I Wish Things Were Clearer
AN: Those who read this chapter as the opening chapter please reread the story starting with the correct chapter 1. I posted this chapter as #1 in error & it took me over an hour to realize it so several of you read the story before I could remove the wrong opening and then repost it with the correct one.
Matt Dillon awoke in the alley with no idea where he was or how he got there. He did have a vague recollection of sudden pain as someone pistol-whipped him. It had to have been the butt of a revolver or else his head wouldn't hurt so much. As he attempted to rise to his feet despite the pain and dizziness one thing became clear and it sure wasn't his vision. He'd been lured to this alley. Matt had taken the drunk's bait without his usual caution because somehow he equated him with Louie, a rookie's mistake.
Well, all he could do was move on by getting back to his hotel room. Once there he could maybe begin to clear his head. If Matt were home he'd try for Doc's office or the Long Branch, but this wasn't home. His goal seemed impossible to reach as he staggered from the alley, barely managing to make it to a nearby bench. Unlike in Dodge, where of course he'd made some enemies, he had no friends in Elkader. Most men passing by were indifferent to his plight while others, men and women, looked upon him with disgust. At least that was his general impression even if all he saw was a blur, which made it impossible to read expressions.
Finally Matt attracted the attention of a sympathetic soul. His head was clear enough now to know he couldn't tell this Good Samaritan the truth. So, rather than reveal he was a lawman who foolishly let himself be conked on the head, he made up something about over indulging the night before. The young man muttered his understanding and was even kind enough to refuse Matt's offer of five dollars for simply helping him across the street to his hotel room. He desperately needed the help. Dillon wasn't even sure of the direction or distance to the hotel until the youth told him. That the man was young came entirely from the sound of his voice.
He may have been essentially blind, since all he could see was a general blur, but Matt Dillon could still read people. He mulled over Billy James going beyond his initial kindness to bring dinner to his hotel room after allowing several hours for Matt to sleep. Billy had let him sleep as requested. Despite the young man's sympathetic attitude and much needed help the lawman sensed this Good Samaritan was hiding something. Maybe it was the youth's general manner, which included the way he blurted out his name that made Matt suspicious. Still, he had more than one reason under current circumstances to keep his guard up and the best way to do that was to get away from the danger he faced by remaining in Elkader. Whoever hit him on the head, most probably the three from Kelly's Saloon, might just try something again. As desirable as it was if he were to continue living getting out of town seemed impossible until the chambermaid knocked on his door.
Like so many in Elkader she seemed unnecessarily scared, a reflection of how low the town had sunk in the years since he'd exposed Joe Phy as an imposter. Matt used that knowledge. He played upon her underlying kindness and need for money to override her fear. She willingly agreed to get the stable boy to bring Buck to the back door. Her willingness wasn't too unusual nor was his certainty she'd give the money he owed on the room to the clerk. What amazed him was she believed he planned to ride the short distance from the hotel to the saloon and thus agreed to direct anyone who asked for him to Kelly's.
Later, Matt didn't think too much about being followed as he plodded along on Buck after the stable boy led him to the road via the backstreets and alleys. Despite not being able to see anything around him clearly the lawman retained a strong sense of direction, strong enough to keep his faithful buckskin on the road back to Dodge. No point thinking about if he was close enough for Buck's homing instincts to cut in until he finally stopped to rest himself and his horse. Matt knew it was shear willpower keeping him going. Not being able to see and the other effects of being hit on the head certainly were sapping his energy level.
As tired as he was the lawman remained alert enough to entertain a hunch Billy Poe and Billy James was the same person. It bothered him to his core that he lacked the physical wherewithal to bring the man back with him. It was yet another troubling thought for Matt Dillon the man as he rode in the general direction of home. At least he didn't have to worry about those three men attacking again now that he was out of Elkader. They'd soon find another stranger to hurrah, lawman or not. Maybe they'd hit the next one harder and kill him. All Matt wanted at the moment was to get back to those who cared about him and hope that Doc could help him regain his sight. He lacked clear vision concerning any part of his life, including where he should be relative to Kitty if the condition proved permanent. The only thing he knew for sure was he'd have to turn in his badge.
Matt's certainty in a crisis, a trait he was known for, deserted him as he pondered how it would be just as impossible to marry Kitty if he could no longer be the US Marshal in Dodge as it was before. How could he earn a living as a blind man? He sure couldn't allow Kitty to support him. That would be worse than dying suddenly at the hands of some bushwhacker and leaving her a widow with their kids, if any came along, to rear by herself. With that troubling thought Dillon veered off the road choosing his campsite by instinct, aided by three of his remaining senses – smell, hearing and touch. Taste had no bearing on things because he had nothing with him to eat and sure wasn't hungry enough after the meal Billy had brought to try foraging for edibles. The level ground in the clearing offered some privacy while allowing him a easily remembered path back to the road. He felt it was a good place to camp.
Four riders were approaching his camp. He turned toward the sound of their horses. The men wasted no time revealing their identity with their taunts. Matt wasn't sure why, but Canby, Wells and Danno weren't satisfied with forcing him to leave a town held together by fear. The fourth, Billy James, was most certainly the Billy Poe he was after. Dillon sensed the trio meant to kill him this time, especially after they tightened a rope they'd dropped over him once the loop was around his feet. It forced Matt into an uncontrolled fall onto his back, hitting his head when he did. Then he heard Billy Poe. The others had come for him because Billy told them this for all intents and purposes blind marshal was after him for murder. They were convinced ridding the world of another lawman, particularly an essentially helpless one, would be a boon for their new friend while providing them with a chance to have fun.
An idea popped into that painful head of his when he heard Billy speak, even before the world around him became suddenly clear. The young man didn't want them to sadistically drag a blind man to his death. The reprieve allowed a reenergized Matt to stand and issue a challenge. He was outnumbered four to one but he wasn't about to go down without a fight. He offered to take on the trio in a fight that didn't involve guns. Without giving anything away Dillon reached down to remove the offending lasso and unbuckled his gun belt before standing up to his full height. Billy made sure the attackers did the same with their iron.
The trio got far more than they bargained for. Being used to breaking up saloon fights came in handy as Matt Dillon used his instincts, height advantage and newly regained vision to feint, parry and trick Canby, Wells and Danno into hitting each other to help in their defeat. Poe made sure none of them picked up one of the scattered pistols to permanently end his ability to fight. He owed the man his life but, now that things were back to normal, the badge again became his primary focus. Marshal Dillon couldn't accept simply letting Billy go. Poe reluctantly agreed to help bring Matt's three assailants back to Dodge despite having only a promise that the lawman would speak up for him at his trial. Dillon knew he had to bring all of them in, despite not knowing what charges to levy against those three scallywags, but couldn't do it alone. Spoilers like them couldn't be allowed to continue following their mean spirited lawless path.