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"You got to be eighteen," Eamon explained. "That's what the notice said."

"They can't prove I ain't," Charlie said.

"I can't wait to kill me some of Lincoln's men. Maybe I'll pop off some Negroes too," Avery said.

"What if they kill you first?" Finnian asked.

"That ain't likely," Avery said and patted his musket. His horse jerked as the gun barrel poked into its belly.

"Aren't you going?" Charlie asked Eamon.

"He ain't going anywhere right now," Finnian interrupted.

"Pa always said you Sinclairs weren't nothing but cowards," Luke chided.

"That ain't true!" Jordan yelled and stood up.

"You want to fight about it?" Luke asked him.

"Sit down Jordan," Finnian said.

Jordan sat down, but kept his narrow-eyed stare fixed on Luke's face.

"Eamon will join up when he's old enough," Finnian said. "You boys best get moving while you have some
daylight."

"You too," Luke called. "Wouldn't want the scared yellow-bellies out past dark."

He gave his horse a quick kick with his heels and started down the trail. Avery and Charlie fell in behind him.
Pa clicked his tongue against his teeth and the horses started walking again. The wagon lurched a few times
then commenced it's slow, steady decent towards home.

Jordan watched them until they disappeared in the mist.

"You can sleep easy boys," Pa said.

"Why is that?" Eamon asked.

"The Vanders have joined the army! Virginia is saved!"

Jordan busted out laughing. Eamon was howling so loud Ma probably heard him all the way to the house. Pa just
smiled.

The last of the sun's warming rays fell behind the summit and sent the temperature spiraling downward. A
chilling wind whistled through the pines and gave Jordan a shiver.

"You know it's not too smart to argue with the Vanders," Eamon said to Jordan when they calmed down enough
to talk. "They might sneak over while we're asleep and burn our house down."

Jordan didn't say anything. He was scared and his insides were still shaking, despite Pa's joke. Part of him
wished he hadn't said anything to Luke. Another part of him felt pride and a newfound courage. He'd
back-talked to a Vander. Not just any Vander. It was Luke, the ugliest and the meanest of them all. He wanted
to pray that none of them came back from fighting because Luke wouldn't forget their meeting. But praying for
someone to die just wasn't right even if the mountain would be a better place without them. Jordan felt God
already knew that and it was all just a big fat test to get into Heaven.