The Brant Boys

"Yuh boy's seem a might young t' be ridin' the rails, don't yuh think? What's your ma and Pa goin' t' think when they find yuh're not in your beds come mornin'?"

"Thanks Mister," I told him. "But we're not worried about that none, cause we ain't got no ma or pa."

"Do tell!" The man drawled. "Well now, yuh haven't been standin' out there by the roadbed all your born days, now have yuh?"

"I don't see why it's any of your concern, Mister," Toby spouted.

"Maybe yuh're right, boy, but yuh come bargin' in on my box, so I figure yuh can answer a few of my questions." He settled against the far wall and took out the makings for a cigarette. "Where yuh boy's headin' anyway?"

"We're not sure yet, Sir." I told him. "I guess when we get there, I can let you know."

"How come you say this is your box? Seems to me you're just borrowing it, the same as us." Toby asked, kind of snotty.

"Yuh got a point there, son. Only thing is, I borrowed it first, thet makes it mine." He cupped his hands and lit his cigarette

The flare of the match lit his face for a moment. He looked about thirty. His face was strong and good-looking, even with the dark stubble of beard. He had dark hair under his weather beaten hat, and his dark knowing eyes had a friendly look to them. He puffed on the cigarette until it was well lit then held the match up and lit the car in a soft light

"Let me take a look at yuh three, see if yuh're any good. A man's eyes are what yuh look at. They tell the whole story."

He held the match until it burned his fingers, looking from one to the other of us, back and forth. We had all seen the look that came to his face whenever we met a stranger. It usually made me laugh, but there was something about this tall stranger that made me want to keep my place. Something mighty familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. My brothers seemed to share my feelings. Maybe it was the big gun hanging low on his right hip that we all notice.

He dug in his vest pocket for another match and drug his thumbnail across the head, coming to his feet again, then stared at each of us in turn. What he saw was the same thing. We had shaggy blond hair down to our shoulders, and bright blue eyes. And we were identical, right down to our eyelashes. We could tell each other apart, but no one else ever seemed to be able to, not unless we were around them a lot. Then sometimes they might be able to tell the difference in us.

Toby was more of a hot head then Cody or I. He had a quick tongue and a salty manner. When he took the notion his tongue seemed to get us in more trouble than we could get out of, usually getting us a good beating.

Cody was usually quiet and easy going, but when he did have something to say, we listened. It saved us from a beating many a time, or at least prepared us for one to come.

And me? I'm the oldest, and my brothers look to me to do the talking for us most times, make the decisions, and take care of us as best I can. I kind of took over as head of the family after our Pappy was killed, and even got saddled with the nickname 'Pappy'

myself. Since Toby was the youngest, we called him Junior most times, like our Pappy had done before he died.

"I'll be damned! Will yuh look at thet?" The man said under his breath. "I'll be damned!" He said out loud. "How old are yuh boys, and what's your names?" He was grinning now.

"Mister, we don't know nothing about you, and I don't see how it's any of your mind." Toby said, not quite sure of this tall stranger.

"It won't hurt to tell him, Toby," I said quickly, wanting to give Toby a warning look. "He won't do us no harm.

"I'm Boady Brant, and these are my brothers, Cody and Toby. And we're fourteen years old now. Old enough to do what we have to do."

"Boady, Cody, and Toby Brant! Now don't that beat all? And yuh're all of fourteen, yuh say. Good age, yessiree, a darn good age t' be traipsin' out in the world without a lick of sense, or clothes on yuh're backs."

He relit his cigarette that he had just been holding in his mouth until it had gone out, then settled against the wall again.

"Do yuh boys got in mind what yuh'll do whenever yuh get t' where yuh want t' go?"

"No, Sir, not exactly, except we plan to hunt us jobs, any job." I told him.

"You're being awful nosy, aren't you mister?" Toby said "As I said, we don't know nothing about you, but you seem to want to know more than you've got the right to know about us."

"Sorry, Mister!" Cody said, and jabbed Toby in the ribs with his elbow. "You got no need to bad mouth the man, Toby. He did lend us a hand just now when he didn't have to."

"Nope, the boy's right, it's none of my affair. I was just askin'. Yuh got spunk, kid, that's good. Yuh're all goin' to need it if yuh plan to stay alive long. But yuh best watch what yuh say, and how yuh say it, let alone who yuh say it to. There's some that won't take it kindly if yuh get too damn sassy. And since yuh plan to step into a man's shoes, yuh'll all be treated like one."

He made sense, this easy-talking man did, and I kept getting the feeling I knew him somehow. I found myself liking him without really knowing why.

"We thought maybe we could hire out to some cow outfit, or join a drive heading West."

"Have yuh boys ever worked cattle before?" He asked, seeming kind of doubtful.

I didn't want to shame myself in front of him, but I also couldn't lie. "No Sir. But we can learn," I added quickly. "We pick things up real quick, and we're all good with our hands. We do know how to work, and aren't afraid to try our hands at anything."

"S'pose yuh could at thet," he drawled. "Be as good a time as any t' learn. Why don't yuh all come over here away from the door and set down for a spell?"

He reached behind him, and I saw the outline of the saddle he was leaning against. He untied his bedroll and tossed it to me. I guess my teeth were chattering a might, and so were my brothers. I know I was cold clean through.

"Thank you, Sir," I told him, as we all sat down against the wall, close together and wrapped the blanket tight around us. Cody and I had to tuck our bare feed under us to try and thaw them out, and Toby drew his knees up, leaning forward so he wouldn't have to rest against his sore back.