Two Sheepskins and a Star follows Not Again!, Hannibal Heyes Goes to New York, Two Degrees of Separation, and Two Degrees of Separation, Part II, and they need to be read first in that order. I thank my loyal existing fans for their great support. And I apologize for borrowing these characters. I am just using them to tell a story, not to make money. I will readily acknowledge having changed these characters around some. People change, and so do interesting characters. I will again note that aphasia, from which Heyes continues to suffer mildly in this story, is a very real and very serious ailment. I have no intention of making light of it in my fictionalized version. In fact, people who can make it with aphasia are heroes to me. The painful process of job application is real enough, as many of us know first-hand. I dedicate this story to people who are suffering through unemployment or under-employment. I've been there and so have our boys. In fact, most of this material was written while I was in those states.

A sparse weekday crowd in an arena north of Central Park cheered as a bunch of Indians rode around with a handful of cowboys on their heels. The chief fell dramatically with a pretend bullet in his chest as the other Indians scattered out the gates. The heavily made-up heroine lay, bosom heaving, safely in the arms of the handsome cowboy hero. The crowd went wild. When the noise settled down as the sets were changed between acts of the wild-west show, a woman in the crowd sighed, "Oh, it's so exciting out West! And romantic! I wish my Harold would take me there, Edna. Maybe he'd save me from an Indian chief, too!"

"I wouldn't count on it, Mabel," said her friend. "Not many bagel bakers do much rescuing, do they?"

Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry, sitting near those ladies, tried without much success to restrain their laughter. Jed said, "Heyes, I thought you were crazy when you said we oughta' go to the Buffalo Bill show after our wedding. But you were right. It's more fun than I've had in I don't recollect when."

"Must seem pretty silly compared with the real thing," commented Beth Heyes quietly as they waited for the next act to begin.

"Yeah, they can't fool you," added Cat Curry.

"Not that we've exactly shot down a lot of Indians," said Heyes. "We always tried to steer clear of them. Not always successfully, but we tried. They're too hard to fool."

The Kid nodded. "Yeah, remember that Apache tracked us to the Jordan place? They just don't give up."

"We never met him, but we knew he was there," agreed Heyes. "Nobody else could've tracked us like that for that long, across creeks and lakes, and over rocks, and even when we got a ride in a wagon. I'll never know how they found us. But they did. If it weren't for those girls with rifles, I guess we'd still be in prison."

A couple of people in neighboring seats were starting to stare at the boys, wondering who might have such stories to tell. Cat looked at the strangers uneasily and shushed the boys as the next act started. It was a trick riding show that they all enjoyed. It was followed by a sharp-shooter with a pistol. The famous rifle shooter Annie Oakley was not appearing, much to Curry's disappointment. He had always had a professional interest in her.

Curry patiently watched the slender young Mexican performer, Perez the Magnificent, use a colt 45 to shoot the bull's eyes on targets, the hearts and spades out of aces, shoot the burning tips of off cigarettes, and shoot coins out of the air. When the showman got to doing fast draw against some colleagues, Heyes poked his partner with his elbow and grinned. Curry could have beaten the showman at any of these exhibitions, especially the last one. All four of the newlyweds knew it.

Then the bearded and mustachioed Cody rode his palomino horse to the center of the ringer and announced, "Perez the Magnificent will now take on all comers at fast draw. Anyone who can best him will win $100!" Cody, in his fringed leather outfit, neatly pirouetted his horse so he could look around the large crowd. But there was silence. Not a hand went up. Heyes and Curry exchanged a glance. Both shook their heads almost imperceptibly. "Come on folks. In all of New York City, there must be somebody thinks he might be able to win that hundred!" Still there was silence "Alright, make it $1,000!" Now there was a buzz in the crowd. The boys looked at each other again. Curry raised his eyebrows. He and Cat could use $1,000. And what would be the harm, now that he had amnesty?

A lanky young black-haired man in a white cowboy hat stepped into the ring. "What's your name, son?" asked Cody. The challenger's answer was inaudible to the crowd, so Cody repeated it loudly. "Mr. Eduardo Bedia of Mexico is the challenger. Give him a gun, Mr. Brown. Is that to your liking, Bedia?" The young man held the gun and spun the chambers. He nodded. The challenger was sweating as he fastened a gun belt around his waist and put his borrowed Colt into the holster.

A fresh target was put up for the men to fire at. "On the count of three," announced Cody, "Ready! One, two, three!" The contest was close, but Perez had won. The young challenger shook his head and then shook Perez's hand. "Good shooting, both! Better luck next time, Mr. Bedia!" said Cody while the crowd clapped and chuckled sympathetically.

Next up was a petite young woman dressed in black, with a gun belt around her corseted waist. She had come prepared. Her blonde hair, gathered on top of her head, gleamed in the sun. Cody studied the young woman and seemed only mildly interested. She wasn't pretty enough and she had no notable presence. "We have an aspiring Annie Oakley here, Annie II!" announced Cody to general laughter. "But this one wields a pistol, and she brought her own. Both ready? Target's in place. Ready, one, two three!"

Perez won again, but more narrowly. "Good try, young lady! Isn't she good, folks?" shouted Cody. The bold young woman now won the applause, though no cash.

Then Cody announced, "We've been asked if professionals can try. Yes! All comers are welcome!"

A grizzled policeman in his uniform came out to try his luck, with the crowd booing him good-naturedly. Perez beat him badly to the draw, although the policeman hit the bulls-eye squarely with his belated shot. Again, the crowd supported the loser.

But Jed's eyes were on the winner. "He does better under pressure. Every shot's faster than the last one. I admire that," commented Curry under his breath. He looked at Heyes again. Heyes shrugged. If his partner wanted to try his luck, he didn't see any particular reason why not. It wouldn't seem to pose any particular danger to either of them. The crowd wasn't large on a summer weekday. No press would be likely to be there since the show had been in town a few days already. Surely no college presidents were in attendance. And Heyes wasn't shooting anyhow. If any western criminals were there, they'd just know to avoid Louisville. Curry glanced at his wife, who looked skeptical, but finally nodded. Unless Perez got noticeably faster yet, there was no question who would win. And the Currys could use the extra money.

So the Kid, looking cool as a cucumber, made his way through the crowd and vaulted over the rail into the arena. He spoke to one of Cody's assistants. In his good wedding suit and very short golden hair, the Kid didn't look much like a western shooting champion. Cody gave him only a casual glance as he asked what name the new challenger would like announced. He looked up in surprise at the answer. Cody announced to the crowd, "The new sheriff of Louisville is shooting next. Didn't say what state. New York? No – Colorado. I've heard of it, but never been there. If you can shoot, Mr. new sheriff, I'll visit." The crowd laughed.

An assistant handed the new challenger a pistol. Curry looked at it, sighted down the barrel, and spun the chamber. He shook his head. Heyes had a nervous little smile on his face. "He's a regular gun-smith," he murmured to Beth, "Not easy to please him."

Another pistol was handed along from a gate, man to man, until it reached Curry. He felt the balance, gave it a good look, and nodded. It would do. But he spoke, just loud enough for Cody to hear, "Decent balance. Not real good. Not like mine, but shouldn't slow me down too awful much." He loaded the gun with professional smoothness and put it into the holster provided. Curry tied down the holster and settled it with care. Perez was looking at his new challenger more intently than he had at the ones before.

Cody's assistant lined up the two men, and the famous ring master announced, "Sheriff of Louisville versus Perez the Magnificent, ready, one, two, three!"

The crowd was stunned into silence as the challenger loosed his shot before Perez's gun was even level to aim at the target. For good measure, the Kid sent six shoots into the smoking center of the bull's eye before the crowd could pull itself together to leap to its feet and start shouting. No act all day had gotten a reaction like this. Cody, visibly surprised, shouted. "A new champion! The Sheriff of Louisville! Congratulations, Sheriff! Shake the man's hand, Perez!"

Perez shook his rival's hand with a fierce look. He had been trying to win a spot in this show and his chances had just gone up in gun smoke. The defeated man turned and walked away with his arms crossed over his chest. Curry called after him, "You're good, boy. Else I'd never have shot against you. Keep at it!" The defeated Perez looked over his shoulder in puzzlement. He still didn't know to whom he had lost, but he was starting to wonder in earnest.

The Kid had an embarrassed smile on his face as he waved to the crowd. The ladies were enjoying him, shrieking with joy over the handsome champion. Heyes had a familiar proud grin on his face. His partner, even with a strange gun, was still the best. Under cover of the still cheering crowd, Cody rode to the winner's side and asked, "What brings you to New York, Kid? I'm right, aren't I? You're Kid Curry?

Curry nodded, smiled, and blushed as he reached up to shake Cody's hand. "Yes, sir. Good to meet you! You know we got amnesty? And Heyes and me got married. Today."

"Well, gentlemen, I'd heard you two were close but I had no idea . . ." said Cody, laughing. The Kid blushed even harder and was so embarrassed at this unintended implication that he couldn't choke out an answer for a few moments.

Heyes, who had made his way to the side of the arena, was laughing, too. "We got married to two lovely ladies, Mr. Cody. Glad to make your acquaintance, sir." The crowd was still going nuts, so there was little chance that many people would hear what was being said.

Cody leaned over to shake Heyes' hand. "Nice to meet you, Heyes. Though I wish your partner hadn't decided to make a fool out of me today while my star's out sick. Guess Mr. Curry can use the money, if he just got married to that lovely lady over there."

The two ex-outlaws and the showman chuckled with delight as they looked at each other. "It's something to meet you boys, at last. Heard about you for a lot of years."

"And we've sure heard about you!" said the Kid. "I know you've got to get on with the show, but it'd be nice to talk, later."

"It would, at that," said Cody. "I'll tell you what. Let me take you to dinner – at Delmonico's. See you all four there, at six."

The Kid nodded his thanks and climbed back into the crowd, where people surged forward to shake his hand and pat him on the back. He gave Cat a dramatic kiss, to the delight of the audience. Nobody much paid attention as Heyes and Beth shared their own passionate kiss. The crowd hadn't heard the new shooting champion's right name or guessed who might be with him. Heyes and Beth didn't care who saw them or didn't. Life together was good.

The two couples watched the closing act - a spectacular Indian attack on a western settlement, while plenty of arrows and fire and screaming. But for two western legends and their girls, all was serene. They held hands and waited for when they would get to go back to their respective hotel rooms.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A few hours later, two fine looking men and their ladies, dressed in their most elegant clothes, walked into Delmonico's. The three who had never been there before looked around curiously at the most famous and elegant restaurant in New York with its massive chandeliers and swarms of tuxedo-clad waiters. There was no doubting where their table was. It was in the center of the restaurant, under the gaze of every patron there. Cody was already there, in an embroidered buck skin suit, accompanied by a group of gaudily dressed Indians and a couple of white-hatted cowboys. With the bad publicity Cody had gotten lately for his treatment of his Indians, it would do him no harm to be seen treating some of them to the best dinner in the city. On either side of Cody sat beautiful young ladies clad in low-cut dresses and glittering with jewelry. The famous showman stood to greet his guests, with his voice loud enough to attract the notice of those few diners who hadn't been staring at the prominent table already. "Good evening, Mr. Curry, Mrs. Curry, Mr. Heyes, Mrs. Heyes. Congratulations on your marriages!"

"Thank you, Mr. Cody" said Heyes. "It's real nice of you to ask us. I'll bet Delmonico's has no objection." He winked at Cody. The former gang leader was sure that there was a commercial understanding in place between Cody and the famous restaurant. The publicity would do neither party any harm. He knew a racket when he saw one. But if it got him and his wife and friends a good dinner for free, who was Heyes to object?

Cody went on, "I hope you enjoy your wedding dinner, boys, ladies. Come, sit across from me."

"Thanks, Mr. Cody," said the Kid. "Sorry if I spoiled your show this afternoon."

"Not at all, Curry," said Cody, "You added drama. The unexpected is always exciting."

Cody introduced his colorful retinue. It was hard for the Currys and Heyeses to pay much attention to their elegant and delicious dinner, the conversation was so lively. "So, tell me about how you all come to be in New York," said Cody after they had ordered their steaks. The bejeweled young women paid close attention.

Curry explained, "Heyes has been studying here. After we got out of prison in Wyoming, we came to see him graduate."

"I beg your pardon?" said Cody, caught off guard when he had been asking the question only to be polite. "How did an outlaw – former outlaw – come to be studying in New York City? Sounds like it must be a good story."

Heyes kept his voice low, speaking with a show of reluctance. "I came to New York for medical treatment and met the future Mrs. Heyes at a clinic. She was the one who convinced me to try college classes at Columbia University. In mathematics."

"Mathematics? Not ballistics?" asked Cody with a smile.

"Yes, math was always my gift. Figuring up plans for the gangs, you know – getting the timing and other logistics down right," said Heyes. "I do applied math. Trigonometry is my academic specialty."

Cody chuckled. "Trigger-nometry sounds more like something the Kid here ought to teach, don't it?"

Everybody laughed. "How was you hurt, Heyes?" asked one of Cody's cowboys.

"Bullet," said Heyes tersely, hoping the man wouldn't pursue it and trying to direct attention away from himself. "You must have gotten shot a bunch of times, Mr. Cody. Tell us . . ."

"Shot by a posse?" asked one of the Indians, not letting Heyes distract the Cody faction from its line of questioning.

Heyes nodded. "They never even knew they got me, I guess. They'd given up and were riding away, Kid tells me. Don't know why they fired. I don't remember any of it. You'd have to ask Kid for details."

"Is that what gave you that mark on your head?" Cody asked Heyes, scenting a colorful story.

Heyes nodded unhappily. "Yeah. Don't remember any of it, like I say. You'd have to ask the Kid."

Jed, trying to help out his partner, carried on the story, "Yeah, my horse carried us both, but Heyes' horse, Clay, led the way, though he was hurt. He'd never been there that I know of, but he took us straight to Christy's Place in Louisville – that's how I met Cat. She took us in."

"So you were hurt bad?" asked the inquisitive Indian. "Hurt how?"

Heyes was going to have to fess up. "I couldn't talk for a while. But they healed me up and let me take some classes with the lady I just married. Luckiest thing that ever happened to me, getting shot in the head." Heyes held Beth's hand.

"It was pretty lucky for me, too," said Beth with a blazing smile. "Heyes was the most brilliant student I've ever had, not mention the best looking. Columbia University was pretty glad to have him, even after they found out who he was. He just got his BA and MA, both. He graduated summa cum laude – the highest honor they give."

"Wow!" said Cody. "That's very impressive, Mr. Heyes. You couldn't talk and now you've got two degrees. I wish I had a spot for mathematics in my troupe. But I do have a spot for shooting exhibitions. Mr. Curry, would that interest you? I could offer you better pay and more glory in a month than any sheriff would get in a lifetime."

"How much per show are you talkin'?" asked Curry with evident interest.

"Same as you're getting today," said Cody, handing Curry his check. "$1,000. How does that sound?"

"No, thank you," said Curry, smiling at Cat and putting the check away safely. "Just asked out of curiosity. I've got a job all lined up, in Louisville, Colorado."

"But I'd pay you enough to bring Mrs. Curry along and . . . any family you might have," said Cody, politely not being too direct about the baby that a careful look could detect was on the way. "And our work is a lot safer than bringing in criminals."

"Oh, do come with us!" simpered one of the young show girls sitting by Cody. They were admiring the good-looking Curry.

"No, thanks," repeated Curry. "I gave my word to four governors and a senator that I'd serve as a sheriff. And to my wife, too. And Heyes and me, we keep our word."

"Well, I can respect that," said Cody. "But you can't blame me for trying. Enjoy that steak and that $1,000, Mr. Curry. And know that any time you change your mind, you can come and talk to me about getting more like that."

"I appreciate that, Mr. Cody," said the Kid. "But I ain't gonna travel all over no more. This lady's countin' on me to stay by her side."

"I wish safe cracking was good in an arena," said Cody to Heyes, "I don't suppose you've got any tricks you can show off in public?"

Heyes was quiet, but his partner piped up, "He does stuff with cards goes way beyond tricks. More like magic, but real pretty. And cards ain't all. He can do magic with almost anything."

"Oh?" Now Cody was even more interested in the dark former outlaw.

"No thanks, Mr. Cody," said Heyes. "I gave my word, too. Said I go for a teaching post, and I will. And I've got a wife I want to stay by, too."

From there, the boys and Buffalo Bill fell to trading stories about their colorful exploits. Buffalo Bill might be older, but Heyes and Curry had plenty of western stories to match up with his. Cody, however, had the ladies sighing over his stories of the European courts. "Yes, that little Queen Victoria fair can't take her eyes off me," Cody said with sparkling eyes.

Heyes shook his head. "We've never gotten to Europe. It's a bit hard to manage a passport when you've got a price on your head. Maybe now that we've got amnesty we'll get across the Atlantic and look around."

"I hope so, Heyes, I surely would like that," said Beth.

"So would we, wouldn't we, Jed?" said Cat, taking her new husband's hand. "Though maybe not quite yet."

"At the moment," said Beth, "we've all four got plenty to do right here in America. I'm looking forward to a quiet honeymoon in West Virginia with my sister and her family. No shooting. No dynamite. No posses. No trials. No returning money and catching other criminals. Just family. Maybe do some fishing on the lake."

"Peace and quiet doesn't sound like exactly what you're used to, boys," said Buffalo Bill. "You're gonna have some things to get adjusted to in married life. Just ask my wife."

Heyes and Curry traded disbelieving glances. Buffalo Bill might just have a point there. But somehow, sitting between two lovely show girls, he hadn't grasped it himself. The two new wives felt for Mrs. Cody left at home with the children while her husband circled the globe and made money.

Historical Note – I've taken creative license here. Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show was not actually performing in New York City in late June, 1891, when these events would have taken place. They had just left Belgium and were going to the Netherlands.