Festus was making rounds when he heard the horse gallop into town; he turned, and recognized the tall rider immediately. He quickly went across the street to greet the marshal.

"Matthew, glad ta see ya back, although I didn't 'spect ya this soon, nor alone. Them Kendall fellers give ya the slip did they?"

"Not exactly. No troublemakers come into town while I was gone?"

Festus followed the marshal into the office.

"Not really, Matthew...wull, there was one feller at the Longbranch, but I shot him."

Matt stopped putting away his things and looked at the deputy. "You shot him?"

"Didn't have no choice, Matthew, he was aimin' fer Miss Kitty."

Dillon moved into Haggen's face. "What? Who was he?"

"Ain't never seen him afore this, Matthew, and nobody knows his name; he's a stranger in Dodge. Miss Kitty said he'd been settin' there all day a-drinkin' beer, when real sudden like he stood up, hollerin' some kinda nonsense 'bout people drawin' on him, then he pulled his gun and pointed it at Miss Kitty. That's when I come in, and wull, I didn't stop ta ask no questions, Matthew. I seen the gun and where it was pointed, and I just shot him. And Matthew, there wasn't a gun drawed in the Longbranch, that feller was just plumb crazy is all."

Matt looked relieved. "You did the right thing, Festus. Is the body at Percy Crump's?"

"No Matthew, I didn't kill him. Matter of fact, I hit him in the shoulder, and Sam and old Burke took him up ta Doc's."

Dillon's brow creased. "Ya didn't question him?"

"Couldn't Matthew, he ain't been awake."

"From a shoulder wound?"

"Yeah, Doc don't know what's the matter with him neither, and it's makin' the old scudder ornerier than a wet cat caught in a rain barrel."

One of Dillon's eyebrows raised at his deputy's description of the town doctor's mood, but he didn't comment. Instead he put his hat back on his head as he walked to the door.

"Keep an eye on things for a few minutes, Festus. I'm goin' up to Doc's and see if I recognize him from any of the wanteds."

"I'll do her Matthew, see you directly. And don't git too close to Doc, his bite's prolly worse than his bark by this time o' night..."

Matt shook his head slightly as he closed the door and walked up the stairs to Doc's. He wiped his brow with his sleeve before opening the door. Dillon hoped the weather would start cooling off soon; he was getting plenty tired of the heat.

Doc was at his desk, reading a medical text when he heard the door to his office open. He looked up at the marshal and was slightly surprised by how tired the man looked.

"Matt, good to see you back."

"Thanks Doc." He nodded toward the man on the table. "Heard you had a little excitement while I was gone."

Doc took his glasses off, and stood, walking toward his patient. "Afraid so."

Matt stepped up beside Doc, to look at the man. "Festus said it was just a shoulder wound, but that there's somethin' else wrong with him."

"Sure is, Matt, but I'll be damned if I know what it is."

Dillon looked at the face of the man lying on the table. "Eli Kendall."

Adams' head snapped to look at the lawman. "Eli Kendall? Wasn't he the feller you were chasin' all through Colorado?"

"Sure was."

"How'd he end up here?"

"That's a fairly involved story, Doc, and I won't mind tellin' it to ya, but in the morning. I'm pretty beat."

Adams looked again at his friend. "I wasn't gonna say anything, Matt, but you look awfully worn out."

"Yeah, it's this darned hot weather. It takes the stuffin' out of a man if he has to be out in it long enough."

"Make sure you drink plenty of water and get a little extra rest over the next few days. Ya might be a little dehydrated."

"Sure do feel it, Doc." Dillon headed toward the door. "Let me know when he wakes up."

"You mean if he wakes up."

"That serious?"

"'Fraid so."

Matt's lips pulled into a straight line. "All right. Good night, Doc."

"Night, Matt."

The door closed softly, and Adams headed back to his desk, and more reading. It was going to be a long night.