Summary: Everyone is looking for Sam–except Heyes and Curry, who are stuck with him. How will they protect their identity while keeping Sam from getting killed?
Category: Alias Smith and Jones
Genre: Western
Rating: G
Word Count: 7,459
“All I’m saying, Kid, is we can’t save the world.” Heyes and Curry slowly rode up the busy main street of yet another town.
“You can’t tell me it wasn’t worth helping Mary with her father’s thieving partner,” Curry responded, watching the midday bustle of people in town moving around them. “And we did get $1,000 each in our pockets.”
“That’s true,” Heyes agreed. “But we’re supposed to avoid trouble, not go looking for it.”
“All right, Heyes,” Curry frowned. “Next time we see someone in trouble, I’ll just look the other way.”
“Now you’re thinking,” Heyes nodded as they pulled up to the saloon. “Let’s see if it’s worth sticking around.” The two men dismounted and tied their horses. Before they reached the doors of the saloon, a young voice cried out.
“Let me go!” Curry backed up a step and looked down the boardwalk where a burly drunk gripped the arm of a young child. The boy couldn’t have been more than seven years old. His clothes were worn and baggy, and he wore a rumpled, oversized hat which obscured his face and from under which sprouted a few strands of blonde hair.
“Kid.” Heyes warned. “What was we just talking about?”
“I know Heyes, but it don’t hurt to look.”
“I have a feeling it will,” Heyes said sourly.
“Hey mister, it don’t seem like he wants to go with you,” Curry took a step towards the boy and the man who held him.
“Why don’t you mind your own business?” he growled, struggling to keep his grip on the squirming child.
“That sounds like a good idea, Kid.” Heyes said.
But Curry stood easy, thumbs tucked in his gun belt. The inebriated man took note of his stance, the way he wore his gun. His right hand wavered over his own weapon. It was a long enough distraction.
“Ow!” he yelled as the boy bit him and broke free. “You brat, I’ll…”
“I don’t think you will,” Curry said as the boy ran off and disappeared down a side street. The man cursed richly under his breath, glaring at Curry, and stumbled off.
“See Heyes, that was painless.” Curry said.
“Maybe for you,” Heyes answered as they walked into the saloon.
*****
The round-faced woman sitting behind the desk in the foyer of the orphanage looked up as the front door swung open. A sudden blinding shaft of sunlight framed the profile of a tall, broad-shouldered man, but she could not see him clearly. Once he closed the door behind him, she involuntarily took in a sharp breath. His face was rugged and worn, his black cowboy hat pulled low to his eyes. His boots had seen better days, and his duster and jeans looked like he had ridden long and hard. His dark eyes gazed into hers.
“May…may I help you?”
“I believe you got a child here I’m looking for,” he said in a low, rumbling voice. “Sam Floriano.”
“Oh,” she flustered, “Are you a … relative of young Sam?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
“You could say that.”
“Uh, one moment, please.” She nervously rose and hurried out of the room by a door behind the desk. The man removed his hat and ran his hand through his shoulder length silvering hair. He scanned the large waiting room, which was shabby with old furniture and faded paint, but it was clean and smelled faintly of mothballs and lavender. He then saw another door in the room which stood slightly ajar. He could see several children peering in at him from within, but they quickly shut the door in response to his notice.
He heard a click and, replacing his hat, he turned to see a short balding man enter the room through the same door from which his assistant had exited.
“I’m the director here, sir.” He said in a querulous voice. “May I help you?”
“As I told your lady there,” and he pointed to the woman who reentered. “I’m here for Sam Floriano.” He watched the man fidget and twitch nervously. He had no patience for such foolish behavior.
“Is there a problem” he asked in a hard voice.
“Well, uh, the child…I’m sorry to say sir that uh, the boy…ran away.” He continued in a rush. “It is not the first time, and we haven’t yet found him. Most children simply do not go…running off…” He faltered as the man’s face grew stern.
“How hard have you searched?”
“Sir!” the director replied abruptly, taking offense. “Sam may have been a challenge, but we certainly wouldn’t let any child run off without trying to find him.”
“I’ll bet,” he growled, and the director’s bravado crumbled. “When was the last time you saw him?”
“Two weeks ago,” he said quickly. “He took $30 from our office, and a gun.”
“You better hope I find him.” He emphasized each word, his dark eyes boring into those of the director. Then he turned smartly on his heels and left.
*****
“I have a good feeling about this town, Kid.” Heyes smiled as they exited the saloon. “They don’t know how to play poker here. And the sheriff in there don’t know us.”
“Well let’s get to the hotel and settle in so we can start on the action,” Curry grinned. They stopped short, seeing a hand between their two horses going through Heyes’s saddle bag.
“Hey!” Heyes shouted, running. A head wearing a large, beat-up hat popped out from between the horses. It was the boy Curry had aided only a short while before.
“You little thief!” Heyes yelled, grabbing him by the back of his jacket. “And you ain’t biting me!”
“Leave me alone!” the boy screamed, twisting around and fiercely kicking Heyes in the shins, at which point he let go and grabbed his leg, cussing as the child raced away down the street and out of sight.
“You know who that was, don’t ya,” Heyes said angrily, rubbing his leg as Curry reached his mount. “And you said helping him was painless. Ha!”
“Come on, Heyes.” Curry said. “He’s only a boy.”
“Yeah, and that boy almost took off with my things!” Heyes snapped, checking his saddle bag.
“How was I supposed to know?” Curry said, checking his as well.
“That’s the point. You don’t know. You help him and look what he does!”
“He probably didn’t know they were ours,” Curry defended him. Heyes merely frowned at his partner as they walked down the boardwalk and into the hotel.
“Room is $6 a night,” the bespeckled young man behind the hotel desk said. “If you plan on staying longer, we need two nights pay up front. That’s $12.”
“I know how to count,” Heyes grumbled, digging in his pocket for the money. “By the way, you know a young kid around here, blonde hair…”
“Thank you,” the man said, taking the money from Heyes. “If he stole something from you, must be Sam.”
“Sam?” Curry asked.
“Sam,” the clerk nodded, peering over his eyeglasses at the Kid.
“Why don’t his parents do something about him?” Heyes grumbled.
“Doubt if he has them,” the clerk shrugged.
“He’s an orphan?” Curry asked, shooting Heyes a look.
“Could be.” The clerk handed the key to Heyes. “He showed up here a little over a week ago, and he’s plagued just about everybody since.”
“Can’t the sheriff do something?” Heyes asked.
“Has to catch him first. Watch your pockets gentlemen.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Heyes said, once again frowning at Curry. They walked to the stairs and began the climb to their room.
“Kid, the next time you get the urge to help and I’m around, do me a favor.”
“What, Heyes?”
“DON’T!”
*****
“So, where’s the money, Charlie?” The gruff looking, pouch-bellied cowboy held a knife at the throat of the gaunt, dark-haired man. His arms were held tightly behind him by a muscular, stone-faced cowboy.
“I can get it, Jake, you don’t need to do this,” he pleaded. He vaguely heard the whinny of a penned horse and wondered if he would get out of the stables alive.
“Oh, yeah,” Jake chuckled. “I do. Ain’t no reason for you to up and disappear on us a week now. Unless you didn’t plan on giving it up. Ain’t that right, Tomes?” he asked his accomplice.
“That’s not true,” Charlie insisted, uselessly twisting against Tomes’s steel grip.
“You spent it, didn’t you,” Jake demanded.
“Yes. I mean, no…I had to. But I can get it back. I really can!”
“Charlie, you shoulda known better.” Jake plunged his knife into the man’s belly. Tomes let the body slide to the ground, a red pool oozing onto the hay littered floor. Suddenly Tomes swirled around with his gun in hand, squinting up at the loft.
“What is it?” Jake asked, bending down and swiping his knife clean on the dead man’s shirt.
“I heard something up there,” Tomes said and quickly ascended the ladder while his partner sheathed his knife and searched Charlie’s pockets. Tomes carefully peered over the loft, then scrambled to the open window.
“It’s that brat that’s been hanging around town!” Tomes yelled. “He musta seen us. Go get him – he’s running towards the hotel!”
Jake ran from the stable in pursuit of the boy.
*****
Jake couldn’t find the brat anywhere. Finally, he stormed into the saloon. He had to push his way through the crowd. Apparently, there was some big poker game going on. He marched to the bar and banged on it to get the bartender’s attention, as he was pouring a drink at the other end of the bar.
“Hurry up!” he snapped, and the bartender hastened to him. “Have you seen that blonde headed ruffian?” The bartender smirked on the inside, another sucker with an axe to grind with Sam.
“Sorry, haven’t seen the boy all day.” The man cursed beneath his breath and stomped out of the saloon. Then the bartender turned his attention to the game everyone was watching. It sure was good for business.
Curry easily sized up the three men playing with him and Heyes. They weren’t happy about losing, and losing they were. But he didn’t sense any of them would start trouble. Easy pickings. Just like Heyes said.
“Sorry, four queens,” Heyes smiled, laying the cards on the table for all to see. “Guess this is mine,” he added, scooping the impressive pot towards him.
“You sure are lucky,” grumbled the unshaven man sitting across from him.
“A little luck, and a little skill.” Heyes grinned, glancing at Curry.
“You seem to possess both in abundance,” sighed the well-dressed man to his left.
“Say mister.” Heyes felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up to get a breath of stale whiskey in his face. A drunken man stood unsteadily over him.
“You been doing good. Can you spare a drink for old Hapsy?” Heyes didn’t think the man was very old at all, and he looked like he already had one too many. But Heyes was in a good mood, the winning was easy today.
“Sure, here ya go.” Heyes smiled, handing him a coin.
“Thanks mister,” Hapsy grinned, pushing between the onlookers to get to the bar.
“Can we get on with the game?” frowned the cowhand on Heyes’s right.
“Sure.” Heyes smiled. “Who’s dealing?”
*****
Sam slowly became aware of the hard ground beneath him and the thick smell of dirt. Forgetting for a moment where he was, he opened his eyes and found himself in darkness. Then it came back to him – the men in the stable, the thumping pain in his chest as he ran away, pushing aside the wooden board he had secretly loosened beneath the hotel porch and scrambling in, watching through the slats the legs of the two men pass by, and pass by again – cussing and looking for him.
He had never been so frightened. He had to deal with bullies at the orphanage, but he had never felt his life was in danger. With a stabbing ache, he again thought of his momma. Everything was good then. Momma protected him from the saloon crowd where she worked and taught him how to look at people and watch out for them. But momma got ill. Sam remembered every moment of those last days.
Then momma was gone, and Sam was left at the orphanage. Hughes, the guard there, took a liking to him. He watched out for him, sometimes got him extra food, and taught him how to throw a knife, and use a gun. And Sam could shoot well. But he was no match for those two murderers, and he knew it.
His stomach grumbled. He couldn’t hide beneath the porch forever. He would grab something to eat, find a horse, and get out of town as fast as he could ride. He was about to slip out through his hidden door to the underbelly of the porch when he heard voices above and froze, listening sharply.
*****
It was a cool night with a flirty breeze. The dark velvety sky sparkled with glowing stars. Heyes and Curry sat in rocking chairs on the porch of the hotel, smoking cigars. They were satisfied, having done well at poker.
“You know, Heyes,” Curry said. “I been thinking.”
“You know that ain’t a good idea,” Heyes said.
“I been thinking about that boy.”
“Kid, I’m feeling pretty good right now. Don’t ruin it by bringing him up.”
“Come on, Heyes. He’s not so different from we were at that age.” Heyes didn’t comment. “I mean, look at the things we used to do. Maybe we was just a little bit better at it than him.” He fell silent, the only sound the breeze and the squeak of the rocking chair as Heyes gently pushed himself back.
“At least we had each other.” Curry broke the silence. “This kid, Sam, he don’t have nobody.”
Heyes sighed.
“What if we had someone at that age to keep us from stealing,” Curry continued. “We mighta had a better life. We wouldn’t be wanted, and we wouldn’t be worried about running or amnesty or anything.”
“Kid, that’s a whole lot of what ifs. And I don’t like the direction this conversation is going in.”
“Why’s that?” Curry asked.
“Because you wanna help him. Ain’t you heard a word I been saying?”
Curry shrugged. “Just thought maybe we could point him in the right direction so he don’t end up like us.”
“You mean wanted?” I’ll bet you got a fine bounty on your heads.” Heyes and Curry bolted up and looked toward the porch railing where Sam watched them, his face hidden under the rim of his enormous hat.
“Why you little…” Heyes quickly strode over to him.
“I’ll tell the sheriff!” Sam said fiercely. “One more step, and I’ll be a rich kid, HEYES.”
Heyes froze in his tracks, slowly turned to Curry and gave him a look to kill.
“Hey Sam, why don’t you forget about the sheriff?” Curry coaxed.
“Sure I will. Soon as you get me to San Francisco.”
“San Francisco?” Heyes echoed.
“That’s right. If’n you don’t, I’ll make sure the sheriff knows who you two are.”
“You know, Sam, you’re wanted too.” Heyes pointed out.
“Yeah, well, they’ll forget all about me when I tell ‘em who you are,” Sam answered. “So you better go get your stuff and meet me at the blacksmiths on the edge of town. And bring some food.”
“You want to start out tonight?” Heyes nearly growled.
“Yep. And you’d better hurry, cause if’n I don’t see you right quick, I’m going straight to the sheriff and getting my train fare and more.”
“We’ll be there,” Curry sighed.
*****
“We had a good town, good place to play poker.” Heyes groused, pulling his saddle tight.
“I know, Heyes.” Curry sighed, deliberately not looking over his horse at his partner.
“No one knew us, we coulda stayed here for some time,” he added, mounting his horse.
“I know,” Curry said, pulling himself up into his saddle.
“But you had to bring up that kid. You had to talk about us. You had to get us into this mess.”
“All right!” Kid snapped. “There ain’t much I can do about it now.” They reined away from the hotel, Heyes grumbling about paying for two nights and not being able to get his money back. They rode to the blacksmith’s where they could just make out the small, dark figure of Sam standing on the far side of the building.
“About time,” Sam complained as they approached. Curry lowered his hand and pulled the child up behind him. “Did you bring any food?” Curry produced an apple from his pocket.
“Will this do?”
“For now,” Sam said, grabbing the fruit greedily and taking a huge bite. “Can’t thank you two enough for helping me,” he garbled, his mouth full of apple.
“Don’t mention it,” Heyes said, pained. “Please.” They urged their horses into motion and soon galloped out of town. But their departure did not go unobserved. Hapsy was slumped against the back of the blacksmith’s shop. At the sound of voices, he leaned around the corner and watched the trio ride off.
*****
Late the next morning after sleeping off another one, Hapsy stumbled along under the bright sun to begin his day with a brand new binge. He entered the cool shade of the saloon and lumbered to the bar. There weren’t too many people in yet, and no soft touches from whom he might wrangle a drink. Oh well, he still had a coin or two in his pocket, enough to get started.
Jake and Tomes stormed into the saloon and headed straight for the bar, motioning for the bartender.
“Have you seen that kid yet?” Jake asked him.
“Nope. Not since you asked yesterday.” He turned away from them and picked up a bottle to pour for Hapsy, who was urging him to hurry, his last coin on the bar.
“He’s gotta be here somewhere,” Tomes growled as Hapsy downed his first drink of the day.
“Er, excuse me, gentlemen,” Hapsy said, smoothing down his rumpled jacket and stumbling towards Jake and Tomes. “Are you referring to that <hiccup> delightful little child that is the cause of so much discontent in town?”
The two men looked at each other and then back at the town drunk.
“You know where he is?” Tomes asked quickly.
“Yep. Yep I do.” He leaned close, breathing whiskey breath at them.
“Where is he?” Jake demanded.
“What’s it worth to ya?”
“Give me a bottle,” Jake told the bartender. “Come over here,” he said to Hapsy upon getting the whiskey. They steered him to the corner table, sat him down and popped open the bottle.
“You saw the boy?” Jake asked, pouring. Hapsy greedily watched his glass fill with the amber liquid.
He grabbed the glass and thirstily gulped the whiskey. Smacking his lips, he put the glass down on the table and grinned.
“Yep. He rode outta town last night, on the back of a horse.”
“Was he alone?” Tomes demanded.
He pushed his glass towards Jake in an unspoken plea for another drink. Jake obliged him, impatiently waiting for Hapsy to down it.
“He was with them two poker playing strangers,” the drunk said, “that were in here yesterday. They rode off from the blacksmith’s place, late last night.”
“Keep the bottle,” Jake said. He and Tomes rose from the table and quickly departed from a very contented Hapsy.
*****
“You better not try anything,” Sam warned Heyes and Curry the next morning. “Remember I have a gun.” They had made camp after several hours of riding. Sam had slept with his gun in his hand and the blanket pulled up to his chin.
“Where’d you learn to use a gun?” Heyes asked with asperity, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Curry checked the pot of beans over the dancing fire. Once heated he dished out three plates, handing one to Heyes and one to Sam.
“Never you mind where I learned to shoot,” Sam warned, taking his plate from Curry. “But I can shoot real good.”
“Great,” Heyes mumbled, setting down to his breakfast.
“I can’t believe you only brought beans to eat,” Sam complained while hungrily taking a huge mouthful. “We ate better at the …” he looked up startled at Heyes then Curry at what he almost let slip. He looked down at his food and quickly gobbled another spoonful.
“The orphanage?” Curry guessed softly. Sam continued to eat with great energy as though he didn’t hear him.
“Why did you run away?” Curry asked. After another mouthful of beans, he let the spoon drop in his plate, not once looking up from his food.
“The other kids were always pushing you around. You couldn’t do anything or go anywhere. I figured I might as well be on my own. It couldn’t be any worse off.” He put his plate down and pushed it away from him.
“You know, this ain’t a good way for you to go,” Curry said. “Always getting in trouble and stealing from people.”
“I want my freedom, just like you got your freedom, riding around anywhere you want to go,” Sam said earnestly.
“We don’t want to go to San Francisco,” Heyes pointed out acerbically.
“Why not?” Sam demanded. “What’s wrong with San Francisco?”
“Because we ain’t going by choice!” Heyes snapped.
“You got relatives there?” Curry asked, taking Sam’s attention away from Heyes.
The boy shrugged. “Just figured it’d be a good place to go.”
“You might find it a little rough,” Curry said. “You sure we can’t take you to the orphanage?”
“I ain’t going back,” Sam shouted. “I want to go to San Francisco!”
“All right, all right,” Curry said, dropping the subject.
*****
The bartender looked up from the glass he was wiping as the saloon doors swung open. He had never seen this man before and wouldn’t mind if he didn’t again. The tall, broad-shouldered cowboy had a face that showed the years none too kindly. It was a hard face. He looked like he hadn’t seen a bath or a bed in some long time. Beneath his beaten black cowboy hat, his dark eyes were alert and scanned the room intently before falling upon him behind the bar. The bartender noticed the gun tied to the man’s right leg as he approached. He wore it easy.
“I’m looking for a boy, blonde hair,” he said in a deep rumble. “Name’s Sam Floriano. You seen him?”
The bartender looked down at the glass in his hand for an instant and nearly dropped it when the man pounded on the bar.
“I asked you a question.” The fierce eyes bore into his own. His heart began to pound fitfully.
“I know who you’re talking about,” he said quickly. “I ain’t seem him, but I heard he rode outta here last night.”
“Where?”
“West,” the bartender pointed vaguely, unable to tear his attention from the man’s eyes. “He was riding with two men, one dark haired, one light.”
“Thanks.” The stranger threw a coin on the bar, and in a moment the saloon doors swung behind him and he was gone.
*****
“We gotta get rid of him,” Heyes said that night, watching the flames dance in the night breeze. Sam was sleeping on the opposite side of the fire, buried beneath his hat and blanket.
“We can’t just leave him here,” Curry said, resting his head back on the large boulder he sat against.
“Why not?” Heyes frowned, receiving a disapproving look from Curry. “Come on, Kid. We gotta do something. I ain’t taking him all the way to San Francisco.”
They had ridden all day. It was a long day, with Heyes and Sam belly aching about each other. Curry was glad the boy was asleep and he finally had some peace and quiet. Well, quiet anyway. He was uneasy. All day he had the nagging sensation that they were being followed. But every time he scanned the landscape, there wasn’t the slightest sign. He was glad to come across this outcropping of boulders beside the road. It was a good place to camp and offered good cover. Just in case.
“Why don’t you take him to San Francisco, and I’ll just wait at the next town we come to.” Heyes suggested. “We don’t even need to flip a coin.”
Suddenly Curry whipped out his gun. “Heyes,” he whispered. “We got company.” Heyes quickly drew his gun and they both stared into the night, listening intently. In a breath they heard a whinny, and two horsemen materialized from the darkness into the light of the fire.
“Howdy, boys,” Jake said. He and his partner rode in holding up their arms.
“Saw the light and thought we might get a cup of coffee,” Tomes said as both men lowered their arms. Heyes and Curry holstered their guns, Curry never taking his eyes off the strangers. The men made no move to dismount.
“We’re looking for a boy,” Jake said. “His name is Sam. Blonde haired kid. You seen him?”
“What do you want with him?” Curry asked, cutting off whatever Heyes was about to say.
“What difference does that make?” Tomes asked gruffly.
“You from the orphanage?” Heyes asked hopefully.
“Yeah, that’s right.” Jake said. “They hired us to track him down and bring him back. They’re paying us pretty good, so we can make it worth your while.”
Curry didn’t answer. Something about them didn’t feel right. But Heyes nudged the lump under the blanket with his boot.
“What’re you doing, waking me.” Sam complained sleepily, throwing the blanket off him. “You better start treating me better.”
Heyes grinned and pointed at the two horsemen. “They’re here to take you back to the orphanage.”
Sam sat up and rubbed his eyes. He stared at the two men.
“NO!” he screamed, jumping up and pushing Heyes in front of him. “I ain’t going with them!”
Tomes barely twitched before Curry had his gun in hand.
“Now you’re asking for trouble,” Curry said smoothly. “Throw your hardware down here, nice and easy.” They begrudgingly did as they were told. Sam dashed behind Curry as Heyes collected the guns and took their saddle rifles.
“You’re gonna regret this,” Jake snarled as Heyes emptied their guns of bullets, then put them in their saddle bags.
“I don’t think I will.” Curry said.
Heyes then pulled their hands behind them and tied them tight with rope from their saddle.
“Mister, I’m coming back for you.” Tomes growled.
“I’ll be waiting,” Curry answered smoothly.
“I think you two can ride off hard and fast,” Heyes said, “even without your hands. Otherwise, we might have to make you get down and tie you to a tree.” The two men glared at Heyes as he took the reins and turned their mounts around. Then with a yell he smacked both horses hard on the rump, sending them galloping away. As the sound of pounding hooves faded. Heyes turned around and angrily stomped over to Sam.
“What was that all about?” he demanded.
Sam pulled his hat lower over his face and sat down with his back to Heyes. “Nothing,” he mumbled.
“Look here,” Heyes said angrily, grabbing his arm and pulling him up to face him. “I’m getting tired of being dragged around by you. I’m ready to take you to that orphanage myself!”
“Stop it!” Sam cried, trying to free himself from Heyes’s tight grip. His hat fell off and his face was clearly visible in the firelight, and so were his tears.
Heyes released him and stepped backwards. “Why are you crying?”
“I ain’t crying!” Sam croaked, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “Got dirt in my eyes.”
“Sam, what’s going on?” Curry asked. “What do those men want with you?”
Sam eyed Curry suspiciously, then glanced at Heyes.
“You know, if we were gonna hurt you,” Heyes said, “we woulda done it by now.”
“Come on, Sam,” Curry urged gently. “Talk to us.” Sam sat down and watched the reflection of the wavering flames on their faces. They could have given him to the murderers, but they had protected him. Perhaps he could trust with them. He sure didn’t have anybody else. For a few minutes, the only sound was the crackling of the fire. Finally, Sam spoke.
“My momma and I didn’t have no family. She worked in a saloon, and we lived in a room above. But then she got sick. She died a few months ago, and I was left at the orphanage. Then I ran away.”
Curry shot Heyes a sympathetic glance, then turned back to Sam. “What did those men want with you?” he asked gently.
“If I tell you, you gotta help me,” he pleaded desperately, his face tragic in the shadows of the firelight. “You gotta get me to San Francisco.”
“We’ll help you,” Heyes promised. He looked Sam steadily in the eyes, and the boy made his decision.
“Sometimes I sleep in the stable loft. The other day, I heard voices and I saw…” He quickly looked down at his feet, afraid to say the words out loud.
“What did you see?” Curry encouraged softly.
“They stabbed a man, killed him,” he rushed. “They musta heard me, cause one of ‘em started to come up to the loft. I climbed out the window cause I carved foot holes in the wall so I could get away if I ever needed to. Momma always said make sure there’s more than one way outta wherever you are.” He glanced at his companions, then looked down at the dirt and began drawing circles in it with a stick.
“I was hiding under the hotel porch when I heard you two talking. I figured you’d be able to help me get away.” He looked up at them again. “I wouldn’t really tell on you. I wouldn’t want anyone telling on me.”
“That’s okay Sam,” Heyes sighed.
“You know we gotta tell the sheriff,” Curry said.
“I can’t!” Sam cried. “If’n them two men don’t kill me, the sheriff’ll make me go back to the orphanage!”
“Look Sam, we know what it’s like,” Heyes said. “We were both in an orphanage too.”
“You were?” Sam asked, eyes wide.
“We sure were,” Curry Said. “It might not be the best place for you, but it beats living in the streets and stealing. That can only lead to trouble.”
“But you two turned out okay,” Sam said.
“We were lucky,” Heyes said. “You might not be.”
“Besides, you can’t keep running and hoping those two men don’t find you.” Curry added. “They know you saw them kill that man, and they ain’t gonna let it go.”
“We’ll be with you the whole way,” Heyes assured him.
“We’ll make sure you get to the sheriff safe and sound,” Curry added.
“Can I think about it?” Sam asked.
“Sure.” Curry smiled. “It’s nearly daybreak. We’ll have a quick breakfast and head out. No telling when those men will be back.”
*****
The man in the black hat pulled upon the reins and sat tall in the saddle. He squinted in the faint predawn light.
“What the…” he distinguished two men in the distance on foot, back-to-back, pushing against each other as two horses pranced nervously nearby. He urged his mount forward and quickly rode towards the two men. Upon spotting the stranger on horseback approach, the two men stepped away from each other and faced him. As he drew near, he could see they had their arms tied behind their backs, and he loosened his gun in its holster.
“Hey mister, you mind untying us?” Tomes said as the stranger reined up beside them.
“What happened?” he asked, making no move to dismount.
“You wouldn’t believe it,” Jake growled.
“Try me,” he said, amusement in his dark eyes.
“We was hunting down these two desperados, kidnapped a young boy…” Jake began.
There was a subtle shift in the man, his eyes grew sharp as he listened intensely. Neither man noticed the change.
“They got the jump on us,” Jake continued.
“Tell me about the boy.”
“Just some orphan,” Tomes answered. A thick silence fell among them.
“I thought you said he was kidnapped.” The man in the black hat said in a steely voice.
“From the orphanage,” Jake added quickly. “They’re paying us to get him back.”
Silence again. Jake’s wrists were blood raw and painfully aching from trying to get loose of the ropes. He shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny of the stranger.
“Whereabouts are these two men?”
“Up yonder,” Jake jerked his head, indicating the direction. “Half an hour’s ride.”
“Listen mister, are you gonna cut us loose or not?” Tomes said, an unpleasant suspicion tugging at him.
“I don’t think I will.” He said.
“Hey, we gotta get that kid back,” Jake said, suddenly realizing the situation.
“You’re a liar.” He kicked his horse into a gallop, in his wake a cussing Jake and Tomes.
If providence was with him, he might have that boy before nightfall.
*****
“First we get that brat,” Tomes growled a short while later, shaking the last of the rope from his bloodied wrists. He reached into a concealed pocket in his saddle bag and whipped out a box of shots.
“Then we take care of them two that tied us,” Jake snarled. He bit down on his bandana and ripped it in two, wrapping a half around each blood raw wrist. He caught the box Tomes tossed him and quickly loaded his gun.
“Then we get the black hat.” Tomes added as he and Jake quickly mounted and galloped away.
*****
He was making good time until he heard the rattling, then his horse screamed and reared. He landed hard in the dirt but still drew swiftly and shot the damn snake dead while his horse galloped away. Cussing under his breath, the man with the black hat slowly picked himself up, gratified he was not hurt. He would have a good ache or two later. So much for providence.
“Damn horse,” he muttered as he strode off in the direction the frightened beast had run.
*****
“Sam, wanna put out that fire?” Curry asked from beside his horse as he and Heyes quickly packed up. Sam had decided he would go back and talk to the sheriff.
“We better take another way back,” Heyes suggested. “I don’t fancy meeting up with those two fellas on the way.”
“Good idea,” Curry agreed. Suddenly a gun shot whizzed by his head.
“Get down!” Heyes yelled to Sam, who was stomping out the fire. He was on the other side of the camp from the horses, and Curry pointed to the large rocks near him.
“Get behind it!” he yelled as he and Heyes found their own cover.
“You think it’s them?” Curry asked.
“Didn’t think they’d be back so soon,” Heyes frowned. “Can you see anything?”
Curry slowly raised himself up to look, and a bullet immediately whizzed by him, sending him swiftly down behind the safety of the boulder. He turned to his partner with a grimace. “I can’t see a thing, Heyes. Why don’t you try?”
“It’s okay, Kid. I take your word for it.”
*****
The man in the black hat was annoyed at the delay his spooked horse caused, but he still had hopes of catching up to the boy before the day was out. Perhaps good fortune was with him. The sound of gunfire reached his ears and he quickly spurred his mount towards the sound. A ways up ahead on the right side of the road, someone was firing from a patch of trees. He couldn’t see who it was, but he had a hunch it might be the two men he came upon earlier. Considering the time it took him to recover his frightened horse, they certainly would have been able to pass him. That is, if they ever got their hands unbound.
They were shooting across the road where behind several large boulders came return fire. He immediately reined his horse slowly to the left towards the boulders. He smoothly dismounted behind the closest boulder and tucked the reins deep into a crevice. Quickly but silently, he worked his way around until he could see into the camp. On the far side two men with guns were pretty well pinned down behind the rocks they used as cover. On his side of the camp, however, was a young boy. He pulled his gun from its holster and stealthily crept towards the child.
*****
“Heyes, we gotta do something,” Curry said, quickly releasing a shot and jerking back behind his rock.
“Sam!” Heyes cried out, firing a warning shot at the other side of the camp. Curry turned and saw a man in a black hat creeping up behind the boy.
“Sam! Watch out!” Curry yelled. But it was too late. The man put a hand over the boy’s mouth, smothering his screams. He held the kicking child with a gun to his head, effectively subduing him. Sam’s large, frightened eyes begged Heyes and Curry for help, but there was nothing they could do for the moment.
“Who the hell is that!” Heyes snapped.
“I have no idea. We’ll have to ask him when we get out of this.” Curry answered. “Speaking of which, you got a plan Heyes?”
“I’m working on it!”
*****
“Aaaagggghhhh!”
“Jones!” Tomes heard the cry from the other side of the road after he shot. Good, that meant one of them was down. He and Jake continued another flurry of shooting and moments later a second scream broke upon the air, and return fire ceased behind the boulders.
“Sounds like we got ‘em,” Tomes grinned.
“Want to be sure it ain’t no trick,” Jake replied. The silence continued.
“Cover me,” Tomes said. Jake let off a series of shots as Tomes ran across the road. Still no return fire.
Tomes waved for Jake to circle around the other side, which he quickly did. They entered the clearing at about the same time and saw the two men they were after. Both were lying face down, still as death itself.
“I told you I’d come back for you,” Tomes growled over Curry’s body.
Suddenly they heard pounding hooves behind them. Turning, they saw the man with the black hat charging towards them. Firing, he hit Tomes as Jake dived behind a boulder.
At the same time, Heyes and Curry rolled over, Heyes missing the man in the black hat and Curry hitting Jake.
The man in the black hat reared his horse, then fluently dismounted and held his gun on Heyes and Curry.
“Who the hell are you?” Heyes demanded.
The man in the black hat said nothing, but went to Tomes, who was shot in the arm, and then Jake, who was dead.
He stood and dusted off his hands as Heyes and Curry stood.
“He asked you a question,” Curry said, his gun focused on the intruder.
“Put that gun away,” he growled. “If I was after you, you’d be dead.”
Heyes and Curry looked at each other, then holstered their guns.
“Where’s Sam?”
The man smiled. “He’s safe.”
“What do you want with him?” Curry asked.
“Come on,” he said, remounting. Heyes and Curry mounted, and followed as the man in the black hat led them beyond the camp and down the road a ways. They found Sam sitting on a rock by the road. When he saw the men approach, he Jumped up and ran towards them.
“You’re okay!” He cried to Heyes and Curry. “I was so scared!”
“Would someone please tell me what’s going on?” Heyes asked as the black man dismounted. Curry and Heyes followed suit.
“Sam, are you all right?” Curry asked coming next to the boy.
“I’m great!” Sam replied.
“This is one gutsy kid,” the man in the black hat rumbled.
“What happened?”
“He got me on his horse, but he didn’t know I had a gun, so I shot him in the arm before he could get it away from me.”
“Flesh wound,” the man shrugged it off.
“Who are you?” Heyes asked.
“Nick Blackstone.” The man answered. “I’m here to take Sam home.”
“To the orphanage?” Curry asked.
“Nope. His grandma.” Blackstone pulled a letter from his pocket and handed it to Heyes. He quickly scanned it, his face revealing surprise. Then he handed the letter back to Blackstone, who tucked it back in his shirt pocket.
“Would someone please tell me what’s going on?” Curry said petulantly.
“His grandma got a letter from the saloon after his momma died.” Heyes said. “ It told her about Sam and the orphanage where he brought.”
“Genevieve Floriano,” Blackstone said with a smile. “She asked me to fetch her grandchild.” He chuckled. “Like your spirit, boy.”
“Thanks grandpa!”
“Grandpa?” Curry repeated.
“Genevieve finally agreed to marry me, after all these years, if I brough Sam home to her.” Blackstone said. His hard face softened as he looked upon the boy and ruffled his hair. “Wasn’t no way I’d return without him.”
“But how can you be sure Sam is her grandson?” Heyes asked.
Blackstone turned to Sam. “Do you remember a necklace your momma had? It was heart shaped, and inside was a picture of your grandma.”
Sam looked up at him with big, wide eyes. He slowly reached deep into his baggy shirt and pulled out a heart shaped necklace.
“Is this it?” he whispered. Blackstone gently took the heart in his hand and popped open the clasp. There, looking up at him, was a much younger version of the woman he was going to marry.
“Yep, that’s it.” He closed the heart and handed it back to the boy. “Welcome home Sam.” He grabbed the boy in a bear hug and held him tight.
*****
“Ain’t he a sight?” Curry grinned as he and Heyes leaned against the wall of the stagecoach office, watching Nick Blackstone and Sam walking along the boardwalk towards them. He held Sam’s little hand in his large paw, Sam jogging alongside to keep up with his long strides. Sam wore new brown boots, jeans and a checkered shirt. Upon his head sat a new, chocolate brown, well-fitting cowboy hat. And he had a big grin on his face.
Blackstone’s appearance had also changed. His clothes were newly washed, and he was clean shaven. Like his grandson, he wore a big grin.
“Smith, Jones,” Blackstone said as he approached, holding out his hand and firmly shaking both of theirs. “Don’t know how I can thank you for what you’ve done. Those two men woulda killed my Sam if it wasn’t for you. “He shook his head. “I owe you a great debt.”
“It was our pleasure,” Curry smiled, gripping Sam on the shoulder.
“Wasn’t no bother at all,” Heyes shrugged with a charming grin, earning a look of disbelief from Curry.
“It’s a good thing the judge was in town to get the trial over with. It’s long overdue getting this boy to his grandma.”
“All aboard, folks,” the stagecoach driver called out.
“Thanks again, boys.” Blackstone said and led Sam to the coach. “If you’re ever around Lincoln, stop in and see us.”
Sam ran over to Curry and gave him a big hug. When he let go, he stood back and looked up at Heyes.
“Come here,” Heyes said, and he tightly wrapped his arms around him. When Heyes let go, Sam raced to the stagecoach, Blackstone sweeping him up and onto the seat and sitting beside him.
“Oh, I have something for you.” Blackstone said, reaching an arm out of the stagecoach window. Heyes and Curry stepped up to him, and Heyes took the offering; it was several folded bills.
“That’s not necessary,” Heyes said.
“Least I can do for your help.”
“Good luck and congratulations!” Curry added as the stagecoach started off. They silently watched it drive away until it disappeared. Then Curry turned towards Heyes.
“So, what’d he give us?”
Heyes opened the bills and began counting. “$500!” he said with surprise.
“Now Heyes,” Kid grinned. “Are you sure it doesn’t pay to help folks?”
“Come on,” Heyes grinned back. “There’s a poker game waiting for us.
In moments they vanished through the swinging doors of the saloon.
***The End***
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