The late day sun cast long shadows across the fields. Kitty stopped and pushed her hair back into place while looking around. "I thought you said a few miles..." she turned to Doc who stood next to her.
"I did. Maybe my calculations are off. I thought we where closer to Dodge than we really are." He wiped the sweat from his brow with his handkerchief. "I could of sworn Tobias' place was just over that hill we just came over." He then dabbed the cloth on his head. The wound had seeped more blood.
"Doc, what are we gonna do?" Kitty looked exasperated at her friend. "Plus you're bleeding again."
Doc nodded and looked around. His eyes spotted a rock face just a little ways up another hill. "We'll head for that rock face and light a fire. I'm afraid we don't have much daylight to bo much else."
"Do you think Matt will be out looking for us by now?" Kitty wondered aloud.
Doc pulled his watch out of his pocket and popped it open. He shook his head no. "The stage wouldn't have reach Dodge yet. They don't know it crashed." He closed the watch and slipped it back into his vest pocket. "Come on, Honey. We'll be just fine."
"Famous last words..." Kitty muttered as the two walked toward the rock wall. "Least I can look at that head of your's."
Doc huffed. "Who made you nurse?"
"You did. A long time ago." Kitty countered.
The large cougar slowly moved though the grass - carefully plotting its course toward the smell of blood. Its nostrils flared as it breathed in smell from the dead driver. With sense of motion and sound the large cat approached the stage coach slowly and cautiously. Its heart rate accelerated with the smell of blood.
Vultures now hung in the sky, circling and screeching their eerie death song. They too wanted a taste of flesh. The large cat growled in annoyance at the pesky flying prey that kelp landing on the coach. The cougar inched closer to the dead man and sniffed. The driver's blood ran cold long ago, but the big cat sensed fresh blood in the air. It moved on, following Doc and Kitty's tracks.
Festus quickly crossed Front Street and burst through the law office door. "Matthew!"
Matt looked up from cleaning his gun at his desk. "What is it Festus?" His voice held a slight tone of irritation, having been interrupted the same way several times earlier in the day.
"Matthew. The stage didn't come in." Festus leaned on the large desk looking at the marshal. "Barney says that it didn't arrive at the last stop. And that stop was waiting fer supplies from it. He just got this telegraph now."
Matt slowly stood and snatched the telegraph from Festus' hand. "It never arrived at the last stop?" His eyes scanned the message and he flung it to his desk. His mind and body went into action. "Come on. Get the horses." He scurried to the door grabbing his hat as he passed by.
Doc got a small fire started and sat back as Kitty fussed with the cut on his head. "It's nothing, really." He tried to convince her.
"Nothing! Doc you should have stitches in this!" Kitty argued.
"It's fine...just clean it, will ya!" He grumped.
"It's your head..." Kitty shrugged and then sighed as she prepared to clean the wound. Doc winced as she dabbed it with rubbing alcohol.
They both froze at the sound of snapping twigs. Doc pulled the Colt from his waistband and listened for more movement. "Get as close to that rock face as possible. I think we might have company..." Doc motioned with his left hand to Kitty to slowly back to the rock. "Go slow, Honey. I'm right here..."