This story is intended
for mature audiences due to language, violence, and the vivid depiction of a
consensual adult relationship.
It was nearly twilight, and the rhythmic buzzing song of
the cicadas had reached nearly deafening proportions by the time Festus located
the marshal down by the river, in an isolated spot he knew Matthew sometimes
went to think. Only Festus knew where to
look for him on these rare occasions, just in case there was an emergency
requiring the marshal’s immediate attention.
Festus spied him slouching under a gnarled cottonwood tree, chewing on a
thumbnail while staring vacantly into the water. Wordlessly sitting beside his friend, Festus picked a
blade of grass and stuck it between his teeth.
Finally he said, “I been lookin’ all over fer you.” A scolding mockingbird on a nearby tree
branch seemed to join in Festus’s gentle reproach.
Matt answered quietly, “Looks like you found me, Festus.”
“Yep, I shore did.
And it’s a good thing, too.”
Festus squinted knowingly at his friend.
“Yer lookin’ lower than a snake’s belly right about now.”
Matt only grunted in reply.
“Lookee here what Percy Crump done give me.” Festus reached into his vest pocket and
pulled out a tiny pearl-handled pistol, its barrel only a couple of inches
long. “You know where he found it?”
Matt’s eyes widened in surprise as he waited for Festus
to explain.
“He found it in that good-fer-nuthin’ blackhearted
devil’s pocket, that Lester feller. I
reckon he prob’ly stolt it.” Festus
popped the chamber open. “And it’s
loaded, too.”
Matt sighed, “Now, Festus, what difference does that
make? Lester never drew on me. That pistol was still in his pocket, wasn’t
it?”
“I reckon so, but it means somethin’, that ornery cuss
bein’ armed and all. His intentions was
not honorable a’tall, iffin ya’ ask me,” he fumed.
“Oh, I can assure you, Festus, that his intentions were
not honorable, not one whit.” Matt had
to look away from his friend as he spoke.
“You saw Kitty. You saw exactly
what his intentions were…”
“And you had to stop ‘im, Matthew. That’s all there is to it. You didn’t have nary a choice in the matter.”
“I stopped him all right…” Matt ran a hand through his dark hair in
frustration. “And I broke the law when I
did it.”
“Now you listen here ta’ me, Matthew. You went and did what you had ta’ do to
pertect Miss Kitty. Could you live with
yerself iffin’ you hadn’t, and somethin’ bad had happened to her?” Festus’s tone was indignant. “What if that Lester feller had gone and
pulled this here little pearl-handled pistol outta’ his pocket and hurt her?”
Matt threw a rock into the river and absently watched the
ripples moving outward on the glassy surface of the water.
Festus continued, “And there ain’t a jury in Kansas what
would convict you fer doin’ what you did.
So there.” He angrily swatted at
a mosquito and glared at Matt, daring him to disagree.
Matt quietly posed, “Festus, do you honestly think I
could put Kitty on the stand to defend my actions? I could never put her through the
humiliation of telling a courtroom full of people what happened to her last
night.” He resolutely pitched another
rock into the river. “I’d go to jail
first.”
“Well, Matthew, you don’t have to do that now, do
you? Her secret is safe with me.” Festus looked straight into Matt’s eyes,
“It’s all fer the best, now, ain’t it?”
Matt looked up at the sky, where stars were beginning to
appear one by one. He couldn’t argue
with Festus’s reasoning.
“Matthew, I gotta tell you somethin’ else. Doc done sent me to find you and tell you
that Miss Kitty is aimin’ ta’ leave town tomorrow mornin’.”
“Leave town?”
“Yep, fer good…that’s what he done said. He says she’s purty upset that you done broke
the law fer her sake.” Festus squinted
meaningfully at his friend. “Seems like
you two think kindly the same now, don’t it?”
Matt rose quickly, dusting off his seat. “I gotta’ go, Festus.”
“That’s what I figgered you’d say.” The corners of his mouth curved up. “You tell Miss Kitty fer me that she cain’t
leave us, you hear?”
“I will, Festus.”
Matt put on his hat. “And
thanks.”
“Anytime, Matthew,” he answered as he watched the marshal
hurriedly head back to town. “Anytime…”
tbc
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