Kid Barlow's Ace in the Hole

Chapter 5: The Great Bank Robbery

Time passed. Days, weeks, months just settled one on top of another. Kid imagined himself a boulder balanced on top of a mountain. He needed a good swift kick to get himself going. Between Ma’s fiery abusive temper tantrums and work, Kid helplessness and despair increased daily.

A year and a half after Pa’s death, Kid arrived at work to discover a light tan gelding with a midnight colored tail and mane. “You must come in late last night, boy.” He ran his hand down the horse’s mane. “You’s one fine lookin’ fellow. What’s your name?” The horse snorted. Kid moved and opened the horse’s mouth. “Appears you about four-years-old.” Kid patted the horse one last time before going out to look for Mr. Roberts.

He found his boss in the office and stuck his head in the door. “Does that new buckskin need anything special, Mr. Roberts?”

“Yeah, Kid. He needs some new shoes and a good washing. Think you can handle that after you muck the stalls and feed the horses today?”

“No problem. A nice looking mount, for sure. Guess I better get busy.

“Come by and see me before you head home at ten, Kid.”

“Yes, sir.”

At ten o’clock Kid stopped in to see Mr. Roberts. “You need to see me, boss?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. Sit yourself down in the chair.”

“Everything all right, sir? I been doing a good job?” Kid’s eye twitched.

“Yes, yes. You always do good work for me. I wanted to talk to you about that new horse. You like him?”

“Yes, sir, I do.” Kid wiped his sweaty hands on the front of his legs.

“How would you like to own him?”

Silence engulfed the room for a heartbeat. “Me? I got enough money for such a fine horse as that?”

“As a matter of fact you do. I been checking over your account and you can buy him and have a bit of money to spare. I won’t charge you for keeping him here, but you will have to buy his feed. That ought not to set you back too far.”

Tears mustered in Kid’s eyes. He wiped the first ones off his cheek with a quick left hand. “I can buy the horse….that buckskin one?” The wetness glistened on his cheeks and he sniffed a few times.

Mr. Roberts came around his desk and put a hand on Kid’s shoulder. “Yeah, Kid. He’s your horse. I’ll take care of the paperwork while go home. When you come back to work this afternoon, you‘ll own the horse. By the way, he comes with that older saddle and bridle hanging on the left of the door in the tack room.” He squeezed Kid’s shoulder. Kid startled his boss by jumping up and throwing his arms around the older man’s shoulders in sincere gratitude.

After the quick bear hug, Kid started to run from the office only to stick his head back in to ask the horse’s name.

“His name’s Buck, but you can call him anything you’d like.”

“I likes the name Buck…a fine name for a horse!” He ran to the stall housing the buckskin and threw his arms around the horses neck.

“You’re gonna be mine. I promise to treat you good and love you till the day one of us dies.” The horse chuffed and moved his head up and down as if giving approval of his new owner.

That afternoon Kid received the last two hours of the day off with pay to ride Buck. They formed an immediate bond and rode with the wind. When they returned, Kid cooled off the horse, brushed him down, fed him and kissed the side of Buck‘s face. “Bye, feller. I hate to leave you but one of these days we’ll be together all the time.”

Walking home that evening Kid began to ruminate about Pa and the poker tournament in Memphis. Now that he had Buck, he knew how he would get to Memphis. Now he needed a plan to come up with the $1,000 entry fee. It’d take me eight years to save up a thousand dollars. I can’t wait that long to go for it. No, sir…not an option. I ain’t got time to get the money this year. The tournament starts in two of weeks. I’ll figure out something’ in time for the ‘88 tournament.

Six months later Kid sunk into a bleak turmoil. Ma rode his ass night and day. She wanted him to ask the boss for a raise; she wanted him to find another paying job between his stable shifts. If Kid went home, Ma ranted. If Kid stayed in town, Ma embarrassingly fetched back him on the donkey.

“You gots one week to ask Mr. Roberts for that raise and another to find a second job. If you don’t, I’ll go into town myself and take care of yore business.”

Even in sleep Kid got no rest. Pa kept coming at him. “Son, this next one’s yores. You must get there. You gotta horse. You got the skill. It’s time to go. Get a move on it, son.” He couldn’t discuss the situation with Pa. Ghosts didn’t work that way. At least Pa’s didn’t.

The tournament lay in front of him like the finish line to Glory Land. If he could just get to that tournament and win, all his worries would evaporate. He would have won it for Pa. He could take the money and go to Texas and become a real cowboy. Free and clear. No Ma. Just him and Buck and the big open sky and plains. If he didn’t get the money to enter, he may as well shoot himself as to stay in the same house with Ma.

Kid went to work one day and sought out his boss. “Yes, Kid? What can I do for you?”

“Ah..m..I gotta take off tomorrow. I needs to come in early and get Buck and go take care of some business for Ma. I’m real sorry, but you know what she’s like once she gets her mind set about stuff.”

“I understand, boy. Fine with me. Not real busy here in the winter time. You go ahead. I’ll bring my son Pete in to help out. He needs to learn the business anyways. I reckon you’ll move on one of these days and I’ll let him get a feel for the job.”

The next day before dawn, Kid crept into town and saddled Buck. Kid possessed one plan…to rob a bank, if he could find one. Not getting out of town much, Kid didn’t really know where to go. “I reckon we’ll find something if we follow these trails awhile. They’s bound to lead somewhere,” he told Buck.

And, they did. Kid went through several towns before coming to Calico Rock, Arkansas. It appeared a clean little town with a nice-sized bank. A bank had money and that’s what Kid needed. Sitting on Buck on a hill above the little city, Kid prayed not to get caught and he promised God to return every penny he took plus interest if he could just get away long enough to win The Big One.

Kid rode into town slowly and tied Buck behind the bank. Not too many in town so early in this morning. With his eye twitching like crazy, he walked strait to the front door, tied his red bandanna around his face, pulled the gun from his boot, and went inside. He scanned the room pointing the gun at anyone lurking in the bank. “Excuse me, Ma’am. This is a hold up!”

The older lady stood behind a wooden counter covered with a marble surface. She looked at the bandit and held up her hands. “Oh, my. Now don’t you get nervous with that gun, young man.”

“Anyone else in here?” asked Kid as he moved around looking for others, but keeping the gun on the lady.

“No, just…just me here. President Drucker‘s out of town today.”

Kid pushed an old saddle bag toward the woman. “Put all the cash you can get into this here bag.”

She followed her instructions and handed it back to Kid.

He then went around behind the counter and helped the lady down to the floor where he tied her up and placed a gag in her mouth. “Sorry, Ma’am. But, I gotta do this less I don’t got time to get away. I won’t hurt you none. Tell that bank president that I will return his money with interest. I don’t mean to steal. I just can’t help things right now.”

Then, Kid skedaddled out of the bank, mounted Buck and rode like a tornado…first west out of town and then south. When he reached a stream, he and Buck followed it for as far as they could before returning home in the wee hours of the morning.

Buck took care of his horse before taking the money to the loft and counting it. The total take amounted to $1,536. He’d need $1,000 for the entry fee and some for expenses. Seemed like a perfect sum…a true and righteous sign. He hid the money behind boards he loosened in part of these seldom used loft.

Exhausted, he returned to Buck’s stall, curled up, and slept.