Kid Barlow's Ace in the Hole

Chapter 9: Endings

Kid didn't appear the sharpest sticker on the tumbleweed, but he for shore knew trouble when he saw it. And, he saw no happy ending a the moment. No doubt they's planning to return my dead body, collect the reward, and make off with my new fortune.

He began to ponder various plans of escape as he lay hog-tied on the bedroll. He knew he must stay awake and concentrate. Kid almost heard his brain squeaking as he searched in vain for a way out. Sure hope I don’t wake those hombres up. They might just kill me right now. I know they need to get further away from Memphis, but I reckon I aint’ got much time.

Mosquito's buzzed, whippoorwills called, frogs croaked in the night. Nothing seemed reassuring or gave him any ideas how to get out of this fix. Dear God, I knowed I robbed that bank and that weren’t right, but You knowed I planned to return the money as soon as I won the tournament. I wouldn’t ever hurt no one with out good cause. I need your help here. Yours truly, Kid Barlow.

Kid tried to loosed his ties. Maybe he could get to the gun in his boot. He’d forgotten all about the gun. For a few minutes he felt a sense of relief, but soon realized the gun couldn’t help. He couldn’t reach it. Therefore, as a lone wolf howled in the distance, and black clouds bathed the moon in darkness, Kid began to accept his fate. God’s punishing me. I know it. He never sent me no sign to leave Ma and he sure didn’t send me no sign to rob that dang bank.

He thought he heard a slight noise outside the camp perimeter. Sounded like a twig snapping. Great, now my imagination’s trying to trick me. He tried extra hard to see into the inky night. Can’t see nothing! Can’t believe them two bounty hunters aren’t waking each other up with that awful snoring of theirs. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t sleep with all that noise.

Then he thought he heard a soft thud followed by another as Big and Nasty let out a swoosh of air. The snoring stopped. What the heck?

Next thing Kid knew Ma cut the his ropes and yelled, “Dang you to blue blazes, youngin'. How the in the devil do you manage to get yourself in such cussed messes? You're just like Paw all made over. If'n it warn't for me and my Arkansas Toothpick, you'd of gotten a one way trip to eternity! Hurry and get your things.”

With that she whacked Kid across the rump. “Let’s put these two on the one horse left and take them up to Bryson Cave. We’ll leave the bodies there. Come on, you lazy jackass, move your worthless body and help me. She slapped Kid hard twice. Gonna keep all that money for yourself, boy? You’re lucky I didn’t just kill you too. Damn loco horse dung, Injun trash. Yeah, I know all about that damn horse. You think you can keep secrets from your Ma? You love that horse of yours more you love me. I ought to just kill him too.”

“No, Ma,” yelled Kid as he scrambled to get the men on the extra horse. “We gotta ride fast, Ma. We’ll sort this out later.”

Ma turned her donkey loose and untied Crazy Bill’s horse while Kid freed Buck. As he followed Ma into the night, she still ranted and raved at him. Fleetingly, it occurred to him getting killed by the two bounty hunters didn’t seem near as bad as he’d first imagined. He saw it in a different light now Ma located him.

Riding away Kid once more remembered Paw’s gun in his left boot. He reached down and fondled it. It must be a true and righteous sign. Kid spurred Buck and rushed to catch up to Ma. He heard Pa laugh in the wind.