Part Three: Chapters 78-80 Summary

Lorena is in the tent when Gus gets back. It's only been three days, but seems like much longer. Dish assures Gus that Lorena is fine and asks if they caught the horse thieves. Gus admits they did, but not before they had murdered Wilbarger and four others. Dish asks if they were hung, and Gus says yes, they'd hung them all—even Jake. That takes Dish by surprise. He didn't like Jake much, but didn't take him to be a killer. Gus opens the tent with a "howdy do miss" and a "give me a hug". Lorena does right away, blushing, and Gus laments the lack of a bathtub, telling her he feels like a groundhog. He tells her as gently as he can about having to hang Jake, but Lorena isn't exactly distraught about...