Festus pounded on Hootie's door at the boarding house, "Aunt Hootie?" He leaned closer to and listened for movement. He knocked again – this time with a little more vigour. Again he placed his ear to the door and listened. Finally there were sounds coming from within the room and they were getting closer to the door.

Hootie Haggen pulled open the door, "For land's sake, that is the commotion all about," the older woman said before she looked up into the hazel eyes of her nephew, Festus. "Festus?" she asked with caution and looked out the door past the hill man wondering if something was outside the room to have brought such a look of fear over the deputy.

Festus quickly pulled his hat off his head and clasped it in his hands in front of his chest, "Aunt Hootie, you have to come and quickly," Festus urged.

"Come quickly? Why? What has happened." The older woman said as she stepped back into the boarding house room to pick up a shawl and a straw hat before she rejoined Festus in the hallway.

"Henry and his monkey," was all Festus was able to squeak out as he pulled his hat back down onto his head.

"Oh, my!" Hootie exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Some yahoo with the circus clobbered Matthew," Festus stated as he thumbed over his shoulder toward the direction of the incident at the train station.

"Why on earth would he do a thing like that?" Hootie asked as she hustled along beside the deputy as they were leaving the boarding house. A look of panic and frustration washed over Hootie's face.

Festus' stride widened as he answered his aunt's question, "From what Matthew told me, he and the faller from the circus was jawin' about the circus when Henry's monkey came along, followed by Henry," he said as he glanced over to Hootie and noticed she was now a few steps behind him. Festus slowed slightly before stopping to allow his aunt to catch up.

"Then what happened?" Hootie said slightly huffing.

"Matthew said that the circus feller was gonna slug Henry, but hit Matthew instead," Festus sighed.

"Where's Henry now?" Hootie asked.

Festus shrugged, "I think that's what Matthew wants to see you about," the hill man stated as he began to walk again.

Hootie followed along, shaking her head. She didn't know what to do about her son. "By the sounds of it, Henry's got that fellow from the circus in a tizzy too," she sighed. "I wonder what's he's done to him," she said, but to no one in particular as she followed Festus to the Long Branch Saloon.

Matt arched his back and then calmly folded his arms across his chest, "Aunt Hootie," he said to acknowledge Hootie's arrival.

"Marshal Dillon! Festus told me what happened," the older woman stated as she examined the reddening mark left by O'Hara's wayward punch.

"Did Festus also explain to you why it happened?" Matt voice was filled with exasperation. Hootie nodded apologetically.

"You wouldn't happen to know where your son is now?" Matt asked the older woman. Kitty watched on withy interest as she was now finding the whole situation amusing. Kitty leaned onto the bart and masked her smile with a sip of the drink she had set in front of her.

"Marshal, I haven't seen Henry and I've been in Dodge a whole day!" Hootie said as she looked around. Festus shrugged, as did Doc.

"I need you to find him and his monkey, and then bring him over to the jail house," Matt said gruffly.

"You aren't going to lock him up, are you marshal?" Hootie stepped forward with her hands clasped just under her chin.

"I don't know yet," Matt said.

"You'd better," O'Hara growled. Matt glared back at the circus owner who quickly shut his mouth.

Matt looked over to Festus, "Festus, I want you to help your aunt," he stated. Festus nodded, "You betcha, Matthew!" he smiled awkwardly.

Matt finished his drink and turned to the doors. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder, "I wouldn't laugh too hard about this Kitty. You could be next you know!" he stated before he left for the jail house.

As Matt stepped through the swing doors of the saloon and out onto the boardwalk he heard Kitty laughing out loud. Matt drew a breath and closed his eyes tightly before he released the air in his lungs. The marshal ticked his head and continued on his way down the dusty street.

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"Now come on down from there," Henry motioned to Nosey but the little monkey wasn't about to budge. Instead Nosey made faces at his owner which made Henry even angrier, "For that, I won't by you any apples," Henry said with a huff. Nosey crossed his little arms and pushed his nose into the air. The little primate felt safer in the rafters of the livery stable than with Henry at the moment.

Henry stomped his right foot, "Dang you Nosey!" he said with his right hand clenched into a ball as he waved it at the little monkey.

Nosey jumped up and down on the beam and almost seemed to be laughing at Henry. Henry then took the matter to the next level and began jumping up to try and swat the monkey off the beam, but after the third attempt, he realized that the beam was just too high to reach.

Henry Haggen's shoulders drooped as he sighed and this was the sight that Festus and Hootie walked in on at the livery stable.

"Henry!" Hootie stated loudly.

Henry jumped and spun around, "Ma!" he sheepishly laughed.

Hootie marched into the stable and stopped short of her son, "Just what have you been doing?" she asked gruffly as she placed her balled up hands on her hips.

Henry's mouth opened to speak but nothing came out. He could see that his mother was irate. As hard as he tried nothing left his lips. Hootie looked over to Festus who inturn look back at Hootie, "I think he's lost what little he had left," Festus stated in a low voice. Hootie scowled at her nephew, "He may be dim, but he's not stupid," Hootie said looking back at Henry. Again he smiled sheepishly.

"It surely don't appear that way to me," Festus scoffed.

Henry took an exception to Festus' comment, "I'm only trying to get my monkey down from that beam, up there," Henry pointed to the roof. As Hootie and Festus looked up, all they saw was a bare beam - no monkey. They stood in awe.

Slowly Henry looked up and jumped at the sight, "Now just where did that little feller get to now!"

Festus and Hootie's combined swallow was audible enough. Slowly Henry turned around to find Matt standing in the doorway of the livery stable.

"Howdy, marshal," Henry smiled.

"Henry. We have to have a serious talk," Matt said and as if on cue, Nosey leaped down off the loft and grabbed Matt tan hat from his head. The monkey danced out into the street partly wearing the Stetson. Matt swung around just in time to see Nosey disappear between the jail house and the next building. Matt's eyes narrowed and his eyebrows knotted. Slowly the marshal turned and looked at Hootie and Festus.

Again, Henry Haggen was nowhere in sight. "Arg!" Matt bellowed as he turned on his heels and marched out to the street in search of his hat and the monkey.