Matt knelt and stirred the cold ashes of the fire, then looked carefully at the ground again. The signs were plain enough but what did they mean? The marshal got to his feet and walked back and forth, absentmindedly tossing Festus' badge up and down. Two men bedded down by the fire...and here were the tracks of two horses and Doc's buggy...the horses had been tied near the sleepers but the buggy had been left over there, about ten feet from the fire, and it looked like...
The marshal tucked the badge back in his pocket and knelt again. It looked like two men had been sitting side by side against the buggy wheel. Doc and Festus? Matt looked back at the ashes, frowning. It was not unusual for Doc to depart suddenly to some out of the way spot to see a patient, but he wouldn't leave without a word. Not when he had Festus with him and could send the deputy back with a message.
Matt could no longer deny something was seriously wrong.
