Chapter 4
Out of habit, Marshal Dillon was about to look for Chester and tell him to saddle the horses, but then he remembered that his long- time assistant was no longer here in Dodge.
It was an evening about a month or two ago. The office was quiet with only the scattered light from the street lamps casting dim shadows through the window bars. Matt was using the time to grab an hour's rest before making late-night rounds.
"Mr. Dillon," the jailer called as he flung open the door. Maybe he was trying to be quiet but it wasn't succeeding very well.
"What is it, Chester?" Matt wasn't too happy at being disturbed and it showed in his voice.
"I need to tell you something, Mr. Dillon."
"Does it have to be now?" The Marshal knew that Chester's stories could go on for a long time.
"Well...Yessir it does." Chester was standing there by the cot, all excited and hardly able to keep his feet still. Dillon had no choice but to listen so he sat up, swung his feet to the floor and looked up at Chester hoping his story wouldn't take too long.
"Mr. DIllon, you know that me and Maggie Slater have been steppin' out for a while now?"
Matt nodded, "Yes, Mr. Jonas told me. She's been working part time in his store and he couldn't help but notice you calling in to see her at all hours of the day."
"Well, Mr. Dillon, tonight we went out on a moonlight buggy ride. She's been begging me to take her for a week or more and… tonight I did!"
"Congratulations, Chester. Can I go back to sleep now?"
"Oh.. well no, Mr. Dillon!" Chester shifted his weight from foot to foot in excitement. "There's more...I asked her to marry me and she said yes." Those last few words came out in a rush.
Matt remembered how so many of Chester's infatuations had ended in disappointment or tragedy so he didn't quite know what to say. He'd have to wait to see if this affair was any different.
It was little more than a week later when Dillon had to agree that Chester's luck had definitely changed. He and Kitty stood side by side in the little church as young Maggie Slater walked down the aisle on her father's arm. The look on Chester's face said it all. Matt watched as the two young people stared into each other's eyes and took their marriage vows. Half the town turned out to wish them well and Kitty threw the biggest party Dodge had ever seen. A day or so later Chester and Maggie Goode eagerly announced that they planned to head west. Maybe they'd go all the way to California to find a place they'd call their very own home.
Matt would never forget standing at the train depot with the newlywed couple. It was a clear evening as the West bound Santa Fe arrived in a cloud of smoke and a screech of metal wheels grinding to a stop on the rails. Chester and Maggie breathlessly hugged Kitty, and then the jailer turned to him. Matt intended to shake hands - like men do - but Chester - overcome with emotion, threw his arms around the marshal. Awkwardly Matt responded.
"I'll always remember what all you done for me, Mr. Dillon," he said as he wiped a little moisture from his eyes.
"I won't forget you either, Chester. You be sure to take good care of yourself and Maggie."
"We'll write when we find a place to make our home, Marshal," Maggie promised excitedly as they boarded the train.
Matt and Kitty along with a few other people stood watching as doors slammed and wheels slowly began to turn. Chester and his new bride were standing on the plate between two cars. He had his arm around her and she gazed up at him with a look of adoration on her face. The shrill scream of the whistle sounded and smoke began to swirl around the young couple. They waved as the train pulled out and continued on its way west in a cloud of steam and soot. The people standing at the depot waved back at their friends until they were no longer visible and the train disappeared into the evening sun.
Dillon put his arm around Kitty's waist as they left the depot and walked silently back to the wagon he'd borrowed. As he helped her up onto the board she looked back at him. Knowing the stalwart marshal had difficulty handling his emotions, she tried to help a little.
"We're both going to miss him, Matt," she said while gently sliding her hand around his neck as she settled next to him on the wagon seat.
Matt was buried in his own thoughts and didn't reply. It would be a long time before he'd find another man who was as loyal and trustworthy as Chester Goode.
()()()
"Mornin', Marshal." The familiar voice of Moss Grimmick came from one of the stalls at the back of the stables. The old man appeared, carrying a pitchfork in one hand and easing a half full wheel barrow forward in front of him with the other as he went. "You need your horse?" he asked while looking up at Dillon.
"Well, yes. I need to ride out …"
"I'll get him ready and bring him along to your office if you want."
"I'd appreciate it, Moss. Thank you."
He returned to the jail and gathered up the few things he'd need for his upcoming trip. He didn't plan to be gone overnight but even so made sure he had a little jerky, a box of extra bullets for his pistol, and shells for his Henry rifle. He also took his bedroll just in case. He was ready to leave when Moss knocked on the door and told him that his horse was tied outside.
The ride out to Walnut Creek took less than an hour. It proved to be quite pleasant with the cold of winter gone and the oppressive heat of summer not yet shown up. When he arrived at the frequently used campsite by the river, he saw no sign of anyone. He dismounted and walked around for a closer look. There was the remains of a campfire but it was cold and probably hadn't been used in days. He studied the ground near the fire pit looking for fresh footprints and was still searching when a slight sound behind him made him spin around and draw his gun. A woman was standing there, grinning at him. She was dressed in a man's clothes but still looked every inch a woman. She wasn't unusually tall or strong looking but her green eyes were casting around as if searching for anything out of place. When she spoke her voice was almost seductive.
"If I'd been one of Yarborough's gang, Marshal, you'd be ready for buryin'." She obviously recognized him.
"How did you know it was me?" he asked.
"Not many men wearing a badge fit your description."
She was very calm and self assured with no hesitation in her voice at all. He noticed that she was wearing a gun but it was still in its holster. It was as if she'd been expecting him.
"Ada Boothe?" he asked.
She extended her hand and walked towards him. Responding to her gesture he relaxed a little.
"I knew Miranda would tell you where to find me, if she was able. That means she's still alive I guass. Must say I was worried about her when I dropped her off at the Doc's office but I'd heard you had a good doctor there in Dodge."
"Tell me what's going on. Miss Miller told me a little but at the time she wasn't strong enough to explain all the details."
Matt indicated a fallen tree where they could both sit and he could listen to her story. He was tempted to light a small fire and make a pot of coffee but decided against it because he didn't want to leave any conspicuous sign of their meeting. Ada's story would most likely take a while to tell so he went to retrieve the canteen from his saddle. He removed the cap and wiped the spout before offering her a drink. She took a few mouthfuls then handed it back.
"For almost a year now, Washington has been getting reports of vicious bank raids, stagecoach and railroad holdups, even the army payroll has been hit more frequently than usual. No place west of the Mississippi seems to be safe. Simultaneously there's been a rise in apparently random killings. It seems as if every known gunslinger got together and formed a company of their own and now they're conducting killings for a fixed fee, no questions asked. They seem to be doing a brisk business too, and as far as we could find out, most were arranged through one man known as Yarborough."
Dillon was staring ahead at the bright, colorful flowers growing between the coarse blades of grass and moving back and forth in the afternoon breeze. It made the prairie look an inviting and peaceful place to be. Most times of the year it was too hot and dry. At others it was covered in snow, but for a very few weeks between the seasons it was pleasant to be here. He turned to look at Ada, having heard and considered every word she'd said.
"Miss Miller managed to mention that name," he told her. "So you located him?"
"Tom did," she answered, "but one of Yarborough's men must've recognized him."
"And they killed him?" Matt added for her.
"Yes."
Ada sat there, staring at the ground around her feet. She saw a small stick and picked it up to look more closely at it..
"So this man Yarborough didn't know about you and Miss Miller? "
"No, he didn't connect us with Tom at all. Our job was to get information and pass it on to Tom so he could check it out. I think he tried to infiltrate the gang in order to discover who Yarborough really was. One of those killers recognized him."
She threw the stick aside and lifted her hand to hide the fact that a tear was forming in her eye. Matt had the decency to look away.
"Tom Durbin was a good man, Marshal. He didn't deserve to die that way."
"Did he manage to tell you the exact location of their headquarters?"
"Yes, pretty much." There was a long silence before she continued.
"Yarborough's men were clever, Marshal. They knew someone had to be working with Tom. They left a trail that was all too easy for us to follow. We should have known better. We found him but they were waiting there to ambush us. Tom tried to call out a warning but he could hardly speak. There were only five of them but they'd had time to arrange themselves so that we were surrounded before we knew what was happening. Fortunately both Miranda and I know how to handle a rifle and we took them out quite easily. Sadly Miranda got shot in the process."
"She managed to tell me some of that, Miss Boothe."
"Please call me Ada, Marshal."
"Why didn't you stay with her when you dropped her off at Doc's?" He didn't feel right calling her Ada - so avoided using a name.
"I couldn't stay around. I was afraid there might be someone in Dodge who'd recognize Miranda or me and I had to keep her safe. There was a big bank raid in Wichita a month or so ago - maybe you heard about it. Two tellers were callously shot down in cold blood and a ricochet bullet injured a woman standing nearby at the counter. The robbery was attributed to Yarborough's gang, so I knew some of those men were already in Kansas."
Dillon looked up at the sky. It wouldn't be much more than an hour before sunset.
"If we head back to Dodge now, it will be dark by the time we get there. I can take you in through the back alleys so we're not seen and find you a safe place to stay. I'm waiting for more information to arrive from Washington. They already sent a wire telling me to assist Miss Miller in any way possible but preferred to send further details later by official mail. It should arrive on the late stage this evening."
She thought about his offer before answering but it didn't take her long.
"That would be good, Marshal. I need to talk to Miranda."
"You better call me Matt," he replied. "Let's get the horses and start moving before dark."
TBC