STARRING
Pete Duel and Ben Murphy as
Hannibal Heyes and Jed “Kid” Curry
GUEST STARRING
John Wayne as Colonel Nathaniel Wilson
James Garner as Sheriff Dan Richards
Tom Selleck as “A”/ Alex Cullen
Katherine Ross as Mrs. Amy Cullen
Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush as Deadre and Diana Cullen
Richard Bull as Mr. John Rafferty
Charlotte Stewart as Mrs. Linda Rafferty
Robert Fuller as Dr. Henry Fuller
Ken Berry as Captain Berg
A Real Hometown Hero
by Kattayl
Jed “Kid” Curry broke the silence of the never-ending Montana landscape. “Heyes, I been thinkin’, why do you think it was so easy to get Lom to agree to three hundred dollars for this job when he started at one hundred? Didn’t seem to need your silver tongue much at all.”
“I thought the deal was I do the thinking, you do the shooting,” Heyes replied. “Been going over that in my mind, too. Maybe because he knows how far north this Fort Assinniboine really is. Haven’t seen another person on this road in two days.”
“Why does your genius mind think we had to come by wagon?”
Heyes squinted ahead of them. “Transporting something the army can’t move themselves?”
“That’s what I was thinkin’, too. Lom said it was all legal,” Curry answered. “Still, I ain’t too pleased just walkin’ into a fort full of armed soldiers even if Lom says we’ll be fine. Pretty sure they have our wanted posters, too.”
“Yeah, but I trust him. Don’t you?”
“More or less. Still, I’ll be cleanin' my gun and yours the night before we get there.”
ASJ*****ASJ
Camping within sight of the formidable wall of Fort Assinniboine, Curry cleaned the guns with a perfectionist's eye for detail.
“Heyes, you standin' watch or pacin'? Figured we’d be safe this close to the fort,” Curry said as he laid out his bedroll.
“Pacing mostly. That fort reminds me of a prison with one way in and out.” Heyes settled his bedroll across the fire from Curry but did not lay, or even sit, down. Instead, he poured the last of the coffee into his cup. “I’ll fill the coffee pot with water for the morning.”
Curry yawned. “Just promise me you’ll get some sleep. We don’t know what we’re walkin’ into at the fort tomorrow.”
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Curry opened one eye to the faint sound of army trumpets playing Reveille. “Ohh, please, ten more minutes to sleep, Heyes!” He rolled over and pulled his blanket up higher against the cold.
“Heyes, did you hear me? Heyes, you there?” Curry sat up suddenly alert. Hearing nothing but the echo of the trumpets and the wind in the trees, he called again, “Heyes?”
Quickly fastening his gun belt and tying it to his thigh, he looked around. “You doin' your mornin’ business, partner?” he asked a little bit louder. “Hide and seek ain’t funny this early in the mornin’. Where are you?” Checking the coffee pot, he felt the weight of the water before looking at Heyes’ bedroll. “You ain’t even been to sleep.” He turned and drew with lightning speed at a sound to his left.
“Easy, Kid. It’s me.” Heyes emerged through some nearby bushes, his hands in the air. “Been scouting out the fort.”
“Instead of sleepin’? You gonna fall asleep on me halfway through today?
Heyes laughed. “Don’t need much sleep. I found a backdoor to the fort.”
“That make you feel any better ‘bout goin’ in there?” Curry asked.
“Well, yes, I guess. Makes me feel we have an escape route if this is a trap.” Heyes started the coffee.
“You figure it’s a trap?” Curry began to roll up and tie his bedroll.
“No, just like to make plans for every outcome.” Heyes grinned at his partner. “Just like you make sure both our guns are clean.”
ASJ*****ASJ
Facing the towering open gates of the fort, Heyes and Curry exchanged a quick look before they composed their faces to show only friendly emotions.
“Hey, wagon, state your names and business.” A man in an army uniform who looked to be no more than twelve-years-old stopped them as they drove up to the gate. Soldiers in uniform hurried about their business.
“Joshua Smith and Thaddeus Jones, here to see the fort commander Colonel Nathaniel Wilson. He's expecting us. Sheriff Lom Trevors sent us.” Heyes spoke with bravado.
“Yes, sirs. I have your names right here. The colonel is in his office. That building with the small flag in front.” He pointed to the right. “Leave your wagon here and we’ll take care of it.”
Exchanging a look, the partners turned to glance back at their bedrolls and travel bags in the buckboard.
“Your things will be untouched, sirs. We will just be loading the wagon for you.” The young man seemed flustered and refused to look at the men again, busying himself with his list.
Curry took a deep breath and whispered, “Think he recognized us?”
“Yeah, but I’m guessing he’s got orders to let us pass no matter what. Just might be that trap you were asking about.”
Reaching the building, the pair nodded to two privates standing outside the office door. One of them opened the door for them.
Removing their hats, Heyes and Curry approached the imposing older man sitting very straight in a wooden chair behind a table set up as a desk.
“Sir,” Heyes started. “We’re Joshua Smith and Thaddeus Jones. Sheriff Lom…”
He was interrupted abruptly. “I know who you are. I’m Colonel Wilson.” He reached out and shook their hands. “Sit down.”
Keeping their hats on their laps, they sat down.
“Thank you, men, for taking on this assignment. We are extremely understaffed here at the fort right now.”
“Just what are we taking on?” Heyes asked, politely.
“Sheriff Trevors didn’t tell you?”
“No, sir, he didn’t,” Curry answered, forcefully.
“Well, we need the body of a brave soldier, a hero, transported to his hometown for burial. “
Heyes let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. “That’s all? That doesn't sound dangerous.”
Colonel Wilson looked surprised. “Did Lom Trevors tell you it was dangerous?” He shook his head. “Shouldn’t be. Sergeant Austin Cullen is a true hero. Gave his life saving four others during a Cree Indian insurrection. Been in the army about five years, enlisted. He was a dedicated soldier and a trusted leader. Austin’s well thought of in this company. And he adores his wife and daughters. There was a transfer in the works for him to be assigned nearer to them.” He added sorrowfully, “I’ll miss him. He deserves a proper burial in his hometown.”
“And where is that, sir?” Heyes asked.
“Friendship, Montana. Small town about sixty miles southwest of Dillon and a hundred miles north of the border with Wyoming. We sent a telegram to the town council that you were coming.”
ASJ*****ASJ
“Kid, you’ve been smiling the last ten miles. What are you thinkin’ about?”
“Well, most jobs we find are hard on the back and don’t pay much.”
“Can’t argue with that.”
“Well this job ain’t like that. And I’m not just talkin' about the pay. I’m really honored to be bringin’ a genuine army hero back home for burial.“
Heyes nodded but Curry wasn’t finished.
“You know my big brothers were killed in the war. Have no idea where they're buried. All my ma had were the telegrams that said they were killed. She buried those and the hats they left behind in our family plot.”
“I remember. There was a real nice service.”
“Kinda feel like I’m honoring them by bringin’ Sergeant Cullen home to his family to be buried.”
ASJ*****ASJ
“Looks like we’re just about there; that sign says 'Friendship, twenty miles',” Curry commented as he stopped the wagon to read it. He looked back to check the American flag-draped coffin in the back for the third time that day.
“Seems too easy to be worth six hundred dollars,” Heyes mused.
“Heyes,” the Kid groaned, “don’t jinx it by sayin' that!”
“What can go wrong? We take his body to the undertaker, let his wife and parents know and maybe go to the funeral. He was a hero, you know,” Heyes added confidently.
ASJ*****ASJ
“They do not look friendly,” Curry announced, seeing two rough-looking, armed men approach from the direction of Friendship.
“We’re still five miles away. Could be anyone.”
“And they could be bounty hunters. Still could be a trap at this end.” Curry handed the reins to his partner and took the safety leather loop off of his gun.
Stopping in the middle of the road, the men blocked the wagon’s path with their horses.
Heyes spoke first. “Hello.”
Without a greeting, the man with a scar on his cheek growled, “Who’s in the casket?”
“A real hero and one of your own if you’re from Friendship, Sergeant Austin Cullen,” Heyes answered, without taking his eyes off of the men.
“Austin Cullen ain’t a hero in this town. Take my advice. Turn around and take him back where you came from.”
“Brought him here by order of the US Army to be buried here, er deputy,” Curry said warily, reading the badge on the man’s chest.
“Like I said, this is a warning. He ain’t wanted here, dead or alive.” The men moved to the side of the road to let the wagon pass.
ASJ*****ASJ
“Heyes, you got a plan in case we don’t get the warmest welcome here?”
“Working on it,” Heyes nodded. “There’s the sheriff’s office. Sign says Daniel Richards. I don’t recognize the name. You?
“No.”
“Then let’s start there.”
Curry shuddered. “You want we just walk into the sheriff’s office knowin’ that our posters are probably hangin' front and center on his wall?”
“That’s the plan.” Heyes pushed on the door as the sheriff pulled it open from inside. Heyes took a step backward. “Ah, sheriff. Just the man we were looking for. I’m Joshua Smith and this...”
“Don’t care who you are. You the ones bringing Austin Cullen’s body here?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then you should know that the town council voted that he can’t be buried in our church’s Memorial Cemetery,” he said firmly.
“Why?” asked Heyes, as Curry moved to stand and block his wanted poster.
“Why? Because the town council voted he can’t!” the lawman snapped.
“Why’d they vote that way?” Heyes pushed.
Seeing the lawman's face flush red with anger, Curry stepped forward. “Well, where do you suggest a hero be buried?” he growled.
“Outside of this town. Anywhere else but here.”
“When does the town council meet again?” Heyes demanded.
“Not sure,” the sheriff answered, watching an older man and a woman enter his office. “But this is Mr. John Rafferty, he’s the head of the council, and his wife, Linda.”
Heyes shifted his attention to the newcomers. “Mr. Rafferty, we’d like to come to your next council meeting.”
“If this is about Austin Cullen, that matter is closed! He will not be buried here!”
“Austin?” Mrs. Rafferty looked at her husband. “A?”
“Nothing to be concerned about, Linda.” He hustled his wife out the door without talking to the sheriff.
“Ain’t gonna help you much, but Austin’s brother, Alex, is always at the saloon. Austin's wife and kids live just outside the town limits on a small farm. Maybe you can bury him there.” The sheriff opened the door for them as he spoke.
ASJ*****ASJ
“Heyes, why do you think this town don’t want their local hero buried here? Ain’t very welcomin' to us, either.”
“I'm not sure, but I can use a drink after that trip. Let’s go to the saloon and see if his brother can enlighten us.” Heyes headed briskly towards the saloon.
Curry walked slower, looking back to check the wagon with the body they had left parked in front of the sheriff’s office. He caught up with Heyes and they pushed the batwing doors open in sync. Curry stepped to the right and let his eyes adjust to the semi-darkened room, looking at every man in the bar as a threat.
Heyes approached the bartender. “Two whiskeys.” He threw some coins on the counter. “Looking for Alex Cullen.”
“You come to the right place.” The bartender used the bottle in his hand to point at a man, his head down on his arms, sleeping at a back table.
Heyes picked up the drinks and dropped a couple more coins on the bar. “Thanks.” He headed towards the table.
“You Alex Cullen?” Heyes touched the man’s shoulder with his finger. Two bloodshot eyes looked up at him.
“Who're you?” The man’s words were slurred.
“We’re the men who brought your brother’s body home to be buried.”
“Buried?”
“You did know he died?”
“Yeah, but no one here will want him home, dead or alive. Ain’t his fault, it’s mine.” He laid his head back down on the table when he was done, then mumbled something that ended in ‘me’, but the first part was too slurred to understand.
Joining them, Curry leaned over and pulled the man to a sitting position. “Seems to be what everyone around here keeps sayin'. You know where his wife lives?”
“Outside of town. You got horses?”
“Uh,” Heyes looked thoughtful. “Wagon. No saddles.”
“No mind, we can walk. I’ll show you for drinking money.”
Heyes showed him two dollar coins. When Alex reached for them, he snapped his hand shut. “Take us there, first.”
ASJ*****ASJ
After they had walked a bit, Alex stopped in front of a large, white, two-storied house with pillars out in front. The wide front porch had a swing and rocking chairs. He spat at the roses. “Rafferty’s live here. Mr. and Mrs. Rafferty, nothing too good for them. And no one was good enough for their daughter.” He spat again.
“You mean just three people live in that big house?” asked Curry.
“Only two now. Daughter passed,” he added bitterly.
Heyes said nothing, but caught his cousin’s eyes in a quick, silent exchange.
Alex stepped back off the road before they arrived at their destination and pointed. “She lives there.”
Heyes looked at the man. “You aren’t coming in?”
“Made it clear that they don’t want to see the likes of me. I brought you here. Where’s my money?” he demanded.
Heyes held out his hand.
Alex grabbed the money and left quickly.
The Cullen home was small but had a well-kept yard. Two little girls ran to the white picket fence when the men walked up.
“Hi!” said one with her thick brown hair pulled back into a long braid.
“Hi,” repeated the other one, her matching hair in two ponytails.
“Well, hello little darlin’s.” Curry smiled at the girls. “This the Cullen home?”
“Yes, sir,” they said in unison.
“Is your ma home? We’d like to talk with her,” Curry continued.
“Yes, sir,” they repeated, and one ran into the building.
“My name is Deadre and my sister is Diana and we're six years old. We’re idencical twins. Our pa and Uncle Alex are idencical twins, too.”
Curry gave her his best smile at the mispronounced word. “My name's Thaddeus, and this is Joshua. We’re not twins, though, we’re cousins. How do you do?” He held out his hand for her to shake.
She giggled and shook it. “There’s our ma.” She pointed to a serious, short woman with the same brown hair as her daughters bustling toward them.
“Gentlemen, I am Amy Cullen. My daughter said you wanted to talk to me?”
Heyes stepped forward as they both removed their hats. “Yes, ma’am; I’m Joshua Smith and this is my partner, Thaddeus Jones. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?” he added, glancing at the girls watching them.
“Please come in,” she gestured towards the house.
The inside of the house, like the outside, was comfortable but modest. “Please sit down,” she said as she sat down opposite them. “What did you want to talk to me about?” The smell of a stew cooking filled the house.
“Well…er…we brought your husband’s body home for burial,” Heyes answered, unable to look at the woman.
She was quiet. “My husband?”
“You did know he died a hero, right?” Curry asked in the uncomfortable silence.
“Yes, I received the army’s telegram about Austin. I also heard about the town council’s decree that he couldn’t be buried in the Friendship Memorial Cemetery.”
“Yes, ma’am, we learned that, too.” Heyes nodded. “We were wondering why, as he’s a real hero.”
“Because he did something heroic once here for his family, but the town doesn’t know it.”
Heyes and Curry exchanged a confused look.
Heyes spoke up. “We thought you and his ma might have an idea where to bury him. We heard she lives about five miles further south.”
Amy stood and the partners jumped to their feet. Walking to a door off the living room, she opened it. Heyes and Curry looked in to see an old woman in a rocking chair, staring at the fire, hardly moving.
“After Austin enlisted and Alex’s pa died a couple of years ago, she broke under the strain. She felt er...Austin was lost to us, and, in a way, he was, too. Alex hasn’t come out of that bottle in over five years, not since his brother left and enlisted.” She closed the door quietly. “She sits there and rocks all day. Takes some pleasure in the evening sitting by the fire and watching the girls play. Never talks much. I moved her here when the bank repossessed their home. Couldn’t get her to leave the home where she raised her family before that.”
“Ma’am, we’d like to bring Sergeant Cullen’s coffin here. But before we bury him here, we’re going to have a talk with the town council.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, ma’am.” Curry smiled, replacing his hat.
Once outside and goodbyes said to the energetic twin sisters, they turned their feet to town.
“She hidin’ somethin’, Heyes?”
“Whole town’s hiding something. Let’s go by the fancy Rafferty house and ask Mr. Rafferty when the next council meeting's being held.”
As they approached the house, the Kid looked down the street for their wagon, ignoring Heyes rehearsing what he was going to say to Mr. Rafferty.
“What do you think, Kid, should I just come out and ask him right off?”
“Oh no, no!” Curry yelled and ran toward the wagon.
Heyes recovered quickly and was right in back of him.
“Who did this? Curry yelled at no one and anyone. “Why would you dump the casket of a decorated hero, one of your own townspeople, on the ground? Why would anyone dishonor our flag?” He picked up the flag that had fallen to the side of the road and shook the dirt off of it.
Heyes’ eyes turned black with anger. “Shame on all of you good citizens of FRIENDSHIP, Montana, that are staring at this poor man’s broken casket! Who will hold the wagon horses steady while we load this hero back into the bed?”
No one moved, watching in silence as the Kid placed the torn flag into the buckboard.
In a nearby wagon, a distinguished man in a suit tied off his reins and started to climb down.
The woman next to him hissed, “Henry Fuller, think twice before you help them with HIS casket!”
“I’ll help,” the man called out to Heyes.
“Humpft!” The woman with Fuller climbed down, refusing his help, and stormed away.
The man looked to Heyes. “There’ll be hell to pay when I get home, but I respect Alex Cullen for what he did.” He walked to hold the horses' heads to keep the wagon steady.
“Austin,” Heyes corrected him.
“Er, uh, yes; my mistake.”
The wooden casket was heavy for the two men, but no one else offered to help. After a struggle, they managed to get it back in the wagon. Curry climbed into the back and tried to spread the damaged flag over it.
“Thank you, sir, for your help.” Heyes extended his hand to the man.
“Not saying I want him buried here. I voted against it. But it wasn’t right to dump him in the street like that,” the man said, half-apologizing as he shook the proffered hand.
“Doctor Fuller, may I see you!?” John Rafferty, head of the Friendship Town Council, glared at the men standing by the wagon.
Fuller gave Heyes a brief smile. “Guess I’m going to get a lecture here, too.”
Two other well-dressed men followed Fuller into Rafferty’s house.
Curry and Heyes climbed into the driver’s seat of the wagon.
Curry’s emotions warred with each other as he asked, “Why would anyone do that? This man was a soldier, a hero.”
“Don’t know, Kid.”
“If my brothers’ bodies had been brought home, they would have been buried with honors,” Curry said softly. “Pa would have seen to it.”
In the quiet that followed, Heyes reached across and stopped Curry from starting the horses. “Wait here.” He knocked on the Rafferty’s door with authority. The door opened but he was not invited in.
“When’s the next town council meeting?” Heyes demanded.
“Tonight at five. Here.” The door slammed abruptly.
Heyes climbed back into the wagon. “We need to be back here at five for the next town council meeting.”
‘Who’d you talk to?”
“Mr. John Rafferty himself.”
Curry glared at any visible townspeople as he headed the wagon toward the Cullen farm. A moment later, he spoke quietly. “Heyes, look behind us.”
It took a moment, but then Heyes saw the man following them, trying to hide in the trees and shrubbery along the side of the road.
“That the brother?”
“Yeah, saw him in town when I was askin' for help. He hid in the saloon.”
ASJ*****ASJ
Curry drove the wagon slowly, respectfully to the Cullen home, stopping in front. No one was in sight when Heyes knocked on the front door. He pounded harder. “Hello?”
An older lady opened the door a slit and peered out. Heyes recognized her; it was the woman he had seen rocking alone in her room.
“Ma’am, is your daughter-in-law here?”
She looked from Heyes to the casket in the wagon, but said nothing. She didn’t move, just stared out the slit in the door.
“Sorry, Mr. Smith, the girls and I were weeding the side garden.” Amy Cullen opened the door wide. She gently put her arm around the older lady, who allowed herself to be led to an overstuffed old chair near the fireplace. “My apologies. She gets lost in her memories and sorrows.”
“Not a problem. Thaddeus and I brought the casket. Can we leave it here until we straighten this out with the town council?”
“Yes, yes, of course. I’m sure no one in Friendship wants his casket there.”
Curry had the back of the wagon down and had folded the remnants of the flag and put it on the driver’s seat.
“Joshua, these horses refuse to stay still. Think you could get Mrs. Cullen to hold their heads?”
“I’ll ask…”
“I’ll do it.” Alex Cullen emerged from the trees across the lane. He was staring at the casket, unsmiling. “Saw what they did in town...just couldn’t help you there.”
Heyes nodded.
Curry glared. “Couldn’t help pick up your brother’s casket?”
Alex ignored the question. “What do you want me to do?”
ASJ*****ASJ
The partners set the casket down gently in the space Amy Cullen had cleared. Her mother-in-law's eyes never left the wooden box.
Amy had tears in her eyes. “What happened to the casket? The people of that town did this, didn't they?” she said, indignantly.
A knock on the open door got all their attention.
“Just wanted to bring this to you; can I come in?” Alex stood outside the door holding the American flag in his hand. “Should be on his casket, even if it's torn.”
Amy looked at the man and held back tears. “A, of course you can. You’re always welcome. Long time since you were here.”
“Ma don’t want me here.” He walked toward the woman who was still staring at the casket. The Kid took the flag and draped it as best he could over the foot of the casket leaving the engraved nameplate visible.
Sergeant Austin Cullen
United States ArmyAlex touched his ma’s shoulder to get her attention. Her focus gradually changed from the casket to the man next to her. “Ma?” he said.
“Look at that box! What are you doing here?! You…you are the cause of a good man’s death!” she wailed, as tears flooded down her cheeks.
Alex reached out to comfort her, but she pushed his hands away, went to her room and closed the door.
“I should leave.”
“A, give her time; she lost her son.” Amy put her hands on his chest to stop him from going to the door.
“Her favorite son. And I lost my brother. Sorry, Amy, I don’t belong here anymore. I shouldn't have come.”
Pulling out his pocket watch, Heyes looked at it, shook it and held it to his ear. “We need to get going too, Thaddeus. Town council meeting’s in twenty minutes.” He turned to Alex. “We'll give you a ride into town.”
Alex nodded. While he waited outside for the men to repeat their condolences and say their goodbyes, he watched the two little girls running and playing in the side yard, pulling as many flowers as weeds.
“Cute, aren’t they?” Curry smiled.
Alex turned abruptly. “Didn’t see you come out.” Then, looking at the girls. “Yeah, they’re beautiful, just like their ma. Twins have a special connection other people don’t have. A built-in best friend that is part of you…always...” his voice trailed off.
“Sorry about Austin; forgot you two are twins, too. Must be hard to lose him,” Curry said as they walked to the wagon.
“Harder than you know.” Alex stopped by the wagon. “Think I’m going to stay here. Maybe guard the house. Don’t want the womenfolk to know, though.”
Heyes looked at him, concerned. “You think there may be trouble? We ran into two big men on the road into town. One of them was a deputy. He warned us not to bring Austin into Friendship.”
Alex didn’t answer at first. “Trouble, maybe... although this place is not in the town limits. Oh, and just so you’re prepared, there’s not a town meeting tonight that I know about. They’re always posted on the board outside the saloon and they ain’t held at the Rafferty house. They’re at the bank.”
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