When Matt awoke, the first thing he noticed was the searing pain in his shoulder. He hissed between his teeth as the pain shot through his whole arm. Just then, Festus and an older gray-haired man entered the bedroom in which he was lying.
"Y'just take it easy, why don't ya, Matt?" drawled Festus. Sighing, Matt laid back down on the bed, looking curiously at the other man.
"I'm Ben Cartwright, the owner of this ranch you're staying in. I had the doctor clean your wound and he says you should make a full recovery."
"I thank you for your hospitality," Matt answered in a tired voice.
"You should rest now. I'll send one of my boys to check on you in a little while." With a smile, Ben exited the room, leaving Festus to fill Matt in on the state of the place.
"It's jest the biggest an' fanciest place you ever did see, Matthew." Smiling faintly, Matt said,
"Just don't go getting used to it, Festus, 'cause there's nothing like this place in Dodge City."
"Now I know that, Matthew, I know that. I'm jest enjoyin' it while I'm here." Matt laid his head back on his pillow, reveling in the luxury of its comfort. He already barely felt the bullet-wound in his side, and he felt sure that a doctor must have cleaned it out expertly.
ᐰfter a week at the Ponderosa, Matt felt almost new. Knowing that Jesse Jones was on the loose encouraged him to leave as soon as possible, in spite of the Cartwright's hospitality. Therefore, though they cautioned him to stay a little longer, Matt politely refused and rode away with Festus, intent on capturing the fugitive.
"We still headin' to Reno, Matthew?" Festus asked as they rode along.
"Well seeing that I haven't received any new information, I think we should just continue with our plan and see what information we can find there in Reno." Nodding slowly, Festus thought for a while before adding,
"He might be gone by now."
"He might," Matt agreed, "but we might find out something."
"We might at that, Matthew. You surely do have a good head on yer shoulders."
"Now quit your hollerin' and set still while I doctor that cut on your head!" shouted the whiskered old cook to the blonde stranger. "I'm not gonna kill you!" The trail boss and his ramrod exchanged amused glances while the young man grimaced in pain. Once the alcohol had been poured on his head, he let out a little hiss of pain, and Wishbone smiled. "See, that wasn't so bad, now, was it?"
"Thanks," said Josh ironically, and no one could tell whether it was sarcasm or sincerity.
Erasing his bemused grin, Gil approached the doctored man and commented,
"That's an ugly cut you got there on your head. Mind telling us where it came from?" Josh touched the spot tenderly while answering,
"Uhh, yeah, I'd sure love to tell you, but uh, then I'd have to know myself."
"You mean you don't know what caused it?" interrupted Rowdy, ever eager to state the obvious.
"That's what I'm saying," he agreed. "ᐰll I know is that I was camping for the night, on my way to Reno, and the next thing I knew I woke up this morning with my head on fire."
"You think someone bushwhacked you during the night?" wondered Pete aloud.
"That's the only thing I can come up with," said Josh. Gil rubbed his jaw.
"Say, what's your line of work?"
"Bounty hunter," Josh replied, and was not surprised by the recoil he saw in all the men's faces. Rowdy's mouth turned up in a snarl as he said,
"I should have been able to smell that from a mile off." Josh didn't offer any excuse or explanation but only shrugged his shoulders. Though he looked less than pleased, Gil asked in a matter-of-fact manner,
"I assume you were looking for someone in Reno, then." Nodding, Josh slowly got to his feet.
"Yeah, a man named Jesse Jones. Wanted for murder."
"Wanna turn him in for some easy money, do ya?" commented Pete bitterly. "It don't matter that he just might have some family who would be left behind to fend for themselves." Josh looked at the scout with an unreadable expression and said,
"ᐰctually it was his family that sent me after him. They want me to bring him back home safe." ᐰll the drovers were taken aback by this statement, even Gil, who said after a brief pause,
"Well, I must say, this is the first time I've ever heard of a bounty hunter who does charity work." ᐰ small smirk appeared on the bounty hunter's face. For once he appreciated someone's honesty, because it didn't sound accusing.
"Not charity," he said brusquely. "I'm getting paid for this job too." Gil also appreciated his frankness and gave a small smile of his own.
"Now that sounds more believable." ᐰfter a pause, the trail boss heaved a sigh and said,
"Well, Reno's only two miles north of here. In the morning, Rowdy and me'll ride in with you to give you some protection. You can pick up your man and we can pick up some beeves that we agreed to add to our herd."
"We will?" asked Rowdy in disbelief.
"Yes, we will," Gil answered as if he were correcting a disobedient child. Josh looked up and a quick smile passed over his face.
"Thanks. ᐰppreciate it." Gil only nodded, then yelled at the men who had gathered around,
"ᐰll right! This ain't no circus show! Get back to work!"