Answer:The middle part of the story centers on when Rip wakes up: Rip wakes up in the spot where he first saw the strangely-dressed man. He finds a rusty old gun beside him and can't find his dog. Thinking they robbed him, he calls for the strange men, but there's no answer.
The Equal Pay Act made it illegal for men and women to be paid different salaries for the same job. However, the gender pay gap still exists due to women receiving far fewer high-paying jobs than men.
