THE FASTEST GUN IN THE WEST

Drena Hills

'Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard

than anyone expects of you. Never excuse yourself, this, this is the making of legends.’

- Harriet Ward Beecher

Hannibal Heyes should have been used to it by now. How many times had he heard the challenges, the rumors, the bravo in a stranger’s voice as he bragged how fast, how deadly he was with the cold protruding metal strapped to his hip. It never changed, because men didn’t change and yet here he was standing at the bar feeling his stomach twist in fear as his grip on his glass threatened to shatter it.

The two men talking didn’t know him, it had only been luck that had let them stand next to him alone at the bar. Luck, he wondered at times how much of it was luck when his cousin drew that gun. Luck, talent, practice, they all had a percentage of the equation.

He swallowed down the rest of his drink and listened, listened and didn’t move as the dread crept up on him.

“It was Kid Curry all right, he’s down in Markton, couple of us recognized him. You ever seen him draw? Nothing like it, man isn’t human. But then my partner, Jude, he tells me Curry ain’t the only gunslinger in town, new fella and he swears he’s faster by a mile, saw him draw once in this little town outside Hila City.”

The man looked at him, “So you think they’re aiming to settle it? Settle who’s the fastest?”

“Don’t see no reason why else they’d both be hanging around that hell hole lessin its to find out. I would have stayed, but got me a job in Mesa. Sure hate to miss it though.”

Heyes knew exactly why his partner was hanging around Markton. Big Mac’s offer of $200 for a little job.

“Kid he’s just being paranoid, besides you know Markton, that town is just trouble waiting to happen,” Heyes had argued as they had taken the telegram back to the hotel.

“Heyes its $200 dollars.”

“Which I can win in one night if I can figure out how to get into that game.”

“Exactly, you can win, while your doing that I’ll just ride down there make sure this transaction of his goes off smooth and come home $200 richer.”

“No I don’t like it, you’re not going to have anyone to watch your back.”

“Ah, got you, seems Wheat and some of the boys are hoorahing it up down there.”

“Oh that’s suppose to make me feel better?” Heyes said falling into a chair and running his hands through his hair, a clear sign he was agitated.

“Heyes I don’t need a nursemaid. What’s the matter with you, we’ve split up before for jobs.”

“I know, it’s just a feeling, look I’ll just forget about the game and we’ll both go.”

“Heyes you have been talking about this game for over a month. You’ve smoothed you way into the good books of nearly every player in it. They are bound to invite you. Now I’ll be fine. I’ll ride in keep a low profile, collect my money and be back before you know I’m gone.”

“I still don’t like it.”

“Its Danny isn’t it?”

Heyes had looked up sharply and realized it was. It had been less than a week since Kid had outdrawn Danny Bilson and the vision still haunted him. The man had been just too darn fast.

“Heyes I can take care of myself, but thank you,” Kid had said touched by his worry.

Heyes had finally nodded, but the nagging feeling had not left him and now this. Now his cousin was a sitting duck for a gunfight, a fight he might not win.

“Games just setting up now Mr. Smith,” the bartender smiled at him.

He looked up startled, all the work and finesse he had used to get himself invited flying out of his head.

“Thanks, but I just got called out of town,” he said throwing a coin down on the bar and was out the door before the man could register surprise.

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

He would have to ride all night to reach Markton in time. Kid wasn’t stupid, he wouldn’t let himself get riled into a fight, maybe once his temper would have him on his feet, but he had gotten wiser as he had gotten faster and now it took a great deal to goad him into drawing.

Heyes finished saddling his horse and swung up and turned the animal south. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t be forced in order to save his life. Pride was one thing, Kid had proven he could swallow that and step down, but if this man was as fast as they said he might easily give Kid no choice, draw or die.

He had almost come to pretend they had put these days behind them. The alias helped, it was not like the days when Kid didn’t care who knew who he was and riding into a town to hoorah it after a robbery meant a chance of someone thinking of trying their luck against him. And of course there had been the strangers riding into the Hole with only one purpose, taking on the fastest gun in the west and hoping to make his legend their own.

The fastest gun in the west, he wasn’t sure when he had first heard Kid called that. In the beginning they had only thought of Kid’s ability as a way to stay alive. The west was a fast hard place and they had been green and cocky. More than once Heyes’s sarcasm and way with cards had erupted into a challenge his partner had felt obligated to step in and back him up on.

In the beginning Kid almost always fired, the fear and adrenalin forcing him to complete the draw, usually catching the man in his gun arm or some times just taking the holster off before he even reached it. But as he got used to it, he had explained to Heyes, he came to know when he had to shoot and when he was just so much faster than his opponent that in essence he could just stand and wait for him.

Got used to facing a gun, Heyes groaned at the very thought. What had happened to that little boy who trailed him around and couldn’t even fire a gun without being knocked back. When had his cousin Jed become the fastest gun in the west?

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

It had been that drifter missing an arm who had bet the revolver.. The Sunday night poker game at the Home usually had its share of odd pots. The janitor, the different boys, and the strangers who wandered in and out usually never had money, just things.

Heyes mostly bargained for food and money, occasionally medicine or a blanket. If Jed needed shoes or they both were hurting for a shirt he would win them in the game. And he did win, it almost became a running joke to see what he could take from strangers underestimating the skinny, pale dark eyed boy whose hair always fell in his eyes.

He had come back to the room to find Jed awake and waiting.

“Whatcha win Han?” he had asked his pride in his cousin’s ability shining in his eyes.

“Apple, pencil, got us off kitchen duty tomorrow so we can sneak off fishing, and this…” he tossed the gun down casually.

His 11 year old cousin sat up excited. “Han it’s a gun!”

“Will you keep your voice down or its gonna be Mr. Henderson’s gun,” he said speaking of the night warden.

“You got bullets?”

Heyes hadn’t thought of that, but bluffed. “Nah, not this game, win them next time.”

“I can get bullets,” Jedediah Curry had said confidently.

“Oh really?” his cousin had said slightly amused as he yawned and crawled into bed.

“Han can I… can I have this?”

A simple question, and he had gone over in his mind a million times what would have happened if he had answered differently.

“What do you want a gun for?” Han said into his pillow all ready half asleep.

“Don’t know, just do. You know I got an eye for it, my Pa, well he said I did. Yours did too.”

“All right, just don’t them catch you with it or they’ll liable to shoot us both.”

His cousin had beamed, “Thanks Han, I won’t and you’ll see, I’ll get really good and then…”

He hadn’t heard the rest, he had fallen asleep leaving his cousin sitting holding the gun and making a vow that would change their lives forever.

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

Heyes reined in his animal to check the crossroad sign and then kicked it back into a gallop.

Kid had gotten good. He had practiced every chance he could. The end of the war brought men through eager to exchange ammunition for more needed items and Kid never had problem securing all he needed to practice. And practice he did. Heyes at first had been glad to see him with something to do leaving him free to deal and work at getting them a way out, but then he had grown curious.

He had followed his cousin out to the field beyond the creek one night and just watched from the trees in the whole moonlight.

Jed was almost 13 by then, but still looked no more than 10 or 11, Maybe that’s what made it look that much worse as he over and over pulled the gun from his waistband and fired. Always hitting what he aimed at, the motion quick clean and efficient.

Heyes had been breathless when the exhibition was done. He had seen trick shooters before, but they had been grown men, not little boys and that’s all Jed was, a little boy. But then his cousin had turned and Heyes had seen his face and felt his blood grow cold at the quiet, deadly resolve in his face as he reloaded. He didn’t know this person.

He had crept back to bed and laid awake until Jed had come in.

“Jed.”

“So what did you think?” Jedediah said simply climbing into bed.

Han propped up on one elbow to stare at him, “You knew I was there?”

“Not at first, why were you spying on me Han, you could have come,” he sounded more hurt than annoyed.

“Jed, Jed I don’t think you ought to practice no more.”

His cousin had smiled, that understanding older smile he sometimes produced that always threw him.

“Too late now Han.”

“Too late for what? Jed a man don’t need to shoot that good or be that fast, only gonna get him in trouble!”

“Or maybe keep trouble from taking what’s his,” Jed had said quietly and then rolled over to indicate the discussion was over.

He hadn’t slept at all that night. By morning he felt a bit better, maybe Jed was right, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have a little edge.

He’s only been 14, he’d only been a child.

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

Dawn was creeping up on him as he rounded the last turn and saw Markton in the distance. And maybe Kid never would have gotten better if they hadn’t had that string of luck in Dodge. A successful trail drive, their first and a big win at the poker table had left them flush. Heyes had big plans for his share, but when he urged his friend to share his plans, Jed had merely pointed to the brand new peacemaker in the gun shop window and said he wanted that.

“Forty dollars! For a gun! Heck Jed it ain’t even rifle or something useful.”

“I wanna know what it feels like to shoot a gun like that,” his partner had said with a passion another man might have shown discussing a woman. Twenty minutes later he left wearing the gun strapped to his side.

“Your gonna wear it?” Heyes had rolled his eyes.

“Gun this fine, be a sin not show it off,” Kid had said almost strutting.

“You showing off the gun or what you can do with it?” Heyes said uneasy.

It had been a hot day and suddenly the dust in the street welled up in his throat as if a glimpse of tomorrow was being forced on him.

“Heyes relax,” he had said and gone off to practice.

He had followed, swallowing the dust down and praying he was wrong about what he knew was about to happen.

The gun had found its master. It took him a minute to get the weight, the feel of it, but it seemed to jump in his hand, or did after he frowned and then realizing, bent over and tied the holster down.

That was the final ingredient. He now had a quick, easy release added to reflexes already like lightning.

Plus the new gun did not fail or jam, it was always ready, always at his command. The balance and feel becoming his with every quick draw.

He had turned back laughing, pleased and then let the smile run off his face.

“Heyes stop looking like I just held up the bank,” he said disgusted.

“You gonna keep wearing it like that?”

“Like what?” Kid had said as if he didn’t know.

“You know what! You ain’t no gunslinger, what you think this is some dime novel? Jed men come looking for fools just like you to challenge.”

“Then they better be faster than me,” he had said it cocky, more to annoy his cousin pushing him around than anything else, but it hung there between them real and solid and certain.

“Look Heyes I won’t do nothing stupid, come on I need a beer, I hear they even got cold ones at this Long Branch…”

And that night he saved his life and the legend took its first steps into the light.

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

Markton was a border town and as such the law came and went, but rarely made any imprint on its citizens. Heyes had checked and the current sheriff had fled two weeks ago leaving Kid free to relax at least from that quarter. The town was alive with men also on the run, who knew him and knew better than to be tempted by the reward. For Kid it would have been a freeing feeling, almost like old times. He could walk down the street and be himself when he entered the rough and tumble saloons.

Heyes was relieved to see he had found a small quiet hotel across town in the most respectable quarter and signed in under his alias.

The desk clerk had stared at him blurry eyed when he had inquired about his cousin only to have the man suddenly become alert and report Kid had not come back from going out the night before.

Groaning he had thrown his gear and a coin down and sought out the only place that could have kept him up all night.

“Hey look who it is boys!” Wheat Carlson grinned seeing Heyes, who had come through the door to stare in wonder at the saloon still packed and lively at 8 in the morning.

Kyle Mertree looked up and grinned. “Hey Heyes about time you got here you done missed all the excitement!”

“Where’s Kid,” Heyes said.

The two men sobered on his question, they knew that voice and they knew better to question it.

“Just left, heading over for breakfast,” Wheat said.

“Can’t say the same for that other fella,” Kyle grinned, his eyes shining with pride and Heyes knew whatever the story Kyle, would be telling the tale for months.

“What happened?”

“Some four flusher stupid enough to accuse the Kid of cheating,” Wheat grinned remembering and even with him there was a touch of pride in his voice that he knew the man and could tell people they had rode together. Legends were like that.

“But he’s all right?” Heyes said still not ready to be relieved.

“Sure is,” Kyle grinned. “Ain’t nobody faster than Kid Curry!”

Heyes let out a long breath. “Restaurant?”

“Fancies that one about a block down, on the left. Seems the waitress is sweet on him and gives him seconds for free,” Wheat grinned.

Heyes thanked them and waved off their offers to join them in a game.

He entered the diner to find Kid in the corner grinning at an older waitress who was pouring him coffee and focusing all her attention on seeing he was well fed.

He had to stand there almost a minute before he noticed him and then his face broke into a grin.

“Joshua!” he said. “Milly this is my partner, one I told you about, bring him…”

“Just coffee,” Heyes said falling into a chair the last of his energy drained from him by the action.

The woman seemed to understand and pouring him a cup left them alone.

“Posse?” Kid asked quietly ready to leave. He took in his partner’s weary, exhausted state and instantly was alert.

“No, no every things fine,” he wanted to add now, but just sipped the coffee.

“They cancel the game?” Kid said still probing and Heyes knew he wouldn’t let it go.

“No, just decided against it.”

“What?! You are have been talking about that poker game for a month, what made you ride all night?”

Heyes sipped the coffee grateful, “Just felt like having breakfast with you.”

“You heard,” Kid said suddenly understanding.

“Heard what?” Heyes said innocently turning his full attention on his partner’s food. “You gonna eat that toast?”

“That Kid Curry had met his match.”

“Wheat said that boy wasn’t even in your league,” Heyes said now working on his bacon and moving his plate over so he could reach the eggs as well.

“So you saw Wheat.”

“Yea Kyle is already making the story better. You know I’m starting to think you wouldn’t be half as fast as you are if you didn’t have people like Kyle to make the stories better.”

“That’s not who they all are talking about.”

Heyes looked up startled, almost dropping the fork. It wasn’t over?

Kid grinned and laughed, “Heyes for a poker player you sure are easy to read sometimes, but thank you, its all right.”

“What do you mean its all right! I heard he’s fast as you!”

“Some days might even be faster!”

Heyes glared at him angry and hurt he was taking this so lightly.

Kid suddenly stopped smiling, understanding what his cousin had been through, what he always went through. “Heyes its all right.”

“It’s not all right!” Heyes hissed. “It’s never all right! It hasn’t been since the day I gave you that stupid gun!”

Kid nodded solemnly, “If I hadn’t gotten it from you Heyes, it would have been from someone else. I was determined never to let anyone… to never let it happen again and that was the only way I knew to make sure it didn’t.”

Heyes said nothing, he was tired and angry and his head was pounding.

“Come on we both could use some sleep, that is if you’re done with my breakfast?”

“What about your rival? Aren’t you worried he’s waiting out there for you?”

“Nope, met him, nice fella, his partner’s a little weird sometimes…”

Heyes looked up sharply sensing something right.

Kid gave him his biggest grin and laughed, “Heyes the man everyone thinks is so fast, that he can outdraw Kid Curry is Thaddeus Jones.”

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

He was almost asleep when his cousin’s still awake voice drifted over to him from the other bed.

“Heyes?”

“Hmmm?”

“You really think I am the fastest gun in the west?”

“You been reading those dime novels again haven’t you.”

“I don’t feel like the fastest gun in the west.”

“In a minute you won’t be, I will be, because I will shoot you if you don’t let me get some sleep.”

This seemed to amuse Kid who grinned, “You gave up that game….”

“Can we get some sleep?”

“And rode all night…”

“Kid I’m warning you...”

“Because of a rumor?”:

Heyes was quiet for a moment and then turned and looked over at his partner’s perplexed expression and simply said. “No, because of a friend.”