Heyes had moved forward again but froze when a second shot whizzed directly by his ear. He stopped moving although he couldn't help but stare at the gulch. He estimated the gully was around 20 feet at the deepest point, perhaps closer to 15 where the Kid fell. It was possible to get hurt from the fall alone, not to mention the fact that his partner had already been shot. Where had Jed been hit? The bottom of the gulch wasn't visible. Another gunshot sounded and the Kid's horse stopped struggling.
"Don't bother lookin' for your partner. One way or another, Curry's dead," the voice behind Heyes insisted, coming closer as the speaker proceeded down the rocks. "Either he is already or I'll finish him in a minute."
Yes, Heyes did know that voice. He'd been right to remember the Kinneys.
"So you're Kid Curry," a seedy looking cowboy with a wide yellow smile said. "I've heard of you. My little brother thinks you're something special, says you're the fastest man around with a gun and that everybody says so." The man, who had to be Jasper, made a show of looking the Kid up and down, still smiling like he was making a joke. "I think they exaggerate."
Heyes frowned as he stood near his cousin. Why did so many idiots feel the need to push the Kid?
"That so?" Kid asked, nonchalant.
Heyes frown deepened; that was Kid's easy, unconcerned voice, the one that always provoked people. It had just that result on Jasper, who was intent on needling the Kid no doubt because of the admiring way his brother was looking at him.
"Yeah, that surely is so," Jasper said. "Maybe you'd like to show all of us your skill with a gun. I mean by shootin' a target, of course, not one of us. I wouldn't want to be another notch on your barrel. Unless you don't like showin' your shootin' off in the light of day when you ain't already intimidated the one you're shootin' at." Jasper looked at his brother. "That's what they do, gunslingers. Scare a man, shoot before he's ready, use the light. Parlor tricks."
"I've never had a problem shootin' in the day, face to face," Kid said mildly. "Unlike some who only shoot in the dark and the back. Don't need any tricks, either. As for intimidation…well, it ain't my fault some scare easy."
'Great Kid', Heyes thought. 'Go on and accuse him of the robberies and murder to his face and imply that he's a coward while you're at it.'
Jasper shut his mouth but Marion ran over to the Kid in excitement like he was all of ten years old.
"Shoot somethin' for us, please," Marion cried. "I want t'see you in action! Maybe shoot…shoot that ole barn cat. I could nail it up by the tail and you could shoot it while it tries to get free. That'd be a movin' target."
Heyes noticed that Kyle stepped sideways in front of the unofficial feline mascot of Devil's Hole, but he didn't need to worry. The Kid had rescued the cat in the first place and wasn't going to shoot it or anything else that breathed unless it was dinner or dangerous. Funny how people assumed badmen were heartless. If anything, Kid had too much heart. Of course, Heyes ignored the fact that he fed the cat scraps under the table himself.
"I don't use livin' targets," Kid replied. "And I don't hold with cruelty."
"That ain't what I heard! I heard you kill people all the time," Marion said with a laugh.
"There's nothin' funny about shootin.' If you're gonna shoot a gun, you better mean it," Kid Curry replied in his gunslinger voice. His blue eyes were suddenly cold though they weren't looking at Marion. Heyes followed his younger cousin's gaze and realized that the Kid had noticed that Jasper's hand was gripping his gun.
Jed 'Kid' Curry and Jasper Kinney stared at one another and Heyes seemed to be the only one who had discerned what was happening. Heyes opened his mouth to speak just as Jasper drew. The Kid whipped his own gun out and pointed it at his opponent much faster. Jasper held up his hands, his gun not having been close to clearing leather.
It was then that Kid fired, shooting directly over Jasper's shoulder, hitting the soup can on the fence post behind him. Curry rapid fired the can, sending it straight up into the air five times before flipping his gun around his finger and back into his holster. The can landed directly at Jasper's feet. Heyes gave Kid a look that clearly said 'Now you're just showing off.'
"As you can see," Heyes spoke up regardless. "My partner doesn't need parlor tricks."
Kyle let out another whoee and the others clapped—no matter how many times they saw Kid's prowess they were still amazed. The Kid gave Heyes a small look of appreciation at his words before turning to go. He'd made his point and staying around would just rub it in Jasper's face. Of course Heyes, despite his support, thought Kid could've handled that with less of a spectacle.
"That was amazing! Can I watch you clean your gun?" Marion asked, following the Kid.
Heyes watched Jasper watch his partner leave. No mistake, they'd made an enemy. The salesman caught his eye and the obvious malice left his face. Jasper gave another yellow grin before he went over to the wagon to argue about prices with Wheat.
"Now Wheat, that ain't back alley gin," Jasper exclaimed. "That's the good stuff!"
Heyes made certain Jasper was going to stay before he followed where the Kid had disappeared with Marion trailing behind.
Unsurprisingly, the Kid was cleaning his gun methodically. Marion watched. Heyes hovered out of view, listening for signs of trouble.
"Mr. Curry, since you said you ain't gonna teach me your fast draw, won't you at least show me your trick with the bullets? How can you shoot two with one gun?"
Curry shook his head. "No."
"Well, how many men you killed?" Marion asked, excitement coloring his voice. "I've already killed three or four so I bet you've killed dozens. D'you really notch your gun?"
Heyes watched the Kid go still and held his breath.
"Believe it or not, the aim in a gunfight ain't to kill your opponent," Kid Curry said quietly." It's to be good enough that you don't have to."
"But I want to. I protect me an' mine and damn the rest. I'll kill anyone in my way. I want the women and the respect-I'm going to be the best, just like you."
Heyes winced.
"The minute you start workin' at bein' the best you got to keep workin' at it or you'll die. No matter how much you practice or how naturally gifted you are, there's always someone out there faster. Besides, talent ain't all you need in a gunfight; you got to have skill, arrogance, confidence, luck and brains. You know how much time you have to think about where to place the bullet? Not much."
"That's why I'll just kill 'em. Don't have to think about that," Marion retorted.
"If you keep killin', you become what you're trying to protect your loved ones from. You'll also die young and get the law after you for murder. There's nothing glorious about a hanging and nobody likes or respects a killer."
Marion frowned. "But all gunslingers die young."
"So why're you so intent on being a gunslinger?"
Satisfied that there wouldn't be a shootout, Heyes missed the rest of the conversation as he walked off to check on Jasper and make it clear they weren't to come back. He also hinted that perhaps they ought to move to fresher stomping grounds, so to speak, without directly accusing him of anything.
They'd packed up their wagon the next morning. The Kid had been quiet. Heyes watched his partner absently pet the cat while watching Jasper and Marion hitch up the wagon.
"You can't change someone's mind," Heyes tried.
"He admired me," Kid said with a tone of resignation.
"In comparison to his brother, you're a saint," Heyes replied. "Definitely a better role model."
Kid gave a small snort but didn't comment. The partners sat there in silence as the wagon rattled into motion.
"Did you have to rile Jasper, Kid?" Heyes finally asked, although he knew it wasn't an entirely fair question.
"I didn't do much; he just didn't seem to like me. Feeling was mutual." Kid leaned back and pulled his hat down over his eyes.
Heyes scoffed. "Maybe, but you outgunned him in front of his brother and his old gang."
"Yeah," Kid said, tilting his hat back up to look at Heyes. "You'd rather I let him win?"
Hannibal Heyes gave Kid Curry the look he deserved after that and they both watched the wagon disappear from view.
"I hope that's the last we see of them," Heyes said.
"I doubt it will be," Kid replied.