One Good Deed...
At the sound of the clanging bell, Jed Curry let go of the tree branch and dropped ten feet, landing on the ground with a thud. He scrambled to his feet, glanced around for his cousin, then raced across the yard to quickly fall into place at the back of the line of children all standing quietly waiting for Miss Campbell to usher them back into the schoolhouse.
Still not seeing Hannibal Heyes, Jed began to grow concerned. His eyes returned to Miss Campbell and he waited impatiently for her to make one final visual sweep of the yard, looking for any stragglers. The moment her head turned to the right, Jed slipped behind the nearby oak tree, his back pressed hard against the rough bark of the trunk. He moved his head ever so slightly to peek around the edge of the tree and watch the children file into the building. The moment he saw Miss Campbell turn her back and follow the children inside, Jed darted for the woods.
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Kid Curry quickly descended three rungs of the ladder, then jumped to the dirt floor of the barn. His Colt .45 cocked and securely in his hand, Kid ducked and ran to the edge of the window. There, he cautiously moved his head to peer out and locate his partner, Hannibal Heyes who was pinned down behind the well just a hundred feet away. He raised his eyes above the well and looked toward the shell of the vacant house, but he pulled back quickly when three consecutive shots rang out.
"Heyes?" Kid called.
"I'm alright."
All three shots came from the same direction, behind the southwest corner of the house. From his current position, Kid could not get a good site on the pursuer.
"Heyes, he's at the southwest corner," Kid called to his partner.
"I see that!" Heyes replied
"You ready?"
"Whenever you are."
"Wait till I give you the word."
Kid moved to the back of the barn and unlatched the door to provide Heyes with an easy entry. Then he moved to the hinged side of the door and pressed his back against the wall before shifting his gun to his left hand and shoving the door open with his right. He waited, expecting more gun shots. When none came, Kid moved to the front of the barn and inched the door open just enough to give him a view of the southwest corner of the house. Kid's jaw dropped when he saw that the person who had them both pinned down, was a somewhat older woman. Kid sighed heavily. This complicated matters.
Seeing the barn door edge open, the woman quickly stepped back, obscuring Kid's view.
"Now!" Kid shouted and began firing, not directly at the corner of the house, but close enough to keep the woman back a few feet, giving Heyes a chance to scramble to his feet and race to the back door of the barn...
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Jed raced through the woods, jumping over dead logs and skirting low hanging tree branches. Half a mile later he stood panting heavily at the edge of the river.
"Han!" Jed called through deep gasps to catch his breath. "Where are you?"
"Over here," Heyes replied as he stepped into the clearing of the river's bank holding both his hands behind his back. "And stop calling me Han, Kid."
"Then stop calling me Kid," Jed replied. "Why did you run off...and why didn't you tell me you was going? And, whatcha got behind your back?"
Heyes smiled as he slowly brought his hands forward. In his right hand was a second hand Shofield revolver.
Jed gasped and his blue eyes widened with envy. "Where did you get that?"
Heyes smile proudly. "Bought it. Three dollars and seventy-five cents."
"Where did you get that kind of money?"
"Been saving up since I was your age, Jed. Just bought it this morning from Tom Cummings. Wanted to try it out."
"You any good?"
"Not yet. But I'll get good."
"Can I try it?" Jed asked excitedly.
"Kid, a gun ain't something to play with."
"I ain't playing. Let me see it."
Heyes handed the gun to his cousin. Jed juggled it in his hand, then grasped the handle and took aim at a bird high up in a tree.
"Site needs adjusted," he said as he lowered the gun without firing.
"How do you know that? Site looks fine to me."
"You studied it? Did you follow the site to what you want to shoot? Pa says the site and the balance are the two most important things to have right in a firing arm."
Heyes took the gun and, locating the same bird still sitting on the same branch, Heyes looked down the site of the gun and fired.
The bird quickly took flight.
"See. Site's off."
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"Heyes, there's only one shooter and she's a woman," Kid informed his partner when Heyes came rushing through the back door of the barn.
"Uh-uh."
"We can't go shooting a woman."
"She don't seem to mind shooting us, Kid."
Kid shot Heyes a condescending look. "Well I can't go shooting no woman, and you still can't aim worth beans. So, gotta figure another way out of this problem."
"I can splay enough shots to keep her away from that corner," Heyes said. "If you can make it to the other side of the house and make your way around..."
Kid nodded. "What do we do with her once we catch her?"
"Take her gun and high-tail it outta here, I suppose."
"And just leave her here? It's gotta be fifteen miles to the nearest town."
"Well she found her way out here, Kid. She can find her way back."
Kid chewed his lip. He didn't like the latter part of the plan, and wasn't real confident about the former part, either. He leaned his back against the wall and pulled bullets from his gun belt to reload. Then he walked across the barn to the back door. He watched and waited while Heyes crouched down further and moved into position at the door.
"You ready?' Heyes asked.
Kid nodded. "Ready."
Heyes cocked his gun and aimed just shy of the corner of the house.
"Now!"
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Kid walked along the bank of the river, stooping every once in a while to retrieve a piece of rotting wood from the edge of the river. When he was satisfied with the five pieces of wood he had gathered, he looked for a fallen tree to line up the wooden targets. Then he brushed his hands clean and returned to his cousin.
"See how many of them you can hit. Take your time and try to figure out how to correct your aim with that offset site."
Heyes dropped the gun to his side and stared at his not quite eight year old cousin. "What makes you such a damn expert?"
"I ain't an expert, not yet anyway. Pa's been teaching me how to use his gun. He says the way things are today, everyone should know how to shoot. He's even teaching Ma how to shoot his rifle."
Heyes felt a pang of jealously. His own father had taught Heyes the use of a rifle, and they hunted together often, but his father only saw the rifle as a means for food and had no use for a hand gun.
"You suppose your Pa would teach me?" Heyes asked.
Kid shook his Head. "Not unless your Pa would agree to it. But, I can teach you, Han. I'll teach you everything Pa teaches me."
Heyes turned his attention to the pieces of driftwood and raised the gun.
"Use the site and line it up with the piece of wood on your far left," Kid told him. "Just fire once and then we'll go see how far off your site is."
Heyes was determined to prove Kid wrong and he took his darn sweet time lining up the driftwood, then slowly pulled the trigger. They both heard a thud as the bullet embedded into the trunk of a nearby tree.
Heyes sighed heavily and shook his head. Kid walked over to compare the angle between the driftwood target and the tree trunk. He walked back to Heyes and held out his hand. With some reluctance, Heyes handed Kid the gun.
Kid raised the gun and looked down the site. His arm moved a minuscule amount to the left of the piece of driftwood. Unlike Heyes, Kid's finger did not hesitate as he pulled the trigger and they both saw the piece of driftwood fly backward, wet splinters of wood flying in all directions.
Kid handed the gun back to Heyes. "Half a finger to the left of your site, Han. You'll hit it," he explained with not a hint of gloating in his voice or expression."
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Kid raced toward the well and took a flying leap behind it as bullets flew past the far corner of the house. He watched the barn carefully, waiting for Heyes to reload and counting the seconds he expected it to take before Heyes would again send a round of bullets flying. During this pause, two rifle shots sounded from the side of the house, one managing to shatter the barn window. The instant Heyes began to empty his gun of another round of bullets, Kid darted across the remainder of the yard and quickly pressed his back against the frame of the house as he slowly inched his way to the rear of the building.
Once again, Kid checked the chamber of his own gun, then holding it in his hand with the barrel aimed skyward, Kid rounded the corner of the house and quickly moved to the far side where he stood and waited for Heyes to once again begin firing.
Just as Heyes began shooting again, Kid rounded the side of the house, his gun now parallel to his chest and pointing at what he expected to be his target.
Kid stopped suddenly but didn't lower his gun as he stared point blank into the barrel of the rifle.
"Seems we've hit a standstill, Ma'am," Kid said calmly.
"Seems you have, Mister. I ain't afraid to use this, and I will if you don't throw that gun aside."
Kid knew he had no choice. He could never shoot a woman. He sighed heavily and tossed his gun several feet away.
"Now, we're going to walk around to the front, you first, and when we get there, you tell your friend to come out and throw his gun aside, or I'll shoot you in the back at close range."
"Well, I'd just as soon we avoid that, Ma'am," he replied as he raised his hands in surrender.
She motioned with the rifle and Kid moved in a wide angle until he was in front of the woman. He stopped and waited for her instructions.
"Alright. You stay about twenty feet in front of me. Now move."
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"That's it, Han. You just got to get to know your firearm," Kid said when, after a couple of hours of practice, Heyes was hitting more of the driftwood than he was missing. "Pa says if you carry a side iron, you live with your life in your holster. He's says never strap on a gun till you've mastered it and even then only if you ain't afraid to use it."
"Is that why your Pa won't buy you a gun, Kid?" Heyes teased.
Kid smiled. "Han, even I know I'm too young to own a gun. But by the time I am old enough, I'll know how to use it. Then it'll just be a matter of perfecting that use."
"Would you quit calling me Han," Heyes protested.
Kid walked over and sat down on a rock near the river's edge. "You just keep practicing... Heyes."
Heyes set the crumbling pieces of driftwood back up on the stump. "I'm going to hafta figure out a place to hide this till I can convince Pa of how useful it could be."
"Under your mattress or up in the loft?" Kid suggested
"No, them places are too easy, Kid. Somebody would find it for sure."
"How about a hollow tree trunk? You could hide it right around here Han, and we could stay an hour after school every day so you could practice."
Heyes liked that idea and after emptying one more round on the driftwood targets, he and Kid began searching for the perfect hollow log.
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"Joshua. Stop firing," Kid shouted as he stood two hundred feet before the barn door, his hands raised, while the rifle remained pointed directly at his back. "Toss out your gun and come out here and no one gets hurt."
Heyes eyed the situation carefully, then tossed out his gun and emerged from the barn with his hands raised as he came to stand next to Kid.
"Now, both of you, lay down on your bellies."
Heyes and Kid exchanged frustrated glances but complied. Only then did the woman move to pick up their guns. Then, with her rifle still pointed at them, she stood fifty feet in front of them
"What are you doing here?"
"We could ask you the same thing," Heyes replied.
"I'm the one with the rifle so no, you can't ask me noting. Now what are you doing here?
"Ma'am, we thought this place was abandoned. We just thought we use the barn to sleep tonight. That's all," Kid explained.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm Thaddeus Jones, this here is Joshua Smith."
"Honest Ma'am, we're just looking for a place to sleep for the night."
"Are we asking too much to know your name, Ma'am?' Kid asked.
"Belle."
"Well Belle, like I said, we're only looking for a place to sleep...I noticed you ain't got a horse, Belle. It's possible we may be able to help you, iffin you're wanting to get to a town that is."
Belle gave this some thought. While neither of these men was in a position to act otherwise, both were polite and, judging by their shooting, neither was particularly good with a fire arm. She also had both their guns tucked in her waistband, and there was something vaguely familiar about them. For some reason she could not explain, she did not feel threatened.
"Alight, the two of you can get up."
Slowly, and with no sudden movements, they both got to their feet and brushed the loose dirt from their clothes.
"What happened to your horse, Ma'am and wagon? Surely you didn't walk all the way out here," Kid asked.
"His leg landed in a deep rut, broke the leg bad. I didn't bring no wagon."
"Well, Joshua and me can make us all some supper. Then, after a good night's sleep we'll get you to the nearest town or wherever it is you live in the morning," Kid replied.
Belle mulled the suggestion over in her head. "I'll be keeping your guns for now...till I make up my mind about the two of you."
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"What have you got there, Kid?"
"Last night Pa and me spent the evening cleaning his gun. I brung some soft cloth and some oil so we can do the same to yours. Pa says your gun will never fail you if you keep it clean well maintained."
"So we ain't shooting?"
"Pa says you should always remember that you can catch more flies with honey and use of a gun should always be a last resort."
"Even when you're learning how to use it?"
Kid gave that some thought and found himself agreeing with Han. But, not willing to disagree with his father, Kid just shrugged.
Heyes retrieved the gun from inside the hollow log and Kid laid a clean cloth on the ground for all the parts as Heyes disassembled the side iron.
"Pa says you treat each piece like it's the most important thing on earth and you're getting it ready to display it to the most important person in the world."
"And who would that be?"
Kid looked stupefied. "I don't know, maybe the King of England. But he says if you treat your gun that well, and you treat people the way you treat your gun, you'll never have a need to use that gun against nobody. Now make sure you you clean every little nook. Don't leave nothing unpolished, and when you put it back together, do it neat and tidy"
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Belle rested her rifle against a rock next to the one on which she sat and she took the plate of hot beans and bacon that Heyes offered her. Catching Heyes' eye, Kid shot a quick glance at the rifle, but Heyes shook his head slightly and moved to the other side of the campfire to sit down with his own plate of food.
"So, what are you doing way out here alone, Belle?' Kid asked.
Belle eyed him skeptically. "This use to be my home, back when my husband was still alive. We raised four children here. They're all gone now, scattered all over the country. Jake, my husband, died fifteen years ago. I could barely keep the place up and when the last of the boys left, well, I still own the property, but I ain't got the resources to get it up an running again.
"So you don't still live here, do you?" Heyes asked.
Belle shook her head. "But I come out here every once in a while. Jake's buried up on the hill behind the house. The barn's still in fair condition. I sleep in there when I come out here. When my horse broke his leg, well I thought I might as well stay a few days, then walk to town."
"That's fifteen miles Belle," Kid added.
"Ain't impossible."
"Belle, if you'd be willing to sleep in the loft, Thaddeus and me will sleep in a couple of the stalls tonight. Then we can get you back to town tomorrow. "
Belle eyed both the men and decided to follow her instincts. She pulled their guns from her waist band and handed them back to them.
"You know, neither one of you is a very good shot," she said with a sly smile.
"Well, we noticed you missed us too, Belle," Kid replied as he holstered his gun. "I for one, appreciate that."
"So you boys know my story. What's yours?"
"Not much of a story to tell," Heyes said. "Thaddeus and me travel round, don't like staying in one place for very long. We work when we need the money, don't when we don't."
"So you're running from something."
"Running? No, not running. Just... not taking root anywhere."
"You two sound a lot like my Jake. Oh, sure, we bought this place. I set down roots. But Jake... to Jake this was always a place to just roost for a while. Never felt too safe staying in one place for too long."
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"How long have we been doing this, Kid?' Heyes asked as he reloaded his Shofield and lined up the ten tin cans they were now using for target practice.
Kid loaded his second hand Colt .45 that his parents had given him for his eighth birthday. Once loaded, he slipped it into his holster.
"Almost a year, Han."
"And I still don't get more than five or six of the cans."
"Keep telling you to get the site fixed. I think that's even more important than the balance in your case, Han."
"Site is fine. I've learned to adjust to that," Heyes replied and took aim to fire at the targets.
The forth shot missed the can but both boys instantly heard a high pitched yelp.
"Sounds like you wounded something, Han."
"Let's go look."
They moved further into the woods, following the whimpering sounds that they could still hear. A few yards beyond the target log, they spied a young gray wolf lying on it's side, his head bobbing in unsuccessful attempts to reach and inspect it's wounded hind leg.
Heyes pulled his Shofield from its holster and took aim but Kid brought his hand own on Heyes' arm, effectively lowering the gun.
"What are you doing?" Kid demanded.
"Putting him out of his misery."
"He can't be a year old, Han. Got shot in the hip. We can take care of him till he's healed up."
"If he's a year old, he's still part of a pack, Kid. How and where are we gonna take care of him?"
"First thing to do is get him muzzled. Don't want him trying to bite us. Then we can carry him."
"If he's part of a pack, they are likely nearby," Heyes cautioned.
"Then we'd best make haste."
"Kid, we can't carry him all the way back to your place or mine!"
Kid thought for a moment. "You're right. Better go to my place and tell Pa we need the wagon."
"Me? Why can't you do that?"
"Han, somebody's got to stay here with him, protect him in case any other animals come around looking for some supper. Which one of us is the better shot, Han?"
"Kid, there may be other wolves nearby."
"Again Heyes, which one of us is the better shot?"
Heyes opened his mouth to argue but saw the determined conviction in Kid's eyes and stopped. Then he turned on his heels and ran as fast as he could to the Curry farm.
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Heyes made biscuits and coffee and fried bacon for breakfast while Kid saddled the horses. Belle had earlier headed for the outhouse and now could be seen sitting at the top of the hill near her husband's grave.
Walking out of the barn and heading toward the fire where Heyes was working, Kid glanced up toward the top of the hill.
"Bit of a poor soul, ain't she?" he commented as he reached out to test the heat of the coffee pot.
Heyes looked up at his partner. "Kid, are you starting to have them 'save the world' notions mulling around in your head? The most we can do for her is get her back to her place in town."
"Just seems a shame there's so many people in the world that, for one reason or another, somehow find their whole life crumbling away from them. She just looks...browbeaten and wounded, Heyes."
Heyes nodded as both men looked at the woman on the hill.
"Maybe we could offer to help, some," Heyes said, breaking the reflective silence..
Kid smiled. "Heyes, you got a real good heart. I'll go tell her breakfast is ready,"
As he neared the top of the hill, Kid could hear the tired but sweetly frail voice of the woman singing...
"Soon we'll reach the shining river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace."
Kid removed his hat and joined in at the chorus as he stood next to the now kneeling woman.
"Yes, we'll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God"
Kid stood quietly until he saw the woman stir slightly. Then he reached his hand down to help her to her feet.
"Don't know when, even if I'll ever get back out here again, least not while I'm living. Don't got money for a new horse. One day, Jake... One day I'll be joining you again."
Kid slipped his arm about her shoulders and gently led her down the hill.
After breakfast Kid doused the fire and pumped some water from the well to clean the plates and utensils, then packed the items away and brought the horses out of the barn.
"I'd like to take one last walk through the house if you don't mind," Belle told them. "I always take one last walk through the house before I leave. Never know if I'm ever going to see it again."
Heyes gave Kid a quick glance. "I'll go with you, Belle, if you don't mind. You say the place is in need of repairs. I wouldn't want you getting hurt."
"Suit yourself," she replied and headed toward the front door. Heyes quickened his step to catch up with her.
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"Pa says it's been a month and it's time to set Spirit free," Kid told Han as they walked home from school one afternoon. "He says we got to let him go before he starts losing his wild spirit. Don't want him to start thinking it's safe to start approaching other farms. He says it ain't right to try to tame a free spirit."
"He's right. Spirit would just get himself killed if he starts losing his fear of man."
"Pa says an animal should be in his natural habitat, to hold him captive is the same as breaking his spirit. Pa says the same is true for people, too."
"So when are you letting him go, Kid?"
"Pa says he wants to be there when we turn him loose, just in case Spirit were to turn on us. He says sometimes, even if the animal is grateful, and knows you helped him, well, sometimes he'll turn on you anyway, some sort of instinct. He says people can be the same way in the right circumstance."
"I suppose that's true."
"That could never happen with you and me Han."
Heyes smiled. "That's true too, Kid."
"Han?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you quit calling me Kid."
Heyes smiled. "When you start calling me Heyes, Kid."
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"Belle, I know you said your children are scattered, but do you have any other family around here?" Heyes asked as he rode behind Kid in the saddle of the chestnut, having loaned Belle the sorrel.
"I got a sister, Violet in town. In fact, I moved in with her after the farm got to be too much to manage. She don't get out much, won't ride out to the farm with me."
"So you've lived in these parts all your life?"
"All my married life."
"Have you tried selling the farm?" Kid asked.
"Won't ever do that. That's where my Jake is. Can't let strangers go trampling over him."
They rode quietly for quite some time, arriving in the small town of White Cap late in the afternoon. After reaching Belle's house, they took their horses to the livery and got a room for the night at the local hotel.
"Kid, I've got an idea," Heyes said inside their hotel room.
"I know what you're thinking, Heyes. I ain't got the inclination and I certainly ain't got the money."
"But I was thinking it probably wouldn't take a lot of money."
"How's that?"
"Well, I seen the inside of the house. It's the floors and the roof that need the most work. All she'd need in the way of a barn is a stall or two and a place to stack straw. Maybe room for a wagon or a carriage. We could cut the barn down to half it's current size and use that wood. She's likely got saws and hammers laying around somewhere. That would take care of the bulk of the cost."
"Heyes, the woman's got to be near sixty years old. Ain't safe for her to be living that far out of town all alone."
"But you saw just how sad she is..."
"A lot of sad people in this world, Heyes. You can't save them all."
Heyes smiled, then began to chuckle.
"What?" Kid asked.
"Well, usually if we have a conversation about helping somebody out, you and me are on opposite sides of the conversation. In fact, if I recall correctly, you once told me that it ain't right to try to tame a free spirit."
Kid knew exactly what Heyes was referring to. He hadn't thought of that wild wolf in years. He smiled seeing the irony of their current conversation.
"That mean you're getting a little soft in your old age, Heyes?"
"Maybe a little philanthropic."
"I don't know what that means, Heyes...but you do usually give in to me when I get such a notion, so I'll concede to you this time. But we don't stay long, a couple of weeks at most."
"Heyes smiled. "Agreed. "We'll go have a chat with Belle tomorrow."
"Fine. Now let's go get some supper. I'm starving."
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"Boys," Mr. Curry said as he lifted the wooden crate from the back of the buckboard and carried it to the top of the bank of the river. "Go get the bag with the meat in it and we'll lay it out to lure this wolf out of the cage."
The two boys scrambled back to the wagon and hefted the burlap bag out from under the seat and carried it back to the spot where Kid's father now stood several yards away from the still secure crate.
"Right here will be fine," Mr. Curry said and pulled his hunting knife from it's sheath.
"What are you doing with the knife, Pa?" Kid asked.
"I'm cutting this bag open enough that the wolf can't get tangled up in it, but still closed enough to make him work a bit tearing it open for the meat. Once he's out that'll give me time to get the crate and get back to the wagon safely. You two will be watching from the wagon."
"Pa, you think Spirit will be alright out on his own again," Kid asked with some innocent yet deep concern.
"Well, he'll be starting out well fed, Jed. That'll give him time to find his bearings, maybe even locate his pack if he's got one. He'll be fine, son. He wants to be out in the wild. As much as you care about him, he don't want to live in captivity. You got to let him be free in spite of the risks. Now you two scramble back into the wagon. I want you watching from a safe distance."
The boys ran back to the wagon and in one smooth simultaneous movement, they turned and hoisted themselves, butt first, onto the back edge of the wagon.
"We're ready, Pa," Jed called.
When he was done laying out the bag of raw meat, Mr. Curry picked up the rope attached to the door of the crate and, maintaining some slack to the rope for as long as he could, he moved closer to the wagon. When the rope was taut, he pulled open the trap door and the three waited with great anticipation for the wolf to emerge...
0-0-0-0-0-0.
"Didn't expect to see the two of you again," Belle said when she answered the door the next morning.
"Well, Belle, Thaddeus and I have been talking and, we have a proposition for you," Heyes explained as both he and Kid removed their hats.
Belle decided there was no harm in talking to them and she opened the door wider for them to come in.
"We were thinking maybe over breakfast at the cafe, Belle," Heyes explained, making no move to go into the house.
"Our treat of course, Ma'am," Kid added.
The cafe was only a block from Bell's home as the town of White Cap was very small.
"Alright. You two seem harmless enough. Wait here and I'll get my bag."
At the cafe they found a table near the front window and the waitress took their orders.
"So, what's your proposition?" Belle asked.
"Well, first let us explain our motivation," Heyes explained and looked at Kid for approval. When Kid nodded his head, Heyes continued.
"Well, Thaddeus and I found ourselves in a similar situation when we were young boys, suddenly without a home, without any family...We know what that felt like. We know about leaving loved ones in graves we couldn't tend."
"We want to help you, Belle. We want to fix your place up so you can live there again, so you can tend to Jake proper," Kid added.
They could see in her eyes just how much this offer meant to Belle. They could also see her resistance to accepting any such charity.
"We want something in return, Belle," Heyes said, thinking quickly of a way to appease her reservation.
"What is it you want? I ain't got no money for repairs, no money to pay the two of you."
Heyes shook his head. "We don't think we'll need money for repairs and we ain't making the offer for any sort of payment. We will need a place to stay while we fix the place up."
"You mean out at the farm? You'd be staying out at the farm?"
"That's right," Kid said.
"What about supplies? Where would you get the money for them?"
"Well," Heyes said slowly. "We'd use the wood from your barn. Not all of it, of course. We'd just make the barn smaller, big enough for a horse or two, maybe a wagon, some storage. The rest of the wood we would use for the flooring. Don't think there would be enough for a new roof, but maybe enough for roof repairs."
"Then what?"
"Then we move on," Kid said.
"Why?"
"Why what?" Heyes asked.
"Why are you offering to do this?"
"I already told you that, Belle. We just want to help you out."
"Well, I have to think on this a spell. I only just met you boys. I have to figure out what Jake would want me to do."
"Alright. We'll stay in town another day or two while you figure out if you want to take us up on the offer. If you decide not to take us up on the offer, we'll be moving on so just remember, it might be the only chance you get."
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"Pa, you think Spirit remembers us?" Jed asked one morning nearly a month after they had set the young wolf free.
"I don't know, Jed. I've always heard animals don't have much of a memory, that they live more by instinct than recollection. Then again, I've seen examples, a horse or a dog getting separated from its owner for months, even years, and showing total recognition of the owner when they've been reunited. So, I guess I would say it's possible that Spirit will remember you and Hannibal."
"I'd know Spirit if I saw him again, Pa. I'd know him anywhere."
"People got better memories, Jed."
"I think he'd know me, Pa."
"I don't want you to go looking for him, you understand? If he don't remember you, he could hurt you, Jed."
Jed nodded. "I won't go looking for him, Pa."
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"I hope we're doing the right thing, Heyes," Kid said as he and Heyes rode up to Belle's farm and climbed off their horses.
"We're just here to assess the repairs. If she agrees, that'll give us a head start by knowing exactly what we need."
"Are you really doing this because of our folks, Heyes? That just sounds..."
"What?"
"Well, I never seen you do anything like that before, that's all."
"A good deed?"
"No, but a good deed that don't give us some kind of reward in return, or a good deed stemming from what happened to us twenty-five years ago."
Heyes sighed heavily as he stepped up to the front door of the house. "To tell you the truth, Kid, I ain't really sure what prompted me to do this. Maybe it's all the good deeds you've done over the years," he said with a teasing smile. "Maybe you're starting to rub off on me, Kid."
"Well, that could only be a good thing, Heyes," Kid replied.
Heyes used his lock pick to open the front door and they both stepped inside. The house was still furnished, though sheets covered the largest pieces of furniture to protect them from dust. Cobwebs filled the corners of the walls and ceilings. Pieces of floorboards in the main room as well as the kitchen were rotted and broken. Wallpaper had pealed and sagged on several walls.
The rooms on the second floor showed water damage from the leaking roof, but the floors, though water stained, were still of sound structure.
"Heyes, look at this," Kid said as he walked into the hallway carrying a dust covered picture that he cleaned with the sleeve of his shirt. "That's Belle, so the man must be Jake."
Heyes gave the picture a quick glance, then paused and took the picture from Kid. "Let me see that," he said with a sense of urgency in his voice.
"What's the matter?" Kid asked.
"This man... Jake...don't you recognize him?"
Kid looked at the picture but shook his head. "Who is he?"
Heyes smiled. "Well, I'll be..."
"Heyes, who is he?"
"He's Jack Averill. He was the leader of the Red Jack Gang out of Arizona. They robbed stages mostly. He was killed back in...83' I think it was."
"How do you know him?"
"He rode with Jim Plummer for about a year."
"Heyes, did every outlaw in the country except me ride with Plummer at one time or another, cause you sure do list off a lot of em."
"I'll bet he married Belle and just used this place as a stop over, a safe haven when things got to hot for the gang. That might be why she's so hesitant to let us fix the place up, afraid we'd figure out who her husband was. She did say he only roosted here once in a while."
"Well, now that we know, maybe we ought to be a bit hesitant to take on this job, Heyes."
"You know, I always heard he was killed in Arizona. Who would have brought him all the way back here?"
"Maybe a grieving widow?"
"Who ain't got no spare money?"
"What are you saying, Heyes?"
"I wonder who...or what really is buried up there on that hill."
Kid looked at Heyes very dubiously. "We ain't digging up that grave, Heyes. As long as she even thinks that's Jake, well that's all I need to know. Sometimes I wonder about that mind of yours, Heyes."
"I know, Kid. Doesn't keep me from wondering, though."
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"Kid, your Pa said you weren't to go looking for Spirit," Heyes warned his younger cousin.
"I ain't looking for him. I just want to go fishing, Heyes."
"In the very same spot where we took target practice? The very same spot we found Spirit?"
"We didn't find Spirit, Heyes. You shot him, remember?"
"You know what I mean."
"Then yes, in the very same spot. Did you ever get your gun outta that log?"
Heyes nodded. "Long time ago...What are you going to do if you do find Spirit? You can't take him home."
"I just want to know he's alright, Heyes. I ain't going looking for him. But if I see him, or see his tracks... I just want to know he's alright."
"Kid, Spirit is a wild animal. He ain't a pet. You gotta let him live like that."
"I ain't trying to change him..."
"Yes, you are," Heyes interrupted. You're trying to keep him, or at least a part of him, as a part of you. You have to let go, Kid. Let him be free."
Kid stared at Heyes. He had expected his friend to support him in his quest. Instead, Heyes was forcing Kid face a difficult truth, a selfish truth. Kid finally dropped his head, then turned, and walked to the tree where his fishing pole rested. He sighed, picked up the pole, and headed for home.
Heyes silently chided himself then, realizing what he had said was the right thing, even if it did force Kid to face a harsh reality, he grabbed his own pole and started out after his young cousin.
Heyes caught up to his cousin and walked silently side by side until they reached the point where each went his separate way to his home.
"Heyes... I know you're right... But it don't keep me from wondering," Kid said, then turned and headed on his way.
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Belle greeted them at the front door when they arrived two days later.
"Let's talk," she said, opening the door wide to invite them into the parlor.
Inside, Belle's sister Violet sat in a chair near the fireplace. Belle waved an arm offering Heyes and Curry the settee against the wall and she herself drew a straight back chair up to complete the circle. Heyes and Curry quickly removed their hats and rested them in their laps.
"Violet, this is Thaddeus and Joshua. Boys, this is my sister, Violet."
Both Kid and Heyes were surprised by Violet. She was at least twenty years younger than Bell, and had an air of, perhaps not wealth, but culture.
"A pleasure to meet you both," Violet said with a warm smile. "Belle has told me how helpful you have been and of the most generous offer you've made. She told me your reason for making this offer and I must say I find it rather...curious. I hope you understand."
"Yes, Ma'am," Heyes replied. "I assure you there is no ulterior motive, Miss...Miss?"
"Warren."
"Miss Warren. Thaddeus and I, well we spent a little time with Belle and..."
"And we just want to help her get back to the life she wants, the home she wants."
"Why?"
"Does there have to be a reason? I mean more than we've already told you?" Kid asked.
"Look, Ma'am," Heyes said with a smile. "We're not interviewing for a job here, we're making a legitimate offer of assistance. We pretty much just need a yes or a no. If the answer is yes, we'll start work today. If the answer is no, well, we'll just be on our way."
"Yes," Belle blurted out.
Heyes uttered a slight laugh. "Well then, Thaddeus and I will be on our way out to your farm, Belle. Feel free to stop out any time ladies, to see how the work is progressing. Let's go, Thaddeus."
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"Pa, if you start a project, shouldn't you see it through?" Jed asked one morning after he had completed his chores and was now eating his breakfast before school.
"That's generally a good policy to maintain, especially when it applies to your chores and your homework."
Jed spooned a bite of porridge into his mouth but did not pursue the conversation further.
"What does it apply to in this case?" his father asked.
"Do you think the next time we go hunting, we could track Spirit? Just to see if he's alright."
"Jed, that wolf is either a hundred miles from here now, or he's been able to join up with a pack of wolves. It's best to let sleeping dogs lie, Jed."
Kid nodded disparagingly. "That's what Han says, too."
"Well for once your cousin is showing some sense."
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Kid and Heyes worked diligently on the repairs of Belle's house. They had removed an add-on at the back of the barn and had found it provided them with enough wood to repair all the downstairs flooring. They sanded the new planks and cut and sawed to fit them into place. They bought wallpaper paste and secured the sagging paper. They found buckets and scrub brushes and cleaned the floors thoroughly, then gave the floor a light varnish. They scrubbed and sanded and varnished what was necessary of the second story flooring as well to minimize the visible water stains.
The entire job took less time than they had anticipated and when Belle and Violet visited the farm at the end of the week, Belle was very pleased with the results.
"We'll get the roof patched next," Heyes told the ladies. "Then I think our work is about done."
"I am quite surprised, and impressed," Violet replied. "You know I was more than skeptical when Belle told me of your offer. But I was wrong. I appreciate what you've done for Belle."
"Belle, there's a picture upstairs on the dresser. Is that Jake?" Heyes asked.
Belle nodded and smiled.
"He was a tad famous, wasn't he?"
"No more that the two of you."
"What?" Kid asked with some alarm.
Belle smiled. "Hell, I recognized the two of you the minute I saw you. Well, maybe not the minute I saw you, but the minute we quit shooting at each other. Especially the fair haired one."
"How?" Kid asked.
"Well, my first clue was when you called the other fella Heyes. That's when I started taking a closer look at the two of you. Jake and me was on a train the Devil's Hole Gang robbed. Jake was a wanted man himself so we weren't about to go drawing no attention to ourselves. But we watched you fellas real close. We wanted to know if it was true what they said, that the Devil's Hole Gang never shot no one. You was all just as polite as could be. So, when you offered to fix this place up, I figured you just needed a place to lay low for a spell. I figured Jake would want me to uphold that code among thieves."
Heyes wrapped an arm about Belle's shoulders. "Belle, I'm glad Kid and me met you, even if you did try to kill us."
Belle laughed. "Ain't you noticed? I ain't no better a shot than your are, Heyes."
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"Han, look over there," Kid said excitedly as he pointed to the far side of the river where a wolf stood beneath a tree.
Heyes squinted and peered at the animal. "By damn, that is Spirit, Kid."
With that, the wolf raised his head skyward and uttered a long howl.
"He's saying hello to us, Han."
A second, smaller wolf appeared, then four pups could barely be seen wrestling in the leaves.
"He's got a family, Han," Kid said proudly.
"You feel better, Kid, knowing he's alright?"
Kid nodded. "See Han, all he needed was a little help. He can make it on his own now."
"Come on, Kid. We don't want to scare that mama and her pups."
Together, the two boys slowly gathered their fishing poles and bait and turned to head for home. Kid turned his head as they walked and watched Spirit proudly until he was out of sight.