Chapter Six: Garden City Siege
The local lumber yard was raided for supplies of wood and the freighters provided wagons which were turned onto their sides at every entrance to the city. Matt had members of the posse take groups of the local men and women who could handle rifles to each barricade. The local stores provided extra ammunition.
"It's the waiting that takes it's toll," Matt said. "Sheriff, the steeple have a couple of men go up there keep a lookout, ring the bell if they spot them," Sheriff Williams nodded.
"Stu, Bill, you two boys get on up in that there steeple, ring the bell when you see them coming," the boys climbed up the steeple. "Those two are only eighteen and nineteen, I'd rather like to see them grow into men."
Ben was unceasing his horse seened to fly as it was he reached Fort Larned in the early evening. "Rider coming!" The guard at the gate called out. "Civilian Rider!"
"Open the gate," the sergeant said and the men opened the righthand gate, Ben galloped through.
"Message from Marshal Dillon for your commanding officer."
"Officer of the day?" A lieutenant approached he held out his hand.
"Sorry message is for your commanding officer, him alone," the lieutenant led Ben to the commanding officer's headquarters, the adjutant looked up.
"Man has a message for the Major."
"I'll see it gets to him."
"Sorry I have to put it in his hands, Marshal Dillon was quite adamant about that."
"Well, now the Major's gone to bed and he don't want to be disturbed."
"I don't much care whether he's disturbed or not, but if you delay and any harm comes to Matt Dillon, I wouldn't guarantee the life of any soldier who comes to Dodge."
"What the devil is going on here?" Major Franks stood there in his dressing gown looking as if he wanted to kill someone. "What is this about Marshal Dillon?"
"I don't know whether you heard about the attack on Kinsley Stage Station?"
"We did, dreadful event, didn't know anyone could be so cruel."
"You must be new in the West, Major, cause believe me they can," Ben handed the note to him, the Major read it.
"Marshal Dillon is sure about the Comancheros?"
"Yes, sir, the only other explanation would have been an Indian raid, but there were no war lances, no arrows and all the horse prints were from shod horses. The Indians don't ride shod horses, only the ones the army uses for scouts would ride a shod horse. Actually the Comancheros are worse than Indians."
"He's right, Sir, Comancheros don't give tinker's dam for anyone other than the money they can make."
"From what sign we found we think there were around thirty in the band that attacked Kinsley. Now all signs are that they are headed for Garden City and they won't be able to withstand them for long."
"How long will it take to get there?"
"Three to four days."
"Have Troops A and C rready to move out in half an hour. Get this man a fresh horse, we'll use him as a guide," Ben was glad of that he didn't want to be known as the man who let Matt down.
Stu and Bill looked to the east and saw the Comancheros coming, Bill rang the bell. "Where are they coming from?" Matt called up to them.
"From the east, Marshal."
"Right! Stay there watch for the cavalry, ring the bell again when you see them, then you shoot from up there," the Comancheros stopped surprised to see barricades, one of them rode forard under a white flag.
"Senores, why do you resist, we are many, you are few?"
"Tell your jefe, what he did at Kinsley, just turned this into another Alamo," Matt said, the Texans gave rebel yells at that. The Comanchero rode back to his comrades, they watched him talk to the man who was clearly his Jefe. The man gave a roar of anger, Matt smiled. "That's the reaction I hoped for, now he's got to take us. If we can delay them long enough, the cavalry will have a chance to catch them."
"Ataque! Kill them I want them all dead," the Comancheros charged, the townsfolk opened up on them, they retreated and seemed to be discussing their next move, they'd tried full frontal. Now the Jefe sent men to scout round the town.
"That's the first sensible thing he's done," Matt said, "now he's going to have use what little he's got for brains to figure out our weak spots and we haven't got many of those," Matt had positioned men on the roofs of the buildings and he knew the calibre of those at the barricades.
"How long do you reckon before the cavalry gets here, Matt?" Mckee asked.
"Well, if Ben was able to persuade them to move straightaway, they could be here by tomorrow, but when tomorrow is the question," night was falling, they watched as the Comancheros made camp. The towns women had been providing food for the defenders made a larger meal serving it at the barricades. Matt made sure that a meal was taken up to the two boys with some water. Matt set lookouts during the night at the barricades they would spell the defenders so they would be fresh the next morning.
The men returned to the barricades at dawn after breakfast, the Comancheros tried again. The two boys in the steeple looked eastward where Matt had told them the cavalry would be coming from. "Stu look isn't that?"
"I don't know, let's wait a little see if they get closer," Bill said. The riders the boys had spotted stopped, they listened and went back over the hill meeting up with Major Franks.
"It looks to be a miracle, Sir, but those folks seem to be holding out," at the barricades Matt, Paco, Mckee and the rest kept firing one of the Comancheros got a shot off which took Matt in the left shoulder.
"Damn it."
"At least it's not your gun arm, Matt," Paco said. The boys in the steeple looked at the ridge, happy to see the blue line. They rang the bell and joined in the shooting," Matt grinned, everybody cheered and raised the firing rate. Then came the clear unmistakable sound of the bugle as the cavalry charged down to surround what was left of the Comancheros, Major Franks rode up to the barricade.
"Marshal Dillon?"
"It's good to see you, Major."
"Thirty men attacking you and you killed twenty four of them. A nice manageable number to take back to Dodge. We met a friend of yours on the way here said he was coming back this way to live," Matt looked to where Ben was and there riding next to Ben was Quint Asper, Matt smiled.
"Quint what brings you this way, I thought you were in California?"
"California's OK but it sure is dull out there compared to Dodge."
"Quint, like to introduce you to Paco Avila, would you believe I met him when he was twelve in Mexico. He's grown into a good man, moved to Texas, and joined the Rangers."
"Now that must have been due to your influence," the next morning all the barricades had gone and Garden City looked like it had never been attacked.
"Marshal Dillon," Sheriff Williams said. "Thanks for your help?" Matt shrugged it off the Comancheros were fettered now and sat their horses which were being led by lead rope. The posse set off back to Dodge with the cavalry.
The people of Dodge turned out in force to see Matt, Paco and Mckee with the posse bringing in the Comancheros. Newly joined Matt as he got them down placing them in the jail. "How's everything been, Newly?"
"Fine, not much at all happened, I suppose people are still coming to terms with what happened."
"Good, let's go have a beer. Newly, this is Quint Asper, used to be the blacksmith here. Quint, this is Newly O'Brien, gunsmith and trainee doctor," they headed for the Long Branch. "Howdy, Miss Kitty, look whose come home to Dodge."
"Quint, this is a surprise? Sam, the first drinks are on the house for the posse and for Quint returning," Doc entered tired as usual, he'd been out delivering a baby.
"Howdy, Matt. Well, Quint, back home, that's good news. I might get some intelligent conversation from time to time."
"You get that from me, you ol scudder, and you know'd it," Festus said.
"Festus, I could get more intelligent conversation from your mule, than you."
"Things haven't changed here then they're still bickering."
"Don't suppose it ever will," Matt said taking a sip of beer. Later Newly and Quint had just completed rounds after the Long Branch had closed, they saw Matt slip up the alley to the back door let himself in. Newly smiled, Matt still thought it all a big secret but the whole town knew about him and Miss Kitty.
"He still think the town doesn't know?"
"Yeah," they let themselves back into the marshal's office to have coffee and grab some sleep. Quint thought then that everything was as it should be nothing changed in Dodge and that was how he liked it.
THE END