Another Change of Governors
(I love the picture of Heyes and Kid sitting double on the horse, because they both look so genuinely happy. Thinking of them solely in character, I wondered just what would bring them such pure and honest joy, and wanted to build a story around that photo. This is that story).
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Governor George Moonlight was not an unreasonable man, despite following in the footsteps of the three previous governors, and hesitating to grant amnesty papers to two of Wyoming's most notorious outlaws. He was also not immune to the fate of the three previous governors, each of whom had been replaced while still in office.
Governor Moonlight was in the second year of his appointed governorship of the Wyoming Territory when his own political team began hearing rumors of yet another replacement. Initially, the governor scoffed at the idea of the President replacing yet another Wyoming governor, but when the rumors did not quickly fade into obscurity, he began to grow concerned. Moonlight, a man with higher political aspirations than the position he currently held, decided he did not want a failed governorship to mar his political resume.
One thing that could be said about Governor Moonlight was that he was a man who took the bull by the horns, and faced potential setbacks head on. So, instead of becoming a lame duck, Governor Moonlight boarded a train for Washington for a personal meeting with the President. It was during that meeting that Governor Moonlight submitted his resignation which was to take effect in exactly thirty-one days.
During his train ride back to Wyoming, he and his personal secretary, Mark Withers, began a list of loose ends that Moonlight wanted to tie up before he left office. On that list of his ten most significant projects was the granting of amnesty to Hannibal Heyes and Jed Curry.
"We've been stringing those two along for a good many years," Moonlight told his secretary. "It's about time they get what they deserve."
"You're granting them amnesty?" Withers asked.
"Let's see if they make the final cut of the ten things I want finalized before I leave office. If so, then yes, I'm granting them amnesty."
Once the list was completed, with a total of eleven specific issues, Moonlight and Withers reviewed each issue, rewriting the list in order of importance. In the end, amnesty was item number three. By the time they arrived back in Wyoming, amnesty had moved to item number two, and Moonlight had decided to go out with a bang by making the amnesty his final act, and turning the event into a celebration that would rival the President's Inaugural Ball.
0-0-0-0-0
Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry were in Cody, Wyoming when the telegram came through for Smith and Jones. Heyes stood at the desk of the hotel lobby, where the telegram had been delivered to the hotel clerk, and unfolded the paper containing a very short message.
"What's it say?" Kid asked.
"It says..."
"Yeah?," Kid prodded.
Heyes cleared his voice and read the telegram aloud. "It's over. Stop. Congratulations. Stop. Come to Porterville right away. Stop."
"It's ov... it's over?" Kid asked, his eyes bright with anticipation..
"Yep," Heyes replied. "It's over."
An elated smile spread across Kid's face, but vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared. "Wait a minute. We've heard this before from this very same governor."
"That's true, but Lom wouldn't send us this telegram if he didn't think it was true."
"It's almost four hundred miles to Porterville. That could be a long ride for nothing."
Heyes sighed heavily and folded the telegram into his pocket. "I know."
"And it's already almost suppertime."
"I know that, too," Heyes replied.
"How much money you got?" Kid asked.
"Not enough for train fare. How much do you have?"
Kid winced. "Twelve cents. If we leave now and ride straight through, we can be there... the day after tomorrow."
"Or we can leave now and hop the first train east," Heyes suggested.
Kid nodded. " A four hundred mile boxcar ride sounds better than a saddle ride. I like your idea better."
"So we leave now?" Heyes asked.
"We leave now," Kid replied.
Heyes nodded and approached the hotel desk. "We'll be checking out," he told the clerk.
0-0-0-0-0
Near thirty hours and 400 miles later, Heyes and Kid arrived on foot in Porterville after having jumped out of a boxcar about two miles from town. With saddlebags slung over their shoulders, both hobbled gingerly into Sheriff Trevor's office.
"What did you do, walk all the way here?" Lom asked.
"Part of the way," Heyes replied with a painful wince.
"Does the telegram mean what we think it means?" Kid asked and eased himself down into a hardback chair.
"It does, and this time it's a sure thing," Lom replied. "Congratulations!"
"How soon do we get the parers?," Heyes interrupted.
"Well, there's a little bit of explaining to do," Lom replied.
"Uh-oh. That mean's there's a catch, Heyes," Kid told his partner.
"No catch, Kid. Just a slight delay," Lom told him.
Exhausted and sore, neither Heyes nor Kid were in the mood to hear of a delay, and both frowned as they glared at their friend.
"How long of a delay?" Heyes asked.
"Governor Moonlight has resigned..."
"Not another governor to deal with," Kid groaned.
"It's not like that at all," Lom replied. "His final day in office is just over three weeks away. That's the day that you'll both receive your amnesties."
"And in the meantime, we'll still be wanted?" Kid asked.
Lom shrugged. "Well, technically, but that's really pretty much a moot issue now as every sheriff and marshal in Wyoming has been notified of the amnesty date.
"Then why doesn't he just give us the papers now?" Heyes asked.
"Well, the governor is throwing a sort of... resignation party on his last day in office. The amnesty ceremony is going to be part of that celebration."
"Amnesty ceremony," Kid lamented and shot Heyes a skeptical look.
"There's not a politician in the world that doesn't take advantage of every publicity opportunity that he can," Lom explained. "That's why I needed you to come right away. There's planning to do."
Lom opened his top desk drawer and pulled out a blank sheet of paper. "The governor needs your guest list. Now, the ball room can hold 500 guests...
"Ball room..." Kid moaned.
"Five hundred guests..." Heyes exclaimed.
"Oh, don't worry. Most of the guests will be the governor's friends, political party members, high society that like to make financial contributions to move his career along, those sort of folks. But his secretary needs the names of anyone you plan to invite."
"Well that's easy enough," Kid replied. "We ain't inviting no one."
"You have to invite a few people. The governor expects some show of gratitude," Lom told them.
"Show of gratitude! For stringing us along for almost four years!"
"That wasn't all Moonlight's doing. There were other governors involved remember," Lom told him. "And a little groveling ain't gonna kill either one of you. Now, start giving me some names."
"I suppose we could invite Clementine Hale, and Georgette Sinclair. They both live in Denver," Heyes replied.
Lom jotted down the names. "Who else?" he asked.
"Well, let's see... Soapy Saunders and Silky O'Sullivan, they both live in San Francisco," Heyes told him.
"Alice Banning," Kid suggested. "She's in San Francisco, too."
Keep going," Lom said eagerly.
With the same thought, Heyes and Kid looked at each other, frowned, then spoke in unison and with a defeated tone in their voices. "Harry Briscoe."
"Who's Harry Briscoe?" Lom asked.
"A Bannerman detective that... let's just say we've helped a time or two along the way," Heyes told him.
"The Bannerman home office is in Denver," Kid added.
"Denver," Lom said, jotting the information down on paper. Who else?" he prodded.
"That's six," Heyes replied.
"And they'll each bring a guest, so that's twelve," Kid added.
"The room capacity is five hundred. The governor said you need to have a representation of at least fifty people so you look like you have a lot of support behind the amnesty project."
"We don't even know fifty people," Kid told him.
"Anybody of real importance?" Lom asked, ignoring Kid's comment.
"Well, there's Judge Hanley from Junction City," Heyes said slowly as he tried to think of names the governor might recognize. "Oh, and Governor Zulick from Arizona."
"You know him?"" Lom asked.
Kid nodded. "We helped get him out of Mexico. Earned three hundred dollars apiece and it landed us in jail," Kid explained.
"Lom," Heyes said and gently reached for the paper. "Kid and me will take this back to the hotel tonight and we'll have a full list for you in the morning. Now, if you don't mind, it's late and we're dead tired."
Lom nodded. "We're taking the train to Cheyenne in the morning to meet the governor. He seems to think there are a lot of things to go over. Be at the train station at eight-thirty, and look presentable."
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"Lom, is it safe for Kid and me to be in Cheyenne in broad daylight?" Heyes asked after the three men had boarded the train the next morning.
"I told you that notices have been sent out to all the sheriffs and marshals west of the Mississippi. As long as you don't go drawing unwanted attention to yourselves, you'll be fine."
Heyes glanced nervously at his partner. "If you say so, Lom."
All three men were dressed in suits and none looked particularly comfortable. Trying to make the best of the situation, Kid placed his Derby on the empty seat beside him, folded his arms across his chest, and closed his eyes with a plan to sleep throughout the train ride.
"Did you finish the list?" Lom asked.
Heyes reached into his pocket and handed Lom the paper. "We don't know addresses, but we did write down the towns where everybody lives," he explained.
"The governor's office shouldn't have any trouble notifying everyone as long as they know what town to send the invitation to."
"What time are we meeting the Governor?" Heyes asked.
"One-thirty. There's a train back to Porterville at four. We'll have time to get some lunch before our meeting."
0-0-0-0-0
At twenty-five minutes after one, Lom, Heyes, and the Kid, (the latter two being rather nervous), waited in the hallway outside the Governor's Office. Heyes paced while Kid seemed not to know just what to do with his hands, and kept putting them in his pockets, then pulling them out and folding his arms across his chest.
"Lom, is there a water closet in this place?" Heyes asked.
"Are you serious?" Kid asked. "We've got five minutes till the meeting."
"It's just down the hall. Come on, I'll show you," Lom told him and led him quickly down the hall.
"The Governor will see you now," Mr. Withers told Kid just seconds after Lom and Heyes had vanished.
"The two people I'm with are... indisposed," Kid tried to explain.
"We don't keep the Governor waiting. I'll show them both in as soon as they return," Withers replied.
Withers knocked, then opened the office door. "Governor Moonlight, your one-thirty is slightly delayed. This is..."
"Never mind the formalities," Governor Moonlight exclaimed as Kid stepped into the room behind the secretary.
Withers stepped aside and nodded to Kid to go further into the room, then returned to his desk, shutting the door behind him.
Governor Moonlight stood behind his desk and eyed the stranger with a scrutinizing glare. "You're a bit early, aren't you?" he asked condescendingly.
Kid nervously pulled his hat from his head. "I'm sorry, Sir," he replied. "I can come back later if you'd like."
"President Cleveland has a lot of gall, sending my replacement nearly three weeks before I'm leaving office."
"Oh, no Sir...That is... I'm not...I'm Jed Curry, Your Honor, I mean Your Governor...ship."
Governor Moonlight broke into a hardy laugh. "George Baxter was right. It's no wonder you have not been caught. You just don't look like an outlaw."
"I'm...sorry, Sir."
A second knock on the door brought Lom and Heyes into the room.
"Good to see you again, Governor," Lom said and extended his arm to shake hands with the governor.
"Good to see you, Trevors, and this must be Hannibal Heyes."
"How do you do, Sir," Heyes said and also extended his hand to the Governor.
"Please, sit down and we'll just go over the plans," the Governor said and settled back into his chair. "I'm sure you'll be pleased to know there won't be a lot of planning on your part. The events will all take place on Saturday, the twenty-eighth. "
Heyes and Kid nodded nervously as they sat down in chairs next to Lom.
"A simple ceremony on the front lawn of the State House is scheduled for ten AM. That's when you'll be given the amnesty papers. There will be photographers and a few reporters. Those suits you're wearing now will be fine for that. In fact, perhaps your everyday clothing would be even better, for historical records you understand."
Heyes and Kid nodded complacently as neither was about to argue with the Governor.
"The presentation of your amnesties will be followed by a brief question and answer period. At noon there will be a short parade, not more than ten blocks. The two of you will be the Grand Marshals and you'll just be on horseback. Just dress in everyday clothing for that. I'm sure the spectators would like to see you dressed in the kind of things you wore when you were active outlaws."
Heyes and Kid both leaned slightly forward and gave each other a dubious glance.
"The afternoon has nothing scheduled, so you'll have a few hours of free time. Be at the mansion by six, and that is a black tie dinner. The ball will begin at eight."
"The ball?l" Heyes asked.
The governor nodded. "Again, nothing to be too concerned about as that is really my departure gala. It will last till about two or three in the morning, but you're not obligated to stay to the end. Mingle about a bit in the beginning, then you're free to exit whenever you want to."
"Yes, Sir," Heyes replied.
"A gala," Kid said, not even trying to hide his apprehension.
"Of course all your guests are invited to all the events," Moonlight added. "Any questions?"
"Just one, " Heyes said. "Now when you say black tie..."
"Tuxedos, of course. There's a shop downtown where you can rent them. You should probably stop by there to reserve yours now, before you head back to Porterville. "
"Of course," Heyes replied.
"Well, if you have no other questions, I'll see you boys on the front lawn of the State House on the twenty-eighth," Governor Moonlight told them, then stood and ushered the three of them to the door.
Kid and Heyes stood in the hallway with stunned looks on their faces.
"A parade," Kid lamented.
"And a gala," Heyes added. "I guess it's true..."
"What?" Kid asked.
"Politics makes strange bedfellows."
0-0-0-0-0
"Who ever heard of renting fancy clothes?" Kid grumbled as they rode the train back to Porterville later that day. "And wasting a whole day for things he coulda told us in a telegram."
"You had something more pressing to do today?"Lom asked.
"That ain't the point. The point is the fact that the Governor don't understand that the last thing Heyes and me want or need is reporters and photographers telling the whole world about us and printin' pictures of the two of us in every newspaper in the west."
"You're still thinking like an outlaw," Lom told him.
"No, I ain't. I'm thinking like a man who knows every two bit gunslinger is now gonna know Kid Curry on sight. That's making things even more dangerous for me than when I was outlawing."
"Kid does have a valid point," Heyes agreed.
"He won't back down on the reporters and photographers," Lom told them. "He may be resigning as governor, but he isn't leaving politics, and that means any publicity is better than no publicity."
"Not for me" Kid grumbled.
"Lom, Kid and me have been planning a trip west and I think now is as good a time as any to take it. We'll plan on being back by the twenty-sixth so we can all head back to Cheyenne the next day."
"A diversion is probably a good idea for the both of you. I'll get the train tickets for Cheyenne and make reservations at a hotel while we're there."
"Not the same hotel as all the governor's guests," Kid added. "Somewhere a little outta the way."
Lom nodded. "And away from reporters and photographers. I understand."
0-0-0-0-0
The train arrived in Porterville on time at exactly eleven-fifteen at night. Kid and Heyes said goodbye to Lom and promised to be back by the prearranged date, then headed to the hotel for the night.
Heyes, I've been thinking..."
"Kid, we're so close to the amnesty now, maybe you ought to postpone doing that till after we have the papers in our hands," Heyes replied teasingly.
"Now hear me out. First, when you told Lom we was taking a trip west, did you have someplace specific in mind?"
"I know we put Soapy and Silky on the invitation list, but that's a long trip to ask them to make. I thought we could go out and explain to them that we don't expect them to travel all the way to Cheyenne just for that, and it's also just a way to get away from all fuss."
"Well, I was thinking along those same lines, but I was thinking about the boys at Devil's Hole."
"But, we didn't invite them," Heyes reminded his partner.
"Which is exactly why we've got some explaining to do. If Wheat or one of the other fellas were to read about the ceremony..., well I was just thinking that Cheyenne is gonna be full of Federal Marshals that day, likely hoping the gang will show up."
Heyes gave this a bit of thought. "You could be on to something there. We wouldn't want any of the boys getting arrested... Yeah, we'll make a stop there on the way. We'll buy horses in the morning and ride to Devil's Hole, then sell em and take the train to San Francisco."
0-0-0-0-0 (Devil's Hole)
Three mornings later, Kid Curry woke in a soft bed with a goose feather mattress in some need of more stuffing. Kid didn't notice the flaw, as he was once again in the only bedroom that had ever been solely his own. Even back in Kansas, he had shared the bedroom with his little sister. He rolled over on his back and clasped his hands together behind his head and let his eyes roll over every inch of the room.
The second thing he noticed was the rich aroma of well made coffee. Having slept in his long johns and Henley, Kid got out of bed and slid into his jeans, then padded barefoot out into the main room.
"I smell something wonderful," he said as he lifted a cup from the shelf and headed toward the pot of coffee sitting atop the wood burner.
"Coffee?" Heyes asked curiously. "You've never exclaimed over the smell of coffee before."
Kid shook his head as he filled his cup. "Coffee is what you make, Heyes. This is... cof-fee," he said, elongating the word for emphasis. "Wheat must have gotten up early. Where is he anyway?"
"He went over to the bunkhouse to wake the boys."
"You tell him about the amnesty?" Kid asked as he sipped his coffee and headed slowly toward the front door."
"No. Thought I'd wait and we can tell them all at once."
Kid stopped just inside the front door and pointed to something just above the top of the door frame. "Heyes, you see that?" he asked.
"Yeah, I noticed that when I got up this morning," Heyes said, referring to the horseshoe nailed to the small space above the door. "I'm surprised Wheat kept it."
"I hate to admit it, Heyes, but I'd forgotten all about that horseshoe," Kid said and reached up with one hand to gently touch it with his fingers. "Only thing left of Kansas," he said reminiscently. "You know, maybe it ought to stay here. This is the only other place I ever thought of as home."
Kid dropped his hand and pushed open the screen door. "You coming?" he asked.
Heyes followed Kid out on to the porch where they each sat down in weathered and rickety rocking chairs to watch the morning unfold. A few minutes had passed when they saw Wheat emerge from the bunkhouse and head back to where they were sitting.
"Good coffee, Wheat," Kid told him.
"The boys will be over in a few minutes. It takes em a while to get up and moving in the morning," Wheat explained.
"Might be easier if the three of us just go over to the bunk house," Heyes suggested.
Not willing to relinquish the role of the leader, Wheat opened his mouth to protest, then stopped when he realized Heyes was right. "Well, let's go then," he replied and started back down the stairs.
"I'll meet you two over there. I gotta put my boots on," Kid said and headed back into the cabin, using the excuse to pour himself a second cup of coffee.
0-0-0-0-0
Kid walked into the bunk house a few minutes later and was amused by the grumbling and bustling about as the men in various stages of dress, as they hustled about in search of a missing boot, or socks with no more than one hole. He spied Heyes and Wheat in the kitchen area where Wheat was busy making coffee and Heyes was pulling cups off the shelf and lining them up on the table.
"You know, there are some things about this place that I truly miss," Kid said with a grin as he approached the kitchen. "But the bunk house ain't one of em."
Once everyone was dressed to his own satisfaction, and the coffee was dispersed, and the men settled in chairs or on the edge of their beds, Wheat moved to the center of the room
"As you all know, Heyes and the Kid came by yesterday cause they said they got something important to tell us," Wheat told the gang.
"You two joining up with us again?" Kyle asked with a toothy smile.
Heyes set his coffee cup on the table and moved across the room to stand beside Wheat. "The Kid and me stopped by cause we wanted you boys to be the first to know that we're finally getting our amnesty. The Governor is handing us our walking papers on the twenty-eighth of this month," he said and waited for the backlash to begin.
"Your amnesty?" Wheat asked with a hint of irritation.
"That's right," Kid replied and sensing Wheat's ire, moved closer to Heyes.
"So you ain't wanted no more," Wheat said, more as a statement than a question. "You came all the way out here to tell us that?"
"That and the fact that, well being that the Kid and me think of you boys as family, we thought we'd buy you fellas a case of whiskey to celebrate," Heyes replied.
The boys cheered at the offer of free whiskey, but Wheat was still a little skeptical. "And just how will the two of you be celebrating?" he asked.
"Well it won't be the good time you boys will be having," Heyes replied. "The Governor is making a big ta-do out of it, a sort of stuffy political thing. We figured you boys would rather celebrate here with your own party."
"That true, Kid?" Wheat asked.
"It's the gospel, Wheat. We gotta go to Cheyenne to get our papers. We figure the town is gonna be crawling with Federal Marshals just hoping some of our outlaw friends will show up so they can arrest em. That's why we wanted to let you boys know ahead of time."
Wheat softened a bit."Well, me an the boys appreciate the sentiment, and the gesture," he told them.
"I've got one more thing to tell you boys," Heyes added. "Now, I know it seems like Kid and me have been waiting on this amnesty for a good long while..."
"I don't think any of us have given that much thought, Heyes," Kyle said innocently, with no intention of pouring any salt in the wound.
"Well, my point is, the reason we're getting the amnesty now is because the Governor is resigning, but if any of you boys are thinking you want to negotiate an amnesty deal with the new governor, Kid and me would be willing to talk to Lom Trevors about that for you."
"How long did it take you two?" Wheat asked.
"Almost four years," Heyes admitted.
Wheat snorted. "You sound like a Sunday preacher on a Saturday night, Heyes. The law will have forgotten all about the likes of us in another four years."
"Maybe," Kid said. "But prison for us would have been five times longer, Wheat."
"It's a standing offer," Heyes told them. "This gang has always been good to Kid and me and we want you to know we won't ever forget that."
"That's mighty nice of the two of you," Lobo told them. "You sure you don't want us coming to Cheyenne to help you celebrate?"
"Oh, we'd love you to be there, Lobo. But I think it's just too dangerous," Heyes lied.
0-0-0-0
"Well that went well, don't you think?" Kid said as he and Heyes boarded the train for San Francisco the next day.
"I think the whiskey will keep them out of Cheyenne, if that's what you're asking," Heyes replied defensively.
"Maybe, or bring them to Cheyenne drunk and rowdy. Besides, you didn't tell me this stop at Devil's Hole was gonna cost me money."
"Kid, ain't you learned by now that everything costs money. There ain't no such thing as a free ride no more."
Kid flapped his train ticket in the air. "You sure got that right, Mr. Genius."
Finding two empty seats, they settle in for the two day ride to San Francisco.
"You know, as I recall, on our way to Porterville, you told me you had twelve cents to you name. How did you come up with half the money for a case of whiskey?" Heyes asked.
Kid grinned. "I found Wheat's sock drawer."
"You stole money from Wheat?"
"Just enough for the whiskey, Heyes. I still just have twelve cents to my name."
0-0-0-0-0
Kid Curry was not fond of big cities. Though admittedly, his experience with such was limited to the two much smaller, but rapidly growing cities of Denver, Salt Lake City, and the much larger city of San Francisco. His disdain was primarily limited to the fact that large populations equaled a far greater chance of recognition, and he found himself spending a great deal of his time scrutinizing every person walking the streets. It wasn't until their friend Soapy Sanders pointed out to him that such a large population actually offered greater autonomy as people were far more preoccupied in their own business than to worry about the business of every stranger they happened upon, that Kid began to notice just how much people kept to themselves. Seldom did a stranger on a street even look up at a person passing by, let alone offer a smile or a friendly greeting.
Exiting the train station, they came upon a long row of horse drawn taxis and they were quick to hire one to take them to the Nob Hill home of their friend.
"Kid, Heyes, I was so pleased to receive your telegram saying you had some news. I do hope it is good news," Soapy said as the butler led them into the Study.
"Oh, it's good news, Soapy. The Governor of Wyoming has decided to grant us our amnesties," Heyes explained.
"Splendid! Let me pour us each a brandy to celebrate."
"You'll be getting an invitation to attend the ceremony in Cheyenne," Heyes told him.
"Which is why we're here," Kid added.
Soapy handed them each a snifter of brandy and they all sat down in very comfortable chairs.
"When is your big day?" Soapy asked.
"The twenty-eighth of this month, but we don't expect you to make such a long trip. The whole ceremony ain't gonna last more that half an hour," Heyes told him.
"The Governor insisted we have some invitations sent out, but we're letting everybody know it ain't necessary to come," Kid explained.
"I see. It does seem like a long trip for such a short event," Soapy agreed.
"The governor is throwing a gala that evening, but that's more about him than about us. You see, he's giving us the amnesties because he's decided to resign from office and wanted to go out with a bang," Heyes said.
"You're going to attend a gala?" Soapy asked.
"We're gonna put in an appearance cause we're expected to, but we ain't staying long. In fact, Kid and me have decided not to stay at the hotel that the Governor made arrangements for everybody to stay at. It's gonna be full of politicians and reporters. So we decided to stay across town at the Clairmont."
"It's nice, but doesn't cater to the high society... No offense, Soapy," Kid said as he looked around the Study of their very wealthy friend.
Soapy laughed. "None taken, Kid, though I must admit, I likely came by my money just as dubiously as those politicians. So, how long are you staying in San Francisco this time?"
"Just a couple of nights. We've got a couple of other friends in the area and want to tell them the same thing we just told you," Heyes explained.
"I know Silky O'Sullivan is likely one of those friends but, who else do you know in San Francisco?"
"A woman by the name of Alice Banning. That's pretty much everybody," Kid told him.
"Well you're welcome to stay as long as you like, and make yourselves right at home."
0-0-0-0-0
"What in tar nation are the two of you doing here? '' Silky O'Sullivan screeched when he opened his front door and found Kid and Heyes standing there. "I thought I made it perfectly clear the last time I laid eyes on the two of you that it was the last time I ever wanted to lay eyes of the two of you!"
Kid raised his hands in a futile attempt to calm Silky's ire. "It's alright, Silky. We ain't here wanting nothing," he explained and glanced around at the neighboring houses to see just how much attention they had drawn. "
"If you're here looking for a favor you can just forget it!"
"No favor, Silky. In fact, we're here to do you a favor," Kid replied.
Heyes winced, knowing Silky very likely considered the no favor declaration a two way street. "Silky, will you at least let us come in and explain? I promise you there's no scheme, no con, nothing like that involved in what we have to say."
Silky eyed each of them as Kid slowly lowered his hands.
"I'll give you five minutes and not a second more," Silky replied and stepped back to let Heyes and Kid enter the house.
Silky shut the door behind them and headed for the Study and Heyes and Kid obediently followed. Once in the room, Silky motioned to the sofa and both men moved in unison to sit down.
"Now, say your peace and be on your way."
"Our peace is... Well, we just came by to tell you the Governor of Wyoming has decided to grant Kid and me our amnesties."
Silky visibly relaxed a bit. "Amnesty? So you ain't wanted criminals no more"
"As of the twenty-eighth," Kid said proudly.
"You find some dirt on the Governor, did you, cause blackmail's a crime too, you know?"
"No blackmail, Silky. It's all legitimate," Kid replied.
"And you'll be getting an invite to the ceremony in the mail," Heyes said.
"An invite?"
"The Governor is expecting us to invite a few people, but we came to tell you to just ignore the invitation when it comes," Heyes told him.
"Ignore it. Why?"
"It's being held in Cheyenne and it's only gonna last a half an hour," Kid explained. "There's no reason to make a trip that long."
"I wouldn't make the trip if it was just down the street," Silky exclaimed.
"Silky, now we know you don't mean that," Heyes replied.
"Well, you're right. I shouldn't have said that. The truth is, I'm proud of you boys. It took a lot of tenacity on your part to stay at that for so long. I'm happy for the both of you."
Heyes smiled. "We knew you would be. Underneath that cranky exterior is..." Heyes looked at Kid for help finding a word, but Kid just shrugged.
"Is a man with a kind heart," Heyes added.
"More like a gullible one, but I appreciate the sentiment," Silky replied. "Now, I told you boys back in Montana that I'd be willing to share a glass of sherry with you, and that's exactly what we're gonna do."
Half an hour later, Kid and Heyes walked out of Silky's home and climbed up onto their saddles.
"So, now we go looking for Alice Banning?" Kid asked.
Heyes sighed. The conversation with Silky had taken a lot out of him. "Maybe we just include her in the list of telegrams to send," he suggested.
Kid smiled. "I like your thinking, Heyes."
But as they rode back toward Soapy's, Kid began to grow a little concerned. "Heyes, we talked to Soapy and Silky in person, but that still leaves twenty-three telegrams to send."
"I was thinking about that too. Maybe we go ahead and let Clementine come to the ceremony. I think she'd be awful mad if we didn't let her come see us get our walking papers."
"Uh-uh," Kid agreed. "So, twenty-two telegrams at ten cents a word..."
"Maybe we could keep em really short," Heyes suggested."
"Even so, we're talking close to twenty dollars in telegrams," Kid replied.
Heyes nodded. "How much money you got, Kid?"
"Still just got twelve cents which ain't enough for twenty telegrams. What about you?"
"Same thing. You know, maybe we could get Soapy to send them, with a promise that we'd pay him as soon as we're working."
"You don't think he'd mind?"
0-0-0-0-0
"I'd be delighted," Soapy exclaimed when they proposed the thought of him sending the telegrams.
"We'll make you a list of all the people and where they live," Heyes said. "You don't know how much we appreciate this, Soapy."
"You boys are like the family I never had. It would be a pleasure."
"Heyes, since this means we'll be leaving San Francisco sooner than we expected, why don't we take the horses back to Cheyenne instead of the train. Cashing in our tickets would give us a little spending money, and we ain't in the rush we thought we'd be in, and why spend any more time there than we hafta" Kid suggested.
"Sounds fine to me," Heyes replied. "Soapy, I guess we'll be leaving in the morning, that is if we can borrow two of your horses."
"Of course. Just return them as soon as you're able."
"You're a good friend, Soapy."
The next morning, after a hardy breakfast and after giving Soapy their guest list, Heyes and Kid set out on a leisurely trip back to Cheyenne. Two days later, they had gotten as far as Stockton.
"I vote for a soft bed, a home cooked meal in a cafe, and a hot bath," Kid told Heyes as they entered the town.
"Being as we know the next two or three nights are under the stars while we cross the Sierras, you won't get an argument from me."
They stopped at the first hotel they happened upon, rented a room, dropped their saddlebags on the beds, then headed to the cafe. With barely enough money between them to reach Cheyenne, they limited themselves to just two beers and no poker before returning to the hotel and turning in for the night.
"Heyes, what do you suppose would happen if we was to be recognized and arrested before we get the amnesty papers?" Kid asked as he slipped in between the covers of the bed.
"Well I would hope the Governor would stand by his word and intervene and give us those amnesty papers early."
"What about whoever turned us in, would they still collect the reward?"
"I suppose it all depends on what kind of deal the Governor made with the Union Pacific Railroad and the Cattlemen's Association since they are the ones that put up the reward."
Kid grinned. "Suppose we turned ourselves in, then we could collect the money and get the amnesty."
"I don't think it works quite like that, but I do like the idea."
"You know, we always said we weren't gonna make any plans till we got the amnesty. I guess now we can start making plans."
"You have anything in particular in mind?" Heyes asked.
Kid shook his head."No, just something that ain't gonna call a lot of attention to us."
"I don't think we need to be in any rush to decide, Kid. We can think on it for a while."
With that, Heyes lowered the wick of the oil lamp to turn off the light.
0-0-0-0-0
It took them nearly five days to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains, then travel through Nevada and into Utah before turning northwest into southwestern Wyoming. It was now the twenty-third and they had just three days to reach Porterville.
They reached Rock Springs late that evening and decided to send Lom a telegram letting him know they would be returning on time. Then they got a hot meal and spent the remainder of the evening playing poker in the saloon.
0-0-0-0-0
Three days later they arrived again in Porterville and spent the night at Lom's cabin as both were again running short on cash.
"The horses are borrowed, Lom. It's all legitimate, but we hafta get them back to the owner after we get the amnesties," Heyes explained. "I'd feel better keeping them here in your barn than at the livery."
"It's easy to see they are of good stock. My deputy will stop by and tend to all the stock each day while we're in Cheyenne," Lom told the. "Oh, by the way, you recall my telling you that a notice was sent out to all the sheriffs and Federal Marshalls informing them of your amnesty?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Kid asked.
"I got a telegram from the sheriff of Tombstone, Earp is the name. He said if you're interested, he'd be willing to hire you on as deputies."
Kid and Heyes looked at each other.
"Wyatt Earp wants to hire us as deputies?" Heyes asked.
"That's what the telegram said."
"Heyes, I think our lives might have been a lot safer when we was outlaws."
"I take it you know this sheriff?" Lom asked.
"We...met him once," Heyes replied.
"And it cost Heyes twenty thousand dollars," Kid added.
"I think that's all I wanna know about that," Lom replied.
0-0-0-0-0
The next morning Heyes, Kid, and Lom caught the train once again for Cheyenne. Once they arrived, they hired a taxi to drive them to the other side of town to Clairmont Street where their hotel was located.
"Amnesty ain't till tomorrow. Do we sign the register as Heyes and Curry, or as Smith and Jones?" Kid asked quietly as they climbed out of the coach and waited for their bags to be handed down to them.
"Like Lom says, at this point the amnesty is just a formality, so I think it's safe to sign in either way," Heyes told him.
"Let's stick with Smith and Jones, just in case there's any reporters checking the registers of all the hotels in the city," Kid replied.
The three men walked up to the desk to register.
"We have reservations," Lom told the clerk. "The names are Trevors, Smith, and Jones."
"Oh, yes Mr. Trevors," the clerk replied and swiveled the register book around, revealing a brand new page with no other signatures on it.
"Looks like Lom was thinking the same thing I was," Kid whispered in Heyes' ear."
"Great minds, the both of you," Heyes replied, but Kid was definitely uncertain of his partner's sincerity.
"Come on, it's been a long day. Let's drop off our things, get something to eat, and get some sleep," Lom told them and headed up the stairs.
0-0-0-0-0
"Well Kid, this is it, our big day," Heyes said as he and Kid headed down the stairs to the hotel lobby where just outside a carriage awaited them for the ride to the State House.
Both were dressed neatly but casually. Heyes wore a dark shirt, his tan jacket and his light colored pants. Kid wore a recently ironed white shirt and his brown leather vest and jeans, along with his leather gloves.
"You know Heyes, I used to think about what this day would be like. I never imagined reporters and photographers, and a public ceremony."
"Don't forget the parade and the gala," Heyes said teasingly. "That reminds me, we have to pick up our fancy suits this afternoon."
"I wonder if Clementine is gonna get here in time. It's funny we never heard back from her."
"She's probably staying at the fancy hotel where all the governor's friends are, and wondering if we're gonna show up," Heyes said, a bit amused by the idea.
Kid was about to reply when the heel of Heyes boot caught on the third step from the lobby floor. With arms flailing, he landed heavily by the seat of his pants and continued to slide down the two remaining stairs, coming to rest at the base of the stairs.
Kid's first reaction was to laugh at his partner's clumsiness, but he caught the laugh in his throat when he saw the pained expression on his partner's face. He jumped over the two remaining steps and dropped to one knee to see if Heyes was actually hurt.
The grimace on Heyes' face and the hand pressing against his lower back was all Kid needed to see to know Heyes was not comfortable.
"You able to stand up?"
Heyes nodded anxiously. "Won't be pretty, though."
Kid slipped an arm under Heyes' and his other arm about the back of his partner's shoulders to help him to his feet. Seeing that Heyes was not paralyzed, the grin returned to Kid's face.
"Could be worse, Heyes. Could have been in front of all them photographers."
Heyes groaned and rubbed the lower part of his back. "I can see how much you're enjoying this, but it really does hurt, Kid."
"You wanna see a doctor?"
Heyes shook his head. "It's sore, but I don't think anything's broke. Besides, the carriage is waiting."
As they walked across the lobby, Kid noticed Heyes' slightly stooped gait and noticeable limp. "You sure you're up to this, Heyes?" Kid asked.
"I've been waiting for this day for nearly four years. I'm not about to let a little back pain keep me from the satisfaction of being handed my amnesty papers."
With Kid's help and some obvious effort, Heyes was able to climb into the carriage for the ride to the State House.
0-0-0-0-0
As the carriage pulled up to the State House, both Kid and Heyes were relieved to see the crowd was relatively small with only a half a dozen short rows of chairs on the lawn, most of which remained empty. Lom opened the carriage door and was about to lament on their late arrival, until he saw Kid offering Heyes some assistance put of the carriage.
"What happened to you?" Lom asked.
"He had an argument with a flight of stairs this morning," Kid explained. "The stairs won."
Once out of the carriage, Heyes brushed off Kid's hovering assistance, but did move his own hand to his backside as he slowly and carefully straightened his posture. "I'm fine, Lom. A little sore is all," Heyes explained.
"Well you missed the rehearsal. When we're about to start, just follow me up the stairs and across the stage to our seats."
Kid looked at Lom curiously. "You had to rehearse that?" he asked.
"Kid! Heyes!" shouted a familiar voice and both looked up to see Clem hurrying across the lawn.
"Clem!" Kid exclaimed and held out his arms to catch her and raise her into the air with a slight swirl as he kissed her repeatedly before setting her back down on the ground. "Don't try that with Heyes or we'll be picking him up off the ground."
"Are you insinuating that I'm heavy?" Clem asked, sounding slightly indignant.
"Not at all darlin.' He's just got a sore back."
Clem smiled and stepped in front of Heyes and gave him a hug and a smooch on the cheek.
"Where have you two been? I looked all over the hotel for you last night," she asked.
"We're staying at a hotel downtown. We wanted to avoid all the reporters and politicians," Heyes explained.
"What hotel? I'll meet you there after the parade," she replied.
"Clairmont," Heyes told her.
The band began tuning their instruments, a signal the event was about to begin.
"I'll catch up with you later. I'm so happy for you two!" Clem exclaimed, then turned and hurried back across the lawn to her seat.
"Follow me," Lom told them when the introductory music began to play.
Kid moved behind his partner to sandwich Heyes in between himself and Lom. "Just in case you start to fall," Kid whispered. "I know how tricky stairs can be for you," he added with a wink and a grin.
"Don't sit down till I do," Lom whispered and began moving toward the stage.
"This is it, Kid. We're gonna have to add the word 'former' to our outlaw title," Heyes said as he straightened himself with a slight wince, then followed Lom's lead.
As they reached the stairs, they saw Governor Moonlight standing just behind the stage waiting for his turn to make his final public appearance as the Governor of Wyoming. Both Heyes and Kid gave him an appreciative smile as they passed by.
The Governor's speech was surprisingly short and absent of a lot of political rhetoric. He gave a brief account of the criminal history of the Devil's Hole gang but emphasized the fact that not once had the gang, led by Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry, shot anyone, and he claimed this was an important consideration when the possibility of an amnesty was first brought to the attention of Governor Warren.
"With all this in mind, it is now my honor and pleasure to grant unconditional amnesty to Hannibal Heyes and Jedediah "Kid" Curry."
Governor Moonlight then turned to the men seated and called Kid to the podium. When Kid stood, he noticed Lom did too, but only Kid walked up to the Governor to retrieve the amnesty papers and shake the Governor's hand.
"Stand just to the left of the podium while I call Mr. Heyes up here," the Governor whispered.
When Heyes' name was called, Kid understood why Lom had stood, as Lom turned slightly toward Heyes and offered a subtle bit of assistance. Once standing, Heyes straightened his posture and took confident steps to the podium where he too received his amnesty papers and shook the Governor's hand.
The crowd, small as it was, erupted in applause and whistles. Heyes and Kid smiled and looked out into the audience, their eyes coming to rest on Clementine who was waving a picture high in the air.
0-0-0-0-0
"Heyes, you gonna be able to climb into your sadd!e?" Kid asked as they stood by the hitching post after the pictures had all been taken and the few questions thrown out had been answered.
Heyes' posture was decidedly stooped as the ache in his lower back intensified from all the standing and walking. "Maybe you ought to ride in the parade alone, Kid."
"Twenty years from now when we're looking back on this day, you ain't gonna be remembering the pain you're feeling right now, but you will remember missing out on the parade if you don't join in," Kid told him. "How 'bout we ride double. I'll sit behind you so you can lean back if you need to without worrying about falling off your horse."
"Kid's right, Heyes. You don't want to miss out on this," Lom told him.
"Lom, can we bring the horse up here to the steps?" Kid asked. "Heyes can stand on the second or third step and won't hafta raise himself up so high to get in the saddle."
"Sounds like a good idea to me. I'll go get two horses."
"You riding in the parade too, Lom?" Heyes asked.
"Of course he is," Kid replied. "We wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Lom doing our talkin' for us," Kid reminded his partner.
Lom returned a few minutes later with two horses. He handed the reins of a chestnut to Kid. "The parade is eight blocks long. The Governor said when we reach the end, we can use the horses the rest of the day, so we'll just head directly back to your hotel. Heyes can get some rest before the party tonight while you and I go pick up our suits," Lom told Kid.
"I might just skip the party," Heyes replied.
Lom nodded. "I told the Governor you were injured. Figured that would make it easier to explain your absence if you decided not to attend," Lom told him.
With just one failed attempt behind them, Lom and Kid were able to help Heyes up and into the saddle. Kid then quickly climbed in behind Heyes and took the reins.
"The band is first, then the Governor's entourage, and then us," Lom said, explaining the line up of the parade.
"Grand Marshals and we're not the lead?" Kid asked.
"It's designed to build the anticipation," Lom explained.
"Hope more people turn out for the parade than showed up for the ceremony," Heyes grumbled.
"Parades are fun, ceremonies are boring," Kid reminded him.
"Well so far, the whole day has been a little anticlimactic," Heyes replied.
Kid shrugged. "I wouldn't say that, Heyes. You falling down the stairs was pretty climatic... and rather amusing, I might add."
"Come on, they're calling for us," Lom said and guided his horse toward the parade participants.
0-0-0-0-0
The parade was indeed well attended with people two and three rows deep lining the eight blocks of the parade route. Being the Grand Marshals, Kid and Heyes smiled and waved as they rode along, and often heard congratulatory comments shouted out to them along the way. But, much to their disappointment, there was not one familiar face in the crowd.
"I kinda figured somebody would ignore the telegram and show up," Kid said with some disappointment in his voice.
"Yeah,maybe we should have given that telegram a little more thought," Heyes replied.
"End of the line boys," Lom told them as he maneuvered his horse up next to them. "How are you feeling, Heyes?" he asked.
"Oh, never better, Lom," Heyes replied.
"He telling me the truth?" Lom asked Kid.
"He's been squirming around a lot, so I doubt it."
"Let's head back to your hotel then so you can get some rest," Lom said and nudged his horse to continue down to Clairmont Street.
Two blocks from the hotel, they began to hear a band playing a familiar tune titled 'Tis a Gift to be Simple.' The music grew louder the closer they came to the hotel.
"You think that's for us?" Kid asked.
"Don't know who else it would be for, Kid."
When they were less than a block from the hotel, they saw a crowd of at least fifty people standing outside, waving and cheering as they approached, and across the eves of the porch roof was strung a banner that read "Congratulations Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry."
"There's Clem, and Georgette, and Soapy and Silky right out in front!" Heyes exclaimed.
"And Big Mac and Harry Briscoe, and Belle and Jesse Jordan... Heyes, everyone on the list is here!"
"Surprise!" everyone exclaimed when Heyes and Kid rode up to the hitching post and stopped.
"You came!" Kid exclaimed as he laughed and smiled and spoke all at once.
"I took the liberty of renting the hotel dining room for the entire afternoon and evening. There's food and drinks galore and a band for those who want to dance," Soapy told them. "I'm sorry boys, but I just didn't have the heart to send the telegram you asked me to send, so I sent another in it's stead."
"Oh Soapy, we don't know how to thank you. You've certainly made this a day we'll never forget."
"I hired one photographer," Silky added. "He'll get you some pictures without being an intrusion. And when I heard you had hurt your back Heyes, I had the hotel bring in a stuffed chair with a couple of pillows you can move around to suit you," Soapy added.
Lom brought his horse up next to the chestnut and dismounted, then gathered both sets of reins and tied the horses to the post. Once Kid had dismounted, he and Lom helped Heyes slide down from the saddle.
"You all have no idea how much this means to the both of us," Heyes said. "Each and every one of you has been so supportive and so helpful and kind to The Kid and me. Earning this amnesty ain't been easy, but you all lessened the difficulty in one way or another, and we thank you all."
"Well, there's food and drink and dancing inside, so why spend any more time out here!" Clementine exclaimed.
"l'll return the horses and make our excuses to the governor," Lom whispered in Kid's ear. "I shouldn't be gone long."
Heyes insisted on walking into the hotel on his own, but Clementine quickly came up beside him and slipped an arm about his waist. Heyes smiled and slipped his own arm about her shoulders. "Thank you, darlin," he whispered.
Once inside, Heyes didn't object to Kid taking his free arm and the two led Heyes to the over sized chair and arranged the pillows for him.
"Enough fussing," he told them.
"There will be an open bar beginning after supper," Soapy told the crowd. "But in the mean time, there's plenty of champagne on the tables, so enjoy the music and the champagne, and if anyone wishes to offer a toast, I'm sure the boys won't object to the attention."
"I'd like to offer a toast," Judge Hanley said as he raised his glass in the air and smiled proudly at Kid and Heyes. "During our brief encounter just two years ago, it quickly became obvious to me that both of you were men of integrity as well as ingenuity. When I came to understand that you were part of the Wyoming Amnesty program, I had no doubt that you would succeed. I'm also quite proud that you would consider me a part of your inner circle. I have no doubt that you will make the most of this opportunity, and I wish you both great, and legal, prosperity."
Heyes and Kid were each given a glass of champagne and raised their glasses in an appreciative nod to the Judge.
"I'd like to offer a toast," came a man's voice from across the room. Heyes and Kid watched the crowd move aside to let Harry Briscoe approach the chair where Heyes sat. "I've known these boys for almost four years and I can tell you they are not without some faults. They'll lie when they think it's to their advantage, they are not above reacting with their fists or even a gun, but when push comes to shove, they know which side their bread is buttered, and that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
Kid and Heyes maintained pleasant and amicable expressions on their faces, but in truth, they were just as confused by Harry's words as everyone else in the room.
"Maybe one glass of champagne is a bit too much for Harry," Kid whispered to his partner as he raised his glass and offered Harry an appreciative smile.
0-0-0-0-0
The sun was just beginning to crest the mountaintops when Kid and Heyes, the last to leave the party, stumbled across the hotel lobby and up the stairs to their room. Kid plopped down on the bed and, after pulling off his boots and socks, decided he was satisfied with his sleeping attire and pulled back the blankets and flopped down on his back.
"That was some party, wasn't it?" Heyes asked as he too began preparing for bed.
"Uh-uh," Kid replied sleepily.
"How does it feel, not being wanted?"
"I'll tell you in the morning."
"It is morning," Heyes reminded him.
"Then it feels good. Now let me sleep."
Heyes, who had far less to drink than Kid, walked over and pulled a blanket up over his partner. "I guess Smith and Jones are a thing of the past," he said, more to himself than to his sleeping partner.
0-0-0
It was early afternoon when Kid forced his eyes open, then quickly squeezed them shut again and raised his hands to his now throbbing head. "Heyes, you awake?"
Heyes was sitting at the table by the window, reading. "I've been awake for hours."
"Then close the curtains. It's too light in here," Kid grumbled.
"I went downstairs and got a pot of coffee," Heyes said as he filled his cup, then poured a cup for Kid. Train south has left already, but the train west leaves at four-thirty. I thought we should see Soapy and Silky off."
Kid slowly sat up and reached for his cup of coffee. "What time is it now?"
"Two. You've got time to clean up and at least look presentable."
Kid brought his legs over the side of the bed and sipped at his coffee. "How's your back?"
"A little stiff, but not bad. I figure after we see the train off, I can manage to ride back to Porterville.
A smile slowly spread across Kid's face and he raised his eyes to look at his partner. "We did it, Heyes. We ain't wanted."
"A good feeling, isn't it?"
Kid nodded. "It didn't feel good all the years we waited for the amnesty, but now that we got it, I hafta admit it feels worth it."
0-0-0-0-0
After seeing a good many of their friends off at the train station, Heyes and Kid set out for Porterville. They rode at a slow, leisurely pace so as not to jar Heyes' back or Kid's still throbbing head.
"I know we always said we weren't gonna think about what we should do once we got the amnesty, but I also know we both have given it some thought from time to time," Heyes said, helping to pass the time."
"Well, I know we've ruled out being doctors or lawyers," Kid joked.
"There ought to be something unique we could do with the skills we've acquired along the way."
"Ain't much call for opening other people's safes or picking the lock of a jail cell nowadays."
"Are you going to be serious about this conversation?" Heyes asked.
"Well, there's always farming or ranching, or maybe a locksmith's shop, or do like Lom did and actually work for the law, I suppose."
"We could become Bannermen men. There's no way we'd be any more incompetent than Harry."
"Except we've been on the other end of that rope. You really wanna go chasing after outlaws?"
Heyes didn't have to give his answer much thought and he shook his head. "No, so that rules out being a sheriff or a deputy, too."
"Uh-huh."
"We could open a locksmith and gun shop..."
Kid perked up at this suggestion as the idea did focus on each of their areas of expertise. "Would hafta come up with a name for it."
"Locksmith and Gun Shop won't do?" Heyes asked.
"Now it's your turn to be serious, Heyes. Using our own names would likely draw people in, but a lot of em will wanna put me to the test and that gets old pretty fast."
Heyes thought for a moment. "How about Smith and Jones Locksmith and Gun Shop? It lets us pay a little tribute to those two fellas that just don't exist anymore."
Kid nodded. "I like that idea."
They rode along in silent contemplation for at least a mile or more, each visualizing just how the shop would look. Heyes pictured himself sitting behind a counter reading a book, because there really wouldn't be a high demand for a locksmith on a daily basis. Kid pictured himself being called out at high noon every day by some walkoff with something to prove.
"Heyes,"
"Yeah?"
"We ain't really gonna open a shop like that, right?"
"Probably not."
"And we ain't got the money to start up our own business right away."
"That's true, too."
"So maybe ranch work for a while."
"Be our best bet, I guess."
"Maybe we'd better not shelve Smith and Jones right away."
"I was thinking the same thing, Kid."
As the dark of night moved in on them, they grew silent again and Kid actually fell asleep in his saddle.
They arrived in Porterville near midnight and, seeing lights on in the Sheriff's Office, they made that their first stop.
"You're working late," Heyes said to Lom who was at his desk bent over a large ledger.
"Catching up on the paperwork that just piles up when I'm away," he told them. "You two look like you could use some coffee. Help yourselves."
Kid gave him a sleepy smile. "Been a long couple of days," he replied and headed over to the stove to pour two cups.
"I stopped in to see the Governor before coming back here," Lom said as he opened his desk drawer and pulled out two advanced copies of the Denver Gazette. "This will be on the newsstands tomorrow."
Kid and Heyes each took a copy of the paper and looked at the front page headline.
Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry Receive Amnesty
The article took up half the front page and included a picture of them with the governor on the front lawn of the State House.
"And to think, it all began with the three of us right here in this room," Heyes said reflectively.
"So what now?" Lom asked.
Heyes and Kid looked at each other with content expressions.
"We don't know just yet," Heyes told him. "But I think we're about to embark on a whole new adventure, legal this time, but every bit as exciting as ever."