Morrison and Kirkland sat at the very back of the Bull's Head Saloon, nursing a bottle of whiskey, "How bad is Patty, anyway?" Kirkland asked as he swilled back the rest of his glass and poured himself another drink. Clearly the whiskey they had already consumed was clouding any clear judgment the might make.

"Bad enough," Morrison said as he stared at the glass in his hand and wet his lips. "This is really messing things up. We should have been on the move by now. Not only him but that damn wagon wheel," he grunted. Morrison returned his comments to their friend, "Maybe we could get that quack to look at him again," he shrugged and took a long sip from his glass.

"We'd have to ask him nicely," Kirkland laughed. "He said he didn't want to see us again, and I bet that he'd have that weasel deputy with him this time."

"Well, we have to get Patty in shape to move, and I want that soon," Morrison stated. "Haven't you noticed that the marshal hasn't been around keeping an eye on us?" he looked over to his friend.

Kirkland's head bobbed, "Yeah, I noticed," he took another drink from his glass. "I heard that he went to see ol' Drake up in Hays," he scoffed.

Morrison laughed, "Anyone that believed what that fool has to say, is a bigger fool!"

"Well that all depends on what the marshal went to see him about. I mean we did kind of just abandoned him there," Kirkland stated.

"I bet he opened his big mouth about the bank robbery. I told him not to get drunk," snarled.

"And if he did tell the marshal about our plans?" Kirkland looked up from the table.

Morrison said nothing at first. The gruff buffalo hunter rolled his empty glass between his grubby hands in thought. Slowly his eyes lifted, "We either hit the bank later today, or we move on to another town," Morrison reasoned.

"What if we just wait it out?" Kirkland asked.

"What do you mean?" Morrison's eyes narrowed at his friend's question.

Kirkland leaned over toward Morrison, "Let the law pretend that Emmitt said we were robbing the bank, but we don't until they least suspect it, or maybe rob some other place, like the hotel. Even that fancy saloon down the street should have lots of money," he stated in a hushed voice. Morrison thought about it for a moment and shook his head no, "We'll take the bank after that quack looks at Patty again," he grinned, placing his empty glass down on the table. Slowly he stood.

Kirkland hurried with his drink and quickly poured, and swallowed another drink before he got to his feet.

The two buffalo hunters left the saloon in search of Doc Adams.

Jonas stood with his arms tightly folded across his chest while leaning on the shelf behind the sales desk as he listed to what both Doc and Newly were telling him. His jowls flexed as he grew more impatient with the direction of the conversation; he blinked often out of annoyment and finally the store owner huffed, "I have said right from the beginning, after the those two roughed me up, that I wanted nothing more to do with them. You know as well as I do that they will find away to retaliate if someone points their finger at them," the store owner stated. "They are just plain outright mean people."

Doc brushed his right hand across his moustache and blinked in thought, nodding at what Jonas was saying, "I fully understand, Jonas, but you have to look at the bigger picture, now."

"I have been to the bank several times this week and I haven't seen those hunters anywhere in sight," Jonas growled. "You would think that if they were planning on robbing it, that they would at least scout it out first," he huffed. "This is all hear-say from another buffalo hunter," he pointed out.

Newly looked at the doctor and then over to the store owner, "The marshal hasn't take Drake's words lightly, Mister Jonas. He wouldn't have sent this," he held out the telegram again, "if he didn't think that there was truth to it," he offered.

Jonas dropped his arms to his sides in exasperation, "Please. Don't make me do this," he plead.

Doc cast his eyes to the floor for a second and then back to the store owner, "Okay, Jonas, we won't. Hopefully Festus will come to soon enough to charge them with something," the doctor felt sorry for the store owner.

"Look, Doc. Newly. You know under any other circumstances that I would charge them, but I've been beaten, robbed, kidnapped and damn near blown up in the last year, and frankly there are days like this that I wonder why I have stayed here," Jonas said as he stepped forward placing his hands in the counter in front of him and staring down at the cash register.

"I know Jonas," Doc smiled and patted the store owner on the shoulder. "We'll get them soon," he said in sympathetically.

Jonas slowly looked up at his friend, "Thanks for understanding," he tried to smile, but look didn't last long as he saw the two men in question entering the store. "I thought I told you to take your business elsewhere," he growled at the buffalo hunters.

"Who you planning on getting doctor?" Morrison hissed.

Doc looked at the hunters and swallowed. The doctor stepped away slightly.

"You heard Mister Jonas," Newly said stepping in front of Doc with his left hand on his gun.

Kirkland wet his lips, "This is the most unfriendly town I've ever seen," he half laughed, shoving Newly slightly to get him to move out of the way.

"I've warned you," O'Brien's nostrils began to flare with anger.

"We need you to look at Patty again," Kirkland looked down at the doctor.

Doc frowned, as he narrowed his eyes then gruffly drew his hand across his moustache and chin, "I need my medical bag," he snapped and pushed passed the buffalo hunter; Kirkland laughed at the spit of the smaller man. Both Jonas and Newly watched the hunters follow the doctor out of the store and up to his office. "There's bound to be trouble," O'Brien stated as he left the mercantile shaking his head. Jonas felt badly, but he had to make the choice he did, "I sure hope they don't hurt Doc, or I will speak up," he said to himself as he walked to the door and watched as the two hunters lead the doctor back to the boarding house.

Matt felt he was making good time, as he had just past the halfway point on his journey back to Dodge. He just hoped that there was something to come back to. The marshal rounded a bend and slowed Buck slightly as they approached a stage stop. He cantered the animal over to the corral and quickly stepped down to tight the reins onto the post.

Charlie Parker saw the marshal from the front porch and walked over to met him, "Matt?" he asked.

Matt looked up from his saddle, "Charlie," he smiled and quickly shook Parker's hand.

"What can I do for you?" Charlie then asked.

"I need to borrow a fresh horse. I have to get back into Dodge as quickly as possible," the marshal stated as he removed his saddle from Buck. "We've had a long two days," he said patting the horse on the neck, "So I think it's best that he rests here for a few days," he swung the saddle over his shoulder and pulled the blanket from the back of the large buckskin.

"That one over there should do," Parker pointed to a spirited black horse that was pacing in the paddock.

"Good," Matt nodded and went to saddle the animal, "I'll be in a few days to get my horse," he added.

Charlie nodded in understanding and returned to what he was working on at the house.