DRENA HILLS
Author’s Note: This story follows
directly after the episodes 5th Victim and Stagecoach No. 7. I have always thought they fitted well
chronologically. Heyes and Kid are
heading to town to take stagecoach at the end of ‘Fifth Victim’ and at the
beginning of Stagecoach 7, Heyes is dressed in the same clothes and is
sleeping…probably wore out from the painful trip to town! Then at the end of No. 7 when they leave the
stagecoach to buy horses, I just can’t see the men trying to capture them
neglecting to mention who they were hanging around for. The fact that Joe the driver suggested they
leave the coach means he was thinking the same thing, that once the sheriff and
his men get wind of what caused the delay they will be after them. All of which
combined with being forced to fall over in those chairs a half dozen times must
have made Heyes’s recovery from that gunshot wound difficult…
“The world stands aside to let
anyone pass who knows where he is going.”
-
David Starr Jackson
Medicine Bow,
“You think we lost them?” Kid Curry said looking back
as they paused under the shade of a tree to survey the sloping countryside
beneath them.
“Kid you’ve asked me that four times
in the last hour, I don’t know!” Hannibal Heyes yelled back.
Frowning his partner took a closer
look at his cousin.
“You feeling all right?” Kid asked
bluntly.
“Will you stop asking me that as
well? I told you I’m fine!”
“I know, I know,” Kid found himself
yelling now too. “I worry about staying on my horse and you…”
“Exactly,” Heyes said curtly.
“Right,” Kid said rolling his eyes and
giving himself a moment to control his temper.
The last thing they needed was to turn on each other; it was just what
the posse trailing them would want.
But the truth was the last two days of
hard riding had taken their toll on his partner, not completely recovered from
a gunshot wound to the head only a week earlier. Kid himself was dead tired and trail weary
and he could just imagine how his friend must be feeling. The doctor had been adamant about Heyes
taking it easy for a few weeks, but since the day they had left the Carlson’s
they had been given little chance.
Kid might not have worried as much, if
his partner hadn’t been so unusually quiet, a sure sign he was hurting. Normally Heyes was rather creative about how
lousy he felt during a posse ride and waxed on eloquently whenever they stopped
to rest their horses. But this run had
been different as if Heyes was attempting to save his energy for just keeping
upright and if he were honest not worrying his partner.
“Medicine Bow just up ahead, we can
get supplies there and change horses,” Kid said finally.
His partner looked over grateful Kid
had decided to avoid an argument. He
hadn’t meant to be so sharp, but the headache he had been nursing since leaving
the stage had been growing with each mile of hard riding and he was starting to
feel sick to his stomach.
“Good idea,” Heyes said. “We can ride in separate and see if word has
been sent ahead.”
“I’m hoping they are too greedy for
that,” Kid said turning his horse towards the town in the distance.
“Kid?” Heyes said stopping him by his
tone. “I’m fine really.”
Looking over Kid considered the
reassuring smile his dark eyed partner was flashing at him.
“So you keep saying Heyes,” Kid said
kicking his weary animal into a walk.
They were over a mile high here and while the summer temperature was
just over 60 the air was dry in the high dessert country and drained a man almost
as bad as the heat could.
“So why won’t you believe me?” the
older man by two years asked.
Why?
Kid thought silently because you ain’t complaining. You’ve been shot in the head, knocked to the
floor a half dozen times and just out ridden a posse for two days, that’s why cousin,
but all he said was.
“Whatever you say Heyes.”
***************************
As wagons trains went it bordered on
the pitiful. Just ten wagons in length
it was a mere shadow of the mammoth caravans that had crossed the west only 20
years earlier before the arrival of the railroad.
To make matters worse the scouts that
had led the trains were now either dead or moved on and the ones that remained
were sketchy in their reliability or trustworthiness, as the Landers Group was
finding out.
John Landers was a huge strapping man
born and bred in
They had arrived in Medicine Bow, the
farthest the railroad could take them to their destination in
But the shock of ‘the real west’ was taking its toll
on them to the point that many in their group were considering turning
back. The rough cattle town where every
other building was a saloon was a rowdy mix of drunken cowboys and preying gamblers
and the staid emigrants were hard pressed to find anything to get excited about
in the muddy streets of what the west considered ‘civilization’. These doubts, fueled by the jarring reality of
what still lay ahead grew stronger with the delay and had forced John Landers
to call a private meeting to reassure his party and perhaps maybe even himself.
“Look I know Hartwell is a rough
looking fella, but we haven’t got much choice,” Landers barked to the wagon
train’s families gathered together nervously outside of town and the earshot of
strangers. “Now I made it real clear to those friends of his that we just
needed him and they were content that the best man had won.”
“I don’t know Pa,” his youngest son
Dirk said shaking his head at the memory of Avis Hartwell who had applied for
the job with two other dangerous looking trail bums named Dolph Luther and
Dixon Serle. “I don’t like the way he
looks at Maggie,” he continued mentioning his wife, who blushed beside him
embarrassed.
“Maggie is a good looking woman,” his
father said bluntly as if the leers from their new guide had been her fault. “Man needs to understand that will cause a
few stares. Besides we’ll just use him
till we can find someone better,” Landers bluffed. “We’ve lost nearly two weeks here trying to
find someone and time is not on our side,” he said forbiddingly to convince
them. Truth was the hard drinking well armed frontiersman was not his first
pick to lead his family and the others either, but he had the experience and he
had been willing to work for a good price.
“Why can’t we just do it ourselves?” Sam
Veldhuizan, one of the younger men called weary of waiting.
“Because we don’t know where water and
grass is and a guide does,” Landers argued knowing full well the job would fall
to him and in this strange new world he felt uncomfortably out of his element.
“What about those
“I also am not comfortable with their kind,” Hattie
Vanderheide agreed. She had given up a job
as school teacher to come west with her brother in law John Landers and so far
was starting to think staying single might not be the worse fate.
“No, no place for them with us,”
Landers assured her.
“What about the Gallaghers?” another
voice called out and everyone was surprised to see it was the bookish Ted
Perkins who had surprised everyone by packing up his family and joining the
exodus. “Dan’s wife ain’t looking so
good and you just said we need to move out.”
Landers had been waiting for that
question. Dan Gallagher had been a good
friend for many years, but he was a practical man. “Have to think about the good of the group,”
Landers said firmly.
“You mean we just leave them?” Perkins
gasped not sure he had heard correct and a little worried about such a precedent.
“Pioneering isn’t for the weak,” Deke.
John’s eldest son said bored. “Which is
why were gonna leave them blackies and chinks behind too.”
“How you gonna do that, they’ll just
follow,” Veldhuizan commented suddenly not so sure it was a good idea to turn
down a couple of extra wagons and their men considering the country that lay
ahead.
“Can’t follow if they are in jail,”
Landers boomed.
“And how they gonna land in jail,
ain’t no crime for following a wagon train,” Perkins persisted now clearly
worried for other reasons.
“You leave that to my pa,” Deke laughed.
*************************
“Where you think they’re all going?”
Wil Nishan frowned looking up from the wagon axle he was repairing. The
ex-slave was just reaching his late twenties and all ready had a wealth of
experience as a blacksmith and a carpenter.
If it had just been him he might have taken on the town’s only smithy
and tried to carve out a life for him there, as it was he was all ready getting
business on the sly from town’s folk looking for a bargain.
But he knew the local businessman
would not stand this for long and his only chance at a real lively hood for him
and his little brother was a place where he was the only choice.
The Chinese man beside him watching
and trying to learn shook his head, but his expression was worried. He was maybe ten years older than Wil, with
dark sharp clever eyes and a quick mind the younger man had quickly come to
rely on for its intuitive take on people.
“Can’t be good,” Zi said handing him a
tool before he asked. Wil had been mentoring
him and this along the skills the Chinese immigrant had learned on the railroad
had given them both hope they could open a business up north together.
“For us you mean, I notice they didn’t
invite Dan either,” Wil said glancing over at where the Gallagher’s wagon was
parked. “Your grandpa still looking
after her Zi?”
Zi nodded, “He doesn’t know when he
isn’t wanted, woman screamed first time he gave her medicine.”
“Dan is grateful,” Wil assured
him. “Besides hard to resist his little
girl’s pleading.”
“I notice no one else come to help
him, I thought they were all friends,” Zi said bitterly.
“Zi man has to look after his own
they’re just worried she might be contagious.”
Zi snorted, “Grandfather told them,
the doctor here told them, but still they shy away. How come you so forgiving of them?”
Wil shrugged his shoulders, “Ain’t got
time to worry about how other folks act, got enough trouble with me and
Abraham,” he grinned indicating his 8 year old brother who was playing nearby
with Zi’s little nieces. “Besides my
momma used to wail into me something fierce for being ungrateful. Woman had an
uncanny knack for seeing a blessing in things like this.”
“Your momma had a good imagination,”
Zi said shaking his head.
Wil grinned and then frowned as his
brother went by with a large wooden box and a determined look, “Yea and she
gave it all to Abe!”
***************************
“I got ‘em!” Abraham Nishan said proudly setting the box
of discarded fuses and parts he had appropriated from the town’s dump. “Watched those miners leave it and pounced!” Though barely nine he had a skill as a
scavenger that been born of poverty and honed from hunger.
Cadwyn Gallagher looked suitable
impressed. She was just eight and with
her red hair and freckles dismissed as too young to get into any serious
trouble. It made for a good decoy when
the grown ups came looking.
The last member of the industrious
trio was 8 year old Jin. The little
Chinese girl had been drawn immediately to the two children who represented “
“You sure your Uncle Zi isn’t going to
miss this?” Cadwyn said thinking of the pleasant Chinese man who could always
make them smile.
“He might not have if little niece did
not look so suspicious leaving wagon this morning,” Zi said from behind them.
The three children whirled and looked
guiltily at the box.
“We just make fireworks for
“You just blow up town with this much
powder,” Zi said shaking his head trying not to smile. “This for grown ups!”
Abe groaned, “Everything is for grown
ups!”
“You no worry I make sure you have sky
lights for holiday,” Zi laughed picking up the parts they had collected
impressed.
“My father the best at fireworks,” Jin
said proudly and then a sad shadow passed over her face.
Zi understood and slipped an arm
around her, “We make him proud Jin, we celebrate like real Americans!”
**************************
“John I can’t move her,” Dan Gallagher
said wearily as he faced the group leader an hour later. “You have to give us a few more days, she’s
getting better I know she is!”
The young father of two looked like he
had aged in the past two weeks and an odd hopeless pallor had crept over his
normal sunny positive demeanor.
Gallagher was a teacher and by nature an optimist raised by a preacher
father who expected his son to trust God through all things. But lately his faith and his optimism had
been sorely tested.
“Dan, I’m sorry, but we’re moving out after
lunch maybe you can catch another group coming through later,” Landers said
briskly wanting the discussion over quickly.
Dan Gallagher shook his head bitterly,
“You know as well as I do that is very unlikely. You’re just going to abandon us? Leave me with Ellie sick and the baby isn’t
even a year! John I put every cent I own into this move!”
“Have to think of the good of the
group.”
“But…”
“I’m sorry Dan, but I gotta look after
my own.”
John Landers hurried away determined
not to look back. Gallagher was a good
man, but the west was no place for the weak.
Only strong men like himself could forge a place and survival of his own
had to take first priority.
He rounded the corner and stopped. Maddie that ex slave servant of the Pipers
was talking to that blackie Wil Nishan.
Should have known those two would drift together. He had warned Josiah about bringing her
along.
Walking by he made sure she knew he
had seen them and was pleased by her startled frightened expression.
Satisfied he continued on his way to
the sheriff office.
*************************
It was Cadwyn who noticed him first and would brag
endlessly later how the whole thing had been her idea. She had been banished from the wagon while
Jin’s grandfather looked after her mom and with no real supervision hindering
her she had gone to her favorite spot, the corral fence to watch the
horses. Cadwyn had never been able to
get enough of horses in her young life and found just watching them almost as
wonderful as riding them.
Her new best friend Jin came along just because
anything with Cadwyn had the potential for fun and even though the large
animals frightened her a little she stood by loyal afraid she might miss
something.
She noticed Kid immediately and shook her head
disapprovingly at the state of his horse.
Poor thing looked all tuckered out!
“You need to let him rest some!” Cadwyn said sternly to Kid who looked down at
the two little girls and finding his first smile in days.
“Yes ma’am, planning on doing that now,” Kid said
tipping the stable boy double to look after the animal and gaining a satisfied
nod from Cadwyn.
Jin watched her friend amazed. Cadwyn wasn’t afraid to talk to anyone, not
even this dusty fierce looking stranger.
“You must have rode bunches of miles,” Cadwyn said
liking any grown up that took her advice.
Kid smiled and gave her a wink, “Afraid just about
everywhere is far from here ma’am!” And
turning he tipped his hat and walked off his mind returning to more sobering
thoughts.
“I bet he’d make us a grand scout, way better than
that mean ole Hartwell fella!” Cadwyn said thoughtful.
“Bo no like wagon train scout, he look at her wrong
she say,” Jin said remembering her sister’s shivers whenever the man came near.
“Come on let’s go check him out!” Cadwyn said liking
this new distraction.
“Check what out?” Abe said wandering up.
“Our new scout!”
Normally neither Heyes nor Curry would have considered
Medicine Bow for a refueling stop. During their outlaw days they had robbed
both banks in town and the train just outside it, which while incredible still
wasn’t that amazing, only Heyes had come up with a plan to do all three in the
same 24 hours. The plan had worked like
a charm with a posse taking off after them leaving the Cattleman’s Association
vulnerable. When that robbery was
discovered nearly every able bodied man in the vicinity had been deputized and
spurred into the pursuit; leaving Heyes’s real target, a train coming in with a
gold shipment, wide open for the taking.
Fortunately lawmen in Medicine Bow
didn’t last long either lured away to employment that paid better or finding
themselves in a position that no longer needed a paycheck.
Added to their luck it was a Saturday
afternoon and all the local cowhands were arriving in town and two more cowboys
didn’t stir up much attention from the locals eager to get home and off the
streets before the weekly hoorahing began.
Kid warily passed the telegraph office. He knew they would have been caught long ago
if not for the beneficial vice of human greed.
With lines now strung up all over the west all one town had to do was
telegraph surrounding areas to put them on the look out for them. But that would mean losing the reward and
most posses weren’t willing to risk it.
Which was why he was hopeful word of
them being in the area hadn’t leaked out and as he passed a deputy leaning back
in his chair dozing he began to feel a bit more optimistic.
Casually melting into the throng of
cowhands sizing up where to begin spending their week’s wages Kid paused to
take a sweeping glance down the main street.
Little had changed, except maybe perhaps need had added another saloon
or two. Surprised he noted the Calistoga
wagons camped at the end of town. Wagon
trains were few and far between now days with the railroad taking over the
burden in a much safer fashion. Probably
heading for the
His eyes finally rested on the Indian
mother and her son cautiously maneuvering along the street trying their best to
go unnoticed. It was not unusual to see
refugee Indians skirting through town but it was usually old women and
sometimes children, too little threat for the army to waste sending soldiers to
round up.
He sighed feeling a pang of sympathy,
but knowing he could do nothing he turned his eyes away and in doing so almost
missed the assault.
The cowboy had come out drunk and
broke from the saloon and was just ready for trouble. The woman had the misfortune to be directly
in his path and seeing a chance to relieve both his lust and his anger he
grabbed her and pulled her to him.
The child, barely five immediately
reacted to his mother’s scream and pushed between them trying to free her from
the lecher’s grasp.
He was merely rewarded with being
kicked hard to the ground where he fell and lay whimpering in pain.
Cadwyn let out a yell of injustice at
such treatment of the little boy, but before she could think of doing anything
about it her prospective ‘scout’ beat her to it. Pulling the mother free Kid turned his
attention to the attacker who enraged made the mistake of going for his gun.
There was no contest and as the man stood there wetting himself in fear at how
fast this stranger’s six gun had been aimed at his belly Kid decked him with
one punch reducing him to insignificant lump on the ground that no one gave a
second glance to. Abe turned to Cadwyn,
her eyes wide with amazement and Cadwyn grinned smugly congratulating herself
on her keen eye at scout finding.
The mother ignored it all racing to
her son and scooping him up sobbing.
This clearly was the last straw for her and her crying was hopeless and
exhausted.
“Here ma’am let me help you, we’ll get
him to a doctor,” Kid said crouching down beside her.
“No white doctor help him,” the woman
said flat toned.
“Her grandfather will!” Cadwyn said
instantly at their sides. “He’s a healer
he can fix anyone!”
“You do get around don’t you?” Kid
said suspicious.
“No I was following you,” Cadwyn
explained honestly with her best smile that made Kid blink. “Tell them Jin.”
“Grandfather heal anyone hurt,” she
smiled shyly at the little boy who had stopped crying sensing help.
“Worth a try, come on,” Kid ordered
picking up the child.
The woman froze unsure what to do, but
Cadwyn and Jin merely each took one of her hands and pulled her along.
****************************
“Wil I have to go, Mr. Landers saw
us…”
“Saw us what Maddie? Talking?” Wil
laughed. “No law against that now, we
free folk just like them.”
“Always been one law for them and one
for us,” Maddie said resigned. She was
slender and timid and at first had listened to her employers and gave Wil Nishan
no never mind. But Wil was just so
persistent in the nicest ways. Helping
her fetch water, carry packages. Always
treating her proper and making her feel so special.
“Not any more Maddie you’ll see,” Wil
smiled at her gently. “We get up north
and I get my own place then I’m gonna come a courting proper.”
“Those be pie in the sky dreams Wil Nishan,
besides Mr. Landers told Mr. Piper he ain’t gonna let you and Mr. Zi even leave
with us…” she stopped horrified at what she had revealed.
“So that’s what that meeting was
about?” Wil said with a sigh.
“I have to go.”
“Maddie don’t go with them, stay with
me.”
She paused prepared to take flight and
for a moment put years of fear and browbeating aside to consider such an
amazing idea.
“Maddie you get over right this minute
you got work to do girl!” Tilly Piper’s
shrill voice pierced through her imaginings.
“I have to go!” Maddie said looking amazingly like a small
animal caught in a cage. “Be careful
Wil!”
Wil sighed and turned as she hurried
off to find two piercing black eyes watching him amused.
“She’s a nice bit of muslin boy,” Avis
Hartwell said lazily stepping off of the porch where he had been
eavesdropping. “Don’t think I would mind
a taste of that myself!”
Wil clenched his fist angry and Avis
grinned hopeful.
“Don’t Wil he isn’t worth the
trouble,” Dan said suddenly at his side catching his arm before he could
swing. And then quietly he
whispered. “His two friends are watching
across the street, you don’t have a chance.”
Wil, from years of practice, finally
let his anger go and nodded.
Laughing Avis dismissed them both and
sauntered away like a man who had all the cards dealt him for a winning hand.
“Thank you Dan, I don’t know what
Landers was thinking picking him.”
Gallagher watched Hartwell join his
friends, “I think he may come to wonder that himself.”
***********************************
“You still not able to talk him into
letting us come?” Dolph Luther said angrily as the three trail scouts settled
at a back table of a saloon with a fresh bottle. Luther was tall as a mountain and stark bald
on top. His temper was as infamous as
his strength and he didn’t like things not going his way.
“You and
Dixon Serle smiled mindlessly as he
slurped down his drink. A horse kick to
the head had left him a dangerous idiot who only seemed to find pleasure when
he was inflicting pain on anything living and breathing.
“You just keep them behind so we can
catch up,” Luther said with a scowl.
Hartwell looked up and chilled the
larger man with just a glance. “And you
don’t be late.”
***************************
“We need to pack up and be ready!” Zi said frustrated to the old Chinese man
carefully filling his sack bag with herbs. “They will use any chance to leave
us!”
“I must first check on the Gallagher’s
woman, she does not have much time left,” his grandfather said unhurried.
“We will be left!”
“Zi with such people we will be left
the day we start out,” his grandfather Xue told him calmly.
Zi watched him walk away and threw up
his hands. He hadn’t asked for this. He
had come to
The wagon and supplies had taken all his and his grandfather’s
savings. Even then, like Wil, he had been unable to afford the grand Calistoga
wagons of the
“Uncle Zi!
Little boy hurt!” Jin said
running up and the wiry man turned surprised at the unusual group invading
their camp.
“Medicine man here?”
the mother asked fearful.
Zi turned surprised to see two eyes meeting his with
forced bravery. The woman was perhaps in
her late twenties, the boy the man was carrying clearly in great pain.
“My grandfather healer,” Zi nodded. “Boy sick?”
“Got a mean kick to his middle,” Kid explained as Zi
made a place to lay the child down.
“Will he take a look at him?”
Zi nodded surprised by this good Samaritan’s
help. “Jin, go get him. We take care of boy,” he assured Kid who
nodded and reached in his pocket to pay him.
“No,” the woman said with great dignity. “But thank you.”
“Ma’am,” Kid said tipping his hat and giving the child
a smile hurried off with Cadwyn and Abe quietly slipping off to follow.
“Come sit, he be right back,” Zi said intrigued by the
woman and if he were honest more than a little interested. It had been a long time since a woman had
caught his attention like this. And
feelings he thought he had banished forever suddenly sprung to life ignoring
the broken heart that had made him leave his homeland.
Gingerly she took a seat on the log Wil had been
working off of.
“Let me see, I break many parts in
The woman had no idea what an acrobat was, but clearly
wasn’t impressed. “Then you not good
acrobat,” she decided honestly.
To her surprise Zi burst out laughing, “Make good
point, but I did get good at fixing mistakes!”
Kneeling down he smiled at the boy whose eyes were
clouded with pain.
“I, Zi,” he introduced.
“I am called Namid, this is son, Heammawihio,” she
said almost proudly.
“You have more letters than me,” Zi smiled his hands
gently moving over the child’s rib cage.
It was at least cracked; the child must be in agony.
“I have no money,” the women said straightening. “I…pay you with…” the woman stopped
embarrassment and fear making her eyes drop.
“You cook?” Zi asked hopeful. “Grandfather terrible cook, nieces try, but
burn a lot.”
The woman looked up hopeful, “I cook!”
Zi gave her a broad smile, “You hired lady!”
An hour later the child lay in a painless sleep, his
ribs bound and his mother taking over the chores of loading up the wagon for
travel. Upon the news she too was
heading north Zi had felt his spirits lift in a way he didn’t want to think too
hard about.
His grandfather, his work there done for the moment
excused himself and Zi found himself for the first time in weeks with nothing
to do.
“Looks like were heading out,” Wil Nishan
said walking up. “Maddie slipped me
word.” He stopped eyeing the Indian
woman. “Who’s she?”
“Our cook!” Zi said proudly.
“Uh huh,” Wil said noting the sparkle
in his friend’s eye. “Well about time you got someone to help you, man eat as
much charcoal as you do is gonna drop dead one day. She heading out with us?’
“Boy hurt, he ride in wagon why he get
better, she cook,” Zi said.
“Well it’s just in time cause Lander
and company are heading out at
“Not according to my grandfather,” Zi
said disgusted. “He doesn’t think they
will let us.”
“Well they aren’t gonna have much
choice,” Wil said eyes narrowing. “They
know two wagons don’t have a chance alone out there. Besides they are better off with more folks
all together.”
“That did not stop them from telling
Dan they will not wait for him,” Zi said quietly.
Wil looked startled. He could understand these white folks not
caring for him, but Dan and his family was one of their own. “Gallagher’s wife
still ailing?”
“I think she’s dying.”
The young black man frowned,
“Traveling like this takes its toll on a body, ain’t never seen so many grave
makers as we’ve seen so far and they say the rest is up ahead…uh oh here comes
trouble.”
Zi turned and watched as the sheriff
and two of his deputies strode purposely towards them.
“Maybe they come to say goodbye.”
“Yea,” Wil said. “I just bet they have.”
********************************
“Daddy why are they leaving without
us?”
Dan Gallagher looked down on his
daughter Cadwyn and tried to find a reason to explain why they were being left.
“Mommy is sick honey we have to wait
for her to get better.”
“Jin’s grandfather says she is very
ill and we should not make any noise around her,” the child said sitting down
next to him unconcerned. Her daddy
always made things better. “So I told
little Shawn not to cry, but he never listens, he just wants momma.” She had left Kid after seeing him head into a
hotel and convinced her prize scout was not leaving town any time soon she had
gone in search of her father to tell him the grand news of her find. But Jin’s grandfather had returned from
seeing the Indian boy and her father had not been able to concentrate while the
old man looked at her mother.
On being mentioned the wizened Chinese
man gracefully climbed down from their wagon with an ease that belied his 70
years.
At first Dan had been adverse to
letting the strange old man help him nurse his sick wife, but eventually he had
been worn down by fear, exhaustion and the insistence of his little daughter
who had befriended the man’s four granddaughters as playmates. The oldest, Bo, had been in a godsend in
helping him with the baby as it quickly had become apparent that there was no
way Dan was going to be able to care for his sick wife and children and prepare
for the trip.
Through the children the three diverse families had
come to know one another and formed an informal alliance. It was Gallagher that had petitioned for Zi
and Wil’s wagons to be allowed to join the caravan, a bold move he had never
regretted as it quickly became apparent the only help he was going to get once
they were on the road was from these strangers.
“Cadwyn go tell Bo I need her,” the
old man ordered the little pigtailed girl.
She nodded and hurried off and Dan’s
heart fell as he realized the old man needed to speak with him alone.
“I am afraid she is gone. Her suffering is over,” Xue said quietly his
eyes filled with compassion.
“No, she can’t be…” Dan said but could
not even manage to rally enough anger to fight the news he had been dreading. His wife had never been strong and if he was
honest she had never recovered completely from the birth of their son. Then uprooting and leaving her childhood home
had brought on a bout of melancholy that had quickly gone to fever. She had collapsed on the train and been
bedridden ever since. It was almost as if she had left them all ready.
“I will tell Zi to come and help with
burial,” Xue said practically.
“Mr. Gallagher come quick they are
arresting Mr. Zi and my brother!” Abe
yelled running up frightened.
“What?” Dan said in amazement. “For what reason?”
Xue shook his head with the resigned
sigh of a man who was no stranger to injustice.
“It seems heading in the same direction is indeed against the law.”
***********************************
Hannibal Heyes reached the mercantile
and for a moment just stood in the doorway feeling like he had run a race and
not just casually crossed the street.
Unsure if they had lost the posse the best thing for them both to do was get supplies and get out of town before
anyone could see them long enough to remember them.
Closing his eyes for a second against
the headache that had been his companion for the last two days he hoped he could
find something in the store to help him heal up or at least feel better. Truth was he needed a comfortable bed and a
week’s sleep, but until they felt sure the posse had given up that wasn’t going
to happen.
Shutting the door he stepped into the
shop and breathed in enjoying the peaceful calm from the busy street and a hint
of a smile escaped as the familiar smells of dill, cinnamon and sawdust greeted
him. If civilization had a scent, this
was it.
The store was a large one with shelves
lined with canned goods next to bolts of cloth and farming equipment. Relieved he had the money he needed to
procure necessary items as well as a few luxuries he got to work filling a
corner of the counter with the items.
He noticed the first little girl when
he stopped at the jars of hard candy and licorice. His mother had often given him licorice to
help when he was ill and he was hoping it might do something he reached in and
laid several strands on the counter.
The girl was only perhaps 6 with long
black hair and almond shaped eyes. Her clothes were plain, but clean designed
to help her fit in and feel less foreign.
However the look a child gets when it spots candy was universal.
“Want a piece?” Heyes asked not that
old that he didn’t remember the longing.
The shop keeper sorting out his purchases
frowned. She was an older blond woman who still had her Dutch accent and a face
marked with a permanent no nonsense scowl brought on by trying to do business
in a town as wild as this one.
“Shoo! Shoo!” the woman said like she
had spotted a stray dog.
The child stared at her terrified.
“She isn’t bothering anyone,” Heyes
told the woman with an annoyed glance and reaching into a jar handed the child
a stick of candy. “Put it on my bill,” he told her disapproving look and then
grinned when suddenly a second smaller girl no more than 3 joined her sister
and looked up at him hopeful.
Laughing he reached in and handed her
a stick as well ignoring the look his partner who had just entered the store
was giving him.
“See those coolies are all the same,”
the woman snapped in disgust at his generosity.
“I think its more children are all the
same,” Heyes told her and turned back to find his audience had grown and was
now even more diverse. Jin, Abe and Cadwyn, having come in search of Bo and the
other children had stopped startled by this stranger’s kindness. All of them looked up at him hopeful and rolling
his eyes he faked a defeated sigh. “Looks
like I’m buying a round for the house,” Heyes surrendered and under her
critical eye he handed over a bag of candy to the children who gasped at such a
treasure.
“I’m so sorry!” a fourth older Asian girl said running up
hair flying behind her. She was no more
than 12, but clearly in charge of the younger children and terrified they had
gotten in trouble.
“They didn’t do anything,” Heyes
smiled.
She stared at him as if his kindness
was more foreign to her than the language she was attempting to master.
“You are most kind!” she said relaxing
slightly and then letting the hint of a smile escape at her sisters’ happy
faces. “They love the sugar sticks too
much! But it is wrong to make strangers
pay for them,” she said reaching into a small drawstring purse hanging around
her neck.
“Nope my treat,” Heyes told her firmly
and giving the children a wink turned back to his purchases and then added,
“And make sure you get one out of it!”
The older girl cocked her head as if
trying to analyze him and then shaking her head as if he were a mystery she
began ushering the children out.
“I don’t know Caddy; I think this
fella would make a great scout too!” Abe
whispered.
“Maybe we can hire him for the
jailbreak and the other fella for the scout,” Cadwyn said practically.
“Where we gonna get all the money for
this?”
Their musings were interrupted as one
of the cowboys off in the corner haggling over a new saddle noticed them.
“Hey Betty you selling chinks now?” a
voice called and Heyes turned his attention to the two cowboys he had noticed
earlier checking out a saddle.
“Let it be Mike,” the woman said
wanting no trouble.
The older girl had frozen in fear,
almost as if she was hoping she could escape notice by not moving. The cowboys laughed and one said something
quietly to his friend and gave her a look that did not bode well if she was
caught alone later and she knew it.
Terrified she quickly pushed the children forward, but her escape was
not fast enough. A large man with all
the markings of a salesman complete with his sample case barreled down the
aisle oblivious to the small figures coming in the opposite direction or just
not caring.
His case swung wide and the smallest
girl would have been knocked down hard had not Heyes caught her and swung her
clear just in time.
The salesman unconcerned continued to
the counter and Heyes setting the child down with a smile followed him up and
tapping him on the shoulder waited until the man turned before decking him.
“Ma’am,” Heyes said to the store owner
and picking up his packages left his money on the counter and stepping over the
unconscious man walked to the door where his partner stood waiting.
Cadwyn paused noting the looks that
passed between then. She should have
known these two were friends!
“That’s him!” Cadwyn whispered as the
group stepped outside to watch the two men walk away.
“Ain’t gonna do much good as a guide
if Wil and your Uncle are in jail!” Abe said worried. Suddenly he felt frightened. Wil was all he had and the sheriff leading
him away had made him feel very alone in the world.
“My Pa will get him out,” Cadwyn said
unaware of how terribly her world had just changed. “Come on lets talk to them before they get
away!”
*************************
“John, Ellie is dead,” Dan Gallagher
said quietly walking up to the man climbing aboard his wagon.
A quiet hush came over the group.
“Sorry to hear that Dan,” John Landers
said with a cough as he picked up the reins.
“Don’t suppose you know anything about
Zi and Wil being arrested?” Gallagher said numb with anger and pain.
“They aren’t my concern,” Landers said
simply.
“They are if they were thinking of
trying to keep up with your group. John
how could you?”
“Move out!” Avis Hartwell whistled riding by and heading
out.
“Good luck to you Dan,” John said
ignoring the stares of his wife Milly.
“But John surely we can help him see
Ellie buried,” Milly whispered.
“You heard the man were moving out.”
“You are gonna need help Mr.
Gallagher,” Maddie said jumping down from the back of the second wagon having
heard it all. “I’ll look after your younglings while you take care of your
wife.”
“Maddie you get back on this here
wagon!” her employer’s shrill voice rang
out. “We ain’t waiting for you!”
“Ain’t asking you to,” Maddie said
calmly.
“Thank you Maddie,” Dan said grateful. “I’d be obliged if you would round up my
children while I have to have a talk with the sheriff.”
**************************
Quickly rounding the corner the two
men sought sanctuary in the alley where Heyes paused and leaned against the
wall of the building beside him and caught his breath.
“What was that about keeping a low
profile?” Kid asked dryly trying to keep his voice light, they were in trouble
and they both knew it.
Heyes groaned disgusted with himself. He hadn’t meant to lose his temper, but the
man forcing him to rescue the little girl had caused him to move in such a way
that had made him wince in agony.
“He made my head hurt,” Heyes mumbled
feeling like an idiot even as he said it.
Kid nodded seeing no need to point out
Heyes could have avoided the action by not coming to the child’s rescue, but he
was in a bad enough mood all ready. “I
got us a room.”
“You really think sticking around is
such a good idea now?” Heyes said dryly.
Kid had to nod, “Maybe not. You want to get a drink before we leave?” Kid
asked knowing it was a bad idea too, but not liking how pale his cousin looked.
Hannibal Heyes stared at this partner; they had been
on the run too long for Heyes not to recognize this offer had been made for him
and him alone. “Since when do I need you to moddle coddle me?”
Kid’s frustration and worry exploded, “Heyes
you look like hell. You haven’t eaten
barely anything for two days and between the shoot out at the stage station and
all that hard riding we just did you just about broke every rule that doctor
gave you about healing up,” he finished in a shout new worry clouding his eyes.
Heyes gave him an indignant look, but
it didn’t have much effect as he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness and had to
steady himself by leaning back against the wall.
“Hey mister!”
The two men turned warily at the young
boy’s voice to find the children from the store in front of them, Abe taking
the lead.
“Name is Abraham Nishan, this here is Cadwyn
Gallagher, and Bo, Huan Yue, Jin and Jia Li, they ain’t got last names you can
pronounce.”
“Smith,” eight year old Jin said
boldly picking a name she had heard her uncle thinking of adopting to
compliment his new trade.
“Well its real fine to meet you all,”
Kid said eyeing his partner warily. “But
we need to be moving on…”
“We want to hire you!” Abe said not
budging.
“Hire us?” Heyes said recovering
enough to be amused. “To do what?”
“Break our family out of jail!” Abe said.
“Children!” an old man’s voice said
relieved. “I look everywhere for you. Cadwyn come your father needs you.”
Kid and Heyes glanced at the old
Chinese gentleman gathering the children up like a hen with her chicks.
“They were kind to us grandfather and
helped Jia Li,” the oldest Bo said.
“We hired these men to bust Wil out,” Abe said
proudly.
“Now wait a minute,” Kid said with a
laugh.
“They gave us licorice!” Cadwyn added
to confirm their reasoning.
“We do not need to ‘bust them out’,”
Xue said
“More like bribe you mean,” Abe spat
furious and it looked strange on someone so young.
“Forgive them gentlemen, they meant no
harm,” Xue said bowing.
“No problem,” Heyes said.
“You are unwell?” Xue said pausing.
“No, no I’m fine,” Heyes lied not
liking the man’s intuitiveness.
The man considered this and nodded as
if understanding more than he should. “Then again, thank you.” He turned to the children. “Cadwyn you go with the others back to our
wagon and wait until your father comes.
He must talk with you.”
“But we don’t have a guide!” Cadwyn
said exasperated as the three men went their separate ways. Why didn’t these grown ups understand how
brilliant her idea to hire these two men for the job was?
“Now what we do?” Huan Yue said
disgusted as Curry and Heyes walked purposely towards the livery and their
horses.
“That man is the fastest gun in the
west,” Abe said in awe. “We can’t let
him get away!”
“We get a guide like that ain’t no one gonna bother
us!” Cadwyn agreed.
“Nice man,” Jia Li summed up with
childlike sincerely at Heyes having rescued her.
“But we can’t make them be guide!” Bo
said worried. She had been terrified
every since her uncle had been taken away and it was only strangely with these
two men had she felt a shadow of safety again.
“Well we cain’t give up jess cause
they said no!” Cadwyn said
defiantly. “Heck I did that I would
never get nuffin from my
*******************************
“I’ll saddle them you just sit for a
spell,” Kid said roughly as they entered the stable.
“I know how to saddle a horse!” Heyes
said narrowing his eyes.
“I’m
just a little…”
“Heyes just this once lets do things
my way all right?” Kid said wearily.
His partner looked over and for the
first time caught how worried his friend was.
He was as done in as he was and while not sick, worrying about him had
taken its toll.
“Fine, but I unsaddle them when we
stop.”
“I’ll even let you make supper,” Kid
said relieved.
Heyes gratefully slipped down onto a
bail of hay and laid his head back. If
only his head would stop throbbing he might be able to think straight.
“You mister we ain’t through talking!”
Cadwyn said marching up looking impressively tough for an 8 year old with
freckles.
“We aren’t?” Kid said blinking.
“We need a guide north, you going
north?” Jin said putting her hands on her hips like her friend. Cadwyn was teaching her to be American and so
far she was starting to like this having ‘gumption’.
“Ah we haven’t quite made up our
mind,” Kid said biting back a smile.
“Your folks don’t have a group to join up with?” Kid asked pulling their
horses out and keeping one eye on his partner.
“We did, but they left without us!”
Abe said dangerously.
“Where you headed?”
“
Kid grinned, “Rough trip north without
a guide.”
Cadwyn rolled her eyes, “Which is why
we need to hire you! That man the
Landers hired was bad.”
“I am glad we did not go with Mr.
Hartwell,” Bo said with a shiver.
“Avis Hartwell?” Heyes said suddenly
alert knowing the man and it wasn’t a pleasant memory. “They hired him to keep them safe?”
“Yea, but his friends were worse,” Abe
said. “I think they wanted to go with
them.”
Kid looked at Heyes, Luther and Serle
no doubt.
“You and your folks might be a whole
lot better off on your own,” Kid said finally finishing saddling his horse and
turning his attention to his partner’s.
“We will get lost,” Huan Yue said with
a sigh far older than her ten years. “My
uncle always get lost, even in
“Ma’am I would love to oblige you but
me and my partner…” Kid stopped his
attention suddenly turned to his cousin as Heyes gasped in agony. His head felt like it had just exploded in a
million pieces and the pain was so intense he could barely catch his breath.
“Heyes?” Kid said startled and watched
as his friend toppled forward.
****************************
Xue entered the jailhouse and stood
waiting patiently while the Sheriff finished rolling a smoke and then lighting
it leaned back lazily to eye him amused.
“You want something old man?”
“I have brought money to free two
gentlemen you arrest.”
“Two?” the man snorted. “Make it three some damn fool named Gallagher
took a swing at my deputy, he’s in there with them.” He stopped as the door opened and two lawmen hauled
in Serle and an unconscious Luther under gunpoint. “What the hell did they do?”
“What didn’t they do, but Lawry’s
saloon is missing a back wall and Doc is looking at two men in the poker game
with ‘em.”
“I ain’t got room for them!”
“Well you better cause one of the boys
in that game was McKenzie’s oldest son, he ain’t gonna like you letting the men
who shot him go,” the Deputy said with a grin that indicated he would have no
trouble taking over the Sheriff position should it become available due to its predecessor
making a wrong decision.
“You just got lucky old man,” the pox
marked Sheriff said getting up and snatching his keys. He had gotten $10 from that Landers fella to
arrest those two, but he was on his way now and this would save the town
feeding them.
Xue said nothing merely waited.
“I reckon there ain’t no chance of you
lot catching up to them now, but I don’t want no trouble from you folks though,
just move along pronto. We don’t like
your kind in our town.”
Xue nodded obediently knowing resistance
on his part now would only make things worse.
The sheriff seeing the old man
couldn’t be baited sighed disappointed and opened the wooden door to the cells.
Wil, Dan and Zi immediately jumped to
their feet.
“Xue, the children…” Dan said looking
like he had been through hell worrying.
“They are safe,” Xue assured him.
“Oh thank God,” Dan said.
“How much did it cost you?” Wil said
giving the sheriff a look of pure hatred.
“It does not matter, you are free and
we must leave now.”
“Without a guide?” Zi said hurrying
out of the cell after his grandfather.
“The children have found us one,” Xue
replied simply.
“Really? Where is he?”
Dan said amazed as they all hurried out the door.
“They are convincing him now. We must see to last rites for your wife
first.”
Zi looked at Wil and then they both
turned to Gallagher.
“You came to help us with your wife
passing?” Wil said amazed.
“I was so angry I needed to take it
out on something and corrupt lawmen fit the bill,” Dan said and his voice
broke. “I haven’t told Caddy yet.”
“We’ll help you,” Zi said touched.
“Maddie was kind enough to get
her…ready.”
Wil perked up, “Maddie? She didn’t leave?”
Dan managed a smile at the joy on his
face and shook his head no.
“We eat good!” Zi said. “Two cooks and now a guide!”
*********************************
“Here is water,” Bo said softly coming
up behind Kid who gratefully took the bucket as he pulled off his bandanna.
“Heyes!” he hissed putting his damp
bandanna on the man’s head.
His partner tried to rally urged to
consciousness by the intensity in his partner’s voice.
“Jed?
What time is it? Did I
oversleep?”
Kid inwardly groaned, “Heyes you…you
fell over, how do you feel?”
“Head hurts, are the boys ready to
ride?”
“The boys?”
“Tell Wheat that train ain’t gonna
wait for us.”
Kid almost panicked. What was he talking about? He didn’t have a fever, but he seemed clean
gone out of his head.
“Where am I?” Heyes suddenly asked
sharply trying to sit up.
“Stable,” Kid said making a decision
he knew could cost them dearly.
“The posse…” Heyes said confused and
then fell back as lightening went off in his head.
“Gave up, were in the clear. Were gonna rest up here a few days,” Kid lied
to him.
Heyes exhaled relieved as if finally
letting go and closed his eyes.
“Get me up for my shift.”
“Is he sick like my momma?” Cadwyn
said coming up to him instantly sympathetic.
“Does he need a doctor?”
“My grandfather is a healer,” Jun
volunteered.
“That old man?” Kid said not sure if
it was a good idea.
“I will fetch him he will know what to
do,” Bo said hurrying off before Kid could stop her.
“Come on Heyes,” Kid said swinging his
partner’s arm over his shoulder. “I got
a nice soft bed waiting for you.
Fortunately neither the people they
passed or the hotel clerk thought it odd to have a man being half carried down
street, not on a Saturday and Kid was able propel his cousin up to their room
and onto his bed without incident.
His partner down Kid quickly snatched up the water
basin and hurried down the hall returning a minute later to find Heyes laying
there awake and looking around confused.
“Where am I?”
“Our hotel room,” Kid said casually
setting down the water.
Heyes frowned trying to remember why
this wasn’t a good thing.
“Where are we?”
Kid faked a world weary sigh of
indifference, “Same as always some little town in the middle of nowhere.”
“Kid…is everything all right?”
Kid gave him his best poker face and
lied, “I’ll tell you after I feel how bad the mattress is on that back. Get
some sleep and then tomorrow we can take advantage of those would be card
sharks down stairs drawing to inside nothings!”
Heyes chuckled as he shut his eyes. Kid
said things were all right and Kid wouldn’t lie to him. Allowing darkness to
envelop him he drifted off exhausted.
Kid watched him for a long moment. He
could count on one hand the number of times he had been forced to lie to his
partner and not one of them had he taken well. But oddly all he could do was hope his partner
would be around to find out.
*****************************
The three families
returned to the wagons to find the children sitting with Maddie and Namid.
Their tear stained faces quickly revealed the news had escaped and Cadwyn ran
to her father sobbing and let him scoop her up in his arms.
It was later Dan realized
what a difference having the two women there had made things. Even though Namid and Maddie had just met
they instantly joined forces to help the mourning family.
Maddie, no stranger to
death, took on most of the duties of arranging things and town folk presuming
she was Gallagher’s servant accepting it unquestioningly. Namid saw to the children and seemed
especially gifted at putting the baby at ease.
Then together they forced everyone to eat a hot meal before the burial
each agreeing folks stood a better chance coping if they had something inside
them.
And so a mere three hours
later the small group stood in the town cemetery at the hastily prepared gravesite
watching the body being lowered into the ground against the setting sun.
“Sorry it be so rushed,” Zi told Dan
sincerely concerned about how the man was holding up.
“No the faster we get out of this town
the better,” Dan said quietly. “I’m just glad we found a way.”
Zi and Wil exchanged looks not wanting
to tell the grieving widower that so far only Xue and the children had met this
scout.
“We leave in morning,
things get better now,” Zi nodded and hoped by then he would mean it.
****************************
The knock at the door
brought Kid out of a restless sleep and standing he stretched; the chair had
not been the most comfortable of places to nod off.
“Yes?” he said quietly in
response not opening the door his gun ready.
“I brought grandfather,”
Bo’s voice whispered back.
Carefully Kid opened the
door to reveal the old man and his granddaughter.
“I come to help,” Xue said
simply and slipped past him not waiting for permission.
“He help,” Bo assured him
wondering once again why this stranger put her so at ease.
“Wound to head,” Xue said
concerned examining Heyes with sure steady hands that belied his age.
“Pressure, he in much pain.” The old man stood. “I can help…”
Kid started to exhale relieved
when suddenly a thundering of horse hooves interrupted his thoughts and
hurrying to the window he groaned. The posse had caught up to them!
He had been wrong, things
could get worse!
*************************
Wil, Zi and Abe paused
outside the hotel to watch the lawmen ride in.
“Wonder what that’s all
about?” Wil said uneasy. He wanted nothing to prevent them from leaving.
“Posse chasing Heyes and
Curry!” someone said excited to a friend as they hurried by.
“Real outlaws!” Zi said
brightening. “I read about them, very notorious!”
“Yea and way too clever to
be here waiting for them,” Wil grunted going into the hotel and Zi following.
Abe swallowed remembering
the lightning speed their would be guide had shown with his gun. Fastest gun in
the west… maybe they didn’t have a guide after all.
************************
“This is all the money I
have,” Kid said trying to stuff the money from their work at the Carlson’s into
the old man’s hand. “Look after him for me I’m going to draw them off,”
suddenly he whirled and drew his gun as Wil, Zi and Abe appeared at the door
and stared in amazement.
“You are Kid Curry!” Abe
said in awe.
“Our scout is Kid Curry?”
Wil said not sure if he should attempt moving.
Kid groaned this was going
from bad to worse quickly.
“What wrong with him, he
Hannibal Heyes?” Zi asked and reluctantly Kid lowered his gun.
“Those men that just rode
in are looking for you,” Abe said quietly.
“Yea and you folks better
get clear before they find us,” Kid said simply and picking up Heyes’s gun
checked it.
“Your letting us go
without shooting us?” Wil said surprised.
“I don’t know what you’ve
heard mister, but my partner and I don’t kill people.”
“But hostages help you?”
Zi said and Wil shot him a look that said don’t give the man ideas!
At that moment Dan, Cadwyn
and Jin stepped in and stopped surprised at the tension in the room.
“Is there a problem?” Dan
said cautiously and instinctively pulled Cadwyn to him.
“Caddy your scout is Kid
Curry!” Abe said as if this was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
“I told you he was fast!” Cadwyn
said suddenly feeling a little better. Between her daddy being thrown in jail
and the loss of her mother she was starting to feel a real need to have someone
along who could look after her family a whole lot better than she had been
doing so far.
“Look you folks need to
get out of here…” Kid tried again.
“He’s letting us go?” Dan
said amazed.
“They gonna kill you, you
can’t hold them all off,” Wil said not moving. “If you take off now you might
be able to slip away unnoticed, specially as there is just one of you.”
Kid shook his head, “He’s
my cousin, I’m not leaving him unless I know he’s gonna be cared for right. Now you folks move along its not safe here.”
“This man needs to rest,”
Xue said standing. “He
will die if not cared for.”
Kid swallowed and nodded
understanding and then turned back to his partner.
Carefully Dan and the
others stepped out into the hallway and hurried away from the room only to stop
as one at the bottom of the stairs.
“They both gonna die,” Wil
predicted.
“No they aren’t!” Cadwyn
said stomping her foot. “He’s our guide!”
The men all looked at each
other.
“It’s crazy!” Dan said
reading their minds.
“Uncle dark haired man
save Jia Li from mean man,” Jin said pulling on Zi’s sleeve.
Zi looked down and thought
of the fragile little girl he adored, “This is true, he help her?”
“Knocked him for six,” Jin
said with great emphasis.
Zi shrugged combined with
what he had seen of Curry helping Namid, this was enough for him. “Might work.
They no think outlaws escape in wagon led by oxen. Too slow.”
“They are outlaws!” Wil
said staring at the others like they had lost their minds. “And not just any
outlaws! These are the top of the list outlaws!”
‘Yea and I think it’s
about time we got someone that good on our side,” Abe said honestly.
“Dan?” Wil said looking to
the man for some common sense.
“After seeing my friends
arrested and thrown in jail and spending some time there myself for something
none of us did, I’m starting to feel like an outlaw as well. I vote we hire
them!”
“Xue?” Wil asked the old
man desperately hoping he would see reason.
“I have met bad men, they
are not.”
Wil rolled his eyes.
“I trust them,” Bo said
softly and everyone turned and looked at her. It was high praise from the
little girl.
Shaking his head, Wil gave
up. “Get the wagons!”
*******************************
Kid cautiously peered out
the curtain trying to make a decision about what to do next. The posse had dismounted
in front of the jail and were probably in there trying to find out if word of
them being in town had leaked out. It wouldn’t take long for someone to mention
two strangers who were quick with their fists and their guns and then it would
only be a matter of searching the town till they were found.
Their only chance was for
Kid to get them to chase him thinking Heyes was with him. This would give Heyes
a chance to recover because one thing he knew for sure he had to keep that
posse from finding his cousin in the state he was in. The reward was dead or
alive and that posse had come a long way. They wouldn’t be worrying whether a
trip back would kill his partner.
“Allowing yourself to be
captured or killed will not help your friend,” Xue said quietly suddenly behind
him.
Kid whirled and cursed
this stranger who was far too good at sneaking up on a man. But in truth he was
relieved to see him back. He had the feeling he could trust the oriental to
care for Heyes while he led the posse on a wild goose chase.
“I’ll pay you whatever you
ask to look after him and keep him hid,” Kid promised.
“They will kill you,’ Xue
replied.
“Just look after him,” Kid
said dangerously his voice rising as he lost patience.
“Kid…” Heyes said suddenly
conscious as if sensing his partner’s distress.
“It’s all right Heyes
gentleman here is gonna look after you while you heal up. I’ll be back for you
as soon as I can…”
“No!” Heyes said trying to
sit up. “You are gonna do something stupid like ride right into that posse!”
Wonderful Kid thought, now
he becomes coherent!
“He will not heal with you
gone,” Xue said simply.
“Heyes we haven’t got a
choice!”
“Then take off and leave
me, just get away!” Heyes whispered defiantly.
“What makes you think I
ain’t doing that now,” Kid said sharply.
Despite his obvious pain
his partner managed a weak smile. “Sorry Jed, too many miles,” and against his
will his eyes closed.
“You trust me?” Xue said
suddenly sure.
Kid considered this, “I
don’t know, but at the moment you’re the only chance I have.”
“Then if you trust me,” Xue said walking
to the door. “Bring him.”
*************************
“I still want to go on record as saying
how crazy this is,” Wil said riding Kid’s horse over next to the wagon Zi was
driving. They had left before first light and now only an hour out dawn was at
last lazily starting to rise to the right of them.
“Grandfather says they
will help us,” Zi said clearly not convinced himself. “So it is worth the
risk.”
“Yea, but did we have to
bring their horses along? It’s a red flag for any posse passing by,” Wil said
indicating his horse and Heyes’s tied behind the wagon.
“Grandfather say obvious confuse people,”
Zi shrugged.
“Were about to find out,”
Dan said suddenly from the second wagon. “Here they come!”
They all turned to see a
cloud of dust in the distance clearly created by a group of riders.
It took perhaps twenty
minutes for the posse to reach them and Zi pulled up his lead wagon and smiled
amicably at the suspicious lawmen.
“Yes sir, what I do for
you?”
“Where’d you get those
horses?” the sheriff barked as two of his men dismounted and began moving
towards the wagons.
“Hey we traded those two
fellas fair and square! Our mounts for
theirs!” Wil said riding up defiant and angry. “Ain’t our fault they don’t know
nothing about horse flesh!”
The lawmen instantly
forgot what they were doing and gathered around him.
“Who did you trade these
horses with?” the sheriff barked.
“Two cowboys, left town
about the same time we did,” Wil shrugged.
“Ah one was dark haired,
the other blond,” Dan said joining the group holding the baby. “Said theirs
were done in and offered us money and the horses for a trade.”
“I still think they was
outlaws!” Abe said sticking his head out of the wagon Maddie was driving. “Wil
you better come quick Bo is throwing up again.”
“Bo?” the sheriff asked
trying to analyze all the information he was being given.
“One of my nieces, she not
well, but not sick bad,” Zi said urgently.
“Daddy what’s cholera?” Cadwyn
asked with feigned bored ness from their wagon. “And why can’t I play with Bo?”
The lawmen all took a step
back.
“That kid has cholera?” a
deputy asked terrified.
“Nah, she’s just sick…
maybe little cholera, not lot!” Zi said quickly.
“That why you leaving town
so fast?” the head lawman asked trying to remain objective, but they noticed
even he stepped back a pace or two.
“Sheriff told us we go, we
go,” Zi said with a shrug.
“Damn that fella, I
thought he was a little too quick to send us out after these wagons,” the
sheriff swore.
“Probably trying to put us
off so he could get a posse up and go after them himself,” a deputy said angry.
“These men you traded
with, which way did they go?”
“Southeast,” Dan said
helpfully. “Think they mentioned the border.”
The group all looked at
each other.
“Aw come on Pike, Curry
and Heyes aren’t stupid enough to hitch a ride on an oxen wagon!” one of the deputies’s
groaned wearily disgusted they were wasting time.
“Yea maybe and maybe not,
check that last wagon.”
“Hell you check that wagon
I ain’t messing with no cholera!”
All of the other men
mumbled in agreement and it was clear that after days of hard riding no reward
was looking that good.
“South you said?” the
sheriff finally sighed giving up.
“Yes sir real hurry they
were,” Wil said sincerely.
Turning his horse the
sheriff moved his horse away without comment, his men quickly following.
Zi exhaled, “That was,
what they say? Close?”
“Must be out of my mind,” Wil decided.
******************************
“So how you folks happen to have that
false bottom in the wagon,” Kid said six hours later as the group sat around a
fire finishing dinner.
“My daddy built wagons for the master,
he got a lot of slaves out that way,” Wil grinned proudly. “Thought it wouldn’t
hurt to have a place to hide Abe if something bad turned.”
“I really am obliged for all your
help,” Kid said quietly. “You saved my partner’s life and I won’t forget it.”
He got up quietly. “Best check on him
and then I’m going to do some scouting.
I’ll take first watch.”
“You really think we need watching?”
Zi said worried.
Kid poured out the dredges of his
coffee. “In this part of the country it’s
more like you need to watch it.”
**************************
Bo looked up as Kid climbed into the
back of the wagon. There was a
surprising amount of room in massive Calistoga and the bed that had been used
for Ellie Gallagher was a proper feather bunk lined along the side, but still
giving a body room to walk across or find a place to sit among the many
supplies packed in tight. Kid had been
grateful the Gallagher family had offered the wagon up for his cousin once the
posse left. It was best sprung and least
likely to jar him.
“He sleeps, medicine grandfather give
him help,” Bo smiled and then it slipped away at Kid’s expression. “Your eyes no worry no more, Grandfather good
healer.”
“Thank you Bo…what the hell,” he moved
to grab at the six pins sticking out of his cousin’s temple.
“No touch! Relieve pressure!” Bo said moving to protect
his partner from him.
“He’s got…needles sticking out of
him!” Kid roared.
“Acupuncture,” Xue said coming up
behind him. “Relieve pressure; look all
ready he sleep better.”
Frowning Kid drew closer to his
partner and was surprised to see the pain lines had softened and Heyes did
indeed seem to be resting comfortably.
“Heyes hates needles,” Kid said not
sure what to do.
“Not needles, not be in long, trust?”
Kid rolled his eyes, Heyes was gonna
kill him if he lived through this.
“All right, but they better be out of
him before he wakes up or your gonna lose me as a guide cause he’s gonna kill
me,” Kid said walking away and hoping he never had to explain all this in
detail to his partner.
************************
Leaving the wagon Kid fought a need to
yawn and tried not to think of what he still had ahead of him to do. It was bad
enough being out in country like this and knowing you were the only thing
standing between your partner living and dying, but add a bunch of families to
the mix and the burden was oppressive.
“Coffee,” Namid said suddenly in front
of him holding out a cup with two hands.
Kid gave her a nod of thanks and
taking it started walking away.
“My boy do good,” Namid said
hesitantly. “Men here kind, thank you
again.”
Kid turned back and looked at her and
she dropped her eyes embarrassed.
“You speak English pretty good,” Kid
smiled. “I’m glad your boy is feeling better.”
“My brother teach, he say stay alive
better if we know how to explain things.”
Kid nodded, “Smart man, you heading
back up to him and your family?”
She looked up and the pain in her eyes
was stark. “Family dead, husband killed
getting us away.”
“I’m sorry,” Kid said sincerely. “Why don’t you get some rest? I’m gonna be on watch I won’t let anything
happen.”
She nodded, “Namid trust you, you good
man.”
And with that pronouncement she walked
away leaving Kid oddly feeling a little better about having to do the
impossible.
*************************
“My shift,” Zi said coming up to Kid four
hours later and holding his hand out for the rifle.
“Its all right Zi I can’t sleep, I’ll
wake you when I get tired,” Kid said quietly.
“No, you too tired, go rest, your
friend my grandfather helps, I think your friend be mad he wake up and you then
sick.”
Kid let a smile escape, “Yea he
probably would be.” He stood up and
stretched, “You’re probably right.” And
moved to hand him the rifle. “You know how to use this?”
“Certainly. I see trouble, I shoot in
air and you come be Kid Curry,” Zi said with a practical smile.
Kid laughed, “Okay that might work
too, good night.”
“Mr. Curry?”
Kid turned back.
“We make place in wagon next to Mr.
Heyes for you. Figure you sleep better
near your friend.”
“He still got those pins in him?”
“No more, he better.”
“Then your right, thank you, I will.”
****************************
“You get any sleep at all?” Wil said
coming up the next morning to see Curry standing by the morning fire holding a
coffee pot
“Some,” Kid lied filling a cup for him. “I’m gonna saddle up and scout the trail
ahead, should be back in time for you all to be packed up and ready to move out.”
“I’ll have them ready,” Wil said. “How’s your friend doing?”
Kid sighed, “Better I think, at least
he isn’t in a saddle and that wagon of Gallagher’s is a real fancy rig,
shouldn’t jar him too much.”
“Yea me and Zi were right envious, but
we couldn’t manage one.”
“Probably for the best, no use for
them where you are going, these wagons will be easier to sell or more practical
for working if you decide to keep them,” Kid assured him.
“You expecting trouble up ahead?” Wil
asked curious.
“Mr. Nishan I always expect trouble, I
just wish it wouldn’t work so hard not to disappoint me.”
Maddie walked up carrying water and
watched him walk away. “I don’t think he slept much at all worrying.”
“How is his partner doing really?”
“Cain’t say, but I prayed fierce for
him last night.”
“You’re a good woman Maddie.”
“No, it was part selfish. I figure as long as his friend needs us he’s
gonna stick around.”
*******************************
“How is he?” Dan asked walking up
holding Shawn and smiled to see his daughter on breakfast seconds next to Abe
and Jin. The young Indian boy Heammewihio, who everyone had taken to calling
Heam, was happily playing with three year old Jia Li who had taken to him
instantly.
“Better, he is awake and wants to see
his friend,” Maddie said coming out of the wagon carrying a bowl of water.
“He went on to scout the trail,” Wil
said. “Can he manage some breakfast?”
“Mr. Xue gave him something to drink,
but I reckon some broth wouldn’t hurt. I
tell you this for a man all shot up and hurting he sure does have a powerful
way of asking for something!”
********************************
Hannibal Heyes opened his eyes and the
first thing he noticed was it didn’t hurt.
It was an amazing lack of sensation and he just sat there a moment
smiling enjoying the novelty. Then
feeling brave he tried slowly to move his head and to his surprise no blinding
flash of light greeted him.
“You drink, grandfather said make you
strong, no sick,” Huan Yue said firmly putting the cup to Heyes’s lips.
Amazed he was actually interested he
raised up and took a sip and was pleasantly surprised by the warm sweet taste
and how good it felt going down his throat.
“My friend?” he asked and then coughed
his throat was so dry.
“He go scout, he come back, he like
you,” Huan Yue assured him.
Heyes let a small smile escape, “Where
exactly am I?”
“Wagon, we pioneers, your friend our
scout, very famous, no one bother us now.”
“How do you feel?” Xue said climbing into the wagon and taking
the child’s place.
“Better, much better thank you…are you
a doctor?”
“Healer, you will feel better now,
pressure gone, but you must rest. You
worry your brother too much and he no can rest and that no good for anyone.”
“He’s not my brother,” Heyes said
letting the old man give him some more of the drink.
“Yes he is,” Xue corrected him.
*******************************
Kid rode back into the campsite and
wearily dismounted. He still had a hard
day ahead and knew for a fact that whatever bad lay ahead of them he was all
that was keeping it from happening.
“You folks ready to move out…” he
stopped and realized the entire group was standing there smiling at him.
“Your friend awake, very well!” Zi
told him happily.
Kid broke into a grin and suddenly
looked ten years younger, “Can I see him?”
And then without waiting for an answer ran over to the wagon and
scrambled in.
“Heyes?” he asked cautiously moving
over to his friend and to his surprise saw his eyes were open and he looked a 100%
better.
“Here you got yourself a job playing
Kit Carson,” Heyes smiled.
“Jed Curry frontier scout, has a nice
ring to it don’t you think?” Kid said sitting down on the edge of the cot. “How
you feeling?”
“Too good, it scares me, where did you
find that Xue? I swear Kid I thought I
was a goner.”
“You aren’t the only one.”
“Where are we?”
“About 8 miles out of Medicine Bow.”
“Is that all?” Heyes said
horrified. “The posse….”
“Has all ready been by, these folks
convinced them we had headed south.”
“And where are we headed?”
“
“We need to get moving that posse
isn’t going to…”
“Heyes stay put you need some rest,”
Kid said pushing him back down firmly.
“You need to heal up and besides I promised these folks I’d get them safe
for helping us.”
“All the way to
“No, figure we can hook them up with
another train at Independence Rock and they can take the
“And if we can’t?”
Kid smiled, “You’ll be feeling better
by then and you can think up something!”
*******************************
“They really are good friends,” Dan
said surprise in his voice. “I had heard
they were the only family the other had.”
“Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry are the
toughest outlaws in the west,” Abe said taking personal pride in knowing this. “And we got them as guides.”
“But for how long?” Wil said
worried. The landscape around them was
foreign to him and he knew to the others as well. They had a lot of rough country to navigate through
before they were done.
“Long as you need,” Kid said quietly
coming up behind them. “I promised you
folks a guide and I meant it. I
appreciate what you did for my partner and I’m not a man who goes back on his
word.”
***********************************
The novelty of not hurting wore off by
the second day and Heyes looked around the wagon delighted to be feeling
slightly bored. To his amazement the
springs on the wagon made for a fairly easy ride if you liked feeling as if you
were at sea. For a moment he felt guilty
taking over the family’s wagon and tried to sit up only to felt a wave of
weakness wash over him and resigned leaned back.
Feeling useless he glanced around and
to his delight spotted a pile of books in the corner of the crowded wagon. Reaching over gingerly he pulled the first
one off the top and attempting a slight sitting position opened it convinced he
was well enough to read.
“What the…” he stopped afraid
something had happen to his eyes or his mind as he stared at the strange
characters leaping up at him on the page.
Then he gave a low chuckle as he realized the book must be Zi’s and in
Chinese. “Shouldn’t scare a man like that,” Heyes muttered in relief.
The sound of his voice caused the
three other passengers riding with him to stir.
Before when he had been mostly sleeping he had been only slightly aware
that the younger children Heam, Jia Li and Shawn had been bedded down next to
him during the heat of the day. Now all
four awake they sized one another up not sure if this was going to work.
“Story!” Jia Li said happily and not waiting for an
invitation crawled up next to Heyes and settled down against him
expectantly. Shawn no stranger to what
that word meant was instantly clamoring to join them and with a boost from Heam
took his position under Heyes’s other arm.
“Well you want a story too?” Heyes
said amused as Heam stood there looking left out.
“Like stories, uncle tell stories of
ancestors!” Heam said almost in a dare for Heyes to do better.
“Read book!” Jia Li said hitting the tome and looking up
at him impatient.
Rolling his eyes Heyes opened the book
and the bright illustration of a giant red dragon soaring down from the sky.
“Well,” Heyes said his imagination
perking up at the drawing. “This does remind of one time Jed and I…” The three children looked up at him
expectantly. He frowned, Hannibal Heyes
telling bedtime stories to children, this had better never get out. But then Jia Li gave him her best smile and
he surrendered. “It all began one late
summer evening, the kind where the sun is still out, but the grownups keep
insisting its time for bed?”
The children nodded completely
understanding.
“My cousin was over, you know that
scout of yours? He used to be little,
took a fair amount of looking after too.
Well we was laying there trying to fall asleep when all of sudden I
heard it coming through the rafters straight at us!”
All three children leaned in
expectantly. Heyes smiled wickedly he
had been taught by an expert.
An hour later Kid pulled his horse up
to the wagon and stepping off on to the backboard moved to climb in. Heyes was awake more and more now and the
tediousness of bed rest would be getting to him.
Glancing in he froze and broke into a
grin.
His partner was asleep and with him
the three children had also dozed off around him, the book laying across his
chest explaining it all and verifying something his cousin had always
known. He was in all things his
grandfather’s heir.
*************************
“Wil!
Wil! Mr. Curry said I could ride with him while he scouts ahead for ‘Troubles’!” Abe said running ahead of Kid and deftly
climbing up onto the Gallagher wagon his brother was driving so Dan could have
a spell stretching his legs.
Kid rode up on horse back and fell in
with them, but his eyes never completely left the horizon ahead of him.
The party had spent the day moving at
a steady pace, stopping only for nooning and then continuing on
confidently. With Kid in the lead the
group had begun to feel a return of the excitement that had caused their
decision and it was infectious. Soon the
children were out of the wagon walking along side or occasionally getting Kid
to swing them up in front of his horse for a bird’s eye view of what lay ahead.
Knowing how information tends to help
a man cope Kid was constantly riding alongside each wagon to bring each driver
up to date on the country ahead, how soon they would reach water and what he
knew about the area they were passing through.
“And believe me nobody knows how to
find trouble like Mr. Curry does,” a baritone voice said amused and to Curry’s
surprise Heyes climbed slowly up to sit next to the driver.
“You suppose to be up?” Kid asked with
a frown.
“Kid I lay down much longer I’m gonna
go crazy,” Heyes said smiling as he looked up at the warm sun and the way it
felt on his face.
Kid finally nodded, he understood.
Neither one of them did well cooped up for long, they hadn’t as children and
they sure didn’t now as adults.
“He gives you any trouble Wil you let
me know,” Kid said with meaning that only got a bright smile from Heyes that
suggested payback later. “Come on Abe
we’ll have you leading this wagon train yourself soon,” Kid said swinging the
boy onto Heyes’s following horse. “You
ever rode before?”
“Not with a real saddle!” the child said in awe clutching the horn not
sure if he was brave enough.
“Then about time you learned,” Kid
said and giving Wil a reassuring wink handed the child the reins and they moved
out.
“You think there is real trouble out
there?” Wil asked looking at Heyes who swallowed a smile and then said
seriously.
“If he did your brother wouldn’t be
going with him.”
“Your partner been real good about
looking after us. I gotta admit I first
thought it was just cause we were helping you, but the way he lets the children
trail after him ‘helping’ him makes me think I might have misjudged him.”
“Not living up to the dime novels?”
Heyes smiled.
Wil looked sheepish, “No, but I gotta
admit when I saw him draw he did! Makes
me relax a little knowing he’s our guide instead of what the Lander’s hired.”
Heyes took a sip of water offered him,
“Did I hear the party that left before you had Hartwell as a guide?”
“You know him?”
Heyes nodded, “We met once.”
“Not a good experience I take it?
“Not one I think he would like to
repeat,” Heyes said innocently.
Wil grinned, “Take your time getting
better Mr. Heyes the longer you two stick around the better this trip is
looking!”
**************************
“Fresh meat?” Zi said excited as Kid
dropped the deer by the fire having just returned from scouting the trail ahead
for the next day. “You must be good shot; they no come close when we see them!”
“Doesn’t even need to shoot,” Heyes
said walking up sipping a cup of coffee.
“Animal just recognizes he’s Kid Curry and drops dead of fright.”
“Should you be walking around?” Kid
said giving him a look.
“Kid I’m fine.”
“Yea you were telling me that right
before you fell down too,” Kid said dryly and then smiled as Maddie and Namid excitedly
examined the new choice for dinner.
“I clean, great feast!” Namid said
looking relaxed and happy and Kid suspected it might have something to do with
the attention Zi was lavishing on her.
She was constantly chiding him about his dutiful getting wood and water
for her explaining that was squaw’s work, but the man would not be put off.
“Thank you ma’am appreciate that,” Kid said
politely. “Thought you folks might like
a change of pace, though I have to admit those biscuits you make Maddie will
always be welcome!”
The girl smiled at the high and what so far in her
life had been very rare praise.
“I like them too!” Wil said worried and following her
off.
“I’ll unsaddle your horse Mr. Curry!” Cadwyn said happily
appearing at his side.
“You sure he’s a fair bit taller than you,” Kid said
poker faced.
Cadwyn glared at him, “I’m not going to do it
alone! Jin is going to help me!”
Jin looked up and blinked at this news.
“I’ll help,” Zi smiled leaving the two ex-outlaws
alone.
“Must be nice having people falling all over
themselves to unsaddle your horse, you planning on expecting this treatment
when they are gone?” Heyes said grinning and then it faded when he caught the
look in Kid’s eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“No that group that left ahead of us?”
“One Hartwell took?”
“Yea?”
“They are going in circles.”
Heyes frowned, “You sure?” Kid gave him a look. “Never mind.
You think it’s the folks that wouldn’t let this group join them?”
“Yep, ones that left with Hartwell,
something isn’t right Heyes I don’t like it and I’m not real excited about
what’s gonna happen when we catch up to them, which at this rate we will.”
“You expecting trouble?”
“Heyes its Hartwell, I expect that
group has all ready found out its got trouble by now…”
****************************
Avis Hartwell took a swig from his
nearly depleted whiskey bottle and surly glanced down at his sleeping
charges. He had done everything in his
power to slow down the wagon train up to and including an accident that now had
one of the Lander’s boys fighting for his life when a wagon rolled over him.
Serle and others should have reached
them by now and time was getting short.
Once they got to
And one treasure he had his eye on was
that sweet Maggie Landers. Her husband was keeping her close, but after he was
dead there would nothing to keep him from having a taste. Once they finished the women could be sold
down in
He frowned, if they ever got
there! Maybe he would have start things
rolling himself.
**************************
For the first time dinner included
everyone around the fire and with fresh meat a festive air took hold of the
small group despite how tired they were.
Kid actually found himself starting to
relax as his cousin smiled and joked with the others as supper finished. He had realized until now the toll worrying
about him had taken.
“I got first watch,” Heyes said calmly as Kid got up
to take his shift.
“Heyes…”
“He goes with me,” Zi said
nodding. “You got last, sorry you gone
when we draw straws.”
Kid frowned as Wil, Heyes and Zi all
smiled at him way too sincerely to be of any comfort.
“You are suppose to be resting,” Kid
sighed giving up and if he were honest grateful for the chance to sleep
unworried for a change not being able to remember the last time he had more
than a few hours at a time.
“I did, that’s all I’ve been doing. I
think your enjoying this being in charge too much; you aren’t the only famous
outlaw here,” Heyes gestured broadly.
“Out there is scared of me too!”
*******************************
“You think he stay put?” Zi asked
walking over with Heyes to the large rock he had chosen for guard duty.
“He’s dead on his feet,” Heyes said
admitting his concern.
“He do everything, he need rest, but I
can take your shift if you not feel well,” the Chinese man said.
Heyes smiled, “Thank you, but its about
time I started doing my share. If the
three of us split it Kid can sleep through the night. He’s more use to us rested.”
“I don’t know I saw him draw gun tired
and I pretty scared then!”
Heyes laughed, “Yea he’s getting
better at that, a little more practice and he might get as good as me.” And walking away he left Zi staring at him in
astonishment.
*****************************
Kid awoke and just lay there for a
moment wondering why he felt so rested and could smell coffee. Looking up he realized it was light and
cursing leapt up and hurried over to the fire only to find his partner calmly
waiting with a cup of coffee.
“Where’s Wil he was suppose to wake
me…”
“We decided you were easier to live
with if you got at least one night’s sleep this trip,” Heyes said calmly.
Kid glared at him, “I was doing just
fine.”
“I know, I told them that, but they
got all proddy,” Heyes said with a sympathetic shrug. “So how you feeling?”
Kid sank down and sighed, “I have to
admit a lot more alert than I did yesterday.”
“Good ‘cause if you’re right and were
gonna catch up with that other group soon it could get interesting. Seems Serle and Luther got locked up for card
cheating and are probably running behind on whatever they got planned,” Heyes
informed him of what he had learned from Xue encounter in the jail.
“Yea but a wagon team of oxen aren’t
going to be hard to catch up to on horseback,” Kid said.
“Unless you got men to round up for a
strike,” Heyes pointed out.
Kid sighed, “We might be walking into
something real bad Heyes.”
Heyes’s eyes went dark, “I know, but I
can’t see anyway to avoid it.”
“Could just leave,” Kid said quietly.
“Yea,” Heyes said and both sat there
considering that option.
“Story!” Ji Lia said crawling up into
Heyes lap and plotting a book into his hands.
“What is that you’ve been reading to
her?” Kid laughed.
“I have no idea its in Chinese,” Heyes
admitted with a grin.
“But you keep reading her stories from
it,” Kid said amazed.
“Same as I used to do to you when we
were little before I could read,” Heyes said with a shrug. “I just make something up!”
“Which means we aren’t leaving,” Kid
said nodding.
“Well I would like to see how this
book ends,” Heyes admitted.
******************************
The wagons started out once more with
Heyes taking a turn at the reins beside Dan and enjoying having something to
do. Xue still didn’t want him on
horseback, but Heyes knew that could change the minute the other wagon train
came into view. He wanted Hartwell to
know right off Kid was not alone this time.
Thinking of his partner Heyes watched him ride down
and pull up along side Zi pointing something out to him and smiled at the ease
with which Jed had taken over leading the party. Kid had a natural way with people that made
them more inclined to listen to him even when they didn’t want to hear what he
had to say. It had served Heyes in good stead many times in their years leading
the gang and watching him now from the sidelines he realized how lucky he had
been to have a partner so adept at leadership.
Suddenly something caught Kid’s
attention and he was off urging his horse into a run away from the wagons.
Heyes was immediately on his feet and scrambling for
his horse
He didn’t know what had made his
partner react like that, but he was damn certain it couldn’t be good…or
something he should be checking out on his own.
“Mr. Heyes, Mr. Xue said you
shouldn’t…” Dan stopped. Heyes was
gone. “Like trying to tell night not to
follow day,” he sighed in admiration.
Heyes hadn’t thought before reacting
to back up his partner, but to his surprise it felt good to be back in the
saddle, even if he was riding at a neck breaking speed to who knew what.
He squinted and finally caught what
Kid had seen two
Kid pulled up and waited for them to
reach him and didn’t seem surprise when his cousin appeared at his back, just
kept his eyes on the two advancing towards them.
“
“Yea, thought so,” Heyes nodded. “How you wanna play it?”
“Slowly, I think they are alone, but
that may not be for long.”
“Hasn’t been Indian trouble in this
part for some time,” Heyes said casually like he was discussing the weather.
“Yea I hear that General Custer fella
said the same thing.”
The two Indians pulled up and for a
moment all four men evaluated each other.
“Afternoon,” Heyes said finally with
an attempt at a casual smile.
“You speak English?” Kid asked.
The men said nothing.
“Maybe we better get Namid,” Kid said
quietly to Heyes. “At least she can communicate with them.”
Heyes shook his head, “She’s been
through enough.”
“My sister is well?”
Both men straightened surprised.
“Your sister?” Kid said poker faced.
“Whatever she was sold to you for I
will buy her back,” the older man of perhaps 30 said almost wearily.
“She’s not for sale,” Heyes said
simply. “She’s a free woman; we just
gave her and her boy a ride when he got hurt in town.”
“Heam is alive?” the younger man
blurted out surprised. Now that they
were closer they realized he could not have been more than 14.
“Why don’t you fellas come back and
see for yourself,” Kid said. “But lets
be real clear you try anything I will kill you.”
“You have helped my sister and nephew
you will have no need to fear us,” the older Indian answered. “And everything to fear if you have hurt
them.”
On that somber proclamation Heyes and
Curry escorted the two men to the edge of the camp where suddenly Namid broke
free of Zi and began to run towards them.
The two men were instantly off their
horse greeting her and as Heam realized what was happening hurried as best he
could to join them the younger of the two strangers scooping him up laughing in
delight.
“Looks like they know each other,” Wil
said quietly to Zi who felt his world go dark.
“Good she find husband alive,” his
friend sighed.
********************************
“They sure been talking a long time,”
Wil said softly as the wagon train sat around a
“Well if she tell them the truth we
should be fine,” Heyes said having learned the story of how his cousin had
helped them.
Kid, who had not sat down to eat
merely nodded and kept watching them his gun still unhooked.
“This my son Adahy!” Namid said coming up beaming and introducing
the young man proudly.
“I am indebted to you for protecting
my family,” the boy said stiffly and Heyes expected his mother to nudge him at
any minute to continue.
“You have done us a great help,” the
older man said. “I am called Viho.”
“You speak pretty good English,” Dan
said as the silence got to be too much.
“I found I stayed alive better if I
did,” the man said suddenly looking tired, he had been worried too.
“Ah can we offer you some lunch?”
Heyes said politely.
The younger man for the first time
showed emotion. He was hungry, though
wary of admitting it.
“You catch?” Viho said his opinion of
these men growing as he saw the left over stew. “Yes, thank you food would be
welcome.”
“Man who save us very good hunter,” Namid
said smiling at Kid who got glared at by both Adahy and Zi.
“Where you folks headed,” Kid asked as
the group settled around the fire and the two
“North,” Viho said simply as if no
direction help out any real hope and then suddenly he smiled as he watched his
older nephew bite into one of Maddie’s biscuits and look up pleased at the
sensation in his mouth.
No one said anything understanding all
to well the drive to put Indians on the reservations and brutality it had
created on both sides.
“I’ll see about making a litter to
take him, we will be no further trouble,” Adahy said finally.
“You can’t move Heam his ribs is
broke!” Cadwyn said indignant. “Tell him
Mr. Xue! He needs to heal up first!”
“Yea you can just go north with us,” Abe said
cheerfully seeing no problem with more interesting people to talk to coming
along.
“That would not be…” Adahy started to say.
“You ain’t gonna find a better scout than Mr. Curry!”
Cadwyn said losing patience.
Viho looked down at her and almost
smiled, “Do all red haired women come this bossy?”
“I’m not bossy I’m just looking after
Heam,” she said hands on her hips.
“Yea,” Jin said standing next to her.
“Can I shoot your arrows?” Abe asked Adahy
hopeful who looked up at his uncle completely lost as to what to say. Being welcome somewhere was a whole new
experience to him.
The grownups all looked at each other.
“Wouldn’t be Christian sending that
boy off hurt, your welcome to stay as long as needs,” Dan said quietly.
“You are very strange people,” Viho said
stopping himself before saying white and then shaking his head not sure what to
do.
“Seems to me we could help each
other. Not real safe for you folk to be
out on your own with army patrolling and we could use a couple extra men along
in case we run into trouble,” Kid said simply.
“Please Viho,” Namid pleaded stealing
a glance at Zi. “Heam will be in so much
pain if he moves.”
The older
“Turtle rock?” Jin asked interested.
“
“My brother be great help!” Namid said
smiling happily.
“Your brother? He your brother?” Zi said startled and then with a whoop swung
her around in his arms happily finally stopped as he realized everyone,
including her family was staring at him very hard.
“Good to have family,” Zi said putting
her down quickly. “Go get water
now.” And quickly he walked away.
“I think he likes her,” Cadwyn told
Viho confidentially and the Indian looked down at her and finally gave up
trying to find a reply.
Heyes walked over to Kid and poured them both another
cup a coffee, “That Cadwyn could talk
the devil into sharing water.”
“I know I was gonna sign her up as a
partner if you didn’t make it,” Kid smiled pleasantly.
***********************************
“Now isn’t that interesting,” Kid said
quietly two days later as he pulled his horse up alongside Viho who had offered
to scout ahead with him.
“Why they not moving?” Viho said
frowning at the ten wagons awkwardly stopped in the middle of nowhere. “No water here, no feed for animals.”
“It seems what my momma used to say
about reaping what you sow was right,” Kid answered quietly. “That’s the wagon train we told you about.”
“What do you want to do?” the
“I have a few ideas, but Heyes had the
best one, let the group decide.”
Ten minutes later they had returned to
the others and a meeting was quickly called.
“Not moving, that no sound good,” Zi
said concerned.
“Anyway we can get around them without
them seeing us?” Dan asked his face emotionless.
“No and besides whatever is troubling
them may be a problem to us,” Kid explained.
“They may need our help,” Maddie said,
but it was clear her heart wasn’t in it.
“I don’t want to help them!” Cadwyn said angrily tears
forming in her eyes. “That mean old Mr.
Landers got everyone thrown in jail for nuthin and made my momma die!”
“He didn’t make your momma die Cadwyn,”
Abe tried to explain to her. “Your ma
just got sick and passed over.”
Cadwyn glared at him, “It’s his
fault!” she yelled needing something tangible to blame.
“Well what do you folks want to do?”
Heyes said looking at everyone.
They all looked at each other and then
back to Heyes.
“You’re the famous leader Mr. Heyes,
what would you do?” Wil asked and everyone turned back to Heyes hopeful
Heyes stayed poker face, he had been
expecting this. “Well since we can’t
avoid it I suggest two of us ride in cautious and see what the problem is.”
Kid sighed, “Let me guess which two
you have in mind.”
“No three,” Dan sighed. “Your gonna need someone that knows them so
they don’t take a shot at you.”
“These folks in the habit of taking a
shot at people just riding up friendly?” Heyes asked interested and then looked
at the group they had deserted to perhaps starve or worse. “Point taken, three it is.”
********************************
“You realize Hartwell is gonna
recognize us,” Kid said calmly as they slowly moved up on the wagon train.
“I’m counting on that,” Heyes said
never taking his eyes off the wagons ahead of them. “I want him real worried right off.”
“Hello! John Landers?” Dan said coming up to the
wagons flanked by Curry and Heyes. “It’s
Dan Gallagher.”
“Dan!”
Millie Landers let out a cry of relief and hurriedly climbed down from
the inside of the wagon she had been hiding in.
“No, no its Dan,” she called after someone trying to stop her.
Stepping out of the shelter of the
circled wagons she raced up to Dan who quickly dismounted and caught her
sobbing against him.
“Milly what is it?”
“That man Hartwell! He attacked Maggie, Dirk tried to stop him,
he’s dead; my other boy Denny as well.
John was wounded.” The words all
came out in a hurried rush and as she sobbed the rest of the group staggered
out from where they had been hiding in their wagons looking shell shocked and
lost.
“Where is Hartwell now?” Kid asked gun
out.
“He rode off, we wounded him in the arm,”
one of the men said. “He’s gone to get
his friends.”
“How long ago was this?” Heyes barked.
“Two days.”
“And you just sat here?” Kid groaned.
“Didn’t know where to go,” another man
said looking confused.
Heyes and Kid stole glances at each other.
“I’ll go back and get the others,” Kid
said not liking the three wagons alone with trouble possibly on its way.
Heyes got off his horse and moved to
enter the camp.
“Who are you?” Deke Lander said trying
for false bravo and holding up his rifle with his father’s scowl.
Heyes pushed him aside and met his
eyes. “I’m one of the people that has to get you out of this mess,” he growled
and the young man swallowed and stood aside.
*************************
It was a rather strange reunion as
both groups faced each other a half hour later.
No one seemed to have anything to say
and only Xue seemed to know his purpose hurrying off to see if he could help
Landers.
Kid moved off to the side with Heyes
both having agreed earlier to just watch and see before jumping in with any
suggestions.
“Before we start any meeting my pa
should be here,” Deke Landers said.
“Heard he’s not in much condition to
do anything,” Wil said quietly.
“You listen blackie my Pa can still
manage the likes of you even with a bullet in him!”
“I don’t see why we need help from
these people anyway,” Hattie Vanderheide sniffed pulling her shawl in closer
around her.
“Are you all mad?” Maggie Landers said
suddenly coming to life terror in her eyes.
“Avis Hartwell is an animal and he is bringing God knows how many men
back to kill and…violate us all.” She
turned to Wil and the others. “I sir would welcome any help you could give us.”
“Maggie is right,” Ted Perkins
said. “Were no match for those
outlaws! We need help!”
“And were gonna get it from a rag tag
bunch like them!?” Deke said in disgust.
“He’s right, no one can do anything,
they could arrive at any moment,” Sam Veldhuizan said hopelessly.
“Half day,” said a quiet voice and
everyone turned to see Viho had entered the camp.
Someone gasped and the word savage was
whispered.
“This is Viho he’s a friend of ours,”
Dan said calmly. “He went back and did
some scouting for us up on the ridge.”
“Riders, 20, in the distance,” Viho
said staring at the group coldly.
Someone began to cry and the Lander
party seemed to cave in defeated.
“There is no way we can outrun them,”
Maddie whispered. “They will kill us all
or worse.”
Wil slipped his arm around her and
Abe, but he had no comforting solution to offer.
“Its hopeless,” Zi sighed.
“Actually,” Heyes said pulling himself
up from the wagon he had been leaning against.
“It isn’t.”
Everyone looked at him.
“Who are you?” Deke asked acting
unimpressed.
“Friend of this group’s scout,” Heyes
said. “And it seems to me all we gotta
do is figure out something that will scare those men more than they scare us.”
“What’s gonna scare a bunch of hired
killers?” Marla Veldhuizan said contemptuously.
“Oh I think warring
Namid and Maddie looked at each other
suddenly feeling hopeful.
“But we only got 2 warriors,” Zi
pointed out apologetically.
“They don’t know that,” Heyes grinned.
“But its only gonna work if we all
decide to work together,” Kid said quietly.
“Now near as I see it were all trying for the same thing, a place to
live in safety I figure that gives us enough in common to overlook any
differences.”
The group got very quiet.
“So either we all agree to work as a
team or you can start digging graves for the bodies now and you might want to
load your guns so you can put your women and children down first, better than
what they will do to them.”
Kid’s stark assessment did it.
“Tell us what you want to do,” Ted
Perkins said offering his hand to Zi.
“Well,” Heyes smiled looking like he
was enjoying himself. “First were gonna
need to shoot a lot of arrows!”
*******************************
“Mr. Heyes I got two questions to ask
you,” Wil said two hours later as everyone around them was working.
“What are those?” Heyes asked looking
up from where he was explaining to Xue about how much ‘blood’ he was going to
need.
“How do you think of this stuff and
will you promise to never let my little brother get this good at it?”
Heyes bit back a smile.
“You never get used to it Wil, this is
nothing, ask him sometime about the bank of
“Everyone hold up!” Deke Landers said suddenly coming forward
agitated. “I just figured out who these
two are! You heard them! This is Curry and Heyes! Those notorious outlaws! There the same as Hartwell and his bunch!”
Dan’s punch hit him in the jar hard
and he went down on his back and touched the blood on his lip amazed.
“You ever insult my friends like that
again Deke I’ll hit you so hard you won’t see daylight till morning,” Dan said
simply.
“Are they really Curry and Heyes?”
Marla Veldhuizan said wide eyed.
“Yes ma’am we are,” Kid said and
waited.
“Well hot damn!” Ted Perkins said
throwing his hat down in celebration.
“Now I really do think we got a chance!”
********************************
“Heyes it bother you how well this
bunch took finding out we were wanted?”
Heyes grinned, “Kid after finding out
their lives depended on getting along with people they wouldn’t walk on the
same side of the street with I think they just didn’t have any prejudice left
in them!”
Kid grinned back, “Well they sure are
working together now.” He turned and
looked around the circle of wagons. One
had been turned completely upside down and under it a large pit dug to hide the
children. Everywhere arrows had been fired into the wagons and Xue’s ‘blood’
was being smeared. All the men and women
with the exception of Marla and Hattie were being fitted with leather strips
under their clothes allowing arrows to stick up out of their backs, something
Zi and Wil had rigged up after Heyes had explained what he wanted.. Each had been given a place to fall over
‘dead’. When the gang rode up Heyes
wanted them completely convinced no one living remained.
“All right lets set that wagon on
fire,” Heyes ordered pointing to the Landers.
Its contents had been dumped out to imply looting, but still it was a rather
expensive sacrifice for effect.
“Do we really have to burn their
wagon?” Zi asked.
“Need them to see the smoke riding
up,” Heyes said simply. “And leader
always takes the punch.”
“Here I’ll do it,” Wil said innocently
picking up the torch.
“I can manage,” Deke growled taking it
from him.
“Just trying to help!” Wil smiled.
“You too ladies are going to be
carried off by the last two Indians leaving the attacked,” Heyes said to Marla
and Hattie.
“You mean we have to ride with them?”
Marla said and promptly dropped into a dead faint.
“Wonderful,” Heyes sighed.
“I don’t mind Mr. Heyes!” Hattie
smiled up at Viho who for the first time let a flicker of worry show in his
eyes.
“I’ll ride with Adahy!” Cadwyn said
running up excited! “He’s let me ride
with him before I won’t fall off!”
Heyes looked at Kid, the pretty red
haired girl being carried off would do much to credit the impression they were
trying to convey.
“Caddie its too dangerous!” Dan said
grabbing her to him.
“I protect her with my life Mr.
Gallagher,” Adahy said formally. “She is
my sister now, no one hurt her.”
“Please daddy? I don’t want to be stuck in the hole!”
Dan let out a worried sigh, “I suppose
you would be safer with him if this goes wrong.”
Cadwyn burst into a cheer.
“I wish I could get that excited about
all this,” Kid said sardonically to Heyes.
******************************
“Everyone to their places,” Heyes said
confidently 8 hours later. “Now no one
is to move until Mr. Curry here fires. He’ll take out the first six and the rest will
be up to us. They will have their guard
down and we shouldn’t have any trouble getting the drop on them. Aim for their middle and your bound to shoot
something.”
“Yea maybe if you’re a cold blooded
killer like you two,” Deke mumbled.
“Mr. Landers?” Heyes said suddenly in
the man’s face. “This stage will look a lot more authentic if I send a real
dead man riding out there on a horse towards them, you want that job?”
Deke went pale, “No sir.”
“Then shut up.”
Everyone not wishing to incur the same
wrath hurried off to get into position.
“The first six Heyes? I’m glad you
don’t expect a lot, anything else you need me to do?” Kid said coming up to
him.
“I only gave you that many cause you
only have six bullets,” Heyes said acting confused why he was fussing and then
lowered his voice. “I’ll be helping you
I just want this bunch thinking we do the impossible daily.”
Kid sighed, “I suppose I should be
grateful you didn’t ask me to use each bullet twice and get you twelve.”
Heyes grinned as if considering the
idea and with a groan Kid walked away.
******************************
“I don’t like it,” Serle growled from
his saddle as the group looked down on the motionless wagon train beneath them. One of the wagons was still burning, but
aside from the no sigh of life was evident.
The three men had grown to nearly 20
since Luther and Serle’s escape from town and all were hungry for a fight and
its spoils.
Hartwell stared down trying to ignore
the burning in his arm. He was gonna
kill each one of them Landers personally for doing this to him.
“Look!” one of the men yelled and
everyone turned to see Viho and Adahy riding off with holding on to Hattie and
Cadwyn who was screaming her head of in terror.
“Damn renegades must have got them
first!” Luther gasped.
“The hell, those were ours!” Hartwell
snarled.
“Lets go take a look, but circle round
and be ready might be more of them savages waiting.”
As Heyes had surmised the only thing
that could make a group that vicious nervous was the thought of getting caught
in an Indian attack. Slowly the men rode
up staring quietly at the burning wagon and motionless bodies.
“Must have took all the women,” one of
the men swore disgusted.
“Let’s see if they left anything of
use,” Luther said disgusted dismounting.
Several of the men followed suit and walked
him into the camp.
Kid rolled over and fired.
Twelve men later the rest of the
emigrants joined him.
It was a very short fight.
******************************
“Got two of ours wounded,” Kid said
ten minutes later as everyone took stock.
Eight men lay dead; the rest had taken off in a hurry all but perhaps
four wounded.
“We got Hartwell and Serle,” Heyes
said coming up.
The arrow whizzed by them and Kid
whirled with his gun in time to see one of the remaining attackers fall over
the shot having pierced his heart.
Turning they saw Viho ride in and slip
off his horse his bow out.
“For my sister,” he told Kid
quietly.
Kid let out a breath.
“I think I’m gonna go check those
bodies personally,” Heyes said swallowing and then frowned suddenly realizing
something. “Was it my imagination or did
you get twelve shots off before this all started?”
Kid looked innocent.
“You aren’t that fast,” Heyes said
trying to convince himself. “Are you?”
Kid finally laughed. “No Heyes I am not, but I did manage to get
one of the men I downed gun.”
Heyes raised his eyebrows impressed,
“I knew I should have asked for all 18 of them.” And giving Kid a smile walked away.
*********************************
“It does look like a turtle!” Cadwyn
said excited from her wagon where she sat riding with her father and Jim
“Gonna have to carve your name on it
now that you’re a real pioneer!” Kid grinned riding alongside her.
“I carve Jin Smith, I American now, I
tame the Wild West,” Jin said happily.
Strangely the events of the last few days had given the little girl a
new found courage in her and her new home.
“You gonna carve your name Mr. Curry?”
Abe asked excited riding up with Heyes.
“Ah have to think about that?” Kid
said giving Heyes a look.
“Just write it small,” Heyes suggested
trying not to smile.
Kid shot him a look and went back to
the front of the train.
By unanimous vote he had been asked to
lead the entire group as Scout. Kid had
been about to point out his partner was now well enough to take over any
leading that needed to be done only to find Heyes had raised his hand along
with the others to vote for him.
“Independence Rock, I had my doubts
for a while we would ever see it,” Dan said weary, but at peace.”
“Not only seeing, but seeing it on the
date of its namesake,” Heyes smiled.
“Happy 4th of July!”
*******************************
“Many fire lights! Big color!”
Zi said happily pouring gun powder into the rockets laid out in front of
him and Wil away from the others.
“You sure you know what your doing?” Wil asked
nervously as Heyes and Kid walked up curious.
“People gonna be real harsh with us we blow up a natural historic
monument.”
The holiday had been spent in a wild
celebration of relief. The women had set
too baking and a grand feast had been spread out for all to share. The excitement had only grown as Zi announced
there would be fireworks and all ready people were spreading out blankets
looking for the best spots to watch.
“You no worry, Chinese invent
fireworks.”
“Yea, but your American now and I’m
worried,” Wil said as Dan and Viho walked up.
“Just spoke with your grandfather,” Dan
said. “John Landers is awake, gonna make
a full recovery.”
“How is he taking all of this?” Heyes
asked curious.
“Seems a bit humbled, but I wouldn’t
put any money on it lasting,” Dan sighed. “Which is why were gonna ask you both
to leave.”
The two ex-outlaws looked at each
other.
“Were a long way from
“Yea, but were on the trail now and
Viho has offered to ride with us,” Gallagher explained.
“Safer for everyone,” Viho said
simply. “Besides my sister seems fond of
man who makes lights in sky.”
Zi looked embarrassed, but let a small
smile escape.
“I see her safe with her sons before I
leave. You no need worry.”
“Well it probably would be best if we
left while there is still some good will towards us,” Heyes acknowledged
grateful they didn’t have to make the decision.
“If you folks are right with it then
we’ll leave at first light,” Kid said a little wistfully.
“We can’t thank you for everything
you’ve done for us,” Wil said offering his hand.
“You come see us any time!” Zi said
offering his as well.
“And if Abe tries to get you to let
him join the gang turn him down?” Wil
pleaded.
“Caddie too!” Dan agreed laughing.
“Well hopefully our outlaw days are
behind us,” Heyes confessed. “Were hoping for an amnesty if we can just stay
out of trouble long enough.”
The four men looked at them in wonder.
“You two stay out of trouble?” Zi said
astonished.
“It’s been known to happen!” Kid said indignant.
“Thinking this might be good bye I
brought this along for a little toast,” Dan said revealing a bottle of whiskey. “Ellie was saving this for our new home, but
I think she would approve of its use now.”
Quickly cups were found and a round
poured and everyone paused not sure what the toast should be and finally all
eyes turned to Heyes who rolled his eyes at forever being put on the spot, but
exhaling held up his cup knowing the right thing to say all the same.
“To
