"We'll ride west, Kid. They'll never follow us across the desert, Kid. We'll be livin' it up in Ely, Kid." The blond ex-outlaw muttered to himself as he trudged along through the scrubby desert landscape ignoring his partner who'd stopped and was staring angrily at Curry's sweat-stained back.

Dust covered Heyes' face and lent him a ghost-like appearance. They'd been on foot since yesterday afternoon and both men were tired and blistered. "And why are we being chased in the first place? Was it because someone couldn't keep their hands off Elder Davies' pretty little sister?"

Swinging around, the Kid glared back at Heyes. "How was I supposed to know she was fattenin' me up for the kill?"

"You think a woman cooks like that for a man outta the goodness of her heart? She had you in her crosshairs from the second you ran into her in front of her daddy's store. All those meals were meant to rope you in and brand you. And what were you thinking drinking wine with her? Don't you know Utah's got Blue Laws for every day of the week? No, you just had to get involved with a proper lady—a proper, Mormon lady to boot. Now we've got half of the population of Utah on our tails."

Curry visibly deflated and sighed, "I was just havin' a little fun. You know, she cooked the best food I've eaten in years, but she sure could talk your ear off. I guess when she started in on me turnin' Mormon, I should've figured out what she had in mind, but I'd long since stopped listenin' to what she was sayin'."

Letting go of his own anger, Heyes smiled. "You never could eat and think at the same time, Kid." He started walking again, each step a small agony. "When we lit outta Richfield, I didn't know we'd be on foot. If I had, I would've taken us east; not west."

"Yeah, I guess you can't be blamed for your horse goin' lame." Curry waited until his partner reached his side and began shuffling along next to him. He could feel the heat of the hardpan radiating through the soles of his chafing boots. The expanse they were crossing consisted of baked earth, lizards, sagebrush, and creosote. There wasn't a tree in sight for fifty miles. "Good thing we turned my horse loose when we did or the buzzards would be dinin' on him now. Ridin' double in this country is too much for any animal. "

"Hey, look at the bright side. At least we've got plenty of water. What were the odds we'd find that spring-fed lake?" The sun was beating down on Heyes, forcing him to squint and causing his head to ache miserably, but he kept peering at the shimmery horizon. "With a little luck, we should be able to make those mountains by nightfall."

Curry groaned, "Good. I can't walk much further. I've worn a hole in both heels and my feet feel twice their size."

"Me too, Kid, but what are we gonna do? We can't stop here. Davies almost caught us. We were real lucky that prospector was willing to send them south for a five spot, but they'll have figured out they've been had by now and you can bet they're doubling back. We don't want to get caught out in the open."

"What possessed you to strike out across the desert? Everyone knows there ain't nothin' out here but tumbleweeds and rattlers." The Kid lifted his hat and wiped a grimy arm across his forehead. He was hot and, worse, he was hungry. They might have water, but they'd left too quickly to pack any supplies. Visions of roasted chicken and fresh-baked blackberry pies floated before his eyes, but his pockets were filled with the mealy hardtack and jerky they'd bought off the old coot. Wearily, he adjusted the saddlebags slung across his sore shoulder and tightened his grip on the new Winchester .44-40 he carried. They were well-armed if it came down to a fight. Still, he'd rather not shoot it out. He was heartily wishing he'd never laid his hands on Miss Mary Beth Davies—or her pies.

Heyes carried the filled canteens as well as his own bags. "I guess I figured Davies and his kin would give it up if the going got rough."

"Well, it's rough and they ain't givin' up." The Kid pointed to the south where a small plume of dust rose off the valley floor.

OOOOOOOOOO

"See anything?" asked Curry from the trunk of a juniper tree. He was trying to forget about his throbbing feet and the fact that they'd just finished the last of the food. His saddlebags and his boots were tossed carelessly aside and the Winchester rested on its stock against the peeling, ragged bark of the twisted conifer.

Heyes was lying on his chest peering down at the valley from their vantage point on a rocky outcropping. "Naw, it's getting too dark to tell, but I think they've stopped for the night." He rolled over onto his back and stared at the red and orange-streaked sky. The first stars were appearing and it wouldn't be long before the sun was down. Every bone in his body hurt and it was with a loud moan that he hauled himself to his feet. He staggered a few feet and collapsed in a heap of filthy denim on the sandy soil.

Curry watched the steady rise and fall of his partner's chest and knew Heyes had fallen almost instantly asleep where he'd fallen. With difficulty, he pulled his boots back onto his swollen feet and limped over to his friend. He lay down next to Heyes, absorbing the warmth from the sleeping man. Once the sun went down, it would get cold. His eyes grew heavy and closed.

The sun had already cleared the top of the mountains when they both awoke with a start. Heyes sat up, listening. He was sure he'd heard something. The Kid sprang to his feet and ran for cover, screaming at Heyes to follow. Gunfire erupted around Heyes. Small explosions traced his desperate dash for the rocks, but he reached cover without injury. The Kid had his gun drawn but held his fire.

"What're you waiting for? They're shooting at us!" said Heyes, seizing his own weapon and aiming.

Curry reached over and pushed his partner's gun down with his left hand. "They're on that ridge. They're outta range."

"Where's the rifle?"

"I left it with my saddlebags. Heyes, don't even think about it. You wouldn't get ten feet before they cut you down."

"Me? You're the one who left it by the tree!"

"C'mon, we've can scramble down the backside of this hill and cut out across draw. They won't be able to get a bead on us there."

"And then what?" asked Heyes. "It's not like there's a lot of hiding places around here."

"You want to sit here and get shot, be my guest. Me, I'm outta here." With that, Curry rolled over the edge of the outcropping, tumbled ten feet, and rose to a crouch. He waited until he saw Heyes following, then he took off running. He could hear faint yelling from the ridgetop and knew it wouldn't be long before their pursuers closed in on them.

Heyes ran behind him cursing and wincing as small stones tortured his soles. They reached the bottom of the draw at the same time and stopped. Curry was panting as he gasped out, "You see what I see?"

"What?" Heyes was doubled over, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

"Those rocks over there?" Curry gestured up over his shoulder.

"Yeah, so?" Heyes eyes were scanning the rocky wall that rose above the draw before settling on a jumbled pile of boulders near the base of a sheer rock wall.

"So it could be a place to hide."

"And then what? We'll be trapped."

"We might be able to make those rocks without them seein' us. Worst that'll happen is they'll see us and pin us down, but we can make 'em think twice about comin' after us."

"They won't have to come after us, Kid! We've got no food, no water, and no place to go. They'll wait us out."

"Do you have a better idea? There's no other option I can see," said Curry. Heyes was silent. The Kid pulled his gun and checked his load. "I didn't think so."

"You know, I really hate it when you take charge. It usually means I end up getting shot at."

"Well, it is my plan," grinned the Kid as he pushed off and started running with all his heart for the rocks, Heyes close on his heels. Shots rang out but were too far away to do any harm. They ducked behind the largest boulder and waited. It wasn't long before they heard the sounds of pursuit. Skittering rocks signaled the clumsy approach of Davies and his men.

"What now?"

"Now, we persuade them to go home," said the Kid, drawing his gun and taking aim. He could see several men working their way down the draw.

"Hold up, Kid," said Heyes. "Look!" He was pointing at a brushy tangle of cedar and shrubs nestled against the sheer wall that towered behind them.

Curry stared at the vegetation for a while before he made out the yawning darkness it camouflaged. He chuckled happily. "A cave. There's a cave, Heyes!"

Laughing softly, the two men carefully pushed their way through the brambles taking care not to damage any branches and entered the cool, dank opening; quickly disappearing into the growing blackness. Using their hands to feel their way along the damp walls they hurried towards the back of the cave and stopped, holding their breaths. They could see the glow of light from the mouth of the cave and heard men yelling and crawling about the hillside.

"Hey, I found a cave," yelled someone eventually, "and footprints!"

The two ex-outlaws could hear the other men gathering at the entrance to their sanctuary and they waited silently, their guns weighing heavily in their hands. Neither of them wished to harm anyone and they both prayed they wouldn't be discovered, but it soon became obvious that the hunters were going to wait them out. Minutes stretched into hours and all they could hear was the soft tones of muted conversation and all they could see was the fading light of day that failed to reach them. When the darkness became absolute, they waited until they were assured by ragged snores that most of the men had fallen asleep. Carefully, as slowly as possible, they felt around the back of the cave covering every inch until they found a small crevice. Slipping into it, Heyes squeezed through with the Kid behind him. The walls squeezed them tightly as they worked their way further into the depths of the cave.

After several hundred feet, the corridor widened again and Heyes felt the walls drop away from beneath his hands. They were in another cave. The Kid tumbled into him and nearly knocked him down. "Shh," whispered Heyes. Deciding it was worth the risk, he fished a box of matches from his shirt and lit one. The light flared brightly and revealed a small portion of the cave. The walls dripped moisture onto the floor. Overhead, long tendrils of limestone reached down towards their rising counterparts and delicate fluted columns glistened in the flickering light. Heyes turned in wonderment as the match burned down to his fingers and he shook it out.

"Did you see that?" hissed Curry softly.

"Yeah, beautiful, isn't it?"

"Not that. There's a stream in here."

Heyes lit another match. "Where?"

Grabbing his partner, the Kid turned him to the right. "There, see?"

Heyes saw a faint reflection along the opposite wall before the tiny flame burned out. He stumbled blindly towards it, bumping into stony formations as he made his way across the cave until he heard splashing water beneath his feet. He nearly danced with excitement. "You're right! Haha, you're right!"

"Shh, someone's going to hear us."

Another match revealed that the water was indeed moving. It trickled past their feet. Without a word, the two partners agreed to follow the course of the stream. Their boots already wet, they stumbled along slowly until they abruptly came to another wall. Heyes bent down towards the water and lit a match. The stream cut through a small opening near the floor and disappeared. He got down on his belly and thrust his arm into the hole. The light danced wildly and blew out.

"You got any matches, Kid?"

"Yeah, almost a full box."

"Good." Heyes lit yet another match and wriggled partway into the opening. He could see the shallow stream's reflection leading into another widening before his light blew out again. Emboldened, he wriggled forward.

"Heyes, what the hell are you doin'?" growled an alarmed Kid. He'd seen his partner disappearing into the wall before the light was extinguished.

A muffled reply drifted to his ears. "It's another room, Kid, and there's a breeze. I think there's a way out."

The Kid put his box of matches into his rear pants pocket to keep them dry and dropped into the water, squeezing into the hole. He was almost halfway in when he felt himself wedged tight. "Heyes," he nearly yelled, "I'm stuck!"

Hands reached for him in the darkness and he felt his partner pulling on his shoulders. It was no use. He couldn't get through. Panicking in the confined space, he cried, "Push, push me back!"

Hearing the fear in his normally stoic partner's voice, Heyes pushed with all his strength. He felt the Kid slide away from him.

When he got his breathing under control, Curry morosely said, "It's no use, Heyes, go on without me, I'll cover your back."

"I ain't leaving you behind, Kid," growled Heyes through the opening.

"You ain't got a choice, Heyes. Guess I put on more weight than I realized eatin' Mary Beth's good cookin'. There's no way I can fit through there." The Kid stood up.

From the other side of the wall, Heyes' mind raced. He wouldn't leave his partner. Not now, not ever. "Take off your clothes!" demanded Heyes.

"What?!"

"I said take off your clothes. That'll buy you a few inches."

"I ain't gettin' nekkid, Heyes."

"Would you rather get dead?" Not hearing an immediate answer, Heyes added, "or married?"

"When you put it that way…." Curry quickly pulled off his garments and bundled his holster and pants inside of his blue shirt and tied the arms tightly. Pushing the garments ahead of him, he crawled into the hole again. With some effort, he managed to squeak through the narrow spot and landed on Heyes' feet. He felt his partner's hands help him up.

Heyes struck another match, but the Kid blew it out. "What you'd do that for?!"

"Geez, give me a second to get decent, why don't you?" was the irritated reply from the Kid. Putting his wet clothes back on was a chore. "Okay, I'm dressed."

Another light flared and the Kid could see that they were in a much smaller cave. The stream stretched through the center of it and once again disappeared into another wall, but, thankfully, through a larger hole than the one he'd just come through. He felt a faint chill and realized there was a breeze and it was coming from the opening. Without waiting for Heyes, he crossed the room and stood by the hole. Cold air struck his face and he laughed. He knelt down and peered into the opening. He could see faint stars twinkling in the night sky.

Heyes knelt next to him. "I'll go first in case you get stuck again. I'd rather be pulling your arms than pushing your a…"

"Don't say it," warned Curry. He slipped out after Heyes into a clear, cold night. The moon was up and nearly full, casting a soft light across the valley floor and the ribbon of roadway that bisected it. They'd come out on the opposite side of the hill and could see the recently-christened Wheeler Peak looming above them. The North Star shone overhead beckoning them to follow. As quietly as they could, they picked their way down the hillside until they reached the valley floor. It wasn't until they'd struck north to Ely that they spoke again.

"How far do you think it is to town, Heyes?"

"It's a ways, Kid. Let's make for the road, if we're lucky we might hitch a ride."

"Sound like a plan to me," agreed Curry. "I hope someone comes along soon. I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse."

"You might be better off sticking to a pony, Kid," chuckled Heyes as he threw his arm over his partner's shoulders and the two men limped into the night.

Author's notes: Lehman Caves are located at the base of Wheeler Peak in the Great Basin National Park. Year round tours are offered by the Park Service and the cave features rare shield formations not commonly seen in other caves. Great Basin is also designated an International Dark Skies Park and is known for its incredible starry skies. At the top of Wheeler Peak is a trail that winds through an ancient Bristlecone Pine forest. Bristlecone are one of the oldest living non-clonal organisms on the planet with some existing trees dating well over 5,000 years old.