The covered wagon looked small against the backdrop of the prairie that stretched for miles all around, an older man with his eighteen year old son were endeavouring to repair a broken wheel, the older man's wife was cooking up a rabbit stew and their sixteen year old daughter was helping her.
Six to eight Comancheros appeared on the top of the ridge, they rode down, one of them asked for water, the older man indicated the water barrel and while the man was drinking the others shot the older man, the son and the older man's wife, the girl tried to run but they caught her.
"Bring the Gringa bitch over here," the man at the water barrel said, he ripped her clothing from her, they laughed as they battered her. By the time they left she was utterly exhausted and lay feebly on the ground looking as if she were dead. The Comancheros stole everything including the clothing from the dead, they didn't even leave a canteen of water.
US Marshal Matt Dillon was on his way back to Dodge City from Garden City, he stopped when he saw the bodies, Matt sighed, if only he could have got there sooner, he checked the bodies, the girl last of all, the fact that the girl was alive, barely, but alive surprised him. Matt wrapped her in his blankets, he forced water between her parched lips, got a fire going as close to her as possible for safety.
He got his shovel and dug the graves burying each of them and giving them each a marker of stones, Matt forced some more water passed the girl's lips, she opened her eyes staring up terrified into his calming blue eyes, he tried crooning a song he'd used to soothe animals in his early past as a drover. She was soon asleep again, he laid her down and lay nearby, when he woke Matt found that she'd moved to lie spoon fashion against him, that surprised him. He rose and cooked up some bacon and coffee, wondering if she'd be able to eat.
The girl opened her eyes expecting to see the brown eyes of the men who'd attacked her but instead meeting the assessing blue-eyed gaze of Matt Dillon, she saw the badge on his chest and ran a finger over it, he smiled. "Do you think you could eat something?" He asked as he put a plate down by her and a cup of coffee, Matt watched as she ate slowly. He cleared everything away and made sure the fire was safely out, then lifted her up astride Buck, he mounted behind her, turning the horse he rode at a steady pace towards Dodge. Arriving in Dodge Matt rode straight to Doc Adams's office Festus came to meet him as he dismounted and lifted the girl down.
"Matthew?" Matt knew that Festus had around a million questions he wanted to ask, Festus took the reins from Matt saying he'd see to Buck.
"Fetch Miss Kitty to Doc's office first, Festus," Festus nodded as Matt lifted the girl into his arms and carried her up the steps to knock at Doc's door. Festus tethered Buck and went to the Long Branch finding Miss Kitty having a beer with Newly.
"Hello, Festus," Miss Kitty said warmly.
"Matthew's back, he needs you to go to Doc's, he done gone and found a badly injured girl on the trail. From the looks of her she met up with some real bad men."
"Dear God, I'll go now. Sam, give Festus a beer on the house," Sam nodded, Miss Kitty hurried out and up to Doc's.
"I'll be back directly, I said I'd see to Buck," Sam nodded and said he'd have the beer waiting for him.
Doc opened the door. "Dear God! Put her on the table, Matt. Where..."
"On the prairie, lying among her dead family. At least I think they were her family," Doc unwrapped the blankets, Matt turned away.
"Good God, she's as naked as..."
"They all were, the men who did this took everything including the water," frightened the girl grabbed Matt's hand, she turned her head as Miss Kitty came in hurrying over. "I think they used her?"
"They did. You find them, Matt. Animals like that need to be punished," Matt tried to withdraw but the girl just tightened her grip on him. It took a lot of persuading but eventually Miss Kitty managed to get her to let go of Matt's hand.
"When was the last time she ate?" Miss Kitty asked.
"This morning, I managed to get her to eat some bacon and drink some coffee. I wasn't sure she'd make it if I stopped on the way here."
"You know, Matt, she probably wouldn't have made it. Have you noticed that under all those bruises, she's an attractive girl?"
"Yeah. How old do you reckon she is?"
"Oh, around about sixteen years. Has she told you anything about herself?"
"Doc, she hasn't spoken one word since I found her, last night."
"The shock of seeing her family killed, then being attacked herself, she may never be able to speak."
"I'd better get back to the office. Probably got a mound of paperwork to catch up on," Matt started to go but the girl grabbed him again, there was no way she was going to let him out of her sight.
"It's that cowboy charm of yours," Miss Kitty said, "works every time."
"That isn't funny, Kitty. I've got work to do; I have to track those men down."
"I'll get Festus, you know how good he is with children," Kitty said.
"That's because Festus is little more than a child himself," Doc said. Miss Kitty left returning with Festus, some clothes for the girl, and some food from Delmonico's for Doc and the girl.
"Well, now, you jest come here and eat some vittles, you got to get your strength back," Festus said, she stared wide-eyed into Festus's blue eyes, but still clung to Matt. Miss Kitty put the food on Doc's desk and the clothes by the girl. Miss Kitty picked up the dress and slipped it over the girl's head, she put the girl's left arm in the sleeve.
"You'll have to let go of Matt's hand, so I can put your right arm in the sleeve," the girl thought about it but eventually she let go and Miss Kitty pulled her arm through the sleeve. Matt had by now moved out of range, looking embarrassed about the girl's fixation on him. It always amazed Miss Kitty how much affection children had for Matt and yet how embarrassed he got when they showed it.
Matt was sat at his desk reading the post and going through reward posters, trying to see if there were any that matched the attack on the girl and her family, nothing leapt out at him to suggest who might have done such a heinous crime. The door opened and the girl ran in she jumped onto his lap burying her face in his shoulder, Festus came in not long after.
"She done run off..." Matt shushed him, the girl had fallen asleep.
"Pull the covers down on my cot," Festus nodded, Matt rose with the girl in his arms, he carried her to the cot and lay her down, pulling the covers up over her. He stood gazing down still wondering why the girl had fixed on him.
"You find anything in the posters?" Festus asked, Matt shook his head. Doc and Miss Kitty entered looking relieved when they saw the girl sleeping in Matt's cot. Doc poured coffee for them, Miss Kitty could see that Matt was on the sizeable horns of a dilemma. What to do about the girl who seemed to need his warmth and find the men who'd caused her such pain. Miss Kitty knew Matt well enough to know that he was as mad as all get out at the men who'd attacked the girl and that he wouldn't rest until he'd found them. "What you going to do, Matthew?" Festus asked.
"I'm going to hunt them down, that's what I'm going to do. See if you can find Tobeel, then we'll start the hunt. Kitty can you find her a home with Ma Smalley?"
"Of course," the girl woke up screaming but she wouldn't have anything to do with anyone but Matt. Matt held her cradled in his warm embrace, he crooned the song he'd used that first night. Festus recognised that Matt wasn't a particularly good singer but then that wasn't important it was more the tone of voice and Matt had that right, eventually the girl calmed down. "We should find a name for her, Matt," Miss Kitty said, Matt nodded. Miss Kitty suggested several names until she hit on the name Mary, the girl showed a spark of interest. "Is your name Mary?" Mary nodded.
"It's a start Matt," Doc said. "Get Newly to stay here, you have to find those men," Matt nodded.
"Festus, fetch Newly before you find Tobeel," Festus nodded and left, Newly came in a few minutes later. "Newly, you'll have to take charge here while Festus and me are tracking those men. Send to Hays if you need help," Newly nodded. "Right now, I'm going to take Mary to Ma Smalley's to get her a room," Matt left with Miss Kitty and Mary, they headed for Ma Smalley's Boarding House. Ma Smalley had already heard how Matt had found Mary and she had known that Matt would come to her for help.
Matt, Tobeel and Festus set out from Dodge to the place where Matt had found Mary. Tobeel examined the tracks left by the wagon. "They go west," he pointed towards the trail that led to Cimarron.
"Don't Cimarron have a marshal, Matthew?" Festus asked.
"Yes, a damn good one, name of Jim Crown. We'll make camp here, Tobeel set out tomorrow," Tobeel nodded.
"I will go now, get meat," Matt nodded, Tobeel headed for what little cover there was, while Festus gathered up some wood for a fire.
"Matthew, you figure we'll catch up with them?"
"Yes, we have to Festus, we run the risk of them doing it again if we don't."
"It's going to take a few days afore we gets to Cimarron," Festus said.
"About two to three days, after that if they've already passed by we'll need men who know the Cimarron like the back of their hand."
"Like Marshal Crown," Matt nodded, Tobeel returned shortly with some jack rabbits, he skinned them skewering them on sticks over the fire. The evening of the third day they rode into Cimarron, dismounting and tethering their horses by the saloon. "Where's the marshal's office, Matthew?"
"In the saloon, convenient if he's locking up drunks."
"Well, that do seem to be most of what you do, Matthew," Festus said, Matt nodded as they entered the saloon and approached the bar dusting of the accumulated dust.
"Marshal Crown around?" Matt asked.
"He's just gone to the telegrapher's office, he said he'd be back in five minutes."
"We'll have a drink while we wait, three beers," Matt put the money on the bar, while the barkeep served them.
"Where are you from, Marshal?"
"Dodge City."
"You looking for someone?"
"Could be," Matt said, Jim Crown entered the saloon and came over.
"Matt, what brings you to Cimarron?" Jim asked, Matt didn't go into any great detail but he explained what had happened to Mary. "A ranch was looted and burned out nearby, nobody was killed they were all either out on the range or in town for supplies. I suppose they could have been the men you're after."
"Mind if we ride out to the ranch tomorrow, Tobeel's one of the best trackers that I know of, could be that he might spot something you haven't."
"No, I'd be grateful for the help, besides it could be that we're hunting the same men."
"How many men did you think attacked the girl's family, Tobeel?" Matt asked.
"Eight men ride into camp. Then leave with wagon. Could be they join with others later," Matt gave a nod of his head.
"Tobeel's the best tracker I know of, Festus runs him a close second," Festus smiled.
"Now, y'know, Matthew, that if he were here, Old Sergeant Hawk would be second to Tobeel," Festus said.
"Who's Sergeant Hawk?"
"An Apache policeman and a good friend. We'll leave first light if you don't mind."
"I don't mind, MacGreggor might."
"Oh, I'll be there, the Clan's never backed from a fight yet. Just as long as I've a supply of God's own nectar."
"God's own nectar?" Matt asked puzzled.
"Scotch whiskey MacGreggor brews it himself from Barley that he malts down and water from the river. The rest of us get plain ordinary Rye whiskey," Dulcey came down the stairs.
"I've made up some rooms for you and your friends," Dulcey said.
"Well, Ma'am, that's fine for me and Festus, but Tobeel has never liked being enclosed by walls."
"Prefer teepee or sleep under stars," Tobeel finished his beer and went out.
"Tobeel only ever drinks one glass. I think I'll try that bed," Matt said he walked upstairs, Dulcey followed with Festus showing them the rooms she'd made ready for them.
The burnt out ranch stood out stark against the morning sky, Tobeel scanned the tracks left behind, by the wagon stolen from Mary's family. "Twenty men do this thing, they have wagon taken from the family of Mary. I think they want us here. They go back they go to Cimarron."
"Then so must we," Jim said as the posse turned their horses and galloped back to Cimarron. They armed the citizens and waited, the Comancheros arrived not long after. "Hold it right there! Drop your guns!" The leader looked around, he hadn't become leader by being stupid, he knew he was outnumbered, he threw down his gun, the others followed his lead.
"Eight of you men stole a wagon, and killed three members of a family. Their sixteen year old daughter they left barely alive after raping and beating her half to death. I want those men," Matt said, "or we'll try each and every one of you and I'll see you all hung," the leader realised he had no choice, it was either eight or all of them, he gave the order and the leader ordered the men to ride forward or he would tell the marshals who they were himself.
"You can have them, I do not want such men to ride with me," Matt through manacles in front of them.
"Put them on," the men fastened the irons to their wrists.
Three days later Matt, Festus and Tobeel led the eight Comancheros into Dodge City late at night. Newly looked up as they entered. "Howdy Matt, they give you any trouble?"
"Not so's you'd notice. Has Mary been to see you?"
"Everyday, she's a lot better I think, don't know what her reaction to seeing them will do though." They put them four to a cell in the marshal's office. Matt was grateful that they'd arrived late at night, he'd dreaded seeing the reaction to the men in Mary's eyes.
"Thank you Tobeel," Tobeel nodded and quickly left when Matt paid him the six dollars he'd earned for tracking the men. "Festus, you go get some rest, I'll stay here," Matt said as he removed his gunbelt put it on the chest by his bed, sat and removed his boots.
"I'll take the horses to the stable, Matthew," Matt nodded. Matt slept for three to four hours then rose and got on with the correspondence that had mounted up over the week. Mary came in like a whirling dervish hurling herself into his embrace.
"Papa!" She said, Matt had to acknowledge that he was old enough to be her father, what pleased him more was that she'd started talking.
"Had breakfast yet?" She shook her head. "Come on then we'll go to Delmonico's," Miss Kitty and Doc were already there when Matt entered with Mary. Everyone was astonished when Mary ordered the breakfast, no one more so than Doc.