The Kid's Idea

“Heyes,” the Kid said, as they were lying in their bunks.




“Mmmm?”




“I’ve been thinking.”




“Oh.” Heyes sounded doubtful.




The Kid looked at him in the moonlight. Heyes looked back. Heyes sighed. “What?”




“Now we’ve got the amnesty we ought to be making plans. For what we’re gonna do. I mean we can’t stay here, can we?”




“Why not?”




“Stay in Porterville?”




“It’s a nice enough town.” Heyes closed his eyes, settling.




The Kid raised his head, looking across. “For you, mebbe. You’ve got a girl!”




Heyes grinned. “Yeah.” Opening his eyes, he looked across. “You could get a girl.”




The Kid sniffed. “Been looking. Ain’t nobody caught my eye yet. ‘Least not in the same way as you and Mary.”




“What way that me and Mary?” Heyes raised his head.




“Well y’know?”




Heyes propped himself up on an elbow. “I don’t!” He was indignant. “Hope you don’t think there is anything improper going on ‘tween me and Mary!”




“Well no. But you can’t tell me that you’re not soft on her. And she on you.”




Heyes grunted. Frowning he lay back, closed his eyes and settled again.




The Kid spoke a moment later.  “You didn’t let me finish. I’ve been thinking.”




Heyes opened his eyes wide, in irritation. “What?”




“Well the Governor said he wanted the news to kinda leak out, right?” The Kid shuffled onto an elbow facing Heyes.




“Yeah.” Heyes’ eyes were closed again.




“He wrote to all the sheriff’s offices in Wyoming, right?”




“Yeah!”




“So in the letter that Lom got did it say anything about NOT putting it in the newspaper?”


Heyes opened his eyes.




“I don’t know, Kid.” He looked across. “What are you thinking?”




The Kid grinned. “Now there’s a first!”




Heyes rolled his eyes, turned onto an elbow, facing him. “Go on.”




“Well if’n the letter doesn’t say not to then shouldn’t Lom be putting it in the newspaper?”




Heyes frowned, thoughtfully. “Y’know Kid. I think you might be onto something.”




Turning onto his back the Kid grinned, pleased.




“Y’know Heyes I think going straight has been the making of me. I’m coming up with all the good ideas. That used to be your department.”




“Now Kid don’t get carried away!” Heyes said, irritably and flounced onto his back. “I’ll suggest it to Lom in the morning.”




“You will! Why you? It was my idea!” The Kid was indignant.




“Okay! You suggest it then,” Heyes shot back. He sniffed and closed his eyes. “See if I care,” he muttered. He took a deep breath. “’Cepting Lom will expect that kinda thinking from me not you.”




The Kid glared at him. “Y’know Heyes you sure are a sore loser at times.”




“Me!”




“You!” The Kid prodded his chest with a thumb. ”I’m telling him!”




Heyes sniffed, shrugged and closed his eyes. “Suit yourself.”




He was just dropping off when the Kid spoke again.




“Heyes.”




“WHAT!”




The Kid hesitated. “Perhaps you’re right. You tell him.”




“Okay.”



In the darkness Heyes beamed.


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________




“Put it in the paper!” Lom got to his feet suddenly.




Heyes took a step back. “Well wouldn’t news leak out faster if it was?” Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea after all.




Lom looked doubtful and sat down again, biting his thumbnail. Heyes took the seat across the desk.




“You see Lom the way the Kid figgered it ….”




“The Kid?”




“Yeah it was his idea,” Heyes said, quickly, waving a hand dismissively. “It’ll help go faster wouldn’t it? It’d get picked up in Salt River, Cheyenne and Hardy City. ‘Afore we know it, it’ll be all over.” Heyes grinned, holding his arms wide.




Lom growled. “Yeah. An’ every gunman, no good and goddamm low life will make a beeline for Porterville to try and catch a glimpse of Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry! It’ll be downright dangerous, Heyes.”




Heyes winced. “Well it don’t have to say where we’re at,” he grumbled. Then he sighed. “No I guess he hadn’t considered that.”




“No. I guess he hadn’t.” Lom smiled in sympathy. “I know its tough Heyes but you’ve gotta be patient. Words getting around. It’s just slow that’s all. And anyway life’s not THAT bad here is it?”


Heyes put his head down. “No. Not for me it isn’t. The Kid’s getting itchy feet. He wants to get on.”




“And do what Heyes?”




“Well that’s just it. I don’t think he knows,” Heyes sighed. “I do know he don’t want to be shovelling …manure much longer!”



Lom sighed. “That’s all I could get him, Heyes. I don’t know what else he would be good at.”
Heyes sighed, getting up. “No, me neither. And he appreciates it. He really does.” He nodded.



“I’ll tell him what you said.” Heyes paused. “It ain’t all bad.”


Lom looked at him




“It could of been my idea,” Heyes grinned.




Heyes put on his hat. Lom chuckling behind him, he left the office.




As he shut the door, he pulled up short.




“Joshua.”




Heyes snatched his hat from his head and smiled. “Mary.”




“You look happy”




“I am.” He offered his arm. “Going my way?”




“Yes.” She took his arm and they walked across the street. “So what has got you so happy?”




“Oh, pretty girl on my arm, why wouldn’t I be?”




Mary blushed. “You have a silver tongue, Mr Smith.”



Heyes chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “Yeah I do don’t I?”