Buck was waiting outside for Matt or Chester. Matt was sat at the table in the office playing solitaire when Chester came through the door with an armful of firewood. He looked over Matt's shoulder at the cards on the table. Buck pricked his ears when he saw Lucy coming towards the office suspecting that things were going to get interesting.
"I bet you don't know who I saw driving into town this evening."
"Hm."
"Miss Lucy you know that girl that old Ephraim Hunt married last winter used to work at the Long Branch. Mrs Lucy Hunt her name is now. You remember."
"Yeah, yeah I remember Chester."
"I haven't seen her in a coon's age. I guess old Ephraim rides pretty close herd on her. I never could figure out why she married him. Talk about June and December. Do you reckon it was because of his money?"
"Well I don't know Chester."
The door opened and Lucy came through the door.
"Miss Lucy. Well I'll get the water."
Chester took the bucket out back. Matt rose to stand waiting politely.
"How are you Matt?"
"Mrs Hunt."
"Mrs Hunt it used to be Lucy."
"You didn't used to be married."
"Did it make that much difference."
"Well it does to some women. Sit down Lucy I'll get you a cup of coffee."
"I don't have much time I don't want Ephraim to know I'm here."
"What's on your mind?"
"Matt he's going to kill me."
"Ephraim?"
"It's true he told me. Everybody thinks he's so good studying to be a preacher an all. But he's not he's mean and cruel and now he's planning to kill me."
"Oh why does he have any reason?"
"No of course not what do you think I am?"
"What I think doesn't matter. What does he think?"
"He knew where I worked when he married me. Now he keeps telling me I'm evil and that by marrying him I led him into sin. And that now I have to pay for it. He accuses me of things terrible crazy things and they're not true Matt. They're all in his mind if he's got any mind left."
"Well do you want to file charges against him? Have him put under a piece bond locked up?"
"My word against his. He'd be out in twelve hours. He'd look sanctimonious quote some scripture and he'd be out. People just can't forget that I used to work in a dance hall."
"All right Lucy. I'll see what I can do. If there's anything I can do."
"Goodnight Matt and thanks. Thanks a lot."
Buck didn't understand the concept of religion but he understood goodness and knew that old Ephraim Hunt was essentially a good man. He'd be the last man other than Matt that Buck thought would kill any man without just cause. Chester came in the office with the water he put the bucket near the stove.
"I'd best take the horses to the stable, Mister Dillon."
"Thanks Chester."
"I'll be going out to the Hunt place tomorrow. You just watch over the town until I get back."
"Okay Mister Dillon."
Chester left he unhitched both Buck and Bob and led them to the stables. Chester was back early the next morning to saddle Buck. He took him to the office tethering him to the hitching rail. Matt smiled as Chester came in the office some marshals didn't have someone like Chester to help them out. Matt finished his coffee and left the office he mounted Buck and headed north. Ephraim came out of the barn just as Matt arrived. Matt dismounted tethered Buck to the fence.
"Marshal, good to have you drop by."
"How are you Mister Hunt?"
"Hot. Come inside the sun's a real killer today."
"That it is."
Matt leant down to examine the grain.
"Seed for my next year's crop. Handpicked only way to better the yield. Sit down."
Ephraim lifted his jug.
"Here have some applejack take your mind of the heat."
"Thank you."
"Devil's brew it might be but it's a vast help in banishing the cares of the day."
"Well a man like you shouldn't have any cares Mister Hunt. Rich farm good health and a good wife."
"Care looks everywhere Marshal. Man's brief joy is dearly brought. Your good portion sir. Out this way on business?"
"No just passing by."
Ephraim reached down and picked up some of the corn stalks. Buck thought how he'd like to eat the corn.
"Notice the length of the head, the fullness of the of the kernel. A remarkable strain."
"Yes you should have a good crop. How's Mrs Hunt?"
"Her health is excellent. Her state of Grace is more uncertain."
"I hope it's nothing serious."
"A man has a duty in this world Marshal. To lend his strength to the frail reed of his household. To support them against the storms and strifes of living. To see that they do not break."
"Well just so long as they don't break."
"That's not my intention Marshal."
"That a promise Mister Hunt?"
"You weren't just passing by, were you? She been to see you?"
"She was a little worried about you."
"She needs my protection Marshal. She needs a strong hand but a gentle one."
"You mean that, don't you?"
"Of course, I love her very much."
"Goodbye Mister Hunt."
"Marshal."
"Oh and er thanks for that Devil's Brew."
Buck watched was Ephraim came to the door of the barn watching as Matt walked towards him. Matt mounted and turned Buck towards Dodge. Buck was glad that Ephraim had turned out to be a nice guy but wondered what had got Lucy so worried. Chester came out of the office as he arrived back.
"Evening Mister Dillon, I'll take Buck to the stable for you."
"Thanks Chester did anything happen while I was gone?"
"No sir it's been pretty quiet all day."
Matt entered the office he put his rifle back in the rack then decided he wanted a drink. Chester returned shortly he offered Matt a coffee.
"No thanks Chester what I'd really like is a cold beer."
Chester smiled he'd been hoping that Matt would suggest that. They headed for the Long Branch smiling as he thought of Kitty. As he entered he heard Doc arguing with somebody.
"Hem-hem-hem. No sir, Ed. No sir. You're all wrong about it. I tell you it wasn't the Arkansas at all. It happened way up north on the Solomon. Oh Matt, he'll tell you, Matt won't you settle a little argument here. Old Ed here."
Matt didn't want to get involved at the moment as his attention was drawn to a certain beautiful redhead. Kitty smiled seeing him.
"Well I'll see you in a minute Doc."
"Oh all right. And you're going to be very surprised."
"I tell you right now you're wrong about it," Chester said.
Doc wondered how Chester knew what they'd been discussing but still it was probably Chester jumping in as usual. Matt headed towards Kitty.
"Hello Kitty."
"Hello Matt how was it you're so late?"
"Oh I've been out to old Ephraim Hunt's place."
"What's he been doing giving you a sermon trying to save you from yourself huh?"
"No, as a matter of fact he was trying to tell me how to take care of a wife."
"Oh well would you like me to take over where he left off?"
"I think we'd better sit down."
Matt took Kitty to a table, she noticed that he seemed to have something on his mind.
"Anything on your mind, Matt?"
"Look Kitty you used to know Lucy when she worked here didn't you?"
"Well?"
"Tell me about her what was she really like?"
"Oh I don't know Matt I didn't get to know her very well none of us did. She was kind of a strange kid, kept to herself most of the time. Why what's the matter?"
"Oh I don't know exactly but there's something wrong out there someplace."
"Hm, Matt have you talked to Booth Ryder?"
"Him, well I've said hello to him a couple of times in here."
"Talk to him."
"He's a young kid what'd he know about it?"
"He's been working out at the Hunt place for about a month now. Why don't you talk to him?"
"All right I will."
Matt rose and went over to the bar.
"How are you Booth?"
"Marshal, join me."
Booth offered a glass to Matt.
"Thank you. I understand you're working for Mister Hunt. How are things going?"
"All right I got a good job. I like it fine here."
"I understand old Ephraim is a good man to work for."
"It's all right I ain't got no complaints."
"Tell me Booth how do you get on with Mrs Hunt?"
"Fine why?"
"Just wondered."
"Something on your mind Marshal?"
"Maybe."
"Then you better say it out."
"It's a big world Booth there's a lot of it you haven't seen yet. Why don't you go look some of it over? Some of those big spreads up north or out west in the territories."
"I kinda like it here."
"Well you've been here a month now. You've seen all there is to see. There's no future for you here."
"I reckon the future can keep. I like things fine just the way they are. Marshal with a job like I got here a man would be crazy to pull out."
"He might be crazier not to. Think it over Booth."
Matt went back to Kitty.
"I'll see you later Kitty."
"Is there something wrong Matt?"
"I don't know there might be."
Matt left picking up Chester at the bar they headed for the stables. Matt told Chester his suspicions while they saddled up. Buck listened intently he had an ugly suspicion that Ephraim Hunt was being set up and that somehow Booth was the pawn in all of this. They headed for Ephraim's ranch. They stopped near the ranch to take stock of the situation.
"What are we going to do Mister Dillon? Are we going on?"
"I guess so Chester. I don't know I could be dead wrong about this."
"Well just because a man buys a gun don't prove he's planning a murder."
"That's right Chester. Let's go."
They headed on to the ranch stopping when they heard two gunshots.
"Over to the barn," Matt said.
Booth came out of the barn, he heard them coming and left quickly. Matt heard Booth ride out but didn't see him then they headed into the barn. Buck watched through the door as Matt eased Ephraim into a sitting position.
"Easy now. Here Chester," Matt handed Eprhaim's gun to Chester. "Mister Hunt."
"Is that you Marshal?"
"Yeah it's me. Who did this to you?"
"Was it Booth Ryder?"
"I admire you Marshal. You have such implicit faith in the law. Good thing I suppose. There's no law to cover an old man being a fool. I've…"
Matt caught Ephraim as he fell forward.
"Go back to town get Doc will you Chester?"
"Yes sir, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to carry the sad news to the widow."
Buck could see that Lucy was sat at the bureau in the living room when Matt entered. Then he was left to dwell on the ugly suspicion that Lucy had convinced Booth Ryder to shoot Ephraim as the door closed. Soon the door opened and Matt came out just as Doc arrived with Chester.
"You've told Lucy?"
"Yeah, I wish I could prove that she convinced Booth to do it but I can't Ephraim had his gun drawn."
"We going to bury him here or in town Mister Dillon?"
"Here by that old oak once Doc's finished."
"I've seen all I need to see Matt. It's a shame Ephraim Hunt was as good a man as you could get," Doc said as he rose to his feet.
Chester picked up a shovel and started to dig by the oak after the burying they headed back to Dodge. While they were unsaddling an idea came to Matt.
"Chester find Two Crows ask him to keep a watch over the Hunt place. Let me know when Booth Ryder returns."
"Sure thing Mister Dillon."
Later that week Matt was playing checkers while Chester sat grinning between them watching on.
"Well what are you grinning about?" Doc asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Chester said in return.
"There are chairs all over and do you have to sit right there and keep your nose down."
"Doc! Let's just play I haven't got time to argue."
"Time you haven't even got time to play checkers there's a killer out on the loose. You oughta be out after him."
"I'm working on it."
"Well if you're working on it why haven't you got him?"
"Hm. I'll get him. Your move."
"I know it's my move."
Buck was standing with Bob outside the office his ears twitched he almost snickered it sounded like Doc was in an argumentative mood. He turned his head as Two Crows rode up to the office dismounted and opened the door he nodded to Matt and came back out.
"Well let's go take him."
"Take who?" Doc asked.
"Booth Ryder."
"Well where is he?"
"He just went back to Ephraim's place. Two Crows has been watching for me."
"Well he's liable to put up a fight ain't he Matt."
"He might."
"Matt it'll be dark out there. You won't be able to see him but he'll be able to see you."
"Maybe."
Buck and Bob paid more attention now as the door opened and Matt and Chester came out. They mounted and rode out to the Hunt Ranch. If a horse could be said to pray then Buck did he at least hoped that Matt and Chester would take care. He saw Booth come out of the barn as Matt and Chester walked towards the barn he was carrying his saddle. He dropped the saddle drew gun and fired at them before dashing back into the barn.
"Why didn't you shoot him?" Chester asked.
"Ah watch yourself."
Matt approached the open barn door cautiously.
"Don't be a fool Booth. Come on out of there."
Matt cautiously entered using the shadows to avoid Booth's shooting him.
"Booth. Make it easy on yourself. Throw down your gun and come out."
Booth rose up and took aim but Matt saw his shadow and moved quickly.
"I'm coming after you boy."
Matt started to climb up but Booth jumped down drawing his gun and firing. His shot missed but Matt's shot didn't he hit Booth in the left shoulder. Chester came running in as fast as his stiff right leg would let him just as Matt lifted Booth to sit him on a bench.
"Go fetch Doc Chester."
"Yes sir."
Doc was soon there tending Booth's shoulder.
"It's a terrible place to shoot people Matt. Barns and stables worse place in the world for Lockjaw."
"How do you feel Booth?"
"I'll make out. How'd you find me?"
"Well I figured you'd come back to Lucy when things quieted down. I had the place watched."
"Ah. She was just using me Marshal that's all it was. She told me so when I came back today. Gave me 2 weeks wages and told me to drift."
"Well now you know."
"She laughed at me. Called me a green kid. I reckon she must have laughed at him too. Maybe called him an old man. She hadn't ought to have laughed. When she done that it seemed that my hands moved by themselves."
"What?" Matt asked a horrible suspicion crossing his mind.
"Yeah she's in the house. I choked her to death."
"Well you'd have probably got away with it clean too. He did have a gun in his hand even if he didn't know how to use it. But not now. They'll never let you out of this you know that don't you?"
"Yeah I reckon. Funny thing when you think about it. I was heading up north when I hit Dodge along about sundown and I figured to lay in just for the night. I wasn't aiming to stay here."
"You weren't?"
"Not till I met Mister Hunt in the saloon and he offered me this job. I was just riding through."
"Booth."
"Yes sir."
"You should've kept on riding."
Matt and Chester helped Booth out of the barn and over to the house. Chester fetched a shovel and dug a grave next to Ephraim's where they buried Lucy.
Buck watched on feeling a little saddened for Lucy but sadder for Booth who he figured to be a victim of Lucy's machinations. He knew that Booth would in all likelihood hang for killing Lucy and was something he knew that Matt hated to see done.