Autumn Storm
Watching The Chisholms always sparks my 'what if' curiosity about an encounter between Kid Curry and Will Chisholm. This is one such possibility...
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Black clouds moved quickly across the sky, while below strong winds swirled dust and dirt from the road, forming wisps of tiny cyclones that rose as much as a foot from the ground, then dissipated as quickly as they had formed. Both riders knew a storm was imminent. In the distance, the silhouette of a town against the dark horizon was a welcome sight and without so much as a glance at the other, both men slammed their stirrups against their horses, hoping to outrun the impending deluge of the storm.
Reaching the single street town of Redding, California, they headed to the hotel where Heyes dismounted, gathered both sets of saddlebags, and handed Kid the reins of his horse. Kid gave the sky a quick glance, then led his partner's horse to the livery. A few minutes later, Kid stepped out into the street just as large drops of rain began to fall, slamming the dirt street and sending little tufts of dirt splaying and rising as much as an inch from the road.
The rain drops quickly increased in number which just as quickly began turning the dry dirt to damp mud, and Kid dodged rapidly forming puddles as he crossed the street to the boardwalk. The wooden canopy above the boardwalk did little to shield him from the wind that sent the rain moving in a sideways direction. Quickening his pace, Kid reached the hotel and ducked inside just as the first loud rumble of thunder rolled across the sky. He stood just inside the lobby and brushed his sleeves in a vain attempt to wipe the dampness from his shirt as Heyes descended the stairs.
"Rain's started?"
"Obviously," Kid replied.
"Well, we can ride out the storm here or across the street at the saloon, maybe making a little money."
"I'm staying right here," Kid announced. "Best sleep in the world is through a storm, when you're inside and in a nice warm bed, of course."
Heyes reached into his pocket and pulled out the room key that he handed to Kid. " It's room 214. I'll pick up a second key from the desk when I get back. I'll be back around suppertime," he said and opened the entrance door just as the sky lit up with lightening. "Unless it's still storming," he added.
Kid wasted no time heading up the stairs and into the room. He removed his gun belt, followed by his boots, wet shirt and pants. Finally, he pulled back the blankets and climbed into the bed, sinking into the soft mattress.
A few hours later Kid, still mostly asleep, vaguely heard the turning of the key in the lock, followed by the familiar footsteps of his partner.
"How much you win?" Kid mumbled.
"Oh, it wasn't much of a game. It broke up early cause of the rain. A couple of the fellas said the road east of town washes out in these heavy rains and they wanted to get home before that happened."
"How much?" Kid asked again.
"About a hundred and thirty dollars."
Satisfied, Kid nuzzled back down into his pillow. "That should hold us a while," he mumbled.
"You interested in getting some supper?" Heyes asked.
A bright bolt of lightening was soon followed by a loud crack of thunder.
"Maybe after the rain," Kid replied, then quickly drifted back to sleep.
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Heavy rains, some with thunder and lightening, persisted throughout the night. In the morning, after they had eaten and packed their belongings, and had convinced themselves they had no choice but to brave the rainy weather, they donned their rain dusters, picked up their horses, and headed west.
By mid morning the rain had not relented, but the amount of rain falling had diminished and their dusters, along with their hats pulled low to let the water run off, were keeping them dry. They followed the road, but did their best to ride on the grassy, more stable ground alongside the road, now inches thick in mud in some locations. Both thought the road could more easily cause the horses to misstep and neither wanted to risk a disabled horse.
Kid looked up when his horse nickered, warning him that Heyes had stopped a few feet in front of him. Looking beyond his partner, Kid saw the disabled wagon, the right rear wheel stuck inches deep in mud, and a man trying to pry the wheel free of the muddy rut while a woman sitting in the wagon seat worked the brake and the horse's reins.
Giving their horses a gentle nudge, they continued on toward the wagon.
"Thought you said only the eastbound roads washed out," Kid joked with his partner.
"Well now, if you're headed into town on this road, Kid, then it would be considered an eastbound," Heyes replied with a grin.
Reaching the wagon, Heyes moved his horse to the left, slowly circling the wagon for a quick assessment, and noting that the woman in the driver's seat was an Indian. Kid stopped at the back of the wagon, but remained saddled, near the man trying to free the wheel.
"Just stuck, or is the axle broke?" Kid asked.
The man looked up at the stranger, but the duster's turned up collar, and the wide brim hat obscured his facial features. "Just stuck," he replied.
When Heyes approached, Kid dismounted and handed Heyes his reins. "Why don't you hitch these up to the team. I suspect they're gonna be needed to get this wagon free, Joshua."
Heyes led the horses back to the front of the wagon and Kid waded through inches of mud to find a spot where he could apply some leverage. "Holler when you're ready," Kid shouted to his partner.
Kid removed his duster, preferring rain soaked clothes to the weight of the duster while he worked. Draping the duster over the side of the wagon, he found a spot at the back of the wagon near the right real wheel and secured his footing while wrapping his hands along the wagon frame. While waiting for Heyes to finish, Kid turned to the stranger. "Thaddeus Jones," he told the man.
"Will Chisholm," the man replied
"What are you doing out in a wagon in this weather?" Kid asked.
"Wasn't my intention. We had planned to be home yesterday, but the storms had other ideas."
Kid smiled. "Where's home?"
"A couple of hours west of here."
Kid nodded. "We had planned to go east, but a man in Redding told us all the eastbound roads were washed out from this rain. I guess we shouldda asked him about the westbound ones."
"Ready Thaddeus!" Heyes called.
"Oh, my partner up there is Joshua Smith."
"Pleased to meet you both. The woman driving the wagon is my wife, Keewidinook."
Kid nodded. "We're ready, Joshua," he called.
Up front, Heyes turned to the woman. "Ma'am, do you speak English?" he asked and she nodded her head. "Then go ahead and release the break, and when I say 'now,' work the reins so we can get these horses moving, and the wagon outta that mud."
Keewidinook released the breaks, but held the reins steady. Heyes silently counted to three, then shouted "NOW!"
Keewidinook gave the reins a hard shake, quickly followed by another while Heyes, still on his horse, gripped the cheek-piece of Kid's chestnut and pulled. At the back of the wagon, Kid and Will shoved with all their might.
The wheel wobbled until enough momentum was gained and the wagon moved slowly but steadily forward. Once the wheel was free of the mud, Kid and Will quickly released their grips so as to avoid being thrust into a mud bath. With some effort, they both slogged their thickly covered boots out of the mud as they climbed their way to the side of the road. Then, finding suitable sticks, they each scraped as much of the mud from their boots as possible.
Kid then grabbed his duster and waited for Heyes to bring his horse around to the back.
"Where you headed?' Will asked.
"Originally we were headed back to Wyoming, but given the weather and roads, we decided to head to Alturas, then head east from there," Kid explained.
"Then we'll be going the same way for a couple of hours," Will replied.
Heyes rode up to the two men and handed Kid the reins to his horse.
"Joshua, this is Will Chisholm, Will, this is Joshua Smith," Kid explained, then slipped his foot into a stirrup and climbed into his saddle. "We'll be riding together for a couple of hours," he told his partner.
Kid urged his horse along the far side of the wagon and waited for Will to climb into the wagon beside his wife.
"Ma'am, I got no need for this at the moment," Kid said, holding his duster out to Keewidinook.
Keewidinook smiled but pointed to her Indian clothing. "Deer. It keeps me dry," she told him.
"Well then, this might help keep you a bit warmer, just till we get you home."
Keewidinook looked at Will and he gave her a smile and a nod.
"Obliged Mr. Jones. We'd intended on making it home yesterday, before the rain started," Will explained. "Best laid plans, I suppose."
"We'll stay with you as far as you're going, just in case you meet up with another mud hole," Heyes told Will. "Come on Thaddeus, we'll bring up the rear."
They rode along behind the wagon, engaging in occasional conversation for about half an hour before the talk began to wane. Heyes signaled Kid to slow his pace and once they had gained a bit of distance from the wagon, Heyes felt free to speak privately with his partner.
"You notice the similarities?" Heyes asked.
"Ain't that similar, but yeah, I noticed."
Heyes looked almost amused. "Ain't that similar? Kid, the two of you could be brothers, with a few years between you."
"Everybody's got a double somewhere, don't they?" Kid asked.
"I don't know about everybody, but you certainly do."
"Think we need to do anything about it?"
"Like what?"
"Like move on as quick as we can."
"Kid, he's gotta see the similarity as much as you do, but that don't mean he knows who you are. We can ride along with them till they reach their place, then a quick goodbye and we're on our way."
Kid nodded.
"Does make me wonder if there ain't some family connection way back somewhere though, maybe all the way back to Ireland."
"It would have to go back that far. Grandpa and Grandma Curry were the first to come over here. I remember him saying my pa was about four years old at the time, and Pa's two brothers both married women from Pennsylvania and settled there."
"Well, I bet there's a bloodline somewhere."
"Likely won't ever know."
Well ahead of Kid and Heyes, Will and Keewidinook also quietly discussed the very similar physical resemblance between him and the man who called himself Thaddeus Jones.
"Do you remember a few months back when Gideon and me took that trip into Napa Valley to look into expanding our variety of grape vines?"
"I remember," Keewidinook replied.
"And I told you Gid and me were in a saloon one night and some man kept trying to prod me into a gun fight. It took the sheriff to put an end to it."
"Yes, I remember."
"That man kept calling me Curry. I wonder if that's him riding behind us."
"No, Jones," Keewidinook replied.
Will smiled at her innocence. "Honey, a man don't always use his God given name, especially if he's got something to hide."
"Hide? What would he hide?"
Will shook his head. "Now that, I don't know."
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As they neared the road where Will and Keewidinook would turn off, the dark clouds burst open once again. Both Kid and Will were soaked to the skin.
"We're two miles down this road," Will told Kid and Heyes as they brought their horses up beside the wagon. "I hate to imposition you, but I hate even more to make Keewidinook surrender your duster just yet. We can offer you a place to sleep in the barn and fix you up with blankets and plenty of straw, and a hot supper in the house. If you've got a change of clothes, we can dry those things you're wearing by the fire."
Kid and Heyes exchanged a glance. Being as the farm was out in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere, and the fact that Kid was not about to confiscate his duster from Keewidinook in the pouring rain, they accepted the invitation.
The Chisholm farm was not like farms Heyes and Kid had grown up on. This was a grape farm with rows and rows of grape vines that stretched along acres of fields of well drained, deep, fertile loam of sand, silt, and clay.
"My Pa grew corn back in Virginia and made the finest corn whiskey in the all of Virginia," Will explained proudly. "I plan to follow in his footsteps, but with wine instead of whiskey."
The main room of the cabin was small with a small kitchen alcove near the fireplace , and a small bedroom in the back. An add-on bedroom had been started but was not yet completed, but the fireplace, built of river rock, was large and the home was warm and dry. The furniture was hand made and sturdy, and Keewidinook had added touches to make the dwelling warm and inviting.
"You came all the way from Virginia?" Heyes asked as they sat around the table dining on rabbit stew and Indian bread.
"My whole family came west back in 42-43. Took nearly two years and was fraught with hardships. Lost a sister and my Pa, but the family's done well here in California. My Ma, brothers, and sisters settled in the Sacramento Valley, but Keewidinook and I wanted to try our hand in the wine-making business. My folks were...well I ought to rephrase that...My Pa was, and my Ma still is, two of the most devout Baptists you'll ever come across. Being Baptist, my Ma doesn't approve of my growing grapes and making wine. Of course , as I said, my Pa made a fine corn whiskey and my Ma always found a way to make exception to his doing that, being as that in every other way, he lived by the Scripture."
"Appears to have been a wise decision, making wine, I mean" Heyes replied.
Will laughed. "Ma still ain't forgiven me, even though I remind her I'm just following in my Pa's footsteps, and even Jesus turned water to wine."
"She sounds like a strong-willed woman," Heyes replied.
"That she is. My grandfather came to Virginia from Ireland. My Pa was the oldest of his boys. My Ma came from Londonerry. They didn't know each other till they met over here when the Chisholm's and the Curry's settled in the same area in Virginia."
"Thaddeus and I have never been farther east than Kansas, although Thaddeus did visit Philadelphia once as a boy."
"I had an uncle that lived there, my mother's sister married one of my father's brothers. He and another brother settled there," Kid explained, not wanting to reveal so much as to spark any curiosity about the possibility that he and Will Chisholm might be distantly related."
"Jones is a Welsh name and Smith is generally English," Will commented. "Can't help but notice you and I share some physical similarities, Mr. Jones. Perhaps there's some Irish somewhere in your background, or some Welsh somewhere in mine."
Wanting to change the subject, Kid turned his attention to Keewidinook. "How soon is your baby due, Ma'am?"
"Thirty-nine," Keewidinook replied.
"Ma'am?"
Will laughed. "Keewidinook hasn't gotten a grasp of numbers yet, but we're working on it. Baby's due in early December. Harvesting starts in a few days. That's gonna put a real crimp on getting that room finished. My brothers, Gideon and Bo are coming to help me oversee the harvesting, and I'm hoping that will free up enough time to get the room finished before the baby arrives. Of course it'll be in a crib in our room for the first few months so I guess that will bide me a little extra time."
Well Ma'am, you make a fine rabbit stew," Heyes said. "But if the two of you don't mind, I think Thaddeus and I will turn in for the night."
"We'll have breakfast for you before you go," Will said. "Your clothes should bee good and dry by then."
Thank you. Appreciate that," Heyes replied. "Come on, Thaddeus."
Keewidinook handed them a pile of blankets she had laid out for them and Heyes and Kid headed for the barn.
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"They seem like nice folks," Heyes said as he and Kid laid out blankets in the straw. "But you ain't comfortable being here, are you?"
"I won't be minding moving on," Kid replied.
Heyes sat down on his bedding to pull off his boots. "Wouldn't it be something if the two of you are related?" Heyes mused. "You sure look enough alike to be related."
"There's at least a half a dozen reasons why I don't want to know the answer to that Heyes."
"What, besides the obvious?"
"Don't think we have to go beyond the obvious. We're outlaws, even if we are trying to go straight, and I don't think it would be real wise to announce that to twenty strangers, even f they are some sort of family."
"Well, leaving the outlawing aside, wouldn't you want to know if you've got kin somewhere, Kid?"
"Nope," Kid replied.
"No?"
"Heyes, any kin I might have are all strangers to me, and me to them. I think in an instance like that, it's best to let sleeping dog lie."
Heyes nodded while Kid sat down on his bedding and pulled off his boots. "Yeah, I suppose you're right, Kid."
"Besides," Kid added. "I got all the kin I need with you, Heyes."
Despite the fact that it was not quite dark, both Heyes and Kid settled into their beds, grateful for a warm place to sleep out of the rain. As usual, Kid was quick to fall asleep, but Heyes lay awake, listening to the rain fall on the roof.
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The next morning Kid and Heyes saddled their horses and brought them and the blankets up to the house. Tying the horses to the post, they carried the blankets up to the door and knocked.
"Come on in, it's open," Will called to them.
Inside, the table was set and Keewidinook was placing plates of food on the table. The clothes they had left to dry by the fireplace were neatly folded on a chair near the door. Will took the blankets from them and carried them into the bedroom and then they all sat down for breakfast.
"Keewidinook had a good suggestion last night," Will said as he reached for seconds of bacon and fried eggs.
"And what was that?" Heyes asked.
"Well, like I said last night, I'm going to be pretty busy with the harvesting. Picking grapes is a pretty tedious project and takes days longer than harvesting corn. Suppose I could entice you two to stay on for a couple of weeks?"
"Picking grapes?" Heyes asked. "I'm afraid Thaddeus and I would find that a little too hard on the back," Heyes said.
"Well, I wasn't thinking of grape picking. I hire crews for that every season. No, I, or rather we, were thinking the two of you could finish off the add-on. Frames all done. It would just be a matter of putting up the walls and finishing them off. I'd be willing to pay you twenty dollars a week."
"Apiece?" Kid asked.
Will looked at his wife, then back to Kid. "Fifteen dollars apiece. I doubt it would take two people more than two weeks to finish."
"Oh, we're into September now and there have been years the snow in the Sierras is knee high, maybe higher in September. Don't think either one of us wants to risk having the snows begin before we cross the mountains," Heyes said.
"Not even for...twenty dollars a week...apiece? You'd move into the bunkhouse, of course."
Eighty dollars between them for two weeks work was not something to turn down easily.
"I tell you what, after breakfast Thaddeus and me will go outside and talk it over," Heyes told him.
After breakfast Kid and Heyes picked up their dried clothing and headed outside to pack their saddlebags and discuss the offer.
"Eighty dollars, Kid. That's a fair amount of money."
"And what about the snow?"
"Well, we could always sell the horses and take the train back to Wyoming. Ain't often that trains get stuck in the snow and even if they do, the railroad sends out a plow engine, so we don't have any of the work to do and we're in a nice warm passenger car."
"I think we're taking an unnecessary risk staying."
"If we even think he's figured out who you are, we'll leave. It would take him at least a day to get to the nearest town. That would give us two days head start on a posse."
"Like I said, an unnecessary risk."
"So your answer is no?"
Kid sighed heavily and looked up toward the cabin. "Sometimes I wonder just why I let you talk me into things," he replied.
Heyes smiled. "Come on, let's go tell them we'll take the job."
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Heyes and Kid moved into the bunkhouse and that afternoon Will brought the plans for the add-on to the bunkhouse and spread the long paper out on the table. He explained what he had done, how he had done it with notched logs, and what he had planned for the completion.
"All the lumber is in the barn, along with all the tools, nails and saw horses. I... I guess I should have asked if you had experience with carpentry?"
"Put your mind at ease, Will. Joshua and I have done a fair amount of carpentry work, and these plans look easy enough to follow. I think you'll be satisfied with the results," Kid told him.
"If there's anything you need in the way of supplies, you just let me know. I'll see to it that you get what you need."
"We'll let the ground dry out a bit more today and start first thing in the morning," Heyes added.
Will nodded. That'll be fine. "My brothers, Gideon and Bo should be arriving by the end of the week and the crew I hired will be arriving tomorrow. I'm hoping to have the harvesting done in three week's time."
"And you make the wine right here on the property?" Heyes asked.
"We do, and we have a large warehouse on the other side of the property. Making the wine takes almost as long as growing the grapes, and even then you're not done. A fine wine depends on the fermenting process and that's an art in itself."
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By the end of the week Kid and Heyes had one wall erected and Will and his hired crew had put in three days of picking grapes.
Gideon arrived mid afternoon on Friday. Will had taken the afternoon off in anticipation of his brothers arrival. When he heard a horse approaching, Will rushed out of the house to greet his brothers.
Gideon pulled up to the hitching post and climbed off his horse and Will rand up and embraced him.
"Where's Bo? I thought he was coming too," Will asked as he stepped back to look at his brother.
The expression on Gideon's face wiped the smile from Will's. "Gid, what's wrong?"
"It Ma, Will. She's taken sick, real sick. Doctor says she's got two, maybe three months."
"Oh no, not Ma," Will replied and wrapped an arm around Gideon's shoulders.
Keewidinook stood in the doorway watching Will's and Gideon's expressions. When they reached the porch, she held the door open for them, then followed them inside. Will led Gideon to the table, then went to the cupboard for the bottle of whiskey and two glasses.
"Lester and Bo and of course Cooper are taking care of the farm while I'm here. Ma can still get around the cabin at this point, but Doc says she'll end up bedridden. Doc says her heart and kidneys are giving out."
"Bonnie Sue and Mercy holding up alright? That poor child has had so many losses in her young life."
"She's scared, Will. Bonnie Sue and Lester have already promised to finish raising her as their own."
"I should go back while she still knows I'm there, but Keewidinook is due in two months. That's a hard trip for her."
"I'm fine, Will. I can make the trip," Keewidinook told him.
"I know you are darlin' but, with the baby coming soon."
"Will, I'm coming with you," she said adamantly.
"I can stay and run things here, Will, till the two of you get back. We'll get your crop in on time."
"Yeah, I appreciate that, Gideon. I'll have to make some plans, figure out the best thing for Keewidinook. We'll talk it out and I'll let you know what I'm doing and when I'm doing it."
"Will...You best go soon," Gideon told him. "She's failing pretty fast."
Will nodded and finished his shot of whiskey. "But in the mean time, I'll show you the bunkhouse. There's a storage room in there that I converted into a bedroom for you and Bo. You can get yourself settled in."
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Ah, your brothers have arrived?" Heyes called to Will as he saw Will returning from the bunkhouse.
Startled from his thoughts, Will looked up and saw Heyes and Kid working on the add-on room. He hesitated for an instant, then turned and headed in their direction.
"Just one brother, Gideon came. The other stayed home to help manage things."
"Something wrong?" Kid asked, climbing down from the ladder to join Will and Heyes.
Will nodded. "My mother, she's dying. Gideon says she has a couple of months at most. Gideon is going to run things here and I'm going to make a trip home."
"What about your wife?" Kid asked. "Is she going?"
"She wants to, but she's just a couple of months from delivering."
"Will, one of us could ride along with you," Heyes suggested. "Just in case..."
"No, I couldn't ask you to do that."
"Will, if you take Keewidinook with you and something does go wrong, you can't just up and leave her to go find a doctor, but Joshua or me could and... well, I am pretty good with a gun iffin we should run into any trouble," Kid added.
"I could rig up the buckboard with straw and blankets, maybe even a mattress from the bunkhouse, so Keewidinook could rest comfortably if she were to need to," Will said, his mind now moving to the preparations. "We could leave the day after tomorrow. With some luck we could be there by Wednesday."
"Then it's settled, Heyes said, giving Kid a questioningly look.
Kid nodded. "It's settled, Joshua. I'm going."
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Feeling fine but heavy with child, it was decided by all that it would be easier getting in and out of the wagon if Keewidinook rode in the back. Will had spent considerable time making the wagon bed as comfortable as possible with a thick layer of straw on top of which several blankets had been neatly arranged. Food and other essentials had been packed securely so as not to move or bounce around in the wagon.
After getting Keewidinook into the wagon, Will climbed into the seat while Kid mounted his chestnut. Heyes watched as they headed down the lane and out of sight.
The roads had dried out from the rains and travel was easy. The first night out they had come upon a stage station and were able to pay for a hot meal and warm beds. They second night they were not so lucky, but the temperatures were mild and the night sky was full of stars.
Minerva was in bed that Wednesday afternoon, watching her world from her bedroom window. She raised her head when her eyes caught sight of the familiar blue wagon making it's way down the road toward the Chisholm farm. She watched it carefully, but from a distance, she was not able to discern if the driver, or the man riding on the horse beside the wagon was Will. When she spied Keewidinook sitting in the back of the wagon, she knew the driver was Will.
It was the rider who then gained her full attention and she studied him carefully. By the time they pulled into the lane, she was certain she knew the rider as well.
"Bonnie Sue, Mercy, come help me to come downstairs! Will's here!" she called in as loud a voice as she could muster. "Hurry! Bonnie Sue!"
By the time Will and Keewidinook walked into the house, Minerva was standing near the table, holding a tight grip on the back of a chair for support, and smiling from ear to ear. "Will!" she exclaimed as she burst into tears of happiness.
"Ma," Will replied, rushing toward her, but wrapping gentle arms about her in a warm embrace.
"I knew when Gideon told you, you would come as quick as you could," she said and extended an arm for Keewidinook to join in the family hug. "Oh I have missed you both."
"Missed you too, Ma. Now come and sit down. Maybe Mercy would make us all some tea?" Will asked, raising his eyebrows questioningly at the girl.
"Who is that man who came with you?" Bonnie Sue asked.
"That's Thaddeus Jones. He and his partner are doing some work for me, and with Keewidinook so far along, we thought it would be best to have someone come with us. He said he was taking his horse to the barn, but he'll be coming in when he's done. He's a nice man, Ma. You'll like him."
Minerva's eyes moved to the door. "Yes, I'm sure he is," she told him.
"So how are you feeling, Ma?" Will asked, not noticing the look on his mother's face.
"Good days and bad," she replied. "But lets talk of happier things, like the coming of the baby."
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Kid led his horse into the barn and located an empty stall. He removed the saddle and blanket and hoisted them on top of the highest board of the stall wall. Then he set about removing the bit and harness.
"Who are you?"
The strong voice startled Kid and he turned around quickly to see an older man with salt and pepper hair, a stocky build and a stern look on his face standing in the open doorway of the barn.
"I'm Thaddeus Jones. I came here with Will and Keewidinook. Who are you?"
"Cooper Hawkins."
"I don't recall Will mentioning you."
"Well, I suspect he had other things on his mind. You work for Will?"
"At the moment. You work for the Chisholms?"
Cooper smiled. "Should we just call a truce before the war begins?"
Kid smiled too, and nodded.
"I'll finish up with your horse. If you came with Will, you'd best get up to the house and get the introductions outta the way."
Kid laughed. "Thank you," he said and headed up to the house and knocked on the door.
"Come on in, it's open!" Will shouted.
Kid walked into the house and immediately saw a questioning look on Minerva's face. Being a fast gun as well as a man on the run, Kid was very good at reading people's faces and he knew right away that Minerva was trying to place him, trying to figure out if and how she knew him.
"Ma, this is Thaddeus Jones, Thaddeus, this is my Ma," Will said.
"Pleased to meet you, Ma'am. I'm sorry to hear you're feeling poorly, Ma'am."
Minerva continued to study Kid's face. "Thank you," she replied with a polite smile.
"Ma, you got any whiskey in the house?" Will asked. "Thaddeus, would you like some whiskey."
"There isn't any," Minerva replied.
"I bet Mr. Hawkins has some," Mercy piped up. "You want me to go ask him, Will?"
"Sure darlin'. After that long trip, I think we could both use a glass, ain't that right, Thaddeus?"
"Mr. Hawkins is in the barn," Kid told Mercy and she dashed out of the house in search of Cooper Hawkins.
"Come on over to the table and sit down, Thaddeus," Will told him.
Kid took the empty chair next to Keewidinook, which was also directly across from Mrs. Chisholm.
"Keewidinook, how are you feeling?" Minerva asked
"Good. Baby healthy," she replied.
"How much longer till the baby's due?"
"Thirty-nine," Keewidinook replied.
"Due in December, Ma," Will told her. "I'm afraid Keewidinook is still not good with numbers," he added with a laugh.
"The way you're carrying that child, I'm sure he's a boy," Minerva said. "Have you settled on a name?"
Will reached over and took his mother's hand. "Hadley William if he's a boy, Ma."
Minerva smiled and tears filled her eyes. "Your Pa would be honored and so proud, Will."
"That boy's gonna have some mighty important boots to fill one day, Ma."
"He's a Chisholm, Will. He can do anything he sets his mind to."
Will smiled. "I love you, Ma."
The front door swung open and Mercy came rushing in. "Mr. Hawkins will be here in a minute with a jug of his finest corn whiskey," she announced proudly.
"Finest around here, Mercy, don't hold a candle to my Pa's whiskey. But it will do just fine,"Will replied.
"I'm afraid I'm feeling a bit tired, Will. I think I'd best go lie down for a spell."
"I'll help you, Ma," Bonnie Sue said.
"Me too, Ma," Mercy added and moved to Minerva's side to help her out of the chair.
"Keewidinook, you can use my bed iffin you're wanting to take a rest after that long trip," Mercy called to her as she and Bonnie Sue helped Minerva up the stairs.
Keewidinook had just moved to the curtained off area where Mercy slept to take advantage of her offer when Cooper Hawkins walked in with a jug of corn whiskey. Will immediately got up and got three tin cups from a kitchen shelf. He set the cups on the table and Hawkins half filled each one, then set the jug on the table and sat down.
"So how is Ma really doing?" Will asked. "She looks so pale and weak, and she's lost weight, ain't she?"
"Doc gives her a couple of months, but she's a Chisholm, Will. They don't come any more stubborn than that," Hawkins replied.
"You talking about Ma or me, Mr. Hawkins?"
Hawkins grinned and raised his glass for a toast. "Both," he replied.
They each emptied their cups and Hawkins half filled all three again.
"Jones, you can stay in my cabin with me, if you don't mind small quarters," Hawkins told him. "Of course we'll be having meals with the family."
"That would be fine, Mr. Hawkins. It would give the family a chance to be alone to visit," Kid replied.
"We'll be heading back the day after tomorrow. Being harvest season, I just can't spare any more time and, naturally I want Keewidinook at home when her time comes," Will told Hawkins and Kid.
0-0-0-0-0
Later that afternoon, Bonnie Sue and Mercy were busy making supper when they heard Minerva calling from the second floor.
"Bonnie Sue," Mrs. Chisholm said from the bed where she lay, her voice soft but commanding. "Where is that young man who came with Will and Keewidinook?"
"I think he said he was going out to the barn to brush his horse."
"Go fetch him. Tell him I want to see him."
Bonnie Sue gave her mother a curious look. "What should I tell him, Ma?"
Mrs. Chisholm smiled. "Ask him to humor an old woman's wish."
"Alright, Ma," Bonnie Sue replied and did as her mother requested.
Bonnie Sue found Kid in the barn brushing his horse.
"Ma says she wants to see you."
"Kid turned away from his work. "Me? Why?"
"That she didn't say. She just said to ask you to humor an old woman's request."
Kid hesitated and looked at the curry comb in his hand. Finally he set the comb on the shelf, brushed his hands off on his pants, and nodded. "Alright," he said.
Bonnie Sue led Kid into the house and up the stairs to the room where Minerva lay still in her bed.
"Here he is, Ma."
Minerva turned her head slowly to look at Kid who quickly removed his hat and held it in both hands.
"You may go, Bonnie Sue," she said.
"Ma? He's a stranger."
"Not as much of a stranger as you may think. Now leave us be to talk."
Bonnie Sue looked at Kid with some concern.
"Nothing to worry about," Kid assured her.
With that, Bonnie Sue made her way to the door. "Are you sure, Ma?"
"I'm sure. Now go, and shut the door behind you."
Bonnie Sue left, shutting the door behind her. Kid stood nervously beside the bed, turning his hat in his hands.
"I recognized you right off when I saw you ride in with Will and Keewidinook. There's no doubt in my mind. You don't remember me, do you?"
"Ma'am?" Kid asked. Having expected her to remember Kid Curry, her words were confusing to him.
Minerva smiled. "I don't expect you would remember me. You weren't more than four years old the last time we met. That was back in Philadelphia. Your Uncle John had recently died and your parents and you, Jed Curry, came for the funeral."
"I...I don't remember a funeral," Kid stuttered.
"Or me, I suspect. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe our relationships with John and Thomas Curry makes me your Great Aunt."
Kid neither agreed not tried to correct her. He had no idea how such relationships evolved in families.
"The names are all there in the family Bible. It's over there on the dresser. Take a look, if you like. John and Thomas Curry are both there."
"I take you at your word, Ma'am," Kid replied, not sure he wanted to know the information as fact.
"Does Will know who you are?"
Kid shook his head.
"He's got to have noticed the similarities But Jones, that name might stop him from thinking anything more about it. Of course a man who changes his name, usually has a reason for doing so. Will won't hear of it from me, she said reassuringly. "Did you come looking for him, for your family?"
"No Ma'am. We met by circumstance. Will's wagon had broken down in the road. My partner and me..."
"Hannibal?" she asked, but Kid did not confirm.
"My partner and me stopped to help him."
"I see. I've never told the family about you, nor did Hadley. That choice is yours to make."
"I've chosen not to, Ma'am."
"Well, maybe one day you can."
"Maybe... one day, Ma'am."
"They're good people Jed, and family is important."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Bonnie Sue will be asking you what we spoke of. She's a strong, determined woman. You tell her I just wanted to thank you for helping Will and Keewidinook make this journey."
"Yes Ma'am. Thank you Ma'am."
"I think I'd best sleep now till supper's ready. Leave the door open when you go."
"Yes Ma'am and...Thank you."
"For what?"
"Acknowledging me as family."
Minerva smiled. "One day, Jed," she reminded him.
At the bottom of the stairs, Kid was confronted by Bonnie Sue who was standing there waiting for him.
"Why did Ma want to talk to you?" she asked.
"Just wanted to thank me for helping Will and Keewidinook make the trip here."
"Are you sure that's all?"
"You got some reason to doubt your mother? Go ask her," Kid said with not a hint of defensiveness in his voice. "Now, I'm heading back out to the barn, Ma'am."
A short time later, while still brushing down his horse, Kid heard someone entering the barn. Expecting to see Bonnie Sue coming to continue their discussion, Kid was surprised to see the young teenage girl with a very serious face and an empty water bucket in her hand.
"Now which of the lovely Chisholm ladies are you?' Kid asked.
The girl stopped outside the stall where Kid was working. "I'm Mercy Hopwell Chisholm. I'm adopted."
Kid stopped brushing his horse and turned to face her. "Then you was orphaned at one time?"
Mercy nodded.
"Me too," Kid added.
"Was you adopted?"
Kid shook his head. "Sent to an orphanage school."
Mercy was quiet and looked down at the floor. "When Mrs. Chisholm dies, I'll be orphaned again."
"Uh-uh," Kid agreed. "But there's a very big difference this time."
"What difference?"
"This time you got your adopted family to love you and look after you. You might be orphaned, but so are all the other Chisholm's. You'll all be looking out for each other."
"Did you have somebody looking out for you?"
Kid nodded. "Still do, and I still look out for him, too. When your folks die, any family you got left don't stop loving you, or looking out for you. Dying is just a part of living, child. "
Mercy nodded. "That's what Ma says."
"She's probably told you a lot of things over the years."
Mercy nodded.
"Has she ever been wrong?" Kid asked.
Mercy smiled a rather sad but knowing smile. "Thank you, Mr. Jones. I gotta go fill the water bucket," she said and turned and walked out of the barn.
Kid rested his arms on the stall and watched her walk away until she disappeared from sight.
0-0-0-0-0
After supper Kid and Hawkins left the house and walked the path to Hawkins' cabin. By the glow of the fire in the hearth, Kid sat at the table cleaning his gun while Hawkins sat in a chair and cleaned his rifle.
"How long you been working for Will?" Hawkins asked
"Just a couple of weeks. It's a temporary job."
"He must trust you, having you ride out here with him and all."
"I suppose so."
Hawkins set his rifle against the side of the chair and leaned forward with his arm extended. "May I?"
Kid was never eager to let anyone handle his gun. Not even Heyes made such a bold request very often. But there was a matter-of-fact kind of honesty about Cooper Hawkins and Kid held out the gun for Hawkins to inspect.
"Nice balance, not the kind you get when buying off the shelf. You make those adjustments yourself?"
Kid nodded. "A gun should have a proper feel in a man's hand."
Hawkins smiled. "Same with a rifle," he replied.
"I'm not too handy with a rifle," Kid told him.
"No...S'pect you're pretty handy with this, though."
"You getting at something, Mr. Hawkins?" Kid asked calmly, with no hint of defensiveness.
"No," Hawkins replied, turning the gun over in his hand, then handing it back to Kid. "I like a man who understands the importance of taking care of his hardware. It shows he understands the value of doing such a thing."
Kid smiled cordially. "Yes, sir." he replied.
"Will, he grew up using a rifle and a hunting knife, or so Hadley told me. I've since seen him use both and he's quite skilled.
Kid nodded but did not reply.
"Where you from, Thaddeus?"
"Wyoming mostly."
"I ain't spent much time in Wyoming, except taking wagon trains across the mountains, of course. I ain't much of a city man."
"Wyoming is cattle country, mostly. There ain't one town, 'cept maybe Casper or Cheyenne that I would consider big enough to call a city, Mr. Hawkins."
"You're a long way from home, then."
Kid nodded. "My partner and I were out here visiting a friend. We'd be back in Wyoming now iffin we hadn't met up with Will. We'll be headed back there as soon as we get back to Will's place."
"I've never seen Will's place. He and Keewidinook moved away from here about a year after we all arrived."
"It's a big place. Looks profitable, if that's what you're wanting to know."
"Just want to know that he's doing well, that's all. Will deserves a good life. Minerva there, weren't too happy when Will and his wife decided to move on. Family means a lot to her, especially since her husband died."
Kid finished his cleaning and packed his supplies back in his saddlebags. "If you don't mind, I think I'll be turning in," he said, thus ending the conversation all together.
0-0-0-0-0
The next morning Hawkins and Kid walked up to the main house for breakfast. Bo and Lester had returned sometime during the night and Hawkins introduced Thaddeus to them both. The breakfast conversation revolved around the progress of the corn harvest and the occasional comment about just how much Will and Thaddeus resembled each other. Kid was actually grateful that Will and Keewidinook had volunteered to help Minerva with breakfast in bed,
"I wouldn't mind making myself useful today," Kid told everyone at breakfast.
"Well, Bo and me was planning on making a trip to Fort Sutter for supplies. If you and Bo was to do that, I could get back out to the field to help with the harvest," Lester suggested.
Kid nodded, actually grateful to be able to distance himself from a houseful of Chisholms.
"Can I go with you, Bo?" Mercy asked. "I'd like to pick up some tea for Ma."
"Sure Mercy, you can come."
"No," Hawkins said. "Lester, the harvesting will get done whether you're there to supervise or not. You go with Bo to Fort Sutter, and take Mercy with you. Mr. Jones, I have a job for the two of us this afternoon. That is, if you don't mind."
"Not at all, Kid replied.
Hawkins waited until Bo and Lester were on their way with Mercy before engaging Kid in the job he had planned. Kid suspected, but knew for certain when they entered the barn and Hawkins retrieved two shovels.
"I know how long the doctor says. I just don't happen to agree with him," Hawkins told Kid. "I think Will will be making a very brief trip home. This will save the boys one hardship."
Kid nodded and took the shovel being offered.
Hawkins led Kid across the yard and up the hill to the spot where Hadley was buried. He walked to a spot not far from Hadley and, using his booted foot, pushed the shovel into the ground. "I'll start here at the head, you start down there at the foot."
Kid nodded but watched Hawkins take several scoops of dirt from the ground before digging his own shovel into the dirt. It was obvious how painful this was for Hawkins, how much he cared, perhaps even loved Mrs. Chisholm.
Several hours later, they stood beside the open grave, assessing it's completion when Kid heard Hawkins sigh heavily.
"I think come spring, I'll build a fence around these two graves, maybe plant a few flowers," Hawkins mused.
"I think Mrs. Chisholm would like that, Hawkins."
Hawkins nodded. "Come on, I think our work's done here for the day, and I thank you for helping."
When they reached the house, Kid reached for Hawkins' shovel. "I'll take these to the barn. You go in and check on Mrs. Chisholm."
0-0-0-0-0
"Ma's been asking for you Mr. Hawkins," Bonnie Sue told him the moment he walked into the house.
Hawkins glanced toward the stairs. "Is somebody with her now?" he asked.
"Will and Keewidinook, but they're probably ready for a break," Bonnie Sue told him.
Hawkins nodded, then walked over to the sink to wash the dirt from his hands before climbing the stairs. He knocked lightly on the door, then opened it and stepped inside.
Keewidinook was sitting on the edge of the bed gently stroking Minerva's hair. Will was dozing in a nearby chair. Minerva opened her eyes when she heard the door open and smiled when she saw Mr. Hawkins standing in the doorway.
"Come in," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Hawkins took a few steps into the room and looked at Keewidinook. "Why don't you and Will go downstairs. I think there's some coffee brewing."
Keewidinook nodded, then rose from the bed and walked over to waken his husband.
"I'll sit with her a while," Hawkins told Will.
"I'll be back later, Ma," Will told her while taking her hand, then leaning down and kissing her forehead.
Minerva mustered a smile and watched Will and his wife leave the room. She raised her eyes to Hawkins. "Sit," she told him.
Feeling a bit awkward, Hawkins pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down. Minerva reached for his hand and clasped it in her own. Looking at his hand, she smiled. "Been working in the dirt. I can tell by your fingernails," she said softly.
"Planted a few bulbs so you'll have some new flowers come spring," he lied.
She nodded, knowing otherwise. "Thank you."
She closed her eyes, still holding his hand, and several minutes passed before she spoke again. "Mr. Hawkins, I made a promise to that young man, Thaddeus. He carries a burden, and I promised him not to breath a word of it to Will... But I didn't promise not to tell you, and I think the day will come that it may be important that you know. Until that time, what you are about to learn must remain with you and no one else."
Hawkins nodded. "I'll keep your secrete, Minerva."
"I know you don't hold much stock in religion, but when I'm through telling you, I wonder if you would be so kind as to read me one of the Psalms from the family Bible. It's over there on the dresser. Would you fetch it for me?"
"Of course," Hawkins said and got up from the chair to retrieve the Bible.
When he returned to the bedside, Minerva reached for the Bible. Taking it in her hands, she laid it gently on the quilt that covered her. "All our family history is in this book. You remember that when the time comes to speak of what I am about to tell you."
"I'll remember," he promised.
0-0-0-0-0
The next morning Kid hitched the horses to the wagon and loaded the supplies they would be taking. He shook the blankets to shed the stray pieces of straw, then laid the blankets out on top of the straw for Keewidinook to rest on during their trip back to Will and Keewidinook's farm. He drove the wagon up to the house, then returned to the barn to saddle his own horse.
"I want to thank you for helping me yesterday," Cooper Hawkins said from just inside the barn door.
Kid didn't turn around. "It weren't no trouble," he replied.
"Mrs. Chisholm gave me a bit of insight yesterday. She said it might be of some value to you someday."
Kid stopped what he was doing, but again did not turn around. "Good to know," he said quietly.
"I suspect Will and Keewidinook will be returning here soon. You and your partner are welcome to come."
There was a long silence between the two men before Kid spoke again. "I suspect we'll be leaving for Wyoming as soon as I get back... but I thank you from the both of us, Mr. Hawkins."
Kid tightened the cinch, then led the horse from the stall and headed out of the barn. Pausing in the doorway, Kid turned and extended his hand to Hawkins. "I thank you sincerely," Kid told him.
0-0-0-0-0
Will sat on the edge of his mother's bed and watched her eyes moisten with tears as she raised a weak hand to stroke his face. He reached out and wrapped his hand around hers.
"My first born," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "So much has happened since the day you decided to enter the world. Hadley and I were so proud to have a son," she said, then sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Named you after Hadley's father and you've worn that honor well. We lost the next two babies Will, a stillborn and little Isabella, just three weeks old. That's why there's so many years between you and Gideon. Promise me Will, that you'll stay close to Gideon and Bo, Bonnie Sue and Mercy."
"I will Ma. I promise," Will told her.
"You'll not know just how important family is till they start leaving you, like them two babies, and like Hadley. Keep your family close to you, Will."
"I promise, Ma," Will said, himself fighting back the tears.
"And that young man that came here with you..."
"Thaddeus?"
Minerva nodded. "Keep in touch with him somehow, Will. The day will come when..."
"When what, Ma?"
"When you'll both find something you never knew you had."
"I don't understand, Ma. Something about Thaddeus?" Will asked.
Minerva stopped and wiped her tear stained cheeks. "The ramblings of an old woman, I suppose. But you mark my words, Will Chisholm, and keep your heart open to family, wherever they might be, whoever they might be."
"I promise."
"Mr. Hawkins knows my burial and funeral wishes. I want you to speak Will, like you did for your Pa. I want you to lead the service, not some preacher who barely knows me.
"It will be an honor, Ma."
Minerva nodded. "And watch after Mercy. Bonnie Sue and Lester will raise her, and they'll do a find job. But you keep a watchful eye."
"Yes, Ma."
"Now, I've said my peace, and you have a long trip ahead of you. Send Keewidinook in and let me say goodbye, then you can be on your way."
Tears now stained Will's cheeks as well and he leaned down and wrapped his arms about his mother's frail shoulders. "I love you, Ma," he whispered in her ear.
"I love you, too. I always will."
0-0-0-0-0-0
An hour later Will, Keewidinook, and Kid were one their way back to Will and Keewidinook's farm in northern California. All were quite as they headed north. Will knew this was the last time he would see his mother before the funeral, and the conversation he had with her played over and over in his mind. Keewidinook was tired from both the traveling and the visit, and she slept soundly in the straw and blanket bed in the back of the wagon.
Kid was aware that Will had spent quite a bit of time alone with Minerva that morning and, because of the conversation he had with her, Kid was wary of what she may or may not have told her oldest son, so he was maintaining a reasonable distance from the wagon.
"How you doing, honey?" Will called back to his wife.
When he got no response he turned his head and saw that she was sleeping soundly. He turned back around and was just about to give the reins a shake when another idea came to mind. He slowly drew back on the reins and brought the wagon to a stop. Kid quickly pulled up beside him.
"Something wrong?" Kid asked.
"No. In fact, Keewidinook is sleeping so soundly, I thought it might be nice to have a little company and conversation. Tie you horse to the back of the wagon and climb up into the seat here, Thaddeus."
Kid hesitated but had no valid reason not to comply, so he pulled his horse to the back of the wagon and dismounted, then tied the reins to the back of the wagon. Then he walked around to the side and climbed into the passenger seat beside Will.
Will then gave the reins a shake and the wagon began moving once again. Neither Will nor Kid was quick to initiate a conversation.
"So what did you think of my family?" Will finally asked.
"Real nice people. A lot of them all in one place," Kid replied.
"Bonnie Sues told me Ma asked to talk to you in private."
"She wanted to thank me for helping you and Keewidinook make the journey," Kid told him.
"Was that all?"
"She didn't sign the farm over to me Will, if that's what you're worried about."
Will smiled. "That's not what I was wondering, Thaddeus. The farm is in mine and Gideon's and Bo's names anyway, so you'd have had a hard time claiming it."
"She talked about how much her family means to her, Will. That's all, how important family is."
"She told me that too," Will replied."But she said something peculiar, something I thought maybe you could explain."
"And what as that?" Kid asked.
"She told me to keep in touch with you because someday that might be important to the family."
"She mentioned to me that she thought you and I looked similar. I don't mean no disrespect Will, but maybe the illness is affecting her thinking a bit. Maybe she's getting things a little confused."
"Yeah, that would make more sense than what she was actually saying, I think. I bet you're probably right, Thaddeus. Thanks. That actually kinda sets my mind at ease a bit."
"This visit has likely been hard on the both of you. It can't be easy, knowing you won't be seeing her again. Be grateful Will, that you had the chance to say good bye."
It was more the tone than the actual words that made Will think Thaddeus may not have had that same opportunity for someone, somewhere in his life. He wondered if Thaddeus was speaking of his own mother.
0-0-0-0-0
Late the next day they arrived back at Will's and Keewidinook's home. Heyes and Gideon were sitting on the porch, both having completed a hard day's work, and both now enjoying a glass of Chisholm wine and a fine cigar, although Gideon was having some difficulty appreciating the cigar.
"You got the room finished?" Kid called to Heyes as he and Will helped Keewidinook from the wagon.
"It's done. Gideon's been helping in the evenings when he gets back from the field," Heyes explained, stepping down off the porch to help carry things in to the house.
"I'll take the wagon to the barn and Joshua and me will get it unloaded," Kid told Will. "Give the three of you a chance to talk," he added.
Kid climbed up into the wagon to drive the team into the barn and Heyes followed behind with Kid's horse. Inside, Kid unharnessed the team and Heyes unsaddled the chestnut.
"That room really finished? I mean to the point that you and me can be leaving soon?" Kid asked as they worked.
"There a reason to be in a hurry?" Heyes asked.
Kid shook his head and sighed. "Looked to me like snow clouds moving east. That makes me think the Sierras could be getting snow covered soon."
"That your only reason?"
Kid led the two horses into their stalls and shut the gates. Then he set about filling feed sacks. "You remember John Curry, Grandpa Curry's brother?"
"I remember hearing of him. I don't think I ever met the man."
"Well John Curry is the father of Will's mother."
Heyes looked up with a start. "You know that for a fact?"
"Yep. She's got it all down in the family Bible."
"Kid, that makes us second cousins once or twice removed, or something like that," Heyes replied.
"Uh-uh."
"So...they know who we are? I mean, who we really are?"
"Will's ma does, and she's dying. None of the rest of the family knows, including Will, but...I don't quite know how to describe him so I'll just say a personal friend of Will's ma knows, too."
"A personal friend?"
"A man by the name of Cooper Hawkins. Our real names don't mean nothing to him. He spent his life leading wagon trains across the country. I doubt he ever heard of either one of us."
"So, why did she tell him?"
"In case, you know, once we get our amnesty, we might decide we want to...you know."
"Connect with long lost family?" Heyes asked.
"Yeah. There's a family Bible and Cooper Hawkins' word to back us up."
"But not even Will knows at this point?" Heyes asked.
"Didn't see no sense telling anybody, Heyes, at least not till we're not wanted no more."
"Yeah, I think that's wise, Kid."
0-0-0-0-0-0
The next morning Kid and Heyes ate breakfast with Will, Keewidinook, and Gideon and notified them all that they planned to head east after the meal.
"We're playing Russian Roulette with the snow falling in the mountains right now. We have to get through those passes soon or you'll be having us living in your barn till spring," Heyes told them.
"We appreciate all you've done, the both of you," Will said and reached into his back pocket for his billfold. "Twenty dollars a week... Apiece, it was."
"But Gideon helped me with the room," Heyes said.
"And I didn't do the job you hired me for," Kid added.
"You both did far more than I expected," Will replied and handed them each forty dollars. "If you're ever back this way again, please stop by for a visit."
"Yes. Family," Keewidinook added.
Kid gave her a questioningly glance, but Will just laughed. "Almost, darlin," he replied.
"You don't know how close," Heyes mumbled under his breath.
"What?" Will asked.
Heyes looked up with a start. "Oh, no, what I meant was..."
"What he meant was that the two of you made us feel like family," Kid quickly added.
Again Will laughed. "I thought maybe the fact that you and I look so much alike, Ma decided to adopt a couple of more into the family."
Will's comment cause Kid to grow more serious. "Will, when the time comes, give everyone our sympathy. Minerva is a fine woman and she and Hadley raised a fine family."
Will looked at Kid with compassion in his eyes, remembering Kid's comment about having the opportunity to say goodbye to his mother. "I will," he promised.
"Well, Thaddeus, should we be on our way now?" Heyes asked and pushed the chair away from the table.
The Chisholms walked Kid and Heyes out to the hitching post.
"I meant that about always being welcome here," Will said.
Kid was standing by the post, loosening the reins when he stopped and turned to Will and extended his hand. When Will grasped Kid's hand, Kid impulsively pulled Will into a warm embrace. Then, feeling a bit awkward, Kid pulled back, untied the reins and quickly climbed up on his horse. Both he and Heyes tipped their hats to Keewidinook, then pulled on their reins and turned and headed down the lane, neither looking back.
They rode in silence for almost two hours, occasionally glancing at the other but neither speaking. But the next time Kid glanced at his partner, he noticed a curious look on Heyes' face.
"You worrying about something, Heyes?"
"Worried? No. Just trying to figure the odds."
"Like what are the odds of me ever winning a coin toss?" Kid asked.
"Like what are the odds of Will Chisholm spending two years crossing the entire country in a covered wagon, arriving in California and claiming a homestead for him and his family, then up and moving a couple of hundred miles north and starting up another homestead, then finally running into you and me, two long lost relatives, while his wagon is knee deep in the mud, and in the pouring rain to boot?"
"I'd say them odds are about the same as me ever winning the coin toss."
0-0-0-0-0-0
Epilogue (closure for the reader)
Will added another log to the fire, then leaned his arm against the mantle and stared at the flickering flames. The room was quiet, too quiet for his liking. Having gone through the agonizing and heartbreaking day of his first wife, Lizzie's stillbirth, Will was very aware of just how easily the day could go from one of celebration to one of grief and mourning.
Behind the closed bedroom door Keewidinook and an Indian midwife of sorts that they had been directed to at Fort Sutter, had been working though hours of labor that had begun near midnight the night before when Keewidinook's water broke. Per instruction of the midwife, and translation by Keewidinook, Will had helped his wife into a sitting position on the bed and had lined the top of the mattress with with leaves. At that point he was ushered out of the room and told not to enter until summoned.
Years before, when Will and Keewidinook married in an Indian ceremony, they had both agreed to take the best from each culture, and leave the bad behind. Keewidinook held firm to her beliefs in the Indian ways of childbirth, and Will could not object given that it had been an Indian Medicine Man that had saved Keewidinook's life when the White Man's medicine had failed her.
It was nearly dawn now and the cabin remained silent, which only stoked Will's anxiety and fears. He paced the floor, paused by the fire, then paced the floor some more. Occasionally he step outside into the chilly December air. He wished his ma had lived to see this day, to help with the birthing, and to lay her eyes upon her first grandson.
Will was certain the baby was a boy. His first child had been a boy. As he stood by the fire, Will recalled that day when his son had uttered one quick cry, then fell silent for all eternity. Will shook away the thought. Thoughts of death at a time of birth most assuredly was a bad omen. He began pacing once again, passing the closed door at least a dozen times.
Near noon, and almost twelve hours after the start of Keewidinook's labor, Will heard a strong, healthy cry of a newborn. He stopped in his tracks and waited, pensively watching the door. Long moments later, the door opened and the Indian midwife stepped out of the room, a blood soaked, carefully folded towel in her hands.
Will stared at the package in the woman's hands and she turned and shouted something to him in her native language that Will could not understand.
"Will, open the front door," Keewidinook called from inside the bedroom.
Keewidinook's voice jarred him into action and he rushed to the front door and held it open as the woman hurried out of the house.
"Will, come in, and greet your son," Keewidinook then shouted.
Leaving the door open, Will hurried into the bedroom, then stopped and stood frozen in the doorway. He looked at his wife, still sitting on the blood stained leaves, cradling the swaddled child in her arms. "Come, sit," she told him.
Will walked to the side of the bed and sat down and Keewidinook held the child out for him to take in his arms. Will's lower lip began to quiver and tears moistened his eyes. He stared down at the sleeping baby. "Hadley William Chisholm," he whispered, then raised his eyes to his wife. "He's healthy?"
Keewidinook smiled. "Chieano is burying the placenta and cord to bring him a long and healthy life," she explained.
"That's what was in that towel?"
Keewidinook nodded. "Give back to the earth, the Great Spirit."
"He has your hair and coloring," Will said. "He's beautiful."
"When he is awake, you will see he has your eyes. Strong medicine among Indians."
Will gently returned the child to Keewidinook, but the stirring awakened him and he began to wail.
"He sounds like my Pa," Will laughed.
Will watched with awe as Keewidinook unlaced her shirt and brought the child to her breast. "Hungry," she said with great pride.
"I wish my Ma had lived to see this child. She'd be so proud of you, Keewidinook. I'm so proud of you."
"We have many babies, Will," she assured him.
Will wiped the tears that were now streaming down his face. Speechless, he could only nod.
The midwife returned and again shouted something Will did not understand. He looked at Keewidinook for translation.
"She says you must go as we still have work to do."
Will nodded and slowly pulled himself off the bed and walked toward the door. There he stopped and turned back to Keewidinook. "Thank you," he said, then turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
END
Author's notes: A thank you to Rachel C who read what I thought was a finished story and said, "Nope, not done without an epilogue."
Will Chisholm was about thirty years old when the Chisholms made the trek across the country in a covered wagon. Kid Curry was thirty years old in the 1880s. In order to make these two characters about ten years apart in age for this story, I did have to take some liberties with the timeline.