VOYAGERS! - The Voyager Chronicles
OLD FRIENDS, NEW BEGINNINGS - BOOK 6
(Sequel to A Ray of Hope)
By DA Daugherty (VoyagersFan)
December 2008 (Revised 03/2010)
Previous disclaimers apply
Chapter 5 – WYATT WHO?
Deep in the heart of the desert southwest, in an area well known for its rocky, desert-like terrain, a small group of settlers who sought a new life for themselves so many years ago, carved out the beginnings of what was to be a very important focal point in the Old West. What originally started as a few small cabins built by prospectors who came seeking their fortunes in silver, by the late 1800's had become a booming cow town. Also by that time, this little town had gained a reputation not only for its abundance of silver ore, but also for its extreme lawlessness since it had become a haven for gamblers, thieves and rustlers. The name given to this little hamlet was…Tombstone.
The barren wilderness encompassing the area was harsh and unforgiving. It had been months since the last rainfall had kissed its hard, crusty soil. For as far as the eye could see, there were no signs of vegetation, save the occasional patch of tall grass and a flowering cactus or two. Rocks of various sizes and shapes dotted the landscape along with the dried up skeletons of those animals that had long since left this world. With only a few lonely clouds passing overhead, there was little sign of a breeze, save a couple of playful dust devils chasing each other in the distance. The heat of the area was fierce and the stagnant air, heavily laden with dust, singed the nostrils upon breathing it.
Even this formidable environment was not enough to keep a well-trained Voyager from his assigned duties. For as swiftly as Bogg, Jeff and Mallory had left Voyager Headquarters, they soon fell through the time portal into this most uninviting of places. They landed on their haunches in the middle of the street, within earshot of a nearby saloon.
"Yeoooowwwwwwww!" Mallory shouted as he sprung up. "I think I landed on a rock!"
Bogg chuckled. "It wasn't a pointy one, was it?" He asked as he looked over to his friend to see if he was ok.
"Yea, and I can feel every inch of it too." Mallory replied as he pulled the rock from underneath him and threw it aside. "There's a good possibility I may be bruised."
"Are you ok, kid?" Bogg asked as he stood up and knocked the dust off his pants. Extending a hand to each of his traveling companions, he attempted to help them up off the hard, dusty street.
"I'm ok…I guess…" He said as he took hold and pulled himself up.
"What about you, Shawn?" Bogg asked. "How'd you like your first landing?"
Mallory slowly eased himself up off the hard ground, dusted himself off and then picked up his backpack.
"It was a little rough." He said, nodding a bit. "Is this the norm? I mean, do you two always land on your...umm…well…"
Jeff chimed in. "Tubas! Not always. Just be glad you didn't land on a cactus or something."
Bogg grinned. "You said it kid. There's definitely plenty of them around here to land on."
Mallory, with a puzzled expression, looked at the two as if they had been speaking in a foreign language. "Tubas?" He asked. "Is that some sort of slang term?"
Bogg laughed. "Yea, Shawn. You could call it that."
Without warning, the three Voyagers were startled by the sounds of glass breaking, women screaming and furniture being thrown around inside the saloon.
"Wow!!!!! Sounds like a real bar-room brawl. I gotta see this!" Jeff exclaimed as he took off running toward the saloon.
"No Jeff, wait!" Bogg shouted before chasing after him.
Jeff had only made it as far as the edge of the walkway, when a drunken cowboy came crashing through the front window of the saloon. In a daring act much like that of a circus clown, the cowboy tumbled across the walkway, barely missing the young Voyager and landed face down in the dirt in front of Mallory.
As Jeff turned his attention from the action of the moment to make his way inside, Bogg quickly grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from the door.
"Oh no you don't!" Bogg said sternly. "It's way too dangerous for you to go in there."
"But Bogg….Why can't I go in?" Jeff asked in a huff. "I've always wanted to see a real bar-room brawl."
"And I guess you've always wanted to get your tuba shot off as well." Bogg said sarcastically.
With Jeff now safely at his side, Bogg motioned for Mallory to join them. However, before he could take a step, the commotion continued.
"Git outta here you ol' yellow-bellied varmint!" A man yelled from within the saloon. "And ya' best keep yer hands off my wo-mern or you be pushin' up daisies with a belly fulla lead."
As the cowboy struggled to pry himself up off the street, two gunshots rang out from within. Bogg and Jeff ducked their heads, while Mallory, stunned by the whole episode, stood frozen in his tracks. One slug embedded itself in the hitching post outside, the other ricocheted off a nearby rock and penetrated Mallory's backpack.
"What the…!" Mallory shouted as he inched himself closer to his two comrades. "Phineas! Those are real bullets they are using!"
Jeff rolled his eyes as he looked at his partner and nodded in disbelief.
"Of course they're real!" Bogg whispered impatiently. "What do you think this is a movie or something?" Quickly, he turned to Jeff. "Kid, you take cover in that alley over there. I'm going to get Shawn, ok?"
"Right! You don't have to tell me twice." Jeff acknowledged, before making swift tracks toward the alley.
Mallory was still standing in the middle of the street, stiff and motionless. His face was quite pale and his eyes were glassy and fixed on his preceptor. Without hesitation, Bogg ran over to him, grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to safety.
Once they had made it into the alley, Mallory, who was coughing and breathing heavily, bent over with his hands on his knees as he tried his best to once again catch his breath. After a short time, he started breathing normally.
"Shawn are you ok?" Bogg asked.
"Yeah, I'm ok." Mallory replied. "That was a real close one back there."
"Just be glad I got to you before they did." Bogg replied.
In the excitement of the moment, Mallory hadn't realized he had been hit by one of the slugs during the round of gunfire. At this point, out of harm's way, he began to feel an intense burning sensation in the small of his back. He reached his hand around to examine the area and discovered a small hole in the back of his shirt. Unbeknownst to him, the bullet had grazed him slightly before it penetrated his backpack. As he continued to examine the area, he suddenly felt something warm and wet running down his back.
"Guys! I've been hit! I'm bleeding!" Mallory yelled frantically. Before he could say another word, his eyes rolled back in his head and he began to pass out from the shock.
"Grab him kid!" Bogg yelled.
The two quickly took hold of their friend and gently eased him to the ground. With his partner's help, Bogg rolled Mallory on his side and began to observe the area. By this time, Mallory's dark shirt was soaked with fluid. Seeing this, Bogg began to closely examine Mallory's back to find the entry wound. After a few moments he sat back on his haunches and breathed a sigh of relief. He had now discovered the source of Mallory's extreme distress.
"Bogg, is he gonna be ok?" Jeff asked with concern in his eyes.
Bogg nodded and chuckled a bit. "Kid, he's gonna be fine…just fine.
"What about the bleeding?"
"What bleeding?" Bogg replied as he pointed to the hole in his shirt. "See, look! The bullet only grazed him… He was very lucky. A few more inches and he could have been seriously hurt."
Jeff gave his partner a puzzled look. "Ok, if the bullet only grazed him and he's not bleeding, then what's that all over his shirt?"
"Beats me!" Bogg said as he laughed. "Wait, I need to make a small correction to my diagnosis. Shawn's not bleeding, but his backpack is… Look, there's a hole in it."
Jeff looked closely at the hole in the backpack and noticed the fluid now spilling out of it.
"Ok. Obviously it's not blood, so what is that stuff oozing out of his backpack?"
Bogg ran his fingers over Mallory's wet shirt, rubbed them together and then wafted them under his nose. "There's no smell… Feels like water, but I really don't know for sure, kiddo."
Mallory began to awaken from his self-induced fainting spell.
"Phineas…" Mallory asked woozily. "Did you…did you…find the wound?"
Bogg gave his partner a rather mischievous smile and then responded. "Yes Shawn, I found it. From this angle, though, it looks quite serious."
"Oh no!" Mallory exclaimed. "I can just see the front page of the Voyager Times now. 'Graduate Shawn Mallory Gunned Down On First Mission'. Besides that, Roz and I haven't even had time to have a life yet. She's way too young to be a widow!"
With Bogg and Jeff now struggling to hold onto their self control, they had realized Mallory was again on the brink of losing his. He was scared and anxious at the prospect of what he thought was his inevitable passing.
"Bogg is there anything we can do?" Jeff asked as he played along with his partner's latest gag.
"Well, kiddo, he's oozing profusely… and somehow we've got to stop it." Bogg said as he winked at Jeff. "Hey, what about that old whiskey barrel over there."
"What about it?" Jeff asked curiously.
"Maybe there's a cork in it. We can use that to stop the oozing." Bogg suggested as he winked. "Why don't you go check it out."
"You're gonna cork me like a wine bottle?" Mallory exclaimed with disbelief. "What kind of medics are you two?"
Jeff ran over to the barrel and pulled out the cork. He examined it closely and yelled back to his partner.
"Hey Bogg!"
"Yea kid."
"No luck! This cork is not gonna fit… It's way too big!" Jeff said before running back over to his partner's side.
"Can't you two come up with something to stop the bleeding!" Mallory yelled. "I'm desperate here!"
"Well, I guess Jeff here could put his finger in the bullet hole until we can get you to the hospital." Bogg replied, attempting to hold back an onslaught of laughter.
Jeff chimed in. "Bogg, I think we have a problem."
"What now, kid?" Bogg asked. "Please, I hope you're not gonna tell me you have a weak stomach."
"No, not that." Jeff responded. "That bullet hole is way too big. My finger won't be able to plug it."
Bogg rubbed his chin. "Hmmmmm. Looks like we need to rethink our plan."
Mallory, now in fear for his life, yelled impatiently at the two. "Hey guys, you need to hurry up and do something…I only have a little bit left inside."
"I guess I'll just have to my big finger in it." Bogg conceded.
Hearing the details of this crude medical procedure about to be performed on him, Mallory, whose nerves were now wound up like a rubber band, blurted out. "You're gonna do what?"
"I'm going to put my big ol' finger in it." Bogg repeated. "That should stop it from oozing."
"And then what are you gonna do?" Mallory asked impatiently.
"I'd say the only thing left to do after that is call a plumber." Bogg said as he burst out laughing.
"A plumber?" Mallory exclaimed. "What do ya' mean, call a plumber? I'm dying here, I need a doctor! Phineas, this is no time for jokes!."
By this time, the strain of holding back was just too much for Jeff, and he too began to laugh uncontrollably.
Bogg reached over and slowly eased the backpack off Mallory's shoulders and placed it on the ground in front of him.
"Yes, Shawn, I know, you're dying and we are too right now…DYING OF LAUGHTER!" Bogg teased.
Mallory sat up and faced his friends. "What? What do you mean? I don't get it. Phineas is this another one of your practical jokes? If so, this is so not funny."
Bogg put his hand on Mallory's shoulder. "Shawn, I'm sorry, but we've been teasing you… Roz, by no means is gonna be a widow. You're not gonna die. However, I can't say the same for your backpack though. It's been oozing for quite a while. I'd say from the looks of it, it's a goner."
Mallory breathed a sigh of relief as he looked down at the backpack. Curious as to what was oozing out of it, he unzipped it, reached inside and pulled out a large silver canteen, which had a good sized hole all the way through it.
"I can't believe it!" Mallory exclaimed. "Roz gave this to me as a graduation present along with the backpack. She didn't want me to get thirsty. Now look at it! It's useless."
"Just be thankful she bought them both for you." Bogg said. "'Cause it kept you out of what would have been a very serious jam. You came very close to being hurt."
Mallory's cheeks were now red as he realized he had overreacted to the situation. "Guys, I'm so sorry for what I put you both through." He said as he bowed his head in shame. "And I'm so embarrassed. I'd be surprised after all this, if you two still wanted to work with me."
Bogg put his arm around his friend and playfully punched him on the arm.
"Hey now… There's nothing to be embarrassed about." Bogg reassured. "It's your first mission. You are just nervous. Every Voyager gets nervous on their first mission. That's to be expected."
"But Phineas, I'm a Voyager." Mallory said pointedly "According to the guidebook, Voyagers are supposed to be brave, strong and to face their fears without trepidation."
"Are you sure? Where does it say that?" Bogg asked with a hint of skepticism. "I don't remember ever reading that in my guidebook. It must be a misprint!"
"I assure you, it's on page 325…" Mallory said as he rattled off the details of the passage in question. "Under rules governing Voyager behavior."
Bogg looked over at Mallory and began to speak in a Southern drawl. "On yaw feet, Voyager Mallory!" Bogg ordered with the precision of a four-star general.
Mallory jumped to his feet and stood at attention. Jeff's eyes grew large as he had never seen Bogg act like this before.
"Voyager Mallory!" Bogg barked.
"Yes sir!" Mallory replied.
"As yaw oh-fficial preceptor, I'm givin' you a die-rect order. You are to obey this order with-out question and with-out hes-i-ta-tion." Bogg shouted as he continued in his role as a general. "Do you un-der-stayand, Voyager Mallory?"
"Yes, sir, I am to obey this order without question." Mallory repeated.
"Voyager Mallory, from this point faw-ward, page 325 of yaw guidebook is off limits!" Bogg exclaimed as he smiled at his friend. "Is that clay-er?"
"Ok, if you say so."
"What was that Voyager Mallory!" Bogg barked.
"Yes sir!"
"At ease, Voyager!" Bogg barked.
Mallory started to sit back down, but suddenly stopped as he was now uncertain of what to do next. He raised his head and looked over to his preceptor for a sign. Realizing he had now unnerved his friend, Bogg smiled and nodded to him that it was ok to sit down. Mallory then lowered himself to the ground.
"How'd you like my impression of a confederate general?" Bogg asked, with a bit of flair and panache. "I picked it up when Jeff and I went back to keep President Lincoln from being kidnapped during the Civil War.
"It was very convincing…Too convincing, if I say so."
Bogg chuckled. "One other thing…"
"Watch out, Shawn, here it comes…" Jeff teased.
"What's that, Jeff?"
"Only some of Bogg's great wisdom."
"Hey! I resemble that remark." Bogg said with a smile. "What I was about to say, before the kid here interrupted, was this… If you take anything away from this situation, remember these two things. One. If you find yourself in a jam, stay calm and keep your wits about you."
"And the second thing?" Mallory asked.
"It's ok to be nervous and it's ok to be scared. Just as long as you don't let it interfere with you completing your mission."
Bogg's pep talk had obviously done the trick, since Mallory had gotten back some of the confidence he had lost. He looked at his two friends and smiled.
"Thanks Phineas. You are one great friend and one terrific preceptor." Mallory said. "I know I'm in good hands with you two."
"Ok, now that we know we're all in one piece, shouldn't we be getting to the bottom of what's going on here?" Bogg urged.
"Uh…umm… yes…YES!" Mallory replied as he fumbled with his belt, attempting to find his omni. Upon locating the device, he pulled it out and opened the lid. He sat there for a time, his eyes fixed upon its red flashing beacon.
"Shawn…are you ok?" Jeff asked.
"Uhh…yea…I'm ok." Mallory replied.
"So, where are we?" Bogg asked.
"Oh, yea…It would help if I told you that." Mallory replied. "Looks like Tombstone, Arizona, October 26, 1881. And there's a red light of course."
"Bogg and I know all about red lights." Jeff said with a smile. "It's nice to know someone else gets a red light when they open up their omni."
"I wonder what's going on here?" Mallory asked, before rummaging through his backpack. "Now where's that guidebook."
Bogg looked at his partner and whispered. "Do you know anything about this place?"
"Yea, Bogg." Jeff acknowledged, his voice again starting to crack. "Tombstone Arizona, October 26, 1881. This was where the big gunfight took place between the Earps and the Clantons."
"Who were they?" Bogg asked in a whisper.
Suddenly, Mallory found his rather moist guidebook that was buried deep in his backpack. He pulled it out and began thumbing through its pages. After stopping momentarily on one particular page, he began to skim though the information it contained.
"Found it!" He exclaimed.
"That's ok kid." Bogg said as he nudged his partner in the side. "Let's see what the newbie can figure out with his guidebook."
"Uhh….umm… ok." Mallory said as he continued his search. "Tombstone, Arizona…July…August…September…Ahhh! October! Here it is! October 26, 1881."
Mallory paused for a moment as he continued to read though the text.
"Well?" Bogg prompted.
"Well what?" Mallory replied.
"What does it say?"
"Oh…that…ummm, I'm sorry. " Mallory said nervously. "According to the book, this is the place where the Earps met the Clantons in a gunfight to settle some dispute they had between them. The text says this gunfight was also known as the Gunfight at the OK Corral, even though it didn't actually occur at the Ok Corral."
"As it says here, Wyatt, Morgan, and Virgil Earp along with Doc Holliday went up against brothers, Billy and Ike Clanton, Frank McLaury, Tom McLaury and Billy Claiborne on the streets of Tombstone on this date at 3:30 pm in the afternoon. Minutes later, Frank and Tom McLaury along with Billy Clanton were killed. Morgan Earp, Virgil Earp and Doc Holliday were injured. Wyatt Earp was not harmed.
"I wonder what time it is now." Bogg whispered.
With the three Voyagers in the alley attempting to get a grip on what had went awry in this time zone, five men came walking up the street in front of them on their way into the saloon. Two of them had their guns drawn and were firing into the air at random, seemingly to celebrate some occasion.
"Well, boys… the Earps won't be bothering us again, that's for sure. " Billy Clanton boasted. "About now, I'd say they are playing their harps in front of the pearly gates."
"Are you sure about that Billy?" Tom McLaury asked as he pointed his finger to the ground. "What if they went, you know, down there?"
"If that's the case, then I suppose they are quite busy putting out fires at the moment" Ike Clanton replied as he laughed and fired off his gun several times. "C'mon boys, I'd say this victory calls for a round of drinks, don't ya' think?"
"You buyin' Ike?" Frank McLaury asked.
"Nope, the barkeep's buyin'." Ike Clanton replied.
Bogg, Jeff and Mallory continued to observe the situation from the alley as the men made their way past them. Once they were inside the saloon, the three Voyagers began to compare notes.
Mallory looked over at the two. "Wait a minute!" He whispered. "Didn't one of them call the other 'Billy'?"
"Sure did." Jeff whispered.
"That must have been Billy Clanton. According to the guidebook, he was killed in this gunfight." Mallory said curiously as he continued to read and study the situation.
"Kid, what do you think happened here?" Bogg whispered to his partner.
"I don't know, Bogg." He responded, somewhat perplexed. "It looks like the Clantons and the McLaurys survived this fight without a scratch. But that's not how it ended."
Bogg turned his attention back to the new graduate. He sat there silently as he watched him as he digested the information on the pages of his guidebook. "Ok, Voyager Mallory, what's next on the agenda?"
Mallory put down his guidebook. "Looks like some investigative work is in order."
"I'd say! Something's definitely amiss here." Jeff whispered.
"Well, Shawn, this is your assignment. What do we do next?" Bogg asked.
"Hmmm…" Mallory thought. "We need to go to the scene of the crime. Maybe we can find some clues there that will help us figure out this mess." He quickly jumped to his feet. "C'mon guys, let's get going."
Mallory grabbed his backpack, slung it over his shoulder and with Bogg and Jeff in tow, slowly walked out onto the street. The three quietly began walking toward the scene of the gunfight, an area near the Ok Corral. A few minutes into their journey, they were met by a large wagon. As it passed them, Jeff looked back and noticed the unusual cargo it was carrying.
"Bogg, Shawn! Wait!" He exclaimed.
"What's going on, kiddo?" Bogg asked, stopping suddenly in his tracks.
"That wagon that passed us… There's bodies in the back of it! Look! You can see their feet sticking out from underneath the cover." Jeff exclaimed as he pointed to the wagon.
"Bodies?" Bogg asked. "Are you sure?"
Almost simultaneously, Bogg and Mallory came to the same conclusion and shouted in unison. "The gunfight!"
Mallory nudged Bogg on the arm. "C'mon you two, we need to see who's on the back of that wagon."
The three turned back and ran toward the wagon. After advancing a safe distance in front of it, they stopped in its path and waived their arms in the air as they signaled the driver to stop. The old man atop the wagon shouted "whoa" and quickly pulled back on the reins. As the two horses slowed to a halt, dust and debris went flying into the air all around them.
"Are you fellas tetched in the head?" The old man spouted. "You could've got yerselves killed, running out in front of this here wagon like that."
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir…" Mallory responded. "I see you have some bodies on the back of your wagon."
"Well, ain't you just one smart cookie." The old man replied. "Dontcha know… this is one of them there few-nair-ee-al wagons, don'tcha see. There's supposed to be bodies on it."
Seeing this conversation was going nowhere, Bogg decided to jump in.
"Sir, I'm sorry. My friend here meant no disrespect."
"None taken." The old man acknowledged.
Bogg continued to converse with the old man. "We were just wondering what happened to these people. It's quite odd to have so many to die all at the same time.
"Not so around these here parts." The old man replied. "This, my friend is an ever-day occurrence."
"Can you tell us what happened to them?"
"Sure can. I'm sorry to say the three I have back there are the Sheriff and his two deputies. They had a little run-in with the Clantons and the McLaurys. It was three against five. They were brave fellows, but the odds were against them."
"Can you tell us their names, sir?" Jeff asked.
The old man leaned back in his seat and stroked his chin. "I take it y'all are not from 'round these here parts." He stated with some curiosity.
"No, we are travelers sir." Mallory replied.
The old man stood up and leaned over the back of the wagon. "Well now, let me in-ter-duce you to the guests of honor." He said before he threw back the burlap cover.
As the cover flew over and off the side of the wagon, Bogg and Mallory were the first to get a glimpse of the old man's cargo. Underneath the cover, were three corpses which were full of bullet holes and soaked in blood. Upon seeing the gruesome sight, Mallory began to heave and gag. He grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket, put it over his mouth and quickly turned away. Bogg, realizing this was not something his partner should be looking at, put his hands over Jeff's eyes.
"This is Virgil Earp, the sheriff of these here parts." The old man said as he pointed to one of the bodies. "That one over yonder is his brother Morgan. The big fellow with the hat is ol' Doc Holliday. I'm 'fraid this town's not gonna be the same with'em gone."
"Thank you sir. I think we've seen enough." Bogg said with a sense of urgency. "You can cover them back up now."
"Yes sir, please…" Mallory insisted as he gagged some and swallowed hard in an attempt to keep down his breakfast. "…by all means, cover them!"
The old man slowly got down off the wagon, hobbled over to its side and began to place the burlap covering back over the wagon's contents.
"Bogg, why'd you have to cover my eyes?" Jeff asked. "I didn't get to see the bodies."
"And you really didn't need to either." Bogg said matter-of-factly. "It was just too gruesome for a kid to look at. Besides, it was so bad even Shawn was overcome by it."
"You said it Phineas!" Mallory acknowledged as he fought with his churning stomach. "I don't think I've ever seen a sight like that before."
"Bogg, it's ok. I could take it." Jeff said confidently.
"Oh really?" Bogg teased. "Hmmm….I seem to remember not that long ago, a certain Voyager who…hmmmm… shall we say…freaked out at the sight of a Pilgrim massacre."
Jeff bowed his head. "Yea, I remember." He said sullenly.
"And I seem to remember that same Voyager jumping into my arms and burying his face in my chest, sobbing. And the worst thing about that was it took nearly two whole hours for my shirt to dry. "
"Ok, Bogg. You can stop now…I get your point." Jeff replied with a hint of shame on his lips.
"Well, kiddo, it was the same scene in the back of that wagon. I was only trying to protect you."
Jeff looked up at his partner. "I guess you are right. I'm sorry, Bogg."
Bogg put his hand on Jeff's shoulder, smiled and winked. "Nothing to be sorry for, kiddo."
After a few moments had passed and the three had recovered from their terrible ordeal, Jeff turned to Bogg and whispered. "You know, something's just not right here… There was supposed to be one more person involved in this gunfight, Wyatt Earp. It was the three Earp brothers along with Doc Holliday that took on the Clantons. I wonder what happened to him?"
"I don't know." Bogg whispered. "Why don't you ask the old man? Maybe he might know."
Jeff walked over and stood beside the old man as he finished tying off the burlap cover.
"Sir, you have two of the Earp brothers in your wagon… what about the third? I believe his name was Wyatt. Do you know what happened to him?"
The old man strolled past Jeff and did not respond. Slowly and with great effort, he climbed back atop his wagon and sat down. Jeff, somewhat miffed at the old man for obviously ignoring his question, stomped over and stood at his side.
"Hey ol' man…are you gonna answer my question or not?" He said curtly.
"Jeffrey!" Bogg shouted as he walked over and stood beside his partner. "That was just plain rude."
"Not half as rude as him ignoring me." Jeff argued.
The old man, angered by the disrespect shown to him by the young Voyager, looked at Jeff and scowled. He then glanced at Bogg.
"This yer boy?" The old man asked with a gruff tone.
"Yep." Bogg replied. "He's mine, sassy mouth and all."
The old man turned his attention from Bogg and once again stared at Jeff.
"Ya know, when I was 'bout yer age, if I'da spoke to an elder like that, My paw woudda drug me to the woodshed and he'da tanned my hide, real good."
"I'm sorry, sir, I know my boy didn't mean no disrespect." Bogg said as he glared at his partner. "Ya 'pologize to da man, NOW!"
"Why should I…" Jeff exclaimed, before being cut off by Bogg
Bogg grabbed his partner by the collar and used a bit of gentle persuasion to convince him otherwise.
"Young man, yer already in a big heap a trouble. Now ya tell the man yer sorry or yer Uncle Mallory over dair will bear witness to me as I tan yer hide real good."
"But Bogg…I mean, dad..." Jeff argued.
"Don't you sass me boy!" Bogg said in a loud, commanding voice. "Now git to 'pologizing or yer Uncle Mallory will have to git ya a piller to sit on."
"Ok! OK!, I get the picture!" Jeff exclaimed. "You don't have to tell me twice."
"Watch it boy!" Bogg warned as he continued to play the tough dad routine. "Dontcha get familiar with me."
Bogg released his grip on his partner and Jeff slowly approached the old man, looked up at him as he began to stumble on his words.
"Sir… I…I…I'm sorry." Jeff said with remorse.
"Now, git over dair and stand by yer Uncle Mallory and bee-have yerself." Bogg commanded.
At this point, Jeff really didn't know if Bogg was actually mad at him, or if this was just another one of his grand performances. He bowed his head, put his hands in his pockets and walked despondently over and stood at Mallory's side.
"Jeff, what's wrong guy?" Mallory asked.
"Bogg's mad at me." Jeff quipped. "He said he's going to tan my hide."
"What did you do now?"
"I didn't do nothing…" Jeff replied. "I just asked the old man a question and he just ignored me. So, I point-blank asked the rude old man if he was going to answer my question."
"And Bogg's going to punish you for that?" Mallory asked in disbelief. "You must have done something else to make him mad at you."
"He wanted me to apologize for being rude to the old man." Jeff continued. "And I refused. He was rude to me first, so he should have been the one to apologize, not me."
Bogg turned his attention back to the old man.
"Sir, can you tell me more 'bout dis third brother, Wyatt?" Bogg asked. "Whatcha think happened to him?"
For a moment, the old man sat silent as he stroked his whiskers and again pondered the question. Suddenly, he began to speak.
"You know, now that you mention it, I re-call him bein' kill'd in a gunfight of his own choosin'."
"Do ya re-call where and when?" Bogg asked.
"As I recollect, 'twas in Dodge City." The old man replied. "It happened a few year back."
"Thank you. If ya don't mind, could ya wait here. I'll be back." Bogg said as he ran over to have a brief discussion with his two partners.
"You'd best make it quick or these here men will rize quite a stank if'n they stay out'n the sun too long." The old man warned.
Bogg ran over and stood beside his two partners. Before he could say a word, Jeff chimed in.
"Bogg, I…I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude to the old man. You're not really going to tan my hide are you?"
Bogg put a hand on Jeff's shoulder and began to speak to him in a warm, reassuring tone.
"Relax kiddo, it was all an act."
Jeff breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew! For a moment there, I thought I was really going to get it."
"Oh, you did, huh? " Bogg teased. "Had you fooled, didn't I?"
"You sure did."
"Kid, I know you didn't mean to be rude. I saw and heard for myself what happened. You asked a simple question and the old man over there pretty much ignored you. I understand you were aggravated. I probably would have been also. Especially, if I'd been in your shoes. But you could have approached the situation with a little more tact you know."
"I know and I'm sorry." Jeff replied.
"It's all ok, kiddo." Bogg reassured as he smiled and winked at his partner.
"So Phineas…" Mallory interrupted. "Did you find out anything?"
"Well, yes, quite a bit. The kid here was on to something. The old man said Wyatt Earp was killed in a gunfight in Dodge City several years ago."
Mallory again pulled out his guidebook and began thumbing through the pages. "Let's see here, Wyatt Earp…Wyatt Earp… Ok, found him!"
Bogg rolled his eyes as he leaned over and whispered to his partner. "I think while Shawn figures out where we need to go next, I'll go thank the old man over there and let him be on his way."
"Good idea!" Jeff whispered. "I'll stay here and help Shawn."
Bogg walked over to the wagon, kindly thanked the old man for his information and sent him on his way. As he strolled back over to where his colleagues were standing, he couldn't help but notice Mallory was still studying his guidebook.
"Shawn, have you figured it out yet?" Bogg asked.
"Yes, Phineas." Mallory replied slowly as he continued to read. "It seems as though the gunfight in question occurred in Dodge City, Kansas on September 19, 1878. Wyatt Earp met up with a guy by the name of Clay Allison there. There was a small confrontation on the sidewalk, however, Allison ended up riding out of town without incident."
"Guys, it looks like we've got yet another problem that needs to be resolved. Only this time in Dodge City." He said with a smile. "You two ready to rock and roll?"
"Huh?" Jeff asked as he and Bogg stared at each other with puzzled expressions on their faces.
"Rock and roll?" Bogg asked. "Where DID you come up with that one?"
"Oh, it's from 20th Century Earth." Mallory replied. "I think it's just too cool."
Jeff rolled his eyes. "Yea, right on! It's way cool daddy-o! NOT!"
Bogg elbowed his partner in the arm as he turned and gave him the 'smart kid' look.
"Ouch, why'd you have to do that?" Jeff moaned in a whisper.
"'Cause you needed it." Bogg said curtly.
"I did not!" Jeff argued.
At that moment, Mallory chimed in. "C'mon guys, can we get this show on the road? Besides, I'm getting hungry."
Bogg and Jeff stopped their arguing just as their friend pulled out his omni and set the controls.
"You guys ready?" Mallory asked.
The two took hold of Mallory's arms as Bogg acknowledged. "We're ready! Let's rock and roll!"
Mallory pushed the button and they were on their way.