Town Life 14

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Matt rode swiftly back into Dodge that afternoon, towing a horse with a dead man draped across the saddle. Though in years past the sight was not unfamiliar, it was never the less shocking to see the now retired Marshal coming down the street in such a way.

Jake had tried to ambush him out on the prairie. He had followed Matt until he was certain they were far from town before drawing his gun and rushing him. But even in retirement, Matt was still more than a match for the dimwitted gunslinger. His gun drawn and ready, Matt swerved to the right, turned Buck sharply around and pointed his Colt at the man as he raced in his direction. "Hold it right there." He growled. "Throw down your guns and get your hands up."

Jake came to a shuddering halt with a surprised expression. "How'd you…? You weren't supposed to know I was back there." He protested.

"I said, drop your guns and put your hands up." Matt ordered again. While Jake dropped his handgun and rifle to the ground, Matt looked around them. "Where's Bishop?" Matt asked. "He with you?"

Jake shook his head. "He didn't come with me. He sent me to take care of you. He said it'd be easy out here where nobody'd see me."

"Well, he was wrong." Matt told him. "In fact it'd be even easier for me to take care of you out here where nobody'd see me. But I'm not going to. You're going back to town with me and you're going to tell me, and the Marshal there, exactly where Bishop is."

Jake shook his head, a sheen of sweat appearing on his brow. "Un huh." He shook his head. "Loy'd kill me. I cain't do that." Desperately he launched himself from his horse towards Matt, knocking them both to the ground. Matt landed with a crunch on his right knee but he ignored the pain as he struggled to keep his gun out of Jake's hands.

Over and over they rolled, kicking and twisting. Jake managed to get Matt's hand and the gun it held, down between them, trying to pull it from his grasp. But Matt was a more than an equal match for the slowwitted bandit. Fiercely the two men fought until suddenly the gun went off and Jake stopped, glanced down at Matt and then slumped on top of him, dead.

Matt pushed the man off of him and slowly sat up. His knee was killing him and his breath was coming in gasps, but one thought only was on his mind. Bishop was in town where his wife and children were.

Hurriedly throwing the dead bandit on his horse, he secured a rope around him and then climbed on his own horse and raced back to town.

Pulling up in front of the jail, Matt had barely dismounted when Newly was at his side. "Who do you have there?" He asked, pulling the blanket away from the man's face.

"His name's Jake. Can't remember the last name, but he's a partner of Loy Bishop. Tried to ambush me out on the prairie. We were wrestling for my gun when it went off and killed him. He died before I could get him to tell me where Bishop is."

Newly gave him a sly smile. "Well, Matt. I wouldn't worry too much about Bishop anymore, if I were you. I don't think he's going to be too much trouble to you, or anyone else, once I get him back to prison." His smile broadened when he saw the expression on Matt's face.

"You found him?" Matt asked.

Newly shook his head. "Well, actually Miss Kitty found him. Her and your new dog took him down and held him until I got there."

Matt's expression of joy turned to incredulity and then fear. "Kitty, took…? Is she alright?" He asked not even noticing the mention of the dog.

Newly nodded. "I think so. Doc put her back to bed of course, but last I checked she was doing okay."

"Well, what happened? I thought you had someone watching the house." Matt's temper was building.

"Matt, I'll explain everything but later but right now I think you have more important worries, don't you?"

Matt nodded, thinking of Kitty. "Newly, could you do me a favor?" Matt looked down the street towards the boarding house.

"Go on, Matt." Newly reached for the reins of Matt's horse. "I'll take care of Jake here."

Despite his bad knee, Matt practically ran the whole way to the boarding house, stopping on the porch only long enough to catch his breath.

"Papa!" James exclaimed as Matt came in. "Mama catched the bad man. He were gonna hurt her."

"That's what I heard." He answered, pulling his son off his leg. "But he didn't, did he?"

James shook his head. "Nope, but hers gotta stay in bed, Pawpaw says." James had called Doc, 'Pawpaw" since he'd learned to talk.

Matt let out his breath and gave his son a brief hug. "Tell you what, Son. I'm going up stairs to see your mama and I want you to stay down here. Okay?"

"Okay." James readily agreed.

Quick as his stiffening limb would let him; Matt climbed the stairs and headed down to their room. Doc was just coming out and noticed Matt's limp was worse than usual. "What'd you do to your leg?"

"It's nothing, Doc." Matt brushed it off. "How's Kitty? What happened?"

"Newly didn't tell you?" Doc took a scrub of his mustache.

"He told me Kitty took Bishop down. But how?"

Doc smiled, thinking of the scene he and Newly had come up on. "Why don't you just go on in and talk to your wife and let her explain it."

Matt nodded but stopped before turning the knob. "Is she and the baby alright?" His worry was evident on his face.

Doc nodded. "They're both fine, Matt. As long as you keep that stubborn wife of yours in bed, they'll stay that way."

Matt nodded and turned the knob, entering the room and hastily making his way over to the bed. "Kitty?" He sat down beside her, grasping both her hands in his and pulling her to him. "You okay?" He kissed her forehead as he held her tightly to him for a moment, just so relieved she was alright.

"I'm fine, Matt." Kitty smiled as she pulled her hands from his and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Me and the baby are both fine."

Matt took a deep breath and pushed her back a little to capture her gaze with his. "What happened here? Newly said you took Bishop down. How?"

Kitty lightly chuckled. "Well, it wasn't only me. I had a lot of help from Jackson. As a matter of fact, he's really the one that took Bishop down; I just held a gun on him until Newly got there."

"Jackson?" Matt questioned. "I've heard that name before. Who is he? And what's he doing hanging around with my wife?" There was just a hint of jealously in his voice and it tickled Kitty to hear it.

"Now, calm down, Matt." She grinned. "Jackson is our new dog. Bishop somehow got into the house this morning and forced me into the back yard. He was going to try and make me go with him, but Jackson came out of nowhere and just jumped him. He clamped down on Bishop's arm and refused to let go until I had Bishops gun and was holding it on him. A few seconds later, Newly and Doc came and Newly took Bishop away. Doc made me come back up here and go back to bed."

Matt grinned as he pulled her back to him into a hug. "You know, I've just about decided to hire a whole army of animals and set them up as guards for you." He laughed. "Seems to me that between the bulls and the dogs and whatever other animals you're around, you'd be more protected than all the armed men I could hire."

Kitty joined him in the laugh. "You think so, huh?"

Matt nodded. "Yep, and with animals I wouldn't have to be concerned with any of them trying to steal my wife's affections from me."

Kitty raised her head, a serious expression replacing the smile of a moment earlier. "That will never happen, Matt. Not ever. And I don't need an army of animals. All I need is you. I love you."

Matt nodded with a sigh as he tucked back under his chin and kissed the crown of her head. "I know, Kitty. I know. And for that I am truly grateful."

TBC