Quid Pro Quo

By Rae1013

Hannibal Heyes' cheeks were hard and there was no feeling left in them. They felt like two pieces of frozen ice stuck on his face. Even with his face covered, every breath burnt his lungs.

He fumbled with icy unbending fingers to try pulling his collar up and wrapping the wool scarf tighter around his face and ears. Ice and snow weighed his long eyelashes, making it difficult to keep his eyes open. Heyes could feel the frigid wetness of snow that had been blown in by the gale wind, sliding down his neck to his back and chest. He pulled his head as low as possible into his coat, trying to limit any exposure to the howling wind, like a turtle ducking into its shell.

Heyes cast a quick glance at his partner, who was struggling even more. Kid wouldn't admit it, but Heyes knew he wasn’t feeling well. He had tried to hide it, pretend that his cough was nothing. He was slumped low in his saddle with his chin tucked tightly to his chest, looking barely conscious.

As they started their ascent up the Colorado trail, they had been caught off guard by a fast-approaching storm that had quickly hidden the bright, warm sun with blowing snow. They immediately started looking for shelter, but after several miles, the search seemed fruitless.

They were desperate. Heyes decided their best plan was to turn around and head back to the abandoned cabin they slept in the previous night, but once they turned the horses, they realized the once clear trail was invisible under the snow.

Heyes saw it out of the corner of his eyes. A lone structure half buried by snow, but it represented a glimmer of hope. Heyes yelled at Kid, but his words evaporated in the wind. He pointed emphatically towards the shelter. Kid gave no acknowledgement that he saw where Heyes was pointing as he clung to his saddle horn with both gloved hands.

Heyes pushed his horse towards the shelter while Kid's horse obediently followed.

The wooden structure was an old abandoned mine's entrance. Heyes quickly dismounted. He pushed rotten boards away and looked inside. Although cold, it looked like it would provide shelter from the wind.

Heyes reached up to quickly pull his partner from his saddle. Kid collapsed into his partner's arms. He tried to help Heyes as best he could, but his legs didn't seem to be working. They stumbled into the mine and he fell to the floor. Heyes bent and grabbed Kid under his arms, dragging him deeper into the mine before he stumbled backwards and landed on his backside. He groaned as the fall jarred his frozen body.

Heyes pulled more boards away from the entrance creating enough space to lead the horses inside. Balls of snow and ice covered the animals, with delicate icicles hanging off their whiskers.

Heyes quickly surveyed the old mine and began salvaging wood from several dilapidated ore carts, long broken crates, stools, dilapidated tools, and anything else that looked flammable. He dropped several armfuls and moved to the saddlebags still on the horses.

He swept the snow off and broke the thin sheet of ice that coated them, as frozen fingers opened them and fumbled for his books.

Heyes pulled his gloves off with his teeth and cupped his frozen hands together, trying to blow warmth into them. Tearing page by page from each book, he strategically placed the pages between the wood. He tried to light the final page with a trembling hand.

The match fell from his frozen fingers.

He swore as he fumbled for another one.

It sparked and fizzled out with a small puff of smoke. Heyes flung it away in frustration before trying another…and another… He cursed and cast a quick look at his partner, who lay shivering, wet, and barely conscious.

With relief, it finally caught fire as the page started to blacken and curl. Heyes carefully laid it on top of the pile of torn book pages. He leaned forward and softly blew, pausing to hold his hands dangerously close to the growing flame. When he felt a sharp, prickly burning sensation move through his frozen fingers, he knew it was a painful indication that his circulation was returning.

Heyes pulled the saddlebags off the horses and drew out every piece of dry clothes he could find. Fumbling with the buttons, he stripped down and started layering the dry clothes on.

He knelt by Kid and lightly tapped him on his cheeks. "Kid, wake up. You have to get out of these clothes. Kid!"

Kid's eyes fluttered open. With a groan and Heyes' help, he managed to push himself into a sitting position. Heyes could feel him shaking uncontrollably under his supportive hand he had pressed to his partner's back.

Once he was in dry clothes, he helped Kid get close to the fire, eased him down, and placed the remaining blankets over his friend. He crawled under the blankets and pressed close to Kid, desperately trying to generate body heat.

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Heyes stirred. His eyes blinked open then widened as he froze, holding his breath. Something wasn't right. He knew Kid was in front of him, but there was a warm foreign weight pressed against him. He was trying to decide what to do when a wet tongue on his exposed skin caused him to scramble out from under the blankets with a yelp, causing Kid to wake with a cry.

"Don't…move," Heyes warned, gesturing with his hands for Kid to lie still.

Kid froze.

"What?! What is it?!" Kid asked in an urgent whisper, trying to choke down a cough.

"I think it's…"

The animal, spooked by the men's reaction, fled into the darkness, only to cautiously return.

Kid slowly and carefully rolled over and followed Heyes' gaze.

It was an old dog with clouded eyes and a gray muzzle. It submissively laid down and tried to belly crawl towards the men. It stopped several feet away with his tail thumping rapidly. Even with thick fur, both men could make out the animal's protruding backbones and hip bones.

"Seems friendly enough," Kid observed, as he pushed to a sitting position, watching for a reaction from the animal.

"Careful, Kid," Heyes warned, as he held his gun he had grabbed, trying to determine the animal's intentions. "Could be rabid."

Kid rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Well, you don't know," Heyes said, indignant.

Kid suddenly pressed the back of his hand across his mouth and began to cough. The dog immediately jumped to his feet and hurried to Kid, snuggling close.

"Looks like you have a new friend." Heyes said, as he tucked the gun into his waistband.

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"Here," Heyes said, thrusting the cup at Kid. "Coffee, honey, and a shot of whiskey."

Kid took a hearty drink and choked. "Whoa! You tryin’ to heal me or kill me?" he asked, as his eyes popped open. He brushed some tears away with the back of his hand and sniffed loudly, wiping his nose on a sleeve.

"Warms the soul," Heyes said with a small smile.

"Well, if I keep drinkin’ this, my soul’s gonna be the only thing left of me."

Kid passed the cup back to Heyes when he was done.

"Lie back down, Kid, while I make us something to eat."

Kid didn't argue and pulled all the blankets over himself. "Make extra," he added. The dog hesitated, then quietly curled up beside Kid.

Heyes watched as Kid's free hand slowly and gently stoked the dog. "It's okay, pup." The dog nestled closer, as both slowly closed their eyes with a heavy sigh.

Pup.

Kid had a dog growing up that was killed with the Curry family. Kid and Heyes had called him pup until they could figure out a name, but never did, and he remained Pup until the day he died valiantly trying to save his family.

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The hot mountain sun melted a lot of the evidence of a winter storm away, as if nothing happened mere days ago.

Heyes, hands on his hips, dreaded this argument.

"No. No. No, Kid. I know that look and I know where you are going with this. We don't need a dog. He probably got a home somewhere…" Heyes' voice trailed off when he saw Kid's look. If the dog had a home, he hadn't been there in a long time judging by his emaciated condition.

Great, thought Heyes. Now his partner was adding animals to his moral list of the "needy". And why did he have to come across as uncompassionate, when in reality he was just being the practical one and focused on what needed to be done?

Kid gave Heyes a slow, hard stare, that warned him that there was no changing his mind. Heyes tried to return an equally hard look, but failed and threw his hands up in defeat and frustration.

"Dog helped save us," Kid said matter-of-factly, as he straightened from repacking his saddle bag. He threw the bag over his shoulder and headed out through the entrance. The dog obediently followed close on his heels, pausing to turn and look at Heyes with the most soulful eyes, before continuing after Kid.

Heyes rolled his eyes and sighed.

"What about my wiser, calmer mind you like to give me credit for?" Heyes half-heartedly shouted after his departing partner as he grabbed his saddlebags and followed.

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"Which way?"

Kid looked up the muddy mountain trail, then down. "Down."

With a sweeping hand gesture, Heyes motioned for them to lead the way. He followed behind, grumbling, "Hope we don't run into no posse or that dog is gonna cost us twenty years."

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When the old dog got tired, he rode with Kid on his horse. They were close to finding a place to camp on the second day when the dog raised his head and sniffed the air. He began to whine and struggled to get down. Once on the ground, the dog began to bark and started down a road that cut south of the main trail. He looked at both men, barked and trotted about ten feet before he turned, waiting for them to follow.

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"Hand me that hammer, boy," the man said, sticking his hand out. When the tool wasn't promptly deposited in his waiting hand, he turned with annoyance, an angry word on the tip of his tongue. He stopped when he saw the young boy stand and cock his head listening. 

"Boy?"

With a yelp of joy, the boy raced through the barn door. Alarmed, the man jumped to his feet to follow when he heard the familiar bark.

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The two men saw a young boy burst out of the barn door and run through the field. Ignoring the mud, he fell to his knees and wrapped the dog in his arms, clinging to him tightly.

"Where…where did you find him?" the boy breathlessly asked the two men, between wet dog kisses and tears.

"He found us," Kid said. "Old abandoned mine. Couple days' ride from here."

An older man approached. "I'll be damn." A big smile crossed his face. "You say an abandoned mine?" He shook his head in amazement. "We figured he got himself lost out hunting or with a storm moving in he couldn't find his way home. Or he finally wandered off to die. We looked for weeks. Sorry, I didn't catch your names to thank you proper."

"Joshua Smith," Heyes said, introducing himself.

"Smith, you don't say. I'm a Smith, too. Maybe we got common kin."

Heyes shook his head as he avoided the man's inquiring look.

"You related to the Smiths near Silverthorn?"

"Nope", Heyes said, beginning to look uncomfortable.

"Maybe around Greeley?"

Again, Heyes shook his head. "Ain't from around here," he said quickly, hoping to steer the questions to another topic. "And my friend’s Thaddeus Jones."

Kid tore his attention away from the dog and boy reunion and gave the man a cordial nod, before turning his attention back.

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Nathan Smith and his young nephew, Samuel, insisted both men stay for supper and a real bed.

"I'm his uncle. Samuel's folks died when he was young and, being his only kin, I took him in. That dog means everything to him. It's all he has of his past. I think it was like losing his family again…maybe worse since he was so young when he lost 'em and ol' Brother’s been with him every step of the way."

"Brother?" Kid asked.

"Oh, he's had lots of names, but Brother finally stuck. Maybe because Samuel ain't got no siblings."

Samuel returned to the table with Brother closely behind. Before taking a seat, he dug a hand into his pocket and drew out two wadded up dollar bills. He placed one in front of each man.

"What's this for?" Heyes questioned.

"It's a reward for bringing Brother back."

Both men shook their heads and pushed the money towards the young boy.

"That would be stealing, son. Besides, your dog saved our lives so I'm callin’ us square," Kid said with a smile.

"He did?" The boy looked at the men as he took a seat.

"Yep! You see, my partner here…" Kid said, nodding his head towards Heyes, "...ain't much at buildin’ fires and, well, if it weren't for Brother, I'm sure we would have froze to death."

The boy smiled, before looking at the dog with his head resting on his leg. "Did ya hear that? You're a hero, Brother! Can he have some more food…being a hero and all?"

"A little more. But you're gonna have to take it slow. Don't want to harm his constitution."

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"It's okay, Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith, iffin' you take my room. I'm sleeping by the fire with Brother."

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When they exited the bedroom the next morning, they immediately knew something was wrong.

Nathan was kneeling beside Samuel with a gentle hand on the boy's back, trying to comfort him. The boy's head was bent and his face buried in Brother's fur. His arms were wrapped tightly around the dog, as sobs shook his shoulders.

Nathan's eyes met Kid's and Heyes'.

They stood in stunned silence.

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Heyes and Kid helped bury Brother under Samuel's favorite tree.

Samuel looked heartbroken, as the tears quietly rolled down his face, but when Kid and Heyes looked into his grieving eyes, they were surprised to see relief too.

"It hurts. It hurts a lot," the young boy said, sniffing before wiping the sleeve of his coat across his face. "But it's the not knowing that's far worse. So, thank you for bringing Brother home so we could see each other one last time."

He held his hand out and shook each man's hand.

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It was a quiet ride for several days when Kid proclaimed, "When we get our amnesty and settle down, I'm gettin’ a dog."

Heyes smiled. "Sounds like a plan…and one of your better ones."

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Author's Notes:

This story drew from two experiences in my life. The first was living in Colorado for twenty-six years and how frighteningly fast the weather could change.

 

The second was a memory of my old American Bulldog - “Chuck”. After being out all day, he came inside and laid beside me before passing away. I think it was his way of saying goodbye and giving me the opportunity to be with him one last time.