When we were kids back in Kansas, every Saturday morning we would rush through our morning chores, then spend half an hour digging in the dirt for worms that we piled into our bait can. Then we'd grab our bamboo poles, and race down to the river for a leisurely afternoon lying on our backs in the grass near the river bank, our fishing lines dangling in the water waiting for a bite, and our thoughts drifting as lazily as the current. To this day I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday in summer...

"I said, what's got you off thinking in the clouds Heyes?"

Still stretched out on my bedroll, not quite ready to surrender the night, I raised my head and peered at my partner stooping low near the fire, filling two cups with the remainder of last night's coffee.

"Fishing," I replied

"You want to go fishing?" Kid asked as he sipped coffee from a mug he held in one hand and held the second mug out for me with his other.

I sat up and leaned against my saddle pillow and took the coffee that was offered. "I was thinking about how you and me used to go fishing every Saturday."

Kid gave me a warm smile. "We ought to do that again, Heyes. Spend a whole day with not a care in the world."

"When we get back to the Hole, Kid, lets do it. Let's set aside a whole day to do nothing but fish and laze around."

"And dream, Heyes. I remember doing a lot of dreaming."

He got me curious. "What did you dream about?"

Kid shrugged. "Usual stuff boys dream about, I s'pose."

"Like what?" I prodded and could see a new sparkle building in his eyes.

"Well," he said, sitting down cross-legged beside me. "I used to dream about working on a riverboat, sailing down the Mississippi River. I was always captain, of course, steering that barge or big paddle boat downstream, yanking hard on the wheel to avoid a sand bed, pulling into dock at some fancy city like New Orleans..."

I couldn't take my eyes off that melancholy smile and knew he was reliving that dream just the way he had envisioned it as a boy.

"You would have been known as Captain Kid,"I teased. "Although he was Scottish."

"Who?"

"Captain Kid, a famous pirate."

Kid laughed. "Damn, I could have been a Captain and an outlaw."

That made me laugh.

"What about you, Heyes? What did you dream about?"

"You'll just laugh, Kid."

"No I won't. I promise. I swear."

I looked at him, knowing he wouldn't keep the promise he'd just made. "Alright, I'll tell you. I used to dream about being a scientist and building me an air boat..."

"What's an air boat?"

"There ain't no such thing, Kid. I would invent it."

"What would an air boat do?"

"It would take me to the moon, maybe to the stars."

I saw Kid look up at the moon that hadn't yet surrendered to the day. That's one of the things I appreciate about Kid. If he thinks I believe I can do something, then he just accepts that I actually can do it. Trust is what it is.

"Why would you want to go to the moon?"

"Just to see what's up there."

"It looks like it's mostly just snow."

I laughed. "You might be right."

Kid took the last gulp of his coffee and held his hand out to me. "You done with your cup? If so, I'll wash em out and pack em while you get dressed and saddled."

I tossed the last bit of my coffee on to the ground and handed Kid my cup. He uncrossed his legs, got up, and went back over to the fire.

0-0-0-0-0-

We got an earlier enough start that we could ride fairly leisurely and still get back to the Hole before dark.

"Boys are going to like hearing how easy that bank job is going to be, Heyes."

Kid and I had ridden into Sandy Bend for the sole purpose of staking out the bank there. I actually had two sole purposes, the other being poker, and I had a nice little bundle of money my pockets as a result of that second purpose.

"The payroll is being delivered Thursday afternoon. We'll hit the safe in the wee hours of Friday morning. I think we'll only have to take a couple of fellows with us for this heist. The safe is an old one with nice loud tumblers," I told Kid.

"How much is the payroll?"

I smiled just thinking about the stacks of bills. "Twenty-thousand dollars," I said proudly, as though the money was already mine.

Impressed, Kid gave out a whistle.

"I figure we'll have you at the window as usual, maybe have Wheat at the door and Lobo waiting with the horses."

"Kyle won't be happy he ain't going."

I smiled. "Well, there's nothing for him to dynamite, Kid. We'll plan a train heist next time. Kyle will be happy with that."

As planned, we reached Devil's Hole before nightfall. Arriving after dark always presents additional problems as the lookout isn't able to clearly identify whoever might be seeking entry. I had solved that problem months ago by having Hole members fire two additional shots after identifying themselves and adamantly refusing entry to anyone who did not add the additional code.

I fired the three shots and we waited till the lookout asked us to identify ourselves.

"Heyes and Curry," I shouted

"Come on in," was Kyle's response.

We rode into the compound and climbed out of our saddles in front of the leader's cabin that Kid and I shared. One of the newer recruits met us and led our horses to the barn.

"Kid, would you mind going over to the bunkhouse and asking Wheat and Lobo to come to the cabin? We might as well get some planning started.

A few minutes later the three men walked into the cabin. Kid plopped down in the tattered cushioned chair he was accustomed to using, leaving the sofa for Wheat and Lobo. I chose to stand, as that gives me an air of leadership.

"The bank is small and laid out very simply," I began. I could see that I had Wheat's and Lobo's full attention. Kid gave the appearance of full attention, but having been in the bank himself, he knew pretty much what I was going to say. "I think this is a small job as far as how many men need to be in on it. Coming in from the back door, the safe is almost directly to the right. Naturally, I'll be there. Kid will watch the front window as usual. Wheat, you'll be responsible for the front door, which is directly ahead of you when you walk in. Lobo, you'll be in back with the horses."

"How long do you expect it will take you, Heyes?" Wheat asked.

I frowned and shook my head. "A few minutes is all. It's an old safe, easy access."

"What time we gonna do it?" Lobo asked.

"I'm thinking about two in the morning," I replied.

"We gonna be in town that day?" Wheat asked.

I shook my head. "The town is pretty small. We don't want anyone to be able to eye witness us."

"You know what time the sheriff makes his night rounds?" Wheat asked.

"One-fifteen," Kid replied. "Takes him twenty-five minutes to cover both sides of the street. He checks the bank doors twice, at the beginning and at the end of his rounds. We'll arrive twenty minutes after he's done."

"How far away is the sheriff's office from the bank?" Lobo asked and Kid and I exchanged a quick glance.

"Three doors down."

"That's pretty close, Heyes," Wheat said.

"Don't matter how close, Wheat, so long as we're all quiet," Kid replied.

"Any more questions?" I asked and no one replied. "Alright then, back here every night at seven. We'll go over the plans to be sure everyone knows exactly what they're supposed to do."

Wheat and Lobo agreed and headed back to the bunkhouse. I retrieved a bottle of whiskey from the cupboard and poured Kid and me each a shot. Kid propped his feet up on the table and closed his eyes. I assumed he was tired, but after a couple of sips of his whiskey I noticed a smile spreading across his face.

"What's so amusing to you, Kid?"

Kid started erupting in laughter and dropped his feet to the floor and sat up in his chair. "I'm sorry, Heyes. I promised I wouldn't laugh... An air boat? I can just see you sitting in an air boat just paddling away with all your might with those air oars."

Even when insulting me, Kid's laugh was infectious. I filled our shot glasses and sat down on the sofa. "And I suppose a riverboat pirate isn't just as funny?" I asked

Kid shook his head and tried in vain to stop laughing. "No comparison, Heyes," he said and set his shot glass on the table and began mimicking the rowing of an air boat. I couldn't keep from laughing as well.

We both quieted down after a couple of minutes. Kid sighed and I could tell he was trying to quell another round of laughter. "Oh, Heyes, I'm going to have good dreams tonight."

"On a more serious note, Kid..."

"Yea?" he asked, taking a few deep breaths to settle himself.

"I do think we should plan a whole day to go fishing."

He looked at me with that look you give someone that you share an inside secret with, you know, a real trusting, camaraderie kind of look. "Me, too," he said.

I took the last gulp of my whiskey and set the glass on the table. "I'm going to bed. Good night, Kid."

"Good night, Heyes, and keep rowing."

I gave him a brush-off wave of my hand and retreated to my room.

0-0-0-0-0-0-

The bank heist went off as smoothly as planned and we were back at the Hole before daybreak and, likely before anyone in that town even knew the money was missing. God, a heist that smooth just gives me such a sense of sweet contentment

Kid and me took the money to the cabin and counted it up. Twenty-two thousand four hundred and sixty seven dollars. A job well done. We headed to the bunk house with money in tow and divided it up among everyone. One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two dollars each.

Several of the boys headed for the nearest town, Kid included. I knew a couple of them would likely be near broke by the time they got back. That's how it is with a fool and his money. I figured Kid would play a little poker, maybe do a little whoring, and then be back, likely before midnight. A few of the others we likely wouldn't see for a few days.

As I expected, Kid walked in to the cabin a little after midnight. I couldn't sleep. I can never sleep for a couple of nights after a job, too much Adrenalin, I suppose. I was sitting on the sofa, reading a book, and nursing a whiskey when Kid walked in. He was all smiles when he walked in so I figured he got his fill of the saloon girls. He had his hands behind his back, holding something. He was kind of stooped over, like whatever he had was a big secret.

"Heyes, I got you something," he said, sounding like a little kid all excited about some big surprise. I couldn't help but smile at him.

"What is it?" I asked.

He brought one hand around and dangled a little, round, metal container with holes in the lid and he almost tip-toed over to me and handed it to me.

I took it in my hands and looked at it. It was a tin of worms.

"I got you something else two, got us both one," he said and dashed out the door. He came back holding two bamboo fishing poles, looking as proud and proud could be.

"Figure we could go fishing tomorrow," he said gleefully, smiling ear to ear."

I smiled and shook my head.

"Kid, I couldn't ask for a better partner."

"Good. Maybe when you invent that air boat, you'll take me for a ride!"