Festus and Sam helped Kitty get Thad settled into on of the chairs. The floor of the Long Branch was now a sea of wounded people in various stages of shock and degrees of medical attention.
Kitty pushed back strands of her red hair - she looked tired as she accessed Thad's wound. "Festus this needs Doc's attention. All I can do it clean it and dress it..." Her blue eyes lifted to his hazel eyes. Thad squirmed as Kitty cover his leg with some gauze. "You hold that tight, Thad." she said sternly to the young man.
He looked around the room and leaned forward. "Miss Kitty..." he spoke softly into her ear, "Thars a few mangy bandits in town and I have to get Matthew back here real quick." Festus hesitated, "But I can't leave you alone with them in town, so I'm gonna ask Sam to fetch Matthew, ifin that's alright with you..."
Kitty's eyes clouded with horror. "What do you mean by mangy bandits?"
"Thars a group out yonder and they plan to take all they can carry in the way of paper money ..."
Kitty's mouth hung open in disbelief. "You have to be joking...why that's ridiculous!"
Festus shook his head no and held up his left hand then dropped it and rose his right - Doc caught him once before using his wrong hand, "If I'm, lying, I'm dyin'...This mangy bunch are the same ones that shot ol' Thad here..." he whispered. Kitty gulped. "Where does Sam have to go to get Matt?" she whispered back.
Festus straightened and looked around again before re-engaging in their conversation. "Seems Matthew and ol' Doc went out to the MacKay place. I don't know why..."
Kitty nodded and stood. She motioned both Festus and Sam to follow her to the office and they did.
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The moon had finally shown itself and allowed Matt to see more of the features on the landscape that in the past few hours he was only guessing at. He was nearing exhaustion and his thoughts kept drifting back to Doc. Still the most logical thing to do was to proceed to Dodge for help for the physician that was pinned under the roof of the MacKay homestead. Matt's feet felt like they had gained ten pounds each.
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Festus was quick to tell Kitty and Sam where the marshal and doctor had gone. It was now a matter of sneaking Sam out of the town and not be missed after his altercation with Mad Dog Cooper.
"Sam..." Festus scrunched up his left eye and looked at the barkeep and one of his friends. "I hate to ask you to do this, but yer the onliest one that could right now. That mangy saddle tramp is soon gonna move in on folks and I can't let that happen..."
Sam nodded. "Don't worry Festus. I'll slip out the back and take the alley to the livery stable. Hank must have some of the horses back by now." His dark eyes held a full understanding of what his actions were to be and what their outcome must be. "I'll be okay, but I would feel safer with a gun."
Festus looked down and as an oversight of Cooper and his men never disarmed him. Festus peeled off his gun belt and swiftly handed it to Sam. "You be careful, ya hear?"
Sam swallowed deeply and smiled at Miss Kitty. "Festus. You watch out for Miss Kitty, will you?"
"With all my might, I will." Festus nodded. "Get going, now. It'll be daylight in a few hours." With that Sam stood and placed his large hand on Kitty's forearm. "Miss Kitty, you watch out for Festus here...he can be strong headed at times." As wide smile spread across the barkeep's weathered face. He knew that would easy the tension with his boss.
"Sam. You watch out." Kitty smiled back.
