Birthday that Ends with Zero
Spring blooms everywhere, even in Devil's Hole. The beige landscape gradually turns into various and sundry greens, deep and bright, light and dark.
And the beginning of spring meant that Hannibal Heyes, one of the two leaders of the notorious Devil's Hole Gang, was getting a small spark of a plan…a plan to rob the southbound evening train coming down from Montana just as it slows down to climb a big summit hill. But he needed to work out the details, every detail. So, he started pacing. He paced at night and when the sun came out, he paced around their camp. And the gang did not disturb him.
Well, no one dared bother him except his partner and cousin, Jed 'Kid' Curry. "Heyes, let's go fishin'. I'll dig some worms while you pace yourself down to the creek."
"What? Kid, you talking to me?" asked Heyes.
Curry laughed. "Yes. You get so deep into your plannin'; I think you forget there's a world around you. Do you want to go fishin'? You can do your plannin' as well sittin' on a boulder fishin', as wearin' a path into the dirt around here."
"You're right. Let's go." Heyes fell into step with his co-leader who stopped abruptly.
"Just what do you think Kyle is doin'?" Curry asked.
Kyle Murtry was the smallest member of the gang, yet he was bent over looking at all the brown dirt left from winter. Watching for a moment, the partners shook their heads, chuckled, and headed to the stream.
ASJ*ASJ
Lost in his planning of the upcoming robbery, Heyes walked slowly back to the leader's cabin, a full string of big fish in his hand. A pouting Curry followed a few steps behind carrying their poles with his string of two small fish swung over his shoulder.
"Kid," Heyes said, turning around. Still pouting, Curry didn't answer.
"KID, look. Kyle is still at it. Any idea what he's doing?" Heyes asked.
"No idea. Kyle's brain is a mystery to me," Curry answered. "Still don't understand how you caught all them fish while daydreamin' about robbin' a train."
Heyes smiled. "Technique. Now what is that man up to?" he asked as Kyle ran by.
"I found her! I found her!" he yelled all excited and ran into the bunk house.
Curry and Heyes shrugged their shoulders and went into the leader's cabin and threw their fish in the small sink.
"Don't know what Kyle's doin' but he has a candle in a biscuit or somethin' and the whole gang is followin' him," Curry observed from the window. "Let's go, Heyes."
Kyle stopped a few yards into the trees and knelt down. He unwrapped the remnants of a sock.
"Good Lord, what is that smell, Kyle?" asked Preacher.
"Compost," Kyle answered happily. "Been savin' food scraps for weeks now for her." He leaned closer to the ground and spread the pungent mixture.
"Just what are you doing and who is her?" demanded Kyle's partner Wheat.
Kyle looked up at the men in back of him and smiled widely showing tobacco-stained teeth. "Her!" He pointed to the ground. The men moved closer to see one delicate flower opening from a bud. "She's the first flower of spring and it's her zero birthday. Ain't got no cake, but I think pieces of this biscuit will help her grow faster."
"You put a candle in a biscuit for a flower's zero birthday?" Wheat growled.
"Sure did, just like when we were kids and found the first flower. Now let's wish her a happy birthday," Kyle finished enthusiastically.