Letty trotted along, not really looking where she was going. She was still thinking about last night and what Kitty said after they left Delmonico's.
"Letty, don't you think you were too hard on Festus?"
The girl bit her lip. "It's just such a shock, Miss Kitty. How would you feel if you found out somebody had been lying to you for years?"
Kitty counted to ten. "I wouldn't care if it was something that didn't matter. Festus never had the chance to go to school but that hasn't stopped him from being one of the smartest men I've ever known."
Letty curled her lip. "What can he do besides hunt and fish?"
Kitty counted to ten, got to three, and lost her temper. "For one thing, he's the best tracker in these parts. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Festus and neither would Matt or Doc. For another thing, he's always the first one to step forward when somebody needs help. He's a kind and gentle man, he sings like a bird..." Kitty's eyes were flashing and Letty was taken aback at the older woman's passion. "...and he knows how to treat people!" They arrived at the Dodge House and Kitty waved her hand at the door. "You'd better go up to your room...which I happen to know Festus paid for, since Ma Smalley's wasn't good enough for you...and think about what you said and how you're going to make it up to him."
"Look what we got." Letty was startled out of her reverie by two men blocking her horse. They were very young and very dirty and the look in their eyes made her flesh crawl.
One of them took her rein and she snapped, "Let go of my horse!"
"Listen to her." The first one who had spoken was grinning. She struck at him, then screamed as he pulled her out of the saddle. The other man was looking her up and down and she trembled uncontrollably as he reached for her.
There was a pistol shot and he was knocked off his feet to lay unmoving in the long grass. The other man threw Letty to one side and she fell to her knees, watching in shock as Festus came up with his gun in his hand. The deputy and the stranger fired together and the man landed by her choking on his own blood.
Letty scrambled to her feet and ran to Festus. "Oh, Festus, thank God you showed up! Who were those men?"
The deputy was holding his shoulder. "I don't know, honey. Are you all right?" She nodded and he sat down abruptly.
She dropped next to him and asked anxiously, "Festus, are you all right?"
His face was white. "I got hit in the shoulder."
Letty's voice shook. "Does it feel bad?"
"It don't feel good." The deputy closed his eyes. "Letty, yore goin' to have to go back to Dodge for help."
The girl burst into tears. "I can't leave you here alone!"
Festus opened his eyes. "Yore goin' to have to. My head's that swimmy I don't think I could get up on Ruth. I sure cain't make it back to Dodge." He saw the stark misery in Letty's face and went on very gently. "I need Doc, honey. Can you get him for me?"
Letty got slowly to her feet. "Will you be all right until I get back?"
"'Course I will. Fetch me my canteen?" She went to Ruth and got the canteen. Festus drank thirstily, then smiled at the girl. "Go ahead on now. Remember I'm countin' on you."