Renfrow Brothers: A Short Story

Sheamus and the boys were five miles down the road as they spotted the Renfrow brothers’ homesteads. Edmon and Mark were Northern Civil War veterans that had moved with their families from eastern Kansas to stake their claim on the western plains of Kansas. Sheamus knew the brothers from other times he and the boys had been to Bloom for supplies.
Pulling into Edmon’s soddie Sheamus lead his horses Trigger and Dale up to the water trough as Edmon and his boys James, Sam, and Pete exited behind him. Excitedly, they ran to see their friends Neil and James.
“Good to see you” Sheamus exclaimed, as the two men shook hands. “I’m glad to see your cattle business is doing well. I saw you’ve put up barbed wire fencing and your cedar breaks are looking good.” …show more content…
Neil rushed up to Sheamus and eagerly asked, “Can we stay here and play with our friends while you go to Bloom?” Sheamus looked awkwardly to Edmon, as Edmon with a smile on his face, nodded yes.
Bloom was on the horizon and storm clouds gathered in the northern sky. Sheamus entered the town a few minutes later and rolled his wagon up along side the supply store.
As Sheamus was putting the last of his provisions on his wagon a gust of cold wind whipped about the buildings. Sheamus scrambled up on his wagon headed towards his sons and home. He thought to himself, “I’d better hurry, I promised Betsy I’d be home before dark.”
Reaching the Renfrow homestead there was six inches of snow and in places two foot drifts. Sheamus ran to the door of Edmon’s soddie and knocked wildly on the door.
Edmon came to the door and Sheamus hastily asked, “Edmon, can I borrow your feed sled and hitch my horses to it and get to Betsy and the kids .I’ll also need to leave the boys here if that’s alright with