“Looks like they might have traded horses here.” said Wyatt, as Lucas rode up beside him.
Suddenly a shot cracked out.
“Hold it right there, mister!’
It was Neilson who had yelled and fired. Lucas frowned.
That was getting a little too involved. The man who had taken off running from the corral, heading toward the house, stopped in his tracks and raised his hands in the air.
“Don’t shoot!” he shouted.
“It’s Luther King.” said Behan, riding over to him. Wyatt and Bob Paul followed.
“Virg, you and the others go and check the house.” he said. “And watch yourselves.”
“I didn’t do nothin’!” King protested. “What the hell did you shoot at me for?”
“Why’d you run, Luther’?” Wyatt asked, looking down at the man from his horse.
“How was I supposed to know who you were?” protested King. “I thought you might be outlaws!”
“Did you, now?”
“Well, how was he to know?” asked Behan.
Wyatt gave him a hard look. “Why don’t you go and check the house. Johnny? See if your friend Len can tell us anything.”
Behan hesitated, again seeming as if he was about to argue, then once more thought better of it. He wheeled his horse and trotted toward the house.
“Been out ridin’ tonight, Luther?” Wyatt asked.
“I’ve been here all night.” King replied, nervously. “I didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“You didn’t have anything to do with what, Luther?” Wyatt asked, calmly.
“With.. with whatever it is you boys are out for.”
“Somebody tried to rob the Kinnear stage tonight. Luther.” Wyatt said. “Bud Philpot was shot and killed. I don’t suppose you’d know anything about that?”
“How the hell would I know? Like I told you. I was here all night.”
“Were you? What were you doin’ out by the corral?”…
“I came out to milk the cows.”
“You always strap your guns on when you go milkin’. Luther?”
King hesitated. “Man can’t be too careful these days. Might have been Indians around.”
Morgan Earp snorted with disgust, “Indians, my foot! You were one of them Luther, weren’t you?”
“I told you. I was here all night! I didn’t have nothin’ to do with it! Ask Len!”
“How do we know that Len wasn’t involved’!” asked Wyatt. “You’ve got some horses over there in that corral look like they were ridden pretty hard. You got anything to say about that?”
“Yeah, well… there was some riders came by not long ago. Wanted to trade some horses.”
“Who were they?”