Matt set his empty beer glass down on the bar, "I guess by now you've heard that Sal Coolidge is in Dodge," he looked at Kitty.
"I knew he was coming, but u didn't think it was for a few more days," Kitty said as she sipped on her drink.
"I didn't think so either. You should have seen the look on Festus' face when I told him he was coming back here to his farm," Matt made a face of disapproval.
"Poor Festus. And poor Doc," Kitty said in a hushed voice.
"Yeah. I had a brief word with Sal just a few minutes ago. He stopped at Jonas' store to pick up some supplies," Matt stated.
"Oh, I bet Jonas liked that," Kitty chuckled.
"He didn't seem to happy about it that's for sure," Matt smiled. "I guess, in hindsight he was right about Sal and the way he treated his wife. It all ended so tragically," Matt frowned.
"Well, Doc did his best for Sarah," Kitty said as she walked behind the bar and refilled Matt's glass.
"I'd like to know how Sal straighten himself out," Matt said.
"I guess they must have new treatments. I hope it helps him. It would be a shame for him to fail on the farm now," Kitty sighed.
"I guess time will tell," Matt said and lifted his beer to his lips.
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Sal pulled the old mare down the street and tied her to a tree near the livery stable. He then slowly walked to the back of the stable, following the hammering and sawing. The farmer carefully poked his head around the side of the building and spotted deputy Festus Haggen, who was having some difficulty with one of the planks that he was trying to nail to the side of the wooden building.
Sal clutched the sack with the gun to his chest and pulled his head back before the hill man spotted him. The farmer made his way back to Front Street and took a quick look around to see if anyone saw him. There was barely anyone on the street. Sal moved quickly through the open door of the livery stable and to his surprise saw that the doctor's buggy was not there.
Sal wet his lips as he thought of a plan. His eyes grew wide as one came to him, he was almost giddy with joy. After all these years, the doctor was going to pay, one way or another for what he did to Sarah Coolidge.
Sal nestled into a stall and waited. And as he waited he further thought through his plan. He'd get the doctor while he was unhitching the buggy. Or maybe he'd shot the deputy with the doctor's gun. Sal was delirious at the idea. The farmer smiled maliciously as he pulled the old gun from the sack and looked at the blue of the steel barrel. The farmer wondered how long he'd have to wait to fulfill his deepest desires.
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Festus was still having a dickens of a time with the wood and nails., he wasn't a carpenter by any standards and he was thankful that no one would see his so called handy-work. The boards were dimpled from near misses with the hammer – several nails were bent over and just barely holding the planks in place. The situation got worse the higher the deputy had to reach, as the create he stood on wobbled with every swing of the hammer. Nails dropped from his hands as he tried to steady himself.
Doc pulled his buggy to a stop just inside the livery stable. He slowly stepped down and picked up his medical bag from the floor of the rig. With a calculated swipe of his right hand he was about to leave the livery when he heard Festus curse out loud.
Doc stopped and walked back to where Festus was working. The hill man still had a fairly large portion of wall to finish before night. Doc stopped and looked at the hill man.
Festus shook his left hand after whacking it with the hammer, "What in thunder are you lookin' at?" Festus growled.
"They always said a fool and his money are soon parted," Doc looked up and down at the several planks that Festus managed to nail up.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Festus stepped through the opening.
"Who gave you the money to do this?" Doc pointed at the wood.
"It ain't none of yer never mind," Festus snorted as he continued to shake his hand.
"I bet it was Kitty, wasn't it?" Doc said gruffly and in a rather disapproving tone.
Louie Pheeters stirred slightly as he heard the doctor talking a little louder than normal. He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles and tried to clear his head. He could make out the physician and he could hear Festus and although he wasn't sober enough to fully understand their conversation, he gathered that Doc was mad at the deputy for something.
"Doc, ifin' someone give ya money ta help you out, you jist don't go blabbing it all over town!" Festus stated loudly and waved his hand at the doctor.
Again Louie tried to understand the conversation.
"You make me so mad when you think up these half baked schemes of yours and then half the town has to jump in and bail you out!" Doc barked.
Louie wriggled himself over to the door and popped out on to Front Street unnoticed. He was in search of the marshal. Louie stammered up the boardwalk and could still hear Doc tearing a strip off the deputy.
Sal Coolidge inched forward. His eyes were glued onto the two men.
"I've had enough of this for one night!" Doc growled and turned to leave, "You just go on ahead and make a mess of everything," he said as he stepped past the door to livery stable and out on to Front Street. Sal smiled wickedly as he had decided to hurt one thing that the doctor cared about and from him for it.
Festus cursed more and kicked at a bale of hay. "That dang old sutter wouldn't know fine workmanship if it bit him on the backside," he grumbled.
Sal quietly stepped out of the stall and point the gun.
Doc had just about reached the boardwalk when he hear the report of the gun coming from the stable, "That dang fool likely shot his foot off," he said and turned back.
Matt listened to Louie's story and was also interested in the gun shot. "I'll sort this out later , Louie," he shuffled the little man to the left and headed to the saloon door. Matt looked around the street and several people pointed to the stable.
Doc lowered himself next to the deputy, "Festus?"
The hill man didn't answer.
Doc looked around to see if he could see anyone who might have shot Festus. There was no one in sight. The doctor then looked down and spotted the gun. Carefully he reached for it and immediately recognised the weapon as his own. Doc froze.
Matt stood behind the doctor, "Doc?" he gulped.
Doc looked up at Matt, "It's not what you think," he whispered.
