"There ain't nothing to be scared of Jed, it'll be over soon and we'll all be safe."
That was the first time that Jed remembered hearing those words, and it was the last thing his Pa ever said to him.
Pa had got him so snugly fixed in the storm cellar, that he couldn't move and had to watch helplessly through the tiny window as his family died one by one.
He couldn't move at all, could only cry helplessly, his eyes stuck on his dead family, until several hours later, Hannibal came hollering and yelling for him and pulled him out of what now felt like a prison, with his own face streaked with tears. Together they buried their families before taking the long walk into Lawrence.
They reached the town as dusk fell and were scooped up in the comforting arms of Mrs Fletcher, the doctor's wife.
Jed opened his mouth to tell her what had happened, but nothing came out, so he shut it again. He looked helplessly at Hannibal who patted him gently on the shoulder, swallowing hard before saying softly. "They're all dead, Ma'am...we didn't know what else to do, so we walked here."
XXX
The second time he remembered hearing them, was when Preacher Johnson was saying goodbye, as he left them at Valpo. "There's nothing to be scared of boys, I've heard good things about this place."
Valpo was what Jed thought hell must be like, and he wondered what he'd done for God to hate him so.
They survived just over two years, until two weeks after Jed turned thirteen, a severe beating left them both in the hospital wing.
Hannibal looked over at him, trying to smile through swollen lips as he said softly. "We're outta here Jed, soon as we can walk."
A week later in the gloomy dark, they slipped out of the hellhole and as they stood wondering what way to go, Hannibal put his hand on Jed's shoulder. "I know you're scared Jed, I am too and we oughta be...'cos what we're doing ain't gonna be easy."
With the light from the moon, Jed saw his friend's face break into a puzzled expression as he laughed at the comment before saying. "How we gonna decide which way to go, Hannibal?"
"I was thinking maybe a coin toss, Jed, as I ain't got a clue."
XXX
The third time he heard it, was a few years later, when he and Heyes were arguing about a con Heyes wanted them to pull, when Kid was sure it would be a disaster. "Kid, there ain't nothing to be scared of...be smooth as silk, I remember everything we was taught by Soapy."
A solid lump grew in Kid's stomach as he glared at his friend in shock. "I ain't one of your marks Heyes, so you don't get to lie to me. You do what you want, I ain't sticking round to watch."
He gathered his things together and stalked to the hotel room door and walked out without looking back even as he heard Heyes asking him to just hold up.
XXX
He stood facing a man in the dusty street of a tiny town in South Texas and whispered to himself, "there ain't nothin' to be scared of." He stomach flipped as he drew his weapon and fired, intending to wound, but he watched breathlessly as the man who had called him out, fell to the ground dead.
The Kid stared wondering why the man had twisted, all he had needed to do was stay still and he'd be alive. He turned to get away, but was soon surrounded by the man's idiot friends and didn't know much of anything for a while, until he woke up in the doctor's office.
"Boy, I think if you can walk, you better get out of here as I ain't sure if I can stop 'em killing you."
XXX
"You're leadin' the Devil's Hole Gang?" Kid stared at his old friend in shock as he grinned at him.
"Yup, Kid, I sure am...you can join me if ya want, but I'm telling you, while the gang ain't as bad as some and your speed with that gun is gonna help, robbing banks and trains ain't easy, got a lot that can go wrong. Even with me planning them."
"So what you're saying is I oughta just walk away?"
"No, Kid I ain't saying that at all, just warning you."
"Can't be much worse than dodgin' gunfights and least I'll have someone I can talk to."
Heyes' eyes lit up. "Now that's the spirit. I'll introduce ya to the rest of the gang."
XXX
"C'mon, Heyes, there ain't nothing to be scared of. I think you're just being a coward or maybe you just don't like other folk havin ideas."
Mort Graham, one of the gang members least accepting of Heyes being leader, was trying to persuade him to pull a job, that he'd said no to at least four times. Kid stared at the other gang members assembled in the bunkhouse searching their faces for which way they intended to go. Most of them looked unconvinced by what the fool was saying, but three maybe four seemed willing to be persuaded.
Heyes looked round at the men too, his hands on his hips. "I ain't stopping you Mort, but if you pull the job you're gonna do it without me."
Three Men Arrested-One dead
A failed bank robbery led to the fatal shooting of one man and the arrest of three others on Thursday.
Heyes sipped his whiskey and read the newspaper with a sigh before pushing it over to Kid. "I tried to tell him..."
Kid scanned the paper Heyes had thrust in his hands and looked up. "Mort is an idiot, Heyes, he'll have a lot of time to think about the fact he should a listened to you in Laramie."
XXX
After they arrived back at their hotel, they stared at each other for a few minutes as they considered the news Lom had brought them. When Heyes didn't speak, his gaze far away, the Kid cleared his throat and asked quietly. "You think we oughta forget the whole thing, Heyes?"
Heyes drawn out of his thoughts looked over at him, a faint smile on his lips as he replied. "Probly so Kid, plenty to be scared of, no gang to back us up, likely to be broke most of time and not to mention them posses. Be sensible to just rob a bank and high-tail it to South America."
Kid smiled as he said. "But we ain't gonna are we?"
Heyes laughed out loud, "No, Kid we ain't gonna...bein' sensible ain't never been our strong point."