Chapter One

Festus Haggens stopped by the telegrapher's office to see if there were any messages for US Marshal Matt Dillon, Barney Danches handed Festus a telegraph for Matt. Usually Barney would have told Festus what the telegraph was but he was so busy he didn't have time. "Seems like everyone in Dodge is getting messages," he said just as the telegraph came to life. "Here comes another," Barney sat at the desk, listening carefully.

"Sure thang, Barney, you got any fer Doc and Miss Kitty?"

"None for Miss Kitty but Doc's is the left hand pile, thank you Festus, just seems like I ain't got time today," Festus picked up Doc's telegraphs and left. He saw Doc outside Delmonico's and gave him the telegraphs.

"Thank you, Festus," Doc said.

"Barney's thet busy, he don't know if he's coming or going."

"For Barney that's unusual, but you that's your normal state of existence."

"Na, Doc, you know'd thet ain't so."

"Well, I've got to go out to the Walsh place this afternoon."

"Ruth Ann," Doc nodded, "any sign of thet baby coming yet?"

"Nope, nearly a month overdue, I might have to induce the birth."

"I know Injuns have ways of doin' it, cain't rightly recollect what though."

"Well, you tell Matt if I'm needed where I'll be."

"Sure thang, Doc," Festus said and continued on his way to the Marshal's office, he entered. "Marning, Hannibal, Jedediah. Matthew, Barney only had this one telegraph fer you, today," Heyes poured coffee for everyone. "Matthew, I jest saw Doc, he said to tell you, he'd be out at the Walsh place."

"Ruth Ann gone into labor yet?"

"Nope, Doc said he might have to give her something to make her give birth," Matt read the telegraph.

"Marshal Crown of Cimarron, has found Bill Johnson, he's got him locked up waiting to be picked up. Heyes, Curry, you go get him," Matt said. Heyes and Curry rose and left crossing to Moss Grimmicks they saddled up and took enough supplies for a week, they mounted and headed west.

Heyes and Curry rode up to the Wayfarer's Inn covered in trail dust, they dismounted and tethered their horses. "Beer, Heyes?"

"Yeah, once we've seen Marshal Crown," they entered the inn and walked up to Jim Crown who was enjoying a beer. "Marshal Crown, I believe you've got a prisoner for us. I'm Deputy Marshal Hannibal Heyes and this is Deputy Marshal Jedediah Kid Curry, Marshal Dillon sent us to pick up Bill Johnson."

"Good, I'll be glad to get him out of my jail," Jim Crown said.

"Is he that bad?" Curry asked.

"It took six of us to get him in the cell," Crown led them to the cells, "and he hasn't calmed down yet," Bill lunged at the bars. "You better learn, Johnson, those bars are too strong."

"It's too late to start back today, we'll leave tomorrow morning, and you better come peaceably or you'll be going belly down over your saddle," Heyes said.

"Well, I'll buy you a drink," Crown said, they returned to the bar. "You want whiskey or beer?"

"Beer, nice and cold."

"Make that three beers, Mac?"

"Coming right up, Jim," MacGreggor said he brought the beers down.

"Mac, this is Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry, they're deputies for Matt Dillon."

"Aye and how is the Marshal of Dodge?"

"He's good. Jim, did he tell you about his kids?" Curry asked.

"No, I didn't know Matt had any children."

"Yeah, he recently discovered he had ten year old twins from a relationship he had when he was a sheriff before he came to Dodge," Heyes said. "A boy and a girl. He told you about Mary, the girl those Comancheros left for dead?"

"Yes," Jim took a sip of beer, thinking what he'd do to anyone who harmed Dulcey.

"She adopted him as her father, which is good for her and him, when he's out on the trail she looks after the twins and keeps the house," Dulcey came towards them, she said she'd got two room ready for them and showed them upto them.