JULY 24, 1889 (Sunday)

The day of amnesty had finally arrived.

Years later the morning and the hours before the ceremony would become a blur to them as they were accosted by well wishers, ushered from one location to another, posed with the Governor for fake photographs of the Governor handing them blank scrolls of paper meant to look like the amnesty scrolls, re-introduced to senators and congressmen whose names drifted into one ear and out the other.

They were given a very brief reprieve as they rode in the carriage to the Governor's Mansion early that afternoon before the ceremony.

"This will all be over in a few hours, Kid."

"Yea," Kid said with a smile.

"I thought maybe tonight we could spend with all the friends we invited, just those folks important to us, and have a celebration that would actually mean something to us."

"I think that sounds good, Heyes. Maybe just up in our suite, so none of these political walk-offs could just wander in."

"Heyes smiled. "Exactly."

"Tomorrow night, Heyes... I want to sleep under the stars."

Heyes nodded. "Me, too."

They arrived at the Governor's Mansion and climbed out of the carriage.

"Thank you, Tim," Kid said with a smile and reached up to shake Tim's hand and give him the sizable tip he and Heyes had agreed upon.

"Thank you, gentlemen, and congratulations Mr. Curry, Mr. Heyes," Tim replied.

They walked to the lawn where the ceremony was to take place and were immediately approached by the Governor's aid who escorted them to a holding area where all the dignitaries were gathered. There, they waited until all the people were either seated, or cordoned off into the standing-room-only area. The aide quickly lined people up according to where they were to be seated on the stage.

A band began playing a ceremonial tune and the participants were slowly ushered on stage to their seats. Heyes and Curry had been instructed to remain standing until the Governor was introduced, and while they stood nervously on the stage, the crowd roared with cheers.

They both felt a great relief when the Governor was introduced and approached the podium. Neither heard a word of the Governor's rather lengthy speech and elaborate introduction.

But when Kid heard the Governor say that he and Heyes would each be saying a few words to the audience, Kid looked at Heyes with a terror in his eyes that Heyes had never before seen. The fastest gun in the west, the outlaw who could make another man tremble just with a cold steel glaze, was himself in a state near panic. Heyes looked at Kid confidently, gave him a nod, and gave the spot on his chest near his heart three taps with his finger.

"... Jedadiah Curry ladies and gentleman."

Kid hadn't heard a word the Governor had said, except the announcement of his name. He did hear the roar of applause and looked up to see the Governor looking at him, applauding with the crowd. Slowly Kid stood and willed his knees not to buckle as he approached the podium and the Governor took his seat.

Kid looked out at the crowd and swallowed hard. He looked down at his row of friends and saw them proudly gazing back at him and that did ease some of the nervousness surging through his body. He gripped the podium with both hands and waited for the crowd to quiet.

"I... I suppose there are people to thank..." he began in a timid, quiet voice.

"Can't hear you!" someone shouted.

"Ah, people that know me know I ain't much of a talker, but... there are people that I should be thanking... Governor Moonlight for finally bringing this to an end..."

Kid was aware of the light chuckle that reverberated through the crowd. "All the people sitting down there in our row of friends... Lom Trevers... people who believed we could do it, and never stopped telling us so...Oh, and I want to thank Tim Horman, our driver this week, he always made sure we got where ever we was supposed to be... And there's a lot of people... a lot of people who helped me and Heyes over the years we waited for this amnesty, people whose names I don't recall... the whole Devil's Hole gang... strangers who helped mend a wound, or gave us food or a place to stay... and didn't ask nothing in return... But mostly I want to thank my partner, Hannibal Heyes..… Heyes and me have had a lot happen in our lives...and I owe..." Kid stopped suddenly and bowed his head. The audience grew very silent.

" Just... Thank you." Kid mumbled and returned to his seat. his head still cast down toward his chest. He didn't look up until he felt Heyes' arm moved across the back of his shoulders and come to rest. Then he turned slightly and looked at Heyes and brown eyes once again met blue.

The Governor had returned to the podium and was now calling Heyes up to address the crowd. Heyes stood, gave Kid a quick reassuring pat on the shoulder and approached the podium. The crowed again erupted in cheers and Heyes motioned with his hands to the crowed to quiet.

Heyes smiled out to the crowed. Unlike Kid, Heyes was comfortable, even relaxed speaking to the crowed. He was determined to be honest and not cater to the accolades he knew the Governor expected.

"Well, first off, like Kid, I want to extend a thank you to everyone that my partner mentioned. Kid and I learned right quick how kind and generous most people are. … For those of you who don't know, Kid Curry and me spent five years waiting for this amnesty to come through and during those five years, we was still wanted, so we evaded many a posse and bounty hunter, escaped many a jail, suffered many a wound... If we knew back at the beginning what we know now...well, I think we'd give some hard thought about doing this all over again... But it's done now...and I can't think of two more deserving people. There's just one person that I know I couldn't have done this without, and that's my partner, Jedidiah Curry."

Heyes turned to face his partner. "Thank you, Kid."

Heyes took his seat and he and Kid again shared a very intimate smile.

The Governor again took to the podium. He nodded to his aid who stood and handed him two scrolled pieces of paper. Then he nodded to Heyes and Curry and they approached the podium and stood side by side.

"On behalf of the Territory of Wyoming, it is my privileged to grant you, Hannibal Heyes and Jedidiah Curry, full pardon and amnesty of the crimes committed."

The crowd erupted in loud cheers as the Governor handed each of them a scroll and shook each of their hands. Heyes looked and Kid and they wrapped their arms around each other, then separated, turned to the crowd, and raised their scrolls high into the air, both keeping their free arm wrapped tightly across the other's shoulders.

Finally.

Amnesty.