This Calder Range (Calder 1) by Janet Dailey

Author:Janet Dailey
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Romance, Fiction, Historical, Ranch life, General
ISBN: 9781439189108
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2009-10-11T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

The noon meal was a catch-as-catch-can affair. A pot of beans was kept hot, as well as the coffee, for any rider that came in. Usually a drover would ride in, wolf down some beans, wash them down with coffee, saddle a fresh horse, and be gone in less than fifteen minutes.

"It looks like Mr. Willis has woken up," Lorna noticed as the injured cowboy stirred in the shade of the Stanton wagon and attempted to sit up. "I'll take him some food."

After Woolie had passed out, they had carried him to the shade and laid him on his soogan, where he'd slept through the morning and into early afternoon. It was a combination of shock, exhaustion, and alcohol that had kept him out.

Page 103

Mary added some biscuits to the plate of beans Lorna dished up. She carried the plate and a cup of coffee over to the wagon. Woolie had managed to sit up with the wagon wheel for support, but effort had him sweating again from the knife-sharp throbbing in his broken leg. There was still a pale cast to his tanned face as his breath came in short pants.

"I thought you might be hungry." Lorna bent down to offer him the food and coffee.

"Thanks." He took the plate, but made no attempt to eat the food. His head turned to gaze at the herd. "How are the boys doin'? I'll bet those cattle are scattered all over hell and gone."

"They've brought in several bunches already this morning," Lorna assured him.

Despite the faint glaze of pain in his eyes, there was a determined set to his jaw when he looked again at Lorna. "Could you help me get to my horse? They'll be needin' my help."

"You're in no condition to ride with that broken leg," she protested.

"You get me in a saddle and I'll stay there," he insisted. "They're working shorthanded an' they'll be needin' every rider they can get."

With the loss of Spanish and Dollarhide, there were only six able-bodied riders left, not counting Benteen. Two of those had to stay with the main herd, which left only four to search for the missing cattle.

"You can't go tearing off across the prairie." Lorna frowned.

"Maybe not," Woolie conceded, grimacing in pain when he tried to shift his position. "But I sure can walk a horse around that herd and free up Jess or Ely to look for cattle. It don't take two good legs to do that."

She stared at him, seeing a certain logic in what he was saying. His first thought on waking had been for the herd, not concern for his injuries or hunger. First and foremost, it was the cattle-just like Benteen. The herd represented their future livelihood. Lorna remembered the way her mother worked at the store to help out on busy days, while she had resented the amount of time her father spent at his work and not lifted a hand to help him.

"Missus Calder, I just can't sit here when they need me," Woolie argued.

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