Festus drove his mule as fast as she could go, even though he knew she was
close to collapsing. He had long since forgotten how cold he was, along
with the snow that was coming down upon him at an unbearable pace. It was
close to midnight, and he needed to be in Dodge City. That was all the
deputy allowed himself to think on.
***********
Doc stopped about ten feet from the band of men facing him. A particularly tough looking man with a gray mustache and black hat stepped forward.
"You got the cash?"
Doc nodded, "Where's Matt Dillon?"
"You hand over the cash, and then I'll tell you where you can find him."
"No."
Stoddard looked at the plucky older man, "No? You like to take risks, don't you old man?"
"Not particularly. But that doesn't change a thing. You don't get the cash until I see Matt."
Stoddard nodded to a man to his right, "Jake, take the bag."
The sound of a shotgun cocking stopped them.
"If'n you take one step toward ol' Doc, you'll never take another."
Adams looked toward the sound of the voice and felt a wave of relief to see Festus standing there with a shotgun pointed at the band of men; but a second later, Doc realized that Matt wasn't with him, and his heart skipped a beat. Despite the deputy's warning, Jake reached for his gun, and all hell broke loose. Newly and Burke open fire from somewhere behind Doc, and Festus fired as he ran toward Adams, throwing himself at the old physician, covering him with his own body to protect him as they hit the ground.
Within moments, it was over, the younger members of the gang of men throwing their weapons aside. Jake and Red Stoddard were lying dead in the snow, and another two men were wounded. Newly and Burke rounded up the rest of them quickly and began walking them toward the Marshal's Office, and the jail.
Festus winced as he moved off Doc, and Adams realized the deputy had been hit.
"Festus?"
"It ain't nothin' Doc, just a scratch."
"You let me be the judge of that."
Doc started to inspect the open wound, but Festus gripped Adams by the arms, and the old man knew from the look in the deputy's eyes that he didn't want to hear what Festus was about to tell him.
"Doc...... Oh Doc...."
Adams' voice was soft, "You found Matt didn't you?"
Festus nodded, looking down into the snow, "I got there too late, Doc." Tears of regret filled the hazel eyes, but none dared to fall. "They burnt the place to the ground with Matthew inside it. I found his coat, hat, and gun in the ashes, all of 'em charred from fire." He looked back up at Adams, sadness permeating his timbre, "I cain't tell Miss Kitty, Doc. I just cain't."
Doc gently cuffed Festus behind the back of the head, pulling him close, "We'll both go to her." He studied the deputy for a moment, noting the despair in his deep eyes. The old man soothingly stroked the back of the head under his hand, "This wasn't your fault, Festus. You did everything you could. Matt just finally ran out of luck. Now come on, let's get out of the cold, and patch up that crease in your neck."
Without a word, Festus let Doc lead him gently by the arm, pulling his mule behind them, the sack full of cash dangling from Ruth's saddle horn. The deputy looked ahead, watching as the snow gently covered Dodge City with its blanket of frost. He would never see it the same way again. They had lost a shining star, one that couldn't be replaced, and Deputy Festus Haggen wasn't sure he could continue as the law in Dodge. Every day would be a constant reminder of the friend who would never return.
Front Street was lined with townspeople as Festus and Adams slowly made their way through the snow toward Doc's office, the news of the marshal's demise having spread quickly. Newly took Ruth from Festus and led her to the livery. As they passed the Long Branch, Kitty ran out: but she knew from the hollow look in Festus' hazel eyes that Matt wouldn't be coming back. She caught Doc's gaze on her as she bit her lip to keep the tears from falling in front of the entire town.
"Kitty, can you come with me? I need your help...."
She took Festus' other arm, and together the three of them climbed the stairwell outside Doc's office. Once inside, Festus sat down in a chair, chilled to the bone, and barely aware of the wound on his neck. Without a word, Doc lit the fire in the stove, and wrapped Festus in a large blanket to warm him. Kitty prepared a basin of alcohol and some bandages for Doc, and then sat next to Festus, taking his hand in hers. Even though he didn't look at her, the deputy spoke softly.
"Miss Kitty, there's something I gotta tell ya that I just plumb don't know how to say."
Kitty's eyes filled with tears, and she squeezed the wide hand in hers.
"You found Matt." She fought to keep her voice even, "I just want to see the body, to say good-bye."
Doc stood on her side, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I'm afraid there isn't anything left, honey."
"Oh my god..... what-how-" The tears began to flow down her face, "How did it happen?"
Festus looked up at Doc who nodded, and then finally, the deputy looked at her, "It was a fire, Miss Kitty. All that was left 'twas pieces of Matthew's hat, coat, and gun. Thar wasn't nothing else, 'cept'n....." Festus pulled the badge out of his pocket, "'Cept'n this...." He handed it to Kitty, "I'm sure Matthew would want you to have it, Miss Kitty."
She placed it back in the strong hand she was holding, "No Festus, Matt would want you to have this."
Doc rubbed a soft hand on her back, "Do you need something to help you sleep?"
She shook her head, let go of Festus' hand, and stood up.
"No, Doc, I've got everything I need at the Long Branch." She adjusted the blanket tighter around the deputy, "You still feel like an icicle, Festus, try and get warm." Kitty headed toward the door.
Doc's voice was tinged with concern, "I'll be over in awhile to check in on you, okay?"
She nodded, "Sure....just don't expect me to be sober."
Kitty closed the door behind her softly.
"I'm plumb worried about her, Doc. You should go over there right now, and make sure she's a-doin' okay."
"I will, as soon as I clean this wound on your neck. Now hold still...."
***********
Matt could no longer feel his fingers or toes. He had fallen asleep under the tree, and frostbite was setting in. He knew he needed to try and move on, but it was so dark, and cold. And he was so tired. But there was something he was forgetting. Christmas, that was it. And Kitty. Kitty would be expecting him at the Long Branch. He had to get moving. She'd be worried. Slowly, Matt Dillon stood, wavering on his feet, but he started walking downstream in the snow, barely aware of his surroundings, or situation, in his delirium. He had to get back to Dodge for Kitty....
***********
Doc stopped about ten feet from the band of men facing him. A particularly tough looking man with a gray mustache and black hat stepped forward.
"You got the cash?"
Doc nodded, "Where's Matt Dillon?"
"You hand over the cash, and then I'll tell you where you can find him."
"No."
Stoddard looked at the plucky older man, "No? You like to take risks, don't you old man?"
"Not particularly. But that doesn't change a thing. You don't get the cash until I see Matt."
Stoddard nodded to a man to his right, "Jake, take the bag."
The sound of a shotgun cocking stopped them.
"If'n you take one step toward ol' Doc, you'll never take another."
Adams looked toward the sound of the voice and felt a wave of relief to see Festus standing there with a shotgun pointed at the band of men; but a second later, Doc realized that Matt wasn't with him, and his heart skipped a beat. Despite the deputy's warning, Jake reached for his gun, and all hell broke loose. Newly and Burke open fire from somewhere behind Doc, and Festus fired as he ran toward Adams, throwing himself at the old physician, covering him with his own body to protect him as they hit the ground.
Within moments, it was over, the younger members of the gang of men throwing their weapons aside. Jake and Red Stoddard were lying dead in the snow, and another two men were wounded. Newly and Burke rounded up the rest of them quickly and began walking them toward the Marshal's Office, and the jail.
Festus winced as he moved off Doc, and Adams realized the deputy had been hit.
"Festus?"
"It ain't nothin' Doc, just a scratch."
"You let me be the judge of that."
Doc started to inspect the open wound, but Festus gripped Adams by the arms, and the old man knew from the look in the deputy's eyes that he didn't want to hear what Festus was about to tell him.
"Doc...... Oh Doc...."
Adams' voice was soft, "You found Matt didn't you?"
Festus nodded, looking down into the snow, "I got there too late, Doc." Tears of regret filled the hazel eyes, but none dared to fall. "They burnt the place to the ground with Matthew inside it. I found his coat, hat, and gun in the ashes, all of 'em charred from fire." He looked back up at Adams, sadness permeating his timbre, "I cain't tell Miss Kitty, Doc. I just cain't."
Doc gently cuffed Festus behind the back of the head, pulling him close, "We'll both go to her." He studied the deputy for a moment, noting the despair in his deep eyes. The old man soothingly stroked the back of the head under his hand, "This wasn't your fault, Festus. You did everything you could. Matt just finally ran out of luck. Now come on, let's get out of the cold, and patch up that crease in your neck."
Without a word, Festus let Doc lead him gently by the arm, pulling his mule behind them, the sack full of cash dangling from Ruth's saddle horn. The deputy looked ahead, watching as the snow gently covered Dodge City with its blanket of frost. He would never see it the same way again. They had lost a shining star, one that couldn't be replaced, and Deputy Festus Haggen wasn't sure he could continue as the law in Dodge. Every day would be a constant reminder of the friend who would never return.
Front Street was lined with townspeople as Festus and Adams slowly made their way through the snow toward Doc's office, the news of the marshal's demise having spread quickly. Newly took Ruth from Festus and led her to the livery. As they passed the Long Branch, Kitty ran out: but she knew from the hollow look in Festus' hazel eyes that Matt wouldn't be coming back. She caught Doc's gaze on her as she bit her lip to keep the tears from falling in front of the entire town.
"Kitty, can you come with me? I need your help...."
She took Festus' other arm, and together the three of them climbed the stairwell outside Doc's office. Once inside, Festus sat down in a chair, chilled to the bone, and barely aware of the wound on his neck. Without a word, Doc lit the fire in the stove, and wrapped Festus in a large blanket to warm him. Kitty prepared a basin of alcohol and some bandages for Doc, and then sat next to Festus, taking his hand in hers. Even though he didn't look at her, the deputy spoke softly.
"Miss Kitty, there's something I gotta tell ya that I just plumb don't know how to say."
Kitty's eyes filled with tears, and she squeezed the wide hand in hers.
"You found Matt." She fought to keep her voice even, "I just want to see the body, to say good-bye."
Doc stood on her side, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I'm afraid there isn't anything left, honey."
"Oh my god..... what-how-" The tears began to flow down her face, "How did it happen?"
Festus looked up at Doc who nodded, and then finally, the deputy looked at her, "It was a fire, Miss Kitty. All that was left 'twas pieces of Matthew's hat, coat, and gun. Thar wasn't nothing else, 'cept'n....." Festus pulled the badge out of his pocket, "'Cept'n this...." He handed it to Kitty, "I'm sure Matthew would want you to have it, Miss Kitty."
She placed it back in the strong hand she was holding, "No Festus, Matt would want you to have this."
Doc rubbed a soft hand on her back, "Do you need something to help you sleep?"
She shook her head, let go of Festus' hand, and stood up.
"No, Doc, I've got everything I need at the Long Branch." She adjusted the blanket tighter around the deputy, "You still feel like an icicle, Festus, try and get warm." Kitty headed toward the door.
Doc's voice was tinged with concern, "I'll be over in awhile to check in on you, okay?"
She nodded, "Sure....just don't expect me to be sober."
Kitty closed the door behind her softly.
"I'm plumb worried about her, Doc. You should go over there right now, and make sure she's a-doin' okay."
"I will, as soon as I clean this wound on your neck. Now hold still...."
***********
Matt could no longer feel his fingers or toes. He had fallen asleep under the tree, and frostbite was setting in. He knew he needed to try and move on, but it was so dark, and cold. And he was so tired. But there was something he was forgetting. Christmas, that was it. And Kitty. Kitty would be expecting him at the Long Branch. He had to get moving. She'd be worried. Slowly, Matt Dillon stood, wavering on his feet, but he started walking downstream in the snow, barely aware of his surroundings, or situation, in his delirium. He had to get back to Dodge for Kitty....