Good Samaritans
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-2-
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Heyes shaking his shoulder woke Curry at first light.
He struggled into a sitting position and raked his hands through his hair.
“Anything happen?” he asked, as he began to pull on his boots.
“Nah, quiet as the grave.”
Curry glowered at him, “I wish you wouldn’t use words like that.”
Heyes grinned, “I guess we should wake everyone up, huh?” he said.
“Yeah.”
Heyes spotted a frying pan hanging on a nail on the side of the nearest wagon. Taking it, he picked up a small rock from the ground and began banging it against the pan, shouting, “Come on, sleepyheads. Everyone up!”
Curry rolled his eyes, “Will you quit that racket!” he growled.
Heyes grinned and put the pan back where he’d got it from, as the settlers began to show signs of life.
Noah Frieberg got out of his wagon and, seeing Curry, glowered at him.
For a moment, Curry thought he was going to come over and make trouble but instead he set about making breakfast and preparing to hitch his horses to his wagon in readiness to move out.
Heyes and Curry fixed a quick breakfast and then saddled up their horses.
Ella Thorensen climbed out of their wagon and, on seeing Curry, gave him a smile. He saw her glance across to where Noah was just finishing hitching up his wagon, her expression anxious, obviously wondering if he had overhead their conversation the previous night. If he had, he didn’t seem in any rush to tell anyone but, Curry mused, he might be waiting for the most suitable moment to reveal what he knew. The most suitable moment from his own point of view that was.
Curry sighed. There was nothing he could do about it until, if, it happened. He would just have to keep a close eye on him.
​
While the settlers prepared to set off, Heyes and Curry went out to check for any signs of the Indians.
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“Kid, have you noticed, all of the dead bodies are gone?” Heyes said, presently.
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Curry looked around him.
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“They must have come back during the night for them. I never heard anything though.”
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“You wouldn’t. Stealth is one of their specialities.”
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“Wonder why they didn’t stage another attack?”
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Heyes shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe they didn’t want to risk losing any more braves.”
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“Well, they might be gone for now but we need to keep our eyes peeled in case they come back.”
​
Heyes nodded agreement and they returned to the camp.
The caravan set off, Curry and Heyes riding out in front, keeping a close eye on their surroundings for any sign of the Indians. But all remained quiet.
At noon, they stopped for lunch.
Riding over to Oscar Thorensen’s wagon Curry said, “Joshua and I are just going to go and take a look around, make sure the coast is clear up ahead. We won’t get out of this valley before sundown, so we want to be sure those Indians aint up ahead somewhere planning another attack.”
Oscar nodded, “All right.”
“We’ll be back in an hour.”
“We will have some lunch ready for you when you return.” said Oscar.
“Thank you.” Curry and Heyes said in unison, before heading out of camp and riding off ahead.
Around thirty minutes later, a rider appeared from the opposite direction.
The settlers watched his approach anxiously, relieved when they saw it wasn’t an Indian but a white man.
The man pulled up his horse and dismounted. He looked to be aged around thirty-five, thin faced and with a harsh expression. A gun hung low on his hip and a rifle hung from his saddle.
“Mornin’.” He greeted, tipping his hat and giving a superficial smile.
“Good morning.” said Oscar Thorensen, coming to the front of the group, “How can we help you?”
“My name is Jeb Silverton.” the man introduced himself.
“What can we do for you, Mr. Silverton?” Oscar enquired.
“Where are you headed?” Silverton asked.
“We are colonists, heading North, to the west of Laramie, to settle land there.”
“Where’s your guide?”
“Our guide has gone out to reconnoiter the area.” Oscar replied.
Silverton nodded and reached into his jacket pocket, withdrawing some papers.
Unfolding them, he handed them to Oscar.
“Have you encountered either of these individuals on your journey?” he asked.
The settlers crowded around Oscar, to get a look at the papers, surprised to see they were wanted posters.
There was a grainy image on each one. Although the sketches were poor quality, they were recognizable. They were images of Thaddeus and Joshua. But the names on the posters read Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry.
Oscar read the information on the posters and saw the rewards offered for their capture. Ten thousand dollars each, alive or dead.
Astonishment was reflected in the faces of all but two of the settlers – Ella Thorensen and Noah Frieberg.
As Ella looked at Noah, she realized that he had indeed overheard the conversation between herself and Thaddeus, or rather Kid Curry. She was momentarily annoyed that Thaddeus hadn’t told her his real name when he’d promised not to lie to her, but then realized that she hadn’t actually asked him, so he hadn’t deliberately lied, and she could understand why he would want to keep his real name a secret, to minimize the risk of being recognized.
The settlers looked at each other in confusion, finding it hard to believe that the men who had risked their lives to warn them of the Indian ambush and then agreed to guide them to their destination were outlaws wanted by the law.
Oscar Thorensen looked at his daughter, whose eyes pleaded for him not to admit they knew the men.
He then looked around at the other settlers before turning back to Silverton.
“Are you a representative of the law?” he asked.
“No, just a collaborator.” smiled Silverton.
“Collaborator?” Oscar looked puzzled.
“My job is hunting those who are wanted by the law. When I find them I capture them and take them in to the authorities for the rewards on their heads.”
“Capture, or kill?” said Oscar.
“Well, that depends. I prefer to take them alive, but, if they make it difficult for me, then I have no choice but to… liquidate them. These two are just about the most wanted outlaws in the country, as the amount of the rewards shows, but they’re as slippery as eels and have so far managed to evade capture. I spotted them a day or so ago and I’ve been tracking them ever since. I intend to be the one who finally gets to take them in. Curry has been called the fastest gun in the west – although he aint come up against me yet –“ he grinned, evilly, “so, chances are, they aint gonna surrender without a fight. A fight I intend to win.”
Oscar looked again at the posters.
They couldn’t tell Silverton that Thaddeus and Joshua were their guides. If they did, Silverton would either take them prisoner, or kill them. Either way, they would be left without a guide again and would probably not reach their destination.
After a moment, he handed back the posters with a shake of his head.
“Sorry, we haven’t seen them.”
The other settlers, whose thoughts pretty much followed the same lines as Oscar’s, remained silent.
Silverton sighed, and pocketed the papers.
“Well, sorry to have troubled you.” he said, crossing to his horse.
He was just about to put his foot in the stirrup when a voice said
“Just a minute.”
All eyes turned towards Noah Frieberg.
Ella’s heart sank as she looked at Noah, seeing the hatred in his eyes for Thaddeus.
“Yes?” Silverton took his foot out of the stirrup and turned to look at Noah.
“Noah!” Ella cried, shaking her head, as he looked at her, her eyes pleading with him not to say anything. But Noah ignored her.
“If you want to catch those men, just wait here. They are the ones guiding our caravan. They will be back soon.”
Silverton looked around the group of settlers, his eyes finally resting on Oscar Thorensen.
“Why would you want to protect these two outlaws and thieves?” he asked.
“We owe our lives to them.” Oscar said, simply.
He told Silverton about how they had warned them of the Indian ambush and then helped them fight them before agreeing to escort the caravan following Andrew Palmer’s death.
Silverton seemed surprised.
“I don’t know why they would agree to guide you when they must have known I was on their trail.”
“Thaddeus is a good man.” said Oscar
“So is Joshua.” echoed Freja.
The other settlers all murmured their agreement.
Silverton ran his hand across his neck.
“That’s as maybe, but the fact is, they are wanted by the law and I intend to take them in.”
“All you’re interested in is the reward money.” snapped Ella.
Silverton gave her a hard stare.
“Criminals are dangerous people and capturing them is a dangerous job that merits the reward money offered.”
“They aren’t criminals any more!” said Ella, “They’re going straight so they can get an amnesty.”
“That may or may not be true, but at the moment they are still wanted by the law and I’m going to take them in.” said Silverton, “Now, spread out and act normal. I don’t want them to suspect anything when they return.”
Reluctantly, the settlers began to disperse.
Silverton strode across to a young girl with sandy coloured hair, and grabbed her arm.”
The girl gasped, “Let me go…”
“You’re coming with me.” said Silverton.
The girl’s father took a step towards them.
“Please, leave my daughter be.” he pleaded.
“She stays with me until Curry and Heyes get back.” He glanced around the camp, “If, when they show up, you all keep your mouths shut, she won’t come to any harm. But if you warn them, and they escape me, she will suffer the consequences. Do you understand?”
Pulling the girl across to his horse, he caught hold of it’s bridle and then moved out of sight behind one of the wagons pulling Agnes with him.
He tethered his horse and then turned to the girl.
“What’s your name?”
“Agnes Mortensen.” the girl whispered.
“Well, Agnes, let’s hope your compadres don’t give the game away.” he said, with an evil smile.
​
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* * *
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Twenty minutes later, two horsemen appeared on the horizon heading towards the caravan.
Silverton spotted them, his face breaking into a grin as he contemplated the twenty thousand dollar reward he was going to be getting.
The settlers had also spotted the horses and knew that Thaddeus and Joshua were returning, completely oblivious to what was waiting for them.
“We have to do something, Father.” said Ella, under her breath.
Oscar shook his head, “We cannot do anything, daughter. Silverton has Agnes. He’ll hurt her if we warn them.”
“So this is how we are going to repay them for being good Samaritans and saving our lives? By letting that man kill them?”
“I understand how you feel. If Silverton didn’t have Agnes…”
Ella let out a groan of frustration, tears of rage and helplessness coming to her eyes.
Heyes and Curry rode into the camp.
The settlers all avoided eye contact with them, studiously doing their chores.
Immediately sensing that something was amiss they exchanged apprehensive glances as they pulled up their horses and dismounted.
As they turned to walk away, Jeb Silverton appeared from his hiding place behind the wagon, holding Agnes Mortensen in front of him.
Recognizing him, Heyes cast an anxious glance at Curry.
“It’s Silverton.” he said, under his breath.
“Uh-huh.” murmured Curry, not looking at him, his gaze fixed on Silverton. It had not escaped his attention that his gun, rather than being trained on them, or Agnes, was still in its holster, a sure sign that he didn’t plan on just taking them prisoner.
Heyes’ stomach did a flip as he watched Curry’s demeanor switch from affable caravan guide to gunfighter.
“Kid…” he said, quietly, “Don’t…”
Silverton moved a little closer to them.
”Well, Kid Curry and Hannibal Heyes!” he grinned at them.
“My name is Joshua Smith, and my friend here is Thaddeus Jones…” Heyes started to protest even though he knew it was pointless.
Silverton shook his head.
“You might call yourselves them names, but you don’t fool me. I spotted you two days ago and knew right off who you were - I done my homework see - and I know you knew who I was. That’s why you hi-tailed it out of town in the middle of the night. Now, two innocent drifters called Jones and Smith wouldn’t do that unless they had somethin’ to hide, would they?”
“Why are you holdin’ that girl?” Curry said, cutting off anything else Heyes might have been about to say.
“Well, you see, these people – with one or two exceptions – feel affection for you two, for saving their lives, and seemed willing to try and warn you of my presence. Agnes here was just a little insurance policy, to make sure they didn’t. I wasn’t going to hurt her of course.” Silverton grinned.
“Well, it worked. We’re here, so you can let her go now.” Curry said, dispassionately.
Silverton let go of Agnes, who immediately ran to her father who wrapped his arms protectively around her.
Silverton adopted the same gunfighter stance as Curry, feet apart, arms loose at his side.
Only Curry heard Heyes’ intake of breath as Silverton adopted the stance.
They both knew of Silverton’s reputation as a fast draw, and that nobody he’d captured had ever been brought in alive, and Heyes was afraid. Afraid that this might be the one that Curry always said was ‘out there somewhere’, the one who was faster than him, and that he was about to see his friend gunned down in front of his eyes.
“I’m here to take you both in to the authorities.” said Silverton, “Are you going to hand over your weapons and come peacefully?”
Heyes glanced at Curry.
“Come on, Kid, do as he says, it’s not worth getting killed over.” whispered Heyes, hoping to stop him taking Silverton on, “We’ll find a way to get away from him.”
Curry ignored him.
Heyes sighed and looked at Silverton.
“I will.” he said, hoping Curry would give it up and do the same if he did so first.
“Take your gun out, with your left hand, real careful, and toss it over here,” Silverton ordered, “and then step aside.”
With a glance at Curry, he complied with the order.
“What about you, Curry? Are you going to surrender your weapon and come peacefully?”
Curry shook his head, “No.”
“Then I will have to kill you.”
“From what I’ve heard you’ve killed many.”
Silverton gave a dismissive shrug, “Only those who resisted handing over their weapons.”
“Seems like everyone resisted handing them over, since you’ve never brought in a fugitive alive.”
“Can I help it if people put up a fight?”
“You just enjoy killin’.” said Curry.
“Well, you can try and stop me.”
Silverton began to move the fingers of his right hand.
“Kid, don’t…” begged Heyes.
Curry ignored him, his attention focused on his opponent.
Suddenly, Ella Thorenson, who had slipped away from the group without anyone noticing, emerged from behind the wagon Silverton was standing in front of, a rifle in her hands, pointing straight at his chest.
“Don’t make a move, or you’re a dead man.” she ordered Silverton.
Silverton’s face tightened but he remained still.
“I advise you to drop the gun, miss. I don’t want to have to kill you too.”
“If you’re thinking of surprising me, forget it. I may only be a woman but I know how to handle a rifle.”
Silverton sighed, exasperated, “Miss—”
He got no further as Ella pulled the trigger and Silverton’s hat flew into the air.
“Next time it’ll be your head.” she said, Then, turning to look at Heyes she said, “Take his gun.”
As Heyes made to do so, Curry said firmly, “No!”
Heyes stopped in his tracks and looked at Curry in astonishment. Here was their chance to escape and Curry didn’t seem to want to take it.
“Thaddeus?” Ella exclaimed, equally as surprised as Heyes.
“Put the gun down, Ella.” he ordered.
“Why? This is your chance to escape. We will hold him here so that he cannot follow you.”
“No. We might escape him today, but he won’t quit looking for us and it’ll just be the same thing over again some other time. It ends here, now.”
“He’ll kill you, Thaddeus.” said Ella.
“He can try.”
“Ella’s right, Kid.” Heyes tried again to make him see reason, “Let’s get away while we can. He’ll keep.”
“Step aside, Heyes.” Curry said, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Silverton.
Heyes stared at him for a moment, before giving a defeated sigh and moving aside, meeting Ella’s eyes with an anguished expression.
“Ella, drop the rifle and step away please.”
Ella hesitated, trying to connect with Curry’s eyes, to implore him to reconsider, but he was completely focused on Silverton.
She glanced across at Heyes, her eyes asking what she should do.
Heyes gave a small nod.
With a last glance at Curry, she dropped the rifle and moved to stand by her father.
Silverton shook his head, surprised that he would pass up the opportunity to escape.
“You’re a baffling guy, Curry.”
“Enough talking.” growled Curry, “Let’s get on with it.”
Silverton gave a curt nod.
They stared at each other, each trying to judge the moment, the second, that the other would make a move.
Ella stood with her hands pressed to her mouth, her eyes wide with terror, while Noah Frieberg looked on with an almost eager expression as he waited for the outcome of the duel.
Heyes appeared outwardly calm, the only visible sign of tension being his fists, which were clenched tightly at his sides. But inside his heart was pounding and his stomach was turning cartwheels, his mouth dry as he held his breath and waited, dreading to see his friend gunned down.
After what felt like an eternity, at what seemed like the same instant both men went for their guns.
Two shots blasted out, almost simultaneously, making all the women jump.
Heyes opened his eyes, which he hadn’t realized he’d closed, and looked down, fully expecting to see his friend dead on the ground.
What he saw was Jeb Silverton, lying on his back, a red stain beginning to seep through his shirt. Curry’s bullet had hit him right in the heart.
Relief flooded through him and for a second he staggered, as his legs threatened to give way beneath him. He grabbed hold of the side of one of the wagons to keep upright as he turned to look at Curry, who was still standing in the same position, his gun still in his hand.
Then he noticed the blood stain on the left sleeve of his shirt, about four inches below his shoulder.
Silverton and Curry had drawn at almost exactly the same moment, Curry’s bullet finding Silverton a fraction of a second earlier causing Silverton’s bullet to miss its mark by a mere foot.
The settlers began to gather around Silverton’s body while Heyes crossed to Curry, who seemed unaware of the wound to his arm as he stared at Silverton’s body, his mind still in the moment.
As Heyes stepped in front of him, Curry blinked and came back to the present.
“You’re hurt.” said Heyes, pointing to his arm.
Curry glanced down at the wound.
“It’s just a flesh wound, I’ll be O.K.” he said dismissively.
“We could have just left, like Ella said. You didn’t need to do this.” Heyes told him.
“Yes, I did. He wasn’t gonna quit until he caught up with us, so if we’d left now, it would only have been a matter of time before he caught up with us again. I didn’t want to have to keep looking over my shoulder for him.”
“He could have killed you… He almost killed you.” said Heyes, nodding towards the wound in his arm.
“But he didn’t.”
Heyes sighed and shook his head, “Kid, I swear, you put ten years on me every time you do that.”
Curry smiled now, the gunfighter in him beginning to dissipate.
Before he could reply, Ella came running up to him.
“Oh, Thaddeus, I was so scared…”
“You were very brave, Ella, daring to threaten a man like Silverton.” said Curry, looking at her in open admiration.
He turned to look at the other settlers.
“I guess Silverton told you we were outlaws?” he asked.
“Yes, he told us,” said Oscar, “but Ella said you are trying to reform yourselves and get an amnesty for your crimes?”
Curry winced, mentally. Now Heyes would know he had told Ella everything about them and not confided it to him. He risked a glance at him, expecting to see anger or disappointment in his face but was surprised to see neither. But then the secret was out now anyway, for everyone to know, thanks to Silverton.
“Yes, that’s true.” Heyes said to Oscar, “The deal is that we have to prove we can live honest lives for a year, then they’ll consider giving us an amnesty.”
“That is very admirable.” Oscar nodded thoughtfully, “Ella told us that you never murdered anyone, that is why they agreed to consider an amnesty?”
“That’s right.” said Heyes.
“And yet, your friend just killed this man.”
“That’s not the same thing.” said Heyes, “That was… a duel. It was him or Thaddeus. It was a fair fight.”
“How is that different? A man is dead just the same?”
Heyes sighed. These settlers did not understand the ways of the West.
“Shooting someone in the back, when they don’t know it’s comin’, or killin’ someone for no good reason - because you don’t like them, or they got in your way, well that’s murder. If you kill someone to protect your family, or property, from harm, that’s self defense and that’s legal. But if two people are willing to fight each other, that’s a duel, and that’s legal too. Both parties know the risk and are willing to take it. Silverton could have captured us the minute we rode in here, without us even knowing he was here, but he didn’t because he wanted that shootout. Every criminal he’s ever caught has ended up dead, he’s never brought any of them in alive. He enjoyed killing. He didn’t need a reason.”
Oscar thought about that for a moment.
“This country has some very strange customs.” he said presently.
“If you want us to leave, we will.” Curry said now.
“No! We need you to guide us. We can’t do it on our own.” said Ella.
“What about the rest of you?” asked Curry, scanning around the rest of the settlers.
“I don’t condemn you for what happened with Silverton.” said Frederik Mortensen, “He threatened my daughter. He did not have to face you, he had surprise on his side and could easily have taken you prisoner, as you rode into camp, without the need for a fight. Like your friend said, he wanted to do it. He was an evil man. Please, stay and guide us.”
The other settlers all voiced similar views.
“Alright then. We’ll stay.” said Curry.
The settlers all cheered.
“We’d better bury Silverton.” Heyes said now.
“I’ll fetch a shovel.” said one.
“And I’d better take a look at your arm.” Ella told Curry, taking his arm and leading him towards their wagon.
Heyes and two other settlers headed outside of the camp and began to dig a grave for Silverton, while another brought his horse into the camp and unsaddled it.
Noah Frieberg watched the proceedings, his mind working on another way to get his revenge on Thaddeus Jones.
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​* * *
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When Heyes and the other settlers returned from burying Silverton, Curry was cleaning his gun.
“How’s the arm?” he asked.
“It’s O.K. The bullet only nicked me.”
Heyes didn’t pass any further comment about the shootout, delving instead into his saddlebags to find his shaving gear. They were due to eat with the Thorensens again that evening and he wanted to make himself presentable.
“So, you told Ella all about us?” he said presently, eyeing Curry intently.
“I didn’t intend to… She kind of talked me into a corner.” Curry replied, not looking at him.
“And you didn’t think to mention it to me?” said Heyes, his tone mildly chastising.
Curry sighed, “I know I should have…” he shrugged, “but the secret’s out now anyway, thanks to Silverton.”
Heyes sighed, “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry.” Curry said presently, meeting Heyes’ eyes. His apologetic, Heyes’ thoughtful.
“She’s quite a gal, threatenin’ Silverton like that.” Heyes said presently.
Curry nodded, “She sure is.”
They looked at each other and exchanged smiles.
“I’m gonna wash up for dinner.” said Heyes, “If she can cook as well as she can shoot, it should be a good meal!”
At sundown, they headed over to the Thorensens wagon.
This evening, Ella produced a dish called Floren Hare, a Danish meatloaf wrapped in bacon.
“It is usually made with both beef and pork,” she told them, “but we only have beef in our supplies so I had to make do.
Again, Curry and Heyes had never tasted anything quite like it, but found it extremely tasty.
When they’d finished eating, Oscar said, “Well, have you reached a decision as to who is the best cook?”
“I really can’t call it.” said Heyes, “Both dishes have been equally as good.”
“Thaddeus?” Ella looked at him questioningly.
“I have to agree with Joshua,” he said with a smile, not wanting to offend her or Freja by choosing one over the other, “Both meals were equally delicious.”
“A very diplomatic answer.” laughed Oscar.
He poured coffee and they all sat around talking, about the settlers plans, when they reached their destination, and about their Danish customs.
Later, Ella said she was going to wash up the dishes. Curry volunteered to help her, wanting to spend some more time with her. Heyes stayed to chat to Oscar and Freja while they collected the dishes and set off to get water to wash them.
“How long do you think it will be before we reach our destination?” Ella asked, as she washed the dishes and Curry dried them.
“Five or six days I’d guess.”
“The journey has been hard, but I’m enjoying it.” she said, giving him a coy smile.
“So am I.” said Curry, realizing it was true. Despite Noah’s animosity towards him and his encounter with Silverton, he was enjoying leading the caravan, and the settlers were nice people, especially Ella.
“It’s a nice area up there. I think you’ll all settle there very well.” he told her.
“It will be nice to have a home of our own.” She smiled, picturing it in her mind.
Curry bent to put down the last plate and leaned in to kiss her, causing her to nearly drop a cup.
She blushed and he laughed.
Just then, he heard Heyes preparing to take his leave, thanking the Thorensens for their hospitality. It was getting late and it was Heyes’ turn for first watch tonight.
Regretfully, Curry handed Ella the tea towel.
“Thank you for a lovely meal.” he told her.
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” he smiled.
“Goodnight, Thaddeus.”
“Goodnight.”
He went around the other side of the wagon to catch up with Heyes, bidding Oscar and Freja goodnight, and they headed over to the other side of the camp where they kept their gear.
“I’ll get some sleep while you take first watch.” said Curry.
Heyes nodded, “I’ll wake you in about four hours.”
“O.K.”
Heyes picked up his rifle and headed off on his rounds, while Curry settled himself down to sleep, his dreams full of a young, golden haired Danish girl.
* * *
After the fight with Noah on the night of their arrival, and the showdown with Silverton the previous afternoon, the next day passed uneventfully.
They had finally reached the end of the valley and Curry and Heyes rode out ahead of the caravan plotting the best route for the wagons to take.
The weather was pleasant and both of them were enjoying being able to travel the land without having to look over their shoulders for a posse or a bounty hunter.
“Maybe we could become professional guides when we get the amnesty?” Curry mused, as they trotted along in the late afternoon sunshine. “It aint too bad a job, all things considered.”
Heyes gave him a withering look. “If you don’t mind running the risk of takin’ on renegade Indians every trip? Or, if the weather turns bad, diggin’ wagons out of the mud? Not to mention having to deal with accidents, or snake bites, or a hundred other things that could go wrong on a trip like this?”
“I guess you’ve got a point.” said Curry.
Heyes nodded, “This kind of job is a bit like going on a cattle drive… Somethin’ you only do if you’re desperate for cash.”
“It aint that bad.” said Curry.
“You would say that. You got somethin’ to keep your mind occupied.” grinned Heyes, referring to his fascination with Ella.
Curry rolled his eyes.
“Anyway, it’s your turn to take first watch tonight, so no time for canoodlin’ behind the wagons.”
“We do not ‘canoodle’!” scoffed Curry.
Heyes merely raised a sardonic eyebrow.
“Come on,” he said, turning his horse, “It’s time we made camp for the night.”
With a rueful shake of his head, Curry followed him.
​
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​* * *
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The following night, Heyes was taking first turn watching over the camp while Curry cleaned his gun before intending to get a few hours sleep. The sky was clear, and the stars shining brightly.
Ella Thorensen appeared between two of the wagons. She saw him and started to walk across to him.
Instead of the simple dresses she had worn since their arrival, she was now dressed in jeans and a shirt, the garments showing off her figure.
Curry watched her admiringly, getting to his feet as she approached him.
“Hello.” she said, with a shy smile.
“Hello Ella.”
“How is your arm?”
“It’s fine. What are you doing out so late?”
“It’s such a lovely night I just thought I’d take a walk before retiring.”
“I’ll walk with you.” said Curry.
They went between two wagons and strolled for a short distance before Ella sat down and raised her head to look at the sky.
Curry sat down beside her.
“Aren’t they fascinating?” Ella said dreamily.
“Yes, fascinating.”
Ella turned her head and saw that he wasn’t looking at the sky but at her.
“I meant the stars.”
“So did I.” he lied.
“I do not think so.” she said, smiling.
Curry grinned.
Ella returned her gaze to the heavens.
“I love looking at the stars.”
“I’d rather look at you.” said Curry.
Ella didn’t reply, her gaze still on the sky.
“Ella…”
As she turned to look at him, he leaned in as though to kiss her but she turned away as something caught her eye.
“Oh, look! A shooting star!”
“Close your eyes quickly, and make a wish.” smiled Curry.
“Do you think it will come true?”
“I believe it will.”
Ella closed her eyes for a few seconds.
When she opened them, he leaned in and kissed her. She didn’t object.
“Did it come true?” he asked, when they broke apart.
Ella shook her head.
“Didn’t you want me to kiss you?”
“Yes, but that wasn’t what I wished for.”
“Oh, what did you wish for?”
“I can’t tell you, otherwise it will never come true.”
“I see.” Curry said, thoughtfully.
Ella went back to looking at the stars.
Several moments later she said, “Those posters, that Silverton had, called you Kid Curry and Hannibal Heyes?”
“That’s true.” agreed Curry
“Why ‘Kid’?” she asked.
Curry shrugged, “Joshua – Heyes – always called me that, ‘cause of him bein’ that bit older than me I guess, and it kind of stuck.”
“So, Thaddeus is not your real name?”
Curry smiled, “No.”
“What is it?”
“Jedediah… Jed.”
“Jed.” repeated Ella, “I like it.”
“But we’re living as Thaddeus Jones and Joshua Smith since we applied for amnesty.” Curry told her.
“So, should I call you Jed or Thaddeus?”
“Stick with Thaddeus. It’s easier that way, not to get confused.”
Ella nodded thoughtfully, “Like calling you Jed instead of Thaddeus in front of someone who might be looking for you?”
Curry nodded.
“So… Thaddeus…” Ella said presently, “What will you do, after you take us to our destination?”
“Joshua and I have an appointment with a friend of ours, a Sheriff. He’s acting as our representative with the Governor. We were on our way there when we came across the caravan.”
“Is that appointment to do with getting your amnesty?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. We won’t know until we get there.”
“So, guiding our caravan will make you late?”
“A little.” Curry understated.
“I’m sorry.”
“What for?” Curry looked puzzled.
“That we talked you into guiding us. Is that why Joshua tried to persuade you not to stay? Because you needed to be there?”
“Partly. But this was more important.”
“More important than obtaining your freedom?”
“There’s no guarantee that’s why we were sent for. It could be for some other reason. We’ve waited a long time for amnesty, a few more days isn’t going to make much difference. But, without a guide it was likely you wouldn’t reach your destination. We couldn’t just abandon you. Your need was more important than us going to a meeting.”
Ella smiled at him and then threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. He returned the kiss, gently at first, but then more passionately.
The kiss lasted a long time. As they parted, Curry said, “I love you…” the words slipping out before he knew it. Then, realizing what he’d said, he pulled away from her and sat up, putting his elbows on his knees and dropping his head into his hands.
“What’s wrong?” Ella asked, looking anxious.
“I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry…”
“Why not? If it’s what you feel?”
“I…” Curry shook his head, not sure how to explain.
“What is it? Tell me, please.”
Curry rubbed his hands over his face and then gave a deep sigh.
“You know my situation,” he began, “and because of that… well… I don’t let myself get… attached… to anyone, because of having to constantly be on the move, and because of the risk of us getting killed, or sent to prison…”
Ella didn’t reply, as she waited for him to continue.
“But, I’ve become very attached to you, Ella… even though I’ve only known you a few days…”
He turned to look at her now, his eyes full of a mixture of desire and anguish.
Ella reached out to stroke her hand down his cheek, her eyes full of tears. Tears of happiness because she loved him too.
“I love you too…” she whispered.
Curry shook his head, “I shouldn’t have allowed this to happen, because there is no future for us, not while I’m a wanted man. You’ll just end up getting hurt.”
“You won’t always be a wanted man.” said Ella.
“I hope not, but there are no guarantees. We might never get the amnesty, and we could get killed any time, or get caught and sent to prison for twenty years.”
“I would wait for you.” said Ella.
Curry smiled sadly, “I wouldn’t inflict that kind of life on you.”
“You wouldn’t be. It would be my choice.”
Curry gave a deep sigh.
“Even assuming we do get eventually the amnesty, I have no home, no job, no money. I have nothing to offer you.”
“So what are you saying?” asked Ella, her eyes glistening with tears.
“That we have to accept reality.”
“Which is?”
“When we reach your destination… we’ll have to go our separate ways.”
“You could stay there, with me,” offered Ella, “change your name, grow a beard, then nobody would recognize you.”
Curry shook his head, “Everyone in the camp knows who I am, and the reward money could tempt someone to tip off the law to my location.”
“They would never betray you. They all owe their lives to you and Joshua.”
“Noah Frieberg might.” said Curry.
Ella thought about that for a moment, “So, what can we do?” she said presently.
“There’s nothing we can do, Ella. When we reach your destination, we have to say goodbye.”
Ella shook her head, tears spilling over onto her cheeks.
Curry reached out and stroked them away with his thumb before taking her in his arms.
“It’s probably best if we don’t spend time together for the rest of the trip. That way, it won’t be so hard when we have to part.” he told her.
“Yes, it will.” she cried.
He met her eyes and felt his heart sink, at the thought of not seeing her again.
He gave her a sad nod of acknowledgement, “You’re right… It will.”
Ella flung her arms around him and they kissed for a long time.
​
​* * *
​
Two nights later found the caravan camped near a wide stream. Curry was taking first watch, while Heyes and the other settlers slept.
True to his word he had tried to keep his distance from Ella, to let her get used to the fact that they would have to part company once the caravan reached its destination, even though his heart ached at the thought. He dearly wanted to stay with her, but it wasn’t practical, not until he was a free man – if the amnesty ever materialized. It was just too risky to stay in one place, or to be close to anyone as they would then be in danger too. And there was Heyes to consider. He couldn’t just run out on him. Not after all the years they’d been together and all the things they’d been through.
After completing his first circuit of the camp, he approached the campfire and sat down to pour himself some coffee.
He’d just taken his first sip when he heard some light footsteps behind him.
Curry whirled round, his hand already on his gun, when he saw the face of Agnes Mortensen, the girl who had been held hostage by Jeb Silverton.
Relaxing, he let go of the gun and smiled at her.
“Miss Mortensen! You should be careful, wandering about the camp at this hour. You’re liable to get yourself shot.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think.” smiled the girl. She was wearing a robe over a nightdress and was carrying a towel.
“What are you doing up at this hour?” asked Curry.
“You’ll laugh if I tell you.”
“I promise I won’t.” smiled Curry.
“I love to go bathing at night, when it’s quiet, and cool, and the stars are shining like jewels.”
“Really?” Curry hadn’t known what she would say, but he hadn’t expected her to say that.
“Yes. I’ve done so every time we’ve made camp near a river or a pond. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to do so for a number of days as we have not camped near water deep enough to swim in since you began leading the caravan. I don’t want to miss the opportunity since we may not camp near another river soon. Unless you forbid me to, of course.” she smiled, coyly.
“I don’t think there’s any danger. Just don’t stray too far.”
“I won’t.”
“And don’t be too long.” Curry called after her.
“Don’t worry. I will be less than twenty minutes.” said Agnes, as she disappeared between the wagons.
She walked a short distance to a clump of trees and bushes on the bank of the stream.
She took off her clothes under the cover of the bushes and got into the stream.
She swam around for several minutes, turning onto her back and floating idly as she looked at the stars.
Presently, she got out of the stream and went back into the bushes where she picked up the towel and began to dry herself.
Suddenly, a hand emerged from a thicket behind her, holding a gun by it’s barrel, and hit Agnes Mortensen in the head with the butt of the gun.
With a cry, Agnes slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Curry, now making another tour of the camp, had come out on the side that faced the stream.
Suddenly he heard a muffled cry, followed by the sound of a body falling to the ground.
Drawing his gun he ran to the stream, wondering if Agnes had fallen and injured herself.
He arrived at the bushes and found Agnes’ robe and nightgown on the ground.
“Miss Mortensen?” he called, looking around him.
He took a few steps to the left and there, face down on the ground, lay Agnes, the towel half covering her naked body.
He crouched down beside her.
“Miss Mortensen? “Agnes?” he called.
There was a cut on the back of her head, from which blood was beginning to ooze.
He was just about to retrieve her robe and gown, so that he could get her dressed and carry her back to camp when, behind him, the same hand appeared and hit him in the head with the butt of the gun.
He slumped to his knees and fell across Agnes’ body, unconscious.
A few minutes later, a loud voice broke the silence of the camp.
“Mr. Mortensen!”
Frederik Mortensen, and his wife Anna, woke, startled.
“Mr. Mortensen!” the voice called again.
Frederik scrambled up and, pulling back the awning, looked outside to see Noah Frieberg standing there, his face flushed.
“What’s going on?” Frederick demanded.
“It’s Agnes, Mr. Mortensen!”
He glanced around the wagon and saw that his daughter was not there. He exchanged anxious glances with Anna.
“What’s happened?” he asked Noah.
“She went down to the stream, to bathe… and Thaddeus Jones attacked her.”
“What!”
“It could have been a lot more serious if I hadn’t arrived when I did.”
Anna Mortensen gasped and put her hand to her mouth.
“It’s alright, Mrs. Mortensen, nothing happened. Coincidentally, I had decided to go for a swim in the river and saw him about to attack her. She was unconscious, so he must have hit her and knocked her out. I managed to knock him unconscious and then ran back here to get you.”
“I’ll kill him!” yelled Frederik, pulling on his robe and picking up his shotgun.
Their shouts had wakened many of the settlers, who now got out of their wagons and approached them, including Ella Thorensen and her parents.
Heyes had also been woken by the noise and ran across to the Mortensen’s wagon, arriving just as he and his wife had climbed out.
“What’s going on?” he demanded.
“Your friend has attacked my daughter!” growled Frederik
“Who says?”
“I say.” Noah Frieberg glared at him, “I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Thaddeus would never do such a thing.”
“Are you calling me a liar?” challenged Noah.
“Damn right I am!” Heyes looked around at the other settlers, “He’s trying to make trouble for Thaddeus because he thinks he stole Miss Thorensen away from him. Wasn’t it him who betrayed us to Jeb Silverton the other day? He did it for revenge.”
“He’s right.” Ella agreed.
“If you don’t believe me, come and look.” growled Noah, “They’re in the bushes on the bank of the stream.”
He started walking briskly towards the stream, everyone following him.
Noah stopped walking a few paces from the bushes that hid their bodies.
“In there.” he pointed.
Heyes made to go into the bushes but Noah caught his arm.
“Wait. You should know, Agnes is naked.”
All of the men stood still.
“We’ll go.” said Anna Mortensen, making her way into the thicket followed by Ella and her Mother.
They came upon the bodies and Anna Mortensen gasped.
“It is true.”
“Don’t judge him yet, Mrs. Mortensen. Wait until he comes around and can explain what happened. I do not believe it is as Noah says.”
“What’s to explain? The evidence is right here before you.”
Despite how it looks, I don’t believe it.” said Ella.
“Ella is right.” said Freja, “He should at least have an opportunity to tell his side of the story. Come, let us push him off Agnes and get her clothes on.”
The three women rolled Curry’s unconscious body off Agnes and onto the grass and then got Agnes’ clothes back on her.
Only then did they call for the men to approach.
“How is she?” asked Frederik, looking at his daughter who’s head was now resting on her Mother’s thighs, as she tried to revive her.
“She has a cut on her head, but it’s not serious. It’s stopped bleeding already.”
Heyes and Ella moved to kneel at Curry’s side.
“You can see now that I was telling the truth.” said Noah, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes, “If I hadn’t arrived when I did, who knows what would have happened.”
Frederik shifted his gaze to Curry, being tended to by Ella and Heyes.
“Get away from him.” he ordered, pointing his shotgun at Curry.
“Frederik!” exclaimed Oscar Thorensen, “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to kill him!” growled Frederik, “Wouldn’t you do the same if it was your daughter instead of mine?”
“He didn’t do this.” Heyes yelled at him, “Let him come to and explain.”
“Get out of the way or I’ll shoot you too.” yelled Frederik.
“No!” said Heyes, standing up and putting himself between Frederik and Curry.
“Don’t shoot, Mr. Mortensen!” shouted a voice, and a young boy of around fourteen with white-blond hair appeared from behind the bushes.
“Elias! Where did you come from?” exclaimed Carl Sorensen, the boy’s father.
The boy approached the group, giving an anxious look towards Noah Frieberg.
“I wanted to swim in the stream, so I took a detour around the camp so that Mr. Jones wouldn’t see me. I was afraid he would forbid me to swim.” said the boy.
“Go on.” said his father.
“As I got near to the bank I saw Noah, hiding behind the bushes, with his gun in his hand. I was curious as to what he was doing there so I also hid myself, to watch. Then I saw Agnes come out of the river and go into the bushes and then I heard a cry from within the bushes, followed by a thud. I was just about to go back to camp to get Mr. Jones, when he came running. Then I heard another cry and a thud, and then Noah came out of the bushes and started running towards the camp.”
Everyone turned to look at Noah Frieberg.
“So, Ella and Joshua were telling the truth.” growled Frederik Mortensen, “You set this up so that Thaddeus would get the blame.”
With a swift movement, Noah snatched Frederik’s shotgun and stepped a few paces backwards.
“Nobody move!” he ordered, pointing the gun around the group, “Especially you!” He aimed the gun at Heyes who had been surreptitiously moving towards his own gun.
Heyes raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“Take out your gun, with your left hand, and throw it over here.” Noah ordered him. Since the group had been aroused from sleep, Heyes was the only other person, apart from Frederik Mortensen, who was carrying a weapon.
Heyes obeyed, all the while staring at Noah, watching for any opportunity to try and overpower him.
“Yes, it’s true,” he said, once Heyes had thrown down his gun, “I did set it up for Jones to get blamed. I knew that Agnes would come to bathe as soon as we reached a river, so I watched her and when I saw her coming here I followed her.
Luckily it was Jones’ watch, so I knocked her out and was going to call for help in a woman’s voice, to bring him, but he must have heard her cry because he was there in a minute. I knocked him out and then came to find you. I knew what you would think when you saw them.”
“You were prepared to injure my daughter just to get back at Thaddeus?” exclaimed Frederik, incredulously.
“Yes. I hate him!”
“You scoundrel! I’m going to—“
“Don’t take another step, or I’ll shoot!” threatened Noah.
Oscar Thorensen looked at Frederik.
“You’d better do as he says, Frederik.” Then, turning to Noah, he said, “Get your things, get in your wagon and get out. You are not welcome here any longer.”
“I was going to leave anyway.” Noah said, brashly, “But not with the wagon. I’ll take Jones’ horse, and Smith’s too.”
“Why do you need two horses?”
“One for me, and one for Jones’ corpse.”
“What?” Ella gasped.
“I’m going to kill Jones and hand his body over to the authorities. With the ten thousand dollar reward I can live in luxury for a long time.”
“Please, Noah. Don’t kill him, I beg you.” cried Ella.
Heyes angrily took a step towards Noah who immediately aimed the shotgun at him.
“Stay where you are,” he ordered, “or I’ll be needing another horse – for your body. I do not have any quarrel with you, but I would be happy to claim the twenty thousand dollars reward if you give me a reason."
“Don’t kill Thaddeus, Noah.” pleaded Ella, “If you spare him, I will go with you instead.”
“Ella!” gasped her father.
“Would you really?” asked Noah, hopefully.
“I promise.”
“And, will you be my wife?”
Ella looked at her father, then her Mother, then at Curry’s unconscious form, and lastly at Heyes, before saying.
“Yes, I will.”
“Ella!” exclaimed Freja Thorensen, “You can’t do this. You will never be happy with this man.”
“We owe our lives to Thaddeus and Joshua, Mother. If I don’t go with him, he’ll kill Thaddeus. I can’t allow that to happen.”
“Come along then, Ella.” ordered Noah.
She began to walk towards him, tears sliding unchecked down her cheeks.
As she reached him, he pulled her in front of him, putting his arm around her neck to keep her pinned against him.
“Nobody move from here for the next fifteen minutes.” he ordered, “If I see any of you, or anyone tries to surprise me, I will shoot her.”
He began to back away from them, pulling Ella with him, the shotgun still aimed at the group who stood watching anxiously.
Because of not looking where he was going, after a few paces Noah put his foot in a hole in the ground and lost his balance, falling backwards onto the ground and pulling Ella down with him.
Heyes’ gun had landed a couple of feet in front of Oscar Thorensen and, as Noah attempted to scramble to his feet, he now seized his opportunity, snatching it up and firing it at Noah, the bullet embedding itself in his forehead.
Noah fell backwards onto the ground and lay still.
“Ella, on her knees on the ground beside him, screamed and covered her face with her hands.
Freja ran over to her daughter, pulling her to her feet and wrapping her arms around her, while Heyes walked over to Oscar Thorensen who was staring at Noah’s body, a horrified look on his face, the gun still in his hand.
“I’d better take that.” he said quietly, taking the gun from him and putting it back in his own holster.
Oscar turned to look at him with desolate eyes. Shooting at the Indians who had tried to kill them was one thing. Killing one of their own was a different thing altogether.
“You did what you had to do.” Heyes told him, “You saved your daughter.”
“I suppose so…” said Oscar, but it was obvious he had been deeply affected by what he’d done.
Heyes patted his shoulder and then returned to Curry, who was now beginning to come round. Agnes had now recovered consciousness and her Mother was leading her back to their wagon to rest.
“Oww!” Curry rubbed his head, “What happened?”
Heyes quickly filled him in on the events that had taken place.
“I am sorry I doubted you.” Frederik Moretensen said, apologetically.
Getting to his feet, Curry waved away his apology, “In your shoes I would probably have thought the same.”
He turned to Ella who had now approached, with her father.
“Thank you, Ella, for risking your life to save mine.” he said, looking at her with open admiration.
“We owe our lives to you. Someone had to make a sacrifice for you.” she said quietly.
Curry put his hand around her waist and looked at Oscar Thorensen.
“Do you mind if—“ he began
“Certainly.” smiled Oscar.
“Thank you.” said Curry before pulling Ella into an embrace and kissing her passionately.
The settlers laughed and whistled, while Heyes rolled his eyes. Despite his warnings to him about not falling in love with Ella he’d gone and done it anyway.
Eventually they parted and everyone began to make their way back to the camp to try and get some sleep before the sun came up.
“We’ll bury Frieberg.” Heyes said, as Oscar looked down sadly at his body.
“No. I killed him. I will do it.”
“Alright. But I’ll help you.” said Heyes.
“Very well.”
“Wait here, I’ll go and get some shovels.”
Oscar nodded and Heyes made his way back into the camp.
Most of the settlers had returned to their wagons now, but one or two were huddled together talking about what had happened.
Curry was standing with Ella, at the side of her wagon, his arms looped around her waist, hers on his shoulders, deep in conversation. He didn’t see Heyes enter the camp, only spotting him as he came back carrying two shovels.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Oscar and I are going to bury Frieberg’s body.”
“Need some help?”
Heyes shook his head, “No. You get some sleep. It’s nearly time for my turn on watch anyway.”
Curry nodded. “O.K.”
Heyes met Ella’s eyes and a look of mutual understanding passed between them. He realized that she was a worthy partner for Curry, someone who would love and protect him even at the risk of her own life, and, silently, he gave her his blessing. On her part, Ella understood that the same was true of him and felt his unspoken approval.
They smiled, each understanding the other without a single word being uttered.
“Goodnight, Ella.” Heyes tipped his hat to her before disappearing between the wagons.
When he returned from burying Frieberg, some time later, Curry was enveloped in his blanket, sound asleep.
With a smile, he set off on his rounds of the camp.
​
​
​* * *
​
The caravan reached its destination, around twenty miles northwest of Wheatland, three days later.
The settlers were delighted to find that, as they had been told, the land was indeed fertile, and with no shortage of water from the nearby river.
They set about making a camp and unloading all of their tools and supplies, in readiness to begin building homes.
To celebrate their arrival the settlers organised a dance for the evening, at which they planned to make a presentation of the two hundred and fifty dollars fee promised to Curry and Heyes for guiding them.
The dance was a spirited affair. All of the women got together to prepare food and then spruced themselves up in their finest clothes, while the men amongst the group who could play musical instruments formed a band of sorts, playing fiddles, banjos, harmonicas and improvised drums, and everyone danced and made merry.
Settler after settler came up to Curry and Heyes to personally thank them for stepping in to escort the caravan and bringing them safely to their destination, until they were completely embarrassed from all the praise and gratitude, back slapping and hand shaking.
All of the women in the camp wanted to dance with them and so they had barely had a minute to themselves before Oscar Thorensen called for order to the proceedings and called them up onto the makeshift platform set up for the band.
“Thaddeus, Joshua,” he began, “It is with great thanks that we pay you the fee for bringing us here, although, in retrospect, you deserve far more than this small sum. We are forever in your debt, and we wish you to know that you will always have a safe haven here in our town, which we have decided we will name Palmerstown, after our guide Andrew Palmer.”
“I think that’s a very fitting name,” said Heyes, “and we’d like to thank all of you too, for accepting us even after you found out our real identities.”
“Yes,” echoed Curry. “I…” he glanced at Heyes, “we…” he corrected, receiving a nod of confirmation from Heyes, “are proud to have been able to bring you all here, safely.” Heyes had been against them staying to guide the caravan but he too had gained satisfaction from being able to bring them here in one piece.
​
Curry glanced down at the wad of notes that Oscar Thorensen had handed him, for their fee, and then met Heyes’ eyes, an unspoken conversation passing between them.
Heyes gave him an almost imperceptible nod and Curry turned to Oscar, “We’d like you to keep this money, and use it towards building the town.” he told him, pressing the notes back into his hand.”
“But… we owe it to you, for saving our lives, and leading us here…” said Oscar, looking bewildered.
“Call it an investment.” smiled Heyes.
Oscar looked at them both, and smiled, humbly, “Thank you.”
​
“We wish you all the best for the future of your town, and we certainly won’t be strangers.” Curry said now, his eyes meeting and holding Ella’s, standing a few yards away with her parents.
Everyone clapped and cheered. Curry and Heyes descended off the platform and the band commenced playing again.
Agnes Mortensen claimed Heyes for a dance, while Curry made his way over to Ella, taking her hand and leading her away from the party and over to a thicket of trees near the riverbank, out of sight of the rest of the group.
He pulled her to him and they kissed, passionately.
After they broke apart, he wrapped her in his arms, his chin resting on the top of her head, while she clung to him, her face pressed to his chest, wishing the moment could last forever.
They stood like that for several minutes, neither wanting to let go.
Presently, he pushed her to arms length.
Their eyes met and held.
“So, this is to be our farewell.” Ella said, her voice a whisper.
“For now.” said Curry.
“Are you sure you can’t stay?”
Curry shook his head, “It’s too dangerous for me to stay here, anywhere, for long while we’re still wanted. You saw what happened when Jeb Silverton caught up with us. I don’t want to put you, or any of the others, in danger.”
A tear slid down Ella’s cheek.
“But we'll visit, as often as we can,” said Curry, brushing the tear away with his thumb, “and, one day soon, hopefully, we’ll be free men again and then I’ll be back to stay.”
Ella nodded, another tear sliding down her cheek.
“I won’t ask you to wait for me,” Curry continued, pressing his finger to her lips, as she started to insist that she would, and shaking his head, “If anything should happen to me, I’d want you to find someone else and go on with your life and be happy, and not feel like you broke a promise.”
Ella nodded and Curry removed his finger from her lips and bent to kiss her.
When they parted, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
“I’ll miss you so much.” she said into his chest.
“I’ll miss you too.” replied Curry, his voice hoarse with emotion, “But I’ll be back to see you soon.”
They kissed again, long and tenderly.
“I love you.” he said, when they broke apart.
“I love you too.”
They stayed out by the river until long after everyone else had gone to bed, wanting to savor every last moment together.
Eventually, he led her back to her wagon and kissed her one last time, watching her as she disappeared inside before heading over to where he and Heyes had set their gear.
Pulling off his boots, he climbed into his bedroll. He glanced across at Heyes, feeling the need to talk with him, but he was sound asleep. Rolling onto his side, he pulled his blanket over him, his heart heavy at having to leave.
​
​
* * *
The following morning, the settlers fixed them a hearty breakfast, and presented them with food for their journey, all bidding them farewell and wishing them a safe journey.
Ella had visited Curry early, before the rest of the camp was up, and given him a small linen bag in which she’d placed a lock of her hair, to carry with him. He had put it in his jacket, vowing to carry it with him everywhere.
Heyes had then made himself scarce while they’d engaged in a lengthy kissing session.
After saddling their horses and packing their gear and supplies, they mounted up and prepared to take their leave.
All of the settlers gathered together to wave them off.
“Held og lykke!” Oscar Thorensen shouted.
At their confused expressions he said, “It’s Danish for Good Luck!”
Curry eyed Ella, standing next to her father, clad in a blue dress that matched the colour of her eyes, her long, corn coloured hair draped over one shoulder in a plait.
Her eyes were full of unshed tears, but she forced a smile and echoed, “Held og lykke.”
“What’s Danish for see you soon?” asked Curry
“Vi ses snart.” said Oscar.
“Right. Vi ses snart.” he repeated, looking into Ella’s eyes as he said it.
She mouthed it back to him.
Turning their horses they headed off at a trot. Glancing behind them they saw all of the settlers waving.
Taking off their hats they waved them at them, until they disappeared from view.
They rode in silence for some time before Heyes said, “It’ll soon pass.”
Curry, who had been lost in his thoughts, turned to look at him.
“What will?”
“The time. Until you can come back for a visit.”
“I guess.” he said, sounding unconvinced.
Another lengthy silence ensued before Heyes said, “Lom is gonna be mighty mad with us.” in an attempt to draw him out of his melancholy mood.
“How late are we?” Curry asked presently.
“A week.”
Curry grimaced.
“I’m sure, when we explain why, he’ll understand.” Heyes offered.
“I hope so. We couldn’t abandon them, could we?”
“No. I know I wasn’t for staying, at the outset, but that was because I was worried about Silverton catching up with us. But you were right. Even though you only did it ‘cause you fancied Ella,” he grinned as Curry gave him an indignant look “it was the right thing to. I doubt they'd have made it on their own.”
Curry nodded.
“And doing it has got to count towards our good characters, you would think.” Heyes continued, “Hey, maybe we could get all the settlers to write up character statements for us, to send in to the Governor? Might make him move a bit quicker on grantin’ the amnesty.”
Curry looked at him, to find him grinning at him, only having been half joking.
Curry rolled his eyes, “You’re incorrigible, do you know that?” he said, breaking into a smile.
“Moi?” Heyes put on his best innocent look, pleased to see his mood brightening.
Curry shook his head, despairingly.
“Well, since we’re a week late already, we’d better get moving.” he said, kicking his horse into a gallop. The sooner they got there, the sooner he could plan a return visit to Ella. Hopefully, before too long, he would be able to make it a permanent one.
With a smile, Heyes followed him.
--oo00oo--
​
​
