Johnson and Brown stood a few feet away from each other and glared at one another. "I hoped I woulda beat you and your mangy, sad excuse for trail-hands to Dodge. Guess that rain was enough to stall me..." Johnson snored at Brown.
Brown broke into a deep laugh. "Any decent outfit wouldn't have got scared off by a little rain!" His men joined him in his laugh.
Angrily, Johnson stepped closer to Brown but stopped at the sound of Matt's voice. "Come on you two. Break it up. I told you last time that you had better have solved your differences before you came into town." Matt stood almost between the men. "You heard me. Break it up!" He ordered again.
Johnson stepped back and then to the side and looked back to Brown who remain where he stood. Johnson spat onto the ground and toward Brown in disgust. Brown remained unflustered.
Matt slowly turned to Templeton Brown. "I want your men back to your camp now. You've all had enough to drink for one night." Several of Brown's men catcalled in disapproval. "Move on, or I will shut down every saloon in town." Matt's anger was rising as the men seem unfazed at his demand.
"Even the one your pretty little redhead owns?" Brown asked sarcastically.
The tone and meaning in the question caused Matt to swing out catching Templeton Brown across the jaw, reeling him backward into a group of his men. "Get out now." Matt seethed through his teeth. As a precaution, Festus stood with his hand gripping the handle of his pistol. He'd seen these situations quickly get out of control before. "Do what the Marshal tells ya." He stepped closer to Matt and watched the group slowly dissipate.
"I owe you one Dillon." Brown scowled at the tall lawman as he backed away with his men.
As Brown left, Matt and Festus stood in the darkened street and watched. "You suppose he's gonna try somethin' Matthew?" Festus eased his grip on the handle of his gun.
Matt shook his head no. "They won't likely remember much about tonight, with the amount they have been drinking. I'll keep my eyes on them, just the same." Matt's attention turned to his deputy who continued to watch the group stagger down the street and into the dark. "I heard you were feeling well this afternoon..." Matt's curiosity was in his voice.
Festus looked sharply at Matt. "What that ol' quack, quack said now!"
Matt smiled. "Come on, let me buy you a beer." Matt turned to the Long Branch with Festus at his side and chuckled at the deputy's account of Doc's snake oil remedies and what nots for his belly ache.