Shane was watching out of his bedroom window in the Dodge House as Matt mounted Buck and rode north out of Dodge. Matt rode north for some time until he came to a track a sign read "Bowers Ranch" he rode up the track until he came to a yard with ranch hands going about their duties, Emmett approached him with his foreman Pete Welsh. "Matt, thanks for coming out, Pete will take you up to where the herd was stolen from.
"Haven't seen you in town for a bit, Pete," Matt said, he noticed the gleam in Pete's eyes; Pete mounted his horse and rode off with Matt.
"You know Polly English, Matt?"
"Sure, I do, Reverend English's sister," Pete smiled.
"We've been stepping out together whenever I come to town. I'm saving my money to buy a small farm nearer to town so we can get married," Matt smiled he'd seen Pete walking with Polly and he knew that Polly wouldn't want to be too far from town, two hours later they arrived at the spot where the herd was taken from Keith Best rode up to them.
"Howdy Marshal, Mr Bowers said he'd sent for you," Keith said; "you heard from Frank Reardon lately?"
"Not since he finished hunting you and the men who killed his wife, Maria, and cleared you of any wrong doing," Matt said, Keith smiled.
"If you do would you tell him thanks for not charging me with his shooting."
"Sure not that he'd expect any; have you seen any sign of the rustlers?" Matt asked Keith shook his head.
"Nope, couple of riders stopped looking for water they asked the way to Dodge; I gave them water and pointed the way out to them."
"Is there a place nearby those rustlers might be able to hide out in," Matt asked.
"There's a couple of canyons northwest of here," Pete said, "and a farmstead or two closer than that; the Hoffmeyer's and the Eriksson's."
"I can't think that they would be involved they're good people," Keith said smiling as he thought about the Hoffmeyer girl.
"Keith would say that he's walking out with Hoffmeyer's eldest daughter," Matt smiled knowing that Keith would make a good husband and who knows maybe a good father too.
Matt and Pete rode on northwest; they soon came upon the Eriksson farm, Lars Eriksson came towards them. "Howdy, Mr Welsh, Marshal, light down have some coffee and something for breakfast I think," Matt smiled he'd had to skip breakfast he was up so early to chase those rustlers and anyone who knew Matt would tell you that he didn't particularly like skipping meals.
"My name's Matt Dillon, I'm the marshal out of Dodge City. Breakfast and coffee would set right nice," Lars led them into the house.
"Marta, set a couple of places for Marshal Dillon and Mr Welsh," the fourteen year-old got some plates and cutlery she set them on the table. A four year-old boy stood looking up in awe at Matt; he'd never seen anyone as big as the marshal. Matt crouched down, the boy reached out and touched the badge on Matt's chest; Matt smiled, he reached into his coat pocket pulling out one of the badges he kept for occasions like this and pinned it to the boy's shirt.
"Torkil, go wash now," the boy ran off to wash in the basin, Matt rose, they sat round the table; Mrs Eriksson dished up Hash, Flatbreads, Pastries and coffee. Torkil made sure he was sitting next to Matt and Lars said Grace and then they started to eat.
"We're looking for the rustler who stole twenty head of cattle and eight head of horses from Emmett Bowers spread," Matt said; "have you seen any strangers lately."
"We haven't seen any strangers but two nights ago we did hear some cattle," Lars said.
"Sounds like that might have been them," Pete said, Matt nodded; Torkil was full of questions so many that Matt had barely time for more than a perfunctory answer. After the meal Mrs Eriksson packed a lunch of flatbread and ham for Matt and Pete; they thanked her. The family followed them outside and watched as they mounted and rode off north towards the Hoffmeyer's farmstead.
Matt's eyes scanned the ground looking for tracks he found them easily enough heading north. "If they kept heading north they should have passed by the Hoffmeyer place," Pete said; it was now getting on for noon, they unpacked the lunch that Mrs Eriksson had given them.
"It's a pity we haven't got a coffee pot with us," Matt remarked, they ate the meal washing it down with some water from their canteens.
"We'll probably get to the Hoffmeyer place around mid-afternoon; they'll probably have some coffee on the go," Matt nodded and they set off again.