Doc heard a familiar jingle of spurs on the stairs, then the office door opened and Festus stuck his head in. "You busy, Doc?"

"Yes."

The hillman came in and closed the door, then pulled off his hat. Turning it in his hands, he said softly, "I just come to say goodbye."

Doc looked up sharply. "What are you talking about?"

Festus turned his hat some more. "I'm leavin' Dodge, Doc. Leavin' for good."

"Because of the trial?" Festus nodded. "But you were acquitted!"

"I wuz found not guilty too." The hillman's voice was low. "I figger it's time I wuz movin' on. I just didn't want to go 'thout sayin' goodbye." He reached for the doorknob.

"Now wait a minute." The old man ran a hand over his face. "Sit down, Festus. Tell me what this is all about."

"Ain't nothin' to tell." The hillman's voice was low but he sat down. "Town life ain't for the likes of me. I knowed that from the start but I thought mebbe I could make a place for myself here..."

Doc went over to his medicine cabinet and got a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. He poured the drinks, handed one to Festus and sat down. "Festus, you're not making any sense."

Festus took a big swallow of whiskey and sighed. "Doc, when I first come back and heerd what that feller done to Mayblossom...well, I don't never remember bein' so mad in my whole life. Not even after Fergus died. At least he wuz a growed man, not a spindly little gal that never did no harm to nobody." He drank some more whiskey. "It wuz like I had blood in my mouth. I went out and found that Lon and then I waked him up and plugged him before he could even get his gun out."

Doc pushed his glass around his desk. "Nobody is blaming you for that, Festus."

The hillman raised his head. "I ain't blamin' myself neither! I'm glad I done it and I'd do it again in a minute." His voice fell. "I just didn't know I had it in me to bushwhack a feller that way. I ain't sayin' that's the first man I ever killed...I ain't sayin' that...but it's a diff'rent thing killin' somebody in a fair fight, Doc." He finished his drink and Doc poured him another. "Much obliged." Festus took another swig while the old man waited for his friend to go on. After a moment the hillman said slowly, "First I wuz mad and then it wuz over...and then Cousin Feeder showed up and Mayblossom wanted him 'stead of me..."

"I thought you didn't want to get married," said Doc.

Festus smiled a little. "Oh, I didn't, Doc. Don't go to mistakin' me. I wuz real happy for them both. Still, it's one thing to make up yore mind 'bout a gal and it's another to have her make it up for you."

Doc smiled back. "I think I know what you mean."

The hillman sighed. "Then I wuz in the jail waitin' for the judge and I finally had some time to think 'bout what I done...I ain't sorry for it. Not in the least...but I never knowed I had it in me to kill somebody cold like that." His soft hazel eyes were troubled. "And now it's on me for the rest of my days and I s'pose I got to answer for it sometime..." Festus finished his whiskey and stood up, putting on his hat. "I got to be goin', Doc. Sure has been nice knowin' you."

Doc thought frantically. "Well, Festus, if you don't care who you hurt I suppose nothing I can say will change your mind."

Festus frowned. "What do you mean, who I hurt? I ain't hurt nobody that I know of."

Doc stood up, scowling. "Matt's been a good friend to you. So has Kitty. They care about you and now you just want to take off and never see them again. Maybe to you that's not hurting somebody. Maybe you just don't care about anybody at all."

The hillman's eyes flashed. "That ain't so! I care a whole heap 'bout Matthew and Miss Kitty! I might even care 'bout you if you wuzn't such a dad blamed mean old scamp!" He saw the concern on Doc's face and the anger died out of his own. "Doc, I cain't stay here now. I just cain't."

The old man swallowed hard. "Will you do something for me?"

"What do you want?"

"If you go...and maybe you're right about getting away for a while...will you give me your word you'll come back?" Festus' eyes widened and Doc said hastily, "Take as much time as you need, Festus. I just don't want you to leave thinking you'll never come back."

Festus hesitated. "It might be a long time before I come back."

"Just give me your word that you will." Doc held out his hand.

It was a long moment before Festus said haltingly, "I give you my word." His hard brown hand reached out to clasp the doctor's soft white one and they shook once, then Festus turned and left, closing the door softly behind him.