CHAPTER FIVE

"We're missin' what is bound to be a mighty fine meal, that's all I'm sayin'."

"No doubt," Chris Larabee responded as he read his book.

"Well, ain't you a little annoyed by that, Chris?"

"Not really, Buck. We all get a chance for leisure time. You certainly take your fair share of leisure time."

"That may be so, but I don't usually get a chance to eat during my leisure time." Chris looked up from his book and raised his eyebrow at his longtime friend. Buck offered a knowing and wicked grin when he added, "Eat food, I mean."

Chris snorted a laugh and then shook his head. "You'll never change, will ya?"

"Let me tell ya this," the ladies' man said as he leaned in conspiratorially. "You don't really want me to."

"Deep down?" the tall blond said as he stood and stretched. "I think I'm straddlin' the fence on that one, Buck. Come on."

"Come on?"

"Yeah. It's time to make our rounds around the circus."

"Aw, come on. Nothin's goin' on over there."

"Even still. We have an agreement with all the parents. We'd all make sure the circus is covered, every hour."

"We'd all except Vin, Nathan and Ezra."

"Ezra's still healing. And you forgot J.D."

"Damn straight I did."

"You'd rather be eatin' dust goin' from town to town for four days?" Chris asked.

"No. Oh, never mind. Let's go."

The official sunset was still hours away, but the sun was completely over the house and the coolness that set in on the east was refreshing to all the revelers at Nettie's ranch. Heyes and Curry hadn't enjoyed such a relaxing, pleasant and fun time in so long, they both felt uncomfortable, as though they had completely forgotten how to be like this. There were moments over the last near year and a half as they waited for their amnesty that they had fun: running a gambling hall, running a sting, spending time with their friend Clementine, when she wasn't trying to scam them. Relaxing was a precarious thing; they never knew when they would be on the run again, from bounty hunters, posses, outlaws or, most importantly, the law.

"How much longer do you have to stay off of Chaucer, Ezra?" Casey asked.

"Miss Casey, Nathan has deemed it necessary for me to remain off of mah fine steed for two more weeks," the gambler replied. He turned to Nathan and said, more statement than question, "TWO weeks."

"It was a complex injury with a bad infection. Two more weeks," the black man insisted. "And you know it's been a hard one for you because you haven't even wanted to play poker at the saloon."

"He's hidin' from Inez," Vin said, a joke in his tone.

"Ah am not hidin' from Inez," the gambler replied crossly. "Ah am takin' a walk." Ezra looked around the table, his eyes landing on Vin when he added, "Ah could use … fresher air." He turned to the former slave. "Do Ah have your blessin' to take a walk, Nathan?"

"Sure. But don't go too far."

"Heaven forbid." The former con man was up and away from the table in a flash, his flask lifted to his mouth before he was ten feet away.

Casey stood. "I'm going to prepare some packages for you to take back to town. There isn't a lot of food left, but someone ought to eat it." She left with the large platter with a few pieces of chicken left on it. She reached her thumb for the empty basket that previously held the rolls, and then was off to the house.

"You know," Heyes said to those remaining at the table. "He's not hiding from Inez. He sees her every day. Once, as he's leaving the saloon to come spend time playing poker with us." Heyes looked to the healer. "We are a little bored and on reduced activity," he added with a smile. "And on the days he chooses to go back, she's not ready to see him. I don't know what's gone on with them, it's not right for us to ask," he said as he nodded to his partner. "And he won't admit it, but I think he's losing hope that they'll get back together. And he's also been more, I don't know, sad than he was when we first arrived here. I think that thinking about not having a future with Inez has him thinking about the loss of Fred. I don't know …."

"Yes you do, Joshua. You're real good at reading situations, better at reading people."

"I was just kidding," Vin said.

Nathan leaned forward. "He has long stretches where he seems so much better, but I still think he's in a depression. Not as bad as it was, but still there. And regular distractions, for him and for us, make it easy to forget that he's still not all recovered from that. Joshua, you've been a distraction. Those two who held Mary that morning were, too. Saving J.D. The circus."

Nettie added, "He's got the kids that he's teaching, the shops and their books. Coming out to work with the horses, his lawman duties, playing poker. They are all regular things that he does. But in between all of that, he still has lots of time to sit and remember." She looked to Nathan, but stopped speaking as Casey came back for more bowls and pots to clear.

"Let me help, Casey," Thaddeus offered.

"You don't have to," she said amiably.

"But I want to." Casey smiled brightly, and then the two left with a large load of dishes to take back to the kitchen. Heyes smiled as he watched his best friend and his gentlemanly ways.

"Nathan, you and I have talked about this before. He may never be any better than he is now. And we all need to be all right with that," Nettie explained. Heyes' smile disappeared from his face and he lowered his chin to his chest. "Are you all right, Joshua?"

"Yeah," he said as he kept his head down. He wiped his finger near his eye, flicking away a tear. "Thaddeus, we … we had a hard time, when we were young. He was very young when we lost our parents. We argue about just how old we were, but I was about ten, he was about seven." Casey came back, talking and laughing with Kid. "Are you two having fun?" Heyes asked.

"Yeah!" Casey said. Kid looked at Heyes with a smile, but the smile faded quickly when he saw the look on his partner's face, a look that only Kid would be able to translate. A slight shake of the head told Kid that he would hear more about what was happening later. Casey and Kid took another load back to the house and Heyes continued.

"We were orphaned, no family to take us in. We ended up in an orphanage. A bad place. And even if it wasn't a bad place, it wasn't a loving, nurturing one. I was sure," Heyes said as he rubbed his forehead, "I didn't think my p … partner, my friend was ever going to get over what happened. He didn't speak but a word here and there for over six months." He looked around to see everyone staring at him, all with looks of great sympathy on their faces. "We're fine. At almost a year after he started blabbin' and he's never stopped." Heyes saw that Kid approached and likely heard what he said. More than likely heard, based on what the fast draw said to the table.

"Yeah, I'm the talker in this pair." Kid smiled at Heyes, understanding why he might be telling this story, and grabbed more things from the table. "Oh, and by the way, I saw what's for dessert. We are all in for a treat." Casey also gathered up more and the two walked away, rubbing shoulders and laughing.

"Well, he can talk, and I am the better for it. Anyway, he came out of, whatever they would have called it back then. I know I was depressed for a long, long time, so I expect it was at least that for a seven-year-old. He talked to me at about a year after our parents' deaths, but still to no one else. Things got worse there and we eventually escaped. Getting away from there was what saved him, I think."

"Sounds to me like it saved you both."

Heyes nodded and smiled at Nettie. "Maybe," he said, as he grasped her hand, brought it up to his lips and kissed it. Nettie blushed, but smiled at the civility from a man who might easily have learned nothing like civility, courtesy, gallantry, even. Whether he knew it or not, Nettie figured his upbringing at a very young age had set him up well, for life.

"Tell me, Mistah Smith, are you lookin' to abscond with our Mistah Wilmington's ladies' man's moniker?" Ezra asked as he returned to the table.

"That's not what this is, Fancy Man, and you know it."

"Ah do, indeed." Ezra sat beside Vin, butting up against him with his good shoulder.

"'m sorry, Ez," Vin said.

"Ah know that you are," Ezra said as he patted his friend's hand. Heyes watched the interaction, a familiar one to he and his partner. Hannibal Heyes had used that method of comfort with Kid Curry since they were very little. Their closeness as children, their ability to rely on one another through some terrible times in their lives, all of those experiences were what made it so easy to express their closeness still as adults. They knew what they had was special, they knew because of the sidelong looks they occasionally received because of that comfort displayed so readily, looks that they hadn't received from one among The Magnificent Seven.

Kid led the way back to the table with a tray of shot glasses, plates and forks and a bottle of … something. Casey followed with a platter with a bowl of cinnamon apples and two pies.

"Hey … everyone," Kid said, covering for himself as he almost let slip their very big secret. "Wait until you see these desserts." He looked to Ezra, who held his stare. "I understand that this bottle is from you."

"Actually, it is from France. It is one of the finest cognacs available. Ah have a fondness for it but since Nathan will allow Joshua and mahself just one drink, there will be plenty to go around. Missus Wells and Miss Casey, Ah believe you will both enjoy this."

Thaddeus poured a round and Casey started to cut a piece of pie for everyone, with a side of the cinnamon apples. Ezra suggested a slightly smaller slice of each for himself, so that was how it went for each man. Casey cut herself a slice of peach pie and Nettie went for the pecan. More conversation, some visits with Nettie's horses, an after supper walk up to the crest of the hill beyond the near corral took everyone to an amazing view of the rest of the Wells property.

"Not everything you see is mine. That stand of trees, at the edge you can see to the west, is the far side of Cody Porter's old place." Ezra, Vin and Nathan lowered their heads. Nettie rubbed the healer's back. "Cody's property was burned and he was killed by a local rancher's hired gun," the homeowner explained for Heyes and Curry, who appeared confused by the sudden change in demeanor of the three lawmen. "These boys found Cody hanging from a tree, his home burned down."

The former outlaws looked at each other, then Heyes said, "I hope the men who did that are now in prison."

"The one who did the burning and the killing was hanged," Vin said.

"Not the one who hired him. He only spent a couple of years in prison," Nathan added.

"When you have money and know who to pay off, it is quite easy to pay your way out of your sentence," Ezra said.

"So, he's back here?" Kid asked. "I mean, back in the area."

"Back in his house. Still causin' trouble," Casey said.

"The only reason he doesn't cause more trouble than he does is because he knows this town won't stand for it. We stood together the last time and he went to jail," Nettie said. "I hear he didn't like it much."

"I can imagine," Heyes said. He and Ezra locked eyes, the gambler lowered his head to hide his grin. Heyes used his considerable skills and chose to practice his poker face. Kid walked over to his partner, who was looking tired. A hurting Hannibal Heyes was all the distraction Kid Curry needed to keep anyone from seeing the shock on his face when Heyes just spoke.

"We ought to head back. Don't want to be far from town when it gets dark," Kid said. He turned to Nettie and Casey. "Thank you so much for doin' this. The meal was incredible, the company even better," he said with a warm, heartfelt smile. He first kissed Nettie and hugged her, and then did the same with Casey.

Heyes walked over. "You can see how I always need to keep my eye on him. The ladies seem to love him," he said as he hugged Casey and kissed her. "Have a good night. Thank you." Casey's smile was huge as she got a bigger goodbye from the three Four Corners regulators in their efforts to keep up with the easy charms of their visitors. She headed to the barn with Vin and Nathan to get all of the horses ready to go.

Heyes turned to Nettie. "Would you run away with me, Missus Wells?"

"Do not make me hurt you, young man. Call me Nettie. And if I was younger, I would do it in a heartbeat. Figure you'd keep life lively, keep me on my toes."

Heyes hugged her, leaned in and whispered, "Are there any more in your family who aren't already taken?" He gave her a big kiss on the cheek and a long, enveloping hug.

"I wish there were, son. And I would make them move here so I could get my fill of you. Now, get goin'. We'll be in town in a few days. Don't you go movin' on until we have a visit."

"I don't think Joshua will be moving on for a while, Nettie," Nathan said as he hugged her. Vin and Ezra also said their goodbyes and everyone heading back to town was on their way.

It was a fairly quiet ride back to town, though Ezra did his share of talking, his primary goal was to keep Heyes entertained and therefore awake. Ezra couldn't drive the pony runabout, his shoulder wasn't ready for that kind of workout, and the carriage was too small for a third man. Ezra could also not yet ride a horse. Neither could Heyes. The best way Ezra found of keeping his new friend entertained was to tell stories of their time as The Magnificent Seven. He stuck to the funny or the 'if you didn't laugh you would cry' sort of tale. Ezra smoking out his mother's new hotel across the boulevard from the former Standish Taven with a polecat, as well as why the Standish Tavern was former. The dozens of times Nathan had been questioned about why he would keep a clinic up all of those stairs. Josiah's bringing a moment of levity as he tore onto Guy Royal's property drunk as a skunk and loaded for bear, a fortuitous entry if ever there was one. Ezra refrained from telling the story of how Josiah almost found himself standing trial for the seamstress Miss Irene's death after another time the town's preacher was in his cups.

Vin and Nathan delighted in telling the story of how Ezra lost all of his clothes save for his boots, his hat and his gun and holster to the cheating, hollow-legged gambler Big Lester Bangs.

"Found 'im walkin' down the street tying the tablecloth tighter around his waist," Vin said.

"Indeed, Ah did walk down the avenue shirtless and nearly everything-less, much to mah consternation, but indeed, to the delight of the ladies of Four Corners," Ezra explained to Heyes and Curry.

"I have no doubt it wasn't just the ladies of Four Corners who were happy Bangs hadn't lost that game of poker. Can you imagine him walking around only wearing his boots, hat and a tablecloth?" Nathan said.

"Sounds like your town is full of excitement," Kid said.

"This is true, Thaddeus. And if it is not miscreants or circus performers or others causing such excitement, we have ways of making it ourselves," the former con man said.

"Ezra talked half the town into making an igloo for the kids," Nathan said.

"An igloo?" Kid asked. "Wouldn't think you'd get enough snow for something like that.

"Don't normally. But Ez always pays attention to the weather in the winter. He's a big kid when it comes to snow," Vin said.

"Only when Ah am able to play in it, followed by a goodly amount of liquor to warm mahself up. When Ah am out on the trail, Ah am not inclined to enjoy the snow. Not one beautiful flake of it."

"That igloo was something else," Nathan said. "It was big enough, even I could crawl in and take a look."

"He could not stand, howevah. That would have caused damage to the structural integrity of the ice home."

It turned quiet for a while before Vin urged Ezra to tell Heyes about Fred. The gambler started, smiling as he reminisced about the sweet orange and white dog that the town adopted but who chose Ezra as his person.

"He was a willing student, for certain. A talented canine, as accomplished as any circus performer. He and Chaucer developed an amazing rapport," Ezra explained. He lowered his head and shook it, wiping away a tear or two.

"Ez had Fred trained real good," Vin continued as he watched while his friend stopped talking. "He would sit on Chaucer's rump. He'd do a little dance through Chaucer's high-steppin' hooves. It sure was somethin' what you did with him, Ez," the tracker finished.

"And he was such a good dog with all the kids. You had him treat all of them like he was theirs," Nathan said.

Ezra was finally able to speak once more. "That was nothin' that Ah had anythin' to do with, Nathan," he said, his speech growing lazier as the long day began to catch up to him. "Fred just came to us that way. He was the most good-natured, gentlest, sweetest canine Ah have ever known. He was the best … " he added, choked at the last, but finished, " … very best boy."

"He was that," Nathan agreed.

"Amen," Vin added.

The five men rode in silence for a while and then Ezra said, "Vin has a talent that he might wish to share."

Nathan snorted and said, "You ain't gonna make Joshua and Thaddeus listen to that mouth organ, are you?"

"Good lord, no. Ah was suggestin' that Vin offer us one of his poems. Mistah Tanner is a wonderful poet," Ezra said.

Vin assumed that Ezra meant for him to make up a poem on the spot. It was something that he had done any number of times in the past. Mostly, though, that was only in the presence of Ezra. Mary included some of Vin's poems in the newspaper, but that wasn't on the spot. Those poems were personal, the ones he could make up on the fly, intended for an audience, normally of one, as he felt most comfortable in Ezra's presence to do so. Yes, the former buffalo hunter had offered up a poem for his brothers in arms, or one for Chris that documented their friendship. But this request was different, and Vin didn't like being put on the spot like this, in front of virtual strangers. And it made him mad that his friend had put him in that position.

"I ain't yer trained monkey, Ezra," he said. Nathan and Kid looked to Vin, they could see the anger, even as twilight approached. Heyes slowed the carriage and took a look at Ezra. He didn't like what he saw, the hurt that the southerner felt at Vin's words obvious. And then Vin went on. "I ain't no damned circus dog."

"Vin!" Nathan yelled, knowing how the phrasing of the slight would be taken by their friend, a man who had tried his damnedest to get over the death of the sweet hound dog whose tricks were always compared to the dogs in the circus. It was a point of pride and something that brought joy and warmth into his own life and the life of so many others, the work Ezra did with Fred. At this point in his recovery from Fred's passing, he didn't need this kind of talk thrown at him to remind him more of all that he had lost. Vin's unkind words would remind Ezra not only that Fred was no longer with him, but also that maybe, just maybe, he had lost the best friend that he'd ever had, certainly the best friend since the loss of his brother in his youth. The man was mourning more than the loss of a dog. Did he really have friends as loyal and loving as a little dog that he saved from certain death just a few years before? Sometimes, it didn't seem so.

"Ezra," Vin said. "I didn't mean … "

"Ah have no doubt that you did not mean what you said, Vin. You are a fine man who would nevah intend to hurt." Heyes could feel the tension in his partner in the carriage. He placed his hand gently on Ezra's thigh as he brought the carriage to a stop, and then he spoke.

"You know, it's been a long day. I know I'm tired, I can feel Ezra here is, too. We're leanin' in against each other. Before anyone says anything that goes too far or that they'll regret, maybe we should just concentrate on getting back to town. We can all talk in the morning. I'm sure we can make right tomorrow anything that might have been said wrong tonight."

"An excellent suggestion, Joshua." And that was the last any of the five men spoke for the next near half of an hour. But speaking was soon to be required, they just didn't know it yet.

"Hell," Chris Larabee said as he read the telegraph. "Sorry, Aaron."

"That's all right, Mr. Larabee. I hear lots worse when dad has us out at the ranch. Don't tell my mom."

"I won't," Chris said with a friendly grin. He thought of how Adam might have turned out, had he been given the chance, had he not been murdered alongside his wife Sarah. The former gunslinger liked to think that his son would be much like young Aaron: smart, dependable, funny, loving, a good sibling to Annie and Emily, nurturing to the younger kids in town. A good boy growing into a fine young man. His parents – all four of them – had done such a good job raising the child. "Here, this is for you." Chris gave Aaron a coin for running the message over to him. Aaron, along with his sister Annie were the adopted children of Robert and Abigail Merton, the children of the now-deceased undertaker, veterinarian and friend to so many in Four Corners, Tom Arthur.

"Do you want me to take a response back?" Aaron asked.

"No, thanks. You must be expected at home. Go ahead. I have to speak with the fellas before I send a reply."

"All right. G'night."

"Goodnight." Aaron ran toward the small house that the Mertons kept in town and was the place where the seamstress Irene Dunlap was killed in front of several years earlier. Abigail did some sewing for hire in the same place where Miss Irene ran her business. The Mertons purchased the entire building and made a lovely home for their family there.

Chris stood up from the seat outside the jail and walked inside.

"Dave, I need to go gather the fellas. Can you stay a little longer?"

"Sure, Chris. Happy to stay until the prison transport shows up."

Chris headed over to Robert Merton's place first. The tall rancher answered the door and walked out onto the small boardwalk at the private entrance to the building, down the alley from the front entrance that Abigail used for her seamstress business.

"Chris?"

"So, you're back."

"Yeah. J.D. and I got back about an hour ago."

"You in the middle of supper?"

"Just starting. What's wrong?" he asked as he saw the telegraph in the former gunslinger's hand.

"I hate to do this to you. I know you've been gone for a few days."

"Five long days. That boy can talk. And he's got the worst jokes."

Chris laughed. "Sorry. I owe ya one." More seriously, Chris said, "Need you to head to the jail when you're done."

"What's happened?"

"Mason Grant's son Frank threatened the judge. Judge Travis said we should be on the lookout. I need extra help at the jail, and we need to be ready if he comes to threaten anyone else."

"Where's Ezra and Vin? They both shot Grant, right?"

"They should be heading back from Nettie's right about now. I hope they don't get caught out there in the dark with Frank Grant. Mason's bad enough, but Frank? He spent time at Wyoming Territorial Prison for murder and cattle rustling. He 'helped' some politician up there and had his sentence commuted one or two governors ago."

"Great. So, you want me at the jail."

"For now. Finish your supper, then head over. I'll have Marty come and spell Dave so he can get something to eat. We're gonna need all the hands we can get, but the two he'll want most are the ones who stopped his father with bullets. And he'll want to get his father out. Good thing the prison transport is due soon."

"Yeah."

"I'll come get you once I've gathered everyone I can. We'll meet at the church."

"All right." Chris started to leave. "Hey, Chris."

"Yeah."

"What was the threat?"

Chris handed the rancher the telegraph. He stepped down from the boardwalk and out closer to the street and read it. "Hell. When ya phrase it like that you can see how not the smartest telegraph operator would just let it go."

"Yeah. See you in a while."

"You bet."

"You know that Mabel can take this runabout at a much-increased pace, Mistah Smith."

"You know that if my shoulder wasn't here you'd be falling off of this runabout, Mr. Standish."

"Oh," Ezra said as he sat up straight, and hissed slightly from the pain of it all. "Sorry."

"Don't worry. I don't mind. It's not my lower back you're leaning against."

"How are you feeling?" Ezra asked. "We have hardly had an opportunity to discuss your medical troubles.

"To be honest, it's been nice having other distractions. Besides, the worst symptom I've had since that episode that first day has been just an overall tiredness."

"Other than being hit by the solid brawn of our tall blond from Indiana."

"Other than that," Heyes agreed.

"Are you feeling lethargic this evening?"

"I am, but don't tell Nathan and Thaddeus," Heyes replied as he leaned over to his companion and replied in a whisper.

"Are there secrets being shared in the carriage?" Kid asked.

"No. Thaddeus, come over here," Heyes said. Kid brought his horse up beside his partner.

"Yeah."

"I think we're being followed."

Ezra said, "Ah have felt the same. We should inform mah compatriots," the gambler said quietly.

The time to advise Vin and Nathan of Ezra and Heyes' suspicions had passed. A gunshot was heard, quite close.

"Drop your weapons. And don't make me ask again. I don't mind shootin' people."

None of the five men thought there was more than one man attempting this hold-up, or whatever it was. Ezra, Vin and Nathan knew that they would still have Ezra's Derringer in his sleeve rig and Nathan's knives. There was no way to know if the two visitors that Judge Travis sent their way due to Heyes' illness had any hidden weapons. It was clear, though, that all five men heading to Four Corners felt unsure enough about the threat to not want to jeopardize anyone's life.

"If it is money you seek … " Ezra started to say, but the person who could be heard and barely seen to the side of the road, standing beside his horse, using it as a shield, clarified things for the five men.

"It ain't. And shut up. Throw your guns down. Now." Vin tossed his Mare's Leg, Nathan his handgun. Heyes and Curry threw their guns down as well. Ezra tossed only his Remington as both the Derringer and Colt would not be seen or known by whoever was lurking just out of their field of vision. "You two, get down from that girly carriage. You three, off your horses." Vin, Nathan and Kid dismounted. Ezra got down from the left side of the carriage, Nathan close by, if needed. Heyes was slower removing himself from the runabout. Though his back was healing and his seat was comfortably padded in the carriage with good suspension, moving was still painful if he didn't do it carefully. The man who had his gun at the ready was not interested in waiting. He yanked Heyes by his arm and threw the unsuspecting man down to the ground.

"What the hell!" Kid yelled as he ran to his partner.

"Hey … " Kid started, but Heyes grabbed his friend's wrist, tight, and shuddered as he bore the pain. "Hey, are ya'all right?" the fast gun said, hiding his near slip of saying his partner's full name.

"Get 'im to the back of the carriage," the man said in anger. "Move!" he said when Kid helped Heyes up, moving as fast as they could.

"Are you all right, Joshua?" Ezra asked. Nathan moved closer to the reforming outlaw to be ready to take a look at him.

"I'm all right," he replied. He wasn't. He was stooped over and in obvious pain.

"Heeya!" the man said as he fired his gun twice into the ground at the horses' hooves. They scattered. Mabel stayed put. "Get goin', horse!" He slapped her hard. He shot his gun right at her ear.

"Stop! Ah will make her move," Ezra called, irate at how this man would treat an animal. "Mabel," the gambler said loudly. "Home," he added in a normal tone. The large horse started forward, toward Four Corners.

"All right. I'm collecting these weapons. Stay where ya'are." The man proceeded to gather the guns. He removed all of the bullets and threw them into the woods. "Start walkin' back the way ya came." They did as they were told, and then the man got up on his horse and shot down the road.

Ezra pulled out his Colt but realized two things. One, he might hit the horse, which would be a result he would not think worth the attempt to stop this man. And two, damn Chris Larabee for putting the mantra, 'you don't shoot nobody in the back' in his head. Unless he or one of his fellow lawmen or fellow citizens or some other innocent person were in mortal danger, shooting a person at all, front or back, was the last resort for the southerner. He pulled his gun from aiming at the man and let loose two distinctly different whistles. The second one was brain numbing.

"A little warning?" Kid said. "I can't hear myself talk."

"Sorry. I needed to call them back before they got too far away," Ezra said in apology. To Heyes, the card sharp asked, "Can you walk, Joshua?"

"Yeah."

Vin collected all of their weapons from the ground and distributed them to each man. When he got to Ezra he said, "I'm real sorry, Ez."

"Ah know you are, Vin," the card sharp said as he patted the tracker's forearm.

"Let me look at ya, Joshua," Nathan said.

"No. Let's get back to town. This one is trouble," he said as he re-loaded his weapon. "Did you recognize him, Thaddeus?" Kid furrowed his brow and shook his head 'no'.

"You know him?" Vin asked as he and his four companions started walking back to town.

"His trial in Wyoming territory was famous. So was his release from prison, way ahead for a felon who was convicted of killing someone and stealing a couple of dozen cattle from one of the biggest ranches in the territory."

"Ah, yeah. Damn," Kid said.

"Does this miscreant have a name?" Ezra asked.

"Frank Grant," Kid replied.

Ezra, Vin and Nathan stopped in their tracks. "Grant?" Vin asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"The malefactor who shot me when we rescued young Mistah Dunne was Mason Grant."

"There's no chance that is a coincidence," Heyes said plainly.

"Well look at this," Kid said. "How'd you do this?"

"Ezra's good with horses," Nathan said with a crooked grin.

"So we've heard," Heyes said with a smile. Being chastised by Nettie Wells earlier in the day still smarted. "You trained them to come back on a whistle?"

"Ah have worked with all of mah compatriots' horses," Ezra answered. "Mabel, of course," he added as he looked down the road where he soon hoped to see his favorite work horse make her way back to them. "And several othah of Tiny's horses and donkeys and mules. It was fortuitous that you rented one of them, Thaddeus." Ezra rubbed his forehead, breathed in deeply and then out slowly.

"Headache?" Vin asked.

"Yes. Ah fear Ah may have brought it on with that second whistle. Mabel requires a bit more effort to get a response sometimes." The professional poker player turned to Vin and Nathan. "You should head back to town and forewarn as best you can. He has a head start, but he does not know of our shortcut."

"Maybe I should go back with you," Kid suggested.

"No!" Hannibal Heyes said with urgency.

"No," Ezra agreed, turning to Heyes and with his eyes, telling him to calm down, that the gambler would not allow it.

"No," Nathan said.

"The 'nos' have it," Ezra said.

"Ezra and Joshua are not healed enough to fight if Grant or someone else wants to fight," Nathan said reasonably. The healer looked to Ezra especially. "You're sure you're all right?" Nathan asked his good friend. Ezra and Nathan's friendship had been a long time coming. Their first meeting did not bode well for the two men to have civil relations, let alone a deep friendship. A southerner and a former slave and Ezra's words in the saloon that first day … no, not a meeting that heralded anything good. But common goals in their job to protect the town and a couple of years of learning, about each other and about themselves, exposed an abiding trust, understanding and affection that all of Four Corners' citizens were blessed to see, one that their fellow lawmen knew was there, simmering, waiting to turn to something good. The two men couldn't imagine ever going back from what they now had. Their closeness was obvious, even to the former strangers but strangers no more of Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry.

"Ah am fine, though Ah can imagine just remaining at Joshua and Thaddeus' place tonight if Vin would kindly take care of Mabel and Nathan's pony runabout."

"I can do that, Ez."

"All right. Off with you." The two men who would be heading back immediately mounted their horses and sped off toward town. The other three started back down the road, Kid walking with his companions. They made it about a half a mile when Ezra sighed – or moaned, it was hard to say – and stumbled into Heyes, who groaned at the renewed pain in his back from being dragged from the carriage and thrown to the ground.

"Apologies," Ezra said. "Have Ah hurt you more? Ah did not intend… "

"No, I'm hurt just the same as I was when Grant yanked me to the trail. Are you all right?"

"A blistering headache. Ah hope … well, nevah mind."

"We're quit a pair, denying how hurt or in pain we are. This a regular thing for you?" Heyes asked as he deliberately slowed his stride. As much as he hoped to get back to town quickly, walking at any rate of speed would not be getting them back there until midnight. He knew he had to hope that Standish was as good with horses as everyone kept saying and that Mabel would show up soon.

"Yes, but you did not hear that from me? You?"

"Thaddeus would tell you it's so. It really doesn't pay to show any weakness, there's too many who would take advantage of knowing too much, every time." Ezra grunted in reply. Heyes asked, "This headache thing you've got, is it chronic?"

Kid insinuated himself between the two healing men. "Just in case one of you decides to teeter any more, at least you won't bump into each others' hurts," he said reasonably.

"Smart man," Ezra said. The former con man was going to have this talk with Heyes eventually with the doctors present, but getting started now would pass the time, as well as potentially distract him from a headache that felt dangerously close to a sick headache. He had two the previous month, and one every month before that since Fred had passed. Before that, Ezra had managed many months between episodes. There was little doubt that the gambler was feeling extra stressed of late as he kept his friends and the town waiting for a recovery from a loss that he wasn't convinced was ever coming.

"Ah suffer from sick headaches. Have you heard of them?"

"Yeah. One of the doctors in Santa Fe suggested that it might be what I was having. But I would go many days longer than a typical sick headache before I would start to feel better. And I wasn't really having the really bad reaction to light, and especially sound. And sometimes I would just be sick, fevered, but no real headache, for sure not as bad as sick headaches. Don't get me wrong, I've had some bad headaches through this whole thing, but other symptoms and exhaustion lingered way beyond them."

"No, it does not sound like a sick headache." Ezra sighed.

Kid was keeping an eye on both men. He looked to Ezra and said, "You wanna stop for a while. You're looking pretty pale."

"Certainly that could be attributed to the bright moon as twilight nears."

"Sure, it could." Kid decided to let his new companion be. They walked a while longer, then Heyes said, "I, um, I am worried that this is something I might not recover from. I need to figure out what to do about my partner."

"I'm right here," Kid said.

"I know."

"Joshua, Ah feel it is well early to be worrying about that. You have not yet been seen by the doctors."

"But I have been experiencing these symptoms now for nearly two months. I've been examined by other doctors. I can't wait too long to figure this out, if things get worse … I don't want Thadde … I can't leave him without making sure he'll be all right."

"Now, Joshua … "

"No, Thaddeus. Let me finish. Ezra, do you … do you think maybe … that there would be a way for Thaddeus to make a life here?"

"Damn it, Heyes," Kid said, unable to stick to the alias when they were talking about Heyes possibly dying from this ailment.

"Don't," Heyes said as he stopped and looked at Kid. "Don't. I need to … we need to plan, for any outcome."

Ezra stopped walking and turned to watch Heyes and Curry. Lord forgive him, but he was really starting to like these men. No one knew better than Ezra Standish that a man's upbringing, or lack or loss thereof, could have the worst impact on an adult life. No doubt Vin losing his mother so young brought him to a place where he suffered bad judgment, which cost him dearly, until he met up with his six law enforcement brothers who were able to protect him until they could gather the evidence they needed to clear him of a bogus murder charge. Maude Standish's influence certainly led her son down a path that convinced him that lying to and cheating people was a proper way to live a life. Whatever it was in their pasts that made Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry household names paled in comparison to what it was in their hearts and their characters that convinced them to stop robbing and making an easy living stealing and spending other peoples' money, to now inhabiting an itinerant life, working hard jobs, working hard at finding hard jobs, and staying one step ahead of the law, bounty hunters and outlaws. Even the inimitable Judge Oren Travis saw something in these men that convinced him that their town would be safe from these reforming outlaws.

"Ah would say that you are placing the proverbial cart before the horse, Joshua."

"Damn straight," Kid agreed wholeheartedly.

"That said, Ah would certainly be honored to be your advocate in trying to convince the leaders of this town to welcome you and your partner. You already have a number of citizens who wield influence wrapped around your finger. The support of Judge Travis might indeed be a moot one with all of the people you have waiting for you in your corner in Four Corners."

Heyes smiled. He looked to his angry, dear friend and said, "Now Thaddeus, that is what a true silver tongue looks like."

"Ah am certain that once these doctors are through with you, we will understand why you are well-known for your felicity with words. Shall we proceed?" At that moment, they heard a whinny ahead of them. It was growing dark, but they could see Mabel making her way quickly to the three waiting men.

"You, Ezra Standish, have earned all of the praise heaped on you about your way with horses. I've never been happier to be wrong about someone," Heyes said. "Let me give you a hand up." Ezra accepted the help, Heyes got up in the driver's seat with a hug from and then an assist from Kid. They ventured down to a clearing where they were able to turn the carriage around and headed home as quickly as the waning light and Mabel's knowledge of the road allowed.

"Okay. Take them away!" J.D. called to the front of the prison transport. The wagon headed out of town with a guard riding alongside the driver. Inside were all three men convicted the previous week and sentenced to prison by Judge Oren Travis.

"All right. J.D., you and Dave, stick close to the jail." Chris looked down the avenue as he watched the prison wagon make the curve heading out of town. He hoped that if Frank Grant was coming their way that it was from the other direction, despite the fact that the other direction would be where Grant could come upon his friends and Heyes and Curry as they returned from Nettie's . "We're losing light." Everyone nodded. "Robert, take a position at the livery. The wreckage of the wagon should keep you well hidden. Josiah, church steeple."

"You bet," Josiah replied.

"Where's Buck?"

"He took a ride out to John Martinez' place. Should be back any time now," J.D. said. "Not great timing, huh?"

"Not really. Everyone, stay alert," Chris said. "Watch your backs."

"Everyone, be careful," Robert said as they headed to their positions.

"Marty, take a seat out in front of the Ritz. Ben, you can go get a cup of coffee at the bakery and take that seat in front of it."

Ben smiled. "Thanks."

"You grab them as they come into town and let them know about Frank Grant."

"I'll take care of it." Ben Pike had an important role in today's affair, but also the most important role he had was to make sure his family was safe in their tiny home behind the store. They were leaving the lights on in both the bakery and the grocery and general store, but the doors were locked in both businesses. All of the storefronts kept their kerosene lamps on in the street-facing windows as much as possible. They were not expected to do so when they weren't present in the building, for fear of fire, but today was a night that Ben knew they could use as much light as possible.

"I'm heading over," Marty replied to Chris. "Good luck," he said to everyone present.

"Mr. Heidegger?"

"Up on Gloria's roof?"

"Thanks. Andrew, can you take a seat on the boardwalk at the Clarion News?"

"Sure thing, Chris." Andrew Patterson worked as foreman for Robert Merton and spent time in town when Robert did. They planned drives, scheduled men and did all of the necessary work of a large ranch in the small office Robert fixed up in the back of his building, when they weren't working out on his large spread. He also had a room back there for his foreman. Andrew was good with a rifle from any range. He would be able to keep his weapon readily hidden behind one of the planters Mary kept on her boardwalk. Chris watched the man walk to his position, his limp hardly noticeable on days like today, when he had not spent all day in a saddle.

Chris walked to his spot at the saloon. He already spread the word that folks should stay inside for the evening. He knew there were plenty who would be out moving around, he couldn't control everyone or convince them all to do what was in their best interests. It would keep the town looking like things were still happening when Grant arrived, but enough people would heed the call to stay home, which would make their jobs easier. Extra fires were lit along the road to help all of the men with guns, and some men not helping directly with the hopeful capture of Frank Grant, be able to see the goings on out on the street. He'd stopped by Mary's to make sure she knew to keep Billy and herself inside, in the back, away from windows. Similar information had been disseminated throughout the town. The tall blond walked inside. There were plenty of men scattered about having a drink. Chris walked up to the bar.

"Everything all right?" he asked Inez.

"Yes. I will be happy when this is all over."

"Where's Tommy?"

"He will be back soon. He was helping to set the extra fires."

"Good."

"Do we know when Ezra and Nathan and everyone are due back from Mrs. Wells' house?"

"It should be soon."

"All right."

"Everything will be fine. We've got men all over town. And as soon as Ezra, Nathan and Vin get back … "

"Oh, Vin is not here as well?"

"Inez, as soon as they get back to town, Ben is going to head out to tell them what's happening. It'll be fine," Chris assured the pretty Mexican saloon keeper. She worried for all three of the lawmen who were out there and not home, but she worried most for just one, even if they were struggling as a couple. She loved Ezra, but she wondered if they might not really be meant for each other. She wanted them to be, but she also had many worries. Of all of the things she worried about, her inability to fix what had been broken in her man since his dog died? It seemed like a break that could not be mended. Ezra was the love of her life, but they were still so far apart. Certainly, her running back to family in Las Cruces when life became too painful did not help, but remaining in Four Corners, witnessing Ezra's pain, Ezra pushing her away as he suffered, was too hard.

Inez picked up a rag and started to wipe down the countertop. "Of course it will. I have to get back to work." She turned and headed to the end of the bar to help a customer.

Chris shook his head. Something would have to give with those two. He needed to get together with Mary and seriously talk this over. It was too much to watch Ezra and Inez apart when they were so good together.

The leader of The Seven walked out the batwing doors to the boardwalk of the saloon. He leaned up against a post of the overhang and looked down the avenue. "Come on," he said softly to himself. "Get home. Be okay out there."

Vin and Nathan neared the crossroads on the backroad trip as they returned to Four Corners. The main trail was just ahead. They remained on the near side of the road, behind some tall grass and a large cottonwood tree. They knew they made it to this point before Grant, but they didn't want to scare him back toward Ezra, Smith and Jones.

"Should be here any minute," Vin whispered.

"Still think it's best to let him go toward town?"

"Yep. We'll catch up to 'im, keep an eye on him as he heads in. We'll get 'im if he makes a move."

"He'll probably go straight to the jail," Nathan said.

"Transport was supposed to pick his father up today."

"They're rarely late. Should be able to nab him."

"Smith and Jones made him sound crazy. Could cause trouble, still."

Nathan touched Vin's arm. "That's him." They heard the horse approaching the crossroads.

"Listen careful." They waited quietly as Frank Grant trotted by on his horse. "D'you hear that?"

"Horse goin' lame?" Nathan asked.

"Sounds like. Let's go."

The two followed Grant to town, keeping their distance.

Buck rode into town. As he passed the saloon he asked, "You waitin' on me?"

"No. Get on down, we got a situation," Chris said.

"What's goin' on?"

"Mason Grant's son is heading this way to break his father out of jail."

"He's not here anymore, is he?"

"No. Prison wagon left about an hour ago."

"That's good. Everybody back from Nettie's?"

"No."

"That's not good."

"No. Go on over to the jail with J.D and Dave. We've got the town covered pretty good."

"I saw Marty at the Ritz and Andrew at the Clarion. Figure Josiah and Heidegger are up," Buck suggested.

"Yep. Robert's at the livery, Ben's at his place. He's gonna stop Ezra, Vin and Nathan as they come in to town to tell 'em what's going on."

"Okay. Be careful," Buck said to his oldest friend.

"You, too," Chris replied.

"If Frank Grant is here in your town to spring his father out of jail, you should know he's crazy enough to have let Judge Travis know about it," Heyes said to his travel companions. Mabel was making good progress on this good stretch of road on the approach to town. There was little doubt that Grant would be entering town at about this moment.

"And if he did, then the judge would have notified Chris," Ezra said. "He might not have needed the insane son to send a telegraph. The law in Wyoming might already have notified him if they had gotten word that Grant was on his way."

"Unfortunately, Frank Grant was known for shooting first and asking questions later," Kid said.

Ezra whistled, a kinder whistle this time. "Let's go, Mabel," he called. Mabel heeded the request.