Festus and Louie worked in the livery. Festus was busy fixing a buggy wheel while Louie raked up some old hay. They both noticed the stagecoach pass by and stop in front of the Dodge House. Festus watched Matt cross the street from the Long Branch and extend his hand to a well dress man who just stepped down off the stage. Louie stood quietly beside Festus and leaned on the rake, then he spoke. "Who do you suppose he is, Festus?"

Festus hadn't seen the man before, but assumed Matt knew him. "I don't rightly know. Looks like Matthew knows him though. He sure is wearin' some fancy duds."

"Do you suppose he's here for the trial tomorrow?" Louie didn't expect an answer to the question he spoke aloud.

"Could be...That Jed fella from Brown's outfit is in a pretty bad way. With ol' Doc's tellin' of what he saw that night, is pretty much the nail in the casket fer Jed..." Festus looked over to Louie.

Louie looked down at his rake and his withered used hands. "It's a sad thing when a man uses his hands to kill..." he clenched his right hand into a ball. "After awhile, you loose all feeling...and then what have you got? A man should use his hands wisely to build and support families and friends..." Louie then slowly drifted off back into the livery stable.

Festus was left looking at his own hands. Had he done anything good with them? All he saw was hard worn and weathered hands. He shook himself to - certainly his hands were good - he wore the deputy marshal's badge over his heart. A smile slowly spanned his face and he walked up Front Street to find out who the well dressed man was that Matt greeted.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Matt. It's been a spell." William Kelly smiled.

"Sure has. Looks like they actually graduated you from law school." Matt mused.

Kelly looked down at his attire and smiled. "It's been treating me well. And you. Still the marshal in this last stop town of Dodge, huh?" He looked around.

Matt nodded with a slight smile on his face. "It keeps me busy. Can I buy you a drink?"

Kelly smiled. "Sure. Kitty still running the Long Branch?"

"Sure is. Come on, she''l be happy to see you after all these years." Matt turned toward the saloon with William Kelly in tow. They both stopped as Festus approached. "Oh, hiya, Matthew. Gonin' fer a drink, are ya?"

Matt smiled at this deputy's ability to be the master of the obvious at times. "Yes. Care to join us?"

Festus smiled and looked at Kelly. "My name's William Kelly. Your's?"

"Oh! I'm Festus Haggen! I work fer Matthew here. I kinda looks after things when he's outta town and such..." For some reason Festus felt odd telling this stranger what he did.

"I'm an old friend of Matt's. Haven't seen him in a good number of years. Looks like the two of you keep things on the straight and narrow." Kelly noted.

"Oh, we sure do, Mr Kelly! But sometimes, things gets real tough, but ol' Matthew and me...and sometimes Newly get through." Festus seemed to be on a roll. Matt couldn't help but roll his eyes. It was a good thing Doc wasn't there, he'd a torn a strip off Festus by now.

"William is here as Jed Fleming's defence lawyer, Festus." Matt finally interjected.

"Oh..." Festus tired to continue but all he could do was stick his thumbs into his pockets and swallow. After an awkward moment he spoke, "I guess everyone's supposed to have a lawyer...even if you done wrong..."

Kelly could only sigh. "Matt, how about that drink."

"Sure thing. Festus. You still joining us?" Matt questioned.

Festus looked down at his badge and then back at Matt. "I just remembered I have to fix Mr Jonas wagon wheel. I promised him that I'd get it to him this afternoon, and well, it's almost then, now, ain't it!" Festus turned and walked back to the livery.

William Kelly looked at Matt. "Is he always that way?"

Matt arched his eye brows. "Not always. Come on. Kitty will be glad to see you." Matt started toward the Long Branch again and William Kelly followed. Kelly knew what Festus was thinking, and in some ways he was right. A lawyer defending a guilty man must have seemed odd, but the law was the law and every man was innocent until proven otherwise by a jury of his peers.