 Kid
(real name unknown) was the youngest son of Virginia dirt farmers.
His father was abusive to both Kid's mother and to the children; after
a time he abandoned his wife and two sons. With the family deeply
in debt, Kid and his older brother Jed were separated. At age 15,
Kid borrowed money from his childhood sweetheart Doritha; his mother had
died, and he used the money to pay off his mother's debts and to head West
for a better life. He promised Doritha that he would send for her later
when he was settled, but didn't keep his word. When Kid met up with
Doritha later in life he was consumed by guilt over his actions and anxious
to make amends, especially as Doritha's father had ended up losing his
own money, and Doritha was trapped in a loveless marriage to a small time
swindler.
Joining
the Pony Express after winning his beloved horse Katy in a boxing match,
Kid almost immediately began vying with Jimmy for leadership of the young
group of riders, as well as for the affections of Lou McCloud. His
feelings for Lou were reciprocated, and the two began a relationship that
was later consummated after a run to Redfern. Lou, however, felt
stifled by Kid's overprotective and coddling manner toward her afterward,
and soon terminated the budding relationship.
Kid was
also briefly reunited with his brother when Jed arrived in Sweetwater clad
in the uniform of a Union soldier. Kid was thrilled that his brother
had found "honest work", then horrified to learn that Jed's new position
was a sham designed to allow his access to the bank's latest gold shipment.
Jed planned to give the gold to the Southern cause, ostensibly to buy weapons
for the upcoming War Between The States. In the end, Jimmy was forced
to kill Jed to save Kid's life.
Still harbouring
feelings for Lou, Kid began a tentative courtship of new schoolteacher
Samantha, who was everything Lou was not. Samantha was raised to
be a "fine Southern woman": genteel, demure and subservient. (One
can guess that Kid was subconsciously sublimating his feelings for Lou
by deliberately choosing a girlfriend so vastly different from her.)
Kid's relationship with Samantha didn't last long.
As the Civil
War approached, Kid found himself often in conflict with Jimmy. The
two riders trusted each other but like everything else in those trying
times, those trusts were put to the test. It was also during this
time that Kid and Lou were finally reconciled. Putting all differences
aside, the riders united for the marriage of Kid and Lou.
Photo:
ABC First Season promotional photo of Ty Miller as "The Kid". Special
thanks to Nell for her assistance with Kid's profile.
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