"Wait here a minute, Miss Kitty," Festus said as he disappeared into the dark cave and soon reappeared with a lit torch in his left hand. "You kin come on in, now. I wanna show ya somethin'. Somthin' important."
Kitty's curiosity overcame her reluctance to enter the damp, dark maw, and she allowed herself to be drawn in by Festus' calloused hand pulling on her soft, slender one. The flame from the torch flickered in the cool draught wafting from the deep recesses of the cave as Festus hurriedly led the way. When they had walked for about ten minutes, and Kitty was starting to resist her friend's insistent pull, he stopped. Dropping her hand, he lifted the torch higher and looked at her with flickers of light reflected in his eyes, a big grin on his whiskery face. As he opened his mouth to speak, a deep rumbling noise began, the air filled with dust, and the earth beneath their feet shifted.
"MISS KITTY!" Festus yelled, dropping the torch, wrapping his arms around the startled woman, and falling to the ground with her underneath his body.
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Holding their torches in front of them, the dust-covered man and woman looked at each other and started to walk back the way they had come in, praying that the entrance was still open enough to allow them to escape back into fresh brightness. They hadn't walked far before encountering large boulders strewn across their path, blocking the way out.
"Come on, Miss Kitty, let's try the other way. There's gotta be another way outta here." Even by torchlight, he could see the skeptical, frightened look in Kitty's large eyes, and he patted her hand. "Why, no miner worth a lick would work somewhere with jest one way in o' out! I knows lots o' them dirt diggers!"
"Of course, Festus, of course! I…I'm not worried a bit." But even she could hear the cracking in her voice, and knew her smile was fake looking. Coughing in the swirling dust, she gripped her torch tighter and followed, walking deeper into the darkness.
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"Festus! I thought I asked you to fix that back door…" Matt began, already irritable from plowing through his endless stack of paperwork for the past two hours, then stopped when he saw Sam filling the open doorway. Without another word, the Marshal put down his pen, stood up, and started buckling on his gun belt. It seemed that whenever the big bartender came to the office, Kitty was in some type of trouble, and looking at the man's distraught, craggy face, he knew he was right this time.
"What is it Sam? Is it Kitty?"
"Yessir, Marshal. She musta left when I was down in the basement for a delivery, and when I came back upstairs, I found this note," he said, handing over the small piece of paper. He watched Matt read it, and added, "That was over two hours ago. It ain't like Miss Kitty to stay away that long. At least she's with Festus, but where did they go?"
"I don't know, Sam, but he mentioned that two of his cousins had arrived in town yesterday, and he wanted Kitty and me to meet them. I need to find those two other Haggens!"
"I'll go with you, Marshal. I can recognize a Haggen, too." The big man clenched his fists in determination to find the young woman he felt such deep loyalty and affection for, and he turned to leave.
"Wait, Sam." Matt put his big right hand on the bartender's shoulder to stop him. "You'd better go back to the Long Branch and take care of things for Kitty. She relies on you, you know, and when I head out of town, I'd like to think of you here helping to watch over the town."
Sam's shoulders slumped and he nodded. "You're right, Marshal." Putting his shoulders back, he strode towards the saloon. He knew that Miss Kitty trusted him to always take care of the Long Branch for her.
The lawman stood in the door for a few moments, watching Sam until he reached the saloon and pushed in through the bat-wing doors. "That's one fine man to have in your corner. One fine man." Taking his Stetson from the top peg by the door, he put it on and started on his search of all of the other saloons in town. The Lady Gay, the Bull's Head, the Tivoli, the El Dorado, and finally, in the Texas Trail, he saw two men sitting at a rough, splintery table in the corner that had the unmistakable look of being Haggens. The larger one appeared to be in his mid-twenties, arm and chest muscles straining the faded material of his long john shirt under his patched overalls. His white-blond hair was long, uncombed, and hung in his face as he leaned over his half-empty whiskey glass. His older companion was thick and stocky, about thirty-five, with a bushy, dark red beard and a shabby black hat pulled down low over his matching red hair. His deep brown eyes looked up and suspiciously watched the tall man with the badge walk in. Seeing the Marshal heading towards him, the scowling man put a hand tightly around the barrel of a shotgun leaning against the table.
"You men Haggens?" Matt asked, stopping about ten feet from the table, ready to react if necessary.
"What iffin we IS?" the older man asked, spitting on the sawdust covered floor. He jabbed an elbow into the side of his companion, who grunted and looked up with glassy green eyes.
"Huh! Whajadoin' Hog?! Who's that thar big fella?"
Matt looked from one to the other of the men. "I'm Marshal Dillon. I'm looking for the cousins of my friend, Festus Haggen. He and a town woman are missing," he said, his voice firm and his piercing blue eyes drilling into the two men at the table.
"We be Haggens, and proud to say it! This here is my brother, Pearly Day, and I'm Hog Leg Haggen. Come up from Texas ta see cousin Festus." Putting a restraining hand flat against his younger brother's chest, he added, "And we don't know nuthin' 'bout where him and some woman is." Seeing the big lawman's fists clench as he stepped nearer, Hog Leg cleared his throat, glanced into his brother's eyes, and back at the looming man. "Iffin she be that purty saloon owner Festus told us 'bout, reckon he took her to see our mine by that Anvil Rock 'fore she give him money fer his share o' the gold."
Matt groaned a little involuntarily. "You don't mean Smiley Crafton sold that worthless mine again?! The only gold there is from the handful of small nuggets he buys, loads into his shotgun, and peppers a wall of the mine with! And usually where that shiny 'fool's gold' is located!"
The two rough men looked at each other and Hog Leg yanked his hat off and flung it down onto the dirty sawdust. "That #&$%# polecat! Come on, Pearly Day, we gonna find him. Git our money back, and then skin him like a rabbit!" He shoved his chair back, grabbed the shotgun leaning on the table, and picked up his battered hat from the floor. His brother stood up so fast that his chair fell over backwards to the floor, and his face was flushed with anger.
"Hold it men! If Crafton had you sign a paper first, you two will need to file an official complaint and it will be MY job to bring him in to see the Judge! He's been warned of a stiff punishment if he tried that scam again. You try to take care of it yourself and you'll end up in jail…or worse. Now calm down and if you want to help, come with me to the mine to see if Festus and Kitty are in trouble."
The Haggens glared at the Marshal, then reluctantly sat down again. Hog Leg gabbed at the whiskey bottle, poured the last bit into his glass, and banged it on the table. "HEY! BARKEEP! 'Nother bottle over here! Hurry it up! We ain't done drinkin' yet, Marshal. Festus is too citified now, but he's still a Haggen, and a Haggen kin take care o' hisself!" Picking up his glass, he downed the contents and grabbed the full bottle the frowning, skinny bartender had brought over.
Shaking his head, Matt turned on his heels and stomped out of the smoke-filled saloon, causing the bat-wing doors to slap against the walls as he pushed them aside. His long legs quickly took him to the Long Branch, and looking in, he caught Sam's eye and beckoned him over. "Sam. I found Festus' two cousins over at the Texas Trail. Festus took Kitty out to Smiley Crafton's worthless gold mine to get her to finance his share. I'm heading out now."
"Marshal? Ain't those two going with you? Festus IS their cousin and I thought those Haggens stuck together?"
"Nah. They're too drunk and mad right now. Keep an eye out for Crafton, and let Thad know if he comes in here. Those two are mad enough to do something stupid. Oh, the brothers are called Hog Leg and Pearly Day. Hog Leg is about thirty-five, built like a bulldog with red hair and beard, and Pearly Day is younger, fair, big and tall."
"Yessir, I will!" Sam bit his lip as the big lawman turned to leave. "Marshal. Bring her back. Bring them both back."
Matt's light blue eyes met Sam's dark brown ones, and he gave a short nod before he continued towards his office. His decision to not worry needlessly, knowing Festus would do anything to protect Kitty, was shattered by the sight of Hank's loaned-out horse and buggy rig come leisurely clattering into town, heading for the stable. The Marshal headed over as Hank hurried out and grabbed the horse's halter.
"MARSHAL! This here rig is the one I let Festus use earlier today! He said he was taking Miss Kitty for a ride." The stableman held onto the halter, patting the animal's neck and speaking to it soothingly. "What are ya doing back here all alone, Fella?"
Matt's stomach clenched as he looked inside the buggy and saw Festus' unmistakable, high-domed, well-worn hat under the front seat, and pulled Kitty's light shawl out from the back. Holding it in both hands, he remembered the birthday he had given it to her, how her blue eyes had lit up, and how special it was to her. He sniffed the air, closed his eyes, and could detect her faint, lavender and tea rose scent.
"Where're goin', Marshal?" Hank asked worriedly, as the tall man turned and marched away, gripping the hat and scarf, his eyes narrowed in determination.
"To find them. To bring them BACK!"