When a sudden and unexpected September snowstorm caught them unprepared in the high Sierra Mountains of Northern Nevada, Heyes and Curry had miraculously found shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin hidden deep in the pine forest overlooking Lake Bigler. The storm had lasted three days and had dropped twenty-four inches of snow. During those three days they took turns clearing snow from the attached lean-to where their horses were sheltered. On the forth day the snow ended, but the temperatures dropped well below zero and the winds came.
There was enough chopped wood to last several weeks and snow could be melted for water, but food was scarce and hunting impossible without snowshoes, which neither owned. They carefully rationed the dozen or so cans of beans and tomatoes they found on the shelves. Each night they enjoyed a half shot of whiskey poured from the gallon jug also found on a shelf. They played poker and they waited
The lean-to had an abundance of hay thanks to the well-prepared owner of the cabin who realized the necessity of maintaining healthy stock on his winter hunting trips. Without strong horses, a descent from the mountain would be impossible till spring. But given the fact that it was September, warmer temperatures would surely be forthcoming to melt the snow enough that they and the horses would be able to travel.
They nailed two blankets along the open end of the lean-to so as to decrease the amount of wind blowing in at the horses. They kept warmed blankets across the horse's backs, and they piled bales of hay high along the walls of the lean-to to insulate as much as possible.
The winds lasted for two days and nights and then snow returned, dropping another six inches of wet snow on top of the powdery underlying snow.
At sunrise, Kid grudgingly pulled himself out from under the warm blankets. He pulled on his pants, boots and shirt and then his sheepskin lined coat and, grabbing two warmed horse blankets, he went out to check on the horses. There was actually enough heavy wet top layer snow to make walking easier than the powdery snow that gave way to the weight of his body.
Kid pulled the stiff blankets off the horses and covered their backs with the warm blankets he had brought out for them. He smiled when they each snorted a thank you for the new found warmth on their backs. He gave them each a couple of pats on a rear flank. Then he raked away the top layer of frozen hay and shuffled the underlying hay around a bit. Next he filled their feed bags and secured them in place. Finally, he tromped his way out of the lean-to.
As he turned to return to the cabin, something caught his eye. He saw animal tracks a hundred yards away from the lean-to and tromped through the knee high snow to check them out. Kid identified the tracks of perhaps a dozen wolves. He looked beyond the tracks that formed a half-circled around the lean-to and saw tracks leading to and from the nearby woods. He carefully scanned the wooded area but didn't see any wolves sitting, standing, or lying in wait. He turned and slowly made his way back to the cabin.
Kid walked inside the cabin and stomped the snow off his boots. He saw Heyes standing by the fireplace in his long johns pulling a pot of hot coffee from the embers.
"There were wolves here last night," he told Heyes
"How many?"
"At least a dozen."
"That's not good," Heyes said, handing Kid a cup of hot coffee. "Horses alright?"
Kid nodded. "I think we should build a fire out there tonight."
Heyes agreed. "That way we can at least see them coming."
"Have you ever eaten wolf?" Kid asked.
"No, but at this point I'm willing to try about anything. A nice big wolf steak sounds pretty appealing."
"Has to be better than canned tomatoes," Kid replied.
That evening they built a fire about sixty feet away from the lean-to. At dark they began two hour alternating watches from inside the lean-to. Whenever it was needed, whoever was on watch went out and stoked the fire so it burned brightly throughout the night.
At three AM Kid was on watch. He saw no hint of movement between the fire and the woods. In fact neither had seen any hint of the wolves all night. Kid decided it was safe to stoke the fire. He set his riffle down against the wall of the cabin and picked up half a dozen logs from the stack they had carried out earlier in the day. He scanned the area again before trudging out to the fire. Kid was placing the last of the logs on the fire when he heard the low growls of wolves. He froze and slowly raised his eyes. Perhaps twenty feet away he saw eight to ten wolves, all in a predatory stance, their eyes focused on him.
Kid slowly, cautiously moved his right arm to his revolver and cocked it as he pulled it from it's holster. His plan was to unload six shots into the pack of wolves and run like hell to the cabin. As soon as he had the gun raised he started firing, taking down two wolves immediately, and by the sounds of the yelps, wounding at least a couple more.
Inside the cabin, Heyes was startled from sleep by the sound of the shots. He grabbed his riffle and ran barefooted out of the cabin and into the snow.
Kid had darted for the cabin as quickly as he could through several feet of snow but the surviving wolves were fearless and two managed to pounce on him and knock him to the ground where he physically and frantically fought them like a wildcat caught in a snare. Both were on top of him and Heyes was able to take quick aim and drop one with a single shot. Kid rolled with the entangled fighting wolf and Heyes could not get a safe bead on it. He pulled his revolver and ran toward Kid, screaming at the wolf and shots blazing into the night air. The wolf was not fazed by the sounds of the gunshots and continued it's attack on Kid. In a rage Heyes continued toward his friend until he found himself face to face with the wrestling wolf. Instinctively, he dropped the revolver in the snow and grasped the barrel of the riffle and and sent the riffle stock crashing down on the wolf's skull, killing him instantly.
The other wolves had scattered. In the firelight Heyes saw Kid crumpled on the ground, unconscious, and bleeding badly from a deep tear of his right leg, bite marks on his right cheek, and left thigh. Heyes grabbed Kid by the wrists and dragged him into the cabin, trailing a path of blood all the way to the door.
Before he even tried to lift Kid onto the bed, Heyes struggled to remove Kid's jacket. The heavy sheepskin had protected Kid's torso, neck, and arms, but both hands were badly scratched and bitten. Heyes pulled Kid's pants and long johns off. The tear in Kid's thigh was several inches long and at least a half an inch deep. Heyes grabbed a sheet and tore it in strips and tied a tourniquet on Kid's upper thigh above the wound. The bleeding slowed considerably. The bite marks on Kid's cheek and left thigh were not bleeding badly.
Heyes picked Kid up from the floor and laid him on the bed. Then he put a bucket of water on the fire to heat and he rummaged through the cupboards and shelves and found a needle and thread. He started making a pile beside the bed of the things he needed. In addition to the needle and thread, Heyes added the half full jug of whiskey, several blankets, the bucket of warm water, several strips of the sheet, and a bar of soap.
Heyes got on his knees beside the bed and set to work. First he washed the thigh wound with soap and water and was grateful that Kid was unconscious. Next he poured a stream of whiskey over the wound and, even unconscious, a horribly deep, guttural moan escaped Kid's mouth. Heyes then tied Kid's hands and legs to the bed posts and set to work stitching the thigh wound shut. Heyes actually had to sit on Kid's right knee to keep Kid's leg from thrashing about while he stitched it closed. Once again Heyes poured a thin line of whiskey over the now stitched wound. Then he removed the tourniquet and bandaged the stitched wound with strips of the sheet. He untied Kid's limbs and set about tending to the lesser wounds. Finally he piled layers of blankets over Kid to keep him warm.
Heyes sat down on the floor next to Kid's bed and leaned against the wall. Only then did he feel the burning in his feet. He looked down at his still bare feet and saw how red they looked, probably the early stages of frost bite. He dragged himself up and walked over on painful feet and grabbed his socks. Then he returned to the spot near Kid's bed and sat down again and carefully, gingerly, put on his socks. It wasn't yet daylight. Heyes leaned his head against the wall and fell asleep.
It was daylight when Heyes work. The first thing he did was check on Kid who was still unconscious. He gingerly and painfully pulled on his boots, put on his coat, grabbed a butcher knife, and went out to retrieve his revolver and to skin a wolf. They needed the meat to survive.
Heyes worked for two hours skinning the hide. Then he cut the meat in sections from the bones, rolling each chunk in the snow to clean as much blood as he could from the chunks. He knew the smell of the blood and the remnants of meat and carcass would draw the wolves back to scavenge for food. He gathered the chunks of meat and carried them into the cabin to hang and dry. He skewered one chunk of meat and hung it over the fire to cook.
When the wolves returned, the horses would once again be in danger. They needed the horses to get off the mountain when the weather, and Kid's condition permitted. During the day he would be able to monitor the horse's safety, but he knew he had no choice but to bring the horses into the cabin that night.
Heyes washed the blood and sinew from his hands and went back outside to shovel the bloodied snow away from the cabin. He returned an hour later to find Kid slowly waking, slowly rolling his head side to side, his eyes fluttering, his breaths deepening, his moans returning. Heyes removed his coat and poured a shot of whiskey. Taking the shot glass with him, Heyes walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting for Kid to regain consciousness.
Kid's eyes opened and stared at the ceiling. He slowly rolled his head to the side, lowering his gaze until it came to rest on Heyes.
"Good to see you again," Heyes said and lifted Kid's head and brought the shot glass to Kid's mouth. "Drink some of this. It will help.
The whiskey burned in his mouth and throat and he coughed and turned his head away.
"What happened?" Kid whispered weakly.
"Wolves. You put up a good fight," Heyes explained
The pain in Kid's thigh boldly reintroduced itself and Kid winced and moaned.
"I'm telling you, Kid, this whiskey will help," Heyes said, bringing the glass again to Kid's lips.
Knowing what to expect, Kid took a larger sip and forced the drink down his throat. "How bad?" he asked.
"It's bad. Your coat protected your arms, neck and body, but your hands and legs got beaten up pretty bad."
"The horses?" Kid asked with urgency in his voice.
"They're fine. I may have to bring them inside tonight. There's a lot of blood and a carcass outside that will draw the wolves back. No sense both of us getting hurt trying to protect the horses."
Heyes helped Kid take another good sip of the whiskey.
Kid put both hands on the mattress to push himself up to sit but the movement sent a searing pain though his leg and he cried out as his arms fell loosely to his sides and he flopped back down on the bed.
Heyes moved off the bed and pulled back the blankets from Kid's leg. The bandage on the leg was soaked in blood.
"I have to change the bandage, Kid. You need more whiskey?"
Kid shook his head, knowing it would take more than a shot or two to touch the pain.
Heyes retrieved a knife and two more strips of the sheet and set to work. After cutting and removing the bloodied bandage, Heyes washed the wound and poured the remaining shot of whiskey over the wound. Kid arched and gripped the the headboard tightly with both hands. Heyes noted that the stitching was holding and as yet, there was no sign of infection. Then he went about dressing the wound with the clean strips of sheet.
The process wore Kid out and he fought to stay awake. "What do we do now?" he asked.
"You rest," Heyes instructed. "We can't do anything till you're able to travel. Besides, the snow is still too deep for the horses to travel. I butchered one of the wolves so we have meat now. We'll be fine for a few days. Then we'll worry about getting you off this mountain. "
Kid nodded slowly and closed his eyes, quickly succumbing to sleep.
Heyes put a pot of coffee on the fire and pulled a chair close to the fireplace. He sat down and very carefully removed his boots and socks to inspect his feet. They were both still red but no blisters had developed. If he was lucky, he only had frost nip and the blistering and blackening of toes of frostbite would not develop. The next 24 to 48 hours would reveal the true extent of his own injuries. He propped his feet on the hearth to warm. Heyes too, fell asleep.
Heyes woke late afternoon. He pulled his socks and boots back on and checked on the still sleeping Kid. He warmed a can of beans and cut strips of of the meat that had been roasting on the skewer all afternoon. He ate heartily. Then he set about moving furniture around to create a makeshift horse stall along the wall furthest from where Kid slept. Finally he went out and one by one, brought the two horses inside for the night.
The noise of the horse hooves in the cabin woke Kid and he watched Heyes with some amusement. Because there was nothing to tether the horse to, Heyes hobbled them.
Kid again tried to maneuver himself to a sitting position and this time he was successful. Heyes came over and propped Kid's back with a folded blanket. Then Heyes prepared a plate of food and brought it to Kid. Despite the bandages on both hands, Kid was able to feed himself. Heyes was pleased with how much stronger Kid was as compared to this morning. So long as no infection developed and none of the wolves were rabid, Kid would make a fairly rapid recovery
Neither slept well that night. The wolves had returned and there was loud growling and snarling as they fought over the dead wolf and carcass that lay a few yards from the cabin. The horses whinnied nervously even within the safety of the cabin. Heyes was up several times to settle the horses so they wouldn't cause any damage inside the cabin.
Around three AM it became abruptly silent. Heyes had managed to doze off, but Kid was wide awake and alarmed. He listened intently and began to hear a low rumbling sound.
"Heyes," he called out. When he got no reply he called again. "Heyes,"
"What?" Heyes mumbled.
The rumbling sound grew louder. "Heyes!" Kid shouted which brought Heyes fully awake with a start.
"What's wrong?" Are you bleeding?"
"Listen!" Kid demanded
Heyes sat up and listened as the rumbling grew to a thunderous noise.
"Avalanche!" They shouted simultaneously.
Their beds began to shake. Cans fell from the shelves. The horses whinnied frantically. Then the cabin itself began to shake.
Both men grabbed the bed frames tightly and prayed the roof did not collapse in on them.
Seconds later the rumbling began to grow more distant until the sound faded completely and they were again thrust into total silence. They sat there, still gripping their beds, just staring at each other. Neither had ever experienced an avalanche before.
"Well, the cabin is still here" Kid finally said.
"Yeah, but buried in how many feet of snow?" Heyes asked.
Heyes got up and went to the door and was surprised that he could even open it. He took a coupe of steps outside and in the moonlight and gazed in awe at the devastation. Slowly he stepped back inside and closed the door behind him.
"What did you see?" Kid asked
"You won't believe this."
"What?"
"From the spot where the wolves were last night, and stretching beyond that for at least a mile..."
"What?" Kid prodded.
"There's not a tree standing... It took everything in it's path... It didn't miss the cabin by more than fifty feet."
"Help me up. I've got to see this," Kid said.
Heyes came over and helped Kid stand. He swung Kid's right arm over his shoulders and helped Kid limp to the door. With his left hand Heyes opened the door and helped Kid hobble outside a few steps.
Kid's jaw dropped.
Coming from Kansas, they had seen the destruction of tornadoes that left a path of debris. But this was far different, for the avalanche absorbed everything in it's path. Trees, bushes, boulders, animals, anything in it's path simply became a part of the massively expanding, rapidly moving expanse of snow.
Heyes helped Kid hobble back inside to a seat at the table. Both were wide awake and knew there would be no more sleep that night. Heyes walked across the room to check the horses. Both were still a bit nervous but otherwise fine.
"Do you realize how close we came to being killed?" Heyes asked. "Another fifty feet and it would have taken the cabin, and us, with it."
Oh shit," Kid said.
Still stunned, this was not the response Heyes had expected. He looked at Kid questioningly. "What is it?" Heyes asked.
"My leg's bleeding again," Kid said as he began pealing back the bandage
Heyes looked at Kid's leg and saw a slowly expanding stain of blood on the bandage. He absently picked up a clean strip of cloth and handed it to Kid who used the old bandage to apply pressure to the bleeding site before redressing the wound. Hayes was amazed at how seemingly unaffected Kid was by their very close call.
"Come morning I'll go out and assess that newly made path down the mountain. Who knows, that avalanche may have just created a way out of here for us."
"I'm ready. This hasn't exactly been a good experience for me all the way around," Kid replied.
"I'll put on some coffee."
Once the sun was up, Heyes took the horses back out to the lean-to. There he found an old ax which gave him an idea for Kid. He grabbed the ax and took it with him and went out to get a better look at the path laid down by the avalanche and to see if they and the horses could safely descend the mountain by way of that path path. He was surprised by how well-packed the snow was, then realized it had been pressed with tons of rolling weight. He ventured out into the newly formed path and discovered his boots did not sink into several feet of snow. Neither was the path icy or slippery. If they rode the horses in a zig-zag manner, they could reach the bottom of the mountain in a day, maybe less.
Heyes walked around to the other side of the cabin. The snow there was much more difficult to plod through but he searched the nearby trees until he spied the low branch he was looking for. Then he set to work cutting the branch from the tree.
Heyes went back inside to present the branch to Kid and report his findings about the avalanche path.
"Kid, I brought you a present," Heyes said, handing the tree branch to Kid.
"A branch?" Kid asked
"A crutch. See how it forms a "V" at the top so it can fit under your arm. I'll cut from the bottom to fit your height."
Kid smiled. "Thanks. That'll make getting around a little easier."
"That path is well packed, not icy. We might be able to get down the mountain using the path," Heyes explained.
"Let's do it. Let's pack our things and get the hell out of here," Kid said.
"If we can't make it to the bottom we, and the horses, will be out in the cold all night."
"That will likely happen even if we do make it to the bottom. You know of any nearby towns down there?" Kid asked.
"No, I really don't. Carson City is probably a hundred or more miles away. Virginia City, maybe fifty or sixty miles. Even Truckee is at least twenty-five miles away."
"You still think we should wait for a thaw, don't you?" Kid asked.
"If you weren't injured, Kid, I would say lets do it. Conditions seem right. But you are injured. You certainly can't walk down and I think riding a horse all day could bust the leg wound open again."
Reluctantly Kid agreed. "Alright, we stay put for now."
"The sky is clear this morning. Maybe it will start warming up today."
"Yeah, but when it all starts freezing again tonight, that will just make that path icy and unusable."
"Kid, we're not that far from Donner Pass. You remember what happened to those people a few years back. I just don't want to put us in a similar situation.."
Kid ignored Heye's comment, knowing Heyes was just thinking out loud and trying to convince himself they were making the right decision. He stood up and tested the crutch by taking a few steps around the room. He smiled at his success.
The sun did warm the temperatures that day and the snow did begin to melt. But the cold night temperatures did refreeze the wet snow and created an icy top layer. However, this pattern continued for three more days and by then enough snow had melted to make the depth manageable to walk through rather than a struggle to plod through.
They packed their few belongings, left money and a note on the table, and saddled their horses. Kid carefully climbed on to his horse and eased his injured leg into the stirrup. Heyes handed Kid the crutch which Kid slid into the center of his bedroll. They stayed just a few feet outside of the icy avalanche path and reached the shores if Lake Bigler by mid afternoon.
"That's one of the prettiest lakes I think I have ever seen," Heyes said
"If it wasn't so cold we could catch some fish for supper," Kid said.
"You hungry, Kid?"
"I'm always hungry, Heyes. But I'm getting sick of wolf meat.'
Heyes looked around at the animal tracks in the snow."It looks like plenty of rabbit available, judging the the tracks. Maybe we can shoot some rabbit for supper."
They continued on until they found and area away from the lake and protected from the wind. Kid's leg was stiff from riding all day, but the stitching had held nicely. He agreed to unload both horses while Heyes set about gathering twigs and wood for a fire. While Heyes was gone, Kid heard a couple of shots and hoped Heyes had successfully shot some rabbits. When Heyes returned carrying the wood in both arms, Kid spied two dead rabbits on the top of the of the logs. He walked over to Heyes and grabbed the rabbits before Heyes dumped the pile of logs on the ground.
"You build the fire and I'll skin the rabbits," Kid said
Heyes built a large, wide fire. Kid skinned the rabbits well away from the camp site. Then he found two small branches with "V" shaped branch sprouts and stuck one into the ground on either side of the fire. He skewered both rabbits on a long stick and stuck the stick into the "V" of the branches so the rabbits could cook. Heyes packed the coffee pot with snow and placed it in the fire to melt and warm. Then he added coffee he had taken from the cabin.
Both men then dug six inch deep, long trenches. Later they would shovel embers into the trenches, add some leaves for smoldering, and cover the areas back up with dirt. There they would place their bedrolls to help keep them warm through the night.
It was after dark when they sat down by the fire and ate their rabbit supper and drank hot coffee.
"Carson City is further but the travel is less mountainous than the trek to Virginia City," Heyes said. "Which one do you want to head to tomorrow, Kid?"
"Well, there's likely jobs in Virginia City, with all the silver mining they do," Kid said.
"You ever done any mining. Kid?" Heyes asked, already knowing the answer.
"No,"
"It's hard, dirty work, a hundred or more feet under ground. They keep a bird in a cage in each mine to let them know if the air supply goes bad. They blast down there with dynamite and shaft collapses are not real uncommon."
"I take it you don't want to try your hand at mining?" Kid asked.
"Poker is a much safer way to build a man's finances," Heyes replied.
"Then I guess we're going to Carson City."
Heyes smiled. "I knew I could count on you for making the best choice."
The next morning they packed their horses and started out for Carson City. The pass they traveled through was wide and made for easy travel and they arrived just after dark.
They dropped their horses at the livery stable, gathered their bags and riffles, and walked to the hotel where they got a room with two beds. They were both bone tired and wanted to be able to sprawl out in comfort. After dropping their luggage in their room, they stopped at the hotel dining room for supper before heading across the street to the saloon where they quickly filled two empty seats at a poker table, each nursed a beer, and modestly increased their cash flow. Around midnight they returned to the hotel and collapsed into their warm beds.
The next morning Kid woke to a very sore right leg. The full day of riding yesterday had been a strain on the leg. Kid reached for the makeshift crutch to hobble across the room where his clothes had been laid across the back of a chair. Turning around proved to be a bit of a challenge but he managed and returned to the bed to sit down and get dressed.
The noise of the crutch as it plodded across the floor was loud enough to wake Heyes and he too climbed out of bed to get dressed.
As Heyes slipped on his shirt he glanced at Kid struggling with his pants. He noticed how red Kid's right thigh looked.
"Is that leg of yours hot?" Heyes asked.
"A little.:
"Maybe you should see a doctor while we're in town."
"It'll be fine."
"Looks like it might be getting infected, Kid. That was a wild animal. Might be better to get it checked out."
"Maybe. I want some breakfast first."
"Food is always your number one priority, ain't it?"
"Nope. Gun first, then food," Kid replied matter-of-factly.
They went downstairs for breakfast. Kid had trouble maneuvering the steps and finally handed Heyes the crutch and held on to the railing to hop down on his left leg. Heyes made no comment, hoping Kid would realize for himself that he should see a doctor.
Kid devoured his steak and eggs before Heyes was half way done with his meal. Kid scooted his chair back a bit and stretched out his right leg. He winced as he straightened it.
"Well?" Heyes asked.
"Well, we'll pay a visit to the doctor after your done eating," Kid replied.
Kid winced as the doctor lightly touched the leg wound.
"You had any fever," the doctor asked.
"No,"
"Any drainage?"
"Just blood."
"What kind of animal?"
"Wolf."
"How did you clean it?"
"My partner cleaned it with soap and water and whiskey. He stitched it up, too."
"He did a good job," the doctor said and scratched his chin. "I'll get you some salve to put on it. I'll clean it again and change the dressing. You can buy more dressings at the mercantile. You shouldn't be walking on it."
"I figured riding in here yesterday aggravated it," Kid said.
"Indeed. Don't be riding with it like this either."
"I see the crutch you've been using. I'll get you a real one. Won't be so hard on you hand and arm."
"Thanks."
"If you start seeing pus, come back here right away. Pus means there's infection. Same's true if you come down with a fever."
Kid nodded his understanding.
The doctor cleaned the wound, applied a generous layer of salve, and applied new bandages. Then he retrieved a crutch from another room. "This is a loan. Bring it back when you don't need it anymore."
"Okay. What do I owe you?"
"Two dollars."
Kid thought that was rather expensive for what the doctor had done but he reached into his vest pocket and pulled out several coins. He counted out two dollars and handed the money to the doctor. He picked up the crutch and hobbled out of the office.
"Well that was a waste of time," Kid grumbled when they got outside.
"Let's go to the mercantile and get some more bandages."
"Heyes, this crutch ain't a lot of help in all this snow. You go get the bandages. I'm going back to the hotel."
"Alright, Kid. You seem to be getting a little proddy on me."
Kid rolled his eyes and sighed as he hobbled across the street, leaving Heyes standing in the cold.
When Heyes returned to the hotel, he tossed the paper bag of bandages on the table and looked at Kid who was stretched out on his bed.
"We just going to sit around here all afternoon?" Heyes asked.
"That's the plan I had in mind," Kid replied without opening his eyes.
Heyes picked up the book he's been reading and sat down in the chair near the window. Heyes glanced out the window. A man walking into the saloon caught his eyes.
"Kid, you remember Jeff Barlow?"
One blue eye opened.
"What about him?"
"I think I just saw him walking into the saloon, a little shiny star on his coat."
The second blue eye opened. "Think he'd remember us, Heyes?"
"I don't know, maybe."
"That was a long time ago,"
"Yep."
"He knew us as Jed and Han back them,"
"Uh-uh."
"Maybe you should go over to the saloon and find out if it's really him."
"Why me?"
"Well if it is Jeff Barlow, I can't exactly make a fast escape with this crutch."
"No, but you could shoot him faster than I could."
"I ain't gonna shoot him, Heyes."
"S'pose not."
"I guess this means we're leaving town again, don't it?"
"Reckon it does."
"He was never too smart back at Valpo,"
"Sure was mean though, especially to you, Kid."
"You know Heyes, but sometimes I just get real tired of running."
"Yea, me too."
Kid sat up on the edge of the bed and eased his injured leg over the edge till his foot rested on the floor.
"Guess I'll start packing," Kid said.
"Take it easy, Kid. I'll wait till I see him leave the saloon. Then I'll go over and ask the bartender if that was Jeff Barlow."
"If it is Jeff Barlow, won't the bartender let him know somebody was in looking for him? Bartenders ain't known for keeping confidences."
"Probably, but he won't know who was asking."
"I think we ought to just go."
"Doc said you shouldn't be riding for a while, Kid."
"If we go, I'm keeping the crutch."
"That'd be stealing."
"I'll leave money at the desk downstairs to pay for it."
Heyes nodded but continued to watch the bat-wing doors across the street.
"He's leaving... We're okay, Kid. That ain't him."
"You sure?"
"Yep."
"But wearing a badge, he could be someone else looking for us."
"Could be. Could not."
"Think you should still find out. You should still ask around a bit,"
"Probably should. Course that could just draw suspicion. Maybe ought to let it lie. Just keep an eye on that fellow, instead."
"You know we could debate this all afternoon," Kid sighed heavily and hoisted his leg back up on the bed and lowered his head back on to the pillow.
"I could just go down there and ask the fella straight out 'are you looking for Kid Curry and Hannibal Heyes, cause the Kid is hold up in a hotel room over there..."
"Read your book, Heyes and quit looking out the window. You're making me nervous."
Heyes smiled and opened his book.
"You know Kid, when we get our amnesty..."
"If," Kid interrupted.
"When," Heyes corrected with some exasperation in his voice, I think there will be times when I will actually miss this way of life."
Kid raised his head from the pillow and opened one eye to stare at his partner.
"You'll miss all this running? All this hiding? All the being chased and shot at?"
Heyes shrugged. "You got to admit, Kid, everyday presents a challenge."
"So what you'll miss is the challenge. You're a smart man, Heyes. You'll find another challenge."
Heyes smiled. "I suppose you're right, Kid. But I can't imagine anything with more of an Adrenalin rush."
"A what?"
"Excitement," Heyes explained. "I can't imagine anything more exciting."
"Heyes, sometimes I think you have a very warped mind. I could do with a little less excitement in my life. I could certainly do with fewer injuries. And I'm pretty sure I could do with a lot more sleep. So, shut up, Heyes."
Heyes looked over at his partner stretched out on the bed, one arm resting over his eyes. Heyes smiled before turning his attention back to his book, but periodically glanced out at the street below. While Kid slept, it was his turn to keep a watchful eye. He saw the man with the badge climb onto his horse and ride out of town and he breathed a little sigh of relief.
Heyes closed his book. He intertwined his fingers behind him and rested the back of his head in the palms of this hands. He knew Kid was right, and he could easily think of at least a dozen other things that they could do with a little less of in life.
Heyes fell asleep in the chair, dreaming of countless post-amnesty challenges.