Newly looked down at the dismantled handgun on his workbench, "Sure, I can go to Spearville, marshal. Just as long as you arrive sometime," Newly smiled. "But it seems you have a more pressing problem here," the young gunsmith and part time deputy said.

"I hope it's not a problem and more a misunderstanding. But I think Festus is really concerned with that Clarence Cox fellow," Matt added.

"And it sounds like he has a right to be. I hope he doesn't have a short fuse," Newly said as he removed his brown canvas work apron and hung it over the back of his chair. "Festus isn't exactly tactful himself!"

"Well, no, but he seems really rattled this time," Matt said.

"I would be too if someone held a knife like that at my throat," Newly turned at looked at the marshal. "I'll head over to Spearville within the hour. I sure hope things settle down," he said with sympathy in his voice.

"That makes two of us," Matt made a face. "I'll see you later, Newly. Thanks," Matt said as he left the gunsmith's shop. His next stop was the Long Branch where he could sit down with Festus and Doc and try and figure out how to handle Clarence Cox.

Matt strolled along the boardwalk and reached the entrance to the Long Branch Saloon. It sounded like Kitty was going a good business for the time of day it was. Matt pulled his watch from his vest pocket and looked at the time. It was already 2:45 pm. He wondered where the day had gone. More so, he wondered where Cox was up too next. Matt's eyes scanned the street before he pushed through the doors into the saloon.

Matt stepped into the establishment and looked around the room. He spotted Kitty at the far end of the bar, but Doc and Festus had not shown up yet. Matt decided to spend a few minutes talking to his favourite redhead.

"How's things on the street?" Kitty asked with a slight sarcastic tone.

"You've heard then, huh?" Matt said as he leaned onto the bar top. Slowly he pushed his hat back on his head.

"It's the talk of the town!" Kitty said as her eyebrows rose to show her eagerness to hear more about the confrontation at the general store and out on the street. "Tell me all about it," Kitty smiled and leaned in next to the big lawman.

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Festus was busy stuffing what he could into his saddle bags and several sack he had. His plan was to leave Dodge unnoticed. Clarence had located the hill man at the back of the livery stable where he held a small room with a cot and a table. It's where Festus called home for the last ten years in the town. He worked off payments with Hank by doing jobs around the stable.

"Isaac Talbot, my foot. Who does that ninny think he is?!" Festus spoke clearly to himself and sometimes even answered his own questions.

C.C. stood in the back doorway. Festus' back was to the man which allowed Clarence to enter the room unnoticed. Festus continued to sputter about one thing or another. Clarence crept closer and raised his gun high about his head and was ready to whack Festus over the head when Doc walked into the room.

"Festus!" Doc shouted. Festus turned as Clarence dropped his gun forcefully down over Festus' skull. The deputy dropped to his knees before rolling onto his side.

Doc stood watching in horror. He began to back up ad Clarence took several long quick strides toward the doctor. He now had a witness who had to be stopped from getting the marshal. "Oh, no you don't," Doc cautioned as he moved backward trying to avoid Cox.

Cox was much bigger and faster than the doctor who in one last attempt to escape tripped over a small keg of nails. Doc went down hard on his back, hitting his head on the floor. He lay motionless. Cox stood over the doctor, "Hey, mister," he said nudging the doctor with his boot. Doc didn't more a twitch. "Oh, nooo, Cox stammered as he realized what had happened and now in a nervous fit, he had to find a place to put the deputy and the doctor until he could sort things out, "I hate everything," he growled and hoisted the doctor to his feet. Doc was limp and there was no sigh of movement from Festus either. "Damn it!" Cox cursed as he grabbed Festus by the collar of his coat and basically dragged him out the back door with Doc under his other arm. There would be no enplaning it if he was caught with the two unconscious men.

Quickly Cox looked around and found a wagon with a team hitched. It was parked back of the Bull's Head Saloon. Carefully Cox hefted Doc up and into the back. The doctor landed with a thud. Festus was next in, however, the hill man was beginning to come too. Cox had to act fast. He pushed Festus up and in and the deputy landed on the doctor. Doc squeaked out a groan.

Cox looked back over the edge of the buckboard at the two men. He didn't want to hit the whiskered face one quite so hard. It was the doctor's fault for startling him. And then there was the doctor. Cox didn't want to harm him either. A slight panic ran through the trapper's veins.

Clarence quickly untied the reins and climbed up onto the seat, "Ya!" he yelled as he clipped the horses' rumps with the leather reins. The animals bolted forward and along a road that was near the creek which ran through the lower end of Dodge.

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Matt had finished telling Kitty about what he knew. Now it was time to sit down with Festus and Doc. Matt looked over his shoulder expecting to see the two men at a table, but neither of them were in the room. "I wonder what's keeping them," Matt paused.

"Maybe Festus has locked himself in the jail for protection," Kitty chuckled.

"That would be too easy," Matt made a face. "I better go and have a look, just incase you are right," Matt smiled.

Matt left the saloon and walked down the street to the jail. The marshal opened the door and stepped in side. There was no one insight. Behind bars or otherwise. Matt did notice, however, that Festus' rifle was removed from the rack on the wall above his desk. "Damn," Matt muttered and opened the door and quickly racing across the street to the livery stable.

Newly had just gotten his horse saddled, "Marshal?" he noted the look on Matt's face. Matt didn't speak, he just quickly moved back to Festus' room. There he found the items Festus was packing, "Now where is he?" he said picking up the rifle.

Newly had followed Matt to the back of the building. He stood in the doorway "Boy this sure is a mess," he said while looking around. That's when his eyes spotted the familiar black felt hat, "Marshal!" he said picking up the hat up out of the hay.

"Doc..." was all Matt managed to say while looking at the hat Newly held in his hands.