ANGEL WINGS

How many times have you asked yourself
is this the hand of fate that I've been dealt?
I triumphed in the face of adversity
and I became the man I never thought I'd be

I don't care about what they say
I won't live or die that way
go ahead and wake up it’s a brand new day

Angel wings gonna carry me away

-

Social Distortion

DENVER POST

Special Edition!

HEYES AND CURRY DEAD

Former Outlaws Killed in Avalanche Ambush!

Sheriff Lom Trevors had always known this day might come. When a man traveled life’s back road he learned early on not to store up too much optimism concerning things like second chances. True he had been one of the few to turn his future around, leave the outlaw trail and start anew, but he was the exception, not the rule.

And to be honest he had been lucky. A former outlaw that had found his way back into society and, after some hard work, a not easily won acceptance; the boys had not been so blessed. Their amnesty had been a little less than a year old and the reactions so far had ranged from outrage to indifference making the path they walked some days seem no different from the one they had left behind.

The fact that Hannibal Heyes and Jedediah Curry had vanquished their past at all still awed him. He had been wanted, but nothing close to the legendary status Curry and Heyes had built up during their outlaw era. The time they had spent dodging the law and bounty hunters, not to mention their own natures, was a testimony to what a man could do with his life if he wanted something bad enough.

Their time on the dodge had allowed them to run a gamut of employment options with them finally concluding their skills and experience only qualified them for one thing, trouble, though hopefully this time getting someone else out of it. Trevors knew they could have done anything they put their minds too, the trick was finding an occupation that would win their hearts as well. What they needed was something to keep Heyes’s brilliant mind occupied and give Kid’s skill and restlessness an out. They were perfect candidates for investigating now all they had to do is get someone to trust them with their problems. All it would have taken was that one case that would put them on the map and established them as credible.

And this last job had seemed the answer. Judge Hanley, a name from their past, had hired them to stop a band of raiders working the territory. The gang of nearly 20 was ruthlessly attacking outlying farms, stealing what they could before killing the men and then kidnapping and selling women and children to the highest bidder. It was the kind of job that would have given them instant recognition and national coverage if they had brought the gang in and Trevors was sure that was one of the reasons Hanley had asked for them. He knew the Judge believed in them since their first meeting in Junction City and a favor or two since had shown the jurist he had not misjudged their character.

And then it had all been snatched away.

The posse riding with Heyes and Curry had left them to return the women and children rescued along with ten of the captured gang. The group had returned excitedly telling stories of the way Heyes had figured out how to trap the kidnappers and how Kid had blazed into the camp taking down the guards before they could harm their hostages.

But in the fight several of the renegades had escaped including two of its leaders and neither Heyes nor Curry was willing to let them get away knowing it would start all over again once they rounded up new gang. Therefore Heyes had ordered the posse to take the hostages back with the prisoners while he and Curry went after the remaining gang.

Trevors was sure there were some that felt Heyes and Curry’s mistake had not been taking some of the posse with them. And while he knew Heyes would have picked the best men possible the group no doubt included family members of the hostages, which meant he could not spare the more experienced men to assist him and Kid, not with 10 prisoners to bring back along with wounded men and the freed women and children.

So going it alone had been the best option. The mountain pass the outlaws had headed for was known for its treachery, but neither Kid nor Heyes was a greenhorn when it came to spotting an ambush, which was one of the things that had bothered Trevors ever since he had gotten the news.

No one was really quite sure what had happened at that pass in the mountains, but a trap involving dynamite was suspected. It was hoped the fugitives had died along with their pursuers, but no one would know for sure until someone made the arduous trip around the mountain to check the back of it. And as that was likely to take a month in the spring thaw no one so far had volunteered.

Nearly to the jail he paused to study the gallows being erected in the main street. It seemed Junction City believed in making a statement and had built the scaffold to take all ten men at once. From what he had heard the hanging was to proceed immediately following the funeral tomorrow, a thought that must be weighing heavily on the men in the jail.

Trevors pulled up to the sheriff’s office at Junction City and tied up his horse. He didn’t need to let the law here know he was in town, but had decided to stop by as a courtesy and if he were honest because he was also curious.

Judge Micah Hanley had gone out of his way to hire the two ex-outlaws to stop the Peet gang when his own Sheriff was a former Bannerman. Why hadn’t he just given his own lawman the assignment?

“You’re a long way from home Sheriff Trevors,” Sheriff Horatio Scarben said looking up from his chair behind his desk and not bothering to stand or offer a hand of welcome as his fellow lawman introduced himself. On his face was plastered what Trevors had come to call a politician’s smile and Scarben’s reminded him of a badly carved Jack-O-Lantern. It was just a guess, but was he willing to bet the man kept the grin their permanently no matter what he was feeling.

Lom tallied all this up along with the citified clothes and their immaculate appearance. He wore a gun, he noted, and Lom was willing to bet he even knew how to use it, but aside from that any resemblance to a western lawman was hidden behind the fine cut of his suit and the crisp while silk of his shirt. Not that Trevors begrudged a man his finery; he knew a great many lawmen and outlaws that took dressing well very seriously. It was just that this man looked like he was more likely to shoot a man for making him rumple his creases than breaking the law.

“Came to pay my respects to a couple of old friends,” Lom replied simply.

The third older man in the room sat back in his chair fascinated at the contrast between the two men.

Trevors lived and breathed the outdoors. His stance, the aged calloused grip of his hands; the way his clothes moved naturally and comfortably against his hard, lean body. But it was his eyes that fascinated him the most. Dark, piercing and intelligent they could size up a man faster than a wanted poster and right now they made no effort to show their chagrin at a lawman that let others do his job for him.

Sheriff Lom Trevors of Wyoming did not like the sheriff of Junction City and with a small smile Judge Micah Hanley had to agree with him.

“You mean the funeral for outlaws,” Horatio spat and removing a fine rolled cigarette from a silver case lit it. “Damn criminals have every crook for 200 miles crawling in to pay their respects like they were kings or something.”

“In a way they were, but that’s not why I’m here. They were my friends and good men.”

“Oh yea good men that robbed and killed, I have to take exception to your assessment Trevors.”

“Heyes and Curry never killed anyone.”

“Maybe not during their robbing, but you can’t tell me Curry never dropped a man. And I suppose you would know wouldn’t you Trevors, you rode with them, not surprising you defend your own kind.”

Trevors didn’t flinch at the insult, but Judge Hanley instantly was on his feet to intervene. The tension in the room had changed like a gauntlet had been dropped and even Scarben, who had the instincts of mud, caught it and rose to his feet.

“Sheriff Trevors allow me to introduce myself, I’m Judge Hanley,” the older man said moving between the two and offering his hand.

“Judge, heard a lot about your from the boys, they were real indebted to you.”

“And I to them; what say we retire to the saloon and I buy you a drink to toast that.”

“Be a pleasure sir,” Lom said and giving Scarben one final hard glance he turned and exited the judge quickly behind him.

“I can’t tell you how sorry I am this all turned out this way. I knew those two were the only ones who had a chance against the Peet gang and I was right.”

“But they never caught them,” Lom said surprised.

“No, but we haven’t heard from any of them since that avalanche. It may have killed Heyes and Curry, but they managed to take those villains with them.”

“Heyes told me he thought there had to be someone behind the scenes organizing things, anything ever come of that?”

“Yes he told me his theory about that and looking back I had to agree with him. Unfortunately he never returned to tell me what he and Mr. Curry had learned.”

Reaching the nearest saloon the two men entered to a crush of men of all walks of life talking loudly and drinking heavily.

“You disapprove?” the Judge smiled slightly as they took their beers and found a table in the back.

“You got a pretty rough element here Judge; if I were sheriff I’d be lining up deputies and confiscating guns.”

“A wise idea, if you were sheriff, but you’ve seen the one we have. It seems he believes in only handling crime once it happens; which is why the Peet gang got such a foot hold in our area.”

“I hear they had moved up from smuggling guns to the Indians to taking women for the bordellos, that true?”

“Yes it is; didn’t bother them if they were merely children either.”

Lom shook his head and took a sip of his beer. “You must have been paying a stiff reward. Heyes and Curry don’t usually bounty hunt.”

“No, just a $1000 the town raised, those two did it more as a favor to me than anything. Though I think when they saw the burned out farms where they raiders had hit it convinced them more than anything else.”

Lom swallowed, he was one of the few people who would understand how such a sight would galvanize the two men into taking the job.

“Yes I know,” Hanley said quietly. “After I first met them I did a little checking up on their past. I knew it would remind them of what happened to their families and I confess I used that to convince them to help me stomp out this vermin. And now I have to live with myself.”

Trevors considered this, “No one uses Heyes and Curry, if they took the job it’s because they wanted to.”

“Thank you,” the Judge said not convinced, but grateful. “Some of their other friends are in town. They are staying at the Stanford. Tell the desk clerk you are a friend of mine and you’ll get a fair rate.”

“Fair rate?”

“The funeral of Curry and Heyes promises to be quite a carnival especially combined with a hanging. The town is making the most of the crowds and rates are sky high. They were legends and they had a lot of friends.”

Lom looked around the room recognizing a few faces, “Yea, they did, but I think a good portion of this crowd is here to take advantage of the circus the funeral is going to cause. I have to admit I was kind of surprised when I got your telegram didn’t figure anyone would do anything since they didn’t have bodies to bury.”

“Probably wouldn’t have, but Mr. Saunders, ah you know him, well he arrived a week after the news broke and quietly asked if he could place a memorial to the two in the cemetery. Family of Tate Givens, one of the hostages freed by Heyes and Curry had also been petitioning for something to be done and the two joined causes. Might have stayed a nice quiet civilized affair, but the newspaper reporters here covering the trial got wind of it and it just snowballed. Still it did allow a lot of their real friends a chance to come and express how much they meant to them.”

“Maybe,” Lom said finishing his drink and standing. “But it might have been nice if a few of them had come forward and made that known during the last couple of months.”

And picking up his hat he walked out of the saloon.

Judge Hanley sat back and considered the men who would have such a friend. It said much of them.

And he remembered how lucky he counted himself to be able to call them the same. Not to mention how it had saved his life…

*******************************

Junction City, Colorado

1881

The audacity of the kidnapping had surprised even him. The trial of Jack Hall had been a sensation and the money his father had poured into it had been the talk of the territory. Wary of his jury being compromised Judge Micah Hanley had taken every precaution to keep them sequestered, but in the end it had been no use. Bribery, threats and one out right beating had contaminated the trial and made it seem any chance of an untainted verdict impossible. But Hanley was not to be thwarted. He took justice very seriously and had no qualms with taking the back door to get it. Therefore declaring a mistrial he had announced he would render verdict on the young man and his murder-rape charge himself. He knew it might not stand up with Hall’s rich lawyers, but that was fine with him. Let it move up to a higher court, the jury there would be a lot harder influence and far too public to threaten.

But Janis Hall had merely solved this problem by having him kidnapped, thought perhaps that wasn’t quite the word considering he had not left his home.

“I tell you we’ve searched his mines, his businesses in town…everywhere!” Court clerk Clyde Lope groaned frightened of these two men who had stormed the Judge’s office saying they were here to help.

“Could all ready be dead Joshua,” Kid had to admit.

“No ground is too hard to bury a man till spring thaw.”

“Then throw the body down a well,” Kid continued playing devil’s advocate knowing it helped his partner think.

“Maybe, but I’m willing to bet a man who thinks himself so above the law that he can kidnap a judge would believe he could sway him to do things his way. No I think he planned to keep him around and try and persuade him first, less messy that way.”

“Yea, but where?” Kid said agreeing. “Whole town is looking for him. That storm that blew in the night it happened would have kept them from getting very far, man couldn’t see two feet in front of him without a rope to hold on to.”

Heyes looked up sharply, “He couldn’t could he?”

Kid nodded knowing his partner was on to something, “What say you show us where it all happened?”

The clerk nodded meekly and nervously pulled some keys from a top desk drawer. “His housekeeper Martha has gone to stay at her sister. They tied her up when they burst in and she’s taken to bed with worry at being handled so. Judge always treated her real fine.”

The three men stepped out into the snow clogged street and pulled up their collars. The weather was still vicious and only a fool would consider traveling in it. Or two men worried about a man who had done them a good turn once and saw a chance to return the favor.

“Your lucky the railroad got the tracks clear enough to get you here,” the clerk went on his breath visible with every word.

“Yea that’s what took us so long,” Kid admitted not liking the idea it had delayed their journey and possibly any chance they had of helping.

Finally the group stopped at an old stone building on the edge of a tree lined street. It was clearly the oldest house in the neighborhood and work had been done on it to transform it into something more fashionable and genteel, but the core still showed the shape of the study prairie house it had once been.

“Judge’s house used to be the jail, court and trading post all in one before the town got built proper,” the clerk explained as he tried to find the right key to the front door. “Once the town took off thanks to the railroad Judge Hanley’s wife made him do some adding on to make it look respectable. Real fine woman she was, whole town misses her. He built the first part of this place for her when they come west. Strong as a fortress said he wanted to keep her safe.”

Heyes and Kid instantly looked at each other.

“I’ll see if I can spot anything,” Kid said hurrying back down the porch steps as Heyes frustrated by the man’s dawdling pushed him aside and firmly kicked the door open.

“What are you doing? Look mister you are gonna have to pay for that!”

Heyes grabbed the little man by the collar and pulled him half way up the wall, no small feet considering he was taller than him.

“Where is he?”

“What? How would I know?”

“Somebody had to make sure those jurors got the messages from the boy’s father and besides the Judge and the sheriff you’d be the only one who had contact with them.”

“This is crazy!”

“Where is he? Is he alive?” Disgusted Heyes dropped the man hard and quickly began prowling the house as Kid raced back in.

“Hard to tell with the additions, but the west wall doesn’t measure up right.”

Together the two men began pulling furniture away from the wall until at last they spotted something.

“This carpet has been moved and put back,” Heyes said suddenly. “Look at the imprints from that table, they are different.”

Kid responded by getting down on his knees and pulling up the huge rug. “Damp under the carpet!”

“Like maybe snow from someone’s boots? What do you do Lope visit him once a day with water and food?”

The clerk let out a gurgle that sounded like a stuck pig and moved to scramble for the door.

Kid’s gun jumped into his hand. “Move again and I’ll blow off both legs so you can’t.”

The man slumped down terrified.

“Here it is!” Heyes said excited tracing his hands along the wood floor until he found what he was looking for and pulling out a knife wedged the floor panel up.

Judge Hanley blinked at the intrusion of light and relief flooded into his eyes.

Two hours later the three of them sat around a large fire nursing stiff drinks while Martha could be heard enthusiastically banging out dinner in the kitchen.

“How on earth did you think I might here?” the Judge asked finally. He was weary, shaken, but resilient as ever.

“Didn’t see they had much choice and when I saw the house I realized most of these old homesteads had an Indian hole to hide women and children.”

“And Janis knew that, he’s been living here as long as I had, even helped me build this place. How did you know Lope was involved?”

“Heyes knew before he met him,” Kid grinned.

“Suspected,” Heyes corrected.

“You that good a judge of character son?” Hanley questioned.

Heyes let a small smile escape, “No sir, but he was the only one with opportunity and at the wage a clerk makes, man his age could easily be tempted. That’s why I accused him.”

“And if that’s the best he bluffs,” Kid sighed. “Man should avoid Poker.”

“You two have a career as detectives ahead of you!” the Judge said predicted.

Heyes fought a smile, “Actually sir most times its just common sense than any great detectiving; just a matter of who had the chance to do it.”

“When Heyes read the story in the paper he had a fair idea of what might had happened that’s why we knew we had to get here fast before the weather eased up and they decided it was too risky to keep you alive,” Kid said.

“I owe you both my life,” Hanley said moved and raised his glass. “Thank you.”

“Well we felt the same way about what you did for us,” Heyes said raising his in reply.

They had only stayed the night disappearing at dawn before anyone could link the daring rescue to them.

Hanley sighed and stared down at his drink. He had done everything in his power after that day to promote their amnesty. Letters, jobs, whatever they needed. And in the end it had killed them.

Disgusted he pushed his beer aside and demanded a whiskey.

*****************************

“Careful with that! You are going to crush it!” Clementine Hale groaned as the porter uncaringly dropped her case onto her hat box on the train platform and went back to work unconcerned.

“Well you can’t just leave me here! How am I supposed to manage this and find my way? My name is Clementine Hale! There is suppose to be…” she groaned the man was gone.

“Problem ma’am?”

The tall handsome fair haired stranger lifted his hat and offered his best smile.

Clementine, immune to none of the above, gave her best helpless look.

“I was trying to find a hotel, suitable for a lady.”

“Stanford Hotel, ma’am, best in town,” the cowboy suggested picking up her bags effortlessly. “Allow me to help you.”

“Oh well I couldn’t…I mean I don’t even know you…”

“Jim Stokely ma’am, I believe we had mutual friends.”

She cocked her head remembering the name, “Heyes mentioned you!”

“Yes ma’am I have no doubt he did!” Stokely grimaced, but did it with a smile. “Now let’s get you settled. This town right now is no place for a lady to navigate alone.”

“The lady is not alone!” came an indignant sniff and Stokely turned to see a pale dandy in a gray suit waving his handkerchief around as if warding off evil spirits. “Clementine you never mentioned the west had so much dust!”

“Ah this is Daven Reynolds my fiancée. Daven I thought you were going to wait in the ticket office until I could…”

“Full of ruffians, just like the train! I certainly hope the hotel has some sense of decorum.” Stopping he gave Stokely a glance and then dismissing him as a servant continued, “My bags are there bring them along as well,” the thin pompous little man said once more waving the handkerchief like a debutante at a charity ball.

“They certainly are,” Stokely said walking past him with just Clementine’s and smiling to her took her arm. “Come along ma’am I’ll show you that hotel.”

Daven stopped shocked and disgusted hurried back to his bags certain they would be carried off at any moment by Indians or brigands or trampled by these buffalo he had heard so much about.

“Daven is new to the west,” Clementine said. “Maybe we should wait for him…”

“Gentleman doesn’t leave a pretty lady like you standing out in the street,” Stokely smiled pulling her away effortlessly.

Clem sighed and had to agree, not that she wasn’t capable; but a girl only liked to admit that as a last resort. She had moved back east to start a new life and had planned to forget her past and everyone in it after her father’s death. Her mother’s family had welcomed her with open arms and moving in eastern society had been fascinating. Not to mention the attention of so many well to do young men had made her feel certain she had found her rightful place in the world.

Even the letter from the boys with the news of their amnesty and its subtle hint to drop their names to her new well off friends to help them find work had not moved her to respond and she had put the letter away as if it meant nothing to her. She was seeing Daven by then and enjoying being treated like a lady of society. She had put the past behind her now and all those in it. This was where she belonged and she was going to do nothing to endanger that future.

But the news of their death struck something in her that brought all the memories flooding back and impulsively she had booked a ticket west explaining the death of old friends required her presence.

At first she had been pleased when Daven had insisted on going assuring her that he wanted and needed to be available to see her through this difficult time.

But as the journey had worn on she had quickly realized Daven did not do well out of his own environment. And now surrounded by western men he was looking less and less like the golden prince she had crowned him and more and more like a whining ninny.

“Thank you Mr. Stokely,” she said pulling her hand free at the hotel desk. “I can mange from here.”

“My pleasure ma’am, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you later at Mr. Saunders’ gathering.”

“Soapy is here!” she said delighted.

Stokely smiled liking the way she looked when she was genuinely happy. What was a spirited girl like this doing with a milk toast fiancé like that one?

“Yes ma’am. He’s rented out the dining room for a private party this evening. I know he would want you to attend.”

And saying his good byes he tipped his hat and left whistling.

Clementine turned back to the desk clerk barely hearing the arrival of her fiancé huffing and puffing and complaining loudly that he had left civilization for the wilderness and was not likely to recover.

Her mind was very far away remembering the very first time she set eyes on Hannibal Heyes and Jedediah Curry.

*******************************

“Grandma look! What’s all that ruckus going on over there?” 14-year old Clementine Hale asked wide eyed as she and the older woman exited the mercantile that hot Saturday afternoon.

It was market day and Geraldine Hale always liked to be finished and out of town before the ‘cow folk’ woke up from their Friday night hangovers and began hoorahing the town for their Saturday night ones. But the big Founding Day social had delayed her and her young granddaughter forcing them to finish their errands well past noon.

“Nothing that concerns us young lady and do not say ruckus, ruckus is not a word young ladies use,” her grandmother started to lecture and then mercifully was pulled away by an old friend hurrying up clearly eager to impart some new piece of gossip.

Bored Clementine saw her chance and subtly eased herself off the store’s porch and into a better view.

It wasn’t that she didn’t love her grandmother, she really was grateful for her taking her in while her father was ‘away’. Geraldine Hale was a good Christian woman doing her best with a child that daily reminded her of her failure with her own son. But life sure was considerably duller than it had been with her dad. He wasn’t a bad man really, just weak and with her mother’s death he had needed things to distract him. It had occurred to her once that she should have been enough to distract him, losing her mother had devastated her, but she had quickly dismissed that thought as selfish. Her father needed her loyalty, especially at a time like this.

So she had dutifully left St Louis and gone west to stay with his mother and found she was expected to fit in and make herself useful and curtail her own natural enthusiasm.

Which wasn’t really so awful, just boring; she had so hoped ‘the wild west’ would prove more interesting than church teas and sewing for the needy.

But with the arrival of the herds bound for the railroad the town had definitely gotten livelier. And as she moved closer she could see an argument had poured out from a nearby saloon onto the street. Skinny and small she had no trouble working her way through the folks watching what was going on and soon found herself in front of the crowd.

Two men, no that wasn’t right, one was barely older than she was, were facing each other. It only took a second for her to realize this was what the dime novels called a gunfight and she gasped and tried to move back, but the crowd had closed in tight behind her removing any chance of an easy escape.

Swallowing she found herself studying the two antagonists in horrible fascination, it not lost on her that one of them was most likely going to die in the next few seconds.

The older man was in his early 20’s and looked hard and seasoned, but oddly she had the strangest feeling he was also frightened.

Across from him the young boy with his tousled blond curls and blue eyes stood calmly and from him she detected nothing, not fear, not bravo, nothing and it was then she realized this was what was frightening the other man.

Suddenly the older man went for his gun, but he never reached it falling down hard, a bullet to his shoulder dropping him effortlessly.

The crowd gasped as one and all eyes turned to the young boy who twirled his gun back with almost grown up weariness.

“Fastest I’ve ever seen,” one man behind her proclaimed.

“Wooohoo lets see how the sheriff handles this young buck, he’s faster than him and Wild Bill!” another laughed, but she noticed both moved away quickly as the sheriff hurried up.

“We got a law against gun fights in this town boy,” the lawman said.

“You got a law against self defense too?” came a voice and everyone turned to see a dark haired boy not much older than the winner of the gun fight move up to stand next to his friend. He was out of breath as if he had been running desperately.

“How do I know it was self defense?” the lawman growled. “Anyone see anything?”

Suddenly the crowd was consumed with somewhere else to be and as Clementine watched them all slink away she stepped forward boldly.

“I did sir! And the man that got shot not only drew first he called this young man out….if that’s the correct way of putting it.”

All three men stared at the little girl. The dark haired one bursting into a grin that made her forget every smile she had ever seen.

“Fine a little girl says… the lawman spat.

“I am not a little girl! I am Clementine Hale of St Louis Missouri and I do not lie!”

She said it as pompous as she could, but it came out like a kitten spitting at a bulldog.

“Hale? You Geraldine’s granddaughter?”

“Yes sir,” she said having to look down. The two boys were staring at her so intently it was making her blush.

The lawman shook his head, “Well Miss Clementine Hale of St. Louis if that’s what happened I guess that’s what happened. I’m gonna be keeping an eye on you two,” he added. “What are your names?”

“Hannibal Heyes and this is my cousin Jedediah Curry.”

“Whose outfit you with?”

“Hank Livingston.”

The sheriff studied him, “Hank is a good man, usually doesn’t employ hot heads.”

“And he didn’t,” Curry said simply. “That fella drew on me; you heard the little g...lady.”

“Not my friend’s fault man was foolish enough to pick a fight with someone faster than him,” the one called Heyes said almost cocky.

“Well,” said the sheriff secretly impressed as all get out. “Tell the kid here to keep his gun holstered or next time you both will be seeing the inside of my jail.”

The lawman strode away and with the loser of the gunfight being hauled off to see the doctor it only left the three of them. The two boys appeared to have forgotten about her as the dark haired one turned on his friend his calm demeanor slipping away suddenly to reveal how frightened he’d been.

“I leave you alone for ten minutes and come back to find you meeting Oklahoma Sam in the street! Jed are you crazy?”

“He said I was cheating!”

“You don’t win enough for anyone to accuse you of cheating!” Heyes groaned.

“I do when I’m not playing you,” Curry replied and suddenly looked a little sick. “Aw Han it all happened so fast I swear I didn’t want to have to shoot him.”

His cousin suddenly forgot about being mad or frightened and put a hand on his shoulder. “I know, we just look like green horns and these fellas figure they can take advantage of us. Picked the wrong cowboy for that though,” he said giving his partner a warm smile trying to take some of the pain out of his eyes. “Hell Jed I ain’t never seen you draw that fast!”

“Makes a difference when someone is gonna shoot back,” the boy mumbled.

“Come on I’ll buy you a drink.”

“I’m still trying to get over being sick from the last one you bought me,” the boy lied softly not wanting to admit the effect having to shoot a man was having on him.

His friend understand and didn’t embarrass him by mentioning it had only been a watered down beer and that had been two hours ago. “Then lets get some food into you, real food, that always helps,” his friend said leading him towards the diner trying not to look like how much his friend’s pain was bothering him. “With the money we got from that drive we can afford us steak and pie and maybe even seconds!”

“Excuse me!”

The two boys turned and looked at her as if suddenly remembering she was there.

“Ah sorry ma’am never did thank you for standing up for me,” Curry said pulling off his hat his sincerity apparent in his eyes. “Thank you.”

He turned to go, but she raced round in front of them.

“There is a dance tonight at the feed barn! For Founder’s Day! You can come!”

The two looked at each other and almost managed to hide smiles.

Annoyed she continued on quickly. She had learned early on that the faster you talked the better chance you had of getting out what you needed said before people ignored you.

“They’ll be dancing and free food and…”

“Girls?” Curry asked suddenly interested.

“Of course there will be girls who are the boys going to dance with!” she said like he was an idiot.

The one called Heyes burst into laughter, “Well thank you ma’am we sure will consider it!”

“Clementine Hale!” an older feminine voice pierced the air.

Clementine looked back and winced.

“Grandmother?” Heyes guessed following her gaze.

“Yes,” she admitted. “I think I’m in trouble.”

“I hope not on my account,” Curry said concerned.

“Oh no I manage just fine at that without any help from anyone.”

“Clementine!”

“Good bye! See you tonight!” she said happily and almost skipped away.

She not only one date for the dance, she had two! And darn if they weren’t the two handsomest boys she had ever seen!

******************************

“I don’t know about this Jed,” Heyes said uncomfortable as the two young men stood in the door way to the brightly lit room alive with music from a fiddle band. All around couples and friends were dancing and laughing and for a crowded room it suddenly seemed rather lonely.

“Lady at the cafe said there would be lots of pretty girls,” Jed said eager for something he could only explain as being like ‘back home’. He moved forward, but his cousin did not miss the whispers that followed him. Jed had been labeled from the fight earlier and only knowing the rancher who had brought them up with the cattle drive had gotten them in the door.

“Jed there are pretty girls at the saloon,” Heyes said worried about where this could be headed.

“Not that kind of pretty, back home pretty,” Jed said stubbornly. “Listen the music’s stopped I’m gonna ask someone; you coming with me?”

Heyes rolled his eyes but followed clearly not sure this world had a place for them anymore.

Clementine looked up just in time to witness the snub. She had been helping her grandmother cut pie in the kitchen, while trying to keep an eye on the door. She had just about given up on them coming when she saw them.

Delighted she smoothed down her new green dress and brushed her hair back. She had convinced her grandmother she was too old for braids, well the truth was she had hit the fact her hair wasn’t braided until she had gotten there and then it was too late to do anything. With her hair down almost to her waist she felt very grown up and that would surely impress them though she couldn’t for the life of her figure out which one she wanted to impress more.

She waited hoping they would notice her and watched as they confidently walked up to a group of girls their age at the refreshment table; neither boy, even at that age, was shy, and gamely each singled out a girl to ask for a dance.

They were answered by giggling and then shooed away by their mothers who gave the two strangers strong looks of disapproval.

“I told you this was a bad idea,” Heyes said worried.

“Were just strangers, let’s get some punch, things will warm up in a bit,” Jed optimistically decided.

And so they were left in the corner, but not ignored, every eye was on them. Dance after dance they were turned down or completely ignored and as Clementine watched her shyness turned to anger at the treatment they were being given.

“I guess you were right Han,” Jed said finally as he was turned down again. “Let’s go.”

Clementine started to panic, they were going to leave. Desperate she looked around for a reason to make them stay and spotting Mr. McKenzie who was playing lead fiddle she hurried up and whispered to him.

He blinked, but then seeing her suffering bit back a smile and nodded.

“And now ladies it’s your turn!” he told the crowd. “Next dance is ‘Ladies choice’!”

Not wishing to embarrass themselves further by being the only males in the room not asked to dance the two cowboys headed for the door only to be firmly stopped by one Clementine Hale.

“Would you like to dance?” she said hands on her hips defying anyone to stop her.

“Both of us at once?” Heyes grinned amused for the first time that night.

“Well one at a time would be easier,” she said slightly taken back, this she hadn’t considered.

“You’re the little girl in the street today,” Curry said remembering.

“I am not little!” she said almost stomping her foot.

“Yes you are,” Heyes said, but his smile took away the insult. “And you sure your ma is gonna want you dancing with us?”

“My ma is dead,” Clementine said haughtily. “Now do you want to dance or not?”

Heyes paused to consider this. He was 17 years old and at 14 Clementine was a million years younger, but her spunk had charmed him. “I want,” Heyes grinned and catching her arm he swirled her out onto the dance floor taking her breath away with his energy.

She would dance with many handsome gentlemen after that night, but not a one could hold a candle to the two strangers who were so out of place and yet felt so right.

“You sure you aren’t gonna get into trouble us dancing with you Clem?” Jed asked as he swept her out onto the floor.

Clementine stole a peek over at the disapproving glances coming from the Ladies’ Aid Society. Someone would be hurrying to find her grandmother no doubt.

“Don’t call me Clem! My name is Clementine,” she said lectured him and when he grinned she had to grin back. “All right probably, but I don’t care.”

“Well you should, your folks are just looking out for you; pretty girl has to be careful.”

She stared up at him with something akin to hero worship, “You think I’m pretty?”

Jedediah did not have to lie, “I do ma’am.”

“But you also think I’m a little girl.”

“You are a little girl, how old are you Clem?”

“16.”

“How old?”

“14,” she admitted disgusted.

He laughed, “I would have guessed 12.”

She got indignant and kicked him, “And how old are you!?”

“15,” he winced.

“One year!” she said triumphant.

He suddenly looked at her with eyes so sad it made her want to cry. “Lot of difference in how our years added up Clem, mine carry about twice the miles. I think your Grandmother wants to speak to you.”

He stopped dancing and released her as her grandmother hurried up and tipping his hat to them both thanked her for the dance and her grandmother for her kindness and walked away.

Heyes was waiting and the two knowing it was better to leave before they were asked to step out into the cold night air.

“She’s 14,” Curry said surprised.