Lawman
Chapter 2
Matt was more withdrawn and taciturn than usual for the next two days. Even Kitty found it difficult to hold a conversation with him and when Doc ate breakfast with the Marshal and Chester the next morning, his sharp eyes noted that the big man pushed the food around his plate but consumed very little. He was concerned, but said nothing knowing that any comment he made would be met with a cold hard stare. Instead, later that day, he made his way to the Long Branch Saloon and sought out its red headed owner.
He passed his hand over his mustache and pulled on an ear – a sure sign to Kitty that he was a little anxious. She guessed what he was going to ask her.
"Have you noticed anything different about Matt lately?"
She returned his stare, "He's worried about something Doc and before you ask, yes, as usual it's all to do with that badge."
"I should've known," he said – but at the same time his thought was that one day that badge would be the death of the man. He hoped it didn't happen on his watch, partly because of the man himself but also because of the woman standing at the bar beside him.
It was two days before the official brown envelope arrived on the Marshal's desk. Chester had set it there with all the other mail that had come into the Overland Stage depot that morning. He knew Dillon was expecting it and that it must be something important because the Marshal had been unbearable for the last 48 hours. In fact ever since that telegram had arrived Chester had tried to find jobs to do that would keep him out of the way of his boss.
Dillon reached over and took the official government envelope from the stack of mail. He looked at it and turned it over in his hands. He didn't want to open it and read the contents but knew that eventually he would have to do just that. Putting off the evil moment was not going to change things and so he slowly removed a small knife from the pocket of his vest and reluctantly slid the blade under the official seal, then lifted it enough to open the envelope and look inside at the contents. There were three sheets of paper.
One was an official warrant giving him, US Marshal Mathew Dillon, the authority to arrest Douglas Hamilton on a charge of murder and make arrangements for a fair trial as he saw fit.
The second was a brief description of the crime. Hamilton had held the position of City Marshal in a township by name of Garden City in western Kansas, for a year or more. A known bounty hunter had brought in the body of Jake Wells, an outlaw who was wanted for the murder of a bank clerk during a hold up that took place in that town almost two years ago. The reward had been $2500.00 and the bounty hunter was paid off. A few days later some cowboy had brought in the body of the bounty hunter but there was no sign of the money.
The rest of the narrative was somewhat confusing but it seemed that Doug Hamilton was being held in jail in Garden City by a self appointed deputy.
The third page was a wanted poster – he looked at the face off the man he had known – the face looking back at him was a little older now – weren't they all? – except for a few extra lines and thinning hair it was the friend he knew from years before.
He pushed the papers back in the envelope and knew that if there was a way to prove his friend's innocence he would find it. His mind already made up, he looked around for his assistant. The man had been hard to find these last few days. After he called for him a few times, Chester appeared with an armful of wood for the stove, trying to explain his absence. Dillon ignored the excuses and handed over several dollar bills.
"Go down to the Overland depot and get me a ticket on tomorrow's stage to Garden City."
"Yes Sir," was Chester's mumbled reply, he hated to see his boss so stressed and half turned to say something as he stopped to open the door.
"Mr Dillon are you ..?" but he didn't get to finish "Just go, Chester," was the stern reply.
xxx
That evening Matt sat next to Kitty at the small table at the back of the Long Branch.
"Are you sure you should be doing this Matt? Maybe they can send someone else." Kitty was concerned, anytime he went out of town. She always worried about him, and rightfully so, sometimes he was gone for weeks and often he would return sick or injured. This was different, the thought of arresting a man who was his friend, a fellow lawman, and the knowledge that if that man was found guilty of murder he would hang, she knew that was playing heavily on the Marshal's mind.
"It's best that I go Kitty. Maybe I can find some way to prove his innocence and I don't think he will try to fight me, so no one will get hurt. I couldn't be sure what would happen if someone else went. If things went wrong because I turn this down, then I would be guilty of neglecting my duty – at least to my way of thinking."
Kitty understood him. She knew only too well how he felt about upholding the law and protecting his friends.
They talked a little longer before he left to make early evening rounds. The town was fairly quiet but he still insisted on being seen out there on the street – just so everyone knew that the law was on the alert. Often that alone was enough to ward off trouble. He took his time, going into each of the saloons, surveying the crowds and watching for unruly drunks who might start an innocent argument that could escalate into gunfire. At the same time he watched for any strangers who had found their way to town. Most were good law abiding citizens just looking for a drink or maybe a saloon girl for company, but there were others who were guns for hire, bank robbers or one of a dozen other kinds of outlaw he saw on official circulars and wanted posters. It was part of his job to pick those out. He scanned the stacks of notifications that came through his office every week and was quite skilled at remembering the names and faces he saw there. He cast his gaze around the various saloons just in case one of those men had found their way to Dodge City.
As was his habit he returned to the Long Branch at the end of the evening. The customers were all gone and Sam was cleaning the bar while Clem was stacking chairs on tables. Such ordered every day routines. He looked around the saloon until Sam indicated that the object of his search was in the office. No words needed to be spoken.
He approached the door that led to a small storage room room behind the bar. He knocked quietly and opened it. Her blue eyes looked up at him as he entered. She was in the process of opening the safe to lock up the evening's takings.
"Have you finished for the evening?" She asked him.
"Yes, Chester has one drunk locked up, but he can take care of that." He paused to choose his words and continued
"I think I'll take the stage out tomorrow. I should be able to be back here in less than a week."
He leaned over and taking the keys from her hand closed the heavy metal door and turned the lock.
"Thank you Marshal," she smiled at him as she took the keys back and pushed them deep into the pocket of her skirt.
"I know its after hours – but maybe I can offer you a brandy?" She made it a question, and he had to admit he enjoyed her flirting with him. "Well now," he smiled and looked around, "that maybe against the law, but perhaps I can be persuaded that these are extenuating circumstances."
He opened the door and putting a guiding hand in the small of her back ushered her back into the saloon. Clem had left and Sam was about to lock up the big outside doors before sweeping the floor.
"Go on home Sam, you can finish that in the morning." She walked with the barkeep to the full sized doors that led onto Front Street and locked them behind him as he left. A few minutes later the saloon owner and the Marshal headed up the stairs.
They were both tired after the events of the day, and for a while sat in a peaceful silence, side by side, on the small settee in her private rooms above the saloon. Matt had removed his gun belt and hung it carefully on the wooden peg by the door. Later he removed his boots and sat watching as Kitty removed the pins that held her work day hairstyle in place. Now that was done, both of them sat relaxing with a little napoleon brandy
Finally Kitty decided it was time to find out what was going on.
"Matt what do you know about this man you are going to arrest?"
"I haven't seen him in years, but at one time we were close friends." He drank carefully from his glass and gave himself time to gather his thoughts before continuing. She didn't hurry him knowing that such conversations did not come easily to her cowboy. At last he took a breath and continued. He decided to skip the details of their first meeting. It had taken place in such a distant place and time.
" We met for a while during the war, then much like I did, when it was over he found himself acting as Sheriff or deputy in several smaller towns, mostly in Colorado Territory. He was good at the job, fast with a gun when necessary, but calm and confident enough to be able to handle many situations without resorting to violence."
Kitty smiled to herself, he had no idea he was describing the very qualities that made Matt Dillon the man he was. The big man next to her paused for a moment and then resumed his story.
"He made himself quite a reputation. I know that he became a deputy Marshal some time back. Remember when Burt Wilson, the Marshal from Colorado Territory, came through here about three years ago? He was looking to appoint a deputy to work in the area around Pueblo because several gangs of outlaws were trying to take over the city. He wanted my recommendations for someone he could trust in that position. It so happened he had heard of Doug Hamilton and was pleased that I could vouch for the man. The newly appointed Deputy Marshal did a good job in Pueblo, but from what I heard, his young wife didn't like him being gone so much of the time, or the dangers he put himself in."
"I can understand that feeling," Kitty chimed in, to which Matt responded with a look of indignant surprise.
" To continue," he said, half smiling, "Maybe you also remember the Sheriff over in Garden City being killed, oh it must have been more than a year ago now."
She nodded while continuing to run a brush through her hair. She surely did remember it. At the time she thought how easily it could have been Matt who got killed trying to arrest an outlaw, instead of the unfortunate Sheriff.
She came back to the present as Matt continued with the story.
" After the Sheriff's death, the town council couldn't find a suitable candidate from within the county who was willing to take on the job, so they started looking a little further afield. Doug heard of the opportunity and thought if he took the job, it would give him a chance to settle down and provide a more stable home life for his wife. His application came with a good reputation and the town was only too happy to hire him as a city Marshal. As far as I know he has been doing an excellent job up until this came up. I don't know a whole lot about the present situation, but he is accused of killing a bounty hunter and stealing $2500 reward money."
"Is it possible that he did it?"
"I don't know Kitty, certainly the man I knew all those years ago would not have been involved in anything like that, but after all this time who can tell. People can change but I don't think he could have changed that much, I guess I'll find out more when I get there."
"You will be careful won't you?"
Slowly he placed his now empty glass on the small table.
"Let me show you just how careful I can be," he smiled, as he helped her to her feet and led her across the room. It was only a short distance to the big brass bed.
TBC