Hello. Merrick gets it. "And is that the vandalism's purpose, sir?" Merrick asks, getting his mad on, "and of the DOG defecating in my office, with ruffians dispatched by YOU as the lesson's author?!" In the best line of the night, Cy shrugs a little, preparing to walk away, and says, "I doubt they had a dog with them." Merrick is both shocked and appalled.

Back at the livery, Hostetler has tied the suddenly-sober Steve to an anvil. The NG has arrived, and asks Hostetler what he's up to. He tells the NG that he caught Steve fucking a horse. Steve: "I did not fuck that horse." No, the NG says to Hostetler, ignoring Steve for a moment, "I'm asking you what you're doing." Hostetler says his plan is to go get a shoeing tool, and "hit this bastard" right between the eyes, and "drop him like a piece of beef." Steve interrupts that he never harmed Hostetler. "I guess he ain't talkin' to me," the NG says, thinking of his ruined shoulder. "You NEED to DIE, Steve," Hostetler tells the hoople, and I dream of putting THAT on a t-shirt. The NG does not want Hostetler killing anyone. "Hard as you worked, as much shit as you had to eat, the only way it makes sense for you to kill him," the NG says, "is if you sign everything you got across to me, first, and then I could see the logic." The NG gives Hostetler his trusty chalkboard, and Hostetler smarts that he's gonna kill Steve and then come back and kill the NG.

The NG takes another tack. He asks Steve if he believes that God can act through a n*gger. "God does not want you to kill," Steve tries, finding religion. "Do you believe," the NG continues, "that God would let me feel mercy toward you that TARRED me, and fucked his horse?" Steve: "I do. But...I did not fuck the horse!" He goes on to ask if Steve will "go hence in gratitude" if they let him leave alive. Steve says he would. The NG has Hostetler draw up a little contract on his chalkboard. "Write out: 'I fucked the sheriff's horse,' and we're gonna have him sign it." Hostetler starts writing it out, while Steve interjects again, insisting he didn't fuck the horse, he merely jerked off and came on his leg. Sigh. Isn't it romantic? Doobee doobee doo?