Heyes and Curry spurred the sides of their horses with desperate ferocity, urging the animals to gallop faster. They slapped at the horse's shoulders with the ends of the reins and stole quick glances behind them to see if they were gaining any distance between them and the fifty or so Indians in hot pursuit.
They had outrun many a posse, but Indians chases were different. Posses tended to be methodical, offering the possibility of offensive rather than strictly defensive maneuvers while Indians were simply relentless and seemed to never have the need to stop to rest their tireless horses.
Occasionally Heyes or Curry, or sometimes both would fire an aimless shot behind them. But they both knew they could not stop to reload, so their focus was on gaining distance and they listened to the sounds of the whoops and hollers to judge their success.
Riding at full gallop, Kid arched and slumped slightly in his saddle. An instant later he did it again. Seeing this, Heyes drew drew his sorrel close to Kid's and grabbed Kid's reins. "Hold on!" He shouted. Kid gripped his saddle horn tightly with his right hand as they continued across the barren land.
Finally noises behind them ebbed. Realizing they were approaching the reservation boundary, Heyes turned and saw no Indians behind him. Ahead of him, in the distance, he spied a small settlement of perhaps six buildings. "Not much further, Kid," Heyes shouted. "Hold on."
They reached the small cluster of buildings and Heyes pulled tight on his reins bringing the horses to a halt. He leaped off his horse and ran to Kid, catching him in his arms as the Kid slid from his horse. Only then did Heyes see the shafts of two arrows protruding from Kid's left shoulder. The blood on the back of Kid's blue shirt was rapidly expanding.
"Anybody here? I need help!" Heyes shouted, his eyes searching the empty settlement.
No one responded. No one emerged from any of the buildings.
The Kid's face was buried in Heye's shirt and Heyes shimmied his arms down to the Kid's waist and locked his hands around Kid's body to adjust the weight he supported. Heyes strained to drag his unconscious partner into the nearest building. A deep, guttural moan escaped Kid's lips, offering a weak indication of life. Heyes lowered Kid to the floor, propping the right side of the Kid's back against a support beam, so as to keep the two arrows away from the beam to prevent the arrows from pressing deeper into the Kid's limp body.
He looked frantically around the room for a blanket or tarp, anything to drape over the Kid to keep him warm. He spied two tattered horse blankets and hastily draped over his friend. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Kid. I've got to see if there is anyone here to help."
Heyes ran from one building to the next, finding each building deserted. Dishes of food sat on tables, flies swarming around the rotting meat. Whoever had been here had left very suddenly and within the past few days, likely due to an Indian raid.
Feeling defeated, Heyes headed back out into the street toward the building where he had left Kid. He stopped suddenly when he heard the sound of glass or pottery shattering inside the building across the street. Heyes darted into the building. It was empty. He spied a broken glass pitcher on the floor and he walked over to inspect it. Then he saw the corner of a woven rug flipped up over itself. He pulled the rug back and discovered a hidden door in the floor and surmised that one or more people had ducked into the cellar very suddenly.
Heyes drew and cocked his gun and carefully opened the latch. Inside the tiny underground room, four terrified women sat huddled together. Two appeared older, maybe in their forties, while the other two looked barely out of their teens. The women all peered up at him and Heyes saw terror in their eyes. He uncocked his gun and returned it to its holster and stooped down in a sort of crouch. "It's alright. I'm not here to harm you," he said gently. "I need your help. My friend's been hurt."
The women didn't move.
"Now!" he ordered and, rising to his feet, he opened the door wide and extended his hand. Still the huddled women did not move.
"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to help you. But first we have to help my friend. Now, you can come willingly, or I can pull you out forcefully."
The oldest, a stout dark haired woman looked pensively at her companions, then nodded her head and reached out to Heyes' extended hand. One by one the others followed. They stood close together, holding hands while pensively watching their rescuer.
"Look, I don't know what happened here, but I can assure you I'm not going to harm you. My name is Joshua Smith. My friend, Thaddeus Jones is across the street, with two arrows in his shoulder and very likely bleeding to death if we don't help him. When he is well enough to travel, he and I will get you ladies to safety. Now let's go."
Heyes lead the women across the street and into the building where the Kid now lay slumped on the floor. Heyes rushed over to him and propped him back up against the post. Blood had pooled where he had fallen. The older woman knelt down beside Kid and began tearing Kid's blood soaked shirt away from his shoulder so she could better inspect the wounds. She turned to the other women.
"We'll need sheets, torn in strips, blankets, lots of water. We need a fire started in the hearth and a big pot to boil the water. A mattress would be nice if you can carry one over here, a couple of sharp knives, the medical bag if you can find it. Hurry," she instructed the other women.
The two younger women dashed out of the building while the other older one set to work building a fire in the fireplace.
"The upper shoulder one is just in flesh. We'll be able to push that one through and pull it out the other side. The other one will have to be cut out," she told Heyes.
"You sound like you've done this before," Heyes said, never taking his eyes off his unconscious and now ashen friend.
"My husband is a doctor, Mr. Smith. I've seen him treat wounds like this. I will try to help your friend, but I can make no promises."
Heyes nodded his understanding. They waited for the women to return with the supplies. She watched Heyes gently stroking the Kid's hair as he fretted.
"My name is Margaret, Mr. Smith. We're missionaries, here to bring the word of God to the Indians."
"You're out here all alone?" Heyes asked.
Margaret shook her head. "We were a missionary community of fourteen, five women and nine men. A couple of days ago, we were attacked by Indians. The four of us hid in that cellar. .. I don't know what happened to the others."
Heyes knew the others were likely dead or captured, and he surmised that Margaret knew that as well , but neither spoke about it further.
The two younger women returned with arms full of the supplies that Margaret had ordered. Margaret immediately began tearing the sheets into strips. Heyes grabbed a sheet and started tearing. He pressed a strip of the cloth against the most seriously bleeding wound.
"Did you get a mattress, Tess?" Margaret asked.
The young, blonde woman nodded. "We couldn't carry it, but we'll go back and get it now. Come on, Laura," she said and the two disappeared from the room again.
"We'll get everything ready, get the water boiling and the knives cleaned before we start, Margaret instructed. "We will have to lay him down on his right side. I will be in front and you will be in back him. Stand on your knees so we can wedge him between us as tightly as possible. Use your legs to brace him as firmly as you can. When I say, you push that arrow right though him. I'll grab it when I can and help pull it through. Watch your leverage. If the shaft breaks off inside his arm, we won't be able to get it out of him without doing a lot of cutting into his arm and more than likely an infection will set in. That's a slow and very painful death, Mr. Smith."
Heyes and Margaret rolled Kid onto his right side. Still unconscious, Kid did not flinch. They both pressed their thighs against his torso.
"Are you ready, Mr. Smith?" Margaret asked.
A very worried Heyes looked at Margaret and nodded. Then he carefully gripped the shaft of the arrow.
"Keep it straight," Margaret cautioned.
Heyes nodded, focusing all of his attention of the task. Then, with one quick motion, he thrust the shaft forward with all his strength. Kid cried out and tried to arch and move away as the arrow tore through more muscle and cartilage, but Heyes and Margaret restrained him with their bodies. Once the arrow appeared, Margaret grabbed the visible shaft and pulled with all her might. The arrow and shaft came clean through and out of the Kid in tact.
Heyes exhaled heavily, realizing he had been holding his breath. Margaret grabbed strips of cloth and began pressing them against the newly created front wound. She instructed Heyes to do the same to the entry wound.
"The water is boiling," Sara announced.
"Drop those knives into the water. They have to be clean when we start cutting," Margaret said as she worked diligently applying dressings to the Kid's shoulder. They tied the dressings in place with longer strips of sheet.
"Now the second one, Mr. Smith. This will take all four of us to hold him down while you do the cutting." She picked up the arrow they had removed, examined it closely and then handed it to Heyes.
"We can't just push this one through. We might puncture his lung or his heart if we tried. The base of that other arrow is about half an inch wide. That means you start cutting here," she said pointing to a place a quarter of an inch away from the visible shaft. She moved her finger to a spot a quarter inch to the other side of the shaft. "And you stop here. You cut that width all the way in till you hit the base of the arrow with the knife. Then you slide the second knife in to create a tunnel opening that I can pull the arrow out through it. He will scream and fight with whatever strength he has left. You ignore that and do what has to be done."
Heyes nodded his understanding. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
Laura and Tess returned with the mattress. "Put it over there by the fire," Margaret instructed. "And put clean sheets on it. When we are done, Mr. Smith, we will move him onto the bed."
Again Heyes nodded but said nothing.
Tess and Laura positioned the mattress and put sheets on it. Then they and Sara joined Margaret and Heyes. Sara handed Heyes the knives on a clean towel.
"He can move his legs all he wants," Margaret instructed the other women. "But not the top half of his body. Hold him down as tight as you can. One slip of that knife and he could be dead. Do you understand?"
"Yes," they all said, nodding their heads and positioning themselves so the there were two on each side of the Kid.
"Remember Mr. Smith, this is not your friend. You get it into your head that you are just cutting into a piece of meat. Focus on that. Don't let emotion get in your way. That could be very costly to your friend. Now, tell us when you are ready, Mr. Smith."
Heyes hesitated, then took a deep breath. "Now," he replied and plunged the knife into the back of the Kid's shoulder.
The searing pain brought Kid into a blinding consciousness and he tried to arch and pull away. The women held steadfast to him, keeping him in position for Heyes to cut and dig his way to the base of the arrow. With a steady and determined hand, Heyes then slid the other knife into the wound and pulled to create a space between the knives. Kid screamed and Heyes forced himself to ignore excruciating sounds
"Sara, pull the arrow straight out quickly. Don't let it break, Margaret ordered.
The shaft with the arrow still attached came out smoothly. Kid fainted back into unconsciousness.
"Get a needle and thread from the medical bag, Mr. Smith. "And sew up the wound. Compared to what he just went through, he won't feel you sewing him together."
Heyes removed the knives dropped the dropped them on the floor before reaching for the medical bag. While he quickly threaded the needle, Margaret went over to the fire and dipped strips of sheets into the boiling water. Then she returned and, after letting the sheets cool a bit, she wiped the blood from the Kid's wound so Heyes could see where to stitch.
When he had finished, Heyes then took Kid's shoulders and two of the women each took a leg and they carried Kid to the mattress and laid him down on it.
"Now, it's up to God," Margaret said.
Margaret and Heyes changed the Kid's dressings three times throughout the day and observed that by the third dressing change, the bleeding had slowed down considerably. Kid was in a very deep sleep the entire day and didn't so much as whimper when they moved him about in the bed to change the dressings. Margaret saw his sleep as a good sign. Heyes worried.
Laura and Tess made supper and as night approached,
"We'll be sleeping across he street, Mr. Smith. No offense to you but it wouldn't be proper sleeping here with two strangers.
"You feel safe enough doing that? Heyes asked.
"We'll be fine. You come wake me if you have any cause for concern about your friend.
Heyes agreed, so after supper had been eaten and dishes cleaned, the women moved across the street.
Heyes lit an oil lamp and settled in on the floor beside the Kid for the night. He felt exhausted and both slept soundly through the night.
The next morning the women returned, bringing coffee and breakfast with them. Heyes sat with them at the table, drinking coffee and eating eggs and bacon. Kid continued to sleep.
"After we eat, we'll change his dressings," Margaret said
Heyes nodded. "Like I told you before, when Kid is able to ride, we will get you ladies to a town and to safety. You can leave a note leave here telling your menfolk where you'll be in case any of your husbands return."
"I'm the only one married now, Mr. Heyes. Sara's husband died a few months after we arrived from an injury with an ax. He developed gangrene. Seth, my husband , amputated part of his leg but still couldn't keep the infection from spreading."
Heyes turned to Sara. "I'm sorry for your loss, Ma'am. " Heyes said sincerely.
"Thank you, Mr. Smith."
"When did you arrive here? How long have you lived here?" Heyes asked.
"Almost two years. We've never had any trouble with the Indians before now."
"No, I suppose not," Heyes replied. "The government is reducing the size of all the Arizona and Wyoming reservations. And they're doing it without negotiating new treaties. The truth is, the Indians need that land for hunting, for survival. They are fighting back by whatever means they have."
"But this community is not on reservation land. We were very careful not to usurp reservation land," Tess said.
"Maybe not, Ma'am, but you are very close to reservation land, within a mile or two. They see it as encroachment. And, even if you have all gotten along in the past, you ladies aren't Indians, which makes you an enemy. The U.S. Government takes the same view of the Indians. They ain't white so they have no rights, according to the government that is." Heyes explained.
"Do you hold that same view, Mr. Smith?" Tess basked
"The Indians were here long before anyone else, Ma'am. This whole country belonged to them long before the white folks started staking claim. Now the white man ain't going to just pack up and leave, but the Indians shouldn't have to either. I don't know the answer, but what is going on right now just ain't the right answer."
"You say that, even knowing what happened to us and to your friend, Mr. Smith?" Sara asked..
Heyes paused and looked at Sara with compassion. "Yes, I do, Ma'am, and I'm sure Thaddeus will too when he's well enough to give his opinion."
"Speaking of Thaddeus," Margaret began. "We had better get those bandages changed. Tess, will you boil some of those rags so I can wash the wounds."
Heyes and Margaret moved over to the mattress where the Kid lay. Margaret felt the Kid's forehead. "He's warm, but I wouldn't call him feverish. Heyes then felt Kid's forehead and reached the same conclusion. They carefully moved Kid onto his right side. He moaned and his eyes fluttered but didn't open. His breathing became more rapid and shallow.
Margaret removed all the bandages and inspected the wounds. The wound that Heyes had cut was still seeping blood but the other was dry. Both were red along the edges. Tess handed Margaret damp cloths and Margaret set to work washing the wounds. Kid moaned and whispered "Heyes," several times in his semi-conscious state. Margaret skillfully redressed the wounds and together they gently rolled Kid onto his back again. He settled into sleep again quickly.
"How long before he can ride?" Tess asked.
"A few days. Maybe a week," Margaret replied. "That is if he heals without any setbacks," she added.
"I think I'll go feed and water our horses," Heyes said.
Laura, why don't you and Sara come help me gather our food supplies and bring them over here. It would just be so much more convenient. Tess, will you be alright keeping an eye on Mr. Jones?"
"We'll be fine," Tess assured her.
It was late in the afternoon and everyone had returned when Kid finally began to show signs of waking. Seeing this, Heyes pulled a chair over to the mattress where Kid lay. He sat down and watched Kid intently. When Kid finally opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Heyes smiling down at him. Kid smiled weakly.
"Heyes," Kid whispered.
"Thaddeus, good to see you've returned to the living. How do you feel?"
"What hit me?" Kid whispered.
"Two Apache arrows," Heyes replied.
"You alright?" Kid whispered.
"Never better," Heyes responded.
Margaret walked over to check on the patient. "Are you hungry or thirsty Mr. Jones?" she asked.
"Thirsty," Kid whispered. He looked at Heyes questioningly
"Tess, would you bring Mr. Jones some water," Margaret asked.
Kid continued to look at Heyes questioningly. He opened his mouth but was too tired to speak.
"Oh, after you were peppered with arrows we came upon a little missionary village. These four kind ladies have been taking care of you," Heyes explained.
Tess approached with the water. Heyes took it from her hand. "I'll do it," he said and supported the back of Kid's head with one hand as he brought the glass to the Kid's lips with the other. Kid took a sip before dropping his head back onto the pillow.
"How bad am I hurt?" he asked.
"You'll recover," Heyes assured him.
Kid nodded slightly. "I'm kind of tired. I think I'll rest," he whispered and closed his eyes.
Heyes stood and moved his chair back to the table where all four ladies were now sitting.
"He's not out of the woods, yet," Margaret cautioned.
"Oh, I know that Ma'am. But he doesn't have to know it," Heyes explained.
"You two must be very good friends," Tess said. "You are so thoughtful and caring about him."
"We've been friends since we were kids back in Kansas. He's like a brother," Heyes explained.
Tess smiled .
"I know how Margaret and Sara came to be here, but what about you and Laura?" Heyes asked her.
"Laura and I are sisters. Our parents came here with Margaret and her husband. At least that was the intention. They both died from Fever and Ague on our way here. Margaret and her husband took us in," Tess explained.
"I'm sorry for your loss, both of you" Heyes said compassionately.
Heyes looked at Margaret. "It sounds like this has been a tragic expedition from the beginning."
"Everyone has their share of tragedy in life, Mr. Smith. It's how the Lord teaches us to be strong and at the same time, dependent and trusting in His love."
"I see," Heyes said
"You don't believe that?" Mr. Smith
Heyes thought of the one major tragedy in both his and Kid's lives... both of their families had been murdered by soldiers during the Civil War. He and Kid had actually witnessed the murder of Kid's mother.
"I think sometimes tragedy drives a person away from religion rather than toward it," He explained.
"Is it that way for you, Mr. Smith?" Margaret asked.
"Margaret!,' Sara scolded. "You've seen how kind Mr. Smith has been, both to his friend and to us. I don't think it is our place to question him like that."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Smith," Margaret said earnestly.
"Shall I make some supper?" Laura asked, changing the subject.
Yes, Laura, please," Margaret replied.
There was little conversation throughout supper and the ladies adjourned across the street early. Heyes check the Kid and stoked the fire before turning in early himself.
Heyes awoke to find Kid tossing about restlessly, turning his head from side to side, calling out for Heyes to help him. Heyes felt Kid's forehead and found the Kid to be feverish. He dipped a clean rag in the bucket of drinking water on the table and placed it on Kid's forehead and tried to console his friend. "Shush, it's alright, Kid. I'm here. It's all right."
Heyes was grateful when Margaret arrived. "He's been like this for over an hour."
Margaret felt Kid's forehead. "He has a fever. We'd better check the wounds."
Together they turned Kid on to his right side and Margaret quickly removed the bandages. The simple wound looked fine, but the surgical wound had a deep red, swollen border and blood tinged pus draining from it. Margaret gently touched the red area and Kid moaned loudly.
"It's infected," Margaret concluded. "We'll have to reopen it to let the infection drain out.?"
Heyes cringed, though he knew she was right.
"Keep him here on his side," Margaret instructed. I'll sterilize the knife.. She held the blade of the knife directly into the burning flames of the fire. When she pulled the knife out of the fire, she returned to Kid and waited for the blade to cool. "He's going to fight you, so hold him tight. I don't want the blade to slip."
Heyes nodded and did as instructed. Kid screamed when Margaret plunged the knife into the infected wound. Kid's body arched but Heyes held him tight. Margaret withdrew the knife and watched thick blood tinged pus slowly ooze from the wound.
"Hold on to him. I'm not done yet," Margaret said when the oozing stopped. With one hand on each side of the open wound, she squeezed , forcing more of the infection out of the wound. Then she reached into the medical bag and withdrew a bottle of rubbing alcohol. "One more time, Mr. Heyes. This will likely hurt most of all. " Then she slowly poured the rubbing alcohol over the still open wound. Kid fought and struggled like a wounded animal but Heyes maintained his very tight hold.
"Now we clean his back and bandage him up again." Heyes eased his hold and Kid went limp in his arms. Heyes continued to hold him while Margaret washed and bandaged his wounds. When she was done Heyes eased the unconscious Kid back down on the mattress.
Kid slept the better part of the day, waking in the late afternoon and feeling well enough to sit up (with Heyes' help), resting his back on a support post with a pillow between his back and the post. The fever was gone and for the first time since he was injured he was alert. Tess heated some broth and sat beside the Kid's mattress and spooned the broth into his mouth, occasionally wiping his stubbled chin.
Laura and Sara fixed supper for the others who gathered at the table to eat.
I may be a bit premature," Heyes said, "but I think you ladies ought to be thinking about what you want to take with you when you leave. There's one buckboard in the barn. Our horses are going to have to pull that wagon and all six of us will have to ride in it so we are all limited to bare necessities. Kid and I have nothing but bare necessities which can all fit under the seat. Given your … professional calling, it's not likely any of you can handle a gun, right?" he asked.
"We don't believe in guns, Mr. Heyes," Margaret said.
Heyes gave Kid a glance but Kid's attention was focused on Tess and the broth, "That's what I suspected, Ma'am," he said. "I believe the nearest town is Cheyenne,."
That's where we go for supplies," Laura said. "It's about forty miles west of here."
Heyes nodded. "which will probably take us two days, maybe three depending on how fast the horses can pull the wagon, and how much traveling each of us can handle in a day," he said, giving Kid another glance. "We'll give Kid another day or two to recover but I think the sooner we leave, the better."
All agreed and nodded their understanding.
"We'll put our things together this evening, Mr. Smith," Sara said.
"That will be fine, Ma'am," Heyes said with a smile.
"Well ladies, we have work to do," Margaret said. "Shall we?"
The three women stood. Margaret looked over at Tess. "Are you ready, Tess?" she asked.
"I'll be over when I am finished here," she promised.
The three ladies left and Heyes cleared the table.
"What did my friend mean by 'given your profession?" Kid asked.
"We're missionaries. We're here to bring Jesus to the Indians."
"Oh," Kid said with some surprise in his voice. "Correct me if I am wrong, Ma'am, but I think the Indians already have their own religion. Great Spirit and everything," Kid said.
"We're here to correct that," she said.
"Correct that, Ma'am?" Kid asked
"There is only one true God, Mr. Jones."
Kid smiled. "Don't misunderstand me," he began.
"About what?" she asked.
"Well, take me for example. "My name is Thaddeus. My friend here, and a few others, call me Kid. My father named me Jedadiah but never once do I recall him ever calling me anything but boy, or son, or Kid."
"What's your point?" she asked.
"Well, that's three different names all referring to the same person. I think if I can have three different names..."
"Or even four. Some people just call you Jones" Heyes added teasingly.
Kid shrugged Heyes off. "Or four," he added. "If I can have that many different names, surely God can, too. … Maybe the Indians are already praying to God. They just call him 'Great Spirit,' that's all."
Tess thought about that for a minute. "If that were true, Mr. Jones, the world wouldn't need missionaries." she said sadly.
"Maybe just a different kind of missionary," Heyes added.
Tess spooned the last bit of broth into Kid's mouth and wiped his chin. She smiled. "I'll give that some thought," she said. She took the bowl and spoon over to Heyes. "Good night," she said.
"Good night, Ma'am," they both replied.
After she left, Heyes poured them both a cup of coffee and sat in the chair Tess had left near Kid's bed. He handed Kid a cup of coffee. He winced a little when he reached for the coffee but was able to hold the cup himself.
"Good to see you feeling a bit better, Kid," Heyes said with a smile. "You had me pretty worried there for a while."
"I'll be fine," Kid assured him. "Sounds like you've had an interesting couple of days."
"Oh, those ladies are all very nice, maybe a little misguided, but it sounds like they've been through a lot for the last couple of years. Sara lost their husband, Margaret doesn't know if her husband is dead or alive, and Laura and Tess lost their parents, and yet they all continue to follow their calling."
"I wonder what they would think if they knew who we really are," Kid mused.
"Yeah...Probably be very disappointed."
"How so?" Kid asked.
"Look at the opportunity they've missed... reforming a couple of outlaws."
Kid's laugh turned into a wince and Heyes grabbed the Kid's coffee to keep it from spilling. "You're right, Heyes. We would be quite the challenge."
With help from Heyes, Kid was sitting at the table when the ladies arrived the next day.
"Mr. Jones, you're looking much better," Margaret remarked as she and Sara joined him at the table. Laura and Tess went over to make breakfast.
"Thank you, Ma'am," kid said with a smile. "Joshua tells me you had a lot to do with getting me better. Thank you," Kid replied.
Heyes brought four cups of coffee to the table and sat down beside the Kid.
"How did you came to be called Kid"?" Sara asked.
Kid opened his mouth to explain but Heyes jumped in first. "Kid and I grew up together. And, despite a three year age difference, we got to be good friends," Heyes explained. "I just started calling him Kid and it stuck."
Kid smiled nervously and nodded his head. "It stuck," he confirmed.
"I was hoping for something more notorious," Sara teased. "You know like Billy The Kid or Kid Curry. You know, outlaws."
Again Kid laughed nervously. "You hear that Joshua, she was hoping I was Kid Curry, the outlaw."
"Imagine that," Heyes replied.
"Not hoping, Mr. Jones, just... speculating.
"Well, if you get to know Kid, you would soon discover he is no outlaw," Heyes said, enjoying Kid's anxiety. "Outlaws have to be pretty smart, you know, planning robberies and getaways, avoiding the law. No, Mr. Jones doesn't have an outlaw's brain. He's a simple thinker."
Kid looked at Heyes with some contempt but then quickly turned to Sara and smiled. "Simple," he agreed and from the corner of his eye, saw Heyes nodding his head.
"What do you do, then?" Sara asked
"Oh, a little of everything Ma'am. Cowboy life mostly."
"Yep, we're just plain old cowboys, biding our time to retire," Heyes added.
"Retire?" You're both too young to retire aren't you?"
"Well, the years a man can do the work of a cowboy is pretty short Ma'am, because of all the muscle strain and broken bones that go with the job," Kid explained. "Herding, branding, cattle drives... they take a toll on a person."
"So, what will the two of you do when you stop being cowboys?" Margaret asked
Laura and Tess brought everyone a plate of food. Kid looked up at Tess and smiled as she brushed his shoulder when putting his plate on the table in front of him..
"Mr. Jones?" Margaret prodded
"Yes Ma'am?" Kid asked
"What do you plan to do when you can no longer do the work of a cowboy?"
"A, well... I haven't thought a lot about that yet, Ma'am."
"Oh, sure you have, Kid. I think it was just last week you said you were thinking of settling down, maybe getting married, have a dozen or so kids," Heyes teased.
Kid's hand froze with the fork midway to his mouth and he glared at Heyes with a 'what are you doing to me? look in his eyes.
"I'm teasing the Kid, Ma'am," Heyes explained. "We really haven't given it much thought yet."
They ate in silence for a few minutes.
"Speaking of planning,, what do you ladies plan to do when we get you to Cheyenne?" Heyes asked.
"I have a sister in Cheyenne," Margaret explained. "We will all stay with her until we decide what to do next."
"Will the two of you be staying long in Cheyenne?" Tess asked
"I'm afraid not, Ma'am," Heyes said. "We have business outside of Wyoming."
Kid put his fork down on the table and leaned back in his chair and uttered a slow sigh.
"Something wrong, Mr. Jones?" Sara asked.
"Oh, no Ma'am. Just feeling a little tired again."
"You should rest. You're not all better yet," Margaret said.
"I plan to Ma'am," Kid said but made no effort to move. "I think I'll rest up a bit before I rest," he said.
"I'm going to work on the buckboard this morning to make sure it's in good working order for the trip," Heyes said. "If you ladies could bring your bags outside, I'll get the wagon loaded this afternoon.
"We'll go and do that now, Mr. Smith," Margaret said.
"I'll stay here with Mr. Jones," Tess said "At least until he falls asleep."
Kid struggled to keep a smile from forming on his face. "Thank you," he said.
"Then the day is planned," Heyes said. "You pack, I'll load the wagon, and you sleep," he said turning to flash a dubious look at the Kid."
"Sounds good to me," Kid replied and looked at Heyes with the slightest hint of a smirk.
Kid waited until the others had left before pushing his chair back. He stood cautiously and gripped the table with his right hand to steady himself. Tess rushed to his side and slid his right arm across the back of her shoulders. "Let me help you."
Kid was feeling a little weak and he didn't protest. Tess helped him slowly make his way back to the mattress. They both bent down until Kid was close enough to move his right hand down to the mattress to ease himself down to sit on the bed. Tess stood but didn't move.
"You could get a chair," Kid suggested.
Tess shook her head and sat down on the floor beside him so he was only about a head taller than her.
"I find you to be... a bit complex rather than simple," she said as she looked up into his blue eyes.
"Complex? Me?" Kid asked.
Tess nodded. "You're not who... or at least what you say you are. You're more complex than that."
"I've been called a lot of things in my life, but never complex. Mr. Smith, maybe, but not me."
"Now you're teasing me," Tess replied.
"No," Kid protested. "I wouldn't do that to you, Tess."
She didn't reply. Slowly he leaned in to kiss her. He watched her close her eyes and tilt her head toward him. Their lips touched gently. Then he slowly pulled back and watched her open her eyes and smile ever so slightly. He gave her a slightly seductive smile in return.
The moment vanished when the door opened and Heyes walked in.
Oh, sorry," He said and started to turn.
"No, it's alright," Tess said as she got up off the floor. "I was just helping him into bed," She explained.
Kid frowned at Heyes and lifted his feet onto the mattress. "That's right, Mr. Smith, just helping me into bed" he grumbled and eased his back onto the mattress.
"I'll check in on you later," Tess told Kid and hurried out the door.
Heyes waited until the door closed. "How do you do that! You're at death's door yesterday and you're trying to seduce a beautiful young lady today!"
Kid sighed. "I guess I just live right," Kid said.
"You do something right," Heyes replied
"Yes I do," Kid said and closed his eyes to sleep
That evening, after they had eaten, Heyes sat at the table with Margaret on one side and Sara on the other. Kid sat across from him with Tess on one side and Laura on the other. Their handguns and riffles lay on the table, along with a box of cartridges and a pile of bullets Kid had removed from his gun belt..
"I really don't think we will run into any Indians tomorrow, " Heyes said,"but I think we should be prepared just the same. Now I am guessing it is a fare bet that none of you ladies have ever fired a gun or a riffle and we don't expect you to start now. If there is any shooting to be done, Kid and I will do it. We're actually pretty good at it when we have to be. Your job, ladies will be to keep the guns and riffles loaded. So, we're going to show you how to do that and then you are going to practice until you feel comfortable with it. Any questions?"
No one spoke.
"Then the Kid here will show you how to load a hand gun."
Kid picked up six bullets and opened the cartridge chamber. He slid each bullet in and the closed the chamber. "That's all there is to it. Just don't put a finger anywhere near the trigger. That's this thing," Kid said pointing to the trigger. Then he opened the chamber again and let the bullets fall on the table. He handed his gun to Laura. "You try it now," he told her.
Each woman loaded the gun once. Then Heyes moved on to the riffle and demonstrated how to load it. Again each woman practiced once.
"Now, ladies, you know how to load the guns. Keep in mind that, if we are shooting, you must reload very quickly. Kid here is very fast with his six-shooter, so if he tosses it to you and grabs a riffle, you need to have the six-shooter loaded by the time Kid has fired the two shells in the riffle. Kid and I will only offer suggestions if necessary because each of you will develop your own rhythm.
One thing to remember," Kid added, "is to never point a gun at anyone unless you intend to use it."
They had all listened intently and were nodding their understanding.
"Well, have at it, ladies." Heyes said.
The ladies practiced. "They were nervous and slow at first but by the end of an hour, all proved very capable.
"We'll leave at sunrise. Good night, ladies," Heyes said and the women left the table and walked across the street for the night.
Heyes had been impressed by how little the women had packed for the trip. They had each brought just one carpet bag of clothing and personal items. Heyes had packed food and bedding into the wagon and found there was still ample room for the women to sit. There was even room for Kid to lie down if he needed, so long as one of the women rode on the seat with him. He had attached a water barrel to the outside of the wagon. Both men wore their gun belts and the riffles and ammunition were stored under the seat. Heyes' and Kid's horses were hitched to the wagon. It would be slow traveling. Both men hoped it would be uneventful traveling as well.
At sunrise, everything was loaded and they set out for Cheyenne. The morning travel was quiet and the heat of the day had not yet set in. Heyes drove the wagon because Kid's arm was not yet strong enough to handle the reins. Kid sat beside Heyes riding shotgun and carefully eyeing the horizon. They could see the Big Horn Mountains rising up ahead of them. They planned to make camp at the foot of the mountains, travel through the pass tomorrow, and deliver the ladies and their wagon to their destination tomorrow afternoon and, with some hard riding, be out of Wyoming by nightfall.
Heyes had kept a watchful eye on Kid all day and by late afternoon Kid was looking very tired. "We've just got a couple of more hours of travel today. You want to lie down in the wagon and rest?" Heyes asked.
Kid did not take his eyes off the horizon but he shook his head. "I'll be alright," he replied.
"You sure? It's been a safe ride. I bet we'll be fine for another couple of hours."
"I'm sure," Kid replied.
They rode in silence for a couple of miles.
"Heyes, you think they'll go back there?" Kid asked
"Probably."
"Why?" Kid asked
"They're missionaries, Kid. It's a calling. It's what they do?"
"Even though they could be killed?"
"Yep. "
Kid fell silent, thinking about what could happen to the women if they returned to their settlement. "I sure don't understand it," he said.
"You worried about Tess?" Heyes asked.
Kid nodded. "All of them," he said. "I just think they could find a safer way to do what they do."
"Kid, you and me are taking a big risk being in Wyoming. You think we shouldn't do it?" Heyes asked.
"I don't think we have a choice. We have to do it," Kid replied.
Heyes nodded. "Same with them. They have to do what they do. It's part of their moral character. Just like going into Wyoming is part of our moral characters"
An hour later Kid spied a sheltered area to make camp and Heyes steered the wagon to the spot. Everyone climbed out of the wagon. Heyes and went around to help Kid down. "Kid, why don't you rest up for supper. I'll tend to the horses and get wood for a fire. I'll wake you when dinner's ready."
Feeling very tired, Kid nodded. "Sounds good to me," he said. He walked over to a tree and sat down, leaning his back against the tree trunk. He closed his eyes.
"Is he alright, Mr. Smith?" Tess asked Heyes as he unhitched and hobbled the horses.
Heyes glanced over at the Kid who had already fallen asleep. "Just a little tired," Heyes replied.
Tess glanced over at Margaret and the other women who were sorting food and gathering the utensils and cooking pots. She turned back to Heyes. "I'll help you gather some wood," she said.
"Thank you, Ma'am," Heyes replied and the two walked out of earshot of the others. Heyes began gathering small logs while Tess gathered tinder.
"Mr. Smith, I have something to ask you," she said.
"I thought you might. You have that look in your eyes" Heyes replied as he continued to work.
"Margaret said when Mr. Jones was wounded and delirious, he did quite a bit of talking,"
Heyes froze for an instant but quickly recovered and picked up a log of wood. He turned to Tess.
"And what did Margaret tell you he said?" Heyes asked as lightly as he could.
"That the two of you are outlaws. Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry. Are you?"
"Outlaws?" Heyes asked. "Do we look like outlaws, Ma'am?"
"I don't know. I've never seen an outlaw," Tess replied. … "It's not safe for the two of you to go into Wyoming, is it, Mr. Heyes"
"Well now, first of all, I'm not saying I am Hannibal. Heyes, and I'm not saying he is Kid Curry," Heyes replied. "But if we were those two outlaws, Wyoming would never be a choice vacation spot for us," he replied.
Heyes paused and looked at Tess. "You care about him, don't you?" he asked.
Tess didn't flinch. "I find him...intriguing," replied.
Heyes laughed. "That's a word I have never heard to describe Mr. Jones."
Tess didn't reply and Heyes grew more serious. "He likes you too," Heyes said. "He's worried about you, and the others of course, but especially you."
"Why?"
"Because what you do is dangerous. He doesn't want to see you, or the others hurt."
"I have to do what I do," Tess replied.
"Kid knows that. He just doesn't like the risk you're taking."
"He thinks differently than I about religion," Tess said.
"Kid respects the Indians, respects their culture, and their religion. It might not be the same as his own, but it's their system and he doesn't think others should interfere with that... I don't either."
Is that what he thinks I am doing? Interfering?" she asked.
Heyes nodded. Tess fell silent, pondering what Heyes had told her.
"We'd better get back if we want to eat supper in daylight," Heyes said.
An hour later supper was ready. Tess took her food and a second plate of food over to where Kid was still sleeping. Balancing the plates with one arm, she nudged Kid's shoulder with her free hand. In a split second Kid jolted and drew his gun at a very startled Tess. He looked up, saw Tess, and relaxed, quickly returning his gun to it's holster.
"Sorry Ma'am," Kid said. "I guess I'm just a little edgy."
Tess smiled and handed Kid a plate of food. Then she sat down beside him.
"I'll never see you again after tomorrow," Tess said.
"Probably not," Kid said quietly.
"I hope they never catch you," Tess said.
"Catch me?" Kid asked.
Tess looked directly into his eyes and Kid could see she knew and understood."
"Thank you," Kid said quietly. "Me, too."
"I'm going to miss you, Kid," Tess said.
Kid shot a glance at the people sitting around the fire. No one was looking in their direction. He slowly leaned over and kissed Tess. "I'm going to miss you, too," he said.
"I've been thinking about what we talked about yesterday, about all religions really honoring the same God and just using different names for him."
"And?" Kid asked.
"And I think it deserves a lot of consideration. I plan to give it a lot of thought, and then decide what I'll do."
Kid smiled. "Do whatever is the right thing for you. It's your life. Don't let others tell you how to live it, not even me. Do what is right for you"
Tess was silent for a moment. "I wish..."
"Me too," Kid said and kissed her again.
"Hey, Kid," Heyes shouted, and shattered the moment.
"What?" Kid yelled back.
"You two want some coffee?"
Kid and Tess both laughed. "That would be good. Thanks," he called back.
The next morning Heyes loaded the wagon and Kid doused the fire and then they all set out for Cheyenne. Both Heyes and Curry felt they were near enough to town that there would be no trouble from the Indians but Kid kept a close eye out just the same. By early afternoon they reached their destination and Margaret climbed out of the wagon and went to the door of her sister's house. Soon, the sister and her husband followed Margaret back to the wagon to begin unloading.
"I can't tell you how grateful I am to the two of you," Margaret's sister said to Heyes and the Kid. "Are you sure you can't stay for supper?" she asked.
"Oh, we would like to, Ma'am," Heyes said with a smile. "But we have to be on our way. I'll leave your wagon in the back near the barn For you."
The sister nodded her understanding. "How's your arm Mr. Jones?" the sister asked.
Kid carefully climbed down from the wagon. "Oh, it's much better, Ma'am, thanks to your sister and and these other lovely ladies,."
Tess reached for her bag but Kid grabbed it first. He stood up and smiled at Tess. "I'll walk you up to the house," he said and she smiled.
"Well, this is it," Kid said when they reached the porch. He glanced at Heyes who was moving the wagon to the barn.
"Where will you be going?" Tess asked.
"Well, anywhere but Wyoming," he said with a sad smile.
"Will you ever be back this way?" she asked
Kid's head nodded slowly. "Maybe... one day."
"If you ever are..." she began and Kid smiled again.
"If I ever am, I'll find you," he promised.
This time Tess smiled. Then she stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek.
"Are you about ready, Mr. Jones?" Heyes called as he walked toward the house holding the reins of their horses.
Kid sighed. "I'm being called," he told Tess. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "Remember what I told you. It's your life. Find your own way through it."
She smiled again and nodded.
"Good bye, Mr. Jones," she said and watched him turn and walk over to his horse and climb onto the saddle.
Both men smiled and tipped their hats at the women standing on the porch. Then they pulled their horses around and rode off into the distance. The others went inside, but Tess remained on the porch and watched them until they were out of sight.