"ALONG THE ROCKY ROAD"

CHAPTER ONE

Heyes and Kid set out on a narrow road, many years ago.
Hoping they'd get amnesty, along the rocky road.
They got lost a time or two, wiped their brows - kept pushin' through,
But the Law couldn't see how everything proved their intentions were true.

(Paraphrased portion of "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts)

0000000

1885...Somewhere in Colorado

Arms folded across his chest, Jed "Kid" Curry exhaled loudly one more time right before he let a shrill whistle escape through his teeth. He also directed another exasperated glare at the man who was contentedly sprawled out on the ground just a few feet away.

Seemingly unperturbed, the man in question was leaning back against his saddle, using it as a headrest. His feet were crossed casually at the ankles and he didn't look like he was going to move any time soon. Even the flashes of sunshine that danced across his face as they filtered through the leaves didn't seem to bother him. In fact, looking at him, one could almost be deceived into thinking he was oblivious to everything going on around him, with the exception of what he held in his hands. Almost.

I wish Heyes'd never found that stupid book! Curry realized he'd wished that very same thing at least ten times in the last two hours. "An' another thing, why'd he havta go an' pick one that had so many daggone pages for in it anyways?" The young outlaw aimed another pebble at the old tin can he'd wedged tight in the crook of the tree. A tree which just so happened to be right smack dab in the middle of the two men. The pebble hit the can square on.

Curry relished the minute sense of satisfaction it gave him as he heard the annoying pinging sound it made. Well, at least that was what Heyes had told him - that the sound was annoying - the last few times he'd bothered saying anything at all. All it earned Kid now was a silent scowl and a pointed look from his partner over the top of his book. Curry shrugged the look off with an innocent one of his own; a look which plainly said, What? But even that was a wasted effort, since his cousin had already returned his attention back to reading his book again.

How can some old book be so darn interestin' anyways? he wondered and heaved another deep sigh. What had Heyes said this one was about? Oh yeah, somethin' 'bout some man who thought he could go 'round the world in eighty days. Curry shook his head and chuckled to himself. What a loco idea! Heyes had also said the man was going to do some of it while riding an elephant. An elephant? he snorted with a roll of his eyes skyward, Now I've heard everythin'!

Restless and now even bored with tossing pebbles, he heaved himself up to a standing position with as much noise as he thought he could get away with and made his way over to the campfire. Like a mischievous schoolboy, he scuffed his boots along the ground as he walked, managing to scatter everything he encountered in his path every-which-way and sending up a small dust cloud in his wake as well.

Reaching his goal, he leaned down and grabbed some of the biscuits left over from breakfast. Taking a big bite out of one, he put the rest into his coat pocket for later and glanced hopefully at his cousin one last time, but Heyes never even blinked. Curry studied his partner thoughtfully as he took another bite. If I didn't know better, I'd wonder if he was even breathin'! Curry sighed again. All of a sudden, he turned and began to walk downhill towards the creek with a big grin on his face.

When he reached level ground, he made his way over to a large rock. Leaning against it and chewing on a biscuit, he tipped his head back, enjoying the feel of the warm sunshine upon his face. After a while, he tilted his head forward and began to look around for what he needed. This is a sure-fire way to get Heyes' attention! He walked around, scouting out the area and gathering up objects as he came across them.

Curry chuckled. He'd learned long ago not to be too picky out on the trail, the old 'beggars can't be choosers' bit, but today he was going to need lots of targets. He found some wood knots, a few pine cones and even came across an old boot someone had lost. Finishing the last bite of biscuit, he dusted his hands off on his pants, still looking around in the hope of finding at least a few more things.

Catching the glint of the sun shining off something metallic, Kid dropped to the ground with an excited cry. Crawling forward on his belly to reach underneath a bush, he pulled out a battered tin can, crusty with rust and a dirty, old whiskey bottle in triumph. These would be perfect! "Hey," he said as he dusted off the bottle with his shirtsleeve, "it's not even cracked!"

As Curry lay there admiring his treasures, he heard a rustling sound and his whole body tensed as he turned in the direction the sound was coming from. Whatever it was, it was jus' over there in those bushes! Still laying flat on his belly, he reached back to unhook his gun and eased it out of the holster…just in case. A moment later, instead of pulling the trigger, the outlaw laid his head down on his folded arms and laughed in relief.

Why, it's only a little ol' coon; nothin' to be 'fraid of. He slipped his gun back where it belonged and began to speak to the animal in a low voice. "Hey, there, little fella - whatcha doin' way out here all by yourself - you lost?" He watched as the raccoon climbed up on a nearby rock and stared back at him with a wary look in his eyes. Getting to his feet in slow motion so as not to startle the animal, Curry continued to speak in a quiet tone.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you; maybe you'll even be some company for me. Hey, you got any relatives?" He laughed and answered without waiting for a reply, "Well, I do! See, I've got this cousin," he raised his voice, "named Hannibal, an' all he does is read!"

He dropped his voice back to normal before he added, "In fact, he's got his nose stuck in a book right this very minute. An' you wanna know what else? It's some story 'bout this loco fella who thinks he can go 'round the whole world in only eighty days - can you believe that? An' what's even more loco, is that he's gonna do some of it while riding an elephant - you know, like they have at the circus or the fair -" Kid stopped speaking and gave a rueful laugh as it dawned on him what he had just said.

"Course you don't - when would you ever have had the chance to see a fair or a circus, huh?" As he talked, Curry had slowly edged a few steps closer, but the raccoon stood its ground and continued to watch him. It cocked its head to the side, as if considering the human's words.

"Guess you've probably never seen an elephant neither, right?"Curry shook his head. As crazy as it seemed, the animal's ears perked up and he chattered noisily and then fell silent, as if he were waiting for the man to continue.

"At least you look like you're listenin'." Taking his time, the young man sat down in front of the rock, careful not to make any sudden moves. "Well, let me tell you, I've been to both a circus an' a fair - plenty of 'em, an' they're a bunch of fun, let me tell you! There's lots of animals, clowns, acrobats, fortune tellers, two-headed snakes; there's games to play, an' best of all, my favorite, the shootin' contests - I'm real good at those. In fact, I usually end up makin' everyone mad 'cos I win all the time. I can hit anythin' an' everythin' I aim at," the gunfighter boasted with pride.

"See, that's what I do best. I can shoot really fast an' I never miss, neither! I practice all the time - that's why I'm so good." Curry heaved a deep sigh. "I s'pose that's why Heyes keeps talkin' me outta enterin' any more of 'em. He says it's jus' too dangerous...too risky for us. Makin' that many men mad, winnin' the prize money all the time, well, it kinda tends to make 'em suspicious, an' 'sides that, I think maybe HE thinks I'm just showin' off."

He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He cocked his head to the side to glance at the raccoon before he added, "I'm not, you know. What I mean is, I can't help it if I'm really good at shooting things, can I?" The young outlaw paused a moment to watch an ant as it labored to carry a piece of food and made it's way across the ground in front of him. As the tiny insect continued on its way, so did Kid.

"See, I'm not as smart as my cousin - he's the one I was tellin' you 'bout earlier. He's the one with all the brains, thinks up some of the best plans. I don't think his mind ever rests, even when he's sleepin' his brain is still busy thinkin' up stuff. Says he does his best thinkin' at night, but I'm not too sure 'bout that."

Curry shook his head, "I still have the scar on my leg from gettin' shot up when we tried to follow one of the plans he thought up one night..." his voice trailed off as his attention was drawn towards the raccoon when it began to wash its face with its hands. He leaned back against the tree, closed his eyes and blew out a happy sigh.

"Anyways, back to the circus an' the fairs...I almost forgot to tell you about the food - there's all kinds of good things to eat! I bet you can't even imagine how much there is." He opened his eyes and leaned forward to look at the coon, his eyes sparkling. His mouth already watering at the thought of all the wonderful things and wanting to share them with his new friend, he spoke in a voice that was filled with enthusiasm.

"There's candied apples, popped corn, cotton candy, apple cider, roasted beef an' chicken, there's corn-on-the-cob smothered in butter, lemonade, roasted 'taters, peanuts an' every kind of dessert you could ever imagine!"Curry toppled over backwards and stared straight up into the sky. If he turned his head just a bit, he could still see the coon out of the corner of his eye.

"There's so many, I don't know if I can even begin to remember 'em all! Let's see, they have breads, cakes an' pies - every kind an' any flavor you can think of! Apple, cherry, pumpkin, blueberry, banana, blackberry, chocolate - all of 'em!" Kid tucked his hands under the back of his head.

"I like cherry the best - my ma used to make the best cherry cobbler for miles around; you could smell it bakin' two whole towns away! She always won the blue ribbon for 'em, too; used to make all the other ladies mad 'cos she won all the time. Guess we were kinda alike, my ma an' me," he said reflectively, "Both of us makin' people mad when we won. I bet you would've liked my mom, an' she probably would've liked you, too - as long as you didn't come inside the house. She had a rule, said animals belonged outside."

Lost in his thoughts, Curry lay quiet for a few minutes. When he spoke again, his voice was husky with emotion. "She's gone now; my whole family's gone...You know what, little fella? There was this one time she broke her own rule an' she let me bring my puppy inside. It was when I was sick - real sick - down with pneumonia. They said I almost died that time.

"When I got well enough, there was only one thing I asked for; I wanted to see my puppy. My mom went right outside an' carried him into my bedroom herself, darin' anyone to say a word. She laid him down on the bed next to me and we jus' looked at each other, didn't neither of us havta say a word. I could tell how worried she'd been, thinkin' I might've died...an' I knew how much she loved me, too."

He fell silent. "You know what else? I was wrong...there was one other thing I asked for. I wanted my best friend to come in with me, too." Curry grinned, "I called him Han back then, an' he called me Jed. We were more'n jus' friends - we were cousins - an' we did everythin' together. Even back then he came up with some of the best plans - the greatest ideas – an' so many ways to have fun.

"I missed him. See, they wouldn't let him come near me when I was so sick, they said I probably wouldn't have even known, but that's not right. I would've known if he was there. His family's gone too, so we're all that's left. I'm his family an' he's mine. We look out after each other, even when we're fightin'." Kid inhaled and then released it, nice and slow.

"Guess that's why I get so mad when he reads all the time; it's like he shuts a door in my face. He gets to go places...without me. He has all this wonderful stuff inside his head, places he's been, people he's met, things he's done an' learned – an' I don't know any of it! When he gets that look on his face, I kinda feel like he's left me behind; like he's forgotten that I even exist. I guess readin's okay; I like the dime novels myself."

"They've even written some stories 'bout me 'n Heyes," he boasted with a proud grin, "We're famous! 'Course we don't do all the things they say we do, neither, but it sure is fun to read about 'em." Curry stretched his legs out in front of him. "Anyway, Heyes knows all kinds of stuff an' me, well, like I said before, I'm good with my gun. I let him do most of the thinkin' an' my gun makes sure he gets to stay alive long enough to do it." He turned back to look up at the sky, watching the clouds as they floated overhead.

"You wanna know somethin' else? We used to lie on our backs jus' like this, watchin' the clouds an' we'd make up stories about 'em. Well, Heyes would mostly do the makin' up; I'd find a shape an' then he'd tell me about it. Boy, could he ever come up with some good ones, too." Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he watched a hawk as it circled lazily overhead.

"That was before we had to be on the run all the time. Now, we hardly ever get to relax anymore. This is the first time in months we've stayed put in one spot for more'n two days. It sure feels good, not havin' to be in the saddle all day, or bein' chased by a posse, but after a few days I need somethin' to do! Heyes can read for a week straight an' never even stop once to eat. I have to remind him; I sure don't know how a man can forget to eat." Kid shook his head and laughed. "I'm glad I don't have that problem." He closed his eyes and pondered those thoughts for awhile.

0000000

Meanwhile, back at the camp…

It was with great reluctance that Heyes finally gave up all pretense of trying to read once he realized that he'd read the same paragraph three times and still didn't know what it said. There was one thing he did know for certain and that was that his cousin was annoyed with him. "Shoot, anytime I pick up something to read..."

A slow grin spread across his face as he recalled the time Kid had once threatened to get a book of his own to read if Heyes didn't quit reading long enough to pay some attention to what he had to say. He put a hand to his mouth as a snort of laughter escaped. The only thing besides Tom Sawyer he'd ever seen the Kid pick up voluntarily to read was an occasional newspaper and those dime novels he liked.

Curry would read those just to find the good parts, especially the ones that were about the 'numerous exploits of those two dashing and daring - not to mention amorous - outlaws, Hannibal Heyes and Jed "Kid" Curry.' Yep, his cousin sure loved reading about how 'fantastic those two dare-devil outlaws were, and how the women swooned at their feet, barely able to believe their good fortune at merely being in presence of the tow outlaws...' Heyes' thoughts turned in another direction.

Well, Kid did listen while I read "Treasure Island" out loud to him. His partner had really enjoyed the pirate story and it had given them something else interesting to talk about besides the amnesty and wondering where their next meal was coming from. Mulling things over, Heyes began to feel a bit uneasy as he became aware of just how quiet it was.

"That's what's wrong – there's too much silence!" His curiosity getting the better of him, Heyes laid his book down and stood up with a stretch and a yawn. Grabbing a couple of apples from his saddlebag, Heyes started off in search of his missing friend. He figured the apples would come in handy and serve as a kind of peace offering when he found his partner. Since Kid had gone off in the direction of the creek that was the place he would begin his search.

Heyes could hear Curry's voice as he neared the water. He paused and cocked his head to listen. Laughter? Heyes frowned. "Now who in tarnation have you found way out here in the middle of nowhere to talk to, Kid?" As he came to the edge of the clearing, he stopped short to stare in amazement at the sight that met his eyes. Kid and…a raccoon? His back to him, his partner was sitting cross-legged in front of a rock, looking up at the animal. Heyes couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched the two of them together.

His cousin never ceased to amaze him. No matter what the situation, Kid could always find something good in it. Just like now, for instance. He could have sat around and sulked or kept pestering him but instead, there he sat, happy, laughing and he'd even made himself a new friend! Heyes remained where he was, hidden in the shadows, not wanting to spoil the Kid's fun. He listened with growing amusement as his partner continued his one-sided conversation with the coon.

"...an' you know what else? Talkin' 'bout all that food sure made me hungry - how 'bout you? You hungry too?" Curry pulled the bread from his coat pocket. "Lookee here what I've got - a biscuit. Tell you what I'll do, I'll share it with you." He pinched a piece off the biscuit and tossed it up to the waiting animal. After watching him for a few minutes he spoke up with excitement. "Hey, bet I could teach you a trick!"

From his hiding place, Heyes put a hand to his mouth to still the spurt of mirth that threatened to escape, not quite ready to reveal his whereabouts just yet.

Kid got up on his knees and held out another piece of biscuit, but this time he held it above the raccoon's head, just out of its reach. The animal looked first at the bread, then at Kid, then back at the bread again. Finally deciding to trust the human, he sat back on its haunches, his paws extended.

As Curry's laughter rang out in the otherwise silent clearing, Heyes decided it was time to make his presence known. In an effort not to spook either the man or the animal, he called out softly, "Hey, Kid, wondered where you'd wandered off to - who's your friend?"

In spite of Heyes' precautions, a startled Curry turned around quickly, his hand reaching for his gun before it registered with him who was there. Full of chagrin, he realized he'd been so caught up with the raccoon's antics that he'd completely shut out the rest of the world and allowed someone to catch him off guard.

"First time that's happened in a long time," he muttered. Fully expecting Heyes to make a comment about his ability to sneak up on him, Kid squared his shoulders and waited, but to his surprise, his cousin walked down the hill and tossed an apple to him. Catching the fruit with ease, Curry hastened to explain.

"He jus' showed up, outta nowhere. I was lookin' for targets -" After catching the knowing look Heyes sent him he continued, "An' well, anyways, I heard this rustlin' sound in the bushes an' there he was. Right friendly little critter...an' hungry, too."

"Sounds like you two have a lot in common," Heyes grinned.

Kid tossed a piece of biscuit to the coon. "Yeah, guess maybe we do at that."

Heyes noticed Curry hadn't taken one bite of the biscuit, nor had he even taken a bite of the apple yet. So much for sharing.

"Hey, you wanna see somethin'? He can do a trick!"

As Curry's voice intruded into his thoughts. Heyes realized he couldn't help but be caught up in Kid's enthusiasm. Taking in the expression on his cousin's face, he also realized that this was the most carefree he'd seen him in a long time. He nodded his head and watched with tolerance as the raccoon performed his 'trick' of begging as if it were the first time he'd ever seen it.

Grinning as proudly as a new parent showing off their child's first steps, Kid turned to Heyes. "See? Told you he could!"

"That's good, Kid, real good. You're a great teacher."

"Well, he's a real fast learner too, Heyes. Think I'm gonna see if I can teach him another one. Hey, I bet that apple you brought will help; he oughta like that a lot."

"Oh, I'm sure he will. Well, if you're sure you've got something to keep you busy for awhile, guess I'll head on back up to camp, maybe do some more reading. I wanted to make sure everything was okay; things were a little too quiet."

Shooting his partner his 'innocent' look once more, Curry grinned, "Yeah, we'll be just fine; me 'n Rocky here, we'll just keep each other company."

Heyes arched a brow. "Rocky?"

"Well, I had to call him somethin' 'sides 'coon', didn't I?" Kid answered defensively and shrugged, "Rocky seemed as good a name as any..." his voice trailed off at the other man's laughter.

Heyes reached out to pat Curry's shoulder. "It's okay, I'm sure you and 'Rocky' will have lots of fun together. It's not quite time to eat; I'll holler at you when it's time to start fixing dinner, okay?"

After a measuring look at his partner, Kid blew out a breath. "I know how silly you think it is for me to be foolin' 'round with a 'coon, but...well, you were busy, I was bored an' at least he listens to me. I don't feel so - oh, nevermind! Jus' forget it. Go on back to your book; I'll see you at suppertime." Curry turned away, but not before Heyes had caught the expression on his cousin's face.

"I'd be real interested in seeing Rocky do another trick later. Why don't you work with him for a while and call me when you two come up with something, okay?"

With his back to Heyes, Curry shrugged his shoulders, but otherwise remained silent.

"Kid, I -" Heyes began, but after giving Curry's rigid back another look, he turned away instead and headed back up the hill, deep in thought.

When the sound of Heyes' footsteps grew faint, Curry turned to watch his cousin walk away. "Wish you'd hung around a little bit longer, but you probably think I'm just being childish." He sighed as he realized he could never compete with a book for his cousin's attention; he'd never be a match for that genius mind of his.

"But," he reasoned, "that's not all Heyes' fault." His cousin had tried once before to share that new story with him but Kid had quickly lost interest. It sure wasn't anything like that pirate story; now that was a book worth listenin' to!

Curry smiled as he remembered when Heyes had found that book about the pirates and their buried treasure. He'd really enjoyed listening to it read out loud. Every night after they'd finished eating supper, Heyes would read a chapter or two and then they'd talk about it. He hadn't felt so left out, like he did now.

"Hey, bet I can talk Heyes into readin' more about that fella an' his trip, even if I don't think an elephant's gonna be much help, as big an' as slow as they are. Maybe if I try real hard to look like I'm interested, we can talk about it like we did that other one."

The raccoon's excited chattering drew Kid's attention back to it.

"Sorry little fella. Guess I'm guilty of doin' the same thing to you; it's not any fun to be ignored, is it? Well, Rocky, looks like it's jus' you an' me again, don't it?"

Rocky chattered back, just as if he'd understood what the ex-outlaw had said.

Kid smiled at his new friend. "I've still got some of that biscuit left; let's see what else you can do."

So for the next few hours Curry amused himself by playing with the raccoon, pretending he was teaching him tricks to pass the time; anything to avoid going back to camp too soon.

0000000