Kitty and Matt sat at their usual table. Neither one of them spoke much but they were thinking the same thing - was Louie Pheeters going to pull through. Their silence was interrupted by the familiar jingle of spurs. Both Kitty and Matt looked up to the deputy who had a slight smile on his face.
"What are you so happy about?" Kitty asked sarcastically.
"Ol' Louie just came to fer a moment! He knows who done it to him too!" Festus said with jubilation in his voice.
"He does?" Matt stood up and was ready to go up to Doc's office.
"Oh, he ain't in no condition to talk right now, Matthew. Ol' Doc gave him something to help him sleep and fer the pain." Festus explained as he sat down at the table. Matt sighed and sat back down. "I sure hope he can tell us soon who it is. People are getting a little spooked over these killings." Matt held his voice low. "So far all we have are three dead men and Louie laying up in Doc's office. No leads. Nothing."
Kitty sipped on her drink and then set the glass down. "I'm sure Doc will let you know when you and see Louie." Her attention then turned to Festus. "How are you feeling today? You had quite the night..."
Festus felt his face grow red with embarrassment. "It wasn't one of my better ones, that's fer sure." His eyes cast down to his hands on the table. "I'm sure sorry I caused such a ruckus at the office Matthew. I already talked to Doc about it."
"I'm just glad that it wasn't you that was doing the killings." Matt pat Festus hard on the shoulder.
"What I can't figure out, Matthew, is how my hunting knife got used in that last murder." Festus rubbed his whiskered chin.
Matt's eye brows rose up. "You aren't the only one." He looked at his friend. "How be I buy you a drink?"
Festus' face light up. "Thank you, Matthew!"
Kitty chuckled. "Well, some things don't change do they?" She then called to Sam to bring Festus a beer.
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The word of Louie's stabbing and knowledge of the attacker spread quickly through Dodge. Every man and woman were anxious to find out who the guilty person was and to get them in front of a judge and dealt the appropriate punishment.
