Winter's Refuge
Chapter Two
Parting and Winter's Refuge
The storm raged all night and the next day. As it cleared, Heyes caught up with his cousin checking on his horse.
"Kid, you've been spending a lot of time with Chrissy," Heyes started.
"Yeah. Too bad the storm cleared."
Heyes put his arm around Curry's shoulder and led him over to sit on a hay bale. "Wanted to talk to you about that before we take the McWinters home."
Expectantly, Curry looked to Heyes, recognizing the tone in his voice. Despite Heyes' smile, this was a serious conversation, but Curry said nothing, just waited for him to speak.
"I know you like Chrissy, maybe more than like, and it was nice to have someone pretty around here to look at instead of the gang."
"She's so pretty. I like to watch her do most anything, even the dishes."
The look in Curry's eyes told him all he needed to know. "Real pretty and spirited, a strong woman, too."
Curry waited for the but he knew was coming.
"But we're not in a situation where we can settle down. What can we offer a woman? Not a home and family; we're wanted. Any day we could be arrested and spend twenty years in prison or be killed for the bounty."
Turning away, Curry answered, "But maybe someday in the future. Or maybe she'd come to Canada with us?"
"Kid, it's only a dream. If you care about her, really care, you can't offer her that kind of a life."
Nodding in agreement, Curry's eyes reflected the stoic, emotionless look on his face. "I know that. Never forgot it. But please let me live in my dream a few days longer. How far we ridin' with them?"
"About a hundred miles west of Porterville. Then you and I will head north toward Two Rivers, and they'll keep going west about ten miles."
"Then I have until a hundred miles west of Porterville to enjoy my dream." Curry slapped his partner on the knee. "Don't worry, Heyes, that's where this dream will end."
Standing, Heyes gave a hand to his cousin and pulled him to his feet. He had heard all the right words but didn't feel the heart behind them. Curry might leave the woman a hundred miles west of Porterville, but Heyes knew the dream would be in his mind for a long time. It may be locked away and not thought about often, but it would be there.
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Taking Chrissy on one last stroll before they left, Curry slipped his hand around her waist. Reason telling him there could be no future for them, he still felt intoxicated in her presence. Reaching into his pocket, he fingered the smooth, wooden ring he had whittled so carefully.
"Chrissy, I got something for you." Suddenly, he was shy about showing it to her. "It's not an engagement ring or even a promise ring. I can't promise you anything." He opened his fist, revealing the tiny ring.
Picking it up from his sweaty palm, Chrissy smiled. "It's perfect, Jed. I understand, no promises, just a gift between friends." As she slipped the ring on her right hand, she turned away to hide any tears that would betray her words. "No promises."
As he turned her around, he caught her lips in a passionate kiss full of what ifs. Then they walked back to get their horses ready for the trip.
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SIX MONTHS LATER
"Lom tried Heyes."
"I know, Kid, but only the governor knows about this secret amnesty. We're still wanted and we're still worth ten thousand dollars each. Just doesn't sound like a good deal."
"But we're goin' do it, aren't we, go straight?"
"Yeah, we're going give it our best shot and we've always been pretty good at succeeding in what we do."
"Maybe this means someday a home and a family," Curry mused. A brief thought of Chrissy McWinters floated through his mind. He enjoyed it, then tucked it away firmly.
"Maybe someday, Kid. But we got a year to prove ourselves, according to the governor." Heyes knew who his partner was dreaming about. When the Kid liked a woman, he talked about her constantly. When he was in love with a woman, he was quiet, lost in thoughts and dreams. He hadn't mentioned Chrissy McWinters since they had parted ten miles from her ranch.
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ONE YEAR LATER
Seeing the agonizing pain in his cousin's eyes, Hannibal Heyes lifted him as gently as he could into their buckboard, throwing the trapping supplies haphazardly to the ground to make room. Settling Kid Curry down on the furs, Heyes gingerly checked his partner's wounds. His left thigh had stopped bleeding but the bullet's entry and exit wounds were inflamed an angry red. His left side was still leaking blood. The bullet was still in there. Rebandaging the side tightly, Heyes noted the blood did not immediately saturate the covering.
Jumping into the driver's seat, Heyes drove quickly out of Big Paw and left the fighting in the saloon behind them. While going over possible routes and maps in his head, Heyes kept up a stream of words at his partner.
"Going to get you to a doctor, Kid, as fast as I can, but he's in the next town, almost eighteen miles away. This was my fault. I didn't know the two men drinking at the bar were with the cheating lout I was beating at poker. My fault, it's my fault. You would have known those two were with him."
Pulling the wagon to a halt, Heyes listened and was relieved to hear Curry's voice, albeit weak and sketchy. "Why'd we stop? We at the doctor?"
"No, I know this road. Maybe, just maybe, we have a friend nearby." Gambling on his feelings, Heyes turned the wagon west. He listened as Curry moans were only interrupted by brief interludes of unconsciousness. "About ten miles, Kid. Just hold on.
Concentrating on driving the wagon at a quick pace, he tried to avoid the pits and rocks in the road to give Curry a smooth ride. Figuring they had come nearly the ten miles, Heyes realized he had not heard moans from the back of the wagon for the last few miles. Alarmed, he stopped and jumped into the back. The shaking of the wagon brought a deep moan from Curry but then he was immediately unconscious again. Lifting the furs from his side, Heyes saw the bandage red with blood. Not knowing exactly how close he was to his destination, he took the time to rebandage the wound. He rechecked the bandage on his thigh and decided that one could stay. There was no movement or sound from his cousin.
With Curry unconscious, Heyes mind turned inward, and his guilt was overpowering. Then the wagon hit a pothole and the jerk brought his thoughts back to Curry. Moaning loudly, the wounded man soon settled back into unconsciousness.
With a sigh of relief, Heyes saw the lights of a house up ahead. Heading toward it, he drove through a high metal arch saying, Winter's Refuge. Urging his horse forward, he drove over the garden to the front door. He was relieved when Chrissy McWinters stormed out of the front door.
"What do you think you are doing?" She squinted into the darkness. "Heyes? Heyes, is that you? Why are you here? Where's…"
Heyes answered while he jumped into the back of the wagon and kneeled next to Curry. "The Kid, he's hurt. Didn't know where to take him. It's bad."
"Jed! No! Not Jed!" Heyes heard concern in her voice and something much more. "Juan, come here," she yelled at a teenager that had appeared from the side of the house. "Take Summer's Dawn. Get the doctor. He needs to get here immediately. Tell him I'll pay him triple if he comes now!"
Climbing into the wagon, she knelt on the other side of Curry. She brushed errant curls from his forehead. "We need to get him into the house. Can you carry him alone?"
Without waiting for an answer, she leaped from the wagon. "Give me a couple of minutes, I'll fix a place for him."
Afraid of not feeling anything, Heyes checked his unmoving partner for a pulse. He let his breath out when he felt a light one. Chrissy returned quickly accompanied by an older man. "Let's get him into the house. Jose will help you. He's my foreman."
As gently as they could, Jose helped Heyes move Curry to a room off the main room. The bed had clean sheets, blankets were pulled back, and many pillows awaited. They laid him softly on his right side, propping pillows behind him. Chrissy lifted his head and slid in another pillow.
Once he was settled, Heyes gently lifted his rough bandages from Curry's thigh and side. Chrissy gasped at the site of the wounds.
"Get these bandages off. I was boiling water for tea. I'll be back with hot water and clean bandages in a moment." Stopping at the door, she looked back at the wounded man and tears escaped but dried quickly. She had work to do.
By the time Juan was back with the doctor, they had cleaned the bullet's entry and exit wounds on Curry's thigh, but the infection still ran rampant.
"Your patient's in here, Dr. Lewis. Thank you for coming so quickly."
"Triple pay, Miss McWinters," the doctor's voice was cold, calculating.
"Yes, Doctor. And a bonus if he lives."
"Boiling water, now!" demanded the doctor.
"Yes, sir." Chrissy hustled out of the room.
"You." He pointed at Heyes. "You're going to hold him firm. I'm going to rip this bandage off his side. From the look of it he's already lost a lot of blood. Might not get that bonus she promised me."
Dr. Lewis started to pull at the blood-soaked bandage. It stuck to the wound. "Going to have to wait for the hot water. When I tear the bandages off, it's going to hurt. Need you to hold him, mister…mister?"
"Smith, Joshua Smith," Heyes said as Chrissy entered the room and questioned the name with a raised eyebrow.
"And your patient is my partner, Thaddaeus Jones."
After Chrissy bought the hot water and the bandages were removed from Curry's hip and side wounds, the doctor asked Chrissy and Heyes to leave the room. "You're too emotional. Emotion disrupts what I need to do. Is there someone else that can assist me?"
"Yes, Mrs. Ortiz, our cook and housekeeper is here."
"Send her in and you two stay out there," Dr. Lewis finished with a flourish pointing to the other room.
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"He seems like a quack to me." Heyes paced the room unable to sit still while wondering how efficiently the doctor was treating his partner.
"Heyes, he's a good doctor, just has a heart that beats for money. He's even studied Indian medicine and uses it successfully." Chrissy nervously fingered the sock she was trying to repair but making no progress.
Marina Ortiz popped her head out of the patient's room. "Missy, more hot water as soon as possible."
Glad to have something to do, Chrissy crossed to the kitchen and the water she had simmering just below a boil. Marina came out of the bedroom and was there as Chrissy turned around with the bowl of boiling water. "Doctor Lewis is very impatient. Bullet's out now."
As Heyes sighed in relief, Marina shook her head. "The infection is very bad, very, very bad."
When Marina was out of sight, Chrissy's strong exterior broke into tears.
Heyes wrapped his arms around her. As she cried into his shoulder, he allowed a few of his own tears to escape. Comforting her, comforted him and they stood clinging to each other with her sobbing until the doctor came out.
"You can see him now if you want. One at a time. He's not fully conscious and in great pain but you can sit with him. Keep a cold compress on his forehead and another on the back of his neck."
"Is there anything else we can do for him, Doctor Lewis?" Heyes asked, watching Chrissy rush into Curry's room.
"I'm going to make a Cherokee poultice that may help. All you two can do is pray. Pray that when he does die, it's not a lingering death in writhing pain.
Chrissy looked at the doctor. "He's dying?" Her tears were flowing uncontrolled.
"We all die, Miss McWinters, but there's a fighting chance he'll live."
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As a sun tried to break through cloudy skies the next morning, Curry had not woken, not even moaned. Chrissy sat next to his bed holding his hand. Heyes rested in the chair, filling himself with guilt as he watched each breath from his cousin lift the covers slightly. As long as the blankets moved, the Kid was alive.
The stomping heralding the doctor's entrance into the room broke both of them out of their private thoughts. Watching as the doctor recleaned and bandaged each wound, Heyes gave the man credit for his skill and knowledge.
"Has he opened his eyes? Said anything?" Doctor Lewis asked.
"No," answered Heyes while Chrissy only managed to shake her head.
Watching the concerned look on the doctor's face turn to sadness, Heyes asked, "Doctor?"
Abruptly, Doctor Lewis looked from his patient to Heyes. "Say your goodbyes and leave him to me."
"Our g-good b-b-byes?" Chrissy questioned through an avalanche of uncontrollable tears.'
"Yes, now hurry. I have one last shot to earn that survival bonus, but it's a long shot, less than one percent chance of success. Won't hurt anything to try it now," he said dispassionately. Heyes saw no compassion in the man.
Taking Curry's hand, Chrissy whispered through her tears, "I love you, Jed Curry. Always will." Turning, she ran from the small room.
Pulling the sheet back, the doctor started to remove the bandages. Heyes saw the angry red lines of infection spreading from each of his cousin's wounds. Laying his hand on Curry's flaming hot forehead, he let a tear fall from his eyes. "Fight, Kid, fight," he said quietly. So many other words he needed to say to his cousin, his best friend, but the silver tongue turned heavy and the thoughts were not vocalized. Heart breaking, he followed Chrissy out of the death room as the doctor closed the door behind him. He found her pacing the floor in her bedroom.
"Heyes." Chrissy reached for him and collapsed into his arms.
"Chrissy." He didn't know how long he held her, comforting her, finding comfort himself in her arms. Noon came and went, and the doctor did not emerge. Chrissy and Heyes sat side by side on her bed, thighs touching, his arm around her, her head on his shoulder. Hours passed when the doctor opened the door. Standing up together they went toward him, holding onto a shred of hope, but hope was not echoed in his eyes or manner.
"Mrs. Ortiz still here?"
"I can get her quickly," Chrissy answered. "Is he?" She could not bring herself to say the words she feared but had been preparing herself to hear.
"He's not dead but not improved, slipping away. I need hot water and Mrs. Ortiz' help." Without another word, he shut the door.
"I'll get the water," Heyes volunteered, walking to the kitchen area.
When Chrissy returned with Marina, the water was boiling and Heyes tried to follow her into Curry's room.
"Just Mrs. Ortiz." The doctor's stern voice stopped Heyes with one foot in the door. Getting a quick glimpse of his pale, motionless partner, Heyes' knew that the doctor had told the truth; the Kid was no better.
Marina Ortiz took the water and Heyes stepped back as Doctor Lewis closed the door in his face. Believing he had just seen the Kid alive for the last time, he did not move. He just stared at the closed door.
"Heyes?" He felt Chrissy's hand on his shoulder. Without a word, they walked to her bedroom, and sat back down on the side of her bed and waited.
When Marina emerged from the room, Chrissy stood up, questions on her tearstained countenance.
"Oh Miss Chrissy." Marina hugged her employer and her friend and she shook her head sadly.
Chrissy returned her embrace, trying to sooth the grief and sadness she saw in her eyes. Breaking the hold, Marina kissed her broken-hearted friend on the forehead.
"Is there any hope?" asked Chrissy.
Shaking her head, Marina answered, "Only with the Lord now. I've got to get back to Jose. He'll wonder where I went."
Chrissy returned to her seat beside Heyes on her bed but now clung to him for solace. In his sorrow, he folded her into his arms and cradled her tightly. Darkness had fallen and there was no sound from the sick room. Heyes kissed Chrissy on the hair to console her but her grief was his grief. He couldn't accept that the Kid might die. No, he corrected himself, was dying. All they had left was the waiting…and each other.
Clinging to each other, their mutual comfort turned to more. Their bodies entangled, sharing their warmth to soothe their mutual sorrow. It was need rather than passion as they clung to each other to stop the waves of mourning breaking over them. When it was over, they lay folded into each other. Only then did Heyes realize that she had not been with a man before.
As if she knew what he was thinking, she looked into his sad chocolate brown eyes and weakly smiled. "Thank you," she said as she closed her eyes and fell into an exhausted sleep in his arms.
Heyes woke suddenly to a slit of sun coming through her bedroom window. Sadness swept over him. Gently, he moved her head from his chest to the pillow and got up as guilt swept over him. It was his fault the Kid had been shot; he hadn't been vigilant enough while playing poker. And his fault he had laid with Chrissy, the woman the Kid loved, and who loved him in return.
Starting coffee, he looked around to see what he could make for breakfast when Mrs. Ortiz bustled through the back door carrying a basket of fresh eggs.
"Go, go, Mr. Smith, or whatever your name is. This is my kitchen."
When he looked to protest, she added, "If you must do something, go milk the cows. Do you know how to milk a cow or are you a city boy?"
"I grew up on a farm." His answer brought a slight smile to her face, but it faded as she looked at the closed door to Curry's room. "Nothing. No news at all," he said as he went to the barn, thankful to have something to do.
Returning with a pail of milk, he saw that Chrissy was up and dressed, helping Mrs. Ortiz set the table. When she saw him look at the number of place settings, Chrissy nodded and explained, "We take our meals together. The Ortiz family and I always eat together with any of my brothers that happen to be around."
Chrissy dropped the spoons and forks in her hand as the door opened and the doctor stepped out looking past exhausted.
"Mrs. Ortiz, would you sit with him? Give him water if he wakes." The doctor walked to the table and sat down in the nearest seat, oblivious to the breakfast preparations around him.
"Doctor?" Heyes asked tentatively, sure the doctor was about to tell them what he feared to hear.
Doctor Lewis looked around as if noticing all the people in the room for the first time. "Looks like I might get that survival bonus, Miss McWinters. Against all odds, his fever's down and he opened his eyes briefly about an hour ago."
"Thank God!" Marina looked up and crossed herself as she rushed to the bedroom.
Chrissy and Heyes tried to follow but the doctor grabbed Chrissy's arm and stopped them. "Not yet. He's sleeping, again. Let him rest. I just need Mrs. Ortiz to spell me for a bit while I eat and catch an hour's sleep. He's weak and his recovery will be slow and painful. You play the odds, Mr. Smith?"
"I've been known to."
"Well, this morning his odds are at twenty five percent."
"That he'll die?" returned Heyes, hope creeping into his voice.
"No, that he'll live."
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"Hi there," Heyes said with a smile as Curry opened his eyes tentatively later that day.
Curry's blue eyes focused on his cousin. "Hi. I gotta pee," he said, moving as if attempting to sit up but the effort was too much for him as he lost consciousness again.
"No, you don't. Stay with me. Fight! Let me get Doctor Lewis." Heyes walked to the door and peered out. "Doctor, he says he needs to pee. How...?"
"Of course. Good sign. I always carry a bedpan in my buggy." Doctor Lewis was pleased that Mr. Jones was improving. He thought of the triple pay and the bonus he was getting and thought of the poker games he could enter on his next trip to San Francisco. And maybe, just maybe, there was even more money he could get out of this night.
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Curry did not wake again until late afternoon. Seeing Chrissy at his bedside and feeling her holding his hand, he attempted a weak smile. "You seem too real to be a dream."
"Oh, Jed." Tears once again filled her eyes, but they were tears of thanksgiving and joy.
With his free hand, he tried to wipe her tears, but she grabbed it and kissed it.
In a soft, weak voice that seemed to take all his strength, he said, "Something I need to tell you. Should have told you before." He hesitated to gather the energy to speak again.
"Jed?"
"I love you, Chrissy. Always have. Always will."
"I love you, too"
"I thought I heard you tell me. It gave me the will to fight harder."
Careful of his injuries, she gave him a gentle hug. He managed to lift a hand and pat her back before slipping again into his dreams.
"Miss Chrissy, I'll sit with him now."
Chrissy turned at Marina's voice, surprised to see her and Heyes standing in the doorway. She could tell they had overheard her conversation. "Thank you. I would like a cup of tea."
In the kitchen, Heyes watched Chrissy put the kettle on without saying anything. She refused to make eye contact. Breaking the silence, he spoke with a pleading in his voice, "It was my fault, not yours. The Kid will never know."
There was thanks in her eyes but her words caught him off guard. "It wasn't your fault, Heyes, or my fault, either. We needed each other. And you're right, Jed must never know."
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Defying the doctor's dire odds, Curry improved slowly but consistently. Doctor Lewis stayed another day showing Marina how to clean the wounds and drain any pus. Giving strict instructions for Mr. Jones to stay in bed at all times, including using the old pewter bedpan he had provided, he left with the promise to return in two days. Chrissy stayed by Curry's bed all day and most of the night, deferring only to Heyes to eat or nap. Guilt ridden, he busied himself helping Mr. Ortiz, Jose, with the horses. They had two magnificent visiting mares for the week and Jose had explained that just those two stud fees were enough to keep the ranch solvent for the year. And they had two more mares coming the following week.
When Dr. Lewis returned, he changed the bandages and called Marina, Chrissy, and Heyes into the room. Curry was sitting up on the side of the bed.
"Mr. Jones insisted on trying to sit up and through stubborn determination, he managed it." Dr. Lewis' tone was unsympathetic. "I do not recommend that he does this often."
Seeing Curry waver to the side, Heyes went and sat closely by him. "You hear the doctor, Thaddeus? It's more important you heal up than try to sit up too soon."
Nodding his approval, the doctor added, "Fifteen minutes ONCE a day, that's all. And I want to hear that you are eating more, Mr. Jones. Mrs. Ortiz tells me you refuse half the food she brings you."
"Not hungry," Curry answered with a sheepish look at his partner.
"If you want to get well, that must change. Drink a lot of water and eat more."
"Don't like the bedpan." Curry's strength was fading, and his eyes closed as he spoke. "Chamber pot?"
Sighing, the doctor's reply was firm, "Bedpan. Eat more. Drink water. And sit up only once a day. Do you understand, Mr. Jones?" He tried to stare down his patient, but saw a flare of independence in the tired blue eyes.
His defiance only lasted a moment. Curry relented, "Yes, Doctor. Thank you."
"Thank me by doing as I order." Dr. Lewis turned quickly and left.
Curry leaned heavily against his cousin. "Heyes, help me lay down. Stupid idea to sit up." His sheepish grin returned as Heyes moved him further back into the bed and lifted his legs gently onto the bed.
"Always ready to help to rectify a stupid idea, Kid. You know that."
Curry's eyes closed as soon as his back hit the pillow and Chrissy rushed over to help lay his head on the pillow. Gently kissing his check, she said, "Sleep well, my love."
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With Chrissy nearby as inspiration, Curry healed. Two days later she brought him a light lunch. He had been sitting up in bed all day, restless, impatient to be up walking, and distracted with her closeness.
Setting the tray on the table next to the bed, she leaned over and kissed him. After enjoying kissing her back, he looked around. "We alone today?"
"Yeah, Marina had her son Juan take her into town and Heyes is out with Jose pampering our horses." She smiled widely as she sat next to him on the bed. "We are definitely alone."
His smile, so much brighter now that his fever was gone, lit up his face and his eyes. As he had dreamed about doing since they were together in Devil's Hole, he looked deep in her eyes for permission. Seeing his welcome there, he lifted her chin and kissed her lips firmly. Stopping and looking into the eyes he loved again, he saw approval and allowed his kiss to contain the passion he had held inside for over a year. She responded in kind. Thinking about him every day since they parted, she had searched the paper every day for news of him and his partner. She had not read anything in over a year.
"Oh Chrissy, I love you." Jed held her tighter, kissed her harder, need in every kiss.
Passionately, she wrapped her arms around him, returning his kisses with hers. Gently she pulled the thin sheet off of him. His thigh was bandaged tightly as was his side. Looking away from his injuries, his smile told her all she needed to know. "I love you, too, Jed."
With extreme gentleness, Curry gave in to his urges and took her in his arms. "You're sure we are all alone?" he teased, kissing her neck and lower.
"Just us, yes," she said, slipping her dress off over her head and reaching for the love of her life.
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Heyes smiled as he thought about the last few weeks. The Kid and Chrissy were seldom apart. They spoke little, content to be in each other's company, but he knew they had talked about the future. "Heyes, I told her about our amnesty deal with the governor."
"You did? Don't you think we should have talked that over first?"
Curry nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I don't want to have secrets from her, Heyes. I asked her to wait for me." He looked away from his cousin. Long ago they agreed that relationships had to wait until they, or if they, got the amnesty.
But Heyes had seen the two of them together, they were no longer complete alone. "I think I understand."
"And some of her brothers are comin' next week and I thought maybe they could see if the amnesty deal might be open to them, too. Chrissy would like that."
So like the Kid, trying to save everyone, Heyes thought. "Maybe, Kid."
"I asked her to marry me when our amnesty comes through."
"If, Kid, if," Heyes said sadly.
"Gotta believe that it will, Heyes."
"Kid…" Heyes was hesitant to bring up what he had been thinking about for the last few days. "I know you're feeling better and…"
A sadness crept into Curry's demeanor. "I know, Heyes. We need to leave soon. Probably before her brothers get here. And I will leave without an argument. But my heart will be here. I vowed I'd come back and take care of her always and I mean to keep that promise."
"And I'll be right by your side, cousin. Us two belong together."
"Heyes, me and you, we're family. We'll always be together, taking care of each other." Curry finished with a smile.
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Three days later, Hannibal Heyes and Jed Curry took their leave of Chrissy McWintesr and the Ortiz family. Chrissy wanted to make them a gift of two of her horses, but the fleeing ex-outlaws refused. Horses were traded or sold often while they were on the run. Chrissy smiled widely and handed them the food she had Marina prepare for their trip. Hugging Heyes, she kissed him on the cheek. "Take care of him for me."
Curry swung her off her feet and into his arms and kissed her hard. "We'll be back as soon as we can, Chrissy. Remember I love you." He loved to tell her that, to see the sparkle in her eye at those words.
"I love you, too!"
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FOUR MONTHS LATER
"Kid, they ain't giving up. They trailed us over the mountains and now here. We should have stayed silver mining in Nevada. We were isolated but safe there. They must have an Apache with them." Hannibal Heyes, exhausted, looked over just in time to see his partner's tired horse stumble and fall, spilling Jed "Kid" Curry onto the rocky trail. He lay there unmoving.
"Kid!" As Heyes jumped off his own horse, his tired legs collapsed under him, and he fell also.
"Now you men just stay still and put your hands up high in the air where we can see them!" commanded US Marshal Theo White, emerging from the cover of rocks and trees.
With a sign of resignation, Heyes raised his hands. "I surrender, don't shoot. But let me see to my partner."
"Jimmy, check that one out." The sheriff pointed his gun toward Curry without taking his eyes off of Heyes. "Watch out. We know they are tricky."
"Ain't a trick. He took a hard spill off his horse," Heyes argued, starting to put his arms down and head to Curry.
"Roland, get Heyes' gun. Then cuff his hands behind his back."
"I won't fight you. Just take care of him, please." Curry still had not moved, not even moaned.
Gun drawn; Jimmy approached the fallen Curry with caution. Putting fingers to his neck, he found a pulse and saw two gashes to his head bleeding profusely. "Must have hit his head when he fell, Marshall White." Removing Curry's gun, he slipped it into his belt.
Meekly, a handcuffed Heyes sat on the ground with Roland's gun pointed at his head. He watched as the Kid's head was bandaged. Blood soaked the cloth quickly and the bandage was changed.
"On your horse, Heyes," the marshal ordered. "Curry will ride in front of you. I'll handcuff your arms around him so you can support him. I prefer to bring you two in alive, if I can."
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Hannibal Heyes and Jedediah 'Kid' Curry were held together in the jailhouse in Cheyenne awaiting a quick trial, allowed to share the same cell so Heyes could take care of Curry. A doctor came daily and changed the bandage on Curry's head. The bleeding had stopped, but Heyes knew the Kid's thoughts were blurry, confused, dark. Curry's manner was defiant, his outlook hopeless. Heyes wasn't sure if it was the head injury or their dire circumstances that affected his partner. The doctor had assured him, head wounds often produced dark moods, but they passed. It could take a day, a week, a month, or a year, but they passed.
Lom Trevors came daily, too. Visiting the governor had been fruitless; their amnesty offer a thing of the past. Still, he vowed never to give up. To Heyes, Lom was hiding something, holding something back, and no matter how he tried, he couldn't get Lom to reveal his secret.
Even though newspaper coverage of the Heyes/Curry trial was widespread and nationwide, Lom brought only one paper to read. The article was short and said nothing new. Heyes devoured it; Curry ignored it.
"Kid." Heyes brought up the same topic he had talked out the last few weeks. "Guess it ain't no doubt we're serving those twenty years."
"No doubt, Heyes, none at all."
"We'll do what we've always done, Kid, watch each other's backs."
"Always got your back, won't be no difference in there."
"We need to keep our noses clean, too. Something Lom ain't told us. Maybe the governor's still thinking of amnesty or a pardon after the newspaper stories quiet down." Heyes was confident that was what Lom was hiding.
"No, Heyes. They're goin' put us in their prison and throw away the key for twenty years. Governor ain't goin' do anything to stop that. Prison has a way of breakin' a man. We've both seen it. If we ever get out, we'll be so broken, it won't matter." Curry laid down on his cot and turned his face to the wall, leaving Heyes alone with his thoughts.
ASJ*****ASJ
"Hannibal Heyes, you are found guilty on every charge and hereby sentenced to twenty years in the Wyoming Territorial Prison in Cheyenne." The judge of the trial spoke in a firm, controlled voice, but the words felt like bullets piercing his heart to Heyes as he hung his head and waited to hear the same words sealing his cousin's fate.
"Jedediah Curry, you are found guilty on every charge and hereby sentenced to twenty years in the Yuma Arizona Territorial Prison." Feeling like he had been struck in the chest, Curry bent over. He had expected the twenty years. He had come to believe Heyes' nightly mantra that they would watch each other's backs, be on their best behavior, wait for the governor to grant them a pardon, but he wasn't prepared to face this alone.
Sharing a look of panic and goodbye, the convicted men were led out of the courtroom by separate doors to face their new lives alone.