Matt and Pete came in sight of the house in the mid-afternoon Franz Hoffmeyer came towards them as they rode in. "Hello, I am Franz Hoffmeyer."
"Matt Dillon, Marshal from Dodge City; Emmett Bowers has had some cattle and horses rustled from his herd two days ago. Wondered if you had seen or heard anything;" Franz called his son Rolf who came from the direction of the barn.
"Marshal, I hear the cattle I was in the house but Rolf he was in the barn. Rolf you tell the marshal about the men you see," Rolf didn't look like he wanted to say anything, but he obeyed his father.
"I see the men mid the cattle und the horses; one of them points a gun at me tells me to say nothing. I think they come back to kill me if I say," Matt could see that the boy was scared.
"Don't worry I don't think they will come back," the boy didn't look any more reassured.
"Come in the house, we were just about to have coffee," Matt and Pete dismounted and followed Franz and Rolf into the house, Elsa Hoffmeyer served the coffee with some cakes and pastries, Matt couldn't recall when he'd eaten so much good food in one day.
Young Rolf while scared was still eager to hear about Dodge, so Matt told him about Wild Bill Hickok, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and the Mastersons'; by the time he'd done that it was evening. "Ach, I am sorry Herr Dillon, Rolf has always wanted to go to Dodge, and we grow what we need here," Franz said.
"Oh that's all right we wouldn't have been able to track much of those canyons by nightfall anyway," Matt said even though he knew differently, noting the first glimmer of a smile from young Rolf. "We have a few Germans living in Dodge City they have an annual German Picnic, they eat nothing but pork, perhaps you could come in for that. I'll ask the committee to come see you to explain about it," Rolf's smile grew wider. "If you don't mind Mr Hoffmeyer, we'll put up in your barn for tonight?"
"Nein, you use our barn with pleasure, Rolf you help the gentlemen, let them overlook the barn," Rolf led Matt and Pete to the barn; he showed them where the feed was stored, Rolf's fear had rescinded, he ran a hand over Buck's rump.
"I have never before overlooked so fine a horse," Matt smiled remembering Paco as a small boy and now Paco was grown and in the Texas Rangers.
"I took a bullet out of the leg of young Arapaho he was tracking the men who killed a friend and stole some horses," Matt explained the whole story to Rolf, while unsaddling and giving Buck a rub down and feed.
"Yorky knew he was white?" Matt nodded, "but he chose to return to the Arapaho, they were his family?" Matt nodded, "have you seen him since?" Matt shook his head.
"I might one day, you never know. You'd better go in now," Rolf smiled and ran back to the house.
"That kid's sure full of questions," Pete said, Matt smiled another remembrance of Paco he too had been full of questions.
"Tomorrow we'll search the canyons to the north, they may have guards watching we must be ready for them," Matt said, they wrapped themselves in their blankets lying in the stall with their horses. In the morning they saddled up and after a breakfast of sausage, black bread and coffee, they rode off north with a packed lunch provided by Elsa and the gift of a coffee pot.
They searched the first canyon thoroughly finding nothing they made coffee and ate the lunch. "God, I don't remember eating so well as the last two days," Pete said.
"Hasn't Polly cooked for you?" Pete shook his head.
"Not yet, Matt, I mean I've been told she's a good cook, had no occasion to try any yet."
"You should come in for the next social; Polly normally brings some of the baked goods with her," Pete nodded smiling at the thought; they made sure the fire was out and rode on to the next canyon. Men watched as they rode in, they raised their rifles and fired, the first round hit Matt in the shoulder, startled Buck reared throwing Matt to the ground, the next in the chest and then the leg. Pete got between Matt and the men firing back at them they fired again hitting Pete in the shoulder, he heard the men ride off. Pete ignored his wound and tried to clean Matt's wounds as much as possible; Matt came to briefly. "Where's Buck?"
"He got spooked by now he should be nearly back to the Hoffmeyer spread," Pete got his blankets and wrapped Matt in them, he got a fire going, by the time he'd done that Matt was deeply unconscious.
Rolf looked up startled as Buck galloped up to the water trough he called his father then led Buck into the barn. "Look, there is blood on the saddle, we must find them."
"When you have unsaddled the marshal's horse, harness the team to the wagon and we go find them," Rolf unsaddled Buck and gave him some feed, then got the team harnessed to the wagon, together with his father they raced the wagon towards the canyon.