Festus plodded along, letting Ruth pick his own way. He was so tired he couldn't see straight, but every time he went to sleep he saw Jesse. The dream always started with the day he became an official deputy...
Festus walked into Matt's office and stopped short. Besides the marshal, Newly was there, and Miss Kitty and Sam and Doc and even Percy Crump and Burke and one or two other of the townsfolk. He had never seen so many people crowded in there at one time. Puzzled, he asked, "Matthew, you wanted to see me?"
The marshal smiled. "I certainly did. Festus, everybody here has told me what a great job you did holding things together against Wall and Eriksson when they thought I was dead."
The deputy shuffled his feet. "Fiddle, that warn't nothin'. " He couldn't take all the eyes on him and turned to go and Matt came forward.
"Wait a minute, Festus. I didn't call you in here just to say thanks. I don't want a situation like this coming up again. If something happens to me I want a man I can trust in charge." The marshal held up a telegram. "I just got this from Washington. I've been authorized to hire an official deputy."
"That's real fine, Matthew, but..."
"Wall and Eriksson petitioned the governor for an interim marshal of the town's choosing. Well, I couldn't do better than to get a deputy of the town's choosing."
The deputy saw the light. "You want to make me yore 'ficial deputy, do you?"
Matt stuck out his hand. "We all do, Festus. That is, if you'll take the job."
Festus looked around the room. Everybody was smiling now. "Well, golly bill, Matthew, 'course I will!"
He shook Matt's hand and Doc grumbled, "Matt, I just hope you don't live to regret this."
The deputy turned to the old man and grabbed his hand. "You old scutter, you!" Doc jerked his hand away and scowled ferociously to hide his smile. Festus snorted in disgust and everybody started to laugh. The deputy moved around the room shaking hands and talking to his friends. Then a new face surfaced. "Jesse?"
The black man looked much as he remembered him from years ago when they worked a cattle drive together. Jesse looked at the badge and smiled. "So now you're a lawman." He touched the badge with one finger and a searing pain shot through the deputy's chest...
Festus would wake to the sound of his own screams. It didn't help much staying awake, either, because then he had to think. If only he had done things differently, maybe he could have saved Jesse. If he hadn't been a lawman they could even have made a run for Mexico. But he was a lawman. Then he would think of Matthew and Miss Kitty and Doc and the pain he was causing them leaving like this. He loved them all, but how could he face them after letting Jesse down, another old friend he had cared about? They would all be so disappointed in him. If only he had done things differently, maybe he could have saved Jesse...The deputy's mind went around in circles, wearing a path in his brain until it seemed like he had never been able to think of anything but how terribly he had failed everyone.
