Heyes and Beth, and Cat and Jed, sat on the shady porch drinking lemonade, eating fresh baked cookies, and swapping stories with Barbara. Curtis went to sit by Heyes, who happily taught him about the math puzzles called magic squares. Sure enough, Beth had been right – their nephew loved solving the elaborate math puzzles fit into grids that Heyes drew on his yellow legal pad. Corey had to go in and get back to work, but he left his family enjoying themselves as the sun grew hot outside the shady porch. As they talked and laughed, Heyes held Beth's hand and kissed it. He smiled at his wife. Life together was good.
But finally, Barbara brushed cookie crumbs off her lap and stood up. She said, "Sorry folks – I've got dinner to fix for a hotel full of guests and family, too. Come along, girls." Her little daughters were disappointed to have to give up their games.
Beth stood up, too. "I'll come help. Sorry, husband – but you do need to eat."
Heyes winked at Beth. "And you do need to talk with your sister every minute you can, while we're here. Goodness only knows when you'll see her again, if we wind up living someplace remote."
"I can help with dinner, too," volunteered Cat.
Barbara wouldn't hear of it. "Aw, Cat - you stay here with Jed. I know what it's like to run a hotel. And to raise a family at the same time. You two won't get time together like this again for a long time, Cat." Their hostess understood all too well.
"Let's take a walk by the creek, where it's shady," said Jed with a fond look at his wife. "The bluebells are blooming in the woods." Cat smiled and took his hand.
"I've got stuff to do. See you at dinner, Curtis, Beth, and everybody," said Heyes. "You can keep the magic squares and work on them, if you like, Curtis. You can do them with multiplication, too, but it's harder."
"Thanks, Uncle Heyes!" said Curtis as he headed off to the back yard. He was supposed to be pulling weeds in the garden, but Heyes had a feeling that chore wouldn't last long.
Beth stood in the lobby and watched her husband go whistling up the stairs to their room. "Oh, Barbara, out there on the porch, with family all around him, Heyes actually looked happy. I've never seen him so content, ever." She paused and swallowed. "He and Jed have been through so much. If only they can be content for a while – now. If only they can enjoy what they've earned."
"And you can be happy, too, you and Cat," said Barbara softly. "Corey would say even mentioning it is bad luck. But I do pray you can all find some contentment together."
As they walked back to the kitchen, Barbara continued, "But I wonder if Heyes and Jed will be together much after this. They're so different! They have such different careers planned – they want such different things. I mean, yes, they both want families, but a western sheriff and a professor of mathematics are pretty far apart. Do you think they were always so different?"
Beth thought about that for a moment. "I don't know, Barbara. Once, I guess they were just country boys growing up together. Heyes says he always liked school more, and Jed tried to go straight long before Heyes even cared about it. But to have fates as far apart as they might have – I doubt it would have occurred to them until just the last few years. After all, if he can't find a position I the United States, Heyes could easily go and teach in England or Germany or Switzerland or someplace. His language skills are pretty good and I know he'd soon be totally fluent in the native language any place we went."
Meanwhile, one of the subjects of this discussion propped himself up in bed and avidly worked out some new trigonometry ideas on his yellow legal pad. But soon Heyes felt restless. He got up and looked out the window to see Curtis sitting in the back yard under a tree, reading. The book looked familiar to Heyes, even from that distance. He hoped it wasn't the latest novel about himself and his partner, but he feared that it was. He would have to speak firmly to his nephew about how many lies were in that book. Heyes again thought that perhaps, one day, he might have to write a memoir to correct the many lies circulating about himself and his partner.
Heyes sighed and went back to working equations, scribbling rapidly. He didn't dare get out of practice on his math. Soon, Heyes began pacing up and down the hotel's third floor hall as he thought and wrote. Now and then he stopped and looked out the window at the end of the hall. It looked over the main street of Cheat, West Virginia. Heyes looked at the people walking by – farmers, miners, wives, and ragged country children. He wondered how they would react when they learned that they were being visited by two famous former outlaws. What would they do to Beth and Cat? Might the local women cut them socially in the street? And how small a sample might this be of what was to come for the two couples.
"Heyes!" The aspiring professor heard a voice calling his name up the stairs. He recognized the quavering tones of Beth and Barbara's Aunt Bertha.
"What can I do for you, Ma'am?" Heyes called back.
"Could you for pity's sake stop walking up and down – you're driving me up the wall. Why don't you come down here to talk to me, young man?" She called. Heyes didn't have to be asked twice. He liked Aunt Bertha very much and felt like he hadn't spent enough time with her.
Heyes put his head in Aunt Bertha's door to see her seated in a comfortable arm chair. "I'm sorry about the pacing, Ma'am. Drives my partner nuts, too. But it helps me think." He paused and cleared his throat. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Come in here and sit down," the old lady said, her eyes gleaming at her attractive new nephew-in-law. Heyes knew that it was really more accurate to think of her as his mother-in-law. She and her now deceased sister Sadie had long been the closest thing Beth and Barbara had to a mother.
"Yes, Ma'am," said Heyes politely as he came to rest on a ladder-back chair opposite the old lady.
Aunt Bertha studied her new nephew-in-law for a moment with her old eyes sparkling. "I want to talk about you, Heyes. You and Beth. I wouldn't have thought my older niece would be your type, as they say. Or you hers. I know you're an extraordinary man and she is quite a woman. But my prim niece paired off with an outlaw? Why did you marry Beth? And don't say because you love her. That's obvious any time you're together."
Heyes grinned. "I hope so, Aunt Bertha. Because I do love her. I don't know what I'd do without her. It might not be evident to you, but I'm not really well from my aphasia yet and I probably never will be. Some people would make that an unbearable liability. But Beth understands my problems like nobody else, and knows what to do to help."
"That doesn't bother you? I thought you were so independent."
"I don't know – I don't like being helped by anybody else. But having Beth help me doesn't bother me. She makes me feel like a man. And she always has – even when I could hardly say a word. When most other people treated me like nothing – didn't pay me any mind at all – Beth treated me with respect."
Aunt Bertha nodded. "And you – how did you treat her?"
Heyes spoke slowly, thoughtfully, as if facing some of these things for the first time. "I've always respected Beth. When I was her student, I worked like crazy to impress her."
"But you treated her like a teacher – not a woman?"
"Yeah, at first. She was my teacher, and a very professional one. I returned that professional respect. I knew she – she liked me – from the first day. A man knows these things. But she never let it get in the way of our work together. So I couldn't let it get in my way, either."
"So how did you find out how you really felt, Heyes?
The former outlaw wasn't used to talking about his feelings this much with anyone but Beth. Maybe it ran in the family. "When I left the clinic and went to school, I was doing what I'd always dreamed of. But it wasn't as enjoyable – as fulfilling as I had thought it would be. I finally figured out that it was a lot more fun sharing things with Beth. When we starting seeing each other outside of the clinic, life got a lot better. It took me a stupidly long time to understand that that meant I loved her. I'd never loved a woman like that before – as a friend, a companion - not just a lover." Heyes studied the floor and blushed while the old lady cackled happily at him.
"You're quite a gal, Aunt Bertha," said Heyes after a long, awkward pause. "Why do I feel like I've got to tell the truth to you? I'm famous for lying. I'm still real good at it. But not with you. It's a treat to get to know you. I wish I could've met your sisters, too."
Bertha smiled with a distant look in her eye. Heyes wondered if she had ever had a lover. She must have been a formidable young woman. It would have taken quite a man to woo and win her. She had never married – but that didn't mean she hadn't had beaus, as they put it in those days.
But Bertha wouldn't talk about herself. "Beth says you're a genius. She's hardly an unbiased judge on that account. So tell me – are you a genius?"
Heyes shrugged. "I'm not really an unbiased judge of that either, Aunt Bertha. I think Beth is a genius. Hey – she picked me out, so she must be." He tried to joke his way out of this uncomfortable line of questioning.
The old lady snorted. "Come on, Heyes. As a professional academic, you've got to have a realistic idea of your own gifts. Are yours that extraordinary?"
Heyes gulped uncomfortably. "You have me in a corner, Ma'am. If I say yes, you'll think of me as arrogant. But if I say no . . ."
"You'd be lying."
Heyes nodded. "I suppose so. I've been told that I am by several people whom I respect. That's the only way I have of knowing. I don't have a neutral point of reference. I'm used to being me. I know I've done some darned stupid stuff in my life. I probably will again, unfortunately. And Beth will suffer from it."
Aunt Bertha spoke kindly, "That's true of all men, if you ask me. If I understand the definition of the word correctly, being a genius isn't proof against doing stupid stuff. But it allows you to achieve extraordinary things that other people can't. Haven't you ever looked up the word in the dictionary?"
Heyes squirmed in his chair. "No. I've avoided it."
Aunt Barbara inquired piercingly, "You're that sure of your own powers?"
"No! I'm that unsure. I've been told I was genius since before I had a dictionary to look in. I've never known whether or not to believe it. I know I'm arrogant. I get told that a lot, too. I don't want it to get out of hand even more than it already has. Being uppity has gotten me – and everyone around me – into a lot of trouble. I used to brag about being a – you know – when I ran a gang. Except the Kid, most of the guys around me were pretty dim. It wasn't hard to outshine those guys, or even most lawmen."
"Columbia must have been a lot different," suggested Bertha.
"Oh yeah! In college, I started to find out what a genius really was. There are lots of them at Columbia. My friend Paul is sure a genius. He could almost match me when he was 16! But in the end I beat out all those guys. Graduated top of my class. I couldn't believe it – men with so much better backgrounds than I have. But like I say, if I am – you know - it hasn't kept me from doing stupid things. My whole life before I met Beth was one long adventure in stupidity. Poor Jed. He's suffered from it more than anybody. Now maybe he'll have a chance to make something honest of himself when I'm not around. I sure hope I don't keep victimizing Beth. I tried to stop her from marrying me before I got a job, but she wouldn't wait."
Bertha gave Heyes a smile. "I don't blame her. If I was a young woman, I sure wouldn't want to let you run around loose without me."
Heyes arched a playful eyebrow at the old lady. "I don't know if that's a complement or not."
"It is on one side and not on the other. I think you're a genius, but not always sensible. But I think marrying Beth was a sensible thing for you to do. If it was sensible for Beth to marry you, I'm still not sure. But I think it had to happen."
"I guess so," said Heyes.
"And I think I've grilled you enough," said Aunt Bertha with a laugh. "Get back to work, young man." So Heyes did.
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After the family had eaten dinner and Barbara had settled her little girls into their beds, the three couples and Curtis gathered in the parlor. Heyes seemed preoccupied; he was playing distractedly with a petrified clam that Corey normally kept on the mantel piece. For a while Corey was afraid that his brother-in-law would drop and break his favorite fossil, but he eventually realized that Heyes could have made his living as a juggler. His hands were under control every second.
"Looks like it's gonna be a pretty day tomorrow, gentlemen," said Corey Dunham glancing between his son and Curtis's new uncles. "What say the four of us go fishing in the morning in our little boat?"
"Wow, could we?" asked Curtis. After his day shooting, this sounded like a second wonderful adventure with his father and his uncles – but a much quieter one.
"Sounds good to me, Corey," said Curry. "I've been looking forward to it. I love to fish better than about anything. How's that sound to you, Heyes?"
The darker ex-outlaw looked unsure, shifting uneasily on an overstuffed chair and twirling the stone clam on his lap. "Sounds good - except I was thinking tonight would be the best time for poker next door. You know, before our names start getting around. The longer we wait, the more chance the guys'll be laying for us. I trust Curtis and I think I trust that farmer and Mr. Partridge to have kept our names quiet, but I can't be sure."
"We can always go fishing another day," said Corey.
"No," said Heyes, meditatively, "We can't count on the good weather continuing, with the summer getting hot and thunderstorms starting. So why don't we do both? An early poker game tonight and fishing in the morning? You alright with that Jed, Corey?"
Curry nodded. "Sure, Heyes. You're right – I'm not up for a big game. Not enough bankroll. What about you, Corey?"
The inn keeper was startled. "You'd really let me come and play alongside you guys? I've played over there some, but I'm not professional like you guys are," he said uncertainly. Curtis was watching and listening keenly to this conversation.
"Were," Heyes corrected him, "In my case, anyhow."
"It's up to you, Corey, not us," said Curry. "It's your home, your neighbors, your choice. You know the Ale House. We don't."
"Then, if I can stay with a small game and come home early, and Barbara doesn't object too much, I'll go with you. Let's see what we can do with those mine owners and bankers – or maybe somebody without quite such deep pockets." Corey nodded, still looking a little unsure.
Barbara smiled, "Honey, you almost never get to play. It'd be a shame if you didn't get to play alongside these guys. You know how to handle yourself."
Corey smiled, "Thanks for your confidence, darling. If things go against me, I'll just watch these guys win, and then we'll come home. We'd best fix a time to stop or things'll get away from us. What about 10:00?"
Heyes and the Kid nodded. It was exceptionally early for them, but they didn't normally go fishing the morning after a game. "Fine with me," said Heyes. "If I can't win by then, then I'm not on my game. And don't worry, Beth, I'll keep it to a small game. Alright, cousin?"
"Sure, Heyes," said the Kid, looking at his wife.
Cat said, "I guess you'd better leave soon if you want any time to play. Go on – get out of here, husband." The Kid got out of his chair and went to kiss his wife.
"Who's the best player you know of," asked Curtis quickly, sneaking the question in to his uncles before they left.
"I don't even know the name of the best guy we ever faced," said Heyes. "The guy who beat us the worst, anyhow. You know the guy I mean, Jed. About 20 years ago in Texas. He never gave his name. They usually don't."
Curry nodded. He remembered that night in a Texas saloon when the pair had all but lost their shirts. Heyes had been playing well by his usual standards, but not nearly well enough. The partners had been very young.
Heyes spoke lightly to his nephew, "I get the impression that the some of the best guys in the country are the Mississippi riverboat gamblers, and I've not faced many of them. Guess we're safe from them here – guys like Jonathan Jackson, III, or even the big young guy you hear so much about these days, Darius Swift. They walk out of a game with whole bundles of thousand dollar bills, so they say." Heyes and the Kid grinned at each other, hoping they wouldn't face anyone of that caliber any time soon. Neither man had the bankroll to stand it. Curry noticed a sparkle in the eyes of Curtis and his father. He wondered what it might mean, but didn't see fit to mention it to his partner.
"Ah, our men. First shooting and now poker. Think they're having a happy honeymoon?" laughed Cat.
"Might just be. And three gossiping women left behind. If we go up and visit with Aunt Bertha, we can have four. That would make a happy evening for us!" said Beth.
"I'd go for that!" answered Barbara, "though I'll bet Curtis would find it pretty dull. And he needs to be in bed soon, anyhow, to be ready for fishing early tomorrow."
The trio of men reappeared in their best suits. Heyes straightened his tie. He was wearing an elegant navy blue suit, while the Kid was dressed in impeccable grey. Corey wore pin-striped black. The keyed up gleams in their eyes, respectively brown, blue, and brown, matched perfectly.
"Nobody worry! We'll all be back by 10:00 sharp," said Heyes, adjusting the cufflink in his left cuff. "If I can't win by then, there's no use in staying anyhow. And if we lose much that fast, we're pretty sorry players. Or unlucky. We'll be back here asleep in plenty of time to get up before dawn to go fishing, right men?"
The Kid and Corey laughed and nodded as if they were all faithful members of Heyes' gang.
"Can I stay up until you get back so you can tell me how you did?" asked Curtis eagerly.
"No, son. A growing boy needs his sleep after he shoots and before he goes fishing," said Corey, though his voice was gentle and he put an affectionate hand on his son's shoulder.
"But how will I know whether you won?" asked Curtis.
"You can't wait for us to tell you in the morning?" asked Jed.
But Heyes had an idea. "Tell you what, Curtis. We'll each slip a card under your door to tell you how we did. I'll take spades, your Pa can have clubs, and of course the Kid's gotta' go with hearts since he's broke so many." He winked teasingly at his partner while Cat giggled at her handsome husband. "You get up early and see."
"I sure will!" said Curtis.
"Now do your chores and off to bed with you, son," said Corey. "And we'll tell you all about it in the morning while we fish. We'll be up before dawn, so be ready."
The jolly trio wiped the smiles off their faces as they stepped outside. "Now, I sure hope that farmer and Mr. Partridge kept their words. I don't want those boys in there laying for us," said Heyes seriously.
"Best to wait a while before we pick a game or two or three to join," said the Kid, "so's we can get a feel for the place, see if anybody stares."
Corey nodded. "I've played over there now and then, like I've told you, but I'm no expert. So I'll follow where you boys lead. There's likely to be at least one game too rich for any of us."
"Don't expect us to play partners," said Heyes. "We don't do it. And we won't with you – could cause you a lot of trouble later." Corey nodded. He understood.
The Kid nodded. "Every man for himself and devil take the hindmost," He gave Corey a predatory grin.
The three men walked into the Cheat Ale House as casually as they could. There was a player piano cranking out perky music. No whores were in evidence. It was a small place; the only employees were the bar tender, a blackjack dealer, and a single busy waiter. The decoration was purposefully rustic – racks of antlers and stuffed fish on the walls and furniture made out of branches with the bark still on. There was only a momentary pause in the hum of conservations from several games in progress as they looked up to see who had come in and to nod their greetings. One of the less formally dressed men at a nearby game said, "Hey, Corey," and Dunham nodded to the man. No one asked who the two new players were. So far, so good.
The three went to lean on the bar and order the pale ales in which the place specialized. The long mirror behind the bar allowed them to watch the games in progress. It was easy for the western pair to pick out how serious each game was. They looked to see where seats might be open.
There was one very high stakes, intense game that Curry and Heyes watched only briefly before giving up on it. It was clear than no one was ever going to leave that full table until the wee hours and there were too many zeroes behind the numbers of dollars flying back and forth. "Mine owners," whispered Corey to his in-laws. "Big boys." Heyes nodded. There had been many days when he would have tried to get into that game. Not now – not when he was in debt and had a wife.
There were a couple of small-change games with a lot of talking going on – just not interesting enough to catch the retired outlaws' attention at all.
In the far back corner was a game that Heyes watched far more closely, and soon his cousin was by his side. The stakes were surprisingly low – only $10.00 ante and bets went up slowly. But the players were serious and quiet, concentrating hard. There were a couple of slickly dressed young men in their twenties, a middle-aged man who looked like a gentleman farmer in a worn suit, and a trio of grey-haired, handsomely suited, stout gentlemen with local accents. Heyes glanced at Corey, but his brother-in-law didn't offer any commentary. All at once, the three older men looked at each other and stood up. One of them said, "Ain't worth the trouble, Bud. Find somebody else to extract ten or twenty dollars at a time from."
"We'll miss you, Mr. Underhill, and your friends, but I understand," said one of the finely dressed young men, twirling his curling mustache. He shook the hand of each of the departing older men in turn and smiled at their backs as they left.
Heyes, seeing a few other men at the bar who might go for those empty seats, moved confidently but not too swiftly toward the table with Curry at his side. He did not want to look too eager. They heard Corey behind them take a deep breath before he followed them. "You appear to have some empty seats at this table," said Heyes casually. "You gentlemen mind a little company?"
The mustachioed young man they had heard called Bud replied in a southern-tinged accent, "Sure. Sit you down, gentlemen. $10.00 ante at this table, please. Five-card draw please you?" Everyone at the table nodded. It was an old-fashioned game they all knew well.
"Fine with me," said Heyes, taking the lead, as usual. He was smooth and calm as he sat down to Bud's left with Curry next to him and Corey to their left. It took the Kid's quick eyes to spot his cousin's dark eyes sparkling with fun. Other than that one night in the Bucket of Blood in Wyoming, it had been a very long time since Heyes had played a serious poker game. This game might be low stakes, but it appeared to be strangely serious.
Bud dealt out five cards to each player with swift precision. There was silence as the men all studied their cards. Betting started low, as they had already observed. After the draw, Heyes shook his head and threw in his cards. "Nothing," he muttered, but he continued to watch the other players closely.
"Not much here," said Curry and folded after his partner. Corey nervously stayed in, tossing in chips to raise the stakes to $30.00. The table was as taut as if the stakes had been $3,000.00. Corey cringed as the middle-aged man across from him beat out his three kings with a heart flush.
"Good going, Winn," said Bud to the winner.
Heyes and Curry chuckled, "Good name!" said Curry with a smile. He was watching carefully how his partner handled himself. They weren't used to resolving a serious game this quickly, and the determinedly low stakes had him puzzled.
Heyes dealt the second hand. Bud was watching him like a hawk. "Twenty," said the Kid exercising his famous poker face on the first betting round. Corey matched him, as did all the other players.
"One," said the Kid, careful not to address Heyes as either partner or cousin. Either would signal too close a connection and suggest they might be bolstering each other's play. All the other players took one or two cards.
"Dealer stands pat," said Heyes without enthusiasm, looking up to find Bud studying him again. Heyes' brown eyes met the pale grey eyes of the mustachioed young man with a light glimmer and arched eyebrows. Despite his serious observation, Bud, too, appeared to be having a fine time.
"Raise twenty," said Heyes. The other players quickly folded - other than Bud.
"Another twenty," said the younger man. Heyes nodded and matched him.
"Let's see 'em," said Heyes steadily. Bud smiled broadly as he laid out his cards one at a time, a four, a queen, another queen, another queen, and then, after a dramatic pause, the final queen. He reached for the pot.
"Not so fast," said Heyes, putting down a ten-high straight. Whistles sounded around the table.
The following hands were closely fought but swift, with few words said. The Kid was struggling more and more, betting conservatively even in that low game. He made good use of his superb poker face to win a few hands, but being a family man was plainly cramping his style. Corey did a little better – in fact, surprisingly well. He was on a par with Winn, though not as good as his young friend whom they heard called Trot. Bud and Heyes dominated, the lead see-sawing back and forth. Bud took a couple of relatively large pots from Heyes, giving him piles of chips just slightly taller than Heyes'. Two of the other games had broken up and the most of the men had come to watch this intense though low-stakes game. For some reason they found it more interesting than the much higher stakes game at the other end of the floor.
Corey wiped his brow and checked his watch. Almost before he knew it, it was 9:45. "Quarter of, gentlemen," he announced. Bud and Heyes had nearly equal piles of chips.
Heyes was dealing again. The stakes stayed low on the first round of betting as Corey, Curry, Winn, and Trot folded. They watched the remaining pair, who had both taken two cards on the draw. "Another twenty," said Bud, his grey eyes gleaming softly.
"Ah, what the heck, I'll match you," said Heyes, giving every evidence of frustration. "And another fifteen."
"Call," said Bud, adding his own $15.00 to the pot. Every eye in the Ale House was fixed on them.
Bud bit his lip over a smile as he laid down three jacks – an amazingly low hand to have bluffed so many into folding! Heyes laughed, and showed his own three queens. Bud joined in the laughter as Heyes raked in the pot on this incredibly narrow win. Now his winnings topped the table. It seemed everyone in the house was laughing. "Hard luck, Bud!" called someone from the gathered crowd. "Western guy has your number!"
"We'll see about that!" said the youthful Bud with spirit.
"Afraid not," said Heyes with a grin. "Sorry, but I'm on my honeymoon and have plans in the morning. So I'm going along now. Nice to meet you gentlemen."
"I'm with him," said the Kid with his own smile. "Thank you for a good game."
"Me, too" added Corey. "Been a pleasure, gentlemen. I think I still own my hotel."
"Appears so, Corey," chuckled Bud, finally revealing that the two men did actually know each other, despite having avoided calling one another by name before this. Heyes and the Kid had suspected it all along.
"Then I'll get a drink before we find fresh victims, Bud," grinned Winn.
"Hah! Western boy here has me beat, seems to me. Not by much, but a win's a win, you might say," said Bud with an engaging grin and a wink at his friend with the fitting name. Heyes wondered at being called a boy by a man easily a dozen years his junior, but he didn't let the slight rile him into staying in the game.
As the crowd behind them broke up, Bud reached over to shake the hands with the three departing men.
Heyes spoke to him in a low voice intended to remain with just those at the table. "Gentlemen, you won't see me in this house again this trip. Do you mind if I ask what's been going on here? I do believe I know serious Mississippi River men when I see them, but I'd like to know which ones. And why the low stakes? Convenient for us, but why? You're used to stakes a hundred times this high, or more."
Bud laughed and twirled his showy mustache. "For my part, I'd like to know which formidable western gentlemen I've had the honor of playing. Myself, I'm kinda' on vacation, you might say. But I wanted to spend one night not too serious at my old home house without causing too much trouble."
"I beg your pardon?" asked Curry. "This is your home place?"
Corey's eyes gleamed, "Come on, Bud, I think introductions are in order, don't you?"
"We'll give our right names if you give yours," said Bud with a surprisingly shy smile that showed just how young he really was. The two ex-outlaws nodded.
Trot, who was even younger said, "I'm Thaddeus Trotter, boys."
Heyes and Curry chuckled. The blue-eyed outlaw said, "I've heard that name a few times, from the Mississippi River boats, sure enough."
Trot nodded and grinned proudly. "And you, sir?" He looked at Curry.
"My partner's right name is Jedediah Curry," said Heyes, knowing that their opponents were very unlikely ever to have heard that version of the name. Indeed, he could see no sign of recognition in their eyes.
"And I, friends, am Darius Swift," said the mustachioed young man, revealing his famous identity with deliberate drama.
Heyes and Curry both burst out laughing. Heyes looked at his brother-in-law with mock fury, "Corey, you rat! You didn't give us any hint that we were playing the most famous river boat gambler in the whole country!"
Corey laughed, too. "Well, I didn't tell him who my new brother-in-law is, either, you might have noticed!" he crowed.
The table fell silent as Bud and Trot stared curiously at Heyes.
"My partner's right name," Curry paused for a moment to let them wonder and start to worry, "is Hannibal Heyes."
Swift's mouth fell opened and then resolved into a broad grin. He started to his feet and shook the hands of the two famous outlaws. He looked back and forth between Heyes and the Kid. He spoke with animation, but kept his voice low to avoid drawing too much attention. "Well I'll be damned! I have heard a word or two about you gentlemen, but not to do with poker. Could've guessed you'd be good considering your other skills. Glad you meet you both – and glad not to give you any excuse to draw, Mr. Curry."
Curry laughed, standing to shake Swift's hand again. "I didn't bring my Colt."
"He brought it this afternoon when he gave us a fast draw demonstration at the Thompson farm shooting range. Whew! You never saw the like. Honestly, you never did." said Corey in delight, also keeping his voice very soft.
As Swift shook Heyes' hand, he softly said, "So, Mr. Heyes, you married Beth Warren? I must admit it surprises me that that upright lady would . . ."
"Marry an outlaw?" asked Heyes with a sad tinge to his voice.
"Well, yeah," admitted Bud Swift, sitting back down. "It don't seem in character. And didn't I hear as how you boys were in prison up in Wyoming?"
Heyes nodded. "We were. We got amnesty last month, and a pardon. Beth and I didn't get married until the amnesty came through. Been a long wait, but worth it. I'm applying for positions teaching college math."
"Congratulations, Mr. Heyes," said Swift, shaking his hand for the third time. "And good luck with the math. It sure don't hurt your gambling!"
"And congratulations from me," added Trot.
"The Kid got married to his lady the same day I did to mine and we're here on our honeymoon," said Heyes, so Swift shook the Kid's hand again, too, and so did Trot.
"Well, when it comes to what we didn't know," said Curry, "I surely didn't know you were from West Virginia, Mr. Swift."
Swift and his friend Trot laughed. "Well, you can see why I didn't want folks to know," said Swift, "that I was from a town called Cheat!" The whole table laughed warmly at that, and so did some other men standing nearby. Obviously, it was a very old local joke. Mr. Swift hadn't cheated them – he didn't need to. Though whether he might pull a few tricks on the river boats was less certain.
Then Heyes, the Kid, and Corey stood up to go. Before they departed, Heyes asked Bud Swift, "Do you think we might have the used deck? Got use for just three cards, or maybe four." Trot handed him the deck they'd been using.
The trio snuck in the door at the Green Tree Hotel just as the clock in the lobby struck 10:00. When Curtis woke up just before dawn the next morning, he lit a lamp and rushed to see what had come in under his door. He was disappointed to find on the top of the stack a six of hearts and a seven of clubs. But the boy barely suppressed a whoop when he discovered, discretely hidden under the lower cards, the ace of spades. And beneath it, the king of diamonds made him hop up and down in even more glee. He knew he'd be hearing some good stories in that fishing boat. And he knew about whom.
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The three men and a yawning boy walked quietly along a woodland path in the grey pre-dawn light, carrying fishing poles, creels, and a hot thermos of coffee. Soon they got to the dock and found where the hotel boat was tied. Corey rowed them to a likely spot for casting. As he rowed the other three talked. They wouldn't want to scare the fish when they got where they were going.
"So, Uncle Heyes, you beat Darius Swift?" asked Curtis excitedly.
The three men laughed. "I did – just barely. It was a low-stakes game. Swift said he was on vacation. Beat him by just $15.00. Hardly enough to count."
"How do you figure that, Heyes?" asked Corey as he rowed.
"That's how much more I brought in than he did, after we sat down," said Heyes, taking a sip of hot, black coffee.
"You made a perfect count of his chips when we sat down and when we left?" asked Corey. "And yours. Neither one of you kept neat piles. You did that count and did the math that fast while we were all playing?"
"Assuming I'm not lying to you," said Heyes, "and that I'm accurate, yes."
"He ain't lying," said Curry sourly. "He don't have to. Damn genius. He counted everybody's chips. He always does. He knows exactly how much I lost. And you, Corey."
"I do, but I ain't saying," said Heyes as he baited his hook with a fat worm.
"Hush! Don't scare the fish," whispered the Kid.
As they fished and the sun rose on a lovely day, Curtis couldn't take his eyes off of his famous uncles. He couldn't seem to decide which one he admired more. Before noon, the four headed home with creels full of fish to gut and get ready for cooking. They cooked their own catch and warmed up a pie in the oven. It was all delicious.
Afterward, Corey said, "Curtis, we've had a lot of fun, but we've both got chores to do. And your uncles could use a few minutes to themselves, I think."
"See you at dinner Uncle Jed, Uncle Heyes!" said Curtis, heading reluctantly off to the stable to clean harness. The hotel's hitch had to be kept spotless.
Beth, Barbara, and Cat were canning berries together in the hot kitchen, while little girls played under a shady tree out back. For the first time in a long time, Heyes and the Kid were left together on porch without more company. Heyes got out a knife and sharpened it on a stone his host had lent him.
A few minutes went by quietly as the aspiring mathematics professor rubbed his knife at a carefully controlled angle on the stone, first one side and then the other. At last Heyes tested his knife blade on his thumb nail and found it sharp enough for work. He picked up a stick from the basket of carving wood on the porch and considered what he might whittle. "How you fixed for deputies, Jed?" he asked.
"I ain't." Curry sounded thoroughly dissatisfied with the situation. He dropped the stick he was whittling and picked up a new one from the basket. He examined the new stick critically.
Heyes was taken aback. "Huh? I thought there were three deputies at Louisville."
"For Wilde, yeah. Not for me," said Jed. "Jake got shot bad in the leg chasing down the Dobson bunch. He won't be in riding shape for a while, and I ain't sure he's staying even then. He's been making noises about marrying a gal and working on his Pa's farm in Kansas. It's a safer job for a married man and that's a fact. Just ask Cat. Rogers got hired on as Sheriff over at Aurora. That's a good job – he'd be a fool not to take it. And Tucker just plain old quit, effective next Thursday."
"Which just so happens to be the day they expect you back in Louisville to start up as sheriff."
"As it just so happens, it is," repeated Curry in a flat voice.
"What, is Tucker yellow?" asked Heyes in concern.
The Kid snorted. "You don't have to be real yellow not to want to be deputy when Kid Curry's the sheriff. Men'll be gunning for me and no mistake. Wanting to set themselves up as big men, beating me to the draw. Or they'll try to shoot me in the back if they can't manage that. And most of the sheriffs won't want to be big friends with Sheriff Curry. Been too long on the other side. Wilde's been trying to hire on men to wear stars for me. He's had no luck. I ain't surprised."
"That's awful!" Heyes looked worried. "No sheriff can work alone."
"Aw, come on, Heyes. You ain't surprised neither."
Heyes put aside his knife for a moment. "No. Not really."
Curry blew chips off of whatever he was carving, which wasn't clear. "You want the job?"
Heyes was startled. "You offering? Seriously?"
Curry laughed, "I'd be some fine fool to turn you down. You'd be the best man in 500 counties. You'd watch my back like nobody else ever. But you got to go for teaching before you take anything else. I know that. I've read what it says on your amnesty papers. And I know you want that teaching post more than anything on this green earth. And you wouldn't take orders from me, anyhow."
Heyes dug his knife into his wood. "It's not a matter of taking orders, Kid. You're way better qualified for sheriffing than I am and I know it. But I don't guess people would take us seriously as a pair of law men. They'd be sure we were back at crime under cover of a pair of badges."
Curry voice betrayed his frustration. "Guess you're right. I sure could use you. But no way Beth would want you to do it."
Heyes sighed. "You're right there. And frankly, I can make better money keeping books or working in a bank almost anywhere."
"Working in a bank? Hannibal Heyes?" The Kid tried with little success to stifle his laughter. A young man walking by in the street overheard at least some of this exchange and darted the pair an uneasy look before he hurried on his way.
Heyes joined his partner's laughter. "Guess not, Kid. It didn't work out too well the first time, did it? I'll probably have a hard time getting an account, much less a job. I'd better stick with plain old bookkeeping. Dull, but it pays. Your job'll be a lot more interesting."
"Would you think about it Heyes, being deputy for me? Just for a little while, till I can find somebody else?"
"No, Jed. I can't. We already said all the reasons why," said Heyes wearily.
"I came out to Montana to testify for you. I took you in every summer and every Christmas for six years. And you won't deputy for me for two weeks?" Jed was growing annoyed.
Heyes sighed wearily. "It wouldn't be two weeks, Jed. It'd go on and on, any excuse."
"It would not! If I promise two weeks, it's two weeks! Don't you trust my word, Heyes?"
"Sure I do – as you intend it. But in practice, it could cost me half the summer –what with train out and train back and delays getting to interviews. God knows how many possible positions it could cost me. I need all the chances I can get. My friends who graduated in my year are already getting offers and I've had all these delays. I'm behind the whole field. It's a seller's market for every young would-be professor but me – because of my name. I've got to be in New York beating the pavement or I won't have a chance at anything. And I promised those governors! And Beth! And Me!" Now Heyes was getting warmed up, too.
Jed was thoroughly riled. "And what about me? The man who got you alive to New York after you were sick and shot?"
"You shot me yourself!" The two partner's voices were getting louder at every exchange.
"I saved your life!"
"After I saved yours – again!"
"You're yellow, Hannibal Heyes!"
"Me? You're afraid to go west alone!"
"And you won't give two weeks to watch my back like I done for you for over 30 years!"
"It's my career!"
"It's my life!"
Finally, the Kid dropped his knife and got up. Heyes dropped his own knife and stood up, too. Two gun belts hit the porch floor.
It was hard to tell which partner struck the other first – both right fists were flying at once. In no time, chairs were turned over. Corey ran out to the porch and three women were on his heels.
"Stop it! Stop it now! You should both be ashamed! In front of your nephew and the whole town!" cried Beth. Indeed, a crowd a townspeople was gathering in the street to watch the fight and the true names of the combatants were starting to be mentioned.
But there was no slowing in the fight or the dialog that went with it. Corey didn't panic – it didn't look like the two men were actually trying to hurt each other. It was just man-play.
Barbara went to get a bucket of water to throw over the men. She almost ran into her son, who was staring at the battle on the porch in dumb-struck amazement.
"You selfish bastard!" growled Heyes as Jed drew back his fist once more. He spoke rapidly under his breath. "Trying to talk me into giving up a whole year of teaching so you can have a few days to hire a man you should have under contract right now!"
"Me! Selfish?" Jed threw his most serious punch yet, heading for Heyes' nose where he could draw blood but do no serious harm. "You'll come."
Before the blow landed, Beth yelled, "Stop it, Jed, before you hurt him!"
Heyes turned toward the voice, as Jed's fist slammed into not his nose but his left temple. Curry could feel the raised line of the old bullet scar under his knuckles. The darker partner fell to one knee. He shook his head, dazed. Jed paused. Cat grabbed her husband's arm and began pulling him off of his slighter cousin. "Stop it, Jed! You could really hurt him!"
Suddenly, Heyes flew at the Kid in a mad fury, butting his partner in the chest with his head. Heyes was snarling and hitting out in a rage. He had the startled Jed down in a moment and was getting ready to smash a wooden chair over his head. Curry lay with his mouth open. Corey and the women pulled the partners apart and got the chair away from Heyes. Heyes was still growling like an animal, but Jed stood still, appalled. "My God, Heyes, what's wrong? I thought I could fight some sense into you like we used to do. What in Hell's wrong with you?"
Heyes ignored the words. He just kept struggling to get in another blow at his cousin while Corey and a couple of hotel employees hauled him away. Jed walked upstairs, his angry long spent.
Beth gaped at her own husband. She was utterly at sea, as he was hauled away to the back room struggling like a mad bull. She had never seen him act at all like this. Suddenly she realized what she was seeing, as no one else had. She ran after him, shouting at Corey and his employees. "Careful! Don't hurt him any worse! Oh my God! Oh my God! Call the doctor!"
Little Curtis was left standing all alone on the porch with tears in his eyes.
