Heyes led his little gang on a round-about route to join up with a larger road where the other traffic would cover their tracks before they headed to Wiseman's place. No spare words were said as they rode and Heyes looked particularly grim. When they got to Wiseman's place, they paused to consult and let the horses blow while they loaded some gear and spare clothes on the horses.

Heyes looked at his partner in concern, "You alright, Kid? Haven't given you any time to tell us about what's been going on with you the last couple of weeks. Sounds pretty bad."

The Kid was still rubbing his sore wrists where the tight thongs had worn them raw. "For being tied up in a dark shed for over a week, it wasn't so bad. They fed me alright and let me move around some now and then and even keep clean. Ms. Gunther was the kindest – she's a right good cook! Mostly it was lonely and, you know, worrying. But not too awful bad. I knew you'd find me somehow, Heyes! I just knew you would. And you didn't disappoint me. But I was worried about Cat."

Heyes didn't let the Kid's gratitude make him feel any better. "She sent me a telegram, and so did Lom. When we get to a town, we've got to let her know you're well. You are, aren't you?" Heyes still looked worriedly at his partner.

The Kid smiled. "I'm fine – now. A little stiff, but I'd rather be riding than sitting there in the dirt and the dark! But I worry about you, Heyes, and about Wiseman. And Charlie and Jim, I hate to get those guys involved in our troubles. You shouldn't have brung them along, Heyes!"

"Don't blame Heyes!" laughed Homer. "We insisted on coming! Wouldn't hear the word no!"

"That's r-r-right!" added Jim.

"Well, I'm glad to see you, anyhow," said the Kid. "That's a bad bunch had me tied up. I overheard enough to put them all away for a long time, and I'm afraid they know it. Although I think the sheriff was starting to catch on and he would've arrested his deputy real soon if we hadn't come along – or at least, that's what the deputy was thinking. That stage coach robbery last November was real – Gunther and the deputy did it. Gunther killed the driver. There wasn't really a lady who lost her memory – they made that up to catch me. But Bentley murdered another passenger. And they pulled a few other jobs, trying to get money to pay off Pa Bentley's bad loans and Gunther's bad gambling. I'll report it all to Lom in person on the way home. I just hope nobody finds a way to follow us and I sure hope Wiseman doesn't get in legal trouble. I mean, all he really did was to help free someone who was illegally detained, I guess the phrase is. But they might could get him for aiding and abetting us, Heyes. If anybody really believes we were there, after all the lies they can prove those newspapers printed!"

Heyes shook his head. "I sure hope they don't figure any way to get Wiseman, or you, or Charlie or Jim, on accessory to murder."

The Kid came to his partner's defense against Heyes' own fears. "It wasn't murder, Heyes! It was self-defense and that's that! There's all the evidence in the world right there! The murder rap on my record will never stand, either, with the evidence I can point them at. Now let's ride!" The Kid climbed back onto his horse and the others mounted up again. As they mounted up, the Kid muttered to Heyes, "And it's there's any trouble all they have to do is get you on the stand, silver-tongue!" The Kid winked and smiled at his partner, in an attempt to cheer Heyes up. But the darker partner continued to look very down as they rode off.

The four men didn't take the train at the town where they had come in – it might be too easy for someone to spot them who had seen the three coming in. They rode a good 15 miles farther along to a little whistle stop town appropriately called Berg.

It was long dark when they arrived. They were all very sore and tired as they dismounted at the livery stable and sold their horses and gear. Then they stopped at the train station and found out that the next train east was only an hour and a half off, and the next one west was only a couple of hours after that. So the group had a while together while they waited. They sent telegrams to Cat, and Beth, and Lom giving the news in carefully coded phrases shaped by Heyes. They were glad to get a fast response from Lom that he was in town and would be glad to see the Kid when he came by on his way home to Louisville.

Then the four men repaired to the local saloon for a tasteless but filling late dinner.

"Well, Jim, what do you think of the outlaw life?" asked the Kid under his breath with a grin.

"Whoever said it was fun was c-c-crazy! It t-t-tires me out. And it scares me! And it hurts!" moaned Jim, rubbing his sore hind end.

"Now you got the picture!" said the Kid with an understanding smile.

When they had finished their food, they headed back to the train station. The Kid found a quiet moment with Heyes around the side of the station away from the others. It was hard for the partners to be separated again so soon, but the Kid wouldn't think of keeping Cat waiting and he had to give Lom his evidence, while Heyes had to hurry to take his make-up exams and get started on summer classes.

"How are you, Heyes?" the Kid asked gently.

"What do you mean? You're the one we're worried about, after a week and more tied up," Heyes answered with some irritation.

The Kid wouldn't back off. "You know what I mean. How are you?"

Heyes sighed heavily and replied in a whisper. "Not real well, right now, Kid. There's a widow! I made a wife into a widow! For all we know, there could be children! What's she like, Kid, is she nice?"

The Kid's brow was furrowed. "What do you want me to tell you, Heyes? That she's a bitch? Well she ain't. Just a perfectly nice young lady who really wished that her husband could find a better way to pay off his gambling debts. And by the way, he was making her work, um, nights at the saloon. So I'm guessing she might be a bit relieved to be rid of him. Does that help?"

"Not much. But I appreciate the effort, Kid." Heyes paused and looked meditatively into the darkness beyond the gas light of the station. Finally he asked, "How do you . . . deal with it?"

"Not real well, either, right now." The Kid wasn't as happy as he had kept up in front of the others. "And no, there ain't no children. I'm just sorry that it was because of me that you had to do it. And to put you and Charlie and Jim, and Wiseman, in trouble's way."

Heyes looked back at his partner. "It's not your fault, Kid."

"Well ain't your fault, neither, Heyes. Would you rather have Beth and Cat in mourning instead of Madge Gunther? If you hadn't been so fast, that's what it would have been, sure enough." The Kid clapped his partner on the back encouragingly.

There was no answer to that except the whistle of the train from the west pulling in. It wasn't going to stop for more than a minute, so Heyes shook his partner's hand and everyone shouted good-byes to "Thaddeus" as the east-bound contingent climbed aboard with their bags.

Heyes looked worried to leave his partner alone at the tiny station. "He can look after himself as well as any man in the world, Joshua," said Charlie Homer to his prize student as they found seats. "Now pull out that notebook and get some reviewing in for those tests!"

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Two days later, Beth, Marie, and Dr. Leutze were waiting at Grand Central Depot for the trio coming in from the West. They were really getting to be a rather close group. They took cabs to Charlie and Marie's place for a late private supper. To the surprise of everyone who had been waiting for them, the bunch from the West had remarkably little to say.

"What's the matter?" asked Marie as she came out of the kitchen to bring hot rolls to her guests. "Is Mr. Curry really alright?"

"As long as the law doesn't catch up with him, he's fine. Nothing unusual about that!" said Heyes with a forced smile.

The dinner party wound up talking more about Wiseman's character and the spectacular scenery of Montana and the latest events in New York than about what Heyes, Charlie, and Jim had gone west to do. Charlie went into the kitchen after dinner to help with the dishes and quietly said a word or two to Marie in explanation. She looked at Heyes with concern as she came back to the dining room, but didn't ask him anything. Jim soon begged off any further talk and walked back to his room to get some much needed sleep.

Heyes said to Beth, "I'll walk you home, honey. It's late."

"Alright, Heyes. We'd better go now – I have to teach in the morning." Beth knew there was something very wrong with her man. She hoped that on the walk she would learn what it was. So they all said good-bye and Dr. Leutze took a cab to his own place as Heyes walked with Beth.

As they got out the door and onto the sidewalk, Beth was surprised that Heyes didn't put his arm around her or even hold her hand as he usually did when they walked together.

"Heyes," Beth asked with concern as soon as they were alone on the sidewalk, "have I done something to offend you? You haven't touched me once since you got back. You didn't even kiss me hello. Are you mad at me?"

"No, honey." Heyes wouldn't look at her. "But I thought that, when you knew, you'd be happier not to . . ."

"Knew what? Heyes, look at me! What are you talking about?" Beth demanded, as stopped short on the sidewalk facing Heyes.

He looked at her very directly. "Beth, I . . . I had to kill a man. I shot him – in the mouth. He was going to kill the Kid, or me, after I opened the shed where the Kid was. His bullet missed me only because I turned so fast. I never even really saw his face . . . until he was dead."

Beth stared at Heyes for a minute in open-mouthed shock. But then she pulled herself together and reached for his hand, although he avoided her. "It sounds like self-defense to me, honey."

"It was. But I'm a killer now. Aren't you going to leave? You left when you found out I was a thief - won't you leave a killer?" Heyes looked at the ground in shame and took a step away from Beth on the dark, empty sidewalk.

Beth put her hands gently on Heyes' chin and made him look at her. She spoke very firmly to her man. "No! I swore I wouldn't ever leave you again, unless you wanted me to. I'm a woman of my word. I'm staying. I believe in you. I love you."

Heyes reached for Beth's chin and turned her face to look up at his as he put his arm around her and kissed her very deeply. When their lips parted he whispered in her ear, "I love you, too." He held her close and they kissed again. "And I need you." Heyes put his arm around the woman he loved as he walked her home along the dark Manhattan sidewalk.