Author's Note:
The Queue was a difficult one to write from Buck's stand point as he didn't actually appear in the episode. I had to invent his being outside the office and have Chester go to the stable after Matt saving Chen. Sorry if it seems stilted.
Matt and Chester were standing outside his office when he saw Mister Bailey waiting for the stage to arrive. Buck watched his master he knew that Matt didn't particularly like Bailey but there was nothing he could do about him. Bailey opened the door of the stage when it arrived and the sole passenger a Chinese man got out.
"Welcome to Dodge," Bailey said.
Matt watched as the Chinese passenger got off the stage he judged him to be around 30 years.
"It's a miserable sinful town. But I suppose it makes no difference to a poor Chinese."
Matt suspected trouble when he saw Rabb Brigs and his friend Howard get up so he started toward the stage depot.
"Well look what got off the stage," Rabb said. "A Chinaman."
"Well he's going right out with it," Howard said.
"Chen good boy come work em in Dodge."
"We don't care why you came. All we care is when you get and it's going to be now."
"Here leave him be you can't do this the bible …"
"We don't want this Chinaman or any of his friends or family in Dodge."
"No family one man one boy."
"One Two," Rabb and Howard said.
"Only send me only send me."
"That's good."
"What's good about it Howard?" Matt asked.
On the count of 3 they threw Chen onto the stage and shut the door.
"Take it out Jim."
"Hold it Jim. What's good about his not having a family?"
"It's good because there are too many Chinese in this country already."
"We don't want a lot of his kind running around Dodge Marshal."
"What's your name fella?"
"Chen Lang Wong good boy catch em place Dodge City. All time work em hard. No make trouble."
"Well I'm the US Marshal, Chen. Your welcome in Dodge you can stay here as long as you like. Come on down out of there."
Matt helped Chen down from the stage. Buck watched from the itching pole outside the office knowing that Chester would tell him all about it later.
"Thank you," Chen said.
"Wait a minute Marshal what are you mixing in this for?" Howard asked.
"Ain't no law says we got to have a lot of Chinamen here."
"What's the matter with you people anyway?"
"I'll tell you what's the matter Marshal," Rabb said. "2 years ago there used to be 3 of us Bradens. Then one day we found our kid brother lying in the brush a pick driven clean through him. You know who put it there one of them."
"When we got back to camp there must have been 50 of them all over our claim eating our grub and digging our gold. We buried Jimmy and lit out we brought back the vigilantes the Chinaman were all gone and so was our gold. They'd worked it clean."
"We know about his kind."
"Take a look at that box Marshal I bet it's full of money he stole somewhere."
"Me no steal," Chen said outraged.
Matt didn't know Chinese but he understood the sentiment behind it.
"Chen I told you you're welcome in Dodge and you are and if these 2 men bother you. You just come to me. Come on."
"Wait a minute Marshal. You mean you're siding with this Chinese Marshal."
"I don't care what he is, you boys leave him alone."
"You let him stay and there'll be a 1000 of them here in 6 months."
"Maybe you're right."
"We're not going to take that chance Marshal."
"Get a move on Rabb, Howard."
Rabb and Howard moved off.
"Thank you Mister Dillon for protecting this boy. You can count on me to show those young men the error of their ways. Bring them back to true Christian tolerance."
"Well I wish you a lot of luck Mister Bailey."
Bailey carried the mail sack into the depot.
"Me very sad no likey bring trouble."
"Well I'll handle the trouble Chen."
"Well what kind of work are you looking for?" Chester asked.
"Oh me catch em place velly good cook Chinese cook ham and egg. You see."
"Well Mister Dillon we oughta take him down to the Dodge House. Clyde got drunk again last night and Mister Green fired him. Maybe he hasn't found a new cook yet."
"All right Chester take him there."
"Xie xie ni Marshal, thank you very much."
"Come on Chen," Chester said.
The next day Matt came to visit with Doc Adams he smiled seeing Chen in Doc's chair as Doc pulled a tooth and decided to have a joke at Doc's expense.
"Come in."
"Hello Doc, Chen."
"Matt," Doc said.
Chen mumbled something.
"You know Chen you'd have been better off doing the job yourself. Doc here's as likely to pull a good one as a bad one."
"Forgiveness isn't one of your virtues, is it Matt?"
"Well you pulled a perfectly good tooth that night. You still charged me for it."
"Well I don't know why not I pulled the bad one too, didn't I?"
"Yeah once you'd sobered up."
"Sobered up! I had been 48 hours without sleep. I had delivered 2 babies 30 miles apart in the dead of winter. I should have left it in there might have taught you a lesson let your jaw ache taught you a lesson."
"What kind of a lesson is that Doc?"
"Humility."
"I always figured I was kinda humble."
"Your about as humble as a turpentine cat. There you are Chen."
Chen removed the mouth guard.
"Oh yes here. You better come back let me look at that in a day or two."
"Thank you Doctor. I will. How much do I owe you."
"Well give me a dollar."
"Very good."
"Very good?" Matt looked puzzled. "What happened to all that velly good Chinese boy all time worky talk, Chen?"
"That's the way you expect me to talk, isn't it?"
"I guess it is"
"Most men resent a Chinaman who doesn't talk the way they expect them to. I wish to avoid trouble but trouble comes regardless."
Chen started to leave Matt rose noticing that Chen's pigtail was missing.
"Who cut it off?"
"The same 2 men. They came to my room last night. They said if I didn't leave town they would be back and cut my throat. Then they cut off my queue and took it with them. That makes my disgrace even worse."
"Disgrace?"
"The queue or pigtail as you call it was once a sign of Manchu subjugation but now it represents our pride and respect in ourselves and our country. I can never return to China without my queue."
"Oh Chen's going back to China to get his wife, Matt," Doc said.
"I've been married 19 years since I was 8 and she was 2. I'm trying to save enough money to get my wife and bring her back with me. I love this country and I want to make it my home. But when I go back to China I will have my queue or the lives of the men who took it."
"Don't go trying to kill anybody Chen."
"I'm very sorry Marshal to cause you trouble."
"Oh trouble's his business."
"Thank you Marshal. Thank you Doctor."
"Do you think they'll give him back his pigtail?"
"I think they will."
In fact, Matt was absolutely determined that Rabb and Howard would give Chen his pigtail.
Later that evening Matt saw Bailey at the bar of the Long Branch a mug of beer in his hand. Then he spotted the one woman who held his heart, he smiled and walked up to Kitty's table and sat next to her.
"Evening Kitty."
"Evening Matt."
"Well you've got quite a crowd here tonight."
"Sam got the bright idea of offering every other drink on the house to any trail hand who happened to come in here."
"Well it looks like he's a pretty good businessman."
"Well if it keeps up I might as well move on out to their camp and join up. I think it'll be easier."
"They'll be glad to have you Kitty."
"You think so?"
"I know so."
"Evening Marshal," Bailey said.
Bailey had come to stand between Matt and Kitty. Matt inwardly resented the intrusion but tried not to show it.
"Evening Miss Kitty."
Matt seethed inside as Bailey placed his hand on Kitty's right shoulder, he glared at Bailey hoping the man would take the hint and go away.
"Evening," Kitty said.
"Will you have a beer with me Miss Kitty?"
"No thanks I'm giving my stomach a rest later maybe."
"Why don't you leave this place Miss Kitty? You don't belong hear with the sinners."
"I know we've talked all about that."
"Have you seen Howard or Rabb tonight?" Matt asked.
"Not yet they'll be in pretty soon I expect."
Bailey finally gave up and went back to the bar.
"What do you want those 2 for?" Kitty asked.
"Well I want to return a little private property to a friend of mine."
"Howard and Rabb stealing?"
Matt nodded then his attention was drawn to the bar as a fight broke out between 2 trail hands. Matt pulled them apart standing like a rock between them.
"All right boys that's enough."
"Keep clear Marshal this is Texas business."
"You're in Dodge now that makes it my business. If you want to fight get out of town."
"Why don't you let them go at it Marshal? They weren't hitting nothing except each other and little enough of that."
"I said if you want to fight get out of town and that goes for all of you."
"You're so used to killing you forget a man needs a fight sometimes just for pure enjoyment. We're just having fun. You got no sporting blood all you got is a badge and a fast gun."
"I might just find time to accommodate you Texas."
"No you ain't I'm going to fight him all the way back to camp as soon as we've had another drink."
"You're always spoiling someone's fun ain't you Marshal?" Howard said.
"You want to stop real trouble get that Chinaman out of town," Rabb said.
"I thought I told both of you to stay away from Chen."
"Stay away from him? He's been following us all evening."
"Wherever we go he's right with us. Just standing around staring. I'm warning you Marshal I'm going to put a bullet in him before he gets me."
"You're not going to put a bullet in anybody. You're going to give him back his pigtail and leave him alone."
"His pigtail. What are you talking about?"
"You went up to his room last night and cut off his pigtail."
"No we didn't he's lying Marshal. All them Chinamen is liars."
"Look I want that pigtail. Now where is it?"
"I don't know nothing about no pigtail Mister Dillon," Howard said. "What's the matter you collecting pigtails."
"The marshal's here to keep the law and the law says there ain't going to be no stealing. Somebody stole a pigtail. Marshal's got to find it maybe we oughta help him look."
"I know where he can find a dozen pigtails down at Fred Henry's hog ranch."
"Texas maybe you should just turn around and finish that drink huh. Now! That goes for you too."
"Now you want me to beat the truth out of you?"
"Wait a minute it's your own rule no fighting in town. What are you trying to do make everybody obey the law but you?"
"You're a little off the trail ain't you Mister Dillon? If these men done a crime, then arrest them. Throw them in jail but you got no call to beat a man without proof."
"That's right you want to fight get out of town that's your rule."
"We don't want to fight with the Marshal. He's the best man Dodge ever had. All we want is a drink."
"Chen's going to get that pigtail back if I have to take off this badge to find out who's got it."
"Well that's all right with me Marshal but don't you forget there's plenty of men in this town who'd cut that Chinaman's throat for that treasure box."
Kitty watched as Rabb and Howard went to the bar and Matt stopped by the table where Chester had been playing poker and was now standing waiting for Matt to give him his orders. Kitty knew that Matt would do all he could to get Chen's pigtail back for him.
"Let me know when they leave."
"Yes, sir," Chester said.
"What are we going to do now?"
"I don't know what we are going to do now. Ask Mister Bailey maybe he's got another smart idea."
"He'll leave. He'll leave tonight for certain."
"How are you going to manage it?"
"I'll talk to him first. You meet me there in 10 minutes."
Matt was pacing the floor of his office when Chester found him.
"Did they leave yet?"
"No Kitty's watching them. I thought I'd better tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"They gave the pigtail to Mister Bailey then he went out."
"Maybe he went to give it back to Chen."
"Well I don't know Mister Dillon. Rabb gave him a gun too."
"All right," Matt grabbed his hat and left the office with Chester.
Bailey was at that moment beating up Chen trying to force him to give up his treasure box.
"Tell me where the treasure box is I'll get the pigtail for you. Tell me!"
"Board."
"Board. Where! Where!"
"Under the table."
Bailey shoved the table out of the way and quickly found the spot levering the board up he lifted the box up. Greed got the better of him he turned to Chen.
"Get up."
Chen rose backing up fearing for his life.
"Why you kill Chen? You get em box."
"In a minute Howard and Rabb will be here with the Marshal right behind them. He'll find them here with your body and this gun. They'll hang. I regret it but you got to die."
"Not yet Bailey," Matt said.
Bailey whirled around his gun leveled Matt drew and fired killing Bailey instantly.
"Are you hurt bad?"
"I'll be all right. Thank you Mister Dillon you saved my life."
"He must have been crazy."
"He wanted my treasure box."
"Mister Dillon," Chester said. "Somebody's coming."
They took cover and waited. Chen picked up Bailey's borrowed gun.
"Chen don't do it."
"They took my queue," Chen said.
Rabb and Howard burst in.
"So the Chinaman killed him. All he was trying to do was help."
"Is that why you gave him your gun?"
"He asked me for it. Said he might need it to scare the Chinaman a little."
"I killed him not Chen."
"And now I will kill you both unless you give me back the queue."
"Chen you don't have to kill anybody."
"Marshal I will not lose my honor as a Chinese."
"Your honor as a Chinese? Chen you said you wanted to bring your wife here. To make your home in this country. Well if you do that you've got to live as an American not as a Chinese. If you have to kill 2 men over a pigtail you don't belong in Dodge or any place else in this country."
Chen finally relented and lowered the gun, he handed it to Howard. Rabb and Howard turned to leave.
"Wait a minute boys. You got something to do first."
Howard knelt and pulled the pigtail from Bailey's waistcoat pocket. Chen picked up his box and opened it revealing nothing more than a few coins and a piece of paper."
"What's in it?" Matt asked
"$9 and 25 cents and this piece of paper."
"In America you would call that a marriage license. You see it is only a treasure to me."
"Yeah I see," Howard said feeling more than a little guilty.
"Well Chen let's get you over to Doc's to get your face patched up.
"You were right Marshal. Would you please consider keeping this as a souvenir?"
Chen held out his pigtail, Matt smiled and nodded they left the room.
"I'll go check on the horses, Mister Dillon."
"Thanks Chester."
Chester entered the stables as he made sure that there was plenty of feed and water available he chatted about the past week's happenings. Buck smiled wondering why men still thought they could try to trick Matt it never worked. He was also thankful that Matt had Doc, Chester and Kitty to help him.