff. Through the moonlight, Jamie could see Bodie climbing the rope with Abigail clinging to his back, her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. "I can climb the rope, too," Alexander said. "I expect you can, but it might be faster if you got on my back, like your sister did with Mr. Cantrell. Reckon you can do that?" "Sure." Alexander clambered onto Jamie's back as the big man knelt, then Jamie started up the slope. It took every bit of balance he had not to slip back down the shale. The climb seemed to take a long time, but finally he was able to reach up and grasp the rope. That steadied him the rest of the way and allowed him to go a little faster. He reached the bottom of the cliff, planted a booted foot against the rock, and started that part of the climb. It was the hardest part of the climb, taking a lot of muscle power to lift a man of Jamie's size. Alexander's weight added to the burden. "Hang on tight," Jamie grated. "Don't worry," Alexander said. "I won't let go." Jamie tipped his head back to watch the top of the cliff come closer. Bodie and Abigail reached the rimrock and vanished over it. Jamie was relieved they were safe. In a matter of moments, he and Alexander would be, too. Below them, a shot suddenly blasted, and a bullet smacked into the rock face less than a yard away from them. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE Jamie twisted his head to look down and behind them and saw that several of the Blackfoot warriors had run back into the camp and were pointing rifles at them. Jamie couldn't let go of the rope to grab his guns and put up a fight. He and Alexander would plummet to the ground if he did. Bodie appeared at the rimrock and shouted at Jamie, "Keep climbing!" Then the revolver in his hand spouted flame as he opened fire on the Indians, spraying the clearing with lead. That scattered the Blackfeet momentarily, but Jamie knew it wouldn't take long for them to regroup. He redoubled his efforts, grunting with the strain as his thickly corded muscles hauled him and the boy up the rope. More slugs from below began to pepper the cliff around them. Jamie felt rock splinters sting his cheeks and hands. He called to Alexander, "Hang on tight, son!" Bodie's gun ran dry. Jamie knew there wouldn't be time for his young friend to reload. Still clinging to the rope with his left hand, he let go with his right and reached down to pluck the .44 on that side from its holster. "Catch!" he yelled as he tossed the Colt the seven or eight feet to the rim. Bodie dropped his gun beside him and grabbed Jamie's by the barrel, fumbling with it for a second before he secured it. He reversed it, pointed it down into the canyon, and started shooting again. Jamie heaved, reached higher, heaved again. They were almost at the top. Another second or two . . . He felt the heat of a bullet as it whipped past his ear. The slug hit the cliff and sprayed grit in his eyes, blinding him momentarily. He clenched his jaw and kept climbing. He reached up for the rim, only to have a strong hand close around his wrist. Bodie hollered, "Keep coming! I've got you!" "Grab the boy!" Jamie gasped out. "Come on, Alexander!" A second later, Alexander's weight lifted from Jamie's back. "I've got him!" Bodie exclaimed as he fell back from the rim, taking Alexander with him. At that instant, a bullet clipped Jamie on top of the left shoulder. The impact was enough to make his arm go numb. His grip on the rope slipped, and at the same time his toes slid off the tiny foothold where they had found purchase. He yelled as all his weight dangled from the grip of his right hand on the rope. At that moment, Jamie Ian MacCallister's almost superhuman strength was all that saved him. He hung there with bullets screaming around him and smacking into the cliff for what seemed like an eternity. In reality, it was only a couple heartbeats before he forced his left arm to work again and grabbed the rope with that hand. He hauled himself up another foot, then Bodie caught hold of the buckskin shirt. Jamie dug his toes against the rock as Bodie lifted him through the air and he rolled over the edge of the rimrock. His pulse hammered inside his head like a gang of railroad workers driving spikes as he lay there on his back trying to catch his breath. A couple feet away, Bodie knelt and fired down at the Blackfeet, ducking occasionally as one of their bullets came too close to his head. Jamie rolled onto his side and lifted his head. In the moonlight, he saw Alexander and Abigail watching him worriedly. He grinned at them. "I'm all right, kids. We'd better get out of here." Bodie threw one final shot at the Indians, then retreated from the edge. "That sounds like a good idea to me." He handed Jamie's gun back to him. "Sorry it's empty." "I'm not. I hope you hit some of 'em." The four of them hurried down the slope as fast as they could, heading for the spot where Jamie and Bodie had left their horses. Within minutes they were mounted, with Abigail riding in front of Bodie and Alexander in front of Jamie, as they circled back toward the rest of the rescue party. Jamie was counting on Hector and the other men to keep the Blackfeet bottled up in that canyon. The Indian ponies could only get in and out of the camp by one route, up that zigzag trail. As long as the men from the wagon train kept raking the top of that ridge with rifle fire, it ought to keep the Blackfeet from getting out. Once Jamie, Bodie, and the Bradford kids rejoined the others, they would all have to make a run for it back to the wagon train. Jamie didn't think a war party of less than three dozen would dare to attack the entire group of immigrants. The Blackfeet would be angry because somebody had stolen their prisoners from them, but more than likely they would cut their losses and head on back to their home. That's how Jamie hoped it would play out, anyway. With Indians, it was impossible to predict with absolute certainty what they would do. As they galloped through the night, Bodie called over to Jamie, "How bad were you hit?" Feeling had returned to Jamie's left arm. The wound on top of his shoulder throbbed, but he was able to move his arm and roll that shoulder without any trouble other than a twinge of pain. "Just nicked me. It's nothing." If the Blackfoot who had fired that shot had gotten it off a couple seconds earlier, the bullet probably would have hit Alexander in the head. It had been that close a call. Just thinking about it made Jamie go a little cold in the belly. They could no longer hear gunshots over the pounding hoofbeats of Sundown and Bodie's mount, but Jamie hoped the fighting was still going on. If not, the four of them might be riding right into trouble. Finally, the moonlight revealed a saddle between two hills, one of the landmarks he remembered, and as they rode through it he saw the glow from muzzle flashes in the trees up ahead. "Who's that?" a voice challenged in the darkness. "Sing out!" "MacCallister!" Jamie replied. "I've got Cantrell and the kids with me." "Thank the Lord!" That was Bradford's voice, prompting Alexander to exclaim, "Pa!" As Jamie reined in, he scrambled down from the stallion's back and ran toward his father. Abigail was right behind him. Bradford stepped forward and gathered them up in his arms. The preacher was an unlikable son of a gun, thought Jamie, but he loved his kids and they returned the feeling. He had to give the man credit for that. "Hector, where are you?" Jamie called. "Right here," Hector responded as he stepped out of the shadows under some trees. "Are all of you all right?" "Good enough," Jamie said. "Get the men on their horses. We're lighting a shuck back to the wagon train." "What about the Blackfeet?" "When they realize nobody's taking potshots at them anymore, they're liable to come boiling out of there and chase after us. It'll be a race back to the wagon train, but I think we'll have enough of a lead to beat them there, and once we do, they'll give up and turn back." Hector hurried to carry out Jamie's orders, moving through the trees and rocks where the rescuers were forted up. "Back to your horses! Mount up, mount up!" The men swung into their saddles. Jamie rode over to Bradford. "Better let Bodie and me take the kids again, Reverend. Our horses can handle the extra weight, and you're not used to riding double, or in this case, triple." "I can take care of my own children," Bradford snapped. But then common sense prevailed and he relented. "You two go with Mr. MacCallister and Mr. Cantrell." "I want to stay with you," Abigail wailed. "Hush now, and do as I say!" That sharply voiced command got the children to obey. Jamie reached down, grasped Alexander's hands, and pulled the boy up in front of him again. He wheeled Sundown around as the line of men formed and started to leave the shelter of the trees. They had just emerged into the open when muzzle flame split the darkness, coming from in front of them. Bullets raked through the rescue party, drawing pained shouts and sending two of the men toppling from their saddles. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR "Fall back!" Jamie bellowed as he hauled hard on the reins. "Back into the trees! Take cover!" Bullets whined around them as the men hastily retreated. Over the sound of the shots, Jamie heard strident whoops from the unexpected attackers. He knew none of the Blackfeet in the canyon could have gotten in front of them, so that left only one other explanation. The war party that had camped in the canyon was meeting another group of Blackfoot warriors, and the second bunch had shown up at just the wrong time. Jamie and his companions, already outnumbered, were caught between the two forces. Jamie swung Alexander to the ground and then flung himself out of the saddle, taking his Winchester with him. He told the boy to find his sister and make sure both of them stayed down as low as they could on the ground. Taking cover behind a tree, Jamie brought the rifle to his shoulder, nestled his cheek against the smooth wood of the stock, and began firing at the muzzle flashes from the second group of Indians, cranking off the rounds as fast as he could work the Winchester's lever. More shots rang out as the other men began mounting a defense again. Bodie Cantrell ran up and knelt behind a tree next to Jamie. "This is pretty bad, isn't it?" "They've got us pinned down from both directions," Jamie acknowledged. "These trees and rocks give us pretty good cover, so we ought to be able to hold them off for a while, but sooner or later we'll run out of bullets." "We can't count on any help from the wagon train, either. They don't have any way of knowing we're in trouble, so they won't send anybody after us." "I reckon not," Jamie agreed grimly. "If we hit the ones in front of us hard enough, could we bust through them?" "Not without getting half our bunch killed, including those kids." "Who are they? What's going on here, anyway?" "Pure bad luck," Jamie said. "That's what's going on." He went on to explain his theory that the first bunch of Blackfeet had planned to rendezvous in the canyon with another war party. Bodie agreed that made sense. The firing from both directions died away. Jamie called softly, "Everybody keep your head down! They're trying to draw us out into the open, but we're staying put." Silence settled down over the rugged landscape. Bodie said in a whisper, "Now we wait?" "Now we wait," Jamie agreed. But only until morning, he thought. Some people thought Indians wouldn't fight at night. Obviously, that wasn't true. But they preferred to do their killing during the day, and Jamie figured that's what they had in mind. They would keep the rescue party pinned down until daylight, and once they could see what they were doing, the Blackfeet would attack from both directions at once and overwhelm the defenders in the trees. When that time came, Jamie and his companions would sell their lives as dearly as possible. There was nothing else they could do. The hours stretched out uncomfortably. Jamie heard a lot of frightened muttering from the men. Abigail cried for a while before drifting off into an exhausted sleep. Alexander let out a few sniffles, too, but he was trying to be brave. Reverend Bradford crawled up to Jamie's position and said in a low, angry voice, "You've managed to get us all killed, MacCallister. We'll never get out of this alive." "I thought you were supposed to have faith, Reverend." "I have faith in the Lord. I have none in you." "Well, I'd be the last person to put myself on the same level as the Lord. I'm just a poor sinner trying to make his way in the world the same as anybody else. But I'll tell you the truth, Bradford. I did the best I knew how to do to help get those kids of yours back. Our luck ran out, that's all." "Our luck ran out when we agreed to let you lead us to Montana," Bradford said bitterly. Bodie said, "Why don't you just shut your mouth, Bradford? You're always telling other people how they've fallen short, but you're sure as hell not perfect yourself! Those two kids are scared of you, you know that? You're nothing but a damned hardheaded tyrant!" Bradford started to get to his feet. "You can't talk that way to a man of God—" Jamie reached over, put a hand on Bradford's shoulder, and shoved him back down. "Stay put, Reverend," he said coldly. "I don't cotton to you, but for your kids' sake I don't want you getting a bullet in the head." "The Indians aren't shooting anymore. We don't even know they're still out there. Maybe they gave up and left." "They're out there, all right," Jamie said. "Mark my words, Reverend. They're out there." However, everything was still quiet by morning. As dawn turned the sky gray and then golden light spread from the east, Jamie scanned the landscape in front of the trees. He didn't see anything . . . but he knew that didn't matter. He wasn't the only one watching the broad valley between the rolling hills that represented their way out. With no warning, Reverend Bradford suddenly strode out into the open, holding his Bible in one hand and waving it in the air. "They're gone!" he said loudly. "See for yourselves! The red devils have departed!" He turned to gaze in triumph at Jamie. "Get down, you fool!" "The Lord has delivered us from—" At that instant, a rifle cracked. Jamie saw blood fly in the dawn light as a slug bored into the side of Bradford's head and exploded out the other side in a grisly pink shower. The preacher dropped limply, dead by the time he hit the ground. Abigail screamed and tried to run to her father. Bodie grabbed her as she went by and rolled onto the ground with her as the Blackfeet opened up again. Bullets thudded into tree trunks and shredded through branches. The barrage lasted only a moment before ending abruptly. Startled yells came from the war parties in both directions. Guns roared again, but the reports were the duller booms of revolvers. Hoofbeats hammered the ground. Men howled in pain. The oddest thing was that with all that shooting going on, none of the bullets seemed to be directed toward the trees where Jamie and his friends were. "What's going on out there?" Hector asked as he knelt behind a rock. "Sounds like reinforcements showed up," Jamie said. "Reinforcements? From where?" "I don't know . . . but I'm glad they're here!" Stampeding ponies burst into view, along with Blackfoot warriors fleeing on foot to avoid being trampled. With targets out in the open like that, Jamie brought his Winchester up and took advantage of the opportunity. His deadly accurate shots took a toll as .44-40 rounds ripped through the warriors. Around him, the other men joined the battle again, too. The Blackfeet were the ones caught in a crossfire, and they were smart enough to know that the best thing to do was get out while they could. Several of them grabbed stampeding ponies, hung on desperately to the manes, and swung up onto bare backs. They fled, shouting angrily. The ones who still could, followed that example. "Must be a cavalry patrol came along and heard the shooting," Bodie said as the gunfire tapered off again. The surviving Blackfeet from both war parties were taking off for the tall and uncut. "Maybe," Jamie said. "I reckon we'll find out pretty soon." "What about the preacher?" Bodie nodded toward the body of Bradford. With a glance at the sobbing Alexander and Abigail, Jamie said quietly, "Leave him for now, until we're sure those war parties are gone." A few tense moments went by, then Bodie asked, "Who in the world is that?" A man had stepped out into the open and was walking toward the trees, apparently as casual as if he were out for a Sunday stroll. He was tall and lean and clad in greasy buckskins. His hat was pushed back on thinning white hair, and he sported a grizzled beard. Despite his obvious age, he moved with the ease and vitality of a much younger man. Another man appeared behind him, leading several horses. He was younger, clean shaven, with sandy hair and a very broad set of shoulders. Jess Neville said, "We got a couple of hombres comin' in from this other side, too." Jamie looked around and saw an even more unusual pair approaching the line of trees and rocks. One was a thick-bodied Indian with long, graying hair. Beside him, hurrying to keep up, was a white man not even four feet tall, also dressed in buckskins. "There's your so-called cavalry patrol," Jamie told Bodie with a grin. "Four men? That's all? How is that possible? Four men couldn't rout a whole Blackfoot war party, let alone two of 'em!" "Depends on who they are. I don't know the young fella, but I'm acquainted with the other three, although it's been a long time since we crossed trails." Jamie stepped out of the trees and raised a hand in greeting to the skinny, grizzled old-timer. The man squinted at him. "Well, if that don't beat all! Jamie Ian MacCallister his own self, still big as a mountain and twice as ugly!" "How are you doing, Preacher?" Jamie grinned and extended his hand. "Long time no see!" CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE The reunion was a happy one, although Jamie's pleasure at seeing the old mountain man called Preacher was tempered by Reverend Bradford's sudden and senseless death. The two veteran frontiersmen shook hands and slapped each other heartily on the back. Almost forty years had passed since Jamie and Preacher had first met down in Texas. Since then, they had run into each other from time to time, often with years between meetings. Jamie wasn't sure exactly how old Preacher was, but he knew the mountain man was at least a decade older than him. If anyone had asked him, he wouldn't have been sure whether Preacher was even still alive. Obviously, Preacher had proven to be amazingly resilient. Jamie wasn't sure the gun or knife had been made that could kill the old buckskinner. "Who's this?" Jamie asked with a nod toward the young man accompanying Preacher. "Fella name of Smoke," Preacher said. "Smoke Jensen. We been driftin' around together for the past few years, ever since Smoke's pa got hisself killed by some no-good polecats. Heard a rumor those varmints might be over in Idaho, so we're sort of amblin' in that direction." "Plan to settle the score, do you?" "I do," Smoke said curtly. "Smoke's about as naturally fast on the draw as anybody I ever seen," Preacher said with a note of pride in his voice. "That's how come I started callin' him Smoke. His real front handle is Kirby, but he don't go by it no more. I pree-dict you'll be hearin' a heap about him on down the line." Smoke shook his head. "I'm not looking for a reputation. Just justice." Preacher waved a hand toward his other two companions. "You remember Audie and Nighthawk, of course." "Sure." Jamie shook hands with both men, former fur trappers who were long-time friends of Preacher. "How are you, Audie?" "Exceedingly fine," the short white man answered. "The fresh air and hardy life I've experienced out here on the frontier seems to have allowed me to stave off decrepitude, at least for the time being." Audie spoke like an educated man, which was exactly what he was. At one time, he had been a professor at a college back east before he had abandoned that stifling academic life and headed west. Although he was small in size, he had the fighting heart and spirit of a much larger man. Jamie went on. "You're looking good, Nighthawk." The impassive Crow warrior nodded solemnly. "Ummm." "Still as talkative as ever, I see," Jamie commented with a grin. "Fellas, this young scalawag is Bodie Cantrell. Big hombre with the beard over there is Hector Gilworth, and the fella with him is his cousin Jess Neville." Jamie went on to introduce the other men in the rescue party. "Who's the sky pilot who got in the way of a bullet?" Preacher asked. "That would be Reverend Thomas Bradford," Jamie said. "Pa to those two youngsters." Preacher's expressive mouth twisted in a grimace. "Tough on young'uns, seein' their pa gunned down like that." "Yeah. They got carried off by some of those Blackfeet, and we were trying to get 'em back when we got pinned down here. It's a mighty good thing for us you came along when you did. What did you do, pull that old trick of yours where you slip into the enemy's camp during the night and cut some throats?" Preacher chuckled. "It does tend to shake folks up a mite to find a few of their compadres with new mouths carved in their necks. When it got light, Audie and me stampeded the ponies that belonged to each bunch, whilst Smoke and Nighthawk waded in, their hoglegs a-blazin'. Every way those redskinned varmints turned, they was either a bullet or a wild-eyed bronc waitin' to ventilate 'em or trample 'em. Didn't take much o' that to make 'em light a shuck." "What's left of the two bunches are liable to get together somewhere," Jamie mused. "We'd better get on back to the wagons while we can." "Wagons?" Preacher repeated. "These fellas are from a wagon train?" "That's right. Bound for Eagle Valley in Montana Territory." "Mighty pretty place," Preacher said. "But in case you ain't noticed the chill in the air . . . it's December! What sort of dang fool takes a wagon train to Montana at this time o' year?" "You're looking at him," Jamie said. The old mountain man snorted. "I stand by that dang fool business." "I'm not arguing the point. But we're here, and I'm bound and determined to get those pilgrims where they're going by Christmas." An idea occurred to Jamie. "Why don't the four of you come along with us?" "Told you, we're headed for Idaho," Preacher said with a frown. "And that's the general direction we're going," Jamie pointed out. "I wouldn't mind visiting with you for a while, Preacher . . . and having four more good men along for the rest of the trip wouldn't exactly make me unhappy, either." Preacher scratched his grizzled jaw in thought and looked at Smoke. "What do you think, youngster? It's your pa we're goin' to settle the score for." Smoke pondered the question for a moment, then said in his grave manner, "Chances are some of the passes where we need to go in Idaho are already closed, Preacher. We knew we might have to winter somewhere. I reckon it might as well be with these folks." "There's your answer, Jamie," Preacher told the big frontiersman. "We'll come with you." Jamie nodded in satisfaction. Quickly, he got everyone mounted. Reverend Bradford's body was draped over his saddle and lashed in place. Several other men had been wounded in the fighting during the night, but none of the injuries were bad enough to keep them from riding. Bradford was the group's only casualty. To Alexander and Abigail, though, it was a big loss. The two youngsters were orphans now. The only good thing about the situation was that Jamie was sure one of the families with the wagon train would be willing to take them in. Jamie and Preacher took the point, and as the two old pioneers rode together, they talked about the things they had been doing since they had seen each other last. "I was mighty sorry to hear about what happened to your woman, Jamie," Preacher said. "Heard tell you went after the sorry bunch responsible for her dyin' and rained down hellfire and brimstone on their heads." "I settled the score for Kate as best I could," Jamie said, his face and voice grim. "It wasn't enough." "No, I don't 'spect it was. I've lost folks I loved, too, and no matter how much vengeance you get, it ain't never enough 'cause it don't bring back them you lost. Nothin' does." "But that doesn't stop us from trying." "Nope. Reckon we wouldn't be human if we didn't want to even things up, so we try even though we know it won't really put our hearts at ease." A chuckle came from Jamie. "Preacher, you're getting profound in your old age." "Reckon it comes from bein' around Audie too much. That fella goes on and on about philosophy and such-like. And who in blazes are you callin' old?" By midday, the rescue party, along with its newest additions, came in sight of the wagons parked next to the creek. Several men led by Jake galloped out to meet them and escorted them on in. Everyone gathered around to celebrate the safe return of Alexander and Abigail. The immigrants were sobered by the death of Reverend Bradford. After his body was laid out on the ground, Moses covered it with a blanket and took his hat off, holding it over his heart. "The reverend might not want the likes of me praying over him, but I feel like I have to do it anyway." "I don't reckon all those disagreements mean a blasted thing now," Jamie said. "The fella's dead, and I hope his soul is at peace." "So do I," Moses murmured. "So do I. If it's all right with everyone, I'll conduct the funeral." "I don't think anybody's going to object. You've got a lot of friends on this wagon train, Moses. Your faith may be different, but after what you did during that outbreak of fever and all the other ways you've pitched in, if these folks have a spiritual leader now . . . it's you." Moses swallowed and nodded. "I'll try to live up to that." Jamie nodded. "What we need to figure out now is who's going to take care of those kids." A voice spoke up from behind him. "That's not going to be a problem, Mr. MacCallister." Jamie and Moses turned to see Savannah standing there. She had her arms around the shoulders of Alexander and Abigail, whose pale, tear-streaked faces testified to their grief. They huddled against Savannah's skirts, obviously taking comfort from her presence. "I'm going to take care of them," Savannah went on. "I can handle their wagon and see to it that they have everything they need." "Are you sure about that?" Jamie asked with a frown. "You being an unmarried woman and all?" "They were being raised by the reverend alone since his wife passed on," Savannah pointed out. "The children and I have become close, and this is something I'd really like to do." "Well . . . if that's what all of you want . . . I don't reckon it's my place to say no." "I'm sure everyone in the group will pitch in to help if need be." Moses paused. "Did you happen to ask Bodie what he thought about this idea?" "It's not Bodie's decision to make," Savannah replied. "It's mine." "Sounds to me like it's settled, then." Jamie looked at Alexander and Abigail. "You two have been mighty brave all through this. Miss Savannah's going to need you to keep on being brave. Reckon you can do that?" Alexander nodded. He used the back of his hand to wipe away a stray tear. "This is all our fault. If we hadn't wandered off and let those Indians grab us, our pa would still be alive." Jamie shook his head. "There are too many things going on in the world to say something like that for sure. Too many turning points where everything could turn out different. Might as well blame me for not keeping a closer eye on your pa, so that he couldn't step out there in the open where the Blackfeet could get a shot at him. Things happen, and I reckon we just have to tell ourselves that there's a reason for the way they do, and then we go on from there." "That's right," Moses said. "On to your new homes in Eagle Valley. When do you think we'll get there, Jamie?" "By Christmas, like I've been saying all along." CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX When the wagon train had left Kansas City, Jamie had worried that he might not have enough scouts. With the addition of Preacher, Smoke Jensen, Audie, and Nighthawk, he almost had too many. On the other hand, he also had four more first-class fighting men to help out in case of trouble. He knew from experience that Preacher, Audie, and Nighthawk were hell on wheels in a ruckus, and it didn't take much time to realize that Smoke Jensen might well be the deadliest of them all. During one of the wagon train's midday halts a few days after the rescue of the Bradford children, Preacher urged Smoke to get in a little practice with his guns. The old mountain man pointed out a fallen aspen about fifty feet away. "See if you can pick off some of them branches that are stickin' up." Jamie was close by and heard what Preacher said. He looked at the fallen tree and saw that the branches weren't much more than twigs maybe half an inch wide. They were barely visible. Jamie figured he could have hit those branches with a rifle, if he'd had time to draw a bead on them. Smoke swept out one of his .44s and started firing in less than the blink of an eye. He didn't shoot from the hip, but rather thrust the gun out at the end of his arm, taking no more than a split second to aim before the Colt began to roar. He triggered off five shots. Even with having to cock the single-action Colt each time, the reports sounded so close together they formed one continuous peal of gun-thunder. To Jamie's amazement, five of the aspen branches leaped into the air as Smoke's bullets smashed through them. Moses had wandered up in time to witness the display. He let out a shrill whistle of admiration and awe. "I never saw such shooting!" "Taught the younker everything he knows," Preacher said with a proud grin. Smoke smiled faintly as he reloaded the expended chambers. Preacher shrugged. "Of course, the boy had some natural talent to begin with." Moses said, "Mr. Preacher, do you think you could teach me to shoot?" "Hold on a minute," Jamie told him. "Moses, you never said anything to me about wanting to learn how to shoot." "Well, it just seems so foreign to me. But the longer we stay out here on the frontier, the more it seems like maybe it's something I should learn how to do." "Why, sure, I'd be glad to give you a few leetle pointers," Preacher said. "Don't go to thinkin' you'll ever be as good with a hogleg as Smoke is, though. To that boy, usin' a gun is just as natural as breathin'." "I just want to be able to protect people who need to be protected," Moses said. "That there's an honorable goal. There's a heap of bad folks in this world, and it falls to them who have good hearts to stand up to those varmints and do what's right. You got a gun?" "Well . . . no." Drawn by the shooting, Bodie walked up in time to hear most of the conversation. He grinned and unbuckled his gun belt. "You can borrow mine, Moses." "Oh . . . all right. Thanks." Moses took the belt and rather awkwardly strapped it around his hips. "Hitch that belt up a mite," Preacher told him. "Your holster's too low. You want the gun butt about halfway betwixt your wrist and your elbow, so when you raise your arm your hand'll hit it natural-like. Yeah, that's right," he went on as Moses adjusted the belt. "You saw that log Smoke was a-shootin' at. Pull that hogleg and see if you can hit it." Moses faced the log, squared his shoulders, and took a deep breath. He made what he probably thought was a quick grab at the gun, although the move seemed painfully slow to Jamie's eyes. The gun came clear of the holster, and Moses immediately exclaimed, "Whoa!" He grabbed it with his other hand to keep from dropping it. "It's heavy!" "You'll get used to it," Preacher said. "It's a dang good thing that log ain't gonna be shootin' back at you. Now burn some powder, son!" Moses pointed the revolver at the fallen tree. The barrel wobbled back and forth violently. He grunted as he tried to pull the trigger, but nothing happened. Bodie said, "You've got to cock it. Pull the hammer back until it locks into place. Then pull the trigger." "Oh," Moses said. "I didn't notice Smoke doing that—" "That's because he does it too fast for the eye to follow. But you can take your time, Moses." "All right." Moses looped his right thumb over the hammer and pulled it back. The effort caused the barrel to point upward. "Straighten it back down," Preacher said. Still using both hands, Moses pointed the gun at the log. It was still pretty shaky. Seconds stretched out as Moses tried to get the barrel to stop jumping around enough that he could aim. "Any time now," Preacher drawled. Moses jerked the trigger. The Colt boomed. The recoil forced the gun up, and Moses obviously wasn't ready for it. He yelled as the revolver flew out of his hands. "Duck, boys!" Preacher shouted. Jamie stepped forward and caught the gun before it could fall to the ground. Moses had his hands clapped over his ears. "That was so loud. It sounds even louder when you're holding the gun." "Here you go," Jamie said as he handed the weapon back to Moses. Quickly he pushed the barrel down toward the ground. "Don't point it at me or anybody else. Not unless it's somebody who needs shooting." Moses squinted at the log. "Did I hit it?" "You didn't even come close," Preacher said. "Your bullet went ten or twelve feet over it, I reckon. Try again." By now quite a crowd was gathering. Savannah, with Alexander and Abigail, was one of the spectators. She called, "You can do it, Moses!" "Yeah!" Alexander added. "I appreciate the vote of confidence," Moses said, "but I'm beginning to have my doubts." "A man never knows until he tries," Jamie said. "Sometimes he has to try a bunch of times." "You're right, of course." Moses took a deep breath and aimed at the fallen aspen again. Fifteen minutes later, he had emptied the Colt, Bodie had reloaded it, and Moses had emptied it again. He had dropped the gun four times, nearly shot himself in the foot twice, and hadn't hit the log even once. "Moses, ol' son, I hate to tell you this," Preacher drawled, "but you ain't cut out to be a pistoleer. I reckon if you was to find yourself in a gunfight, you'd be more of a danger to them who was on your side instead of the hombres you're supposed to ventilate." Moses sighed and nodded. "I think you're right, Mr. Preacher." He unbuckled the gun belt. "I need to be a good sport about it, though. Not everyone can be good at everything." "That's all right," Bodie told him as he took the Colt back. "You just leave the shooting to the rest of us." Moses brightened and suggested, "Maybe I could learn how to use a rifle. Or a shotgun." Jamie felt a shiver of apprehension go through him at the thought of Moses Danzig with a scattergun in his hands. "Not today. Back to your wagons, folks. It's time for us to be rolling again!" CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN The wagon train turned west a couple days later. If Jamie had figured correctly—and he was pretty sure he had—Eagle Valley was right in front of them, about two weeks' journey away. Two more weeks for the good weather to hold, he mused as he rode in front of the wagon train. Would that be possible? Already winter had held off with its full force for longer than he had dared hope. Not that it wasn't cold all the time. Every morning ice had to be broken off the top of the water buckets before the animals could drink. The sun shone most days, but its light was weak and watery and held only scant warmth. The temperature usually climbed above freezing, but not always. People lived in their coats now, not taking them off even at night when they crawled into their bedrolls. By the time they got where they were going, the whole lot of them would be pretty gamey, Jamie thought with a smile. Bodie came up alongside him and waved a hand at the grasslands surrounding them. "It's mighty dry up here. Is there a drought going on?" "No. The cold's killed all the grass, at least on top of the ground. The snows will come in and cover it up for several months, and then come spring when the snow melts, all that water will soak into the ground, down to the roots of the grass. That's when it'll start budding out again. Once these pilgrims get where they're going, they can plant winter grass next fall if they want to, so they'll have some graze for their livestock almost year-round. Anyway, as I recall, Eagle Valley has more and better vegetation to start with. The foothills get more rain in the spring and fall than the plains do." Bodie squinted at the western horizon. "If Eagle Valley is in the foothills of the Rockies, like you said, Jamie, shouldn't we be able to see the mountains by now?" "Be patient," Jamie told him. "You'll see 'em soon enough. When you do, it'll seem like you're never going to get there. They'll sit there in front of us for days without looking like they're getting any closer." Jamie's prediction proved to be true. A day later, the immigrants spotted what looked like low-lying white clouds in the distance. Jamie rode along the train to the Bradford wagon, which was being driven by Savannah, who had proven to be an adept hand at getting the oxen to move. Jamie pointed to the west and said to Alexander and Abigail, "See those white patches up in the sky, way off over yonder? That's snow on top of the Rocky Mountains." The children were impressed, and so was Savannah. "It's beautiful," she said. "I never thought I'd see such a sight. When you spend your days in hotel rooms and your nights in a darkened theater, your idea of scenery is a painted backdrop. I like the real thing much better." "You've changed a mite in the past couple months while we've been on the trail," Jamie said. Savannah shook her head. "No. I've changed a lot. And all for the better, thanks to you, Mr. MacCallister." "Not just thanks to me. A certain young fella had something to do with it, too." Jamie couldn't be sure if Savannah's cheeks were red from the chilly wind . . . or if she was blushing a little, too. But she looked happy, and that was the main thing, he supposed, whatever the reason. Savannah had gotten Alexander and Abigail nested down in a veritable mountain of blankets and quilts when she heard a soft footstep outside the wagon. The children were asleep, so she moved to the back of the vehicle and whispered through the gap around the canvas flap, "Who's there?" "It's just me." The voice was familiar, and it made warmth well up inside her. Not real, physical warmth, although that would have been more than welcome, but rather an emotional one that was quite comforting, anyway. She climbed over the tailgate and out of the wagon, her movements hampered somewhat by the thick layers of clothing she wore. Bodie reached up, took hold of her under her arms, and helped her to the ground. That made it easy for him to press her body against his as he hugged her. As many clothes as they both had on, there wasn't anything sensual about the embrace, but Savannah found it very satisfying, anyway. And when he leaned down to kiss her . . . well, that was sensual, and it started her heart pounding harder as their lips clung together. "I'm sure glad you decided not to leave the wagon train and go back to acting," he said quietly as they held each other and she rested her head against his chest. "I miss Cyrus and Dollie and everybody else in the troupe," Savannah said. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't. One day I'd like to see them all again. But I've made so many friends here on the wagon train . . . Moses and Hector and the Binghams . . . and you. I can't imagine ever leaving now." She paused. "When we get to Eagle Valley . . . you're going to stay, aren't you, Bodie?" "I've been talking to Captain Hendricks. I told him I want to claim a homestead, too. I've spent a lot of years on the drift, Savannah, ever since my folks died. I reckon it's time that I settled down." He wouldn't have to find a homestead to claim, she thought. The one where Reverend Bradford had planned to settle with his children ought to be available. Savannah planned to see to it that Alexander and Abigail got what was coming to them, but they would need a grown-up to help them. Maybe a couple grown-ups . . . a couple . . . and two children . . . Well, that made a family, didn't it? She didn't allow herself to say any of those thoughts out loud. She didn't want to rush Bodie or pressure him into anything. But he was a smart man, she told herself. He would figure it out soon enough. If the idea hadn't occurred to him by the time the wagon train reached Eagle Valley, surely it would once they had been there a while. Moses had conducted Reverend Bradford's funeral. Maybe he would be willing to perform a marriage ceremony, too. The two of them held each other for a time, talking quietly and kissing now and then. Even though the night was very cold, the time they spent together was a pleasant interlude. Finally Savannah said, "I need to get back in the wagon, I guess. If the weather was nicer—" "But it's not," Bodie said. "One of these days it will be again, though. When that day comes, we'll spend a lot of time together and enjoy every minute of it." "I can't wait." Savannah gave him another kiss and climbed into the wagon. Bodie's heart was light as he walked back toward Moses's wagon. He had come mighty close to asking Savannah to marry him, but he wanted to wait for a better time. For one thing, he wanted to see the look on her face when he asked her that all-important question, and the night was too dark for that. There would be plenty of chances to propose later, he told himself. Now that they had both decided to remain in Eagle Valley permanently, they had all the time in the world. That thought made him so happy he started whistling a tune. It wasn't a real song, just an irrepressible expression of how he felt at the moment. It also served inadvertently to cover up the sound of a footstep behind him. He had no warning before something smashed into the back of his head, driving him to his knees. Pain exploded inside his skull, pain so intense that it blinded him momentarily. He tried to fight his way to his feet, but somebody kicked him in the back and knocked him facedown on the ground. Weight came down on him, a knee digging painfully into the small of his back and pinning him there. An icy-cold ring of metal pressed into his temple. He recognized it as the muzzle of a gun and stopped trying to struggle. He had no idea who had attacked him, but he sensed that his life was hanging by a slender thread. All that would be required to end it was a little pressure on the trigger. . . . "That's better," a man said in a harsh whisper. The voice was familiar, but Bodie couldn't place it right away. The man bent over closer to him, close enough for Bodie to smell the whiskey on his breath. "Don't give me any trouble," the man went on, "and you might come out of this alive. But I wouldn't count on that, you dirty, stinkin' double-crosser." Bodie knew the voice, knew who it was that had come out of the cold, dark night to wreck all his plans. Eldon Swint. CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT The outlaw wrapped the fingers of his left hand around Bodie's arm and hauled the young man to his feet, keeping the gun barrel pressed to Bodie's head. Bodie tried to force his brain to work despite the throbbing in his skull and make some sense of what Swint had said. "Eldon, why are you doing this? I never double-crossed you! I told you I was leaving the gang. I even gave up my share of the loot." Swint ground the gun barrel against Bodie's temple, making him gasp in pain. "You pretended to give up your share! I'll bet it was your idea for Lucas, Mahaffey, and Pearsoll to steal that whole pile of double eagles!" Bodie's heart sank. Everything suddenly made sense. He knew why Jake and the other two had left the gang right after he did and had joined up with the wagon train. He had considered Jake his friend and didn't like to think that he was capable of such treachery, but Bodie's instincts told him it was true. Jake had been angling to get his hands on more than his fair share, right from the start. Clearly, he had come up with a way to do it. Swint had figured out who was responsible for the loss of the loot, as well as where they had fled, and he had gotten on their trail like a bloodhound. "You followed us all the way from Kansas City?" "Damn right we did," Swint said. "Took us awhile to realize where that money must've gone, and we've run into nothin' but trouble chasin' you boys down. Fever hit the whole bunch of us and laid us low for a while. Killed a couple of the fellas. But the rest of us got over it, and now we've caught up to you at last, you no-good thief." "Listen to me, Eldon," Bodie said, trying to make his voice as convincing as he possibly could. "I swear I didn't have anything to do with taking that money. I gave up my share, just like I told you back in Kansas City. That's the truth. All I wanted was to come with this wagon train." "And be with your little whore of an actress." Swint laughed as Bodie stiffened. "Yeah, I know all about her. If you don't want somethin' mighty bad to happen to her as well as you, you'll tell me where the loot is." "I don't know. I swear I don't." Swint took the gun away from Bodie's temple, but before the young man could react, Swint raked the barrel across the side of his head in a vicious swipe. Bodie gasped as he felt blood well from the gash that the gun sight had opened up. "I'll kill you, you damn fool," Swint grated. "You know that, don't you?" It had been a mistake for him to ever think that Eldon Swint might not be as tough and brutal as he appeared to be, Bodie realized. The man was a ruthless hardcase, through and through, and would do anything to get what he wanted. "If I knew, I'd tell you, Eldon. I really would. But I can't tell you something I don't know." "Where's Lucas and the other two?" Bodie hesitated. If he sold out Jake, Mahaffey, and Pearsoll, it would be the same thing as signing their death warrant. Swint intended to kill them. But Swint intended to kill him, too. Bodie had no doubt about that. And he had threatened Savannah. "You brought the whole gang with you?" "That's right, except for the two the fever took. They're situated all around the camp, ready to open fire at my signal. We'll lay waste to this wagon train if we have to, Cantrell. You better believe it." Bodie believed it, all right, and with a sinking feeling inside him, he realized the situation was worse than he had thought. Swint wouldn't want to leave any witnesses alive, and he wouldn't pass up whatever loot he could find in the wagons. A cold certainty came over Bodie, colder even than the frigid winter temperatures in Montana Territory. Swint planned to wipe out everyone on the wagon train—Savannah, the kids, Moses, everybody—take everything of value from it, and probably burn the wagons behind him as a memorial to his evil. To give himself time, Bodie took a deep breath and sighed. He suddenly realized Swint's mistake was not knowing who was accompanying the wagon train. He decided to go along with what Swint thought had happened. "Blast it, all right. I should've known all along that I couldn't fool you, Eldon. But just for the record, it was Jake's idea, not mine." That was the truth, anyway. "That don't surprise me none," Swint said. "I always thought Lucas was a sneaky little snake. Show me where the loot's hid and I'll let you live. Lucas and them other two got to die, though." "Fine." The bitterness in Bodie's voice was genuine even if the sentiment he expressed was not. "He never should've been greedy and gotten us into this mess." "Damn right. Now move, and don't forget that I'll blow your brains out if you try anything funny. I don't really need you. It'll be easier if you show me where the money is, but I'll find it one way or another." "There's a false bottom in one of the wagons," Bodie said, his brain working furiously as he formulated his plan. It would take a considerable amount of luck to make it work, but he didn't really have any other choice. "It's over here." With the gun still at his head, he stumbled toward the wagon where Moses was asleep. Moses . . . and Jamie Ian MacCallister. Jamie didn't sleep as well as he once had. It was just part of growing older. The cold didn't help matters, either. He felt it more as it seeped into his bones and made them ache and his muscles grow stiff. He was half-awake as footsteps approached the wagon. Something was off about them. The gait was wrong, causing Jamie's instincts to warn him. Instantly, he was fully awake and alert. His hands reached out in the darkness and unerringly closed around the butts of the .44s he had placed where he could get to them easily. He rose up, a massive, bearlike shape in the shadows inside the wagon, and moved silently to the rear of the vehicle. Using the barrel of one gun, he moved the canvas flap aside slightly. Two men were coming toward the wagon, one of them stumbling slightly like he was drunk. The other man held his arm as if the first man had imbibed too much. As clouds moved away from the moon, Jamie saw the second man holding a gun and knew the first man wasn't drunk. Something was very wrong. The first man said, "I'll show you how to get into that false bottom in the wagon. The loot's hidden there. You've got to give me your word, though, Eldon, that you and the rest of the gang won't hurt anybody." "Nobody but Lucas, Mahaffey, and Pearsoll," the second man said. Jamie knew he was lying. He could hear it in the man's voice. "Those double-crossers got to die." "Fine, but you've got to get word to the men hidden outside the camp not to open fire," the first man said. Jamie recognized the voice. It belonged to Bodie Cantrell. He was doing a good job of letting him know what was going on. "That's enough jabberin'," the other man snapped. "Anybody in that wagon?" "No, it's mine. I took it over after the fella who had it died of a fever, too. The same sickness hit us. After that happened, I fixed up the false bottom and hid those sacks of double eagles in it." "All right, open it up. I want to see that loot of mine . . . and then get down to business." Killing business, Jamie thought. He could hear the bloodlust in the man's voice. They were right outside the wagon. It was time to make his move. Jamie swept the canvas aside and bellowed, "Hit the dirt, Bodie!" He came out of the wagon like a whirlwind, both guns extended in front of him. Bodie rammed an elbow back into his captor's body and twisted away just as Swint pulled the trigger. Flame spouted from the gun muzzle. Bodie cried out as if he were hit. Jamie didn't have time to check on him. He was too busy killing the viper in their midst. Both .44s roared as he thumbed off shot after shot. Tongues of flame a foot long licked out from the gun barrels. Eldon was tough and stayed on his feet for a moment as Jamie's bullets pounded into him. He even got another shot off, the slug whining harmlessly over Jamie's head. Then the lead storm took its toll. Eldon went over backwards, shot to pieces. Jamie rammed the revolvers behind his belt, reached back into the wagon, and plucked his Winchester from the floor. He levered a round into the chamber as he shouted, "Preacher! Smoke! Outlaws around the camp!" He leaped over a wagon tongue and plunged into the night, ready to do battle. He didn't know how many outlaws were hiding around the camp, but with him, Preacher, and Smoke going after them, to say nothing of Audie and Nighthawk . . . Well, however many there were, the varmints were outnumbered. They just didn't know it yet. CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE The next few minutes were flame-streaked chaos. Hidden gunmen opened fire on Jamie, and he returned the shots with deadly effect. He hoped all the immigrants were keeping their heads down while the fight raged. The battle ringed the camp. Jamie heard a rapid fusillade of six-gun fire and figured that was Smoke Jensen getting in on the action. He didn't think anybody else could keep a pair of hoglegs singing that fast. The Winchester's magazine ran dry. As it did, a man leaped up from the ground nearby and ran at Jamie, thrusting out a gun, eager for a sure shot. Jamie ducked as the blast rang out, then stepped in to meet the charge. He drove the rifle's butt into the man's face and heard the satisfying crunch of bone. The outlaw dropped like a rock. "Jamie, look out!" someone called. Jamie twisted and crouched, and another shot blasted close enough he felt the heat from the muzzle. Before he could do anything else, Bodie appeared, the gun in his hand flaming. The outlaw who had nearly ventilated Jamie went down, twisted off his feet by Bodie's shots. "Glad to see you're all right," Jamie told the young man. "Muzzle flash nearly burned my eyebrows off," Bodie said, "but the bullet missed and that's all that counts." "You're right about that. Let's finish cleaning up these rats . . . and then you'll have to tell me what this is all about." Just as Jamie expected, the outlaws were no match for the fighting men from the wagon train. Hector Gilworth and Jess Neville had joined in the battle, too, and had given a good account of themselves. Jess might claim to be lazy, but he had tackled two of the gunmen in a fierce shoot-out and brought them both down, taking a bullet through his left arm in the process. Hector had gotten his hands on one of the outlaws and broken the man's neck. Preacher, Smoke, Audie, and Nighthawk wiped out the rest of the gang in short order. They weren't the sort of men who asked for or gave quarter, especially when faced with human vermin. By the time they finished sweeping in a big circle around the wagon train, the plains were littered with owlhoot corpses. Then, as Jamie had told Bodie, it was time for explanations. The main campfire in the center of the circle was built up until it was blazing brightly and casting light over the gathering. The first thing Bodie did was look around for Jake Lucas, Clete Mahaffey, and Dave Pearsoll. There was no sign of the three men. They must have realized what was going on and taken advantage of the confusion to slip away, Jamie decided once Bodie had revealed that they were all former members of Eldon Swint's outlaw gang and spilled the story about the stolen loot. "I'm sorry, Savannah," Bodie said to the young woman as she stared solemnly at him. A bloodstained bandage was wrapped around his head where Swint had pistol-whipped him. "I hoped you'd never find out about my past. I'm ashamed that I ever got mixed up with a bunch of owlhoots like that." For a long moment, Savannah didn't say anything. Then, "You could have told me, Bodie. I thought you trusted me more than that." "I do trust you," he insisted. "I just didn't want you to think bad of me." "I've seen what you're really like these past weeks." Savannah looked around at the rest of the immigrants. "We all have. You risked your life to save Abigail and Alexander. You've been a good friend to everybody on this wagon train. I'm sure you've made some mistakes, done some things you regret and wish you could take back . . . but everyone has. I know I have." She shook her head. "But it doesn't make me feel any differently toward you." Relief washed over Bodie's face. "Thank the Lord! I was afraid you'd hate me when you found out the truth." Savannah shook her head, moved closer to Bodie, and laid a hand on his arm. "I could never hate you." Jamie stepped between them and the rest of the crowd, putting his back to the two young people so they could have a moment of privacy as he addressed the group. "Hector, we need to get some horses and rope and drag those carcasses well away from the wagons. I reckon the wolves will take care of them after that." Moses made a face. "Is it really necessary to deal with them in such a callous manner, Jamie?" "The ground's too hard to dig a grave big enough for all of them." Preacher added, "I wouldn't be inclined to go to that much trouble for such a bunch of polecats, anyway. Nature's got its own way of dealin' with varmints like that, and I don't figure on losin' a second's sleep over how they end up." "What about those other three Bodie mentioned?" Smoke asked. "The ones who made off with that money to start with and started all this trouble." A grim smile touched Jamie's mouth. "I thought you and me and Preacher might take a little hunting trip." "That sounds like a mighty fine idea to me," the old mountain man said with a savage grin of his own on his grizzled face. "I told you we should've gotten far away from that wagon train a long time ago," Clete Mahaffey groused as the three men rode through the dawn light. "Yeah, and you've said that how many times since we lit out?" Jake Lucas shot back at him. Dave Pearsoll said, "Look, we're all lucky to be alive. If Swint had gone after us first instead of Cantrell, we probably wouldn't be. We've still got the loot, so let's count our blessings. We're on our own now, and from the sound of the shooting back there when we rode out, at least some of Swint's gang have to be dead. Maybe all of 'em if they went up against MacCallister, Preacher, and that Smoke kid." Pearsoll had a point, Jake thought. If he was being really honest with himself, he had to admit that he had hung around the wagon train for as long as he had only because of Savannah McCoy. Even after the unsatisfying incident along the creek where the Bradford kids had been snatched by the Blackfeet, he had harbored feelings for her. Clearly, though, the little tramp was never going to see that she ought to be with him instead of Bodie, so staying with the wagons was a waste of time. Hell, he was a rich man, he mused. He could find all the willing women he wanted. Women a lot better looking than Savannah McCoy . . . He wasn't convinced of the truth of that last part, but he could tell himself that, anyway. Fate had taken a hand and forced their separation from the pilgrims. Jake said, "You know, I've heard about a place over in Idaho we ought to look for, a settlement called Bury. From the sound of it, gents like us are welcome there." "Bury?" Mahaffey repeated. "What sort of name is that for a town?" "Don't know and don't care, as long as that's not what they do to us there," Jake said with a grin. He didn't feel too bad any longer. Sure, it was bothersome that Eldon Swint had trailed them all that way. But luck had been on Jake's side, as it always was, and he was convinced that Swint and the other outlaws had been wiped out in the fighting around the wagon train. From here on out, he and his two pards could just enjoy life. He died with the grin still on his face as an arrow struck him between the shoulder blades with such force that its flint head drove all the way through his body and ripped out from his chest. Jake's body toppled loosely from the saddle and hit the ground beside the spooked horse as shots, war cries, and, ultimately, screams filled the cold morning air. CHAPTER SIXTY Preacher sniffed the air. "I don't know about you fellas, but that smells like snow to me." The morning had dawned clear as Jamie, Preacher, and Smoke set out on the trail of the three outlaws, but thick gray clouds soon had moved down from the north, obscuring the sun and making the cold wind seem more frigid. "Yeah," Jamie agreed with the old mountain man's prediction. "Not today, I don't reckon, but it wouldn't surprise me to see some snow tonight." "How far you reckon we are from Eagle Valley?" Preacher asked as he squinted at the sky. "Three days, maybe. I've known we were getting close for a while now, but I didn't tell those pilgrims just yet." Smoke said, "I'm pretty sure this is December twenty-first." The two older men looked at him. Smoke's broad shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "Just pointing out that three more days will be Christmas Eve. You said you wanted to get there by Christmas, Jamie." A rare smile touched the young man's face. "You're cutting it a mite close." "Yeah, but Bodie and Hector will keep those wagons moving as fast as they can until we get back." Preacher suddenly drew back on his reins and frowned. "Danged if I don't smell somethin' else now. And it ain't nothin' good, neither." Jamie and Smoke reined in, too. Jamie took a deep breath, and his face was as grim as Preacher's. "Gun smoke." They hadn't heard any gunfire. Whatever had happened was over, leaving only faint traces in the air. All three men drew their rifles and laid them across the saddles in front of them, then rode forward, still following the tracks. The trail led over a gently rolling hill. As they crested it, they brought their mounts to a halt again. About a hundred yards in front of them, at the bottom of the grassy slope, lay three bloody, huddled shapes that had once been human. Jamie took a pair of field glasses from one of his saddlebags and used them to study the dead men. They had been scalped and mutilated. The blood that covered their faces was already freezing in the cold air. "Is that the three we're after?" Smoke asked. "Just going by what's left of them, that's hard to say," Jamie replied. "But I recognize the clothes. That's Lucas, Mahaffey, and Pearsoll, all right." Preacher said, "From the looks of 'em, they run into a bunch of Blackfeet. Might be the leavin's from those war parties we scrapped with awhile back." Jamie grunted. "Let's take a closer look." They rode forward, eyes constantly scanning the landscape around them for any sign of an attack. Jamie spotted a double eagle lying on the prairie and pointed it out. "The Blackfeet scattered that money those fellas had with them," he said. "They let the earth have it. That's their way of showing it didn't mean anything to them." Jamie's instincts told him that the Indians were gone. They'd had their brutal sport with the three luckless outlaws and then moved on. The question was, where had they gone? Once Jamie got a closer look at the bodies, he was convinced that they were Lucas, Mahaffey, and Pearsoll. The gruesome sight didn't particularly bother him; he had seen plenty of violent death in his time. What worried him were the tracks of the unshod ponies they found around the mutilated corpses. He gestured toward the hoofprints. "Looks like there were forty or fifty Blackfeet. That's more than we left alive in that battle." "The ones who got away met up with some of their pards," Preacher suggested. "And then what?" Smoke asked. Jamie rode in a big circle and found tracks moving away from the place where the three outlaws had been killed. He pointed them out to his two companions. "It looks to me like they angled off on a course that'll cross the path of the wagon train." "Chances are that was what they was after all along," Preacher said. "They're mad about gettin' whipped before, and they're goin' after the whole wagon train this time. They just happened to run across these three varmints along the way and took advantage of the chance to kill 'em." "Come on," Jamie said as he wheeled Sundown. "We'd better get back there as fast as we can." A grim hunch filled him as he rode, a hunch that said they might already be too late. Bodie rode out in front of the wagons with Audie and Nighthawk. He enjoyed talking to the little mountain man, who seemed to know something about almost everything. No matter what the subject was, Audie could converse on it. Bodie didn't always fully understand what the former professor was saying, but it was interesting, anyway. "And that's why I believe it's imminently possible that life may exist on other planets in our solar system," Audie said. "If we can ever develop telescopes powerful enough to study them more closely, we may see the evidence of great civilizations with our own eyes. Don't you agree, Nighthawk?" "Ummm," said the Crow warrior. "Yes, but you like to argue just on general principles, my friend. You'll see, one of these days. The evidence will prove me correct, as it always does." "So, let me get this straight," Bodie said. "You're saying there are people like us on other planets?" "Well . . . not necessarily like us. Different conditions might produce different sorts of life. But they could still be self-aware and highly intelligent. More intelligent than we are, perhaps." "Wouldn't that be something?" Bodie mused. "I'm not sure I'd want to meet a man from another planet." "I would," Audie said. "I would consider it a great privilege and honor, not to mention the most scientifically intriguing encounter of our age or any other." "Ummm," Nighthawk said. Audie turned to frown at his friend. "What do you mean, we have bigger prob—Oh, Lord. Bodie, look at that." The three men reined in. Bodie's breath seemed to freeze in his throat as he saw the dozens of mounted figures on a rise to their left. Even at that distance, his keen eyes could make out the feathers in their hair. "Blackfeet," Audie said. "We need to get back to the wagons—now!" The three men wheeled their horses and kicked them into a gallop. As they raced back toward the wagons, Nighthawk pointed to a group of Indians closing in from the other direction. "Make some racket!" Bodie yelled. "We've got to warn the train!" They pulled their guns and started firing into the air. Bodie was confident that Hector Gilworth would hear the shots and order the immigrants to stop and pull the wagons into a defensive circle. He glanced over his shoulder at the pursuit and saw puffs of smoke as the Indians opened fire on them. At that range, shooting from the back of their ponies, the likelihood of any of those bullets finding their targets was extremely small, but Bodie couldn't rule out pure bad luck, though. His muscles were tense as he halfway anticipated the shock of a slug hitting him. The wagons came into sight. He felt a surge of relief when he saw that they were already forming into a circle, just as he'd hoped. The Blackfoot war party was a large one, but the men of the wagon train had some experience at fighting Indians. They would give the Blackfeet a hot reception. In fact, shots had already begun to crackle from between the parked wagons by the time Bodie, Audie, and Nighthawk reached the train. They leaped their horses through one of the gaps as gunfire and shrill war whoops filled the air and lead tore through the canvas covers on some of the wagons. Hector Gilworth ran along the line of wagons, bellowing, "Everybody keep your head down!" Bodie threw himself out of the saddle, dragging his Winchester from its sheath, and looked around frantically for Savannah. He spotted the wagon she had been driving and ran toward it, but before he could get there he heard Jess Neville shout, "Bodie! Over here! Those red devils are chargin'!" Bodie swung around and saw a large group of Blackfeet thundering toward a gap in the circle. If they broke through and got inside, it would be bloody chaos. Bodie sprang to join Jess and several other men in defending the opening. He brought the rifle to his shoulder and began firing as fast as he could work the lever. Clouds of powder smoke rolled around him, stinging his eyes and nose, and the constant roar of shots deafened him. The savages wouldn't get through, he vowed to himself. They would never reach Savannah or any of the other women and children. He would stop them. Or die trying. CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE Jamie, Preacher, and Smoke heard the shooting before they came in sight of the wagon train. The immigrants had had a little warning, because they'd been able to pull the wagons into a loose circle. They were defending that stronghold from at least fifty Blackfoot warriors who were galloping their ponies around and around the circle. Jamie drew rein and lifted his rifle. "Let's see if we can pick some of them off and even the odds a little." Three Winchesters cracked as the frontiersmen opened fire. With all the shooting already going on, the Blackfeet didn't notice right away that some of the bullets were coming from a different direction. That gave the three men a chance to do some real damage before they were discovered. Jamie fired, saw a warrior throw up his arms and pitch to the ground from his pony's back as the .44-40 slug bored through him. By the time that Blackfoot hit the ground, Jamie had worked the repeater's lever and shifted his aim. The Winchester blasted again, and another of the attackers fell. The shots from Preacher and Smoke were just as deadly. Nearly a dozen members of the war party died before the Blackfeet realized what was going on. Shrieking in outrage, a group of them peeled off and charged toward the three men. "Time for us to light a shuck," Preacher drawled as he slid his rifle back in its saddle boot. "I want to get back to the wagons," Jamie said. "Let's take them by surprise and plow right through them." "Sounds good to me." Smoke pulled both Colts from their holsters. Preacher did likewise. Jamie filled his hands with his .44s and dug his boot heels into Sundown's flanks. The big stallion leaped forward. It was a mad, outrageous maneuver, filled with gun thunder, swirling clouds of powder smoke, pounding hoofbeats, and the constant whine of bullets slashing through the air around them. The three men never broke off in their advance, smashing into the group of Blackfeet and scattering them. The hail of lead from six revolvers shredded through the warriors, and several of those who escaped being ventilated were knocked from their ponies and trampled. As Jamie's Colts ran dry, a mounted Blackfoot with his face painted dashed in from the side and thrust a lance at him. Jamie twisted away from the deadly weapon and as the warrior came within arm's length, Jamie reversed his left-hand Colt and crashed the butt into the man's forehead, crushing it and driving bone splinters into the man's brain. He grabbed the lance away from the dying warrior. Preacher and Smoke were slowed down by hand-to-hand battles, but they broke through and galloped toward the wagons. Jamie was right behind them. As he charged past another of the Blackfeet, he threw the lance like a spear. His massive strength put so much power behind the throw that it tore all the way through the man's torso and stood out a foot on the other side. The wagon train's defenders saw them coming and intensified their fire, giving cover to the three men. One after another they leaped their horses over a wagon tongue and into the circle. As they piled off their horses and ran to join the defenders, Bodie, who was a couple wagons over, called to them, "You got back just in time!" "Durn right we did!" Preacher responded. "We was about to miss all the fun!" If it was "fun" the old mountain man wanted, he got plenty of it for the next few hours. With their initial charge beaten back and their numbers cut into by the unexpected attack by Jamie, Preacher, and Smoke, the Blackfeet settled down to a waiting game, continually circling the wagons just out of easy rifle range. From time to time, some of them would dash in and concentrate heavy fire on one part of the wagon train, then pull back sharply as the immigrants mounted a stronger defense at that position. Then, mere moments later, the Indians would attack somewhere else. The Blackfeet suffered losses with each foray, but so did the immigrants. Several men were killed, and a dozen more were wounded. During the afternoon, Jamie was able to talk to Bodie and tell him about finding the bodies of Jake Lucas, Clete Mahaffey, and Dave Pearsoll. Bodie sighed and shook his head solemnly. "I know that they nearly got all of us killed and that Jake never could be trusted after all, but there was a time when I considered him a friend, Jamie. I don't think he was all bad. He was just too weak where money was concerned." "Most folks have their weak spots. You've just got to learn how to keep from breaking at those spots." "I suppose. I'm sorry for what happened to Jake, anyway." Bodie's voice hardened. "But if I'd had the chance, I might have shot him myself." "Reckon I know the feeling." Moses kept busy bringing water and ammunition to the defenders. At one point in the afternoon as he handed a box of cartridges to Jamie, he said, "I wish now I'd been able to learn how to shoot. I feel like I'm useless." "Not hardly." Jamie hefted the box of ammunition. "I didn't have to go fetch this myself. I was able to keep fighting." "Remember what Preacher said when he was trying to teach me? Maybe I should volunteer to fight on the side of the Blackfeet. Then they'd be wiped out for sure!" Jamie laughed. "You stay right where you are, Moses. We need you to send up a few prayers for us." "I can do that," Moses said. "In fact, I have been for several hours now!" A short time later, during a lull in the fighting, Preacher came over to Jamie. "What do you reckon the chances are they'll give up once the sun goes down?" Jamie glanced at the sky where the thickening clouds meant that it would get dark earlier than usual. "I got my doubts." Something caught his eye, and he pointed it out to Preacher. "Even more so now." "Dadgum it!" Preacher exclaimed as he looked at the column of gray smoke that was starting to thicken and climb into the equally leaden sky. "You don't think they've started a prairie fire, do you?" "No. I think they've started more than one," Jamie replied grimly as he pointed out several more clouds of smoke in different directions. "They're putting a ring of fire around us, Preacher. If they can't kill us one way, they'll do it another." "We got to get movin'. If we just sit here whilst them blazes join up with each other and completely surround us, we'll never get out. All that grass is dry as tinder this time of year." "I know," Jamie said with a nod. "But if we start to hitch up the teams, the Blackfeet will come charging in while we're busy with that and overrun us." Preacher's eyes narrowed. "Not if some of us keep the varmints busy." "You mean take the fight to them again?" Jamie pondered the idea for a second, then nodded. "The ones who do that probably won't stand a chance, but the wagons might be able to get away. I seem to recall there's a little river a mile or two from here. If the wagons can get on the other side of it before the fire pins them in, those folks could make it." "Well, I'm goin', that's for durn sure," Preacher declared. "So am I," added Smoke, who had come up in time to hear the two older men formulating the plan. "We'll need seven or eight other men," Jamie said, "all of them volunteers." He sighed. "I'll spread the word." Everybody had seen the smoke and was worried about it. Within a few minutes, Jamie had put together a force of volunteers who would attack the Blackfeet and keep them occupied while the wagons made a dash for the river. It wasn't a surprise that Bodie was one of the volunteers. Savannah clung to him for a long moment, sobbing, but she didn't beg him not to go. Bodie was relieved by that. She had Alexander and Abigail to think of, and anything that gave the children a better chance of getting through this ordeal alive had to be done. Hector and Jess were going along, too, as was Captain Lamar Hendricks. "These people elected me to lead them. I don't know of any better way to do it than to do whatever I can to see that they get where they're going." "I wasn't too sure about you starting out, Cap'n," Jamie said. "I reckon you'll do, though. Yes, sir, you'll do." Half a dozen more men joined the group. They were all mounted and ready to charge out of the circle. Edward Bingham had been put in charge of getting the teams hitched up and leading the race to the river. He shook hands with Jamie. "Buy us some time, Mr. MacCallister. We'll do the rest." "Never doubted it," Jamie said. They were just about ready to launch the counterattack when Moses appeared, also mounted on a saddle horse and carrying a rifle. "Blast it, Moses!" Bodie exclaimed. "You shouldn't be doing this." "We're causing a distraction, right? Keeping the Indians busy? I can give them something to shoot at. Don't worry, I won't shoot any of you by accident." Moses grinned. "This rifle isn't even loaded!" Jamie moved Sundown over next to Moses's horse. "You've been a mighty good friend to all of us, and I appreciate what you're trying to do here. You ready, Moses?" Moses swallowed hard and nodded. "I'm ready." "Good." Jamie's arm shot out and he hit Moses in the jaw, a crashing, big-fisted blow that knocked the young rabbi out of the saddle and sent him sprawling on the ground, out cold. "Somebody put him in a wagon. I reckon he'll forgive me when this is all over." He turned to the other men, looped Sundown's reins around the saddle horn, and drew both revolvers. With a rebel yell, he sent the stallion lunging forward and led the attack as the men galloped toward the startled Blackfeet, guns blazing. CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO It was even more loco than the earlier dash through the war party ringed around the wagon train. They were outnumbered at least three to one. But the Blackfeet weren't the same sort of fighters on horseback that, say, the Sioux or the Comanche were. More used to battling on foot, they didn't respond quite as quickly as they might have. The men from the wagon train were among them almost before the Blackfeet knew what was happening. Not only that, but Jamie Ian MacCallister, the old mountain man called Preacher, and the young gunfighter named Smoke Jensen were veritable engines of destruction. The guns in their hands roared again and again, left, right, left, right, and each time flame spouted from the muzzle of a Colt, one of the warriors cried out and died as a bullet ripped through him. Bodie, Hector, and Jess fought savagely, desperately, too. So did Captain Hendricks and all the other men. Seeing their fellow warriors being slaughtered, the rest of the Blackfeet closed in, surrounding the men from the wagon train. Jamie couldn't see the wagons anymore, but he hoped they were on the move. Truthfully, he couldn't see much of anything because of all the smoke around him. Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't all powder smoke. Like a runaway freight train, a wall of flames swept over the top of a hill and barreled down on the fighting men. Some of the Blackfeet were too slow to get out of the way, and the fire engulfed their shrieking forms. The rest of the war party broke and ran. Their strategy had worked too well. The thick grass was so dry the flames had moved faster than they'd expected. The smoke made the horses panicky. Jamie fought to control Sundown and hauled the big stallion around. He waved an empty gun at Preacher and Smoke and shouted, "Head for the river!" He spotted Bodie, Hector, and Jess and repeated the command to them, then rounded up the rest of the men from the wagon train. Some of them were wounded, but managed to stay in their saddles as they fled from the onrushing flames. Those who had been shot off their horses lay lifelessly on the prairie. Jamie saw the wagons moving fast up ahead. The sky was filled with smoke, and the oxen and mules pulling the wagons were as frightened as the horses were. Every instinct they possessed told them to flee, and they were doing it rapidly. Jamie galloped past the Bingham wagon in the lead and saw the line of trees that marked the course of the river. But he also saw fires closing in from both sides. His heart sank as he realized they weren't going to make it. The flames seemed to race toward each other with supernatural speed . . . and the gap he had counted on closed, forming a fiery, impenetrable wall. Groaning, he hauled back on the reins. Despite everything they had done, the wagon train was completely surrounded by barriers of flame and smoke. Most of the flames were still half a mile or more away, but it wouldn't take long for them to continue their inexorable advance until that whole part of the country was burning, with the wagons and the immigrants right in the middle of the inferno. The sky overhead was black as midnight from the smoke and the clouds, but the plains and the hills were lit up by the blazes so it looked like the landscape of hell. Jamie wheeled Sundown and saw that the wagons had come to a stop. So had the men who had attacked the Blackfeet. Everyone realized that they were trapped. There was no way out. They had come so far only to meet a fiery death days before the holiest time of the year. Jamie rode back to the wagons, not getting in any hurry. His eyes searched the landscape around him, what he could see between the clouds of smoke, anyway. He didn't see any sign of the Blackfeet. Any of them who had survived the battle had either been swallowed up by the fire or managed to find a way out, so they were on the other side of the flames and no longer a threat. Seeing quite a few people gathered beside the Bingham wagon, Jamie headed for them. He dismounted, and the crowd parted to reveal Jess Neville lying on the ground with his head pillowed on Savannah's lap. She was crying. Bodie and Hector knelt on either side of Jess. Burly, bearded Hector was bawling like a baby. "D-don't worry about it," Jess said in a weak voice. Jamie hadn't noticed him being wounded before, but Jess's coat was pulled back and the shirt underneath it was sodden with blood. Jess went on. "The way I look at it . . . I'm finally gonna get plenty of . . . rest now." Hector took his cousin's hand and held it tightly. He said in a voice choked with emotion, "That's right, Jess. You just rest. You . . . you've got it comin'." "Yeah . . . just a nice long . . . sleep . . ." Jess's eyes closed, and a final sigh came from him. Bodie reached over and squeezed Hector's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Hector. He was a heck of a fine fella." Moses came up behind Hector. The young rabbi had a bruise forming on his jaw, courtesy of Jamie's fist earlier. He rested a hand on Hector's other shoulder. "He died trying to save us all. No man could ask for a more honorable end." "I reckon not," Hector agreed with a heavy sigh. He lifted his head and looked around. "But it won't be long before all of us are crossing over the divide, will it?" One of the men burst out, "I can't stand this! We're all going to burn to death! I won't let that happen to my wife and kids. Where's my gun? I . . . I'll end it for all of us!" Jamie grabbed the man's arm and jerked him around. "No, you won't. Nobody's going to give up hope. Not yet." "But we're trapped," someone else said. "The fire's all around us. We can't get away." "No, but look at the smoke," Jamie insisted. He had just noticed something. "It's going almost straight up now. That means the wind isn't blowing as hard. If the wind's not blowing as hard, the fire won't move as fast." "So it gets here in fifteen minutes instead of five," one of the men said bitterly. "What difference does that make?" "That's ten more minutes to say good-bye," Jamie said. And ten more minutes to hope for a miracle, he thought. He was a pragmatic man, always had been. He looked at life as it was, not as he wished it could be. He had stared death in the face on many, many occasions. He knew that when his time was up, his days on earth were going to come to an end. But he also knew that when that time came, he would lie down for his eternal rest next to his beloved Kate. They would be together again, never to be separated. He knew that with every fiber of his being—which meant that it couldn't be the end. It just couldn't. Blamed if he could see any way out, though. He stood there as the immigrants slowly dispersed, going back to their wagons to be with their families for what they believed would be their final minutes on earth. He saw Bodie huddling with Savannah, Alexander, and Abigail. "You reckon this is the end of the trail?" Preacher asked from beside him. Jamie looked over at the old mountain man and shook his head. "No. For some reason, I don't." "Neither do I," said Smoke, who came up on Preacher's other side. "I've still got too much to do." Audie said, "We all know Preacher here is just too stubborn to die." "Ummm," Nighthawk added. They stood there together, five of the more formidable fighting men the West had ever known. Between them they had killed hundreds of badmen, had risked their lives to protect the innocent countless times, had seen things and done things that few other men ever had. Even though Smoke Jensen was still young, he was one of them as much as any man could be. It was bred into his blood. If Smoke survived, Jamie was sure he would go on to carve the most illustrious career of them all. The flames crept closer. "Dang, I'm sure glad we got to fight side by side again, you ol' hoss," Preacher said. "I am, too," Jamie whispered. Something touched his cheek. He lifted his head. It wasn't an ember that had come swirling down from the sky to land on his rugged face. That would have been hot. The thing that had touched his cheek was . . . cold. Then he felt another and another. Preacher said, "What in tarnation?" Jamie looked up into the sky and saw more of the fat white flakes, heavy with moisture as they tumbled down from the heavens. Dozens, no, hundreds, thousands, millions, were falling almost straight down because there was no wind, already blanketing the ground. A smile spread across his face. "It's snowing." CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE It wasn't a blizzard, but the snow fell so thickly that it was hard to see more than a few feet ahead. At first, the terrific heat of the fire melted the snow as it fell and vaporized the water, but there were just too many flakes. When the flames reached the unburned ground that was covered with a couple inches of snow, they couldn't go any farther. Soon they began to sizzle and go out. The danger was over. It might not be Christmas yet, Jamie reflected as he stood with his friends and watched their salvation piling up whitely on the ground, but it was sure close enough to call it a Christmas miracle. Moses, Bodie, Savannah, and the Bradford children came to stand with the frontier men. Jamie rested a big hand on Moses's shoulder. "You were the most valuable fighter of us all, amigo." "How do you figure that?" "You fought for us with your prayers." Jamie swept his other hand at the deepening snow. "If this isn't an answered prayer, I don't know what is." By morning, the snow was a couple feet deep, completely blanketing the landscape so that there was only a vast expanse of pristine white around the wagon train. The ugly swath of black, burned ground was hidden underneath the snow. Jamie worried that if the drifts got much deeper, the wagons wouldn't be able to move. They would be stuck there, maybe for weeks. The snow stopped falling not long after dawn. It would slow the wagons' progress, but it wouldn't stop them. They could still push on to Eagle Valley. The immigrants took half a day to bury Jess Neville and the other men who had been killed in the fighting. Some of the bodies were badly burned from the prairie fire, which made the grisly task even worse. It wasn't easy chipping graves out of the frozen ground, but they did it. With the sun starting to peek through the thinning overcast, they moved on, bound for their new homes. Late in the afternoon of December 24, 1873, Jamie Ian MacCallister reined Sundown to a halt at the top of a saddle between two hills and looked down into a broad, fairly level valley bounded by wooded slopes on the north and south. The valley stretched for fifteen miles before more hills gradually rose into the snowcapped peaks looming over it. A twisting line of trees showed the course of the stream that meandered through the valley. Frozen over now, come spring it would thaw and water the land, turning it into a verdant oasis. Protected from the worst of winter's storms by the heights around it and fertile in the summer, Eagle Valley was one of the prettiest places Jamie had ever seen. It would make a fine home for the pilgrims in the wagon train rolling slowly up the trail behind him. He looked to his right and saw a lone pine tree growing there. Snow dusted its branches. A smile spread slowly across his weather-beaten face as he looked at the tree. Bodie rode up to him. "What are you thinking, Jamie?" "I'm thinking we'll camp right here tonight. It's Christmas Eve, and there's our tree. We'll celebrate here and thank the Good Lord for getting us this far." "That's a fine idea," Bodie agreed. "I'll go tell the others." He turned his horse and rode back to the wagons. Jamie stayed where he was, resting his hands on the saddle horn, easing weary bones and muscles. He looked up at the mountains and the towering vault of sky above them. "I figured it was loco, starting out with those pilgrims so late in the year, but that was Your plan all along, wasn't it? You got us through, and now You'll watch over these folks while they make their homes here. I'm glad I could be a part of it." The children improvised decorations and tied them to the branches of the little pine tree. Everyone gathered around that evening and sang hymns and Christmas carols. As the strains of "Silent Night" drifted out across the valley, Jamie walked over to Moses, who stood watching silently. "Must be sort of hard on you, seeing them like this when your faith doesn't agree with what they're doing," Jamie commented. "Hard?" Moses smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. I'm happy for them. They have their beliefs to sustain them, just as I have mine. The differences . . . well, right now they're not as important as the things we all have in common. Love one another, your scriptures say, and that's what matters the most." "Remember when I told you you'd do to ride the river with, Moses? I reckon that's more true than ever." "And you as well, my friend. We've been to see the elephant together, haven't we, Jamie?" Jamie laughed and slapped Moses on the back. "You're learning, amigo. You're learning." They were still standing there a few minutes later when Bodie and Savannah came over to them. Bodie shook hands with Jamie and Moses. "We've got a favor to ask of you, Moses." "Anything," Moses answered without hesitation. "We'd like for you to perform our wedding tomorrow," Savannah said. "A Christmas Day wedding?" Moses said, smiling. "Well, that should be easy for you to remember." "We figure we'd better be married," Bodie said, "since we're adopting Alexander and Abigail. I'm not sure how we'll go about doing that legally, but—" "Don't worry about that," Jamie said. "I've got friends in the territorial capital. We'll see to it that it gets done. I don't reckon a piece of paper will make much difference, though. In all the ways that count, you two are already mother and father to those kids." Savannah said, "I don't want them to ever forget their real parents. Reverend Bradford had his faults, but he loved them and I'm sure their mother did, too. They'll grow up knowing that." "They won't have to worry about knowing they're loved," Moses said. "I think you and Bodie will handle that just fine." "So you'll do it?" Bodie said. "You'll perform the ceremony?" "Of course. Tomorrow, before everyone spreads out across the valley to find their homesteads. It's my Christmas gift to the both of you." Most of the snow from several days earlier had melted, but there were still patches of white here and there, enough to make the valley beautiful on Christmas morning. Jamie was up early, as usual, and was sipping a cup of coffee when Preacher came up and helped himself to a cup from the pot sitting at the edge of one of the campfires. "Well, you done it," the old mountain man said. "Got them pilgrims here by Christmas." "With a lot of help from you and Smoke." "I got a hunch you'd have brought 'em through somehow even if we hadn't come along. I'm glad we got to help out, though." Preacher sipped the hot, strong brew. "As soon as ol' Bodie gets hisself hitched to that pretty little Savannah gal, Smoke and me are gonna be movin' on. We got places to go." He paused. "Varmints to kill." "I could give you a hand with that," Jamie suggested. Preacher shook his head. "Nope, but I'm obliged for the offer. This is just too personal. The fellas we're after killed Smoke's daddy. Score like that, an hombre's got to settle his own self. I'll do my best to help him catch up to those murderin' skunks, but once he does, he'll want to take 'em on alone." "I reckon I can understand that," Jamie said. "How about you? I recollect how fiddle-footed you can be. You'll be movin' on, too?" "Maybe when winter's over," Jamie mused. "Reckon I'll stay long enough to see to it that these folks get established all right. And then come spring, I'd like to make sure Moses gets to where he's going. He has a calling of his own he needs to answer." Jamie thought of something else. "What about Audie and Nighthawk?" "Those two are gone already." "What?" "It's true," Preacher said with a nod. "They drifted out last night. Audie said they was gonna spend Christmas in the high country, then maybe winter with Nighthawk's people." Jamie shook his head. "Wish I could've told them so long." "That's just it with them two," Preacher said with a chuckle. "They'll turn up again one o' these days. They got a habit of showin' up when their friends need 'em." At mid-morning, the immigrants began assembling in the center of the camp for the wedding. Bodie had no suit, but he had cleaned up his clothes as best he could. Savannah left the Bingham wagon wearing a white dress that Leticia had altered to fit her. Bodie stood with Moses, waiting for her, a big smile on his face. Savannah stopped short as she started to walk up the aisle formed by the gathered immigrants. With a worried frown on her face, she asked, "Where are Alexander and Abigail?" She raised her voice. "Bodie, where are the children? I thought they were with you." "I thought they were with you." Bodie started toward Savannah. "Where in the world—" "Right here," a man's harsh voice called out. Tall, powerfully built, and ugly, he stepped out from behind one of the wagons with his right hand clamped around Alexander's arm, his left holding Abigail equally cruelly. Behind him loomed a large group of men bristling with guns. "And unless you want them to die on Christmas Day, Miss McCoy is coming with us." Jamie, Preacher, and Smoke stood to one side. Bodie had taken his gun off for the wedding, but they were all packing two irons apiece, as usual. They couldn't slap leather with those kids in the line of fire, though. "Kane!" Savannah gasped. "Kane sent you! You're the man who tried to kidnap me before!" The big stranger grinned, but that didn't make him any less ugly. "That's right. It's taken us a long time to catch up to you." He glanced at two of the men with him. "My so-called guides didn't really know where they were going, after all. But this time I'll be taking you back to the boss, just like I promised." Jamie recognized Keeler and Holcomb, the former scouts. Somehow the treacherous varmints had thrown in with Gideon Kane's men, he thought. Hector growled, "Jamie, what do you want us to do?" "Have everybody back off," Jamie ordered. "If bullets start to fly, we want as many folks out of the way as possible." Hector prodded the immigrants back, leaving a rough triangle with Jamie, Preacher, and Smoke at one corner, Bodie and Moses at another, and Savannah, the two youngsters, and the gunmen at the final point. Moses suddenly stepped forward, putting himself between Jamie and his companions and the hired killers. He held his hands up and said quickly, "Let's all just settle down here. It's Christmas Day. A holy day for these people. We don't want any bloodshed or violence." "There doesn't have to be, as long as Miss McCoy comes with us," the leader of the gunmen said. Moses came closer, still with his hands lifted beseechingly. "Please be reasonable. You can't expect to come in here and steal a bride away from her groom." "We're taking her," the man grated. "No matter who we have to kill do to it." Moses sighed. "I was hoping I could get through to you, talk some sense to you. I really hoped it wouldn't come to this." The man sneered at him. "You're some sort of sky pilot, aren't you? What the hell are you gonna do?" "This," Moses said softly. He launched himself into a diving tackle. His arms, already spread out, went around Alexander and Abigail and jolted them loose from their captor, knocking them to the ground. As he shielded the children with his body he cried out, "Now, Jamie!" The hired killers already had their guns out. They were completely ruthless men, eager to slay without conscience or hesitation. But they were facing Jamie Ian MacCallister, Preacher, and Smoke Jensen. They never had a chance. It was a gun battle that would be talked about in that part of the country for years, even decades. Less than two hundred people actually witnessed it, and of those, many caught only brief, chaotic glimpses because they were too busy ducking for cover as shots rang out. But even so, over time thousands of people told friends or children or grandkids about how, yep, they were there when Jamie, Preacher, and Smoke faced thirty hired killers. Or forty. Or a hundred, depending on how the story got inflated. The important thing was Jamie, Preacher, and Smoke all suffered wounds that laid them up for a while. And all the gunmen who had come to kidnap Savannah died. The stuff of powder smoke legends, to be sure . . . but only one more adventure in the lives of those three frontiersmen. When the guns had fallen silent, the wounds had been bound up, and the dead dragged away, a man and a woman stood together and pledged their love for each other, in front of God and their friends, and for two young children, that union and the family it created proved to be the greatest Christmas gift they ever received. EPILOGUE Montana, 1947 Alexander Cantrell sighed. Beside him, his sister Abigail said, "Are you all right, Alex? Are you having a touch of that angina again?" Alexander shook his head. Mere moments had passed, although to him it was as if he had traveled back in time seventy-four years. He looked down at the graves of his parents. "I was just remembering again." "The wagon train?" "Yep. And everything that happened on the way up here." Abigail shivered. "Some of those times were awful, like when the Indians got us. And that terrible fire . . . I never saw anything like it." "I thought about those things," Alexander said, "but mostly I thought about Ma and Pa . . . and the Reverend . . . and Moses . . ." "And Jamie," Abigail whispered. "And Jamie," Alexander agreed. Although it still seemed hard to believe, less than three years after that fateful Christmas Day, Jamie Ian MacCallister was dead, struck down in 1876 by bushwhackers who had mistaken him for his son, the famous gunfighter Falcon MacCallister. When they had heard that awful news in Eagle Valley, Bodie had wanted to strap on his guns and leave the Diamond C ranch to track down Jamie's murderers. Hector Gilworth, Lamar Hendricks, and a number of the other settlers in the valley had been ready to saddle up and go with him. Before that could happen, they got word that Falcon had wreaked his bloody judgment on the killers. Jamie's death was avenged, and he slumbered peacefully, eternally, under the earth of his home range, next to his beloved wife Kate. From time to time, they had gotten news of Smoke Jensen, too, and knew how the young man had settled the score for the death of his father. For many years, Smoke continued to be the deadliest gunfighter the West had ever known . . . but he was also a devoted family man, marrying twice, raising a whole passel of children and grandchildren, and establishing one of the finest ranches in Colorado. As for Preacher . . . well, for a time he had been thought to be dead, but as it turned out, the old mountain man was too tough to kill. His friends in Eagle Valley never did know for sure what happened to him. For all Alexander knew, Preacher was still out there somewhere, roaming the wild places and getting into one scrape after another. That idea was pretty farfetched, of course. Downright impossible, in fact. But when Alexander thought about Preacher . . . well, it was hard to rule out anything completely. Moses Danzig had visited the Diamond C now and then and enjoyed the time spent with his old friends Bodie and Savannah. Cyrus O'Hanlon, who had recovered from the beating he'd received from Kane's men, his wife Dollie, and the rest of the troupe had come to Montana, too, and performed in the Opera House in Billings. Savannah had joined them for one night and thoroughly enjoyed being an actress again, but that was enough. She had an even better life on the ranch, she told her old friends, being married to Bodie and raising a fine pair of twins, although she and Bodie were never blessed with children of their own. Alexander's parents never spoke of Gideon Kane, but years later, giving in to curiosity, Alexander had looked into the situation and found out what had happened to the man from Kansas City. He remembered Jamie saying something ominous about paying a visit to Kane, but that hadn't come about. Some woman whose affections Kane had spurned had killed him in February 1874, sticking a knife in his chest. As far as Alexander was concerned, it was a more merciful end than the lowdown snake deserved. The farms and ranches in Eagle Valley were some of the best in the territory, and then later, in the state, and the Diamond C was the best of them all. Years passed, and Alexander and Abigail grew to adulthood, married fine partners, and raised families of their own. Some of those children and grandchildren had brought them out to the old burying ground on the ranch. It was the tenth anniversary of Bodie Cantrell's death. His beloved wife Savannah had gone to be with the Lord a couple years before that. Alexander missed them every day. He would for the rest of his life, however much of it was still allotted to him. He took off his hat as Abigail leaned over and placed one bouquet of flowers on her father's grave and another on her mother's. Bodie and Savannah had adopted them, but as Jamie had once said, the piece of paper didn't matter nearly as much as the love, and they always had that. Oh, they had that. "Dad . . . ? We'd probably better be starting back to town." Alexander nodded, tightened his arm around his sister's shoulders for a moment, and then put his hat on. He turned and told his son, "You're right, Jamie. Let's go. Come along, Abigail." "You think we can make it home without the Indians getting us?" "I reckon," Alexander said. They walked away, cradled in the memories of days gone by, of days when true heroes walked the earth under the big Montana sky. PINNACLE BOOKS are published by Copyright © 2013 J. A. Johnstone All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews. PUBLISHER'S NOTE Following the death of William W. Johnstone, the Johnstone family is working with a carefully selected writer to organize and complete Mr. Johnstone's outlines and many unfinished manuscripts to create additional novels in all of his series like The Last Gunfighter, Mountain Man, and Eagles, among others. This novel was inspired by Mr. Johnstone's superb storytelling. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as "unsold and destroyed" to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this "stripped book." PINNACLE BOOKS and the Pinnacle logo are Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off. The WWJ steer head logo is a trademark of Kensington Publishing Corp. ISBN: 978-0-7860-3267-9 First electronic edition: November 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0-7860-3268-6 ISBN-10: 0-7860-3268-5	{ "pile_set_name": "Books3" }
Gracilibacillus alcaliphilus sp. nov., a facultative alkaliphile isolated from indigo fermentation liquor for dyeing. A facultatively alkaliphilic, lactic-acid-producing and halophilic strain, designated SG103(T), was isolated from a fermented Polygonum indigo (Polygonum tinctorium Lour.) liquor sample for dyeing prepared in a laboratory. 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogeny suggested that SG103(T) is a member of the genus Gracilibacillus with the closest relatives being 'Gracilibacillus xinjiangensis' J2 (similarity: 97.06 %), Gracilibacillus thailandensis TP2-8(T) (97.06 %) and Gracilibacillus halotolerans NN(T) (96.87 %). Cells of the isolate stained Gram-positive and were facultatively anaerobic straight rods that were motile by peritrichous flagella. The strain grew at temperatures between 13 and 48 °C with the optimum at 39 °C. It grew in the range pH 7-10 with the optimum at pH 9. The isoprenoid quinone detected was menaquinone-7 (MK-7) and the DNA G+C content was 41.3 mol%. The whole-cell fatty acid profile mainly (>10 %) consisted of iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. Unlike other reported species of the genus Gracilibacillus, the strain lacked diphosphatidylglycerol as a major polar lipid. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments with strains exhibiting greater than 96.87 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, 'G. xinjiangensis' J2, G. thailandensis TP2-8(T) and G. halotolerans NN(T), revealed 2±4 %, 4±9 % and 3±2 % relatedness, respectively. On the basis of the differences in phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, and the results of phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and DNA-DNA relatedness data from reported species of the genus Gracilibacillus, strain SG103(T) merits classification as a members of a novel species, for which the name Gracilibacillus alcaliphilus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SG103(T) ( = JCM 17253(T) = NCIMB 14683(T)).	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
STRYPER's Michael Sweet says that he is "a guitarist first" and "a vocalist second." Sweet made the distinction in a Facebook post in which he addressed the fact that people still come up to him at every show and tell him that they didn't know he played the instrument. Michael wrote: "I'm a guitarist first, a vocalist second. I started playing guitar when I was 5 (badly of course) and I've always considered myself a guitarist who sings, not a singer who plays. "I'm not a 'shredder.' I don't try to impress with my solos. I simply try to write for the song and from the heart. I want every note to speak and touch the listener. "To this very day, I still have people at every show come up to me and say 'I didn't know you played.' I'm never really sure how to respond to that comment but I usually smile and say 'Yeah, I play a little.' "To all the folks out there who do know that I play (and who appreciate what I play), thank you! My guitar is a part of me. When I set it down live for a song I feel as though I've been stripped down and am completely naked. It's such a part of me that without it I feel uncomfortable and somewhat out of place. "As much as I love singing, I love playing even more. If that day ever comes when my voice is gone and I can't sing anymore I can always just play. "Maybe someday I'll do an instrumental album just for fun." STRYPER recently completed the 2019 "History Tour - Greatest Hits & Covers That Influenced Our Generation". STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen" and the band's latest effort, "God Damn Evil". Sweet's tenth solo album, "Ten", was released on October 11 via Rat Pak Records in North America and Frontiers Music Srl in Europe.	{ "pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2" }
Asenjonamides A-C, antibacterial metabolites isolated from Streptomyces asenjonii strain KNN 42.f from an extreme-hyper arid Atacama Desert soil. Bio-guided fractionation of the culture broth extract of Streptomyces asenjonii strain KNN 42.f recovered from an extreme hyper-arid Atacama Desert soil in northern Chile led to the isolation of three new bioactive β-diketones; asenjonamides A-C (1-3) in addition to the known N-(2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2-oxoethyl)acetamide (4), a series of bioactive acylated 4-aminoheptosyl-β-N-glycosides; spicamycins A-E (5-9), and seven known diketopiperazines (10-16). All isolated compounds were characterized by HRESIMS and NMR analyses and tested for their antibacterial effect against a panel of bacteria.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
###### Strengths and limitations of this study - The study data were obtained through a questionnaire carried out by face-to-face interviews. The youth were trained to obtain dietary diet from their parent and grandparent. They were accompanied by the research assistant during data collection. - This study provides important insights of differences in food types consumed between the younger and older Pacific generation. - Exploratory factor analyses was used to examine dietary data between groups, providing robust findings. ```{=html} <!-- --> ``` - A major limitation is the small sample size of the study; however, this is a feasibility study, and the results are limited to the study participants. - The use of the dietary diversity questionnaire is based on a limited sampling frame of food group diversity over a 7-day period; therefore, it may not be completely representative of all food items and food groups that may have been consumed by the different age generations. Introduction {#s1} ============ Pacific peoples in New Zealand (NZ) are at greater risk of developing long-term conditions such as prediabetes, diabetes[@R1] and cardiovascular disease[@R4] due to obesity, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) \>30 kg/m^2^. The prevalence of obesity (67% in adults aged 15+ years) in Pacific peoples is twice that in the general population (33%).[@R5] Obesity has been viewed as a result of the changing westernised environmental pressures,[@R6] leading to an energy expenditure/energy storage mismatch that operates through dietary behaviours.[@R6] Often modernised dietary patterns, characterised by high energy dense and palatable food,[@R8] and eating habits, such as having more access to less healthy snacks and food,[@R9] explain the weight gain.[@R11] The findings from the NZ national nutritional survey on Pacific peoples reported similar patterns of energy, micronutrient intake, dietary supplement use and dietary habits (eg, consumption of breakfast and other food types, fruit and vegetable intake and salt intake), compared with the general population.[@R12] Obesity rates continue to rise for all young people aged 15--24 years, with the highest increase among young Pacific peoples (up by 50% between 2007 and 2012).[@R13] Previous NZ research has documented the impact of family meals on the dietary quality of young people[@R14] and found that eating family meals together had an overall positive effect on the home food environment[@R15] and that it encouraged the availability of more healthy food.[@R10] Results from the Youth'12 Survey highlighted similar findings that shared family meals were associated with positive outcomes for young people, which were accentuated for those living in the lower deprivation neighbourhoods (66%), compared with those in the higher deprivation areas (58%).[@R16] However, the survey results do not provide any clues as to the obesity-related mechanisms to further understanding about why young people continue to eat unhealthily. It has also been shown that young people experiencing poverty, irrespective of living in either low deprivation or more affluent neighbourhoods, does not explain overweight and obesity issues for young people.[@R17] Little research has focused on understanding the Pacific concept of socialisation and food as inter-related activities, and there is increasing recognition of the importance of this if obesity prevention strategies are to effective.[@R18] In 2014, we investigated obesity-related health issues among 30 Pacific youth from the Wellington and Auckland regions of NZ in the pilot study, 'Chewing the facts on fat! What does that say about me?'. The methodology and scope of the study has been published elsewhere.[@R19] As part of that study, we also examined Pacific youths' diet and eating habits as it relates to obesity development. In particular, we explored dietary diversity as a form of investigating diet quality, which could be useful in identifying dietary component needs and provide insights to guide development of intervention strategies to improve diet quality and health outcomes for young Pacific peoples. The aim of the current paper is to examine the intergenerational dietary patterns among 30 young Pacific adults aged 15--24 years, and 34 parents and grandparents, from Wellington and Auckland regions. Method {#s2} ====== From a pilot study of 30 young Pacific adults aged 15--24 years in Wellington and Auckland, NZ, we investigated the social cultural determinants of the obesogenic environment. The study was conducted in two phases, and the original study methodology has been previously published,[@R19] which described the recruitment, questionnaire data and the social demography of the participants, from phase 1. This paper presents data mainly from phase 2, obtained from young Pacific peoples who were trained to interview and obtain information from one Pacific parent and one Pacific grandparent to examine and compare older generation's dietary habits with those of the Pacific youth group (phase 1) using the Pasifika dietary diversity questionnaire (described below). As Pacific peoples are not a homogenous group, we will refer to them as Pasifika, defined as a collective group of people representing the different Pacific Island nations and their respective languages, social cultural realities and protocols. Patient involvement {#s2a} ------------------- Patients were not involved in the planning or design of the study. Demography {#s2b} ---------- Basic descriptive data were obtained from the parent and grandparent as per the protocol (face to face) described in phase 1 of the study,[@R19] including measured weight and height, from which BMI was determined. We used the international standard cut-offs in defining obesity.[@R20] BMI was analysed as a continuous variable, with a BMI of ≥30 kg/m^2^ and 25--29.9 kg/m^2^ defined as being obese and overweight, respectively.[@R21] Waist-to-hip circumference was also measured, from which the waist--hip ratio (WHR) was determined to provide a measure of central adiposity to indicate associated risk of incident cardiovascular events.[@R22] The waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) was also calculated, as an adjunct measure of central obesity, which is less prone to measurement error than WHR.[@R23] Deprivation was assessed using the NZDep2013 measure,[@R25] a small area-based measure of deprivation derived from the 2013 Census, which uses nine variables (benefit income, employment, household income, communication, transport, support, qualifications, living space and home ownership) from the Census to place small area blocks on a deprivation scale from 1 to 10 with 10 representing the most deprived 10% of NZ areas, while 1 represents the 10% least deprived areas. For analyses, deprivation was categorised into quintiles combining deciles 1--2, 3--4, 5--6, 7--8 and 9--10. Ethnicity was defined according to standard NZ Census data[@R26] and self-identified by each participant; however, for participation in the project, parents and grandparents needed to be self-identifiable as being of Pacific ethnicity. Where possible, the participants were also invited to record any physician-diagnosed conditions to highlight the presence of morbidity. Dietary diversity {#s2c} ----------------- The Pacific dietary diversity questionnaire was compiled by the research team to assess the scope of individual foods and food groups in Pacific peoples' diets. The dietary diversity questionnaire aims to capture the 'range of food' that people consume over a 7-day period and not to measure quantity of food items like the 'food frequency questionnaire'. This type of assessment has been used among other indigenous groups successfully, and it has been proven to be effective than a quantitative assessment of describing the quality of the diet.[@R27] This questionnaire was pretested among an independent community group of Pasifika youth (n=30) from Wellington, and it was adapted to include common food that would be consumed by Pasifika people in NZ (eg, povi masima \[salted meat\]). Data on different individual foods and food groups that were consumed over a 7-day period (reference period) were collected and recorded (dichotomised: yes/no) by the Pacific youth who were participants in phase 1 and were trained by the research team at a single day workshop. The training involved familiarising and understanding the questionnaire and prompts. Following the training day, each youth arranged and organised a face-to face interview (accompanied by a research assistant), with a parent and grandparent. The questionnaire included both nutritious and discretionary food and food groups to encapsulate the diversity of food groups and of food items. The questionnaire data produced a total of 26 food groups (15 nutritious and 11 discretionary) specifically consumed by the study participants. However, using exploratory factor analyses (EFA) (see below) in order to create meaningful summary patterns that describe types of diet, we had refined the food groups down to 13, as determined by the total percentage of items consumed within a food grouping, per person. The groupings are: group 1: meats, poultry and fish diversity; group 2: dairy products diversity; group 3: bread, cereals and starchy vegetable diversity; group 4: legumes and nut diversity; group 5: fruit diversity; group 6: vegetable diversity; group 7: oil and fat diversity; group 8: drinks diversity; group 9: alcohol diversity; group 10: sauces, spreads and flavouring diversity; group 11: sweets and sweet snacks diversity; group 12: savoury snacks diversity; and group 13: take way food diversity. Eating habits and meal patterns, food choices and related cultural and social influences were also investigated, but the results are not presented here. We also included a measure of acculturation using a tool developed by coauthor JK and his colleagues[@R33] to examine affiliation to traditional or mainstream culture. The tool was used in this project to examine metabolic health outcomes in relation to the participants' affiliation with their Pacific heritage and or mainstream culture. This has been described in detail previously,[@R19] and the responses were grouped based on a summation of the following categories: integrated (high affiliation with Pacific heritage and mainstream culture); tradition (high affiliation with Pacific heritage only); assimilated (high affiliation with mainstream culture only); and marginalised (low affiliation with both Pacific heritage and mainstream culture). Data analysis {#s2d} ------------- Descriptive data of the parent/grandparent characteristics (ie, sex, ethnicity, education, diagnosed comorbidities, deprivation, body weight anthropometrics and acculturation mode affiliation) were analysed by distribution proportions. EFA was used for analysis of the 13 food data groups (described above). With this approach, we originally intended to identify dietary patterns between three generational groups. Due to small numbers in the older generational group, the parents and grandparents were combined to form a single group ('old'), which was compared with the youth responses ('young') obtained from phase 1. Each dietary pattern was allocated weights for each food group, which were used to calculate a standardised mean score for each dietary pattern. EFA analysis was conducted in SAS for Windows V.9.1 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA), and each factor was rotated and compared (promax and varimax) to identify and improve interpretability of each factor loading. Parallel analyses and scree plots were also used to check for data interpretability. Each of the dietary pattern scores was standardised to have a mean of zero and a variance of one. Each participant was assigned a score for each dietary pattern, since a typical person's diet may include characteristics of more than one pattern. Thus, the dietary pattern scores are a constant measure of how closely the participant's diet matches each type of diet. Based on the EFA of all the participants' dietary intake, standardised scores above 0.3 (ie, threshold) for any given food grouping indicated a strong propensity matched to a particular dietary pattern. Thus, we have identified three distinctive dietary pattern groups (from 65 potential dietary groups). Our selection of the three-factor loadings was confirmed by parallel analyses. Negative scores are indicative of participants 'less likely' to consume dietary patterns. From our univariate logistic regression analyses (data not presented here), we identified potential independent factors that may explain differences in dietary scores between the young and old participants. Therefore, multivariate logistic regression was applied to further examine the association between participant's dietary patterns and those variables. (acculturation status, sex, treatment for comorbidities such as asthma, high blood pressure, heart troubles, diabetes, stroke, thyroid problems, psychological problems and sleep problems). Results {#s3} ======= Demographics of the old and young participant groups {#s3a} ---------------------------------------------------- [Table 1](#T1){ref-type="table"} highlights the main characteristics of the young and old generation groups that participated in the study. In addition to the 30 young people, a total of 34 parents and grandparents (ie, old group) took part in phase 2 of the study. There were no significant differences between the young and old gender groups. The average age of the parent's group was 50.2 years old and for the grandparent's group 72.2 years old (for both sexes). Education background showed that the more than half (52.9%) of the old group had postschool qualifications; the majority (80%) of the young group had any school qualification. Thus, education status was non-remarkable with no significant differences between the two groups. The participants self-identified across a range of ethnic groupings including different Pacific Island nations, such as Samoa, Tonga and Tokelau representing the dominant Pacific ethnic affiliations. Other ethnic groups included: Māori, Chinese and NZ European. This is an indicator of the growing 'diversity' of intermixing between Pacific and other ethnic groups. However, the important thing to note, is that the participants continue to self-identify and affiliate strongly with their Pacific culture and values. The majority of the young (80%) and old (73%) groups assessed their acculturation mode as being 'integrated', illustrating that both groups have an equally high affiliation with both Pacific and mainstream cultures, although this was not statistically significant. The old group rated their affiliation with living a more 'traditional' (17.7%) lifestyle, compared with the young group (6.7%), suggesting young people have less involvement within the Pacific community and other wider activities, at the time of the study. When examining socioeconomic position using the NZ Deprivation (2013) scale, comparing the old and young groups, those living in the 'least deprived' (NZDep 1--2) areas, with those living the 'most deprived (NZDep 9--10) areas, there were no differences between each group. For this study, the majority of both young (46.7%) and old (51.5%) participants lived the highest deprived areas of the region. ###### Distribution of participant characteristics Proportion (%) or mean (SD) by young and old -------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- -------------- ---- -------------- ---- -------------- -------------- Gender Male 19 29.7 11 36.7 8 23.5 Female 45 70.3 19 63.3 26 76.5 0.251 Ethnicity NZ European 6 9.4 5 16.7 1 2.9 0.091 Maori 2 3.1 1 3.3 1 2.9 1.000 Samoan 30 46.9 14 46.7 16 47.1 1.000 Cook Island Maori 3 4.7 3 10.0 0 0.0 0.097 Tongan 15 23.4 7 23.3 8 23.5 0.985 Niuean 6 9.4 4 13.3 2 5.9 0.407 Tokelauan 10 15.6 5 16.7 5 14.7 1.000 Tahitian 1 1.6 1 3.3 0 0.0 0.469 Kiribatian 1 1.6 0 0.0 1 2.9 1.000 Fijian 5 7.8 3 10.0 2 5.9 0.659 Chinese 6 9.4 5 16.7 1 2.9 0.091 Education Any school qualification 45 70.3 24 80.0 21 61.8 0.111 Postschool qualification 30 46.9 12 40.0 18 52.9 0.301 NZDep2013 1--2 4 6.4 2 6.7 2 6.1 3--4 7 11.1 4 13.3 3 9.1 5--6 5 7.9 1 3.3 4 12.1 7--8 16 25.4 9 30.0 7 21.2 9--10 31 49.2 14 46.7 17 51.5 0.673 Missing 1 Comorbidities Asthma 16 25.0 6 20.0 10 29.4 0.386 High blood pressure 19 29.7 0 0.0 19 55.9 \<0.0001\\ Diabetes 11 17.2 0 0.0 11 32.4 0.0006\\ Other conditions 17 26.6 4 13.3 13 38.2 0.024\* Metabolic syndrome conditions 22 34.4 0 0.0 22 64.7 \<0.0001\\ Acculturation Integrated 49 76.6 24 80.0 25 73.5 Traditional 8 12.5 2 6.7 6 17.7 Assimilated 4 6.3 3 10.0 1 2.9 Marginalised 3 4.7 1 3.3 2 5.9 0.462 Anthropometrics P value‡ Age 64 40.6 (22.1) 30 19.5 (2.4) 34 59.3 (12.7) \<0.0001\\ Weight (kg) 64 92.9 (20.6) 30 90.5 (18.3) 34 94.9 (22.5) 0.399 Height (cm) 62 166.1 (10.9) 29 170.4 (10.2) 33 162.2 (10.2) 0.002\* BMI (kg/m^2^) 62 33.7 (7.5) 29 31.0 (6.9) 33 36.1 (7.2) 0.006\* Waist-to-hip ratio 59 0.9 (0.11) 26 0.84 (0.05) 33 0.94 (0.13) 0.0002\\ Waist-to-height ratio 58 0.62 (0.10) 25 0.56 (0.09) 33 0.66 (0.08) \<0.0001\\ NZDep2013=quintiles: 1 (lowest deprivation) to 5 (highest deprivation). \p values \<0.05; \\p values \<0.001. †χ^2^. ‡Test. BMI, body mass index. Regarding the known comorbidities, these were evident primarily in the old group, and in particular, high blood pressure (59.9%) and diabetes (32.4%), with both conditions showing statistically significant differences between the young and old groups. Of note, other conditions (gout, low blood pressure, leg ulcer, arthritis, eczema, allergies) demonstrated significant differences between the old and young. In addition, we combined several conditions (high blood pressure, heart trouble and diabetes) that form part of the metabolic syndrome.[@R34] This condition indicated a significant statistical difference. Means and SD for the anthropometric measures comparing both groups illustrated that, on average, the old group were heavier (94.9 kg), compared with the young (90.5 kg) group. Across both groups, the average BMI was 33.7 kg/m^2^ (7.5 kg), and the old group showed a higher BMI (36.6 kg/m^2^) compared with the young (31.0 kg/m^2^). Nonetheless, the average BMI data indicated that the study participants were significantly obese. Moreover, central fatness as measured by the WHR and WtHR ratios, the old group showed a very high WHR ratio (mean: 0.94; 0.13), and for the young group, the average WHR ratio was 0.84 (0.05). According to the WHO, this is indicative of a higher than normal risk of developing heart disease and other serious conditions.[@R37] Both young and old groups attained an overall average (WtHR) of 0.62 (0.10), as a measure of body fat distribution,[@R38] and the scores are indicative of being at high risk of developing disease morbidities such as heart attack and stroke[@R23] but not of any new disease diagnoses, like diabetes.[@R39] Using EFA, standardised scores above 0.3 for any given food grouping were matched to a particular dietary pattern, and we identified three-factor loaded patterns ([table 2](#T2){ref-type="table"}). The patterns provided a reasonable summary of dietary patterns with the scree plot elbow being at approximately 3 and the three factors cumulatively explaining 28% of the variance in dietary intake data, resulting in interpretable dietary patterns. The following are suitable descriptions of the three dietary patterns: (1) dietary pattern 1: 'healthy food': characterised by moderate-to-high intake of proteins/meats, fruits and vegetables; (2) dietary pattern 2: 'processed food': characterised by high intake of sweets, snacks, takeaways and sugary beverages; and (3) dietary pattern 3: 'mixed food': characterised by limited healthy and more processed food group intake. Of particular note, the high intake (ie, ≥70% per food item checked) of sugary beverages (eg, soft drinks, juice and tea), alcohol (eg, beer, wine and kava) and dairy food (eg, ice cream, cheese and dairy food) consumption marks this dietary pattern as being remarkably different from the other two patterns. ###### Food grouping factor loadings for all participants by dietary pattern Food items Healthy diet Processed diet Mixed diet --------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ---------------- ------------ Group 1: meat, poultry, fish diversity 0.63 0.17 0.39 Group 2: dairy products diversity 0.38 0.19 0.68 Group 3: bread, cereals and starchy vegetable diversity 0.74 0.36 0.21 Group 4: legume and nut diversity 0.59 0.09 0.27 Group 5: fruit diversity 0.92 0.16 0.16 Group 6: vegetable diversity 0.76 0.14 0.32 Group 7: oil and fat diversity 0.38 0.28 0.47 Group 8: drinks diversity 0.30 0.44 0.57 Group 9: alcohol diversity 0.19 0.07 0.46 Group 10: sauces, spreads and flavouring diversity 0.61 0.41 0.48 Group 11: sweets and sweet snacks diversity 0.16 0.63 0.56 Group 12: savoury snacks diversity 0.22 0.97 0.05 Group 13: take away food diversity 0.18 0.64 0.42 [Table 3](#T3){ref-type="table"} compares the dietary patterns of the young and old generation using the mean scores and two-sample t tests (p value). It showed there were statistically significant dietary differences between these two groups, predominantly in food groupings 1, 3, 5 and 6. The types of food items young people consumed in very high proportions (ie, \>80% consumption) over a 7-day period were: group 1 (meat, poultry and fish diversity): beef (87%), chicken (87%) and eggs (83%); group 3 (bread, cereals and starchy vegetable diversity): white/brown bread (100%), rice (90%) and potatoes (80%); group 5 (fruit diversity): banana (100%); and group 6 (vegetable diversity): onions (93%), carrots (96.7%), lettuce (83%), garlic (80%), broccoli (80%) and tomatoes (80%). ###### Comparing young versus old dietary patterns (7-day measure) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Food groups Young\ Old\ P value\ Phase 1, n=30 Phase 2,\ n=34 ----------------------------------------------------- --------------- ----------- ----------- ------- ------- Group 1: Meat, poultry, fish diversity 38.27 15.63 52.72 21.36 0.003 Group 2: Dairy products diversity 33.70 14.29 31.04 20.15 0.550 Group 3: Bread, cereals starchy vegetable diversity 40.42 17.31 49.17 17.00 0.046 Group 4: Legume and nut diversity 28.14 19.29 34.96 23.39 0.212 Group 5: Fruit diversity 31.11 21.75 48.04 25.40 0.006 Group 6: Vegetable diversity 38.65 17.72 53.26 23.45 0.007 Group 7: Oil and fat diversity 43.70 17.00 49.01 20.85 0.272 Group 8: Drinks diversity 46.22 19.57 41.17 19.86 0.311 Group 9: Alcohol diversity 7.92 16.57 8.09 14.06 0.964 Group 10: Sauces, spreads and flavouring diversity 39.84 15.18 44.65 20.22 0.292 Group 11: Sweets and sweet snacks diversity 50.83 22.88 48.04 28.21 0.668 Group 12: Savoury snacks diversity 41.67 20.86 40.59 29.02 0.864 Group13: Take away food diversity 44.05 20.47 38.44 25.66 0.342 Dietary patterns, by mean scores (%) Healthy dietary pattern 36.07 14.93 47.13 17.90 0.010 Processed dietary pattern 45.51 19.16 42.36 24.38 0.570 Mixed dietary pattern 32.88 13.28 32.33 14.72 0.875 Dietary patterns, by standardised scores Healthy dietary pattern −0.26 0.90 0.23 1.04 0.052 Processed dietary pattern −0.04 0.93 0.03 1.07 0.789 Mixed dietary pattern −0.09 0.94 0.08 1.06 0.496 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \Based on means score and two-sample t-test. The old generation demonstrated somewhat more variety in the items they consumed (on average) per food grouping. These were: group 1 (meat, poultry and fish diversity): chicken whole/thighs/drumstick (94%), eggs (94%), fresh white fish (eg, hoki and snapper) (91%) and chicken wings (82%); group 3 (bread, cereals and starchy vegetable diversity): white/brown bread (100%), rice (88%) and taro (88%); group 5 (fruit diversity): banana (100%), apple (88%) and orange (85%); and group 6 (vegetable diversity): onions (94%), lettuce (85%), garlic (85%), cabbage (82%) and cauliflower (80%), as indicated by listing the individual food items. There were also differences between the two old generations (ie, parent vs grandparent) (data not shown) by: group 9 (alcohol diversity): examples of items consumed included wine and kava. The median score for parents was 0.65 and for grandparents was 0.28 (p value=0.004); and group 11 (sweets and sweet snacks diversity): examples of items consumed included plain biscuits, cakes and chocolates. The median score was 0.65 for parents and 0.28 for grandparents (p value=0.033). This indicates that the parent generation consumes statistically significantly more alcohol and high sugar snacks than the grandparents. Additionally, based on 'percentage dietary patterns scores', there was a significant difference (p value=0.010) between the young and old groups for the 'healthy dietary pattern', with the older group showing a higher percentage intake of this dietary pattern. Based on the 'standardised dietary pattern scores', comparing the young and old groups, there was a trend for significance (p value=0.052). The scores indicated that the young group were less likely to consume a healthy dietary pattern than the old group. We carried out univariate analyses (data not presented here) and identified certain characteristics that contributed to the difference in dietary pattern scores. Therefore, [table 4](#T4){ref-type="table"} illustrates a multivariate regression model using standardised regression coefficients to measure the strength of independent relationships of (known relationships and statistically significant) variables identified from earlier analyses. The key independent variables shown to have a positive influence on the dietary patterns were predominantly acculturation, particularly 'assimilation' and 'marginalised' modes, and high socioeconomic deprivation, particularly quintiles 7--8 and 9--10. After controlling for other variables, trending for significance for BMI had dissolved, and age indicated no relationship for processed and mixed dietary patterns. ###### Multivariate analyses examining dietary factor patterns and demographic characteristics Variable (number) Factor 1: healthy diet Factor 2: processed diet Factor 3: mixed diet --------------------- ------------------------ -------------------------- ---------------------- ------- --------------- -------------- ------- --------------- -------------- Phase Old (30) Ref Ref Ref Young (34) 0.05 −0.81 to 0.92 0.904 0.09 −0.86 to 1.04 0.850 0.12 −0.70 to 0.95 0.762 Gender Male (19) Ref Ref Ref Female (45) −0.02 −0.58 to 0.54 0.941 −0.14 −0.64 to 0.36 0.575 −0.19 −0.74 to 0.37 0.504 Acculturation Integrated (49) Ref Ref Ref Traditional (8) −0.65 −1.15 to 0.15 0.013\ −0.36 −0.86 to 0.14 0.155 −0.62 −1.14 to 0.09 0.021\* Assimilated (4) −0.88 −1.47 to 0.29 0.004 −1.06 −1.57 to 0.55 0.0001\\ −1.03 −1.59 to 0.47 0.0006\\ Marginalised (3) −1.30 −2.27 to 0.33 0.010\* −1.23 −2.17 to 0.29 0.011\* −1.31 −2.13 to 0.49 0.002\* NZDep13 (quintiles) 1--2 (4) Ref Ref Ref 3--4 (7) 0.39 0.08 to 0.69 0.013\* 0.45 0.25 to 0.65 \<0.0001\\ 0.48 0.17 to 0.79 0.003\* 5--6 (5) 0.96 0.14 to 1.78 0.022\* 0.94 0.28 to 1.60 0.006\\ 0.82 −0.06 to 1.69 0.067 7--8 (16) 1.26 0.81 to 1.71 \<0.0001\\ 1.10 0.66 to 1.54 \<0.0001\\ 1.08 0.67 to 1.47 \<0.0001\\ 9--10 (31) 1.00 0.65 to 1.32 \<0.0001\\ 0.97 0.66 to 1.28 \<0.0001\\ 0.90 0.57 to 1.23 \<0.0001\\ BMI (n) (SD) (SD) (SD) 62 0.015 0.01 0.226 0.013 0.01 0.302 0.01 0.01 0.140 Age 64 0.012 0.01 0.240 −0.00 0.01 0.952 0.00 0.00 0.797 P value=χ^2^ test. \p\<0.05; \\p\<0.001. BMI, body mass index; RCE, regression coefficient estimate; P value=chi square test. Discussion {#s4} ========== In a sample of 30 Pasifika youths and 34 older Pasifika adults (parents and grandparents), we identified three distinctive dietary pattern groups: healthy diet, processed diet and mixed diet. In relation to these dietary patterns, there were three major findings. First, although the mixed dietary pattern contained 8 of the total 13 food groups, it had the highest average consumption of dairy products, sweetened beverages and alcohol intake, potentially making it the unhealthiest of the three dietary patterns. Although the questionnaire did not measure the 'actual' amounts, frequency or average volume of drinks per week of the sweetened and alcohol beverages, it has been well established that alcohol is the second most energy dense macronutrient[@R40] and favours fat storage resulting in weight gain.[@R37] Similarly, sugar-sweetened beverages and fast food were more available within the home environment. A recent study reported 58% of Pacific children consume high amounts of fizzy drinks compared with non-Pacific children (15%). Moreover, Pacific youth consumed high (29%) and moderate (45%) amounts (ie, 1--3 times a week) of soft drinks in the past week compared with 25% of children who were considered to be low consumers.[@R41] Data from the NZ Youth Survey 2012 revealed that in the previous 7 days[@R42] youth residing in the highest deprivation decile were almost four times more likely to consume four or more energy drinks, three times more likely to eat fast food at least four times a week and five times more likely to eat other takeaways at least four times. This is compounded by social marketing targeting the younger generation as their main customers due to their spending power, purchasing influence, as emergent behaviours of adult customers.[@R43] With the advent of online advertising and shopping and mobile media, public health policy and researchers are lagging well behind in being aware of and understanding the potential impact of the latest and continuously developing advertising techniques used on children and youth. More work and comprehensive monitoring are needed in this space.[@R44] Second, there were major significant differences reported from [table 3](#T3){ref-type="table"} between the young and old in relation to the four food groups: (1: meat, poultry and fish; 2: breads, cereal and starchy vegetables; 3: fruit diversity; and 4: vegetable diversity). More specifically, the old generation ate a greater range of items from each food group than the young generation. Furthermore, dietary patterns between the two groups also differed. The mean food scores for the old group being primarily characterised by the 'Healthy diet', in contrast with the younger generation who were more likely to consume a 'Processed diet'. Multiple factors may influence eating behaviours and food choices between young and old. For instance, the idea that eating family meals promotes togetherness and is positively associated with overall well-being within the home food environment is an important factor. However, a NZ-based research study reported no significant relationship between the frequency of family meals and the availability of high sugar/high fat snack foods and fast food. In fact, adolescents who regularly ate with their family were just as likely to consume less healthy snack food. Parental education and family work schedules were regarded as potential explanatory factors for the lack of association.[@R10] For our study, all of our youth lived at home with their parents, and although we did not specifically collect data on the home food environment, we have previously reported data on this study groups' purchasing behaviour. That is, the youth purchased savoury and sweet snack food from specific shops in their local neighbourhoods spending up to \$24 over a 7-day period.[@R19] It is likely that this behaviour is contributing to the difference in dietary diversity between the two generational groups. Food purchasing and eating behaviours outside of the home environment is a tremendously influential force, particularly in regards to the obesogenic environment.[@R45] More understanding around the impact of health education and health promotion messages targeting healthy eating is needed to make mindful decisions and subsequent behavioural changes to support vulnerable communities for the sake of healthier living. However, by comparing standardised food scores, the difference between young and old (particularly for the healthy dietary pattern) trended towards significance (p value=0.052), and it is likely that other factors may explain the difference rather than just the food types consumed between the two generation groups. Finally, from our multivariate regression analyses, we found that acculturation* (categorised affiliation with Pasifika and mainstream cultures) and socioeconomic position (NZ Deprivation) played a significant role in influencing dietary patterns. For acculturation, those who described themselves as being 'assimilated' (ie, a high degree of affiliation with NZ's mainstream culture) and 'marginalised' (ie, a low affiliation with both Pacific heritage and mainstream culture) were significantly less likely to exhibit characteristics of these dietary pattern groups, based on their high negative coefficients. Although they were significant negative relationships for 'traditional', 'assimilation' and 'marginalised' modes across all dietary patterns, it was more marked (high negative coefficients) for those who affiliated with the 'marginalised' mode for healthy diet (regression coefficient estimate \[RCE\]: −1.30), processed diet (RCE: −1.23) and mixed diet (RCE:−1.31), compared with those identified as being 'integrated' with both Pacific heritage and mainstream culture. Similarly, those who aligned with the 'assimilation' mode also indicated significantly high negative relationships with processed diet (RCE: −1.06) and mixed diet (RCE: −1.03). However, this finding needs to be interpreted with caution (ie, the wide CIs) because of the small number of participants for this specific analyses. Nonetheless, this finding suggests that the 'assimilated' and 'marginalised' groups have different behaviours that may be protective for their overall health (eg, they may do more physical activity and eat more healthily), compared with the majority of this sample (who were 'integrated'). There are studies that suggest greater acculturation increases the risk of obesity among indigenous groups.[@R46] Some studies suggest that the obesogenic environments of host countries promote weight gain among migrants that significantly increase over 10--15 years postmigration, by which time migrants' obesity rates match or become greater than that of the host population.[@R49] The impact of the relationship between acculturation and obesity continues to remain unclear, however, there is a need for validated and comprehensive acculturation scales to be used between studies to enable comparability of results.[@R33] Socioeconomic deprivation as measured using the NZ Deprivation scale also highlighted strong positive relationship with the three dietary patterns. In particular, those people residing in the high-to-highest deprived areas (quintiles 7--8 and 9--10) had strong positive relationships, compared with those living in the least deprived areas (quintile 1--2), where the coefficients were closer to 0. This finding is not new but provides added support to the knowledge-base that high deprivation plays an important role in financial and economic barriers to have access to good quality food (particularly for processed and mixed dietary patterns).[@R51] However, for those living in the high-to-highest deprived areas, showing a positively strong relationship (quintile 7--8 RCE: 1.26 and quintile 9--10 RCE: 1.00) to a 'healthy diet' maybe reflective of some people instigating the efforts to improve behaviours and preparing and eating food at home, rather than purchasing meals and snacks prepared away from the home, that are higher in fat and saturated fat and contain less nutritional value[@R51] Study limitations {#s4a} ----------------- A major limitation of the study is the sample size that restricts our ability to make any definitive inferences of the observed dietary patterns described above. As this is a feasibility study, these patterns reflect the behaviours of the study participants and cannot be generalised to Pasifika youth and adults in general. In addition, the Pacific-focused dietary diversity questionnaire was developed, including both nutritious and discretionary foods and food groups to capture diversity (food groups) and variety (food items) and does not measure quantity and so we cannot be definitive about the defined dietary patterns, which is also reflective of the study participants. The EFA analyses allowed us to examine the highest and lowest variety of food groups that were consumed, and this provided important insight in identifying which dietary components needs to be addressed, and it could guide intervention strategies to improve diet quality to improve health outcomes. Furthermore, we are cognizant that the data collected from the limited sampling frame of food group diversity over a 7-day period may not be completely representative of all food items and food groups that may have been consumed by the different age generations. Finally, although the study highlighted behavioural patterns of diet, the study also showed 'no relationship' between the dietary patterns and obesity-related parameters (BMI, WHR and WtHR) and poor health, and this may be due to limited sample size, as other studies have shown clear associative links. Conclusion {#s5} ========== Our investigation of the food consumed by young and old Pacific people allowed us to identify three distinctive dietary patterns based on the high food scores. There was an intergenerational difference in dietary patterns, with the younger generation tending to consume a more limited diet, compared with the old group. The older generation consumed more diversity in their food groups and a healthier dietary pattern. These patterns may be related to the social cultural aspects of obesity in relation to dietary habits, such as the young generation who are opting to eat more high fat, high sugar snacks outside of the home food environment. There was a strong negative relationship between the level of acculturation and dietary patterns, and a strong positive relationship of dietary patterns among those living in the high-to-highest deprivation areas. Our findings provide added social cultural insights that could guide improved health promotion strategies to increase health outcomes of young and older Pacific family members. In particular, improvements in highlighting more healthy food group options, encourage food diversity within the home and social environments and enhance access to health education about food items for the whole family. Supplementary Material ====================== ###### Reviewer comments ###### Author\'s manuscript The authors would like to acknowledge the partnership funding from the Health Research Council of NZ and the Ministry of Health who supported this study. We also thank our collaborating partners: The Fono and Evolve for participating in this project. We acknowledge the efforts of collaborators: Bernhard Breier, Rozanne Kruger and Te Kani Kingi, and our research assistants: Ms Hana Tuisano and Mrs Moana Manukia for conducting the interviews with the young participants. Finally, the authors are indebted to the efforts and participation of the Pasifika youth and their families. Contributors: RTT-F designed the study and drafted the manuscript. JK, BB and LE-L help informed the study design and JK assisted in interpretation of the acculturation tool. SC analysed the data. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Funding: This work was supported by the Health Research Council of NZ and the Ministry of Health grant (12/953). Competing interests: None declared. Ethics approval: Ethical approval for the overall study was received from the Central Health and Disability Ethics Committee, NZ (13/CEN/22). Provenance and peer review: Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed. Data sharing statement: No additional data available. Patient consent for publication: Not required.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Central" }
A mix of recently cut and still little used trail from the Heritage Park, with at times a recently laid in base (still soft), some fire roads and shield terrain. Trail is more used from and around the suspension bridge through the town of Pinawa User Reviews (1) Showing 1-1 of 1 Ben [Sep 15, 2002] Interesting mix of various terrain, with sections between the Pinawa Heritage Dam site and the suspension bridge just recently cut and still somewhat soft. This trail is part of the Trans Canada Trail and is well marked and should be well maintained. This is a multi use trail so priority and curtesy should be extended to hikers/walkers. Trail winds also through the town of Pinawa with more users there so be careful with joggers/hikers etc. Shield terrain between the suspension bridge and the town but nothing more than intermediate ability needed and maybe less if you are willing to walk a few limited sections. Good workout, good views particularly from the bridge to the town. Abt 10 mi. one way 15-16km. Customer Service see abovemap of trail available at www.mrta.mb.ca Similar Products Used: Falcon Lake to West Hawk multi use trail - abt 16km one way. Good gravel base single track, not technically difficult but great work out on a tricky surface when pushing hard. OVERALLRATING 4 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ VALUERATING ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Ben [Sep 15, 2002] Interesting mix of various terrain, with sections between the Pinawa Heritage Dam site and the suspension bridge just recently cut and still somewhat soft. This trail is part of the Trans Canada Trail and is well marked and should be well maintained. This is a multi use trail so priority and curtesy should be extended to hikers/walkers. Trail winds also through the town of Pinawa with more users there so be careful with joggers/hikers etc. Shield terrain between the suspension bridge and the town but nothing more than intermediate ability needed and maybe less if you are willing to walk a few limited sections. Good workout, good views particularly from the bridge to the town. Abt 10 mi. one way 15-16km. Customer Service: see abovemap of trail available at www.mrta.mb.ca Similar Products Used: Falcon Lake to West Hawk multi use trail - abt 16km one way. Good gravel base single track, not technically difficult but great work out on a tricky surface when pushing hard.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Q: PHP: Text Area echo in form won't echo during validation Currently I have a form that goes through validation, and echo statement that are entered and returned errors on what needs to be filled in. My commenting area is within a tag. It throws the error when it's empty. But when it's filled and other areas are empty, it DOES NOT echo the previously entered text. I view another question that claims to have an answer. Previous I was using:<?php echo $_POST['email']; ?> in my value result. The "answer" said to replace value with and htmlentities() as such: <?php echo htmlentities($comments, ENT_COMPAT,'ISO-8859-1', true);?> However, that did not work either. I want the comments to echo, when text is entered, but other areas still need info. HTML form text area: <textarea name="comments" maxlength="500" rows="10" cols="10" placeholder="Please enter your comments here..." value="<?php echo htmlentities($_POST['comments'], ENT_COMPAT,'ISO-8859-1', true);?>"></textarea> PHP (not sure if needed here in this answer): <?php if(!empty($_POST)){ $POST = filter_post($_POST); $invoice = array_splice($POST,3,1); $MSG = check_empty($POST); if(!array_filter($MSG)){ $POST['invoice'] = $invoice['invoice']; if(send_mail($POST)){ $MSG[] = "Email Success"; } else{ $MSG[] = "Email Failed"; } } } function filter_post($POST){ $keys = array('name','phone','email','invoice','comments'); $POST = array_intersect_key($POST, array_flip($keys)); $POST = array_map('strip_tags', $POST); return($POST); } function check_empty($POST){ foreach($POST as $key => $value){ if(empty($value)){ $MSG[] = "You need to fill out the $key section"; } } return($MSG); } function send_mail($POST){ extract($POST); $to = 'jordan@jordandavis.work'; $sbj = 'New Question For Se7en Service!'; $msg = "Name: $name \n Phone: $phone \n Email: $email \n Invoice #: $invoice \n Comments: $comments"; $headers = "From: $email"; return(mail($to, $sbj, $msg, $headers)); } function output_errors($MSG){ return '<ul><li>' . implode('</li><li>', $MSG) . '</li></ul>'; } ?> Link to question with answer that didn't work for me. A: <textarea> element does not have a value attribute. The 'value' is set between the opening/closing tags -> <textarea name="comments" maxlength="500" rows="10" cols="10" placeholder="Please enter your comments here..."> <?php echo htmlentities($_POST['comments'], ENT_COMPAT,'ISO-8859-1', true);?> </textarea> http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/interact/forms.html#h-17.7 or http://www.w3.org/TR/html-markup/textarea.html	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
Q: Create tuples of (lemma, NER type) in python , Nlp problem I wrote the code below, and I made a dictionary for it, but I want Create tuples of (lemma, NER type) and Collect counts over the tuples I dont know how to do it? can you pls help me? NER type means name entity recognition text = """ Seville. Summers in the flamboyant Andalucían capital often nudge 40C, but spring is a delight, with the parks in bloom and the scent of orange blossom and jasmine in the air. And in Semana Santa (Holy Week, 14-20 April) the streets come alive with floats and processions. There is also the raucous annual Feria de Abril – a week-long fiesta of parades, flamenco and partying long into the night (4-11 May; expect higher hotel prices if you visit then). Seville is a romantic and energetic place, with sights aplenty, from the Unesco-listed cathedral – the largest Gothic cathedral in the world – to the beautiful Alcázar royal palace. But days here are best spent simply wandering the medieval streets of Santa Cruz and along the river to La Real Maestranza, Spain’s most spectacular bullring. Seville is the birthplace of tapas and perfect for a foodie break – join a tapas tour (try devoursevillefoodtours.com), or stop at the countless bars for a glass of sherry with local jamón ibérico (check out Bar Las Teresas in Santa Cruz or historic Casa Morales in Constitución). Great food markets include the Feria, the oldest, and the wooden, futuristic-looking Metropol Parasol. Nightlife is, unsurprisingly, late and lively. For flamenco, try one of the peñas, or flamenco social clubs – Torres Macarena on C/Torrijano, perhaps – with bars open across town until the early hours. Book it: In an atmospheric 18th-century house, the Hospes Casa del Rey de Baeza is a lovely place to stay in lively Santa Cruz. Doubles from £133 room only, hospes.com Trieste. """ doc = nlp(text).ents en = [(entity.text, entity.label_) for entity in doc] en #entities #The list stored in variable entities is has type list[list[tuple[str, str]]], #from pprint import pprint pprint(en) sum(filter(None, entities), []) from collections import defaultdict type2entities = defaultdict(list) for entity, entity_type in sum(filter(None, entities), []): type2entities[entity_type].append(entity) from pprint import pprint pprint(type2entities) A: I hope the following code snippets solve your problem. import spacy # Load English tokenizer, tagger, parser, NER and word vectors nlp = spacy.load("en_core_web_sm") text = ("Seville. Summers in the flamboyant Andalucían capital often nudge 40C, but spring is a delight, with the parks in bloom and the scent of orange blossom and jasmine in the air. And in Semana Santa (Holy Week, 14-20 April) the streets come alive with floats and processions. There is also the raucous annual Feria de Abril – a week-long fiesta of parades, flamenco and partying long into the night (4-11 May; expect higher hotel prices if you visit then). Seville is a romantic and energetic place, with sights aplenty, from the Unesco-listed cathedral – the largest Gothic cathedral in the world – to the beautiful Alcázar royal palace. But days here are best spent simply wandering the medieval streets of Santa Cruz and along the river to La Real Maestranza, Spain’s most spectacular bullring. Seville is the birthplace of tapas and perfect for a foodie break – join a tapas tour (try devoursevillefoodtours.com), or stop at the countless bars for a glass of sherry with local jamón ibérico (check out Bar Las Teresas in Santa Cruz or historic Casa Morales in Constitución). Great food markets include the Feria, the oldest, and the wooden, futuristic-looking Metropol Parasol. Nightlife is, unsurprisingly, late and lively. For flamenco, try one of the peñas, or flamenco social clubs – Torres Macarena on C/Torrijano, perhaps – with bars open across town until the early hours. Book it: In an atmospheric 18th-century house, the Hospes Casa del Rey de Baeza is a lovely place to stay in lively Santa Cruz. Doubles from £133 room only, hospes.com Trieste.") doc = nlp(text) lemma_ner_list = [] for entity in doc.ents: lemma_ner_list.append((entity.lemma_, entity.label_)) # print list of lemma ner tuples print(lemma_ner_list) # print count of tuples print(len(lemma_ner_list))	{ "pile_set_name": "StackExchange" }
11-5060 Liang v. Holder BIA Grant, IJ Hom, IJ A079 399 984 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT SUMMARY ORDER RULINGS BY SUMMARY ORDER DO NOT HAVE PRECEDENTIAL EFFECT. CITATION TO A SUMMARY ORDER FILED ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2007, IS PERMITTED AND IS GOVERNED BY FEDERAL RULE OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE 32.1 AND THIS COURT’S LOCAL RULE 32.1.1. WHEN CITING A SUMMARY ORDER IN A DOCUMENT FILED WITH THIS COURT, A PARTY MUST CITE EITHER THE FEDERAL APPENDIX OR AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE (WITH THE NOTATION “SUMMARY ORDER”). A PARTY CITING A SUMMARY ORDER MUST SERVE A COPY OF IT ON ANY PARTY NOT REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL. At a stated term of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, held at the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse, 40 Foley Square, in the City of New York, on the 12th day of September, two thousand thirteen. PRESENT: JOSÉ A. CABRANES, REENA RAGGI, CHRISTOPHER F. DRONEY, Circuit Judges. _______________________________________ ZHU LA LIANG, Petitioner, v. 11-5060 NAC ERIC H. HOLDER, JR., UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL, Respondent. _______________________________________ FOR PETITIONER: Lewis G. Hu, New York, New York. FOR RESPONDENT: Stuart F. Delery, Assistant Attorney General; Greg D. Mack, Senior Litigation Counsel, Genevieve Holm, Trial Attorney, Office of Immigration Litigation, United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. UPON DUE CONSIDERATION of this petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) decision, it is hereby ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the petition for review is DENIED. Zhu La Liang, a native and citizen of the People’s Republic of China, seeks review of a November 8, 2011, order of the BIA, affirming the November 17, 2005, decision of Immigration Judge (“IJ”) M. Christopher Grant, which denied her application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). In re Zhu La Liang, No. A079 399 984 (B.I.A. Nov. 08, 2011), aff’g No. A079 399 984 (Immig. Ct. Arlington, Nov. 17, 2005). We assume the parties’ familiarity with the underlying facts and procedural history in this case.1 I. Adverse Credibility Determination Under the circumstances of this case, we have reviewed both the IJ’s and the BIA’s decisions. See Yun-Zui Guan v. Gonzales, 432 F.3d 391, 394 (2d Cir. 2005). The applicable standards of review are well-established. See 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(4)(B); Yanqin Weng v. Holder, 562 F.3d 510, 513 (2d 1 Liang did not challenge the IJ’s denial of CAT relief before the BIA and does not meaningfully challenge it in this Court. Thus, the claim is forfeited. 2 Cir. 2009). In pre-REAL ID Act cases, such as this one, inconsistencies and other discrepancies may form the basis of an adverse credibility determination but must “bear a legitimate nexus” to the applicant’s claim of persecution and be “substantial” when measured against the record as a whole. Secaida-Rosales v. INS, 331 F.3d 297, 307-08 (2d Cir. 2003). The agency, however, may rely on the cumulative effect of even minor inconsistencies. See Tu Lin v. Gonzales, 446 F.3d 395, 402 (2d Cir. 2006). We conclude that substantial evidence supports the agency’s adverse credibility determination. In finding Liang not credible, the IJ reasonably relied in part on Liang’s demeanor, noting that she appeared very nervous when asked to explain inconsistencies in her testimony. See Majidi v. Gonzales, 430 F.3d 77, 81 n.1 (2d Cir. 2005). We defer to this finding. Id. Further, the agency reasonably relied on inconsistencies and omissions in Liang’s various statements in concluding she was not credible. See Xiu Xia Lin v. Mukasey, 534 F.3d 162, 166-67 n.3 (2d Cir. 2008) (holding that for purposes of analyzing a credibility determination, “[a]n inconsistency and an omission are functionally equivalent”); see also Secaida- 3 Rosales, 331 F.3d at 308. Contrary to Liang’s argument, the fact of her forced abortion was material, and bore a “legitimate nexus,” to her claim that she had suffered past persecution, and, therefore, the omission of that fact during her credible fear interview formed a legitimate basis for the IJ’s adverse credibility determination. See Secaida-Rosales, 331 F.3d at 307-08; see also Xiu Xia Lin, 534 F.3d at 166-67 n.3. The IJ also reasonably relied on discrepancies between: (1) Liang’s original and amended asylum applications with respect to the year in which the abortion occurred; (2) Liang’s and her husband’s testimony as to whether they had cohabited in China; and (3) Liang’s testimony and abortion certificate with regard to the date of the abortion procedure. Liang failed to provide compelling explanations for these discrepancies. See Majidi, 430 F.3d at 80-81. Furthermore, the IJ reasonably found implausible Liang’s assertion that she chose to delay marrying after discovering that she was pregnant despite her awareness of the significant risks associated with conceiving a child out of wedlock. See Wensheng Yan v. Mukasey, 509 F.3d 63, 67 (2d Cir. 2009) (holding that where the IJ’s findings are “tethered to record evidence, and there is nothing else in the record from which 4 a firm conviction of error could properly be derived,” we will not disturb the inherent implausibility finding). Finally, because Liang does not challenge the IJ’s finding that she failed adequately to corroborate her claim, it stands as valid basis for the agency’s adverse credibility determination. See Shunfu Li v. Mukasey, 529 F.3d 141, 146 (2d Cir. 2008). Thus, given the absence of corroborating evidence, as well as the aforementioned omissions and discrepancies in Liang’s testimony, we identify no error in the agency’s denial of asylum and withholding of removal on credibility grounds. See Paul v. Gonzales, 444 F.3d 148, 156 (2d Cir. 2006). II. Due Process Despite the IJ’s failure to conduct a de novo hearing on remand as ordered by the BIA, Liang has not demonstrated that she was deprived of due process during her proceedings. See Li Hua Lin v. U.S. Dept. of Justice, 453 F.3d 99, 104-05 (2d Cir. 2006). Indeed, nothing in the record suggests that Liang was prohibited from fully developing her testimony, that any of her evidence had been ignored, or that the IJ made a determination on issues about which she had no notice or opportunity to be heard. See id. Furthermore, Liang has not identified anything to suggest that the manner in which the IJ conducted her proceedings undermined their fairness. See id. 5 Finally, contrary to Liang’s contention, the IJ who certified the record and returned it to the BIA for adjudication of Liang’s appeal expressly declined to address the merits of the prior IJ’s decision, noting that such review was solely within the purview of the BIA. For the foregoing reasons, the petition for review is DENIED. As we have completed our review, any stay of removal that the Court previously granted in this petition is VACATED, and any pending motion for a stay of removal in this petition is DISMISSED as moot. Any pending request for oral argument in this petition is DENIED in accordance with Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34(a)(2), and Second Circuit Local Rule 34.1(b). FOR THE COURT: Catherine O’Hagan Wolfe, Clerk of Court 6	{ "pile_set_name": "FreeLaw" }
Myocardin and Prx1 contribute to angiotensin II-induced expression of smooth muscle alpha-actin. Previous studies demonstrated that angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertrophy of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) was associated with increased transcription of SM alpha-actin gene. The aim of the present study was to determine whether myocardin, a SMC-selective cofactor of serum response factor (SRF), contributed to Ang II-induced increases in SM alpha-actin transcription. Results showed that Ang II increased myocardin mRNA expression as well as SM alpha-actin mRNA expression via the Ang II type 1 receptor in cultured rat aortic SMCs. Cotransfection studies revealed that CArG elements were required for Ang II-induced transcription of SM alpha-actin gene, and a dominant-negative form of myocardin or a short interfering RNA (siRNA) specific for myocardin decreased Ang II-induced SM alpha-actin transcription. Prx1, a homeodomain protein whose expression was increased by Ang II, also increased SM alpha-actin gene transcription in part via CArG elements, and siRNA specific for Prx1 markedly decreased basal and Ang II-induced SM alpha-actin transcription. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that myocardin and Ang II, respectively, increased formation of a SMC-specific CArG-SRF-myocardin higher order complex. However, Ang II had no effect on binding between myocardin and SRF as determined by a mammalian two-hybrid assay, suggesting that Ang II-induced increases in formation of CArG-SRF-myocardin complex was the result of increased SRF binding to CArG elements and increased myocardin expression. Taken together, these results support a model in which Ang II-induced increases in expression of SM alpha-actin are mediated through Prx1-dependent increases in SRF binding to CArG elements and subsequent recruitment of myocardin.	{ "pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts" }
require 'brakeman/processors/lib/basic_processor' #Finds method calls matching the given target(s). # #-- This should be deprecated --# # #-- Do not use for new code --# # #Targets/methods can be: # # - nil: matches anything, including nothing # - Empty array: matches nothing # - Symbol: matches single target/method exactly # - Array of symbols: matches against any of the symbols # - Regular expression: matches the expression # - Array of regular expressions: matches any of the expressions # #If a target is also the name of a class, methods called on instances #of that class will also be matched, in a very limited way. #(Any methods called on Klass.new, basically. More useful when used #in conjunction with AliasProcessor.) # #Examples: # # #To find any uses of this class: # FindCall.new :FindCall, nil # # #Find system calls without a target # FindCall.new [], [:system, :exec, :syscall] # # #Find all calls to length(), no matter the target # FindCall.new nil, :length # # #Find all calls to sub, sub!, gsub, or gsub! # FindCall.new nil, /^g?sub!?$/ class Brakeman::FindCall < Brakeman::BasicProcessor def initialize targets, methods, tracker super tracker @calls = [] @find_targets = targets @find_methods = methods @current_class = nil @current_method = nil end #Returns a list of results. # #A result looks like: # # s(:result, :ClassName, :method_name, s(:call, ...)) def matches @calls end #Process the given source. Provide either class and method being searched #or the template. These names are used when reporting results. # #Use FindCall#matches to retrieve results. def process_source exp process exp end #Process body of method def process_defn exp process_all exp.body end alias :process_defs :process_defn #Look for matching calls and add them to results def process_call exp target = get_target exp.target method = exp.method process_call_args exp if match(@find_targets, target) and match(@find_methods, method) @calls << Sexp.new(:result, @current_module, @current_class, @current_method, exp).line(exp.line) end exp end #Process an assignment like a call def process_attrasgn exp process_call exp end private #Gets the target of a call as a Symbol #if possible def get_target exp if sexp? exp case exp.node_type when :ivar, :lvar, :const, :lit exp.value when :colon2 class_name exp else exp end else exp end end #Checks if the search terms match the given item def match search_terms, item case search_terms when Symbol if search_terms == item true else false end when Enumerable if search_terms.empty? item == nil end end end end	{ "pile_set_name": "Github" }

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