Well I finally managed to finish one instead of leaving paragraphs of partially done stories on my computer for the last several months. It's a little rough but it's done just under the wire.
What Happened to Your Pants?
Hannibal Heyes was worried. Kid was late, not panic mode late but two days late nonetheless. Rain or no rain he should have been here by now. Heyes knew that his partner’s stubborn determination to take a short job as a temporary replacement for a guard delivering the payroll to several small nearby mines was a bad idea. Curry insisted that he could make more money as a guard the mine desperately needed than he would playing poker while they waited in town for a telegram from Colonel Harper about a job. Heyes could play poker for a nice profit as long as he remembered his partner wasn’t in town to watch his back. The Kid kept pointing out that Colonel Harper was unreliable with promised jobs and funds were low. Heyes had to agree with all that the Kid said but he knew that trouble was just around the corner when they separated.
And now the Kid was late. He shook his shaggy head as he patted his stuffed with money pants pocket, murmuring to himself, “You always get in trouble without me around. What kind of trouble is it gonna be this time.”
Colonel Harper’s telegram finally arrived the day after Curry left. The partners would need to leave Mountainside in two days for the well-paying and moderately risky opportunity. The dark-haired man’s eyes rose to the cracked, dingy ceiling. “*%#&, Kid, you better be alright.” He sighed, his head dropped, and he muttered to the faded floral rug, “I wonder how long it’s gonna take me to get you out of whatever situation you got yourself into.”
Heyes paced the length of the nondescript hotel room in thought. He worked on a course of action, stopping at the small window that overlooked the main street of the town aptly named Mountainside to peer out every third or fourth circuit. The steady, soaking rain that had plagued the region for a solid week had finally let up in the early morning but the day remained dreary and gray. Any gloating pleasure he might have had at the thought of his partner riding around the mountainous area, getting soaking wet, while he dashed among the warm and dry hotel, café, and saloon had long disappeared, subsumed by increasing worry. Not that he would ever tell the Kid he worried about him.
Decision made, Heyes spun from the window and engaged in a flurry of purposeful activity. He had everything packed up almost as fast as if a posse was forming. Dark eyes gave once last look around the small hotel room before closing the door behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~ASJ~~~~~~~~~~
It was slow going on the muddy way out of town. The rider had to pay careful attention to the conditions of the road to avoid any mishaps to himself and his chestnut mare. The soaked ground made the way treacherous in the mountainous region full with narrow roads, towering cliffs, and sharp, steep drop-offs scattered among the scant level habitable areas.
Heyes slowed to a near halt where the road ahead narrowed suddenly. The half that hadn’t slid downslope was littered with thick mud, stones, and debris from uprooted scrub. The chestnut’s ears perked up and started to swivel as the horse picked up her head with interest. Nostril’s flared as the mare took in deep breaths. He reined his horse close to the upslope
“Help! Help! Someone up there please help me!” A thin reedy voice was calling from somewhere down the steep slope. It sounded feminine.
The ex-outlaw quickly dismounted and picked his way to the edge of the washed-out road. Gingerly peering over the side as he held onto a leaning partially uprooted lodgepole pine for stability. He spotted the caller.
“Hey! Am I glad to see you!” The sixtyish woman yelled from her position, lying in the thick mud beside an overturned wagon. Her voice grew stronger as she looked up at her would be rescuer. “Don’t just stand there gawking, sonny. Come down here and help me,” the woman commanded.
Heyes’ mouth snapped shut. “Yes ma’am. I’ll be right there, ma’am.” He blinked at the automatic response and unconsciously snapped a look to his side, almost expecting his susceptible partner to have uttered the words. The blond was no where to be seen and but the horse that was presumably attached to the severed broken harness was several yards down the slope, trembling on a bit of level ground with the remains of the harness tangled in debris
Scrambling and sliding down the mud-slicked slope, the dark-haired partner assessed the situation and formed a rough plan to free the trapped woman. The rescuer stopped to free the horse, guide it back to the road and secure it close to his own mount. Starting back down to the mud slide, his mouth tightened, and he grimaced as he slipped and slid to a halt, inches from the wooden side of the wagon, bringing a good amount of mud with him.
“Took you long enough, sonny. But thanks for taking care of the horse.”
An hour later a very muddy and tired Hannibal Heyes stood with feet planted and hands on hips. He looked directly into the eyes of the woman lying at his feet. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but there’s no other way. You’re gonna have to slip out of your skirt. The fabric is stuck and even with the mud I can’t get it to budge. I could cut it but then when you come when it’s drier to recover what you can it’ll be in pieces.”
“Try harder.”
“I’m not Hercules. This old wagon is built to last and it’s heavy, too heavy for me to lift with it dug into the sludge and half the forest fallen on it. I’ve tried as hard as I can, ma’am. “
“Okay, I don’t have no other option. Can’t stay here all night. Turn around, Joshua. I’ll tell you when to turn back around.” Tired blue eyes crinkled at the edges as Edith smiled in spite of her predicament. She waved a hand in a turning motion from her still recumbent position.
Heyes sighed and did as commanded. He leaned against the wagon, conserving breath and energy for the climb back up to the road and the horses.
“Hey sonny, I mean Joshua, you stay lookin’ that way. Throw me your pants.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Throw me your pants and be quick about it. I’m getting’ cold. You don’t want an old woman to catch the death of her. Do ya?”
The ex-outlaw straightened and spun around quickly. “What are y…” He spun just as quickly back around, dark eyes wide in shock and embarrassment.
She stood there, her tattered and dirty shirtwaist hanging loose to the top of her thin, bare thighs. She tried to keep the smug smile from showing up in her voice. “Now, you gonna give me your pants. I ain’t got nothin on my bottom as you saw. My pantaloons were stuck, like the skirt. They’s too baggy. I’d known I shoulda took them in. You got a union suit on, sonny or is this old women gonna get a treat.”
The ex-leader of the Devil’s Hole wasn’t prone to blushing but the red rose at woman’s appreciative chuckle. “I got long johns on Ma’am.”
“More’s the pity, now drop them.”
He dropped them, bent to pick up the garment and tossed it behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~ASJ~~~~~~~~~~
In the growing dusk, waiting for full dark, Heyes huddled behind the bushes along the white painted church at the end of the main street of Mountainside. He raised up to peer into the back windows of the small annex attached to the church proper as he had been doing periodically for a while. He gave a nod of satisfaction mixed with more than a little relief at the sight of the church office finally empty of people and at the overflowing box of clothes tucked into the corner.
He dropped back down, muttering a rant to himself. “I can’t believe this. Kid does stupid things in the aid of women. Not me. I mean what was I thinking giving her my pants with all my money in the pocket. I should’ve wrapped my shirt around her waist and made her wait to we got up top. Then she could’ve had a clean pair of my spare pants to put on but no, I had an attach of Kid brain.”
Heyes tensed at an unexpected sound and glanced around the bushes but didn’t see anything. The dark head disappeared back behind the greenery and the soft, but the self-scolding rant continued, “And even a genius couldn’t have predicted that tree falling over, freeing the horses before I had a chance to get pants out of the saddle bag.” The half-clad man shifted his weight, the rattling of the branches went unnoticed in the throes of his rising anger. “It figures, the Kid gets pretty young things to rescue who aren’t shy about showing their gratitude. Who do I get? I get a bossy old woman, who when a rider finally passes by does she mention the kind, generous soul who rescued her from certain death over in the bushes who also needs a ride? Nope, the ingrate climbs up and rides off with nary a word or even a guilty look back.”
Darkness descended. Heyes rose and padded stealthily along the shrubs to the back door. He tried the doorknob and frowned to find it locked. A firm hand rattled it in frustration before the ex-outlaw regained his composure and bent down to retrieve his lock pick hidden in the left boot. Lockpick in hand the ex-thief angled his body to shield his activity from the side street as he set to work.
“Hold it right there, mister. Put our hands on your head where I can see them. Then slowly turn around.” Accompanied by the unwelcome but all to recognizable sound of a pistol being cocked. Heyes straightened up as started to comply with the instructions of the large man, wearing a tin star.
“Oh my! He’s not decent,” screeched a plump matron, standing at the corner. “I know he was peeking in the window at us. That’s why I sent Harriet to get you. Do you think he’s a peeping Tom? Oh my, just think of the depraved things he was doing out here while he was lurking and peeping about.” The horrified woman shrank back and started pushing her young adolescent daughter to hurry back up the street out of sight of the underwear clad man.
Heyes’ arms dropped as his gaze traveled from the nozzle of the gun to the tin star until it followed the wake upset matron. “Now wait a minute. I’m not a peeping Tom and there were no depraved doings. I just needed a pair of pants.”
“Yeah, yeah. Tell it to the judge. Now throw your gun on the ground, nice and easy.” The sheriff pointed pointedly with his pistol at his prisoner to urge him to comply quickly. Heyes complied. “Now, we’re gonna go to the jail by the back way as to not offend anybody else. I think upsetin’ the mayor’s wife and daughter are enough.”
Heyes groaned. The prisoner, with hands on head, walked up the back alley in the direction indicated by the lawmen. “Oh, come on Sherriff. I wasn’t peeping at anybody nor lurking about…”
“Not charging you with being a peeping Tom. What I am charging you with is attempted breaking and entering and indecent exposure, maybe public lewdness for now. Where’s your pants, boy?”
“Well, sheriff, that’s a story. You notice my long johns and the rest of my clothes are pretty muddy. You see I was riding out looking for my partner when I came across this mudslide. Now the mudslide had caught this old woman and her wagon, you know I never did get her name, anyway this woman…”
They arrived at the back door of the jail, which the sheriff unlocked and ushered his prisoner into the back cell. Heyes kept up his explanation the entire time, while trying to gauge the lawman’s reaction.
“…so you see, if you just let me borrow a pair of pants from the church bin until I can find my horse, then the woman or If my partner finally turns up to get me a new pair pants, I can be on my way.”
The sheriff turned to his chuckling deputy. “Leon, see if you can find any pants in the church charity bin that will fit Mr. Smith here, willya.” He turned back to Joshua Smith. “Tomorrow’s Sunday. Don’t do any investigating on Sunday, unless it’s an emergency.”
“It’s an emergency Sheriff, believe me it’s an emergency.”
“Not an emergency to me and that’s all that counts. I’ll tell you what, I’m pretty sure I know who you’re talking about. First thing Monday morning, if nothing more pressing comes up, Leon or me will ride out to Edith Parker’s place and talk to her. See if you story holds water and get your pants and money back. If it does you can walk outta here right after. If not, you see the Judge next Thursday.” The lawman turned away, chuckling to himself.
Heyes grabbed the cot blanket and wrapped around his lower half before starting a pacing pattern, grumbling under his breath.
~~~~~~~~~~~ASJ~~~~~~~~~~
The blond led his gelding around the back of the livery towards the corral when he stopped short. Peering closer into the trees Kid Curry recognized the saddled and loaded mare of his partner munching on grass in the dappled morning light. The Kid handed the reins of his black to the stable boy. Curiosity mixed with growing alarm had him rapidly approaching the trees. He stopped and whistled. The mare obediently came trotting up to her master’s partner and pushed at his shoulder. Kid grabbed the bridle and led the horse back towards the stable while giving the mare a thorough look over.
“Where’s Joshua, girl? Why are you all ready to go and no rider in sight?”
Questioning the livery workers gave no answers to his multiplying questions. Kid hurried over to the hotel.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Jones, I haven’t scene Mr. Smith since he checked out early Saturday morning. However, on Sunday the deputy did leave this message for you if you turned up.” The hotel clerk helpfully reached below the desk to pull out an envelope. He handed it over to the worried young man in front of him a little hesitantly, noticing the blue eyes become darker and harder looking.
Curry took the envelope and glanced down at it. A small sigh of warry relief escaped at the sight of Mr. Jones written across the front. He moved away from the desk as he pulled out a piece of paper. Blond brows drew into a V. His partner was being held for breaking and entering a church and other misdemeanor charges. Heyes wouldn’t jeopardize their amnesty now, and certainly by not trying to rob a church. He stuffed the paper back into the envelope and the envelope into his pocket before striding out of the hotel.
Habit made him check his gun on the way to the sheriffs office. Habit also made him hesitate to open the door to the jail. A deep breath later, Thaddeus Jones strode confidently into the Mountainside Sheriff’s office and jail, his right hand unconsciously resting on the Colt.
“Mornin’ Sheriff, I’m Thaddeus Jones. Your deputy left a note at the hotel that my partner, Joshua Smith, is in jail. I like to hear more ‘bout that and can I see him?”
“Leave the hardware on the desk, son.” The sheriff pointedly kept his eyes trained on the blond’s right hip. “No need for gunplay, not that I know of. You know anythin’ different? Your friend’s right behind you.”
Kid raised his hands and brought both out in front of him. “No, no need for gunplay. You’ve got that right, Sheriff.” He started to untie the thong of the holster while he turned around, looking for his partner. Abruptly standing, mouth falling open and the thong’s strings dangling down, blue eyes widened in mirth. A chuckle developed into a full-throated laugh. The sheriff joined in. Deputy Leon, who was standing by the cell with the cell key in hand joined in, too. Heyes still standing behind bars did not.
“What happened to your pants?” Curry finally managed get out. He pointed at the poorly patched pants that ended about two inches above tan boots. He did notice that the pants were the only clean thing on his friend.
“These are not my pants.” Heyes answered testily. “Have you ever seen me in these pants? The deputy brought me these pants.”
Deputy Leon was still laughing as he inserted the key and opened the cell. “They were the only ones small enough around the waist. All the ones long enough would have fallen clean off.
The Sheriff guffawed louder at the word clean as he opened his desk drawer and placed Joshua Smith’s gun belt on the desk. “Your story checked out Mr. Smith. You’re free to go. Here’s your gun, and this paper has directions to the Parker Place. The Parkers want you to come to lunch to thank you. Edith’s a mighty fine cook. When I was there, she had your stuff drying, all of it.”
Heyes exited the cell and walked past his perplexed partner. He grabbed the gunbelt and paper from the sheriff’s hand. “Thanks.”
“Come on Thaddeus.” Heyes pushed the Kid in front of him and closer to the door.
Kid twisted to look over his shoulder as he was propelled forward.
“What happened to
[b]your[/b] pants?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Oh, but I do, I really do.”
“Later. And it’s all your fault.”
Fri Sep 02, 2022 2:20 am
