If there was any luck, it would be, that the way Matt rolled off the tree and onto his left side, helped to slow the bleeding down immensely. Slowly his eyes opened and looked around from where he lay, the only difference now was it was daylight. He licked his parched lips and took a deep breath before he tried to sit up again – pain shot through his shoulder as he moved, causing him to grimace. He held his shoulder with his right hand, and the little bit of support helped.

Matt's head was swimming from hunger and loss of blood, but he knew he just couldn't sit and wait for someone to come along. He had to get himself back to the main road, rather than the short cut he thought he was on last night.

The marshal pushed himself using the tree as support, and a good thing he did as the more he stood the more his head swirled and so did his stomach. Matt held the tree with his right hand to steady himself as he got his bearings. He had to think about where he was – the journey in the dark was only at best a calculated guess.

After a few minutes, Matt gently pushed himself off the tree, staggering slightly was he made his way east long the path. He began to recognize the landscape and he estimated that he was roughly twenty miles from Dodge and in his current condition; he knew it was going to be a long, hard haul with each step causing great pain.

The sun lifted a little higher in the clear blue sky, causing another problem for the marshal, he was hot and thirsty. After about a half an hour, Matt stopped and scanned the horizon in hopes of locating a stream, or even a trickle of water. He strained his hearing trying to pick up the sound of water, but all he heard was the gently breeze rustling the leaves in the trees.

Matt ran his right forearm across his brow before he continued walking along the path, which finally led to the road. He knew now that it was a long way off before there was a pond. He licked his lips, trying to moisten them and he was thankful he still had his hat.

Another twenty minutes passed, and Matt knew he had to rest again. He found a small grove, which suited his need. As he moved closer to it, he noticed that one of the trees was a wild apple with a few still hanging on the branch – it was a source of liquid. Matt grabbed one of the apples and gave it a quick examination before he bit into the fruit. He made a face as the sourness caused him to shutter, but he was determined to finish it.

Carefully, Matt sat down at the base of the tree where he decided that he would stay for a little longer.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Newly had half a dozen men ready to go, "Take a buckboard with you," Doc said. "We don't know what condition Matt's in," he added. Kitty had her hands wrapped around Doc's upper left arm – her face etched with the thoughts of everyone in the group. Doc patted he hands and the gently took them, "Come with me, Kitty," he said leading the redhead back to the saloon.

Ed O'Connor dashed down the street to the livery stable to get a buckboard.

"Now remember," Festus said wagging his finger at the men, "don't go racing all over the place or you will mess up the tracks. Newly will be your lead," he said. "Now go and find Matthew!" he shooed the men away.

"We'll be back as soon as we can," Newly said as he mounted his horse and spurred the animal and the group rode up the street with the wagon following closely behind.

Festus was frustrated, he knew Newly was a decent tracker, but he wanted to be the one looking for Matt instead of being in town waiting for something that might or might not happen. The deputy shook his head and mumbled things under his breath, until he spotted the man from earlier with another man; an uneasy feeling swept over the hill man. Festus glared at the two men for a few seconds before walking to the Long Branch to see Doc and Kitty.

Wilbur Jonas noticed the look on Festus' face as he walked toward the general store, "Festus, there's tow of them now," he tried to motion to the deputy without the men seeing him.

"I know," Festus stated. "I saw the yahoos."

"Why don't you go over and ask them why they are here?" the store owner suggested.

Festus shook his head, "That could make more of a mess of thangs," he said with his twang thick.

"We just can't sit back and let them away with murder," Jonas grumbled.

"The thing is, we don't know what they are here for," Festus stated. "And it ain't right to go pokin' a stick in a hornet's nest if nothing is happening!" he said curtly. "It's best if we organized ourselves in case they start something and that's why Doc wants to hold a meeting of the town security committee," he added.

"When's that going to happen?" Jonas asked, sounding anxious to attend.

"As soon as he can get Miss Kitty calmed down," the hill man said as he left the store owner standing in front of his store.

Festus pushed through the swing doors of the saloon and saw the doctor walking down the stairs. The deputy wove his way over to Doc, "How is she?" he asked.

Doc ticked his head and brushed his right hand across his moustache, "I don't know how she does it," he said looking up at the closed door. "She's remarkably strong," he then looked over to the hill man. "You look like you're ready to burst, yourself," he noted.

Festus quickly thumbed over his shoulder, "Two of them yahoos are across the street. The one from earlier and he's got a friend with him now," he stated.

Doc shook his head, "They must be up to something," he sighed.

"Jonas wanted me to go over and ask them," Festus snorted.

Doc's eyebrows lifted, "I hope you didn't!"

Festus shook his head no, "I'm not going to do anything to them until they show their hand," he added. "It's best we have that meeting soon, though."

Doc agreed, "Contact the committee and have them meet at the jail house."

"The jail house? We've always held the meetings in the church," Festus questioned.

"I can't imagine that the "yahoos" as you call them, would be interesting in barging into the jail," the doctor stated.

Festus agreed with the doctor's logic, "I'll have the committee together in about twenty minutes," he said before he darted out of the saloon.

Doc looked over to Sam Noonan, "I hope you can join us," he said.

"I will Doc. I'll close the Long Branch for an hour or so," Sam stated. Doc nodded and headed to the door. "I sure hope this is all for nothing," he said before he left.