He lay supine in the dirt. Rain fell steadily, mixing with the blood oozing from his back to form thin red streams of liquid that dripped down his side to form an expanding fluid mixture of blood and dirt in the space between his arm and body. He'd been laying there, next to the road for at least an hour. Awake. Conscious. Enduring a pain worse than anything he had ever experienced. Surely someone would come. The assailant perhaps to put an end to the man's misery? A cowboy or rancher traveling to town? Surely someone would come to his aid. The pain in his back pulsated with the beating of his heart, or the rhythmic drops of cold rain that struck him, or a combination of the two. He focused on his breathing that seemed to be growing more shallow, more difficult.
When he finally heard the sound of horses approaching, he smiled weakly. Someone would know he was there. Someone might help him. Someone might be there when he died. He prayed for the serenity of unconsciousness. But it didn't come. He heard voices. They sounded distant, somewhat muffled to his ears.
"Looks like a man."
"There's blood on the ground. He must be hurt."
He couldn't focus and his thoughts drifted. When they returned he became aware of two men kneeling over him, one on either side of him. He could see fragments of the one near his face. That man had blond hair, blue eyes, and gloved hands.
"What happened to you?" A voice not belonging to the blonde man asked.
"Someone shot me off my horse," he whispered.
"See who it was?" the blonde asked, lifting the bottom of the man's shirt to inspect the wound.
"No," he whispered again.
"How long ago did this happen?"
"I don't know... An hour, maybe more."
"Just the one injury?"
"I... I think so."
"Got a name?"the blond asked.
"Tim...Tim Waters."
"Well, Tim Waters, I'm Thaddeus Jones. This other fellow here is Joshua Smith. We're gonna help you. Might be a little rough at first, but you'll be feeling better soon. You're horse run off did he?"
"Must have."
"You live around here?" Heyes asked.
"Three miles west."
"You know of a doctor nearby, Tim?" Heyes asked.
"In Rock Springs. Five miles down the road."
"We're going to get you on one of our horses and get you back to your place. Then one of us will go fetch the doctor for you. That wound is bad, but it ain't fatal."
"Thank you," Tim whispered and finally surrendered to unconsciousness.
Heyes sighed. "Well, that'll make it easier to get him home."
Heyes climbed on his mount and Curry lifted while Heyes pulled and they managed to hoist the young man into the saddle in front of Heyes. Kid climbed onto his chestnut and they made their way in the direction Tim had told them. Being that west was simply a general direction, it took them a little while to find the cabin, and only then because Heyes spotted chimney smoke in the distance.
Tim's wife, a teenager by appearance, had seen them approaching and was waiting on the porch when they arrived. Kid dismounted first and helped Heyes lower the wounded young man into his arms.
"Got a place for me to lay him down, Ma'am?" Kid asked as he climbed the steps to the porch with Tim slung over one shoulder like a bag of wheat.
"What happened?" she asked, holding the door for Kid to enter, then scooting past him to lead him to the bedroom.
"Don't know for sure, Ma'am," Heyes replied, following them into the house. We found him lying on the road, bleeding. He said someone shot him, but he don't know who."
The woman pulled down the bedding and Kid eased Tim into the bed and rolled him on to his stomach, then pulled the blankets up to Tim's waist, leaving the wound beneath the bloodied shirt exposed.
"I'll go for the doctor," Heyes said and quickly left the cabin.
"We're going to need some hot water, Ma'am, along with some soap, and bandages," Kid said as he sat on the edge of the bed and reached under Tim's chest to unbutton his shirt.
The woman, obviously anxious and distraught, hurried to the cupboard for a pan to heat well water in the hearth.
"I don't have bandages," she said nervously.
"Got a spare sheet you can tear into strips?" Kid asked.
She grabbed a sheet from the dresser drawer and sat down in a chair, struggling to get a tear started. She uttered an irritated groan.
"A pair of scissors or a knife might help you get a start on that sheet, Ma'am," Kid suggested.
The woman darted from the room and returned with a knife. She sat down again and jabbed recklessly into the cloth with the knife. Kid was surprised she hadn't cut herself in the process.
"Ma'am, you'd do best to calm down a bit," Kid said as he maneuvered Tim's shirt off. "He ain't gonna die from this wound. Just needs patching up and doctorin... What's your name, Ma'am?"
"Sarah."
"Well, Sarah, I'm Thaddeus. Some folks, including my partner, Joshua who just left, call me Kid. I'm comfortable with you calling me whichever you choose."
"Thank you, Thaddeus."
"If you don't mind my asking, Ma'am, how old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"A might young then. You just recently married, then?"
Sarah nodded.
"You new to these parts?"
"I am. I'm from San Francisco. Tim's lived here all his life."
"And how long might that be?"
"Twenty years."
"So this is a new way of life for you, is it?"
Sarah nodded. "I've never seen a man shot before."
Kid smiled. "Well, I promise you, he'll recover Ma'am. Any idea who might have done this? Anybody holding a grudge to him?"
"I don't think so. I can't imagine anybody doing something like this. Nearest neighbor is nearly ten miles away, and we don't get to town more than once a month."
"If Tim's from around here, he got family nearby?"
"His Pa, and brother. That's who lives ten miles away."
"If that water's hot, would you bring it over here, along with some soap, and a few of those rags so I can start getting his wound cleaned up before Joshua gets back with the doctor."
She did as instructed and Kid began cleaning the wound.
"Bleeding's slowed down considerable. Once the doctor sees him, we'll get him rolled over on his back again. When he wakes, we'll try to get some water into him. He'll need a lot of water for a few days."
"How do you know so much about taking care of wounds?"
Kid smiled. "Had my fair share of em, Ma'am."
Kid finished cleaning Tim's wound and he folded one of the strips of cloth and laid it directly on the wound to absorb any seeping blood.
"Bleeding's about stopped. Ma'am do you have some coffee you could make? All that rain outside, the doctor might welcome a cup when's he's through patching up your husband. Wouldn't mind some, myself."
Sarah went in to make coffee but heard horses approaching. "They're back," she called to Kid.
Sarah met them on the porch and led the doctor to the bedroom. Kid moved to stand near the foot of the bed and Heyes joined him, while Sarah hovered nervously near the door.
Heyes glanced over at Sarah a few times. Her eyes were always focused on her husband.
"Well, the bullet isn't too deep. It does angle a bit down and toward the right. That'll make it a little harder to get out, but I don't expect it to be much of a problem," the doctor announced. "One of you did a good job cleaning up the wound. I'm going to need you two to help while I extract the bullet."
Heyes and Curry both nodded, knowing what the doctor expected of them. Sarah chewed her lip nervously and headed out of the room.
"She's a might nervous about all this," Kid explained. "Use to city living it sounds like."
An hour later, the doctor was finished and Kid helped him turn Tim over on to his back and prop him up a bit with pillows to ease his breathing.
The three walked into the main room where Sarah was pacing and chewing nervously on a fingernail.
"He needs rest now, but he'll be fine," the doctor told Sarah. "You can go back in if you want." Sarah nodded and hurried past them and disappeared into the bedroom.
"Doc, you said the bullet angled down a bit?" Heyes asked.
"That's right."
"So the shot must have come from a spot on higher ground than the road?" Heyes thought out loud.
"Likely so," the doctor replied.
"You known Tim long, Doc?" Kid asked
"Known him his whole life. He's a good boy, a man I suppose now as he's married and going to be a father."
"She's expecting?" Heyes asked.
The doctor nodded. "Not far enough along to be showing yet."
"Doc, when you get back to town, would you mind telling the sheriff about this? I expect he's going to have some questions," Heyes said.
"'ll tell him. Tim's got family up the road about ten miles. One of you might want to ride up there and let his pa know what's happened."
"I'll do it," Kid said. "Could do with a break from all that nervousness of hers. Acted down right spooked when I asked her to cut up a sheet."
"She's young, Kid. This probably scares her a bit," Heyes explained.
The doctor opened the door and stepped out on to the porch. "At least the rain's stopped. I'll be by in a couple of days to check in on him."
"I might as well head out now, too," Kid said and followed the doctor out the door.
Sarah stayed with Tim for the better part of an hour before timidly joining Heyes in the main room.
"I took the liberty of making some coffee Ma'am. Would you like some?"
Sarah nodded and sat down at the table. "You're friend asked me to make some but I forgot all about it.."
"Well, you've got more important things on your mind, Ma'am."
Heyes sat down across from Sarah and handed her a cup of coffee. "I expect the sheriff will be by soon and Thaddeus rode up to tell Tim's father what happened."
"Why's the sheriff coming" she asked
Heyes looked surprised. "Well, he's going to want to figure out who shot your husband, Ma'am."
Sarah nodded. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not thinking straight. Tim looks so pale laying in there," she said.
"That happens when a person loses a fair amount of blood. His color will start improving in a day or two."
Sarah again nodded. Heyes noticed she was wringing her hands in her lap. Assuming she was still distraught over Tim's injury, Heyes reached over and put his hand on her arm. "He's going to be fine, Ma'am. You needn't worry so."
Sarah tried to smile. "I suspect Frank and George, that's Tim's pa and brother, will be coming back with your friend. I better start making some supper."
"Tim's going to be laid up for a few days, likely won't be able to keep up on things around here for a while. Will his pa and brother be able to help out?"
Sarah looked at Heyes nervously and shook her head. "Tim don't like them coming around here much."
"Why's that?"
She shrugged. "He just don't like it."
"Well, if you'd like, Ma'am, Thaddeus and I can stay a few days, keep things up around here, till Tim's able to work or hire somebody on for a spell. We don't mind sleeping in the barn."
She nodded. "Appreciate it," she said.
0-0-0-0-0-0-
Kid heard gun shots as he approached the cabin. He carefully scanning the area, and saw a boy out back shooting at tin cans lined up along a fence rail. He looked to be fifteen, maybe sixteen. Kid rode up to the side of the cabin and climbed off his horse just as he heard the ping of a can being shot off the rail.
"You're pretty good with that," Kid said and the boy spun around, his gun still in his hand, now pointed at Kid.
"You best point that gun in another direction, son. Ought never point a gun at someone unless you aim to use it."
The boy suddenly realized his gun was pointed at Kid and he quickly holstered it. "Sorry, you just come up on me sudden."
Kid smiled at him. "You're pa around?"
"In the house. What you want him for?"
"Got a message for him."
"Who are you?"
"A friend of your brother, Tim. He wanted me to bring your pa a message."
"I'll get him."
The boy vanished into the house. A minute later, an older man walked out, pulling his suspenders up over his sweat stained Henley. The boy stood behind him, close to his heels.
"You Mr. Waters?" Kid asked and the man nodded.
"My name's Thaddeus Jones. My friend and I came across your son on the road this morning. He'd been shot. He'll be alright. Doctor's been to see him already. He and Sarah wanted me to come let you know."
"Who shot him?"
"Don't know."
"George, go saddle up the horses. We're going down to Tim's place."
"Alright, pa," George said and ran to the barn.
"Where was he shot?"
"Back, near his shoulder."
"No, I mean where was he when you found him?"
"On the road about three miles from his cabin."
"What was he doing out there?"
"Didn't say."
"What did you say your name was?"
"Thaddeus Jones."
"You ain't from around here."
"No, Sir."
George emerged from the barn tugging the reins of two horses.
"Well, best be going, then," the man said and the three of them mounted their horses and headed back towards Tim's cabin. As they neared the cabin they saw an unfamiliar horse tethered to the porch rail.
"Sheriff must be here," Kid said.
The three men dismounted and walked into the cabin. Heyes looked up at Kid and smiled, but his eyes communicated something more, a warning of caution to Kid.
Kid nodded once to Heyes and carefully watched Frank and George. Frank gave Sarah a nod of acknowledgment but didn't speak to her. Kid noticed Sarah and George exchange quick glances.
"Tim hurt bad?" Frank asked the sheriff. Heyes and Kid found it odd that Frank asked the sheriff, rather than Sarah.
"Sarah tells me he's still unconscious, but says Doc says he'll recover."
"Know who done it?"
The sheriff scratched the back of his neck. "I'm working on that, Frank. I still need to get a statement from..." the sheriff looked over at Kid with a questioning expression.
"Thaddeus Jones," Kid replied.
"From Mr. Jones and of course from Tim when he's awake."
Frank nodded. "I'm going to go check on my boy," he announced and, without giving Sarah so much as a glance, Frank walked into the bedroom and shut the door behind him.
"George, why don't you go in with your pa," the sheriff told the boy and George looked quickly at Sarah before he complied.
"Alright, Mr. Jones, tell me what you know."
Kid shrugged. "Not much, Sheriff. My partner and me were riding down the road when we come upon Tim lying off to the side a bit. We stopped, saw he'd been shot, and got him back here. My partner went for the doctor. I stayed and got Tim cleaned up."
"That's the same thing your partner said."
"Cause that's what happened."
The sheriff nodded.
"The doctor said the bullet was angled down and to the right a bit. Thaddeus and I figure whoever shot him had to be on higher ground. There's a bit of a hill with clusters of trees near where we found Tim."
"I know the spot you're talking about. "I'll look around there before I go back to town."
"Sheriff, would you mind if I went with you, helped you look?' Heyes asked.
"I'd actually appreciate that Mr. Smith, an extra set of eyes."
"Thaddeus, I told Sarah we'd be willing to stay on a few days to help out around here while Tim recovers," Heyes explained Kid who nodded.
"One more thing," the sheriff said. "I noticed you're both wearing guns, and you, Mr. Jones, carry yours pretty low on the leg. Either of you fired your guns recently."
Both Kid and Heyes denied any recent gun use and Kid pulled his gun out of the holster and handed it to the sheriff for inspection. The sheriff inspected the gun and sniffed at the barrel before handing it back to Kid. Seeing what Kid had done, Heyes did the same. The sheriff did the same inspection and handed it back to Heyes.
"How about you, George?" the sheriff asked.
"Been shooting cans this afternoon. Ask him," George said and pointed toward Kid.
"Ah, yep, that's right, sheriff. When I got to Frank's place, George here was out back shooting cans for target practice. Can't speak for anytime before that, though," Kid replied and gave George a cool, calculated look.
"Pa ain't been shooting today neither," George added.
"Well, Mr. Smith, why don't you and I take a ride out to the clump of trees you spoke of. We'll get you back here in time for supper.
Heyes nodded and, giving Kid a quick glance, left with the sheriff.
0-0-0-0-0-
"Sheriff, what's Tim's brother like?" Heyes asked as they rode toward the spot where he and Kid had found Tim.
"You're right to be suspicious of him," the sheriff replied. "He's an odd sort. Been in some minor trouble more than once. Frank's kind of odd too. I ain't saying either one of them is bad, just...different. Not the kind that people warm up to. Keeps to themselves at lot. They both lack what folks call social graces. Even Tim don't have much to do with them. Now, Tim on the other hand, is a right nice fella, a hard worker, trying to build something for himself and Sarah."
"And what's Sarah like?"
"Don't know her too well. They was just married about six months ago. She's a city gal, still getting used to things around here. They come in to church every Sunday."
"That's odd..."
"Nothing odd about going to church, son,"
Heyes smiled. "No, I don't mean that. Sarah said they only get in to town about once a month."
"Maybe for supplies, but they're in town every Sunday for church."
They came to the spot where Kid and Heyes had found Tim and pulled their horses to a stop.
"I figure the shot maybe came from those trees over there. That little hill could have put someone just high enough to cause the bullet to move downward."
"I can see that. Let's go look around."
They moved closer to the cluster of trees and tethered their horses to a bush. Together they walked into the cluster and Heyes turned around to picture where Tim had been lying, so as to determine the approximate trajectory. He walked over to the area that he suspected the shooter had been and studied the ground.
He stepped carefully around a pile of horse manure.
"Sheriff, there has been a horse up here recently."
The sheriff walked over to Heyes who pointed out the pile of dung. Together they searched the site for a shell casing or other remnants left behind. The sheriff spied the shell casing in the wet leaves and stooped and picked it up.
"Well, you're right about there having been a shot fired from this area," he said, holding the casing up for Heyes to see.
"Find anything else?"
"Not yet."
They continued to search the area but found nothing more.
Heyes walked to the far end of the cluster of trees and studied the ground..
"There's horse prints over here, leading that way," Heyes told the sheriff while pointing off to the west.
The sheriff hurried over to examine the prints.
"Where's Frank's place from here?" Heyes asked.
"Same direction you're pointing to. This way is shorter than the road, maybe six miles from here."
"Tim's pa or brother good with a riffle?"
"I s'pect they both are. I know they do a lot of hunting."
Heyes rubbed his hand across his mouth, thinking.
"What are you thinking?" the sheriff asked, noticing Heyes' doubtful look.
"I'm not sure, Sheriff. Nobody else around here for miles, it almost seems too easy."
"Sometimes that's the case, Mr. Smith. Could be they ain't bright enough to think of something more complicated."
Heyes smiled. "Yea, maybe. But it don't tell us why. Why would someone try to kill their own son or brother?"
"You's be surprised how often domestic disputes happen. Usually they happen over money, or property, love, or more likely infidelity. I could give you a hundred reasons for what's called domestic violence."
Heyes shook his head once. "Some sort of domestic triangle?"
"I've heard of stranger things. Maybe one of them is jealous of Tim for building himself a better life."
"We need to find the riffle that this casing came from," Heyes said.
"Finding that is a long shot. The shell casing could be from most anyone's riffle. I can't go arresting anyone just yet, but I still suspect your hunch is right and it was one of them."
"That's where the pieces seem to fit," Heyes agreed.
They rode quietly back to the house, Heyes deep in thought as he carefully scrutinized everything he had seen and heard today.
When they returned, Sarah had supper ready and on the table. The sheriff said he couldn't stay as he had work to do in town. So Sarah, Frank, George, Kid and Heyes sat down for a supper of rabbit stew and biscuits.
"You two find anything out there?" Frank asked
Heyes swallowed a bit of his food and smiled at Frank. "Don't think I'm at liberty to talk about anything while the sheriff's still investigating," he said politely.
Frank glowered at Heyes but Heyes pretended not to notice.
"Somebody out there hurt my boy, tried to kill him... I aim to take issue with that."
"Take issue?" Kid asked.
Frank glanced at Kid, but when he spoke, he looked directly at Sarah. "Yeah, Mr. Jones. Take issue. Nobody ought come between me and mine."
Kid gave Heyes a cautious glance.
"This stew is very good, Sarah," Heyes interjected quickly.
Sarah didn't look up from her plate. "Thank you," she said quietly.
0-0-0-0-0-0-
"What did you find out there?' Kid asked as he and Heyes spread blankets out over straw on the floor of the barn loft.
"Riffle casing and horse shit," Heyes replied.
"Nothing else?"
"Nope."
"Well my guess is George. He was pretty good shooting cans this afternoon."
"But that was with a .45, Kid. What we found was a casing from a riffle."
"So? I'm better with a .45 than I am with a riffle, but that don't mean I don't use a riffle from time to time."
"Yeah, that's true, Kid."
"Sarah and Tim go in to town to church every Sunday. Suppose someone there might have formed some grudge against him..." Heyes said, thinking out loud. "But Sarah said they only get to town about once a month."
"Why would she lie about something like that? Heyes, did you notice the way Sarah and George kept taking glances at each other? Kind of wary glances, I thought."
"I noticed. Maybe they was just both nervous. You said yourself that Sarah is of the nervous type."
"What about the way Frank avoided her like the plague? He brushed right by her when he got here, and barely spoke a word to her at supper except when he was snarling some revenge toward whoever shot Tim. When he was talking about that, he was looking right at her the whole time."
"Sheriff said Frank and George are loners, real clansmen type. Frank as much as called Sarah and intruder."
"Heyes, maybe it's something bigger than that..."
"Like what, Kid."
"I hate to even think it, let alone say it."
"Say what, Kid?"
"Maybe that baby ain't Tim's."
"Think it might be Georges?"
"Or worse."
"Aw, Kid, that's a terrible thought. Might be true, but it's still a terrible thought."
"I got a worse one, Heyes."
"I'm almost afraid to ask, Kid."
"If one of them did seed that child, it still don't mean either one of them is the one that shot Tim."
"You suggesting Sarah might have shot her own husband?"
Kid shrugged.
"She's a city girl. She likely don't even know how to shoot a riffle."
"Be nice to find out though, wouldn't it?"
0-0-0-0-0-
The next morning, Heyes and Kid knocked on the cabin door.
"Come on in, I'm fixing breakfast," they heard Sarah shout.
Entering the cabin, they saw Sarah at the wood burner frying bacon.
"Tim's been awake for an hour. Says he's hungry, but I told him he could only have coffee and eggs. I thought bacon might be too hard on him after that surgery."
"Mind if I go check in on him, Ma'am?" Heyes asked.
"Go ahead. I'll be a couple of minutes yet."
Kid sniffed the air. "No better smell than the smell of frying bacon," he said as he scooted behind Sarah to get a cup for some coffee.
Heyes tapped lightly at the bedroom door. "Tim, can I come in?"
"It's open."
Heyes walked in to the room and smiled at Tim who was sitting upright in the bed, his back leaning against a stack of pillows."
"You look like you're feeling better than you were yesterday," Heyes said.
"I am, and I'm sorry but I don't remember your name."
"Joshua Smith. The other fellow is Thaddeus Jones."
"Well, I want to thank you both for saving my life. I don't know what would have happened if you two hadn't come along."
"How long were you lying there before we found you?"
Tim sighed. "An hour, maybe more."
"Didn't see whoever it was that shot you?"
Tim shook his head. "All I remember is riding down the road and the next minute I was lying face first in the dirt with a pain I had never felt the likes of before."
"Where were you going, or where were you coming from?"
"I'd gone up to check on my pa. I try to do that at least once a week."
"Was George there when you got there?"
"George? No. At least I didn't see him."
"Tim... are you and George close?"
Tim shrugged. "We were as kids, but we're not particularly close now. We don't really have much in common, anymore. We don't talk much anymore."
"Why's that?"
Tim smiled. "You've met him and Pa. They got a different way of... thinking about things.
"That distance between you and George been going on a long time?"
"Yea, to some degree for a long time. Seems to have gotten worse that past few months."
"Since you got married?"
"Yea, there abouts. Pa don't take kindly to Sarah, and George, he... Well, I try to keep Sarah apart from them as much as I can. Why you asking?"
Heyes shook his head. "No real reason. Just trying to piece everything together."
"Piece what together?"
"Just trying to figure out who shot you. If that person is still out there, he might try it again."
Tim's eyes narrowed. He hadn't thought of someone actually trying again.
"You think my Pa or George shot me? That's just not possible Mr. Smith."
"Oh, I don't have any particular person in mind, Tim. I'm just trying to rule people out..."
"Look, Mr. Smith, I've seen how George looks at Sarah. But he's my brother. He wouldn't... He wouldn't do that."
Heyes decided not to pursue that angle any further with Tim and tried to think of something to change the subject.
"Doc says you and your wife are expecting. Congratulations."
"What!" Tim exclaimed.
There was something close to panic in Tim's eyes and voice and Heyes' jaw dropped at Tim's reaction.
"I...a...you didn't know? Sarah hasn't told you? Oh, Tim, I'm so sorry."
"Sarah!... Sarah! Come in here!" Tim shouted.
"Heyes' entire face pinched and he slipped out the door as Sarah rushed by him."
0-0-0-0-0-
"Heyes, what did you just do?" Kid asked sternly.
Heyes rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand and paced nervously about the room.
"Heyes, what did you just do?" Kid demanded.
Heyes stopped next to the kitchen table and looked at Kid sheepishly.
"Just told Tim he was going to be a father..."
"He didn't know?"
"Apparently not."
"Oh, for crying out loud, Heyes. You'd better make yourself scarce. …. What did you go and do that for anyway?" Kid scolded.
"I was trying to lead the conversation into the direction you suggested last night."
Kid just shook his head. "I hope that silver tongue of yours doesn't fail you when she comes out here looking for you."
"You're right, Kid. I'd better get out of here. Maybe I should ride in to town to let the sheriff know Tim's awake."
"Yea, like they say, get out of Dodge, quick. And maybe you'd better fetch the doctor while you're at it. Tim's probably in shock now, too."
Heyes ducked out the door. Kid poured himself another cup of coffee and fixed a plate of eggs and bacon. He sat down at the table and ate quickly. He didn't hear any shouting from the bedroom, and he wondered if Sarah had been able to smooth things over. When he was finished, he set his plate and cup on the counter and quickly put the distance of the house and the barn between him and the parents-to-be.
Kid set to work cleaning the barn until he saw Heyes and the sheriff ride up. He walked out to greet them.
"Why don't I go in, Joshua. You're probably still not too popular in there."
Heyes glanced toward the house nervously.
"Yea, you're probably right, Kid."
"I've started cleaning the barn. You can finish it up, take all the credit later. Might put you in better standing," Kid teased.
Heyes didn't see the humor. In fact, he thought Kid's suggestion was a sound one, so he headed off to the barn.
"Morning, Ma'am,' the sheriff said when Sarah opened the door. "I hear Tim's awake. Thought I might have a talk with him."
Sara nodded, then looked at Kid. "You're friend back?" she asked.
"Ah... yes Ma'am. He's cleaning your barn."
Sarah looked out toward the barn. "I'll be back. You go ahead on in," she said and headed for the barn.
"Tim, anything we talk about in here stays between the three of us, you understand?" the sheriff said and Tim nodded.
"Found a shell casing in that patch of trees yesterday, and horse tracks leading away toward your pa's cabin."
"You think Pa or George shot me?"
"I think someone in your family may have done it, yes."
"What does that mean, someone in my family?"
"I'm going to be blunt here, and I may be way off track...but Mr. Smith told me you just found out this morning that you're going to be a father."
"Yes, so?"
"How far along is she?"
"Three months."
"And she hasn't told you before now?"
"I don't think that's real uncommon, sheriff."
"Maybe not... Sarah know how to shoot a riffle?"
Tim nodded. "I taught her so she could protect herself when she's alone here."
"Protect herself from anyone in particular?"
Tim studied the sheriff. "No, Sheriff, not anyone in particular," he said with conviction.
"Tim, your pa seems to shun her a bit?"
"He ain't warmed up to her yet, if that's what you mean."
"How about George. Sarah and George friendly?"
"He ain't around her much... I think they get along when they are together. I ain't heard either one of them complain."
"You been shooting any of your riffles lately?"
"No."
"How many riffles you got, Tim?"
"Three... My wife didn't shoot me, Sheriff."
"Mind if I take a look at them riffles?"
"Help yourself. We have nothing to hide."
"I'll go get them for you," Kid offered and went to the main room and returned with the three riffles.
"You use all three of these when you taught Sarah to shoot?" the sheriff asked , opening the stock of the Winchester to examine and sniff at it for recent firing."
"Mostly the one you're holding. It's the most light weight and it's got the least back kick to it."
"When did you fire it last?"
"Couple of weeks ago, maybe longer."
"This riffle has fresh residue, Tim," the sheriff said, handing the riffle to Tim who sniffed for the particular odor. Kid reached for the riffle when Tim was finished and concluded the same thing the sheriff had. The gun had been recently fired.
"You think my wife shot me?" Tim repeated.
"I think someone shot you using this riffle. Who fired it remains to be seen."
"That's ludicrous,"
"We'll see. Remember, you don't talk about this even to Sarah. You do, and I find out about it, you'll be arrested for hindering an investigation."
Tim listened but wasn't looking at the sheriff or Kid. His mind was racing with questions that, most of which, he could find no answers.
0-0-0-0-
"You do that intentional?" Sarah asked Heyes as she stood in the doorway of the barn.
Heyes, who had been pitching hey into the stalls, leaned the pitchfork against a stall and walked over to her.
"No, Sarah. I thought he knew."
Sarah looked intently at Heyes. "I don't believe you..."
"Why would I lie to you about that?"
"I don't know, but I think you would."
"Sarah, is Tim the father?"
Sarah knew her secret had been discovered, that Tim was not the father of the child she was carrying. She leaned heavily against the frame of the barn door.
"Tim don't want kids... He's afraid a kid would turn out like George or his pa."
"But you do, you want kids?" Heyes asked.
Sarah nodded slowly. "I was waiting for just the right time to tell him."
Heyes knew his next question would bring a reaction, but he knew he had to ask.
"Were you going to tell him everything? We're you going to tell him about..." Heyes hesitated, then took a chance. "We're you going to tell him about you and George?"
Her eyes slowly raised to meet his and he saw her eyes were filled with anger, maybe even hate that he knew it was all directed at him.
"Tim wouldn't give me a baby. He was always real careful about that."
"So you found someone that would?"
"And now you're destroying everything. I could have convinced Tim."
"Did you shoot Tim?"
Sarah slowly shook her head.
"But you know who did?"
"When Tim went to see his pa yesterday, I met George near where you found Tim, up in a clump of trees. I gave him the riffle. He brung it back to me before you and your friend found Tim."
"You were going to marry George?"
Sarah nodded.
"You know you have to tell the sheriff, Sarah."
Sarah remained silent, her eyes down cast. Heyes took hold of her arm. "Come on," he said.
Heyes led Sarah back to the house. Kid and the sheriff were still in with Tim so they sat down at the table and waited. Sarah looked up over the hearth and saw that the three riffles were missing. She sighed, knowing all her plans had been foiled.
When Kid and the sheriff came out of Tim's room, Heyes explained that Sarah had something to tell them.
"I think we ought to go outside for this. I don't think anyone wants Tim overhearing. Kid, would you put those riffles somewhere safe and out of sight and then come out and join us," Heyes said.
Heyes again took Sarah's arm and led her out the door. The sheriff followed. Kid came out a couple of minutes later. Sarah confessed everything.
"Sarah, I'm going to have to arrest you. I'm going to go arrest George as well. It doesn't much surprise me about George, but I find it hard to believe that you thought you could get away with this."
Sarah didn't answer.
"I'll take Sarah to the jail," Heyes said. Kid will go with you to arrest George."
The sheriff looked at Kid who shook his head, agreeing with Heyes' suggestion. "I'll get the Winchester. Joshua can take it with him to the jail."
0-0-0-0-0-
Kid and the sheriff arrived at Frank's isolated cabin and knocked on the door. Frank answered.
"I have to speak to George," the sheriff explained.
Frank studied the sheriff and then Kid before opening the door and letting them into the house.
"George, come in here," Frank shouted.
George walked into the room. Kid and the sheriff both noticed that George was wearing his gun.
"George, Sarah confessed. I'm placing you under arrest."
"Confessed to what?" Frank demanded.
"To the fact that she and George plotted to shoot Tim," the sheriff explained.
Instantly George reached for his gun but naturally Kid was faster and had the barrel of his gun pointing directly at George before George's hand even reached his gun. While Kid held George at gunpoint, the sheriff reached over and lifted Georges' gun from his holster. He pulled hand cuffs from his belt and told George to turn around. George complied. Only when George was handcuffed did Kid holstered his own gun.
"You shot your own brother and you laid with his wife?" Frank sneered.
"You don't understand. I done it for her, pa." George pleaded.
"That little harlot ain't without responsibility, but you... You bring shame to this family. I ain't never laying eyes on you again... What you done... you ain't no son of mine."
George's eyes dropped to the floor, unable to look at his pa. Kid took George's arm and led him out of the house. Kid helped George onto his horseand Kid climbed into the saddle behind George and took the reins, then waited for the sheriff.
"I'm sorry things turned out this way, Frank." the sheriff said earnestly.
"Couple of bad seeds, him and her," Frank said.
"We haven't told Tim as yet. He's alone at his place right now."
Frank nodded. "I'll go to him. I'll explain."
"You need anything, Frank, you let me know."
"I need to make amends with Tim. That's likely going to take some time. But that's all I need."
The sheriff sighed heavily and walked out of the house to joined Kid. He climbed into his saddle and the three men rode to the jail.
0-0-0-0-0-
Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry rode leisurely down the road and away from that town. They had no particular destination in mind. They just wanted to distance themselves from the darkness of the past couple of days. Neither spoke of the tragedies they had witnessed, of the crimes they had helped to solve. They knew no one in that family came out of the situation unscathed or without scars.
Without wounds.