Festus pulled up a fish at the end of his line, shaking his head, and Doc threw down his pole. "If you throw one more fish back because it's not big enough I'm leaving!"
"Golly bill, Doc, this little old fish ain't worth fryin'. You can see he ain't but a foot long."
The old man scowled and got to his feet. "I don't know how you do it." The deputy opened his mouth but Doc held up his hand. "Don't you dare try to explain, either!" He climbed the bank grumbling to himself and had almost reached the top when two men rode up, guns out.
"Stop right there."
Festus scrambled to his feet as Doc studied the strangers. "Well, what is it? I'm a busy man."
They looked at each other and one grinned. "You hear that, Harry? He's a busy man."
Harry looked somber. "I just bet he's busy. Real busy, spending all that money."
Festus had reached Doc's side and now he said, "What in tarnation are you talkin' 'bout? We ain't got no money."
The strangers dismounted and the first one said, "We're not looking to rob nobody, mister. This here is Booth Nelson and he's wanted in Nebraska." He took out a wanted poster and handed it to Festus. "We been trailing him for a month."
The deputy looked at the poster and said gruffly, "They ain't no picture on it."
"You don't need a picture to read the description!"
Doc took the poster and read out loud, "Booth Nelson. Wanted for swindling. Age about 60, medium height, medium build, blue eyes, gray hair and mustache. Wears a vested suit. One thousand dollar reward."
He stopped and Harry said, "That thousand dollars is going to get Tim and me to California."
Doc said coldly, "That description could fit any one of a hundred men. It so happens that I am Doctor Galen Adams and this is Deputy Marshal Festus Haggen. We live in Dodge City and we're neither of us outlaws."
"A doctor and a deputy!" scoffed Tim.
"That's right!" said Festus, coming forward and showing his badge. "You fellers have treed yoreselves the wrong possum, so before you do anythin' that you'll be sorry for you better just make tracks."
"We'll make tracks after we collect our reward," said Harry, taking Doc's arm. The old man pulled away and Tim grabbed him from the other side. Festus lunged forward and Harry brought his gun down on the deputy's head, then bent over the dazed man to unbuckle his gunbelt.
Doc knelt at his friend's side but Harry jerked him to his feet. "Come on, Nelson. Your friend's all right. Look, he's already moving."
Festus started to sit up, then fell back, moaning piteously. Doc tore himself loose. "I'm a doctor, I tell you! Now you let me check that man, or by thunder there will be hell to pay!"
"Oh, let him look at the feller, Harry," said Tim. "What harm can it do?"
Harry shrugged and waved his hand and Doc knelt again. "Festus?"
"Doc?" The deputy's voice was faint and the old man leaned forward. Festus moved his lips but no sound came out. Alarmed, Doc bent over with his ear by his friend's mouth. Festus murmured, "Make out I'm hurt too bad to ride." The deputy closed his eyes as the old man carefully ran his fingers over his head.
"Well?" asked Harry.
Doc sat back. "Well, he's badly hurt. He could have a fractured skull. He can't ride a horse, that's for sure."
Harry smiled unpleasantly. "It don't look to me like you two came on horseback...not with that little black buggy there. You gonna tell me he can't sit in a buggy?" The old man's shoulders sagged in defeat and Harry said harshly, "Now you get your friend on his feet or I'll put a bullet in him and leave him where he lays."
Doc gently shook the deputy. "Festus? Come on, Festus, wake up." His friend's eyes opened and the old man pulled him to his feet.
"Doc, I cain't hardly see straight..."
"I know, Festus. Lean on me." Doc helped Festus to the buggy, Harry and Tim right behind them with their fishing gear. As they reached it the deputy dropped to his knees and the two men picked him up and threw him in, then prodded Doc with their guns.
"Get in there, Nelson, and don't try any fast shuffles." Doc climbed in the buggy next to Festus, who was huddled to one side with his head in his hands. Harry and Tim mounted their horses and the old man picked up the reins and drove away.
Nobody noticed the deputy was no longer wearing his badge.
