"Howdy, Lom."

Sheriff Trevors head snapped toward the general direction of the side door, then back to the dark-haired visitor who had just walked into his office.

"Where's the Kid?" he asked.

"He's dropping off our horses at the livery. He'll be right along."

"Coffee?"

"Don't mind if I do."

Heyes helped himself to a cup and poured out a measure of the aromatic, steaming black liquid from the enamel pot that sat warming on the wood burning stove. As he was pouring a second cup for Trevors, Kid Curry strolled through the front door.

"Howdy, Lom," he drawled.

Heyes gestured with the pot as the other two men shook hands.

"Sure, coffee'd be real good right about now, especially knowin' you're not the one who made it," Kid joked.

Ignoring to the dig, Heyes, poured a third cup and handed it to his partner.

Lom remarked drily, "Don't know that Harker's coffee is much better than Heyes's."

All three men settled themselves around Lom's desk. Curry took a sip, his expression indicating that Lom's summation was correct, although just barely.

"So, what's this important job you have for us?" Heyes inquired, getting right down to business.

"It's an escort job. Easy one, but important because it's for a very good friend of the governor. Do this one right and the governor will look very favorably on you."

"Yeah, we've heard that one before," sighed Heyes. Trevors ignored the comment and continued,

"The governor has a friend, Will Sutton, has a big spread just outside of Cheyenne. Apparently, he's decided to send his baby girl back east to some fancy women's school in St. Louis. Thinks it'll help her land a good husband."

"So, why don't he just put her on a train from Cheyenne to St. Louis?" asked Curry.

"Well, it seems that Mr. Sutton doesn't trust the railroads. Seems he's worried that the Devil's Hole Gang might just rob the train while his darling daughter is aboard."

"Huh. That's ironic. We're going to be guarding the rancher's daughter from ourselves," commented Heyes, bemused at the prospect.

"Pretty much," agreed Trevors. "He's gonna send her by covered wagon. Wants you boys to ride shotgun. Make sure she's safely delivered into the hands of her headmistress."

"How old's this girl? I mean, we talking little girl…?" asked Curry.

"Kid, she's only 17, so hands off!"

"Hey, why do you say that to me and not him?"

"You're the one with the reputation for falling for anyone wearing skirts."

Heyes said nothing, but he smirked knowingly, brown eyes gleaming mischievously over the brim of his coffee mug as he took a swallow .

"Oh, C'mon Lom. That ain't fair. Besides, why would I+ wanna be chasin' after a young gal only 17 years of age?"

Heyes abruptly coughed into a gloved hand, the cough itself sounding nothing so much as a name: 'Annabell.'

The Kid shot his partner a dirty look as Lom went on, oblivious to the significance of the cough. "There'll be a chaperone, too. Sounds like she's a mite older. Daughter of Sutton's foreman."

"What's it pay, Lom?" inquired Heyes.

"500 dollars, but it's not the pay that matters, it's that Will Sutton and the governor are as close as brothers."

"500 dollars apiece?" asked Kid.

"Nope. 500 dollars to split. But that's 500 more dollars than what you'll get by not taking the job."