EVERYTHING I EVER NEEDED TO KNOW
I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN
By Drena Hills
“The difference between school
and life?
In school, you’re taught a lesson
and then given a test.
In life, you’re given a test that
teaches you a lesson.”
-
Tom Bodett
Hannibal Heyes leaned back in his saddle and subtly
stole a glance over at his cousin riding along side him. They were half way down the main street of
the farming community of Lester and so far he had not noticed anything that
would cause them to pick up the pace and force them to keep moving on.
But his partner had a way of sensing
trouble in a way that even his keen eye could miss and he had long ago learned
to wait for his cousin’s opinion before exhaling.
“Nice little town,” Kid Curry said
quietly reading his mind.
But before Heyes could relax the jail
and its sheriff came into view. It
mattered not that neither he nor his partner knew the lawman, it was enough he
wore a badge, and Heyes wondered if the day would ever come when he would find
himself not tensing up at every tin star that crossed his path.
Lester had been blessed with the good
fortune of isolation and land that required so much hard work it was avoided by
all but the respectable and diligent who made the kind of citizens that rarely
have a problem with the sheriff. This in
turn had made Sheriff Kearney, who was closing in on 50, a rarity in western
law enforcement; a man allowed to grow old in his chosen profession.
He and his town had a reputation as
being honest and just, which scored hire on both men’s lists of reason’s to visit…along
with having a sheriff they had never run into.
“Looks like a nice prosperous place,” Heyes
said finally noting the new construction going on at the hay and feed store.
“Man might be able to find work…whoa!”
he pulled his horse in hard just as a small figure darted in front of
him laden down with slate and school books.
“Sorry mister!” the child yelled over
his shoulder as he hurried to catch up with a group of children ahead of him.
Heyes shook his head more relieved than annoyed, but
his quick reaction was not lost on the sheriff who was leaning over the
hitching post sizing them up.
“Get this damn animal out of my
way! What do you mean stopping in front
of me like that?”
Heyes preoccupation with the sheriff
was broken by the furious shout and he looked over to his right to see a stern,
suited man huffing furiously at being blocked from crossing the street.
Heyes blinked at the accusation,
“Excuse me?”
“I am talking to you ruffian!” the man
continued hands on his hips bulbous red nose glowing with indignation.
“It appears Mr. Smith the gentleman is
concerned that you did not realize avoiding running down that little boy was
going to inconvenience him on his way across the street,” Kid said poker faced.
Heyes shot his partner a look that
clearly said you are not helping and then noticed the Sheriff was watching even
closer now.
“My apologies sir I’ll be more careful
next time,” Heyes said with a sigh and before the man could spew more
indignation kicked his horse and moved it forward.
“Much obliged mister,” the lawman said in such a way
as they approached that they had no choice but to stop. “It is the first day of school and some of
them children are so excited they forget to think!” the man added with a grin.
“Yea well maybe the real problem is
how excited the grown up folks are to get somewhere,” Kid said dryly.
“Yea Henry Nelson is a real piece of
work, owns the bank and pretty much expects the sun and the moon to line up for
him every morning. I appreciate you
letting him blow off steam, better for everyone.”
Kid managed a weak smile back. He was not especially excited to have caught
the Sheriff’s attention even in a good way and to make things worse Heyes had
turned in his saddle as if prepared to talk all day.
“Nice to see children so excited about
school,” Heyes smiled disarmingly.
“You boys just passing through?”
“Looking for work, heard some good
things about your town if a man doesn’t mind working hard,” Heyes continued.
“True enough,” the sheriff
nodded. “See Paul at the Telegraph
office he keeps a list of who’s hiring on his bulletin board and if anyone
needs a reference tell them to talk to me.
I’ll be gone until tomorrow lunchtime, but just saying I told you to say
that should be enough.”
“Thank you sir we’ll do that,” Kid
said relieved to see the man had lost interest in them as the town minister
hurried up clutching a carpet bag desperately to his person.
“Joe will you stop looking like your
carrying a fortune around with you?” the sheriff groaned pulling the skinny man
of the cloth back on to the boardwalk.
“But I am!” the man sputtered. “That’s
why you have to accompany me to deliver this!”
The sheriff rolled his eyes and
muttered something about forty eight dollars and sixty-eight cents wasn’t any
body’s idea of a fortune and moved him along.
The two men on horseback grinned to
each other their good mood returned.
“First day of school,” Heyes remarked
as they pulled their horses up in front of a hotel that fit their taste for
location and expense and watched the children answering the school bell with
various levels of speed and enthusiasm.
“Heyes you are the only man I know who
can smile when he says that. You even
did it as a child,’ Curry said disgusted swinging down from his horse. “Ain’t natural a body enjoying schooling like
that.”
“What’s wrong with liking learnin’?”
Heyes said indignant joining him at the hitching post.
“Nothing, but school isn’t learning,”
Kid said firmly pulling his saddle bags free. “Only thing I ever learned there
was how much I don’t like school.”
“What kind of crazy talk is that? Of course school is for learning.”
“Nope, look around Heyes,” Kid said
spreading his arm out to indicate the town in front of them.
“Lester
“No Heyes life! Life is where a man
learns the important things.”
His friend blinked impressed, “When
did you get all philosophical?”
“It’s the truth, think about all the
important things you’ve learned: how to crack a safe, pull a con, evade a
posse…”
“You are confusing desperation with
Life,” his partner corrected and then smiled reassuringly at the desk clerk who
frowned only slightly as he took their money and turned to get their key. “Besides if you will remember you were the
one that couldn’t wait to start school.”
Kid frowned and paused as his cousin
scooped up the key triumphant and made for the stairs and then Curry groaned as
the memory flooded back.
“Heyes you have the most selective
memory of anyone I know!”
*************************
September 1859
Five year old Jedediah Curry was
vexed. The world was passing him by and
not even his loved ones or for the matter his best friend were showing the
slightest appropriate level of concern.
“Lands child you are just 5 years
old! Don’t be rushing to grow up on me!”
his mother said laughing from the kitchen where he was making his most recent
passionate please for justice. “School
is going to come soon enough!”
Jedediah roll his blue eyes filled to
the brim with suffering. “But
His mother gave him a tender smile and
wiping her hands on her apron bent down to meet him eye to eye. “Jedediah people are not always clever in the
same way. That is what makes you and
“Yes well at this rate my gifts are
never going to get opened!” Jedediah said glumly and stomped off disgusted.
The first year his cousin
It had been Grandfather who had first
realized how quick and accurate he was with his slingshot and encouraged him to
practice and impress Hannibal and his older friends. That support had made the run to summer pass
quickly.
But now it was September again and
this time Grandfather was gone.
“I don’t see why you gotta go back
again,” Jed said swinging is legs back and forth from where he sat on Heyes’s
bed while his cousin readied his supplies for the first day of school.
“Only been one year Jed; I got at
least one more before I know everything,” Hannibal said absently trying to
decide if his garter snake or the swell rubber spider he had gotten in Kansas
City would work better at scaring Meg Florentine. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Meg Florentine,
quite the opposite and he was certain saving the little freckled red head from
danger would win her heart and make her give him that prize marble she had
gotten from her older brother.
“
“Sorry Jed school has rules and you
gotta be 6.”
“You told me real men look at rules
more as just guidelines.
“Hannibal Heyes did you tell your
cousin that?”
Both little boys turned startled to
see Heyes’s mom giving them her best stern look that never quite worked since
it rarely reached her eyes to cancel out the sparkle of amusement there.
“Aunt Maureen why can’t I go to
school?” Jedediah said earnestly turning the full anguish of his suffering on
his second favorite person in the whole world.
Aunt Maureen always understood.
She had been a Curry once and had never forgotten what it was like to be
little.
“Because lad us wimmin folk need some
of our men here at home to help look after things, especially now that your
Grand da’, bless his memory, is gone.”
But as always Aunt Maureen knew what
to do and smiling she took his hand and winked, “Come on then; I just pulled
some gingerbread out of the oven. What
say we see if it passes the Curry family high standards?”
Jedediah only paused a moment. He knew he was being pacified, but all things
considered it was better for a man to be overlooked with warm gingerbread and
cold buttermilk in him than not.
The first day of school came and went
and then a week, which was exactly how long it took Jedediah to throw off his
self pity and decide someone grown up enough for school would take his fate
into his own hands.
It hadn’t help that Hannibal had been
a little startled about how much homework this new teacher was demanding of a 2nd
grader, not to mention with his grandfather gone the extra chores needed to be
picked up by him since his father had told him he was old enough now to do his
share of the work.
Which meant that when Jed did see him
he was either studying or too wore out to do anything fun.
Something needed to be done. And 5
year old Jedediah Curry was just the man to do it.
****************************
Cleaned up the two ex-outlaws exited
their room and followed the clerk’s advice over to a small café across the
street where they were just able to find a table next to the window. It was market day in town and along with the
first day of school a great many folks were treating themselves to a meal out
either to celebrate or at least exhale.
Ordering enthusiastically, the result of too many cold
breakfast’s on the trail, they tucked into their food silently, but neither one
missing the comings and goings passing by their window.
“Sheriff seems to be ready to head out,”
Kid said softly.
Heyes didn’t look up from his plate,
“That good or bad.”
“Depends if that’s the deputy,” Kid
said a smile in his voice causing his partner to glance up quickly to see a
lanky boy of no more than 17 getting last minute instructions from the lawman.
“Things are looking up!” Heyes said
with a bright smile and pouring them both more coffee from the pot they had
confiscated from the motherly waitress, Shirley, upon ordering.
“Sure wouldn’t mind staying a while in
a town that only needs a boy like that as its lawman,” Curry said wistfully.
“I think your forgetting how much
trouble a boy can get into,” Heyes said with a twinkle in his eyes.
Kid looked up sharply, “You aren’t
still on about that are you?”
“Nearly turned the entire town of
“I was a little, I didn’t know what I
was doing,” Kid said with his best innocent look.
Heyes smirked back at him, “You knew
just what you were doing and I was just happy for once people recognized who
the true criminal mind behind our misdeeds was!”
*********************************
As a rule young Jedediah Curry did not
mind the weekly Women’s Bible Study and Sewing Circle his mother and aunt
attended. They met in different homes,
which meant a wagon ride and there was always plenty of food as the ladies
attempted to out due each other. There
were also children near his age, though for the most part he kept to himself
refusing to share his tin of soldiers since no one knew the right way to play
with them except his cousin and perhaps his uncle.
But not even his most treasured
possession could distract him on that first meeting after the start of school
and he moodily haunted the room like a caged tiger. It wasn’t children he had been left to play
with, but babies. They were content to
quietly sit and play blissfully unaware of the injustice being dealt them.
Today the meeting was at Mary
Hillary’s house. Mary Hillary lived in
town and her husband was a lawyer and the town’s current mayor. Her house was filled with lace and breakable
brick brack and was insufferably too white and clean. Jedediah’s mother always said a special
prayer over him before they arrived. Not
that he meant to knock things over or track in dirt it was just that as his
Aunt Maureen put it, ‘he played like a boy’.
Mary Hillary’s house was not made for little boys.
His restlessness must have been
apparent to his mother because she was keeping a close eye on him and even Aunt
Maureen was sneaking him more ginger snaps than usual.
“They say it is all the rage back
east!” Mrs. Hillary said in her cultured voice she had brought back from a trip
to
“But 5 years old!” Grace Curry said
shaking her head as she frowned at a knot in her embroidery. “They are just
babes!”
Jedediah Curry’s blond curls popped up
sharply.
“
“
“Mrs. Heyes some of us are proud of
our roots,” Mrs. Hillary sniffed.
“And some of us would be well advised
to be reminded we’ve set down new roots in this great country,” Maureen Heyes
shot back.
“So is the school board planning to
discuss this with the parents?” Grace Curry asked quickly. It was not that she disagreed with her
sister-in-law it was just that she was by nature a peacemaker and she did so
enjoy the company of other women. The
farm could get very lonely after the hustle and bustle of
“Tuesday morning,” Mrs. Hillary said
with a sniff. “I merely bring it up as
information I did not expect to be attacked!”
Jedediah who had managed to scoot to
the fringe of the circle frowned and stood up.
“Aunt Maureen didn’t attack you! She uses a broom when she attacks
things. She killed a snake once and my
dad says she’s scared all the snakes in
The group gasped at this outburst.
“Young man were you not aware that
children are not to speak until spoken too?” Mrs. Hillary said coldly.
“Yes ma’am, but my mother also taught
me to speak up when something is wrong, she says that is in the Bible you are
studying. Haven’t you studied that part
yet?”
“Insolent little horror” Mrs.
Doughtery cried as Mrs. Hillary looked like a case of the vapors was about to
come on.
“My son is not a horror!” Grace Curry
said suddenly on her feet shaking with rage. “He is honest and in this instance
quite correct.”
“Seems to me your son could benefit
from this new schooling!” Mrs. Lewis went on cattily. “I had always presumed it was the Heyes boy
leading him astray, but now I am not so sure.”
Maureen Heyes slowly got to her
feet. She would be the first to admit
her son Hannibal had a tendency towards trouble, but that was a family trait
and hardly something he could be blamed for.
Was it his fault he has more imagination and courage than their milk
toast children?
“Well I suppose we can always find other
ladies to sew with,” Grace Curry said softly as they walked to their carriage
ten minutes later.
“Aunt Maureen what is a milk toast?”
Jed asked curious.
“Its folks without spirit avoid them
Jedediah they will try and suck the life out of you. And don’t worry Grace they don’t dare kick
you out not with your family background.
You were quite a coo for them; it’s the black Irish they don’t want.”
“If my sister doesn’t go I don’t go,”
Grace told her giving her hand a squeeze.
“The Curry’s stick together!”
Maureen smiled touched by her
loyalty. “I say again Grace there is a
drop of Irish in you somewhere!” and laughing the three started for home;
Jedediah Curry quietly deep in thought.
Tuesday could not come fast enough.
***********************************
“You want to try the construction or
this delivery one?” Heyes asked passing the list they had jotted down from the
bulletin board.
“What am I delivering?” Kid asked
dubious as his partner got up to pay their bill.
“Go find out; even if its nitro you’ll
be safer than if you had a hammer in your hand!” Heyes grinned and ignoring him
Kid left the restaurant.
What happened next occurred so quickly
Heyes could only react. Just as he
turned from the cashier Henry Nelson rose from his morning breakfast, which as
usual was completely unsatisfactory and boorishly pushed aside a farm boy
delivering a box of vegetables. The
shove caught the boy as he was turning with the box forcing him off balance and
causing him to topple into the waitress, Shirley, who was emerging with a large
tray of food bound for a table where a young father with his three small
children sat.
With a small cry the waitress began to
fall forward the tray of hot porridge flipping into the air directly above the
children.
Heyes, directly between it all, was
only one with a mind and reaction quick enough to react. Catching Shirley with one arm Heyes pulled
her up right while at the same time deflecting the tray and its contents with a
sharp spinning toss that succeeded in everything but a bowl of porridge landing
on the floor harmlessly. This feat
brought a round of applause from everyone, but Henry Nelson who was now wearing
the oatmeal in thick globs on his bald head and down his face.
Planting the waitress firmly back on
her feet and accepting the kiss on the cheek she blushingly bestowed on him
Heyes could not resist grinning at the sight Mr. Nelson made standing their
clearly in the early stages of apoplexy.
“You again!” the man roared pointing
to Heyes who pointed a finger back to himself and managed to look both
surprised and innocent while not losing the grin on his face.
“I had you pegged as a trouble maker
from the start!”
“Now come on Henry it was an
accident,” one of the other diners called from their table as the cook arrived
with a hastily retrieved wet cloth fetched from the kitchen.
“Where is the sheriff? I demand the sheriff arrest this…this
cretin!”
Heyes’s smile completely disappeared,
“No need to bring the law in, no harm done.”
“No harm done?” the banker railed.
“Yea Henry for one thing that oatmeal
is certainly an improvement on your last toupee!” a fellow businessman cracked causing another
rally of laughter. The man was clearly not popular and seeing him set down a
peg was riveting entertainment.
“Where is the sheriff!” Nelson
screamed as another glop of porridge slid down off him and landed on his shoe.
“Sheriff left twenty minutes ago to
take the Reverend and the flood money we collected at church to Kingman,” he
was informed by a farmer enjoying the spectacle greatly.
“Here’s Tommy!”
“Go on boy!”
The crowd cheered and parted as Deputy
Tommy Green on his first solitary day on the job was pulled off the street and
through the door.
“Okay what’s the ruckus?” the 17 year
old boy asked hitching up his pants and giving them the lawman stare he had
been practicing in his shaving mirror that morning.
“I said the Sheriff!” Nelson stomped
his foot.
“Why is Mr. Nelson wearing oatmeal on
his head?” Tommy asked no one in particular.
“Just a little accident deputy,” Heyes
said with a best disarming smile.
“Arrest him!” Ted Nelson roared.
“For what!?” Green said confused.
“Disturbing the peace!”
The room went silent at this amazing
charge. In the peaceful town of
Tommy Green swallowed and looked at Henry
Nelson who despite having oatmeal on his head still owned the mortgage on his
families farm and remembered the Sheriff’s parting orders to ‘just look after
the town’. He then caught the eye of
Milly the young waitress he had been courting and pushing back his shoulders
did something most lawmen only dream about.
He arrested Hannibal Heyes.
Of course had he known at the time who
his prisoner was he would have passed out cold on the spot, but for now he had
silenced the entire diner and proudly moved Heyes out the door hands in the
air.
And then everyone was talking at once.
******************************
It took Kid ten minutes to hear what
had happened. He had just reached an
agreement with the mercantile to delivery a wagon load of flour around town
when Mrs. Kwowski, the town seamstress, burst in to tell Mrs. Palmer, wife of
the blacksmith, the whole story.
It was one of the few times Kid could
ever remember running to a jail instead of from it and he nearly took the door
off its hinges crashing through like bull on a rampage.
Heyes and Tommy Green looked up from
the cell where Heyes was explaining to him how the lock worked since the boy’s
hands were shaking so bad he couldn’t get the bolt to slip across.
“You mind explaining to me what is
going on?” Kid said in a soft dangerous voice that made Tommy Green decide
right then and there that this type of work might not be the ideal career move.
“Its okay I’ll explain to him,” Heyes
told the boy.
“I’ll go see if I can find you a book
like you said, I think Doc or the Reverend should have one,” Tommy said
gratefully hurrying past Kid.
“Ah Tommy?” Heyes called out
pleasantly.
“Yes sir Mr. Smith?” Tommy said
stopping at the door.
“Just for future reference next time
you lock a jail door take the keys with you,” Heyes said holding up the ring
and jingling it.
Tommy groaned and hurried back
embarrassed to take them from him and then carefully put them on the hook on
the wall beside the desk before leaving.
Kid watched all of this fascinated and
found his worry and anger melting into confusion.
“Heyes did I or did I not just see you
help a deputy lock you in jail?”
Heyes sighed, “You did, but he didn’t
have much choice, that Nelson fellow pressed charges and no one but the sheriff
or the reverend has the courage to take him on and they just left town.”
“Yea well I have the courage. I’ll be right back with him so he can explain
it’s all been a mistake and get you out of here,” Kid said growled.
“Kid you can’t. Nelson is not the
reasonable sort.”
“Who said I was going to be
reasonable?” Kid replied darkly.
Heyes smiled grateful, “I know, I
know, but the sheriff and parson are gonna be back in the morning I can last
till then.”
“Are you sure? Nelson may organize a lynch party,” Kid said
frustrated.
Heyes shook his head. “Kid you should have seen everyone’s face
when the deputy took me away, felt real sorry for me they did. That kind of sympathy could let us stick
around a while and build up a nest egg. For that kind of good will it’s worth a
night in jail.”
“Heyes, if it is all the same to you I
don’t think anything is worth another night in jail.”
“Trust me on this,” Heyes pleaded and
then quickly added trying to change the subject, “You find any work?”
“Yea got a job hauling sacks this
morning and then this afternoon I was promised something over at the mill.”
“Good, good go ahead just try and
avoid that Nelson fella though.”
“I’ll try, but with my luck I’ll land
in here right next to you for spitting on the sidewalk while he’s looking!”
Heyes reached out between the bars and
patted him on the back knowing full well he would not have been comfortable
with the arrangements being reversed either.
With Kid reluctantly gone Heyes walked
over to the cell cot and made an attempt at getting comfortable, something he
knew from experience was impossible.
He’d be lying if he said he was happy with his predicament,
but since it couldn’t be helped he’d just have to make the best of it and hoped
the deputy would come back with something interesting to read.
And to pass the time he let his mind
wander back.
**************************
The Lawrence Community School Board was
a prestigious group of 7 men the majority of which were there because their
wives thought it a good idea. There was
talk of
In the meantime they mostly just met to approve new
teachers or plan the end of term school picnic, neither of which had ever been
very controversial unless you counted the time the recently departed Sean Curry
had been on the board, but that memory was all ready the stuff of folk lore and
best left in the background..
But the proposition put before them to approve a new
and radical idea called kindergarten was way out of their league and all seven
entered the packed social hall with more than a few misgivings.
“Han don’t you want to go along and see how they
vote?” Jedediah had asked his cousin.
That morning as his family had readied to head into town for the debate
he had run the mile meet up with cousin on the way to school.
“Nope, don’t affect me,” Heyes with a shrug.
“But if they vote yes folks can start school at 5!”
It would have been nice to have his younger cousin
there with him, but he couldn’t see much point in getting both there hopes up
for something that just wasn’t going to happen.
“Jed even if they say yes they won’t start it till
next year; and you are going then anyway.”
Jedediah’s face fell slightly, he hadn’t thought about
that, but then he squared his shoulders back.
“Might if they saw how great the need is.”
Heyes shrugged noncommittally and kept on walking.
Jed stood there a moment reforming his plan.
“Han you still go those tad poles we caught after
church Sunday?”
“What? Yea in
the bucket behind the barn.”
“Thanks,” Jed smiled and was gone.
Years later
Months after the commotion, as it was later designated
to be called, his family would marvel at how well thought out and practical a plan
it was. To begin with no one was quite
sure how it began, but it was definitely agreed the mice were let loose first,
especially when one ran across Mrs. Engleberry’s foot causing her to scream in
horror and faint dead away on town baker Fred Adams, a little stick creature,
who crumbled more under her terror than her weight.
The cry of mice (for there had to be
at least 20) had barely gone out and launched several women and two men onto
their chairs when the cats raced in. Six
was the final count and the speed in which they entered was explained quickly
by the four dogs that followed suit.
The pig was just an added bonus.
Order and sanity was restored an hour
later and the entire room hurried to the refreshment table for a cool glass of
punch to recover only to notice the tadpoles swimming merrily among the liquid.
Well most did, the Mayor had downed
most of his glass before learning of the additional ingredient.
Unfairly Hannibal Heyes’s name was
mentioned quickly. And truth be known he
did have a reputation of infamy that all ready spanned two counties, but with
him safely in school all eyes were turned to the children playing out
back. In particular a group of 5 year
olds led by Jedediah Curry.
Now it never was proven that all the 5
year olds were involved and Jed Curry never did concede their involvement when
he confessed. The fact that they just
happened to be playing with his toy soldiers led to guilt by association.
“Young Curry what do you have to say
for yourself?” the Mayor roared as the board finally took their seats and he
was brought before them.
“I was bored sir, my mind had nothing
to dis…” he squinted trying to remember the word from the paper his father had
been reading out loud to his mother that morning about why kindergarten was
especially good for young boys. “..tract me!”
The vote was 7-0 for Kindergarten.
“Don’t be looking so happy young man,”
his father told him sternly as the meeting adjourned and everyone began to
rise. “It will not take effect until next September, which is just about the
time you should be out of trouble…” the older Curry turned when his wife
touched his sleeve to glance back at the board who were still seated and
showing no signs of being able to leave them.
“He didn’t,” his father stared as his
brother in law made every effort to keep from bursting out laughing.
“I knew I should have asked him what
he needed that wood glue for,” Daniel Heyes said tried to sound horrified, but
failing.
Eventually they had to break the chairs
and pull them out of their pants the bond was so potent.
They never did catch all the mice.
****************************
“This was the biggest one on the
Reverend’s shelf,” Tommy Green said barely able to slide the large tome between
the bars to Heyes.
Heyes blinked, “How long are you
planning on keeping me in here?”
The boy grinned sheepish, “Just till
the sheriff gets back tomorrow. I’d let
you go now if I had my druthers, that Mr. Nelson is a real piece of work.”
“War and Peace huh?” Heyes said
intrigued by the title.
“Yea it was the only one that didn’t
have to do with sinning, guess that Tolstoy fella had a lot to talk about on
those subjects.”
‘Well the war part anyway,” Heyes
grinned.
The boy grinned back, “You’re all right
Mr. Smith. Now who is that?”
They both turned as a commotion
sounded at the door and a hand cuffed prisoner was pushed into the room with
such a shove he nearly lost his balance.
But it wasn’t the twenty something; roughly
dressed, ill shaven captive that caught Heyes’s attention it was lawman right
behind him. One sheriff Mark Hall, the
sheriff of the first posse that ever captured him and the first he had ever
escaped from; a sheriff who knew him on sight.
*******************************
It was concern for his partner that
caused Kid Curry to witness the arrival of Marshal Mark Hall in Lester. Finishing his work for the morning he had
decided to check in with his partner to make sure he was being fed decently
before moving on to his next job. He knew Heyes would yell at him for fretting
like a mother hen and was well aware his partner was more than capable of
looking after himself in most circumstances.
But his experience with jails had left a bad taste in his mouth. A man was too vulnerable there, especially
when posters with his description just cried out to keep him there for an
additional twenty years.
He turned the corner just as Hall
dismounted. The former sheriff, who had
moved up to marshal, had a reputation for being clever, dogged and ruthless. Perhaps a little older than Heyes he had risen
quickly in reputation and status as a lawman and would no doubt see his legend
grow now having none other than Brad King in his custody. The gunslinger was said to rival Curry himself
in speed and his gang had cut a blood trail across
Heyes and Hall had met years earlier
when the then sheriff had come across him after a train job that had forced
them to split up. His horse had gone
lame and Hall and his band had taken Heyes captive. But Hall had underestimated the younger man
and it was said he still held a grudge at the brilliantly devious way Heyes had
slipped through his fingers.
And now here he was clearly planning
on staying awhile if his prisoner was any indication. Kid leaned back against the wall trying to
decide what to do. Hall didn’t know him
on sight so that gave him some advantage.
The only thing to do was to get Heyes out now while the man was caught
off guard. Unhooking his gun he made a
step towards the jail and then stopped surprised as Hall suddenly exited the
jail and wearily walked down the street to the telegraph office.
Seeing his chance Kid hurried down the
side alley next to the jail and slipped in the back door.
****************************
Heyes was on his bunk with his face
turned towards the wall by the time the lawman was fully in the room.
“Where’s the keys” Hall growled at
Tommy.
“Here sir.”
“I’ll keep them on me from now on,” Hall
said taking them and pushed his prisoner to the remaining cell across from
Heyes. “What’s he in for?” he asked hooking a finger towards Heyes motionless
form.
“Disturbing the peace.”
The
“Hey you forgot these irons Hall!”
“I didn’t forget and you mind your
manners or I might leave them on until they hang you.”
The new prisoner launched into a
colorful narrative of Hall’s family line until Hall suddenly swung back and removed
his gun. The outlaw swallowed and
mumbling fell back on his bunk for the moment silenced.
“I need to send a telegram and get
some food, he gives you any trouble shoot him,” Hall told Tommy and left the
deputy gaping only to turn back more surprised when Kid skidded into the room
and walked right past him and down to the cell where is partner was looking up
carefully.
“He see you?” Kid said quietly.
Heyes got up and met him at the bars,
“No, now get out of here.”
“Not without you. He leave the keys?” his eyes darted
to the wall where they had been hanging and seeing them gone began looking for
something they could use.
“Kid you’re not thinking we can’t bust me out.”
“The hell we can’t,” Kid said glancing over at the
deputy who was looking a little shell shocked.
“Besides he can’t come after us he’s got King over there to worry
about.”
“I thought it was him, he know you?” Heyes asked
quietly. King,
now
that Hall was gone, had fallen on his bunk exhausted. Clearly the chase had taken a lot out of him
as well.
“No, just saw him from a distance once just before he
shot a man in
the
back. Now will you start working on that
lock?”
“Kid they will link us to King somehow and we don’t
need that.
Look
I just have to avoid letting him get a good clear look at me.”
“Avoid him?” Heyes its gonna take dynamite to get Hall
out of this office again with him here,” Kid hissed. “He’s going to be
expecting his whole gang to come after him.”
Heyes shook his head, “He told the deputy they weren’t
with him when he was caught. He plans on leaving with him on the morning
stage. I’ll act like I’m sleeping off a
binge with a little luck the Sheriff will get back and spring me as soon as the
stage pulls out.”
“And if you are wrong you get to think about it the
next 20 years in the territorial prison!”
Heyes gave him a warning sign as King roused himself
from his bunk to look over at them. They
were talking too low for him to overhear, but the passion in Kid’s voice has
caught the killer’s attention.
“Head for
“Me leave? He
doesn’t know me!”
“I know and I want to keep it that way,” Heyes
growled.
“At least let me slip you your gun!” Kid pleaded
indicating his friend’s holster slung over the back of a chair.
“The last thing
I want is a shoot out with a territorial
go before
he gets back and were both in here.”
Kid sighed knowing it was impossible to argue with his
cousin and also knew very well he was protecting him.
“Go,
Nodding Kid left through the back door.
But he had no intention of going anywhere.
******************************
Marshal Mark Hall had just made it
back to the jail and ordered his Deputy to bring him some lunch when the first
wave hit in the form of one Henry Nelson who had just heard via a customer in
his bank about the new prisoner. The
customer had also been kind enough to tell the other folks in line that was why
he was visiting the bank now before King’s gang arrived and held it up.
It had been pointed out to the
stranger, by the head teller Mr. Jenkins, that the
bank had never been robbed before.
The stranger had then dutifully
pointed out that it might be because no one had ever tried and if the
management knew what was good for it they would ask the Territorial Marshal to
look over things and make any suggestions.
“Look I’ve been on the trail for the
last 4 days mister and I…”
“Are you or are you not our
territorial marshal?” Nelson had yelled back not backing down for an instant and
making it quite clear he would neither shut up nor leave until he had
satisfaction.
Finally disgusted the
Two hours later he was still gone.
Heyes meanwhile sat up on his bunk hid
behind his book enjoying the respite. It couldn’t last forever and he had
quickly realized when the lawman had returned how miserable feigning unconsciousness
was going to be. He knew his luck
couldn’t hold out too much longer, but he was grateful to keep hope alive just
the same.
But as the hours ticked by Heyes got
more and more hopeful and more and more suspicious about what…or who was
keeping the good
It was finally dark and dinner passed
when Marshall Hall slammed back into the jail wearily.
“Son what kind of mad house is this
town?”
Tommy looked up from his dime novel,
“Sir?”
“That damn fool banker gets me over to
look at his bank and are you ready for this?
We get locked in! I’m not joking
with you boy! Damn fool lock jammed,
took us an hour to take the door off the hinges! Then, then!” he said throwing his hat on the
desk. “Some idiot left a candle in the
general store’s larder and ten cans of sour mash exploded causing the whole
town to think it was under attack from a passel of outlaws.”
“How did that happen?” Tommy said
confused.
“Son you tell me and we’ll both know,
but after I checked out that it seems the cans blowing up startled a herd of
cattle being brought in for slaughter and they managed to end up in the
saloon. Damn fool farmer!” he cursed
remembering the idiot young man with the fair hair. “Worse cow herder I ever seen, every time we
got them towards the door he’d do something idiotic and turn them back right
around! And do not get me started about
the chickens in the tea parlor!”
“Chickens?” Tommy gaped. “I know Miss Edie and she wouldn’t allow any
chickens in her tea salon.”
The
“But how did chickens…”
“Had to be at least a hundred, woman
left the back door open and they just wandered in you’d think them ladies had
never seen a chicken before. Started
screaming and fainting and it only got worse when some idiot fired his gun off
to scare them and everyone in the town thought we were under attack. Son this is the most gall darned strangest
town I have ever been in and I am not staying one moment longer or helping it
with one problem more. I have not slept
in three days. I am going to lay down
here and I am not getting up till morning when that stage pulls in do you
understand?
“Ah yes sir I’ll make sure not a
single person bothers you. You prisoners
keep it down you here!”
Heyes hidden in the back gloom of his
cell yelled yes sir as King sent back an expletive.
“Craziest town I ever seen!” the
Tommy wandered down to Heyes cell.
“What do you think of that?” he
whispered. “Heck don’t nothing ever
happen in our town! Sheriff says it’s
the most boring spot in the whole territory!”
Heyes grinned back at him, “Funny how
things like that can change when the right people ride in.”
And chuckling he laid back down on his
cot and put his hat over his face and remembered.
*************************
Five year old Jedediah Curry dressed
silently in the dark and then made his way down to the breakfast table where
his mother had food waiting. He was
fortunate his father was all ready out in the fields, as it was the ‘shame’ he
had brought upon their house had led for a very dismal and chore laden week. One that had been guaranteed to continue,
somehow he had not imagined his first day of school this way.
But the worse part was he had not even
seen
“I don’t think I’m smart enough for
first grade,” Jedediah had mumbled at the decision only to have his father tell
him he should have thought of that when he had launched his campaign to enter
school early. His mother had tried to
help him arguing he really was too young, but his father had told he had made
his bed and now he could lay in it.
Mournfully he shuffled over and picked
up the new slate his aunt had brought him and took his lunch from his
mother. Life was certainly tougher when
a man got older.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to
walk you?” his mother asked breaking the silence.
“No ma’am,” Jedediah said
certain. It even wasn’t so much looking
like a baby as it was he really did feel badly about causing so much fuss. Jedediah could stand any kind of yelling, but
making his mother cry was too much for him to bear.
“Stay out of trouble,” his father told
him gruffly waiting for him outside.
“Yes sir.”
“And Jed?”
“Yes sir?”
“Remember you are a Curry, a Curry can
do anything he puts his mind too.”
Jedediah nodded and like a man walking
to the gallows started off alone down the road.
“Oh dear he’s so little,” Grace Curry
said starting to cry. Her husband put
his arm around his shoulders.
“He’ll do and who knows maybe the good
Lord has a reason for making him grow up a little faster than the others. Tough times ahead Grace if this talk on
succession comes about. Soon might come
a time when every little boy has to grow up before its time.”
Jedediah had just reached the main
road when he heard the voice behind him.
“Double chores for two weeks all to go
to school,”
“I don’t know, “Jedediah mumbled. He had never been in this much trouble alone
and knew he could live it and how his backside still hurt, but not his cousin’s
scorn.
“I mean where did you get all those
mice?”
“Caught em, not hard if set traps with
honey near the edge of the field,” Jedediah said still looking down at his feet
and realized his cousin was walking along side him now.
“And the cats?”
“Borrowed them.”
“And the dogs?”
“They followed the cats.”
“Look I made my bed and I’m lying so
just leave me alone.”
Jedediah blinked, “Really?”
“Heck Jed you’re a genuine he-ro,
everyone wants to be friends with a he-ro.”
“Really?”
“Yea, no one is quite sure why you
done it, but boy did you get points on the how, I couldn’t have done better
myself!”
Jedediah’s face split into a grin as
bright as the sun and then it faded and the returned his gaze to his shoes.
“I’m not smart enough for 1st
grade.”
“Anyone who can boonswaggle the entire
education board is smart enough for the first grade, besides I wouldn’t pick
someone for my partner lessin he was smart like me.”
“You mean that?”
“I said it didn’t I? Hey did your Ma pack any of that shortbread?”
‘She did!” Jed said happily holding up
his tied up napkin.
“Good I got us a plan on how we can
use that to get…”
And together they started down a road
they would never part from.
*******************************
“What in tarnation is all this?”
Sheriff Kearney said in the door of his jail and was instantly rewarded with Hall’s
gun drawn and aimed at him.
“Sorry sir!” Tommy said jerking
awake. “Didn’t expect you back so soon!”
“Neither did I but a man can only take
so much of the good Reverend and his sermon practicing before he rides a little
faster and harder.” He turned his
attention back to Hall who had lowered his gun and was rising from the bed
grumpily. “Hall what the hell are you
doing in my town?” Kearney growled and
then noticed his jail full. “And what is
that piece of garbage doing here?” he roared indicating King who was standing
and complaining about needing coffee.
“Now
“Ain’t gonna, they don’t even know I
have him. Let me just go clean up and get
some breakfast and we’ll be out of your hair Sheriff,” Hall said
contemptuously.
“Yea well I just decided the stage is
leaving early today so you better get moving.”
Hall grumbled something back at him
and picking up his hat stomped out.
“Ah Sheriff,” Heyes said with a small
wave finally sitting up.
“What the hell is he in for?”
“Dropping a bowl of oatmeal on Henry
Nelson,” Tommy explained.
“And you arrested him for that? Town should have gave him a medal. Let the man out boy.”
“Ah I don’t have the keys, the
Before Heyes could make a suggestion
on what to do about this gunfire erupted from outside and a woman screamed.
“Boy no!”
“Sheriff!” Tommy yelled trying to help him, but was
nearly trampled as two armed men charged into the jail guns blazing.
“Bout time you boys got here!” King
yelled angrily.
“You shot him!” Tommy yelled angrily
and was rewarded with right hook to the jaw and his gun pulled from him.
“Where are the keys old man?” the
tallest named Jasper yelled.
“Ain’t got him,
“You mean that varmint that Lucas
shot?” the other one named Bill asked.
“Where are Lucas and Ezra?” King
growled.
“Dead we think, we tried to jump that
lawman and he got off two shots fer Lucas plugged him. Still shooting though,
he’s holed up across the street.”
“Ya damn fools he’s got the keys!”
King groaned.
“Well maybe we can trade him the bean
pole deputy for em,” Jasper said frustrated things had not gone at all as
planned.
“You boy get up you ain’t hurt,” Bill
said pulling Tommy to his feet. “You go get those keys from that
“Yes sir,” Tommy said giving the
sheriff a desperate look not sure what to do.”
“You get out of here Tommy,” the
Sheriff said firmly. “And don’t come
back.”
“You come back boy or we start tossing
out piece of him!”
Tommy nodded and opening the door
cautiously yelled out, “It’s me Tommy!
They want me to get the keys from the
The volley of bullets ended and he
stepped out of the door.
**********************************
Kid had spent the night watching the
jail and any signs of trouble. He had
spent a long day making sure the
When the Sheriff had rode in early and
he had seen the
“You’re that damn farmer who…”
“Keep your head down or your not gonna
have one,” Kid barked back and groaned as he saw Sheriff Kearney go down in the
door and the two remaining gang members tumble into the jail.
There was silence for a moment and all
around them citizens began arriving with rifles and shotguns to help.
Suddenly Tommy Green was at the door.
“Hold your fire!” Kid yelled.
“I ain’t giving him no keys!” Hall
swore through gritted teeth.
“That’s right you aren’t,” Kid said
checking his gun. “You’re gonna give
them to me.”
“What’s your interest in all this?”
Hall growled.
“My partner is in the middle of it,”
Kid said taking the keys and to his relief the lawman passed out, but was still
breathing.
“Hold your fire I’m coming in!” Kid
yelled and dropped his gunbelt.
******************************
“Give me my gun,” King roared and was
quickly passed his holster.
“We got horses out back Brad…”
“We ain’t leaving until we collect a
little payback for this town locking me up.”
“Brad we ain’t got Ezra and Lucas no
more, least wise not of any use…” Jasper tried to point out.
“He’s talking sense King,” Heyes said
quietly. “Slip out the back and you can
come back another day with more men.”
“Why the hell should I take your
advice. Just who are you mister anyway?”
“
The outlaw turned prepared to laugh
until something on Heyes’s face stopped him.
“Someone’s coming,” Bill suddenly
yelled from the window. “Ain’t the boy, but he’s holding keys, ain’t wearing a
gun.”
“Let him in,” King snarled.
The front door opened and Kid stepped
in.
“Brought your keys,” he said tossing
them to Jasper who unlocked King’s door.
The gun man stepped out suddenly
cautious giving Heyes a look and then meeting Kid’s eyes.
“I know you mister?”
“Should, I’m the man that is gonna
stop you going out there,” Kid replied simply.
“Mister you ain’t even got a gun,”
Bill said incredulously.
Something about Kid made King glance
back to Heyes’s cell only to find to his amazement it was empty.
“So that means if he’s Heyes…” King
clawed for his gun. “Kill him! Kill them all!”
Heyes free of his cell, a gun
magically in his hand turned his attention to Jasper and Bill bringing both men
down with a howl as Kid reached behind his back and pulled his gun free.
King let out a howl sure the extra
seconds would cost Curry when t his amazement he a warm wet spot spreading
across his chest.
“I ain’t met nobody
as fast as me,” he whispered dropping to his knees.
“You just did,” Heyes told him and
kicked the gun out of his hand.
“It’s all over,” Kid yelled out the
window as his partner helped the Sheriff
onto the bed and exhale relieved it wasn’t as bad as he had thought.. “Send the doc, your sheriff is hurt.”
“What about us?” Jasper whined.
“We’ll see the undertaker gets word,”
Heyes told him simply and stepped over King’s body to shove the two wounded men
into the cell King had vacated and no longer needed.
“Looks like I was right about you
boys,” the sheriff said. “Thank you.”
“You just take it easy Sheriff,” Kid
told him. “Doc is coming.”
“Make sure he sees Hall first.”
“How is Hall?” Heyes whispered softly.
“Unconscious, but he’ll make it.”
The room was suddenly flooded with men
as Tommy and an army of town’s folk hurried in wanting to help and the two men
were pushed to the background.
Heyes and Curry both caught their
breath and looked at each other.
“Chickens?” Heyes said strapping his
gun back on.
Kid shrugged, “Man has to work with
what he can find; besides they were easier to catch than the mice.”
Heyes nodded, “I do want to ask you
about the bank lock later.”
“I’ll trade you the story for how you
got out of that cell and got a gun.”
“Well you didn’t think I gave him that
key ring back without removing the one to MY cell did you?” Heyes asked
indignant. “And I got to thinking what you said about having my gun with me and
when things were quiet yesterday I slipped out and got it.”
“You still wanna stick around town and
look for work?”
Heyes glanced around distastefully,
“No I hate a town that just doesn’t know how to keep the peace.”
Historical Note: Kindergarten originated in