One Hot August Day
The big man awoke in the big brass bed and turned his head to see the redhead beside him was just beginning to stir. Matt could tell the August heat wasn't about to let up. Fact is, it was shaping up to be the hottest day since he returned from that long trial in Hays. He and Kitty were catching up on lot time and nothing short of a full-scale bank holdup was going to keep the two of them from a planned picnic about five miles outside of town on a secluded section of Saw Log Creek. Despite the heat, close to ninety scarcely two hours after dawn, and the urge to remain longer, he rose, washed and dressed.
Leaving Kitty to dress in a more leisurely fashion, Matt left the room and headed for the back stairs. Out on the street, he wiped the sweat from his brow with the brim of his hat as he walked toward his office. All he had to do was finish a couple of reports, ask Quint to keep an eye on things while they were gone and join Kitty for breakfast. By then it would be nine and she'd be more willing to face the day.
He opened the door to find the office already occupied. Festus had made coffee and he and Doc were arguing over whether it was drinkable or not. Matt quietly hung up his hat and pushed his way past them to his desk.
"Do you two think you can stop bickering long enough to pour me a cup too? Oh, and Festus, thank you for taking it upon yourself to boil up a pot."
"It twern't nothin' Matthew. Glad to do it, but I might not a done ifn' you'd locked the back door. I reckon you was faunchin' to git where you was goin' and fergot. If'n I'd waited a might longer in this heat, it could turn too hot for coffee. Din I could meybe git Miss Kitty to help a thirsty fella cool hisself off instead."
"Just listen to him Matt. First he lets himself into your office, scrounges coffee off of you and then he wants to follow it up with free beer from Kitty. The man's incorrigible."
There you go, ya ol scutter! You're drinkin' that thar coffee of Matthew's I made and yet ya go and insult me. Matthew, here's yours."
The exchange started a whole new round of bickering. Finally Matt couldn't take it anymore. His work thanks to his two friends wasn't getting done.
"Do me a favor you two; leave! I've got work that needs finishing before breakfast with Kitty. Oh, and while you're out there, if you happen to see Quint, tell him I need to talk to him."
The quiet after their departure allowed the big lawman to finally concentrate on his work. He was wrapping up the last report with about ten minutes to spare before meeting Kitty in Delmonico's when the door opened.
"Be with you in a minute. I'm just finishing up," he said without looking to see who it was.
"Doc and Festus told me you wanted to see me. Is there some blacksmithing you need done before the day gets too hot?"
"Nothing like that, Quint. I was wondering if you could keep an eye on things while Kitty and I go on a picnic," Matt replied as he put down his pencil after finishing the last of the reports.
Quint readily agreed. All that remained was checking the mail and he was done with work for the day. He could pick up the buggy from Moss while Kitty got the basket ready. They'd be at the secret spot, shaded by trees and hidden by rocks and bushes that was just wide enough for a couple to share a blanket. There was even a deep pool for them to swim in if they had a mind. He was glad he'd remembered to hide the fishing gear in the buggy the night before so certain parties wouldn't want to find out just how good the fishing was and spoil things at the same time. Friends were wonderful, but sometimes it was better to keep them in the dark.
Somehow, none of their friends saw them leave. Sam would see to the Long Branch and Quint to the rest of the town. Festus, if he were smart, would take April somewhere that offered the same advantages as the spot Matt had picked for himself and Kitty or, failing that, he and Doc would go fishing along the Arkansas. Matt smiled to himself before turning to face the redheaded woman sitting beside him, the smile taking in his whole face as he gazed upon her. She had her hair down, but held in place by a couple of pale blue ribbons, and wore a matching hat that captured the blue in her shirtwaist and the crystal blue of her eyes.
An hour later they had the blanket spread out, the picnic basket holding the far left edge down and the champagne and their fishing lines in the water. He sat close beside her, his right hand on the fishing pole and his left arm around her waist while she, pretending not to notice stared ahead and kept both hands on her own pole. She kept it up even as the hand attached to the arm around her slim waist began exploring up and down until she just couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into a fit of giggles. They dropped their poles and began to undress each other as the heat climbed.
Just as Matt helped her relieve herself of her drawers, he playfully pushed Kitty into the water, but wise to his intentions, she grabbed hold of his wrist pulling him into the water with her. They swam around each other, diving down into the water and coming up between the other's legs, their hands finding those private spots and their lips joining together until one or the other would break away to do it all over again. When they could stand the anticipation no longer, they raced to the blanket, collapsing full length onto it beside each other. He shifted even closer to where she lay face down to nibble at her wet hair and run his fingers up and down her back, starting at the nape of her neck. He covered every square inch of that side of her body with caresses from his hands, lips and tongue before she turned and began the same ministrations with him until their bodies locked together as one, oblivious to the outside world.
"What you see through them army glasses, son, is a man with total control over his female. A growed female exists so a man may fill her three holes when and how he sees fit, obey his every order, and anticipate and see to all his other needs. Remember there are but two ways to be sure a female acts proper to her man with only a weekly beatin' or so to remind her. Either he marries her, as I did your ma, or he rents or buys her. If he rents her, she only has to provide what he paid for, for the length of time he's paid for it. If he buys her, she must fill his every desire and take whatever he deems her due willingly for she belongs totally to him. It's possible a wife might believe she has a small amount of choice when it comes to what her man wants cause it's possible her family may side with her and hide her from him. I don't know about them two by the water, but no matter how he done it, she's all his. Now your ma was all mine even though I married her in the Indian way and didn't buy her. Her pa, a Comanche warrior, raised her up to know a man controls his squaw. Soon we'll be in Dodge and I'll find a new woman to replace your ma and she'll know how things stand from the first, even before we head back out on the prairie."
The man and boy turned away from the couple and mounted their ponies. Both were dressed in buckskins and had moccasins on their feet. The powerfully built White man stood several inches over six feet while his son, a light brown-skinned boy of about 14, still hadn't reached his full growth. He was nearly six inches shorter than his father with the gawky look of someone who hadn't filled out as yet. They rode the few miles to town.
Sam looked up from the glass he was cleaning to see a man with a familiar stiff-legged walk come through the batwing doors. Two boys followed in his wake. The bartender smiled as he put a mug under the tap and slid it along the wood. It reached the man just as he stepped up to the bar and then fumbled in his pockets for a coin.
"Oh forevermore, Sam. I have the money around here somewhere even though I just paid Mr. Worth for a bull. I still have some money left."
"That's ok, Chester, it's on the house along with a couple of sarsaparillas for the boys. I'm sure Miss Kitty will approve. Donald, I've got the name right, don't I? How are you adjusting to Chester as your pa in the year since I've seen you? When she got back four months ago, she told those of us who had to miss it all about the wedding and your adoption."
Chester Goode saw Donald's broad grin when the bartender recognized him and quickly introduced his other recently acquired son, Albert to Sam and explained why they were in Dodge. Sam wasn't surprised since Chester mentioned buying a bull from Jake Worth, whose hands would load it on the train. The barkeep was just explaining that Kitty and Matt were on a picnic when Festus and Doc came in. They grinned in happy surprise at Chester and motioned for him and his sons to join them at the usual table in the back. Sam brought them a round of beers so the old friends could talk and the boys could spend time with some of their new father's friends. When it came time for the second round, Quint Asper joined them for a quick beer since the heat meant few people were out and about conducting business or getting into trouble.
Both boys had already met Doc and Miss Kitty when their parents married, but only Donald, who'd come to Dodge with his now deceased blood father, had ever met Sam, Quint or Marshal Dillon. Both boys were thrilled by the opportunity to sit and talk to these people they'd heard so much about in the very place owned by Miss Kitty, whom they'd both come to adore during the time she stayed with them.
"We're glad to talk with you folks," the boys chorused, " but it would sure be somethin' for Mr. Dillon to say howdy and to be with Miss Kitty again if only for a bit. I hope they get back from their picnic before our train leaves for home," Albert added.
"Now, son, I want to see them too. Lettin' you spend time with my friends is why I brung you to Dodge City with me. The train's not leavin' 'til nine o'clock. I'm sure Mr. Dillon and Miss Kitty will be back long before then. Heck it's only three now."
The small group continued to laugh, drink and eat as the afternoon wore on, but Sam had to leave from time to time to tend to customers. Among them were a man and boy dressed in buckskins, who scanning the room, decided to try one of the less classy saloons where the drinks were cheaper and the women were more likely to be compliant. Not long after the pair disappeared, most of the group of friends left for supper at Delmonico's, getting inside the door just before the sky clouded over. Only Quint and Festus went their separate ways; Quint to the marshal's office and Festus to his rented house to freshen up and then in search of April, who he wanted to take to supper if she were still willing to be seen with him after her time helping the traveling circus. She was much more assertive and independent than the mousy girl who'd left her Texas home with his Uncle Jack as each new opportunity came to her.
Unaware that they'd been watched, Matt and Kitty lay back on the blanket catching their breath from their recent exertions. Realizing the sun was now past being high in the sky, they unpacked their lunch and retrieved the champagne without bothering to dress. Instead, they reclined in the Roman manner, had they been aware it was what they were doing, and fed each other chicken and hardboiled eggs and everything else Kitty had packed in the basket. Their hunger and thirst satisfied, the exchanges became more playful and were interspersed with kisses and nips leading to another passionate session even more intense than the earlier one.
After resting from their exercise until the sun beating down on them proved too hot, the couple ran laughing back into the water for another swim. They would have repeated the activity that led to them needed the refreshing coolness of the water, but a breeze had sprung up that made them shiver as the sun evaporated the water on their bare skin, causing them to look up at the sky. Clouds were rapidly moving in. The dry, hot August day with which they began their eagerly awaited outing was to be replaced by a late afternoon, early evening rain. Practicality won out over prolonging the romantic encounter so they dressed instead of again wrapping their arms around each other and drawing their bodies ever closer together to keep warm.
Once everything was packed in the buggy, including the ignored fishing rods, Matt hitched the horse into the traces and helped Kitty onto the seat before climbing up himself and taking hold of the reins. He drove slowly, keeping a eye on the approaching clouds, trying to preserve this rare opportunity to spend a quiet day alone with the woman he loved without having to even think of any responsibilities except to each other. All would be back to normal as soon as they reached home and the citizens came running up wanting him to solve whatever minor crisis had arisen in his absence. With luck and the threatening rain, the evening might prove as restful as the day so far.
As they drove down Front Street everything seemed peaceful. Leaving the horse and buggy with Moss to take care of, they stopped briefly in Matt's office where Quint nodded and assured them that he was perfectly content to remain there until about the time Matt started his rounds. Satisfied, the couple continued down the street with their arms wrapped around each other's waists to the Long Branch where Sam informed them they might find a pleasant surprise at Delmonico's. They were hungry, so they strolled down the street to the restaurant, arriving just as the rain began to fall.
The buckskin-clad, powerfully built, tall man and gangling boy visited the less reputable saloons in town like the Lady Gay and Oasis before finding exactly what was wanted at the Bulls Head. The man paid Bull and then followed a not very pretty or young woman to one of the saloon's upstairs rooms where he would use her to initiate his son into the use of those three holes he'd told the boy about earlier. Even at a dive like the Bulls Head all he was able to buy was an hour of her time, but with no restrictions short of murder on what they could subject her to.
The lesson ended, the pair descended the stairs, leaving the saloon whore splayed across the bed in her assigned room too beaten up and used to move. Nodding to Bull behind the bar, they left the saloon to further explore the street and find a cheap place to eat. Bellies full, father and son returned to exploring the town. Each new sight amazed the boy, who was used to living rough out on the prairie. The rain, which began while they were eating, had eased up enough that they didn't mind being outside in it. That's when they spotted a blond young woman leaving her room and walking up the alley towards them. The father took one look and hastened to cut off her exit to the main street.
"Hey, little lady, I've taken a shine to you and I don't care if you belong to another man. I'm willin' to pay or fight him for you seein' as he ain't claimed you with a ring and your actin' too uppity to been bought."
"Leave me be, mister. Festus may act like he owns me, tellin' me not to do this or that', but he don't and as much as he could use the money he would not never take money for me."
"Sounds to me like he ain't willin' to tame a saucy female the likes of you or he ain't man enough for it. Maybe his pa never learned him that once picked, a female is his to do with as he will and her job is to obey and please him. That's what I'm tryin' to teach the boy here," he said grabbing her and dragging her back toward her room.
April managed a scream before a large hand covered her mouth. Festus, who was on his way to her, heard it and picked up his pace, his spurs jangling, so that he was running toward the alley at full speed. He reached it as the man managed to drag the kicking and scratching woman halfway to the door leading into her room. The constant struggle had turned the large man around so he was facing toward the street. He stopped moving when he saw Festus approach. His massive arm tightened around her throat to keep her still. However, with her rescuer now on hand, April's struggles gained new strength. Sensing this was her man and trying to get a good angle from which to throw his knife, the man changed his tactics. With a twist of the powerful arm that gripped her around the neck, he broke it before releasing her. April slid to the ground at the same instant Festus drew his gun and fired. Almost simultaneously the man threw his knife.
In the jailhouse, Quint thought he'd heard a woman scream and went to grab a rifle from the rack in case her attacker was armed. If it were only a trick of the rain and wind, he'd put the rifle back and go to supper where the rest of his friends were. As he reached the door, he heard the shot. There was no doubt. Following the sound, he came upon a ghastly scene as the rain eased. Festus and a boy who looked like he was part Comanche stood glaring at each other across two bodies lying in the mud. One was a huge White man dressed in buckskins with his right arm extended as if he'd just thrown something. The other was April, her neck tilted at an odd angle. The object he'd thrown, a large knife used for skinning buffalo, stuck upright at Festus' feet.
In the quiet of the evening, the joyous conversation carried on by the old friends while they ate super in Delmonico's halted when they heard the shot. Matt immediately rose from the table, the day off forgotten as the duty that came with the badge took precedence in his mind. The others followed, joining the crowd of curious Dodge City citizens who'd already gathered around the group in the alley now that the rain had just about stopped. All business, Matt sized up the scene.
"Keep back. Better yet, go home unless you have something to contribute. Quint, Festus, what happened?"
"I kilt him for killin' April. If'n you gotta lock me up I don't mind, but I'll tell you this Matthew, I'd a done it even if he hadn't a snapped her neck like you would a prairie chicken. I had to stop him from a doin' what he was a fixin' to do with her."
"What about you, Quint? What do you know about this?"
"Nothing much, Matt. I heard a scream, then a shot and came running over here and saw April and a man lying on the ground and Festus and this boy staring each other down."
"Son, what's your name? Where are you from? Don't be scared, nothing will happen to you if you tell me the truth."
Before the boy could answer shouts arose from the crowd calling the boy a half-breed and implying Quint knew more than he let on to protect his own kind. Matt tried to ignore those shouts, but felt some of the others might have something important to contribute. Once he got the crowd quieted down, Matt listened to some of the men who'd been at the Bulls Head describe what the dead man and the half-breed had done to one of the saloon gals. When Matt didn't immediately arrest the boy, they began pelting the frightened kid with whatever came to hand, dirt, pebbles, garbage… It got so bad that Quint used his body to protect the lad and Matt was forced to fire his pistol in the air to gain their attention.
"Everybody, go about your business. I'll deal with this," he said as he, Quint, Festus, Sam and Chester formed a human shield around the scene.
Slowly the crowd dispersed. Quint guided the boy along while, under Doc's direction, Chester and Sam took care of the stranger and Festus carried April to where they'd be until they could be buried in the morning. Meanwhile, Kitty took Chester's boys back to the Long Branch while Matt looked over the scene before picking up the knife. Then he walked back to his office. Fifteen minutes later, Quint, the boy, Festus, Doc, Chester, his two sons and Kitty were all crowded inside it with him.
"Son, I never did get an answer to my questions. Why don't you answer them now."
"Name's Jay Whitcomb and that man killed my pa," he replied pointing at Festus. "Pa taught me if a man kills your kin, you kill him, but Quint, who I reckon is kinda kin to me too cause his ma's people are the same as my ma's people, told me I should tell you what you want to know first. Here goes. Me and pa left the saloon gal we'd paid for lying on a bed after we'd used up the time we'd bought to do her. We was headin' down the street when pa spotted the yellow-haired gal. Since ma died he's been alone and he reckoned she might be the right one for takin' and tamin'. He planned to make a squaw of her but that one came along just as pa was showin' her how strong he was. Pa sized him up and decided he weren't willin' to part with her for no amount of money. He knew he'd have to fight him, but then she put up such a fuss he was forced to give her neck a twist to stop her interferin' afore dealin' with her man. That one then shot pa as pa throwed his knife. He deserves to die."
"Jay, I'm sorry your pa had to die, but he brought it on himself attacking April like he did. If Festus hadn't killed him, the law would have hung him. He had no right to expect her to let him manhandle her, but Festus had every right to try to stop him. He wasn't able to do it before your pa killed April and Festus killed your pa, who you admit tried to knife him. If your pa had acted different, two people would still be alive. That doesn't mean he shouldn't have a marker, if only for your sake. What was your pa's name?"
"It were Deke as if it means anythin' to you. To all of you except Quint, I'm just a worthless half-breed whose pa got just what he deserved. I expect you want to lock me up so's I kin hang stead of pa."
"Nobody's gonna hang, especially you. You're just as much a victim here as April. However, I suggest you stay with Quint tonight if it's ok with him. I don't think you should be alone. Besides, you might learn something."
"Maybe I will and maybe I won't, but I'll tell you one thing lawman. You don't treat a woman that's yours any different than my pa would treat one that belonged to him. We saw you through pa's army glasses with that redhead there by a pool in a crick. She knows you can do what you want to her and with the three holes that are the most important part of her. He pointed out how you properly used her and how she knowed it be best for her to obey."
Matt sprang at the boy, but Quint stepped between them. Kitty was ready to scratch his eyes out too, but Doc put a restraining hand on her. Slowly, both of them gained control of themselves. Instead of beating the boy to a pulp, Matt sent Quint home with him while Doc and Festus escorted a still fuming, but no longer murderous Kitty back to the Long Branch while he wrote up his report. By the time he was finished most of the evening was gone and it was time to see Chester and his boys off on the eastbound train to Wichita. He made his way down the street to the saloon. He sure didn't see as much of his former assistant and his two sons as he would have liked, but that was the job. At least he'd been able to spend time with Kitty to make up some for his time away.
Quint talked with Jay as they walked toward his blacksmith shop. He told him of the anger he'd felt against all Whites after his father was murdered and how he rode with the Comanche to kill all of them until a certain lawman saved his life and reminded him that not all Whites were bad. By the time they'd reached the shop and he'd settled with the boy by the forge, Jay knew Quint's entire life story including the death of Susan, the woman he planned to elope with despite her father's objections to his heritage.
"You're all alone in the world, but I'd like you to finish growing up with me to help you. That's if you're willin'. We're different in what we've experienced in life, but we've got an awful lot in common. Our mas were Comanche and our pas were White men shot by other White men. The difference is my pa was murdered because he didn't have any gold and your pa was killed by my friend because no one ever taught him you don't use women just because you can. What do you say?"
"I reckon you have a lot you can teach me, especially about the ways of my ma's people. I'd like to stay with you and belong somewhere."
Once Jay gave his answer, Quint and the boy strode down toward the depot. There they joined the rest of those who had gathered to bid Chester and his sons goodbye.
Doc and Festus left Kitty to tend to business at the Long Branch and headed to the stairs leading to Doc's office. Festus was ready to shuffle off to his home to be alone with his loss, but Doc put a restraining hand on his friend's shoulder and steered him to the staircase. They entered the office silently.
"Doc, you ole scutter, I ain't in no mood for any of your insults! Me 'n April have had more downs than ups of late, but I still feel somethin' powerful for her. That polecat shouldn't a done her that way. I ain't sorry I kilt him n' that young'un of his needs to be set on like ugly on a ape."
"Festus, don't you think I know that? April was a very special girl and part of that is due to how you feel about her," Doc said as he noticed the tears forming in the corner of his friend's eyes. "It's because of her I asked you up here to share a bit of special medicine with me. Besides, I don't want you taking off by yourself in the emotional state you're in so that Matt and I have to go out on the prairie after you to prevent you from accidently tripping over your own pistol and setting it off."
The two friends shared the whiskey Doc kept in his bottom desk drawer. After a couple of glasses both were ready to join the rest of their friends to console each other. They walked back to the Long Branch only to meet Matt, Kitty and Sam coming out of the batwing doors. The five of them walked to the depot where they spotted Chester and his boys. Soon Quint and a contrite Jay joined them. The boy hung back while the friends said their goodbyes and the train pulled away toward Wichita. He even stayed a few paces behind as they all strolled back to the Long Branch until Quint gestured for him to walk beside him. Back at the saloon, the entire group sat at the usual table in the back.
At Qunit's urging, Jay haltingly apologized to Matt and Kitty for what he'd said earlier in Matt's office. He even admitted he just might be able to allow that Festus had some reason for killing his pa. That said, they ordered another round, which Sam went to fetch from Fred, who was behind the bar.
"Comanche, despite you allowin' that young'un to sit with ya, I might just decide to stay around town if only to spite you and Doc. There's nothin' better in this world than spoilin' that ole scutter's notion that he kin git rid of me now that Jay's pa done kilt April."
"Well, Festus. I'm gonna spoil your mood some. After seeing how ugly the crowd can become in this town toward half-breeds like Jay and me, I decided we can't stay together in Dodge. I'm takin' him with me to Colorado Springs where neither of us is known, but first I'll take him to his ma's people so he can learn first hand what it means to be Comanche. We'll leave tomorrow right after the buryin'."
That said, they noticed the bar had largely emptied out. Most of those at the table headed home, leaving only Sam, Matt and Kitty. Sam and Fred chased the few remaining customers out and began closing up. After Sam locked the back door and put the moneybox in the safe, the two bartenders left for their homes. Kitty closed and locked the front doors after them and joined Matt for a final nightcap upstairs.
The End