ENOUGH
by Goldie
Hannibal Heyes sighed deeply with pleasure and turned his face to the sun. "Oh, this is a beautiful day, Kid. Not too hot. Not too cold. Gentle breeze. Sun high in the sky. Just the kind of day that makes you glad you're alive."
"I figure any day falls into that category," replied his partner Kid Curry testily.
Heyes was inclined to a sarcastic retort, but was feeling too good to want to ruin the mood. They were heading for jobs that paid actual money and Heyes was delighted by the prospect of being flush again. He smiled broadly. "I know you too well, Kid. This is your kind of day."
The Kid looked to the sky and sniffed the air. "Maybe," was all he'd give.
Heyes never lost his smile. "You can stop being mulish any time now, Kid. You'll feel better once you get that fair-earned paycheck in your hands."
The Kid sniffed again, this time in disdain. "I don't want to be a miner, Heyes; you know that. I'm not the miner type. You aren't either, for that matter. You were just plumb loco to sign us up for those mining jobs."
"Oh, Kid, relax. Think how good it'll feel to eat again. Two square meals a day! A roof over your head when you sleep. Plus good pay! And all those miners will want to relax with a little poker at night. This is all cream for us! "
"I don't want to be a miner," the Kid persisted grumpily. "It's hard work and dirty work. There's not enough money to make me want to do this."
"There'll be enough." Heyes just smiled and let it go. He was positive he was right. They hadn't worked or eaten regularly for some time and it was just plain luck that put them in the town near the mine at the time that some of the miners walked off the job and the mine needed workers desperately.
The two of them rode in virtual silence the remaining five miles, but as they approached the mine, the Kid began grumbling again.
"Come on now, Kid," said Heyes patiently. "You've never been afraid to put your back into anything. What's really eating you?"
The Kid hesitated for a moment, then said, "The men we're replacing, Heyes. Why did they quit?"
Heyes had to admit that that question had been bothering him, too, but he didn't let on to his friend. "Don't know the whole story, Kid, but I'm not concerned. It was just coincidence. Probably some family problems or something."
The Kid shook his head. "I don't know, Heyes. I just don't know."
They were reining up at the mine office and Heyes signaled the Kid to say no more about it. They went inside and introduced themselves.
The manager knew they were coming and was delighted to see them. "Thank you for coming to work for the Willem Mining Company, gentlemen. You're signing on with a good company. I'm Bill Hardesty, the manager. The first order of business is your bonus for signing on with us." He produced a ten-dollar bill for each of them, which caused them both to smile. He also produced a contract for each of them. Before signing, Heyes read the entire contract, including the fine print.
"This says we sign on for six months," Heyes pointed out. "We were told by your scout that we only had to sign on for a month, and we could stay longer after that if we liked the work." He smiled his pixie smile. "And if you like us, of course."
Heyes had expected the manager to raise a protest, but he was more than willing to work with them. "No problem, gentlemen," he said. He inked his pen and changed the words "six months" to "thirty days." "If we all initial this, it's a legal contract," he said truthfully. So Heyes and the Kid signed and initialed and the manager did as well.
They shook hands. "Well, now!" said Hardesty, reading their names. "Thaddeus Jones and Joshua Smith. You are now bona fide employees of the Willem Mining Company. You can start work first thing tomorrow."
"What do we do?" asked the Kid grudgingly.
"I desperately need miners, but I can see you don't have any real mining experience. I have two other jobs that need filling immediately, though. I need an expeditor and a front man." When both his new employees looked blank, he explained what was involved. "I still have a few experienced miners left, but they need managing and I don't have the time to do it. One of you's going to have to schedule the work each day and see that it gets done and the other's going to have to be the go-between betwixt the men down in the mine and the manager up here. I don't care which one of you does what."
Heyes and the Kid exchanged a lingering look. A lot of unspoken conversation went on in that look. When Heyes spoke, the Kid already knew what he was going to say.
"I should be the scheduler, Thaddeus, since I have a better head for business than you," said Heyes optimistically but with very little hope.
"No, Joshua," came the direct and forceful answer. "You wanted to work in the mine, and you can be the one who goes into the mine each day. I'll do the scheduling." He turned to the manager. "I'm sure it's not all that complicated."
"It's not," said their new boss. "You'll have no trouble. I just need someone who shows up every day and keeps good records and keeps track of the amount of coal coming out of the mine each day. We have budgets and quotas to meet and that's your job. I'll work with you tomorrow morning to get you started, but you'll work on your own for the most part." He turned to Heyes. "You'll be even more important. My front man works alongside the miners and forwards information to the expeditor. You'll have to learn to be a miner right quick. You'll look like one of the men but you'll be keeping your eyes and ears open for concerns and gripes and you'll be watching for safety issues. Some of the miners quit recently because they did not believe the mine is safe. You've got to discourage that attitude. Your output isn't as important as keeping your ears open."
Heyes and the Kid exchanged another look but the thoughts behind this one were very different.
Heyes cleared his throat. "Exactly how safe is this mine?"
The manager got a bit huffy. "It's safe enough! We have passed safety tests and meet minimum safety standards at every testing. The owners of the Willem run several mines, some in this state and several in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. They know what they're doing. You and the men have nothing to worry about." He pointed his finger forcefully at Heyes. "And that's what you have to convey to the men!"
The manager then pointed them in the direction of the bunkhouse and indicated that the interview was concluded.
Once outside, Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry conversed more openly.
"It looks like we didn't really get the whole story," said Heyes. "Maybe those men quit because the mine isn't so safe at all."
"Safe enough, he said. I don't know what to think. But they did say that there's never been a cave-in. And no one's ever been hurt on the job here. That's a pretty good record. Still . . ."
"Well, at least you'll be all right, Kid. Looks like you don't ever have to go inside any mine. That's exactly what you wanted, isn't it?" His tone was cloying.
The Kid stiffened. "Don't play with me, Heyes. We're going to do exactly what we said we were going to do. You go into the mine and I stay out."
Heyes smiled. "That's what I just said."
"That's right! And that's what's going to happen!" They were inside the bunkhouse by that time, and the Kid slammed his belongings on one of the bunks. "And furthermore, this is the bunk I want!"
Heyes smiled mirthlessly. "What are you getting so huffy about, Kid?"
After a moment, the Kid answered in a low voice. "I don't know." But he did.
Hannibal Heyes had expected to make a great deal of money off the miners by goading them into a poker game each night and using his skills. But he was disappointed when all of the miners were too tired after a long day's work to do much besides eat and then go to bed. Himself included! Mining for coal was, as the Kid had said, hard and dirty work. Every muscle in Heyes's body seemed to ache by the end of the day and he was so hungry and tired that forcing himself to eat before he tumbled into his bunk was about all he could manage to do. One of the miners pointed out to him that it would be wise to stand under the cistern to shower off the coal dust, but he didn't care. He went to bed dirty. When the Kid woke him around 8 pm to ask for any information he might have gathered about the conditions in the mine or about the men, Heyes told him to shut up and leave. The Kid thought that Heyes looked comical and acted amusingly but somehow he did not find it funny. There was a nagging sorrowful thought in the back of his mind, and he knew it was in Heyes's head, too.
What if the mine really wasn't safe after all?
When Heyes woke the next day, the first thing he was aware of was coal dust in his eyes and nose. He rubbed his hands over his face and then opened his eyes to see his partner sitting in a chair next to his bunk, watching him. "How long have you been there?" he asked, peeved.
The Kid ignored the question. "I needed to talk to you before you went into the mine today," said the Kid. His demeanor was serious.
"So talk." Heyes stood and noticed that the two of them were alone in the bunkhouse. Apparently the other miners were used to early hours and had already left. Heyes tore off his clothes and stood under the cistern, pulling the handle to release the water. This small indoor rain shower was not as good as a bath, but it was all he had. When he was finished he donned the same dirty clothes, unwilling to ruin any more of his garments. He wasn't much cleaner than when he had started, but at least the water had worked to massage his aching muscles. "I'm late, Kid. What do you want?" Heyes was not in a good mood. His humor lifted slightly when he saw the plate of food the Kid had brought him.
"The kitchen is closed, so I brought you this. You'll have to learn to get up earlier," said the Kid, pushing the plate of food toward Heyes, who accepted it gratefully. "If we stay, that is."
"What do you mean?" asked Heyes between mouthfuls.
"I've been thinking, Heyes. There's got to be a reason those men quit."
"You're still thinking about that? The boss told us they had doubts about safety." As bad as it was, the food still tasted good to Heyes.
"And if they're right?"
Heyes knew exactly what his friend was getting at, but he did not want to think about it. "Then they're right. So what? We're only going to be here a month. I can't take much more than that, anyhow."
"They're not paying us enough to do this."
"It's enough."
The Kid decided to switch tactics. "Did you find out anything yesterday?"
"Not really. I made friends with some of the men, but the only things they talked about were their families and the mine. And, yes, some of them still think it's not safe here."
"Why not?"
"I don't know, Kid. It's all talk."
"What do you think?" Now the Kid was really interested.
Heyes sighed and put down his fork. He wasn't hungry any more. "The mine is well-braced. The walls seem solid. The new diggings seem sturdy." He shook his head. What he was thinking but didn't say was, "Dust falls from the roof a lot, though. I don't like it. You look around and everything seems safe but why would the dust keep falling? I get the feeling that it wouldn't take much for a cave-in." Heyes stood and walked to the door.
"Let's just go."
"What?"
"We don't have to stay here, Heyes."
Heyes was confused. "Of course we do, Kid. We signed a contract."
"Then let's switch jobs."
"What?" Now Heyes was really confused. "Why would you suddenly want to go in the mine?"
"I don't," said the Kid. "But this was my doing. I'd feel better about it if you weren't in there if it ever collapsed."
Heyes smiled and looked away; perhaps the Kid had been reading his mind. "I see," he said with amusement. "You'd feel better about it if it was you who was killed instead of me, is that it?"
"Yeah."
Heyes lost his smile. He stared at his friend. Kid Curry was dead serious. Heyes was deeply touched.
That second night was much better than the first. Heyes felt like cleaning up before bed and turned his blanket over so he could sleep with the clean side next to his body. He got a good night's sleep and did not ache as much in the morning. He woke when everyone else did and ate with everyone else in the dining tent. He and the Kid exchanged looks across the table but had no opportunity to speak alone.
That day, Heyes and two other men were sent to work in the newest section of the mine, an area that had recently been opened. Heyes found the job of swinging a pick tedious and unchallenging and he wished to God he had never signed the Kid and himself on for these jobs. He was happy at least that the Kid did not have to work in this Godforsaken dingy atmosphere and he felt sorry for anyone who did, including himself. The men he was working with were named Dane and Blevins and he liked them both. Dane was a young man and Blevins was an experienced miner in his 50s. They were both affable and fairly intelligent and the time passed quickly enough with the conversations they all shared. Both these men were afraid and said all the other men were, too. But the money was just too good to pass up. They had all signed contracts as well.
When Heyes asked them what they were afraid of, they said the same thing: at any time, the mine might cave in. When Heyes explained that everything looked secure enough, and the mine had never registered any abnormality, they both said they were still afraid. Heyes told them they were being foolish, but he did not believe it. He felt the same unexplained fears that they did.
That day, Heyes took it upon himself to test the beams when no one was looking. He leaned his body's full weight against them and noticed that they did not budge at all. He struck at them with his tools and noticed the same thing. What he had been saying was true – they were stabilized quite well. But why would dust keep falling from above? He checked around in his part of the mine and checked other parts of the mine as well on his way out that afternoon. Nothing unusual.
This is what he reported to the Kid that evening. But whenever the miners were talking, there was always talk about the general fears. Heyes reported that as well. There was a strong undercurrent of fear, a destructive attitude that was all-pervasive. No one, Heyes noticed, seemed immune. Many of the miners had worked for the company for years and many of them had always been afraid. And yet they continued to work in the mines. That night and the next day Heyes continued to talk with people, inquiring as to why they worked at a job where they did not feel secure. It was unanimous: the money. But the fear of a cave-in hung over their heads.
The following morning the manager ordered everyone to keep out of the mine as a dynamite expansion was scheduled. All the men were accounted for before the explosion. A new section of mine was opened and the crew who was responsible for shoring up the walls went to work immediately. Heyes and the men he worked with were kept working in a different section of the mine while this crew finished their task. A week later, Heyes, Dane and Blevins were returned to their original work area and had their quotas raised as they now had a larger section of mine to work in.
By this time Heyes was used to the hard work and the early hours. He was also used to, although he didn't like, being dirty. He wasn't happy with the fact that it was difficult for him to find time to talk to the Kid without other people around. He had no idea how the Kid liked his scheduling job because in the few instances when they were together, he only had time to answer questions the Kid asked him. The Kid always asked, without exception, if he would like to switch jobs. He always answered that he did not fear the mine like the others did and that the Kid should stop worrying. But he was lying. Although he did not actually believe the mine to be unsafe, Heyes still felt some agitation and fear each morning as he was lowered into the mine with the others. He felt the walls close in on him and the darkness overtake him. He always had to work to overcome this tension, which he did by engaging the others in idle conversation. Once he started working, the dark cloud lifted somewhat, but never completely. He knew there was a chance that the men might be right.
In the third week, when the Kid once again told him he would feel better if they switched jobs, Heyes called his bluff. "All right, Kid, let's do it."
Kid Curry was taken completely off-guard. "You mean you want to? Switch jobs?"
"Yep! You've convinced me. You should be the miner and I should be in the office."
The Kid stammered. He obviously didn't expect this. "Well, I'm not sure Hardesty will want . . ."
"You just leave him to me. I'll talk him into it." Heyes was working hard to cover a snide smile.
"Well, still . . . I'm not sure . . ."
"Kid, do I sense a little hesitation here?" Heyes asked with all innocence.
"Oh! Well, there's . . . "
"What happened to all that hero stuff? All that 'I'm worried about you, Heyes' stuff? Huh?" Heyes was strutting his stuff and having a good time. "That wasn't all just talk, now was it, Kid? Some hero!"
Well, actually, a lot of it was. The Kid knew he was in a bad position here. He had truly been worried about his partner's safety, but he didn't actually want to exchange jobs. He had to save face and no idea how to do it. Angrily, he blurted out, "No! Not just talk! If that's what you want, that's what we'll do!"
Heyes knew his partner well and was only a little surprised at his response. But he had to save face, too. "All right! First thing tomorrow. We'll go talk to the boss right now."
So it happened that Hannibal Heyes became the expeditor and Kid Curry became the front man in the mine. The next morning, the Kid spent a few meager minutes teaching Heyes the job and Heyes told the Kid what he had to do in the mines. The Kid's manner was clipped and terse because he was angry and not being honest. Heyes knew that and took advantage of him, allowing the Kid to fret, and gloating a little over his simple conquest.
But as he watched the Kid walk out of the office and head for the mine shaft, Heyes had a change of heart. He had never intended for this job change to happen; he had spoken only in jest. It had gotten out of hand because neither of them was being honest.
"Kid! Wait a minute!" he yelled. But it wasn't enough. The Kid ignored him. Heyes watched wretchedly as the Kid allowed himself to be lowered into the mine. And never looked back. Heyes knew he alone was responsible for this and the first day on his new job was miserable for him.
That night, Heyes was waiting for the Kid when he emerged from the mine. He was appalled at how dirty and tired his friend looked. He steadied his voice and said, "I apologize, Kid. It was a joke. I let it get out of hand. Tomorrow we'll switch back to our other jobs. We've only got a few days left."
The Kid was too tired to argue. With a wave of his hand, he said simply, "Forget it." He dragged himself back to the bunkhouse as Heyes watched him longingly. This was a side of the Kid that Heyes had never seen – the reluctant hero.
And Heyes was equally appalled that the Kid did not show up for the supper meal that night. He assembled a plate of food for his friend and took it to him, only to find the Kid fast asleep. Heyes remembered how he himself had felt after that first day of working in the mine and understood completely. He set the food next to the Kid's bunk and left him alone.
The next morning, Heyes made sure to stop and talk with the Kid before he went to the mine office. He found the Kid dressed and shaving, and the food had been eaten. Heyes smiled smugly. "How're you doing today, Kid?"
"Fine." The Kid did not look at him, Heyes noticed.
"I brought you the meal last night."
"Figured."
"How was it?"
"Fine."
These one-word answers were intended to annoy Heyes, and they hit their mark. Heyes was rattled. He had never intended to anger his partner. Or had he? He sat quietly for a moment and considered the validity of their argument. As the Kid was donning his coat to leave, Heyes suddenly said, "Maybe you're right, Kid. Maybe we should leave here. Contract or no contract."
The Kid stopped in his tracks and looked at Heyes for the first time that morning. "Why the sudden change of heart?" he asked after a few seconds.
Heyes thought before answering. He did not want to be untruthful because he felt that their lack of honesty with each other was causing a rift. As he was thinking, they both heard the final call for workers to gather at the mine entrance to be lowered into the mine for the workday. The Kid stopped waiting for an answer and walked through the door.
"Because!" Heyes blurted out. "Because I worry about you down there like you did about me. Because I don't really think it's safe, no matter what I said. That's why!"
The butterflies in Heyes's stomach melted the instant he saw the twinkle in the Kid's eyes. "Thanks. We'll talk about it tonight," said the Kid with a grateful nod of his head.
"We will, partner." They stared at each other for a moment; then the Kid disappeared with the rest of the men through the mine entrance. Heyes stared after him for a moment more, then headed for the office to put in a good final day's work, satisfied that he had mended an argument which he believed had been his fault.
But the talk he had been looking forward to, and the ride out of the mining camp that he had been planning, and even a simple exchange of words with the Kid did not happen that night.
Heyes spent the day in the mine office attending to paperwork, trying to clean up loose ends since he did not expect to return to the job the next day. Around mid-afternoon he heard a number of men's shouts and went outside to investigate. He saw smoke emerging from the mine in a large puff and a number of men running toward the entrance. He joined them and when he got there, realized that it was not smoke but a large ball of dust.
At first he could not understand what had happened. Then some men came running out of the mine yelling, "Cave in! Cave in!" People were running everywhere.
The foreman, Bill Hardesty, came running to Heyes's side. "Where?" he yelled.
The men were all shouting at once, but Heyes heard, "The new section!"
"How many men were in there?" yelled the foreman.
But Heyes already knew the answer – three. Dane, Blevins. And the Kid. Heyes felt his knees buckle. The breath left his body and for a moment he found it hard to stand. Suddenly he heard nothing but the pounding in his own head.
Without even realizing what he was doing, Heyes ran straight into the mine. The lift he needed to ride down was available as several men had just taken it to the surface and it was about to be lowered for more men. He had to fight his way through the miners to grab it in time. Heyes was running on instinct alone; there did not seem to be time to think or plan. He was vaguely aware that Hardesty jumped in with him.
It did not take long to reach the bottom but to Heyes it seemed to take forever. He tugged at the ropes but as a safety feature they were designed to have no give. He knew Hardesty was giving him instructions but he did not care. Hannibal Heyes had only one thought in his mind. When he reached the bottom he bounded out of the cart and into a handful of men who were trying to ram into it. He heard Hardesty bark out instructions to the men as well. After struggling through them, Heyes found that the air was filled with dust and it was difficult to see exactly where he was going. He paused for a minute to get his bearings, finally realizing that it was necessary to have a plan. He could hear the men behind him coughing and realized that he was coughing himself. He did not consider this a problem. Heyes peered through the dust and found the opening he was looking for, the way to the newest section of mine, where Dane, Blevins and the Kid had been working. Where he himself had been working not long ago. For some reason this thought brought him deep sorrow. He decided he would think about that later.
Heyes forged ahead by feeling for the walls of the mine as he went. In places the dust was not as intense, which made his going easier. He was also following the voices of men up ahead. After a few minutes, he calculated he was getting close. On his way, he had passed some men who were looking to escape, but now he heard the low voices of several men just ahead. They were speaking in tones that implied controlled intensity. He continued to follow these voices until the men were right in front of him. One of them was Blevins!
Heyes was overjoyed. He kneeled down next to the miner. "Blevins! Thank God!" he cried. "I was afraid you had all been buried in the cave-in!"
Blevins was coughing and had some blood on his shirt. He was shaken but appeared to be largely uninjured. A couple of the men Heyes had heard talking were attending to him. The majority of the voices were past Blevins, near the wall of earth that had once been the opening to the new section. Heyes allowed his eyes to wander to those men; they were frantically working to remove the debris. Without waiting for an answer, Heyes rose slowly and deliberately, never taking his eyes off the barrage of earth and boards and rocks that now proved to be an impasse. The new section had collapsed. And now Heyes knew the Kid had not escaped.
"No!" he whispered, hesitating only for a second before rushing to the wall and hysterically grabbing at the rocks to pull them off. For the first couple of minutes, he clawed at the earth and the rocks with his hands, bloodying his fingers and frustrating himself with his ineffectiveness. He became aware that other miners near him were also working frantically to remove the earth, but they were using tools. He saw Hardesty himself pick up a shovel and start hacking at the wall, all the while shouting commands. Heyes looked around crazily and spied a pick-axe. He hurriedly began swinging his new tool at the wall and felt a small sensation of satisfaction at the amount of earth and rocks each tug was able to move.
Heyes , Hardesty and several other men worked continuously at the wall and chipped slowly away at it. But it seemed that with all the earth and boulders they removed, there were still plenty left. Heyes was only vaguely aware of other people nearby. Few people were talking; most were coughing as the dust hung in the air. Heyes worked frantically as he believed the Kid had a limited supply of air. If he was alive at all. Heyes continued to work with all his strength. Time seemed to stand still. He just couldn't do enough, it seemed.
Eventually Heyes's body failed his expectations after he'd been swinging the pick for quite a while. Each time he tried to attack the wall, his arms gave way. He had no strength left in his body. This thought sorrowed him to the very bone. The Kid was still in there! The Kid might be dying! He needed help! Damn these muscles, thought Heyes. He blamed the desk job all day for the softening of his muscles; he had no idea how very hard he was working. Put your back into it, damn it! he thought. But he needed to stop for a while to gather more energy. Just for a minute.
Heyes had completely exhausted himself. He had no inkling that he had been working for hours. He dropped to his knees and leaned his hands on them, hanging his head. Even though Heyes was free, he was a prisoner in his own body, just like the Kid was a prisoner in his death cell. A low moan escaped from Heyes. But no one noticed; everyone around him was feeling almost as devastated. Two men had been lost in the cave-in, men who were friends and cohorts. All around him Heyes could hear men praying. Some were sobbing. He was crying, too. No longer did he hear the constant sound of men working to clear the wall. Few were working. It was too late, some said softly.
After a moment, Heyes sat on the ground and leaned back against the earthen wall. He finally began to be really aware of the other men. Most were taking breaks like him. One or two had clearly rested and were again beginning their attacks with renewed energy. He noticed some of the weary miners were being asked to leave by miners who had just entered the mine and were going to replace them. Heyes spied Blevins sitting across from him. He had a pick in his hands and had apparently been participating in the attempted rescue. Heyes was surprised as he had assumed Blevins had gone "topside," meaning he had left the mine. Blevins was looking at him, too, with a haunted expression on his face.
"He was a hero," Blevins said to Heyes.
But Heyes did not understand. He was trying hard to think of nothing. No thoughts - just allowing his tortured body to rejuvenate for a few minutes. Blevins snapped him out of his stupor. "What?" Heyes asked stupidly.
"Jones was a hero," Blevins repeated, speaking slowly and as if every syllable was agony to produce.
Now Heyes began to understand – Blevins was talking about the Kid. "What are you talking about?"
Blevins took a deep breath. "When the ceiling collapsed, he pushed me out of the way."
Heyes suddenly sat straight up. "What are you talking about?"
"Jones. I owe him my life. He tried to save us, me and Dane. He pushed us out of the way. But I got out and I saw Dane as the . . . as the ceiling . . . caved in. And I didn't see Jones any more."
Heyes stared at Blevins wide-eyed. Time stopped. He was suddenly painfully aware of everything around him, as if he alone held all the answers to the universe. He smelled the dust and the sweat and the blood. He felt the pain in his fingers and his back and his arms. He heard some of the men talking in low voices, saying that they wouldn't be able to save anyone, that it was no use. He felt connected to everyone and everything in a way he did not understand. But the only one he wanted to be connected to at that moment was the Kid. The only thing he cared about was the Kid. The only thing he wanted to see, or smell, or hear, was the Kid. Hannibal Heyes was overwhelmed.
Suddenly Heyes lunged wildly forward and grabbed Blevins by the lapels. "Why didn't you save him?" he screamed. "Why did you let him die?" Some of the men who had been resting grabbed Heyes and pulled him away from Blevins. Hardesty was one of them. Undaunted, Heyes immediately turned his attention back to the wall of rock and swung his pickaxe at it frantically and with no restraint or direction. He worked feverishly, swinging his axe, again and again, and making little headway as he was not focused. He was completely exhausted but did not stop.
Suddenly, on the other side of the impasse, all the men heard a new sound – the sound of another cave-in, another collapse. Hardesty shrieked in no uncertain terms, "Everyone out! NOW!"
All the men except Heyes ran in the direction of the lift. Hardesty looked back and tried to grab him, but Heyes pushed him away and continued to work with his pick. Hardesty tried one more time to grab him but Heyes resisted him. Finally Hardesty was forced to run as the ceiling began to cave in.
Heyes did not escape. Later it was remembered by several of the men that when the earth started to crumble in on them, Heyes seemed to make no effort to save himself.
Kid Curry had the keen eyes and ears and the quick accurate moves of a gunfighter. He was the first to hear the tiny fracture in their ceiling and react to the first cave-in. Before either Dane or Blevins knew what they were doing, he abruptly pushed them in the direction of their exit. He had spied the dust falling from the ceiling in time, in time to save his friends. Blevins had run but Dane had stumbled and the Kid had stumbled over him. Both stood up to run but the ceiling caved in on them right then. The Kid quickly grabbed Dane's jacket and the two of them maneuvered through the falling dust and rocks backward through the mine. It was an uncalculated move but it worked. They were safe and generally uninjured.
But their escape route was blocked. And they were in total darkness. Their candles had gone out in the commotion. After determining that they were the only two caught by the landslide and that Blevins had indeed escaped, they then ascertained that they were both only slightly injured.
They both yelled for help for a few minutes but stopped when they realized that they could not hear anyone on the other side of the wall. Likely no one could hear them, either. This meant one of two things: either the amount of the cave-in was so extensive that sound could not pierce it, or all the men on the other side of the wall had died, including Blevins. Either way, this thought set them back a bit and saddened them both. The Kid recovered first with the bolstering thought that his friend Heyes was safe above ground in his office. The Kid patted Dane on the back as a gesture of support. They were, after all, all they had. And they might die together.
The dust had made it hard for them to breathe but soon they became aware of another breathing problem: shortage of air. They both knew they had a limited supply of air.
They worked together to feel their way around the earth and rocks and were able to figure that they were in an area roughly the size of a small room. The cause of the roof cave-in was unknown but both figured that the shoring job was originally done inappropriately. If so, that meant that further cave-ins were unlikely. If this was not true, neither of them wanted to think of the possible consequences.
Like the miners on the other side of the earthen wall, they clawed and pulled at the rocks and boards that were imprisoning them. They were unable to see what they were doing, but they were desperate men. They worked for a long time at this unyielding chore, but their work only served to wear them out.
At the Kid's suggestion, they both sat against the wall on the far side of their prison to regroup. They were in total darkness. It was probably a good thing for both of them, as the Kid thought he heard Dane softly crying. He reached out and found his companion's shoulder, which he squeezed. Although he was only a few years older than Dane, he felt like the elder statesman.
"Don't worry," said the Kid. Someone'll be digging for us. They'll find us."
After a moment, the Kid heard a sound like a sleeve being dragged across a face. Then Dane said, "I hope so. I'm getting married next month. Nellie shouldn't be a widow before she's even married."
The Kid was genuinely touched. "That so? Congratulations. Don't worry, you'll make it." He squeezed Dane's shoulder again.
They both sat silently for a while. The darkness made it easy for them to think. Unfortunately, neither had very positive thoughts. Dane was thinking about his sweetie and feeling sorry for himself. The Kid was trying to come up with a way out of their predicament. He tried to think like Heyes would. He wasn't successful, but this led to thoughts of his partner. He was sorry he had been angry with Heyes lately, and would have taken it all back if he could. He was glad that the last time they saw each other, they parted amicably. He knew Heyes had been looking forward to talking with him at the end of the workday. Now the talk would not happen. This saddened him. He felt sorry for Heyes, not himself. He knew Heyes would be frantic. If their positions were reversed, he would have felt the same.
After a while, when their ears were adjusted to the silence, they both began to hear the far-off sounds of people digging at the mountain of earth. The sounds were so faint that it was clear their barricade was very thick. This thought apparently occurred to both of them at the same time. Neither said anything, but the Kid felt Dane slump a little next to him.
But there was something else – an unidentifiable sound that only the Kid heard. He put his ear to the back wall - the wall opposite the cave-in - and heard a different kind of noise. He couldn't determine what it was. He shook his head and listened again, trying to place his ear in the same manner Heyes used to do in order to open safes. He heard it again, and this time he was able to establish what it was. It was the sound of running water!
"Listen! Listen!" he cried, grabbing Dane and pushing his head to the mine wall. "What do you hear?"
Dane concentrated. "I don't believe it!" he said. "There's a stream on the other side of this wall. Maybe a waterfall!"
Neither of them said anything more. They frantically felt around the floor until they were able to find the pick and shovel they had been using. They picked up the tools and started swinging away at the far wall instead of the one that had caved in. Heading for the water.
After an hour or two working very hard, Dane and the Kid began to find the thinning air to be a problem. They stopped working and once again listened closely to the wall of rocks. They had made headway and the sound of running water was getting louder. "We're almost there!" whispered the Kid. "If there's water, there's air!" Dane whispered back, "We can do this!" Although it was not warm, they were sweating profusely. Breathing was hard. After only a moment's rest, they once again picked up their tools and went to work. Their muscles were fatigued but they kept going because they both felt renewed hope. Sweat rolled from their foreheads into their eyes, carrying with it coal dust and causing them extra frustration, but they did not stop. Again and again they hacked at the wall of rock.
Suddenly, success! For a second time the Kid had to grab Dane to keep him from getting engulfed by the falling rocks. In a single strong shot by both of them, they had broken through the final layer of stone and earth and dislodged the stones supporting the final wall of their natural prison. Rock came tumbling down but the Kid was too quick, grabbing Dane by the shirt and propelling him forward into the unknown. They both ran and stumbled as well as they could over their uneven floor, hurrying as the wall closed in behind them. As they heard the rockslide begin to subside, they stopped and attempted to survey their new surroundings as well as possible.
They were in a cavern of some kind. A cavern with air! They both sat down and fell backward and laughed out loud. It felt mighty fine to be able to breathe fully again. They simply lay there for a while and sucked in as much air as possible. The supply was endless!
In a moment, the Kid sat up. If the air supply was unending, there must be an entranceway to their cave. There still was no light, however.
"Let's go," said the Kid. He grabbed Dane and turned him away from the earthen wall. "That way. Let's try to find a way out of here."
They held on to each other as they gingerly made their way over the floor of the cave. They began to feel cold. They had been wet from sweating when they had been working hard with limited air, and now their wet clothes were chilling them. No matter. Just being alive felt good to them at that moment. With fondness, the Kid thought back to when Heyes had talked about the beautiful day making him feel glad to be alive. Now the Kid understood and agreed. He had never stopped believing that they could escape from their prison, and now he was certain they would. He was looking forward to seeing his partner again and telling him, yes, it did feel good to be alive. He had been wrong that day when he had been annoyed.
"We're getting closer to the water," said Dane. "The sound is getting louder."
"Yeah, it sounds like a stream. Could be a waterfall. Must lead to the outside somehow."
And then a miracle! Light began filtering in from somewhere in front of them. At first it was very faint, but they followed its source and it continued to brighten. The ground on which they were walking was continuing a gradual uphill climb. After a while, they were able to actually see the earth on which they were walking and they eventually came across the sound they had heard. It was an underground stream that had carved a path through the cave in which they found themselves, and it culminated in a small waterfall at the mouth of the cave. Which led to a stream outside the cave. By the time they reached the waterfall, they knew they were free!
The lift made trips to the surface with miners a couple of times before Hardesty realized that the sound of a new landslide had stopped. He cautiously returned alone to the original cave-in site to find new landslide material. He used his expertise to determine the extent of the new damage and the stability of the cavern. He was, of course, unaware that the new landslide had been triggered by Dane and the Kid when they had broken through the other side of their rock wall. Most of the damage had been near them, with little in this area.
He realized, with deep sadness, that their quest for Dane and the Kid would have to end. It would no longer be possible to find them alive, he theorized.
But sticking out of the new rubble was a hand!
He called back the remaining miners and joined them in renewing their excavating job. They had a new miner to rescue – Joshua Smith!
Dane and the Kid found the mouth to their cave and ran for it. They squeezed through and emerged in a forest! Ecstatic, they yelled and whooped and jumped around. When they saw each other, they started laughing. Both had coal dust all over their bodies, torn clothing, and wild hair. They had been in a cave-in, after all. They hugged each other several times. They were free!
They looked back at their prison cave and pondered the size of it.
"How far do you figure we walked?" asked Dane.
"Not far," answered the Kid. "Quarter mile. Maybe less. I don't think the company was aware that the mine was so close to a cave, or they would have entered it from this side." He looked around and saw an opening in the trees that could take them around the hill and back to the mine. "Let's get going back."
"What's the hurry?" asked Dane in all honesty. "I'm just glad to be alive."
The Kid once again remembered Heyes saying almost those very words as they rode to their new job a couple of weeks earlier. Suddenly he was sad. "We have to let them know we're alive so they can stop looking for us." But he didn't mean 'they' – he meant Heyes, of course.
It didn't take much work to get to Heyes. He was lying under small boulders and he had been mostly protected by some boards that had fallen and provided a natural cover. But he was unconscious and clearly injured. Hardesty barked orders for the men to carefully remove him. Heyes was laid on the floor of the mine and quickly examined by lantern-light.
It was a quick decision. "This man needs a doctor now!" Hardesty yelled. "Get him topside, then let's get out of here."
The few men remaining carried Heyes as gingerly as they could to the lift. He was placed inside and brought to the surface, where other men were waiting to attend to him. They carried him into the bunkhouse and laid him on his own bed. The doctor had already been there for several hours and he rushed to attend to Heyes.
The doctor was concerned about the concussion Heyes had sustained, most likely when the first board had fallen on him. Although his body had been generally protected, he also suffered some broken bones in his shoulder, foot and leg. The doctor worked gently, cleansing and sterilizing the wounds. As the doctor was examining him, Heyes regained consciousness.
Heyes was confused at first, his vision as unclear as his head. But as his sight returned to normal, he seemed to start to understand what was happening. He felt much pain in his left leg and when he tried to reach it with his left arm, he found that his arm was swollen and moved woodenly and with great pain. In addition, his head hurt. He looked at the doctor with anguish in his eyes.
Doc Carter was only a country physician and he had been attending to a number of miners for several hours already. He had set a number of broken bones and witnessed a variety of sores, aches and pains. But he had not witnessed the kind of grief that he saw in Heyes's eyes.
"Take it easy, young man," he said tenderly. "You've been involved in the mine cave-in and you've been rescued. You'll be all right. You're actually right lucky, I'd say."
Heyes turned away and closed his eyes. He had lost his best friend, his partner, the only person he felt love for. He did not feel lucky. Hannibal Heyes had found his own personal hell.
He hadn't done enough.
Dane and the Kid found the trek through the woods back to the mining camp to be tough going. They were bone-tired, they were dirty and hungry, and they both had cuts and bruises. But they were alive! There was no path but they both marched ahead on instinct, trusting to find the camp on the other side of the hill.
Finally, by late afternoon, through the trees they saw the mining camp up ahead. This vision gave them a spurt of energy to push ahead, finally setting foot on safe land again. They were both surprised to see a minimum of activity in a place that would normally have been bustling at that time of day.
At that moment, Hardesty and a couple other men came out of the office and spied Dane and the Kid. They were overjoyed! "Jones! Dane! We thought you were goners!" The Kid and Dane were grabbed by the shoulders and patted on the back. Hardesty and the men started yelling for everyone to come see that the two lost men were not lost after all.
Most of the miners had been sent home for the remainder of the week, in deference to the men who were believed to have died in the mining accident. The ones who remained were the ones who had no families and lived in the bunkhouse. Hardesty's joyous proclamation was heard and most of the men came running happily. The Kid realized that he did not actually know most of these men, but nonetheless they were all very excited and happy to see him and Dane. It had been a very sad time when everyone came to the realization that the two men could no longer have been alive. Now there was every reason to celebrate! Hardesty seemed to be the happiest of all. Until this cave-in, he had claimed a perfect record – never having lost a man. Now he could continue the claim if he wished.
Dane and the Kid were asked again and again to tell the story of their escape from the cave-in, which became tiring after just a couple tellings. It took them a little while to understand why all the miners were overjoyed to see them. It had to be explained to them that they had been given up for dead. He and Dane had just assumed that the miners were probably still digging for the two of them.
The Kid suddenly realized the implications of having been assumed dead. Heyes! The Kid looked around and did not see Heyes. "Where's Smith?" he asked to no one in particular. "Where's my friend?"
Hardesty pulled the Kid aside, allowing the men to gather around Dane. "He's in the bunkhouse," Hardesty said solemnly. "He was injured trying to dig out."
The Kid froze. "What do you mean – dig out? He was topside."
"No, he came down immediately. He was like a wild man, trying to dig through the rubble. A few hours after the initial cave-in, there was a second one. That's the one that buried him."
Buried Heyes? The Kid had a thousand questions but wanted to ask them only of his partner. He broke free of Hardesty and ran to the bunkhouse, stopping only when he was inside the door. He looked in the direction of Heyes's bunk and spied his partner.
Heyes was lying with his head turned away. The Kid could tell he was a broken man. There were bandages around his torso and on his head and leg. He looked lifeless. But to the Kid, he was the sweetest sight in the world. It was clear now that Heyes had suffered tremendously. His eyes were open, but he did not appear to be taking any interest in anything around him. The doctor was attending to his bandages. The Kid's worst suspicions were confirmed. Heyes truly had thought he was dead!
"Hey . . ." the Kid started to call. "Joshua!" The Kid ran to his friend's bedside.
At the sound of his voice, Heyes slowly turned his head to look at him. Recognition was immediate and overpowering. Heyes tried to smile and raise his good arm, but he seemed to be in some kind of trance.
The Kid sat on the bed and grabbed Heyes's good hand. "What's wrong with him?" he asked the doctor.
The doctor glanced at his patient before answering. "He's heavily sedated. He's in a lot of pain."
"Why?" asked the Kid, his tone softening.
"He got caught in that landslide. He's got broken bones. I can't have him moving."
"Can I talk to him – alone?" asked the Kid.
"And who are you?" The doctor's tone was suspicious.
"He thought I was dead." A simple statement. The doctor noted the change in Heyes's demeanor and the tears in his eyes. Heyes had not taken his eyes off the Kid since he had first seen him. Nor had the Kid had eyes for anything but his friend. "All right," said the doctor, picking up his bag. "Just make sure you don't disturb him." And he left.
"How are you, partner?" asked the Kid, tenderly.
"Me? I thought you were dead!" Heyes was able to talk but it was difficult for him. He spoke slowly and softly and his words were slurred. At the sight of the Kid alive, Heyes had become agitated and tried to move.
"Take it easy now," said the Kid soothingly, holding his partner by the shoulder to keep him from changing his position. "You heard the doc. I'll have to leave if you don't."
Heyes relaxed. He did not want the Kid to leave. Ever again.
For the next few days, Heyes and the other injured men were attended to by the doctor on a daily basis. Heyes's recovery was steady. The doctor was pleased. After a few days, he proclaimed Heyes well enough to be able to attempt walking. This he did with the aid of his partner, of course.
At no time did Heyes want to discuss the cave-in. Since it clearly was a source of stress for him, the Kid never pressed it. They both concentrated on Heyes getting well.
After a week's time, the remaining miners were recalled to begin work in the mines again. The Kid was once again asked to assume the job as expeditor.
On that first workday, Hardesty did a surprising thing. Instead of summoning everyone to the mine entrance, he called everyone into the yard. He requested that every miner be present. The Kid helped Heyes hobble into the yard and brought a chair for him to sit in. Some of the other miners, the ones who had been injured, were also sitting in chairs.
When everyone was assembled, Hardesty began to speak. He spoke of the mine cave-in and the possible reasons of its cause. He reassured the miners that precautions had been taken in the last week to assure that nothing similar would happen again. He spoke of his relief that no one had died. He thanked God for watching over them and keeping anyone from getting killed. He named the injured men and thanked them for their continuing loyalty to the company. "In the last week I have taken the opportunity to spend time with each and every one of you, trying to determine what really happened in the mine that afternoon. I've found that Willem Mines is employing a large number of heroes. I've been told, again and again, about the men who worked so hard to clear that wall to free the trapped workers. I saw it with my own eyes. No one worried about himself, everyone just set sights to getting those men." His voice was becoming more emotional as he spoke. "I'm proud to be a part of this company of miners. Very proud!" He hesitated for a moment to gather himself together. "The names are too numerous to mention, but most of you were down there. You all saw. Thank you!" He choked up and bowed his head at this part. All of the men were responsive, some murmuring, some sniffling, some crying outright at the memory. There was a moment of silence.
Suddenly a voice was heard, the voice of a young man. It was Dane. He spoke to the crowd. "I'm a miner, here for the money, like every one of you. But I've got to tell you . . ." here he looked at the Kid, and so did Heyes. "Some of us got more guts than others. I'm talking about Thaddeus Jones. He saved me from getting buried. Not once, but twice! I wouldn't be alive to talk about it now if it wasn't for him, and I wouldn't be getting married to my Nellie next month, neither. Mr. Hardesty, you don't know what happened where we were, but Blevins and me are both alive today because of Thaddeus, and only because of him. It's true. He's the biggest hero of all! And I want to thank him!" He beamed a big smile at the Kid. So did Heyes, for the Kid had not told him this story. Dane started clapping, and then some other men did, too, and then the entire ensemble was clapping. Heyes was so proud he thought he'd burst. The Kid was embarrassed and looked down and turned his head away for the men to stop, but the applause continued for quite a while.
Afterward, when the men had gone back to work and the Kid returned Heyes to his bunk and helped him to get comfortable, Heyes mentioned the cave-in for the first time.
"Did you really save his life twice, Kid?"
The Kid was still embarrassed and tried to make light of it. "He thinks so, I guess."
"You really are a hero. Let me shake the hand of a true hero." Heyes held out his hand.
The Kid took his hand but just held on to it. Heyes was confused. After a moment of silence, the Kid released the hand and spoke softly. "I'm no hero, Heyes. A hero is someone who risks his life to save someone else. I just made sure that neither of us got killed, that's all. I was just . . . there."
There was a great unspoken exchange of feelings between them. "Kid . . . "
"I talked to people later, too. I found out what happened on the other side of that wall. I found out how many people were working to dig us out. I didn't much care what happened to me, but I was glad to know you were topside and safe. Later I found out that you were down there, front and center, working harder than everyone else to set us free. I found out that you were injured because you wouldn't leave when the second cave-in began. Why wouldn't you leave, Heyes? Why did you let this happen to you?" Now the Kid was looking directly at Heyes.
This was a subject Heyes did not want to think or talk about. Had it been anyone but the Kid asking him, he would have taken a punch at the questioner. He had been suppressing the memories all week. It was a moment before he could talk. Heyes was overcome with emotion as he recalled the scenario. "Hardesty and the men said it was too late. That you were dead. It hit me hard. I guess when the ceiling started caving in . . . I didn't want to . . . I didn't care . . . "
The Kid had watched Heyes closely and felt the pain with him as he spoke. He decided to put an end to it. "Never mind. It's all right." Mercifully, there was silence.
Heyes hung his head for a moment. He sighed when he looked up. "There's something I've been wanting to do. I couldn't when I first saw you . . . but now . . ."
The Kid understood. They embraced.
They clung to each other for a while, each appreciating the other. The Kid understood what Heyes needed. But he himself had an additional need. He broke the embrace. Looking at Heyes for a while before he spoke, he weighed what he was about to say. When he spoke, he was very solemn. "There's something I want you to know, Heyes. No matter what Dane says, no matter what Hardesty says or anyone else for that matter . . . the real hero there was you. You almost gave your life and you did it for someone else - me. That's what a hero is. That's the only meaning of hero. Maybe this doesn't mean anything to you, but that's what I think, for what it's worth. I needed to tell you that."
The words were heartfelt. Heyes leaned back and mulled them over. The true hero. Hannibal Heyes. He'd never thought of himself that way. It brought the memories of that terrible day to his mind much too intensely, memories he had been fighting to suppress all week. He remembered how his heart had broken when he realized that the Kid was going to die behind the wall. He remembered how ineffective he'd felt when he could do nothing to stop it. And he remembered how willing he was to die when death looked him in the face. A hero? Unlikely. A desperate man? Yes. Heyes knew he was simply a man who was unable to face losing the only thing in the world that meant anything to him. This sudden memory, suppressed since it happened, was so powerful that it brought tears to his eyes. Heyes was overcome with love and relief. And a deep appreciation of the Kid's belief in him.
Heyes closed his eyes. He felt the presence of the Kid sitting near him, patiently waiting for him to work through his emotions. Heyes remembered how patient the Kid had been with him all week. Dane had been right, Heyes reasoned, the Kid was a real hero. A hero is the one who loves a friend for what he is and is there for him when he needs it. Love is all that matters. Everything else is extra. Heyes opened his eyes to see the Kid patiently watching him.
It was enough.
For once, it was truly enough.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
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