 Although the bad weather means that she might not have many customers to cook for, Maggie sends Ben out to do some chores. After Ben leaves, Del comes in, and begins to act strangely. When Ben returns with a load of firewood, Del suddenly draws a gun on him. Ben then goes into town, while Maggie fixes a meal for Del. Soon afterward, when Red comes in, both men prepare to draw their guns. They tell Maggie about a bitter argument during a poker game the night before, and tell her to get out of the way while they settle things. Maggie begins desperately to try to stop them from shooting at each other.