Hannibal Heyes sat down at the table where his partner was drinking coffee, took off his hat, and laid it beside the pot. “Horses are ready. D’ya order?”

Nodding, the Kid looked past Heyes at the waitress who was bringing over a tray. She set a plate down in front of each of them. After a few mouthfuls of eggs and toast, the dark-haired man paused and regarded his partner. Curry kept his head down and seemed to be lacking his usual enthusiasm for his food. He took a sip of coffee with each bite, but Heyes refrained from commenting. One thing the Kid hated was when his partner fussed over him. Deciding to pick his battles, Heyes continued eating while surreptitiously watching his friend.

Now that he thought about it, Curry had acted strange last night too. Instead of joining Heyes at the poker table, he elected to sit at a table nearby, keeping an eye on the game for any trouble, but sipping several whiskeys while Heyes played. Normally the Kid didn’t drink much unless Heyes was there to watch his back. Luckily the game stayed friendly and the other players were gracious about Heyes winning most of their money.

When they returned to their room at the hotel, Curry hadn’t said much then either. Simply took off his gun belt, undressed and slipped under the covers. When Heyes asked if he minded the lamp being left on for a while because he had found a book he wanted to read, the Kid merely shook his head and rolled over.

Heyes finished his breakfast and looked over to see that the Kid managed to clear his plate, but Heyes knew that he hadn’t ordered as much as usual. The waitress refilled their coffee cups and Curry quickly reached for it and drank most of it in one swallow. Once again his partner refrained from saying anything, merely sipped at his own coffee and idly watched the townspeople coming and going past the café. Then he realized the Kid was standing up and had his hat on but he wasn’t saying anything.

“Ready?” Heyes asked and Curry nodded.

Heyes pulled some money out of his pocket, laid it on the table and followed his partner out the door and down to the livery stable. Curry paid the livery owner and they were soon mounted and heading at a brisk walk out of town and towards their destination – Porterville.

They just finished working for a small ranch and when they wired Lom that they would be leaving the next day, he asked them to swing by Porterville before they headed up into the mountains to try their luck at panning for gold. They wouldn’t get rich doing it, but they could work when they wanted to without taking orders from anyone. He said he might have news; if it were anything to do with the amnesty, he could not put it in a telegram.

As the horses carried them further and further from town, Heyes decided to ask the question that he’d wanted to ask since sitting down to breakfast. Looking at his partner he realized that the indirect approach might be the better way to go. “You’re awful quiet,” he turned his head back to the trail, watching Curry out of the corner of his eye.

The Kid shrugged. “Guess I don’t have much to say,” he finally offered.

“Uh huh.” Heyes decided to let the matter drop.

For now.

Knowing the Kid as well as he did, Heyes was keenly aware of the fact that badgering him wouldn’t get him the answer he wanted. Heyes nudged his bay into a lope with Curry’s chestnut automatically following. When they slowed the horses back into a walk, Heyes snuck another look at his partner. He looked okay but Heyes knew he wouldn’t admit he wasn’t feeling well until he fell off his horse.

The Kid did stubborn really well and it was one of his qualities that could get downright irritating at times. This looked like it was one of those times. Heyes sighed heavily and resigned himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to get any answers out of his partner any time soon. The sun was well overhead when Heyes indicated a shady spot off to their left, next to a small stream.

“Figure we should give the horses a rest,” he suggested and the Kid nodded.

They dismounted, loosened the cinches and let the horses drink their fill before ground tying them where they could graze. Heyes pulled some jerky out of his saddlebag and held it out. “Want some?”

Curry shook his head and reached for his canteen, taking a long drink before emptying it and re-filling it from the stream. Heyes pretended to be studying the area around them, but snuck in a glance or two before the Kid caught him staring. It just wasn’t natural for Curry to turn down any kind of food and Heyes was starting to worry.

“You sure you’re okay?” Heyes finally couldn’t keep the question from slipping out.

The look in the Kid’s eyes when he turned to Heyes clearly said ‘leave me alone’.

Holding up his hands, palms out, Heyes shook his head. “Fine. Don’t tell me.”

Sitting down by the stream, Heyes deliberately turned his back on his partner and chewed on his jerky. The Kid sat down and, with his back against a boulder, tipped his hat forward and closed his eyes. Mentally sighing, he knew he wasn’t going to be able to put Heyes off much longer. He felt the sore throat coming on last night, which is one of the reasons he had been sipping more whiskey than usual. It helped somewhat and he had been able to get some sleep. This morning his head started aching and now pretty much everything ached. They needed to get to Porterville and if he told Heyes he thought he was coming down with something they’d stop at the next town. Curry wanted to see what Lom had to say about the amnesty and he wasn’t going to let something like a bad cold get in the way.

The Kid was startled awake by a hand on his arm. Instinctively he reached for his gun, but just as quickly a hand covered his. “Easy, easy,” a soft voice said soothingly. “Sorry,” his partner said. “I shouldn’t have startled you like that.”

“Didn’t mean to fall asleep.” As he spoke he could feel the pain in his throat flare up.

Heyes immediately picked up on the raspy tone of the Kid’s voice and he sat back on his heels, pulling off his hat and running his hand through his hair. “You’re sick.” It wasn’t a question and Curry sighed in defeat as his partner stood up.

“I’m alright, Heyes. It’s just a sore throat.” He went to stand, but a wave of dizziness washed over him and only Heyes’ quick grab at his arm kept him from falling.

“Here, sit down. Let me have a look at you.” Heyes tilted the Kid’s hat back and he didn’t like what he saw. Taking off his glove, he touched the back of his hand to Curry’s forehead and frowned. “You feel pretty warm.”

“Well, it’s hot out here,” the Kid tried to get up again. “Come on. We’re wasting time.”

Narrowing his eyes, Heyes watched him walk over to his horse and tighten the cinch. “Will you come on?” The Kid impatiently mounted and waited for Heyes to do the same.

Resignedly, Heyes went over to his bay mare, and climbed into the saddle. This time Curry led the way down the trail and they didn’t speak again until several hours later. The sun had been shining for most of the day but now dark gray clouds were forming. Heyes looked up at the forbidding sky. “If I didn’t know better I’d say those were snow clouds.” He pulled his jacket tighter. “Gettin’ colder, too.”

The Kid looked at him as if he was crazy. “It’s only September,” he managed to say, his throat hurting more with each word. But he pulled up the collar of his sheepskin jacket as protection against the wind, which had turned icy.

“Yeah, and this is Wyoming. You and I know that it doesn't matter what month it is. It snows when it damn well feels like it. And if you’re sick now there’s no way we can camp outside tonight. Let’s head for Coltsville.” Heyes urged his horse into a fast lope and Curry followed.

They hadn’t gone more than a few miles when the sun disappeared completely and Heyes saw the first snowflake settle on his horse’s neck. “Damn,” he muttered. They were still a day’s ride from town and they wouldn’t be able to travel much longer.

As they urged the horses on, he remembered a section of caves they had found when riding with the Devil’s Hole gang. Pulling his bay to a halt, he looked up at his partner.

“Kid, I think we better try for the caves. At least we’ll be out of this weather. Some of ‘em are big enough for the horses.”

Curry shook his head. “Let’s try for town, Heyes.” He knew that his friend was probably right, but he really didn’t want to spend the night in a cold, drafty cave.

“We can’t ride much further--we’re losin’ the light.” Heyes spoke as patiently as he was able, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. “If one of the horses stumbles, we’re done.” He took note of the Kid’s flushed cheeks and blue eyes that glittered with fever and he knew they had to find shelter soon. “Come on,” he turned his horse onto the trail leading up the mountain, not looking back to see if the Kid was following.

The chestnut obediently followed his stable mate and Curry disgustedly let him have his head. Luckily, Heyes was extremely familiar with the trails for several hundred miles and he knew exactly the best route to take to get to the section of the mountain with the caves. The snow was falling softly but steadily around them, muffling the sounds of their horses’ hooves. Heyes could hear the jingle of the chestnut’s bridle and it was the only way he knew the Kid was behind him as they made their way slowly up the mountain. He was worried that complete darkness would overtake them before they reached the caves, and it was with great relief that he saw the dark openings in the hill above them.

“Kid, we’re almost there.” He turned in the saddle to look at his partner, but Curry had his head down and Heyes knew that the chestnut was probably following his bay mare out of habit more than guidance from his rider.

Leading the way up the gradual slope, Heyes knew that they were lucky to have made it this far without either horse slipping on the treacherous footing. When they reached more even ground he halted his horse and the Kid’s gelding stopped obediently beside him. At first Curry didn’t notice they had stopped as it had taken all of his concentration just to remain upright in the saddle. When he lifted his head he saw Heyes looking at him, worriedly. “I’m okay,” he managed to say. “Let’s just get out of this snow.”

Nodding, the dark-haired man guided the mare up the trail. The first caves were too small so Heyes kept moving. The snow was stopping and he was grateful for that as it made it easier to see where they were going. A few minutes later they reached a cave that would be big enough for them and the horses. He reined the bay into the entrance and Curry’s chestnut would have kept walking if Heyes hadn’t grabbed the bridle.

“Whoa,” he said quietly. “Kid, wait here a minute until I get a place for you set up, okay?”

The blond nodded slowly but didn’t pick up his head. Heyes dismounted and quickly stripped the bay of her saddle, which he carried further into the cave and tossed the blanket on top. The mare lowered her head tiredly and he gave her a pat as he went over to the chestnut. Curry was holding onto the saddle horn with a death grip and Heyes gently pried his hands loose. The dim light was fading rapidly and Heyes knew he had to get a fire started quickly.

First he needed to get the Kid down off his horse. Knowing that Curry wasn’t going to be able to dismount by himself, he touched the blond’s leg to get his attention. “Kid, you need to swing your leg over the saddle. Then I can help you down.”

Nodding to show he understood, Curry wearily swung his right leg over his horse’s withers and into Heyes’ waiting arms. Staggering, he managed to guide the Kid into the cave and over to the saddle where he helped him sit down. Heyes pulled the bedroll off the mare and draped it over him. “Stay there while I get a fire going.”

The Kid looked at him, his blue eyes reflecting his exhaustion. But he couldn’t resist a slight grin as he answered, “Take your time. Ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

Heyes gave him a pat on the shoulder and chuckled. “Reckon you’re not.”

After getting Curry’s chestnut settled, Heyes untied the Kid’s bedroll and went back to his partner. He crouched beside him. “How’re doin’?” his tone gentle, as he tucked the second bedroll around him.

The Kid looked at him and then closed his eyes. “I’ve felt better,” he managed to whisper.

“Yeah,” Heyes nodded. “I’ll bet. Let me get a fire going and then we’ll see about getting you out of those damp clothes.”

It was too much of an effort to answer so Curry simply nodded. Heyes quickly gathered whatever he could find in the cave and then added some more substantial branches he found outside the cave. Soon he had a fair sized fire blazing. The gradual warmth was welcome after the cold ride and he warmed his hands for a minute before he turned his attention to the Kid.

“Hey, partner,” he tried to rouse the blond, “I’m gonna need some help here. You need to lean forward a little so I can get your jacket off.”

“Mmmm?” Curry mumbled but obediently let himself be pulled towards Heyes as the dark-haired man worked at the buttons of the coat.

The sheepskin jacket kept Curry’s shirt fairly dry but his pants were soaked and Heyes knew they had to come off. Trying to decide the best way to get this accomplished, Heyes unbuckled the Kid’s gun belt and the blue eyes flew open.

“Whoa, easy, take it easy,” Heyes rubbed his hands up and down the Kid’s arms, trying to calm him down. “We need to get those wet pants off.”

The Kid blinked and looked around, suddenly realizing where they were. His eyes returned to his partner and he nodded. “Sorry,” he rasped painfully.

“S’okay,” Heyes gave him a small grin. “I shouldn’t have spooked you like that. Just set a minute and I’ll get you something dry.”

He rummaged in the Kid’s saddlebags, pulling out dry pants, socks and long johns. Going back over to his partner he was glad to see that he stayed awake and even managed to get his gun belt off. He looked up as Heyes approached. “I’m sorry, Heyes.”

“For what?” Kneeling down Heyes pulled off his partner’s boots. “Come on, you’re gonna have to stand up. Just let me do all the work.”

As he was hoisting the blond to his feet and unbuckling his belt, Curry let his head drop tiredly on the dark-haired man’s shoulder. “For not telling you I was getting sick,” he mumbled. “We probably should have stayed in town.”

Deftly Heyes pulled down the pants and was relieved to find that the long johns were dry. “Here, step out of these.”

A few minutes later, the Kid was back on the ground, in dry pants and Heyes was pulling off his wet socks and replacing them with dry ones. Then he pulled the bedrolls over him and tucked them in. The whole ordeal exhausted what little strength the Kid had summoned up and he leaned his head back against the saddle. Heyes pulled a tin cup from the saddlebags and went to scoop up some snow. Setting the cup near the fire he fetched their bottle of whiskey. When the snow melted, he added the whiskey and took it to the Kid.

“It’s not much but it might help warm you up a little.” Heyes took a sip to make sure it wasn’t too hot and then offered it to his partner.

Curry tried to hold the cup, but he was shivering so badly that Heyes reached over to hold it for him. The warm water felt good on his sore throat and the whiskey burned pleasantly in his stomach. When the cup was empty, Heyes set it down and pushed back the sweat dampened curls from the Kid’s face. “More?” he asked and Heyes shook his head.

“In a few minutes. Let that settle first. I need to get halters on the horses and take their bridles off. Be right back.”

The Kid nodded and closed his eyes. Heyes got the horses settled for the night, apologizing to them because there was no hay or grain. When he returned to the fire, he realized that Curry had fallen into a restless sleep so he decided to go back out and search for more wood. He’d need a lot more if they were going to keep the fire going all night. He was lucky to find enough branches and small logs not far from the mouth of the cave, and when he had dragged it all inside, he decided that he too should get out of his wet pants and into dry ones. Once that was done, he settled back against his saddle and chewed on a piece of jerky, washed down with some whiskey. He made sure not to drink too much as he’d probably need more of it for his partner.

Sighing heavily, Heyes considered their predicament. At least they were dry and warm and for that he was thankful. If the Kid simply had a bad cold, it would run its course and he would be fine. However, Heyes remembered when he had gotten sick in Clarence’s cabin and Heyes had been afraid he wasn’t going to survive. So far he hadn’t been coughing, but Heyes didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.

Their options were limited. There were three towns within a day’s ride under good weather conditions. Even if Curry was able to ride tomorrow, they would have to take it slow. He seriously doubted that the Kid would be able to sit a horse anytime soon. Finishing the jerky, he finally admitted to himself that there was one more place they could go. It would only take them a few hours, even riding at the slow pace that his friend’s condition demanded. They would have to ride double, but it could be done. Letting go another sigh, Heyes tossed a few more branches on the fire. The problem was he really didn’t want to have to resort to that option.

Devils’ Hole. He had been back there twice over the last year, but not the Kid. Heyes knew that his reception wouldn’t be any warmer than it had been the last two times. Wheat would take great pleasure in denying them food and shelter even though Heyes would make it clear to him that he had no other choice. The Kid was sick and Devil’s Hole was the closest place to take him. It was as simple as that. Somehow he didn’t think Wheat would agree.

Curry roused himself a few minutes ago and was studying his partner through half-closed eyes. Knowing Heyes as well as he did, he could see that he was struggling with something and he had an idea he knew what it was. Even though the fever muddled his thoughts, the Kid knew exactly where they were and he knew without a doubt where Heyes was contemplating taking them. He was going to have to find a way to sway Heyes’ decision, because there was something he had never told his partner after his last meeting with Kyle.

Kid Curry was losing patience. He had been trying to convince Kyle and the others that giving back the poker money was in their best interest, but so far he wasn’t having much luck. He knew that a part of Kyle was still loyal to him and Heyes, but the fact remained that Kyle was making a decision in Wheat’s absence. A decision that he took very seriously and right now the other men were making it very clear to Kyle that if he did give back the money, they weren’t agreeable.

“Kyle,” the Kid called to him as he walked a few feet away. “Come here a minute.”

Giving the others a quick glance, Kyle hitched up his pants and came over to where Curry waited. “Yeah, Kid?”

Struggling to keep his voice calm, the blond regarded Kyle soberly. “Look, we need that money. If I don’t go back with it, we lose our chance at that amnesty. And you know how much that means to us.” He paused as he could see Kyle thinking about what he was saying.

Kyle nodded, shifting his tobacco from one side of his mouth to the other. “Yeah, Kid, but Wheat ain’t gonna like it.”

“I know that. But I don’t think Wheat’s gonna like dodging the kind of posse that those ranchers can hire. Probably gonna be some professionals ridin’ in that posse. You really want to take that chance?”

The Kid was silent, letting Kyle work out what he was saying. “But,” Kyle started to speak and Curry cut him off.

“I already told you that you can keep the money that Heyes had in front of him.” The Kid put his hand on Kyle’s shoulder and leaned in closer. “Do this for us, Kyle. Please. And I promise that me an’ Heyes won’t come askin’ for any more favors.”

It had taken Kyle a few minutes to ponder over that. Wheat would sure like that part of the bargain. And the part about the posse sure made sense.

Reluctantly, Kyle had agreed. Riding back to Lordstown the Kid argued with himself the entire time wondering if he should tell Heyes about what had happened. He still hadn’t made a decision when he rode back into town, but once they were on their way again, the right opportunity never seemed to present itself. And now, here they were, about to ride back into Devil’s Hole.

Heyes sighed heavily as he poked restlessly at the fire. Mumbling to himself, he had no idea that his partner was listening to every word he said. “Damn. I hate havin’ to go to Devil’s Hole and askin’ Wheat for another favor. Wouldn’t put it past him to tell us we ain’t welcome—no matter how sick the Kid is.”

Knowing that his partner didn’t realize he was speaking out loud, Curry decided that he had to try and get Heyes to change his mind. Summoning up what little strength he had, the Kid said, as forcibly as he could, “No.”

Taking in the pallor of his friend’s face, he narrowed his eyes as he began, “No?” His expression showed confusion as he continued, “Kid…”

A slow shake of his head accompanied by another "No" encouraged Heyes to ask, "You don't want to go back to Devil’s Hole?"

Curry closed his eyes and nodded.

Heyes studied his partner for a few minutes. The Kid was in no condition to oppose Heyes and he knew it. Didn’t stop him from trying, though, Heyes thought. What he didn’t understand was why going back to the hideout was causing his friend so much distress. Trying for a placating tone, Heyes nodded. “Okay, why don’t we wait until morning to decide what we’re going to do. If you feel up to it, we’ll ride into Coltsville.”

The Kid nodded reluctantly. He was just so damned tired he couldn’t think straight.

“Want something to drink?”

“Yeah.” His voice was barely above a whisper and his partner winced at how painful he sounded.

Again he held the cup for him as he drank. “Slowly, okay?”

When the cup was empty the Kid nodded gratefully. “Thanks.”

Heyes nodded and pulled out his bandana to wipe the Kid’s face. “I think we have some beans left, you want me to heat some up for you?”

Curry shook his head. Swallowing the whiskey-laced water had been hard enough. He’d never be able to force solid food down. “Maybe later.”

Studying him intently, Heyes took in the shadows under his eyes and the unnaturally flushed face caused by the fever. “Kid,” he began and placed a comforting hand on his friend’s chest. “I need to know, how bad d’ya really feel?” The look in his eyes spoke of his deep concern and the Kid knew he wasn’t going to give up until he got a straight answer.

Through all of the years they had spent together growing up and then as partners, Heyes had always used that look to great advantage where the Kid was concerned. And Curry could never back down from that steady scrutiny.

Looking into those warm brown eyes was always Curry’s undoing so he looked away. He knew what Heyes was asking even though he didn’t say the words. He wanted to know if the Kid could ride tomorrow and he knew what their destination would be. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he tried to answer his partner’s question with as few words as possible. “Pretty bad,” he admitted reluctantly. “Hot an’ then cold. An’ everything kinda aches, ‘specially my head.”

Heyes had an idea of how sick Curry was because he wasn’t fighting Heyes while he tended to him. Normally he’d be trying to push Heyes away and telling him to stop coddling him. Once more Heyes wiped his face and then nodded. “Why don’t you lay down and try to get some sleep. We can see how you feel in the morning.”

The Kid doubted he’d get any real rest but lying down seemed like a good idea. With Heyes’ help, he managed to find a comfortable position and soon drifted off to the comforting sounds of the crackling fire and the snuffling of the horses. Heyes got their coffeepot and filled it with snow, setting it near the fire until it had melted. He soaked his bandanna and laid it over the Kid’s forehead, hoping it would give him some comfort. He wasn’t really hungry, but figured he should eat something besides jerky so he heated up the beans and ate them, all the while watching the Kid sleep.

After adding a few more logs to the fire, Heyes decided that he should try to get some sleep himself. The fire was keeping the cave fairly warm and he used one of the saddle blankets since the Kid had both of their bedrolls. During the night he managed to sleep a few hours here and there. He and sleep had always been uneasy companions, and whenever he felt the responsibility of watching out for his partner, he rarely slept very long or very deeply. When the first gray light of dawn began to illuminate the cave he rose, stretched, and went outside to answer the call of nature.

He filled the coffee pot with snow once again, and when it had melted, he poured the water into his hat so each horse could get a drink. He hoped they could be on their way later and there would be hay at Devil’s Hole for them -if he could convince the Kid to accept his decision on where they were going.

Something was eating at his partner and Heyes couldn’t for the life of him figure out what. The fact that Curry hadn’t even been with him the last two times he had returned to Devil’s Hole made Heyes wonder exactly what was going on the blond’s mind. One thing was sure. They couldn’t stay where they were.

Lost in his bleak contemplation of their situation, Heyes didn’t hear the Kid stir as he woke up until a soft “Heyes” brought him to his feet and over to his partner.

The Kid’s eyes seemed unfocused as he tried to push himself to a sitting position and Heyes quickly helped him up as the Kid leaned back against the wall of the cave. Heyes took note of his flushed face and too-bright eyes as he held up the cup of water, a question in his eyes.

Nodding, Curry took a few sips before turning his head away. “You need to drink, Kid. Sure you don’t want some more?”

“Tired,” came the whispered answer.

Heyes set down the cup and sighed. He really didn’t want to have this conversation, but it couldn’t be put off. “Kid,” he began and Curry turned his head to look at him. “We need to ride out of here. Today. No telling if that snow’s gonna start up again and we don’t have enough supplies to stay.”

Reaching out a trembling hand, the Kid took hold of Heyes’ jacket and gave a gentle tug. “I trust you…” the voice was halting and the words came slowly. “I know…you’ll take…care of me.”

The effort exhausted what little strength he had and Curry wearily closed his eyes. Heyes felt as if he had just been sucker punched.

Heyes ran a hand wearily over his face. The problem was he didn’t see any other way except to go the Devil’s Hole. Pale daylight seeped into the cave and Heyes got up to go to the entrance and look around. He noted the heavy dark clouds overhead and realized that another storm was a real possibility. Still he hesitated, looking out over the rough terrain they’d need to ride through. Resignedly he turned back and noticed that the Kid’s eyes were open again and watching him.

“Thought you went back to sleep, partner,” he sat down.

“Could hear you thinking all the way over here.”

A ghost of a grin appeared before Heyes reached out to lay his hand on the Kid’s arm. “I need to know, Kid,” he began, his tone somber, “why’re fightin’ me so hard on this? What aren’t you telling me?”

The pounding in his head was making it hard for the blond to concentrate, but if he had any hope of persuading Heyes to avoid Devil’s Hole, he was going to have to explain. “They weren’t gonna give back the money,” he managed to whisper.

“Money? What money?” he asked.

The Kid’s answer left him reeling.

“Lordstown,” he whispered and then shut his eyes again.

Lordstown. Guilt and rage warred within Heyes and he had to bite back an angry curse.

Lordstown. He thought he’d buried that that part of their past long ago.

Like the safe on that ill-fated Columbine train robbery, Lordstown remained etched in Heyes’ memory as a horrible mistake in judgment.

It had seemed like a good plan, one of his better ones. Take the counterfeit twenty-thousand dollars that had somehow been thrown from that stagecoach and find a way to use it legally. Give the money to the banker to put into a lockbox for safekeeping. Depositing it would have been illegal. Then he posed as a wealthy cattle-rancher looking to buy land. The Kid had been his “adviser”. The plan included getting invited to the biggest poker game west of the Mississippi which Heyes was sure would happen when the ranchers heard about the twenty-thousand dollars that Mr. Smith left with the banker. When he sat down at the poker table, he realized that these men didn’t play with chips –they played with real money. Confessing his ignorance, Heyes had been given a stake by one of the other players. By the time the game ended, he had won over almost fifteen thousand dollars. Elated, he shared the story with his partner back in the hotel room. And that’s when things started to go wrong.

The Kid had been excited that the plan had worked and he was all for leaving the next day. But Heyes wanted to stay for another week and sit in on the next game. They argued back and forth for several days and finally Curry gave up. “You always think you have the right answer, Heyes. I hope you’re right this time.”

Pulled back to the present, Heyes watched the ragged breathing of his friend and felt a fresh wave of guilt wash over him. He had never come right out and told the Kid that he was sorry he made a mistake about staying to play in that last game. He had been so sure he was doing the right thing…

The game was going well for Heyes and he congratulated himself as he watched the pile of money in front of him increase with almost every hand. Until the doors of the private room were forced open and six masked and armed men burst in. As soon as he heard that voice, “Hey Wheat, look!” he knew that the Kid had been right. They should have left Lordstown after the first game. What Carlson and the Devil’s Hole gang were doing the exact same thing that Heyes successfully talked them out of doing when he had been the leader. And now they had $235,000--stolen from some of the richest ranchers who would stop at nothing to get that money back.

So Heyes sent the Kid after the gang to try and convince Wheat to turn over the money. Heyes remained behind to alleviate any suspicions that Mr. Smith might have had something to do with the robbery. When Curry came back with the money, Heyes never asked him how he had persuaded Wheat to return it. Had merely congratulated him on successfully getting the money back and they left Lordstown the next day.

Something had obviously taken place between his partner and the gang that Curry hadn’t felt obliged to share with Heyes. Whatever it had been, the Kid obviously felt it was a bad idea to return to Devil’s Hole. They hadn’t spoken about it since that day, but thinking back, Heyes realized that the Kid hadn’t said much about his meeting with Wheat and the others. Just handed over the money and at the time Heyes had been too preoccupied with working out the details of how they were going to return the money to the ranchers to give much thought as to how Curry had gotten the money back.

A soft sigh dragged his attention back to the Kid and he looked over to see the shadowed blue eyes studying him wearily. Heyes wet his bandanna with the water from the coffee pot and once again sat down next to his friend, wiping his face and pushing back the sweat dampened curls. “Kid, you gotta tell me what’s goin’ on here. What happened that day between you and Wheat?”

Curry drew a shallow breath and shook his head. “Kyle.” It hurt so much to talk and he was so tired…

Puzzled, Heyes asked, “Wheat wasn’t there?”

The Kid shook his head. He roused himself and looked at the cup next to the fire. Heyes immediately filled it with water and the Kid drank almost all of it. “Told Kyle it was…the last…favor we’d ask.” He let his head fall back and his eyes drifted shut again.

Heyes sat there, stunned. So that was it. Finally.

In order to get Kyle to agree to Heyes’ suggestion, the Kid made a promise that they wouldn’t ask for the gang’s help again. And that probably included showing up at Devil’s Hole. What he didn’t understand is where Wheat had been. Granted, Kyle had always been loyal to him and the Kid, but for him to make a decision like that without Wheat present was totally out of character. Curry appeared to have fallen asleep again and Heyes was undecided about what to do. He really needed more information before he made a decision on whether or not to go ahead with his original plan to take the Kid to the Hole. At the same time he knew how sick his friend was and he didn’t want to cause him any more distress than necessary by asking him more questions. Heyes stared intently into the fire as if it would give him the answers he needed.

The Kid solved his problem for him by reaching out and tugging gently on Heyes’ sleeve. When his partner turned to him Curry gave him a pale imitation of his usual grin and whispered quietly, “Do what…you…think is best.”

Well that put it right back at Heyes to make a decision. Looking intently at Curry he asked, “Do you think Kyle told Wheat about your promise? Does anybody else know?”

The Kid gave a slight shrug, which Heyes took to mean he didn’t know. Sighing heavily, Heyes regarded his partner thoughtfully. “Kid, you need doctorin’ and I can’t do it here. We have almost no supplies – I don’t see any choice.” His voice took on a hard edge as he continued. “If Wheat gives me a problem, I’ll just ask if you can stay there long enough for me to ride into town and get enough supplies to last us a while. Then we’ll see about getting you somewhere.”

Curry nodded tiredly and closed his eyes. “Get the…horses…ready,” he told his partner as he slipped into a light doze.

Inwardly cursing at the thought of the cold, uncomfortable ride his friend was going to have to endure, Heyes began preparations for their departure. Once the horses were ready, he crouched beside his partner. He shook the Kid’s arm gently and the blue eyes slowly opened. “Just about ready,” Heyes told him.

The Kid nodded as Heyes removed the bedrolls and helped him put on the sheepskin jacket. Throughout his ministrations the blond remained silent, his eyes half-closed and Heyes looked at him worriedly. There was no other way, he reminded himself, and the sooner they were on the trail to Devil’s Hole the sooner the Kid could get some real rest. After tying the bedrolls behind the saddles, there was nothing left to do except get the Kid mounted and they could be on their way.

Curry heard the horses’ hooves on the hard packed dirt and roused himself so that he’d be ready when Heyes came to help him up. The dark-haired man reached down and carefully levered the Kid to his feet. Immediately, Curry reached out to lay his arm around his partner’s shoulder and they walked slowly over to the bay mare. With considerable assistance from Heyes, he managed to climb into the saddle and waited, his head hanging down as his partner mounted up behind him.

The mare was anxious to get out of the dark cave and into the cold morning air and they moved at a brisk walk along the trail. Heyes tied the chestnut’s rope to his saddle as he needed both hands free to hold the reins and his partner. The Kid endured the first few miles in silence, his hands gripping the saddle horn tightly, trying to stay upright in the saddle. When they reached more level ground, Heyes shifted his weight and drew his arm tighter around Curry’s waist.

“Kid, lean back. I’ve got you – I won’t let you fall. Come on, lean back against me.”

Lost in a world of aches and pains, first hot and then cold, the Kid didn’t understand what Heyes wanted him to do. He registered the fact that Heyes was holding him tighter and he let out a painful breath and relaxed slightly as his partner pulled him back against his chest.

“Soon as we get you in a real bed and all cozy, with quilts an’ everythin’, you’ll start feeling better, you’ll see. An’ we’ll rustle up some broth for you to drink and probably some of that willow bark tea, too.” Heyes chattered on, his voice soothing and reassuring to the Kid who was trying to concentrate on anything other than how miserable he felt.

The miles passed slowly and Heyes thought they’d never reach the signaling point, but several hours later he drew rein and gently jostled the Kid slightly. “Don’t get excited now, I’m just gonna signal the boys, okay?”

Curry managed a slight nod and Heyes withdrew his pistol, firing three shots into the air.

A few moments later he sensed someone coming down from the rocks behind him. Heyes sat quietly, waiting for someone else to appear in front of him. He saw Lobo walking slowly toward him from a cluster of rocks to the right of the trail. Another man, someone Heyes didn’t recognize, stepped into view just to the left of the trail.

Heyes pushed back his hat and nodded. “Lobo.”

For a moment the silence was deafening and Lobo grinned. “Damn, Heyes. We sure have seen a lot of you in the last year.” He stepped forward to look up at the Kid. “What’s wrong--he been shot?”

“No.” Tightening his grip slightly around his partner, Heyes shook his head. “He got sick day before yesterday, runnin’ a fever. We were on our way to Porterville when we got caught in that snow and we’re out of supplies. There’s no way we could make it there with him like this.”

Lobo nodded. “Come on, then. Best get him up to the cabin.”

Gratefully Heyes nudged the mare forward and a few moments later Lobo was leading his horse out from the rocks. The other man stayed behind, staring at Heyes, openly curious. Hank had been behind Heyes and the other man asked, “That was really Hannibal Heyes?”

Hank nodded, resting his rifle casually on his shoulder. “Yup. That was Hannibal Heyes.”

Trying to gauge the reception he was about to get, Heyes asked, “So, Wheat keepin’ you boys busy?”

“Wheat ain’t here right now,” Lobo’s answer surprised Heyes. “He an’ Kyle are over at Eagle Bend pickin’ up supplies.”

Heyes nodded as if this information was of little concern to him, but he was thinking that it would at least buy them some time before he had to confront Wheat. He was curious as to why Wheat hadn’t simply sent a couple of the other gang members to town. Inwardly he sighed, his right arm was starting to cramp after holding the Kid for so long and he knew they were still a mile or so away from the camp.

As if sensing his discomfort, Curry picked up his head and whispered, “Heyes?”

“Yeah partner, what is it?” Heyes had to strain to listen to the words and he doubted that Lobo could hear them at all.

“’M tired.” The soft plea tugged at Heyes’ heart.

“I know,” he replied soothingly. “It’s not much further.”

Lobo took a good look at the blond and then at Heyes. “He been coughin’ too?”

Heyes shook his head. “No. Just says he aches all over and the fever took hold of him pretty good last night.”

Lobo nodded and offered, “Preacher’s here right now – he’ll find somethin’ that’ll fix him right up.”

This was welcome news although Heyes hadn’t wanted to count on Preacher being at Devil’s Hole right now. He tended to drift in and out of the gang, depending on his monetary situation. He was as close to a doctor as they had. When they reached the cluster of outbuildings, Lobo drew rein in front of the leader’s cabin and Heyes followed suit. Several men came over and nodded greetings to Heyes. He knew most of them, if not by name, and he nodded back. Lobo dismounted and reached up to hold the Kid steady until Heyes had gotten off the mare and was able to reach up for his partner.

The Kid must have realized that they stopped and he looked down at Heyes, confusion in his blue eyes. “It’s okay, Kid,” the dark-haired man smiled at him. “We’re gonna get you inside and settled in no time.”

Curry closed his eyes and let himself be pulled down from the horse. He knew now that he could sink into the temping blackness that hovered over him since they left the cave. His partner would see to everything and he could simply let go.

With Lobo’s help, Heyes managed to get his unconscious partner up the steps of the cabin and inside. He hesitated for a moment and Lobo indicated the smaller room to the left. “Wheat’s got your room—Kid can have his old one.”

They sat him down on the bed and Lobo held onto him while Heyes removed his jacket and shirt. “Can you get Preacher for me?” Heyes asked as they laid the Kid down.

Lobo nodded and left the cabin, leaving Heyes to tend to his partner. After getting him undressed down to his long johns he covered him with several quilts, noticing that he was still shivering and the fever was higher than ever.

“Damn, Kid, you never do anything halfway, do you,” he muttered.

A moment later Preacher came into the room, looked over at the Kid, and ran a hand through his hair. “Seems we’ve done this before, haven’t we, Heyes?”

“Yeah, I reckon we have Preacher. Can you help him?” Heyes looked intently at the man.

Preacher laid a hand on the Kid’s forehead and gave a low whistle. “Fever’s pretty high. Let me get some willow bark tea on for starters.”

Lobo came into the room with a bucket of cold water from the creek and set it on the floor. “Preacher figured you’d need this.”

Heyes nodded his thanks as the other man left the room. Shrugging out of his jacket, Heyes sat down on the bed next to his partner and wiped his face with his bandanna that he had dipped in the cold water. The Kid moved restlessly under his touch, but didn’t awaken. As he tended to Curry, Heyes thought about what he was going to say to Wheat when he came back to Devil’s Hole. Lost in his thoughts, Heyes was startled when Preacher spoke to him from the doorway.

“Got the willow bark tea steepin’, Heyes. You want some coffee?”

Deciding that the Kid was as comfortable as he could be for the moment, Heyes stood up and joined the other man in the main room of the cabin. He accepted the cup of coffee gratefully and took a sip. “Thanks.”

He took a seat at the old table in the center of the room and Preacher lifted the lid to check on the tea he was steeping. “You hungry?” he asked, taking in Heyes’ gaunt and exhausted appearance.

“Yeah, I could eat.” Heyes took another sip of coffee and let its warmth soothe his frazzled nerves.

“There’s stew cookin’ over at the bunkhouse. Why don’t you go on over an git some?” Preacher turned from the stove and looked at Heyes.

Glancing at the room where his partner was, Heyes looked back at Preacher, indecision showing in his brown eyes. “Maybe later.”

Choosing his words carefully, Preacher came over to stand in front of the other man. “Might as well get yourself somethin’ to eat now. This tea’ll be ready in about twenty minutes an’ I’ll need your help gettin’ him to drink it. He ain’t gonna listen to nobody but you, Heyes.”

Resignedly, Heyes nodded. “Alright. But I’ll be back soon as I eat.”

Preacher nodded. “Okay.”

When he entered the bunkhouse, he could smell the stew simmering on the pot-bellied stove and he suddenly realized how hungry he was. The last meal they had eaten was breakfast the day before.

Lobo looked up from the table where he was playing poker with three other men and asked, “How’s the Kid?”

“Sleeping right now.” Heyes got himself a bowl and helped himself to the stew.

Sitting down at another table he asked, “Who’s doing the cooking these days?”

A young man that looked about eighteen came over and held out his hand. “Name’s Billy, Mr. Heyes. I’m the cook for the boys.”

Heyes studied him for a minute and shook his hand. “Smells real good, Billy.” He took a cautious bite and smiled. “Tastes even better.”

Billy shuffled his feet in embarrassment and gave a nod. “I’ll git you some bread to go with it.”

When he came back Heyes almost finished the stew. He had been very hungry and it really was very good. “Thanks,” he told the young man.

“You’re welcome. Anything else I kin git you?”

“No, thanks, Billy.” Heyes gave him a smile. “This was real good.”

He finished his meal and looked over to where Lobo was playing cards. One of the other players called over, “Want us to deal you in, Heyes?”

Heyes shook his head. “No thanks. Need to get back to my partner. See you boys later.”

When he got back to the cabin, Preacher was pouring the tea into a cup. He set it on the table and reached for the jar of honey he also brought over with him. Heyes went into the room and sat down on the bed. Placing the back of his hand on the Kid’s forehead, Heyes glanced up as Preacher entered with the cup. “Fever’s worse.”

“Yeah, I figured that was gonna happen. Being out in the cold and snow prob’ly didn’t help.” Handing the cup to Heyes he moved behind him and carefully lifted the Kid’s head up slightly. “Let’s see if we can git him to wake up enough to drink some of this.”

Nodding, Heyes pushed back the unruly curls with his hand and spoke quietly to his partner. “Kid? You need to wake up for me. Come one, just for a few minutes.”

The Kid heard someone talking to him, but it sounded as if they were very far away and he couldn’t hold on to the words long enough to make any sense out of them. His head hurt so much and he was trying to remember what had happened. <<Had he been shot?>> The voice spoke again and he now he understood that it was Heyes that was talking to him. <<Heyes was shot in the head but that was a long time ago, wasn’t it? He’s talkin’ to me so he must be okay.>>

Hot. He was so hot. <<Were they in the desert? With Danny Bilson? No, that wasn’t right either. Bilson’s dead – I shot him and killed him.>> God everything hurt. He wished he could make some sense out of where he was and what was happening.

He lay quietly, trying to summon up the energy to respond, but it required too much effort and he wanted so much to just sink back into the comforting darkness. The voice came again, more insistent this time.

“Come on, Kid. You need to drink some of this. It’ll make you feel a lot better.”

There was no response for a moment or so and then Curry slowly opened his eyes slightly. Encouraged, Heyes began talking to him again. “That’s it, come one. You need to drink something for me.”

The Kid registered that Heyes was talking to him, no, asking him to do something, and he opened his eyes wider to see the cup Heyes held in his hand. The light made his head hurt even more, so he shut his eyes again. “Heyes,” he whispered.

“Yeah, that’s right. I need you to drink this for me. Come on, please?”

Obediently Curry opened his mouth a little and Heyes held the cup to his lips, encouraging him as the Kid slowly drank the tea. They had to stop frequently to let him catch his breath, but finally the cup was empty. Preacher nodded approvingly and slipped his arm out from beneath the blond’s head. “Real good, Heyes,” he told the dark-haired man. “We’ll try again later.”

He left the room and Heyes once again soaked the bandana in the water, bathing the Kid’s face. “Still with me, partner?” he asked softly, not knowing if his friend had slipped back into sleep once again.

The Kid gave a tiny nod and once again opened his eyes slightly. “You…okay?” he managed to say, his voice weak and strained.

That question told Heyes that the Kid had no idea what happened to him and he hastened to reassure him. “I’m fine. You got sick, remember? You’re runnin’ a fever and that’s why you can’t remember.”

Curry seemed to think this over for a few seconds and then gave another small nod. “Hurts,” he whispered.

“Yeah, partner, I know it does. You just rest. Go back to sleep for a while. I’ll be right here.”

“’Kay,” he whispered and then let himself be pulled down into the darkness again.

Heyes soaked the bandana once more and this time laid it on the Kid’s forehead, knowing that he would sleep for a few hours at least. He joined the Preacher in the main room and gratefully accepted the cup of coffee the other man handed him.

Preacher sat down with him and Heyes asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

“Best I can tell he’s got that influenza that hit some of the towns around here a few weeks ago.”

“You can get him better, though, right?” Preacher could hear the worry in the other man’s voice and he idly wondered what it would be like to have a partnership like these two men shared.

Preacher nodded slowly and he could see Heyes relax slightly. “Yeah, he’ll be okay. Won’t feel real good for at least two or three days, but he should be able to ride in about a week. Just gotta keep him warm and get him to drink as much of that tea an’ water as we can.” He took another sip of his coffee and offered, “Got some laudanum…”

Heyes shook his head emphatically. “No, he can’t tolerate it at all. Makes him real sick.”

“Yeah, guess I forgot about that.” Preacher was silent for a minute and then grinned. “As I recall, he threatened to shoot me if I ever tried to give him any of that again.”

Heyes gave him an absentminded smile. Taking another sip of his coffee Heyes asked the question he’d wanted to ask since arriving at Devil’s Hole. “When do you figure Wheat an’ Kyle’ll be back?”

“Probably before he’s ready to travel,” Preacher knew exactly what Heyes was really asking.

Sipping at his coffee, Heyes nodded. “Yeah,” he ran a hand tiredly through his hair. “That’s about what I figured.” He suddenly grinned at the other man. “Guess it’ll be interestin’, won’t it?”

Preacher couldn’t help the chuff of laughter at that statement. “Yeah, I reckon it will, at that.”

Heyes expression suddenly sobered and he said softly, “I had no choice.”

The two men were silent for a few moments when Preacher stood up and looked at Heyes. “Why don’t you try an’ git some sleep. The Kid ain’t gonna wake up for awhile an’ you look about done in.”

Nodding, Heyes also stood up. He hesitated for a moment and then determinedly walked into his old room. Wheat wasn’t here and the thought of sleeping on the bed was infinitely more appealing that trying to sleep in the noisy bunkhouse. At the doorway he turned to say something, but settled for a nod at the other man. He knew if the Kid woke up asking for him, Preacher would come and get him. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Heyes removed his boots and lay back, closed his eyes and tried to relax. He knew he needed to get some sleep if he was going to be sitting up with his partner later that night.

When he awoke later, he was surprised to see that the daylight no longer shone through the window. He didn’t remember falling asleep, but he felt a lot better. Heyes pulled on his boots and went to see how the Kid was doing. Preacher looked up as he entered the room. “He’s been pretty quiet. Fever’s still got a hold on him but it ain’t really any higher.”

Heyes nodded and indicated the bucket next to the bed. “Should I get some fresh water?”

“Yeah, that’d be a good idea.”

When he stepped outside Heyes took a minute to take a deep breath as he stretched, trying to loosen up sore muscles from the cold ride earlier. He could hear some of the men laughing as they made their way over to the bunkhouse as he stepped off the porch and headed for the creek. On his way back, Lobo and Hank stopped him to ask how the Kid was doing. Heyes told them he wasn’t any worse and they nodded. Carrying the bucket inside, he noticed that Preacher had more tea brewing on the stove and he could smell a fresh pot of coffee.

When he entered the Kid’s room, Preacher got up from the bed and Heyes took his place. He wet a cloth in the bucket of fresh water and wiped the blonde’s face, noticing that he seemed to be sleeping peacefully. “I’m gonna bring in some more o’ that tea. See if you kin wake him up.”

“Shouldn’t we let him sleep?”

Preacher shook his head. “Gotta get him to take in as much of the willow bark as we can. That’s what’ll bring down the fever. An’ I put some licorice powder in there too. Make his sore throat feel better.”

Deferring to the other man’s judgment, Heyes nodded. When Preacher returned with the tea he once again handed it to Heyes. This time, as Preacher lifted the Kid’s head, Heyes only had to call the Kid’s name twice before he responded, his blue eyes showing confusion as he looked at his partner. The look of confusion was replaced by one of trust as he slowly sipped at the cup until it was empty. As Heyes handed the cup back to Preacher, Curry let his gaze travel around the room and then gave a small sigh as he looked at his partner.

“You know where you are?” The Kid didn’t miss the undertone of worry in Heyes’ question.

“Yeah.” Speaking was still difficult—his throat felt as if he had swallowed broken glass. But he managed to whisper, “Devil’s Hole”.

“I had no choice, Kid.” Heyes’ voice conveyed regret, but he wasn’t apologizing for his decision.

Curry nodded. “I know.” He closed his eyes and seemed to drift off to sleep again.

Preacher slipped his arm out from beneath the Kid’s head as he nodded at Heyes. “Got some fresh coffee, want some?”

“Yeah, I’ll sit with him a bit.”

After he handed Heyes the coffee, Preacher announced he was going over to the bunkhouse to get something to eat and maybe play some poker. Heyes nodded and moved to sit in the chair against the wall, content to drink his coffee and watch over his partner. He was thinking ahead to the confrontation he knew would take place once Wheat returned to the hideout. He would let Wheat make the first move and go from there.

Heyes finished his coffee, set the cup down on the floor and stretched out his legs. The cabin was warm and quiet as he relaxed in the chair. He fell into a light doze when he heard Preacher come back into the cabin.

“Gettin’ kinda cold out there,” Preacher commented as he held his hands over the stove to warm them.

Heyes got up to join him and poured himself another cup of coffee. “He’s still sleeping.”

“Best thing for ‘im.”

“No need for you to stay here tonight, Preacher. I can handle things.”

“Yeah, I figured that. The tea’ll be keepin’ hot on the stove here for later.” He handed Heyes a packet of folded paper. “This is the licorice powder. Put a couple o’ pinches in the tea.”

Heyes nodded and laid the packet on the table. “Thanks.”

“You need me, you just holler. I’ll hear ya over at the bunkhouse.” Preacher went over and opened the door. “See you in the mornin’.”

Closing the door, Heyes took out a pack of cards from his jacket and began shuffling the deck, laying out the cards and set to work making five pat hands. It was going to be a long night. Around midnight he poured some of the tea into a cup, added the licorice powder and roused the Kid. He awoke easily this time and Heyes was glad to see a small improvement in his condition. When he had drained the cup, Curry surprised him by laying a hand on his wrist. Heyes looked at him expectantly.

“Wheat?” came the whispered question.

“He’s not here right now, Kid. Went to get supplies and took Kyle with him.”

Seemingly satisfied with this answer, the Kid gave a small nod and closed his eyes. Heyes tucked the quilts around him again and went back to the main room of the cabin. He let Curry sleep the rest of the night, occasionally wiping his forehead and dozing in the chair. When Preacher came back the next morning he agreed with Heyes that the fever wasn’t as high. “Billy’s got breakfast cookin’. Why don’t you go on over an’ eat.”

“Yeah, alright. Be back in bit.”

When Heyes came back he could see the Kid was restless and he looked at Preacher for confirmation of what he already suspected. The other man nodded as Heyes sat down on the bed. “I’m gonna brew up some more tea. I wish I had some quinine for him but I ain’t had time to get more since a few of the boys got sick last month.”

He left the room and Heyes turned his attention back to his partner. Curry’s blond curls were soaked, he was thrashing around and Heyes was afraid he’d hurt himself. He was also starting to mumble, his words almost indistinguishable as they ran together. With a loud cry he opened his eyes, staring at Heyes and launched himself at his partner, gripping Heyes shirt with his hands. “Heyes, we gotta keep going. It ain’t safe. They’re gonna catch us.”

The words were painfully squeezed from his throat and Heyes held onto him, trying to calm him down. “Kid, it’s okay. We’re okay. We’re at Devil’s Hole.”

Curry continued fighting his partner, convinced that they were in danger. Amazed at his strength, Heyes knew that panic, whether real or imaginary, was a powerful motivator. Deciding that trying to restrain him wasn’t working, Heyes shifted his hold and pulled the Kid to his chest, rubbing his back and murmuring quietly to him. “Kid, you’re okay. You’re just sick. We got away from the posse and we’re back at Devil’s Hole.”

His struggles grew weaker and finally Curry relaxed against Heyes, totally exhausted. “Safe?” he asked, his voice almost non-existent.

“Yeah, safe.” The dark-haired man carefully lowered him back to the bed and watched as the blue eyes looked into his.

Blinking slowly he repeated, “Safe.”

Heyes sighed as he watched him drift off again and he ran a hand through his tangled hair. He thought the Kid was getting better but it seemed as if the fever wasn’t quite ready to give up. Preacher came back in with a cup of the tea but Heyes waved him off. “Better let him sleep a bit. I had a hard time keepin’ him from hurtin’ himself.”

“Okay. We can wait a few hours. Did he know where he was?”

“No. Thought we were runnin’ from a posse.” Heyes got up from the bed. “Think I’ll get some coffee.”

Preacher sat at the table in the main room, knowing if the Kid became restless he would hear him. He was on his fourth game of solitaire when he heard sounds coming from the other room. When he reached the bed, he could see that Curry was mumbling but he couldn’t make out the words. The blond was beginning to toss and turn, trying to throw off the quilts. Preacher wet the cloth and wiped the Kid’s face, which seemed to calm him down somewhat. Pulling the quilts back up, Preacher noticed that Curry’s breathing was still somewhat ragged and his right hand had come out from beneath the blankets. He didn’t resist as Preacher tucked it back under but when the other man stood up he could see the Kid’s hand moving out of the quilt again. Deciding that maybe Heyes should sit with his partner for a while he left the room to get him.

Heyes came awake at the touch of Preacher’s hand on his arm and a flash of panic showed on his face as he silently got up and looked at the other man. “No, no, it’s nothin’ like that.” Preacher hastened to reassure him. “But he ain’t settling down an’ maybe you can figure out what’s wrong.”

His words weren’t doing anything to calm the anxiety Heyes was feeling as he followed the Preacher back to the other room. The Kid was lying quietly and Heyes looked at him before asking, “What’s wrong? He seems no worse than before.”

“Wait,” Preacher said quietly.

Heyes watched as the Kid’s right hand snaked out from under the quilt and moved slightly, as if he was searching for something. He couldn’t help the grin that appeared as he watched his partner. Preacher didn’t see Heyes’ reaction as he was watching Curry and commented, “Never seen anything like it. I keep pulling the covers back up, but he just keeps pulling that hand back out.”

For the first time since they had arrived, Heyes felt the worry and anxiety lift slightly. He went over to where he had hung the Kid’s gun belt, pulled out the gun and carefully emptied the chamber of the bullets. As Preacher watched silently, Heyes gently put the gun in the Kid’s hand and tucked it back under the quilt. Immediately Curry stilled and his breathing evened out as he dropped deeper into sleep.

Letting out a breath he didn’t know he had holding, Heyes gave Preacher a pat on the back. “Looks like he’s feelin’ a little better. Maybe that fever’ll break ‘fore morning.”

Curry slept the night through and when morning came, the sunlight streaming through the window woke Heyes who had dozed off in the chair. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he looked over and saw the Kid watching him, the blue eyes now clear, without the glitter of fever. The dark-haired man smiled at him, his relief evident. “Hey. Welcome back.”

The Kid regarded him for a moment and then whispered, “Did I go somewhere?” His throat still hurt but it wasn’t the sharp agony it had been before.

Heyes reached over to pull up the quilt. “Yeah, you might say that.” His tone changed and the teasing lilt was gone. “You were pretty sick, Kid.”

The blond nodded and then realized that he was holding his gun. He raised a questioning eyebrow at his partner. Heyes held out his hand and the Kid handed him the 45. “You were kinda restless so I thought that maybe havin’ this would settle you down.”

“Oh.” Curry couldn’t remember much of the past few days so he just left it at that. “Water?” he whispered.

“I’ll get you some fresh. Hold on.”

Heyes went into the main room and poured out a glass of water. Returning, he helped the Kid sit up a little and held the glass while he drank. “How long?” Curry asked as he settled back against the pillows.

Heyes had to think a moment. “This is the third day, I think.” He gave his partner another grin. “Kinda hard to keep track.”

Nodding, the Kid looked up as Preacher entered the room. “Thought you might wanna know, Heyes. Wheat and Kyle jus’ rode in.”

Immediately Curry reached out to take hold of Heyes’ wrist. “Don’t do anything stupid,” he warned his partner.

“Who, me?” As the Kid released him he stood up. “Don’t worry. I can handle Wheat.”

As he left, Curry muttered to himself, “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Heyes stood in the open doorway of the cabin and watched as Wheat and Kyle rode by the outbuildings and drew rein in front of the cabin. Wheat stared at Heyes and the look on his face definitely wasn’t welcoming. Then he leaned forward, supporting himself on the saddle horn. “Just what the hell are you doin’ here, Heyes?”

Almost at the same time Kyle grinned and said loudly, “Howdy, Heyes!”

Wheat turned. “Kyle?”

“Yeah, Wheat?” the scruffy outlaw asked eagerly.

“Shut up.”

Heyes came down the steps, keeping his hand well away from his gun. “Good to see you, Wheat.” He tried to keep the smile off his face, somehow seeing Wheat always brought out the worst in him.

In the cabin, Curry was trying to get up and Preacher was shaking his head as he reluctantly helped him. “Get me over to the door,” the blond was saying.

“Heyes is gonna kill me, Kid. You ain’t in any shape to be up!”

Closing his eyes in exasperation, the Kid implored, “Come on, I need to see what’s going on. “ He deftly slipped his gun out of the holster and grinned. “Don’t worry, I know it’s not loaded. No way Heyes would let me have a loaded gun when I’m out of my mind with fever.”

Shaking his head, Preacher helped him walk to the door of the cabin, carefully supporting most of Curry’s weight.

Outside, Heyes stood silently as he watched Wheat dismount. Kyle also got off his horse and reached out to hold the reins of Wheat’s sorrel. “You ain’t answered me, Heyes.”

The dark-haired man walked forward a few more steps. “I’m sorry, Wheat. I know you’re probably pretty mad –“

He didn’t get any further as the larger man swiftly reached out and curled both hands in Heyes’ vest, pulling him off the ground slightly. “Mad!” He gave the smaller man a slight shake. “I can’t believe you came back here after what you did…”

Kyle had edged away from the two men but then he noticed the Kid standing in the door, dressed only in his long johns, his hair tousled and looking very pale. But what drew Kyle’s attention was the gun he held loosely in his hand, pointing down to the ground. Kyle reached over and tugged at Wheat’s coat, “Uh, Wheat?”

Releasing Heyes, Wheat shook off the smaller man.

“But, Wheat…”

Finally turning around, Wheat snapped, “Not now, Kyle!”

Heyes was straightening his clothes when Kyle tried again, “Wheat, you better look over there.”

Finally succeeding in getting the leaders’ attention, Wheat’s eyes widened as he caught sight of Kid Curry in the doorway, looking as if a stiff wind would blow him over. Heyes brushed his hands over his vest, exasperation clear in his expression as he looked at his partner.

Suddenly Wheat’s bravado evaporated as he eyed the Kid warily. “Hey, Kid.”

Curry’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Wheat.”

“Uh, no offense, Kid,” Wheat hurriedly assured him. “Me an’ Heyes, we was just talking here.”

The blond nodded slowly. “I can see that. Maybe you better come on in here and finish your talkin’.”

“Sure thing, Kid. We’ll be right along.”

Heyes grinned at Wheat as he passed him to walk into the cabin. Once he got inside he wasted no time in helping Preacher get Curry back to bed. The Kid resisted, insisting that he wanted to stay there in case Heyes needed him. Finally Heyes maneuvered him none-too-gently into a chair. “You know, you’re kinda hard to get along with sometimes,” he chided the blond as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Hmmmph. Could say the same thing about you,” Curry told him.

Preacher shook his head at both of them. “You really shouldn’t be up,” he told the Kid.

“Yeah, well, soon as they get this settled I’ll be real glad to go back to bed.”

Wheat came in just then and glared at Heyes who stood calmly next to the Kid’s chair. “Look, Wheat,” he began in a placating tone, “I know you’re mad about having to return the money from the poker game. But even you saw the sense in it. Why…”

He didn’t get any further before Wheat yelled, “You think that’s why I’m mad?”

Heyes stared at him. “Well, then, what are you mad about? If it’s not the money…”

Wheat angrily swept his hat off his head and threw it on the floor. “Course it’s the money! But then, well,” he looked sheepishly at Heyes and the Kid. “I realized you were probably right ‘bout that posse.”

“Then why d’ya look like you wanna hit me?” Heyes asked, his tone puzzled.

“Cause you didn’t come to tell me yourself!” Wheat shouted. “You had the unmitigated gall to send the Kid! Outta respect for me, you should’ve come yourself!”

Glancing at Curry, Heyes didn’t quite know what to say. Of all the things he’d imagined Wheat saying this certainly hadn’t entered his mind. The blond gave him a look that said, “What’dya expect, Heyes? This is Wheat we’re dealin’ with.”

Trying to look repentant, Heyes opened and then closed his mouth. “Well, Wheat, I couldn’t exactly leave my poker playin’ ranch friends right then. They’d be suspicious. I had to send the Kid.” He looked at the floor for a moment before saying, “I guess it was kinda disrespectful.”

If he had glanced at the Kid before finishing, Heyes would have caught the smirk on the blond’s face and probably wouldn’t have been able to sound so sincere. The important thing is that Wheat seemed to believe him and that’s all that mattered.

“Damn right it was.” Wheat picked up his hat off the floor. “Now, what the hell are you doin’ here, anyway?”

Heyes went over to lay his hand on his partner’s shoulder. “The Kid got real sick a few days ago. Devil’s Hole was the closest place to bring him and I didn’t think you’d throw us out – him being so bad off an’ all.” He looked Wheat directly in the eyes as if daring him to say something to the contrary.

Wheat seemed to think that over for a moment and then looked at Curry, then at Heyes. “Course not, Heyes. You an’ the Kid are welcome to stay as long as you want.”

”Appreciate it, Wheat.” The Kid looked up at his partner and Heyes could see the fatigue and lingering traces of illness on his face.

“Come on, Kid. We need to get you back to bed.”

Curry didn’t protest as Heyes helped him get to his feet and they walked the short distance to the other room. Once he was laying down he felt as if he could sleep for a week. Realizing he still held his gun, he handed it to Heyes who gave him a slight grin as he checked the cylinder before replacing it in the holster. “Guess Kyle never said anything,” Curry said as he let Heyes tuck the quilts around him.

“Guess not,” Heyes agreed. He couldn’t hold back a slight chuckle. “Never thought Wheat’d be mad about sending you to get the money. Figured it would all be about giving that money back.”

Sighing tiredly, the Kid nodded. “Yeah, but you know Wheat don’t exactly think like the rest of us.”

“No, he don’t.” Patting his partner on the shoulder he asked, “You need anything?”

“Nah. Just some peace and quiet.”

“Okay. I’ll be around if you need me. Get some sleep.”

He turned to go, but the sound of his name stopped him. The Kid was barely awake, but as Heyes turned back, Curry smiled tiredly as he whispered, “Thanks.”

Smiling back, Heyes nodded. “Any time, partner, any time.”

FINIS