Cat went to check on the saloon floor and found the boys by the bar talking closely together. They looked up at her in question and she gestured towards the back. Were they ready to come? "You got it now, Joe?" the Kid asked the bar tender.

"Looks calm to me, Mr. Jones," Joe answered. "After the little display of fast draw you put on, that guy won't be back anytime soon."

"He's right about that! You keep the place running real smooth, don't you," said Heyes with a proud smile.

"With you to sort out the money and tempers, Joshua," agreed the Kid, just as proudly. "it's just a bit easier than usual." Just as when they had ridden together with their gang, each of the partners was almost as proud of the other's skills and triumphs as of his own.

The pair turned and walked into the back room. The Kid looked over his shoulder at the pudgy blonde bartender, "Glad it's under control. We got visitors in back, so we'll trust you to keep an eye out here for us. Give a call if anything else happens."

"We'll both come," added Heyes with a wink. The bartender knew who they both really were, so he could well believe that the Kid and Heyes, together, could handle nearly anything that might happen in even the rowdiest saloon.

As the pair came in the door of the back room, Polly piped up "Will you show me your fast draw, Thaddeus? Tomorrow?"

The Kid looked at the three women, and looked hard at Cat. Then he switched his gaze back to Polly, "No! That's a dangerous thing to do in town, and it's too snowy to get out of town. Even you ought to know that, Miss Moore. A bullet can fly a mile and do a lot of damage before it stops."

"I never said he'd agree," said Cat.

The Kid and Heyes both looked a bit tense at that. The Kid smiled at Polly, but looked less pleased with Cat. "It's getting late, honey. I think we'd better all go to bed. Joe can watch the floor for us – said he would. Good-night, Polly, Beth, Joshua."

"I didn't mean to suggest anything dangerous, Thaddeus. Cat didn't think I should ask you, but she was too polite to say it. Good-night, Thaddeus, Joshua, Cat" said Polly, chastened.

They all said good-night, but the carefree atmosphere of earlier in the evening had dissipated. Perhaps the Western frontier was a more dangerous place than Polly had realized, or than Cat and Beth had liked to remember when they were enjoying their new friendship.

As they got to their room, the Kid looked accusingly at Cat, "What did you say to that woman, Cat?"

Cat, who was usually so careful, felt bad, "I'm sorry, honey. She was worried about you and the upset out front. I wanted to make her feel better and said you were the fastest gun around."

The Kid grimaced, "You didn't say the fastest in the West, did you? Not even sure that's true anymore – if it ever was. And it sure ain't safe to say."

Cat squeezed her man's hand. "No, Kid, of course I didn't say that! I wouldn't ever say that. I didn't mean to worry you. I guess I got a bit careless. I mean, we are going to tell her, right?"

The Kid put his arm around Cat's shoulder as they sat on the bed together and began to undress, "You didn't ask us about that yet! I ain't sure Heyes would agree, and I ain't sure I will, either! Heyes don't think she's any too steady, and he knows her pretty well."

Cat took off her shoes, "Beth said we ought to wait and see how things went before we decided, and I guess she was right."

The Kid gave Cat a gentle kiss to take the sting out of his words, "Keep an eye on Polly and keep your ears open! I appreciate that Beth wanted to come be with her man and she had to bring whoever she could get last minute, but that don't mean we should forget that every person who learns our little secret is one more danger to us all!"

Meanwhile, in the room they were sharing, Beth and Polly were also getting undressed. "If I wasn't here, would you and Joshua be in the same room?" asked Polly with a wicked smile, as she drew off her stockings.

"What a thing to ask! How improper do you think people are out west?" gasped Beth.

"Not so very much more improper than they are in your office after hours, I guess," said Polly, giggling.

"Well here you are, so we'll never know, will we?" Beth said, laughing, too.

The next day was clear and bright, so Joshua took Beth and Polly on a little tour around the town. Beth was particularly stunned by the mountains looming so high and so close, all snow-covered and gleaming against the blue sky. And there was an ice-covered lake just outside town ice where local couples were cutting graceful figures on skates while a man played the accordion. But Polly, who seemed to have read nearly as many western novels as Jim had, was delighted to see such typical western town features as the land office, and the bank with its iron bars over the windows, and the little local opera house. She stopped outside the sheriff's office, "Can't we go in and see the wanted posters?"

"No!" said Joshua firmly. "You might find more in there than you really want to see, ladies. I don't know who might be in the cage, but they don't put guys in there for fun. That's a serious place."

Beth looked at her man with concern. She knew that he had been in more than one of those cages himself. She hurried Polly along past the iron-barred windows.

On the way back to Christy's Place they went to the stable around back. Both ladies wanted to meet Joshua and Thaddeus's horses. They found Thaddeus there currying his bay gelding. He hoped to be able to go for a ride later, if the weather stayed good.

"Well good afternoon, ladies!" said the blue-eyed man, looking over the stall door at them. "Here, Blackie, turn round and say hello to Miss Beth and Miss Polly. Ladies, this is my horse. He's carried me a lot of miles.

"And this old boy next door to him is my horse, Clay," said Heyes, as Clay put his head over the stall door to give a loud whuffle and nuzzle his master.

"Why do you call him that?" asked Polly, as she reached over to pat the tall gelding's neck.

"Because he's a claybank dun," explained Joshua. "See how he's red brown like a chestnut, but with a kind of soft dusty cast over his body? But you can really tell a claybank by the red mane and tail and the red stripe down his back and the stripes on his legs." He led the horse out of the stall by his halter so they could see him properly in the stable aisle.

"Look at him pose so proudly," said Beth, "he knows how handsome he is!" she patted Clay's shoulder.

"Forget how pretty he is! That isn't why I wouldn't sell him for any money," said Joshua, as his horse rubbed his poll on his master's shoulder.

"Then why?" asked Polly, since he obviously wanted to be asked.

Scratching Clay behind one ear, Joshua proudly informed them, "Because he's the most sensible horse I've ever known. Saved my life, and Thaddeus's, more than once."

"Specially the night Joshua got shot in the head," said Thaddeus. "Clay was lame that night, so we were both up on Blackie. So I grabbed onto Joshua and held him in the saddle when he got shot by those hunters. It was dark, and I didn't know which way to go, and of course Joshua was out cold. Blackie carried us both like a champion, but couldn't find his way. It was Clay, limping bad all the way, who led us right to Cat's place. We could've died out there in the cold if he hadn't gone right. September in these mountains can get awful cold! And Joshua would've died out in the wild anyway, if we hadn't gotten to the doctor."

"Goodness!" exclaimed Polly, who knew, like everyone at the Leutze clinic, that Joshua had been shot in the head. But she, and even Beth, had never heard the story in detail before. As Thaddeus spoke, Beth had gone over to hold Joshua's hand. She knew how he hated to hear or think about that night.

"Well, we'd better go back and see the lady who also saved my life that night," said Heyes. "Cat will have lunch ready for us and be wondering when we'll get there to eat it."

The tension of the first night had passed and the five friends enjoyed themselves together, but the matter of the boys' true names had not yet been allowed to come next day, they were eating dinner in the back room when there was a knock at the door. It was Sheriff Wilde, wearing his tin star and looking rather stern. Cat turned to her man in concern, and Polly looked, if anything, even more worried than the rest of them.

"Pardon me, folks, but can I have a moment of Mr. Jones' time?" asked the Sheriff.

"Of course, Sheriff," said Thaddeus. "What is it?" The two men walked out the door together, and the women exchanged anxious glances.

"Don't worry," said Cat, in contradiction of her look, "Thaddeus helps the sheriff out now and then. They must have some business to discuss."

Polly looked more relieved even than Beth and Cat when Thaddeus came back into the room. "Sorry ladies – Sheriff Wilde just needed to tell me something."

"What?" asked Cat bluntly.

"Oh, just a man for us to watch for in the saloon. Nobody I ever seen. Nothin' to worry you." Thaddeus sat down and dug into the rest of his dinner seeming utterly unconcerned.

The next day was Christmas Eve. Heyes got out his guitar and they spent the afternoon singing Christmas carols and telling stories. Beth and Cat carefully kept away from telling childhood Christmas stories, knowing how painful this would be for their men.

After a very pleasant dinner, Heyes found a moment to get Beth alone by the fire in the back room. There was almost no one in the front room, so Thaddeus and Cat felt free to show the very curious Polly around what a real saloon looked like.

"Beth, I have something for you. I hope it fits." Heyes brought out a very small black velvet box, not wrapped.

Beth blushed as Heyes reached for her left hand. She opened the tiny box. There was a slender, plain silver ring inside. "It's pretty small and I'm sorry it's only silver," said Heyes. "When I've got a real income and not just loans, I'll do better by you. But I don't want you to be embarrassed, going around with a man too cheap to give you a ring."

Beth wiped tears from her eyes with her right hand as Heyes slide the ring onto the third finger of her left hand. "Oh Heyes!"

They kissed gently. As their lips parted, Heyes looked at the ring gleaming in the firelight on Beth's finger, "What a beautiful finger!"

Beth sobbed, "It's a beautiful ring! Thank you so much! But how can you afford it?"

Heyes himself blushed, "I can't – but my friends' loans will cover it. I'll pay them back when I get a faculty post."

"You've never told me exactly who those friends of yours are, who are financing your education," Beth said, leadingly.

"Well, shall we say, they're old friends. . ." Heyes answered.

"I see!" Beth grinned understandingly, "Friends from . . . before. Well, they have nothing to worry about from me, you know that. If you trust them, and they trust you, that's all I need to know." Beth, caressed Heyes' hand gently and they kissed again. It was hard having to part as everyone went up to bed after that.

In the morning, Polly saw Beth's ring shining on her hand as they woke up in the blazing sunshine that poured through the curtains.

"Oh Beth! Merry Christmas! And Congratulations!" cried Polly

Beth smiled broadly, "Thank you, and Merry Christmas, Polly! I'm afraid it'll be kind of a long engagement, since we have to wait until Joshua finishes his degrees and gets a job so he can support me. You know men – they insist on doing the supporting."

Polly gave her friend a hug, "But Beth, think how happy you'll be when the day finally gets here! And it sure will, before you know it."

After breakfast they exchanged small presents. Polly, of course, having just been added to the party a day before they had left, had nothing substantial for her hosts except some elegant little bars of chocolate, nicer than any candy the westerners had ever seen. And for her, they had one of Clay's shoes scrubbed clean and painted gold to bring her good luck. It really was the thought that counted most. She said she would treasure it.

"Actually," said Polly in the most serious tone they had heard her use yet, "I have a present for all of you that I hope will thank you all for your generous hospitality. And to help you all relax a bit and enjoy the rest of the holidays more. And that's just to wish you a very merry Christmas, Mr. Heyes and Mr. Curry."

Four mouths fell open. "How did you . . .?" Heyes began anxiously.

"I've known ever since the day the newsboys were shouting about your death and Beth fainted," said Polly, "it wasn't hard to figure out, with all I knew already."

Heyes looked at Beth, "You fainted? Aw, sweetie! I'm sorry I worried you."

While Heyes held his lady in his arms, the Kid asked Polly, "So one faint told you?"

"Well, we all knew he'd been shot in the head out West. And your descriptions were both in the papers over and over, and I've heard all Jim had to say about you two – not knowing it was you, of course. And when you, Mr. Curry, showed up at the clinic that day before you left for Colorado, and I saw how you fit Kid Curry's description like a glove, it was kind of undeniable."

"You've been very discrete, Polly," said Beth, "I'm sorry we hadn't told you yet, but you do understand why, with their lives at risk. . ."

"Of course I understand!" Polly said, smiling, "So, who else knows – who can I talk to without giving you away?"

Heyes chuckled, "Too long a list, now! When we first went straight five years ago, it was a pretty short list – our fellow outlaws, a couple of grifters and card sharps – now it's turning into the most complicated Hannibal Heyes plan ever hatched! Let's see, out here everyone who knows is in this room now except for the Sheriff – yes, he looks the other way since he knows we're straight and going for amnesty. And one of his deputies knows. And there's Joe the bartender who was there when the Teasdale boys spotted us. And there's one friend in Montana. And in New York, there's Beth, and Dr. Leutze, and Jim, and Charlie and Marie Homer, and one doctor at the hospital. And I'm afraid there's one hostile woman in Boston who reported me a while back. That's the whole list of people we've told - formally. I imagine there must be a few around Christy's Place who have their suspicions."

"No one else at Columbia? No one else here? I'd say that's a short list – to have them be the only friends you can be honest with. I'm honored to be part of it, Mr. Curry and Mr. Heyes," said Polly.

"On, please call me Jed – when we're with just people on that list," volunteered the Kid with a warm smile.

"And you can call me Heyes, in private," added the other partner. "I should have known you'd figured it out. I knew there was something going on when Sheriff Wilde came and got Thaddeus, and Polly, you looked so worried – even scared! You thought he was being arrested! But the rest of us didn't worry much because we knew that the Sheriff's safe. You do realize we've been straight for five years now?"

Polly nodded, "I didn't know it was that long, but it was pretty clear that you're on the right side of the law now. Beth wouldn't go around with an active outlaw."

"No – I found that out! It was when I told her who I was that she left me," Heyes took Beth's hand so she would know that he wasn't still mad at her.

Beth squeezed his hand back, "But I came back to Heyes - when I understood better. And Cat's been loyal to the Kid right through."

"We do appreciate you being so careful, Miss Polly," said the Kid. "I'm sorry I was cross with you when you wanted to see my fast draw. But it really is dangerous for people to see that."

"Yeah, as fast as he is – it's pretty obvious that he's a real professional, and not just any professional" said Cat.

Heyes looked gratefully at Polly, "We do appreciate your discretion, Polly. I'm sure you appreciate the situation. One wrong word, and there could be a bullet in each of our backs. But I hope you can come to our wedding – if the governor of Wyoming Territory ever gets around to giving us amnesty so we can safely marry. We just can't until then."

They had Dr. Grauer over for Christmas dinner. Heyes was always glad to be able to keep the doctor up on what was going on with his education. It made for a lively party of six around the back table, with holly leaves and berries brightening the board for Christmas.

Heyes was telling the doctor excitedly, "So, yes, Doc, I'm planning on going on for my M.A. and hoping to teach. Maybe I'll even get to come back out here to the West to one of those new colleges they're setting up all over. What do you think of that?"

The graying old doctor looked at Heyes through his glasses, "You sure have come a long way since that night when you got here, all streaming blood, Joshua. The trouble we took keeping you alive was well worth it, wasn't it, Cat?"

"Seems like it, Doc!" Cat agreed, "Although sometimes I guess Thaddeus wishes he hadn't learned to talk quite so fast! Sometimes Joshua does have an awful lot to say and it's hard for uneducated folks like Thaddeus and me to keep up!" She winked at Heyes, who laughed.

Heyes grinned modestly, "But seriously, Doc, I never will forget not just how you saved my life, but how you sent telegrams all over the country looking for the right doctor to treat me. If you hadn't matched me up with Dr. Leutze, I might still be silent. I'm mighty grateful!"

"That's alright, son. That's what I'm here to do," answered the Doc quietly, with a thoughtful look. "It's wonderful to hear all your plans, Joshua. But I do worry about how hard it might be for it all to happen. I mean – teaching college level?"

"I'm surprised at you, Doc!" exclaimed Heyes, "you've always believed in me before."

The doctor looked sadly at his former patient. "It isn't you I don't believe in. It's everyone else. I think you know what I mean. I just don't want the cold old world to break that passionate, brilliant heart of yours over your name." The doctor looked cautiously at Polly.

Heyes looked solemnly at Dr. Grauer. He knew what the man was talking about. "Don't worry. She knows. She figured it out just like you did. You've always known, haven't you?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, Heyes. I can read a poster as well as any man, and I didn't forget the most famous pair of outlaws in the West just because they'd been keeping out of the limelight for a couple of years. I've known who you were ever since that first night when the Kid brought you in, shot up, horse lame, giving the names Smith and Jones. Hunter shot you my foot! A bounty hunter! And when I saw how smart you were, even silent, I knew I was right. I'd heard it said that Hannibal Heyes was the smartest man west of the Mississippi, and I believe whoever started saying that might just be pretty close to right. But like I say, just because you're smart, doesn't mean they'll let you teach. That name of yours could make things awful tough for you. I just hope you can get other people to believe in you like I do."

"I know you're right, Doc," agreed Heyes, sadly. "I'll just keep trying and hope they come around."

"I know he can convince those University administrators to believe in him, Doc!" said Beth ardently. "They have to believe!"

"And if they don't, you sure do, huh, Beth?" asked the doctor with a little smile.

One Sunday in January, Heyes took Beth and Polly over to Boulder so they could see that burgeoning city. They went to church, and then walked past the grand new court house. Heyes was interested to look at the still fairly new University there, which had been founded in 1876. It was all housed in a single big red brick building – very different from the big university Heyes was used to.

As they walked down the board sidewalk in the middle of town, Heyes started to see a man and woman walking along across the street from them. "Pardon me!" Heyes said to his companions, "but I need to speak with those folks. Back soon."

Heyes crossed the muddy street and cautiously approached the strolling couple. He tipped his old black hat to the lady, "Pardon me, but are you Peggy, who used to live in Louisville? I'm sorry no one ever told me your last name before you were married."

Peggy looked up a Joshua, startled, clapping her hand to her mouth in amazement. "Oh my goodness, Joshua! You can talk now! You can talk just perfect now! Carlos, this is Joshua Smith, who got shot in the head and couldn't say a word."

"Mr. . . ?" Heyes held out his hand to the burly black bearded man walking next to Peggy, dressed in a handsome suit.

The man extended his hand, but with some caution. He knew what Peggy had done for a living before they were married. He knew how she had come to know many men, "Ortiz – Carlos Ortiz. So you knew Peggy before we were married?"He spoke with a mild Mexican accent.

Heyes nodded. "Yes, Mr. Ortiz. She was kindness itself to me when I needed it most. I'm afraid I startled you, Peggy. I know you've never heard my voice before. It's been so long! Belated congratulations on your marriage. I hope you are both very happy."

Peggy smiled shyly, "Yes, Joshua, we are – very happy. Carlos is a wonderful man. But I see you have left two ladies to come and see us. Shall we cross over and say howdy to them?"

"If you would like to," said Heyes self-consciously. It was undeniably awkward for him to introduce his fiancé to his former lover. They crossed the street with Peggy between the two men.

As they arrived, Heyes said, "Mr. and Mrs. Ortiz, may I present my fiancé, Elizabeth Warren, and her friend Mary Moore? Ladies, Peggy Ortiz was very kind to me when I had first been shot and couldn't talk. We haven't seen each other in years and I hadn't met her husband before."

"I'm glad to know you, Mrs. Ortiz," said Beth graciously. "I appreciate the kindness you showed to Joshua. Polly and I work at the Leutze clinic in New York City, where we treat people with aphasia – the trouble that Joshua had after he was shot. He has made the most wonderful progress. We are all very proud of him." Heyes took Beth's arm as she spoke.

"I manage a gold mine near here, Mr. Smith," said Mr. Ortiz, "what are you doing with yourself now that you're so much better?"

Heyes smiled at Beth, "Thanks to the work Miss Warren did with me – she was my tutor at the clinic – I'm earning a degree in mathematics at Columbia University in New York City. I know it's hard to believe it, Peggy, but it's true. I hope to teach college math myself one day."

Peggy's mouth had fallen open, "Oh Joshua, they all said you was the smartest thing, with all your number even when you couldn't talk. They was right, wasn't they?"

"They were," said Beth, "but he also works very hard. He doesn't take anything for granted."

"I try not to," said Heyes.

That night Heyes and Beth were alone in Heyes' room while Polly and Cat were baking delicious smelling things downstairs. "So Peggy worked here? She was your lover, wasn't she?" asked Beth between kisses.

Heyes couldn't lie to the woman he was going to marry. "Yes, honey, she was. I hope you don't mind. It was never anything that would last and she knew it. I was just awfully lonely when I couldn't talk. She left here to marry Ortiz only a few months after I went to New York. But she was very good to me, and I couldn't just ignore her."

Beth ran a hand lovingly down her fiancé's neck, "Of course, not, Heyes! Your politeness and respectfulness are two of the many things I love about you. And no, I don't mind. I know you had other lovers before me – just as long as you don't have any others now!"

"No, darling. I cleave only to you, and that's the way it'll stay."