Never Be Afraid To Fail
One morning in Devil’s Hole young Hannibal Heyes woke to find it was a lovely day outside. He heard Big Jim Santana the leader of the gang was up and about. He was just about to get out of bed when Jim came in.
“Hannibal, what are you doing?”
“I’m gettin’ out of bed.”
“No, you are not, you are not yet recovered from your shoulder injury you must stay there.”
“I feel alright Jim.”
“No, my friend you rest another day and then we’ll see.”
“Oh, ok if I must.”
“Yes you must.”
So, Heyes stayed in bed for the next couple of days then he was allowed up after the Doctor had given his report to Jim.
“Now Heyes nothing strenuous for the next week and then we build up gradually” said Jim like a concerned father.
“Ok, Jim” said Heyes as he walked out of the door of the Main cabin in Devil’s Hole.
Meanwhile in Clearwater a young man was riding into town on his Palomino American Quarter horse mare with a white blaze down her face, and four white socks and a white mane and tail, he spoke to the horse.
“Easy Candy girl just a few more steps and then you can have a nice drink of water.”
Horse and rider continued up the street to the livery stable where the young rider got off and let his beautiful mare drink from the water trough.
“Howdy son want me to take care of your horse for ya?”
“Yes, thank you sir” he said.
He headed over to the hotel and went in he walked up the desk and rang the bell. A small man with round spectacles, not much hair and a grey suit on came to the desk from the back office.
“Yes, young man can I help you?”
“Yes, I’d like a room with a bath please.”
“I see well, the room is four dollars.”
“How long for?”
“Two nights.”
“Oh, hang on a minuet” he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out his money, he counted it, it came to thirty-five dollars and twenty cents. He turned back to the man and said,
“I’ll have eight nights please.”
“In other words, you want a week and a day” said the man.
“Yes.”
“Alright that’s sixteen dollars.”
The young man gave him a twenty dollar note and then he got his change of four dollars and his room key.
“Sign the register young man.”
“Oh, yeah”. So, he did so he sighed his name as Barthlomew Curry.
He went up the stairs and went to his room, he unlocked the door and went in. He shut the door and locked it. He breathed a sigh of relief that no one had recognised him for he was an outlaw his name was Jed Curry, better known as Kid Curry, he was a gunfighter and a good one at that.
But he was here to find his cousin Hannibal Heyes he missed his company. So, after the last robbery he had left the gang he was with and set out to find him.
Meanwhile in Devil’s Hole Heyes and Jim were discussing how they should go about the next robbery.
“Hannibal, my young friend you can’t expect to get away with boarding the train and then when it’s underway, going down the corridor to the baggage car holding up the guard, taking the money out of the safe, and then opening the door as it slows to take on water and jump off without breaking something.”
“Jim, I don’t intend to what I said was I board the train, then go along to the baggage car knock out the guard, do the robbery and then opened the door throw the money out to you and then go back to my seat, sit down like nothing’s happened and then get off at the next stop, get on Hermes and then ride like hell out of town.”
Jim sat and considered what Heyes had said, it made sense that way no one would know the money was missing until they opened the safe, and by then they’d all be safe back in Devil’s Hole.
“Ok, Hannibal we will do it your way.”
“Thanks Jim you won’t regret it.”
“I hope not now we have to decide who will go with you.”
“I thought I was goin’ on my own.”
“Oh, no always in pairs Heyes you know that.”
“Alright but can we make it Lean he tends not to talk too much.”
“Alright Lean McClean it is.”
Lean was told he was to go with Heyes and do as he was told by Heyes. As for the rest of them they would go with Jim and wait for Heyes to throw the money out of the car as they passed the agreed drop off point.
So, that’s what happened the next day Heyes and Lean set off for the town of Ellis Town, so that meant the drop off point would be Harris Crossing, a mile and a half from Devil’s Hole, but three miles from Ellis town itself.
In Clearwater Kid had, had some lunch and then went to the saloon to play poker. He wandered in and went up to the bar, he had a glass of beer while he waited for a seat to open up on one of the tables.
Eventually it did, and Kid went and sat down, the dealer dealt the cards and then everyone started to play. Halfway through the game, someone came in that knew the Kid, on sight he had run into him in Abilene last fall, he was US Marshal his name was Clint Huntingdon.
He had an American mother and an English father, he was born in Connecticut and had lived most of his life there, but then he was sent to Abilene to collect a dangerous prisoner by the Marshal’s office where he encountered Kid Curry, he was only a young boy, but he killed one of the men that had killed his father and mother. The Sheriff didn’t arrest him but told him to leave town by sundown, which he did.
But now the Kid was an outlaw wanted for armed robbery and if he found him he would arrest him.
Kid continued to play poker until Clint had entered the saloon he saw the dark curls under the brown hat and the silver Colt 45 Peacemaker with the white ivory grip in its holster tied down and then he heard the voice a little more grown up, but it was still the same voice.
So, he drew his gun and went over to the table and said,
“Kid Curry I arrest you in the name of the law.”
Kid looked round to see the Marshal’s badge and the gun drawn and he just put down his cards raised his hands and then was relieved of his firearm, then he was marched over to the Sheriff’s office.
Once inside Marshal Huntingdon introduced himself to the Sheriff.
“Sheriff, I am Marshal Clint Huntingdon I am here to collect one Andrew Thornton, but I will now be taking this young man also seeing as he is Jed Curry known as Kid Curry back to Cheyanne with me”.
“Oh, I see well, just leave him here in one of my cells until you’re ready to leave Marshal my deputies will take care of him.”
“Marshal can you get someone to get my things from my hotel room please?”
“Alright Kid, I’ll see to it personally.”
“Thank you.”
Kid was searched and then put in one of the cells. He sat on his bunk and thought ‘now I’ll never find Heyes’.
Meantime in Devil’s Hole Heyes and Lean were just leaving they had money for the tickets, and everything looked good. They all rode out together and then Heyes and Lean took the road to Ellis Town while Jim and the rest of the boys went to Harris crossing to wait for the train.
Heyes and Lean arrived and went to the saloon for a drink just to cut the dust from riding from Devil’s Hole. Then they went to the train station and bought the tickets to Walnut Springs.
The train arrived on time Heyes made a beeline for the carriage next to the baggage car Lean followed they boarded the train and off they went on time.
Kid meanwhile was waiting for the Marshal to get back when the Sheriff and his Deputy came in, they came over to the cell.
“Well, Kid looks like you’re not gonna be needin’ this here gun for a while, so I think I’ll have it.”
“No! that was my father’s he gave it to me you leave it alone” shouted Kid.
“Tom, now that’s no way to treat our important guest now is it.”
“No, Sheriff guess not but I think this is” he said as he got the keys and went to the cell and unlocked the door he hit Kid in the stomach and then dragged him out and then he and the Sheriff laid into him.
When Marshal Huntingdon returned he found Kid beaten within an inch of his life, he rounded on the Sheriff and his Deputy.
“Why!” he demanded.
“We don’t like gunfighters in this town never have so we just did what we always do he won’t be using that gun hand of his for a while if ever again”.
“Unlock this cell immediately!”
The Sheriff did and Marshal Huntingdon picked up Kid and carried him over to the Doctors house.
“Doc, see what you can do for him I’ll pay.”
“Oh, no poor young boy what did he do to deserve this kind of beating?”
“Become a gunfighter.”
“A gunfighter which gunfighter are we talkin’ about?”
“Kid Curry.”
“oh, I see Sheriff and his nasty Deputy did this I take it.”
“Yes, they did.”
The Doctor set to work on Kid, Marshal Huntingdon waited for news on how young Curry was doing. The Doctor came out of his room and sat with Marshal Huntingdon.
“Well, how is he?”
“Well, he’s got a broken right arm and hand, he also has broken ribs, a broken jaw and also a broken left ankle, lots of internal and external bruising, he may also have a severe concussion I won’t know that until he wakes up.”
“Alright when will he wake up?”
“I’m hoping sometime tomorrow.”
“Ok.”
Heyes and Lean however were about to commence their mission in procuring the money inside the safe. They went along to the baggage car and went over to the guard who was doing his crossword, Heyes watched him for a moment.
He looked at the crossword and saw that he was struggling with nine down,
“Do something unlawful to gain money” said the guard.
Heyes spoke,
“Armed robbery, which this is” he said as he produced his Smith and Wesson Schofield and pointed it at the Guard, Lean then walloped him over the head and Heyes got to work on the safe. It didn’t take him long to find the combination he opened the safe and emptied the contents into four bags.
Then he closed the safe, spun the dial, Lean opened the door just as they made Harris crossing he threw the money out to Jim and the boys.
Then they closed the door and went back to their seat the train pulled in to Walnut springs Heyes and Lean went quickly to the livery stables where they found Katie and Hermes waiting for them, Heyes paid the owner of the stable for taking care of them, then he and Lean rode out quickly.
They rode all the way to Devil’s Hole they arrived back at sunset Jim greeted them.
“Hannibal, you did well so did you Lean.”
“Thanks Jim” said Heyes.
The next day it was in the paper that the train had been robbed by two members of the Devil’s Hole gang, Lobo had come in with the paper and showed Jim.
He was happy he had made the front page again, but something else caught his attention. The smaller headline,
“Kid Curry caught and beaten. Marshal Huntingdon condemns Sheriff and Deputy for poor treatment of The Kid.”
“Oh, no I will have to tell Hannibal” he said to himself. So, he went and found him by the water fall.
“Hannibal I have some news to tell you it’s about Kid Curry”
“Oh, really what’s he done this time?”
“He’s got himself arrested and the Sheriff and his Deputy beat him up I don’t know how bad he is, I just thought I’d let you seeing as you two are friends.”
“we’re more than that Jim we’re cousins where is he?”
“Clearwater.”
“I’m goin’ after him.”
“No, Hannibal you can’t not yet. You know why.”
“Yes because we’ve just pulled a robbery, but Jim I promised his dying mother I’d take care of him”.
“I understand but you must stay here I will go and fetch him with Lobo, Kyle and Wheat ok.”
“Ok, thanks Jim.”
So, Jim, Kyle, Wheat and Lobo went and mounted their horses, they left Devil’s Hole at full gallop, they arrived in Clearwater, twenty minutes later. Jim went to the Doctors house and looked through the window and saw Kid lying there.
What he saw made his blood boil the level of violence used on the young gunfighter was uncalled for.
“Lobo, open the window Kyle you and Wheat watch the street, I will go in and get our young friend.”
“Ok Jim.”
So that’s what happened Jim entered Kid’s room as he came over to the bed, he tried to open his eyes,”
“It’s alright my friend Hannibal has sent me to fetch you come let’s get you out of here” he passed Lobo Kid’s things then Jim picked him up and passed him through the window, he was about to leave himself when the Doctor came in.
Jim drew his gun and said,
“Doctor not a word,”
“Oh, don’t worry I won’t yell but I will say you might want to take his horse with him, it’s the palomino Quarter horse with white mane and tail she called Candy.
Kid nodded and Jim sent Kyle and Wheat to get her then he got up on his horse and Lobo handed him up then he and Lobo left town they picked up Kyle and Wheat with Candy on the way out. They rode all the way home and then when they got home Heyes was there to greet them.
When he saw the state of his cousin he wept,
“Oh, Jed what have they done to you”.
“Come on Hannibal let’s take him inside and put him to bed and then we will talk”.
So, they did, once Jed was in bed Heyes and Jim went into the front room and talked,
“Oh, Jim I failed him I failed his mother, I failed to protect him as I promised”.
“The failure was not yours he could have come with you, but he didn’t”.
“No, Jim he couldn’t when I left the home he was to come with me, but he got mumps and couldn’t come. I shoulda waited for him to get better and then we both left together”.
“I see, then the failure is yours but as my dear father used to say we all fail at some time or another to protect the ones we love and care for, the trick is to learn from the mistakes we make so what I am saying is Never Be Afraid To Fail”.
Wed May 01, 2024 1:57 am