After Moose went down, Tanner arrogantly turned his back, spat into the dirt, and walked away toward his office, followed closely by Jake Barlow. Tommy Mason rushed over to Murdoch and knelt by his body, followed quickly by a barefoot and shirtless, Johnny Lancer.

Almost immediately after Tanner had exited the Boar's Head, Bill Wyler had rushed up and banged upon Conchita's door shouting that Tanner was about to call Moose out in a gunfight. Lancer had not bothered to dress other than his pants and gunbelt as he stepped through Conchita's second story window onto the awning, then leapt down onto the street below.

Kneeling beside the prostrate giant, they soon noticed that he was still breathing. "He's still alive!" Mason virtually shouted.

"Get a doctor fast!" Johnny shouted to the nearest bystander. Soon Doctor Brion MacDonald arrived and checked Murdoch over perfunctorily then ordered someone to retrieve a stretcher from his office. As they were waiting for the stretcher, Conchita brought Johnny's clothing to him and he quickly finished dressing. As they began to load Moose onto the stretcher, Emily Cunningham came up beside them and began sobbing hysterically.

She glared at Johnny and said, "You did it, didn't you! Everywhere you go you bring death. Why Johnny, why?"

Lancer stepped back and pleaded that he hadn't done it, all to no avail. His aunt was hysterical and not having witnessed the fight, assumed naturally that the one person whom she had spent years hating and fearing, must be responsible. Although Lancer was not to blame, he could not help feeling that, somehow, he had brought all of this about. Bill Wyler finally managed to lead the distraught Emily Cunningham away, and Johnny helped carry the stretcher into the doctor's office.

Mason and Lancer waited in the anteroom nervously pacing the floor while doctor MacDonald operated upon Moose Murdoch. After about forty-five minutes he came out of the operating room.

"Is he gonna make it Doc?" Mason asked impatiently.

"That is one powerful man there. Yes, he will make it, provided he is very careful. He will be laid up for some time however. One bullet just missed the heart perforated his lung and had lodged in his shoulder-blade where I removed it. The other, creased his skull. He is still unconscious, however, that could be from the sedative I administered rather than the blow to the head. I did not want him regaining consciousness as I was performing the operation. He will require a great deal of care for awhile I'm afraid."

"Can he be moved?" Mason asked.

"Yes, but I would rather you didn't for at least a couple of days, so I can keep him under observation. My advice to you two would be simply to allow him to sleep. I'll let you know when he wakes up."

"Thanks, Doc. I guess I'll head over to the hotel restaurant and get somethin' ta eat. I'll check back here when I'm done." Mason said.

"You want some company, Tommy?" Lancer asked tentatively.

Mason looked at him a moment, sighed and said, "Hell, why not. Come on, Johnny." And the two erstwhile enemies walked out and headed toward the hotel restaurant, since Ma Cunningham's was apt to be closed at the moment.

They spoke little during that time, eating their respective meals in silence. Both, wanting to open up to the other, and both, feeling that for one reason or another, it was somehow inappropriate to do so. Finally, after finishing his meal, Tommy said, "Well, I'm gonna head back over to the doc's and see what's goin' on."

"I reckon I'll be along in a bit. I'm gonna have some dessert. They got pretty good apple pie here. Want me to bring ya some?" Lancer offered.

"Yeah, why not? See ya in a bit, Johnny." Mason said as he left the table. Johnny felt a warm feeling deep inside. He could tell that Tommy was warming up to him. Although he might never be able to totally banish the specter of Will Mason, he was now beginning to sense that there might yet be hope for a friendship with at least Tommy Mason, maybe Josh. Josh had, in the past, looked up to Johnny as a hero figure. Perhaps, that might help, he thought optimistically.

At Doctor MacDonald's office, the doctor received a surprise visitor. A small boyish-looking young man entered the office carrying a shinning spittoon, which he had appropriated from the Silver Palace Saloon, much to the consternation of two cowboys who had been making use of it. Its contents, he carefully prevented the doctor from observing. The man smiled disarmingly at Doctor MacDonald and said politely, "Hi doctor MacDonald. I just got into town an heard the awful news. Oh, excuse me, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Jake Cunningham, Emily Cunningham is my Aunt. I was just speaking with her and she is still to distraught I fear, to come and see her brother-in-law. I asked her if there was something that I could perhaps do for her. She asked me to look in on Mr. Murdoch and tell her first hand, how he is doing. I told her I would ask you personally but she insisted that I look in myself."

"Pleased to meet you young man. But pardon my asking, what is the cuspidor for?"

"Oh, I know this sounds silly, but Aunt Emily informed me that Mr. Murdoch is right fond of chewing tobacco, and might take it kindly if he had one of these by his side. I know, it sounds foolish, and I'm sure he won't be interested in a chew for a while. But I thought it best to humor the poor woman."

Doctor MacDonald laughed good-naturedly and said, "Why certainly. And to tell you the truth, Mr. Murdoch might be able to have a chew pretty soon. He's perhaps the strongest man I've ever worked on. He certainly has the constitution of a moose. He's right in here, Mr. Cunningham." Doctor MacDonald said as he led him to Murdoch's room and opened the door.

Doctor MacDonald was completely taken in by the young man's polite, boyishly charming manner. He found himself wishing that more of Olsen's Falls' citizens were possessed of such thoughtfulness and civility.

As they walked into the room and over to the bed Doctor MacDonald said, "You must be from back east young man."

"Yes sir, as a matter of fact, I am. In fact, I am studying to become a doctor myself. I've been told that I have an excellent bedside manner. Here, let me show you."

With that, the nice young man, who was in fact, Jake Barlow, hefted the spittoon, and before Doctor MacDonald could protest, emptied its putrid contents flush upon the unconscious cattle baron's face. Dropping the spittoon, he had a gun in the doctor's belly quicker than the untrained eye could have followed. The young gunman then almost doubled over, emitting a shrill, high-pitched laughter that brought to the doctor's mind a child he had known when he was young. The child used to enjoy torturing small animals and his sickening laugh as he did so, sounded almost exactly like the one he was now hearing.

Tommy Mason was approaching the doctor's office as Jake Barlow stepped out of the door, giggling like a small boy who had just left a frog in his sister's bed. Doctor MacDonald was behind him saying, "I want you to know young man, that you cannot get away with such behavior!"

Tommy felt a sinking in the pit of his stomach and he barely glanced at the gunman as he rushed into the doctor's office and into Murdoch's room. The burly rancher had not awakened but merely laid there, his face soiled with tobacco spittle.

Doctor MacDonald quickly explained what had happened and Mason's heart went into a rage. He rushed back out the door hoping to catch the gunman. He need not have hurried. Jake Barlow was standing lethargically in the middle of the street, waiting.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Mason, but your boss spilled his spittoon all over himself. I offered to wipe him up, but the doctor got angry and shooed me out of the office. Oh well, I guess some folks just cain't hold their tobacco, can they." He said listlessly. Then in a harsher voice he added, "Tell your boss he'd better think twice about who he spits on next time."

At that, Barlow started to turn and walk away. Mason made his decision in an instant. Some he knew, might later accuse him of cowardice. But he was well aware that he had no chance against the little gunman. Who did, if what he'd heard was true? He decided to draw on Barlow's back.

Whether Barlow heard or sensed Mason's action, no one ever knew. As Mason went for his gun. Barlow spun around drew and fired a bullet into Mason's heart before Mason had even leveled his pistol. He died as he hit the ground. Doctor MacDonald stared out his doorway in shock, then slowly moved out toward the fallen Mason.

"Sorry, doc. But I'm afraid that fella's done suffered a fatal dose of lead poisoning. Better get the undertaker." Barlow said, then once again, broke into that maniacal cackle as a crowd began to gather round and he himself, calmly walked away.

Back in the Olsen's Falls Hotel Restaurant, Johnny had not heard the shot amidst the everyday clamor of the restaurant and its occupants. However, upon stepping outside, he noticed the crowd which had gathered in front of Doctor MacDonald's a few blocks the street. He immediately dropped the plate of apple pie he was bringing Tommy, and broke into a run. He pushed his way through the crowd kneeling down beside the body of Tommy Mason where Doctor MacDonald was likewise kneeling.

"What the hell happened, and is Moose alright?" He asked harshly.

MacDonald explained in detail what had taken place. Lancer's face turned red with rage, his teeth clenched tightly together and his eyes narrowed into slits as he heard the story. At that moment, few would have recognized the normally, flawlessly handsome face. It had become an almost demonic mask of fury.

"Where did the little son-of-a-bitch go?!" Lancer asked almost in a hiss, as he faced the crowd. None dared answer him but one pointed over in the direction of the Silver Palace Saloon. "Is Tanner in there too?" Lancer asked.

One man replied that Tanner had last been seen in Doctor Ander's office some time ago, but was not in the Silver Palace.

"Well, you go tell Tanner that I expect ta see him out on the street in about five minutes. Tell the dirty, Yankee son-of-a-whore that if he ain't there, I'll come find 'em."

The man hesitated, not liking the chore when Lancer shouted, "RIGHT NOW!!" The man obeyed.

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