Amnesty but First Penance

A Friend in Need - Chapter Five

Curry decided he was going to attack this job headfirst. He was going to model himself after the Kid Curry of the dime novel with some Harry Briscoe bravado added in. It went against his nature to be loud, arrogant and attract attention, but that is exactly what he planned -– no needed – to do today.

Borrowing the tallest black horse he could find in Whitmore Springs, like Kid Curry was said to ride in the novels, he rode boldly onto the Fish property. He headed up the road toward their front door.

"Hold it right there!"

Not bothering to look for the threatening voice, Curry continued on his way with forced confidence. "Jed "Kid" Curry at your service. Come to see Scott Andrews." Making his voice loud and arrogant, he drew his gun and waved it theatrically in the air.

"Kid Curry?"

Hearing the threats replaced by questions, Curry waved his other hand holding the reins as high as he could. He smiled broadly. "Scott Andrews sent a letter and asked that I come sign his Kid Curry books."

Continuing to ride straight toward the front door, Curry hoped that the children had heard his arrival. The embroidered 'western cowboy' shirt Spencer had secretly bought in Carson City itched and its fringe made him feel stupid.

Suddenly, as the front door jerked open, a shoeless, dark-haired boy raced out. "Kid Curry! Kid Curry! You got my letter!"

Truly smiling, Curry attempted to dismount with flair but ended up stumbling as his foot hit the ground. "Scott Andrews?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Curry knelt on one knee to greet the boy on his own level. Formally, he held out his hand to the boy. "Jed Curry."

The boy surprised him by jumping into his arms, forcing him to sit on the ground.

"I can't believe you came!'

Knowing that he had to manage the boy's expectations, Curry spoke quickly, "Yes, I came to sign the novels you have about me."

"Huh?"

Hugging the child close, Curry whispered in his ear, "I am here to help you and your sister. But it's a secret from your stepfather. Can you keep the secret? Ask me to take you and your sister for a ride."

Surprised, the boy nodded as Curry disentangled himself from the boy's arms. Dropping into his exaggerated gunfighter persona, he stood and greeted the man stomping toward him. "Jed 'Kid' Curry. How do you do?" Swallowing his disgust with Ron Fish, Curry smiled, pretending he was talking to a long-lost friend. Wrapping his arm around the man's shoulders, he directed him toward the house. "You want to see my fast draw? I'm sure Scotty and his sister do."

The man was confused, but Curry's actions and name had forced him into a learned politeness.

Out of the corner of his eye, Curry saw Scotty was joined by his sister on the porch. Looking around, Curry grabbed a tin can and dumped the nails in it on the ground. Throwing the can high in the air, he shot it three times before it hit the ground.

Curry smiled at the awed expressions on the children's faces, then nodded as he saw the same look on their stepfather's face. He knew he had his attention, now he needed to keep him involved until he could move to the next step of his plan.

Speaking far louder than was normal and adding exaggerated excitement to his voice, Curry sidled to stand closer to Fish. "Ever hear of a gun that can shoot two bullets at once?"

Without waiting for an answer, Curry drew his gun and continued loudly, "Well, this one can!"

Curry threw a bullet high into the air, then hit it with a bullet shot from his gun.

Fish starred in admiration at the spot in the air where the bullets had exploded together.

Scotty and Janice Ann took that time to run to Curry begging for a ride on his horse.

Calming his heart, Curry tried to give them a reassuring smile without their stepfather seeing. "Well, kids, I was goin' to do a bit a trick shootin' but tell you what..." Curry looked at Fish as he spoke. "Sir, if you can find about a dozen cans and bottles and line them up on that fence over there, I'll show you some fancy shootin'." He pointed to a fence near the back of the house.

"Yeah, yeah I can do that."

Curry heard the curiosity in his voice, so he added, "And if you have an old deck of cards, add the one eyed jack and the aces to that lineup. I'll just take the kids for a little ride on Blackie; he can do tricks, you know."

Scotty looked at his hero in adoration. "Like he did in 'Kid Curry at Kidnap River'?"

Curry lifted Scotty up to the saddle as he watched Fish go in search of the cans and bottles. Then he lifted Janice Ann in the saddle behind her brother. She was rail thin with eyes showing the red that only comes from a hard cry. "Come on, Blackie, let's show these two what you can do."

As he led the horse in a wide circle around the yard, he saw Fish disappear into the house, closing the door behind him. Jumping on behind Janice Ann, Curry urged the horse faster. "Hold on tight," he whispered as he reached around them to grab the reins. In his loud voice he announced, "Let's see just how fast Blackie can go."

Heading Blackie toward the house so Fish would not be suspicious, they raced toward the house turning in front of the porch in a gentle circle. Taking a deep breath, he said, "It's now or never" and headed the horse down the road away from the house.

Fish had gathered the cans and exited the rear of the house and was vaguely aware of the horse riding toward the house, so thought little of it when the rhythm of the horse changed and raced away from the house just as fast. He started setting up the cans and bottles on the far fence, before he looked up. Realizing he could no longer see the horse with the children, he listened and heard the disappearing hoofbeats. But it still took him a few seconds to realize that Curry, the children, and the horse were gone. He raced into the house and grabbed his rifle. By the time he had run down the lane toward the end of his property, they were out of sight..

Holding the children tightly, Curry urged Blackie to run as fast as he could and run he did. Seeing the road that meant freedom ahead, the horse gained speed. Curry let the horse sprint past Spencer and the waiting wagon at top speed as if he knew he was fleeing from evil. "Going straight through," he yelled to the reverend.

Letting the horse slow his pace, he felt the young girl in front of him shaking in fright. She was dressed only in a tattered dress that was way too big for her. Curry figured it had been one of her mother's.

They stayed on the horse the five miles to Whitmore Springs. Curry kept looking behind him for any sign of their stepfather.

Feeling him turn around, Janice Ann asked in a small, frightened voice, "Is he going to catch us? He's going to be mighty mad when we get back home."

"You're not going back there with him," Curry said with determination. "Ever!"

"I just knew you came to rescue us," Scotty said. "But I asked you to kill him."

The horse had slowed considerably as Curry made a turn and headed for Mary Beaty's house.

"I don't kill people, even bad people," he said. Although he had controlled it, he had been nervous something would go wrong until he passed the wagon on the road.

"He'll come get me," Janice Ann said softly as she leaned her head on her brother's back.

"When he does, he'll be arrested."

"By a sheriff?" Scotty's voice grew higher.

"For the murders?" asked his sister.

"Murders?"

"You know," she continued matter of factly. "He killed ma and the two hired hands that worked for him." Her tone was devoid of emotion and judgment.

Curry wanted to keep her talking but wasn't sure what to say. He was uncomfortable in this position listening to what might become evidence. There was sadness in every part of her being. He didn't need to say anything as Scotty picked up when Janice Ann stopped talking.

"Mr. Fish said he had to kill the three of them because they were playing together in the barn. I'm not sure why that was bad, but I never played anywhere near the barn since then."

Relieved to see Mary Beaty standing in front of her house, arms wide in greeting for them, Curry directed the horse to her hitching post.

As the children were smothered by her hugs, Scotty leaned into her, but Janice Ann stood rigid, barely tolerating the touch.

Curry watched until he heard Spenser's wagon approaching. He nodded to Spencer, walked to the wagon and took the reins of the horse.

"Good job, Jed! Or should I say Kid Curry?"

"Spencer, you got to talk to those kids before they leave. Mary's feelings were right, Scotty told me Fish killed their ma and two ranch hands for playing in the barn." Curry said, smiling as Mary hustled the kids into her house, but the smile left his face as he saw Janice Ann look back down the street in fear. This wasn't over yet.

"I've got to take Blackie back to the livery. I'll take care of yours too." Curry turned to see two men behind him wearing US Marshal shields.

"Take care of the horses, Mr. Curry, then you can go. You did your part. Now we do ours."

Finding himself alone in front of the house, Curry made a decision. He secured the horses to the hitching post and followed the others inside. The children and Mary were in a side room that could be curtained off for privacy but the flowered curtains were pulled open. Through the doorway, he could see Spencer quietly speaking with the children and Mary Beaty.

When he started to join them, one of the marshals put out his arm and stopped him. "Reverend Spencer doesn't need your help in there, Mr. Curry."

Stopping where he was, Curry watched the scene. He could hear the calming tone Spencer was using. Although he could hear Spencer, he could not catch Janice Ann's answers. He did see the anxious expressions on Scotty's face.

"Kid Curry!" Scotty's gaze found Curry standing in the next room and ran to him.

Curry scooped the terrified boy up in his arms. "It's okay, Scotty. All these people are here to help you and Janice Ann."

"They're your friends?"

"Uh-huh" Curry silently laughed at himself saying marshals were his friends, but it was what Scotty needed to hear to reassure him.

"I don't understand what they are talking about or even what Janice Ann is saying, but I know they are talking about bad things." Scotty buried his head into Curry's shoulder and started crying.

"Jed," called Spencer. 'Why don't you bring Scotty back in here and come with him."

"It's okay. No one's goin' to hurt you,'' Curry calmed the child in his arms as he pushed past the marshal and entered the room.

"Scotty," said Spencer in a compassionate voice. "How about if Mr. Curry sits on the bed here and you stay in his lap?"

Scotty raised his head and peeked at the reverend. He nodded slightly.

Curry sat down and settled the child onto his lap. Spencer leaned forward in his chair and smiled at the boy. "Scotty, we know Mr. Fish hurt you. Can you tell us what he did to you?"

"He hit me with his belt and sometimes with his switch and I always tried to be so good. He hit Janice Ann all the time, even when she was good." Scotty's voice was little, just above a whisper.

Spencer rested his hand gently on the boy's knee. "Scotty, do you know what happened to your ma?"

Hugging Curry tighter, Scotty nodded as his eyes grew larger. "I saw Mr. Fish hit her hard. She fell and didn't get up." He looked to Curry for reassurance. "He said never tell nobody or he'd do the same thing to Janice Ann." Burying his head into Curry's shoulder again to hide his face, Scotty finished, "Until now. It's alright, Kid, ain't it? That I tell you?"

"Yes, Scotty. Nothing's goin' to happen to you or Janice Ann. You're safe."

Spencer hated to pry further but needed one more piece of information. "What did Mr. Fish hit her with, son?"

"Ain't your son."

Spencer was surprised by the quick show of anger, but realized the anger had to do with Fish, not him. Smiling softly, he asked again, "Can you tell us what he hit her with, Scotty?"

Curry felt Scotty nod into him. "Can you use your words?"

"He hit her with the square shovel, and he kept hitting her. When the ranch hands came to help her, he shot them. I was up in the loft. He didn't see me 'til later," Scotty spoke quickly, looking at Curry's face the whole time. "Janice Ann was in the door of the barn. Ask her. She saw it, too."

Curry hugged the boy and stood up with him in his arms. "Think that's enough questions. Scotty, you hungry? I sure am."

"Ye…ye…yes, sir."

As Curry left the room, he heard Spencer talking to Mary and Janice Ann. "Thank you both. Your stage leaves in about an hour."

Then, Curry became aware of another man standing near the curtain, listening to all that was said. Startled, he began to ask what he was doing but saw the man raise a finger to his lips and leaned closer to the room to hear better. Scotty, head still buried in Curry's shoulder, holding onto him as if his life depended on it, did not see this last man.

Putting Scotty in a chair at the table, Curry started to make two sandwiches with the bread, meat and cheese Mary had left out on the table. "Scotty, you did real well answerin' those questions. I'm proud of you."

"You are?"

"Yes, you've been very brave all day."

"Kid Curry is proud of me?"

"Very proud, Scotty. I'm glad that you wrote that letter."

Shy, Scotty grinned, blushed red and mumbled, "Gee, thanks!"

Curry smiled at him. "Now I need you to do some things for me."

Scotty said nothing, just waited and Curry could see the hesitation in his eyes. It had been an emotional day for the boy, but it wasn't over yet.

"In a little while your mom's cousin, Mary..."

"She told us to call her Aunt Mary?"

"That's good; she loved your ma and she'll take good care of you."

"But…"

"In a little while, you are goin' to take a stage with Aunt Mary and Janice Ann away from here. A marshal will go with you to protect you."

"But I thought you would…we would go with you." Tears filled the boy's eyes.

The tears cut at Curry. In a short time, he had become attached to the boy and felt the need to be the one to protect him. Spencer, Mary and Janice Ann entered the room quietly.

Spencer knelt next to Scotty's chair at the table and looked into his eyes. "Kid Curry came in answer to your letter, didn't he?"

Scotty nodded.

"Well, he has another letter that he needs to answer now."

"Another boy needs help?"

Spencer chose his words carefully. "Another family asked for his help."

Serious, Scotty nodded. "But not to kill nobody."

"Mr. Curry doesn't kill people, Scotty."

"Killing's a sin. Ma taught us that."

"Yes, it is."

Curry listened to Spencer's words feeling they were meant as much for him as for the boy.

"Did I sin by asking Kid Curry to kill Mr. Fish? Am I going to hell?" Fear dominated Scotty's voice.

"No Scotty, you didn't sin. You didn't really want him killed; you wanted him out of your lives. You were afraid of him, weren't you?"

"Y…y…Yes."

"Well, it looks like the Lord looked after you by sending Kid Curry."

Brightening, Scotty gave Curry a long hug. Handing the boy a piece of paper, Curry finished the hug and said, "Keep this paper safe. If you ever need me again, this is where you can find me."

Taking the paper as if it were a lifeline, Scotty folded it carefully and put it in his pocket.

"It's the address for Marshal Trevors in Porterville. He'll always know where to find me."

Looking at Curry with eyes of thanks and hero worship, Scotty's face suddenly grew dark. "I don't have my books for you to sign anymore."

"How about when you go to catch the stage, we look in that little general store and see if they have one? I'll buy it for you and sign it before you leave. "

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Curry watched the stage leave Whitmore Springs and sighed. It seemed an eternity since he had watched Heyes ride away from him with Lom. With the excitement over, he followed Spencer back to Mary Beaty's house as worry stole his thoughts.

"Told her I would lock up when we leave tomorrow. Judge Sams should be finished in a bit," Spencer told Curry as they walked.

"Judge? The man behind the curtain?"

"Yeah. He listened to the children's reports of what happened. They varied because Scotty's too young to know what he saw but they were pretty close. He's making out a warrant to arrest Ronald Fish for murder."

"Good, but I'll feel better when Ron Fish is behind bars."

"Jed." Spencer stopped so he could look into Curry's eyes. "You handled this very well, but your part is done. Done very successfully. It's over. Let the marshals take over now."

Curry broke eye contact and changed the subject. "You really have another penance for me to do…without Heyes?" he asked sadly.

"Yes, we'll stay here in Mary's house tonight and tomorrow we leave for Bakersfield.."

"Bakersfield? I…we…me and Heyes have relatives there," Curry stumbled over the thought of family other than his cousin.

Spencer held out an envelope. Taking it, Curry read the return address out loud, "Colleen Curry Heyes."

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Finding it impossible to find a comfortable sleeping position now that the doctor had bandaged only chest and shoulder, Heyes settled for half leaning against the wall and just resting his eyes. His left arm was free to move now, but even after doing stretching exercises, movement was painful. And today the doctor had cleared him to work in the kitchen doing light work. He knew no work in the prison was light work. Waiting for five-thirty, he thought about the Kid and an empty loneliness swept through him. He thought about him safe on the Leon farm finishing the planting by himself and hoped Mr. Leon didn't try to help him. While a nice man, their elder employer was not always steady on his feet.

"Sixteen more days. I can do anything for sixteen days," he thought as he reconstructed the humble persona he had prepared on the jail wagon

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