Under the Skin: A Novel by James Carlos Blake

Author:James Carlos Blake [Blake, James A.]
Language: zho
Format: epub
Tags: #genre
ISBN: 9780060542436
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Published: 2004-02-01T16:00:00+00:00

H

ad I told her the truth about my life on the ranch and how I came to leave the place, I would’ve had to tell at least a little about Frank Hartung. He was Uncle Cullen’s oldest friend. He

had a ranch in New Mexico and had a good foreman he could trust to run things in his absence when every so often he’d come see us for a few days’ visit. We’d meet him at the Marfa station—Uncle Cullen and Aunt Ava, me and Reuben—and then take supper at a café before making the long drive back down to the YB in Uncle Cullen’s old Studebaker truck.

Frank had a funny habit whenever he sat down to a meal with us at the house. He’d never take the first bite of his food until Uncle Cullen had eaten a mouthful of his own. He’d watch Uncle Cullen chew and swallow, then they’d stare at each other for a moment, then Uncle Cullen would shrug at him and they’d both grin and Frank would start digging into his own plate. It was some kind of private joke between them that always made me and Reuben chuckle— even though we didn’t know why it was so funny. But Aunt Ava didn’t much appreciate their comedy.

•• She always gave the two of them a tightmouth look and sometimes shook her head like she couldn’t understand how grown men could act so silly. I don’t recall that she ever said anything about it except one time when I was about eight years old. “For God’s sake, Frank,” she’d said, “do you think I’m out to poison the bunch of you?”

The remark set Frank and Uncle Cullen to laughing so hard they almost choked on their beef—and Reuben thought that was so funny his milk came out his nose.

In some ways Frank Hartung was more of an uncle to me than Uncle Cullen was. Maybe because no matter how hard Uncle Cullen tried to treat us the same, Reuben was his flesh and blood and it was only natural that he’d be the favored one. But Frank never had any children, was never even married, and since he was so close to Uncle Cullen I guess he probably saw me like a nephew, maybe even a little like a son. Whenever the four of us shot pool together at the house, it was always Uncle Cullen and Reuben against me and Frank, and we almost always won. Uncle Cullen taught me how to ride, but Frank Hartung taught me the most important things I came to know about horses and riding them well. Even when the four of us were out riding the backcountry together, Frank would be instructing me about reading the land and sky, about tracking a rider or a man afoot, about the proper way to make a camp or build a fire or dress game. He was always teaching me something. As often as not, Reuben would drift over to join us too and learn what he could.

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