Thanks so much for all the kind reviews! I'm glad to see that there are other Laramie fans out there who are also history buffs like me :)

Tomorrow came bright and early, and the whole company began to move out by early afternoon. Soon Dallas was left behind, and as they headed north and west the flat lands of Arkansas began to loom closer. Neither Jess nor Mark had ever been outside of Texas, and they weren't sure whether they were excited to see new places or sad to leave their home behind. After many days of riding beneath the scorching sun and being buffeted by devastating winds, they began to wonder if joining the army had been the best choice after all.

Jess and Mark found that the fight they had shared and the ensuing discussion with Colonel Greer had been the beginnings of a bond that continued to grow as they rode. By the time they arrived at Fort Smith, they were nearly inseparable. Not only were they both sixteen years old, but they had a similar rebellious spirit that had caused them both to run away from home. However, while Jess had cut ties with all of his remaining family when he left, Rowdy had tagged along behind his older brother. Here was a dynamic that fascinated Jess. Nathaniel, Mark's older brother, clearly wanted nothing to do with his little brother, but Mark just as clearly idolized him. It was only as Jess learned more about their absent father that he began to understand how desperate Mark was for a paternal figure.

For some reason or another, Jess couldn't stop using the nickname he had coined for Mark, and before too long it was stuck too securely to ever remove. Most of the other men in the regiment had started to use it too.

"Hey Rowdy," called one of the men from his seat by the campfire. "What did you say your father's name was? Yellow Yates?" Jess grabbed Rowdy's arm even as he jerked around.

"Come on, Rowdy, you can't fight everyone who tries to rile you. Let it go." Rowdy was still snarling but he allowed himself to be steered away by Jess. The laughter of the men receded as they made their way to the spot where they had been told to pitch their tents. As they were choosing a place, they noticed someone putting his tent up a little ways away from all the rest. He was behind the canvas and they couldn't see him well, but when he came around Jess was shocked to see that he couldn't have been more than twelve years old.

"Rowdy!" He grabbed his friend by the arm and pulled him over. "Look, he's just a kid!" They stared at him until he noticed, and then his eyes widened in fright. Turning on a dime he tried to run away, but Jess had anticipated his break and took off after him, catching up with him in a matter of moments.

"Hold on, Boy, I ain't gonna hurt ya!" he said as the boy swung his arms wildly in an attempt to escape Jess's grip. After he said this, the boy stilled, but the fear was still in his eyes.

"You're not going to send me home, are you?" Jess threw a look at Rowdy, then looked back down at the boy as he answered,

"No, I'm not going to send you home." He felt the boy relax a little, so he released his grip on the boy's arms. "But you are a mite young to be in the army. What made you join up?" Looking around carefully, the boy seemed to ponder whether he should answer truthfully or not, and apparently decided it was all right.

"I had to join up." For a moment he wouldn't say any more, so Rowdy prompted him.

"What do you mean, you had to?" But the boy seemed determined not to say anything else. Jess looked down at him kindly and asked,

"Well, what's your name, Boy?" The boy looked up at him with wide eyes, and finally said,

"Horace." Rowdy and Jess exchanged looks, and Jess tried again to get some more of the boy's history.

"Did you join with somebody from your family, your Pa, maybe?" BItterness shot into the boy's eyes, as well as some hot tears.

"That's why I had to join! My Pa and my older brother left to join the Union." This statement caught both Rowdy and Jess by surprise.

""And, why did you decide to join the Confederacy?" Rowdy asked with unfeigned confusion.

"Because a man in town told me that the Union was wrong, and I know he's right." Horace's dark hair stuck up at odd angles and his face was streaked with dirt, but the humor of his looks couldn't even bring a smile to either of the older boy's faces. Suddenly the gravity of what this war was doing to the country and the people in it struck them most potently.

"Where are you from, Boy?" Jess asked softly. Fear crept back into Horace's eyes.

"You're not going to send me home!" Jess laid a placating hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I already told ya, I'm not going to send you home! I just want to know where you're from." Eyeing him suspiciously, Horace finally admitted,

"I'm from the Nebraska Territory. My family owns a ranch there."

"That's a long ways from here," commented Rowdy with a little bit of admiration. Horace nodded.

"Yeah, it is. Ma was at home with baby Andy, and Pa and Slim left to join the cavalry, so I had to do something too." Just then, one of the soldiers could be heard approaching, and Horace scrambled into his tent so he couldn't be spotted. Jess and Rowdy were left in a swirl of questions when the captain came upon them. He looked at them curiously and asked slowly,

"Did y'all forget that there's a war going on? We're moving on to Missouri in the morning, so you better get your tents pitched and be ready to head out at first light."

"Yes, Sir, we'll do that," Jess replied promptly. Rowdy was slower on the uptake, but finally remembered himself and saluted the captain. He looked them up and down questioningly, then turned and walked away.

As the men were forming their line the next day, Colonel Greer came galloping down the ranks to look the men over. As he rode past Jess and Rowdy, he reined up his horse and smiled at the two boys.

"Harper, Yates, sounds like you two have been keeping out of unnecessary brawls." The twinkle in his eyes as his horse pranced in place made the boys feel warm inside and they both chorused a,

"Yes, Sir."

"I'm glad to hear it," he said with a nod, then turned and continued on his way before they could recognize the sadness that was never far behind his mirth. They watched him disappear together, then Rowdy commented to Jess,

"That man can ride." Jess nodded in agreement.