THE DAY THEY HANGED HANNIBAL HEYES - CHAPTER TWO
"HEYES!"
Kid screamed as he carelessly broke through the trees. He had tried to get into a better position and view but time was not on Heyes' side. Self preservation didn't enter his mind, as his love and concern for his partner dictated his actions. His only goal was to save his partner, within the moments he had to live. One slap across the horse's hindquarters and Heyes would be dead.
It was that horrifyingly simple.
Kid's first shot had been trying to save Heyes' life as he aimed at the rope high above his partner's head, before returning fire against the armed vigilantes. He prayed that Heyes' horse didn't spook in the gun exchange, once the man holding the reins dropped them.
He saw the rope jerk but it didn't sever. Before he could squeeze off a second shot, he was hit. He tried to ignore the searing pain that almost dropped him to his knees. He returned fire at the men until the rifle was empty; drawing some satisfaction when he heard more than a few cry out in pain, before throwing it aside Kid grabbed his gun from his holster. He staggered as he tried to steady his gun to take better aim at the rope before he stumbled for cover, but he was jolted by a bullet that ripped into his shoulder from behind and his shot nicked the rope again. He took a weak step towards Heyes, struggling to stay upright, before sinking to his knees and collapsing face down in the dirt.
His last thought was...Heyes.
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Heyes had felt the rope jerk several times, but it did not break.
Suddenly the shooting stopped.
Heyes frantically tried to move his head to find Kid, but it was futile. A man walked by him, and moved out of his view. He heard his spurs stop to his left and behind him.
The man with his gun drawn, cautiously approached Kid before kicking his gun aside. He drew back a boot and viciously kicked him.
"This is for Austin!"
He kicked him a second time, "And Bud!"
And finally a third time. "And Will! Ya son of a bitch!"
"Enough!" Someone yelled.
"That's okay…he's dead anyway."
Heyes tried to scream Kid's name, but his mouth opened with no words coming out.
Heyes moaned, and tried to fight against the ropes, with tears of sorrow and rage, running down his face.
This was all his fault.
The man spit on Kid before he reluctantly walked off. "Ya right we got some hangings to finish."
"No…we're going to leave 'em as they are. All trussed up with hemp around their necks. Let them think about their fate. A quick snap of their necks is too good for 'em. You think those horses are going to stand there all day?" The man's voice moved from anger to sadness as he continued, "We need to get these men back to their families and tell their loved ones they done right. Honorable men taking care of a horrible injustice to the Turners. God will look down on them with favor. Come on…let's get. Half you men head out and gather those cattle up."
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Only when Heyes strained against the rope, to the point of unconsciousness, was he able to see Kid out of the corner of his eye. The coarse rope dug into the soft skin of his neck, with the rope's knot painful behind his right ear. Warm sticky liquid itched as it slowly crept down his neck.
Kid was laying face down in the dirt. There was a pool of blood by his body. He wasn't moving.
He looked dead.
If Kid was dead, all Heyes could think of was dying too. With one touch of his spurs to his horse's sides, it could all be over.
His tears felt cool on his face.
But if he wasn't…He just didn't know. He screamed Kid's name over and over again in his head. Not being anywhere close to religious, he still begged God for some fairness and to not take his partner.
Heyes heard the frantic struggle and garbled cries as another horse moved away, leaving the rider hanging and twisting as he tried to free himself, before growing silent.
Then another…
And another…
Heyes had no concept of time. Every muscle in his body screamed and ached. The calves in his legs were knotted into painful cramps from trying to stand in his stirrups and relieve the painful. pressure off his neck. With every beat of his heart, his head exploded with blinding pain. He tried to twist his bound hands, but they were tied so tightly there with no give and moving them only caused the rope to cut deeper into his wrists until they were bloody.
Heyes' horse, who had been standing with a foot cocked, shifted his hip and started to take a step forward after he righted his foot. Heyes tried to say whoa, but with hardly any air, no words could form.
He managed a weak cluck and his horse obediently took a step back relieving the pressure on his throat.
Heyes had a choice to make. Had Kid's bullets frayed the rope enough that his weight would break it? Or would it hold his weight and strangle him to death?
It literally would be a leap of faith…
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Author's Notes: This story was inspired by a scene from "1923" - The "Yellowstone" prequel starring Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton. (Another wonderful mini series with realism and violence, that might turn some viewers away like "Deadwood.") Jacob Dutton (cattleman) has had his fill with (sheep herder) Banner Creighton running his flock on his property so he has a hanging party in a very unique way…One I had never seen before in a western.