Skipping ahead a bit to the summer of 1878. This chapter recounts an important event in Doc's and Wyatt's history, even though there are only personal accounts of it, and no official records.
Doc received directions to a Deacon Cox's boarding house and ambled toward it with Kate on his arm. "I've decided to book us in as Doctor and Missus," he told her. "I hope that's all right with you."
"You want us to be respectable."
"At least I want them to think we are," he said with a rueful smile. "No one will want to unlatch their jaws to the hands of a dentist they know to be living in sin."
Kate tossed her head. "We're more husband and wife to each other than a lot of folks who had preacher weddings."
"That's the truth."
Doc had witnessed many a case of infidelity during and since his time in Texas, and although he still did not believe it was fair to saddle Kate with a binding, legal marriage, he was determined to uphold the tenets and duties of the institution. Although Kate had warned him that she would most certainly maintain her independence, she had betrayed him with nothing more than a few flirtatious glances in their time together. He had not found the slightest temptation to stray; Kate was more than he had expected to be blessed with in his remaining time on this earth, and he was grateful that his warnings to her about his condition had not frightened her away. She had not vowed to be at his side until the very end, too wise to promise more than she had yet been tested, but for now they were happy.
Soon after settling at the boarding house, Doc took out an advertisement in the Dodge City Times to invite the citizens of Dodge to enlist his dentistry services during the summer, when his cough was least troubling. Still, he added a statement that dissatisfied customers would have their money returned, not wanting to invite any trouble.
He especially hoped not to run afoul of City Marshal Charlie Bassett, or his new assistant, Wyatt Earp, whom Doc had met back in Texas less than a year before. Their acquaintance was young, but Doc had made up his mind that Earp was a good sort. Anyone who would chase a desperado 400 miles out of his own jurisdiction must have a serious sense of right and wrong and would make a terrible enemy besides. Staying on the right side of the man (if not the law) was clearly the way forward.
Dodge could get a bit rough at night, and even though Kate was a capable woman, in those early days of their assumed marriage, Doc was determined to fill the role of her protector as long as he had the strength to do so. Accordingly, one evening he sent her home around nightfall, himself staying to see if he could wring a few more cents out of the patrons gathered at the back of the Long Branch Saloon, where he was dealing a modestly successful Faro game. He had taken to the game for many reasons, not least of which because it generally worked out better for the banker than the punters, even without employing any tricks. The profit margin was slim, but still satisfying.
Although he hadn't run into personal trouble in Dodge as of yet, Doc was armed with both knife and gun as precautions. Liquor and games of chance had a way of driving up tempers, as he knew only too well. He had turned about half the cards in the deck when an unholy commotion began outside, and moments later it spilled through the doors of the saloon.
"Gentleman... under the circumstances," Doc spoke between outcries and gunshots coming from the front of the saloon, "I think we had best... leave off our game for the time-being."
One of the men had already ducked for cover, and another was peeking out of their alcove, trying to figure out what was going on.
Doc packed up his modest winnings and joined that man in looking around the corner. The saloon was a shambles. broken glasses, poker chips and overturned chairs littered the floor. A handful of men, some with weapons drawn, stood at the center of the commotion, laughing uproariously.
The next moment, the assistant marshal burst through the front doors and exclaimed, "What is all this?"
No less than five guns were immediately trained on the young lawman. Earp was in well over his head.
Heart pounding, Doc drew his own revolver and slipped out from the alcove. He didn't have time to think things through. He knew only that if the wind didn't shift fast, this young man that was clearly there to help was going to be blown away. The odds of every one of those ruffians backing down to someone whose gun had no chance of clearing the holster were zero to five.
Doc stepped right up beside the man he thought was the leader or one of them, and cocked his pistol with the muzzle nearly touching the man's head. "Let's all simmer down, shall we?" he said, struggling to keep both his voice and the revolver steady.
The man turned his head just enough to take in the situation and give Doc a murderous look.
"You heard him," Earp said. "Put those guns away."
"One tinhorn gambler with a revolver and a lapse in judgment isn't going to stop us," another of the men said boldly, though his threatened companion didn't look as sure.
With a smooth motion, Doc retrieved the knife from its sheath in his boot. "How about a tinhorn gambler with a revolver, a lapse in judgment, and a knife?" he drawled. "Your friend here gets the bullet, and you get this in the throat. Inside twenty paces, I can throw faster than you can take aim." This was true only about half the time, but a good gambler knows when to inflate his bluff.
The second troublemaker stared at him and Doc stared right back. He had conquered the tell Kate had revealed to him.
"I reckon I can take one or two of you down before you waste me too," Earp said boldly. "Is it worth it to you? Morrison?"
Evidently, Earp knew the man whom Doc had at point-blank range. This notion was confirmed when Morrison replaced the hammer of his gun and muttered, "I shouldda killed you in Wichita."
The excitement died away. The troublemaking cowboys holstered their weapons and marched out of the saloon like schoolboys caught playing hooky.
As the bartender and some helpful citizens began cleaning up the mess, Doc returned to his alcove. A few minutes later, Wyatt Earp intruded on the resumed Faro game.
The players moved aside for the lawman, who held out his hand to Doc. "Thanks, Doc. Things could have gone south real fast if you hadn't stepped in."
Doc eyed Earp askance. "A turn of phrase not well suited for addressing a southern man," he pointed out.
Earp absorbed that and let his hand fall. "Anyway... I appreciate your help."
"Always glad to assist in matters of the law," Doc said dryly. "As you may recall."
"Yes. The information you gave me in Fort Griffin was helpful."
Doc nodded. "Is that all?"
Earp looked around at the other men and then pushed his hat back. "I wouldn't mind joining your game, if that's all right." It sounded more like a question.
"This is Faro, Mister Earp. Anyone may join or leave at any time."
"Right..." Earp studied the case for a few moments.
Often, Kate served as Doc's coffin keeper, but at present he was keeping up with the case himself, after each deal. As Earp was looking over the case, Doc suddenly realized that the interruption had distracted him sufficiently that he only just now saw the error of one of the players.
Even as Earp turned around to take the chip from its place, Doc snatched it up himself, saying, "Dead bet."
Earp froze in place for a moment and then smiled and shook his head. "Well spotted, Doc."
The player who lost his money groaned.
"Should have seen it earlier," Doc muttered. "Are you going to place a bet now, Mister Earp?"
Earp produced a penny and laid it on the five card.
Doc found himself wanting to manipulate the game, but in which direction, he wasn't sure. Part of him wanted Earp to win his bet, to walk away pleased. Part of him wanted to take the man's money, especially since Earp was presently beholden to him and unlikely to raise a fuss. But he resisted the temptation to manipulate the cards in any way, instead turning them over slowly and deliberately. It was best not to try cheating in front of a lawman, anyway, especially considering that Doc was only just becoming skilled at it.
Ten, Two.
No one had a bet on either denomination, and Doc reached over to update the case. "Any new bets, folks?"
The night wore on, and in spite of sometimes resting, sometimes changing his bet, and sometimes removing it to step away for a minute, Earp's bets neither won nor lost him any money at all. When the game was down to three cards, he was still playing with the same penny.
Doc shook his head and gave Earp an appreciative smile. "That's a daisy of a penny you have there, Mister Earp. For better or worse, it's done you no wrong tonight. Care to wager it on the last three?"
"Odds are what... one in six?" Earp asked.
"That's right. It pays four times your wager if you get it." He lifted his eyes to Earp's again. "And you're a daisy if you do it."
Earp stared back, unblinking, for a few seconds. Then he said, "I think I'll hang onto this penny. It might just be lucky for me."
"But not lucky enough to be the one in six?"
"That's the idea."
Doc's respect for Earp went up markedly in that moment. A lot of men didn't know when to quit. Hearing that they could quadruple their wager had led many a fool to bet more heavily on the last round than they had on the whole rest of the game. Earp hadn't won or lost a cent so far in spite of taking risks throughout the game. Now, when the odds really weren't all that bad, but clearly laid out, he was leaving on his own terms. It was high-class.
"Well, thank you for playing, Mister Earp. I do hope you'll play again." Doc wrenched his gaze away from Earp's steely blue eyes and addressed the other players. "Any takers?"
The men placed their bets as Earp tipped his hat and stepped away from the table.
There you go. Doc and Wyatt now have a mutual respect. Time to deviate from both history and the movie and get them into some fun... some trouble... they're the same thing, right? Eh, we'll see. I might take a while to add more. Please let me know if you're enjoying the read so far.
