Heyes looked at the stranger feeling considerable trepidation, but he kept cool on the outside and was pleased that Beth also kept her composure. The Kid had his hand under the table on the grip of his pistol, but he knew better than to draw if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Cat looked at Hal Smith with nothing but evident curiosity.

Heyes said to the stranger, "What are you talking about, Mister? My name is Joshua Smith. That's what the article says, doesn't it? And it's right!"

The grizzled old boy shook his head with a sparkle in his blue eyes, "That might fool the tourists, Mr. Heyes, but not me! Maybe you don't remember eight years ago when you rode into Wellington, Colorado?" Hal Smith looked challengingly into Heyes' eyes.

Heyes' face was a blank. After all the little towns he had ridden in and out of before he and the Kid had gone straight, not to mention after, he had no memory of the moment to which the man referred.

"Looks like you don't recall it. Well, sir, I'll never forget it!" said Hal Smith, stroking his beard with a grin on his face, "you rode into town with my little grandson Solomon Smith on the saddle in front of you. You'd just scooped him up before a bunch of longhorns could trample him under! We're all no end grateful to you, Mr. Heyes!"

Heyes smiled uncertainly. He did remember grabbing up a small boy just before a bunch of longhorn cattle could run him down. Heyes and the Kid had been split up riding from a posse when it had happened. Heyes felt about this turn of events the way he had felt a couple of years later when he and the Kid had first caught a break for not stealing – when they left the jewels and money in Senior Armendariz's safe and were allowed to ride away free men. He was startled to actually have someone know who he really was and yet want not to turn him in. The man actually wanted to thank Hannibal Heyes! Heyes was starting to remember that he done a couple of decent things for people even before he had gone straight. He guessed that their good reputation as outlaws wasn't entirely undeserved.

"Yeah," said Hal Smith gladly, "You dropped the boy off at the door of my general store nice and safe – Smith General Store. You rode off before I could get out the door to get the boy. So I never did have the chance to thank you. You might not recall, but my grandson, but he'll never forget it! Can't tell you how many times he's told that story to folks – made you gentlemen mighty popular in our little town! When he saw this old newspaper blowing down the street and picked it up, he recognized you right off. So then I finally knew how to find you and thank you, Mr. Heyes."

Heyes smiled self-consciously, "I don't deny picking up the boy before the cattle could run him down just outside your town, Mr. Smith, but my name is Smith, too. And you've no particular cause to thank me – anybody would have done the same. Could hardly leave the little guy where he'd fallen there in the dust with a herd coming! He was so scared – he just kinda froze."

"No, sir, you're a good man, but you're lying there twice," said Hal Smith, "My boy's boy, Solomon, says that herd was big and coming fast and you rode right in front of it at the risk of your life – barely got away from being gored or trampled yourself. Solomon remembers another man with you – not Mr. Curry here – yelled at you 'Stop Heyes!' That's how we knew who you was. Everybody knew you Devil's Hole boys was riding through there with a posse on your tails. And you rode off so quick – was pretty clear you was in a hurry for good reason. Besides, you look just like the posters say what else are you doing here eating next to a guy can't be anybody but Kid Curry?"

"Alright, alright, Mr. Smith, you got me." Heyes put his hands up in surrender. Then he stood up and shook the man's hand. "I'm glad to meet you."

"I'm sure tickled to meet you, Mr. Heyes! And don't you all worry for a moment on our account;" said Hal Smith with a blazing bright smile, "I wouldn't ever do anything to hurt any of you, not for no matter what anybody paid me. My Solomon, he's everything to me after his daddy died ten years back. He'll have my store for his own one day. If there's anything an old general store keeper can ever do for you, you just ask. As much of my stock as you want is yours for free, for life, Mr. Heyes or Mr. Curry or your good ladies. Come over to Wellington to the Smith General Store and stock up on calico or flour or ammunition or what have you, any time!"

Heyes was starting to blush, "Thank you very, much Mr. Smith! That's right friendly of you. We wouldn't think of taking advantage of you. We don't steal any longer. Went straight six years ago."

Smith beamed, "Makes me right glad to hear that you both are living by God's commandments now. Is it true what this paper says – are you really bettering yourself? Are you really a University student in New York City?" Heyes felt hypocritical, but it wasn't really practical to correct Mr. Smith and tell him that his hero Hannibal Heyes had killed a man.

Instead, Heyes just nodded, "Well, the guy got it a bit wrong. I'm not a graduate student yet – but I will be very soon. I'm just finishing up my bachelor's degree in mathematics so I can make an honest living. Then I want to marry this nice lady here, and the Kid, he'll marry his own lady!"

Mr. Smith looked utterly overjoyed, "That's good news, Mr. Heyes! My grandson will be real happy to hear that. I wish you both, you all four, every happiness! How did you ever get started studying in New York, Mr. Heyes, if I may make so bold?"

"That kind of a long story and I don't want to go into all of it. But after we went straight, I got shot in the head and needed more medical help than they could give me here – wound up in New York. And it happened from there. So I feel real lucky to be alive and well, much less studying math and hoping to teach it."

Hal Smith was surprised, "You're gonna be a teacher? In a schoolhouse?"

Heyes shook his head, "Not a schoolhouse, Mr. Smith, no. I'll teach college, I hope. Maybe in one of the new colleges out here in the West. That's what I hope. I want to do my best to make up for all the harm I caused before. I want to help people. That's what I'm devoting my life to, now. And the Kid is, too. He's helping out the law."

Tears of joy came to Mr. Smith's eyes and he wiped them with a snowy-white handkerchief. "Oh, that is the best thing I ever did hear! I knew you was a good soul, Mr. Heyes, and your partner, Mr. Curry, too. I just knew it! We've spent the last eight years trying to convince folks that you really was good, and now here you are proving us right all over! I am just absolutely de-lighted to know that you are working to do good in the world. I guess there's some justice, after all! That's why you're alive, you know. God saved you to do his work, I'm sure of it." Beth looked at Heyes with pride – not for the first time!

"I don't know about that, Mr. Smith," said Heyes softly, "But I'm doing my best. And I feel very fortunate."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

So despite their momentary fears of discovery, the Kid and Heyes, and Cat and Beth, had a very happy and safe Christmas after all. They sang together and ate together and celebrated the holiday together. Heyes had never been an openly religious man, but he couldn't help thinking that maybe the Godly Mr. Smith was at least partially right. Maybe Heyes had been saved from a whole bunch of dangers because of his good intensions. Or at least, his good friends – the Kid, and Cat, and Dr. Grauer, and Peggy, and Lom Trevors, and Beth, and Dr. Leutze, and Jim, and Charlie and Marie Homer, and Polly, and Theron Wiseman, and Matthias Peale, and all of his dear friends at Columbia University, and even the doctor who had taken the Kid's bullet out of his hip. A whole lot of people had saved him these last few years.

Heyes felt blessed, indeed. He just hoped he wouldn't have to be saved too many more times. He was anxious to move on from being helped to helping other people. What he was doing for Tom O'Keeffe, with Matthias Peale's help, was just the beginning of the good he hoped to do with the rest of his life. But Heyes still had a load of worries – the long delayed amnesty offer and a man slaughter charge hanging over his head not the least of them.