“I mean, where did the bullet hit him?”
“I didn’t look. Good gosh, I got off my horse and yelled at him, but he didn’t move. I seen the handcuff on his left hand⸺”
“Where’s his horse?” interrupted Cultus.
“Along the road between here and town. I didn’t bother with it.”
Cultus left his unfinished meal and hurried down to the livery stable, where he quickly saddled his horse. Ole carried the news to the War Dance, and there was quite a parade down the road to where they found Buck Gillis.
The doctor’s examination was brief. Buck had been shot twice, and either bullet would have killed him. The doctor was rather annoyed when Cultus insisted on helping him with the examination. On the sheriff’s left wrist dangled the handcuff, the other cuff being open and still containing the key. Cultus examined the wounds closely, but said nothing.
After they loaded the body in the doctor’s buggy, Bad News asked Cultus to ride with him to the Circle M ranch.
“Blaze got him cold,” said Bad News drearily, “and he’s prob’ly headin’ a long ways from here, but we’ll see what that danged half-breed has to say about it.”
They found Jules Mendoza and his two men at the ranch, but they either didn’t know anything about it or didn’t want to know. Jules said he didn’t know the sheriff arrested Blaze.
“Me and Tony Gibbs and Mex Skinner go ’way this mornin’,” he said. “Blaze stay here. We come back, Blaze gone. What happen?”