Jonas signed the hotel ledger and picked up his key, "Is there anywhere I could get something to eat? I haven't eaten since early this morning," he asked the clerk.
"Due to the hour, the hotel restaurant is closed, but I'll see if the cook can get some thing for you. I'll have her bring it to you room," the clerk smiled.
Jonas nodded, "Thank you," he said trying to hold off a wave of nausea as another jab of pain cut into his side. The store owner turned and slowly walked up the stairs. He was exhausted and he wondered how he managed to get as far as he had with his broke ribs. Each step he took upward caused pain in his side.
Jonas finally reached the landing and walked along until he reached his room; number seven. With a sigh, Jonas unlocked the door and stepped into the room. As he closed the door, he wondered if the sheriff would hold his word and take him with him back to Dodge in the morning. He pulled the slip of paper from his vest pocket on which he'd written the needed supplies. He pursed his lips and crumpled the paper in his hand out of frustration. Jonas thrust the paper back into his pocket.
Jonas walked to a small table and picked up a box of matches and struck one to light the lamp on the table at the side of the room. Slowly and carefully he lowered himself into the chair and waited for the cook to arrive. His mind drifted back to what was happening in Dodge when he left and wondered what had happened since.
A light rapping at the hotel room door broke Jonas' thought, "It's open," he said as he struggled to stand. The door opened and sheriff Blake stepped through the door with a tray, "I met the cook on the way up, so I brought this for you," Blake smiled. Jonas lowered himself back into the chair as Blake set the try on the little wooden table. Jonas looked up from the tray, "Thank you."
Sheriff Blake started to the door as Jonas unfurled the napkin that accompanied the bowl of soup and the sandwich. The cook was kind enough to even supply a mug of beer. The sheriff stopped and looked back, "Mr. Jonas?"
Jonas looked up from his mean, "Yes?"
"Do you have a list of supplies needed from the doctor's office and the general store?" Blake asked.
Jonas nodded and pulled the crumpled paper from his pocket. He looked at it momentarily before he slowly handed it to the sheriff. Blake looked at the note, "I'll see that the wagon is loaded and ready for tomorrow at six. You'll be ready then?"
Jonas smiled and nodded, "I'll be ready."
Blake could see the relief in the mercantile owner's eyes. The sheriff smiled back.
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Doc placed a damp cloth over Festus' forehead, "I sure would like to know where Jonas is," he muttered to himself hoping that Jonas was all right and that he'd soon get his replacement supply of eucalyptus oil. From what the doctor had read in his journals, the oil wasn't the answer to curing the influenza, but it helped as well as rest and plenty of fluids.
Further Doc hoped that Jonas was able so get the fresh fruit and other food supplies to be able to make juice and soup for the growing number of patients he had.
Matt watched the doctor and made a face. He was certain he knew what Doc was thinking. Not to mention, the fact that he'd likely just complicated Doc's life tenfold with Frank Dunlop's existence in the church. Doc was doing well to hide his anger from the marshal.
Dunlop sat with his arms folded tightly across his chest. His eyes darkened as he glared at Matt, "I figure by now my men know about this," the rancher growled.
Matt looked over his shoulder to Dunlop, "More than likely," he said firmly yet not overly concerned.
"You know what they will do, don't you?" Dunlop tried to scare Matt but it wasn't working.
"Look, Frank," Matt turned to the rancher, "One of those men over there," he thumbed over his shoulder, "Tells me they were nowhere near your house or your daughter, so until this is straightened out, you are staying here, and you'd better call off your men," Matt growled back as he stepped closer to Dunlop.
The marshal's towering size made Dunlop uncomfortable, "Well, just how are you going to sort this out? Someone done my Elaine wrong!" Dunlop said.
"That part I haven't sorted out yet, but I will," Matt stated as he looked over to both Kitty and Doc who were also interested in knowing what Matt had on his mind.
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William Dunlop stood starring at the church, "Well, this is just fine," he sneered and looked back to the group of men that his father was with, "You just let the marshal walk right up to Pa and take him," he turned and shook his head.
"The marshal had a bunch of other men and they jumped us. We have no choice," Baxter stammered.
"You had a choice, alright, but you didn't follow through with it, because you are all yellow," William Dunlop bellowed as he pointed to the church. "I'm not much of a god-fearing man, but they are held up in a church, and I am not going to risk fate by trying to shoot my way in there to get my Pa out!" he was yelling so hard that his juggler veins on the sides of his neck bulged.
The men fell silent. "Now," William said in a more calm demeanor, "does anyone have any bright ideas?"
Ryan Hudson nodded, "Some of us could pretend to have what they have in there. William looked at the cowboy and then walked over to him, "Hudson, that's not a half bad idea," he smiled maliciously and turned to the church, "Not bad at all..."