Matt and the rest of the posse stopped by a stream for the night. They had gone as far as they could before it was too dark to track. "No fire tonight, fellas," Matt said as he stepped down from Buck. "I don't want them to know we're here," Matt stated as he pulled on the collar of his coat to bet of the chill of the night. "I don't think we're that far off them," he said with confidence.

"How you do know that?" Burke quipped.

"Have you ever ridden with a wounded leg?" Matt looked at Burke. Burke pursed his lips and turned on his heels. It seemed every thing he had to say was wrong. Burke pulled his saddle off his horse and set it on the ground, heavily. He then sat down in a frump and rummaged through his saddle bags for a piece of beef jerky. Burke chewed on the piece he found and fumed. He hated being on a posse.

Matt walked to the stream and knelt down dipping his hands into the water which seemed warmer than the night air. His eyes scanned the darkness for any sigh of light cause by fire. He couldn't see anything. Had he swirled his hands in the water he wondered how Doc was and whether Newly and Festus had gotten him back to Dodge yet. The mere thought of Doc being injured made Matt's blood boil.

Matt stood, and drew a deep breath then sighed. He began to turn back to the other men when a slight waft of smoke caught his attention. Matt's heart began to race. Quickly the marshal walked back to the posse, "There's a slight smell of smoke in the air. I think it might be Crawford and his men," Matt said in a hushed voice as he squatted down amongst his posse.

"Can we go and find out?" Joshua Halligan asked.

"No, but I'd like to get a look," Matt said.

"I can go," Ed O'Connor said.

"No, I can't have that," Matt didn't want any of the men walking into something they couldn't handle. "I'm going to get as close as I can, and have a look," Matt stated.

"Sure and leave us here like sitting ducks. Suppose they have back tracked knowing we're here?" Burke asked.

"Keep you rifles handy and have one man on watch at all times," Matt said to the clerk and the others as he stood and pulled his rifle from the boor on the saddle. "I'll be back in a while," Matt said as he began to leave.

"We'll be sure to wait up for you," Burke said sarcastically. Matt glared at the shipping clerk who then shrunk away realizing what he was thinking actually came out of his mouth.

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Fetus and Newly were making good time with Doc. Every now and again, Newly asked Festus to stop so that he could check on the doctor's condition, and then they would ride some more.

The scent of the fire at the general store could still be smelled in the air as the two deputies approached Dodge. It was now nearing midnight. Festus pulled Ruth and the travois to a stop in front of the Long Branch Saloon. Quickly both lawmen dismounted and while Newly stayed with Doc, Festus went to the Long Branch in hopes that Kitty Russell was still up.

The front doors were closed and lock, but there was light within the building, "Miss Kitty?" Festus spoke firmly and through the doors. "Miss Kitty, it's me, Festus! Newly and I have Doc here and he's hurt really bad," Festus continued to speak.

Sam was the one that heard the hill man and went into to get Kitty, "Miss Kitty!"

"What is it Sam?" Kitty spoke noting the concerned look on the barkeep's face.

"Festus is at the front doors. He said that he and Newly have Doc, and Doc is in a bad way!" Sam pointed to the other room.

Kitty was out of her chair in a flash and raced to the front of the saloon and unlocked the doors. Festus stood in the door way with anguish washed across his face, "Oh, Miss Kitty, he shook his head and sighed, "Oh, Doc..." he looked over his shoulder.

Kitty gasped, before she cleared her thoughts, "Quickly bring him in," she said to Newly, Festus and Sam. The men were swift to get Doc off the travois and into the saloon.

"I don't think we can rise taking him up the stairs until I get the bullet out," Newly stated. Kitty looked panicked and then pulled two of the square tables together, "Here," she stated and watched the men lower her dearest friend onto the table tops. Kitty cupped Doc's face in her hands, "oh, Doc," she said as she looked down at his bloodied shirt.

Kitty stepped back, "Why?" she looked Festus in the eye.

Festus looked down at Doc, "'cause that Roy Crawford is worse than a mangy wolf with a bad case of the rabbis. She just up and shot ol' Doc fer no reason atall!" Festus stated.

Newly lifted the doctor's shirt and exposed blood-soaked gauze. He ticked his head and looked up to Kitty, I need whatever you can get from Doc's office," he then ran his left forearm across his brow.

"Doc's office was damaged badly in the fire," Sam stated.

Newly straightened his back and looked at Kitty and Sam, "If I don't get supplies, I might not be able to say Doc's life," he said as his own voice quivered.

"We'll get what we can," Festus said and patted Sam on the shoulder indicating for the barkeep to follow him. The two men left the Long Branch as Newly asked Kitty to go out to Ruth and retrieve the doctor's medical bag. Kitty drew a deep breath and nodded. She looked down at the peaceful face of Galen Adams and tears welt up in her blur eyes. Kitty quietly walked across the room and out the door.

Newly leaned on the edge of the table, "Damn," he muttered. He felt that if anything else could go wrong it might.