Beyond
MeasureBeyond
MeasureDISCLAIMER: The Young Riders is the property of Ogiens/Kane Production 1989-1992 & was created by Ed Speilman. This fanfic is not meant to infringe on the copyright. The ONLY purpose of this fanfic is for the enjoyment of myself and other fans and I do not profit in anyway from it. Furthermore, I do not have much money so please don't sue me. Charla
Teaspoon grasped the letter in his hand with a wince. Russell, Majors and Waddell
may have thought their idea was grand, but all they had actually accomplished
was to give him a headache. And a humdinger of a headache it was indeed!
His first inclination was to wad the paper up and throw it into the nearest
trash bin. Then, he contemplated tearing it into little strips of paper, which
of course, would make an excellent fire starter. Unfortunately, Teaspoon could
do neither. As much as he wanted to ignore the firm's competition and tell them
it was a fine way to drive a wedge through his tight knit clan, as station master,
he was required to follow along. He didn't have to like it, but he'd do it.
Shaking his head ruefully, making the pounding worse, he trudged into the bunkhouse
just in time for a meal. The boys called out to the aging station master in
greeting, some speaking words of welcome. Cody, as usual, had a mouth too full
of food for more than an obligatory nod.
Emma moved about the table,
doling out servings of stew. Teaspoon noted that all the riders looked tired.
They were hard workers, all of them. Each had embraced difficult runs without
complaint and he recognized that too often they were not praised for their efforts.
How was he supposed to choose between them when they each had something unique
to offer?
Teaspoon cleared his throat, placing his fingers behind his suspenders as he
puffed his chest out. He may not like this particular task, but he was in authority.
"Boys, I have a message from Russell, Majors and Waddell; something ya'll
will all find interesting," he announced. Even though he had misgivings
about the missive, there was no need to burden the boys with his skepticism.
'What is it?' Ike signed, curious.
"We're gonna get a raise?" Cody guessed, his face full of a wide grin
as his blue eyes twinkled.
Kid had to smile at the comment. "Yeah, what is it exactly?"
Teaspoon noted that, as usual, Lou's eyes were downcast, though his ears seemed
to be perked. Jimmy just eased back in his chair, looking at him, waiting expectantly.
Buck, out on a run, was the only rider absent.
"Well now," drawled Teaspoon's raspy voice, "it seems the firm
is sponsoring a contest of sorts. They want to name the best Pony Express rider
for 1861, and each waystation gets to send one rider to the competition in St.
Jo."
Lou fidgeted back and forth in her chair at the mention of St. Joseph; the town
immediately bringing to mine her brother and sister -- Jeremiah and Theresa
were still in the orphanage. Otherwise the room was quiet and still.
Suddenly, the room exploded in affronted voices and heated discussion.
"Just one?" demanded Cody. "Why, that ain't fair! We're all damn
fine riders, probably the best the firm has in employ! And they expect you to
send just one of us?"
"How you supposed to decide?" asked Jimmy, his voice less shrill than
Cody's, but firm and loud.
'We could draw names out of a hat,' suggested Ike.
"Or else, you'll just have to choose," surmised Kid, looking at Teaspoon,
eyes questioning.
Lou remained silent, but she looked around the room at her fellow riders before
settling her gaze upon the station master.
Emma stood, bowl still in hand, her jaw open. "Seems a mighty large bit
of foolishness to me," she commented, closing her mouth tightly. The dark
pallor of dissension was already tangible as it settled over the group.
"Well Emma, can't say I disagree," sighed Teaspoon, "but we can't
not take part." Teaspoon again paused, as Cody grumbled more about the
unfairness of just one rider getting to attend the competition.
"Is there a prize involved?" Jimmy asked.
Teaspoon squinted at the letter between his fingers, already wrinkled by his
rough handling. "Don't say, but there's probably some kinda reward. My
guess is prob'ly a fancy title of some sort proclaimin' the winner."
It wasn't so much the idea of being rewarded, but the opportunity to see her
siblings that set Lou's mind to skipping hoops. It was hard enough getting time
off to see them, but to be on a trip for the firm, well, that would be a true
blessing. "So how do you plan to choose?" Lou's gruff, but quiet voice
finally spoke.
Teaspoon cocked an eyebrow,
surprised that the puny rider finally made a comment. "Well now, I haven't
decided that just yet." With a quick jerk of her head, Lou nodded. She
then pushed her glasses up her nose, attempting to hide her gender.
Again, Cody let out a whine. "It just ain't fair; we all deserve to go."
Jimmy shook his head with a smirk to his lips. "You mean, you deserve to
go," he assessed.
"Well, I do have certain qualities the rest of ya'll are lacking'"
Cody countered with an arrogant flair.
Ike began moving his hands in earnest. 'Maybe we should have our own competition
here.'
Kid let out a whistle. "Now wouldn't that be interesting. And besides,
we are all good at different things -- Cody is best at distance shooting, Ike
has a way with the horses, Lou can do tricks -- ya'll see what I'm saying? Ain't
no way to accurately judge who's best. Depends on what you're lookin' for."
"Well now, Ike has a point," Teaspoon assented. "Maybe if we
broke it down into..what's the word? Categories, if you will," nodded Teaspoon,
"then choose the best score overall."
Emma turned away from the table, her back to the riders. "It's all a lot
of foolishness in my mind," she declared.
Emma's well intended concerns fell on deaf ears. The idea of the contest was
exciting! Ideas for different categories flew fast and furious as the riders
hammered out the details of the Sweetwater station competition. Lou, who was
inclined to agree with Emma, took part in the planning. She just wanted to see
her siblings back at the orphanage, and if this silly contest would get her
to St. Jo, then she was participating.
The air over the station
was thick with tension as the day of the competition finally arrived. Even Buck,
who had been filled in after his return, felt a warrior's pride at taking part
in a test of strength and skill. No one had a run until that evening, so each
rider arose preparing for the contest.
Bright and early, Emma served breakfast, her lips pursed and her disapproval
evident. Competition may bring out the best in some, but it had been known to
bring out the worst, too. 'Teaspoon should have put a stop to this,' Emma thought,
but kept her comments to herself. She could only hope the good sense of her
riders would prevail.
The first competition was passing the mochila. When Cody purposefully threw
the mail bag hard enough to unseat Jimmy, Emma clucked her tongue and moved
away. She felt strongly that more than just proficiency was being ascertained
today, but instead, friendships were being tested.
Next, the riders lined up to race -- a contest to prove not only the fastest,
but also the best with a horse. The race was close, for all had gained in their
abilities after riding miles and miles each run.
All day, the contests continued. From shoeing a horse to switching mounts, the
riders endured relay after relay. At last, the final competition complete, Teaspoon
looked down at his notebook. He'd kept accurate records all day, as his position
of authority dictated. Though all the riders had performed well, one was consistently
the winner. In some categories he often won by a large margin, while others
ended n nearly a tie with the victor just edging out the nearest competitor.
The boys stood, tired,
dusty and weary, yet anxious to hear who would be representing their station
in St. Jo. It was almost as if this contest amongst themselves was more important
to them than the one hosted by Russells, Majors and Waddell.
"Well boys," Teaspoon said, "ya'll are all such fine riders,
it was tough. Ya'll were so close in a lot of the tests, but one of you is definitely
the winner."
Six pairs of eyes just watched, waiting impatiently for the results. Again,
Teaspoon sighed heavily. He knew the effort that each rider had put into the
competition. It was important to all of them. The results would bring a well
deserved glow of pride to the face of the winner, but the other entrants would
wear a look of disappointment.
"Enough already, just tell us," huffed Cody.
"Boys, our delegate to St. Jo will be -- ," Teaspoon paused for effect,
"Kid."
Lou immediately turned to the dark haired man beside her. She looked into his
blue eyes as she patted his back in congratulations. "Do us proud Kid,"
she charged. Though she really wanted to win, she was happy for him.
Buck, as well, moved to wish him well and compliment his skill. "Just remember,
you're representing all of us," he said solemnly, but with good will.
Buck was surprised as he turned just in time to see Ike stalk off toward the
bunkhouse. That wasn't like him. He knew Ike really wanted to win, but didn't
expect him to take losing so hard. He called out to his friend, "Ike!"
Ike just threw up his hands in a huff and stormed off to tend his wounded feelings.
"Now Teaspoon," Cody drawled, moving to put his arm around the gray
haired man, "how about letting me take a gander at that score sheet? I
know you have a bit of trouble seeing without your spectacles, and you might
have misfigured."
Teaspoon glared at the blonde man. "My arithmitic is just fine," he
said haughtily.
Meanwhile, Jimmy just glared at Kid, eyes narrowed. He was certain his performance
bested Kid's in several categories. Teaspoon had fixed it so Kid would win.
It wouldn't look right to have a gunslinger represent the old man's precious
station now would it? Even Lou shrunk from Jimmy's bitter gaze. Finally, Kid
and Lou turned away, walking to the barn. Kid may have won the competition fair
and square, but the problems were just beginning.
Kid was plagued with worry
the two weeks before the company-wide contest. The changes in his Express family
were startling -- almost as if their tightly knit clan was unraveling at the
seams. The pride he'd felt at winning the contest was quickly losing its luster.
Though Lou was happy for him, even she exhibited a bit of reticence about the
upcoming trip to St. Jo. Buck was supportive, but seemed extremely worried about
how Ike was taking the loss. Cody and Jimmy did nothing to hide their scorn
and jealousy. Overall, the mood of the bunkhouse was bleak.
Emma just watched with concern. 'What's done is done,' she thought ruefully,
'but it's high time these boys remembered that they are friends and start mendin'
some fences.'
As Kid's leaving approached, Teaspoon became more anxious about the state of
affairs as well. Supper in the bunkhouse was a downright uncomfortable event
for everyone. He felt at fault for making Kid the object of the other rider's
anger, and began to wish he'd only picked a name from a hat. The boy had certainly
done nothing to deserve such treatment, especially from people he considered
to be his friends.
"Kid, it's a long trip to St. Jo," Teaspoon remarked the night before
his ride. "I want you to take Lou with you, in case you run into any problems."
Lou's eyes lit up, though she quickly turned her gaze to her clenched palms
in her lap. 'I'll get to see my Theresa and Jeremiah afterall,' her mind rejoiced,
'without having to participate in the stupid contest.'
"Why Lou?" demanded Cody, certain his employer was playing favorites.
Teaspoon's frustration with the whole situation had reached the boiling point.
He'd had just about enough of their sullen attitude. His bunch of top-notch
riders had turned into bickering children. "Why not?" he questioned,
eyebrow raised, daring any further argument.
Silence fell over the table, and the meal was finished to only the sound of
forks scraping across tin plates.
Lou and Kid
were barely ten miles out of Sweetwater when their plans went awry. Before they
knew what hit them, an Indian arrow sailed past their ears, embedding itself
into the grass. Both ducked over their horse's backs, kicking their heels into
their mount's flanks to urge them into a faster gait. Kid jumped from his horse,
pulling Lou to the ground with him. Rolling into the brush and quickly hiding
behind a rock, he protected her small body. He could hear angry voices rise
up from the group who had attacked them and watched from behind the rock in
bewilderment as they pointed accusing fingers along the trail.
Kid just lie there, struggling to catch his breath wondering what had brought
on the hostility. There hadn't been Indian trouble for a while. When he had
regained his equilibrium, he began gently looking over Lou's body for injury.
"I'm fine Kid," she murmured. "Just a little scared, and out
of breath."
"You and me both," he whispered back. Neither had been seriously hurt,
but the sudden attack had caught them by surprise. "Let's find a place
to hole up, before they come back looking for us."
Nodding, Lou struggled to her feet, Kid's hand on her arm. They strode quickly,
keeping low to the ground as they sought a better shelter. Kid knew that once
the Indians had given up there search, he could whistle for his horses' return.
Until then, they were on foot.
They walked for what seemed like forever, when they finally found a cave. It's
height from the ground and the rocky terrain made tracking difficult for their
would-be followers. "Let's rest here," Kid suggested and Lou readily
agreed.
They sank to the ground, no words necessary. Finally, Lou broke the silence.
"What if you don't make it to St. Jo in time?"
Kid shrugged, "I'd rather be alive."
After giving their trackers sufficient time to give up their pursuit, Kid moved
to the edge of the cave opening. He let out a shrill whistle, waiting. Lou just
sat on her haunches, bones and muscles sore from the abrupt landing.
A while later, Kid let out another whistle. This time, the signal worked as
his horse came trotting up to the bottom of the incline.
"Looks like we're riding double," Kid stated.
Lou blushed prettily, but hid her head. "We can't make it to St. Jo like
that," she pointed out.
"No, but we can make it back to Sweetwater," he smiled.
Lou nodded, and they headed back to the town they'd left that morning. Unfortunately,
they didn't make it far. The Indians proved a minor inconvenience, but the outlaws
who'd just robbed the Sweetwater Bank weren't as difficult to escape. Kid and
Lou didn't know who was chasing them though, only that they didn't want to be
caught by the filthy looking lot. Being on one horse definitely made flight
impossible. Kid leaned to shout in Lou's ear. "I'm gonna jump off; that
way, you at least can get away."
Lou shook her head frantically. "Lou, it's the only way. They'll find out
you're a woman for sure, and I can't let that happen. 'Sides, you can get away
without my extra weight," Kid declared. He squeezed her briefly before
sliding off the side of the fast moving horse. As he landed, he slapped the
horse on the rump, giving a yell.
Lou soon became a small figure in the distance and the outlaws rode up on Kid
intent on robbing him of anything they considered valuable.
Buck's tracking led them
quickly to the outlaw camp. Lou's description of the bandits sparked Teaspoon's
memory and the station manager quickly identified the ruffians who had chased
and captured Kid. The riders were all saddled and ready to ride within minutes,
with the exception of Ike who was out on a run.
Soon, they were slowly surrounding the encampment, even Lou. Buck, who had moved
in closest, could see Kid tied to a tree. Bruises already appeared on his swollen
face, and he appeared to be unconscious. Jimmy slid behind the rock, next to
Buck.
"He looks bad," Jimmy observed. His anger at losing the contest had
prevented him from seeing Kid off earlier that morning. Instead he and Cody
had commiserated over the injustice of the whole stupid contest. But spurred
into action bythe abuse his friend had suffered, Jimmy's anger was now targeted
at Kid's attackers and the competition forgotten.
"Still alive though," Buck said. "We need to get to him fast."
Buck let out the sound of an owl as a signal. With dusk rapidly descending,
the sound of the night bird wouldn't be taken as out of the ordinary. Teaspoon
and Cody did not answer, but nodded to themselves. Lou looked around, knowing
that they were about to make a move. Kid needed help and she was relieved to
see the Express family rallying to his aid.
In the blink of an eye,
all of the riders, from different directions, moved into the camp. The outlaws
were taken by surprise, and Lou hurriedly began freeing Kid's limp body from
the ropes that bound him. Teaspoon, aided by Jimmy and Cody, handcuffed the
criminals while relieving them of the bank's money. With the bad guys out of
the way, all of the riders were free to check on Kid.
Cody dabbed water from his canteen onto a rag. As Lou dampened Kid's face, washing
away blood, Buck began checking him for broken bones. Kid began coming around
just as Buck announced he found no serious injury.
"He'll certainly be down for a while," Jimmy noted, concern etched
on his face.
"I'm sure Emma'll take good care of him. And you know Kid, he ain't gonna
be down long," Teaspoon smiled, relieved that no serious harm had come
to the boy. Teaspoon then looked around. "If'n one of you takes off right
now, you might make it to St. Jo in time."
Resolutely, everyone shook their head "no." It was obvious they cared
more about Kid than the grand contest in St. Jo.
"Does this mean ya'll have forgiven me?" Kid asked with a painful
chuckle.
"I think we just realized that friendship is more important than bruised
pride," Buck surmised. Nods of agreement from the other riders echoed his
sentiments.
"So Teaspoon," Cody began, his usual mischievous tone replaced with
one of genuine concern. "What are we gonna do if the company hold another
contest next year? We didn't handle this one so good."
"Well, boys," Teaspoon replied, opening his arms to gather his family
around him. "I'm hopin' that ya'll will participate again 'cause you're
all fine riders and I take pride in each and every one of ya. Each of you has
an individual talent to offer and our family reaps the benefits. I'd say we're
a mighty lucky bunch. Hopefully, ya'll will have learned something from this
and will approach next year's contest with a little more sense."
They each looked at one another, acknowledging the wrongness of jealousy and
competition. Friendship matters most -- friendship is beyond measure.
