Alias Smith and Jones – Drena Hills
“The more original a discovery,
the more obvious it seems afterwards.”
-
Arthur Koestler
This story takes place immediately after the events in the episode
“Something to Get Hung About’
I
suppose I should have had an inkling from the very start. There was something about those two that just
set off sparks. To begin with Joshua
even getting Sarah to talk to him was mind boggling to me. My sister was raised as a lady and a lady
doesn’t invite a stranger into her home without an introduction, especially
when she was alone. But Joshua just had
a way about him that women trusted.
Sarah said she just ‘knew’ he wouldn’t hurt her. Now usually my sister’s instincts aren’t that
great, her taste in husbands making my point.
She was too sheltered, too protected to even know what a ‘bad’ man was,
or so I thought. Yet after meeting Joshua I understood what she meant. He was dangerous, make no mistake about that,
but not to an unprotected woman or I never would have let him go back again and
see her alone.
Thaddeus
was not as easy to get a handle on. My first impression of him had been in a
poker game and there is no finer way to size up a man than in how he plays
cards. And he could play cards. He far outclassed the men at our table and
yet didn’t go for the kill like most men might.
And the way he reacted to a gun being drawn on him, I should have
thought about that more, no fear at all. It was as if he knew even with that
gun pointed straight at his chest he still had a chance to beat the man to firing. It was a mad thought at the time, later I
would realize he hadn’t needed my help at all.
When
we both did go for our guns in that little contest I can honestly say I was
slack jawed. Never had I seen a man with
a hand that quick. I am no slouch myself
at the fast draw and I’ve outdrawn men whose names would make you pause, but
Thaddeus, he left us all in the dust.
Which
did puzzle me; usually a man that fast doesn’t make up ‘a contest’. He was saving my life and my pride and the
first is something gunslingers rarely concern themselves with and the second
just doesn’t come into things.
After
Joshua left to talk to Sarah we found a seat on the porch so I could keep an
eye on him. I had ever intention of just
fuming and ignoring him, but Thaddeus is hard to ignore. He has a friendly, easy going charm that just
makes your anger dissipate and before I knew it I was telling him about where I
grew up and passing the time like we were old friends.
I
liked the man and it was driving me crazy!
As
for Thaddeus he learned a lot more about me than I did about him, but it never
came across that he was hiding something.
He just had a way of turning a conversation back on a man so he would
talk about himself and then be so sincerely interested you kept talking
flattered.
I
did learn he grew up
Mostly
though we talked about guns and horses and poker; safe topics, but his take on
them was intriguing and informative without being patronizing. I think by the time Joshua rode back up we
were friends, though I would have been the last man to admit it.
Of
course pulling a gun on them to get the letter hardly hints of friendship, but
Sarah was my sister and my first concern.
I realize now if I had only told them that then I could have saved us
all a great deal of grief. But I felt
protective of Sarah and was doggone stubborn in my need to make things
up to her by looking after her.
I
asked Joshua later what he would have done if I had told them then that Sarah
was my sister. He told me poker faced he
would have done the exact same thing.
Knowing Joshua now I doubt that.
He has a survival instinct I envy, but a moral streak that is
surprisingly tougher. He may have done
wrong things, but there was always that morality tempering how far he would go. Sarah had been right about him. Maybe women, when they aren’t blinded by
love, really are the best judges of character.
It
might seem strange to most folks, but the fist fight Thaddeus and I had
probably cemented our friendship. He was
a hell of a fighter and having seen him later in a no holds barred fight for
his life I know he went easy on me. He
was keeping me occupied, even though it meant he took a fair beating, but he
never let himself get angry or even considered just knocking me senseless and
leaving me unconscious and saving himself a whole wagonload of pain. I learned later from Joshua that Thaddeus was
the fist fighter champion of Devil’s Hole. Seems a great many arguments up
there were settled by him with his fists and not his gun and he didn’t
lose. Joshua said he had picked up some
pointers from an old fair ground show fighter when they were just kids starting
out and combined with natural talent and cunning there was rarely a man he
couldn’t wear down or beat.
He
did send up the lemonade by the way and I have to confess I did grin before I
started swearing!
When
I was arrested for murder I really felt my luck had run out. There was no way a jury was going to find me
not guilty, even if I had told them Sarah was my sister and not my lover. When those two walked into the jail I was
stunned; later learning who they were
I was even more impressed. They took a
hell of chance. Thaddeus assured me the
sheriff didn’t have a clue who they were, but still every contact with him was
one more opportunity to be recognized and yet they still walked in and aligned
themselves with me.
I
made the offer of the money out of desperation.
Sarah would have paid anything to help me, but my pride was still in the
way. I guess I didn’t think they would
check into things out of pure friendship, but later I learned how wrong I had
been.
When
the sheriff came back to my cell with his keys and unlocked that door and said
I was free I just sat there thinking it was a trick. It wasn’t that I didn’t think they would try,
I just didn’t believe anyone could do anything.
Then hearing how Joshua had unraveled the mystery I think I began to
have my first real doubts about who they were.
That hadn’t been just clever; it had been flat out brilliant. Two men that amazing riding together and just
trail bums? No, something didn’t fit and
I was determined to find out what it was on that trip to
-
Jim Stokely
“You two got this down to a real rhythm
don’t you?” Stokely smiled sitting down and settling back against his saddle to
watch Joshua Smith aka Hannibal Heyes disappear down to the creek to wash the
supper plates.
They had rode most of the day in good
natured silence, broken occasionally by Heyes making an observation that would
cause his partner to respond and then draw him in. By evening they had found a campsite with
both protection and water and gone about settling down for the night without
one needing to ask the other to do anything.
“Well Joshua and I have ridden a lot
of miles together,” Kid Curry aka Thaddeus Jones smiled stretching and allowing
Stokely to fill his coffee cup. “Kinda figured out after a while what the other
does best or likes least and we just leave it at that.”
“You mentioned he was your cousin,”
Stokely said quietly. “So I guess the
family tie helps.”
“Not necessarily. I just got lucky that we get along well
together; known a lot of families that couldn’t stomach riding with each other
day in and day out.”
“Family?” Heyes asked catching the tail end as he
trudged back from the stream.
“Yea Jim was asking about us riding
together, wanted to know if being cousins helped,” Kid said sitting down with a
relieved sigh he was out of the saddle for a few hours.
Heyes frowned as if the revelation
they were cousins was some how a danger to him, but the frown disappeared as
quick as it had come and accepting coffee he found a seat and deftly changed
the subject to things less personal.
***********************
They heard the gunfire just an hour
out the next morning.
“Behind those rocks,” Heyes said
listening.
“Circle round left, I’ll take right,”
Kid replied.
Stokely paused a moment about to point
out it was none of their business, but then curiosity got the better of him and
he followed Kid to the right as the shooting intensified.
Reaching the shelter of the rocks he
understood their thinking. Just beyond
them lay open prairie and whatever was causing the ruckus was going to notice
them in another mile. Better now to find
out what was waiting while they were unseen.
“Supply wagon,” Kid said pulling out
his gun and checking it from the rocks where he was crouched.
“Comanche, I count 10,” Heyes
continued.
“Ten to three,” Stokely said noting
the men defending the large Calistoga were doing a fair job, but the odds were
clearly against them.
“Maybe we can scare them off,” Kid
said moving down on his belly and aiming.
His first shot brought a rider down
and Stokely whistled under his breath.
In any other man he would have called that a lucky shot. He was starting to realize his new friend was
not only fast, he was accurate.
His partner it turned out was no
slouch either, winging his first target as the raiders whirled surprised.
A volley of shots soon had the
attackers scattering, pausing only to retrieve wounded comrades and be gone.
Certain they were not returning the
three men retrieved their horses and rode quickly to the ambush scene.
“Well lookie here who’s pretending to
be the cavalry. Should have known only
one man could make a shot like that look easy!”
The speaker was a fair haired man
difficult to miss in a leather fringe jacket elaborately decorated with fine
Indian bead work. One’s first impression
would be to mistake him for an overdressed green horn until you noticed the
easy way he returned his side arm to its holster.
“Bill Cody!” Kid grinned jumping off his horse and then
stopped before slapping him on the back.
“Looks like things got a bit rough.”
Stokely’s eyes followed Kid’s to see
what he had noticed. The man’s sleeve
was stained with blood.
“Damn Co-man-chee ruined a perfectly
good jacket,” Cody said disgusted.
“Jim check the other men will you?”
Heyes asked and Stokely nodded allowing the two men to help their friend to a
sitting position.
“Let’s take a look at that Bill,”
Heyes said gently pulling off the man’s jacket while Kid brought his canteen
over.
“No need of those skilled hands of
yours Heyes,” Cody said allowing himself to exhale and leaned his head back
clearly spent. “Bullet went straight
through, damn it.”
“Damn it?” Kid grinned.
“Hell yes! Now I got two holes in my coat!”
“What happened?” Heyes asked taking the spare shirt Kid had
pulled out of his saddle back and stripping it down for a bandage.
“Came across them day before
yesterday. Hooked up figuring we would
both be a bit safer through this no man’s land and darn if I wasn’t
right.” He winced slightly as Heyes
tightened the dressing. “I need a
drink.”
“They got any in the wagon?” Kid
asked.
“Why you think them fellas shooting at
us were so excited to get hold of it?” Cody grimaced. “If I had known what they were smuggling I
would have minded my own business and took my chances alone!” He stopped and glanced over at Stokely who
was checking on the stock and the condition of the wagon. “Friend?”
“Owes us money and I wanna thank you
for not yelling out our names,” Heyes smiled.
“I figured you boys wouldn’t want me
advertising who you were,” Cody said accepting the bottle Kid had found for him
and taking a slug.
“He’s Thaddeus Jones and I’m Joshua
Smith,” Heyes explained.
“Well that’s an improvement on the
last two, might be able to remember them,” Cody said wearily as Stokely walked
back over.
“One of them fellas is gut wounded,”
Stokely said knowing it was the same as pronouncing a death sentence. “His friend is making him as comfortable as
possible.”
“Much obliged stranger,” Bill said
offering up his good hand.
Kid grinned, “Jim Stokely this is the
famous Buffalo Bill Cody, army scout, pony express rider and what else do they
call you Bill?”
“I sir am a Frontier legend,” Bill
said haughtily. “Stokely.”
Jim shook the man’s hand
impressed. “Heard about you, those yarns
all true?”
“Only about half, but don’t tell the
ladies that!” Bill said truthfully.
“I thought you were scouting for the 5th
Cavalry,” Kid asked curious.
Cody groaned, “Scouting is for young men, I’m 35,
about time I settled down.”
“Doing what?” Kid laughed unable to
believe the vibrant man could sit still for anything for long.
“Acting, least wise that’s what they
called it in
“He’s never been the same since he got
that medal,” Heyes sighed with mock dismay.
“Medal?” Jim asked grinning enjoying
the conversation.
“Bill here got himself the
Congressional Medal of Honor back when he was just a boy,” Kid grinned.
For the first time Cody had the
humility to look embarrassed, “Hell it was just a few renegades, I was just
trying to stay alive not win the west!”
All three men with him laughed and
Cody finally joined them until it turned into a painful cough.
“We need to get him to a doctor,”
Heyes said firmly.
“
Stokely frowned surprised. Heyes and he had not exactly hit it off and
only Kid’s presence had kept them respectably civil.
“Or I could go,” Heyes said thinking
the same thing.
“Bill and I need to catch up,” Kid
said easily, but his manner clearly said the matter was settled.
Heyes stared at him and finally nodded
not happy with the idea, but knowing from experience his partner’s mind was
set.
“Wait there till I can get to you,”
Kid told Heyes as he saddled up. “You
don’t want to be riding across this piece of land alone with $1500.”
“You just look after yourself,” Heyes
said gruffly. “And for your information I can out shoot Comanche’s just as good
as you can.”
“Never doubted it for a minute,” Kid
grinned and with a wave was back to helping Cody into the wagon.
Stokely watched the exchange and
suddenly realized Kid had chosen to go with Cody to protect them. He was certainly the best with a gun, but
such unselfishness was startling.
“Maybe we should go with him,” Stokely
said uncomfortable about anyone looking after him. He wasn’t use to a partner.
“No we got that job waiting for us and
you said you had personal business to see too, he’ll be all right,” Heyes said,
but couldn’t resist a look back worried.
***********************
Despite that much time to age and
refine the town had still kept its air of mystery giving it an edgy feel that
you noticed as soon as you got within sensing distance.
For Heyes and Curry the town held
memories both good and bad. The railroad
had been kind to them here, the law less welcoming. But 1500 dollars was a great deal of money to
brush aside for a little apprehension and so once Stokely and he had left their
horses stabled they split up; Jim to collect the cash hidden in a safety
deposit box and Heyes to check out the town.
He and Kid had found out who the
current sheriff was before leaving and Heyes felt relatively sure he could slip
in and out without being recognized.
“Closed for lunch,” Stokely said as
Heyes caught up to him in front of the bank.
“Reckon were stuck together for another hour.”
The journey had been a quiet one the
two men deciding that pretending to get along wasn’t worth the effort without
an audience. Kid had briefly mentioned
to Heyes the problem was they were too much alike, but Heyes had brushed such a
notion aside. After all he was a calm
peaceable likable man, nothing like Stokely.
“How about a drink?” Heyes suggested
finally and Stokely nodded clearly indicating it was going to be a long hour.
Heyes bit back amused smiled and led
the way towards the nearest saloon, knowing they were spoilt for choice. Looking
up he took a moment to enjoy the warm sun on his face. He liked
He knew Kid was having doubts about
taking Stokely’s life savings in payment for their help, but Heyes had no such
qualms. They had risked their lives to
save the man and he had offered it freely; no that money was theirs and Heyes
was going to take it without hesitation.
“Hold it right there!”
Heyes stiffened and turned just enough
to catch the glint of a sheriff badge…several badges as it happened.
“Is there a problem Sheriff?” Stokely
asked surprised by the number of men surrounding them with gun’s drawn.
“No Mr. Curry there isn’t!” the
sheriff growled.
“Curry?” Stokely said confused. “There must be some kind of mistake my name
is Stokely, Jim Stokely.”
“Sure it is Curry. I may not know you, but I know your
partner. Hello Heyes!” Marshal Michael Cannon grinned pushing back
his hat. “Been a long time!”
Heyes sighed recognizing the canny
lawman he had met almost ten years ago.
Michael Cannon was an experienced lawman and true westerner. He was not an easy man to beat. “Hello
Cannon,” he said and raised his hands as his gun was taken. “Heard you had retired.”
“Did, did, but my son in law is home
looking after my daughter and new grandson and I’m helping out. Can’t imagine my surprise when I start off on
my rounds only to see Hannibal Heyes walking down my street without a care in
the world.”
“
Heyes looked at him poker faced. “Sorry Kid, guess they got us.”
*****************************
“I don’t think when the Doc said get some
rest he meant at the saloon,” Kid said shaking his head as Cody looked up and
down the street for a choice establishment to grace with his presence..
“Best thing for me right now is good
whiskey and maybe that pretty redhead waving at me over there,” Cody said
happily spotting a bar. “Come on I owe
you a drink and one for Heyes as well.”
On his partner’s name Kid frowned
feeling now that Cody was taken care of he needed to be heading out to meet
him.
“Kid you haven’t slept in 2 days. Send him a telegraph telling him we made it
and let’s celebrate a little!”
“I thought you just said I should
rest,” Kid said stopping at the saloon door.
“There is resting and then there is
resting,” Cody grinned and winked wickedly at a saloon girl eyeing them up from
inside the bar.
“Telegram first,” Kid said relenting. “And then maybe I could use a few hours sleep
before I start back.”
“Hurry back I’ll keep her warm!” Cody grinned and using one arm swung open the
doors of the saloon.
Kid had almost reached the telegraph
office when he realized a small crowd had gathered around; never a sign of good
news. Reaching them he tapped the
nearest man on the shoulder.
“What’s going on?’
The man whirled eager to be the first
to tell him, “Just got a wire from the Sheriff in
******************************
“Look this is all a mistake, my name
is Stokely, Jim Stokely,” Jim angrily continued as the cell door was locked.
“He don’t let up do he Heyes?” Cannon
chuckled.
“Will you tell him who I am?” Stokely
glared at Heyes.
“Look son you are riding with Hannibal
Heyes, you match the description of Kid Curry on the poster I got so why don’t you
just relax and settle down,” Cannon said
the tirade starting to wear on him.
“But I am NOT…”
“So Heyes you been awful quiet lately
how you been doing?” Cannon asked pouring himself a cup of coffee and offering
Heyes one.
“Could say the same of you,” Heyes
said accepting it gratefully. Cannon was a good man. He had come to
“Got shot at one too many times and my
wife took offense. So I got me some
horses, been breeding them on a little land outside of town and doing pretty
well.”
“Would someone please listen to me? I am NOT Kid Curry!” Stokely growled.
“He gets like that sometimes, denial
is a terrible thing in a man,” Heyes sighed.
Cannon nodded sympathetically and
refilled his cup.
*******************************
“Did you say Heyes AND CURRY?” Kid
asked the man in disbelief.
“Yes sir! Big hullabaloo up there!”
Stunned Kid walked over to a bench
next to building and sunk down.
Jim
was not going to take this well. He had
just gotten out of one jail cell only to replace it with another and for the
second time he was being falsely accused.
Heyes must have been recognized, but why did they
think Stokely was him? Unless they had
only known what Heyes looked like and just presumed Stokely was Curry. The wanted poster on him was vague at best
and they had the same height and coloring.
Not to mention if the Sheriff knew Heyes on sight it really was easy to
see how the man had just presumed Jim was him.
But how to get them both free without
giving away who he was, that was the trick.
Kid groaned and laid his head back,
brilliant ideas was Heyes’s part of the job.
How was he going to come up with something crazy enough to work?
Frowning he considered the problem,
what would make a sheriff want to let Heyes and Curry go? He could pose as a lawman, but he didn’t have
the paperwork to back it up and no one eligible for a $20,000 reward was going
to release their prisoners without it.
What he needed was a problem bigger
than Heyes and Curry. Something to
divert the sheriff, but as immodest as it sounded, what was bigger than their
capture?
Glancing down his eyes caught the
headline on a discarded newspaper.
Picking it up he noted it was only a week old and as he started reading
an idea began to form. It might just be
enough to get him in to see Heyes and get his help on seeing it through, either
way it would certainly be enough to cause enough of a distraction to allow a
jail break.
Pacing he tried to think how Heyes
would do it and finally decided that was getting him nowhere. He would never find the answer that way. He had to create a plan the way he would do
it and hope it was good enough.
And the first thing he needed was
someone the sheriff would trust.
Like say maybe a heroic icon of the
American frontier?
************************
“All right Joshua or whatever the hell
your name is, what are you up to?”
Heyes looked up from the bunk he had
settled on; clearly he was not going to get a nap until he got Jim to settle
down.
“Jim I’m sorry about this, I really
am. And as soon as someone who knows
both Heyes and Curry arrives to extradite me you’ll be off the hook.”
“That could take weeks!”
Heyes thought about this like it had
just occurred to him, “Yea gee I guess it could.”
“In the meantime I am stuck in another
jail…”
“Yea Jim I really feel sorry about
that too, but look on the bright side it isn’t permanent!”
“Tell the sheriff I am not Kid Curry!”
“I would Jim, but in the first place
he knows I’m Hannibal Heyes, chased me with a posse for four days once. Kid and
I had split up after a train robbery just outside of town. That’s why he never saw Kid. Anyway he’s not gonna listen to me and just
let you out. And this way Kid gets
clear. You don’t want them to arrest
Thaddeus too do you?”
Stokely gave him a look that said he
would be happy if they not only arrested him, but shot them both.
“So I’m stuck!” Stokely fumed.
“Well yea until I think of something.”
“Or your partner blasts you out of
here.”
Heyes looked worried for the first
time. “Kid wouldn’t do that, it would be
suicide.”
“If you ask me taking that wagon to
Heyes lay back and considered
this. Kid was bound to hear what had
happened, news like that traveled fast and he would feel obligated to try and
get them out. It was the how that was
scaring Heyes. Kid was quite capable of
coming up with a plan, but would it be one likely to cost him his life?
************************
“Hell no I’m not gonna walk into a
sheriff office and lie!” Cody said
looking at Kid like he was mad.
“You owe us Bill and Heyes
especially.”
“I’ll admit you two have done me some
favors in the past, but lying about this would get me in more trouble than I
need!”
“It wouldn’t be a lie,” Kid said
showing him the paper. “Folks know they
crossed the border into
“Yea and headed for the Mexican border
with Rangers right on their heels,” Cody pointed. “Says so right here.”
“That’s what everyone thinks!” Kid said persuasively. “But what if knowing that they decided to
head for the mountains instead. San
Cristo is a good place for a gang that size to hide.”
“And naturally they would want to raid
the closest town for women and supplies to last them a few months,” Cody sighed
seeing the logic of it.
“And marauding raiders headed straight
for Santa Fe, something like that is gonna make the local law sit up and take
notice,” Kid smiled smugly.
“And when they find out they aren’t
coming I get myself lynched while you and Heyes ride off into the sunset!” Cody
said arms folded.
“You tell them they changed their
minds when they saw the town was ready for them, make you a big hero!”
“I don’t want to be a hero. Been a damn hero since that first dime novel
came out and aside from a few free drinks ain’t been nothing but trouble.”
“Aw come on Bill I think you liked
being on the stage, impressing all those folks with your feats of western
skill!” Kid said.
“Yea well acting on a stage is one
thing, acting for real is another. On
that stage I was just being me!”
“And that’s all you have to be here!”
Kid said desperate.
Cody sighed in all truth he did owe
both men his life and the favor was not all that unreasonable, but if it went
wrong.
He suddenly looked up and grinned.
“Kid you ever notice we could pass for
brothers?”
“What?” Kid asked suspicious as Cody
walked around him.
“Here put this one,” Cody said handing
him is trademark fringe jacket.
“Bill…”
“Yup just might fool 'em!”
“Fool who?” Kid said. “Oh no I am not going to…”
“Kid you want Buffalo Bill Cody, army scout,
he-ro of the frontier, yer gonna have to be him!”
******************************
Hannibal Heyes stared moodily at his
breakfast. It had been two days since
they had been arrested and he was getting worried. Kid would know now had happened and feel
obligated to do something. He would
especially be having pangs of conscious about Stokely, who he liked and him
taking the fall for him. But one could
one man do?
The door flung open like a windstorm
announcing the second coming. He stood
there for affect and then strolled in like a man on a mission very sure of a
hearty welcome.
“Marshal Cannon?”
Cannon stood up and frowned. The man’s jacket bout near hurt a man’s eyes
to look at it.
“Yea what can I do for you?” Cannon
said flanked by two deputies and seriously annoyed the two outside had let this
man get by them. It wasn’t Saturday
night drunks they were guarding.
“It’s…” Stokely tried to say, but Heyes’s elbow to
his ribs took the wind out of him.
“Bill Cody, Marshal,” Kid said taking
his hat off with a flourish.
“Well is that right,” Cannon said
interested, but not impressed.
“I’m afraid I got some bad news for
you folks and I rode as fast as I could to warn you,” Kid wasn’t lying on that
point. He looked trail worn and dusty and Cannon softened.
“Sit down boy tell me what’s on your
mind. Joe get the man a cup of
coffee. You still scouting for the 5th
cavalry?”
“Yes sir.”
“Bit far from home aren’t ya boy?”
“Yes sir, but you might have seen
we’ve been having some trouble in our parts with a gang of marauders, nearly
200 strong.”
“Yea read about that, heard the
Rangers were chasing down to
“Yea that’s what everyone thought, but
I got wind that maybe that wasn’t the case so I did some back tracking. While I was at it I come across some fellas
driving a whiskey wagon under attack just south of
“Looks like Bodine’s handwriting,
seems you did them fellas a good turn.”
“Turns out those Comanche’s did us a
good turn. One of the drivers before he died told me that whiskey was heading
for a rendezvous just southeast of here at
Cannon sat up at the name. “I know it, fought there in the war.”
“Figured you might,” Kid nodded. “They were bringing it to them raiders I had
been tracking. Marshal I don’t know how
to break this to you, but you got yourself 200 blood thirsty raiders heading
for the sanctuary of those mountains out there and your town is the only stop
between to pick up supplies.”
“I gotta get a telegraph to the army,”
Cannon said on his feet.
“Meant to tell you Marshall, Will
mentioned the telegraph is down, been that way since early this morning,” Joe
said and Cannon shot him a glare.
“When were you thinking of mentioning
this to me?”
“I didn’t think it was nuthin, it goes
down all the time!” Joe said defensively.
Kid remained poker face not showing
his surprise or delight at this news.
“I tried as well sir,” Kid said sadly.
“But anything close went along to back up those Rangers thinking they were
heading for the border. Marshal your
town is on its own. So I suggest you get
every able bodied man available and arm him.”
Heyes straightened understanding
coming up in his eyes. Kid was crazy,
but it was brilliant!
“Mister I got a town of merchants and
farmers, they ain’t gonna be much use against desperate killers!” Cannon yelled
frustrated.
“Maybe you won’t need that many,”
Heyes said helpfully from the cell.
“You got an idea mister?” Kid
encouraged.
“Don’t listen to him he’s Hannibal
Heyes,” one of the deputies said rolling his eyes.
“Well then maybe we should,” Kid
said. “From what I hear he and that
clever partner of his sure pulled off enough miracles.”
“What you got in mind Heyes?” Cannon
said cautiously.
“Marshal you ain’t thinking of
letting…”
“Shut up Joe right now I’m willing to
listen to anyone about anything that can save this town a load of bloodshed.”
“Glorieta Pass, the
Cannon looked up sharply,” You know
boy you just might have something.” He
walked over and looked at Heyes sharply.
“How come you know so much about that battle?”
Heyes smiled, “My father was a history
buff, we used to go over all the battles in the paper during the war and he
would show me where they went wrong or right.
Cannon nodded, “Yea it was something
all right, something I would like to forget.
And speaking of forgetting you gotta remember we don’t have the forces
we had back then.”
“We don’t need them,” Heyes said
excited now. “We can use the natural
cover to create the perfect cross fire situation.”
“We?” Cannon said raising his eyebrow.
“Marshal don’t make two much sense to
keep two men who can shoot like they do locked up. Especially as outnumbered as we are. Why from what I hear Kid Curry alone could
handle that bunch!” Kid said innocently.
Heyes muttered something under his
breath then looked up and added earnestly.
“He’s right Marshal.”
“And what guarantee I gonna have that
they would stick around and even bother to fire a shot, hell they might even
join the other side!” Cannon growled.
Heyes looked indignant, “Marshal we
may not be on the same side, but I think you know me better than that to link
me up with that bunch.”
Cannon frowned and nodded finally,
“Yea, but I still don’t trust you not to escape. No I’ll sleep better knowing you two are back
here locked up. Joe ring the fire bell. Were gonna have us a town meeting!” He paused and turned. “I reckon it’s asking a lot Heyes, but I
would appreciate any plans you might come up with to help us out.”
Heyes nodded understanding what it had
cost the man to ask that. “Bring me some
paper and a map of the area.”
“Thank you,” Cannon said. “You coming Cody? Might offer some hope to these folks knowing
the great Buffalo Bill is gonna be helping them.”
“Right behind you Marshal,” Kid said
not letting the guilty twinge he felt show and paused only long enough to give
Heyes a nod he completely understood.
“Well what good did that do?” Stokely
hissed. “Were still locked up in here!”
“Just wait,” Heyes said smiling. “The best plans take a little finesse!”
“And what’s to stop me telling the
Sheriff that he is really Kid Curry?”
Heyes turned on him dangerously,
“Listen Jim I’m sorry this happened, but I got 20 years resting on whether this
works out and that makes me real edgy, keep that in mind.”
Stokely glared back at him, “Biggest
mistake I ever did trusting you two!”
If Heyes was honest when the map and
paper came he was almost looking forward to tackling the problem. He knew enough about the original battle
there to know what needed changing and where to position men, plus a few little
touches of his own made for a mighty fine plan. Pity it would never get tested.
Cannon nodded in approval when he saw
it and thanking them again left. Outside
they could hear the sounds of a town in the throes of a near panic and it said
a lot of Cannon’s leadership that he could organize anything.
It was nearly dawn when Kid appeared
again.
The two men had sat in stony silence only
anticipation keeping them each other’s throats.
“Joe?
Marshal needs you,” Kid said coming and rousting the dozing deputy. “He’s out at the pass and is gonna send a
replacement as soon as things get organized.
I said I would keep an eye on these two while you helped him out.”
“Sure thing Mr. Cody, reckon you’re
used to villains like them huh?”
Kid smiled innocently, “Let’s just say
they won’t try anything with me!”
Grabbing his hat Joe hurried out the
door eager not to miss anything.
“
“Well get us out of here!” Jim
snapped. “And then I never want to see either of you…”
“Now Jim!” Kid said checking to see
that the deputy had mounted up and was on his way and then produced the keys
from his pocket.
“How did you get them away from
Cannon?”
“Figured he would take them with him,”
Kid smiled, but his eyes were still worried. “I got horses and supplies out
back.”
Heyes hurried out of the cell and
slipped on his gun belt. “How did you know I’d know about
“Heyes you and your dad rehashed ever
battle of the war and then you made me and any other boy you could find help
you re-enact them. As I remember I was
the entire Confederate army for Glorieta and my mom nearly killed me when I
came home looking like the Union army had overrun me. They treating you both okay,” he added
casually to diminish any indication of concern.
“They certainly have not!” Jim
fumed. “Kid Curry! I should have known you two…”
“Now Jim not gonna help nothing you
getting all riled up like that,” Kid said soothingly. “Let’s get a few miles between us and here
and I’ll explain…”
“The only thing I want from you two is
distance!” Stokely growled and slapping on his gun walked away.
**************************
“Damn.”
It was one word, but the way Heyes
said it as he pulled up his horse made the other two men look up worried. They had been riding into morning for nearly
an hour now and were finally starting to feel they might be able to exhale.
Kid followed his gaze and let out a
low this cannot be happening moan at the cloud of dust being kicked up in the
distance by a herd of riders.
“Heyes tell me it isn’t,” Kid groaned.
“Kid with out luck what else could it
possibly be,” Heyes said putting his face in his hand in disbelief.
“The raiders!” Stokely said finding his voice. “They are coming!”
“I should have known the one time I
come up with a plan and it actually looks like its working,” Kid said. “How much time you think they got?”
“They’ll reach that pass in less than
two hours at that speed,” Heyes said looking at him.
Stokely watched conscious that a
conversation was taking place without words.
“Which means we should be able to get
their first and warn them,” Kid sighed turning his horse.
Stokely stared at him, “You are going
back?”
“Don’t have much choice,” Heyes said
following his partner. “Don’t really
want to run into them or their scouts.”
“But they will capture you again!”
Stokely felt obligated to point out.
“Oh no were bound to get killed by
that bunch first,” Heyes said cheerfully.
“I always appreciate Heyes the way you
help me look on the positive side,” Kid said groaning and spurred his horse
into a gallop.
**************************
“What the…” Cannon said as the three riders raced into
the ravine and pulled up hard. “What did
you bring them along for?”
“Were gonna need them,” Kid said
simply getting off his horse. “They are
right behind us.”
Heyes didn’t even bother to request
permission. Walking over he took a look
at his map. “How many men did you get?”
Cannon had the honesty to look
worried, “Thirty five, maybe twenty are any good with a gun. I had to leave some behind to get the women
to safety and protect them in case any of those bastards broke off and hit the
town first.”
Kid let out a low whistle. “This is going to be tricky. If we don’t get enough of them boxed in or
down they will double back on the town.”
“Yea I thought of that, I’m hoping
this cross fire trick Mr. Heyes came up with will be enough,” he sounded weary,
but determined. It was clear that though
the group was small it would go down dying before it gave up the women and
children back at the town.
Heyes stood in the middle of the
narrow opening that the gang would have to pass through to reach safety. It was a natural place for crossfire and he
could see why the North had been able to defeat the South using it to its best
advantage. But then the North had not
only the same number of men, but reinforcements. Being outnumbered 4 to 1 was
going to make surprise their only hope.
“Get the horses back into the gorge and make sure everyone is out of sight,” Heyes ordered taking charge and oddly no one se