Although he wanted to shut the jail door on the cardsharp Griswold, a shifty-eyed character with a sinister demeanor, Chester left the door opened wide that night so the bank robber Merce could see whatever might happen while Mr. Dillon was out.
"I guess you know I want your bed, Chester," said Eli. Chester lay reading a frontier melodrama, and he sat up and swung his feet still in their boots to the floor when the deputy spoke.
" 'Tain't much of a bed," said Chester. "Tickin's jest corn husks and straw."
Merse rose from his bunk in the jail cell, moved to the bars and wrapped his fingers around them, watching.
"It's better than the floor," said Eli. He stood by the bed awaiting an answer, staring with his knife-slash eyes at Chester. Holding Eli's gaze, Chester stood up.
"You aim to challenge my authority?" said Eli. "I think not. You're Marshal Dillon's friend, so he can't see how incompetent you are. I can help you improve, though, Chester. I'm a tolerable fellow if you cooperate and respect my rank here."
"I don't need your help," said Chester. "How 'bout you ride out and never come back."
Eli sucked in his breath, shifting his boots and blinking in surprise at Chester's retort. With deliberate movements, he stepped to the jail door and took hold of the knob. "Leave it open," Chester said. His hand on the knob, Eli turned to face Chester.
"Mr. Dillon checks in when he's done 'is rounds," said Chester. " 'Fore he heads to his room at Ma Smalley's. He'll be by right along, maybe."
Eli hesitated, then let go of the knob, leaving the door open. "Don't tell me what to do, or talk to me like I'm some two-bit cow hand," he said, his blood-brown eyes glittering. "You will respect and obey me, or I'll reduce you to a groveling sycophant. And if you ever speak to me like that again, I'll break your neck."
"Well you can't have my bed," said Chester, his heart thumping.
Eli's lips curled back from clenched teeth. He grabbed Chester's shirt, and as he raised his other hand, palm out, Matt walked in.
Eli and Chester looked at Matt, then the deputy lowered his hand, let go of Chester's shirt and stepped back. The marshal took off his hat, hung it on the peg and moved close to Eli. "Eli," said Matt. "What's going on?"
"Matt," said Eli. "Chester and I had words. Almost got into a tussle."
"A tussle," said Matt. "Looked like you were fixin' to smack him."
"I guess I lost my temper," said Eli. "I didn't intend to, Matt. He disrespected me. Told me to ride out and never come back. And he forbade me to close the jail door."
Matt moved to the door and started to close it. "I seen and heard all, Marshal," said Merce from his cell. "The deputy threatened Chester. Tried to slither in his head to make him belly-crawl. Said Chester would obey him and such as that."
The cardsharp Griswold spoke from the other cell. "I heard what went on, too, Dillon," he said in his oily voice. "Sounded to me like the deputy was just learning your jailkeep his place."
"Oh hesh up, Griswold," said Chester.
"You're far too indulgent with that Chester, Dillon," said Griswold. "You need to rein him in."
"Matt," said Eli, "you're not thinking on believing anything a thieving outlaw like Merce says."
"Chester?" said Matt.
"Eli and I had a misunderstanding, Mr. Dillon," said Chester, looking at the deputy.
Matt closed the jail door. "There's no point having another man on the payroll if you two won't partner and back each other," he said. "Chester, I expect you to take orders from Eli long as he wears the badge."
Eli lifted his jaw and narrowed his eyes, his chest swelling as he regarded Chester. "That's what I told him, Matt."
"But Mr. Dillon," said Chester.
"You staying awhile before you go on to your rooming house, Matt?" said Eli. "You took your hat off."
"I'm bunking here tonight," said Matt. "I'll sleep on the floor."
Chester's face sagged in relief. "You take the bed, Mr. Dillon. I'll sleep on the floor."
"Alright," said Matt.
"No need for you to spend the night here, Matt," said Eli. "I'll handle anything comes up."
"Come outside and talk a minute, Eli," said Matt. He opened the side door leading to the alley back of the jail.
Chester pulled his bedroll out from under the bed. "You are stayin' the night, aren't you, Mr. Dillon?"
"I'm staying, Chester."
Eli followed Matt outside. The night was warm with a mild breeze. Frost and thunderstorms would not hit Dodge for a month at the least. A discordant symphony of player piano music from a dozen or more saloons rent the air, along with raucous voices and laughter.
"If Chester says or does anything you think he shouldn't, tell me and I'll speak to him," said Matt. "Hit him and you're through here."
"You're too soft, Matt," said Eli. "You always were. And all the more since you're particular fond of Chester. He knows you are and he takes advantage. There's nothing wrong with slapping some sense into a subordinate."
Matt moved in on the deputy and thrust his face close until their noses almost touched. "I mean it, Eli. It's not up for discussion. Keep your hands off him."
"You hit me, Matt, you better hope Doc's in his office. You'll need his services."
"Maybe," said Matt. "That won't stop me if you don't take heed about Chester. And I'll run you out of town when I'm done mending."
"Why don't you sack me now, Matt? Seeing you're riled at me."
"Eli, we were friends in the same battalion. You didn't ask for this job. I offered it to you, and you took the trip here from Fort Dodge on my word. I figure I owe it to you to give you a chance. I need a strong man fast on the draw who can fight and think quick on his feet, and that's you."
"I appreciate that," said Eli. "I won't let you down, Matt."
M.D.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You sleepin' here again, Mr. Dillon?" Chester said hopefully, when Matt stopped by the office after his rounds the next night.
"Town's a lot quieter tonight," said Matt. "Still just two men in jail. You keep order just by walkin' the streets, Eli."
"Thanks," said Eli.
"Mr. Dillon?" said Chester.
"I'll go on to Ma's tonight, Chester."
Eli waited until Matt passed the window and they could no longer hear his bootsteps outside, then he moved to close the jail door. "Close that door, ah'll open it agin," said Chester. "We kin open 'an close it the night long iffen ya want."
"You're talking like a fool," said Eli. "Why would you do that."
"I don't want to. But I will, that's what it takes."
Eli shrugged. "It doesn't matter," he said, leaving the door open. "Marshal Dillon won't believe a word Merce says. The marshal knows he twists the truth. And you're too proud to say anything to Matt, Chester."
"Say anythin' ta Mr. Dillon 'bout what. What would Merce have to twist the truth for," Chester said warily.
"You gave up your bed to Marshal Dillon last night without him ordering you," said Eli.
"He shouldn't haveta order me," said Chester. "It'd be shameful lettin' a United States marshal sleep on the floor."
"Yet you're planning to let me sleep on the floor," said Eli.
"Yer jest special deputy marshal. Special don't wear the badge permanent. " 'Tain't the same."
"I warned you about disrespecting me." Eli approached the bed where Chester sat. Like the night before, Chester had not removed his boots, and again he rose and faced Eli.
"You'll have a bone in your craw 'til you fight me, Sinclair," said Chester. "So go 'head, unless you ain't got the gizzard ta fight with naught but yer flappin' tongue." Eli slapped him, so swiftly Chester didn't see it coming.
"You deserved that, jailkeep," Griswold called from his cell. "Give 'im some more, Deputy."
"Why don't you shut your mouth, Griswold," Merse said from the other cell.
Lacking the strength and forceful temperament of a fighter, Chester swung reluctantly at Eli. The deputy grabbed Chester's arm before his fist touched Eli's face. "I'm sleeping in that bed from now on," said Eli.
"You ain't gonna be here from now on!" said Chester.
Eli yanked Chester away from the bed and shoved him. He fell, and Eli pulled Chester's bedroll out from under the bed and threw it at him. Chester sat on the floor with the bedroll in his lap, rubbing his arm and scowling at the deputy.
"You ain't nothin' but a ruffian, Sinclair," Chester said darkly. "You're bad as Griswold; that's why he takes to you. You'll come to a bad end, you don't mend yer ways."
Eli sat on the bed and pulled off his boots. "Quit carping and shut up," he said.
"I seen and heard all, and I'm telling the marshal tomorrow," said Merse.
"Hold your tongue or you'll get some of the same," said Eli.
Chester's shoulder hurt and his arm throbbed. "Why don't ya bed down in the trash barrel," he said to the deputy. "Thet's whar you b'long."
"You tell 'im, Chester," said Merse.
"You get one more chance, Chester," said Eli. "Say another word and I'll bust your head."
Chester climbed to his feet, limped to the row of shotguns against the wall and picked one up. "You won't dare use that," said Eli. "You'll go to prison if you shoot me, and you'll hang if I die."
" 'Tain't loaded," said Chester. He put the shotgun on the floor, spread out his bedroll, snuffed the lamp and lay down with the weapon beside him, his hand holding the barrel. "Hit me agin an' ah'll split your face with this," he said.
"You're lunatic," said Eli. "Matt oughta throw you out in the street." He lay on Chester's bed. "I've no reason to hit you again, anyway," the deputy said. "I got what I want."
Eli was an early riser. Out of bed an hour before sunup, he shaved, washed and combed his hair, and with his boot nudged Chester awake. "Get cleaned up and fix us some breakfast," Eli ordered.
Chester obeyed without comment, frying eggs, spuds 'n onions and flatbread in fatback, and making coffee. The shoulder Eli had wrenched last night hurt worse, and he rotated it every few minutes.
Eli sat at the table. "Stop straggling and serve it while it's hot," he said.
"We feed the prizners first," said Chester.
"Well pour me some coffee while I wait."
"Merse 'n Griswold gits coffee 'fore us, too," Chester said.
"Rubbish," said Eli. "Matt pampers his prisoners. He hasn't hardened any with age, that's sure."
Chester fixed plates for Merse and Griswold, and was serving the deputy when Matt arrived. He stood just inside the door, watching Chester and Eli.
Chester glanced at the marshal. "Mr. Dillon." He picked up the pot and poured coffee for the deputy while Matt watched. "You want breakfast?" Chester's eyes were shadowed and he looked strained.
"No thanks," said the marshal, taking off his hat. "I ate at Ma's."
"Your assistant's not a bad cook, Matt," said Eli, eating with relish. "A little greasy and overdone, but it's free so I'm not complaining."
"Can I talk to you, Marshal?" said Merse.
Eli paused in his eating. "Don't believe a word he says, Matt. He wants you to get shet of me on account of I don't take any nonsense off him."
"I'll hear Merse out before I decide to believe him or not," said Matt. "You're not havin' breakfast, Chester?"
Chester leaned against the desk and sipped coffee. "I don't feel much like eatin' this mornin'."
"You sick?" said Matt.
"No, sir. Not at all."
Matt looked searchingly at Chester, then moved to Merse's cell. "What's on your mind, Merse?"
Merse put down his plate and stepped over to the bars. "Sinclair roughed Chester up last night," he said. "Smacked him and took his bed." Eli rose from his chair and Chester straightened up, setting his coffee cup on the desk.
"He's lying, Matt," said Eli.
"Got no call to lie," said Merse.
"But you are," Griswold said from the other cell.
"Don't pay him no attention, Marshal," said Merse. "He's trying to get in good with the deputy. They're two of a kind, Sinclair bein' a lawman irregardless."
"Are you gonna stand there and let him defame me, Matt?" said Eli. "He's nothing but a lowdown thief. A good punch will teach him not to lie."
"Chester?" said Matt.
"Yer deputy an' me had a scuffle agin last night," said Chester. "Ma bed ain't hardly worth fightin' over, but he done set 'is mind he's gone sleep in it, so he did."
"What's wrong with your arm?" said Matt.
Chester had unwittingly hugged his arm to his ribs as he spoke, wincing and digging his fingers in at the shoulder. "Not nary more'n a bruise," he said. "He jerked ma arm so's it has to work itself back up in the shoulder."
"Then the deputy pushed him down in the floor and threw his bedroll atop him," said Merse. "I seen it all."
"Chester called me a coward, Matt," said Eli. "He said I belonged in the trash barrel and I'd come to a bad end, and he slept the night with a shotgun at hand."
" 'Twarn't loaded, Mr. Dillon," said Chester. "I done told 'im it warn't. I had it to defend maself iffen he fought me."
"He threatened to split my face open with it," said Eli.
"Mm-hmm," said Matt. "You're through, Eli. Take off the badge."
Eli unpinned the badge. "Think fast, Matt," he said, and hurled the star at Matt's face. Matt caught the badge before it hit him.
"Good heavens," Chester said softly. Eli barked laughter, his bass voice thudding in Chester's ears.
"You think fast alright, Matt," said Eli. "Move fast too, as you ever did. I won't risk a gunfight with you."
"Pack up and get out of Dodge, Eli," said Matt.
Eli planted his boots apart, hitched his pants, raised his jaw and narrowed his eyes at Matt. "Alright, Matt," he said. "I'll leave town. I'll pack up and buy me a horse at the livery, walk him back here to the jailhouse and tie him to the hitching rail before I go.
"I have no fight with Chester. Wouldn't be a fight with him, anyhow. I'd knock him out with one punch. It's you and me now, Matt," Eli said. "We're gonna have a reckoning behind the jail, so don't hide out somewhere, 'cause I'll find you."
"Mr. Dillon ain't feared of you," said Chester. "He'll fight you any time. Beat you, too."
"We'll see about that," said Eli. "Always wondered what it'd take to best you, Matt. I'm about to find out."
"I'll be here, Eli," Matt said.