Carla Kelly by Enduring Light

Author:Enduring Light [Light, Enduring]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

They left for the open range a week later, as the sun was rising. Julia rode beside Paul, with Matt in the wagon, his horse tied on behind. The wagon was piled with equipment and bedrolls, as well as canned peaches and tomatoes and a veritable mound of bread wrapped in waxed paper, Julia's personal contribution to the cow gather. The others rode beside the wagon, careful not to pass Paul.

“Range etiquette,” he told her. “I ride first.”

She was still dubious about leaving Charlotte, her cousin, and Kringle behind. “You needn't worry,” Paul assured her. “I have enough hands with me to gather my cattle, and I'd rather leave the lights burning on the Double Tipi.”

She had soaked for a long time in the tin tub that morning, knowing it was her last bath for a week. By the time Paul came in to shave, she was wrinkled and the water barely warm.“Darling, haven't you ever gone without a bath for any length of time?”

“I have not,” she had said, standing up and motioning for a towel, which he tossed her way. “I seem to recall that when you returned from the gather a year or so ago, you were pretty rank.”

Lathering his face, he had eyed her in the mirror as she toweled dry. “Be sure of this: no matter how gamey you get, you'll still smell better than all of us cowmen types put together.”

“That is devoutly to be desired,” she said and snapped her towel at him. They were a while getting back to business after that, but at least the hands were too polite to comment on the lateness of breakfast that morning. She hoped she had wiped all the shaving soap off her face before passing the biscuits.

“How far are we going?” she asked as they trotted along, then laughed. “I sound like Iris. She used to whine and ask ‘how long,’ as soon as Papa turned the corner from the house.”

He pointed north and west, through a gap in the hills surrounding the Double Tipi. “We'll be half a day getting there.”

“How much of that time are we on your land?”

“Our land. Probably three hours. I sent Doc ahead to stake us a good spot. This will be a bigger gather than usual, because I know many are still missing their livestock.” He smiled to himself. “This is where all my winter riding paid off, Darling, as much as I hated doing it. Most of my cattle are accounted for. We lost so little. We'll see a lot of reps from other outfits, checking brands and watching the babies.” He leaned over and set her Stetson on more level. “Keep the sun off your face and neck, sport.”

She touched the scar on her neck, remembering the salve in her blanket roll. “Why so many reps? I'm such a greenhorn.”

“The cows that scattered will likely have calved on open range or on other ranches where the fences were cut because of the fires. A branded cow will be followed by her cleanskin calf—that's a calf with no brand.

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