Sheriff Parker stirred at the sounds of song birds in the brush surrounding this little camp. Parker drew his right hand down over his face to try and clear his eyes and start the day. Slowly the sheriff sat and looked around the camp as his two deputies stirred from their slumber, "Come on guys," Parker spoke in a hushed voice, "We've got out work cut out for us," he said as he noted the darkening sky.
"Looks like a storm might be moving in," Charlie Appleby pointed out. Parker nodded, "You were always one to pick up on observations, Charlie," Parker smiled as he patted the deputy on the back. "Let's get packed up and moving before we lose the trail."
Both deputies exchanged looks and quickly gathered their saddles and blankets. "Why don't you point out something we don't know, sometime?" Howard Bell scoffed as he saddled his horse.
"I never see you sayin' anything that's useful," Appleby countered.
"Cause I like to keep my mouth shut and like the old man do the thinking. I don't get paid enough to think," Bell said in a slightly flustered manner.
"I just say what I think is important and what could be helpful, that's all," Appleby said frowning as he set to saddling his own horse.
"If you two would stop your sparing for the time being," Parker hinted as he finished synching the saddle on his horse.
Appleby shot a glare at Bell as he climbed up onto his horse. Howard Bell only chuckled and the mounted his horse and turned it into the thick brush, "Let's find this bastard," he said as the ducked under some tree limbs.
Sheriff Parker ticked his head. He wondered what motivated Howard Bell sometimes. None-the-less, he was right, they had to get to the wounded bank robber and hopefully find out where his friends were.
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Matt and Festus had just reached Spearville as dusk was on the horizon. Festus' observation was equal to Charlie Appleby's - a storm was brewing, "Matthew, we'd better get our tail a wagging if we're gonna rack these yahoos," he said as he looked up to the dark clouds as they gathered.
"I've been watching the sky too, Festus," Matt stated as he pulled Buck to a stop in front of the sheriff's office. Festus twisted his jaw in thought and followed his boss. Both law men stepped down from their mounts, "Whar is everyone, Matthew?"
Matt looked around and shrugged, "I suspect most are just starting to get up," Matt said as he looped his reins around the hitching post. Festus looked around, "I suppose yer right," he muttered as he too looped Ruth's reins around the post.
Matt stretched his back, "Let's see what the sheriff has to say," he nudged his deputy on the arm and walked toward the office. Matt pushed open the door and an older man looked up from the desk, "Yes? Can I help you?"
Matt pursed his lips in thought before he spoke, "Where's sheriff Parker?"
The older man stood and arched his back while yawning, "He went after the bank robbers and asked me to look after things here, until he got back. Who might you be?" the older man placed hic hands on his hips.
"I'm Matt Dillon, from Dodge," Matt's voice was cold.
"Oh. The marshal from over that way," the man said.
"Yeah, the marshal from over that way. The only marshal, in fact for the district," Matt said curtly.
"Humph," the man said, "Dodge folks aren't too friendly, I see," the old man muttered.
"Not when we've been up all night ta get here," Festus injected. The old man looked at the two law men, "I suppose I should apologize," he said as he pursed his lips.
"Are there any other deputies in town?" Matt inquired.
"Nope. But we did nab one of the bank robbers," the older man smiled.
"Yes, I understand one was killed," Matt stated.
"Sure was. You can find him down at the undertakers; just down the street," the older offered as he pointed in the direction of the furniture and undertaker business.
Matt nodded, "Thanks for your help," he said as he stepped to the door. Festus was slower to follow as he pulled himself away from the older man's eyes. "Festus?" Matt called for the hill man to join him. Slowly the Dodge City deputy turned on his heels and joined his boss. Matt said nothing at first. And Festus was obviously thinking something.
Matt got part way done the street and pulled the hill man aside, "What?" he asked as he she shot a glance back to the sheriff's office.
Festus looked back up the street and then his hazel eyes came back to Matt's, "There's something about that feller, Matthew. He's about as sincere as a rented pallbearer at a funeral," he stated. Matt smiled knowing well that, if anything other than a good tracker, Festus had a keen judgement of people. "I picked up on something too," Matt smiled and then ticked his head in the direction of the undertaker's building.
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Sheriff Parker has his two men combing through the thick brush and following the blood trail. Both deputies and the sheriff were aware of the approaching storm and tried to track their man faster.
It was Charlie Appleby that spotted the shoed horse track that led through the canyon, "Hey! Look!" he pointed down at the track. Parker and Bell looked down at it. "I bet he's taken cover in that widow Sawyer's place. She seems to be the kind to harbour an outlaw," Bell huffed.
Sheriff Parker looked at Bell, "Do you know something I don't?"
Bell shrugged, "No. She was a show girl on a river boat, and frm what I gather, she is the kind to like these outlaw types, that's all," Howard Bell tried to dig himself out of the hole he was quickly digging for himself.
"Look," Parker leaned over his saddle-horn, "I've known Evelyn Sawyer for a long time. I fought with her husband in the war. There is no way she'd allow someone like Roy Crawford even near her place, unless he forced his way in," Parker straightened himself in his saddle. "Let get this bastard, all right?"