GHOST
by Goldie
"Joshua, I'm moving on."
Hannibal Heyes looked up, surprised, maybe hurt. "Oh, yeah? Why?"
"I'm bored here. Just going to try my luck at the same things in the next town."
"The same things. Meaning . . . "
Kid Curry didn't like being questioned. "Better poker, prettier barmaids. A gunfight or two." He smirked and walked away.
A couple of the poker players looked up at the Kid in surprise. Heyes quickly mollified them with, "He didn't really mean better poker – he just meant different . . . Oh! You mean the gunfight comment!" Heyes thought quickly. "He was just kidding. My friend's a great kidder . . . uh . . . deal me out for a couple hands." Heyes threw in his cards and joined his partner at the bar, where the Kid was finishing up his beer.
"What's the matter with you?" Heyes fiercely whispered. "Those guys don't know who we are. And I'd like to keep it that way!"
The Kid faced his partner head-on. "We've been here three days now, Heyes, and I'm sick to death of this place. I want new scenery. I'm going to take the shortcut through the woods to Placerville tonight. Should be there by tomorrow morning."
"We already discussed this, Kid. The poker here in Copperville is too good to pass up. These guys play for serious money and shouldn't. I just can't leave . . . at least not until they discover what 'poker face' means."
"I'm not asking you to leave. I'm just saying I'm going to head on to Placerville. You can catch up with me when the poker face thing happens."
"And what's so exciting about Placerville? It's on the other side of the forest."
"What's exciting about Placerville is that it's on the other side of the forest. Hell, Heyes, I don't know! I just know I'm bored watching you play poker in this saloon, that's all I know. And I want to leave."
Heyes knew his partner quite well. He felt sorry for him because he knew that the Kid preferred to be participating in the poker game himself but had lost so much money on the first night that he no longer felt he belonged in it. But Heyes still preferred to have his friend around.
"You know it makes no sense to start crossing this forest at night, Kid. You don't know the way. It's probably five, maybe ten miles through to the other side."
"I'm not arguing with you. I'm leaving." The Kid tossed back the remainder of his beer and turned toward the door.
"All right, wait!" Heyes reached in his vest pocket and handed his partner some of his poker winnings.
But the Kid refused. "I don't want your money. I've still got a little . . ."
"I'm playing poker for us, Kid. Here, take it." When the Kid still refused, Heyes forcibly stuffed the bills into the Kid's shirt pocket. "I'll join you in a few days."
The Kid murmured thanks.
Heyes sighed. "So you're really intent on starting out at night. To cross a forest you're not familiar with!"
"Yup."
"All right, Kid, if I can't talk you out of it. Just be careful." They shook hands. Heyes warily watched his partner head for the saloon door.
Just before he left, the Kid turned back, tipped his hat, and smiled. In spite of himself, Heyes grinned. He tried not to show his concern as he returned to the game.
The next night, as Heyes sat down in the same place at the table, he was met with inquiries from a couple of the poker players. "Where's your friend?" "Where's your good-luck charm? Does this mean we have a chance tonight?" Ha ha.
Heyes smiled. "My friend has moved on. Nobody to watch us anymore except Isabel over there." Heyes nodded in the direction of the barmaid, who was already bringing a tray of sandwiches and drinks their way. Heyes picked up the deck and started shuffling. The Kid had been sitting in a nearby chair the last couple of nights, so it felt odd that he wasn't there now.
One of the men distractedly asked, "Where'd he head out to?"
"He left last night. Placerville, I think he said." Heyes spoke with a bit of pique, well aware that Placerville was exactly where his partner already was, especially if he had traveled all night. Probably with a beautiful red-haired barmaid on his lap or holed up in a comfortable hotel room with a good book. Or vice versa. For a moment, Heyes wished he had decided to join his partner. But a quick glance at the piles of money in front of each player gave him pause. Barmaid – money – barmaid – money . . .
Money won.
"You said Placerville? Last night?"
"Yeah. Shall we start out with . . . oh, let's play . . ."
Another man: "Not across the forest! Not that Placerville!"
Annoyed at the delay in the game, Heyes retorted, "Do you know of any other Placerville? Now, like I said, let's . . ."
Suddenly, all the other poker players were talking at once. "Why'd you let him go?" "Not Placerville!" "Don't you know about that forest?" "What's the matter with you?" "Why'd you let him go?"
Heyes was confused. All the players seemed to be upset, but Heyes did not understand why. He stopped shuffling. "My friend does what he wants. What's the difference? It's probably only a days' ride."
"It's through the woods! Ghost Forest!"
Heyes abandoned any hope of dealing. "So what?"
The oldest player shushed the other men. "Now, wait a minute. Joshua, do you know what route your friend took? Did he go around the forest or cross through it?"
Heyes thought, mostly about the money he wasn't at the moment winning. "I think he said through it."
The old man, whose name was Charley, found he had to shush the other men once again. Very solemnly he said to Heyes, "Then he's in trouble."
Heyes momentarily forgot about the game. He stole a look at the other poker players, all of whom were agitated. Every one of them looked upset and quite serious. He focused directly on Charley. This was not a joke. "Why?" he asked steadily.
"When we have to go to Placerville, which we make sure, thank the Lord, we don't have to very often, we always use the road around the forest. Because there's only one road through it, only one road through the woods. You're new here and you don't know this."
Heyes said nothing. He continued to stare at Charley, not really seeing him. He was well aware that the Kid had started out twenty-four hours ago for Placerville from this very town at the foot of the hill known as Ghost Forest. And he was painfully aware that the Kid had insisted that he would be using the path through the woods. Faster, probably. And the Kid was bored, might not be paying attention.
Now he was in trouble, according to Charley. "What kind of trouble?" Heyes asked in a steady voice.
The poker players looked at each other, possibly embarrassed, but clearly concerned. At first no one spoke. Then Charley said, "Joshua, those woods are haunted."
Stunned, Heyes just stared at him. Then he started laughing. "You're not serious? Haunted? Come on, let's play poker." He started shuffling again.
Another of the poker players, a man named Howie, put his hand over Heyes's. "Listen, Joshua. Charley is right. The forest is haunted. No one who goes in there ever comes back alive."
Heyes looked from Howie's hand to the money on the table and back up to Charley's very worried face. This couldn't be happening. "I don't believe it," is all he said.
Another player, this one Paul: "We never wanted to believe it either, but we've lost some friends. Livestock, too, sometimes."
These men were not kidding. Heyes began to take them seriously. "So . . . so . . . what exactly . . .?"
"No one knows. All we know is we can't go in those woods. It's not safe and there's no reason to. Your friend should have stayed out."
"Now wait just a minute here! Nobody's ever said anything about it since we've been here."
"Sorry. It's something we all take for granted. We just don't go in there."
"So why do you live at the foot of the forest? So close? Aren't you afraid of the bogeyman coming after you if he's so close by?" Heyes smirked.
"Nothing's ever happened to anyone in town," said Howie.
"We stay here because we all have claims on this side of the forest. There's plenty of good ore and it's ours with honest days' work." Paul this time.
Then Charley: "We work hard during the day and play hard at night. Didn't you wonder why we weren't too upset at you winning most of the time? There's plenty to go around thanks to our hard work. That forest is our friend."
Actually, Heyes had in fact wondered where the poker players disappeared to during the day. Apparently they were very close by, working their claims, whatever those were. So they built up a small town next to those claims. Everyone was slowly getting rich. The hill and the forest were their friends.
Charley added, "But if Thaddeus rode through the forest, it was not his friend."
The game never happened. Charley and Howie and Paul and the others said they no longer were in the mood. After hearing the bad news. They had liked Thaddeus. They were saddened by the news that he had ventured into the woods.
Heyes returned to his hotel room, saddened by the news that there would be no more poker games. He was restless and had no book to read, so he counted the money he had won. Mentally he added in the amount he had given to his partner. His thoughts then began to focus exclusively on the Kid.
Although he gave little credence to the concerns of the poker players, he noted that they unanimously believed the ghost stories they were telling. To a man, they had seemed intelligent. Bad poker players, maybe, but not stupid. How could they believe these silly stories about men simply disappearing?
And they all seemed concerned about the Kid. Thaddeus, they called him. Heyes smiled. He appreciated his partner, and it was nice that someone else did, too.
Heyes lay down on the bed but didn't close his eyes. He stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking. The light of the full moon lit the room, filtered through the lace curtain. He had no trouble seeing the ceiling or anything else. It was the kind of night that made riding enjoyable. . .
"Oh hell!" he said to himself. There really wasn't anything to keep him in Copperville anymore. Might just as well head on to Placerville himself. So he could yell at his partner for ruining his game.
And at least he would be able to reassure himself that the Kid had arrived safely after his trek through the forest.
Heyes decided to move on to Placerville. That night, immediately.
On the road around the forest. No point in taking any chances.
The path around Ghost Forest was much longer than the path through it, presumably, and Heyes didn't arrive in Placerville until early afternoon of the next day. As he rode to the hotel, he noted that this town was a little larger than Copperville, and obviously much wealthier. All the buildings were well kept-up and swankier. No one was on the street but fortunately the hotel desk clerk was available. The clerk said no one by the name of Thaddeus Jones had checked in, so Heyes booked a room for himself. The clerk seemed to have a suspicious attitude so Heyes sent him into the back room on a wild goose chase so he could check the hotel register himself. But there were no new signatures at all except his for the last few days.
This was strange. The Kid clearly should have beaten him into town since he was taking a shorter route, and this was the only hotel. Heyes shrugged it off and went up to his room for a short nap. He had ridden all night and hadn't slept for a day and a half, so he justified a short afternoon nap. His last thought before falling asleep was hoping to be awakened by the Kid walking into his room later.
A couple of hours later he woke suddenly. He sat straight up in bed and tried to figure out what had awakened him. He realized it was his growling stomach; he hadn't actually eaten since that sandwich the night before. He donned his jacket, gun and hat and turned toward the door. On the way out, he caught a glimpse of his face in the mirror. He was startled to realize he looked worried and haggard. Now why on earth would that be?
His early supper in the hotel dining room was extremely delicious. Heyes wondered how the hotel could afford such a phenomenal chef in such a small town. And especially with so few guests at the hotel. Hopefully the Kid would be joining him for his next meal; Kid Curry appreciated good food.
After the meal, Heyes questioned the front desk clerk again but nobody new had checked in.
The warnings of the poker players in Copperville began to play on his mind. Heyes felt he was surely above this kind of melodrama, so he worked hard at focusing. Where could the Kid be? Perhaps the best thing to do would be to start asking questions in this town. Placerville.
Heyes began his search with a quick walk around the main street. The sun would set before too long and Heyes noticed that the population seemed to be increasing. It was very possible that the people on this side of the forest made their living in the same way as they did on the other side. An after-supper whiskey at the nearest saloon produced a number of men for Heyes to question, as well as dessert. He determined that the population in Placerville did indeed work their claims during the day and relax in the saloons at night. They asked where he'd come from, and when he told them he'd come from the east, he had to quickly add, "around the forest." The panicked faces relaxed upon hearing that addition.
When Heyes asked about men disappearing, he heard the same stories he had heard before.
"What happens to them? Where are they going?" he asked.
But, like before, nobody knew. All anyone would say was that men who went through the forest did not appear again. Heyes resisted the urge to say "that's crazy" because these people were just as concerned as the people on the other side of the forest. Their comments were almost identical and they were just as emotional. They all seemed to be discouraging him from entering the forest. Heyes wasn't able to glean much new information other than one thing. A few years ago, a farmer named Jonas needed to get to the other side of the forest in a hurry so resisted the warnings and entered the woods. He never got to the other side. A couple of hours later, he emerged frantically from the woods at the same place he had entered, galloped all the way back to his homestead and keeled over dead when his anxious wife asked him what had happened. It was a heart attack that killed him. His wife said he had looked terrified about something. But she never found out what. Even his horse had acted witlessly and had to be put down.
Heyes filed stories like this to the back of his mind. He didn't forget them, but he tried not to pay them much heed.
Well, maybe a little.
Heyes walked outside to get some fresh air. Hearing all those stories, and witnessing all those negative attitudes and even fear(!) seemed to suffocate him. He took a deep breath once or twice and then looked toward the woods. It was dark and ominous. The road entering it was clear but no people were near it. It looked unused, in fact. He looked around the town and his gaze settled on his horse, still tied at the hitching rail in front of the hotel.
Walking over to his horse, he grabbed the reins and began walking it to the livery stable. "Sorry I forgot about you, old friend. Let's get you bedded down for the night."
The livery was still open but the stableman was doing last-minute chores that indicated he intended to close soon. "I want to leave this one here for the night," Heyes said, patting his horse on the nose.
"Sure thing," said the liveryman as he grabbed the reins. "Oats or hay?"
"Oats." Heyes looked around the stable. Surprisingly, a number of horses were being kept there. Although Heyes hadn't thought so, perhaps Placerville was a larger town than Copperville. This didn't correspond with the small number of residents Heyes had encountered, but he thought little of it. He decided to question the livery manager about the haunted woods. Hopefully to get a different take on it.
But as he opened his mouth to speak, he suddenly noticed something about one of the liveried horses.
It was Kid Curry's!
"Where did you get that horse?" Heyes practically yelled.
Surprised by the intensity of the question, the stableman turned to ascertain which animal his customer meant. He shrugged. "Wandered in this morning. Nobody knows whose it is, so I'm just keeping 'er until the owner shows up." He walked over to the Kid's horse and patted its nose. "If the guy takes his time getting' here, there'll be quite a bill! This one likes 'er oats!"
Tendrils of fear started to creep into Heyes's consciousness. He recognized his emotions were beginning to run wild. He took a deep breath. "Who brought it in?" he asked as steadily as possible.
"Like I said, she just wandered in to town. Luke Adler's boy found it grazing at the edge of the forest. Don't belong to anyone 'round here. This happens now and again."
"Did anyone try to find the owner?"
"Well, Ferdy asked all 'round town. But I know every animal anywheres 'round here. This horse don't belong to no one who lives here." He ran his hand along the withers. "Nice animal, though. I don't expect anyone will come to claim 'er. Wouldn't mind havin' 'er for my own ride."
Most of what the stableman said was not of interest to Heyes. He knew with certainty that this horse belonged to his partner. But where was his partner? Another idea suddenly occurred to Heyes. "Where is the tack? Was the horse saddled?"
"Yep. Over there." The stableman pointed to the saddle, blanket, saddlebag, bedroll and canteen that had been removed from the horse. Heyes could tell at a quick glance they were the Kid's things.
He walked over to the Kid's belongings and resisted the temptation to open the saddlebag. He was very familiar with every single item inside it. He looked closely at the saddle, unsure why at first. When he realized he was looking for blood or other indications of violence, he shivered. Fortunately, he found none.
These were the Kid's belongings, all right, but where was the Kid? His horse had wandered into town all by itself, with the saddle and all of the Kid's belongings still intact. Once again Heyes felt the stabbings of fear and recognized that his heart was beating way too fast.
He heard the liveryman's voice as if it were small and far away, "Like I said, this happens now and again. Never do see the riders." He chuckled.
Heyes felt the livery's walls beginning to close in on him, so he left as quickly as he could.
The nearby saloons were beginning to sound lively but held no appeal for Heyes, under the circumstances. He sat down on the bench in front of the bank. Too many things were going through his mind, he recognized, and he had to find a way to organize his thoughts. He had to calm down. Panic was not the Hannibal Heyes way. He ran his hands over his face and tried to drag the emotions and irrational thoughts out of his head.
All right, what are the facts? Fact one: Kid Curry said he was going to take the forest route to Placerville. Enough time ago that he should have long since arrived. Fact two: his horse did arrive, but he did not. Fact three: . . .
Fact three: . . .
Heyes couldn't concentrate enough to get to fact three. He gazed up at the full moon and briefly considered riding into the woods himself to find his friend. This was a bad idea for a number of reasons. Heyes recognized his own panicky fears and knew he would be little help if he encountered the same things the Kid had run into. No, if he was to be of help, he had to wait until morning. Everyone knows going into a forest during the day is far less dangerous than at night. Better to be cautious than . . .
Caution became the next victim.
The forest was indeed as dark and spooky as everyone had indicated. There was no birdsong or any other normal night sounds. The trees seemed to close in behind Heyes as he rode slowly along the path. Heyes was enormously uncomfortable. The moon, he knew, was full, but the foliage of the forest was dense and made sight very difficult. His horse had not been happy at being pulled away from its dinner and now it was uncomfortable as well. Heyes put himself on full alert, wearing the heavy binoculars around his neck and keeping a tight hold on the reins to manage his skittish mount. He was well aware that this was not normal behavior for this animal. Something was spooking it, so Heyes kept his other hand on his gun. He considered riding with the safety removed but discarded the idea. He wouldn't be able to find his partner if he accidentally shot himself, a humorous thought that caused him to smile. But this was not the time for levity. Heyes knew he had to keep his eyes and ears wide open. And he knew that he might have to react in a split second. He paid particular attention to the keen senses of his horse, who might just foretell serious danger by a second or two, perhaps enough time for Heyes to react and save their lives.
But from what?
Heyes was beginning to understand where all these stories about haunted forests and missing men were coming from. This was a very menacing place, this Ghost Forest. Anyone who had actually ventured into these woods would most likely have turned around and headed right back out. This was a dank, uninviting place and there was no good reason to be here.
For other people. Heyes had a good reason.
Heyes weighed the benefits against the unknown disadvantages of calling out for his friend. He knew in his heart that there was really no choice, that he had to become vocal. If the Kid was still alive, he might hear him, but then, of course, so would anyone – or anything – else. Speaking softly to his horse first so as not to startle it, he then yelled, "Thaddeus! Kid!"
There was no answer but he didn't expect one. He momentarily reined in his horse and strained to hear anything that might indicate he had been heard. He was heartened to hear that he had awakened some of the normal forest sounds he wanted to hear. But nothing more. He continued on.
With the woods becoming more alive and therefore more familiar to him, Heyes was surprised to realize that he was still uneasy. It was fear, he knew, but the focus had changed. Now, instead of fearing the heinous unknown, he began to focus on the chances of finding his partner alive. Or even just finding his partner at all.
Refusing to allow this new fear to overtake him, he steadied himself and pulled up even tighter on the reins to steady his horse. "Thaddeus!" he yelled after a few more yards. He and his horse continued to plod on slowly through the darkness, Heyes fervently wishing he had thought to bring a lantern.
Every few yards, Heyes called out for his friend, emboldened each time he heard the sound of his own voice with no devastating events following it. He was grateful for this easing of his anxiety and recognized that this relaxation was also transferring to his horse. "Thaddeus!" he continued to call out every little while.
Heyes had lost track of time; and, indeed, the darkness would have made reading a pocket watch impossible if he had been carrying one. He estimated he had gone less than a mile when he thought he heard another human voice in response to his latest call. This was encouraging! "Thaddeus!" he yelled again. "Kid!"
The voice that responded to his was male and emanating from the right of the path. It was weak and impossible to tell how far away it was. "Thaddeus!" Heyes yelled again. "Is that you?" There was a response but it was not strong enough to be distinct.
"Where are you?" Heyes strained to pinpoint the location of the voice. "Where are you?" he called again. "Can you hear me?" Deciding to throw caution to the wind, Heyes dismounted but still kept a tight hold on the reins. He was encouraged that his horse was not spooking. "Where are you?" he yelled again, leaving the path and trying to feel his way through the forest.
There was another response, and this time Heyes heard it clearly. It really sounded like the Kid! "Kid! Is that really you?"
"Heyes!" came the faint response. "Over here!"
It was Kid Curry! Heyes was certain now. He knew the voice of his partner very well. Although weak, it was absolutely the Kid's voice. And it didn't sound as if it was all that far away. Heyes pushed aside branches and brush as he made his way through the woods. One branch hit him in the face and broke from the tree as he grabbed it. He used this as a tool to help clear a path for him and his horse. Heyes used his friend's voice to guide him as he and the Kid continued to call to each other. In a short time, Heyes knew he was within a few feet of his friend. He stopped and lit a match so he would be able to see.
Kid Curry's smiling face came into his view. "I've never been so glad to see you!" said the Kid happily.
Heyes had to admit he felt the same way. The match burned down to his glove so he lit another. The Kid once again filled his field of vision. It appeared he was sitting on the ground. "Didn't you bring a lantern?" asked the Kid.
"I didn't think of it," said Heyes simply.
"Heyes, you're losing your touch," scolded the Kid, still smiling.
"I've heard a few stories that made me forget a lot of things," Heyes responded somewhat sheepishly. "Let's go back. This place gives me the creeps. If you want, I'll tell you the stories on the way back."
"I'll have to go easy," said the Kid. "I have to ride." The Kid put his hand on Heyes's shoulder and attempted to rise. He stumbled and Heyes grabbed for him, ineffectively because of his limited vision. The Kid groaned as he fell. Heyes lit another match to ascertain the situation. The Kid was once again on the ground, favoring his left leg. His face showed he was in pain. "What happened, Kid?" asked Heyes in concern.
"Don't know. My leg's hurt, though. Let me try again." The Kid again put his weight on Heyes's shoulder and this time Heyes held on and was able to maneuver the Kid over to the horse. The Kid held on to the saddlehorn as Heyes helped him to mount into the saddle. Then Heyes lit another match to take a look at his friend's leg. In the short time that the match burned, he was able to see that the trousers were torn from the knee down, and there was blood on them. The blood had dried. Heyes determined that the Kid had been injured some time earlier, probably when he was initially coming through the forest. He had fallen from his horse and thus injured his leg, and his horse had continued on without him. He had probably been lying there the entire . . .
"I've been dragging myself through this Godforsaken woods for a day now, trying to find that damn path. I'm sure glad you came along," said the Kid.
"I didn't 'come along,' Kid, I came looking for you! What exactly happened to you, anyway? How did you get off the path?"
"Strange thing," replied the Kid. "When I rode in, I had to use my lantern because it was darker than I expected, but it helped me to see the path. I was riding along just fine, and the next thing I remember clearly I was sitting in the woods, not anywhere near the path! My leg was bloody and hurt like the devil, and my lantern was gone! And so was my horse! I couldn't see a thing, so I just stayed there until daybreak. I've been dragging myself through this damn woods since then, trying to find the path."
"You were close, Kid. It's just a few yards ahead of us." Heyes led the horse and used his branch to clear a way for the three of them. He vaguely remembered where he had left the path, and he found it in no time. "We're going back to Placerville," he said simply, leading the horse slowly back along the path as he remembered it.
"What do you mean 'back'? I never got there."
"It's a long story, Kid, but we're headed there now." With the added company of his friend, Heyes illogically felt invincible. Each time he heard the Kid's voice, he knew that they were once again in control, there was no supernatural event guiding their destiny, and that they would soon be back in town where there was a doctor, some whiskey, and a comfortable hotel room waiting. His horse no longer seemed skittish, either, and was probably dreaming of the livery with the endless supply of oats. Heyes smiled at the silly emotions that had guided him earlier. The forest was dense and dark, but there was nothing unnatural about it. It was good to finally be thinking reasonably again. "Kid, do you know what made your horse spook and throw you?"
"She didn't spook. I was dragged off my horse and through the woods. Thrown against something that cut my leg. By something big and invisible. Never saw a thing."
Heyes stopped smiling.
The return trek to Placerville was not long at all, although the woods were just as dark. Heyes questioned his friend about his alleged attack, but the Kid was unable to provide any lucent information. All he knew was that he had been suddenly whisked off his horse, almost as if a great gust of wind had unseated him and thrown him through the woods. He was not in control and hit his head and shoulders on various trees and rocks as he was dragged quickly along for several seconds. He estimated that he was semi-conscious when his wild ride came to a sudden end. As a last debilitating affront, he was thrown wildly against a large boulder that had some sharp edges and cut his leg deeply. He passed out, and when he awoke, he used matches to determine that he had absolutely no idea where he was. He tied his neckerchief around his leg to stop the bleeding, but found he could not walk without great pain, so decided to simply stay where he was until he could think clearly again. Morning brought a small amount of light, but the woods were still very dense and the light was not sufficient to be able to assist him in finding the path again. Obviously his horse was long gone. He himself was still a little groggy and "not thinking clearly," as he said. But he spent the day dragging his body around in an attempt to find the path. By the time it became dark again, he was weak and chilled and hungry and afraid. Best not to move once again. The second night! Thank God Heyes finally came along!
An incredible story! But Heyes knew his partner well enough to know that he was not making it up. The Kid believed every single one of his own words, and he was more than a little upset about it. But none of it made sense to Heyes.
"Kid, do you have any idea what it was that . . . well . . . whisked you off your horse?"
"It felt like a big wind. But there wasn't any wind that night."
Heyes mused. "And no breeze could penetrate a forest that thick anyway."
"That was no breeze, Heyes. That was something powerful enough to lift me out of the saddle and throw me through the air and drag me on the ground for a few seconds. And then throw me on some rocks. I can't think of anything that could do that, except maybe a mob of men. But I was alone out here. And besides, I didn't actually see anything."
Heyes looked at his friend, but couldn't really see him as they were not close enough to the lights of town yet. "Did you hear anything, Kid?"
"I don't know. I don't think so; I wasn't totally conscious. How far are we from town, Heyes? This leg is killing me." As he spoke, faint lights from Placerville began to be visible. They were very close to exiting the noxious woods.
"Hang on, Kid, just a short ways more."
Heyes told the Kid that his horse had been found and was safe, but that was the extent of their conversation the rest of the way back. They continued to plod along the little-used path for a few more minutes mostly in silence, both lost in thought. As they emerged, it was just a short ways more to the heart of town. Heyes looked around for a doctor's office and spied a sign at the end of the street. "Come on," he said needlessly, continuing to lead his horse with his partner riding. Just like in Coppertown, the streets of this town were much more alive in the evening than in the daytime. Heyes felt self-conscious as he noticed most of the people he encountered gawking at the two of them. No one said anything to either of them. Heyes assumed it was either because they were strangers or because they had emerged from the woods. Or both. No, thought Heyes, it had to be because they were strangers; locals knew better than to go into the woods.
This line of thought reminded Heyes that his partner did not yet know about the ghost stories. Heyes knew he would scoff when he heard them, but Heyes also knew that the people of both towns took these stories very seriously. For some reason he did not yet understand, Heyes asked the Kid to say nothing at the doctor's office. Nothing about how he got the leg cuts. Nothing about being in the woods. His friend looked at him strangely but acquiesced.
Neither Hannibal Heyes nor Kid Curry felt like visiting a saloon or doing much of anything other than resting after the visit to the doctor's office ended. Heyes asked the Kid to sit in a rocking chair on the porch of the hotel while he visited the restaurant for some sandwiches and a carafe of coffee to take up to their room. As he passed by the front desk on his way to fetch the Kid, Heyes made sure that the front desk clerk was not around. An odd thing to do, he realized, and he really didn't know exactly why he didn't want the desk clerk to see his friend. The cost of the room would not change with an additional person, so that wasn't the reason. Heyes shook his head and went outside to reclaim his friend. He'd think about it later.
"Upstairs, Kid. Room four." He put his arm around the Kid and helped him to his feet. The new bandages around the Kid's left leg were fairly extensive; navigating stairs would have been difficult without help. Heyes held on to the carafe with one hand and his friend with the other, and the Kid managed to hang on to the sandwiches. It was clumsy, but they made it up the stairs and into Heyes's room.
The Kid collapsed onto the bed. "I've had it, Heyes. I've had enough. I just want to lie here for a while."
Heyes agreed and assisted his friend by removing his other boot and covering him with the blanket. "You just relax, Kid. I'm going to sit and think for a while." Before he was even done with his sentence, the Kid was asleep.
Heyes smiled and poured himself a cup of coffee. He looked out the window and mindlessly ate one of the sandwiches as he mused. He was tired, too, but all the mysteries running through his head kept him wide awake. Fact one, fact two . . . Lots of facts and lots of mysteries, but the most important thing of all was what had happened to the Kid?
Kid Curry saw and heard nothing, but something large and invisible had hauled him off his horse and thrown him through the air! What on earth could have done that? Nothing earthly, thought Heyes grimly. Yet it happened, so what did that imply?
Ghost Forest itself was otherworldly, too. Never had Heyes seen any forest quite so dense and dark. And why had there been there no normal night sounds?
And why was his horse so skittish right up until the Kid had been found? Well, that one might not be such a mystery. Heyes himself had been wary until he knew his friend was safe. Perhaps his unease had been transferred to his horse.
Heyes was tired and beginning to get a headache. He finished off his sandwich and set down his coffee cup while he continued to stare out the window. He had a view of the main street and a few of the saloons and other businesses. Just like in Copperville, this town was bustling once it got dark out. Heyes abandoned logic and allowed his mind to wander. He noticed, with appreciation, that there were a number of ladies on the street. Not saloon girls, real ladies. Some were with gentlemen and some were in groups of ladies. Without an exception, all were well-dressed. Some were carrying packages. Heyes noticed a few people entering and emerging from some of the stores. Apparently the stores in this town were open in the evening instead of the daytime. He'd never seen a town like that. Even in Copperville, which livened up at night as well, the stores themselves were open during the day and closed at night. And there didn't seem to be as many women in Copperville as there were here in Placerville. A mystery? Probably not, thought Heyes; ladies would be welcomed in (and would welcome!) a wealthy town. And this town looked a lot more prosperous than the last one. Why would that be? thought Heyes idly. If the men of both towns made their living mining the same ore . . .
Heyes fell asleep with his head on the windowsill.
The light of the morning sun awakened Heyes. He groaned as he attempted to remove the cricks from his arm and neck. Looking over at the Kid in bed, Heyes was surprised to see him laughing.
"You sure pick a strange way to sleep," said the Kid.
Heyes laughed, too, and asked his friend how he felt. After exchanging morning pleasantries and determining that the Kid's health was good, Heyes placed the coffee container over the fire to warm. In just a moment, they both enjoyed a warm cup of coffee.
"I'll tell you, Heyes, this is sure a lot better than yesterday morning," said the Kid.
"You didn't like crawling lost through a forest with a bum leg? You're getting soft, Kid."
"Yeah," said the Kid, his mind elsewhere. "You know, Heyes, there's something really spooky about that forest."
For a few stress-free hours, Heyes had not been thinking about the mysteries. But now it all came back to him in spades. "Kid, are you OK enough to talk about something with me? I need a sounding-board."
"Sure. What's up?"
"The name of that place is Ghost Forest."
The Kid shook his head. "Fits."
"You left before we found this out, but everyone is afraid of the forest."
"After what I went through, I believe it."
"No, you don't understand, Kid. They're really afraid. In Copperville, they tried to talk me out of going anywhere near it, and when I told them you had gone right into it, they got downright depressed!"
"That's because of my magnetic personality, Heyes!" The Kid laughed.
Heyes ignored him. "And on this side of the forest, they seem just as afraid of it. But folks on both sides of the forest have no problem mining some kind of ore on the edge of the forest for a living. That doesn't seem to scare them, but they won't venture in the woods. And here's another thing – if both towns are mining the same ore, why is one town so much richer than the other?"
"I don't know. Who cares?"
"And why were the folks in Copperville so much friendlier than the people here?"
"Is that why you didn't want me to run into the desk clerk?"
"Exactly. It's a feeling I'm getting everywhere I go in this town. I wouldn't even want to start up a poker game here. No one's friendly – everyone's suspicious."
"You're right. That doctor last night looked at me like I was a ghost. Why did you tell him I just fell off my horse?"
"You saw for yourself that he didn't seem to believe you. What was he expecting to hear?"
The Kid thought about it. "You think all this bad attitude might be related to what happened to me?"
"I do. But not sure how. And what exactly did happen to you? This is going to bother me until I figure it out. But something tells me we shouldn't hang around here too much longer. Are you good enough to ride today? I want to leave. And your horse got a good night's sleep at the stable, so it's ready."
"Good! As for me - I slept good all right. At least up until you started walking around in the room."
Heyes stared at his partner. "What are you talking about, Kid? I didn't wake up during the night."
"Sure you did. Don't you remember? You were walking around in the dark and woke me up, and when I said something, you shushed me and whispered for me to go back to sleep. Funny, you called me Thaddeus."
Heyes stared at the Kid. He knew with certainty that he had not awakened during the night. As if by design, they both turned to look at the room door. The key was gone!
"Never mind what I said before. I suddenly feel like staying."
The branch that Heyes had used to clear their way through the woods was retrieved from the corner where it had been thrown and fashioned into a kind of crutch. The Kid practiced hobbling around the hotel room using it as an aid. No problem, he proclaimed. "Feels good to be upright again," he said. He walked to the window and looked out at the street, noting the dearth of people. "Just like Copperville. Where is everyone?"
"Well, Kid, I found out a lot after you left. These people – and the ones in the last town – they work their claims during the day. Play at night, I guess."
"What are they mining?"
"They're all pretty close-mouthed about that. But I'm guessing it's copper, judging by the land formations. And by the town name."
"You sure about that, Heyes? Mining copper's hard work and doesn't pay off that much. The poker players in Copperville seemed to have a lot of money. And this town looks even more prosperous!"
"I know. I can't figure it, Kid. There's just too many mysteries involved."
The Kid sat down. "Mysteries?"
"Yeah, Kid, mysteries. First unexplainable thing: what happened to you? I want you to do me a favor, Kid, and just think back to that ride through the forest. Try to remember everything that happened."
"Do I have to? Thanks for rescuing me, but this isn't something I really want to think about."
"Yeah, you have to. It's the only reason I rescued you. Now think back, Kid. What's the last thing you remember before you got swept off your horse? What were you doing?"
The Kid made a face at his partner but decided to go along with it. "Riding. Just riding. Held the lantern up to see the path . . ."
"Which hand?"
"What?"
"Which hand were you holding up the lantern with?"
"Left, I guess. Does it matter?" When Heyes said nothing, he continued. "Well, like I said, I needed the lantern to see the path. . ."
"What was the path like?"
"Now what?"
"Could you see it well? Were there ruts? Deep ruts, no ruts . . ."
The Kid sighed. "Yeah, there were ruts. It was a path for a wagon. Couldn't you see it?"
"No, I couldn't see much of anything. Go on."
"Well, the ruts were deep. The light helped, but it really was slow-going because of the denseness of the woods. And the ruts. I estimate I had less than a mile to go before Placerville, when, like I said, something powerful and invisible swept me off my horse and threw me through the woods . . ."
"To your left or right?"
"To my left. Hey, you asked me to talk about this. Now shut up for a minute while I do it."
"Sorry," said Heyes unapologetically. "Just needed a few facts. You're the only person who's been able to provide me with any facts."
"I don't know how long it lasted for. I was too surprised. And I kept hitting things like trees, I guess, and I was knocked around and might have blacked out. Maybe the whole thing only lasted a few seconds, but it seemed like it took forever. The first pain I felt was when the 'thing' threw me down on some rocks. My leg got cut badly. You saw that for yourself. Lost some blood. Then I passed out again. Don't know how long I was out for, either. But when I woke up, my horse was long gone and there was no lantern or anything else I owned. Just me in that Godforsaken woods, feeling around for some idea where I was."
Heyes gazed at his friend as he thoughtfully mulled his words. "Do you remember what the woods was like before you got hit? Was there any noise?"
But the Kid had reached his limit. "I don't know, Heyes! Normal forest sounds, I guess. Who cares? I'm hungry. Can you help me so I can get some breakfast?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure!" Heyes had been deep in thought and his partner's completely reasonable request for assistance jarred him back to earth. Of course the Kid was hungry – he hadn't eaten for a couple days! Heyes helped him to get dressed and waited while the Kid shaved, then they made their way down the stairs carefully, Kid Curry with the help of his cane. It was obvious to Heyes that his partner was in pain with the effort of moving his leg, but the Kid hid it well.
During breakfast at the hotel, the Kid complimented the quality of his meal. "You know, Heyes, this is some of the best food I've ever had."
"Kid, you're so hungry you'd eat a dead muskrat."
"That's true, but beside the point. This food is great!"
"I thought so, too. Just another mystery."
Wolfing his food down, the Kid managed to ask, "What do you mean?"
"It's just a hotel, Kid. In the middle of nowhere, really. This town's not on any main road. No one enters the woods, so people could only come here from three other directions. And leave only those ways, too. And I saw the hotel register. There's been no guests except us for some time. How does this hotel stay in business?"
"Gotta be this restaurant. This stuff is great!"
Heyes considered that. "Maybe you're right. There really aren't that many rooms, are there? And the food prices are high, although the food's worth it. I wonder if there are any other restaurants."
"Who cares?"
Piqued, Heyes said, "Will you quit saying 'who cares'! We do! We're in danger here, Kid!"
Mid-mouthful, Kid Curry stared at his partner. "We are?"
"Of course we are! Someone tried to kill you in the woods! And someone was in our room last night! What were they looking for? Would they have killed us if you hadn't awakened?"
The Kid stopped chewing for a minute and looked at his partner. "You know, now that I think of it, you might be right about that. The guy whispered for me to go back to sleep and then he left the room. I thought it was you so I didn't think anything of it. I went back to sleep right away, just like you said. Or like he said. And didn't wake up again 'til morning."
"Kid, I swear you could sleep through anything."
"You slept through it too, you know."
"I did, I know. What was he after?" Heyes reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his money. He flicked through it and announced that none was missing. The Kid did likewise, checking the money Heyes had given him back in Copperville. Nothing valuable missing. "So it wasn't money they were after."
"They?"
"Maybe one man, maybe more. What else could they have wanted from us?"
The Kid resumed eating. "Who ca . . . sorry."
But Heyes was deep in thought and didn't notice. In a minute he said, "Kid, I'm going to ask your opinion here. We can either stay and figure out this mystery or leave right after breakfast. What do you think?"
"Leave right now," said Kid Curry, his mouth full of food.
"I didn't catch that, but I'm sure you said to stay and solve the mystery. I agree. That's what we'll do."
"Heyes, so help me!"
"Actually, Kid, that's the idea."
After breakfast, the Kid decided to sit on the bench outside the hotel and relax his leg. It was a beautiful day and he needed to recuperate. Heyes agreed this was a good idea. "You rest up there, Kid, while I scout around town and ask a few questions. If anyone talks to you, see what you can find out about this place. Or Copperville." Heyes knew he needed more information before he could come up with a working plan.
Kid Curry nodded and settled in. He leaned back on the bench and stuck his legs out in front of him. The pain disappeared when he was able to relax like this. And there was sunshine! Welcome bright sunshine after his days in the dark, dark woods. He knew Heyes had told him they were in danger, but it was hard to believe out here on this lovely street on a beautiful sunny day. He shoved his hat down over his eyes and decided an after-breakfast nap was just the thing.
But for some reason he wasn't able to fall asleep. "Too much sleep last night, I guess," he thought. When he opened his eyes and looked around, he saw no other human beings. At first he thought it was strange, and then he remembered that the town was busier in the evening. He smiled. "Well, easier to sleep with no interruptions," he thought, as he once again pulled his hat down over his eyes and started to drift off to sleep. The warm sunshine massaged his sore muscles and caused him to forget about his injured leg. Kid Curry drifted lazily in and out of sleep, thoroughly enjoying the relaxing . . .
Suddenly, he was shoved brusquely and almost lost his balance! Startled, he opened his eyes wide to see Heyes about to strike him a second time. Partner or no partner, the Kid was tired of being hurt. He immediately drew his gun and aimed it at Heyes to force him to stop.
"Good," yelled Heyes. "Let's go! Now!"
The Kid was still groggy but lucid enough to understand that Heyes was throwing him the reins to his horse and clearly wanting him to spring into action. The Kid holstered his gun and jumped up, gasping in surprise at the pain he'd forgotten about in his leg. Heyes helped shove him into the saddle and handed him his walking stick, then quickly mounted his own horse. The Kid was still trying to settle comfortably in the saddle when Heyes instantly galloped out of town. The Kid kicked his horse into action and followed his partner, completely mystified.
Because they were heading – at high speed! – directly into Ghost Forest!
"Ride!" called Heyes over his shoulder to his partner. "Don't ask questions! Just be quiet and follow me!"
Kid Curry was still too startled to even begin to formulate any questions, and he knew from experience that when Heyes moved rapidly like this, it was for a reason. He did his best to keep up and obediently asked no questions.
They rode a short ways into the woods at high speed, until the denseness of the brush forced them to slow down. Their gallop quickly turned into a canter, a trot, then a walk. The dankness of the forest, along with the lack of light, brought back some uncomfortable feelings to the Kid, and he wished with all his heart that Heyes would tell him why they were doing this, or turn back around, or something! He was surprised when he saw Heyes light a lantern and hold it up.
The Kid could see Heyes turn back and give him a sign to keep quiet. Then Heyes lowered the lantern to focus closer to the ground. To the path with the deep ruts in it. The Kid knew his partner was concentrating on the trail so he himself watched the woods around them. They were plodding quietly along, but in the back of his mind the Kid was still afraid that something unearthly was going to sweep him off his horse again and drag him through the woods. He realized that he was hearing very little normal forest noise. He began to remember that this had also been the case the first time he had traversed these woods. Heyes had asked him that very question but he hadn't remembered at the time. He was just about to whisper loudly to his friend to transmit this new information when Heyes suddenly pulled up and held the lantern out to the right. Heyes pointed silently.
The Kid looked to see what his friend could be indicating. Ghost Forest was very dark, even at this time of the morning on a bright day, but the lantern assisted him in seeing another path turning off this road at a ninety-degree angle. Cut shrubbery had been intentionally placed across the path in an effort to hide the new path, but Heyes's keen eyes had not missed it. The Kid marveled at this finding and gave his partner an "OK" sign.
Heyes dismounted and moved the carefully-placed shrubs out of the way. He re-mounted and indicated that the Kid should follow him. The two of them rode silently along this new path.
In a short distance, Hannibal Heyes pulled up and dismounted, indicating his partner should do the same. Kid Curry had an easier time dismounting than mounting, but he still stumbled slightly. He heard Heyes shushing him and had to stop himself from snapping back at his partner, but he realized Heyes was on to something important. Heyes took the reins of both horses and tied them to shrubbery.
"We're on foot from here, Kid," said Heyes in a very soft whisper. He held the lantern close to the ground and turned it down as low as it would go. "Let's go. Be quiet – don't make a sound if you can help it." He held the lantern in front of him and started following the barely-perceptible path. The woods was still quite dense but Heyes was miraculously able to push much of the vegetation to the side, making it easier for the Kid to follow through.
And the Kid followed him closely. To him, it seemed as though Heyes was having too easy a time navigating through this concentrated vegetation. It was almost as if the foliage was simply lying in the path, rather than growing from the ground. The Kid stopped for a moment to grab a leafy branch. He was right – it had been cut and thrown on the ground! Most likely to hide the path!
It appeared that Heyes was aware of this, for he was moving fairly quickly through the underbrush. The Kid's curiosity finally got the best of him. "Heyes!" he whispered fiercely. "What's going on here?"
Heyes did not answer. The lantern had been turned down so low and was being held so close to the ground that the Kid could not see Heyes's face. Trusting his partner to do the right thing, as always, Kid Curry continued to follow as closely and quietly as he could. It was not difficult, as Heyes was clearing the way for him. With the small amount of lantern light available, the Kid could see that there was a very obvious path through this woods that someone (or something!) had taken great trouble to conceal. In great wonder, and mild trepidation, Kid Curry continued to follow Hannibal Heyes on the path.
In a short ways, they came upon a clearing. It came up so suddenly that they almost walked right into it. Heyes held up in time, but the Kid walked into him, causing Heyes to stumble and fall to his knees.
"Sorry," whispered the Kid. Heyes stood up and shrank back into the shadows of the woods. They both looked in wonder at this new finding. In front of them, stretching for about thirty or forty yards, was a clearing in the woods. Sunlight poured onto the ground as there were no trees to obstruct it. The ground supported little vegetation as it was littered with several wagons, as well as horses and even some mules. At one side was a large pile of rubble.
And right smack-dab in the middle of the clearing was the opening to a cave!
A couple of the horses sensed their presence and whinnied. One turned in their direction. Heyes held back the Kid with his arm, but Kid Curry was rooted to the spot.
"My God, Heyes, what is all this?" whispered the Kid.
"Take a guess, Kid," his partner whispered back.
"Looks an awful lot like a gold mine."
"That's what it is, all right."
"I thought all the gold around here had been mined out. Years ago."
"I bet most other folks thought that, too."
"You mean – you mean there still is . . . is . . ."
"Yep. Gold! That's what all these wagons are for. These folks in Placerville found it and they're keeping it a pretty good secret. The wagons haul the ore out of the mine and the folks must inspect it in the daylight. Look over there – plenty of rock on the ground starting to build up. There's got to be a big yield here if they all work at it. And it looks like they do. The whole town's in on it." As Heyes finished speaking, a man emerged from the mine leading a mule hitched to a small wagon. Heyes and the Kid watched as he led the mule over to the pile of rubble and let down the tail-gate of the wagon to discharge the load of rocks. He then sat on the ground and starting sifting through the new rubble, occasionally using a pick to separate it. Heyes and the Kid felt a little jealous when the man smiled as he removed a few choice rocks and threw them into a bag slung over his shoulder.
Kid Curry tapped his partner on the shoulder. "Get the feeling these people don't want us to know about this?" he whispered.
"Why do you think I told you we were in danger, Kid? They're going to keep this all for themselves. They've already killed to keep this a secret."
"What?!" This was a little too loud. The Kid clamped his hand over his mouth, but the miner apparently heard him and stopped what he was doing. Looking in the general direction he had heard the sound emanate from, he appeared to be squinting to see something. They were well-hidden in the shadows, but Heyes was dismayed to see the miner check out his horses, two of which were looking in their direction. The miner jumped up and ran back into the mine.
"Let's go!" This time Heyes made no effort to keep his voice down.
He turned quickly but Kid Curry, with his bum leg, was in no shape to move fast. The Kid attempted to keep up with Heyes, but stumbled while turning and fell to the ground. Heyes turned back and leaned down to lend the Kid a hand. Then they both heard . . .
"Come out of there! You're covered!"
Heyes and the Kid froze. Through the shrubbery they could see the miner, along with two other miners, emerging from the mine with rifles pointing right at them. They knew they were hidden but the miners were obviously more familiar with the path than they were and guessed their location accurately. Heyes and the Kid looked at each other silently, each trying to read the other's mind.
"Now!" A shot hit the ground right in front of them, disturbing the leaves. In spite of himself, Heyes jumped. A decision had to be made instantly. "Stay here, Kid," whispered Heyes, as he rose and headed for the clearing.
The Kid grabbed for him but Heyes slipped from his grasp. Heyes emerged into the clearing with his hands in the air. The three miners continued to aim their guns at him.
"You alone?" asked one of them.
Heyes fought back the inclination to be his usual flip self and reply snidely, but instead he merely nodded yes.
"Come closer," commanded one of the miners. "Keep those hands up."
As Heyes approached the miners, they scrutinized him. Two of them were completely unfamiliar faces to him, but Heyes knew he had seen one of them in town. That same man told the other two, "Yeah, I seen him today. He's a nosy one. Trying to find someone so he could ask questions. He's . . ."
Heyes interrupted. "I'm lost, gentlemen. I was trying to find my way back home. My name is Smith. I'm from the East, you see, and . . ."
"SHUT UP!"
The miner's tone of voice sent a chill through Heyes. These men meant business. He knew they had already killed and he could see in their faces and body language that they were deciding at that very moment to kill him as well! Heyes made a split-second decision to go for his gun. At the same time, he could see the three men leveling their guns for accuracy when they fired. As he reached for his gun, Heyes prayed hastily.
But before any of them had the chance to fire, the air was filled with the sound of gunshots as all three of the miners suddenly dropped to their knees. All three rifles dropped harmlessly to the ground as the men cradled their hands and cried out in pain. They looked at Heyes in wonder. Then as Kid Curry emerged from the woods, walking stick in one hand and smoking gun in the other, they began to understand.
"Wylie!" said one of them, "That's the guy we dragged two days ago! I thought we killed him!"
Wylie did not respond. He was all too aware that they had tried to kill this stranger recently. They believed they had succeeded, and yet here he was just a few yards from them, very much alive. And with smoking gun leveled at the three of them. After having shot all three of them accurately in the gun hands. From thirty yards away.
"Maybe he's a ghost!" cried one of the miners in wonder.
"Shut up!" said Wylie again.
The Sheriff in Alma was so grateful to Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry that he offered to let them stay at his house while awaiting the court trial. But he was a Sheriff, after all, and they were retired bank robbers trying to keep their identity secret, after all, so they politely declined. Their room at the Alma Hotel was the best one the hotel had to offer and was moderately comfortable. There was only one restaurant in Alma, the one at the hotel. And it was, unfortunately, far less – well, professional – than the one at Placerville. But, as witnesses, they were getting their meals on the house so they did not complain, except to each other.
Since they had delivered the three miners to the Alma Sheriff, Heyes had been arrogant and fairly quiet. The Kid had repeatedly praised his partner's ingenuity, and this probably added to Heyes's self-righteousness. After a day or so, the Kid realized the error of his ways, and decided to make Heyes talk. They were sitting on the hotel porch after supper the second night, smoking cigars and watching the sun set.
"You know, Heyes, I asked you before but you never really answered me," said the Kid. "How did you figure all this out? Or when? There's a lot of stuff you didn't tell me."
"Lots of clues, Kid. You should have figured it out, too."
"No, I shouldn't. That's your job, remember? You're the brains and I'm the gunslinger, you keep telling me. And if you want me to keep watching your back, you better fill me in on the rest of this."
Heyes looked at his partner and chuckled. "All right, Kid, maybe I shouldn't be so smug." He set his cigar on the porch railing and leaned back in his chair. "I think the first clue was the difference between the two towns."
"What do you mean – how the folks in Placerville are rich, but not the ones in Copperville?"
"That, and the difference in attitude. I had a few more hours in Placerville than you did, so I got to see how the men were. Everyone was suspicious and didn't want to answer questions. They were obviously hiding something. But, got to admit, I never heard of an entire town guarding a secret before! That never occurred to me."
"When did you know there wasn't really a ghost?"
Heyes ridiculed his partner. "Come on, Kid. You don't really believe in ghosts, do you?"
"Well . . ."
"Those were just stories made up by the men in Placerville to keep the folks on the other side of the woods away. If anyone accidentally came riding through the woods, they might just stumble on the trail to the mine. Made-up stories about missing men and animals, which they probably told to the poor folks in Copperville, would be effective to discourage them. They told a story about some guy who went into the woods and came home so scared that he had a heart attack. Probably nothing more than a story."
"I think maybe some men actually were killed. Especially after what I went through."
"Yeah, I think so, too. Some probably braved it and 'disappeared.' We'll find out more at the trial."
"I think they were trying to kill me."
"I do, too, Kid, both times."
"Both times?"
"The guy in our room. I think it was just one guy. Probably drew the short end of the straw so he was the one who had to make sure we disappeared. But when you woke up, he panicked. I take back what I said about you being able to sleep through anything!"
The Kid whistled. "That was close, Heyes. But how did they get me off my horse when I was in the woods, and throw me around like that?"
Heyes shifted in his chair. "I'm not a hundred percent sure about that one. Just ninety-nine. I think what they did was throw a rope around you that they padded with something so you never really felt it. And you saw all the horses and mules they had. These animals were used to that forest, could probably move quickly through it. You were dragged and thrown against a rock. I think the idea was that you would hit your head and die. You passed out so they must have thought they killed you. And you never saw them at all. Don't forget – you were holding a lantern. They could see you easily, but made sure you didn't see them."
The Kid shook his head. "I never heard them, either."
"You were taken by surprise; that's why you weren't listening for anything. When I was riding through Ghost Forest, I was struck by how quiet it was. Only recently figured that out. Not much animal life due to the miners moving through the forest so much. Makes sense." Heyes paused. "Anything else?" he asked smugly.
Kid Curry thought about it for a minute. "Yeah. Why did we come here to Alma to turn these guys in?"
"When I was in Placerville, I noticed there wasn't a Sheriff's office. No law of any kind. And yet the town was nice and orderly. That was another clue, actually. And taking the miners back to Copperville wasn't a good idea, because those folks had been victimized by the folks in Placerville. No, best to come to the next closest town. And you saw for yourself how the Sheriff here in Alma was only too happy to organize a posse to round up the rest of the good citizens of Placerville."
The Kid noticed that the cigar Heyes had placed on the porch railing was beginning to singe the railing. He leaned over and snuffed it out. "One more thing, Heyes," he said, "Why did you have to rush me when I was napping in the sun? You were a little too harsh there!"
"Sorry, Kid. I had just been walking around town looking for someone to talk to and went to the livery. While I was in there and saw all those horses, it came to me! What was going on! And why it was so important to keep everyone out of the woods! I didn't want anyone to accidentally see us riding out of town, so I rushed you."
"All right, that's fine. Where'd you get the lantern from?"
"Stole it from the livery. Haven't you heard the rumor that I'm a thief?"
After the sun set, Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry enjoyed a drink or two at the nearby saloon. The Kid had continued asking questions until Heyes was downright tired of discussing it. Even the Kid seemed to be tiring of the subject.
"Is this what it's going to be like at the trial, Heyes? All these questions?"
"Yep, and lots more. I hope they have enough other people to talk to, that they won't need us very much. More than a little concerned that someone will find out who we are."
The Kid laughed mirthlessly. "Isn't it ironic? After all we've done to keep our identities secret? And we've unearthed a whopper of a secret that involves an entire town!"
"Yeah . . ." said Heyes, lost in thought.
"I think maybe . . ." Kid Curry looked at his partner, a sudden important new thought occurring to him.
Hannibal Heyes looked at his partner, the same new thought occurring to him.
"Maybe we should . . ."
"Yeah!"
"They've got enough other witnesses!"
"Yeah!"
"Let's . . ."
"Yeah!"
At the trial, the miners Heyes and Curry had caught, as well as about thirty other miners, were named guilty of any number of crimes, the most heinous of which was the murders of three men at different times, all in Ghost Forest. Many of the good folks of Copperville testified, and even a couple of the ladies of Placerville had a say. The trial took several days and a lot of evidence was put forth to consider. Had Heyes and Curry been in attendance, their actual identities may eventually have been discovered.
But this was not a problem for them.
They were in the next state.
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