Return to Dodge

Chapter 10

Festus stared at the young woman before him, his mouth agape. Lena would have laughed aloud, but for hurting the old man's feelings.

"You mean to tell me that you are Miss Kitty's daughter. Glory be! I knowed they was somethin' about you that I had seen before!"

Lena thought his grin was going to stretch his face literally from ear to ear.

"Did Miss Kitty never tell you nothing about me? Festus Hagen?"

"You're Festus?!"

Now it was Lena's turn to look gobsmacked. "I thought my mother made you up! I couldn't believe that there was really a-I just can't believe you're Festus."

"Well, afore we get to swapping stories, I need to know who is after you and why you're out here all by your lonesome. If this man could be as close as you think he could be then we need to be a lookin' out fer him.

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Kitty saw the riders first, so distant that it was hard to make out whether they were male or female.

"Matt! Look!"

"Kitty, turn around, go back toward that gulley we passed. Stay there," he ordered her.

"Matt-"

"Kitty, if it's Lena, I can't look out for both of you. For her sake, go!"

There was no more argument. Mothers never argue when it comes to protecting their children and Kitty was no different. She whirled her bay and spurred the mare to a gallop.

Matt drew his rifle from the scabbard and hit the horse with his spurs. The other riders had seen him and were now trotting quickly in his direction.

A burden so heavy that Matt didn't feel its full weight until it was lifted when he recognized the figure of his daughter coming toward him across the prairie. What surprised him the most was the smile on her face—until he saw who was accompanying her.

"Matthew!" Festus called out before the mule he was riding even came to a juddering stop. "I think I got somebody you might be lookin' fer."

The buckskin danced up to them, and its big rider smiled at Festus, then turned his attention to the young woman.

Matt's face was pinched, and he dreaded the answer, when he asked, "Lena, are you hurt?"

She smiled at him, surprising herself at just how happy she was to see him. Her father had come for her. "I'm alright. He didn't hurt me."

He took a long appraising look at her, as if he was deciding for himself whether she was or not.

"Your mama's worried sick about you, you know. Ride over that rise and let her know you're alive."

"She's here?!"

Matt smiled at his daughter, "Did you think she would let me come without her?"

"Not a chance, Dillon. Not a chance!"

She goosed her horse and it leapt forward, headed straight for her mother.

"Festus, did you see any sign of the man who was with Lena?" He was all business now.

"No, Matthew, but that girl is shore scared of this feller. Do you have any ideay who he might be?" Festus squinted at his old friend.

"Yea, I think he might be Mannon's son. You remember him?"

"Are you joshing me? There ain't no way I could forget that piece of trash. He's got a young'un and he took Lena. That jest takes the hair off the cat! "

They had started to ride in the direction of Lena and Kitty, conversing as they went.

"He was taking her north, Festus, and I can't understand what he was doing. If he was going to kill her, why didn't he just do it while he had her?"

Festus' face took on a sickening pallor, and he opened his mouth to speak but then hesitated.

"What is it? Tell me, dammit. What do you know?" Matt pulled his horse up short, forcing his friend to do the same to his mule.

Festus had to make himself look into the tall man's face. "There's some bad bad places on the way up towards Colorado Springs way. Them mining camps have shacks where I've hear'ed that women is kept by the companies for the men working thare.

"Them girls ain't got no say so in how long they stay or whether they even want to be there. I've even heard tell of men trading and selling young girls to them companies.

"If'n Mannon was headin' in that direction with that girl, Matthew, then that'd be a fate worse than death."

Festus drew a deep breath, then spoke in a strong voice looking the old marshal full on in the eyes. "I'd kill that bastard, cause he needs killin'."

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That evening after the women had fallen asleep, Festus and Matt sat near the fire finishing up what coffee was left.

Festus watched his friend and the way his eyes checked the spot where Miss Kitty and the girl slept, as if reassuring himself that they were really safe.

"She's cut from tough hide, that girl. As pretty as her mama and as strong as her daddy."

Matt's head swiveled to face Festus. "Did she tell you-"

"Psshaw, Matthew, nobody had to tell me whose girl she was. Fer one thing there ain't nobody that Miss Kitty would have a young'un with but you. Second, she looks like her daddy."

Matt studied the flames for a long time before he answered.

"She's not real excited about me being her father, in case she didn't tell you.

"I messed up, old friend. Everybody around me, including you, could see what I had, what I was throwing away, except me. I'm an old man now, and, for the first time in my life, I'm questioning whether what I devoted my life to doing was really worth the price I paid. I was a damn fool."

Matt threw the dregs of the coffee into the flames angrily.

"And you know what? I'm thinkin' it sure as hell wasn't worth the price I paid or Kitty paid or Lena paid."

It was hard for Festus to answer. He didn't want to further crush the heart of this man he had admired and thought of as a brother because he agreed with him.

He did say, "Git some rest, Matthew. I'm takin' first watch. I think tomorrow might be right interesting iff'n we catch us a varmint."