Trail's End

By

Red O'Toole

Chapter One

A chill wind blew through the pines carrying with it the promise of winter. The three riders hunched deep into their heavy coats, their collars turned up and their hats pulled low. The horses they rode and those they led had their shaggy winter coats to protect them. The overcast sky gave no indication of the time of day.

The trail widened into an inviting clearing, one that in another season would provide good grazing for the horses and water from a nearby stream, now frozen, would provide plentiful water. A ring of stones showing the scorch marks of fire indicated this spot had been used by travelers in the past as a layover spot.

Three stomachs complained that it had been hours since their last meal and their owners reined in and took stock of the clearing.

"This looks like a likely spot to set up camp for the night," said the rider in the battered, used-to-be-white hat.

The other two were silent as they sat their unmoving horses and gazed at the place that not many months ago had been the site of near tragedy. The wind moaning through the trees spoke to them of pain and fear and grief. They exchanged a long look and the rider in the black hat pulled a watch out of his pocket. "If we push on we have just enough light to make it down the pass. I know we're tired and hungry, but I'd rather not camp here. What about you, Kid?"

"I'm with you, Heyes," replied the rider in the floppy brown hat. "If not stoppin' here meant no supper at all, I'd still ride on."

"What's wrong with this place?" the first speaker asked.

"This is where Heyes was nearly killed last summer, Sam," Kid Curry explained shortly.

"Oh, well, let's keep moving then."

Curry was in the lead as they reached the end of the forest, his eyes and ears alert as ever, though seemingly at ease in his saddle. A rustling in the underbrush instinctively sent his right hand to the butt of his gun and when several pheasants burst from cover in panic his lightning draw brought two down in midair. "Roast pheasant for supper!" he announced, swinging off his horse to retrieve the birds.

"That'll make a nice change of pace," Heyes commented. "Who's gonna pluck 'em, though?"

"I shot 'em, so it only stands t'reason you should pluck 'em!"

"You boys know I'll be the one to pluck 'em," Sam interjected. "And cook 'em!"

"Well, you do have a real fine hand with trail cookin', Sam," Kid said with an appreciative grin.

"An' Kid knows two things really well, Sam, guns an' food!" Heyes added with his own twinkling eyed smile.

"I appreciate the compliment, but I hope you don't plan to have me cooking when we get to your ranch."

"Oh, no!" Curry exclaimed. "Your cookin' may be good, but Mary now, she cooks like an angel!"

"Careful, Kid, you're droolin'!" his partner kidded.

Curry threw his friend a dirty look and tied the birds to his saddle. "Seriously, Sam, you're in for a real treat," he continued as he remounted so they could continue their journey.

"I'm looking forward to it, Kid," Sam replied.

"You won't get that chance if we don't get down off this mountain," Heyes growled before urging his mount forward.

They paused again before starting down the pass and took in the view of the valley below.

Heyes drew a deep breath and released it saying, "Don't it look beautiful, Kid?"

"Yup, it does, Heyes."

"I got this feelin' I ain't had since I was little."

"An' what's that?"

"Like I'm comin' home," Heyes replied with a far off look in his eyes and a half smile on his lips.

"Know what you mean, Heyes," Curry said, "But first we gotta get these horses down this pass. Can you tell me again why we didn't take the easier road through Oakton?"

"That way would've added a week or more to our trip is why, Kid, same as the last time we came through here."

Curry grunted. "Yeah, well, one good thing is you ain't bleedin' this time down!"

"Another good thing is it hasn't snowed yet t'make the goin' slippery," the dark haired former outlaw added. "Can we get goin' now before the dark catches us up here?"

Although the trail was wide enough to ride two abreast, they took it single file so as to not crowd the rough broke mustangs they led. Heyes and Curry each had a string of three while Sam had four in tow. The mustangs had gotten used to the routine and were sure-footed and unafraid of the mountain trail. The group descended without mishap or misstep.

Not far off the trail at the bottom was a small clump of trees around a spring-fed pool screened somewhat from any traffic on the trail by several rather large boulders. Curry handed the lead rope of his string to Heyes and rode to check it over.

"This'll do fine," he reported as he reclaimed the string. "Water and good cover."

"Well, as long as you're happy with it, Kid," Heyes snorted and urged his horse off the trail.

In a routine well rehearsed over the weeks, they picketed the horses and set up their camp. Then while Sam cleaned and prepped the pheasants, Heyes set up a fire ring and got the fire going and Curry unpacked the cooking utensils and filled the coffee pot with fresh water from the pool. Soon the smell of roasting fowl began to fill the evening air and dripping fat sizzled into the fire accompanied by the aroma of coffee brewing.

Heyes poured himself a cup when the coffee was ready and sipped it while he watched the wrangler mix up a batch of biscuits. "I figure we should make our place sometime tomorrow afternoon," he calculated. "That's if we bypass the town an' just head on up. That's only a rough guess, though, since the last time through didn't give us a very accurate time t'base it on - - that felt more like a lifetime!"

"It almost was a lifetime, Heyes, your lifetime!" Curry reminded the other man.

"Huh, yeah, you're right, Kid."

"It's pretty isolated here, the odds seem pretty low anybody else'd be around," Sam commented. "How did it happen that you got shot? If you don't mind my asking, that is."

"Someone spotted us in Taylorsville," Kid cut in before Heyes could speak. "Someone with a grudge against me. He followed us - - shot Heyes from ambush - - t'get back at me!" Kid still felt his throat tighten when he talked about it.

"Why didn't he shoot you the same way?"

"That, most likely, was his plan, but I played on his pride, his reputation, how big it would be if he outdrew Kid Curry!"

"Which he obviously didn't do."

"Nobody's faster than Kid Curry, Sam!" Heyes boasted proudly.

"Yet," Curry amended. "It's only a matter of time."

"Always the pessimist!" the other snorted.

Curry shrugged. "It's just the way it is - - some cocky youngster wantin' t'prove himself'll be that split second faster an' then he'll be the fastest gun in the West an' I'll be wishin' 'im the best with it!"

"You won't be doin' any wishin', or anything else, in that case, Kid, cuz you'll be dead!" Heyes growled. "Somethin' we're tryin' to avoid, remember?"

"It ain't like I go lookin' for trouble, Heyes!" Curry protested.

"I know, Kid," Heyes soothed. "Trouble just always seems t'find us! That's why we need someone like you, Sam - - someone who can be our public face, an' keep trouble from findin' our ranch."

"I'll sure do my best, Heyes, Kid." The wrangler and the former outlaws had formed an easy camaraderie during their trip from Coleville and a firm bond of friendship, something that never ceased to amaze Sam on the rare occasions that he gave thought to his companions' former occupation. "Most of the time these past couple of weeks I find myself forgetting that you're wanted outlaws, and then I wonder what my father's reaction would be if he knew who his black sheep son was consorting with!" he commented with a wry grin.

"He'd be appalled most likely - - disown you as his son and your poor mother would faint!" the darker outlaw laughed.

"You gotta not judge all outlaws based on what you know of us, though, Sam," Curry interjected seriously. "A good lot of 'em even Heyes an' me won't turn our backs on!"

"Yeah," Heyes agreed. "Most of 'em are perfectly happy livin' their lives of crime - - tryin' for amnest would never cross their minds! 'Course most of 'em don't have the kind of bounty on their heads we do t'motivate posses an' bounty hunters t'chase 'em relentlessly! An' as long as we have that money ridin' on us we ain't gonna be completely safe!"

"I knew as soon as I met you that you two were different, of course that was as sheriffs, but I guess it follows you'd be a different sort of outlaw, too. What about the rest of the Devil's Hole Gang? Are they like you?"

"I had rules an' Kid made sure they got followed. Anybody who didn't like 'em, or broke 'em, either left on their own or were kicked out. Wouldn't have mattered who did the shootin', if one of the gang killed somebody we'd all hang!" Heyes explained.

"Dick Ramsey, the one who shot Heyes, was one of the kicked out ones," Curry put in.

"Funny thing is he was a complete stranger to me! He'd come in an' gotten himself kicked out by the Kid before I even got back from settin' the details on our next job!"

"Okay for you t'think it's funny, Heyes! I sure don't!" Curry growled.

"I meant funny strange, Kid," the other replied with a roll of his eyes. "I didn't find anything amusin' in it either!" Heyes noticed the wrangler frowning thoughtfully. "What's on your mind, Sam?"

"Outlaws having rules just seems contradictory to me - - I mean, they're breaking laws, which are rules!"

"Well, there is your lone wolf type - - those who don't wanna live by anyone else's rules, but most outlaws tend t'run in some kind of group - - more protection, better chances of success - - an' they know there can only be one leader, who makes the rules. Now if enough of 'em are unhappy then they'll force a change of leadership."

"That ever happen to you?"

"Naw, ol' Wheat every now an' then thought he'd make a better leader, but the boys knew they were better off with me an' the Kid. But back t'followin' orders - - folks who don't know any better'll figure it don't take anything for a bunch of outlaws t'rob a train, or a bank, but a successful robbery takes plannin' down t'the last detail an' everyone in the gang has a vital part t'play, an' if one of 'em figures he don't need t'follow orders, well, then at the very least the job doesn't go as smoothly with one of the others havin' t'pull the slacker's weight, or at the worst end some of us, or all of us, get killed or captured! So rules are vital, so's followin' 'em. Oh, the fellas'd chafe against 'em sometimes, but deep down they knew what I asked for was best for all of us."

"Huh!" Sam said. "Who'd ever thought outlawing would be such hard work!"

"Yeah, we sure don't get the credit we deserve!" Curry snorted.

"Don't guess we ever will, Kid," Heyes agreed.

"Doesn't the fact that you have such high bounties on your heads mean they give you some kind of credit?" Sam queried curiously as he removed the pan of biscuits from the coals.

"It means they know we're good at what we do, but they'll never understand why we're so good at what we do – or, rather, what we did! It's just a small matter of professional pride."

"I wouldn't call your pride a small matter, Heyes!" Curry grinned as his partner shot him a dirty look. "That ain't t'say it ain't justified!"

Sam's announcement that the pheasants were ready to be eaten put an end to the conversation as each man concentrated on devouring the succulent birds and fresh biscuits.

Replete, the three men relaxed, savoring a final cup of coffee before rolling out their bedrolls. Curry sighed in contentment. "Sam, not only do you have a fine touch with the horses, but also a fine hand with cooking! You'll make some woman a fine husband some day!"

Heyes laughed, "Yeah, especially if she can't cook!"

"You're both assuming that I'll find a woman to marry," Sam put in, his rusty moustache lifting with his smile.

"Of course you will, Sam! Why you're a decent lookin' fella! I'm bettin' the unmarried ladies of Coldwater'll be all over you!" Curry said bracingly.

"If that red caterpillar there on your lip don't scare 'em away!" Heyes snorted.

"Some women find facial hair attractive, Heyes!" the wrangler retorted. "They consider it a sign of virility!"

"Hah! Now you're just dreamin'!"

"You'll see!"

"Oh, so you are gonna find a girl!"

"It's not beyond the realm of possibility - - especially with a steady job so I'll have something to offer," Sam defended himself.

"Slick, Heyes," Curry nodded in approval, an appreciative smile on his face.

"All a matter of playin' on a man's pride," the dark outlaw replied.

"What're you two talking about?"

"A few minutes ago you weren't too sure you'd find a girl t'marry, now, after a few twists of Heyes' silver tongue, you're sure you will!" Curry explained.

"You were deliberately manipulating me?" the wrangler exclaimed.

Heyes grinned and shrugged.

"You're a dangerous man, Hannibal Heyes!" Sam declared.

"Now you're really getting' the picture!" Curry laughed.

Though it was still fairly early, they wanted to get an early start in the morning, so they banked the fire and settled onto their bedrolls. Soon only the crickets and an occasional soft snore broke the quiet of the night.

Heyes could barely contain his eagerness to be on the road when they woke the next morning. Anyone who didn't know him well wouldn't have noticed any difference, but Kid Curry, who knew his best friend as well as he knew himself, could recognize the signs. He knew Heyes would gladly have sacrificed breakfast, drinking only a quick cup of coffee, but didn't since he knew that his two companions needed their breakfasts, turning his nervous energy instead on preparing the horses while the bacon fried.

Sam had made extra biscuits the night before to save morning cooking time and these were now used to make bacon sandwiches. Heyes took his without comment, along with a cup of coffee, and ate it standing up leaning against one of the large boulders, eyes on the road ahead. Curry sighed inwardly, but refrained from saying anything, eating his breakfast more enthusiastically. Sam had traveled with the two long enough to take morning moods in stride and followed their lead. All in all it was a silent and quickly eaten meal.

As soon as the fire was put out and the frying pan and coffee pot cleaned and stowed, along with each man's bedroll, they claimed their string of horses and mounted up. Heyes led them off at a slow jog to warm the horses' muscles and then kicked his horse into a ground-eating canter.

After they had covered several miles at this pace, Heyes slowed them to a walk, allowing the other two riders to come up alongside him. Curry glanced at his partner and wasn't surprised to see that the sparkle had returned to his eyes now that they were on the move. He exchanged an understanding look with the other man, his own blue eyes reflecting the same eagerness he saw in the brown ones.

The once overgrown, nearly invisible track into the mountains had now been beaten and worn into a veritable road by the caravans of wagons that had made the trek over the course of the summer, hauling load after load of building materials, then furniture, and household necessities.

"Might as well put up a sign post!" Curry grunted.

Heyes shrugged. "It was bound to happen, Kid, but nobody needs to know it leads to us."

"I guess you're right, Heyes," the gunslinger acknowledged grudgingly.

They continued up the track and by mid-afternoon had reached the top of the pass. Blue sky seemed to stretch out forever in front of them and the sun shone, but the cold wind blew dead leaves around the horses' hooves and warned of the imminent onset of winter.

Heyes barely felt the cold, though, as he gazed down into the valley, his heart thudding against his ribs at the long awaited sight. From this distance he could make out the cluster of buildings that had been built but few details, though the column of smoke rising into the air from what to be the ranch house was a welcome sight. "It looks like the girls are expecting us, Kid," he commented.

"Well, you did telegraph them with an approximate date, Heyes, an' we almost hit it exactly on the nose!" Curry replied.

"Yeah, but I hardly dared hope they'd be here to meet us!"

"Wouldn't you if you was them? I know I would."

"Most likely, Kid." Heyes turned to Sam. "So what do you think, Sam?"

"It's breathtaking from up here, Heyes!" the wrangler breathed.

"It's not too bad from down there, either, so let's get going before I freeze to death!" Curry exclaimed.

Heyes chuckled and, need no further encouragement, nudged his horse forward on the downhill slope, his spirit soaring as if suddenly freed from a cage, winging its way home.

7