Chapter 7
It was late that evening before Sanchez returned. Matt was getting bored with his isolation and felt impatient to get on with the task in hand. He was almost grateful when the outlaw showed up again.
"Looks like you were telling the truth Dillon, my men can't find a trace of anyone following you. There is certainly no army or large posse out there. I don't really believe that you were crazy enough to get yourself into this situation with no back-up, but that is sure how it seems."
Dillon says nothing.
"I've been thinking about our gunfight." He is walking around the room, relishing every minute of this feeling of power.
"You know what I would like to do?" The Marshal didn't feel he was obliged to answer that question. "I'd like to take you down on the streets of Dodge City so that all the respectable people there who hold you in such high regard, could watch you fall face down in the dust. I could do that you know Dillon."
"If that's how you want it." The Marshal was thinking that that might make things better for everyone. If the other two lawmen out there realized where they were headed, it would be easy to set a trap long before they made it back to the town.
"Of course I know I can't do that, too many troopers out there at the Fort, too many guns against us. Oh don't worry Dillon I could take you down but I am thinking of all my men. A lot of them would get hurt. No I think the only place is right here, tomorrow morning."
Dillon just hoped he had given the other men enough time.
"I'll be ready," he said. "You won't forget my gun will you?"
"Oh no, I want this fair and square, everyone's gonna know I took you down in a fair fight. No excuses."
He was laughing to himself as he left the room.
Left alone once more after Sanchez left, Dillon stared out of the small barred window. He saw no sign of the two federal lawmen that were supposed to be following him. That was how it should be, he just had to believe that they were there, and hope that somehow he could get Sanchez out in the open where if, for some reason, he himself did not succeed in killing the renegade, they could get a good shot at him,
He heard a key turning the door lock and the man known as Simpson came in carrying the Marshal's gun belt and colt revolver. Matt could see all the bullets had been removed from the belt and he presumed the gun had been given the same treatment. Simpson was not a talkative man.
"Here, Mister Sanchez wanted you to have these." He threw them on the table together with a cloth and some oil to clean the weapon. "He told me to tell you that you'll get what bullets you need in the morning."
Surprisingly Matt slept well that night. His ribs were still sore, but he had a sense of purpose in his life once more. He thought of Kitty and felt a gut wrenching loss because she was out of his life. At the same time he knew that as long as he wore this badge he had only uncertainty to offer her and she deserved so much more that that.
Doc and Kitty were eating breakfast at Delmonico's. She did not have much of an appetite this morning. Her decision to sell the Long Branch and leave Dodge weighed heavily on her. She was so proud of the day that her name went up there proclaiming to the world that Kitty Russell owned that establishment. She had worked for every penny it took to bring that about and finally the good citizens of Dodge had come to respect her for her achievement. But what if she stayed here. She knew she was hopelessly in love with that Cowboy of hers and things between them would never change as long as he wore that badge.
Doc watched her as she pushed the food around her plate, knowing that there was nothing he could do to help.
It was then that they both heard Chester's uneven footsteps. He tipped his hat. "Mornin' Miss Kitty, Doc. Barney gave me this telegram to bring over to you Miss Kitty, he said it might be important."
Kitty opens it up and reads. She smiles a little.
"What is it?" asks Doc.
"The people that were coming to meet me here this morning have been delayed, it may be several more days before they arrive." She was surprised by the sense of relief she felt. The Long Branch would be hers for a while longer – and Matt could return any day.
Matt was awake as the early morning light started to filter through the small window of, what amounted to, his cell.
He went to sit at the small table and cleaned his gun as he has done many times before. Breakfast arrived as usual, but his appetite was not so good. Too many things could go wrong.
Some time later Simpson returned. "I hope you're ready, Dillon. Mister Sanchez is expecting you. You best be strapping ya gun on ya hip. It'll probably be for the last time." He laughed at his own joke.
Strangely Matt felt no anxiety, he hoped he was fast enough to take Sanchez, and if not that Cummins and Kincaid would be able to finish the job. There was a good chance that none of them would survive this next hour or so. After all three of them did not stand a very good chance against twenty or so men. Cummins' theory was that if they could get Sanchez out of the way, the rest would give up without much of a fight.
The two lawmen had worked their way closer to the camp during the night. As dawn approached they saw new men coming out to replace the guards who had been there all night. They figured if they can take these new men out, they would not be missed for quite a while. During the war years, both men had received training in how to kill quietly and efficiently, this kind of mission was not new to them. Working their way around the wide perimeter set by the outlaws, they eliminated the men between them.
Something was obviously about to happen, they watched as a man appeared and gave each of the renegades instructions on where they were to be, and probably what was expected of them. Still no sign of the Dodge City Marshal, had he been able to convince Sanchez to stand up and fight him. Hopefully some way or another they would be able get a clear shot at him.
Eventually their patience was rewarded. Dillon is pushed out of the door from the shack. It was clear that the light was hurting his eyes for a few minutes. Then the man they had been looking for was standing there. He was certainly clever, standing back in the shadows and keeping a screen of men around him. The lawmen drew their weapons and waited.
Dillon found himself being pushed through the main door and out into the light of day. At first his eyes hurt from the brightness of the daylight after being locked in that cell for a few days. He squinted for a few minutes as he adjusted. He could see Sanchez back in the shadows. There were several men around him.
The renegade approached him – all smiles like they were preparing to go hunt antelope or something.
"I hope you slept well," he said.
He produced six bullets from his pocket "Here, three each – that should be enough."
Matt loaded the three he was given into the chamber of his gun, and watched as Sanchez did the same.
The man pointed to an open space in front of the building. "Out here will be a fine place. All my men will be watching me take down the great Marshal Dillon."
He directed Matt to one side of the clearing and he walked to the other – still surrounded by a number of his men. Matt noticed that the men started to retreat – but not far. He had the feeling that even if he won this fight, he would not survive. He hated killing – but this would be a just cause, and maybe he had the skill to do it.
Mentally he said goodbye to Kitty. He wished he could have seen her just one more time. Then he pushed all other thought aside as he turned to face the bandit.
