Clutching the carpet bag in one hand, Kid ran behind Wheat down alleyways, behind buildings, and across an open field toward the train station. Hearing the whistle blow, they reached the station just as the train was pulling out. Both men raced along the side the train, desperately trying to reach the steps to a coach car.
Running just a few feet behind Wheat, Kid saw Wheat successfully grab a firm hold on the handrail and swing a leg onto the first step of a coach car, then disappear from sight. Kid picked up speed till he was parallel to the steps and tossed the bag to Wheat. Then Kid too, grab the handrail and jumped landing awkwardly on the first step and struggling to gain his balance.
Wheat turned to open the coach door, but in so doing, the carpet bag in his hand struck Kid with an uppercut to the jaw, knocking him off balance. Kid's hand slipped from the rail as he fell backward off the step. Unable to correct his position, Kid hit the ground hard on his back, then instinctively rolled down the small embankment, stunned due to the air being forced from his lungs at the moment of impact.
Unaware of this, Wheat turned the door knob, then turned to give Kid a nod. But Kid was not there. A sudden panic washed over Wheat and he stepped down to the second step to peer around the coach car, but in the darkness, he saw no sign of Kid.
Wheat was presented with two choices. He could jump off the train and hunt for Kid, or he could enter the coach and continue on according to plan. Holding the carpet bag containing over one hundred thousand dollars, Wheat thought like an outlaw and decided the profits for many outweighed the needs of one. So Wheat stepped back up on the platform and entered the coach.
Kid Curry lay supine in the shallow ditch. Dirt and grass stains covered much of his suit. Still dazed from the fall, Kid opened his eyes to get his bearings but instead he watched the world spinning wildly around him. Kid closed his eyes to relieve the dizziness. He tried to roll to his side, but the shooting pain in his lower back made the twisting movement too difficult to accomplish. Instead, Kid dropped his head to the ground with a moan and passed out.
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Heyes and the rest of the Devil's Hole gang raced out of town, down the road and across a field, often glancing behind them. But in the darkness of the moonless night, not one of them could detect an ensuing posse. Reaching Tumbleson Stream, the hooves created the sound of a low rumbling thunder as they crossed the wooden bridge. Once across, Heyes and Kyle stopped while the rest of the gang raced on toward Devil's Hole.
Kyle jumped from his horse even before the animal came to a full stop. He reached into his vest pocket as he ran toward the bridge. He lit a match, turned and smiled at Heyes, then stooped down and lit the fuse before racing back to his horse and he and Heyes spurred their mounts hard to distance themselves from the exploding bridge and subsequent debris.
The first explosion sounded and Kyle turned in his saddle. "There she blows, Heyes," Kyle shouted gleefully.
A second and a third blast quickly followed. Having distanced themselves, Heyes and Kyle stopped and turned to see the sky alight with burning planks rocketed into the air, then coming down with a splash and a sizzle into the wide stream.
"Guess that takes care of the posse," Kyle said jubilantly.
"Just slows em down some," Heyes replied. "Come on, let's go."
They both pulled hard on the reins and charged their horses forward.
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Wheat reached the town of Claymore in the early morning hours and he stepped off the train and quickly looked around expecting a posse or lawmen to be waiting to grab him. But everyone was going about their business as usual and no one noticed the nervous and tired cowboy carrying a carpetbag as he made his way to the livery to rent a horse.
Wheat was nervous and for good reason. He was nervous about being caught before reaching Devil's Hole, nervous about what might have happened to Kid, and very nervous about telling Heyes that Kid had fallen from the train just outside Rock Springs and he had left him there, perhaps hurt, perhaps dead, and continued on to Devil's Hole.
Wheat was naturally the first to return to Devil's Hole and he tied his horse to the post outside the bunkhouse and carried the carpetbag inside. He was curious about just how much money was actually in the bag, but the thought of Heyes' ire kept him from looking. Instead, he slid the bag under his bunk and laid down on his bed, rehearsing what he would tell Heyes when the leader got back to Devil's Hole.
Late morning, Kid Curry woke, still lying supine in a shallow ditch not far from the railroad tracks. His lower back was stiff and ached miserably and it took considerable effort for Kid to first roll to one side, then lift himself to his knees, then finally pull himself to his feet. The dizziness was gone, but the dreadful pain in his lower back, exacerbated with any twisting movement, made walking slow and arduous. Kid looked down the seemingly endless line of tracks and knew following the tracks until a train approached, then jumping into a freight car was simply not something he could accomplish, much less even try. So he brushed himself off as best he could, and headed slowly along the tracks back toward Rock Springs.
By late afternoon, the outlaws began returning to Devil's Hole, all still feeling the rush of Adrenalin, all eager to hear how Wheat and Kid made out, all eager for Heyes' return so the money could be divided among them. But Wheat didn't want to tell them about Kid, so he feigned a deep sleep, uttering an occasional snore, and waited for Heyes and Kyle to return.
Heyes and Kyle arrived back a few hours after the other outlaws. Heyes was eager to hear how the escape with the money had gone. After he and Kyle took their horses to the barn, brushed, stalled, fed and watered them, Heyes headed to the cabin.
"Tell Wheat to come over here, Kyle. I want him an Kid to let me know how things went."
Heyes walked in to the cabin expecting to find Kid waiting for him. "Kid!, Kid!" Heyes shouted. When he got no response, Heyes checked Kid's bedroom, but there was no one there.
Heyes heard the knock on the door. "Come on in Wheat," Heyes shouted as he walked back in to the main room.
Wheat stepped in cautiously, the carpetbag clutched in one hand.
"Where's Kid?"
"Well, Heyes, that's what I come to tell you about."
"What happened?" Heyes asked with great concern. "Where's Kid? Is he alright?"
"Well... I don't rightly know, Heyes."
"What do you mean you don't know? What happened.?"
"Well, we both made it to the train but it was already pulling out when we got there."
"And?"
"And I managed to climb on and Kid threw me the money. Then he grabbed hold and was able to jump on, too."
"Then where is he?"
"Well he... I...I accidentally shoved Kid off the train."
"You what!"
"When I turned to go into the coach, the carpet bag hit Kid and knocked him off balance again. I turned around and...he was gone."
"And you left without him?"
"I peered out around the coach, but it was dark Heyes. I didn't see him nowhere."
"So you left him?"
"It was either that or risk getting caught with all the money! Even if they found Kid, they wouldn't know he was involved in the robbery."
"Unless he was delirious and told them!"
Wheat had given no thought to that possibility. "I'm sorry, Heyes."
Heyes snatched the carpet bag and threw it across the room. "No body touches that bag till I know what happened to the Kid!"
Wheat nodded quickly. "I'll leave first thing in the morning, Heyes."
"Oh you're damn right you will. But I'm going with you!. Good God, Wheat, what were you thinking?"
"I was worried about Kid, honest Heyes. But I was also thinking of everybody back here, waiting for the money to get here."
"If Kid's dead..."
"The train wasn't going full speed when it happened, Heyes."
"You'd better hope he's not hurt, dead, or in jail, Wheat. Cause if he is..."
0-0-0-0-0-
Heyes couldn't sleep thinking about all the things that might have happened to Kid. Wheat couldn't sleep thinking about all the things that were likely to happen to him. When morning arrived, two very tired and ill tempered men saddled their horses for the long ride back to Rock Springs.
But after they had traveled about ten miles, Heyes saw a rider approaching, riding at a very slow pace and trying with great effort not to be bounced or jostled in the saddle.
"That looks like The Kid, Heyes," Wheat said.
Heyes didn't reply but did spur his horse and moved well ahead of Wheat until he was side by side with Kid.
"You alright?"
Kid, still wearing his grass stained suit, and sitting as straight and still as he could, glared at the slowly approaching rider. "That Wheat?" he asked Heyes.
"Uh-uh." Heyes replied. "He told me what happened."
"Did he also tell you that he just left me, laying in a ditch with a sprained back?"
"He told me he left you in a ditch. Is that why you're riding so funny?"
Kid shot Heyes a dangerous glare."Don't try to make light of this, Heyes. I could have been caught!"
"But you weren't, Kid. Keep that in mind."
"Glad to see you're alright, Kid," Wheat said when he was within calling distance.
"No thanks to you."
"And I'm sorry about that Kid. I really am, but you gotta understand that..."
"We'll talk about this later, Wheat. Right now I'm tired, and I'm hungry, and I've been wearing the same clothes for three days, not to mention the fact that I got a sprained back. So get out of my way Wheat, or I might just shoot you."
Wheat glanced at Heyes who gave him a nod to do as Kid said, so Wheat pulled his horse to the side of the road to let Kid pass. Heyes stayed close to Kid's side. Wheat stayed put along the side of the road until Kid and Heyes were out of sight.
Kid pulled his horse up to the hitching post in front of the leader's cabin. Heyes pulled up beside him and jumped off his horse to go around to assist Kid, but Kid waved him off.
"It's tricky, Heyes. Let me just do it myself," Kid said and slowly, and with great care and caution, Kid climbed out of the saddle. As soon as his feet hit the ground, Kid flinched and his lower back bent forward. But he stayed still for a moment, then slowly straightened his back, took a deep breath, and walked slowly to the cabin. He reached the porch just as Wheat rode into the camp.
"Wheat, you take this rental back to the livery in the morning and pay the bill," Heyes ordered.
Wheat offered no objection.
"You need some extra pillows?" Heyes asked following Kid into his bedroom and helping him remove the suit jacket
"I think I'll be okay once I can get into bed," Kid replied as he continued to rid himself of his outer clothing.
""What happened?" Heyes asked.
Kid sighed. "It weren't really Wheat's fault, Heyes. We both made it onto the steps of the coach car. Wheat turned, the bag of money hit me and knocked me off balance. The train wasn't going real fast and it wasn't a big fall, but I landed on my back on some hard, rocky ground. I think I just sprained it pretty bad. It should be fine in a couple of days."
"Doctor might be able to give you something for the pain."
"We'll see. I think what it really need is I rest. How much money did we get?"
Heyes remembered the bag sitting on the floor in the other room. "You know, we haven't even counted it," he said with a laugh.
"Well, there's time for that in the morning," Kid said and carefully sat down on the bed.
"You want something to eat, Kid? You said you was hungry."
"That was just for Wheat's benefit. I ate on the train last night. The only thing I want, Heyes, is a good night's sleep,."
Heyes watched Kid carefully ease himself into the bed.
"You need anything, you just holler," Heyes told Kid as he walked out of the room and shut the door.