"MR. DILLON! MR. DILLON!"
While waiting for Doc to arrive, Chester had been desperately searching the meadow where the horses' tracks had led him. He had followed Kitty's boot prints to the small hole, and after hollering their names a few times, had followed Matt's prints leading towards the rocks to the north and then to the cave.
The now inaccessible cave entrance had staggered him, but he knew that if anyone could find another way out, Marshal Dillon could.
Hurrying back to the meadow, he saw Doc arriving in a wagon, just in case one or both of his friends were injured.
"DOC!" The red-faced, perspiring young man hop-ran to the wagon and drank deeply from the canteen the doctor handed him, trying to catch his breath.
"Doc. I jest caint find them! We've lost them." His big brown expressive eyes were moist with tears as he told him about following the boot prints, the small, deep hole, and the collapsed cave entrance.
"By thunder Chester! If ANYONE can find Kitty and get them both out of a collapsed cave, it's MATT! There MUST be another exit and you search around until you find it! I'll stay here in case they show up.
Doc's belief in Matt's abilities made Chester ashamed of his doubts. He sniffed, wiped his eyes with his bandana and set off through the trees and brush to continue his search.
"MR. DILLON! MR. DILLON!" His voice was hoarse and desperate as he pushed his way through branches and bushes that scratched his hands and snagged his clothing.
"Over here, Chester!" Matt called in a loud deep voice. He looked down at Kitty's smudged, smiling face, pulled her closer and kissed the tip of her nose. He was sitting on the ground by the pond holding Kitty in his lap, both still catching their breaths after their narrow escape. They would never take the hot, bright sun for granted again. Or being together.
When Chester finally emerged into the clearing, his initial joyous relief at finding his two dear friends alive and smiling turned to startled embarrassment at Kitty's and Matt's lack of clothing. He stopped in his tracks and stared open-mouthed, feeling his face flushing.
"Well Chester, don't just stand there, give the lady your shirt!" Matt said in a jokingly stern tone, shaking his wet, curly hair from his face.
"Uh, yes SIR, Mr. Dillon! Miss Kitty." A polite Southern boy, he tipped his battered hat at her before quickly pulling down his suspenders and unbuttoning his shirt.
Stretching his arm as far as he could, the young man held out his shirt as he looked at the ground. He was certain that his blush was even deeper now that his chest was bare.
Matt winked at Kitty, slid her off of his lap, got up and walked over to where he could take the shirt.
"Thanks Chester. Better put your suspenders back up!"
Startled, the embarrassed man spun away and pulled up his suspenders, forgetting that he always wore a wide sturdy belt too.
Bending over, Matt slipped the light blue shirt onto the smiling young woman's arms and she buttoned it and rolled up the sleeves.
"Chester. Where's your horse? Is Doc nearby?" Even barefoot and only wearing torn and muddy long john bottoms, the Marshal was still a figure of authority.
His tender-hearted assistant was distracted for a moment, taking in the scattering of scars on his friend's broad tanned chest, torso, shoulders, and arms. Most were faded, barely visible white stitch marks, with only one a puckered, nickel-sized spot high on his left shoulder. Although close-living co-workers in the office and on the trail, they were rarely bare-chested in front of each other in the daylight.
"Uh. Got my horse jest over through them bushes a little ways, Mr. Dillon. Doc's waiting over there now. He followed me in a wagon…jest in case, ya know. After yer horses come back to Moss', we didn't know what ta think! I knew ya'd gone out to ', but then yer tracks veered over thisaway."
"Good job Chester! Lead the way!" Matt bent down and picked up Kitty as if she were a feather, and waited for his friend to start moving.
Chester could now look at dear Miss Kitty, and was relieved to see that she appeared to be uninjured except for a swollen right foot and ankle. He had never seen so much of her lovely legs before, and started to blush again.
"Miss Kitty. Excuse me fer askin', but are ya hurt some?" His voice was a soft drawl as he looked down at his boot tips and pulled at his suspenders.
"I'm fine Chester. I just twisted my ankle some and bumped my head when I fell into the cave. And thank you for your shirt, Honey." She loved the young man for so many reasons, and wished she could kiss his cheek, but his blush had already and impossibly deepened from seeing her legs.
Matt grinned down at Kitty and couldn't resist teasing his sincere young assistant a little.
"Oh, Chester! Miss Kitty here sure could use your pants, you know!"
Chester's head snapped up and his large brown eyes opened wide in horror.
"MR. DILLON! Ya know I ain't got nuthin' on under them when it's a hot day!"
Kitty hid her face against Matt's chest as he coughed, sputtered and looked away.
"Come ON, Chester! Let's get out of here!"