Winter's Refuge
Chapter One Hundred
For Preacher's life story see Making of a Preacher posted in both FanFiction and AOOO
JED 'KID' CURRY
When the two parolees, each bound at the ankles, started clearin' everythin' out of the back room, I left Ken and Juan to keep a close eye on them, preferably with their guns drawn. Heyes followed me as I walked to my wife on the porch. Her eyes have been fixed on the two men since they came out of the smithy. Gently, I lifted the gun from her lap.
"You won't be needin' this, darlin'," I told her.
Startled, she looked at me. "Jed?"
"Right here, everything's fine now."
Heyes offered Auntie a hand up from her rocker. I took her place as they went inside.
Chrissy had resumed starin' at the blacksmith shop.
"Chrissy?"
She turned her eyes to me. "Chrissy darlin'. Safe now?"
"Yes."
"My Jed strong." She laid her hand on my arm.
"It was Heyes that stopped them and locked them in there."
She was quiet for a minute, thinkin' about what I'd said. "Heyes not scared?"
My partner heard her and stuck his head out the door. "I was very scared but knew I had to stop them…at least until the Kid returned."
It was good to hear Heyes say he acted even though he was scared.
"Heyes good!" Chrissy announced, standin' up. "Joy nap over now."
HEYES
I went back down to the shop to see what I could salvage of my accounting books. They were in better condition than I hoped as I stacked them on a nearby log. I watched the two parolees sanding a new top for the table their fighting had destroyed. Even now they didn't look too happy about working together. I'll be glad when those marshals come to take them away. The back room has been swept out. I looked through what had been swept out the back door.
Keeping my distance, I asked, "Where's the little key…and the hundred dollars?"
I saw Arizona snarl at Declan. "Ask the man from the Irish Boys Gang there. Key's jammed in the lock in the door. Considers himself good with locks…HA!"
I walked over to the door and studied the lock. I had never really thought about it. It was old and, if Declan had known what he was doing, there were several ways of popping it open. Trying not to be obvious, I sat next to my recovered accounting books and slid a lockpick from my boot. Using it, I had the key stuck in the door out in a second. It was bent badly, but I have faith the Kid can repair it.
"Heyes, you got the key out?" Juan asked.
"Heyes…Hannibal Heyes?" Declan asked. Without warning, he punched the man working beside him. "Think you're so smart, don't you, Arizona. We tried to rob THE Hannibal Heyes, leader of the Devil's Hole Gang."
Juan handed his gun to me and separated the men before another punch could be thrown. I turned as I caught sight of a wagon and three horses turning onto Curry Road. Four marshals had arrived. I had thought only three were coming. I hope something else isn't wrong. I went to get the Kid, but he must have been watching from the house as he was already walking toward me.
JED 'KID' CURRY
I'd been sittin' at the kitchen table. Auntie had squished a peach into a mulch and was tryin' to get Joy to eat it. All my daughter wanted to do was play with the soft juicy thing in front of her. Chrissy had asked me if she could stay in our room until the bad men left. Of course, I agreed. My attention was drawn away from my messy daughter when I heard Heyes' full name yelled by an angry voice. From the front door, I could see Juan had everything handled. I know he feels guilty about leavin' his gun behind when he moved into the new little house with his bride. He much prefers to be armed with his knives…and he's deadly with them.
So, I saw when four marshals turned up our road. I was glad they thought to bring the wagon. Heyes had started up to the house but stopped, opened the gate for me, and waited there. I smiled as we walked in step to greet the newcomers and was surprised I knew one of them.
"Good to see you, Marshal Josephs," I said to Ken's brother Karl. He extended his hand and I shook it. He'd helped us in Brown River, and I'd come to admire the man as much as I do his brother.
"Thought I'd come along and spend some time with Ken. He keeps writing about this place and a house and land he has near here."
"Phoenix always has room for one more," I told him.
The other three marshals took statements from me and especially Heyes before they left. And they pulled the missin' hundred dollars out of Arizona's pocket. I have no doubt they were headed back to prison. I'm gonna write to Governor Sanderson and tell him what a failure this was…and tell him if he decides to try this with me or any other rancher, I want to interview the candidates first.
I left Arnie, Juan, and Heyes to fix the furniture and set the back room to right. I need to help my wife. I found her in our room, sittin' in the chair starin' at a blank wall. I felt guilty that her safe haven had been violated. It's my fault. I knew she was afraid of them. I should have stayed at the ranch with her.
"Chrissy, I'm sorry I wasn't here for you when this happened."
"Chrissy darling," she said, moving her eyes to me. She blinked before speakin'. "Jed alright?"
"Always." I leaned over and kissed her.
She 'thought' for only a moment before sayin', "Heyes here. Heyes good."
I smiled at her. "But you were scared. I should have been here. I'm sorry."
She looked confused. "Chrissy darlin' safe at Phoenix. Safe with you. Safe with Heyes. Safe with Juan or Ken. Or safe with Chrissy."
"Are you tellin' me you can take care of yourself? You don't need me?"
She took my hand and rubbed it against her cheek. "Chrissy always need Jed. Jed need Chrissy. Jed strong. Build Phoenix strong. Build strong family here. Chrissy safe here."
I looked away so she didn't see the tear threatenin' to leave my eye. She put into words what my heart was yearnin' for. I knelt in front of her chair. "I love you. You are my heart." And I surprised myself by addin', "You're my strength."
And it surprised her, too. "No, Jed strong. Strong for me. Strong for Heyes. Good man. I have loved you since I saw you in Devil's Hole."
I wanted to argue that I wasn't a good man. I'm tryin', but just have too many things against me…an outlaw, a robber, a gunman who has killed, and an ex-convict. I'm afraid this life I've built at Phoenix is gonna be taken from me in an instant. But instead, I pull Chrissy to her feet and hold her close. With her in my arms, everything seems right.
"Why you go to bank?" Chrissy asked.
I didn't want to tell her about the robbery. Again, I wished Frank or one of his brothers were here. I took the new bank book out of my pocket and handed it to her. "Don't laugh, but Jed and Christina Curry and Hannibal Heyes actually have money in a bank."
She did laugh. "You guarding bank?"
"No, better." I told her about Heyes' invention and how I convinced Mr. Robinson to let me install it in his bank. She was herself now, not thinkin', not starin'. She closed and locked our bedroom door and, despite her condition, we made gentle love in the middle of the afternoon. I was worried we'd hurt the baby, but Chrissy guided me. And all was perfect in my world.
HEYES
The next day, just after lunch, I watched from the back room of the blacksmith shop as the men came back to pick up the bar splitter. The Kid did a beautiful job making it; even with the fatal flaw, it looks just like the drawing. I would have liked to keep that original drawing but know that they want it back. I wish I remembered designing it, but big parts of my memories are gone or return in just quick flashes. This one is gone.
The Kid looked up from the anvil he was using to make an ax blade when he saw the two men arrive on horseback. He had described their confident swagger accurately.
Without a greeting, they approached him. "It ready?" they demanded, one standing on either side of the anvil.
Kid waited a second before answering. "Yes, yes, it's over here with your drawin'. Maybe you could show me how it helps split smaller pieces of wood?" If I didn't know better, I'd think the Kid was being sincere.
"In a hurry. Give it here."
"Still owe me the other half of my fee," the Kid told them. He sounded like a meek man. I hoped they would not object...and they didn't, even gave him a bonus for a job well done.
Hurriedly, I closed the accounting records and hurried up to saddle Fall's Bells. Me and the Kid had discussed it. He can't leave the smithy after them, I'd have to do it. He convinced me I could do it. He has confidence that I can do this. I waved at him as I led my horse down Curry Road, making sure they were far enough ahead not to see me. Just like before, they were easy to follow. But this time they turned off about twenty miles further. I know the Kid could follow us easily, still, I marked this turnoff.
Four miles down the road, they stopped in front of a house on the outskirts of a small town called the Welcome Wagon. I tied Fall's Bells in the woods, crept toward the house where I could just barely see through a window, waited, and watched. I know the Kid will be here eventually.
I counted five different men in there, well, one of them didn't look more than a boy.
They didn't look like they were going anywhere. But I waited and watched and felt dusk then the darkness come. There is a moon tonight but it's not full, just enough to cast shadows. And I realize that I can handle this darkness. Tingles of fear hit my mind, but I can push them away.
The nature sounds around me grow familiar, comforting almost. The only disturbance is the soft steps of the Kid as he approaches. He's always been able to move quietly but now it is the only new sound, so I hear him. When he found me, he sat down in front of me, put a hand on each of my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. And we both know that I am good. Then, I shook my head when he nodded at the cabin and held up five fingers. He moved up to squat under the open window. He sat there so motionless that I thought he might have fallen asleep.
But he didn't. And when he came back to me, he motioned to our horses. The going was slow with only the moon as light, and we were quiet until we got back to the main road. The Kid led, picking out the road in the dim light. He let Fall's Glory do most of the work. My protective cousin kept looking back at me to see how I was handling the darkness. Each time I gave him a thumbs up. And I wasn't lying, the darkness wasn't attacking my thoughts at all. We stopped when we came to the main road. It was wide here with few trees near the road to block the moonlight.
"You hear their plans?" I asked him.
"Not really. They were sharin' a couple of bottles of whiskey and weren't makin' sense. They were debatin' their next jobs. The only thing that was clear is they're tryin' for the Three Birds bank and that money next Wednesday night with the bar splitter. Their back up plan's to go in with guns the next mornin'. One claims to be a safecracker."
I thought about what he said. "Hope my invention works. Is there anyone in Three Birds that can arrest them Wednesday night?"
"Well Ken…and Karl if he's still here…but," the Kid said.
I stretched my arms over my head. It felt good but hurts at the same time. "But they are…or were…US Marshals and we have knowledge of a bank robbery that we didn't report. We even made something to help them. At least, they think it will help them."
Lost in our own thoughts, we mounted and headed toward home. Finally, the Kid said, "Not even sure how I would explain to them what's goin' on and what I've done."
"What we've done," I corrected him.
He looked at me. "Blame it on me. I started this. I took the order for the bar splitter; I could have refused."
"Partner, we're in this together."
Silence fell between us. I had an idea hatching but didn't know if the Kid would agree. We would have assumed I would do this when we were on the run, but things have changed. Still… "Kid," I said to the outline of the back of his head riding in front of me.
"Heyes, you got something to say?"
"Let me talk to Ken and Karl." There, I said it straight out. I waited in the quiet for him to think on it. But it didn't take him long to answer.
"That would be a relief to me. Your silver tongue know what you're gonna say?" I thought I could hear a smile in his voice. That's one of the things that helped me heal. His happiness at every small step of recovery I took. But this is a big step.
"Working on it."
JED 'KID' CURRY
I worried what Heyes was going say to the Joseph brothers all the way back to Phoenix. I started to give him suggestions, but he asked to do this and I agreed. I'd keep quiet unless he asked for my help.
We'd missed dinner but Auntie kept it warm in the oven. The chicken was a little dry, but her gravy fixed that. And I was hungry. I was only through my first helpin' when Heyes asked, "Ken around?"
Auntie turned around from doin' the dishes. "He and that darlin' brother of his are playing poker with Arnie and Glen in their room. Said you're welcome to join them."
"Think we just might do that. What you say, Kid?"
I looked longingly at the remainin' chicken and potatoes but wiped my hands. "Sounds good, partner."
When we got there, Glen had gone to bed. Arnie looked like he wanted to sleep, too, but didn't want to offend Ken and Karl. Our entrance gave him the excuse to bow out. "But feel free to keep playing up here."
Heyes smiled a confident smile that I'd only had glimpses of for years. It's not a real true smile but I think I'm the only one who can tell that. "Why don't we let the boys get some sleep. They start their day early and we can play at the kitchen table." He said it without hesitation. I'm so proud of how far he has come.
We found that Auntie had cleaned up and gone to her quaint-that's what she calls her house-her quaint cottage. Chrissy was tired and had gone to bed early. We had the downstairs to ourselves. Heyes waited until we had played a couple of games before he decided to bring them in on our plan.
"You wonder where we went today?" Heyes asked as he smoothly dealt the cards.
Ken looked up from his cards and stared at him. "Did notice you took off without talking to anyone. Everything alright? I'll bet two matchsticks."
I called and so did Karl. "Fold," said my partner. "Well, we got ourselves into something trying to do the 'right' thing and find we need your help." He said it smoothly, casually. He was doing good.
Ken gave Heyes a hard look. "I'll take two cards. Not illegal, is it?"
"One card," I said, avoidin' lookin' at anyone at the table.
"Two cards," Karl said, but his interest was no longer on his cards. I've worked hard for people not to see us as ex-con outlaws; this might undo my tryin'.
Heyes let a moment go by for everyone to look at their cards. "Not illegal that we know of but may get close to that line."
"Standing pat," said Ken, not even bothering to pick up his two new cards.
I tapped the bottom of my cards on the table to say I was standin' pat, but Karl just threw his cards face up in the table.
"What's not illegal that you know of?" His voice was that of a marshal or a prison guard, not a friend.
"Here's what happened." He told them about the two that wanted the bar splitter. "It's not illegal to make one, only to use one," he explained and added that his 'minor' change would make the splitter bend instead of the bars on the bank window.
Ken started to smile when Heyes described how we followed the obvious tracks the first time. "You were okay riding home in the dark, Heyes?"
My partner nodded with just the trace of a smile. He'd gotten Ken to think about him and not consider whether makin' the bar splitter for a robbery was illegal.
"They came back and picked it up today. It would have looked too obvious if the Kid just dropped everything at the smithy, so I trailed them."
"Alone? You could have come and got one of us," Ken said, but I could hear a touch of pride in his voice that Heyes had done something off the ranch alone.
"No time. I left a marker for the Kid where they turned off so he could find me. I just waited and made sure they didn't leave. The Kid listened under their window when he came."
Ken just listened but Karl didn't like what he was hearin'. "And you just listened? How many were there? Why didn't you try and stop them?"
I spoke up. "There were five. I just listened and they are planning' rob the Three Birds Bank Wednesday night. If that doesn't work, Thursday mornin'. Couldn't do nothin', they haven't done anything wrong yet. And we're ex-convicts, not deputies. Don't want anyone to think we might be part of it."
Karl looked at Ken. "You'd be believed. You have a good reputation around here…and elsewhere. But you're right, no crime has been committed. You tell anyone?"
"Well, we're telling you. Would have told Sheriff Birde or one of his brothers, but they're out of town. He didn't leave a deputy this time after what happened to the Kid's wife," Heyes answered for me. He sounded so solid in his reasonin' and now he had them thinkin' about the trauma Chrissy had experienced and not us.
Ken turned to Heyes. "You say this bar splitter won't work?"
"It'll start to bend the bars, then fold back on itself," he said, unable to hide his pride at his design.
"Clever. Well, it will be hard to catch them Wednesday night with hard evidence that they planned to rob the bank., especially if that thing fails."
"Exactly," said Heyes and his speech is as smooth as when he's runnin' a con. "That's why the Kid fixed it so that bank safe can't be opened, even with dynamite."
'I've seen that safe," said Ken. "It's old."
Heyes smiled and told them about his new 'safe' lock and how I talked the bank president into installin' it without really tellin' him why. We didn't want him to panic. He even bragged a little how good I made it and how I improved his initial design. When he was done, Karl was givin' me a stern look. "You sure this lock will work?"
I was honest. "Should. Ain't never been tested but in my shop."
"It'll work," Heyes answered firmly.
The Joseph brothers looked at each other the way me and Heyes do. I think they can communicate without talkin', too.
"You goin' be in that bank, Jed?"
"Soon as it opens."
LOM
I waited outside the main gate, made of heavy hammered iron strips, of the Yuma Territorial Prison for an hour and a half before being allowed admission. The sun beat down on me relentlessly, but I wasn't about to leave. I'd been here when the Kid was imprisoned before he signed on as prison labor to build the railroad. He learned his blacksmith trade there. I thought it was a bad choice at the time, but it probably saved his life. All he did here was get into fights.
Preacher is a different man than the Kid. With the name he used here, I hired someone to look into him. He once had a wife and a baby daughter and was following in his pa's footsteps as a preacher of the gospel. Couldn't find out much more than that except his pa and sisters died the same night, his pa by someone's gun and his sisters in a fire. Preacher left soon after that with his wife and baby for Wyoming. From him I learned that he lost them both soon after. And that's all I know. But now that I'm married and Susan's about to have a baby, I can feel how deep his sorrow must be. Guilt at leaving Susan, even for a week to come here, hit me. I'd felt it in my gut all the way here. But Susan will be fine. She still has six weeks before Baby Trevors arrives.
"Sheriff Lom Trevors?" a guard asked through the iron gate.
"Yes, sir. Here to see Josiah James Jewell." It seemed awkward to use Preacher's real name.
"Humph. That the one they call Preacher?"
"Yes." I handed him my canteen and the box of food, writing paper and pencils, and a straw hat I had brought Preacher.
The guard opened the canteen and smelled the water inside, then he riffled through the box, taking a cookie for himself. "You can give it to him yourself. He got out of the dark cell this morning. Ain't said much since."
I wanted to ask why he was in there but didn't. I doubted I'd get an answer. But the guard continued to talk. This wasn't a silent prison like in Wyoming. "Your friend's a mean drunk."
"Drunk? In here?"
The guard laughed a deep, unpleasant-sounding laugh. "In here, you can get anything you can pay for."
The room I was taken to was hewn out of the mountain side. It was the same place I'd met with the Kid. Not many prisoners in here have friends willing to travel to the middle of nowhere in smoldering hot weather for a thirty-minute visit. But Preacher wasn't in the room, the warden was.
"Sheriff Trevors, I wanted to speak to you about your friend." He didn't take the time to introduce himself. He was older, with thinning gray hair, and I wondered how old he was. I thought maybe the prison system had forgotten about him out here.
"Yes, sir."
"Sit. Have some water. Mr. Jewell is an extraordinary man of God who is harboring a lot of anger in his soul. I remember him as a boy in Wind, Arizona. His father, our preacher, was a hero there. Saved two little boys from the desert. One of them was my boy. Josiah was a hard worker, swept out the saloon after school, always drinking the last drops of whiskey in the glasses or stealing some from the bottles. His pa didn't care much about what his son did as long as he collected money to build his church…and charm the young single ladies of the church. I had just joined the marshals when Preacher James Jewell, his son, Josiah, and daughters just disappeared one night. The next day, two irate fathers marched into my office and wanted me to arrest James for stealing their daughter's affections."
I poured a second glass of water not sure why the warden was telling me about Preacher as a young boy. But I had learned his father was not a role model.
"Didn't have a warrant for his arrest or anything but found the family by chance years later in Creek's End, California. And the boy, Josiah, that I knew had turned into a powerful, good, moral man of God." He hung his head for a moment. "And a fire and brimstone preacher that the congregation listened to."
"I saw a newspaper report about his pa and sisters dying on the same night," I said.
"Tragedy that he lost Joannie and his daughter so soon after coming to Wyoming. And then he lost his way…and, he thought, his faith. But it's there. When he's sober, he does Sunday services here and I attend. The years have taught him humility and gave him a repentant heart. His sermons aren't the fire and brimstone type of his younger days, but of repentance, forgiveness, and God's love. They make one search their soul. Except when he's drinking. He's a guilt-stricken, mean drunk who doesn't believe in God's divine mercy. He picks fights with anyone and there are plenty here to fight him. He has no hope of forgiveness and is sure that the Lord has deserted him for his sins. Last time the other man had a shiv and used it on his leg.
"We've been unable to find where he gets the alcohol. He no longer works outside the gates in the quarry. The guards watch his interactions with the other prisoners and the staff here. We've allowed him no visitors, though you are the only one who asked to see him."
"And that's why you're telling me all this. You want me to ask him where the alcohol is coming from?" I asked.
"Yes. I truly want to reform this man. I see good in him, and we throw him in the dark cell when he's drunk before he can confess to crimes I don't want to know about."
"I'll ask but I don't know if he'll tell me. Preacher's always been good at keeping his secrets."
"Thank you, Sheriff. I'll have the guard bring him in now."
HEYES
It felt good to be able to convince Ken and Karl that me and the Kid were innocent of any wrongdoing. And the words flowed easily. And poker was easier. They deputized me and the Kid but said they would do the arresting.
Wednesday morning the Kid gave Chrissy, Auntie, and Hortencia a strict warning not to go into town for the next two days. He told Juan the same thing and asked him to tell the others. We had asked Ken and Karl's opinion and they said to send the twins to school. It was nowhere near the bank. So the Kid drove them in and sat on the bench outside the mercantile. And waited for the stage. We, meaning me and the Kid and Ken and Karl, had discussed the possibility that these bad guys might make a try at the payroll when it was being unloaded and transferred to the bank's safe. The Kid had seen two of them up close when they bought the bar splitter. He watched and waited and was relieved when the payroll was safely locked into the safe.
When the Kid picked up Martha and Michael, Ken rode into Three Birds with him. I stayed at the ranch. Both me and Juan wore our guns. I had suggested to the Kid, Ken, and Karl that when the bar splitter failed, these men might want revenge on the blacksmith who made it. I saw surprise, then concern, and then more planning had started. The Kid looked proud of me. We moved the twins and Joy to Auntie's house. Glen and Arnie stayed there to guard them. And Chrissy stayed with me and Juan in the house. The Kid didn't want it that way, but Chrissy had overheard. She suggested it. The Kid argued with us about it. He argued with Chrissy about it. And he lost...to us and his wife. He was the one who checked that every window and door was locked and bolted. He had me and Chrissy practice shooting for half an hour, and he still was trying to think about how he could stay and protect us. He was overruled and he understood why. Still, I knew he would worry. I wish he trusted me to take care of her.
While I was here, Ken was going to walk down to the diner and find a seat where he could see the front door and the alley next to the bank. He would have a clear view until dark if anyone was by the window in the alley. I learned later that as dusk progressed, he saw movement; two or three men entered the alley. They didn't go near the window, but they didn't leave the alley that he saw. I knew that the Kid and Karl came in later and rode down the back alley to the livery. They would see anyone by the bank window.
JED 'KID' CURRY
Me and Karl saw the shadows of the men as we rode by the bank's side alley. We left our horses and the extra we had brought for Ken at the livery and walked back quietly, stoppin' just before the alley. Ken should have taken up positions in front where he could hear but not be seen. Ken had told us if they talked about robbin' the bank, they could be arrested. The men stayed quiet until the noise from the saloon was gone.
"Ian, get that bar splitter out and let's see if Hannibal Heyes knew what he was doing when he drew that sketch."
I knew Heyes would cringe if he heard that, but the flaw was intentional.
"Stand back while I try this thing."
They hadn't said anything about robbin' the bank, at least not yet. I heard the scrapin' of metal on metal as he got the device in place. Then the sound of the bar splitter gratin' against the bars as it started to bend. SNAP!
"Ow…damn it!" I heard one of them yell. "Get it off my hand. Quick! Get it off."
I smiled at Karl and tried not to laugh. We heard another groan.
"Let's get out of here," another voice whispered. The bar splitter fell to the ground with a clank, and I tried to move even deeper into the shadows. They hadn't mentioned 'robbin' the bank' so we couldn't arrest them.
