Three young boys obtain jobs working for an old farmer in Eastern Kansas. Their first assignment together is to haul a trailer full of cattle across an old, worn-out bridge. They tag each other with the nicknames of Runt, Mule, and Kid. Those nicknames become their identities forever.
Soon, they band together to take on the town bully. A rivalry develops that lasts for years. Their childhood experiences bond them together. They become closer than family. However, it comes at a high price.
As they grow older, the paths they take put a strain on their relationships. What was once fun and games as kids become life and death as adults.