A Flicker of Light In The Darkness

Skunk Round-Up

Chapter 24

"You go sit down, Miss Kitty, I'll bring the coffee over to the table." Sam shooed her away from the bar. Month number seven brought with it an enormous belly. Although, Sam loved seeing his boss and friend every day, he could see how carrying that precious burden completely wore her out.

Matt had tried to convince her that it was time to give it up altogether, but she fought him every time he approached the subject. Fought was probably the wrong term. She would stare up at him wistfully, with tears shimmering in those sapphire blue eyes and he would give in. Victory, without a word or a blow. She would spend a few hours doing the books and then lie down for a while. They had moved a bed down into the office, since she had a hard time now climbing those stairs. Truth be known, Matt felt more comfortable with her close by during the day.

The Marshal had calmed down and settled back into the Matt Dillon everyone knew and loved. He still worried, but it was within reason. He pampered, but no longer hovered. Kitty had to concede that she did need more attention than she had before.

Matt held the chair and pushed it forward as she eased into it. Sam set down the pot and three cups.

Doc waited for Kitty to pour, then retrieved one of them. "So what have you decided about the cattle?"

Matt took a sip of his coffee, as always appreciative of Sam's skill in making it. "I don't know if I'm ready to be a cattle rancher. Or if I'm qualified."

"You're qualified at anything you choose to do," Kitty smiled with pride as she gazed at her Cowboy. "He may not have decided on the cattle, but we are going to get some horses."

Doc pursed his lips and tugged at his ear. "Quarter horses?"

"Yeah, and I thought about checking out those wild horses in the Flint Hills. Festus and I thought maybe we would go up there and see what we can do." Matt exchanged a loving look with Kitty, "after the baby comes, of course."

"Festus, huh. Sounds like we're going to be losing our Marshal and deputy."

Matt reached across the table, took Kitty's hand in his and brought it to his lips. "I was going to finish my twenty years; but now, I'm not so sure. We'll see how this ranch business works out. Besides," he flashed that giant grin that made her weak in the knees, "my wife has a weakness for cowboys."

The bat doors, crashed open, with Festus and Newly fighting for first place into the saloon. "This don't seem like the best place to hide, if you ask me." Newly was breathless from running.

"Dagnabit, Newly, I got to have a beer to think. We shore did step in it this chere time."

"Boys? Can I get you two something?" Kitty eyed the duo, her curiosity definitely piqued, "Sam could you get them a beer?" They hurriedly snatched up the beers, thanked Sam and headed for the table.

"Now who is it you're both hiding from?"

"It was just a joke," Newly winced, "at least it was supposed to be." He watched his partner in crime down the full glass without taking a breath. "See, we went hunting this morning..."

"You didn't shoot anybody, did you?" Doc was only half joking.

"Naw, nuthin like that. We seed this chere rabbit headed into a brush and well—Sam, can I hav nuther one of those beers?" Kitty silently nodded to Sam to make it a free one. "Golly bil, it seemed so dadgummed funny at the time…"

Matt pushed his hat back on his forehead and folded his arms across his chest. "I'm thinking Calleigh is mixed up in this somehow. Is she after you two for some reason?"

Newly shook his head like a condemned man. "We had been hunting all morning and… well Calleigh was the only one that had bagged anything. I guess we were... well our pride was, you know, wounded. Anyway, Festus and I saw this...well, we saw this momma skunk and a passel of kits." There was a collective sigh around the table, as they all knew how this story was going to end.

"Well, foot! Newly 'n' me, we thunk fer shore she woulda seen what was in that cave afore goin in. We told her that rabbit had ducked in there, but... we shore didn't plan on her a divin in there after it! She scart the beegeesus out of the little critter and its young'uns and-" Festus hunched his shoulders, his face one of bewilderment, "well they all started sprayin and..." he lifted his glass and downed half of it.

"Then Festus pushed her in the creek." Newly cast an accusing glance at his cohort.

"I was jes tryin' to help get that there smell offen her!" Festus shouted in defense.

"Where is she?" Kitty was the only one brave enough to ask.

"Well, that's another thing. Festus and I, we got on our horses and rode back—and we took Belle with us," he scowled at the thought of what he had done.

Matt unfolded his arms and sat upright in his seat. "You two took her horse and left her out there?"

"Now Matthew, you gotta know, she was soooo mad. And armed. We was a thinkin' a walk might jes cool her down. It was only about a mile."

Doc blew out a mighty breath and ran his hand over his mustache. "You two are dead," he settled back in his chair as if the whole thing was over and done and looked at Matt and Kitty with a hopeless expression. "We're sitting here with two dead men!"

Festus slammed his glass down on the table. His eyes grew wide and he turned to Newly. "Do you smell what I smell?" Newly jumped to his feet, sending the chair sprawling across the room. Festus shouted one word that Newly agreed with one hundred percent.

"RUN!"

Both men headed for the back door.

While all the heads were turned toward the back door, a rank smell pulled their attention back to the front door. Calleigh slammed through the batwings, looking very much like something the preverbal cat drug in. All three at the table and even Sam back behind the bar, pulled back from the smell.

Calleigh's clothes were sopping wet; her long red curls hung limp and dripping. Mud had collected in various spots and the smell… That was the cherry on top. She stood with her feet spread slightly apart in a defiant stance. Her hands played nervously on her guns. Her voice so deep it was unrecognizable; her eyes narrowed and her jaw set firm. "Where are they!?"

Matt spoke from behind the hand that was covering his mouth and nose. "Now, you need to calm down. And ...back out of the room." The last part was to try and give the three of them some much-needed oxygen.

"I'm gonna kill both of them, so help me!" Her eyes skipped around the room, looking for the two runaways. "Did they go out the back?"

Matt could tell Kitty was turning a sickly shade of green and knew he had to sacrifice himself for her sake. He took in a breath and held it, as he stepped over to Calleigh. His face was screwed up into a pain-filled grimace as he tried to push her outside without actually touching her.

From inside the Long Branch, they could hear her screaming, rattling off a litany of tortures she had in mind for the pair. They also knew that the reason her voice was the only one heard, was because Matt was still trying to hold his breath. Suddenly, they heard Calleigh screaming something at Matt; and then could tell she was running away.

Matt stepped back through the batwing doors, releasing a long breath. He walked back to the table and laid Calleigh's guns down. "Well, she's unarmed, but other than that they're on their own."

Matt grabbed the beer Sam was offering him, "They had a pretty good head start, but I wouldn't give 'em very good odds."

TBC