Festus watched everybody coming down the street from the north end of the street. Chester was sat in a nearby chair, they watched as six men rode up to Bodkins Bank and dismounted, before going in, Chester rose and turned towards the door of the office. "Chester, cain't do nothing until they do, no need to disturb Matthew," Matt was actually busy getting his paperwork in order. Festus saw a cowboy lift little Matthew up unto the hitching rail, he laughed.

"What's your name, kid?" the cowboy asked.

"Matthew, his name's Matthew," Festus said. "He loves it when people put him on the hitching rail."

"You going to be a cowboy when you grow up?"

"No. A Marshal like Uncle Matt."

"Marshal Dillon?" Matthew nodded vigorously.

"Matthew's named after the marshal. He's Marshal Dillon's Godson."

"Milner Bakery here does it do good bread?"

"Sure does, best I've ever tasted, even better than my Aunt Thede's and thet's saying a lot," the cowboy went into the bakery. Shots came from the bank, the six men ran from the bank, mounted their horses and raced out-of-town one of them grabbed little Matthew as he raced by. "Chester, get Matthew."

"I'm here, Festus," Matt said, anger just bubbling under the surface. The cowboy came out of the bakery, munching on a cinnamon roll.

"Howdy, Matt."

"Hank Summers, I'll be doggone," Matt said, they shook hands.

"Wish we'd met in different circumstances. I'll join the posse if you want?"

"Glad to have you," Matt headed for the Long Branch there were two people who needed to know, "Festus, you tell Katie we'll get Matthew back," Doc looked up as Matt came through the swinging doors. "I'm forming a posse, I'd like to deputize ten to twenty of you to ride in it, we'll get the money they took back. More than that they've taken Matthew Milner and we're definitely going to get him back, if I have to chase them from here to Hell," Kitty and Doc understood that Matt was barely suppressing the anger that threatened to come to the surface.

"Mister Dillon," Chester said, "I've brought your horse up, with mine and Festus's mule."

"Thanks, Chester," cow hands raced for their horses, the posse rode out of Dodge following a great big marshal on a great big buckskin with at the moment a real foul temper.


The six bank robbers rode hard and fast up to the top of the hill Little Matthew crying his heart out, a seventh man joined them. "What the hell have you brought him along for?"

"Insurance, that posse's going to be reluctant to shoot if they think they might hit the kid."

"Yeah, and you just made it certain that he'll follow us to hell to get the kid back. I scouted Dodge four days ago and you idiots kidnap the one kid that Dillon would lay down his life for."

"What'd you mean, Jenkins?"

"The kid, he's Matt Dillon's Godson, now we've really got to ride hard."