Every
now and then go away and have a little relaxation.
To
remain constantly at work will diminish your judgment.
Go
some distance away, because work will be in perspective
and a
lack of harmony is more readily seen.
-
Leonard Da Vinci
1881
(Immediately following ‘Night of the Red
Dog’)
|
|
|
“Well maybe its time you go your way
and I go mine!” Kid Curry said with such finality the words seemed to hang in
the air almost startling him to the point that he felt an urge to look around
to see who had said them.
Hannibal Heyes made it a point to show
no reaction despite feeling like he had just been punched in the stomach.
They had been arguing over the most
trivial things since leaving
But even though the decision had been
a unanimous one the effects of the months of confinement and the roller coast
ride of poverty and riches had left them drained and frustrated with no one to
take it out on but each other.
Now forced to sleep on the trail,
money tight and hopelessness gnawing at them a desperate weariness had taken
hold as they guided their horses out of the city not sure which direction to
take or even caring.
Normally such hardships would not have
affected them so. They had known hunger
and disappointment since they had been children and it had only bound them
closer for usually when one was down the other was able to rally him or at
least play peacemaker. This time both
men had hit rock bottom in unison forcing them to growl their frustrations out
at each other.
Even this though should not have been
enough to make them consider splitting up.
Their partnership had been forged through adversity and time and rest
usually brought one or the other around or they simply got weary of not getting
along. As Heyes had pointed out once, admittedly
he would emphasize after a few drinks, Kid and he would not have lasted as
partners this long just because they were cousins; each genuinely enjoyed the
man’s company and the friendship they shared.
Unfortunately neither man could remember that at the moment.
“All right you go your way I’ll go
mine!” Heyes said firmly and waited as if daring his cousin to make the first
move, for truth be known he didn’t have the slightest idea what his way was.
“Fine!” Kid said as if it was the
simplest decision in the world and turning his horse east did not looking back. The apparent casualness in which he did this
caused his partner’s anger to churn and just to be contrary Heyes turned his
horse west to emphasize how important it was to him that they put as much space
between them as possible.
The heat of their fury lasted
approximately a mile before both men began to question their hasty
decision. But so low was the state of
their morale each presumed the other would come after him and kept on his
direction until nightfall when they made camp separately and fell asleep trying
to convince themselves neither cared if this indeed had been the last time they
would ride together.
*************************************
The option of west was eliminated by
Smiling at the serene beauty he found
himself dismounting and walking up onto
the rocks breathed in the sea air and remembered.
***********************
1860
Eight year old Hannibal Heyes had stalked
his quarry with all the God given cunning he could muster. If his grandfather was aware of his oldest
grandson’s pursuit of him he made no sign as he readied his suitcase.
“Grandpa?”
The older man swallowed a smile and
turned as if surprised by the dark haired boy in the door way. He knew this moment was coming. He wouldn’t have been his grandson if it
hadn’t.
“Yes Mr. Heyes,” the man replied
taking a seat on the edge of the bed and patting a place beside him. “How may I be of assistance?”
“Tell me about the ocean again,”
“Your mother tells it better than I
lad, spirit of the poet in her there is.”
“Is it really that big? So big you can’t see nothing past it?”
“Yes, yes it is, most wondrous thing
you’ve ever laid eyes on.”
“Which is a very good point,”
“They’ll be plenty of time to see
oceans lad.”
“But not with you.”
The words were sincere and perfect and
the old man seemed genuinely surprised by them.
“Aye that is possible.”
“Please grandfather, you always say a
man shouldn’t turn down a chance for a memory, please let me come with you!”
His grandfather considered the
request. It was not like he hadn’t seen
it coming, young Heyes had all the wanderlust of his side of the family and the
courage. Combined with his father’s
brilliant mind even at this young age he had come to decide nothing would be
impossible for him if he tried hard enough.
“Lad the ocean is a great many miles
away you’d be gone nearly a month. I
canna see your mother approving.”
“She will if you ask her! Please grandfather, I want to travel with you
as much as I want to see the ocean!”
The old man smiled and ruffled his
hair, “All right we’ll see what we can do, but no promises.”
The little boy let out a whoop of
joy.
“I have to go pack!”
“Heyes lad wait she hasn’t…” the old man sighed and then chuckled, the boy
was gone.
In the end it had taken both their
silver tongues to convince his parents.
There was trouble brewing with the election coming up in November and
the summer of 1860 found the nation tense with worry and anger. But finally it had been his mother who had
relented and brought his father around.
She missed the ocean, the wild sea she
had grown up next to and wanted her son to experience it with the man who had
made it so magical for her.
And then his cousin got the news and everything went wrong.
*****************************
The memory made Heyes mad at his
partner all over again and mounting up he paused not sure which way to
head. Faced again with another
directional decision he decided to get a drink first and something other than
jerky to eat. With six dollars in his
pocket he would have to be frugal in his choices, but whatever the consequences
he wanted a bed, a bath and hot food. He
was slowly starting to realize he had spent the last 24 hours making life
altering decisions not in the best frame of mind.
The Southern Pacific railroad had
reached the sleepy fishing
Under the warm sunshine and sea breeze
Heyes began to feel his spirits lifting.
Taking his time he took note of the sheriff office, didn’t know him and
then the hotels, there were 12 counting boarding houses and lastly the saloons.
He cataloged 8 and noted like
The remaining six were divided up
among the merchants, farmers and travelers and were for the most part this time
of day quiet. Finally he decided on the
hotel Del Monte. It was near the train
station and a favorite with visitors and Heyes had learned it was easier to fit
in as a stranger in a room full of them.
Besides with a little luck the saloon
would fill up later with those new in town supplying him with a chance for some
poker with players looking for a distraction.
It was then he realized he was
thinking about staying for a while and it made him uneasy, but not uneasy
enough to saddle back up and head east.
******************************
Kid Curry would never have admitted he
had turned west because he knew that was the direction his partner had taken.
His reason, he told himself out
loud was because the Sierras were still melting into spring and he didn’t feel
like facing snow for a good long while, if ever again. He needed to warm up, get a stake and then
think about his next move.
Besides he had as much right to go west
as Heyes did and he better not have a problem with that when he found him. The idea of a fight with his cousin made him
cheer up considerably and when he finally pulled up to stare at the Pacific
Ocean his senses rushed memories back at him that caused him to dismount and
for a moment forget how desperate things were.
************************************
Summer 1860
“You weren’t suppose to come! You aren’t even old enough, you’re a baby!” 8
year old Hannibal Heyes glared at his younger cousin as they waited inside the
stagecoach for their grandfather. The
stage had finally stopped and their grandfather had gotten out ordering them to
stay put as a storm was brewing and he didn’t want them ‘blowing off to South
America” when he wasn’t looking.
“Grandpa said I could come!” 6 year
old Jedediah Curry said haughtily as the man in question took their bags from
the driver. This was the closest stop
the stage made to the ranch they were visiting and they would have to walk the
final distance.
“Only because you cried and made your
mom ask him!”
Jedediah Curry smiled happily. The very concept of being left behind while
his older cousin and his grandfather had such a fantastic adventure was just
too unbearable to consider. Yes he had
cried, but only as a last resort!
“I ain’t never seen the ocean,” Jed
said stubbornly refusing to feel remorse for horning in on his cousin’s
trip. “My Pa says a Curry has the ocean
in his blood!”
“Yea well your blood ain’t old enough
to see the ocean!”
“I got a knife!” Jedediah said pulling
out his prize possession. “My Pa says every man needs a good knife! So I must
be old enough!”
“You Pa only gave you that when you
weren’t coming to make you quit wailing!”
In fact
If they were honest neither boy knew
quite what their grandfather did with horses that was so special, but he was
good enough that an old friend who was a groom for a man all the way in
The tall, strong Irishman was
everything a little boy could wish for in a hero and
Never had the boy felt so grown
up. Him and his grandfather off seeing
the world and more importantly the ocean!
And the best part was Grandpa Curry
never treated him as a child, they discussed things, important things like the
troubles in the country and things in books he read. Grandpa Curry had let him try his cigar and
taste his whiskey and stay up late and watch for shooting stars. No this was too wonderful to share with his
baby cousin, he just wasn’t old enough to be traveling with two men like him
and Grandpa.
Of course Jedediah saw it differently.
Jedediah had twice the energy of any boy his age and woke up every morning
raring to go in search of excitement.
The idea his very best friend and his grandpa would leave him behind was
simply inconceivable.
And young Jedediah despite his age was
all ready a clever little boy who knew that big blue eyes with tears in them
could make just about any woman crumble.
He always felt bad about pretending to cry, but sometimes when a man was
just 6 he had to do what he had to do or life would just up and pass him by.
“All right lads out you come.”
They both tried to shove out the door
of the stage at the same moment Jed nearly doing it thanks to his smaller size,
but at the last moment
But their grandfather wasn’t watching,
he had turned to look at something off the road and both boys followed his gaze
and stood stunned.
The ocean in all its glory was laid
out before them just yards away.
“I didn’t think there was that much
water in the whole world,”
“It goes forever,” Jedediah said and
reaching out caught his grandfather’s hand not sure he was comfortable with
water he couldn’t see the other side of.
“Come on lads storm will be here soon
and we’ve got a bit of a walk to reach the ranch.”
“Is it really salty?”
“Aye and you’ll find out soon enough,
tomorrow when this storm has rolled past we’ll go for a swim.”
Jedediah held on tighter to his
grandfather’s hand. His cousin had been
going on about getting to see whales and the story of Jonah kept running
through his head annoyingly. Maybe this
had not been such a good idea after all.
His grandfather as if noticing looked
down and gave him a wink. “Brave heart
Mr. Curry!”
The little boy nodded and reaching
into his pocket for his knife grasped it firmly. He was sure it was big enough to fight a
whale and feeling considerably better he hurried to keep up against the wind.
**************************
Kid was pulled out of his memory by
the smell of food and realized it was late afternoon and a long time since
breakfast. Turning his horse he walked it down to the docks where they men had
just come in with their boats and were heading for a hot meal.
His horse and he looked out of place
as he pulled up outside the water front café and for a moment he considered
continuing on into the town proper, but the smell was just too irresistible.
The one room establishment was crowded
and wary dark eyed fishermen watched him go up to the counter and order. There reaction was like a group of sheep
grazing and suddenly becoming aware a wolf was among them.
It wasn’t panic yet, but they were
tensed to flee should the need arise.
As for Kid he was used to people
reacting to his presence that way and while it bothered him he was too hungry
at the moment to care.
The older woman who took his order
seemed surprised when he paid and thanked her and the tension in the room
dropped down a level.
Taking the hot food to a table cleared
for him near the door he ate ravenously and didn’t turn down the second
helpings brought to him. It was some
kind of thick soup made of what he
guessed was potatoes, sausage, cabbage, onions and garlic and filled him generously
combined with the loaf of hot sweet bread supplied him.
Finally he sat back satisfied full for
the first time in months and allowed himself to enjoy the warm sunshine coming
in through the window with the smell of the sea. Casually he listened to the conversation
wondering what language it was. It
sounded like Spanish, but it wasn’t; he would have to ask Heyes. He tensed realizing that wasn’t an option any
more and his spirits nose dived again.
Getting up he thanked the woman and
walking his horse found a spot on the sand next to a tree and a shelter of
rocks and tied the animal to graze. A
good a place as any to take a break before facing the rigmarole that involved
entering a new town; sitting down he stretched out against the trunk of the
tree and settled in for a lazy nap.
*******************************
For Brandon
and George McKenzie it had not been the best 24 hours of their lives. Here
it was Friday afternoon and thanks to some fast shooting stranger they were
broke and having to start all over again looking for some patsy to sell to the conscript
gang. Just the thought of that cowboy taking their prize away from them
made them meaner and drink harder. Heck there had only been one of
him! Course as George had pointed out twice his gun sure evened that up
and he had snuck up on them, took them by surprise, no it hadn’t been fair at
all.
The
fact they had snuck on that fisherman coming home from a beer with friends
didn’t enter into it. Man had to make a living didn’t he?
And
so they sat nursing their disappointment in the corner of the saloon and
waited.
Hannibal
Heyes noticed them as soon as he walked in. He had a room now and had
cleaned up and the next thing to check off his list was that drink and some hot
food.
He
had chosen the saloon for its closeness to his hotel and the train
station. Later tonight it would fill up the poker would start, but for now
it was nearly empty except for the two men at a table when he walked in and a
lanky eastern dressed man sipping a beer at the bar.
Ordering
food and a beer he took a table in the back and finding a newspaper just two
days old he settled down to forget how much he hated eating alone.
The
man at the bar looked up from his beer to study Heyes’s arrival with
interest. He had arrived from
At
that moment the doors opened and he smiled at the arrival of his friend
Otosabura Noda. He had waited knowing he
would be by having in just a short time come to enjoy the Japanese immigrant
and the excitement he always seemed to carry with him.
Fresh
from
Even
now he had organized a band of his fellow countrymen as laborers and made it
his job to find them work throughout the growing town.
“Stevenson
my friend!” he said happily spotting him as he passed his pail to the bartender
to fill. “You must drink a beer with me
to celebrate the weekend!”
“It
will be my pleasure,” the man answered sincerely in his distinct Scottish
brogue.
Nada
always made it a point every Friday to bring a pail of beer back to his men at
the end of the day. Saloons did not
often welcome his men and it was a way of rewarding them and ensuring their
loyalty.
“Hey William when you start letting
chinks drink with us?’ George said getting up and wandering over.
“Why lookie here he gone and got us
some beer,” his older brother Brandon smirked.
“That is not for you, it is for my
workers,” Nado said and then couldn’t resist adding. “And I am not Chinese I am Japanese.”
“Yes well maybe we oughta shoot you
and see if you bleed yellow!” George said laughing.
“The man has done nothing to you let
him be,” Stevenson said worried where this was going. “Let me buy ya both a beer to help ya forget
about it.”
“Don’t be telling us what to do!’
The bartender moved to pass through
them to bring Heyes his lunch only to have it slapped out of his hands.
“Out of the way William I got me a
Chinese to shoot.”
From across the room the sound of a
chair moving back could be heard. It
shouldn’t have been the same warning as a rattler preparing to strike, but it
was.
On most days Hannibal Heyes would have
taken his meal being delayed as annoying, but hardly worth a fight. But this was not most days. He was hungry,
annoyed he was alone and just in the mood to take it all out on anyone foolish
enough to rile him.
“And I wanted that food,” Heyes said
stepping up next to the two men his voice calm and in no way suggesting the
fury behind it. The next moment George
was on the floor short a few teeth and any resemblance of consciousness.
“Now pay the man for the food you
wasted and while you’re at it buy the house a drink, then take your friend and
get out of my sight.
William would later tell customers
never had he seen the McKenzie’s so licked.
“My food?” Heyes said with a forced
smile to the bartender.
“Oh yes sir! Coming right up!” William said hurrying to
the back.
The Scotsman laughed, “Put it on my
tab William! Robert Stevenson sir, a pleasure.”
“Joshua Smith,” Heyes said grumpily
and then added thank you as he returned to his table.
“Thank you mister,” Nado bowed
following him over. “You fine man.”
“I just want to eat my lunch in
peace,” Heyes growled and returned to the newspaper he had been reading trying
desperately to ignore him and his earnest gratitude.
“You look for work? I need men, I hire you!” Nado went on
suddenly excited about having such a man working for him.
Heyes bit back smile, “Thank you, but
I…”
“You be foreman!”
“I think Mr. Smith would settle for a
drink Nado,” Stevenson grinned walking over with a bottle and three glasses.
Nado blinked surprised at the
suggestion not deeming it worthy enough for the man who had just saved his life
and waited for Heyes to object. But
Heyes merely sighed seeing he was not going to escape appreciation no matter
how hard he tried and waved them both into a chair.
“So what do we drink to?” Heyes said
taking the glass liberally filled.
“To home far away,” Stevenson
suggested.
“How do you know my home is far away?”
Heyes smiled slightly.
“Your eyes,” Stevenson said simply.
Heyes looked up sharply, “You play
poker Mr. Stevenson?”
“No sir.”
“Good,” Heyes decided.
“Robert come all the way from
“Nado is the sole of discretion,”
Stevenson laughed.
Heyes found himself warming to the two
very different men. Nado was small, but
dynamic and appeared to be moving even when he was sitting still.
Stevenson was slender, pale and
clearly not in the best of health, but their affection for one another was
refreshing.
“So what bring you to Monterey Mr.
Smith?” Stevenson asked.
“Just passing through,” Heyes
replied. “You always come this far from
home for a woman?”
“Mr. Smith when it comes to matters of
the heart there is no distance to great.”
“She married,” Nado explained. “You
sure you don’t want to work for me? I
need help against men like them, they steal workers, sell to ship.”
“The shang hai business thrives down
here Mr. Smith,” Stevenson explained at Heyes’s look.
“I thought that was
“Usually is, but sometimes a ship
can’t make crew there. Take the
Moonlight out in the bay right now.
She’s bound for the
“Those boys work for them?”
“Yes, very bad men, do no real work,”
Nado said smiling a lot now as the whiskey took effect.
The food arrived and talk turned to
Nado’s ideas for how to make his fortune.
“Need to get fishes to far away,” Nado
said frowning.
“Be an ideal place to set up a
cannery,” Heyes pointed out with a shrug.
“Cannery?”
“Factory to package the fish, boats
could sail right up and dump their catch,” Heyes added his mind grateful for
something to work on.
Nado’s eyes widened, “You smart
man! You work for me! We get rich!”
“Actually I think I’ll just go have a
nap, been a long couple of days and I hope to play some poker tonight,” Heyes
said standing and reaching in his pocket to pay.
“No, no I pay,” Nado said firmly. “You sleep, think of be my partner.”
Heyes almost stopped him by saying he
had a partner, but then it hit him he wasn’t so sure of that anymore.
“I’ll do that,” Heyes said not aware this concern showed in his face. “And thank you.”
“I’d be pleased to share a meal with
you any day sir,” Stevenson said offering his hand. “So far from home I understand what a rough
companion loneliness can be.”
Heyes looked up and nodded slightly,
“Yea, yea it is.”
Wearily Heyes found his way to his
room and barely kicking his boots off fell onto the bed and tried not to dream.
*************************
Eight year old Hannibal Heyes’s senses were exploding. He
had woken before dawn to see the end of the storm and as daybreak arrived he
had been unable to contain his curiosity. Dressing quietly he stuffed his
pillow under his blanket to assure anyone there was no need to worry and
quickly climbed out the window. There
was no question he would be back before his grandfather awoke he just wanted to
see everything first!
But
he hadn’t counted on there being so much to see. The tide pools and the
strange creatures trapped there, Jed would be amazed when he showed him
especially the thing that looked like a star. And the shells littered
along the beach. His mother had some in a box she kept with her things to
remind her of old home. He would find her the prettiest ones on the beach
to bring back for her. Jed could find some for his mom too. He grinned
imagining their faces and suddenly realized maybe having Jed along wasn’t such
a bad thing. Sure he was little, but he had good ideas and he was always
game for anything
He
looked down at his feet and realized the warm salty water was covering them
now. Frowning he glanced out noticed that the water was a great deal
further in than when he had arrived and he suddenly understood all that talk of
tides his father had tried to explain to him.
Glancing
back he knew he had gone farther than he should have, but there had been so
much to see.
And
then he spotted it. Crushed up against the rocks ahead; a small fishing boat. Clearly it had been caught in the storm only
to finally crash upon the rocks and wedge itself there.
Instantly
his imagination saw the potential. Maybe
it was really a pirate ship! There might be treasure! Excited he
began to run and only stopped when he heard it. A cry, someone was on that
boat!
.
*************************
“Welcome back Mr. Smith,” the barman
said as Heyes made his down the stairs.
Blinking he yawned and looked outside realizing it was dark. He had slept well into the evening and was
amazed how much better he felt after it.
The saloon was packed now with a rowdy
mixed crowd of strangers and locals and Heyes spotted at least two poker games
he could take advantage of.
Ordering food he stood at the edge of
the bar and wolfed it down watching both games and liking what he saw. They were low bet games, but steady and from
what he could see full of amateurs who were certain they were good. It was a combination he could take advantage
of and finishing his meal he grabbed the first open chair and the bar’s only palpable
drink, beer, and anteed up.
An hour later he was $20 up would have
had more but he didn’t want to scare his fellow players off. And to his delight there was a steady stream
of new players feeding in off ships that stopped or off the stage meaning he
had new money to go after. It was going
to be a profitable night.
“You are a skilled player Mr. Smith,”
Stevenson said coming up behind him as he rose to stretch for a moment.
“Sometimes the cards just fall right,”
he shrugged. “Off to see your lady
friend?”
“Hope springs eternal Mr. Smith,” he
smiled sadly and wandered out the door.
Heyes returned to his game. Seeing Stevenson had reminded him of his
earlier warning and he let his eyes wander around the saloon for both victims
and predators. It was a good night and
the potential for both was there, but Heyes was no green horn and returned to
his cards confident he could avoid both.
Wait till Kid sees how good I’ve…he
put the thought out of his mind. He
might never see his cousin again and that was fine by him. But it didn’t stop him from noticing every
man who walked through the door and feeling slightly saddened when they turned
out to be strangers.
**************************
The child’s scream woke Kid with a
start and he was on his feet gun in his hand surprised to find it was dark.
Getting his bearings he realized it
had come from the direction of the café and without thinking he responded to
the cry for help arriving just in time to see two men about to carry off a
younger unconscious man.
The cry for help had come from a
little girl of no more than seven with long dark braids and a face covered in
tears.
“Hold up what’s all this about?” he
asked and when the men moved to ignore him he shot both their hats off to
clarify he expected an answer.
The two would be kidnappers turned
surprised and dropped the man hard scurrying off like foxes caught in a chicken
coop.
“They take my daddy!” the little girl
cried falling down on her father.
“Hang on honey he isn’t going
anywhere,” Kid tried to reassure her holstering his gun and looking around for
help. “Where do you live?”
“On the boat with Papa and Bento.”
“Can you show me?”
The child nodded and Kid lifted the
slight figure over his shoulder like a sack of flour and taking the hand she
offered him was led down the precarious wooden pier to a small fishing boat.
A young man of perhaps 14 emerged from
the tiny cabin and frowned disgusted.
“He drunk again? What he do?
We got no money to pay you,” he said with false bravo as Kid dumped the
man onto the deck.
“Ladroes do corpo Bento,” the girl
whispered terrified.
The boy stiffened and looked up at Kid
shocked, “You got him away from them?”
“He was wonderful Benito, he is a vaqueiro! Cowboy!”
she said the word with real awe in her voice and Kid let a small smile
escape at her hero worship.
“Ladroes?”
“We say too much,” the boy mumbled
suddenly unable to hide the fear he was feeling, but to his credit he moved
boldly in between Kid and his father and little sister.
Kid nodded, it was none of his
business and he had no interest in courting trouble having enough of his own.
Turning he climbed back up on the pier
and started back towards his horse wondering how late it was and whether it was
worth trying to find a room.
Finally deciding it wasn’t worth
spending some of the little money he had on a room for a night half gone he
untied his bed roll grateful for the warm evening.
It had been many years since he had
slept on a beach and remembering he fell asleep to the sound of the incoming
tide.
********************************
Six year old Jedediah Curry had never been one to sleep in. Sleeping in meant you might be missing
something and that was just unacceptable to a little boy curious about
everything.
So when he awoke the next morning and
hurried over to the window to make sure it was all still there he felt a thrill
of anticipation. The storm had dissipated
leaving a golden morning and a sea as flat as glass. The smell of the sea air pulled at him like a
summer breeze and frustrated he glanced back at his sleeping family.
He could wake Han and ask him to come
with him,, but
Frustrated he shrugged on his clothes
and went back to the window. What would
it be like to swim in water that big? He
was a good swimmer, but was it different than the river back home?
Finally the damn burst and he just
knew he had to go see it all close up or he would explode. Just a quick look, he’d be back before they
noticed.
Shoving his pillow under the bedding
to cover for him he scrambled out of the window.
******************************
Hannibal Heyes finally got up from the
poker table and stretched knowing it was well on its way to morning.
He had done well, nearly $100 up and
felt good about things for the first time in days.
Nonchalantly he stepped outside and
unhooked his gun. He hadn’t won a lot,
but he had won the most and he was no tenderfoot. Cautiously, he studied the street and it was
then they caught his eye. Four men
carrying the bodies of 3 men down the alley towards the sea.
Frowning he paused not sure what to
do, for all he knew they were bounty hunters or even lawmen, but he doubted it.
“It seems the McKenzie boys made up
for last night,” Stevenson said coming up and following his gaze. “Poor fools, when they wake up they’ll be in
the middle of Pacific.”
“Doesn’t anyone do anything about it?”
Stevenson shrugged, “Sheriff has
enough to worry about with the town. The
attitude here seems to be if you are foolish enough to get caught it’s your own
fault.”
“A little mercenary,” Heyes decided
and looking back realized the men had disappeared. A cold chill washed over him as he remembered
Kid was out there alone, but he had gone east, hadn’t he?
A shadow of doubt hanging over him now
he said his good nights and headed for his room. Jed is probably half way to
*****************************
Little Jed Curry knew he should head
back. The sun was getting higher and his
grandfather would be mad if he woke up and found him gone, not to mention how
annoyed
But it was all so wondrous! And then he spotted it. A wreck on the rocks,
straight out of some story his grandfather would tell!
The water was all around it now and
rising and he knew the rocks and it would be covered soon. There he assured himself; if I had stayed
back in the room I would have missed it.
“JED!”
The little boy looked up startled as
if caught at something dreadful and realized his cousin’s voice had come from
the wrecked ship.
“Han!
What are you doing there?”
“Jed come quick I need your help! A man!
He’s hurt and I can’t free him!”
Taking a deep breath Jedediah didn’t
hesitate plunging into the salty waves and fighting his way to the rocks where
his cousin’s hand to pull him up was waiting.
The deck of the small craft was tilted
with a terrible gash in the middle wedging it to the rocks. Along side it there was another smaller hole
and it was then he saw the man with Han and that the sailor’s foot was lodged
into the hole.
“He’s hurt bad Jed and I can’t get his
leg free!” Han said nearly on the point of tears. “I was gonna get help, but the water is
rising so fast I’m afraid to leave him.”
The words all tumbled out from the
terrified little boy who had the man’s head in his lap to keep it from the
water.
Jed swallowed trying to think. He was scared, but very proud of his
cousin. Han had saved this man’s
life! He had the best partner in the
whole world.
“My knife!” Jed said suddenly. “Han!
I can use my knife!”
Jed nodded and pulling out his knife
began chopping away furiously at the wood holding the man trapped.
“Try pulling!”
“Still stuck!” Han groaned.
“I gotta go under and push from
there,” Jed said thinking the problem out with his usual practical nature.
“I can do it Han! You said yourself no one can hold their
breath as long as me!”
And before he could stop him Jed dived
through the hole of the boat and was gone.
**************************
Kid woke up and blinked at the bright
sunlight and for a moment wondered where Heyes was.
Sitting up he remembered and with
great certainty got to his feet. He
would have breakfast and then go find his partner and he didn’t care what Heyes
thought about it. They were partners
damn it and it was just too lonely without him wearing on a body talking.
“Breakfast senor?”
He stopped and realized the woman from
the day before was calling him in the café.
“Ah no thank you ma’am I really need
to be…”
“On the house senor,” she told him
firmly.
He looked at her surprised wondering
where this suddenly good will had come from.
“You help Abilio last night,” she said
in answer to the question on his face.
He looked down as a little familiar
face popped out and he realized it was the child from last night.
“Obrigado, thank you for helping
poppy,” the child said smiling brightly.
“This is his daughter
Kid nodded unable to resist the smell
and realizing a free meal would put him in a far better mood to hunt Heyes down
and talk some sense into him.
“Thank you I would be much obliged
ma’am,” Kid said taking a seat and suddenly finding the table filled with food.
“Real good ma’am,” he said attacking
the rice and fish concoction. “What is
it?”
“Arroz de Polve,” the woman answered
and then added on his confused look. “Octopus
and rice.”
Kid stopped chewing and nodded. “Could I have some more of that bread?”
Finishing he looked up and was
surprised to find a group of the fishermen waiting for him politely off to the
side.
“Senor we have a proposition for you,”
one said stepping forward. “We wish to
hire you.”
Kid looked up poker faced and sat back
knowing he wasn’t going to like this.
“Hire me for what I’m no fisherman.”
“We need a man who can handle men not
fish senor,” another spoke. “There is a
gang of men, they take men, boys from the village when the ships do not have a
full crew. We wish to hire you to keep
them away.”
“What makes you think I’d be
interested in that kind of work?” Kid said quietly.
“We see how you carry your gone, you
chase off those that would take Abilio,” the oldest man said.
“Thanks, but I’m not interested,” Kid
said getting up and tossing down a few coins for breakfast having realized it
was no longer free.
“We can pay you,” one man said desperate.
“Mister I don’t need money that bad,”
Kid said and walking out the door mounted his horse and headed for
******************************
Heyes awoke early unable to keep the
dark possibilities out of his head and dressing headed for the mercantile to
purchase supplies.
Walking quickly through the large
store he set the supplies he needed down on the counter relieved he had the
money to purchase enough to last even two people on the odd chance he might run
into anyone.
And then he saw it and a small smile
broke across his face. It was the same,
exactly.
“I’ll take that one there,” he added
and then turned as Nado hurried up to him.
“Mr. Smith! I work on plans! You come be my guest, we talk!”
“I’m afraid I can’t Nado I have to
catch up with my partner.”
“He smart like you? I hire him too! I need man like you and him. I try to find man that shoot fast and scare
McKenzie, but no can find.”
Heyes straightened, “Man who shoots
fast?”
“Stranger, save fisherman down at Portuguese
pier, much talk, he hero.”
Heyes broke into a grin, only one man
would single handedly take on a conscript gang and win!
Laughing the grabbed the Japanese
merchant by the shoulders, “Nado I need to find this man where did this
happen?”
“You no find now. Shang hai men very angry they go after him,
he go to sea now! Wait! Wait!
Where you go!?”
*************************
Kid got lucky on his first try. He knew his partner well enough to guess what
hotel he would choose and after a small persuasive conversation with the desk
clerk he was told what room he was in.
Entering the room by his own means he
was relieved to see Heyes was still there or his things were. Turning he found a small Japanese man
standing watching him in the doorway carrying several brown paper packages.
“Why you in Mr. Smith room? He my friend you no steal his stuff!” Nado
said loyally and then stopped as he realized how fast Kid’s gun had reached his
hand upon realizing he was there.
“What’s wrong Nado?” Stevenson said
coming out of his room to see his friend there.
“This man in Mr. Smith’s room! He go to find partner I bring his things!”
Nado gulped eying Kid’s gun.. “I thought
Mr. Smith fast!”
“Mr. Smith went to find his partner?”
Kid said breaking into a grin, the gloom of the last few days vanishing.
“He draw gun faster than hand move!”
Nado told his friend amazed. “Hey you must be man stop shang hai men! Mr. Smith go look for you he worry!”
“Heyes went after that gang?” Kid
groaned.
“No, no Heyes, Mr. Smith,” Nado said
slowly so he would understand.
“Where?”
“Sir if your friend is in trouble you
can’t go alone these men…” Stevenson tried.
“WHERE!” Kid roared.
“Rumor has it they keep the men down
by the light house,” Stevenson said.
“But at least…”
Kid never heard the end of it.
“He dead meat,” Nado sighed. “So sad, they make good partners.”
“Nado how many men do you have working
for you right now?”
“Twelve,” he said proudly.
“The fishing fleet should be getting
in about now shouldn’t it?”
“Yes but…”
“Go get your men!”
*************************
It didn’t take Heyes long to ascertain
where the conscript gang were holding their prisoners. In fact truth be told they were a sloppy
bunch clearly believing no one in the area had the courage to challenge them.
Heyes got past the first sentry with a
right hook and stealthily moved up on the make shift stone building tucked into
the cliffs along the water edge.
Two bored sentries stood watching and
Heyes knew come night fall the men inside would be dragged aboard the waiting
ship most likely never to be seen again.
Fortunately while the cliffs gave the
hide out cover from the road it also offered an excellent location to surprise
anyone watching it as the two men found out when the first rock knocked one off
his feet.
“The door open it,” Heyes told the
remaining man.
“I don’t have the key.”
“Then I’ll use your head to knock it
down,” Heyes said pleasantly.
“Seriously mister I ain’t got it!”
Heyes growled disgusted unfortunately
believing the man and spying shackles by the door trussed him up and left him behind
with his friends.
This done he turned his attention to
the lock as the sea air brought a memory of another desperate escape back to
his memory.
******************************
Han felt tears welling up in his
eyes. Jed had been down there too
long. He was dead! He couldn’t stay down there that long not
with the waves battering the ship like they were!
“Jed Curry you be alive you hear me!”
he yelled at the top of his voice in desperation.
If in answer a little curly blond head
popped up from the opening.
“Try pulling now Han! I think I cut
what was holding him away, I’ll push!”
Before
From below Jedediah felt like his
lungs were going to burst. The sea water
stung his eyes and he was being pushed away from the hole with every new wave.
Suddenly he felt the man’s foot shift
and without thinking he dropped his knife and with both hands pushed as hard as
he could.
And to his delight the foot disappeared up through the opening!
Relieved he turned back for his escape
hole only to have the ship suddenly lurch at the change in weight and felt
himself being pushed further down into the ship.
Desperate for air he struggled to
reach the hole, but he was just too small.
And then suddenly Han was there. He had dived in after him and grabbing his
hand he began pulling them both up towards the hole. Together they were enough weight to push
their way forward until finally they both broke through gasping for air.
“Hurry,” Han said shivering despite
the sunshine and shoving his cousin up onto the now precariously tilted deck.
“What about him?” Jed asked.
“We’ll pull him it ain’t far now that he‘s
free,” Han said pushing the man overboard and together the three struggled onto
the shore where they washed up and fell exhausted onto the warm sand.
“Han?”
“Yea?” his cousin said out of breath.
“I think the river is easier.”
“Yea I think so too.”
“Jedediah!
They turned to see their grandfather
and a group of people running towards them.
“Boy are we in it,” Jedediah said, but
strangely was smiling because it felt just like old times.
“Yep whooping for sure,” Han sighed,
but grinned back.
“I lost my knife,” Jedediah suddenly
remembered.
“Aw I’m sorry Jed it was a swell
knife.”
“Guess I wasn’t old enough for one
after all,” Jedediah sighed.
“Course you were,” Han disagreed. “I wouldn’t be partner with no body who
weren’t old enough for a knife.”
This confirmation made his cousin
burst into a grin sunnier than the sky above them.
And then steeling themselves they
waited for the grown ups.
In the end there was no punishment as
long as they both promised never to tell their parents the story, which their
grandfather said was a shame because it really was the grandest of tales.
*************************
Heyes opened to door cautiously
knowing that if his partner was one of the men being held and he was able he
would having something planned.
But no response greeted the light that
poured in and checking closer he found the room filled with men crouching in
fear against the wall just barely conscious.
“Jed?
Kid?” Heyes called anxiously scanning each face until finally exhaling. “Come on your free,” he told the frightened men
unable to keep the relief out of his voice that his partner wasn’t one of them.
“Free?” one of the men said
suspicious.
“Yes, but if you don’t hurry I’m gonna
leave you!” Heyes said and suddenly ducked back in as a bullet chipped the door
frame.
“Kid how do you manage to get me in
trouble even when you aren’t here!” he groaned.
********************************
Kid Curry reached the bluffs in time
to hear the first shot. Throwing caution
to the wind he leapt off his horse and slid part way down the cliff gun firing
as he went.
The four men crouched in the rocks
firing on his partner were completely taken by surprise and suddenly weren’t
sure who to turn their attention on.
Kid managed to wing one and moved
closer. Realizing this fight was not
going their way the remaining men ran for their horses only to have Heyes clip
another and send him cursing off his ride.
Slowly Heyes stepped out of the
shelter of the building and smiled pleasantly as his partner picking up the
guns of the two fallen men.
“Afternoon Mr. Jones!” Heyes greeted.
“Mr. Smith,” Kid said poker faced as
behind him an army of men caught up with the two fleeing gang members and
dragging them from their horses made short work of them.
“I sure hope they are on our side,
Heyes frowned.
“Cavalry,” Kid replied as Heyes broke
into a grin recognizing Nado and Stevenson leading the farm workers and
fishermen.
Turning back to the make shift prison
they helped the men out into the sunlight most still under the effects of the
drugs they had been given.
“And to think Nado we thought they
might need help!” Stevenson said hurrying up as the group embraced the captives
clearly friends and acquaintances.
“They no need help,” Nado said shaking
head. “They partners.”
***********************
And hour later the two ex-outlaws sat
on the rocks outside of the café nursing beers and enjoying the last of the
day’s sun.
It was the first chance they had
gotten to talk after being hailed has heroes and herded back to the pier for
celebration that was just getting into full swing.
“Food sure smells good,” Heyes said to
break the quiet.
“Try the Arroz de Polva, you’ll love
it,” Kid suggested innocently.
Heyes frowned as it got quiet between
them again. Some things needed settling
and it looked like as usual he was going to have to do it. “Look I didn’t mean
to suggest you were green enough to get yourself took by that bunch I just
figured they might have ganged up on you after you helped that fisherman and…”
“I know,” Kid said.
“I mean you can manage just fine by
yourself so can I,” Heyes went on.
“Yea I figured that out,” Kid agreed
causing his partner too look up worried.
“You figured what out?” Heyes said
starting to get angry.
“That we manage by ourselves cause
even when were by ourselves were together.”
“What does that mean?” Heyes said
exasperated.
“Something Grandpa Curry told us once
don’t you remember?” Kid sighed. “It means Heyes I was an idiot to just ride
off like that and even though I did I knew you would be there if I needed you
to be, like you always have been.”
Heyes smiled pleased, “Oh.”
They sat for a moment longer at let a
pretty girl refill their glasses and both returned the smile she gave them.
“So I was thinking maybe we should go
back to riding together,” Heyes said simply.
“Didn’t know we stopped,” Kid replied.
Heyes nodded liking that. “Oh I got you a present.” And reaching in his pocket he pulled out a
slender object wrapped in brown paper.
Kid gave him a confused look, but set
down his glass and then a little too eagerly to be nonchalant opened it and
grinned.
“My knife!”
“Genuine
“What was I seven when I lost this on
that wreck?”
“Six.”
“That was the first time we ever saw
an ocean,” Kid said shaking his head clearly touched by the gift.
“So you get me anything?” Heyes asked
drying to look serious, but the smile still escaped..
“No sorry Heyes I didn’t,” Kid said
dryly.
“Ya know Kid I’ve been thinking,”
Heyes said as another pretty girl walked by and smiled at them both. “Nado says folks around here are real
grateful and wouldn’t mind us sticking around for a bit. Offered us free room and board and we
wouldn’t have to worry about a meal.”
“Probably take the bounty hunters at
least a couple of weeks to get wind of this and get here,” Kid agreed. “Sure would be a nice spot to rest up.”
The two looked at each other and
grinned.
“You come! Much food in your honor!”
Nado said hurrying up and pulling them both to their feet. “Later we talk about partners!”
“What is that all about?” Kid laughed
as they began walking towards the café and the celebration being set up.
“Just gave him an idea and he wants my
help with it,” Heyes said with a shrug.
“Thought I might make a good partner.”
“And?” Kid said stopping and waiting.
Heyes looked back, “And I told him no
thanks. I all ready had the best.”
Historical Note: Immigrant
Japanese businessman Otosaburo Nado created
Robert Louis Stevenson was indeed in
Despite his short life Stevenson went on to write many beloved
classics including