The Rescue 10

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The next morning, while the men saddled the horses and gathered water, Kitty used their dwindling supplies to make breakfast for them. She felt better this morning than she had in a month, due to her little talk with Matt, and she thought she just might be able to eat a bite with the men.

Matt watched her for a few minutes, noticing the change in the way she carried herself. She seemed a little lighter this morning and he was grateful for that because if he was right, her happiness could be short lived. Looking over at Festus, he saw him looking back the way they had come several times and knew he wasn't wrong.

"How far behind us, do you think they are?" Matt asked quietly as he threw a blanket on Buck and then his saddle.

Festus wasn't surprised at the question. Matt was better than he was at sensing trouble. "I figger about a day." Festus answered. "It shore wouldn't hurt us none to find us a hole to get into."

Matt nodded as he tightened up the cinch of his saddle. "Been thinking the same thing, my self. There's no place close where we can go to ground, but the quicker we get into that rocky terrain north of here, the harder it'll be for them to follow us. We get in those mountains; I know a place we can go where we're not likely to be found."

"Breakfast is ready." Kitty called from behind them.

"We're coming." Matt called back over his shoulder than looked over at Festus, speaking softly. "Let's not say anything to Kitty, huh? No need to worry her if we don't have to."

"You betcha." Festus agreed.

As Kitty spooned up a plate for each one, she told them how low they were on supplies. "We've got maybe enough coffee for a few more days but we're almost out of flour and beans. We really need to get some more supplies."

Matt and Festus gave each other a worried glance but said nothing, just nodded. "There's a small town half a days ride from here." Matt told her. "We should be able to get everything we need in there."

Kitty nodded. "I'll get you a list together since I won't be able to go in with you."

She said it rather matter of factly, but Matt could tell it bothered her. "I don't see why you can't." He spoke up, seeing a slight surprised smile on her face. "We might have to hide your hair under a hat or something, but I think getting supplies together would go a lot quicker with you picking them out. You know what we'll need and how much and so forth."

"Really?" She asked, hopefully. "I mean, well… what if… what if they… well, if word has already reached…"

"Well, it could've." He acknowledged. "But I doubt it. It can takes months sometimes before little towns on the frontier receive news of any kind. Besides, this place doesn't even have a law man. The US Marshal assigned to this territory is supposed to check on it every once in a while but that's about it."

Kitty looked at him curiously. "Well, how do they keep bandits from robbing them all the time?"

Matt chuckled. "Oh, they have their ways. Every person in that town is armed to the teeth. If anybody so much as twitches suspiciously they shoot first and ask questions later. That's another reason though, why I think we all ought to ride in. It'll be safer if we're together."

"Wael," Festus said as he sat his empty plate down and got to his feet. "We ain't gonna git there if'n we don't head on out."

"That's for sure." Matt said as he too got up. "Let's go."

Later that day, as the trio descended into the small hamlet of Turtle Crick, Matt and Festus made sure to flank Kitty on either side. Wearing her hair in a tight bun and tucked up under her low brimmed hat, Kitty kept her head down and said nothing as they dismounted and made their way into the tiny town's lone general store. Though wearing jeans and a too large shirt, it was still obvious that she was a woman, but at least not obvious which woman.

Once inside the store, Kitty handed a list of needed supplies to the clerk and then looked around at what else he had to offer while he filled her order. Her eye lit on a pale blue gingham dress hanging on a rack. For several seconds her hand rested on the garment before she gave herself a slight shake of the head and moved on, picking up a few other items that were needed.

Though she said nothing and didn't even pick it up and try it against her, Matt could tell she was interested in it. Since they'd been on the run, she wore nothing but jeans and he knew she longed to dress like a woman instead of a ragged cowboy. While she continued to look around and Festus gathered much needed ammunition and a couple of other things he needed, Matt stepped over and picked up the dress, handing it to the clerk as he added up their bill. "You need anything else to go with that?" He asked the surprised red head.

Kitty swallowed hard and nodded, quickly claiming a few undergarments. They had agreed, before going into the town, that none of them would say much, so Kitty held her tongue, but the loving and grateful look she gave Matt, told him, more than anything she could have said.

Later that night, after supper was done, the animals attended to and Festus had taken his bedroll to the small camp he'd made for himself some distance away from Matt and Kitty's, Kitty gave Matt more than just a grateful look for the simple gift he had given her.

TBC