Doc agreed to host the meeting that Matt wanted in his office, ensuring that Festus would also be included. The more information Matt could gather on the six gun men, the better the chances he had at locating them.
Jonas and Sam sat quietly on the day bed, while Newly leaned against the interior door jamb. Festus sat on the examination table – that's as far as Doc would let him go.
Matt paced the office as each man explained what happened from their point of view. Matt's anger welled up inside of him as Newly and Doc recounted how Kitty was snatched off the street. Festus added how he tried to stop the bank robbers and wasn't sure if he had hit one of the riders with a bullet or not - Matt hoped that he did.
Jonas was felt ill as he told Matt how he found Kitty curled up in the old saloon, and what he did to help her. The marshal now understood what Doc meant by how shook up the store owner was – he tried to place himself in Jonas' position having just discovered a friend and the condition she was in – it must have been gut retching. Kitty looks bad enough, so he could only try and imagine the awful sight.
Matt's head bobbed as he took in the information and descriptions, "What about this Jared Baker?" he then asked.
"Who's he?" Festus grunted.
"Kitty cited him as the possible leader. She said that he was the first..." Matt couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.
"If he's the one I'm thinking of," Doc said with a tick of his head, "he looks like a mean customer. The kind with no regards to any law."
"I know the one you mean, Doc," Newly added.
"Can either of you draw him?" Matt questioned.
Doc shrugged, "I suppose I could try. I got a pretty good look at him at the Long Branch, the night they rode in," he said.
"Good Doc, you do that," Matt said. "I'm heading over to the telegraph office to see if anyone knows about this Jared Baker and his gang," he said as he reached for the door knob.
Jonas cleared his throat, "When are we going after them?" he asked Matt.
The marshal was slightly caught be surprise that the store owner asked such a question. "I'll form a posse within the hour," he stated. Jonas nodded. "I'd like to go," the store owner added.
Matt shook his head, "I'm sorry Jonas. I know you don't ride and this will be a fast rough ride, too much for a buckboard, and if these men are like what you describe, I can't let you go – it'll be too dangerous," he said noting the look of disappointment on Jonas' face, "Furthermore, I'd feel better if you stayed here and help Doc and such," he concluded.
Jonas sighed, "Fine," he said under his breath, knowing that Matt was right about his riding ability.
Matt and Doc exchanged glances before the marshal left for the telegraph office, up the street.
Kitty watched from her window. She could see Matt leaving the doctor's office and clutched her hands together, "Please, Matt be safe and bring them in. Please," she said to herself. Her eyes narrowed as she moved away from the window and back to her bad, "Bring them here, Matt," he said as she crawled up onto the mattress and pulled the sheets over her aching body. Slowly her eyes closed and she was into a deep sleep.
Doc looked down at the piece of paper on his desk, he tilted his head and the sat the pencil down, "What do you think?" he asked holding the page up for the others to see.
Festus squinted at the drawing and thought, while Newly and Jonas walked closer, "That's him alright," Newly stated. Jonas nodded in agreement. Festus took his time, "I think his eyes were more beady," the stated.
Doc stood up from his desk, "Look, I'm not portrait artist! Does this look like that Jared Baker fellow or not?" he gruffly asked.
"Wall sure it does, Doc. I'm just sayin' his eyes were more beady-like," the hill man added.
Doc rolled his eyes, "Get this to Matt, Newly," he said handing the page to the young deputy who darted out of the doctor's office and down the stairs. Doc drew his right hand across his moustache, "This is a nightmare, isn't it?" he asked no one in particular, hoping the whole this would go away.
Matt waited at the telegraph office hoping to hear anything about Jared Baker. He saw Newly dashing up the street, through the horses, wagons and people. "What is it Newly?" he asked.
"Doc sent this over to you," Newly said thrusting the paper into Matt's hand.
Matt studied the drawing, "I think I've seen this man before," he said slowly looking up at the young deputy.
"Where?" Newly asked.
"At the trial I was coming home from. There was a poster in the sheriff's office, but this wasn't the name on it," Matt tried to put the pieces together in his head as he swatted the paper with a right backhand – his jaw twisted in thought.
"It almost seems they've been planning this for a while," Newly surmised.
"It certainly does," Matt huffed.
"Marshal?" telegraph clerk, Barney Danches called for Matt.
"What is it Barney," Matt turned to the clerk.
"This just came in," Danches said and handed Matt a slip of paper.
Matt looked down at the telegram, "Seems like no-one knows of a Jared Baker. I wonder if Kitty got his name wrong," he paused.
"I doubt that," Newly said. "I'm sure she'd remember a name like that for what happened to her," he sighed.
Matt couldn't help but agree. "Gather Sam and join me at the stable. Be prepared to be on the road for a few days," Matt said as he turned back to the telegraph office. Newly stood watching the marshal and could only think, "Us three against them?" Newly frowned at the odds.
Matt leaned over the counter, "Barney, how can I get this drawing out?" he asked.
Danches shrugged, "All I can do is send a detailed description to where you want it to go. The rest would have to go to a printer," he stated.
"That's what I thought, Matt grunted. "Okay, write down your description of this man and read it to me," he asked.
Barney shrugged, "Sure," he said sitting down looking at Doc's drawing and after a few minutes, he handed Matt his notes. Matt read them and nodded, "Send this out to every sheriff west of old Dodge Town. Tell them I'm looking for that man and to hold him if found, and anyone associated with him," he said.
"I will, marshal. If this is the leader of that gang, I hope you catch them," Danches added as he began to type on his key to the first biggest town – Garden City.
