Chapter 4

Riding  a bare backed mule could try a man's  patience real quick.  This blessed animal was going to cost him another  day at least.   Always the gentleman he'd let the girl have the horse.  Thank goodness she was a decent rider.  He didn't think his nerves could have taken riding this mule and having to deal with an inexperienced horse rider too.  The mule just wasn't used to having a rider on her back.  She was used to pulling a wagon with a team and she was letting her discomfort with the situation be known.  She'd  certainly made better time yesterday when he'd been leading her by rein.  He would have to come up with a solution to this problem.  Because it was costing them time.  Time they didn't have.  He wanted to put as much distance between them and those outlaws as he could, if they were following them.  Not to mention, he was way behind schedule to meet Mr. McCreedy.

He was almost a day behind schedule now.  That meant only one thing.  He'd have to ride all night without stopping to sleep.  It wasn't the first time he'd had to do that.  Why, he and the Kid had had to outrun that posse from Diablo Wells for three days and had only slept about an hour a day.  He wasn't much of a sound sleeper any how.  Never had been.  His mind was always churning and working, not letting him sleep. Kid on the other hand could sleep on a bed of nails in the middle of a snow storm.  He'd always envied him that.   He looked at the young woman riding a few feet ahead of him, now dressed in her younger brothers clothes, her hair pulled back and tied with one of his bandanas, his black hat atop her head to shield her from the sun. He hoped she didn't require alot of sleep, because he was afraid she wasn't going to get much tonight.
Heyes prodded the mule up beside the horse and broke the virtual silence they had been riding in for the last few hours.    "How you holding up?"

"I'm holding up alright. Why?  Is something wrong?"

"Well, I'm afraid we're not going to be able to stop and make camp tonight.  I'll feel alot more comfortable if we can get a lot closer to Alpine.  I figure the best way to make up some of the time we've lost is to ride all night and into the next day.  Maybe make camp tomorrow afternoon.  Do you think you're up to that?"

She thought about that for a minute then shrugged. "Well, I can't promise you I won't fall asleep in the saddle, but I'll do whatever you think is best, Mr. Smith.  I trust your judgement.  I know you'll do what's best."

"Let's stop here for a while.  Let the horses rest up.  Then we'll be on our way again.  And stop with the 'Mr. Smith' stuff, will ya.  It's Joshua."

For the first time since he'd known her she smiled.  "Alright then, Joshua.  But only if you call me Evangeline."

"Alright, then, Evangeline,  let's stop here and  rest a spell."  He then favored her with a smile and she was marveled by the way that smile transformed his face.  She'd never seen such beautiful dimples.  She didn't think she had ever seen a man as handsome as Joshua Smith.  Not even her Daddy, who until that moment had been the most handsome man on earth to her.

They dismounted and led the animals to the water's edge.  As they watched the thirsty animals drink their fill, Joshua dreaded the conversation he knew he had to have with Evangeline.  He had to approach the subject of her family's murder with tact and compassion.

"Would you like to sit down over here in the shade?"  he asked.

"The shade sounds nice, but my fanny and my thighs think standing for a while sounds even better."

They strolled under the shade of the trees that grew along the waters edge.

"It takes a while to get used to being in the saddle this long.  It'll get easier everyday."

"I hope so.  My ribs are sore, my legs are sore, and now my backside feels like it's numb."

He stopped and turned to face her.  The look on his face told her he was about to say something serious.  "What?"  she asked.

"Evangeline, I have to ask you to do  something for me.  It's not going to be easy for you to do, but it's important."  He drew in a deep breath.  " I need you to tell me everything that happened yesterday before I got there.   Everything they did, everything they said?  Did they give you any clue about where they came from?  Anything that might help me figure out which direction they might go to hole up.  I need you to tell me everything if you can."  

She was silent for a moment.  She didn't know if she could tell him without bursting into tears.  She didn't want to have to think about that horrible day again for the rest of her life.   But he'd said it was important, and she understood his reasons for asking her to relive it.  She stared at the ground,  and allowed her mind to wander back to that morning of the attack.  It had happened only yesterday and yet if seemed like it had been years.   It had started out as  such a wonderful day.  "It was my birthday, you know," she told him as she leaned against the trunk of a tree and stared out across the river and began her recount of the worst day of her life:

Her father and her thirteen year old brother, Gabe, were the only ones who ever called her Evie.  Everyone else, including her mother, called her by her whole name, Evangeline.  She knew that all it would take was a little pleading on her and her mother's part and her father would give in.  He always did.  She watched her mother and her father now as she gathered a bouquet of bluebonnets that grew in abundance here in this beautiful valley.  There couldn't be a couple more in love than her parents.   They were always laughing and teasing each other.  Finding any excuse to touch each other. She hoped to find a love like that someday.  And  that was one reason for their move to New Mexico from Texas.  Her prospects for finding a husband on their secluded little ranch had not been very good and she wasn't getting any younger.  Everyone knew if you weren't married or betrothed by the age of twenty-one you were considered a spinster.  "You are far too beautiful and smart to end up living here with me and your Daddy for the rest of your life.  I want you to know a love like he and I have.  I want you to find your 'Gabriel'."  That's what her mama had told her.    

Evangeline watched now from the shade of the forest near their camp as her father lifted her mother off the ground and twirled her petite body around and around, and finally settled her back on the ground as he kissed her passionately.  They were a striking couple to watch, he tall with darkly handsome features and deep blue-gray eyes,  she tiny and petite, fair and blond with eyes like clear blue skies.  Her father and her brother were going into the forest to hunt for meat.  Evangeline smiled seeing her parents share such a passionate goodbye, when the parting was only to be for a few hours.  Was her 'Gabriel' out there somewhere?  She hoped she would find out soon.  She had had a good life in Texas, and she was going to miss the ranch and the friends she had left behind.  But the future lay in New Mexico.

A few hours later, Evangeline was headed to the creek to draw fresh water for supper.  A supper of fried rabbit that Daddy and Gabe had caught.  Daddy was frying it up now.  Mama wasn't much of a cook. They didn't teach that in finishing school.  As she kneeled by the creek to draw water her hand froze. She stood quickly dropping the bucket just as he grabbed her from behind.  She had smelled him before she had heard him.  And before she could run, it was too late.  His left arm was locked around her waist under her breasts while his right hand held a knife to her throat.  "Don't scream and don't fight and no harm will come to you."  His breath smelled like sour whiskey and rotting meat.  His body reeked of sweat and urine.  She fought the urge to vomit.  But she couldn't help but gag.  He forced her to walk through the forest towards her family's campsite.  "Daddy will save me.  Daddy will save me."  She kept repeating those words over and over in her head.  They got closer to the campsite and her hope of salvation faded as she heard the blood curdling screams of her mother.  When they emerged from the trees she saw the other three men.  And she saw her daddy and  her brother. Both were being tied to the wheels of the wagon.  Defenseless, they were beaten repeatedly.  She couldn't see her mother but she could hear her begging someone to stop, to please stop. There was no one to help them.  They were going to die.  Then the filthy man holding her released her and she fell limply to the ground.  Her mind was screaming at her to run, scream, hit, kick do whatever it took to get away, but her body was unable to put her thoughts and her desires into action. She could only imagine with horror what was happening to her mother, who's shouting pleas  were  now only  weak incoherent mumblings. "Go help her!" her mind shouted at her again.  But again her legs refused to obey and she remained there on the dusty ground at the feet of the man who was obviously the leader of this band of murderers.  He stood over her in his ridiculous clothes and told her that she needn't fear the same fate as her mother, he wouldn't allow the others to touch her, because she had to be unsoiled to bring a top price.  It was as if she had cotton in her ears.  She could hear everything going on around her but it was muffled and distorted.  She felt like she was floating in a fog. This couldn't be happening. It all seemed to last forever, when in reality it had all happened in a few minutes. "Oh, God, wouldn't somebody please help them!"   She tried to scream out loud but no sound would come.  What good would it do anyway.  Nobody would hear her.  They hadn't seen any one on the trail since they'd left Pecos three days ago.  "God, please let me die.  Don't let them take me."

" And the last thing I remember before passing out is the gunshots."  

   

Heyes blood ran cold as she told him what happened.  It was just as he had thought.  If he'd gotten there five minutes later, they would have ridden off with her and sold her to a brothel.  He'd heard stories of virgin girls being sold across the border in Mexico for thousands of dollars.  That meant he'd not only killed one of their gang but had cheated them out of a chance to make a good bit of money.  No doubt about it .  They would be looking for them.  They would be after her first of all.  And taking a little revenge on him would just be a bonus for them.   With any luck the two he'd wounded wouldn't be able to ride yet and the one he'd missed would be too cowardly to strike out after them on his own.  But for their own safety he had to think in terms of worst case scenario.  And at the worst, all three men were riding hard to catch up to them.

Joshua came up beside her and took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze.  She squeezed his in return feeling comforted by the small gesture.  "And you'd never seen any of them before that day.  Like maybe back in Pecos or Fort Worth?"  he asked.

"No. I'd never seen any of them before.  I would have remembered seeing men who looked like that."  

Somehow she had managed to tell him everything without breaking down. It all seemed surreal.  Almost like remembering a dream.
  

Once again he sought her gaze, and when he found it he saw the pain there.  "Thank you for telling me.  I know it was hard.  I'm sorry I had to put you through it again."

The sincerity and compassion that radiated from his warm brown eyes made her want to cry, but she didn't.  Instead she wrapped her arms around his middle and laid her head on his chest.  He was startled for the briefest second but then he put his arms around her and held her.  He understood her need for the comfort of a human touch.  And so he stood there silently in the shade of the enormous pines and gave her the comfort she needed. 

                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"You know how to handle a gun I'm assuming, based on our first meeting last night,"  he said to her as they rode late in the afternoon.

"Again, I'm sorry about that.  And yes I can shoot.   Daddy made sure I knew how to protect myself if the need ever arose.   I'm better with a rifle than a pistol though."

"Well, I'm sure you noticed the rifle there attached to the saddle and I want you to keep it with you at all times.  Understand?"  His voice sounded grave.

"Yes, sir,  I understand."  She gave him a mock salute.  He gave her that dimpled smile she was starting to like very much.

They stopped once to watch the sun  as it set behind the mountains to their west. 

"God is still good."  She didn't realize she had said the words out loud. He smiled to himself watching her enjoy the beauty of the setting sun, glad she was still able to hold on to her faith in spite of all that had happened to her.  He knew then that she would be alright. It would take a while for the wounds to heal, but heal they would.  They had ridden in virtual silence all day long.  He really wanted to talk to her and ask her the questions that were burning in his mind, like where had they been headed, where had they come from, did she have family waiting for her?  He  knew she would come around soon enough and he could talk to her about all of that but he didn't want to push her just yet.   And so they rode in silence for quite a while after the darkness fell and a bright full moon rose high in the sky providing enough light to safely travel on the rocky terrain.  Only the sound of horse and mule hooves trudging slowly along  the rocky ground and the occasional howl of a coyote was heard against the background of crickets and katydid's.  She was the one to finally break the silence. \

 "Uuhh, Joshua?"

"Hhhhmmm?"

"I'm going to fall asleep and fall off this horse if you don't talk to me and keep me awake."

"Alright, what would you like me to talk about?"

"I don't know.  Tell me about yourself and your friend who's waiting for you."

"Oh, Thaddeus.  Well there's not much to tell.  We grew up together.  Our mothers were first cousins, so me and Thaddeus are second cousins.  We had the same great grandparents.  His family had a farm about a mile from me and my folks.    Thaddeus was born when I was two.  I kinda remember when he was a baby, but not much. The first real memories I have of Thaddeus are of him following me around everywhere I went when I was about four or five. I reckon we've been joined at the hip ever since.  That's what our folks used to say about us anyway."

"So you've known him your whole life."

"Yep."

"Where did you grow up?"

"Kansas."

She yawned.

"You know I've had a little experience with trying to stay awake in the saddle.  It's usually the one who's talking that stays awake. So maybe you should be the one telling me about yourself.  Like for instance, how did your folks come up with the name, Evangeline?"

She laughed.  It was a nice laugh he thought. "I'm named for the heroine in a poem, called Evangeline.  It was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  And my brother was named for the hero, Gabriel.  Have you ever read it?"

"No, I've never heard of it."

"It was my mama's favorite.  She would read it aloud to us all the time.  It's  one of the books in that bundle you brought with us."

"What's it about?"

"It's the story of two young lovers, Evangeline and Gabriel, who are separated when the king comes and takes possession of  all the lands of their village and everyone is forced to leave.  And Evangeline spends her whole life searching for Gabriel."

"Does she ever find him?"

Evangeline looked over at the moonlit profile of the man riding beside her.  His friend was right, even on a bare backed mule he looked like he belonged there.  Graceful and at ease.  He was beautiful to watch even in this dim light.    "Yes, she finds him."

"Good. I like happy endings."

"Well, now I didn't say it ends happily, just that she finds him. Perhaps you would like to read it."

"Or maybe  you could read it out loud to me. Like your mother used to do."

"All right.  Starting tomorrow then."

"You seem very educated to be so young, Evangeline.  You must have gone to some fine schools."

"No. My mama taught Gabe and me at home.   I never went to a formal school.  But Mama did.  She was born and raised in Nashville.  She went to the finest schools that money could buy.  She even went to finishing school.  She taught me to love literature and art and music.  She had always hoped I could attend The Boston Conservatory to study music.  It was the only school who would accept a girl.  Mama sent several letters to them,  but it was just too expensive."

"What kind of music did you want to study?"

"Mama taught me to play piano when I was just a little bitty girl.  In fact I can't remember a time when I couldn't play.    Mama was a very accomplished pianist herself, but she said I was a  prodigy.   It just sort of came naturally to me.  Sort of like you and horses I guess."

It pleased him to know she had been listening when he'd told her about his natural way with horses.  "So how did you and your family end up all the way out here?"

"Well, that's a long story."

"Long stories are my favorite kind.  Besides the longer the story the longer you stay awake."

And so for the next hour she told the story that she had heard many times as a child about how her father, a poor orphan turned street-wise con man and gambler, had met and fallen helplessly in love with a debutant. And how her mother, the daughter of a wealthy banker, an educated lady with the promise of marrying into one of the best families in Nashville had succumbed to the charms of a handsome scoundrel. The two had eloped because Lilly's parents had forbidden her to ever see Nate .  When Lilly's parents found out she was married to Nate they never spoke to her again and refused to see her or accept Evangeline's father.  She and Gabe had never met their  grandparents or their two aunts.   Nate and Lilly had moved west to Arkansas and later on to Texas territory and had begun a family there.
  

"Your mother gave all that up just to marry your father?"

"Yes, she did.  Terribly romantic, isn't it?"  She became very quiet and pensive for a moment.  "Or very stupid some people might say?"  She didn't know why but she hoped he didn't think it was stupid.

"I guess it all depends on where your priorities lie."  He wasn't about to tell her he thought it was stupid.

"I used to hear my daddy tell my mama when he didn't think Gabe or I could hear, that she would have been better off if she hadn't married him.  He would say that if he'd really loved her like he claimed he did, he would never have taken her away from her family and the opportunities she would have had to have a comfortable life."  Her eyes were closing and she was becoming more and more drowsy, but she kept talking.   "Of course Mama...yawn...would always say that all that priviledge and wealth meant nothing without her one true love, but...yawn...Daddy always felt like he wasn't good enough for her and that he'd cheated us kids out of a better life.  That's why we were leaving Texas.  Daddy wanted to make a better life for us.  Wanted me to meet a nice young man and get married, have kids... all that."   She sighed heavily.

"Where were you headed?"

"We were...yawn..headed to New Mexico.  Daddy had an old friend there who was supposed to help him with some land investments.  I think he was hoping to get rich quick."

"So  you have family back in Nashville?'

"Yes, as far as I know.  My mother's two sisters are still alive I think."  Her head was beginning to nod and her words were beginning to slur.

"I think we need to stop here for a little bit."

"If we stop and I get off this horse, I don't think I'll be able to get back on."

"I know.  That's why I'm gonna ride with you."

Even in the pale light of  the moon, he could see her stormy eyes grow wide.  He knew it would be considered improper in her eyes.  But propriety had to be set aside when you were out on the trail trying to survive.   She wasn't going to be able to stay awake and he couldn't risk her falling off the horse and getting hurt.  Or even worse causing the horse to get hurt.   Without a horse they were both in big trouble.   So he would ride with her and let her sleep.  Besides it was the perfect excuse to stop straddling this mule's bony spine.

He dismounted the mule and tied her lead, which was just a length of grass rope,  to his horse's saddle horn.

"Now scoot as far forward in the saddle as you can and still be comfortable."

When she had done just that he swung himself up into the saddle behind her.  Surprisingly there was just enough room to hold both of them in the saddle seat as long as he stayed high. After removing his hat from her head and placing it back on his own, he snaked his arms underneath hers and took the reins.

"Now you can lean back against me and get some sleep.  I promise I'll be a perfect gentleman.  I know you probably think this isn't proper but you've got to do what you have to in situations like this if you want to stay out of trouble.  So just trust me and get some sleep, alright?"

The prospect of leaning back against the solid warm frame of this handsome man was more than a little unnerving to her.  It really wasn't proper, but then again under the circumstances what did propriety matter.  He was only being practical.  And she had promised to do what he said when he said.   And she was so very sleepy.   Her sleepy body waged a momentary war with her mind which was fearful of the unknown. And with her morality which was screaming to her  that this was almost sinful.  Her body won and she gave in to the urge and leaned back against his chest and rested her head on his left shoulder.

"Comfortable?"  His soothing baritone sounded in her ear.

"Uh huh."

"Good.  Then get some sleep,"  he said again in that deep, comforting voice she was beginning to like as much as his dimpled smile.  Only now with her back to his chest she could not only hear him speak, but feel the deep vibrations of his voice as they passed through her.

"Alright, I'll try."  But she didn't think it was going to be that easy now, even as sleepy and exhausted as she was. The proximity of this man's body to her own had her very unsettled. She had never touched a man in such an intimate way before. What would her mother think?  And what would her father have done if he'd ever caught her riding double like this with a man?  Once again her mother's words came into her mind, "Desperate times, my darling." And her father's words as well, "You've got to know how to play the hand your dealt."  So she willed her tense body to relax.  Soon the sway of the horse beneath her and the enveloping scent and warmth of the man behind her had the effect of a swaddled baby being rocked by its mother and she was asleep.

Heyes felt her tense body gradually ease and eventually go limp in front of him.  Her head fell into the crook of his neck. Her soft steady breathing let him know she was asleep.  Good.   Maybe now he could  let the tension in his body ease.  In spite of the exhaustion, the possibility of dangerous men trailing them and the stress of being way behind schedule he was still vastly aware that it was a warm, soft, vulnerable female snuggled in his arms, on his chest and in between his legs.  He hadn't expected this kind of reaction when he'd suggested that they ride double.  Maybe he'd just been without the company of a woman for too long.  Or maybe he was beginning to show an amazing lack of character like he'd accused the Kid of showing not long ago.  Either way he had to keep reminding himself that she was a very scared, very young  and very innocent woman who was relying on him now for her survival.  The last thing she needed was to be worried about her virtue.  No.  She trusted him.  He was sure of that.  And he could not...would not ....betray that trust.  "'Less'n you get careless in the clinches Heyes."  That's what the Kid had said to him before, when it came to controlling his emotions where  a woman was concerned.    Nobody had to tell him how to handle himself in the clinches. But it didn't hurt to get reminded how,  when the clinches were sitting this close, and breathing softly against his throat.

Setting the mood for Chapter 4

                                                                    Song "On Fire"
                                                                    Artist Switchfoot

Soundtrack selection for Chapter 3

 

Song "There You'll Be"

Artist Faith Hill

Chapter 3 soundtrack selection

Chapter 3 is in the can, as they say in Hollywood.  I do so hope that anybody who's reading the story will also listen to the suggested music for each chapter.  The suggested song for this chapter is "There You'll Be"  by Faith Hill.  This song would be from Evangeline's point of view, as she faces the loss of her family and is somewhat forced to move from the mourning stage to the acceptance stage, maybe before she is really ready, due to her current circumstance.  Which of course parallels Hannibal Heyes' situation as a child. Hope you enjoy it.  As always, love you, Pete.

Chapter 3

He'd hardly slept at all. His mind just wouldn't let him rest. And once, when he finally did manage to fall into a deep sleep he was awakened by Evangeline's cries for help. She was only having a nightmare, but he'd sat beside her in the light of the camp fire until she'd fallen to sleep again. She had grabbed his hand and had not relinquished her grip on it until sleep had reclaimed her. He didn't think she was even aware she had his hand in a death grip. It was four o'clock in the morning before he laid back down on his own bedroll. And now the breaking dawn was an assault on his senses.

The late September sun was blinding and already hot this early in the morning. And the sound of chirping birds and the rushing stream waters seemed so very loud. Maybe his senses were all just on high alert after yesterday's events. One good thing though. Neither the bright hot sun nor the sounds of the approaching new day were disturbing the girl. It was best if she slept. She was going to need the rest. They had some hard riding ahead of them. He was already a half day behind schedule and he needed to make up time. Besides, he really didn't want to stay in one spot too long and give anymore bandits out there the chance to finish what they'd started or take any revenge on him. It was best if they moved on and soon. Which meant he was going to have to wake her. He knew that waking to face the reality of her situation was the last thing she was going to want to do. But he was responsible for her now, at least until he got her to the sheriff's office in Red Rock, and he had to do what was best for her. And what was best was moving on....now.

He got busy breaking camp. Packing the gear, saddling his horse....making as much noise as possible. He thought waking her that way would be better than rousting her. Frequently glancing sideways from his chores, he finally caught her movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned towards her as she slowly sat up in her bed roll.

"Oh, did I wake you? I'm sorry. Just as well though, 'cause we really need to be moving on."

She squinted her gray eyes against the glaring sun to see the man standing beside his horse, securing his bed roll to the saddle. Did he say they had to be moving on? Well he could go if he wanted to, but she was staying right here. All the memories of yesterday's events flooded her mind. The last thing she remembered was crying herself to sleep in this man's arms. As miserable and wretched as she felt she still felt a little embarrassed at having spent such an intimate moment with a stranger. And a man at that. She couldn't face him or the day. She fell back into the bed roll and turned away from him, closing her eyes to shut out the light of day.

"Oh, no you don't," he mumbled under his breath as he moved towards her. If she didn't get up and face her situation now he was afraid she might not ever get up and then they'd both be in trouble.

He squatted down beside her and touched her shoulder. "Come on, time to get up."

She shifted her shoulder to sever the contact.

"Miss Webb, I know that the last thing you want to do is get up and face what's happened. And believe me I don't blame you for wanting to just lay here and not face it, but the truth is I need to be moving out soon. And I'm not going to leave you here by yourself. My partner is waiting for me in Red Rock and when I'm real late he gets nervous. And when he gets nervous he does stupid things. So to help me and my partner out I need you to get up now. Come on."

No response.

"And there's the man who's paying me to deliver some important documents to him. I've got to get those to him soon or he'll be wondering where I'm at," he continued.

Still no response.

"You know the sooner we get started the sooner we can get you to a hotel room with a soft bed and a hot bath. Doesn't that sound nice? So, come on let's get going."

Still no response.

"My silver tongue must be a might tarnished," he thought to himself. He inhaled slow and deep and then exhaled.

"Miss Webb, your mother wanted you to live. She wanted you to come with me so you could live. Don't let her dying wish be in vain because you wanna stay here and feel sorry for yourself." His voice was firm yet gentle.

That made her mad. Feel sorry for myself? Well, if anybody has a right to feel sorry for theirself it's me. But it didn't rile her enough to get her up. "With all due respect, sir, you have no idea how I feel. How could you?" She practically spat the words out. How dare he presume to know how she felt. Had he lost his family to a gang of brutal murders? Somehow she doubted it. She pulled the blanket up closer around her shoulders as if to punctuate her indignant words.

"I certainly don't mean any disrespect, ma'am, but I think every body's lost somebody they care about. So I do know a little about how you feel." He didn't bother to go into details about the killing of his own family when he was half her age, now wasn't the time for that. "In any case, I'm moving out and your coming with me. I promised your ma I'd take care of you and I intend to keep that promise."

"I don't want to go anywhere right now. Don't you understand that? Don't you have any feelings or sympathy at all?" She waited to hear some words of comfort and care from him but when they didn't come she said, " If you want to go, then go."

Now he was a little bit peeved. He sympathized with her more than any other human in the world could. But he shoved his anger aside, remembering that her loss was like a fresh open wound and his had long since become a hardened scar.

So she didn't want to go anywhere, huh? He was pretty sure he could change her mind. He didn't want to but It looked like he was going to have to resort to desperate measures.

"Well, I guess you've made up your mind then. I ain't gonna force you to go with me. So I guess I'll just be heading on out then. I'll leave you enough grub to last you a couple of days. If you eat once a day that is." He dug into his saddle bag and laid her some meager rations by the fire. " And I wouldn't let that fire go out, because in wilderness like this, a fire's about the only thing keeping hungry coyotes away." He turned back to his horse and made like he was about to mount. He expected her to stop him. She didn't. "Oh, and here." He took the rifle from his saddle. He walked back to her and crouched beside her, and reaching across her laid the weapon in front of her. "In case, those men come back. Now there's only two bullets left, so if they do come back and there's more than two of them.....well, you can decide what you'd rather do, but if I was you, a young beautiful woman, I wouldn't want to be taken alive by the likes of them." He rose and slowly made his way back towards his horse. "It's been a pleasure, ma'am. Good luck to you."

Did he think she was stupid? She knew a bluff when she heard one. And not a very good bluff at that. He wouldn't leave her out here alone. I'll just call your bluff, mister. I can lay here as long as I need to. You won't leave. Her head snapped up quick as a rattle snake strike, when she heard the sound of hooves on the hard dry ground. She got to her feet and stood disbelieving as she watched the man trot off on the back of his sorrel stallion. Panic threatened to overcome her as she faced the possibility of being out in this wilderness alone, with those men on her tail.

"Wait!"

He pulled rein bringing the magnificent beast he rode to a halt. A self congratulatory smile crossed his face before he turned the chestnut and walked him back the fifty feet to where she stood. "Yes?" he inquired in a nonchalant tone.

"I...I'll go with you." She said sheepishly, afraid to look him in the eye.

He knew he had scared her, but he also knew it had been necessary. And besides she should be scared. He had never witnessed such callous disregard for life as when he'd witnessed what that gang had done to her family. He dismounted and came to stand in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders. When he searched for eyes and didn't find them, he placed a gentle hand under chin and forced her to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry I had to scare you like that, but everything I said is a real possibility. Those men could be out there hunting us down as we speak. If we're going to make it off this trail in one piece, we need to keep moving at a good pace. You understand?"

She did understand, all too well. Those men were probably out there and their lives were in danger. And instead of helping the man who had saved her life, she was making things more difficult for him by acting like a spoiled brat. She had suffered a horrible tragedy and she did feel like crawling into a hole, but she also knew that this man had not asked to be put in this situation. And he didn't deserve to be burdened by a childish ninny. Her foolishness could get them both killed. She spoke softly never taking her eyes off his, "Yes I understand. I'll have to take the time to feel sorry for myself once we've gotten safely off this trail."

"Good girl. Now let's go down to the creek and get you washed up and changed. I brought you a change of clothes."

Until that moment she hadn't given any thought to how she must look. She looked down at her green skirt and white blouse. Both were covered with filth. She ran a hand across her face and through her hair. Her face felt gritty and dry, her hair felt matted with dirt and grass. She must look a fright. And she probably smelled even worse. He on the other looked like he had washed, shaved and changed into a clean shirt. For some absurd reason, it made her feel self conscious of her appearance.

"I brought you these to put on so it'll be easier for you to ride." She looked down at the towel, soap and bundle of clothes he held out to her. It was a pair of her brother's britches and one of his shirts, and a pair of socks. Tears welled up in her eyes. Poor, sweet Gabe. Her little brother was gone. She'd never hear his voice again. See his face again. She took the clothes from him and followed him silently to the creek, trying hard not to cry uncontrollably.

"I'll just wait over here while you get changed." He walked over to a large elm tree and leaned against it with his back to her to give her some privacy and still keep an eye out for trouble.

"I sure hope you know how to ride, Miss Webb. It'll sure make things a lot easier." He waited for her response. When none came he continued. "But if not we'll figure something out. I'm pretty handy on horseback and Thaddeus tells me I've got a way with animals. He says I could ride a cow and make it look like I belonged there." He smiled remembering Kid's words. "And I wasn't kidding about what I said. Those men can gain on us easy if they're really following us. We need to keep moving. That means alot of hours in the saddle. I hope your up to it. And I hope those clothes fit you. A lot easier to ride in britches than a dress. I did grab a couple of dresses too. I guess they were yours. Have you tried those britches on yet?"

When she still didn't respond he became concerned. "You alright?" he inquired over his shoulder. Finally when she still didn't answer, he cautioned a glance over his shoulder afraid he might find her in any of various stages of undress. Instead he saw her on her knees on the creek's edge still wearing the dirty green skirt and blouse, sobbing into the clothes that had been her brothers. He knew that her tough talk earlier had been just that, talk. He also knew that these bouts of crying and mourning were necessary. And he knew this one probably wasn't going to be the last. He went to her and knelt beside her.

"Oh, God, why did this happen? What am I supposed to do? I don't understand. I don't blame you if you want to leave me here. Just leave me here to die." She was babbling hysterically. He had expected it sooner or later.

He must be getting better at this damsel in distress stuff because without hesitating he pulled her into his embrace. She again cried onto his shoulder until there were no more tears, while he held her and reassured her that he wasn't leaving her anywhere and that they were in this together now. His deep voice had a lulling effect on her. It seemed to make her feel better.

"Did you bury them at least?" she choked out on a sob.

"Yes. I buried them and put markers up too."

Something inside her shifted in that moment. The naivety of girlhood had come to an end. It was time to grow up. Life as she had known it was over. What her future held she did not know. His words a few moments ago and the way he'd comforted her last night led her to believe that maybe he did know something about the loss of a loved one and being on his own. All her instincts told her she could trust him. Her mother had trusted him with her daughter. And so would she. And even if she didn't completely trust him, what choice did she have but to go with him. She was alone now. And her situation was desperate. "Desperate times call for desperate measures" her mama had always said. Neither her father nor her mother would have wanted her to sit here like a blithering lump and wait around for those bastards to find her again. No, they would want her to be brave and fight to stay alive. As much as she felt like dying, she knew this man was right. Her mother had wanted her to live. She wouldn't let her family's death be in vain. She would do her best to survive. And so she gathered up every ounce of courage she could and she released herself from his arms and stood. "I'll get changed then. And we can go."

"Alright."

"Mr.......uuummm, I'm sorry, I don't remember your name," she said as she wiped her swollen eyes and runny nose with the damp wash cloth.

"Joshua. Joshua Smith." He smiled and offered her his hand.

"Evangeline Ruth Webb." She took his hand, noticing how small hers felt when his very masculine one enveloped hers.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, ma'am," he said as he tipped his hat.

"Mr. Smith, I'm sorry. I've been very rude to you this morning. And I'm sorry I pulled that gun on you last night. I wasn't sure what was going on and I didn't know if I could trust you."

"In a situation like the one we're in right now, we've got to trust each other."

"I do trust you. And I'm going to do my best to not be a burden to you, but help you get us safely to your friend in....was it Red Rock?"

"Yes. But we have to go to Alpine first on important business. That's the only reason I happen to be on this trail." He paused for a moment and once again put his hand under her chin to bring her eyes up to meet his. "If you trust me then I have to ask you to do me a favor."

"All right," she said hesitantly.

"I need you to do exactly as I say, when I say. Our lives may depend on it. Surviving out in this kind of wilderness isn't easy. You understand?"

She merely nodded. His gaze was so intense it was hard for her to form words. He seemed to be conveying words with his eyes. Eyes that were a warm liquid brown she noticed. They reminded her of the warm sorghum that her mama used to put on her biscuits. "I'll do exactly as you say, when you say," she managed to repeat. His eyes were telling her it would be even harder to survive in this kind of wilderness with a gang of murderers on their tail.

He smiled at her then, "Good. Now let's get you changed and in the saddle."

"Mr. Smith? The Bible...my family's Bible that you were reading last night...may I have it please?

"Sure. I'll go get it for you."

After having given her enough time to change, he returned to where she was and handed her the Bible. She looked at it then held it to her breast for a moment. Then she opened the well worn cover and flipped the pages until she came to the verse she was looking for. Heyes respectfully removed his hat as she began to read aloud:

Isaiah 611The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.


Then she prayed. She asked God to protect them as they traveled and provide for them as He

saw fit. Heyes hadn't done much talking to The Man upstairs since he was a kid at the home. But he admired anybody who could go through what she had and still want to ask God for favors instead of blame Him.

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Now this was the life, Kid Curry thought to himself. It was a hot day here in Red Rock, but he didn't mind. He was nice and comfy here in the rocker on the shaded front porch of Big Mac's ranch house. He had arrived on the train last night and had delivered Mac's art pieces here by wagon. Now with his feet propped on the railing, a cigar in one hand, a tall glass of cold lemonade in the other, he couldn't ask for anything better. Well, not unless Heyes could be here with him. He'd felt kind of bad about riding in luxury on that train, knowing that Heyes would be riding through the hot West Texas mountains. In fact he'd almost offered to trade places with him at the last minute, but Heyes had insisted that he was kind of looking forward to some time alone, out in the middle of nowhere.

Heyes had always been like that. Drawing inside of himself sometimes. Needing to be alone with his thoughts. Kid never really knew what was going on in that nimble brain of his when he got that way. But he was always soon after, the same old Heyes again. Funny, charming, outgoing and above all the only person in the world the Kid could trust. It bothered Kid sometimes that Heyes felt so responsible for him. He recalled the first few days after their folks had been killed, a young Hannibal putting his arm around a smaller Jed's shoulder everywhere they went. "Stay close to me, Jed. I'll take care of you." And he always had. Jed had always relied on Hannibal for the answers. And Hannibal had always provided them. He supposed that's why he'd been so determined as a kid to be the best he could with his gun. So he could protect the only person he truly had left in this world. The only person he really loved and who loved him back. Each would be lost without the other and they knew it. "Nothing bad will happen as long as we're together." That's what they used to say to each other when they were kids. Only now they weren't together.

"You better make it back in one piece, Heyes. Or else I'll have to kill ya," he said out loud to himself. He wasn't really worried though. He had never met a human being who could navigate tricky terrain on horseback like Hannibal Heyes. That was another reason they decided it was better for Heyes to make the trip on horseback. He could make much better time than Kid. And it wasn't likely that he'd run into any body to give him any trouble. Supposedly, very few people if any traveled along that trail. And though Heyes was never the fast draw and perfect aim he himself was, he knew Heyes could handle a gun and shoot better than most men. In fact there wasn't anybody else he'd want defending him if he couldn't defend himself. He expected to receive a telegraph from Heyes in a couple of days saying he'd arrived safely in Alpine. Until then he'd just enjoy being the welcome house guest of Mr. Pat McCreedy. "I wonder what's for supper?" he thought to himself. Then he covered his eyes with his hat and drifted off to sleep.

The Hat

Okay, so I just got my copy of "Remembering Pete Duel"  which I purchased from the Pete Duel Memorial Site (http://www.peteduel.info/).  Bittersweet is the only word that comes to my mind right now after reading it.  But one of the main things that struck me, and kinda made me mad,  Ben Murphy said he took Pete's Hannibal Heyes hat after Pete's death......AND HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE DID WITH IT!!!!!!  That just broke my heart.  I guess I understand that that was a very small part of Ben's life and he regarded Pete as a colleague and not a friend, but geez.  I read in Cheri Thompson's "Ablaze for Heyes" blog that she would mortgage her home to have his hat, his gloves or his watch.  Amen, sister.  That hat was like a third member of the starring cast.  It had its own personality.  What a precious and invaluable memento  that hat would be to Pete's family or some deserving fan, like Laura who keeps the memorial site going.  And so I plead with you Mr. Murphy,
try to remember what you did with it, and give it the respect it deserves.  Give Pete's fans the respect they deserve by preserving this most precious of keepsakes. That's all for my soapbox tonight. I'll try to post chapter 3 tomorrow for anybody who might be reading.  As always, love you, Pete.




Due to the popularity of this particular post, I've included a picture of the beloved hat being worn by our beloved Hannibal Heyes, played extraordinarily by our beloved Pete Duel.

Peace and love to everybody, and thanks for stopping by.
Karen :')


Dear Fellow Pete fan,
I'm updating this post on December 31, 2011, the 40th anniversary of Peter's death.  After visiting the Pete Duel Memorial Site today, I've learned that the original Hannibal Heyes hat, THE HAT, the one with the tatters and holes that Peter wore on the show, the one that we all hold so dear, is in the safe keeping of his brother, Geoff.   Please go to the Pete Duel Memorial Site at http://www.peteduel.info/?page_id=1113 to read the story and to leave a word of thanks to Geoffrey Deuel and his wife for sharing this priceless piece of our hero with Laura and the rest of us.

Peace and love,
Karen :')

Okay, so here's chapter 2.  Is anybody out there?  Is anybody reading this besides me?  If so, I'd appreciate a comment even if it's to say "this sucks."  And if not, oh well,  I really only write this for myself.  I think maybe I'm exorcising a demon or something when I write.  And a big thank you to my friend who shall here after be referred to as T-bone for all of her invaluable input and editing assistance.  And if anybody is reading this, please be a follower,  just to make me feel good about myself.  And as always, love you, Pete.

Chapter 2

Evangaline Ruth Webb. That was her name. She was the 19 year old daugther of Nathanial Webb and Lillian Sanders-Webb. In fact she had just turned 19 today. Gabriel William had been their 13 year old son. He had carved their names hastily onto crosses he'd made from tree branches tied together with hemp rope he'd found in the wagon. He'd found their names in a family Bible. He deeply regretted not being able to bury them in more proper graves. But the ground had been hard and dry and he could only dig down a couple of feet. But there had been plenty of good rocks around to make decent mounds over the bodies. At least they wouldn't be left for animals and buzzards to feast on. He'd left the dead bandit for that. He knew he really should have at least covered the body with rocks but time just didn't permit it. And with three of those bandits still out there, he wasn't taking any chances on being out in the open for very long so the shallow mounded graves of their victims would have to suffice.


 He had killed one of them and wounded two of them but one had gotten away clean - the one with the ring master's outfit - and he had no idea how badly the other two were hurt. Maybe just bad enough to get them good and mad and ready to find him and get some payback. And he and the girl had been like fish in a barrel at the bottom of that valley. Heyes' instincts had screamed at him to scoop up the girl, throw her across the tethered mule and high tail it out of there. And that's just what he did. After securing the girl to the one bare backed mule that was grazing nearby, he quickly grabbed anything that may be of use to them. All their belongings lay scattered on the ground. He took a couple of blankets and inside them he bundled some food, extra clothes for the girl and some eating and cooking utensils. In a last minute decision he grabbed a stack of books strapped together and a silk drawstring bag. He didn't know why he grabbed them, well the books for purely selfish reasons he supposed, but the bag....something just told him to take it. He secured the items to his saddle, mounted up and rode out hard and fast, leaving behind the dead. Keeping his eyes alert for trouble, he rode out of the valley staying close to the dense forest then crossed the small range that was on the opposite side of the valley from where he had ridden in. It took two hours to cross that small mountain range. If the girl had been conscious it probably would have taken three or four. The sun was sinking fast and the animals were exhausted after that hard ride over the mountain range. She was probably going to have some sore ribs tomorrow. But at least she would be alive. He stopped by a creek that was flowing out of the Pecos river and set up camp. He sat by the fire now, watching the girl as she lay on a blanket on the opposite side of the fire.

She was beginning to regain consciousness. He had been mentally preparing himself for that moment when it came. He was expecting her to be hysterical, confused and maybe even a little violent. He rose from where he sat and went to kneel beside her. He sat back on his heels, waiting for the hysterics to start.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She had been awake for about half an hour. But she hadn't let him know it. When he wasn't staring at her she had been watching him through half closed eyes from behind her veil of hair. Who was he? Was he one of those mean sons of bitches that had hurt her and her family? She couldn't recall what all of them had looked like. But he just didn't look like a killer. In fact, when she had first regained consciousness he'd been leaning over her. She'd opened her eyes just enough to see his face. It was such a beautiful face she thought for a brief second God had answered her prayer and he was an angel sent to take her to heaven. Then she realized it was dark. Then all the memories of what had happened flooded back over her and she became afraid and knew instantly this was not heaven, nor was it hell. So she was still alive. Had he saved her? He must have. But how could she be sure. The creepy circus man had let her know that no harm would come to her. She was no good to him if she was soiled in any way. So maybe this man was one of them and he was in charge of keeping her virtue in tact. But if that were so, where were the rest of them? And where was her family? This one man couldn't possibly have killed all four of the bad men and ridden off to safety with her? Could he? Her survival instincts were really kicking in now and she had to come up with a plan. The six shooter strapped to his hip hadn't escaped her attention. And all she had to do was get him close enough and she would grab it and find out just what the heck was going on. Yep it was time for her to wake up for real.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He must be exhausted. That's the only excuse for what he had just allowed to happen. Now he was staring down the barrel of his own gun. One second he was leaning over the girl's supine body waiting for her to come completely awake, and the next she was on her feet holding his own gun on him. Dammit!! It wasn't like him to be this stupid. The Kid would have been really disappointed if he'd been here. Now he was going to have to put his silver tongue to use and talk his way out of this before she shot first and asked questions later. 

"How do you do, Evangeline? My name's Joshua Smith." He hoped using her name would let her know he was a friend and not an enemy. He stayed there on his heels, hands in the air so she wouldn't feel threatened. He knew all too well that a wounded animal was the most dangerous. She might not be wounded physically, but mentally she had to be a mess.

"Where are we? Where's my family?" She cocked the pistol as she spoke. 

"We're about 20 miles south of where your family was camped."

"How'd I get here?"

"I brought you."

"All by yourself?"

He nodded with a somber "umm hmm."

Still gripping the cocked and loaded weapon with both hands, she scanned her surroundings, searching for anything familiar. The small campfire didn't provide enough light for her to see if they were really alone. Her eyes narrowed and she stared at him with suspicion. She took in his appearance. While he did sport a heavy five o'clock shadow, he didn't have the scraggily week old beards the other villians had had. And the four men who'd attacked her family had reeked so strongly of sour whiskey, urine and unwashed backsides that she could smell them from a good distance. The only thing she smelled now was coffee over the fire. He must have saved her. But how did she know what his intentions were. He could be a ruthless outlaw who happened upon another gang of outlaws and decided he wanted her for himself. She had to be cautious.

"You're not with them." The way she said it let him know she realized he wasn't part of that ruthless gang.

"No. I'm not one of them." 

But she still didn't trust him and she said as much.

"I don't trust you."

"That's understandable. But I promise you I mean you no harm, Evangeline, I want to help you."

"How do you know my name?"

"I've been reading the records in your family Bible." He motioned toward the Bible laying near his bed roll on the opposite side of the fire.

There was nothing here familiar to her except the brown mule grazing nearby and that Bible.
"What else did you steal?"

Heyes could only shake his head in disbelief. How absurd it was that she would be worried about her possessions when her family lay murdered a few miles away. He realized then that she didn't fully understand that her family was dead.

Heyes slowly started to rise to his feet, keeping his hands high.

"Don't move!"

He stood in front of her now with his hands still raised. "Evangeline, I'm....

"Don't call me that! You don't know me! I don't know you!"

"Alright, alright," he said in a voice as calm and soothing as he could make it. "Miss Webb,I didn't steal anything. I took you and a few things I thought you might need and I rode us out of there real fast." 

She lowered the gun slightly. She looked around, confused as if she might take off running. So now was when the hysteria would probably start, he thought.

"I promised your mother I would take care of you."

Her head shot up and a flash of several different emotions crossed her face in one moment. Anger, confusion and despair. "You talked to my mother?"

"Yes."

"When?" She eyed him suspiciously.

He didn't know how to say it without just blurting it out. So he didn't say anything. He took a deep breath, let it out slowly then looked deeply into her silvery blue eyes and tried to tell her without words that he'd spoken to her mother just before she died. She lowered the gun slightly and stared him straight in the eye. His dark and innocent eyes spoke volumes. "She's dead isn't she?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yes."

"Where's my daddy and my brother!" She was starting to scream at him now. 

Gripping the gun with both hands she stepped closer to him and aimed it directly into his face. "Where are they!" 

He looked briefly down at the ground and again directly into her eyes to convey words without speaking. And she understood better than if he'd shouted, "They're both dead." 

The instinct for survival evaporated like water on the desert. The gun fell from her hands and landed with a thud on the ground. What did it matter now if he killed her? Everything she loved was gone. Deep down she had known the truth, had known they wouldn't survive even in the midst of the attack. She slowly sank to her knees in front of him. And then collapsed into a sobbing heap on the bed roll he'd laid her on earlier.

 Her whole body shook with the force of her sobs. Heyes rubbed his face with his hands and inwardly cursed. He wasn't good at this sort of thing. This was the Kid's department. After reholstering his gun, he reached out and touched her shoulder his heart hurting for her. He knew from experience there were no words that would bring her comfort. But just knowing someone was there might. He was struck with a memory of his 10 year old self and an almost 9 year old Jed clinging to each other after their families had been killed. And not just physically did they cling to each other, but emotionally, mentally and spiritually. And they'd been clinging to each other ever since. He supposed that's why they had never been able to be separated from each other for very long at a time. They shared a bond that most people could never and would never understand. And now this young woman was experiencing the same loss, but she didn't have a Jed to cling to. And his heart went out to her. So he just sat there with her while she cried herself out. When the sobbing had subsided to just snuffles, she looked up at him and again they communicated without words but with their eyes. His saying, "I'm here. You can trust me." Her's saying "What do I do now? How do I go on?" He was all too familiar with the questions that were racing through her head right now. And he wished he had answers for her, but the truth was no one had answers for him when he'd lost his family, and so he had none for her. Acting again on instinct, he gathered her in his arms and held her. And she let him, clearly understanding now that he had been the one who had saved her life and had tried to save her family. Needing the comfort of a human touch, she clung to him just like he and Kid had clung to each other. He held her like a child and stroked her hair and her back as he gently rocked her. Neither spoke. He didn't know how much time had passed as he sat there holding her, but eventually her snuffling stopped and her rhythmic breathing told him she had fallen asleep. He gently laid her back on her bed roll and covered her with a blanket. Returning to his own bed roll on the opposite side of the fire, he lay on his side and watched her sleep. It was a long time before he found sleep himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He had to come up with a plan. Sleep would not come until he came up with a plan. He'd always been like that. Once his mind started working on something, he had to keep at it until he had it worked out. He used to drive the Kid crazy when he was planning a job. He couldn't help it though. When he was planning he had to run it by the Kid. Even if that meant waking him up in the middle of the night. Only problem was, the Kid was almost two hundred miles away in Red Rock and he was here in the middle of nowhere alone. Well, not exactly alone. For the first time in his life he was responsible for another human being. Except for the Kid of course. He and the Kid had always been responsible for each other. How would the Kid feel about having to help him watch after a young girl? He smiled at that thought. Who was he kidding? Kid Curry had never turned down the chance to help a damsel in distress. He'd probably take over when he brought the girl to Red Rock. And he would let him. He'd let Kid coddle her and pamper her, while he took care of the hard stuff. That's the way it was supposed to be. The way it had always been. They both assumed their respective roles with ease after all these years. First he'd find out if she had any family and then he'd send word for them to come and collect her. Or he'd send her to them. Either way, the sooner she was with family of her own the better off she'd be. And the better off he and the Kid would be. But what if she didn't have any family? Then what? He had to consider that possiblity. He and the Kid had had nobody after their folks had been killed. And they'd ended up in that overcrowded orphanage. He wouldn't let that happen to her. She was too old to be in an orphanage anyway, but not too old to end up a whiskey soaked saloon girl depending on strange men for her next drink. No, he would not let that happen to her. He didn't just kill a man and risk his own life to save her just to have her end up a drunk floosy in a bar. Who knew how differently his life and the Kid's would have turned out if there had been somebody to help them make decisions and choices. Maybe they wouldn't be former outlaws ducking from posses and lawmen, hoping against hope that the governor of Wyoming would grant them amnesty. But first things first. He had to finish this job for Mac. And she'd have to come with him. Then when they got to Red Rock he and the Kid would decide together what their next move was. All this would have to be reported to the sheriff and that was something he had to talk over with his partner. And one thing was absolutly sure...they could not live a life ducking from the law, sleeping in the outdoors, running from possees and looking over their shoulders with a young woman hanging onto thieir shirt tails. He'd keep his promise to her mother. He'd see her safely in the hands of family or the authorities and then he and the Kid would be on their way. Simple, clean and easy.

He studied her sleeping form on the bed roll on the other side of the fire. He'd covered her with a blanket and all he could see of her was her hair spilling out across the sandy ground. And what hair it was. Even in her dissheveled and unclean state he could see that her hair was glorious. It was thick and lusterous and hung just past her waist. If it were clean and brushed he was sure it would be prettier even that Clem's hair, and Clementine Hale had beautiful hair. In the firelight it looked like rich brown silk. She obviously looked like her father. Her mother, even in death had been an extrodinarily beautiful woman. But she had had golden blonde hair with sun washed streaks of white through it. And her complexion had been paler. Her form slighter. Almost pixy like. Her daughter was taller, darker and more curvascious than she had been. The eyes were different too. Mrs. Webb's eyes had been the same blue as the Kid's. Like a piece of the sky resting in milk. But this girl's eyes were the color of an approaching thunderstorm. 

She'd been through so much. How was he to know if she even wanted to go with him. Then again what choice did she have? He knew she'd be feeling lost and alone when the reality of her situation sank in and she'd probably be more than willing to let someone else make all her decisions for her. For the time being anyway. And he had promised her mother he would take care of her. And so he would. He knew from their family records that Mr. and Mrs. Webb had both been born in Tennessee and both of their children in Texas. But he had no clue if they still had family in Tennessee or here in Texas. Or if family was waiting for them west of here, which was the direction they had obviously been headed according to the tracks their wagon had left. Hopefully he'd find all that out over the next week. That's how long he figured it would take to get to Red Rock. At least four more days ride to Alpine, if not longer, depending on how well she could ride and her state of mind. And he figured a day to rest before another two days ride to Buckton, then a days ride on the stage. So, seven days to get to know Evangaline Webb. And seven days for that SOB in the circus clothes to find them. Since they'd ridden toward the east and he and the girl had headed southwest over the mountains he was hoping they had seen the last of them. But he was not going to let his guard down. Not until he and his new companion were safe in Red Rock with the Kid.