Disclaimer: Just taking our friends out to play. I will put them back when I'm done.

A/N I'd like to Thank My Special Friends/My Sisters at Heart, Singerme and The Blue Eyed Fool

For the Idea for this Story, and the ok to run with it...and Singerme as usual for all her help with the technical stuff...

PT1

Gypsy Tales

The warm breezes of late July blew across the prairie. Two wagons carrying a gypsy family, that was tired and hungry, stopped by a small water hole to freshen up and rest. The young children ran around playing. The men gathered wood for a fire. As the young ones were playing, they ran into the camp knocking into a pile of items. Jars, can goods and an oil lamp all fell. Quickly, one of the women yelled. "You children! Go on now. Go play over there. You make a mess here. Look what you've done here. UGH!" She was now wiping things up with her dress hem.

Later, as they sat and ate around the fire, the elder of the family began telling them stories and old tales. She told them of tales from the old country. Then as the young ones began to tire and the fire dimed several of them began feeling ill. They were cramping in the stomach and vomiting.

As planned, Kitty had agreed to go with Doc on his visits to see a few of his patients. She figured it was a way she could visit with Bess and Will Ronniger and see the kids. She also had packages ready to take with her for a few other families in need.

After a few stops, they talked as they rode.

"Curly, you know how much I enjoy coming with you on these trips?"

"Yeah, Honey, I think I do."

Smiling, "I really love seeing Bess, Will and the kids. They are a lovely family. And Vince and Claire and their brood. It's so hard on them raising all those kids."

"Well, Kitty, with kind hearted folks like you, they do just fine."

"Oh, Doc. I just do these little things to help out."

"Yes, but with it…" He tilted his head.

"I know, Doc. I know." She agreed.

As they rode on, they noticed the caravan of horses and wagons but didn't notice anyone around at first.

"Doc? What do you think?"

"I don't see anyone. Let's ride closer, Kitty, and see if anyone is there and if they need help."

As they came closer, the older woman appeared. "What do you want here?"

Scrubbing his mustache, "Well now, we were just riding by and saw your wagons and wondered if you needed any help." As he looked past the old woman he noticed the small boy. Seeing he was leaning over, hurling into a bush, Doc's eyes widened. "Whoa! Hold on there. Let me see that young man."

"NO! NO! Don't you touch him. He's my grandson."

"Ma'am, I'm a doctor. Doctor Adams."

Quickly, Kitty stepped down from the buggy. "Yes, he's a doctor, a very good doctor. We're from Dodge. I'm Kitty, Kitty Russell. We were just out helping some of Doc's patients. I help him when I can."

Doc headed into the wagon to check on the boys. Both were throwing up and had dysentery. He suggested they ride in closer to town, but not come into town, seeing as he didn't know what was wrong with the boys just yet. But he wanted to watch them. In the meantime he tried giving them a milk and mustard mixture.

The elder woman stared at Kitty. She wouldn't take her eyes off her. She kept mumbling, "Evil. Evil. Redhair. Redhair. She evil. They drowned redheaded babies. Evil. They are witches."

"What are you saying, Momma?" A younger man asked.

"That woman. The redhaired witch."

"Momma?"

"I tell you. She is evil! Red headed women are evil witches! She will hurt us!"

Kitty and Doc were tending the boys, when one of the boys began having seizures. He began choking and stopped breathing.

Doc turned to the father. "I'm sorry, Mr. ahhh…"

"My name is Basco."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Basco. Your son, he… He…" Doc was now dropping his head. "He's dead."

Dropping to his knees, holding his boy, he cried out. "Why? Why?"

"I'm not sure, Mr. Basco."

Quickly the old woman looked at Kitty. "I told you, it's her. She is evil."

"WHAT?" Kitty responded. "What are you talking about?"

Doc took Kitty by the shoulders and walked her away.

As he walked away, "Mr. Basco, I'll help you bury your son then I'll go into town and get more medicine."

After Doc and Kitty made their way into town, Basco and his brother buried the young boy and decided they'd do what Doc suggested and camp closer to Dodge. Along the way, two cowboys approached them.

"Hey! Where you folks headed?"

"Dodge City!" Basco told them.

"Funny. Us too. Hey could you spare some water for two poor cowpokes? You got lots there in those barrels."

"Well now," checking them out closely, nodding, "Ok." Basco filled their canteens.

Both men guzzled down the water then asked for another refill.

TBC