The next morning Shane went into the Bodkins Bank, the clerk looked up as he entered. "Mr Long, what can I do for you?"
"You're no doubt aware by now that I own a ranch near Abilene?" the clerk nodded. "Well, I noticed that there's some real good land round here, I need more land than I've got at the moment so I'm figuring on selling my land near Abilene bringing my horses down here."
"How much land would you need?"
"Around seven hundred acres," Shane said.
"Well there is this parcel of land fairly near to Dodge," the clerk showed Shane the land on the map, "there isn't any land that's seven hundred acres this is the closest but it's a thousand acres."
"Right I'll go have a look at it; is there a house there?"
"Yes, sir, and two barns," thanked him and left; Doc watched as Shane rode out heading east, he went into the Bodkins Bank.
"Did I just see Shane Long come out of the bank? Doc asked.
"Yes, Doc, he's considering buying Gus Riley's old spread," Doc nodded it had been taken for taxes when no relatives could be found after Gus was murdered by Andy Heller.
"I thought he already had a ranch near Abilene?"
"He's thinking of selling his ranch and moving his horses down here, from what I can gather," Doc smiled Matt's friends were few and it was obvious to Doc that Matt already looked on Shane as one of them, Festus too had formed a liking for Shane as had most of the citizens of Dodge with the possible exception of Hode Embry who wasn't happy unless he was worrying about something.
Shane arrived at the ranch a couple of hours later, he toured each building noting that they needed some attention but that was to be expected, the only thing he would have to do is build a bunkhouse for his hands but until them one of the barns could fill that purpose. This ranch was just what he needed and he already had friends in Dodge; he had no friends in Abilene there he was barely tolerated. He rode back to Dodge. Once back in his room at the Dodge House Shane wrote three letters; one to hiss foreman telling him to bring the horses and the ranch hands with instructions as to how to get to the new ranch, one to the land agent in Abilene putting his ranch there up for sale which he was sure would please him, and one to the bank in Abilene asking that they transfer all his money to Bodkins Bank in Dodge. That done he went to the Express Office and asked Burke to send the letters by the next stage. Next Shane went back to the Bodkins Bank. "Mr Bodkins can I have a word?"
"Certainly, Mr Long, come into my office," Mr Bodkins closed the door behind them. "I take it you've decided to buy the Riley spread?" Shane nodded.
"I've sent letters to the land agent in Abilene and to my bank asking that they would transfer all my money here and one to my foreman asking him to bring my horses and ranch hands to the spread. I believe the sum of two thousand dollars was mentioned?" Shane pulled an envelope out and removed two thousand dollars handing that over to Mr Bodkins.
"How much money are we talking about that your bank will transfer?"
"Well as you can imagine bounty hunting can be quite lucrative," Bodkins nodded. "So the amount is around sixty thousand dollars," Shane left a shocked banker. Days later the ranch hands arrived with his horses each horse had the S Bar L brand burned into them. Shane rode into Dodge and went to see Matt and Doc the door to the backroom was firmly shut.
"Doc, how's Matt?"
"He's doing well, Kitty's with him at the moment, she brought him his clothes. I hear you've bought the old Riley spread?"
"Yes, Mr Bodkins, told me that it belonged to man called Gus Riley."
"Gus was an old man and one of Matt's friends until he was robbed and murdered," Doc served up some coffee.
"Ugh! What do you make that with Lye water?" Shane asked, Doc smiled remembering a young man called Pitt Campbell. Shane gave Doc a quizzical stare.
"I was remembering a young man who once said the same thing to me," Doc told Shane about Pitt. "He'd have made a fine doctor he really had the feel for medicine; this country needs good doctors and good lawmen," Shane knew that Doc was thinking of Matt when he added that last bit. It had taken a couple of weeks for Shane to get everything organised so he wasn't surprised to see Matt come out of the backroom with Kitty.
"Doc, said you'd been busy," Matt said.
"Yes, I've sold my ranch in Abilene, I bought a ranch near here," Shane wasn't sure how to tell Matt whose land he'd bought.
"Shane bought Gus Riley's old place," Doc said relieving Shane of the necessity, Matt smiled glad that it no longer stood idle; Matt recalled being shot while tracking Gus's killer and waking to see Kate Heller tending him only for it to turn out that it was her grandson Andy who had killed Gus and shot him. He remembered a feeling of sorrow when he heard of her death a few years later.
"Doc, let's go have a drink," Matt said, "news like this needs celebrating besides anything's better than the swill you call coffee."
"Why you overgrown public servant, the next time you get shot as badly as this time; you make the coffee," Kitty saw Shane smile. Shane watched them closely he could see right through the banter, he knew that Doc felt of Matt as his son and that Matt in turn thought of Doc as his father. He also knew that Doc felt the same parental affection for Kitty. They left Doc's office and went to the Long Branch which erupted with cheers when the patrons saw Matt walk through the doors; the love the citizens had for their marshal was oh so evident that day.