What If?
"Up and at 'em!" Rusty clanged the bell and kicked the men he could reach to wake them in the gray pre-dawn chill. Groans and curses rose as the men began to stumble to their feet, rubbing sleep from their eyes and cursing Rusty for the morning. The cursing was creative and in several languages as the Irish, Germans, and Swedish in the crew rose to the occasion.
"Ah quit yer bellyachin'. It'll be another fine day ta work, then tomorra's payday ya misbegotten curs!" he responded. "Ya know it'll all go on drinkin' and whorin'," he muttered as he continued rousing the crew.
He looked over at the two shapes huddled in their blankets only beginning to stir. His grim visage softened slightly as he went over and yanked the ragged blankets off them, letting a pair of gloves fall on the young blond boy revealed as one of the sleepers. They were a sorry pair. They sure tried hard though. He looked at the fading bruises on the older boy's face, still visible under the dark fuzz that was just beginning to show. Hope he doesn't add to the damage when he shaves that, Rusty thought. He glanced at the cuts on the younger boy's face. That had been a hard fight, though no one involved would say what it was about or who the aggressor had been, but it sure was entertaining to see that young whelp leap to the defense of his friend there. They'd given as good as they got, too. He kicked them gently, well gently for him.
"We're up, we're up," grumbled the darker boy, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He reached over and gently shook the blond boy, "Come on, Jed, it's time to go to work. Let's get some breakfast then wrap your hands some."
Jed groaned but opened his eyes and rose tiredly to begin the day.
At sixteen and fourteen, Heyes and Jed Curry - called the Kid by most of the crew - were the youngest and newest of the railway workers in this crew. It was grueling work, digging the rail beds with nothing but pickaxes and shovels, hauling the rubble away, and trying to avoid getting killed in the blasts as the dynamite opened the way, but it paid thirty-five dollars a month - well thirty for them. As the gang boss had told them, they couldn't pull a man's weight in work, so they didn't get a man's pay, but they got more than the Chinese gangs down the line, so no grousing or they'd get the boot. Four weeks ago they'd taken those thirty dollars a month and two meals a day. Over the past year, they had learned to take what they could get.
When he had learned that he could make more swinging a hammer and driving in the spikes, Jed had insisted that he could do it and he'd make thirty-five dollars if he did. So here they were a week into that, and Jed's hands were blistered and bloody. He was stubborn though and kept at it despite the pain.
As Jed sat up, he found the gloves and looked around; all the other workers looked the other way as he tried to find someone to give them to.
"Take 'em, Kid. They don't belong to any of us," one of the men said gruffly.
Jed opened his mouth to protest, but stopped at a look from Heyes. "Don't, Jed," Heyes said quietly, "the men are giving you those. They've accepted you. Just leave it." He nodded and blushed, but carefully put the gloves in his pocket.
The men blearily ate the watery oatmeal slopped into bowls before them, drank the sludge that passed for coffee, and gathered their belongings to begin the 11-hour shift that was their existence six days a week.
~~~~oOo~~~
In the early morning light, Mrs. Hurley went into her only son's room and gently pulled back the blankets and shook Simon from his sleep.
"Get up sleepy head! You need to get ready for school. I'm making pancakes and if you don't hurry, they'll be cold before you get there."
"I'm up; I'm up, Ma," he grumbled and looked out the window at what was fixing to be a wonderful spring day. It was already warming as the sun rose. This was not a day to be wasting in the classroom!
He dressed and slumped into the kitchen to get his breakfast. His uncle was just leaving as he entered, but turned back to smile at Simon before heading on his rounds.
"Here, Simon, I made something special for your lunch pail, don't lose it."
"I won't, Ma." He rolled his eyes; after all at fifteen he was plenty old enough to look after himself.
She gave him a hug despite his protests then turned him towards the door. As he reached for the door, she called out, "Make sure you have a clean hanky and don't get chilled."
He groaned and fled out the door. Jeez, if the guys heard that they'd make fun of him forever. Why couldn't Ma realize that he was a grown man now? He didn't need any more schooling, he could make a living now.
~~~oOo~~~
Simon dawdled on the walk to the schoolhouse, skipping stones and waiting for his friends to join him. Soon, three other boys came running to join him on the way.
"Simon! Watcha' gonna do tomorrow?" asked Stinky, an awkward boy with red hair shooting in all directions and more freckles than one could count.
"Tomorrow?"
"It's Saturday. Don'tcha want ta go fishin' with us?" asked Jamie.
"I'll think about it."
"Yeah, don't know if that ma of his will want her precious baby going so far way," taunted Butch.
Simon flushed but decided the best approach was to ignore Butch; after all he was hitting pretty close to home. His ma did watch him too closely. That had to end.
All too soon they entered the schoolyard. Simon looked over at the newly built tracks running by the side of the yard. Sure would be fun to be on his own; imagine just taking off on one of those new trains that were going to be coming through as soon as the track was finished. Why he could go anywhere, do anything.
He watched a hand truck come down the track, carrying some of the workers further down to where the bed was still being laid. Another month they said, and then Carson's Corner would be connected to the world. As he watched, he noticed two of the workers looked to be about the same age as him, a blond boy who sat quietly looking at his lap or at his friend, and a dark-haired boy who was watching the children playing in the school yard. For a moment their eyes connected then the hand truck moved on.
Simon stood watching it, wondering, till the harsh clanging of the school bell broke into his reverie and he slowly, resentfully, made his way to his desk. All morning he was distracted, longing for the freedom to be on that hand truck, out in the world, proving that he was grown.
~~~oOo~~~
Heyes looked back at the schoolhouse and the boys and girls he saw entering it. Then he looked around at the hand truck and quietly sighed to himself.
"What's the matter, Heyes?" Jed asked him, looking worried. "Just gotta make it through today and tomorrow. What should we do with our…" He stopped and thought for a moment. "Our sixty-five dollars?"
Heyes gave himself a shake and smiled down at his friend. "I think we should get the money first. Then maybe we can increase it with a few games of poker – you know I'm better'n most these fellas. There's about two more week's work they say; I guess that won't be so bad. Then, maybe, we can finally go south and be cowboys." He stopped and turned to look back the way they had come.
~~~oOo~~~
Finally, the school day ended and the children burst through the doors in wild abandon as the weekend beckoned them. Simon and his friends were among the first to flee. They ran until the schoolhouse was out of sight then slowly kicked their way down the street, stopping before the Lyceum and looking at the posters of upcoming entertainments.
"Tales of Honor and Glory," Jamie slowly read out. "Hear from Colonel Pritchard and Lieutenant Hanson of the 9th Battalion as they tell of the wonders of the battlefields. Thrill to the exhibition of photographs! You will think you were there. Saturday 8:00 p.m. Admission five cents."
Stinky's eyes grew round. "Wow! I gotta go see this. Photographs even! You want to come, Simon?"
Simon grew a little pink. "Na, not really, it's just some old men talking about the war," he muttered, looking down at his shoes.
Butch laughed scornfully. "Yeah, his ma won't let him come downtown tomorrow. Don't ya know it's payday for the railway – all those workers will be in town tomorrow night. His ma isn't going to let him near town, afraid of what'll happen to her baby."
Stinky and Jamie suddenly looked thoughtful as they realized their folks probably wouldn't let them come either. But neither was willing to risk Butch's mockery by admitting it.
Simon glared at Butch, but at that moment his mother and Mrs. Wilson came along.
"Simon, boys," Mrs. Hurley said. "Glad we found you. Simon, I need you to help me carry the shopping home. Now be a good boy and carry these for me." She held out a number of packages.
Mrs. Wilson did the same to Jamie. "Time to get home for supper boys."
Simon and Jamie tried to ignore the snickering from the other two.
"Yes, Ma."
"Yes, Ma."
They trailed behind their mothers, hoping the earth would swallow them. As they parted at the corner, Jamie called out, "Meet us at the fishing hole tomorrow Simon – don't forget."
~~~oOo~~~
Clang! Clang! "Up and at 'em ya misbegotten curs. Tis a short day today, it is and then it's pay, me laddies."
Heyes groaned as he heard Rusty clanging the bell. He heard Jed moaning beside him.
"How're your hands, Jed?" he whispered before starting to stand up.
"They're good."
"Liar."
Jed ignored him, slowly rose to his feet, and got ready for work, rubbing and stretching his hands as he went. Heyes watched him with a frown on his face, but finally shook his head and focused on getting his own sore muscles to move so he, too, could start the day.
~~~oOo~~~
Simon roused to the smell of bacon sizzling in the kitchen. He rose and hurriedly dressed before heading in. There were biscuits and jam on the table and his mother was just setting down a platter of bacon and eggs, while his uncle poured them both some coffee. He looked at his nephew then poured a little coffee into a third cup and filled it with milk that he placed before Simon at the table.
"Thanks, Uncle Hartley."
"You're welcome, Simon. After all, we all need a little jolt to start the day, don't we?" The Reverend Hartley Bradford smiled at his nephew.
"Oh, Hartley, I'm not sure about coffee for Simon."
"He'll be fine, Sarah."
Mrs. Hurly frowned at her brother for a moment then saw that Simon was looking at her with that exasperated expression she saw all too frequently these days. She quickly summoned a smile. "Do you have plans for after you finish your chores today, dear?"
"Can't the chores wait, Ma? I was gonna meet my friends to go fishing."
"No, you need to do the chores first."
"But Ma…"
"Son, the Lord looks poorly on idle hands and on those who put their pleasure before their duty. You help your mother, and then you can take your leisure," his uncle chimed in.
Simon looked from his mother to his uncle and scowled. "Alright, I'll do my chores first, but then I'm meeting the fellas and going fishing," he announced belligerently.
"Well I don't know. You boys would be awfully close to where they're putting in the railroad. I'm not sure it's safe."
"They'll be fine, Sarah."
Simon threw a grateful look at his uncle then busied himself with wolfing down his meal and rushing through his chores.
~~~oOo~~~
Simon sped to the fishing hole carrying his pole and a satchel of food. As he had feared, the others were already there.
Jamie and Stinky called out greetings, but Butch just laughed. "What took you so long Simon? Mommy wouldn't let her precious out of her sight?"
Simon's hands clenched at his sides. He had had enough. His Ma had balked at him coming again, when he was ready to leave. When would she learn he was not a baby? He counted to ten, as his uncle had taught him. "Na, just waiting for some gingerbread to cool enough to wrap up for us. Anyone want some?"
They all reached eagerly for his mother's gingerbread; after all, it was probably the best gingerbread in town, maybe the whole county. Even Butch stopped riding him and took a piece.
They settled in to fish, swap stories, and boast. Eventually, Butch returned to his favorite subject these days. "So is Mommy going to let her precious one go to the show at the Lyceum tonight?"
"I'm not a baby, Butch. I can go where I want. I just don't want to go tonight is all."
"Yeah, sure…" Butch snickered.
Simon shocked them all and punched him. Despite being half a head taller and a stone heavier, Butch was caught by surprise and went down. Simon stood fists clenched waiting for Butch to get up. Then, suddenly it was all too much. He grabbed his satchel and ran.
He kept running until he topped a rise and found himself looking down at the rail bed being dug. He was far enough away that it looked like a miniature below him, but the day was so clear that he could make out the details of the individual men: some were digging, a few were hauling wheelbarrows full of the rocks that had been dug to carts to be hauled away. Further down the line some men were driving in spikes. He noticed that one of those was the blond boy he had seen yesterday morning on the hand truck. Others he saw were up ahead laying charges. He watched, fascinated.
~~~oOo~~~
Heyes wearily threw his shovelful of rocks into the wheelbarrow and changed places with its bearer. With the wheelbarrow now full, Heyes slowly wheeled it towards the cart, taking the time to catch his breath and look for Jed.
He spotted him lifting the sledgehammer over his head and slamming it down on a spike held by one of the men. The power of his swing nearly knocked him over but he and the spike holder laughed and Jed straightened up. He looked around and saw Heyes watching as he walked the wheelbarrow. They nodded to each other.
Heyes was helping the carter move the rocks from the wheelbarrow to the cart when the blast hit. Pebbles rained down around them as they raced to control the mules bucking and plunging at the front of the cart.
"Some fool placed his charge wrong, poor devil. Bet he never knew what hit him." The carter growled as the mules settled back into their normal placidity.
Heyes nodded and looked down at the track. Dust rose obscuring his view but it looked too close to them to be where the blast was supposed to have been. His eyes widened and he searched fearfully for Jed. Where was he?
There were shouts and screams down on the track. As the dust cleared it was obvious that a portion of the rail bed just dug had been buried in the hail of rocks. Worse, men were digging to extract the men who lay under the rocks. Heyes and the carter rushed to help, Heyes looking around frantically for Jed.
He heard a moan off to his right and ran toward it. Jed had been thrown back by the blast and the hammer ripped from his grip. He rolled over and tried to get to his feet, then stopped and retched. Seconds later, Heyes was there.
"Jed! Jed! Are you okay?" Heyes grabbed his shoulders and held him as he vomited again.
"Yeah, just kinda shook up, I guess," Jed responded when he was done. "Help me up. What happened?"
Heyes walked them a little further up the hill then sat so Jed could gather his wits. Jed held his head for a while. "Just want the ringing to stop," he explained when he noticed Heyes looking at him.
Simon raced down the hill to them. "You okay?" he asked.
Heyes and Jed looked at him. "Who are you?"
At that moment Rusty came up. "You two hurt?"
"Jed got knocked out, but I'm okay, Rusty," Heyes responded.
"Then get back to work!" Rusty bellowed at Heyes.
"But…"
"No buts. You ain't bein' paid to lollygag around."
"Kid, you stay there till your head stops ringing, then you can hold the spikes while others drive or something." Rusty moved off on his inspection round.
Heyes looked down at Jed.
"Ya gotta go, Heyes." Jed summoned a wan smile. "I'll be fine. Just gonna sit here a few more minutes then get back to work myself. Need a break is all."
Heyes continued to hesitate. Rusty shouted at him to get a move on.
"I'll stay with your friend." Simon volunteered.
Heyes looked at him and sighed. "Thanks, kid. Jed, don't move till you feel better," he ordered and ran back down to work.
The two watched him pick up a shovel and help dig out the buried rail bed.
Simon looked at Jed. "You really okay?" he asked.
Jed sighed. "No. My head hurts fit to bust, and my stomach's not too happy either. But I wasn't gonna let Heyes know that or he wouldn't've gone back to work, and he has to." He looked at his companion. "Who are you?"
"Name's Simon, Simon Hurley. I live with my Ma and uncle over in town. I saw you two yesterday, on the hand truck, heading to work. Bet it's great being on your own; making your own living, and all."
Jed held his head with both hands. "Yeah, real great," he muttered. He took a deep breath and raised his head again. "I'm Jed, Jed Curry and that was Heyes." He held out his hand.
Simon shook it then offered Jed an apple from his satchel, which Jed took with a nod. The two sat munching on their apples.
"Can I ask how old you are? I mean, my Ma doesn't understand that I'm old enough to take care of myself, and I just, I just kinda wondered how old you were."
Jed looked at him for a moment then looked down the hill at the workers below and sighed. "I'm fourteen; that's why the men here call me Kid. If I had me a ma or an uncle, I sure wouldn't be in any hurry to be leaving them."
Simon looked at him curiously. "Don't you got no one?"
"Sure I do. I got Heyes. We look out for each other. He's a couple years older'n me but we've been together our whole lives." He swallowed the last bite of apple.
Rusty came up and looked closely at Jed. "Kid, the boss says you gotta work or he'll fire you. Why don't you help them move the bodies?" He turned to look at Simon. "What are you doing here, boy? You don't belong here. Get on home now and don't let me see you around here again!" he growled then stomped back down the hill.
Simon helped Jed to stand and steadied him as he swayed. Jed shrugged him off and turned to go. Simon hung his head and started to turn back.
"Simon," Jed called. Simon turned around hurriedly. "Thanks for helpin' me." Jed held out his hand and Simon shook it.
"Say, do you get any time off? We're having a church picnic tomorrow; maybe you and Heyes could come?" Simon asked eagerly.
Jed smiled wistfully. "Nah. We're not 'xactly the church picnic type; bet the food'll be good though."
Simon's shoulders drooped.
"Tell you what. Today's payday, so tonight we're goin' to the Silver Spike Saloon. You come and we'll buy you a beer." With that he hurried down the hill, not waiting for Simon's answer.
Simon looked after Jed, but when he saw Rusty glaring at him he turned and hurried away.
~~~oOo~~~
Simon returned thoughtfully to his friends.
"Where you been?" exclaimed Stinky and Jamie. Butch just glared at him but didn't say anything.
"I went over to where they're building the railroad. It was real exciting. There was a dynamite blast that blew up a bunch of the workers."
Stinky and Jamie's eyes got huge. "You went over to the railway? Weren't ya scared?"
"Nah."
Butch snorted. "You two believe him? He didn't go anywhere; he just ran away 'cuz he knew I was gonna pound him. He didn't meet anyone; he's too much of a mamma's boy."
Simon colored. "I did too! Talked to one. Said his name was Jed Curry, and he's only fourteen."
Butch just laughed. "You're too scared to do that." Jamie and Stinky looked torn.
Simon looked at them all; they didn't believe him. They agreed with Butch that he was too scared. He'd show them. "Yeah, well I know something you're afraid to do, Butch. Bet you wouldn't go over to the Quarter tonight."
Jamie and Stinky breathed in sharply. That was a real challenge. None of their folks let them go to that side of town. That's where the saloons and the… the 'dens of iniquity' were. They didn't quite know what that meant – but it was bad. No sirree, none of them had been there, except Simon, because sometimes he helped his uncle when the Reverend made calls to that side of town, but his uncle said he couldn't talk about church business.
Simon, pleased with the reaction, spoke sharply, "Yeah, I bet you're afraid to go down there."
Butch reddened. "I ain't afraid. I could go if I wanted, but I don't want to."
"Chicken, huh" laughed Simon. "I dare you; I double-dog dare you."
Stinky and Jamie looked back and forth between them. "You better not Butch. Your pa would tan your hide proper if he found out," Stinky warned him.
Butch looked around. He was the tough one; he always did things the others didn't dare to do. Here was Simon – that mealy-mouthed mamma's boy - daring him to go to that side of town. And he knew, like the rest, that Simon had actually been there before. Of course, he was pretty sure Simon had only been during the day. If he backed down, he could never show his face in this town again. Suddenly, an idea came to him, a way he could maintain his reputation and make a counter-challenge that Simon would never agree to.
"Okay," Butch said. "I'll go, but you have to come with me so you know I really went, and we'll go tonight at, at eight o'clock."
Simon was caught; if he backed down Butch would lord it over him forever. Well, he was old enough after all and he'd been there a few times with his uncle. It wasn't nearly as bad as folks thought. Of course he'd never been there at night, especially on a Saturday night after payday. He could find those two – Heyes and Curry - maybe. That would impress Butch. "It's a deal. We can go to the Silver Spike Saloon – Curry said he'd buy me a beer. We'll meet at the Lyceum tonight. Stinky, you and Jamie can come too if you want."
"Uh, uhh."
"No way. My folks would kill me if I did that."
"But we'll wait at the Lyceum for you to come back."
"Yeah, we'll wait there. Just in case."
All four looked solemnly at each other. The time had come to prove who was a man and who wasn't. They parted company and slowly made their way to their homes.
~~~oOo~~~
Simon helped clear the supper dishes and serve the pie. "Ma, my friends and me…"
"Friends and I," his mother corrected gently.
"Yeah, well we want to go see that show at the Lyceum tonight. There's a couple of old soldiers gonna talk about the battles and there's a photograph exhibition and everything!"
"No."
"But, Ma…"
"Sarah, maybe …"
"No! I said no, and I meant no. It's a Saturday night and it's payday for those railway workers so it'll be worse than normal downtown. I do not want Simon down there. Anything could happen; he's just too young."
"Ma! I'm not a baby!"
"Well, you'll always be my baby."
"Ma! You never let me do anything!"
"Simon, don't talk back to your mother. I know you're disappointed, but there will be other chances."
Furious, Simon looked back and forth between his mother and his uncle. Finally, he flung his fork back on the table with a clatter and ran to his room, slamming the door shut and locking it.
~~~oOo~~~
The men gathered, muttering among themselves, as they watched the company officials prepare to hand out the pay. There were several large guards standing nearby with their arms crossed and guns strapped to their legs. Two more stood to the side with shotguns at the ready. These men did not smile but stood glaring at the workers. Rusty and the gang boss were conferring with a fussy man sitting next to the strong box. They appeared to be arguing. Rusty flung his hands in the air and stormed away.
Finally, the men moved up to get their pay. As the newest crew members, Heyes and Jed were the last to be paid. They watched their fellow workers stomp away from the table with disgruntled expressions on their faces as they sourly counted their money and stowed it away. Four men up from them, Big Swede started to argue with the clerk handing out the pay then stopped and looked at the guards who had turned towards him. Big Swede glared back, snatched his pay, and stalked away muttering.
Heyes and Jed went up together.
"Let's see, and you are?"
"Hannibal Heyes."
"Heyes." The clerk counted out money and handed it to Heyes, then turned to Jed. "You must be Jedediah Curry."
"That's right."
"Here you are, twenty-one dollars."
"Twenty-one dollars! It's supposed to be thirty-five!" Jed yelled.
Heyes chimed in, "Yeah, and I only got twenty-two, instead of my thirty."
The clerk looked coldly at them and the guards moved in a little closer. The other workers gathered around, murmuring encouragement to the boys as they continued to protest.
The clerk cut through the protests, speaking disdainfully. "You, Curry, you were hired at thirty dollars a month, then last week you began driving spikes for thirty-five dollars a month – but you only did that for one week, so that took you to thirty-one dollars for the month. Now in addition to the money the railroad agreed to provide two meals a day, but you've all been eating three meals a day."
"Watery oatmeal, a sandwich, and whatever that slop is in the evenin' ain't three meals!"
The clerk persevered. "Three meals a day. Plus you've been sleeping in tents the company provided, with blankets the company provided. Then there's the equipment, which the company also provided. This is a business, gentlemen, not a philanthropic organization. We have deducted the cost of the extra meals, the lodging, and the rental of the equipment."
The clerk closed his book, stood, and packed up then turned to address the sullen workers. "Plus all of you have been docked for the time you did not work today after that unfortunate incident with the dynamite. After all, that did nothing to further the progress of this railroad."
The men erupted, yelling and surging forward towards the clerk. A shot rang out and the guards moved in. The men fell silent. 'You heard me. Now take your pay and go." The clerk scurried away as the guards protected his retreat.
Heyes and Jed started to argue. The guards moved towards them, pulling their guns as they came. Heyes grabbed Jed and hauled him away as the other workers moved in to protect their retreat.
"It ain't fair! It ain't right!" Jed stormed.
Rusty walked over to them. "No, it ain't, Kid, but it's the way it goes. The railroad has the power, and it has the law behind it. Now those guards – thugs really - have their eyes on you two and you do not need that trouble. Go wash up and head into town with the other men."
Heyes looked over his shoulder at the guards and retreating officials and glowered, his eyes several shades darker than usual and his mouth set. Finally, he turned back and slapped Jed on the shoulder. "Come on Jed. Nothing we can do about it. Let's go get a drink and figure out our options."
~~~oOo~~~
Rusty stopped in front of Heyes and Jed as they joined the men heading to town. He looked them up and down. "You two know how to use those guns you're wearing?"
"Yeah."
"Uh huh."
"Why you wearing them? You looking for trouble?"
"No. Just don't want to leave them behind; they might disappear before we get back."
Rusty nodded. The other men who had guns had the same idea, and if those guards came looking for these two, they'd do well to be armed. "Well, stay out of trouble and watch your backs. If I hav'ta bail ya outta jail, it comes outta your pay!" He headed off, leaving the two to walk together.
"So what do you want to do in town?" Heyes asked.
"Get a good meal, and then go to the Silver Spike and get a beer."
Heyes smiled. "It wasn't that long ago that you weren't too fond of the taste of beer."
Jed grinned at him. "Yeah, you weren't either. Guess we've done some growin' since then. Still not sure how I feel about whiskey, though."
"I do," Heyes responded. "At least, I know how you feel after you've drunk too much. It ain't pretty."
Jed decided it was best to ignore that jibe. "What do you want to do, Heyes?"
"Oh your plan sounds good to me. There'll be some games at the Silver Spike; maybe we can make up our missing money. Also, I was thinking I might get myself a saloon girl there," he said offhandedly, not looking at Jed.
"Saloon girl - you wouldn't know what to do with one," scoffed Jed.
"Would too," Heyes responded hotly. "When we were pushing broom in that place in Wichita some of the girls… I mean one of the girls and me… I mean…" He cleared his throat. "Anyways, Kid, a man has needs sometimes."
Jed looked at his flaming face and laughed. "Well, maybe I'll just find me one too then."
"No." Heyes said decisively. "You're too young. You ain't even shaving yet."
"If you can call what you do shavin'. More like removin' a few layers of skin from what I've seen," teased Jed. Then he sobered and looked down, turning his own shade of red. "You know sometimes I think about… I mean, I've wondered… I mean, we lived on farms; sheesh, I got the basic idea. But it's gotta be different when it's a man and a woman than when it's two farm animals, you know. Don't it? You gotta tell me what it's like."
Heyes didn't know how to answer that. It wasn't like he really had any experience; he'd mostly just talked with the girls in Wichita – he was pretty sure there was more to it than what he'd done that one time. "Let's get some food first, Jed. We can figure out the rest at the Silver Spike."
~~~oOo~~~
Simon sat in his room, steaming. He wasn't a baby; he wasn't! And if he didn't show up, Butch would never stop calling him that. Stinky and Jamie would think he was just a baby too. Why couldn't Ma understand that he was old enough to make his own decisions. He should tell her about Curry – younger than he was – and how he was out working on his own and making his own way. He stood up then sat back down. On second thought if he told his Ma that, she'd know that he'd gone to the railroad tracks after she'd told him not to. No, couldn't do that.
Finally, he grabbed his jacket, made sure the door was locked and that he had all the allowance he'd saved – a dollar and twenty cents, and cautiously climbed out the window, dropping to the ground. He stayed bent down till he was at the fence then slunk along to the bushes. There, concealed from the house, he climbed the fence and quickly made his way toward the Lyceum, heart pounding, expecting to hear his uncle coming after him any second.
He raced up just as the clock in the town square began chiming eight o'clock. Stinky and Jamie were there at the corner of the Lyceum, near an alley, avoiding the crowd and trying unsuccessfully to look inconspicuous.
"We thought you weren't going to come!" Jamie exclaimed. "Did your Ma really let you come? I told mine that Stinky's ma was letting him come to the show if I went too."
"Yeah, and I told my folks that your ma was letting you go, Simon."
They looked at one another, realizing that they would all face penalties if their parents ever compared notes. Nothing to be done about it now, and this was a great adventure – worth the potential cost.
"Where's Butch, don't tell me he's not going to come?" Simon queried, his mood rising a little at the possibility that this madness would end. He really didn't know what he had been thinking when he agreed to go to the Quarter at night.
The three stood peering around looking for Butch.
"What are you three going on about? The sheriff's likely to come down on you; you look like you're waiting to rob someone." Butch smirked as he snuck up behind them from the alley.
They all looked at each other. After a pause, Stinky said, "Well, you need to go if you're going to get to the Quarter and back before anyone finds out. Jamie and I have to get into the Lyceum, or someone will tell our folks about this."
Simon gulped. "We better go."
"Yeah."
Simon and Butch slowly turned down the alley, agreeing silently to use the back ways until they were farther from the center of town where someone might recognize them and fetch their parents. Stinky and Jamie watched them go, worried expressions on their faces, then turned and handed their nickels to the attendant and entered the Lyceum.
~~~oOo~~~
The crowds got smaller and the buildings shabbier as Butch and Simon approached the Quarter. Their footsteps slowed. Here it was dark and quiet, but up ahead they could hear snatches of music, women laughing shrilly, and men's raised voices.
As they turned the final corner into the Quarter they faced a street about two blocks long. It was lined with saloons, brothels, dingy cafes, and dark shops. They looked up at the balcony of the building across the street and were shocked at the women in their underthings lounging up there. Some were leaning over the railing, laughing and calling to the men in the street. As they watched, several men called up then went in the door.
Butch and Simon looked at each other, terrified, but neither willing to admit it. "So you've been here before, where should we go?" Butch asked quietly.
Simon gulped, hitched up his pants, and looked around. "Well, Jed, the one I helped by the railroad, said he'd be at the Silver Spike Saloon. Do you see it anywhere?"
They looked around. Several passing pedestrians gave them looks, and they heard a couple of mill workers walking by mutter something about babes in arms and someone should do something, but they ignored it. Finally, Butch pointed down the street. "I think I see it down there. Maybe we can stop in for a few minutes and visit then we'll need to head back to meet Jamie and Stinky."
"Yeah, just a few minutes."
~~~oOo~~~
Jed and Heyes had enjoyed the steak dinners they'd treated themselves too. Sure was good. Best food they'd had in ages. Laughing and joking, they walked up to the bar at the Silver Spike.
"Two beers," Heyes ordered.
The bartender looked at them closely and examined their clothes from head to toe. "You live around here?"
"Working on the railroad."
The bartender nodded, wiped out two glasses, and poured them two beers. Heyes placed a dime on the bar to pay for it. They both took their first sips then looked for a table.
Jed nodded to the small table in a back corner. They made their way there and settled in. Heyes looked around at the games in progress.
"Looks like it could be a good night for poker."
"Sure does," agreed Jed as he took another swig, then wiped the foam off with the back of his hand.
"Better be. I can't believe that old railroad; who do they think they are, anyway?"
"Heyes, they know who they are. They're the ones with the power. I don't like it any more than you do. I worked so hard and got even less money than you, but we just gotta stick it out for two more weeks."
Heyes kept grumbling. Jed sighed and turned his attention to the room, smiling at one of the saloon girls as she looked across at them.
She came over and smiled at them. "Can I get you anything?" She leaned against Heyes as she said it.
Heyes looked up at her and found himself eyes-to-chest, a chest that appeared to be overflowing the limited confines of its dress. His eyes widened and he gulped slightly. "Uh, yeah. Two more beers and a whiskey for me, please."
She took their money, tucked it into her dress, smiled again, and sashayed away. Both watched the way her skirt swung as she sauntered to the bar, and then both gulped, looked at each other, and hastily looked away.
Soon she was back, handing Heyes the whiskey and leaning across the table in front of him to place the beers, one by him and one by Jed. She turned her head towards Heyes and licked her lips, "Anything else I can do for ya, Honey?"
Jed realized he was staring down the front of her dress from this angle and blushed, averting his eyes. Heyes, eyes fixed on the girl just a few tantalizing inches from his face, grabbed the whiskey and downed it in one gulp, choking as the shock hit him. He leaned over and whispered in the girl's ear. She smiled, straightened up, and took his hand. "This way, Honey."
She looked over her shoulder at Jed. "Want me to send someone over to help you?"
He looked around the saloon then gave her a tentative smile. "No, I'm just fine for now. Thanks." He blushed again and quickly turned his attention back to his beer. She gave a brief laugh and led Heyes upstairs.
Jed sat nursing his second beer. He couldn't believe it; Heyes had actually gone off with a saloon girl. He grinned, more like she'd gone off with him. He hoped Heyes would come back soon then they could join one of the poker games. For now, he sat in the corner watching and trying to avoid trouble.
He watched the door swing open and two boys enter then stand huddled together blocking the door. Eyebrows raised, he stood and signaled for Simon to join him.
~~~oOo~~~
Simon and Butch stood in the entry of the saloon trying to adjust to the smell and the smoke. Butch looked around then nudged Simon and indicated Jed signaling them. Simon took a deep breath and the two went over to meet him.
"Jed, this is my friend Butch."
Jed nodded hello. The three sat down.
"I didn't expect you to come," Jed told Simon.
"Yeah, well… Isn't your friend here?" Simon asked looking around.
"He's here; he's just busy at the moment." Jed grinned. Seeing that Simon was about to ask for an explanation, he changed the subject. "You want somethin' ta drink? I said I'd buy you a beer if you came."
Butch and Simon nodded at the offer of the beers, trying to act as if they sat in saloons drinking all the time. Jed walked over to the bar and came back with two beers.
Butch took a small sip and hid the grimace as he tasted it. Simon hesitated. Suddenly, the bartender stood over them, grabbing the two beers. He looked at Jed.
"You I'll serve; you work for the railroad, but these two are town kids. Aren't you?" he asked, rounding on Butch and Simon. Before either could speak, he narrowed his eyes and looked closely at Simon. "I know you. You're the preacher's nephew – don't deny it. You two don't belong here, and I don't need any trouble with the town. Now git!" He stalked back to the bar with beers in hand.
Jed looked around for Heyes, but he wasn't back yet. He sighed and stood up. "Come on, I'll walk you to the edge of the Quarter." Simon and Butch, both considerably red in the face, stood and followed him.
Before exiting, Jed stopped at the bar. "Look, I'll see them out of the area so there's no trouble. When my friend comes down, can you tell him I'll be right back?"
The bartender frowned at him then nodded.
~~~oOo~~~
The three walked into the street, which was more crowded than ever.
"You shouldn't have come."
Simon flushed. "But you said you'd buy me a beer."
"Yeah, well I wasn't thinkin' too clearly at the time. Look, Heyes and me… Heyes and me… Well we're used to this type of place. You two ain't."
"Yes we are," countered Butch mendaciously.
Jed looked at him. "No you ain't. No reason why you should be. You have families, homes, folks to take care of you. Me and Heyes just have ourselves." He paused for a moment. "Don't get me wrong, it ain't a bad life. It's sure better than where we were, but it ain't for the likes of you."
They had been making their way down the crowded street, but at that moment three men pushed past them, one bumping into Butch.
"Watch where you're going squirt!" The man said grabbing Butch.
As Simon and Jed turned to help Butch, the man and his friends took a good look at them. Jed groaned as he realized these were three of the guards from the afternoon.
The leader grinned. "Well look-a-here, if it ain't one of those trouble makers from this afternoon," He pulled back and swung hard at Jed. Jed reeled from the punch but rallied.
"Get outta here," he hissed at Butch and Simon then closed with man. Butch and Simon were pushed back as the three men went after Jed.
They looked at each other, and Butch started to leave, but Simon turned back. "Go if you want to, Butch, but I gotta help him." He threw a punch at one of the men. Butch sighed and waded into the tangle as well.
Butch took a punch to the jaw that left him sitting on the ground, groggy. The man who had punched him turned and grabbed Simon, as the second man drew back to punch. Jed broke free of the third man, saw Butch and Simon in trouble, and drew his gun.
"Stop now," he demanded.
The guards saw him with the gun and started to laugh, then stopped. This was not the young boy standing before them from this afternoon. Jed's face was hard and determined. As they hesitated, Heyes came skidding up, took in the situation and drew his gun. Heyes and Jed stood shoulder to shoulder – a barrier between the guards and Simon and Butch. The guards pulled their guns.
As the two groups stared at each other, the crowd that had gathered parted. Rusty, Big Swede, and some of the other rail men came surging in. They pushed between the guards and the boys.
"Enough of this," Rusty spoke authoritatively. "Heyes, Kid, holster those guns. We don't want any more trouble here in town." He turned to the guards. "You men, you're out of line. Now get out of here or I won't be answerable." Big Swede and the others looked grimly at the guards and took a step forward.
The guards looked at each other; finally, their leader gave a harsh laugh and holstered his gun. "This ain't the end of it." They looked around the rail men at Heyes and Jed. "Don't bother showing up for work on Monday, boys. There ain't any work for you." The three turned and pushed their way out of the crowd.
~~~oOo~~~
The crowd slowly dispersed. Rusty turned to the four boys. "You alright?" Heyes and Jed nodded.
"Yeah," Butch muttered, holding his jaw.
Simon looked down at the ground. "Yeah, we're okay." He turned to Heyes and Jed and blurted, "I'm real sorry I lost you your jobs. It was my fault. I dared Butch to come here and if we hadn't come, none of this would have happened."
Heyes stared at him for a moment then glanced at Jed, who was breathing hard and shuddering although he was trying to hide it. "No, it ain't your fault about those guards. We probably would have had trouble with them anyways. They were just looking for an excuse."
Rusty cut in. "No time for that; we need to get out of here before the law shows up." He looked at the remaining rail men. "Big Swede, Finnegan, you two see these boys back to the right part of town. Do you know Bertha's?"
"Yeah," answered Finnegan.
"Okay, take Heyes and the Kid to her."
"It's a boarding house of sorts, boys. You can stay there tonight, but ya should get out of town tomorrow. There's a stage comes through in the afternoon, I think. Those guards are gunning for ya now, and I don't trust 'em. You got anything back at the camp you need? I'll have one of the men bring it to Bertha's in the morning."
Heyes and Jed looked at each other grimly. "Thanks Rusty."
"How much is Bertha's gonna cost us, Rusty?" Jed asked glumly.
Rusty scowled. "Don't worry about that boys, got it covered. Just get out of town, okay?"
They nodded. "Thanks again."
The little group silently headed off, while Rusty and the others returned to Saturday night in the Quarter.
When they'd gone four blocks, they stopped. Finnegan turned to Butch and Simon. "You know how to get back from here?"
"Yeah." Simon turned back to Jed, who wasn't looking at him. "I'm sure sorry. It was my fault; I really am just a kid, I guess." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his saved allowance. "Here, take this. It's all I got and it's not much, but… but… I cost you your jobs." He stopped, red in the face.
Big Swede and Finnegan didn't say anything. Heyes glanced from Jed to Simon and back. Finally he took the money. "Thanks, Simon – isn't it?"
~~~oOo~~~
Butch and Simon made their way back to the Lyceum. Stinky and Jamie raced up to them. "Jeez, where you been? The show ended twenty minutes ago. Did you really go to the Quarter? Really?"
"Yeah, we went," muttered Butch.
"What happened? Your clothes are all torn. Hey, Butch, your jaw's all red," Jamie blurted out.
"Nothing," Simon said. "Just leave it be. We gotta get home and so do you two."
"Aren't you going to tell us what happened?"
"No."
"But…"
"No."
~~~oOo~~~
"Breakfast's at seven-thirty. You're not there; you don't get any. Got it, boys?" Bertha scowled and opened the door of the dingy little room in the back of the house that Heyes and Jed would have that night.
"Yes'm," Jed mumbled.
"Yes, ma'am. We'll be there right on time. Rusty sure praised your wonderful cooking," Heyes stated as he walked into the room and looked around.
Bertha thawed considerably. "Well, that's as may be." She looked around. "I'll bring you some warm water to wash up with. You need anything else?"
"No, ma'am, that would be plenty."
She closed the door.
Jed sank onto the bed and put his head in his trembling hands.
"What were you thinking?! That's the problem; you weren't thinking! I can't leave you alone for even a few minutes." Heyes was working himself up and striding back and forth as he went. He turned and saw Jed. He frowned then walked over and sat next to him. "Hey, Jed, you okay? I guess you've taken a few beatings today."
"Yeah, I'm okay, just real tired and my head hurts. I didn't think he'd show up. He's just a kid, and he looked so sad when I said we wouldn't go to the church picnic tomorrow. Heyes, I almost shot someone tonight! I'm sorry about the fight; I'm sorry about the jobs; I'm sorry about everythin'." His voice wobbled as he finished, and he turned away from Heyes, hiding his eyes in his hands.
There was a knock on the door. Heyes walked over, opened it, and thanked Bertha for the towel and pitcher of steaming water she handed him. He set it down on the washstand, dampened the towel, and went back to the bed.
"Here, Jed, put this on your head. It'll make you feel better. I guess the guards weren't your fault. And it sure wasn't your fault you got blowed up this afternoon." He laughed a little ruefully. "Didn't want those jobs anyway. What do you say we head down to Texas tomorrow?"
Jed lay back on the bed, the moist towel across his eyes. "Texas? Yeah. Bet we can find some good poker on the way."
"Yeah, and maybe some shooting competitions. You could beat anyone hands down, I bet, and no one would expect it looking at you. We could make some good money that way." Heyes began pacing again, this time in excitement, rather than anger.
~~~oOo~~~
After services, Simon helped his mother and the other women set up for the picnic while his uncle chatted with the parishioners.
"Are you alright, Honey?" his mother asked, looking at him in concern. "You've been awfully quiet today, and you never volunteer to help set up." She raised a hand to feel his forehead for a fever, but, irritated, he shrugged her off. She sighed and turned back to setting the pies out on the trestle table. "I don't know what it is today. First that very rough man comes to talk to your uncle as soon as it was light this morning. Your uncle wouldn't say what it was about, but he looked grim after. Something must have happened in the Quarter last night because I'm sure the man was from there. I am so glad you weren't downtown last night; you could have been injured."
With her back turned to him, she didn't notice Simon's sudden flush and guilty glance at his uncle.
"There doesn't that look nice?" Sarah Hurley stood back to admire the spread then frowned as she looked to the edge of the church yard. "I wonder who those boys are? I don't think I've seen them before. Simon, do you know them? Are they in school with you? They look rough."
Simon looked up and saw Heyes and the Kid standing tentatively at the edge of the crowd. They had small packs with them. He hurried over; glad to see neither was wearing a gun.
"Hey, I didn't think you fellas would come! What are you doing here?"
"There's a stage this afternoon. We can get tickets clear down to Texas." Heyes explained. "We're gonna take that, but the tickets'll take most of our money, and we need the rest for a stake when we get there."
"So we were kinda hopin' to get a meal here before we left," Jed finished. They both smiled at him.
Simon felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. "Simon, introduce me to your friends," his uncle instructed. "I'm the Reverend Bradford. I gather you know my nephew here."
Mrs. Hurley bustled up. "Young men, who are you? Where are your parents? I'm not sure you should be here, you know."
Heyes and Jed looked at each other and shrugged.
Before they could answer, Simon jumped in. "Ma, these are friends of mine." He gulped and squared his shoulders. "I met them yesterday, Ma, at the railroad tracks. They were working there."
"I told you not to go there!"
"I know, Ma. But, but I did anyway. And… And…" He took a deep breath. "And we, I mean, I went to the Quarter last night, too. These two protected me." He hung his head. "I know I shouldn't have gone. You were right; I don't belong there. But I did, and these are my friends."
Mrs. Hurley looked at them, speechless, her face beginning to redden and a frown gathering.
The Reverend intervened. "Simon, I'm disappointed that you disobeyed your mother but glad you told us. You are taking responsibility for your actions. Now I heard this morning that there was a fight last night involving two boys from town and some others. Guns were drawn, I was told. Did you have anything to do with that? Who was the other boy?"
Head hanging, Simon answered. "I was involved. I'm not going to say who the other boy was. It was my idea to go and I should get the blame, not him. There was a fight. These two stepped in and saved us. At first it was just Jed against the three men who attacked us. He drew his gun to protect us. Then his friend, Heyes, here joined him. Finally, some of the other railway men came in and broke it up. They got us out of there safe."
He paused and looked at his mother, who was looking shocked. "But, Ma, I got these two fired. It was all my fault. Now they don't have any jobs and they have to leave or those men might find them. Can't we do anything?"
Heyes and Jed looked at each other. Finally, Jed spoke up. "Ma'am, you should know that the other men were looking for Heyes and me. They were guards for the railway company and they didn't like us objectin' to the railway cuttin' our pay. But Simon and… and… his friend, they stepped in to help me. If they hadn't of done that, I'd probably have been hurt pretty bad before Heyes could get there."
"In fact," Heyes intervened, "we came to thank Simon. It was real good he was there. If he hadn't been there, those men might've killed my friend."
"Oh, my." Simon's mother stared at them. She and her brother looked at each other.
Heyes and Jed turned to go. "That's alright, ma'am. We'll be leaving. We just wanted to make sure Simon was okay."
"Wait," she stopped and summoned a small smile. "The least we can do is feed you two. This is a church social after all."
She turned to Simon. "Simon, we'll discuss this at home later. Maybe you wouldn't have disobeyed if I'd recognized sooner that you were growing up." She waved them towards the food. "Don't think that means you can avoid some heavy consequences, young man," she cautioned Simon as they hastened away.
~~~oOo~~~
"Sure was nice of Mrs. Hurly to wrap this fried chicken and gingerbread for us, wasn't it, Jed," Heyes asked as the stagecoach lurched along.
"Yeah, now we won't go hungry for a while," was the contented reply.
They watched the scenery unfold for some time. Finally, Jed looked at his friend. "Heyes, I saw how you looked as you watched them go to school. That Reverend seemed real nice; he could've found you a place, and you could've gone back to school."
Heyes looked out the stage window and thought before answering. "Nah, don't think it would work." He turned to look at Jed. "I mean we'd have to do chores and stuff. Never did like chores." He thought back to Saturday night before the fight. "Yeah, I don't think it would work."
Jed considered for a moment. "Yeah, I guess. Hey, you never told me what happened with the saloon girl. You gonna tell me, or what?"
Heyes grinned at him. "Maybe, someday when you're old enough."
"Heyes!"