Authors Note: In my stories, Heyes and the Kid are cousins. They certainly act like family, just like me and my cousin used to act. Though never shared a bed, but then he was a boy.
Yuma Arizona, hot as all get out, and nothing to endear it to the two men who rode towards it. It was still hours before they would get there, they were riding slow as the horses were lathered, in the one hundred and six degree heat. They were crossing the Sonoran Desert, in the full heat of the day.
Saquaro cactus littered the desert with its tall arms, up to twenty feet in height, but offering no shade. They had not seen any cotton wood trees, as it would have let them know there was water nearby. The land gave a bit of color now and then with Apache Plume, six feet of greyish leaves and silvery puffs of fruit heads, with white feathery looking flowers.
Heyes looked over at his cousin, seeing the red face, and how he looked like he had just come out of a bath, with his clothes on. "Kid, next time I say lets cross the desert, just shoot me."
The kid turned to him, his eyes narrowed against the suns brightness. "That will be easy, Heyes. For a man so smart you sure are dumb."
Heyes seemed to sulk at that comment, and glanced at the land around them. He spotted a sidewinder moving to the left about six feet past the Kids horse. He picked up his canteen and shook it, hearing nothing. "Kid, you got any water left?"
"Nah, Heyes I drank it all, I was thirsty. Though I don't know why, I mean I am only…" he raised his voice, "riding in the desert with an idiot!"
"No need to get mad at me, Kid. I'll make it up to you; I'll buy you a beer." The kid gave him an exasperated look and turned to watch the ground in the distance, shimmer. Heyes did not like to have his cousin mad at him. It bothered him, and he did not want to be in the desert, he had thought they would have been there by now. Only a couple hours had turned into two days. Kid was grumpy as he always was when he missed a meal. He had missed several, since neither man had felt like eating in the heat, just drink water, and now they did not have any.
Heyes looked up and saw a large bird overhead circling, and wondered if it was a buzzard. "Hey kid, that buzzard overhead is waiting for us to fall."
The kid looked up and then smiled. "That ain't no buzzard Heyes, that's a eagle." It figured he would make it out; after all, he had the eyes of one, thought his cousin.
Kid rode along thinking evil thoughts against his cousin. What he would do to him, when they got to town. Why couldn't they have gone where he had wanted to go. But no, Heyes had chosen for them. Then the kid glanced at his cousin, seeing he was as miserable as he was, and his heart softened. Maybe he had been too hard on him.
The sound of a rifle firing startled their horses. Heyes jerked and went down, and as Kid pulled his 45, he felt the pain and the ground coming up to meet him. Kid knew no more as he lay there, next to his cousin.
Several horses came riding up, and two men got down and went over to Heyes and Curry. The tall man on the Sorrel watched. "Well, is he dead?"
"No the blond one is alive."
"I want the dark haired one, only. Leave the blond for the buzzards." His men lifted Heyes up and threw him over the extra horse they had brought along. The five riders rode off leaving Kid lying there, unaware of what was happening. Blood dribbled down the side of the horse that held Heyes dripping on the desert sands.
Kid came to with a terrible headache. The sun was going down, but it still was not cooler. "Heyes…" he mumbled as he tried to sit up. He had never seen a cactus spin before in the air, but it was. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he looked around again. "Heyes?" He did not see his cousin anywhere.
A lone wolf howled in the distance, and the kid felt like howling too. He was alone. What had happened to his cousin. He found his gun still on his hip, his horse still standing there, along with Heyes horse. Who ever it was had taken his cousin and best friend. He sat up, took his bandana from his back pocket and put it around his head, covering the crease there. Then put his hat back on and stood up.
Slowly he managed to mount his horse. He was not too sure he would be able to get far. Nevertheless, he was not leaving Heyes out there with whomever it was who took him. Glancing down he saw the prints and turning his horse, pulling Heyes along, he followed the tracks. He would do so until dark, then start again in the morning.