Sorry this chapter has taken so long but family commitments got in the way. I finally found time to complete this chapter. I hope you like it.
Matt was out on Buck looking for Jeremy Stoner who he had reason to believe had shot a settler with a proved-up claim. He saw him coming towards him leading a string of horses.
"Hold it."
"You're welcome to make your say Marshal but hold steady right where you're at."
"I'm taking you into Dodge, Stoner."
"You're wasting your time mine too. I gotta get these bunch quitting strays back to my ranch."
"Stoner, you've killed your last homesteader."
"You better heed me mister. Don't come no closer."
"This time there was a witness."
"Another nester I reckon you mean."
"A settler with a proved-up claim and legal rights."
"Stinkin' thievin' trash all of them."
"Took me a month to find a witness. You never gave Jake Reeves a chance."
"Had none coming. He was running off my cold strays before I could even put a branding iron on them."
"You've got some twisted up notion that every farmer with a new stray must have rustled it out of your herd."
"Farmer, you say. Pack rats all of them ugling up the prairie with their mudhole nests."
"I'm not going to argue with you."
"Stringing up barb wire agin men and beasts that were brought up free with this country. The way God intended for it to be. Well they ain't fencing out Jeremy Stoner."
"The law gives them the right."
"I got my own kind of law."
Stoner cocked his rifle.
"Don't Stoner."
Stoner ignored Matt's warning and turned his rifle towards Matt who drew and fired in one fluid motion. Stoner clutched at his chest and fell from his horse. Matt dismounted and knelt at Stoner's side he lifted Stoner up a little,
"Leave me lie, I don't need anybody to help me die. Maybe you done me a favor stinkin' thievin' trash all of them. Already lived passed my time. I don't want to see what comes next."
Matt lay him back down and fetched Stoner's horse up taking the bedroll he wrapped it round Stoner he lifted the body to lie it over the saddle tying him in place then released the strays so they could graze and find water. Buck could tell that Matt was subdued yet another senseless killing. He returned slowly to Dodge Buck hoped that Chester wouldn't pester Matt with too many questions.
Doc and Chester were outside on the boardwalk by the office when Matt returned to the office.
"Mister Stoner?" Chester asked.
"Yeah," Matt replied as he dismounted and tethered the horses.
"What'd he do Mister Dillon make you call his play?"
"Yep."
"Why'd you tote him all the way into Dodge I'd think Mrs Stoner would want him out there?" Doc asked.
"Well I found him out on the prairie gathering up some of his stock. I'll get a wagon and take him home in the morning,"
"Well I don't envy you," Doc said.
"No sir, Old Lady Stoner's as flinty-hearted as him. She loved him," Chester said. Buck looked at Chester standing there he couldn't have said a truer word.
"Why don't you let Chester take him back she can't blame him for anything."
"No I'll do it Doc ... I killed him," Matt said as he lifted Stoner's body and carried it in to lie on a cot in one of the cells covered with a blanket.
"I'll take the horses to the stable, Mister Dillon."
"Thanks Chester. Is there any coffee made?"
"Yes sir, started it about quarter of an hour ago."
"Good I could do with a cup."
The next morning Buck listened while Chester chatted to Moss horrified that Mrs Stoner would think of putting a reward on Matt's head. Her husband had brought it all on his own head aiming that rifle at Matt. What did she expect Matt to take a bellyful of bullets?
"I wouldn't worry about it Buck," Bob said, "others have tried and failed to kill Matt."
"Yeah I know he can take care of himself I just worry about how he'll feel having to kill someone else."
"You know how Matt gives the impression of being rough and tough."
"Yes, Matt has a soft side to him. He just can't show it too often. I just can't figure how she thinks she'll get away with putting a reward on Matt's head."
The game over Chester left to go get the mail. A couple of Jake Wirth's cowhands came in to collect their horses not long after that. Buck pricked his ears listening as they talked.
"Dave, I don't know about you but I wouldn't go after Matt Dillon not for no amount of money."
"Me neither, Ted. That Day Barrett's not playing with a full deck."
"I hear you Dillon don't buffalo so easy and he's been threatened by some real experts I've heard tell."
"What's this about the marshal?" Moss asked.
"Old lady Stoner she's put $1000 on his head for killing her husband. The man was crazy going against Dillon like that," Ted responded.
"The marshal was having breakfast with Miss Kitty when Day Barrett came in the Sun Fire Restaurant with Chester. Barrett had one of the reward posters. Chester said she's got an old raw-hider running around nailing them up all over town," Dave said.
"The marshal carried on with his meal. Barrett carried right on taunting him. Said he wondered how long a man can hold together knowing every gunfighter, every dead broke puncher, just plain scum is fussing with the idea of collecting the money on his head. Marshal asked if Barrett was getting in line," Ted said.
"Yeah," Dave said, "Barrett said he'd wait until the marshal began to look like he wasn't holding together so good."
Buck listening snorted in derision Day Barrett sounded like a real coward.
"Don't worry about Matt. Chester will look after him," Bob said.
"If he lets him. You know Matt he can be stubbornly independent at times."
Buck was munching on his feed and imaging the scene as Matt keeping a wary eye out for danger a he went about his rounds. Then his reverie was interrupted the sound of a rifle shot rang out followed by breaking glass. Half an hour later Matt came in the stable Buck sighed with relief.
"How's everything here, Moss?" Matt asked.
"Fine, Marshal. What was that shot just now?"
"I think it was one of the Double Bar boys trying to unnerve me. I was headed up to see Doc for a minute. I'll get some glass cut to fix Doc's window tomorrow."
Chester came to the stable the next morning to groom and feed the horses.
"Marshal gone to breakfast only I heard a couple of the Double Bar men say they'd be at Delmonico's."
"Mister Dillon was still asleep when I left the office, unusually for him. He seemed a little out of sorts when he came back from the Long Branch. I asked him if that Day Barrett was in the Long Branch. He said he was I told Mister Dillon not to pay him no mind at all. He's just a no account braggart is what he is."
Buck smiled if a horse can be said to smile what would Matt do without Chester in the office, Doc and most important Kitty.
That afternoon Buck heard what sounded like a rifle shot followed by the sound of Matt's gun firing. Later Chester came in the stable leading a bay gelding. Chester unsaddled him made sure he had food and water and after grooming him he returned to the office. Buck noticed the bay seemed sad and worried.
"Don't you fret my human will find out where to take you."
"Thanks but my human helped raise me. My mother died when I was born."
"I'm sorry," Buck said. "What did he call you?"
"Blaze, what's your name?"
"My human called me Buck. But he usually says old son when he talks to me. Which he does when we're trailing bad men on our own."
"Old lady Stoner should be in jail if you ask me," Bob said.
"That wouldn't get her to withdraw the reward. Humans only take one mate and she loved hers."
"My human's father was killed a month ago, his mother will now have to mourn her husband and her son."
Later in the evening the horses were dozing in their stalls when they were jolted into awareness by a gunshot. Moss came out of his office he noticed Buck standing alert for anything. Chester came in not long after.
"What was that shot just now, Chester?" Moss asked.
"That Day Barrett finally decided it was his turn to have a go at killing Mister Dillon."
"Is Matt all right?"
"Oh yes. Day Barrett drew his gun, his shot went wild when Mister Dillon backhanded him across his left cheek, sent his right fist into Barrett's belly and chopped down on the back of his head sending him crashing to the floor."
"Why didn't he blast him, he had the right?"
"Sam asked the same thing. Matt said it wouldn't have been him doing it, it would have been Mrs Stoner. Said one killing was enough for her today."
Buck visibly relaxed as he listened to Chester, trust Matt to do the unexpected.
"Mister Dillon told Barrett's friends get their man and get him out of Dodge and not to let him find anyone from the Double Bar in town tomorrow."
Mister Dillon turned to go and saw a cowhand, at the table by the window near where Miss Kitty was standing, slumped in his chair. He went over and checked on him. Barrett's shot didn't go wild enough. Mister Dillon said that it looked like Mrs Stoner's got herself another killing anyway. He's gone to get Doc and I figured to check on Buck."
Buck appreciated the gesture remembering what happened when Dan Grat shot Matt.
Noon the next day Chester came to the stables to check the horses and match dimes with Moss. Buck pricked his ears listening in to their conversation.
"Mrs Stoner came to the office this morning. She told Mister Dillon that she'd come to offer him a deal."
"What was the deal?"
"She'd withdraw that reward if he got out of Dodge. Left the country and never came back. Mister Dillon asked if it was beginning to bother her. All the blood being spilled with more to come.
"Mrs Stoner just asked if he was going to do it. Mister Dillon told her he hated killing almost as much as she hated to lose her husband. Told her he wasn't leaving."
Buck had known that would be Matt's response. Something people like Mrs Stoner didn't understand was that Matt wouldn't give in to threats.
"Mrs Stoner said he'd just kill more men if he stayed till one of them got him. Mister Dillon said that she was the only one who could stop that."
Buck listened even more intently as Chester described the interaction between Matt, Mrs Stoner and Mrs Reeves. Mrs Stoner had started to walk away but had stopped to listen in.
"Mrs Reeves asked Mrs Stoner her name. Mrs Stoner said she wasn't proud of her name right then. She told Mister Dillon that the lowest thing he'd been thinking about her she was even lower. She asked him to do something for her.
"Mrs Stoner said that as he knew there was an envelope with something in it at the Dodge House. She said it would be there with his name on it that he knew what to do with it."
"As Mrs Stoner left I saw her reach up and pull the poster down she tore it in half and dropped the pieces on the ground. I went in the office and poured coffee for Mister Dillon and Mrs Reeves. I told him I'd come check on the horses."
"What did old lady Stoner mean about Matt knowing what do with the envelope?" Bob asked.
"Well I think she's told Matt to give the money to Mrs Reeves. He'll probably take you out there as well," Buck told Blaze who cheered up a little.