Last Days of Innocence

by Kathy Knudsen1

Hannibal Heyes once said that their parents "dying when they did," may have been a factor to them becoming outlaws. Truth is, they were both born in very turbulent times and neither knew a childhood free of the looming probability of an impending Civil War.

Last Days of Innocence

Preface: This is not intended to be a 'tug-at-the-heartstrings' story, but rather an attempt to depict what it might have been like for Heyes and Kid who never knew a childhood that was not shrouded in the dark realities of an impending Civil War. This story explains much of what was left unsaid during their fishing conversation in The Men That Corrupted Hadleyburg (with a little explanation concerning the Everything Else You Can Steal relationship with another character).

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Eight year old Jedediah Curry stood leaning slightly against the corner of the barn, his eyes intent on his father's every movement as the elder Curry lined up a half dozen tin cans on a log some twenty feet away from the barn. When he was finished, he picked up the rifle he'd left leaning against a nearby tree and walked over to the young boy.

"Your brothers were all ten years old before I began teaching them to use a rifle, but times were different then, simpler. I know your ma would rather I wait till you're older, but…."

"I'm ready to learn, Pa," Jed said with true sincerity in his voice.

Seth Curry dropped his gaze to the curly haired blond boy looking up at him with a sense of conviction beyond his youthful years, and an ominous wave of fear of the unknown swept over him. Union soldiers had been riding past the Curry homestead on a regular basis for weeks and talks of an impending war filled every newspaper. Jed's three older brothers had all enlisted in the Union Army. Samuel and Caleb were stationed at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, and Mathew was at Appomattox in Virginia. These locations meant little to Jed as he had only once left the security of the Kansas community of Lawrence when the family traveled to Pennsylvania to attend a funeral. Jed was only three at that time and remembered very little about the trip beyond the fact that Pennsylvania was dusty.

"A rifle has a hard kick to it," Seth explained. "That's called the recoil. To cut down on the recoil you keep your wrists locked, your arms relaxed, your elbows slightly bent, and your shoulders loose. Don't push your shoulders back, make sure they are flexible so when the gunstock jerks back, the shoulders have room to move a bit."

Jed nodded, listening intently to every word his father said, determined to follow every direction precisely.

"This rifle is not loaded, but every time you pick up a rifle, you check to see if it's loaded," Seth told his son as he handed the rifle to the boy.

Jed immediately checked to see that the safety was on, then pulled the bolt back. Seth smiled at his son's skill.

"You do that very well, Jed."

Jed closed the rifle and again checked the safety, then looked up at his father and smiled. "Been watching you real close, Pa."

Now, let me see you hold it up like you was gonna fire it."

Wrists locked, arms relaxed, elbows bent, shoulders loose Jed thought to himself and followed each step as he held the rifle up, the butt resting lightly against his shoulder.

"Jed have you been practicing with a rifle over at the Heyes farm?" his father asked sternly.

"No sir, but Uncle Robert is teaching Hannibal to use a rifle, and a six-gun. He don't allow me to handle em, but he does allow me to watch him and Hannibal."

"I can see that you've been paying close attention. You know, if you'd pay that kind of attention in school, your Ma and me wouldn't get so many notes sent home from Miss Atley."

"Yes sir."

"Now, with your gun in that position, you look straight down the barrel and through the sights to the target you plan to shoot. Once you've got the target in place, drop the sight ever so little. When you fire a rifle, the barrel wants to jump upward a bit. Dropping your sight down this far…," Seth said and held out his thumb and second digit and brought them so close together there was barely any space. "Dropping your sight down just that far will help keep your aim where you want it. Now, lemme see how you do."

Jed held the rifle in position and stared down the barrel toward one of the tin cans standing on the log. Seth smiled when he then saw the barrel drop just a miniscule amount. "That's fine, Jed. I think we'd best stop for the night so you can get to your homework. From now on, when you get home from school, you do your chores and get to your homework before supper. That'll leave us time after supper to come out here and work on your shooting skills."

Jed smiled broadly. "Yes sir!"

Jed worked diligently with his father for the next several weeks and while he was far from a marksman with a rifle, he quickly became proficient with stationary targets like tin cans and could usually bring home a rabbit or two for dinner when he and his father went hunting.

"Jed, you know there's a war coming," his father said as they walked quietly through the woods on an afternoon hunting excursion. "I have no idea how close that war will come to Kansas, but if you ever see soldiers on our farm, there are things you do and things you don't do."

"Yes sir."

Any soldier that comes asking for food or shelter, we'll do our best to oblige, no matter what color the uniform. Them soldiers are mostly just like your brothers; just boys fighting for what they believe in and we would want them treated well if they was in need."

Jed nodded and listened intently.

"But any soldier or stranger that comes on the property thinking they can take whatever they want, well we've got a right to defend what's ours. So, if you're home alone with your Ma and sister, their safety always comes first."

"I'll defend em, Pa."

"No son. If you're home alone with them, I want the three of you to lock yourselves in the root cellar. You understand?"

"Yes sir," Jed said knowing the consequences of ever going against his father's instructions.

"There's three rifles and several boxes of ammunition down there in that root cellar, along with Grandpa Curry's holster and six-gun. The belt and the gun are stocked with bullets. If soldiers try to open the cellar, that's when you can take up the rifle or the handgun."

Jed nodded. "Yes sir."

"And if you're in the barn and raiders ride up, you set the animals loose."

"Set em loose?" Jed asked.

"We can always round them up later, but we're not puttin' good horses or a good milkin' cow in the hands of evil."

"Yes sir."

"And if soldiers come on the property while I'm here, you just follow my directions."

"I will, Pa."

Seth ran his hand over the top of his son's curly blond hair. "I think it's time you start learning to use a six-shooter."

A part of Jed was elated at the thought of handling his grandfather's Schofield, but a larger part of him understood just how dire the rumors of approaching war were becoming. Seth seemed to sense his son's nervous apprehension.

"It's just precautionary Jed. But I want us all to be ready no matter what happens…. A boy shouldn't hafta grow up so fast, but I can't control the ways of the world. Still all in all, maybe you and Hannibal should spend a day fishing and swimming and just being boys."

Jed smiled, eager to spend such a day with his cousin. Both had been very busy the past couple of months and had spent precious little time together.

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Jed watched the fat worm squirm on the hook before casting his line into the river and settling in to wait for the tug of a bite. "Pa's gonna teach me to shoot his gun," he said quietly.

Hannibal turned his head slightly to study his cousin's face. "I thought he already done that."

"Taught me the rifle but now he's gonna teach me to shoot the Schofield."

Hannibal was old enough to understand the implications of that decision. "You're lucky it's a Schofield' best hand gun ever made. You heard anything from any of your brothers lately?"

Jed nodded. "We got a letter from Sam at Fort Sumter…. Heyes, what's atmosphere? I thought that was something up in the sky, but Sam says the atmosphere is changing."

"It's got a couple of meanings. You're right about it being something in the sky, but it also describes the mood people are in, like going from carefree to somber."

"Like when somebody dies?"

Heyes nodded. "Sometimes it's bigger than that, but that's the idea of it."

"Sam says the atmosphere at Fort Sumter is changing…. You think the war will come this far north?"

"Miss Atley says Kansas is a neutral state. She thinks that will keep us out of the war."

"What do you think?" Jed asked.

"I think both sides, the North and the South are gonna want to get Kansas on their side."

"So, the war is gonna be right in our back yard?"

Heyes tossed his own line into the water. "I hope it don't come to that."

"Pa says we've got the right to defend what's ours," Jed told him.

Heyes nodded. "My Pa says the same."

"Are you scared, Heyes?" Kid asked.

Before Heyes could respond, Kid felt a hard tug on his line and scrambled to his feet to pull hard on his pole, yanking the fish from the water and sending tail-flapping fish airborne until the fishing line had stretched to its full length, then dropping the fish back down again. Kid grabbed the line and dangled the fish between himself and Heyes. He skillfully unhooked the fish and secured it to the fish stringer. "We'll be eatin' good tonight," he said gleefully.

By late afternoon the two boys had seven fish secured to the stringer that Heyes carried slung over his shoulder. As they walked first toward the Curry farm, they laughed and giggled like carefree boys on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

"Hey Kid, why is it that the only time you call me Heyes is when we're alone?"

Kid looked at him curiously. "Are you kidding?"

"No. I wanna know."

"Ma says it ain't polite to call a person by their last name, even if they tell you it's alright to do it."

Heyes shook his head. "She says that cause she wasn't branded with a name like Hannibal," he replied, which brought a smile to Kid's face. "So I guess I can't ever call you Curry?"

Again Kid smiled. "At least never around my ma. Do you realize we ain't had a day of fishin' like this since last summer? We've got to do this more often," Kid told his cousin as they reached the lane leading to his family home.

Heyes took his share of the fish from the stringer and nodded. "Next Saturday, for sure."

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The summer passed and gave way to cooler days and a vibrant explosion of the autumn colors of the foliage. Schools in every farming community in the country closed for a month as children were needed at home to help with the harvesting of crops. Talk of the approaching war had become so common as to often fall on deaf ears like the story of the little boy who cried wolf. Having sons serving in the Union Army, such was not the case in the Curry household, and both Seth and Sarah were keenly aware of their two young children still in the house and the fact that little pitchers had big ears. Both were careful of what they spoke of in front of Jed and little Katie.

Jed turned nine in the autumn of 1860 and over the course of the fall and winter, he grew a full two inches and was now as tall as his mother. He began to fill out and become more muscular and by Spring planting time, he was able to manage the plow and work side by side with his father in the fields, and there were times Seth had to remind himself that young Jed was still a boy.

Kansas became a State on January 29, 1861 and with the completion of the first transcontinental telegraph that same year, news of the attack at Fort Sumter was known throughout the country in just a matter of hours, though details of the attack were sketchy. It was three days of anxious anticipation and worry before the Curry's knew that there was just one Union soldier death during the attack, and both their sons were safe.

"Pa's decided to keep me outta school for the next term," Jed told his cousin when the Heyes family visited for Sunday dinner.

"Why?" Heyes asked.

"Ma says that if soldiers invade the town, kids won't have a safe way home."

"I'd get you home safe," Heyes assured him.

Jed scowled at his cousin. "I could get myself home just fine. Soldiers don't know the woods the way we do."

"Did you tell you Ma that?"

"Of course I did, but she said nothin' was gonna change her mind. She said she won't take the risk of losing the only son she's got that ain't off fighting in the war."

"And your Pa agreed with her?"

"He told me there are some things you just don't argue with a woman about, and her children is one of them things."

"I hope they don't tell my folks what they're doing."

Jed laughed. "You really think my ma ain't gonna tell your ma? That's probably the first thing she said when she opened the door."

Heyes sighed. "I'll just hafta find a way to convince my folks otherwise."

"You manage to do that and you just might be the genius you think you are," Jed replied with an impish grin.

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Just a few days later Jed and his father were finishing the afternoon chores in the barn when Jed heard horses approaching. "Pa, there's soldiers riding up the lane," Jed told his father as he watched from the open barn door.

Seth's eyes moved to his rifle that was propped against the wall just under the window, then walked to the door and stood next to his son. "I'll do the talking," he told Jed.

A group of a dozen soldiers, all dressed in dark blue uniforms rode behind the man with Captain's stripes on his sleeve. When they reached the barn and brought the horses to a stop, only the Captain dismounted and slowly approached the open barn door where Seth and Jed stood.

"Mr. Curry, is it?" the Captain asked.

Seth gave his head a single nod. "And you are?"

"Captain Robert Bridges, Sir," the Captain replied. "And who might this young man be?"

"He's of no concern to you, Captain," Seth replied.

The Captain offered Seth a friendly smile. "He certainly appears able bodied. May I ask why he has not enlisted?" the Captain asked.

"Jed, get in the house," Seth told his son.

"But Pa…."

"I said get in the house," Seth repeated more sternly.

"Yes sir," Jed replied.

Seth held his gaze on the Captain until Jed had made his way across the yard and into the house. "For you information Captain, the boy is nine years old and he has three brothers serving in the Union Army."

"My apologies, Sir," the Captain replied, but Seth quickly cut him off.

"Kansas is a neutral state and as such I will accommodate to the best of my abilities, the requests of any soldier, regardless of the color of his uniform. I will offer your soldiers a hot meal, a dry barn to sleep, but my crops, my house, my livestock, and my family are off limits to you and your soldiers. Do I make myself clear?"

The Captain held Seth's gaze only briefly. "I request… only water for the horses, Mr. Curry."

Seth waited a moment for the Captain to fully absorb Seth's intentions before giving the Captain a nod of his head and motioning toward the water trough.

The Captain then turned to the troops still astride their horses. "Water your horses and be quick about it," he told his men. He then turned his attention back to Seth. "My sincere apologies sir, and I thank you for accommodating my men. We will be on our way as soon as the horses have been watered."

Seth offered no reply but stood defiantly at the barn door until the soldiers had returned to the road. He returned to the barn and checked that the stall gates were secure, then closed the barn doors and headed into the house.

"Everyone alright?" Seth asked and quickly noticed that Jed was returning the rifle to its place above the hearth. He gave his son an approving nod, thankful that the boy had retrieved the rifle to protect his mother and sister.

Sarah nodded and moved her hand that had kept Katie close to her skirts while the soldiers were present. "What did they want?"

Seth shook his head slightly. "They only wanted to water their horses, Darlin.' Nothing more," he assured them.

Sarah studied her husband's face, then looked at her two young children before breaking the rule of not discussing their concerns in front of the children.

"Seth," Sarah said and waited until she saw she had her husband's full attention. "We came to this farm twenty years ago, raised our children here. We made a home, grew good crops, and made some steadfast friends. We truly believe that the people, not just in Kansas but in the entire country should be free no matter what the color of their skin. But in the last ten years we've lived through the years of horrors of Bleeding Kansas, and now we have soldiers bringing troops on our land, we've got three boys enlisted in the Army. Now there's rumors of pro-slave vengeance groups seeking retaliation against the Jayhawks. We have two children who have never known a carefree childhood, and an approaching war to make sure they never do…. I don't want to stay in Kansas anymore. There's good farmland in Nebraska, Iowa, or even Colorado. I want us to pack up and leave, Seth. I want our children to be safe and happy."

Seth could hear the sincerity in Sarah's words, and see the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. He crossed the room and wrapped his arms about her, pulling her close to him as she rested her head on his chest and wept.

Jed pulled Katie close to him and both remained silent. The last thing Jed wanted was to be uprooted from his friends, and most importantly from his cousin, but the anguish in his mother's eyes won out and he swore to himself that he'd offer no protest if the decision to relocate was agreed upon.

"Can we talk about this at length but away from the children?" Seth whispered in his wife's ear as he gently stroked her hair and continued to hold her in the comfort of his arms.

Sarah nodded into his chest and slowly pulled herself slightly away as she gained her composure and straightened her apron. "I'd best get supper started."

Seth brushed his thumb along her cheekbones to dry her face, then held her cheeks between his palms and kissed her forehead.

"Pa, can I go see Hannibal?" Jed asked as his mother moved toward the kitchen. "I'll stay off the roads and I promise to be back for supper."

Seth could see the concern in his wife's eyes but at the same time he did not want his son to feel like a prisoner in his own home. "If you're not back before supper, you'll be grounded for a month."

Jed smiled with relief and darted for the door. "I'll be back on time. I promise!" He pulled open the door, then stopped and turned back to his mother. "I'll be alright, Ma. I promise," he assured her before vanishing out the door.

0-0-0

"Heyes!" Jed shouted as he reached the yard of the Heyes homestead.

"I'm in the barn?" Hannibal replied.

Kid ran into the barn but found it appear empty. He looked up to the loft just as a pitchfork of straw came tumbling down on his head and was quickly followed by some hearty laughter. Quickly brushing off the bits of straw, Kid then scrambled up the ladder to the loft.

"We had soldiers at the house today. Bluecoats."

"What did they want?" Hannibal asked as he continued to pitch straw over the edge of the loft to the barn floor.

"Just to water their horses, but the captain asked Pa why I wasn't enlisted."

Heyes smiled. "I bet your pa laughed at that one."

"I don't think he found it funny, but he sent me into the house so I don't know what he told the man. The whole thing scared Ma though."

"I think womenfolk scare pretty easy."

"Ma don't usually scare easy but having soldiers on the property made her pretty nervous. She wants to leave Kansas."

Heyes stopped pitching the straw. "Is your pa agreeable?"

Kid shrugged. "That's hard to say but he didn't promise to go."

"They're like my folks. They've built a life here. Pulling up roots after investing so much work into the homestead and the land ain't an easy decision. Unless they start making plans to move, I doubt you've got anything to worry about."

"Did your folks say anything about pullin' you out of school?" Kid asked while secretly hoping he'd have his cousin around for all that carefree time he envisioned.

"Ma told Pa that your folks were pulling you out of school but as far as I know that was the beginning, the middle, and the end of the whole conversation, and Pa hasn't even mentioned the possibility," Heyes told him.

"I s'pose that's good," Jed replied though Heyes knew it was said with no conviction.

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The winter of 1861-62 was a typical cold, harsh, snowy Kansas winter, but there was little in the way of reminders of the war now in full swing in the southern states. Soldiers were seldom seen passing through the area and those that did appear were infantries from northern states making their way south to replenish the countless ranks of soldiers dying in battle.

But the area around Lawrence Kansas was as yet unscathed by the war, and when the new school year began, Jed Curry was again in attendance. While his parents had kept him out of school much of the previous year, Miss Atley had often sent him homework assignments. Thus, Jed had not lagged behind in many subjects though he'd missed geography and history and sat with the students a year behind him in their studies for those two subjects.

One Thursday afternoon in mid June, Jed had just reached the lane leading to the Curry house when he saw two Union soldiers on horses approaching. Jed bolted up the lane and just as he reached the door he turned and saw the horses turning into the lane. "Ma, two soldiers are riding up."

Sarah hurried to the window and saw that the two men were wearing Union Officer suits. Each wore a mourning band on his sleeve.

"Go get your pa. Hurry," she told her son.

Jed darted out of the house, jumped over the three porch steps and raced into the corn field. Katie was sitting at the kitchen table drawing a picture and Sarah told her to stay right where she was. Sarah then wiped at whisps of loose hair about her face, then stepped out to the porch and watched as the soldiers approach.

"Is this the home of Seth and Sarah Curry?" one of the men asked.

Sarah's lower lip began to quiver, and she took a deep and stoic breath. "It is. My husband is coming in from the fields. Please wait for his arrival," she said, unable to pull her eyes away from the black mourning bands.

When the soldiers saw Seth and Jed come around the corner of the house, they both dismounted.

"Mr. Curry, I'm Lieutenant Johnson of the fifty-third Virginia Infantry, and this is Sargent Maxwell," Johnson said while extending his hand.

Seth shook the hand, then stepped back and wrapped an arm about Sarah's waist. "Which one of our sons has died?" he asked.

Johnson pulled a letter from his pocket and unfolded it. "The United States Union Army extends its sincere condolences while informing you of the heroic deaths of Captain Samuel Curry and Lieutenant Caleb Curry on June first in the year of our Lord eighteen-sixty-two at the Battle of Seven Pines in Henrico County, Virginia."

Sarah gasped and leaned heavily against her husband as tears began to stream down her face.

"Jed, go watch after your sister," Seth said quietly.

Jed, himself stunned by the news, simply turned and headed into the house, closing the door behind him.

"Uhm," Seth sighed as he gathered his wits. "Burials?"

"The bodies of deceased officers can be returned home, sir," Johnson told him.

Seth nodded. "Please."

Captain Johnson folded the letter without reading the final paragraph which simply identified the name of the officer approving the delivery of the letter. He handed the letter to Seth, then both he and Maxwell gave Seth and Sarah a military salute and a final offer of condolences before mounting their horses and heading back down the lane in search of the next family about to receive the same devastating news about another young soldier's death.

Seth turned and shifted his arm to guide Sarah back into the house.

Jed looked up as his parents walked into the house, but Katie appeared to stay focused on her drawing project. Seth tossed the folded paper on the kitchen table while keeping a tight hold about Sarah's waist as he guided her through the room to their bedroom and closed the door behind them.

"Jed, why was Ma crying?" Katie asked, still without looking up.

"Best let Ma and Pa tell you," Jed replied.

"I want you to tell me."

"I can't Katie," Jed said and rested his hand on her shoulder. "I just can't find the words."

0-0-0

It took the Army another two weeks to have the bodies of Samuel and Caleb delivered by train to Lawrence. Seth and Sara had decided their sons would be buried in the church cemetery rather than the family farm. They had decided this based on two factors. The first was that, on his deathbed six years earlier, Grandpa Curry had chosen to be buried in the church cemetery and now his two grandsons would lie next to him. The second reason was that Sarah and Seth were still uncertain about staying in Lawrence, Kansas and, if they were to move without selling the farm, the graves might not be tended and would soon become overgrown.

The joint funerals were attended by half of the town as all the Curry's were well thought of in Lawrence. The church service was long, but the graveside service was less than an hour. Seth, Sarah, Katie, and Jed sat in the front row, while the Heyes sat directly behind them. Sarah kept a reassuring hand on Katie's leg, but Jed sat next to Katie and had no physical contact with either parent. As everyone rose and the minister began reciting the closing Benediction, Jed felt his cousin's hand come to rest on his shoulder, a reassurance to Jed that he wasn't suffering alone.

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The Spring of 1863 was a long time coming with cold winter winds blowing across the plains and temperatures determined to keep the ground too frozen for ploughing. But by the first of May, Spring flowers were in full bloom and warmer temperatures sent farmers to the fields to break the ground and get their crops planted. By early July, fields of corn were promising a bumper crop.

Jed Curry was nearing his twelfth birthday and was now nearly as tall and as muscular as his father. School would be closing in another month so the crops could be harvested and, despite the on-going war, Kansans, the Heyes and the Curry families included, were feeling a sense of normalcy slowly moving into their lives. But this normalcy did not last long.

News of the war filled the local newspapers with accounts of battles won or lost, as well as long lists of names of deceased soldiers, and printings of speeches delivered by President Lincoln. Sunday sermons focused on the evils of slavery and the hopeful deliverance of a victorious Union ending of a war that was destroying the country's economy.

The town of Lawrence, Kansas was a political mecca. Kansas was an abolitionist state and the Lawrence Kansas Journal, as well as other widely read newspapers, were ardent supporters of both abolition and the infamous Jayhawkers, a group of free-state militia and vigilantes who had recently caught and jailed several men and women belonging to a group of pro-Confederate bushwhackers led by a pro-slavery zealot named William Quantrill.

Quantrill's Raiders were not soldiers, but rather extremists trying to change the State's political support through random acts of violence on the citizens of Kansas. Frank and Jesse James were members of Quantril's Raiders.

But Lawrence Kansas had, for the most part, escaped the violence of Quantrill's Raiders. The most turbulent times for Lawrence had been during the pre-war years that had been dubbed Bleeding Kansas. Now, nearly ten years later, the town had settled into an almost peaceful quiet.

On August 17, 1863, Jed Curry left his cousin at the end of the lane leading to the Curry home. He had exciting news to share with his parents about his cousin and both boys hoped Jed could convince his folks to let him be a part of that excitement.

"Miss Atley says Heyes can apply for a scholarship to attend college when he finishes his schooling here," Jed announced at the supper table that evening.

"He still has at least another year of school here, doesn't he?" Sarah asked.

Jed nodded. "But Miss Atley says he should take the college entrance exam now. That way, if he fails it, he can take it again next year, but if he passes it, she can help him start applying for scholarships."

"When does he take this exam?" Seth asked.

"Friday," Jed announced. "At the college," he added.

"What college?" Seth asked.

"Baker University in Baldwin."

Sarah smiled. "So not very far away from home. His parents would like that, I would think."

"It's just thirteen miles away. He wants me to go with him on Monday."

Sarah immediately began to shake her head so Jed jumped in with the argument he and Heyes had come up with on their way home from school.

"We would take the Thursday evening train and get to the college by eight-thirty. The college puts us up in a dormitory room for the night. The test starts at eight on Friday morning and is over by four in the afternoon. We would then go straight to the depot and be home here for supper Friday evening. Heyes, I mean Hannibal, says it would really help him to have someone he knows go with him."

"It's just too dangerous, Jed," Sarah told him.

"So, you'd let Hannibal go alone?" Jed asked.

"He has a point, Sarah," Seth told her and Jed bit his lower lip pensively, thankful he had found an ally in his father. "And it's just one night."

Sarah looked across the table at her husband who gave her a reassuring nod. "I suppose," she relented. "But always stay together and don't go wondering off anywhere, and come straight home when you get back to town."

"I will Ma, I promise. Can I go tell Heyes I can go?"

"That can wait till morning, young man," Sarah said firmly.

0-0-0-0-0

Thursday evening, after a hearty supper, Jed walked down the lane with a pair of saddlebags slung over his shoulder to wait for Heyes and his father to arrive in the buckboard to take them to the train station. Sarah had packed the saddlebags with a change of clothes and a few sandwiches in case the boys got hungry.

When Heyes and his father arrived, Jed climbed into the seat beside his cousin and turned his head to look back toward the house where his ma and pa were standing on the porch waving goodbye. Jed waved back as Mr. Heyes gave the reins a shake and the wagon began rolling toward town.

"I want you to know son, that your ma and I couldn't be any prouder of you than we are right now, and we know you'll do fine on that exam and earn yourself the opportunity to go to college in a couple of years," Heyes' father told him as the two boys climbed to steps onto the train.

"I'll make you proud, Pa," Heyes replied.

"You already have, son."

Heyes took the 'riding backwards seat' on the train and watched his father standing on the platform until the train turned the bend and his father slipped from his sight.

0-0-0-0-0

August 21, 1863 fell on a Friday and was a date that would go down in infamy….

Jed Curry sat patiently on a wooden bench in a long hallway outside an auditorium size classroom where Hannibal Heyes was taking his pre-entrance college examination. Kid caught a glimpse of his cousin when the students were given a fifteen-minute break to relieve themselves or just walk around a bit, but they were not allowed to have any contact with unauthorized personal and, not being a test taker or test administrator, Jed fell in the unauthorized personal category. The two boys were able to eat lunch together under an Oak tree on the college campus and quickly ate the last of the sandwiches Kid's mother had prepared. When four o'clock arrived and the exam was over, Jed and Heyes went directly to the train station to catch the train back to Lawrence.

"The train won't be leaving as scheduled," the Ticketmaster told them.

"Why not?" Heyes asked.

"Troubles down the line," the boys were told.

"What kind of troubles?" Heyes prodded.

"The town of Lawrence is shut down. No one comes in or goes out."

"Why?" Kid asked.

"You two boys been living in a cave or something? Lawrence was attacked by Quantrill's Raiders before dawn this morning. Last I heard they are still fighting fires and counting bodies."

"Countin' bodies," Kid repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Mister, we're from Lawrence, our families are there. We've got to get there tonight!" Heyes exclaimed.

"Only one way to get there tonight and that's to walk. Every spare horse, wagon, and man have gone to Lawrence to help."

"Well, we'd best get started," Kid told his cousin. "Shouldn't take us more than 2 or three hours just following the train tracks. We leave now, we can still get home before dark."

0-0-0-0-0

The sun was setting by the time they reached just two miles from Lawrence and the smell of smoke permeated the air while the horizon had taken on a strange color mixture of red and gray. A quarter of a mile from the outskirts of town, Heyes and Kid abandoned the tracks and moved quickly into the surrounding wooded area. From this secluded observation point, they watched men with guns and rifles guarding the road and the rails into town.

"If we stay in the woods we can get to my house," Kid whispered. "Then we'll know if it's safe going on to your place."

"And if it's not safe…."

"You're the one bound for college. I'm countin' on you to come up with a plan."

As they slowly passed along just outside of town, they could see flames still shooting high into the air, and could hear men shouting orders, and the wails of women crying. Chills raced down their spines as they moved as quickly as possible.

What they did not yet know was that every wooden building in Lawrence had burned to the ground and, with a death toll of nearly two hundred men and boys, many brick and stone buildings had been gutted by fires that had been burning since before dawn. A total of 185 buildings were set ablaze. A makeshift hospital had been set up in the Methodist Church and a morgue was set up in the Presbyterian Church. When that became full, the schoolhouse was used. Lost and orphaned children were being housed in the hotel with as many as ten children sharing a room with two large beds.

As Heyes and Jed got nearer to the Curry farm, the smell of burnt ash and smoldering wood was thick in the air. In the light of the moon the two boys crouched down at the edge of the woods and carefully scanned the destruction, looking for any sign of movement. The house had been fire gutted with just parts of the wooden frame still standing. Nothing was left of the barn beyond a pile of ash and chunks of smoldering timber. They saw nothing to suggest the Curry's or any of Quantrill's Raiders were still in the area.

"Pa has always told us to hide in the root cellar," Kid whispered. "If my folks and Katie are still here, that's where they would be. Let's go."

Still staying along the edge of the woods, they moved to the back yard. Twenty feet from where the house had stood, the two doors to the root cellar were visibly unscathed. Kid squatted down and tapped on the door using the signal his father had taught him. Two taps followed by a pause, then two more taps followed by a pause, two more taps followed with a pause, then one final tap. Both boys waited with an ominous feeling when they heard no response.

"There's rifles and ammunition inside, along with blankets, food, and a lantern and matches," Jed told his cousin as he pulled open one of the doors and reached for the lantern and matches stored in a small shelf dug into the wall. "I'll go down and get us each a rifle and then we'll head over to your place. Maybe my folks were able to take refuge there."

Jed disappeared into the small cellar, returning moments later with two rifles and a box of shells. Each boy stuffed rifle shells into his pockets before Jed tossed the empty box back into the cellar and closed the door.

Using only the light from the moon, the two boys darted across the yard and disappeared into the cornfield. They stayed close and spoke little and stayed within the rows of corn as much as they could to cause as little noise and rustling as possible until they reached the other end of the cornfield and were confronted with the aftermath of destruction at the Heyes farm.

Both boys stood and stared in shock, overwhelmed by the realization of what had happened. The house and the barn were gone, reduced to ashes and rubble on the ground. There was no sign of anyone present and no sound in the dark stillness of the night.

Both boys sank to the ground in one simultaneous motion, exhausted in every sense of the word and unable to fathom the reality of what they were seeing.

"The buckboard and horses are gone," Heyes said, more to himself than to Jed. "Maybe…."

Jed nodded without consciously hearing his cousin's words. "What now?"

"If our folks are in town it means they know the train was cancelled and we must still be in Baldwin. It's late and it's dark so I think we should wait till morning, then go to town."

Again, Jed nodded and after a few moments, pulled himself to his feet. "We'll stay in the root cellar tonight. Come on, let's go."

0-0-0

Inside the root cellar Kid lit the lantern and turned the light down very low, leaving just enough glow that the two boys could see each other as they sat side by side sharing a blanket. Both exhausted and numb, neither was able to sleep as thoughts of all the destruction and uncertainties consumed their thoughts.

"Heyes, what if…."

"Try not to think about anything that's happened today, Kid. Until we know what's really happened, it's only natural to think the worst."

"You suppose that's what our folks are thinkin' about us? You s'pose they're thinking the worst?"

"I expect they'd be worrying abut us," Heyes replied though in his own mind he knew the worst had likely happened."

"I didn't see any sign of the horses or the cow. Pa always said if there was time, to set the animals loose. I think the fact they weren't in the ashes is a good sign."

"Likely so," Heyes replied.

"Maybe when we go into town tomorrow, we should leave the rifles and cartridges here," Kid said. "For safe keeping," he added.

"You're probably right."

"How long you suppose it is till daylight?"

"A long time. You hungry? I could open a jar of peaches your ma… put up here on a shelf."

Kid shook his head. "Ain't hungry. You go ahead if you want."

"I don't have much of an appetite either," Heyes replied.

0-0-0-0-0

As the first light of the day streamed in through the crack between the two cellar doors, Kid and Heyes each turned and looked at the other with pensive apprehension. They shared the same fear-ridden thoughts, but neither was willing to utter the words. Instead, Kid doused the lantern while Heyes followed the stream of light and opened the cellar door.

"You think they're still keeping people outta town?" Kid asked as they made their way to the road.

Heyes nodded. "When we tell em who we are and that we belong here, they'll let us come in to find our folks."

"Heyes, whatever happens today…" Kid began but his voice trailed off as he simply wouldn't or couldn't acknowledge the worst-case possibility.

Heyes laid a hand on Kid's shoulder. "Whatever happens, we'll deal with together, Jed."

They had walked the road together nearly every day since Jed was five years old and started going to school. On all those walks they had shared laughs and giggles, planned their Saturday fishing excursions along the banks of the nearby river, and shared stories of triumphs and failures. Though the town was less than two miles from their homes, the walk always ended long before their conversations were complete.

But today they walked in silence, side by side and in synchronized step and the road seemed foreign and infinite. There was no one guarding the entrance into town and as they walked down the middle of the street toward the Sheriff's Office, they saw broken store windows that had been boarded shut, buildings constructed of wood had been reduced to rubble, black smoke stains from the intense heat of fires stained the exterior walls of many buildings. Even many of the boardwalks had been reduced to a thick sludge of ash and water. Neither had ever witnessed or imagined such mass destruction.

They reached the Sheriff's Office and side-stepped a large puddle of muddy water where the boardwalk had been. A few bricks had been laid but not mortared in front of the office door to serve as steps leading to the door stoop. Standing on these bricks, they hesitated a moment before reaching for the other's hand. Heyes then took a deep breath and reached for the door handle.

When Heyes and Kid walked into the Sheriff's office, Sheriff Billings and Doctor Musgrave were both seated behind the office desk carefully reviewing a list of townsfolk still unaccounted for. Sheriff Billings was a close friend of Heyes' father, and he recognized the two boys immediately.

"Where in the devil have the two of you been hiding?"

"We were in Baldwin since Monday," Heyes explained. "Had to walk back here last night…. We've been to our farms and there's nobody there."

Both boys caught the exchange of concerned looks between the Sheriff and the Doctor.

"Maybe I should take you boys to see Reverend Walther," Doctor Musgrave said in a gentle and compassionate voice.

"They're all dead?" Kid said, his voice stoney cold and void of emotion.

"I'll go with you," Sheriff Billings said without confirming Kid's inquiry.

"We can get there ourselves," Heyes said stoically. "No need to take you away from your work."

Heyes reached for the door handle but paused and turned back to the Sheriff. "Miss Atley?" he asked.

Sheriff Billings dropped his gaze to look at the papers on his desk. "I'm sorry, son."

Heyes bit down on the corner of his lower lip and gave the Sheriff a nod before he and Kid walked back out to the street.

0-0-0-0-0

When they reached the Presbyterian Church they found a note on the front door directing people to the Parsonage. Heyes tried the door anyway but found it to be locked so they crossed the front yard to the home of Reverend Walther.

The Reverend answered the door and recognizing the two boys, he ushered them into the house.

"Sheriff Billings told us to come here, Reverend," Heyes explained.

Reverend Walther led them into the kitchen where his wife had the kitchen table filled with plates of sandwiches and cookies, she was preparing for all the volunteers. "Please sit and help yourself to the food," she told them.

Both boys sat down at the table but neither reached for any food.

"Are folks are dead, aren't they?" Heyes asked.

"I'm sorry Hannibal, Jed," the Reverend replied.

"And Katie?" Kid asked and the Reverend nodded.

"Volunteers have been traveling to every farm in the area and bring the deceased here to the church," he explained with as little detail as he could.

"Can we see them?" Heyes asked.

The Reverend sighed quietly. "We don't have… Not all the caskets have been delivered. Several nearby towns are bringing some in this afternoon. Mr. Peterson, the mortician is working night and day and several men have volunteered their skills to help him. Once we have all the preparations of internment completed, the sanctuary will be opened for visitation and I will hold services," the Reverend explained.

Heyes and Kid sat quietly while the Reverend spoke, and both tried to concentrate on what they were being told.

"In the meantime, the hotel has opened its rooms to every child who has no family or place to stay. I can walk over there with you to get you settled into a room."

Both boys shook their heads. "We've got a place to stay," Kid told him.

"Jed, don't you have a brother in the Army?" the Reverend asked.

Kid nodded. "Mathew's the only one left."

"Do you know where he is?"

"The last we heard he was in Georgia, but that was two or three months ago."

"Do you know his Commanding Officer's name?" Reverend Walther asked.

Jed shook his head. "No sir."

"I see. I've been told that the Army is sending two or three clerical officers to help locate enlisted family members. I'll see that Mathew is included in the search."

"Thank you, Reverend."

"I suspect it will be two or three days before we have everyone ready for viewing. Is there anything the two of you need? Food? Clothing?"

Again, Kid and Heyes both shook their heads. "We can manage," Heyes replied, then with a sudden change of mind, he did make a request. "Reverend, all we've got is the clothes on our backs. Do you suppose someone could loan us some Sunday clothes for the funerals?"

"I'll see what I can do, but under the circumstances, no one is expected to wear a Sunday suit," Reverend Walther replied.

"Jed's ma would expect it. She wouldn't even let Jed wear socks with a hole in em to church."

"I'm sure someone will be willing to loan you a suit," the Reverend replied. Come to the Parsonage an hour before the service and we'll have a suit waiting there for you both. Hannibal, I hear you've taken the pre-college entrance exam?" the Reverend asked, making some attempt to bring some normalcy to the conversation.

"Yes sir, but I suppose it don't mean nothing now."

"Don't give up your dream, Hannibal. Set it aside for the present, but don't abandon it altogether. Give yourself some time to make that decision."

"Yes sir," Heyes replied with no conviction in his voice. "I guess we'll be going now."

As the two boys stood, Mrs. Walther placed a paper sack in each boy's hand. "Some sandwiches and cookies for later," she told them with a compassionate smile.

They both offered her a polite smile and a quiet thank you, then bid their goodbyes and headed out the door.

"Well that's it," Kid said once they were out of the house. "We're officially orphans."

Heyes nodded but knew that Kid was expressing far more than the words he had spoken. "Let's go back to your… the root cellar. You said your pa might have let the horses and cow loose. Let's use the afternoon to look for em."

Kid nodded and the two boys walked silently down the street and out of town.

0-0-0-0-0

Heyes and the Kid stayed away from town and spent much of their time scouring the woods for the two work horses and the cow that Jed was certain his father and set loose before Quantrill's Raiders had reached the homestead. They found a loose horse in the woods, but he was not one of the Curry animals. The horse was still wearing a bit and harness and was easily brought back to the farm with the intention of taking him into town where the owner might be located.

The morning of the funeral service, Heyes and Kid led the stray horse by the reins as they walked back to town. With the Livery in ashes, they took the horse to the Sheriff's Office, then walked to the Parsonage. Reverend Walther had been true to his word and two slightly ill-fitting dress suits were waiting for each of the boys. Mrs. Walther had the suits laid out in a bedroom, along with two washbowls, towels, and soap and the boys quickly washed as much of the dirt and grime from their bodies before donning the suits for the viewing of their families.

By eleven that morning a crowd of surviving family members had begun to gather outside the church and Heyes and Kid noticed that six children they knew from school were not present among the survivors, nor were several adults they knew. Reverend Walther stood on the steps outside the church and led a group reciting of the Lord's Prayer. Then the doors were opened, and people began filing into the sanctuary.

All the windows in the Sanctuary were open and a gentle cross breeze could be felt. The church pews had been lined up against the walls and one hundred and seventy-three caskets stands and caskets had been lined up in a dozen rows with precious little space between them. Freshly cut garden flowers and candles decorated small tables that separated the caskets of one family from another. But the open windows, the flowers and the candles did little to alleviate the odor of death and decay in the air.

The church Deacons were of great assistance helping families locate their loved ones and Heyes and Kid were relieved to find their families were side by side so neither of the two boys would be standing alone to face the onslaught of mourners. Outside in the courtyard the Ladies' Axillary had tables with lemonade and a variety of homemade cookies available for those finding themselves faint of heart from the heat, the odor, or simply the stress.

This visitation period was to last three hours, after which time a group service would be conducted, followed by a carry-in dinner largely prepared by the Ladies' Axillary. Burials were to begin the following morning in a large corner of the church cemetery that had been prepared over the course of several days.

For three difficult hours Heyes and Jed stood side by side in the small space between the two family's caskets as what seemed like the entire population of Lawrence slowly followed a processional from one group of family mourners to the next. Heyes, the older and more outgoing of the two boys thanked people for their condolences while Jed mostly just nodded and mechanically shook hands offered in support and sympathy. Reverend Walther noted that nearly all the children in the room demonstrated a courage far beyond their years and felt a sense of sadness at the loss of innocence at such young ages.

At the conclusion of the visitation, families were given the option of opening the caskets for one final viewing of their loved ones, but Heyes and Jed both declined, with Heyes explaining they would rather remember their family alive and vibrant. Having endured the long day and the heavy odor that permeated the church, neither was interested in attending the dinner and instead returned to the Parsonage to return the suits and change back into their own clothes before beginning the long and solemn walk back to the Curry root cellar.

Both boys were beyond exhaustion and quickly fell asleep sharing a blanket and each with an arm draped over the other, a physical reminder to each that they were not alone.

0-0-0-0-0

Heyes woke the next morning with just a streak of sunlight coming in from between the cellar doors. He gave a groggy glance about the heavily shadowed room but did not see Jed. He sat up quickly and called out in a low whisper. "Jed?"

"Sush," came a sharp warning reply from the top of the stairs.

Heyes looked up to see Kid listening intently to some unfamiliar noises outside the cellar.

"Somebody out there?" Heyes whispered and saw Kid nod his head. "Somebody we know?"

Kid shook his head but pressed a finger against his lips to quiet his cousin.

Heyes moved quietly to the stairs. "How many are out there?" he whispered.

Kid held up one finger, then moved that finger against his lips a second time.

"What's he doing?" Heyes persisted.

"Stealing would be my guess. Now shut up."

Heyes started to turn away when his eyes caught sight of the gun belt strapped around Kid's waist, the gun still in the holster.

"What do you plan to do, go out there and shoot the man for walking across the yard?" Heyes demanded in a whispered by angry tone.

"I plan on protecting what belongs to my family, but I need you to be quiet so I can figure out what he is doing!" Kid whispered back, growing equally equally agitated.

Heyes sat down on the lowest step with a quiet huff.

"He's moved on," Kid said minutes later, then slowly opened the cellar door just enough to look around.

"Now what are you doing?" Heyes again whispered loudly.

"Just making sure he's gone," Kid replied and slipped outside, then quietly closed the door behind him.

Heyes moved to the top of the stairs and listened intently through the door. When all he heard was silence for several minutes, he opened the door and stepped out into the yard.

He had taken only a few steps when a strange male voice called out to him. "Stop right there boy or I might just hafta shoot you dead."

Heyes froze in his tracks and raised his hands to the height of his shoulders. "I'm not armed, mister."

"But I am," Kid said as he stepped out from behind a tree. "And you're on private property so I'm telling you to leave."

The man was obviously a drifter and a scavenger. He kept his rifle pointed at Heyes but turned his head in the direction of Kid and saw that the boy had a gun strapped to his waist. The man smiled at the sight of two young boys thinking they could overpower a man already armed with a loaded rifle. "Maybe it's the two of you that should be leaving," he replied. "Maybe you both ought to go hide behind your mother's apron strings."

"Coming to this town thinking you're gonna profit from other folk's misery, well that just ain't an endearing character trait," Kid told him. "Now, I'm telling you for the last time to turn on your heals and march yourself off this property."

"You're a cocky fella, ain't you? Why I could shoot you both dead before your hand ever reached that gun of yours."

"You sure you wanna find out?" Kid replied.

"Jed, don't," Heyes nervously cautioned, but Jed's focus remained on the stranger.

With the first sign of the stranger turning the rifle toward him, Kid instantly pulled the six-shooter from the holster and fired two shots. The first struck the rifle barrel just below the sight and the second hit its mark on the barrel just above the trigger.

The rifle flew from the man's hand, catching his trigger finger and bending it backward as the rifle was torn from his grasp and flung several feet away. The man grabbed his now broken finger and glared up at Jed, still holding his gun pointed at the man.

"Heyes, get his rifle," Kid said, then directed his words to the stranger. "Now git."

"What about my gun and my horse?"

"That horse has the Curry brand and I appreciate the gift of the rifle. Now I'm counting to three and then I may just hafta start shooting again."

The pain in the man's hand and having the gun still pointed directly at him, kept the looting stranger from any further protest, and he turned and walked quickly down the lane.

Holding the damaged rifle in his hand, Heyes walked over to Kid and stood beside him, both watching the man until he was out of sight.

"I knew you'd been practicing, but I had no idea you could draw and shoot like that," Heyes said, astounded by what he had just witnessed.

Jed holstered the gun and gave Heyes an embarrassed smile. "To be honest, me either," he lied.

"You know Kid, with my brains and your skill, I think we're gonna be alright."

Kid crooked his head to the side and the expression on his face was a cross between a frown and a smile. "Or end up in a peck of trouble one day," he replied.

0-0-0-0-0

The graveside service found nearly eight hundred people in attendance. Immediate family members gathered in the front of the crowd, and all stood around solemnly as the last of the pine boxes were carried out, each laid beside a freshly dug grave. Sixty men had spent the past two days digging a hundred and seventy-three graves and two wood smiths had spent the same amount of time carving simple wooden crosses with the surname of each of the deceased. Most people attended wearing the traditional black mourning attire but many, like Heyes and Jed who had lost everything to the arsonists wore whatever clothing they had remaining. Black ribbon mourning bands were handed out by the church Deacons.

With so many burials, Reverend Walther was unable to speak of each individual person and chose to focus his graveside sermon on the strength and courage of both the deceased and the survivors. He touched on the senselessness of the destruction and the loss of lives and property but focused more on the deceased being welcomed into the peaceful enlightenment of Heaven and asked mourners to seek comfort from the words of God.

Heyes and Jed stood quietly, catching a few of the Reverend's words but mostly lost in their own feelings of grief and uncertainty. In later years, neither would be able to recall a single word the Reverend spoke or a single person who offered condolences. In fact, the only thing they did remember about that day was watching five specific caskets being lowered into the ground and tossing a handful of dirt into each grave.

After the service some people lingered in the churchyard while others slowly began making their way to their horses or carriages. Others started home on foot. As Heyes and Kid began to leave, Reverend Walther approached them.

"Boys, I'd like the two of you to stay for dinner. I have some news for you."

"Alright," Heyes replied, knowing his cousin would have preferred to decline.

0-0-0

Heyes and Jed sat at the dinner table with Reverend Walther and ate the first hot meal they had eaten in a week. Neither had realized he even had any appetite until Mrs. Walther filled their plates with fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans with bits of fried bacon cooked in.

"Boys, it's going to take a month and perhaps even longer to locate Mathew, secure a hardship discharge, and bring him back here to Lawrence. Now I'm not quite sure where the two of you have been staying, but I know you're not staying at the hotel, and I think I have an alternative to offer."

Jed stopped chewing and raised his eyes to pay full attention to the Reverend's idea of an alternative to the root cellar.

"What do you have in mind?" Heyes asked and gave Jed a skeptical glance.

"After the service today the widow Black came to see me and asked what she could do to help any of the children. I asked her if she would be willing to take in two boys, you two boys to be exact, until Mathew arrived to assume that responsibility. She said that you Jed, are a friend of her son, Billy."

Jed nodded. "Billy's a couple of grades behind me in school. He gets picked on sometimes. I help him out when I can."

"Jed's always been a big defender of the underdog," Heyes added.

"She's a very kind woman and it would mean a solid roof over your heads, three square meals a day, a warm bed, and someone to look out for you," the Reverend said. "Not that you need someone looking out for you," he added, knowing the boys were likely a bit sensitive about that matter.

"Where does she live?" Heyes asked.

"Just outside of town on Old Mills Road," Reverend Walther replied.

Heyes looked at Kid for his opinion on the matter. Kid looked dubious but didn't object, although he quickly dropped his eyes to the food on his plate.

"Well, what do you say boys? It's not like you'd be living with strangers, and it's not a permanent arrangement. It's only until your brother Mathew arrives."

Jed's eyes shifted toward his cousin. They both knew the food in the root cellar would not last for two weeks, let alone a month or more, and they knew they had no money to replenish their food supply. Billy was nine years old and a likeable boy, and the thought of a warm bed was too good to turn down.

"Jed and I appreciate and accept Mrs. Black's kind offer, but we need to go back to where we're staying to pick up a few things so… maybe we could wait till tomorrow to move in?"

"Of course. I could take you there myself tomorrow if you would like," the Reverend offered.

Heyes turned to Jed who gave his head a quick shake. "I know where the house is," Kid replied.

"I'll tell her to expect you boys around noon tomorrow then."

0-0-0-0-0

Jenny Black, a young, stout, blonde woman with eyes that had already seen more sadness than joy in her life, and a smile so warm it could melt all the snow at the North Pole, stood on her small porch with her arms spread wide as Heyes and Jed climbed the embankment in front of her house. She lived just outside of town, but in the opposite direction from the Heyes and Curry farms.

Kid had seen her a couple of times at school functions and remembered her as having and infectious laugh that filled the schoolhouse.

"I remember Jedediah," she said as she pulled him in against her skirts like a mother goose gathering her goslings under her wing. "And you must be Hannibal."

Heyes smiled but managed to stay just outside of her embracing grasp. "Yes Ma'am."

"You boys just call me Jenny. No sense being formal. Nothing wrong with being polite, but formal is just too much to ask of a growing boy."

"Yes Ma'am," the two boys replied in unison.

"Well let's go inside and get the two of you settled. I hope you don't mind sharing a room, do you?"

Heyes and Kid both smiled with great relief. "No Ma'am," they replied, and Jenny detected some loss of tension as she led them down a short hallway to their room.

The room had two single beds with a nightstand and a small window between the beds. On the nightstand were two glasses of milk and a plate of freshly baked sugar cookies. One large dresser with a mirror and a small desk completed the furniture in the room.

"I thought you two might like a little snack while you get your things unpacked. Billy is over at a friend's house, but he knows to be back for supper. You two boys just make yourselves at home and feel free to explore the house and yard if you'd like," Jenny told them, then disappeared back down the hall to the kitchen.

"Seems nice enough," Heyes said as he tossed his bag on the bed and sat down on one of the beds.

Kid nodded but offered no reply.

"You alright?" Heyes asked.

Kid sat down on the edge of his bed and nodded a second time. "What's gonna happen when Matt gets here?"

"I s'pect they'll have him sign custody papers for you."

"If he signs em for you too, will that make us brothers?" Kid asked.

"I don't know if custody and adoption are the same thing and I think he'd hafta adopt me for that to happen."

"And then we'd be brothers?" Kid asked again.

"Jed, Matt ain't more than six years older than me. I'm not about to call him Pa."

Kid giggled at that thought. "Maybe you and me oughta settle on just being partners."

"That sounds good to me, Partner."

In the kitchen Jenny smiled at the sound of giggles coming from the boy's room.

0-0-0-0-0

Nearly three weeks passed before Sheriff Billings and Reverend Walther paid a visit to Jenny's house to talk to the two boys.

"We got word that Mathew Curry has been located and a hardship discharge request has been filed," Sheriff Billings told them as they sat with Heyes, Kid, and Jenny at the kitchen table.

"When Mathew gets here, I'll move Billy in with you boys so Matt will have a place to stay while the three of you figure out what you're going to do," Jenny promised them.

"How soon will Matt be coming?" Kid asked.

"That's hard to say, son. I would guess at least another two or three weeks," the Sheriff told them. "I've been told the discharge date will most likely be the first of October."

"Where is he now?" Heyes asked.

"On his way to the Tennessee-Georgia Border to a place called Chickamauga. I don't know if he'll continue on to that place or if he'll be sent somewhere to complete the discharge process, but as soon as we hear anything, we'll let you boys know," the Sheriff promised.

"How are things going for you boys?" Reverend Walther asked. "Is there anything you need?"

"We're fine, Reverend. Miss Jenny is real nice and she's taking good care of us," Heyes told him.

"Jenny, is there anything you need?" the Reverend asked.

"No. We're all getting along just fine. Why, I already think of these two as my own boys. Between them and Billy, they eat me out of house and home, but they pitch in and do their fair share around the place. I know their folks would be very proud of em both."

"I'm glad you're all adjusting to the situation. I'm sure things will get a bit easier for all of you when Mathew arrives."

"We'll come by again when we hear any more news," Sheriff Billings promised. "Reverend, you ready to go? We still have a few more stops to make."

"I hope to see you all in church on Sunday," the reverend said as he and the Sheriff headed out the door.

"Well boys, it looks like things are falling into place for the two of you," Jenny said joyfully after the Sheriff and Reverend Walther had left.

Both boys nodded but neither would be truly convinced until Mathew was back in Lawrence.

0-0-0-0-0

Three weeks had come and gone without any word about when Mathew Curry would be returning to Lawrence. On the last Saturday of September, Jed was sitting in the front room of the house with his six gun, a tin of cleaning oil and a soft cloth when he heard a horse drawn carriage come to a stop in front of the house. He looked out the window to see Sheriff Billings and Reverend Walther climbing down from the seat and then saw them stop on the walk to discuss something.

"Heyes!" Kid called with enough urgency to bring both Heyes and Jenny hurrying into the room.

"What is it?" Heyes asked.

Kid gave a nod toward the window. "I think Mathew's dead," Kid replied flatly.

"What! Why?" Heyes asked and again Kid gave a nod toward the window.

"The Sheriff and Reverend and they ain't in a hurry to come in."

Both Heyes and Jenny rushed to the window. Seeing the two men sent a shiver down Heyes' spine.

"Now boys, there could be a dozen reasons for them to be out there talking," Jenny told them as she moved quickly to the front door and stepped out onto the porch.

Heyes followed Jenny but stay inside, just behind the screen door so he could see out on the porch but also keep a watchful eye on Kid who had not moved from his seat.

"The two of you must have some news about Matt," Jenny called out to the men. "Come on in and let's hear it because you've got the boys a bit worried."

When they both looked up, their expressions told Jenny all she needed to know. Jed's premonition was confirmed.

"Might as well get this over with," she said softly as the two men stepped up onto the porch.

Heyes took a step back from the door and Jenny held the door open for the two men to enter.

Two very somber boys watched as Jenny led them into the room and gestured toward the settee. Jed sat silently staring at the cleaning cloth in his hands while Heyes crossed the room to stand next to his cousin.

"It's true, ain't it?" Heyes asked. "Where did it happen?"

Sheriff Billings pulled a telegram from his shirt pocket. "Mathew was near the Tennessee-Georgia border at a place called Chickamauga. It was to be his last skirmish before heading to Knoxville to receive his discharge papers. Casualties were very high on both sides," the Sheriff explained.

Kid's eyes never wandered from the cleaning cloth. Jenny moved behind his chair and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"When?" Heyes demanded.

"Four days ago. September nineteenth."

"What happens to the boys now?" Jenny asked.

"We'll start contacting orphanages," Reverend Walther replied.

"Can't they stay here with me? Maybe I could adopt them," Jenny suggested.

"The law doesn't allow a single woman to adopt children, especially if they aren't blood relatives," Sheriff Billings explained.

Without a word Kid set his gun on the table and stood. As Jenny's hand slipped from his shoulder, the cleaning cloth fell to the floor. Kid didn't bother to pick it up and instead he moved to the front door and walked outside."

"Heyes, go after him," Jenny said urgently.

"No. Let him go. He needs some time alone. He'll be back when he's ready," Heyes replied.

Jenny opened her mouth to argue, but quickly reconsidered and nodded.

Outside, Kid walked down the hill to the street, then broke into a fast run and disappeared from view.

"I'll let you know when we've got things arranged," Reverend Walther told Jenny with a gentle hand on her arm.

"If you ask me, the Law don't know the first thing about the needs of orphans," Jenny replied.

"Sheriff, I'm almost fifteen. Can't I take responsibility for Jed?" Heyes asked.

Sheriff Billings shook his head. "You're not fifteen yet, son. I'm afraid that's just not possible."

"I'll see you both to the door," Jenny said, knowing she and the boys needed time to grasp all the implications.

When the two men left the house Jenny shut the door and leaned her back heavily against it. Her worst fears had come true, but she knew her hands were tied and there was nothing she could do to alter the situation. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked across the room and saw Heyes standing there looking at her with glazed eyes. Jenny crossed the room and wrapped him in her arms as he stood stunned and frozen in grief.

If this was Heyes' reaction, what must Jed be feeling, she thought.

Jenny spent the rest of the day worrying about Jed; where he was, what he was doing, if he was safe, and if he'd ever return. Heyes worried too, but for different reasons and he tried staying out of Jenny's way. When dusk began to move in, Jenny couldn't keep her worries to herself any longer.

"Hannibal, he's out there somewhere all alone," she reminded him.

"I'm pretty sure I know where he is, Jenny. I'll go find him, but we might not be back till morning. I'll know when he's ready."

Jenny went to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of sandwiches she had prepared just to keep herself busy. She handed Heyes the bag and a word of advice. "Find him, and the both of you be careful," she told him while hoping against hope that this would not be the last she would see of them.

0-0-0-0-0

Heyes saw the lantern light between the cracks of the root cellar doors and knew he had guessed correctly about where Kid had gone. He leaned down and knocked the coded knock Kid had used when they had returned from Baldwin after Heyes had taken his college pre-entrance exam. "Kid, it's me, Heyes" he added before pulling open one of the doors and climbing down the ladder as he closed the door behind him.

Kid was sitting on the floor with a blanket wrapped about him. His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were puffy and red, but he looked up at Heyes as he approached and sat down beside his cousin.

"Didn't want Jenny seeing me…," Kid explained without completing his sentence.

"She's worried about you, but I told her I knew where I'd find you and I told her we'd likely not be back till morning," Heyes replied and pulled some of the blanket over himself.

"Thanks."

They sat quietly for a long time, sharing the blanket for both warmth and comfort. "What happens now?" Kid asked, breaking the long silence.

"We'll go back to Jenny's in the morning…."

"I mean beyond that," Kid interrupted.

"Reverend's gonna find an orphanage that'll take us in. Until then we can stay with Jenny."

"We could run away and be on our own," Kid suggested.

Heyes smiled as the thought had occurred to him as well. "We don't have even one horse between us, we don't have any money, and the only thing we have in the way of food is a few jars of canned peaches. No Kid, I think we should go to the orphanage just long enough to finish school. I know that seems like a long time right now, but schooling is important."

"Easy for you to say, you're done in year."

"If we get there and one of us don't like, we'll leave together. That's a promise."

"Are they bringing Matt here to be buried?" Kid asked.

"I… I don't know."

"If they are I ain't leaving till he's buried next to Ma and Pa."

"We'll try to find that out tomorrow."

The two boys talked late into the night about their apprehensions of the future, the unfairness of lives lost, the anger that consumed them both, the atrocities of war, the validity of God, and the impact of simple kindnesses. By the time the oil in the lamp was spent, the first hint of daylight was cresting the horizon. When it was light enough to travel back to Jenny's home, they gathered the few remaining jars of fruit and the three rifles they still had hidden away and climbed the ladder, knowing they would likely never return.

0-0-0-0-0

Jenny sat in a rocking chair on the porch with a large bowl of fresh green beans that she and her son Billy were snapping in preparation for the large supper she planned to prepare that evening. Billy was in a chair beside her with a second bowl sitting in his lap for the discarded bits of the beans and was far more focused on the task than his mother who kept a pensive watch on the road for the two prodigal boys.

Jenny glanced over to assess the contents of the second bowl, then raised her eyes to her young son as she thought about just how very fortunate she was that her home and her son had been spared the horrors of Quantrill's Raiders. But for the grace of God little Billy could be facing a life as an orphan and her heart and soul ached for the plight Heyes and Kid were facing.

"Ma, why are you crying?"

The question dashed the thoughts from her mind, and she quickly wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "There must've been a wild onion in with these beans," she explained. "Onions just burn the eyes to the point of tears."

It was Billy who spied Heyes and Kid down the road. Jenny quickly moved the bowl of beans to the small table between the two chairs, then pulled herself from the rocker and stood at the edge of the steps. As she watched the two boys approach, she realized just how similar Kid was to her Billy: the same corn colored hair and the same blue eyes, and the same quiet, gentle manner about them. The realization made her heart ache even more than she thought possible. Not wanting to let Heyes and Kid see what she was feeling, Jenny took a deep breath and forced a broad smile on her face as she watched them climb the small hill to the front yard.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," she exclaimed while giving Heyes a subtle questioning glance.

Heyes read her silent question and nodded his head to indicate all was well.

"You two look plumb worn out and hungry as a couple of bears. Why don't you go inside and take a load off. I've got your breakfast warming on the stove," she told them. "Billy and me will finish up here and then come in and join you."

Kid looked at Jenny and offered a shy smile as he walked into the house without a word and Heyes followed, but paused and gave Jenny's arm a gentle squeeze.

When Jenny and Billy walked into the house, Jenny was surprised to see three rifles, seven jars of canned peaches, and Kid's six gun and holster all gathered in a pile at the end of the kitchen table. "What's all this?" she asked. "You boys aren't planning a very messy target practice, are you?"

"This is everything we own in the world," Kid explained. "My ma canned them peaches and the guns belonged to my pa."

"Jed and me figured no orphanage is gonna let us take these things with us, so we thought maybe you could hold on to em for us," Heyes added.

"Except the peaches. You and Billy can eat those if you want," Kid added.

"Of curse I'll hold on to them for you. They'll be waiting right here for you when you when you graduate."

"You know how to shoot a rifle, Jenny?" Kid asked. "I'd be willing to show you, and Billy too if you want."

Jenny sat down at the table with a sad smile on her face. "I wish they'd let you boys stay here with me and Billy, and I want you both to know you've always got a home here with us."

"Thank you, Jenny. We'll remember that. No need to go worrying about the two of us. Kid and me are going to be alright. I think we've surprised ourselves a time or two with just how resourceful we both are," Heyes replied and gave Kid a wink of his eye and saw the corners or Kid's mouth turn upward in reply.

0-0-0-0-0

The Valparaiso School for Waywards was the only government funded orphanage in the entire state of Kansas. It was located in the south west portion of the state, almost two hundred miles from the town of Lawrence, but for Hannibal Heyes and Jed Curry, it might just as well have been on the other side of the earth.

The process of having them declared wards of the state took nearly a month, but once the legal red tape had been finalized the admission to the orphanage was expediated and within just a few days their arrival date had been set.

Reverend Walther had been instrumental securing the boy's admission to the orphanage and the church congregation had taken up a collection to cover the costs of the train tickets and to purchase an inexpensive but respectable suit and winter coat for each of the boys to wear on the trip. The Reverend, and Jenny would see them off at the train station and they were to be met by two school officials when the train pulled into the town nearest their destination.

Jenny had given them a satchel and had washed, pressed, and packed all their combined clothing into the bag, along with a sack of sandwiches to eat on the train.

"I put a little surprise in the bottom of the bag for each of you. Be careful with that bag because what I put in there is fragile, and don't go peaking until you get to the school," she told them as she handed the satchel to Heyes. "And remember, you boys always have a home with me and Billy."

Jed leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek and Jenny pulled him tight into a hug, then spread one arm out to include Heyes. She kissed them both on the cheek, then stoically pushed them gently away as she knew her tears could not be contained much longer. Both boys then shook Reverend Walther's hand before climbing the steps into the passenger car and heading down the aisle to find seats.

Jenny and the Reverend stood on the platform and watched the train pull out of the station.

"You know Kid, they will probably go through our bag when we get there," Heyes said in an attempt to peak Jed's curiosity.

"I don't know Heyes, Jenny was pretty serious about not looking till we get to the orphanage," Kid replied.

"We wouldn't want them finding whatever it is Jenny sent along and deciding to keep it for themselves."

"I just don't think it would be proper," Kid argued.

"Immoral?"

"Very…. Let's look."

Placing the bag between them on the seat, Heyes unlatched the bag and handed Kid the bag of sandwiches which Kid quickly set aside. Tossing the neatly folded clothes about in the bag, Heyes' hand settled on a heavy paper sack, and he looked up at Jed and smiled as he slowly pulled the bag from the satchel.

Kid dropped the satchel down to the floor and watched with some anticipation as Heyes opened the bag and reached inside. He smiled when he felt the two Mason jars and he pulled one out and handed it to Jed, then pulled the second one out for himself. Taped to the lid of each jar was a shiny new silver dollar, and tied to one jar with a piece of yarn was a note.

Keep the lid sealed and these peaches will last forever, just like the love you have for your family. The dollar is to remind you that only a poor man has no money. Always remember that the past does not control the future. Be brave. Be strong and always know you have a port in any storm with old Jenny.

Kid let his thumb absently stroke the side of the Mason jar. "You know Heyes, I think you might be right."

"About what?"

"About us being alright."

Heyes smiled. "You know, it could go the other way."

"What do you mean?"

"I think you're the one who said we could just end up in a peck of trouble."

Kid smiled broadly. "Maybe we could flip a coin."

0-0-0-0-0

Author's Note: Families of soldiers and officers who died during the Civil War were not notified by military messenger, but by public postings of names in newspapers or by letters written by other soldiers to the deceased's family. Military messengers began during more recent wars.

The TV series took liberties with the timeline of Kid and Heyes' childhood years but given the fact that Heyes once said the traumas of war and the deaths of their parents likely played a part in the fact that they became outlaws, it stands to reason that from the time of their births their entire childhoods were shadowed by the approaching Civil War.

I wanted this story not to focus on the single event of the death of their parents, but rather to reflect the fact that the entire country, every man, woman, and child had to adapt and grow accustomed to living in uncertain times. The innocence of childhood was something few children knew during those turbulent years.

The Battle of Chickamauga was one of the last battles fought during the Civil War. It lasted three days, after which time Union soldiers retreated. 16,170 Union soldiers and 18,454 Confederate soldiers died in that battle, and it was the second costliest battle in terms of lives lost during the entire Civil War.