The Book
Chapter 8
It was early afternoon when a telegram arrived from Hays telling Dillon that yesterday's Hays City stage never arrived from Dodge. He knew that the stage had been carrying a lot of money in its strong box.
The scheduled afternoon stage pulled up at the depot on Front Street an hour or so after he got that news. There were six passengers packed inside and three men sitting up on the drivers box. These were the new passengers plus the driver and passengers from yesterday's stage who had decided to return to Dodge rather than wait out there on the prairie for the next stage to their intended destination. Chester was standing outside the depot as they arrived and when one of the men climbed down from the box he quietly asked the jailer to get the Marshal. They had the strongbox from the stage that had been held up and needed to return it and the money it contained to the bank. There it could be stored in the bank's safe to await the next stage out to Hays, which would be the following day.
Matt escorted the strong box back to the bank and then spoke to the driver. After that he went across to the Dodge House where most of the passengers where staying and talked to each of them in turn. He quickly built up a picture of what had happened out there on the road about 30 miles from Dodge and planned to ride out tomorrow and take a look at the scene for himself.
It was evening before he made his way to the Long Branch. He was standing up against the bar telling Kitty that he would be heading out in the morning to take a look at where the hold up took place. Sam was behind the bar and could not help overhearing what he was saying.
"Is that anywhere near the old Finney place, Marshal?"
" I would say about 5 miles away," Matt replied as he took his beer and started to head over to a table at the back, to which Kitty was already making her way.
0O0O0O
By the following day Kitty was beginning to worry about Doc. She was contemplating a fresh cup of coffee at the Long Branch when Sam came up to her.
"Something troubling you Miss Kitty."
"Sam, I was just thinking about Doc, he's been gone for three days and no-one's heard a word from him. That's not like him." She thought to herself, but did not say out loud that it was unlike Doc to go off like that – especially as he had told Matt he would remove those stitches by today. "If he doesn't show by tomorrow I'm beginning to think someone may need to go look for him in case something's happened."
Sam said nothing but worried about what Doc had told him before he left town.
It was mid afternoon before Dillon made his way through the swing doors to the saloon. He did not see Kitty but walked over to the bar and putting some money down asked Sam to bring him a beer. The barkeep placed the drink in front of him.
"You know Marshal, I think I need to tell you something."
Matt turned to look at the man's troubled face.
"Just before he left town Doc told me he was going to take two or three days off, said he needed to get away from everything. He was planning to go out to the old Finney place for a few days, but not to tell anyone unless it was a real emergency."
Matt listened, "I don't understand why on earth he took off like that in the first place."
Sam looked at the lawman as Kitty came over to join the conversation.
"He said he was tired."
Dillon looked at Kitty before answering. "He could have locked his door and slept right up there in the office, he didn't have to go riding halfway across the county."
"I don't think it was just sleep he needed Marshal, he said he needed a break from the responsibility, that it weighed on him kinda heavy."
Dillon looked puzzled, " I don't see what….."
Kitty interrupted him. "No I guess you wouldn't, I'll explain it to you later."
"So is that where he went, the Finney place?"
"That's what he said."
"Hmm." Matt turned back to take a mouthful of his beer. "I was going to ride out tomorrow and take a look at the place where stage was held up – I think I better be riding out to the Finney place too."
TBC