Horrible Harvest

As we approached the shack, I managed to convince myself that the stranger with one eye was just that, a stranger.

Felix opened the door and nearly jumped out his skin when the lanky figure of my daddy greeted him with a pistol in his hand.

“What’s doing, fellas?” he asked, as he stepped over the bottom frame of the open doorway.

“Jesus, mister,” Felix said, fumbling to unshoulder his rifle.

“Hold your arms,” I said.

Daddy barely recognized my voice. “Augustus?”

“That’d be me.”

“How’s my youngest boy doing?”

The others looked at me.

“Provisions, fellas. Collect what we need.”

They skirted around Daddy and entered the shack, as he stuck the pistol under the waistband of his britches.

“Ain’t this a kick in the ass? You done grown another foot – Even got a little fuzz on your chin – ”

“I got rights to arrest you.”

He smiled. “Now why would you want to go and do a thing like that?”

“The way I hear it, you’re a spy.”

“I am that. For the South.”

“I hear you’re working it both ways.”

“That’s how spying works. I give the Yanks a little information on Rebel movements – nothing of consequence, but enough for them to invite me into their camps. They share drink with me. Loosen their lips. Then I find my way back across the lines and give the good stuff to men like General Bragg. I’ve already give him all I got on Rosecrans. He might get a bit out of sorts if you were to arrest me.”

“So, you’re why we’re burning down Bridgeport.”

“What he does with the information matters not to me, son.”

“Don’t call me that. I am Corporal Tennyson.”

“Corporal? Well, damn. Ain’t you moving up in the world. ‘Course I come across your brother, and he’s a whole entire major.”

“You’ve seen Charles?”

“I have, and I was surprised to hear what he had to say about you. Not the least of which was the fact that he thought you were dead for a time.”

I clamped my jaw shut.

“He ain’t your biggest fan – Not no more. I recollect you had a different relationship back on the farm.”

“Charles took a turn.”

“Now, the way he tells it, you’re the one who took a turn.”

“S’pose there’s something to that.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll tell you what. Charles seems to be headed in the right direction. You’d be wise to turn yourself back around and get yourself going where he’s headed.”

“I’m fine with where I’m headed.”

Daddy smiled. “Now, I stood up for you, I did. I’ve heard tell of your soldiering. News has spread about you taking out a whole company of Yankees by yourself – With their own cannons, yet. Crossed a field under a hail of musket fire and turned their guns on them.”

“You heard wrong.”

“Well, right or wrong. I heard it. Every Rebel camp I’ve come across has heard it. There’s other talk about you, too. Now, none of it sits right with ol’ Charles. He says he arranged for you to be dead in the ground, but bumbling ol’ Douglas messed around and let you escape. Says you’ve gone corrupt in the mind. Says you crossed a carnal line.”

“Got no interest in what Charles says or thinks. Got no interest in what you think. Ain’t but one thing keeping you alive, old man. This here uniform. I’ve pledged to follow a certain set of rules, and unlike you, I find honor in keeping my word.”

“Well, I take offense to that. I do. I’ve always kept my word. I may have told a lie or two to keep it, but I eventually get back around to holding true to it – One way or another.”

“I don’t have time for your double-talk.”

“Son – ”

“Done told you not to call me that.”

“Can’t hide from your blood.”

“No, but I can sure enough spill it, and I promise you when this war is done, I’ll find you, and I’ll spill yours. Every drop of it.”

“Then I reckon I’m safe ‘cause this war ain’t never gonna end.”

“It don’t bother you that Charles is in service to Mr. Miller?”

“Bother me? Why should a thing like that bother me?”

“The man took your farm – your family – your life entire.”

Daddy’s smile grew toothier. “Done me a favor, is what he did. Freed me up. I wasn’t operating within my talents with that family and farm business. I’m a man who’s living his best when he’s traveling from one scheme to the next. ‘Sides, the man’s gone a bit bonkers in the head. I can’t say for sure he even knows who I am – Hell, I’m not entirely sure if he knows who he is anymore. He’s become a bit unstitched, if you ask me. Almost feel bad for him.”

“Feel bad for him all you want. His whole brigade entire has committed a wagonful of violations and outright crimes. Gone rogue, they have. Whatever information you got on ‘em, it’s got worth. You’d be wise to give General Bragg every bit of intel you have on the man.”

“Wouldn’t do no good. Too much time has passed. Last I heard, he’s took up in Kansas. He’s hellbent on taking it back from the Union. Can’t see why. Whole lot of flat nothing with Bible thumpers and skinny women that’ll leave you with crotch poppers is what Kansas is. It’s one extreme to the next. Always has been. Ain’t no middle ground in bleeding Kansas. Let the Union have it, I say.”

“Well, that’s not for you to say. Your Confederate command has interest in holding Mr. Miller accountable. ”

“Don’t tell me you’ve gone that stupid – Corporal. Confederate command don’t give a shit and a half about Cameron Miller. In point of fact, Kansas is where they want him. He may be a bastard and a lunatic, but he’s got money-enough that he’s allowed to be such. He’s got more in his coffers than the country entire. They got no interest in holding him accountable for nothing – Not a thing. He’s free to rape, pillage and maraud as he sees fit. That’s what treasure like his gets you. A life free of penance.”     

“It’ll catch up to him. I can promise you that. Same goes for you.”

He give a smirk. “You’ve grown as hostile as you have tall, son.”

I went feral in the mind. It took all my spirit and gumption to not throttle the sumbitch dead.

He seen it in my face and laughed. “I’ll always be your daddy, boy. Even if you get your chance to kill me, I’ll still be that. Your daddy.”

I smiled back. “But you’ll be my dead daddy. I’ll find delight in that. I will.”