Abe Blocker, an aging mountain man, tells Bud and Mary Groves to get off their homestead or die. Bud tells Matt. He goes looking. Abe shoots at Buck's hooves. Abe's wife and child died in childbirth. Matt tells Bud he talked to Abe to no avail. Joe tell Matt the Groves have been scalped. Matt finds big moccasin prints, and start trailing Abe. He sees him thrice but he disappears.