Buck listened to Chester as he talked to Moss while saddling him. What on earth was Deputy Brake thinking when he tried to shoot Hank Springer in the back. It was pure luck that Matt and Chester were on their way back to the office at the time. What he didn't understand was why Matt had jailed Hank and not Deputy Brake. Chester brought Buck to stand waiting outside the office. Matt and Chester came out, he mounted Buck.
"Should be back before evening Chester," Matt said with a wave.
"All right I'll take care of things Mister Dillon."
Matt waved again and was gone. He'd been riding for 2 hours when he came across the stage horses still harnessed together grazing on prairie grass. There was no sign of the stage. Matt caught up the horses and leading them he backtracked for another hour until he found the overturned stage.
"Anybody hurt, Jim?" Matt asked.
"A few cuts and bruises, Matt," Jim said.
"What happened?"
"I slowed down to come through Horseshoe Bend and your friendly neighborhood rattler spooked the horses. Couldn't get them stopped they broke loose when the stage rolled over. The problem is the broken singletree."
"How far is the nearest way station?"
"About an hour and a half back towards Pueblo."
"I'll ride over there and fetch some help."
Matt urged Buck into a gallop knowing that a horse and rider would get there quicker than a stage. An hour later he rode into the way station.
"Howdy Marshal you chasing someone?"
"The 8:00 stage didn't get to Dodge I found it about an hour and a half down the road it overturned."
"God! Anybody hurt?"
"Just cuts and bruises. But the singletree is broken."
"We'll get a new singletree out to them Marshal."
"I'll go tell them you're on the way."
When Matt got back to the downed stage he found that Jim had got a fire going and was making coffee for the passengers.
"It's a good job I always carry supplies of coffee and a coffee pot," Jim said as he handed Matt a coffee.
Soon after the station man brought the new singletree in a wagon. They got the stage upright and got the old singletree off and attached the new one then put the horses to it. Buck stood with the stage horses as the passengers got back on the stage. He reassured the horses that Matt and Jim would look after them.
They set off back to Dodge at an easy canter arriving around 6 in the evening Matt saw Chester waiting for him looking worried. He had an inkling as to what it was but decided to wait until Chester explained.
"What happened, Mister Dillon?"
"The stage overturned just passed Horseshoe Bend. Anything happened here?"
"That deputy from Mingo he came and said there'd been a gunfight at the Dodge House. When I went to check on it he tried to get Hank Springer. Hank got the jump on him knocked him out cold. Hank's got Deputy Brake's gun he's heading for Mingo told me he was going to shoot that sheriff. Deputy Brakes's at Doc's being patched up and well Doc thinks you ought to come see him."
"It's not your fault Chester I should have realized that he'd try something like that."
"What about the stage were many of the passengers killed?"
"No, they were lucky all they've got is cuts and bruises."
Buck watched them go to Doc's observing to himself that Matt might just throw Deputy Brake in jail this time which is where in Buck's mind is where he should've been in the first place. Not long after Matt and Chester returned to the office after Matt reassured the passengers that Doc would come to see them when they went to the Dodge House.
"Are we going after Hank, Mister Dillon?"
"We'll have to in the morning. I'm tired and so is Buck."
The next morning Chester went to the stables he saddled both Buck and Bob then led them both to the office. Doc had just brought Deputy Brake to the jail.
"Deputy you're under arrest for attempted kidnap and for allowing Hank Springer to escape jail. Chester lock him up."
"Yes, sir. Well get going you heard Mister Dillon."
Chester prodded Deputy Brake toward the jail returning as soon as he'd locked him up.
"I haven't really got much I could hold him on. The kidnap charge will stand at least until I find out what's going on down in Mingo. Doc will you make sure he stays…"
"Sure, I wouldn't want my good work to go to waste. I hope you get Hank before he does something stupid."
Matt and Chester mounted waved to Doc and rode out. They'd been riding all morning when they came upon a smoldering campfire.
"Couldn't have gotten far that would have burned itself out," Chester said pointing at the fire.
They heard a rustling in the underbrush, they dismounted Matt drew his gun and indicated that Chester should circle around to the left. He circled around to the right soon he saw an elderly trapper with a gun aimed towards Chester. He picked up a stick and threw it to his right. The old man fired his gun in the direction of the stick. Matt rushed up behind the man.
"They'll be alright," Buck said.
"Yeah I just wish Chester had 2 good legs at times like this."
"Yeah but he gets around pretty good anyway."
They listened as Matt came across an older man.
"All right that's enough," Matt said.
"What you ain't him?" the old man said.
"What?"
"The fella that shot me. Stole my horse his'n threw a shoe."
"Well let's get you up."
"I'm obliged."
Matt helped him sit on a fallen tree.
"C-c-careful now."
Matt took a look at the wound.
"How long ago did this happen?"
"About an hour. I figured my horse played out on him and he was coming back. I wasn't fixing on his getting the jump on me a second time. He's a mean un."
"Well I've been trailing him a hundred miles. I'm a marshal out of Dodge."
Chester hurried to them.
"It wasn't him, uh."
"No, Hank did this to him and he's got an hour's start on us with a fresh horse."
"Heh, might be a fresh horse all right but it ain't no better than the one he was riding."
"Eh?"
"That horse of mine got his lungs frost bit last winter. He won't carry him as far as Mingo if you push him too hard."
"What's this side anything? Any place he could steal another horse."
"Nope nothing over there but a family of nesters about 10 mile off. All they got's is a mule. Husband's off somewhere on a trip. His woman's staying home alone this week. That's the only...blessed Bess."
"And he's an hour ahead of us. Well we can't take you with us but we'll send somebody back to help you. Chester make him comfortable. I'll get you a canteen."
Matt fetched his canteen for the older man and their horses.
"Thank you Marshal…"
"Dillon, Matt Dillon."
"Seem I've heard of you. Heard you was good people. Thanks for this. Na you best get after your prisoner."
Matt and Chester rode on in the direction that the older man had pointed until they came in sight of a small cabin.
"Looks pretty quiet," Matt said.
"Yeah, maybe that horse wasn't as bad off as that fella thought. I'll bet Hank rode straight into Mingo. Didn't even come near this place."
"He might have. Let's see."
They dismounted and tethered Buck and Bob to the hitching pole. Before they could reach the door, the woman came out closing the door after her. Both Buck and Bob looked at the woman thinking she looked mighty nervous almost panicky.
"If you're looking for my man he ain't here. He might be back tonight more than likely it'll be tomorrow sometime. Who are you?"
"Well I'm the marshal up in Dodge City Ma'am were out looking for a prisoner who escaped from jail. He's a small man…"
"No! Ain't been anybody through here all day foot or horseback."
"Well it's just like we figured, Mister Dillon. You can't tell about them horses once their lungs get touched. You know sometimes they work out of it."
"Yes, I guess you're right Chester he must have pushed right on through. Well we won't bother you any longer, Ma'am. But would you mind if we wait here a couple of minutes while our horse get their wind?"
"Oh, if you've a mind to have some coffee, some chicory that is, it tain't real coffee. I'd be more than happy to fix you some."
"Taste real fine, Mister Dillon while we wait."
"Wouldn't take no time at all. Please stay."
"Well maybe just for a minute while our horses rest. Mighty nice of you to take the trouble, Ma'am."
"It's no trouble. Come on in."
She led the way into the cabin, 5 minutes later Hank emerged from a window. Buck's ears pricked as Hank untied them and led them away he tried hanging back but an impatient tug of the reins got him moving. Hank mounted Bob and urged him into a canter with Buck unable to do anything but follow on.
Buck looked beyond Hank as he tethered the two horses seeing a man he assumed was the sheriff creep up and shoot Hank in the back he fell forward against Buck and slid to the ground. Buck instantly knew that this human was not to be trusted, he knew that when Matt arrived he'd make the sheriff rue the day.
"You 2 men take Hank to jail."
"Shouldn't we bury him?" the younger of the 2 men said.
"No I want him in jail now get to it."
The men knew better than to argue with the sheriff he'd only find some crime to lay at their door. They lifted Hank and carried his body to the jail. The sheriff led Buck and Bob to the stables behind the jail.
"What are you going to do with the horses, Sheriff?" The older man asked.
"Put 'em in with mine. I'll ride that buckskin tomorrow."
Buck lay his ears back there was no way on earth he was going to let that human on his back. In the stables were other horses the sheriff had to put it bluntly obtained from the men he'd accused of murder. They all seemed to be subdued standing quiet as the sheriff left.
"Did all of you get taken by the sheriff?" Buck asked.
"Yes, he said our humans wouldn't need us anymore. What about your human?"
"I was taken by the human who rode Bob into town. When the humans who own us, get here and find out about this that sheriff will rue the day. My owner is the US Marshal and he hates back shooters."
The other horse in the stable perked up on hearing that now maybe they'd have a better man to serve than a back shooter. 4 hours later Buck's ears pricked up as he heard Matt and Chester talking to another man.
"What happened to the horses Hank brought to Mingo?" Matt asked.
"He put them with his horses. He did that to any horses ridden by the men he railroaded into jail or shot."
"Didn't those men have families."
"He never bothered with that said those families weren't worth the effort."
"Well we'll just add horse theft to the charges facing him. Will you testify to that?"
"Yes, sir, we just want him gone."
"Well he's going where he can't return. Murder charges with horse theft as well. I don't see how he can avoid the rope," Chester said.
Buck whinnied as the door opened and Matt and Chester came in with an older man. Matt ran a hand over Buck's neck and shoulder.
"Well son, you've had quite an adventure."
Buck didn't care about that he was just thankful that he was going home with Matt and wouldn't have to put the sheriff in the dirt where he belonged.