He lay sprawled at the door of the stable, his face in the fresh straw, one hand outflung and holding a bridle, the other by his side, empty.

The hands were seamed and gnarled with work, such work as even the months of hard drinking had failed to eradicate.  From earliest childhood Johnny McCoy had only known work, and had never shirked his share, only to have the drink catch up to him at last.

Billy stood beside the body when they came running, his face white, his eyes wide and staring.

"Bill," Chantry put a hand on the thin shoulder, "I'm sorry, boy."

Even as he spoke he was noting the bullet hole in the side of the skull, his eyes sweeping the area for the place of the marksman.

There was no use running and chasing, for the man would be long gone, and to rush in now with a lot of would-be pursuers would only trample any evidence that might have been left.

There were a dozen men there, and as many women.  Borden turned slowly to face them.  "Now listen, he said loudly, "and hear me plain.  You're each to go directly to your homes, and stop for nothing on the way.  Go directly there and stay in until morning, or settle with me."

"What about my business?" Reardon demanded.

"One night won't hurt you," Chantry said coolly, "and I don't want everything tramped up and spoiled.  With luck I'll have found what I want by daylight."

"And what'll that be?" Blazer demanded irritably.

"That's my business," Chantry replied brusquely.  "Just get on home now."

"And what if we don't?" Puggsey Kern demanded.

Borden Chantry smiled.  "Why, I'll throw you in jail for disturbing the peace, for loitering, and as many other charges as I can find to answer the bill.  But any loyal citizen who wants this mystery cleared up will do all he can to help."

"That goes with me," Lang Adams said.  "Anything you need, Bord, you just call out."

Big Injun was there with the wagon, and they loaded Johnny McCoy into the back.  Borden dropped  his hand to Billy's shoulder.  "Son, you'd better go along to my house.  Bess and Tom will be mighty glad to have you with us."

Reluctantly, the boy went, stunned and silent.  As yet, there had been no tears.  That would come, Borden knew, when Billy was alone and away from watching eyes.

Slowly, the crowd scattered to their homes, and there they would stay... unless the killer was among them.  For what better thing for him to do than run up and join the crowd?  One by one he sorted them out in his mind, then shook his head.  No... not in that bunch.

Hardly likely.  Yet he remained uneasy.  He simply did not know, and all his clues seemed to lead to nothing.

Johnny had himself been a suspect, although not a serious one in Chantry's thinking.  Yet... he had to be considered.  He had stabled the dead man's horse.  He had known the man had money.