Cal
Posts : 333
Join date : 2016-10-21
 | | Subject: Yuma - In four episodes - Episode one (4,800 words) Sun Feb 05, 2017 8:11 am | |
| This one started with trying to identify some female characters that weren't besotted with the handsome twosome, and then following up their story... And then Harry got involved....Calx ---ooooooOoooooo---
Yuma
By Cal
---ooooooOoooooo---
PART ONE
Episode one
“Yuma? Yuma? That the best you can come up with Heyes, Yuma!”
Curry’s eyebrows scowl, he looks like he might have eaten something that didn’t agree with him. Truth was, a chance to eat anything would’ve been preferable to their current diet of dried jerky from the depths of their dusty saddlebags. The last piece he’d tried to chew was the flavour of unwashed socks.
Maybe he has got a bad taste in his mouth?
“We could certainly use a change of State right now and I know I said I didn’t mind heading South ‘fore it gets real cold …but I wasn’t thinkin’ o’ Yuma!”
“What’s wrong with Yuma, Kid?”
Heyes was getting fed up of being second guessed, again. If Kid had wanted to decide where they were headed next, then he should have just gone ahead and decided. But oh no, as always he’d left the actual decision making up to Heyes, and then, when Heyes’d made a perfectly reasonable suggestion, he’d gone all bull-headed and proddy.
Heyes scowled back at the Kid who’d dropped back a bit, head rolling from side to side in time to the big blacks clomping hooves, chin on his chest, shoulders slumped.
“I mean it! What’s wrong with Yuma?”
“What’s wrong with it? I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it.”
Kids head shot up, blue eyes ablaze. He started pointing to the fingers of his left hand with the gloved trigger finger of his right.
“We were in Yuma, when all that Santa Marta trouble started. If you hadn’t a pulled off a near miracle solving that killing, I’d a been shot! Then there’s that train massacre, we tracked those murdering scum to the hills just outside Yuma, where I nearly got shot...”
Kid sent the back of his cousins head a deep and meaningful look. Heyes had turned in the saddle, refusing to watch the rest of the show as the rant continued. I’ll save you the details, but it involved a lot of nearly getting shot.
They’d been in the saddle for days, but to them it felt like weeks and as was becoming customary, they’d had no opportunity to provision for the trail. The towns were getting farther apart and the trails drier. The days were long and hot, the nights cold and seemingly getting colder. The ground was as hard as it ever was. The coffee in their packs was as old as the jerky, and they hadn’t seen any decent game to shoot in days.
Kid didn’t function well on short rations.
Heyes had decided to head South as winter started to hit up North because Kid had had a couple of bouts of pneumonia in the past, and it seemed like a real sensible idea. And the poker tables in Yuma were calling to him. He knew Kid was just feeling the hole behind his ribs more than anything else.
He’d give it another go.
“We’ve had some good times in Yuma Kid. There was the fayre, and the horse races. We both won, remember? It wasn’t Yuma’s fault that that idiot didn’t know good horseflesh when he saw it. And, I’d like to remind you, I was doin’ real well, raking in money at the poker tables, ‘fore I got your telegram…”
Heyes’ silver tongue slowed to a faltering halt as he realised that this wasn’t going to help him win any arguments with Kid.
“You mean the telegram I sent you from jail, ‘cause they were fixing to shoot me!”
Kid set his jaw sending another blue-eyed glare at his older cousins back.
“Yeah ok…”
Heyes stopped his chestnut mare and turned to face down the glare.
“Of course Kid, you were in Santa Marta…not Yuma” Heyes placated. “And the train massacre, that wasn’t Yuma neither. Yuma will be warm, we can make easy money, but most importantly of all, nobody knows us in Yuma. We can sell the horses and take the train down. Spend maybe a month, even two, in one place. In the warm!”
Kid’s eyes narrowed in thought. He sighed deeply.
Heyes saw the change. He smiled, knowing he was winning.
“Nobody knows us in Yuma, Kid and they got Hotels, baths, women, restaurants, saloons, poker…”
“Alright!”
The fastest gun in the West did a very good impression of a sulky …kid.
“We’ll go to Yuma.”
---ooooooOoooooo--- Yuma – the hotel dining room
“Mr Heyes, Mr Curry you made it to Yuma!”
Louise Carson smiled up into two, shocked ex-outlaw faces, the very first morning the boys were in Yuma.
They’d arrived after dark on a very late train, and had woken early from their hotel bed, by grouching bellies. They’d come as far as the Hotel dining room, hoping someone was already serving breakfasts. Mercifully, they were the only hotel guests up at this ungodly hour. Louise had rushed out to greet them before they’d even had a chance to select a table.
“Miss Carson, I see you also made it to Yuma.” Heyes removed his hat, looking off in every direction for other ears, he added quietly “Its Smith and Jones, remember?”
“Oh sorry.” Louise put her hand to her mouth as if trying to pull back the forbidden names. “I was just so pleased to see you. When you said you’d look me up if you ever made it to Yuma …well …I didn’t really think you would. I am just so pleased to see you.”
“Yeah we did say that, didn’t we?” Curry accuses Heyes, also removing his hat, shaking his head at the forgetful one.
Heyes’ face is all wide eyed innocence as he nods. Louise looked the boys up and down; they’d washed, and shaved, and were looking very handsome but they also looked lean, trail worn and tired round the eyes.
“Would you like some breakfast?” she smiled warmly “I know the owner won’t mind me offering, and the Hotel guests won’t be down for ages yet.”
“We are Hotel guests, Louise” smiled Curry. “And, yes please, we’re starving!”
With a small chuckle, Louise turned on her heal and glided back to the kitchen.
“Two house special breakfasts coming right up.”
The partners sat heavily at the closest table and searched each other’s faces. Was this OK? Someone knowing who they were, on their very first morning in Yuma?
Heyes sighed and looked at his hands. “She looked real pleased to see us Kid.” His face screwed up into a worried frown.
“Wouldn’t you look pleased, if $20,000 just walked into the room, and sat down for breakfast? She could be going to fetch the sheriff right now.” Kid looked about, feeling uncomfortable. “We don’t really know much about her do we?”
“Well, we trusted her before, remember, to do the right thing?” Heyes looked at the door of the kitchen eyes narrowing. He was trying to sound surer than he was feeling.
“What if the right thing is turning in two notorious outlaws for the rewards on their heads?” Kid follows Heyes’ gaze. He isn’t feeling nearly as unsure as he sounds, though he’s hoping this is going to be ok, and he’s getting breakfast.
“She won’t.” Heyes’ eyes are narrowing, his head shakes slightly. “She stayed, and got Jenny off that murder charge. She knew who we were by then and she didn’t mention us once during the trial …other than Billy and Caleb were pretending to be us. No. I don’t think she’d…”
Heyes sent a warning look Kid’s way, coughing out a relieved sigh, as Louise reappeared from the kitchen.
“Here you are gentlemen” Louise was all smiles, carrying two huge plates of food. “Mr Smith.” A smile for Heyes. “Mr Jones.” A smile for Kid. “I’ll go fix you some coffee gentlemen, then if you don’t object, I’d like to come and join you for a spell.”
Grateful smiles and nods to Louise’s retreating skirts.
“I knew she wouldn’t….” started Heyes, picking up his fork.
“Never doubted her for a minute…” finished Kid, rubbing his hands together and feasting his eyes on the huge breakfast.
---ooooooOoooooo---
Much mastication later, chatting over coffee
“So Jenny and I became firm friends…I think we met when we both needed some support…and we were there for each other. ‘Course Billy’s death hit Jenny very hard…” Louise realised she didn’t want to go over this painful ground, and quickly changed the subject. “My sister and her husband run this Hotel. The trial seemed endless so, when I could eventually come South, it just seemed natural for Jenny to come along with me by then. There were just too many memories for her…” Again Louise felt uncomfortable. She picked up the two empty breakfast plates as she stood to clear the table. “But I’m supposed to be working this morning. Being related to the owner affords me certain privileges I guess, but I did say I’d help out this morning, I’d better get back to work.”
She turned just a few feet from the table.
“We will see you two later, for dinner, won’t we? Jenny will be so looking forward to seeing you again, when I tell her that you’re here, and I don’t want her disappointed.” Louise gave them both a meaningful look. The partners gave her their legendary innocent faces. “Oh, we’ll be there” they chorused.
Both the boys are feeling much more relaxed and replete.
When they’d learned that Jenny was also here in Yuma, they’d actually started looking forward to a visit with their old and dear friend.
---ooooooOoooooo---
Mid-morning
“Nobody knows us in Yuma, Kid!” mimics Kid. “How could you have forgotten Louise was coming here?”
“Ok, so I was wrong that no one knows us in Yuma. Don’t mean it’s not a nice place to rest a spell. Why don’t we just give it a week?”
Heyes was sitting out on the front porch of the Hotel, lighting the first decent cigar he’d had in weeks. Curry sat next to him, pushing back onto two legs to rest his booted feet on the rail. He’d been scanning the street for other faces he might know. He couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had eyes on him. They’d had so many near disasters recently, he was forgetting what it felt like to relax. He blew out a long breath and reached over to accept the cigar Heyes was proffering.
“I guess.”
The brown floppy hat was set low over the blue eyes. Scanning resumed.
“You’ll see Kid.” Heyes mirrored the two legged slouching. “We got nothing to worry about. Yuma’s going to be like a holiday. Even get to enjoy some of Louise’s fine cooking.”
The scruffy, be-conchoed, black hat was set over the dark eyes.
“All we gotta do is relax…”
Two long plumes of cigar smoke snake skywards as the boys exhale their anxieties.
“Boys!” A shrill cry from across the street.
Two chairs hit the boards with a thud, hats fly up, eyes widen in synchro.
“Can’t be him!” Kid is incredulous.
“He was all set up in Carson City. What’s he doing here?” Heyes in disbelief.
“Boys, am I glad to find you two …at last.”
Harry Briscoe smiles his pert little smile from across the street. He’s looking clean and tidy and not even a little bit desperate, which has the boys somewhat confused.
“Harry!” Heyes and Kid are up and crossing the street to stand each side of Carson Cities premiere detective.
“Harry, you’re an awful long way from Carson City. What brings you to Yuma?”
Heyes tries not to make it sound too much like an accusation, but not very successfully.
“I was looking for you boys …I’m working on a big case.” Harry lights a cigar, giving them both a conspiratorial nod and a wink.
“You were lookin’ for us?” Curry’s eyes are wide, his voice is ice, as he grasps one of Harry’s arms.
“We’re part of your …big case …Harry?” Heyes grasps the other arm threateningly.
Harry pulls his arms free from their grip. He stands tall, straightens his suit. He sees the worry in their faces.
“No! …No …you’re gonna be real glad I found you boys. You could say I’m here to help.” He tries to engage them with a smile or a nod. “Or even to repay a debt.” Harry waves the short cigar stub between their faces. “You could say …I’m kinda acting as your guardian angel.” A satisfied nod. “You could say…”
“Harry!” Kids stare is enough to stop Harry in has tracks.
“Harry, what makes you think we need your help?” Heyes gets in close, studying Harry’s twitching face. He doesn’t say it out loud but there’s a definite waft of ‘What have you done now?’ in the air.
Harry straightens his neck, his eyes do that open and closey thing. “You’re going to thank me for this boys. Old Harry’s going to save you this time, you’ll see.” Harry starts looking around them ostentatiously, and then his neck disappears into his collar like a tortoise. “But first, we need to get you off the street.”
Heyes and Kid start looking all around too. They don’t even know what they’re looking for. They grab an arm each and march Harry to the nearest saloon. If they were going for inconspicuous, they failed, spectacularly.
---ooooooOoooooo--- A back table of a near empty saloon
Three untouched beers rest on the table. Kid has his head in his hands, groaning. Heyes is shaking his head in disbelief, his lips want to speak but he’s having trouble forming words. Harry is looking from one to the other, perplexed.
“Don’t worry boys …soon as I got the word …I got straight on a train. Came to look for you.”
Harry screwed up his face as if reconsidering.
“Well …I had to come to Yuma anyway …on a missing person case …which is very fortuitous for you, because …here I am …to warn you.”
Harry tries on a relieved smile, to see if it’s catching.
“They can’t be here ‘fore Wednesday …at the very earliest. All you boys gotta do is …get out of town.”
Harry says this last like he’s part of the outlaw fraternity, and knows all the parlance. A smug grin fills his face, as he sends the cigar gripped between his fingers, in a wide arc to end pointing out at the bat wings.
Kid's eyes follow the glowing cigar tip, then his head drops back to his hands. More moaning.
“How many?” Heyes mumbles, he can’t believe it.
“Six! …is what I heard. Six of Bannerman’s finest! They got the word that you’d been seen heading South and that you were planning to spend the Winter in Yuma.”
Harry raised his eyebrows in a ‘and here you are’ gesture.
“I only found out because I contacted the local agent down here for some information about this missing girl I’m looking for. He thought I was still with the agency see, and let slip that six of Bannerman’s best were headed this way.”
Harry realised that his enthusiasm was a might misplaced in this company and sombered up.
“He thought I might be in for a cut of the bounty on you two.” He showed them that this thought, was unthinkable. “Of course, there’s already two agents permanently based here, so Yuma …will be crawling with agents by the end of the week.” Harry smiled in spite of himself, at the thought of all that detecting going on.
“Heyes!” The fastest gun in the West fixed the ex-leader of the Devils Hole Gang with a gunslinger stare. “Just when did you decide we was coming to Yuma?”
Heyesian thinking, followed by light dawning in the dark eyes. He swallowed, the voice is pitched a little higher than normal …guilt Heyes?
“Well… I saw there was going to be some fine racing down here and I remembered the poker tables. Read it in the local newspaper, while we were up in Independence…”
“I knew it!”
Kid shook his head. “You know you’re a blabber mouth when you’re on a drunk Heyes. You didn’t come back to the room that Saturday night did you? You told me you woke up in a ditch… You stayed with one of Big Fran’s fancies didn’t you?”
Kid looked skywards.
“OH…don’t this just beat all? We didn’t just come to Yuma…Oh no…We was leading a parade!”
---ooooooOoooooo---
A small homestead on the outskirts of town that same evening
“Boys, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”
Jenny looked a lot older, less vivacious, more domesticated somehow. Kid thought that Jenny’s eyes probably were sore, since she looked like she’d done an awful lot of crying lately. He wrapped her up in a big bear hug and held her close. She pulled away only reluctantly, looking up into Kids blue eyes.
‘Blue as my Billy’s’ she thought.
She held a hand to his face and fought for control of her emotions. She needed to stay strong tonight, but that blue eyed gaze had knocked her sideways for just a second. She composed herself, taking in a long breath, and turned a sad serene smile to Heyes.
He gave her a gentler hug and a kiss. He looked as if the silver-tongue was going to fail him in the face of the obvious raw emotion he’d seen briefly on Jenny’s face. He returned the smile.
“Jenny…you know we couldn’t stay…we didn’t want t’ leave…but…well we’re just so sorry for…”
“Hey, enough.” Jenny stood back, straightening her spine. “Let me get a good look at you two. Kid I think you’re finally filling out. Heyes your skinnier than a jack rabbit. You got anywhere with that amnesty yet, or are you still on the dodge calling yourselves Smith and Jones?”
Now she’d got up a head of steam, Jenny wasn’t going to leave any gaps for the boys to fill with mushy stuff. She didn’t feel that strong yet.
“Louise has made enough food to feed Custer’s army, I hope you both brought good appetites.”
She shooed them towards chairs.
“Oh and boys can you hang those gun belts up somewhere high, I don’t want little Abel there getting any ideas.”
Little Abel was a small bundle of about three, maybe four, swamped by an over sized nightshirt, cap and socks. He was stood by Jenny’s chair. His deep, dark eyes filled with awe as he took in every detail of the two strangers. Then shyness won the struggle with curiosity and he flung himself behind Louise’s skirts as she came forward from the stove to greet the boys.
“Aww,” she huffed shaking her head “Jenny, he should be in his bed by now, you’ll spoil him!”
“One late night won’t spoil him Louise, he just wanted to get a good look at our guests. Right young man, you got your look, now get!” Jenny gave the munchkin a mock growl. He trilled with laughter and ran to the bedroom. “And close the door Abel, we don’t want your snoring to send us all deaf!” More delighted squealing, and the door was pushed shut.
Heyes and Kid have been struck dumb. They look to each other for explanation. Come up empty. They turn to the women.
“Errrrm…...?” Kid was pointing at the bedroom door.
“Something you forget to mention to us this morning, Louise?” manages Heyes in a high whine.
“You didn’t tell them?” Jenny looks at Louise incredulous. She has a big genuine smile on her face now and she turns and beams at her guests. “Oh well, we can do better than that!” she chuckles.
Jenny’s eyes twinkle with mischief; she gives her full attention to Heyes and Curry’s faces, she’s enjoying the effect this revelation is having on them. “Boys.” She calls up to the loft behind her. “I know you’re just pretending to be asleep because we told you y’ had to scat and be quiet, but won’t you say hello to our guests.”
Three more faces appear at the top of the loft ladder. A chorus of “Eve…, Evening, Evening Mister, Misters…s” greets the two perplexed ex-outlaws.
“Howdy…” Kid gives a little wave, counting heads.
“Woah…” Heyes shakes his head as the two ladies laugh and wave the children back to bed.
“This here is a Home for Boys Kid…” Jenny starts to explain, but is laughing too much.
“A Home…Fer Waywards…?” interrupts Kid smiling, thinking, ‘why wasn’t there somewhere like this back then.’
“No, just Boys, Kid.”
She pats Kids cheek again seeing his thoughts clear as day.
“Just boys who ain’t got nowhere else to be, nor no one else to care fer them.”
She sat and invited them to sit again.
“Just boys, in need of a home.”
“Well, that’s quite an undertaking you ladies have given yourselves.”
Heyes is thinking he’s glad that he and Kid decided not to risk this visit till late, after the boys’ bed time. But was this revelation going to put a crimp in his plan to ask the ladies to let him and Kid stay till morning. They’d checked out of the hotel and they’d bought horses. The horses were outside now, carrying all their possessions and some trail provisions. After Harry’s news, they didn’t plan to stick around Yuma, not even for one more day. There hadn’t been any scheduled train or stage departures for the next two days, so horseback it was.
Louise felt she should offer more explanation. She smiled at Heyes.
“We get to stay here too. We also needed a home, we couldn’t keep taking up rooms at the hotel. The previous guardian of this home …well he died…”
“Yeah. He fell down and broke his neck…” offered Jenny. “Of course, he’d spent a lotta days before that filling his neck…” she rolled her eyes.
“Well, he died, and the County were going to close this place and sell it.” Louise continued. “With a little help from my brother-in-law, we persuaded the Mayor and the County Board to let Jenny and me try and keep it open.” Louise nodded over at Jenny with a smile. “It’s been hard work, but I think we all benefit.”
“You run a Home for Wayw…. Boys…and you also work at your Brother-in-law’s Hotel?” Kid can’t believe it. “Sheesh!”
“No, no, I was visiting with my sister yesterday, it just got a little late to get home, I was just helping out. It seems like fate has decided to take a turn, me running into you two this morning like that.”
Louise smiled over to Jenny, who nodded.
“Yes we certainly seem to be fated with meeting old acquaintances in Yuma” Kid shook his head and sent his partner a very meaningful look.
“In fact, we think if we stay much longer, we might be running into quite a few more” Heyes added, ruefully. “So Kid and me, will be heading out in the morning.”
“Tomorrow?” Jenny looks shocked, she stares at Louise, obviously upset.
“Well… we still got all night to talk, and eat, don’t we?” reassured Kid, stomach growling.
“Yes” smiled Louise, patting Jenny’s hand and sharing a meaningful look with her partner. “Come to the table boys, foods all ready.”
---ooooooOoooooo--- Everyone’s enjoying coffee after some of Louise’s splendid cooking
“So you inherited four boys with the house?” smiled Heyes. “That’s a real handful.”
“Six,” corrects Jenny. “We took charge of six young’uns, Heyes.”
“Six Boys!” Kid laughs. “That’s not a handful, that’s a riot!”
“Must you go …so soon?” Louise studies Kids face with earnest. “It would be so good for the boys to have a bit of male company around.”
Kid shakes his head. “Sorry Louise, we can’t stick around Yuma. Like Heyes said, we got to go. Our horses are all packed up out front.”
“Tonight! On horses?” Jenny sounds exasperated.
“Well, we’d prefer to leave it till daybreak…” Kid lets the unasked question hang in the air.
“Well, we’re just gonna haf’ta flat out ask them.” Jenny sighs heavily at Louise.
“Well I was hoping to work up to it Jenny, but I think you may be right.”
Louise fixed first Heyes, then Kid, with an earnest look and then jumped in with the request she’d been building up to all through dinner.
“We need your help. We got no one else we can ask. The Mayor is set to close us down and ship these boys off to …who knows where, or whether they’d be allowed to stay together… You see, Jenny an’ me, …well …we’ve failed…”
She looked down at her hands in her lap.
“We’ve lost two of the older boys. …We think they’ve run off to be outlaws.”
She shook her head, lifting appealing eyes to the two ex-outlaws in front of her.
“Just before we took the place on, a benefactor of the home, well the only benefactor of the Home that is, he made a brief visit, leaving Abel.”
Louise and Jenny both sent adoring looks to the bedroom door.
“Seems he filled Cain and Nathaniel’s heads with stories of outlawing. My sister told me, he was as much a drunk as Samuel Johansen, the man that was staying here …supposedly to mind the boys. The town was scandalised that a drunkard could be funding the home …and when they heard there’d been talk of outlawing, well, there was worry about where the money he sent was coming from.”
The women stared at each other for just a second, Jenny nodded encouraging Louise to finish her tale.
“They’ve just been looking for an excuse to close us down really. Never believed two women could… and now that two of the boys have run off …well …it’s just a matter of time.”
Jenny grabbed Kids hand. “I can’t lose any more boys, Kid. We decided to ask you and Heyes to go look for them, bring them home to us.” She put her hand over her mouth, frightened of saying too much, desperate to have said enough.
“Well,” began Heyes “We know a Detective, he’s right here in Yuma. In fact, he’s on a case looking for a missing girl right now. I bet if.…”.
“Of course we’ll help” said Kid, covering Jenny’s hand with his own. “We want to help.” Jenny was drowning in blue pools of reassurance.
Kid very pointedly did not look at Heyes.
Heyes closed his eyes.---ooooooOoooooo--- Daybreak
Heyes and Curry are in their saddles about to leave. “From what Louise has found out already, it sounds like your runaways are heading out towards the turnpike at Benton. They could get North from there.”
Kid is leaning down towards Jenny, stood at the front of the house with Abel on her hip.
“We’ll head out that way too, and we’ll wire you from there if we find out anything.” Smiles Heyes.
Jenny is all talked out, she just smiles up at the boys trying to look hopeful.
Kid nods and makes to leave.
“Wait up.” Louise comes round the side of the little building riding a small grey pony with four black socks, loaded down with trail provisions. “You weren’t going to start without me were you?”
“Now, wait a minute Louise,” Heyes tries not to sound too harsh, “You don’t think you’re coming with us. We got to cover ground …and quickly! We might even be followed. We’ve said we’ll ask around for yer runaways, but that’s it. This ain’t no picnic, and this here’s dessert country!”
“Yes, I know that thank you, Joshua…I live here, remember? I know this area quite well. And I’m well provided for. Jenny and I sorted all that out last night.”
Louise and Jenny fixed the partners with looks that would not brook any arguments. Anyone would think they’d had a bit of practice getting their own way with the male sex recently.
“Boys, you don’t know what Cane and Nathaniel look like.” Jenny raised her eyebrows in a ‘thought that would have been obvious’ way. “And they won’t understand that they can trust you. These are boys that haven’t had much luck placing their trust in adults. They know Louise …has their best interest at heart …even if they don’t appreciate it.” Jenny smiled, sharing a small joke with Louise. “Louise is coming with you. Stay safe my dear, and bring our boys home.”
“I will, and boys,” Louise raises her voice, ostensibly for the benefit of the crowd of small boys by the door. “You mind what Jenny tells you.”
Louise fixes the two ex-outlaws with an inclusive stare.
“Are you coming gentlemen?”
---ooooooOoooooo--- | |
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