October 2026 • Nebraskaland 53
Little Boy Blood
F O R T R O B I N S O N S T A T E P A R K
In early October a few years ago, my family booked two campsites
at Soldier Creek Campground, and the fall leaf change was absolutely magical.
Almost every evening, we took the road across the creek, using the footbridge
as the creek was still flowing pretty good, and walked past the cemetery
to do a loop and pass by the new playground.
One evening toward the end of our stay, we had just crossed the footbridge
during twilight and were walking under the giant cottonwoods toward the cemetery
fence when my 4- year-old daughter looked up and casually asked, "Mom, why does
that boy have blood on his face?" She pointed over behind the brambles and trees
on the far side of the road. No one else saw anyone.
We hightailed it back to the campground! The next day, we all went to the museum
and searched for any little boys that might have died at the fort and came across a few
likely little ones. We did not go into the cemetery to inspect headstones, but there may
be a poor little boy wandering around the park looking for playmates.
N
~ Katy Kuhnel, Creede, Colorado
ILLUSTRATIONS BY RYAN HOLT
