Matt approached the Long Branch looked over the doors then decided to come back later and started to walk to the other side of the street. He stopped and turned back on hearing the start of a row.

"Hey push me will ya," Jase Murdoch said. "I'll cut your throat wide open."

Matt recognized the voice and it wasn't someone he liked. He turned and returned to the Long Branch.

"I'm sorry," a fearful voice said.

"I'll slit your ears. Stay where you are."

"Murdoch!" Matt called. "Put it up Murdoch."

"I was just coming down the stairs, Marshal. I didn't mean to jostle him."

"You again Dillon," Murdoch sneared. "Just like the last time. You want more of the same."

"It's a little different this time."

"So I see. You got a badge to hide behind."

"Put up the knife."

Murdoch sheathed his knife and laughed.

"The man's crazy Marshal I didn't do a thing to him. I didn't mean to jostle him."

"It's all right it's all over. Everybody go about your business."

"What kind of a bone-picker is that for the high plains."

"Times have changed."

"Nothing but settlers and dudes, bone-pickers, Trap men, cow wranglers, bluecoats and lawmen,"

"You better understand Murdoch when Dodge was full of you buffalo hunters you could throw your weight around. But not anymore."

"I ain't changed I'll take nothing from such as him or you."

"You better keep out of trouble then."

"I'll do as I want."

"You always did. But you break the law and you'll be in a cell."

"Is that your way of getting back at me instead of calling me like a man."

"I'm paid to keep the peace not break it."

"Sure," Jase laughed his breath Matt thought could have felled an ox.

"Sit down," Matt said moving to a table. "What are you doing in Dodge Murdoch, there haven't been any buffalo around here for 3 years."

"Maybe I've come to see you."

"You probably figured me dead."

"Ah-ah I heard about you, the badge."

"Maybe it's just as well for both of us I'm wearing it. Just remember what I said."

Both Jase and Matt rose, Jase went to the bar.

"Matt," Kitty called.

Kitty moved to stand in front of him.

"Hello Kitty."

"He's crazy he's got a look in his eyes."

"Well when the buffalo herds were running Dodge was 2000 like him not much else. You can figure what it was like."

"Wait I need some air."

Kitty followed Matt onto the board walk she stood by one of the posts holding up the boardwalk's roof Matt stood by her.

"Who is he Matt? What's between you two?"

"That's the one the Indians call Long Arm, Jase Murdoch."

"Oh I've heard of him."

"He's almost a legend been on the frontier 30 or more years. Beaver trapper, Buffalo hunter, Indian scout. He lived with the Indians a while married an Indian squaw."

"It's something personal between you isn't it? A grudge. Like the last time he said. Some more of the same he said. What is it?"

"The kind of thing a man doesn't like talking about Kitty or remember when he takes a beating."

"You Matt?"

"Like I said it was a different town in those days. I was just in from Missouri pretty green. Murdoch and his crowd were in town on a spree. When their fun threatened to include scalping a hide freighter friend of mine I stepped in. Like I say I was pretty green."

"They beat you?" Kitty asked her concern for him showing in her voice.

"They left me for dead down by the river."

"You watch out for him Matt."

"Right now I only want to find out what he's doing in town. He must be outfitting a hunt. Not many merchants will take a chance on that these days. Except one may be. I'll see you later Kitty."

Kitty stood watching Matt go before going back in the Long Branch. Matt walked quickly to Ross's mercantile. Ross was at his counter doing some figuring.

"Oh what do you want Marshal?"

"I just want to ask you a couple of questions Mr Ross. Working kind of late aren't you?"

"I had some figuring to do on my accounts."

"A big account like a buffalo outfit?"

"What's that to you?"

"You know the answer to that one too. I want to know where Murdoch's going."

"You know he isn't the kind to confide in anyone."

"But you got a pretty good idea."

"I got no idea. He brings in the hides we do business like always and that's all I know and I'm breaking no law."

"Yeah but you don't want Indian trouble around here either."

"Oh I don't know anything about Indian troubles far as I know there isn't any and there won't be any."

"Just one more question. Where is Murdoch's outfit."

"How do I know? His Indian skinner took everything away in the wagon."

"Then he's camped outside of town somewhere. All right."

"You tangle with Murdoch and you'll wish you hadn't. I was just warning."

Matt gave Ross a lock and went to saddle Buck. Uncharacteristically Matt chatted in a low tone to Buck telling him what had happened. Buck recognized that Matt needed to get his feelings out in the open. Buck wished he could tell Matt that things would be fine if he'd talk to his friends but he knew that Matt wasn't the type to vent his feelings to anyone normally.

Half an hour later Matt saw the light of a campfire. He dismounted and tethered Buck then walked into the camp. He found the young Blackfoot Indian skinner sharpening a knife he went to the fire and crouched at the skinner's side.

"You're a long way from home, aren't you? Blackfoot? Those cut arms they're mourning for some close relative, isn't it? Who are those for father, brother, mother?"

The young man turned away only when Matt mentioned his mother. Matt now knew who the boy was mourning.

"My name's Matt Dillon I'm a US Marshal how do they call you? What does Murdoch call you?"

"When he is not angry Indian."

"When he is?"

"Dog eater."

"He knows all the Indian insults. What do your own people call you?"

"It means Golden Calf."

"It sounds like you were name by a buffalo hunter yourself. You speak good English too."

"I learned young."

"You're a breed, aren't you?"

"I am Indian."

"What's a young brave like you doing so far from his tribe skinning buffalo for a man like Murdoch?"

"In the lodges at night my people speak of the pale warrior with the long arm. When he was with us his medicine was good. We do not have good medicine now."

"So you came looking for him but he wouldn't go back with you so you stayed hoping that good medicine would rub off on you. Well are you going to go on with into treaty territory hunting. You going to help him against your own kind you going to help him break that treaty. The solemn promise from the president to all the chiefs of all the nations at medicine lodge. Once the plains were dark with the running herds."

Matt sensed Murdoch approaching Buck knew that Murdoch wouldn't like Matt talking to Golden Calf and wished he wasn't such an obedient horse sometimes.

"They gave the Indian all he needed, food, shelter, bed, lodge, skins. The buffalo are gone wiped out by the white hunter for the skins alone the meat left to rot on the prairies. The small herds left in the south given by the president to the Indian. Are going to rob your brothers. Come on in Murdoch sit down your welcome."

Murdoch shoved Golden Calf aside and stood facing Matt.

"You got no right to come snooping Dillon asking questions turning my skinner agin me."

"And you've got no right to have him here. I could send him back to his tribe back to the agency. It might be the best thing for him too. And it might be best for you."

"What do you mean?"

"The way you been treating him he might not be so friendly to you once you two are alone down there in Indian Territory."

Murdoch just laughed.

"I don't fear no Indians least of all him. I know em lived with em plenty of years.

"So I heard."

Matt crouched by the fire again.

"They thought you were good medicine back then."

"Sure brought them the long arm. First gun they'd ever seen. Gave them more meat than they'd ever seen too. Sure I was good medicine."

"You've changed some."

"That may be. I could take em or leave em alone. Besides their day is done a man don't have to walk easy with em no more."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

Buck remembered seeing what happened when the Arapaho had been offended by the actions of white men. It hadn't been a pretty sight and if this white man brought harm to Matt he would definitely find some way of making him pay for it. Matt opened one of Murdoch's bullets pouring the powder onto the palm of his right hand.

"You don't take chances with your buffalo, do you? Must be 100-110 grains of powder there. Still using a big 50 huh? Thought maybe you'd got yourself one of those new Remingtons."

"This has done me I can load and fire as fast as another man with one of them repeaters and I can drop a bull at near a mile."

Murdoch fired his rifle the bullet going into the trunk.

"Or a man blow a hole in his chest you could put your foot through. I killed an Indian once 1200 yards took his head clean off."

Matt rose and studied the hole in the tree made by Murdoch's bullet.

"You like to kill don't you Murdoch."

"I don't mind it."

"No it's more than that 30 years must have done something crazy to you. Even the Indians don't kill more than they can use. But you. You round up a helpless herd of animals and start in. More hides than skin more meat than a whole frontier could use but you go right on blasting until your gun burns your hands. Men like you brought a stench to the plains, Murdoch, and it's not from the rotting meat. Maybe you were a pioneer one 30 years ago opening up the west. A loner doing what you had to do making your own laws. But your day is finished too Murdoch. You'll have to abide by the law now."

Matt checked in the wagon.

"Well you're traveling light and fast that means you're headed south. I'm warning you Murdoch don't try it."

"I go where I aim to go. Ain't no cavalry going to stop me and I just hope you try."

"All right if that's the way you want it. You cross that line I'll come after you."

Matt walked back to Buck and mounted to ride back to Dodge. He decided to get an early night. Chester came into the office early the next morning. He opened the blind.

"Mister Dillon."

"Morning Chester what time is it?"

"It's just after dawn. Murdoch's gone Mister Dillon."

"Yeah I figured he would be."

"Did you say you'd be after him?"

"I can't touch him until he crosses the line."

"Well may be the bluecoats will get him."

"No Murdoch scouted for the cavalry too long. They'll never touch him."

"Well it's too bad you have to go chasing him you could just talk to the major."

"No Chester this is one job I want to take on."

Matt put his shirt on followed by his gun belt and hat then left to go to the stables. He came out of the office door and smiled Chester had already brought Buck up to the office he mounted and rode south out of town.

The trail was rocky under foot as Matt followed Murdoch's wagon tracks. He knew that Murdoch would be watching his back trail. Murdoch had seen him and now took aim at Matt from behind a rock. He fired hitting the ground near to Matt. Buck was startled raced for some bushes while Matt threw himself to the ground near another rock. Murdoch fired again. Golden Calf didn't like it very much but at the moment he could do nothing.

"An Indian at 1200 yards."

Matt drew his gun then checked the distance and holstered it again.

"I wonder how fast you can reload?"

Buck watched from the bushes as Matt put his head up long enough to get Murdoch to fire again then ran to the next rock. He ran again drawing his gun. Murdoch fired again and Matt ran closer. Matt moved again wondering why Murdoch hadn't fired again then he saw the rifle lying on the rock where Murdoch had been. He approached cautiously then stopped seeing Murdoch lying with a knife in his back he looked at Golden Calf and holstered his gun. Golden Calf came to stand at his side.

"Why?"

"His medicine was not good not anymore."

"You found that out a long time ago but you wanted to wait until you got him out into Indian Territory away from the white man, wasn't that it? Well I can't say that I blame you but I'm a white man too and a lawman. All right thanks. I'll have to take you in, but I don't guess anyone will blame you for saving my life."

Matt looked at Golden Calf's arm seeing the cut.

"He was a relative of yours?"

"I am Golden Calf the son of Long Arm."

"All right son let's go."

As they passed the rock Matt picked up the rifle and handed it to Golden Calf. Matt saw Buck emerge from the bushes he smiled and mounted him Golden Calf fetched the wagon and they returned to Dodge together. Buck hoped that the court would look kindly on Golden Calf and if a sentence was needed that it would be suspended time.