The Stolen 19

I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

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Saturday Mid-day

Matt drove into Dodge, bone weary and heart sore. The man that had taken Maggie, was trussed up in the bed of the wagon with a gag in his mouth. Matt had had enough of his vile tongue, and had finally gagged him to shut him up. Maggie was sitting on the seat beside Matt. Though calmer than the night before, Maggie was still sitting as close to the Marshal as she could, and casting frightened glances behind her from time to time.

Pulling up in front of Doc's, Matt studiously avoided looking at the Long Branch. Until he had found and returned its owner, it would be too painful.

Chester came up as he was helping Maggie down, and looked in the back at the man sitting there. "Mr. Dillon," he said uncertainly. He needed to tell the Marshal about Miss Kitty, but he wasn't sure how to go about it.

"Chester, take him over to the jail and lock him up, will ya?" Once Maggie was down from the wagon, Matt took her arm to help her up to Doc's office.

"Yes Sir," Chester said though he made no move to do so "but well, Mr. Dillon, there's something I've just got to tell you."

What ever Chester had to tell him, Matt really didn't want to hear, but he knew Chester too well. He stopped and looked over at him. "What is it, Chester?"

"Well….it's about Miss Kitty." Chester began but Matt waved him off.

"I know all about Kitty, Chester." He took Maggie's arm again and started for Doc's.

"Well what we are we gonna do, Mr. Dillon?" Chester was surprised he knew, but glad he didn't have to tell him.

Matt stopped again and turned back. He really didn't want to discuss this with Chester in the middle of Front Street. He really didn't want to discuss it all. He already knew what he had to do.

"Chester, we're not going to do anything. I'm going to take Maggie here up to have Doc check her out. You are going to take that man to the jail like I asked you to, then you're going to the telegraph office and send a wire to Hays to have someone come and get him. When Doc's thru with Maggie, I'm going to take her over to Ma Smalley's till we can reach her folks and have them come and get her. And last but not least, you're going to stay here, while I go and find Kitty."

Chester took a step back. He had never heard Mr. Dillon say that much in one breath before in his life. "Yes sir." He muttered.

Matt felt a little ashamed of himself. He hadn't meant to go off on Chester like that. He knew Chester was worried about Kitty, maybe almost as much as he was. But every minute he wasn't on the trail, was a minute more that Kitty was in danger. "Chester, look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you, but I really don't have much time. I've got to get back on the road."

"Do you mean then that, I mean you know where Miss Kitty is?" Lordy he sure hoped so.

"Well, no, I don't know exactly, Chester" Matt was beginning to get a little frustrated. "But I know where she's headed. Don't worry, I'll find her. Now you go on and do as I asked ya. Okay?"

"Yes Sir," Chester responded. He watched Matt and the girl for a moment longer, than reached in the back of the wagon to help the man in there down. Who ever this man was, Mr. Dillon sure must've been mad at him.

An hour later and Matt was finally leaving. Doc had declared Maggie to be in good shape, and Ma Smalley had consented to letting her stay there until her folks could come and get her. Chester had the buyer locked up, and had even been considerate enough to restock Matt's saddle bags with supplies for the trail.

"You sure you don't want me to go with you, Mr. Dillon?" Chester asked, for what seemed like the hundredth time. "I really wouldn't mind."

"No, Chester," Matt told him again. "Now I've already told you. I need you to stay here and look after things. This is something I need to do. I have got to go alone." He had no way of explaining his reasons and he had no intentions of doing so.

"Well, alright," Chester said almost mournfully. "I just thought, well, you know with two of us…."

Matt was tired of talking and he wasn't willing to waste one more minute on it. Glaring at Chester he mounted his horse, turned him south and headed out.

He didn't know how, he didn't know when and, though he knew she was being taken to San Antonio, he really didn't know where, but he had promised himself he would find Kitty. No matter what it took he would find her.

TBC