Chapter 3

It was about a two-hour ride out to the ranch and by the time they rode through the gate, proclaiming it to be the Bar T, the sun was getting low in the sky. The ranch house was a welcoming sight as they rode up, with the windows illuminated with the warming, yellow glow of the oil lamps inside. Wearily Heyes and Kid got off their horses and tied them to the hitching post, before climbing the two steps, onto the porch and knocking on the door.

The door was opened by a pleasant looking woman, in her late thirties, wearing an apron over her practical, yet well fitting dress. Heyes politely removed his hat and gave Kid a slight nudge, with his elbow, to indicate he should do the same, which he hurriedly did.

"Sorry to bother you, Ma'am, but we've ridden a long way in the hope of joining up with the cattle drive. We were told in town that we were too late but that you may be in need of some extra hands here at the ranch." Heyes gave her one of his most gracious and charming grins.

At first the woman eyed them warily but then, a loud rumbling sound distracted her. Kid cleared his throat before apologising for the sound that he had omitted from his stomach. A warm smile spread across the woman's face at the look of the young man's embarrassment.

"Sounds like you haven't eaten in a while either," she commented.

"No, Ma'am," Kid replied, sheepishly.

"Well, as you've ridden all this way you'd best come in and I'll fix you both something to eat. My foreman's not about at the moment but you can stay the night in the bunk house with the rest of the hands tonight, if you want and we can see if we can fix you up in the morning." With that, she held the door open more widely and indicated that they should enter, with a nod of her head.

"Much obliged, Ma'am," Kid mumbled as he strode in behind Heyes.

"And I'd be obliged if you could remove those guns you're wearing, in my house," she responded.

"Yes, Ma'am," they said in unison, untying the leg straps and unbuckling their belts and handing them over.

Once the gun belts were placed safely to one side, Mrs. Tucker introduced herself. "Guess you know my husband's away on a drive," she added with a sympathetic smile.

"Yes, Ma'am. I'm Joshua Smith and this is my partner, Thaddeus Jones," said Heyes, fingering the brim of his hat, while Kid nodded in way of acknowledgement.

With a practiced eye, Heyes looked about the interior of the house, building up a mental image of its occupants. The fairly spacious sitting room was simply furnished, with just the occasional feminine flourish. These were hard working people, who managed to scrape a living together, enough to lead a simple but comfortable life, he concurred.

They were led through to the kitchen area and Mrs. Tucker indicated the large, well-scrubbed, wooden table. Perhaps it was having been reminded of the past the previous day, but there was something familiar about the house that struck a cord with Heyes, bringing to mind the home he had as a child. His thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. Tucker's voice.

"Sit yourselves down, boys," she told them, as she reached for two cups and poured them both some coffee from the pot that had been warming on the stove.

O-O-O-O-O

Half an hour later Kid leaned back in his chair with a look of satisfaction on his face, his hunger more than sated with fried potatoes, eggs and ham. Heyes had eaten, but with only half the Kid's zeal. When Mrs. Tucker had cleared the plates, she collected an oil lamp and asked them both to follow her, indicating that they could collect their guns on the way out. She led them out towards one of the large buildings, across the yard from the main house.

Here, they were introduced to the handful of men who kept the ranch covered while the rest of the hands were on the drive. Heyes and Kid were glad to be able to rest their weary bodies on real beds for once, although not the softest of mattresses or in the most luxurious surroundings, it would beat sleeping on the hard ground. They sat and chatted with the men for a short while, ascertaining that there was good possibility of their being taken on in the morning, as the boss, Hank Tucker, had asked for a new section of fencing to be built, before he left on the drive. Cheered by this thought, warmed by the stove and comforted with a full stomach, it wasn't long before Kid found his eyelids getting heavy and excused himself and rolled under his blanket and drifted off to sleep.

Heyes, meanwhile, kept the men talking for a short while longer, until they too began to make their way to bed. Heyes sat on his own for a while, nursing the last drop of whiskey he had been given, watching the gentle rise and fall of his partner's chest, as he slept in the bunk, a short distance away. Heyes looked sorrowfully into to bottom of the glass, noting the way the light played on the amber liquid within it, then swirled it around the sides and drank it down. Sighing deeply, he resignedly got to his feet and made his way towards his designated bunk, knowing that the night would hold no peaceful rest for him, beneath the blankets. Wearily he sat on the edge of the bunk, seemingly afraid of it, while he pulled off his boots. Slowly he unbuttoned his shirt part way down and tugged it over his head. Unhurriedly, he unbuckled his gun belt and looped over the end of the bunk.

Pausing for a moment, he flicked a look in Kid's direction and smiled softly at the peaceful figure. Resting his elbows on his knees and linking his fingers, he watched for a while longer, wrestling with his own conscience, tightening and loosening the clasp of his fingers, as he thought. Eventually, having come to a decision, for now, he ran his fingers through his hair and decisively stood up and removed his pants, turned out the lamp and clambered into his own bunk.

Shrouded in the dark, he felt even more alone. He lay on his back, arms crossed behind his head, staring into the blackness, afraid to close his eyes, knowing what would come. To divert his attention, he tried to recount safe combinations that he had come across during his illustrious career, as leader of the Devil's Hole gang, but this only brought his mind back around to Kid and how he had led him into a life of crime. Next he thought of some of the more profitable poker games he had played and his winning hand, but this only reminded him of some of the confrontational situations he had gotten himself into and the number of times Kid had helped him out, risking his own safety and life, to draw his gun, to protect Heyes.

Heyes rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his head. Their lives were so inextricably linked, that every thought seemed to lead him back to Kid and that was why Heyes had decided that he couldn't tell him the full truth of that day. The guilt had stayed with him all these years and although it ate away at him, he couldn't face what it would do to Kid and their partnership. In all his years, what Hannibal Heyes had learnt best was how to look after and protect himself and his partner and that was what he was doing now, even if it meant hiding the truth from Kid. What he didn't know couldn't hurt him, right? So how come it didn't sit easy with him now? He had managed to push it to the back of his mind, most of the time, but seeing that family, butchered that way, had made it all seem too real to him again. The sound of Kid's slow and steady slumber driven breathing gave him some comfort in the darkness, knowing he was still there, reassuring him of his presence, but still sleep was evasive.

The night eventually took hold of him and lulled him into a fitful sleep, haunted by images of the past, causing him to find himself awake at regular intervals. When he woke for about the tenth time and saw the subdued light of dawn, creeping into the bunkhouse, he gave up on sleep and decided to get up and take a walk. As he pulled his shirt over his head, he glanced over at his partner, who lay in his favoured sleeping position, curled on his right side, his head resting on his arm. Heyes allowed himself a small smile at the reassuring sight, before carrying his boots to the door, so as not to disturb anyone with heavy footsteps.

Stepping out onto the wooden veranda outside of the bunkhouse, Heyes took in the surrounding scenery that it had been too dark to see, the previous evening, when they had arrived. The landscape was flat, dry and hard. Occasional clumps of brush and Joshua trees broke up the view and Heyes noted that there was an eerie beauty in it, as the sun began to creep across the ground, creating mysteriously shaped shadows. He sat down on the edge of the boards and pulled on his boots and then resting his elbows on his knees, took in the more immediate area. The ranch compound was bare and worn but well maintained, with a number of corrals, some containing a huddle of a few horses. It amazed him how anyone could live in such a harsh environment, let alone earn a living here.

Just as he was pondering what he should do next, he was alerted by the sound of hoof steps and casting his eye out onto the open ground, saw a lone figure approaching, at a steady lope. Heyes watched as the rider rode into the compound, stopped at one of the rails and dismounted, stiffly and then turned and started to walk in the direction of the bunkhouse. As he drew closer, Heyes took a good look at the man, checking that he didn't know him, or more to the point, that he wouldn't recognise him!

The man was possibly about sixty, with grey, peppered hair, cut short. His clean, shaven face was evidence of many years of working out of doors, in all kinds of weathers, his skin creased and bronzed from exposure to the elements. His posture was slightly hunched and Heyes thought he saw him wince in discomfort a couple of times. Due to his bent stance, he did not see Heyes until he was close by and on seeing the unfamiliar face, stopped abruptly and frowned.

"And who in Hell are you?" he asked in a rough, gravelled voice.

Heyes stood up and offered his hand. "Name's Smith. Joshua Smith and by the look of you and the way your walking, I reckon you must be Bill Cutter. Heard you'd hurt your back."

The man narrowed his eyes at Heyes and sniffed. "Just a bit stiff this time in the morning, that's all!" he replied, defensively. "Bit early to be out playing detective, ain't it ?" Cutter continued.

Heyes smiled affably at the man and answered, "It's a might early to be up for anyone, I reckon."

Cutter rolled his shoulders back. "Best time of the day. Nice and quiet. Gives a body time to think and see the world in a new, fresh light." He gazed around the surrounding land appreciatively, and then allowed himself a small smile before looking back at Heyes. "So, what are you doing here?"

Heyes explained how they had missed out on the drive and that it had been suggested that there might be a chance of some work for him and his partner anyway. Cutter thought about this for a moment before drawing a long breath. "How are you and your partner at fencing? Got a stretch that needs finishing and I'm a little short handed."

Heyes grinned at Cutter. "Fencing is what we do best, as it happens." he replied.

Cutter stuck out his hand. "Welcome to the Bar T ranch, Mr. Smith! Now, let's rouse the boys and give your partner the good news!"

O-O-O-O-O

The rest of the hands were obviously used to being woken in such a fashion but Kid was taken totally off guard. As Cutter slammed in through the door, yelling, "Get up, you lazy, dogs!" the Bar T boys groaned and began to roll out of their bunks. Kid, on the other hand, sat bolt upright, knocking his head on a plank of wood above him and reached for his gun, which he'd hung within easy reach, as usual, which was in his hand in an instant. A stunned silence fell about the bunkroom, each man taken by surprise at the speed of the blonde man's reactions.

Heyes attempted to break the tension. "Easy there, Thaddeus! No need to get excited! You been dreaming you're sleeping with other men's wives again!" Kid sat on the edge of his bunk now, wearing a dazed and confused expression. Heyes' comment provoked a low rumble of laughter from the men, caused mainly by their unease. Cutter watched the incident with a keen eye, without comment. Eventually he sniffed and said, "Well, come on, boys! Work won't get done with you lazing around in here!" There was a general mumbling as the men finished getting washed and dressed and made their way outside.

Heyes caught Kid's eye, raising his eyebrows in a speculative manner. Kid gave a heavy sigh as he slipped his gun back into his holster and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Hope you boys ain't going to give me no trouble?" Cutter said, as he too made his way out of the door.

"Sheesh, Heyes, you could have given me some warning," Kid said, in an exasperated voice, when Cutter had left.

"Didn't get much of a chance," replied Heyes. "Mind you, I reckon you're getting a bit slow," he continued, with a grin. Kid shot him an irritated look as he pulled on his shirt, but this belied his true feeling of relief that his friend had seemed to have found his garrulous nature again. He hoped that the distraction of hard work would, for once, improve Heyes' mood.

They joined the rest of the men for breakfast at a lean-to, at the side of the ranch house. Mrs. Tucker was busy ladling out platefuls of eggs, ham and biscuits to the men that sat around the long, wooden table.

"Morning, boys," she greeted, gesturing to a space to sit, with the utensil in her hand. "Help yourself to coffee while it's still hot."

Kid and Heyes did as they were bid. As soon as all the men had food in front of them, Bill Cutter set about informing them of their jobs for the day. When he gave instructions for the fencing job, which he had allocated to the partners, Heyes became aware of furtive looks passing between the other men. Kid remained oblivious, as he shovelled another forkful of egg into his mouth. With the morning's briefing complete and breakfast eaten, the men began to leave the table. As Bill Cutter stood, Heyes moved to his side and placed a hand on his arm.

"Anything else you need to tell us, Mr. Cutter? I mean, we don't want to give you any trouble!" Heyes asked the older man, with a tone of clear intention in his voice, searching his face for his reaction. Cutter looked back at him, without saying a word and became aware that the dark haired man's fairer partner had moved quietly along side.

"What's the problem, Joshua?" Cutter heard him ask, in a calm, even voice, but still did not avert his gaze. By the way these two handled themselves, Cutter was beginning to suspect that there was a little more to them than met the eye. Perhaps he had struck lucky and they were just what he needed about the place, to keep trouble at bay.

Kid had heard Heyes use this tone many a time before and it usually meant he suspected things of not being as they seemed. He watched as his partner and the foreman continued their stand off, for a few moments longer, until Heyes released his hold on the man's arm and stepped away.

"No problem, Thaddeus. Just wanted to know that we've fully understood the job we've been employed to do. It just seemed to me that there might be a little more to it than putting up a few fence posts," Heyes responded.

Cutter sniffed and looked from one man to the other. The look of intent in both men's eyes made him feel uneasy. Yep, these two were definitely right for the job, so he supposed he ought to fill them in more fully - just in case.

"Fencing is what I need you to do, it's just that we've been having a little trouble lately and …."

"What sort of trouble?" Kid interjected, folding his arms across his chest, defensively. Heyes waited patiently for the answer, thumbs hooked into his gun belt, still staring intently at their new employer.

Cutter sniffed again then said, "Been a few raids on some places about here recently. They've not come here but we've lost a fair few cattle and some of the boys have been shot at and … well, it's made them a little jumpy about going out onto the range. But I figure you two can handle yourselves, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"When you say shot at, you saying anyone been hit?" Heyes enquired, eyebrows raised.

"Marlon took a bullet in the leg the other week and Randy got a nick in the arm, but nothing serious." Cutter answered.

Kid took a breath and turned away, giving his partner a side ways look that said, "Here we go again."

"Seems to me the job's a little more dangerous than we were led to believe. That would suggest a higher risk to our personal safety and a wage to match it!" Heyes smiled at the man, but his eyes remained cold and hard.

"You'll get the going rate, with a bonus at the end, iffen you don't get shot." Cutter told him coldly.

The smile slipped from Heyes' face. "I'll have to talk this over with my partner," he replied.

"You do that and let me know what you decide. I'll be up at the house going over some things with Mrs. Tucker when you want to tell me your decision." With that, Cutter slapped his hat on his head and walked stiffly away.

They watched the man's retreating back as he ambled towards the house, waiting for him to be a safe distance away before they started talking.

"What do you reckon, Heyes? Think these raids are connected to the one at the Brady place we found?" asked Kid. "It might give us a chance to find the men who did that to that poor family and …"

"Will you just let it go? It ain't our fight! We can't afford to get mixed up in anything. C'mon, let's get our gear and get out of here."

Heyes started to make his way back towards the bunkhouse. The change in his demeanour hadn't gone unnoticed by Kid, the way Heyes' eyes had become darker and his brow furrowed. Even his broad shoulders had seemed to narrow, as he appeared to shrink back inside himself. Kid was at a loss as to why Heyes was reacting like this and his concern and frustration came out in anger.

Standing directly in front of his partner with fists clenched, he felt like flattening him. Instead he managed to control his temper and hissed, "What's gotten into you, Heyes? Can I just remind you that we ain't got no money and little chance of a job anywhere else? Perhaps we won't get shot and we can collect some pay and a bonus!" Kid glared at Heyes, who stood passively before him, which infuriated Kid further, causing him to add, "I didn't have you down as the cowardly type!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Kid regretted them. Heyes was no coward and had proved it many times in the past; he just didn't understand why he was behaving this way.

Closing his eyes briefly, Kid took another breath and looked at his partner who was gazing discontentedly into the distance. "Sorry!" he mumbled, "didn't mean it to come out like that! If you really want to move on, we will. After all, you usually do the thinking, right? It's been a pretty good agreement up to now."

Heyes diverted his gaze back to Kid and didn't speak for a few moments, just stared at him intently, before giving a sad smile and saying, "No, Kid, you're right. We need the money and it's a pretty good set up here. Not too many people about to recognise us, a bed to sleep in and Mrs. Tucker sure is a good cook! What are the chances of being shot at anyway?"

"Knowing our luck, pretty favourable," Kid retorted, relieved that Heyes' mood had seemed to pass. They exchanged affable smiles, before heading for the ranch house together, Kid resting his arm across Heyes' shoulders, as a gesture of friendship and solidarity, in the face of their usual state of adversity.

Cutter was just coming out of the ranch house as the approached. He stopped on the top step coming off the veranda, regarding them with interest. They looked like two completely different men now. The hard look in their eyes was gone, replaced with an openness and amiability, as they walked towards him in unison, matching each other, step for step. They stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked up at the foreman.

"We'll take the jobs," Heyes said, simply.

Cutter sniffed once more, nodded and placed his hat firmly on his head. "Better get you sorted then," was his equally simplistic answer.

As they followed him across the compound, on the way to the barn, they heard the rumble of an approaching wagon that was coming at quite a speed. On seeing it, Cutter instantly changed direction, hobbling towards it at as fast a pace as he could manage. The wagon swung through the gateway to the ranch and the driver pulled up the horses, just as Cutter reached them, grabbing the reins.

The driver was a woman who looked to be in her late thirties, dressed in a plain shirt and skirt, her hair pulled back into a practical bun at the base of her neck. A boy, aged about fourteen, sat glumly at her side. The woman seemed agitated, as she tied off the reins and jumped down, leaving the boy sitting on the seat. She started talking animatedly to Cutter, who held her arms at her sides as he listened. Heyes and Kid hung back, not sure if they should intrude, but unsure as to whether to continue on their way. Without a word passing and just a quick glance between them, Heyes gestured towards the barn with his head. Kid gave the slightest nod in reply and they both started to walk away.

They had only gone a couple of steps when Cutter called out to them, "Smith! Jones! Would you come over here?"

Heyes raised his eyebrows at his partner, who shrugged his shoulders, before they changed direction once again and headed on over to the wagon, where Cutter did the introductions.

"Boys, this is my daughter, Bess Mayer and her son, Daniel,"

"Ma'am. Joshua Smith," said Heyes, removing his hat, "and this is my partner, Thaddeus Jones." Kid stood clutching his hat in front of him. The woman nodded quickly in greeting and continued talking.

"Pa, there were five of them and they were headed along the high road. It just didn't seem safe to go back to the house." The woman's eyes were wide with fear as the words tumbled from her mouth.

"Steady now, Bess! Don't want to go upsetting the boy." Cutter took the woman's arm and led her away from the wagon. Daniel continued to sit, looking aimlessly into space.

Heyes and Kid joined the man and his daughter.

"Did you manage to get a look at them?" Cutter asked.

"Not too good. They were riding fast. Couldn't make out if they were keen to get away from or to some place. Did you hear what happened out at the Brady's place?" Bess clasped her hands together, bringing them up to her mouth, in an attempt to control her emotions.

"No. What happened?"

Kid shot Heyes an enquiring look, wondering if they should admit to what they knew of the raid, although they were worried it might upset the woman further.

"They're dead, Pa! All of them butchered and mutilated and …"

"Ma'am?" Kid interjected, not wanting the woman to have to describe, in any further detail, what she thought had taken place there. "I think you ought to know that me and my partner found the Brady place and what was done to those people."

Both Bess and her father turned to look at Kid, mouths open in surprise. Bess took an involuntary step back, looking nervous. "You were there?" she asked quietly, positioning herself slightly behind her father.

"Yes, Ma'am," Kid replied softly, watching Heyes, out of the corner of his eye, who had moved away from the group. He was aware that his partner was doing his best to try to forget the events of the other day and having the subject brought back up was unsettling him all over again. "And if it's all the same to you I think it's best not to talk about here, in front of your boy, an all. It wasn't pretty."

Bess sent a furtive glance in the direction of her son, who remained sitting sullenly in the wagon, shoulders hunched, without a flicker of emotion showing on his young face.

"Did you see who done it?" Cutter asked, as he began to wonder whether taking these two men on was such a good idea after all. Who was to say that they weren't the ones carrying out the raids? He had witnessed for himself, their capabilities - the fair headed man's ability with a gun, the uncompromising attitude of the dark haired man. At the same time, he found them both likeable and pleasant young men and couldn't believe they'd be capable of carrying out the violent attacks on innocent people.

The look of sadness in Thaddeus Jones' blue eyes, made Cutter query his own thoughts further. There seemed a genuine regret for what had happened and, the fact that they had so openly tried to protect his daughter and grandson from the details, lay testament to a compassionate nature. Hardly the traits of ruthless thieves and murders.

"No, sir, we didn't," Heyes said vehemently, taking Cutter by surprise, as the man hadn't spoken for a little while. When he turned to face him, the older man could see the repulsion in Smith's dark eyes at the thought of what had happened at that place. The old man sniffed and simply nodded his understanding and, turning back to his daughter, took her gently by the hand and spoke to her, in whispered tones. The woman seemed to nod in agreement as to what her father had said and then walked back towards the wagon and spoke to the boy.

In the meantime, Cutter approached Heyes and Kid with a stony expression.

"I hope I can trust you boys, as I'd like you to do something for me." He hesitated a moment, looking from one to the other, staring them straight in the eye. Both men returned the gaze, unwaveringly. Cutter sniffed loudly, then continued.

"The fencing, that needs doing, ain't too far from my place. I'd be grateful if you could keep an eye out for any sign of those raiders, whilst you're up that way. Bess has been kinda spooked by them and don't feel safe on her own out there, with just Daniel about, and if you could check in on them once in a while and stay out there until I can get back, I'd be much obliged. With Mr. Tucker away on the drive, I'm needed here. They've been real good to me and my family over the years and I wouldn't want to let them down. What do you say, boys?"

A quick glance passed between Kid and Heyes, before the former held out his hand, accompanying it with a warm smile and answered, "It'd be our pleasure, Mr. Cutter."

With that agreed upon, Bess Mayer's wagon was loaded with fencing supplies and Heyes and Kid mounted their own horses and followed the wagon, as it headed out, towards the Cutter's place. The party rode in silence for a good fifteen minutes, Bess constantly scouring the horizon for raiders, Kid watching Heyes, Heyes watching the boy, who continued to stare vacantly ahead. When the road forked, they took the track to the right, heading up an incline. Finally, the woman pulled the wagon to a stop and indicated to a hill about a quarter of a mile away.

"That's where my Pa wanted the fencing put. Just over the brow of the hill, where it'll meet another line," she said, as she tied off the reins, jumping nimbly down and making her way to the back of the wagon, where she started to unload the fencing.

Kid quickly dismounted and made his way over. "No need for you to do that, Ma'am. Me and my partner will take care of it. That's what we've been paid to do," he added, tipping the brim of his hat at her. She blushed slightly. It had been a long time since a man had paid her any attention, especially one as handsome as Mr. Jones!

Heyes too, had dismounted and started to help Kid pull posts out of the back of the wagon. "Here, why don't you give us a hand, Daniel?" he called to the boy, who hadn't moved from the seat of the wagon. There was no response. Bess looked embarrassed and smiled apologetically at them, but said nothing. It didn't take the partners long to unload, by which time Bess had climbed back up onto the wagon, where she sat next to her son and waited. When the last roll of wire was on the ground she said, "Don't seem much point you getting started this time of day. It'll get way too hot. How about I show you where we live and get you something to drink?"

This suggestion was met enthusiastically by Kid and even Heyes gave an approving nod.

O-O-O-O-O

The Cutter place was a simple affair, consisting of a house with two windows and a door to the front, with a small veranda with a couple of old wooden chairs, to one side of the door. There was a small barn with a hayloft over the top and two corrals. The place was slightly run down but kept neat and tidy.

Bess Mayer drove the wagon in the direction of the barn and indicated to the hitching rail, at the front of the house, to which Heyes and Kid tied their horses. Both men dismounted and stretched their arms, their muscles stiff from lifting heavy fence posts. Their attention was drawn towards the barn, where Bess and her son, seemed to be having a heated exchange of words. After a few moments, Bess began to stride towards the house, leaving Daniel to sulkily unharness the horses. As she drew closer, they could see her lips drawn in a tight line in suppressed anger, although there was a look of sadness in her eyes.

"Everything all right, Ma'am?" Heyes asked as she came closer. "Anything we can do to help?"

"No, thank you, Mr. Smith. I must apologise for my son. He's taken to being kinda moody since his Pa died. Some days it's easier to deal with than others, that's all!" She finished with a small shake of her head and sighed, before hitching up her skirts to take the couple of steps up to the house. At the door she paused, looking slightly coy for a moment, before saying, "Please, won't you both come in?"

On entering the house, they found it to be sparsely furnished with similar wooden furniture, to that of the ranch house. Like the outside of the property, the house was clean and tidy.

"Nice place you've got here, Mrs. Mayer," Heyes said, conversationally.

Bess Mayer raised her eyebrows at him and smiled weakly, as she placed a coffee pot on the stove. "It ain't grand, but it's home."

"So you, your son and Mr. Cutter, live here then?" replied Heyes, placing his hat on the table, which was situated in the centre of the room, nimbly sliding onto one of the bench seats. Kid copied his action, slipping in, on the other end of the bench. Bess joined them at the table, setting down two tin mugs in front of them.

"It was mine and my husband, Seth's. Mr. Tucker kindly let us build it on his land, after we got married. Before then, I lived up at the main ranch with my Pa, but when me and Seth got married and Daniel came along, Mr. Tucker insisted we had a place to ourselves." The corners of her eyes crinkled as she smiled at the thought. "Pa continued to live at the ranch until …" She paused briefly, taking a breath in through her nose, "until Seth was killed." She got up and reached for the coffee pot and began to fill their cups.

Heyes smiled his thanks and Kid nodded his, as the coffee neared the brim. "I'm sorry," Heyes said simply, letting his brown eyes meet her grey ones. "Heard it was a stampede that killed him," Heyes continued, taking a tentative sip of the steaming hot liquid.

"Yes. His horse went down during a round up. Was nothing anyone could have done, just unlucky. Worst of it was, it was the first time he'd taken Daniel out with him. He saw the whole thing." Her eyes glistened at the memory and she balled her fists, struggling to keep her emotions in check. She glanced across the table at the two men who sat looking at her so intently and respectively. There was a look of sadness in the fair-haired man's eyes but one of real sorrow in those of the other man's. Both, though, wore expressions of understanding.

"He's not a bad boy - Daniel. It's just, since the accident, he seems to have withdrawn into himself, lost interest in life. It's been hard for him - he was only twelve when it happened and seeing his father … damaged like that, well, it can have a big effect on a young boy."

A quietness fell over the room. Bess stared blankly at her hands, which now rested in her lap. Kid stole a sad look at his partner and then looked bleakly at the tabletop. Heyes sat up straight, back rigged and stared into space, lips in a hard, drawn line. Suddenly he stood up abruptly, pushing his end of the bench backwards with his legs, gripping the edge of the table. There was a hardness in his voice when he spoke.

"We'd best get on and start that fencing, now that it's cooled some and before the light goes. We'll call in on you and the boy before we head back to the ranch." And, with that, he picked up his hat, turned and moved towards the door, leaving Kid still sitting at the table, a little taken aback.

"Excuse us, Ma'am," he said, rising from the table, inclining his head in her direction. At the door he paused once more, giving her a reassuring smile, which she returned.

Once outside, he saw Heyes walking determinedly towards their horses, his hat pulled down low over his eyes. Kid followed him at an easier paced stroll, pulling on his gloves as he walked. As he drew nearer, he could see Heyes wore a thoughtful expression, as he stood looking in the direction of the barn.

"Poor kid! Sounds like he's had a hard time," Kid commented, as he pulled himself into the saddle. Heyes remained taciturn and continued to stare at the barn.

"No harder than many other kids!" Kid was taken aback by the harshness of the tone of Heyes' response and watched him keenly, as gathered his reins and mounted his own horse. As the leader of an outlaw gang, Kid had seen his partner at his toughest, with an uncompromising and single-minded attitude. He'd had to be like that, to maintain control, which Kid understood but in more personal circumstances, such as this, Heyes was usually more benevolent. It was clear that the last few days events were still troubling his partner. Deciding that the best course of action was to say nothing, Kid wheeled his horse around and headed out. Heyes pulled his hat lower over his eyes and followed.

Throughout the afternoon, both men focussed on the task of digging endless holes, for fence posts, neither wanting to start a conversation, for fear of where it might lead. Kid felt he had only just got his partner back from the uncommunicative one, who had ridden with him the previous day or two, so didn't want to risk disconcerting him any further.

Heyes, on the other hand, was having enough difficulty explaining away his emotions to himself, let alone to his partner and friend. There just seemed to be so many thoughts and recollections rushing through his head, he felt he needed time to sort through them and think about them rationally. Every time he felt he was getting somewhere, another thing happened that jolted his memory, like when Bess Mayer had mentioned how difficult her son had found dealing with his father's death, something to which Heyes could easily relate. It had taken him many years to come to terms with how his and Kid's families had died and there were some days, that he wasn't sure that he really had. He'd never really taken the time to grieve, what with having to take care of Jed and the move to Valparaiso. There hadn't been much time for melancholy sentiment then, as he had been focused on just surviving. He'd had time to let his thoughts wander recently and events of the last few days were still playing heavily on his mind.

"Think we're about done for today, Heyes," The sound of Kid's voice broke his train of thoughts. Heyes looked across at his partner, who was stretching his back, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm. The familiarity of the figure was reassuring to him. This man had been with him almost his whole life, sharing in its up and downs. He'd changed some over the years, from an irritating, tousled-haired, young boy, to a lanky, impetuous youth. Now, he stood before him, a fully-grown man, dependable, considerate, affable and stubborn, with an inconceivably quick-draw. A man couldn't ask for a better partner and all the while, Heyes felt like he'd let him down, right from the very beginning.

"Heyes! I said, are you coming?" Kid stood waiting, patiently, by the horses. "I think we ought to head back to the Cutter place, like we said we'd do."

"Right, coming," Heyes answered, tossing aside the spade he held and wiping the sweat from his forehead with his bandana.