Wyoming Trails by Lauran Paine

Author:Lauran Paine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Published: 2018-05-07T17:56:26+00:00

Chapter Twelve

The next morning Otto had all the chores done by the time Shan got out to the barn. When Shan stepped through the door, he saw Otto leaning on a pitchfork, staring at his bay horse. He turned and looked slit-eyed at Shan.

“Did you go for a ride last night?” he asked suspiciously.

“Yes,” Shan said candidly.

“What did you do?” Otto’s grip on the pitchfork was painfully tight.

“Rode up by Blessing place.”

“The barn, Shan?”

“No, they’ve got a pack of hounds up there. I found a pure bred bull …”

“You cut him?”

“Yes.”

Otto’s hands relaxed a little. “Did you tie off the cords? I’ve seen that little bull. He’ll die if you didn’t tie them off. He’s too old for Barlow-knife cutting.”

“I did it like you showed me on the big calves.”

Otto turned away, hung the pitchfork up, took down the full milk bucket, and started for the house. Shan hastened to catch up. “You understand, don’t you, Otto?”

“Yes, I understand, but it’s going to be the start of things, too. They’ll find him today, probably ride down here when they don’t find you up there.” Otto stopped stockstill. “We das’n’t go down to Tico today for Sarahlee.”

“What? Why not?”

“I expect Georgia and Mary can go. Why not? Because, like I just said, they’ll come looking for you. If no one’s around, they’ll burn us both out. You can’t do something like that, then go away, Shan.” Otto started forward again. “You didn’t think, Shan. You should have waited a few days. No, maybe not, maybe it’s better to have it now than after Sarahlee’s up there with you.”

“Sarahlee won’t like it, me not meeting her.”

“I expect she won’t,” Otto said dryly, “but she’d like it a lot less coming home to no cabin and no barn.” They were close to the back of the house. “Don’t say anything to Georgia about last night. I’ll say we have to take a jag of hay up to your place so we can drive the heifers up tomorrow. That way she won’t think it’s strange you not going down to Tico.”

Mrs. Muller seemed disappointed when Otto explained what he and Shan had talked of, but she didn’t stay depressed long, the prospect of seeing the bride, of delivering her to Shan in person, brightened her spirits again.

After breakfast Otto and Shan hitched the team to the wagon and watched Mrs. Muller and Mary drive out of the yard. The Indian girl’s face was a sharp contrast to Otto’s wife’s expression.

Shan and Otto immediately saddled up and struck out for the cabin. Otto had his rifle and a pistol. Shan had only the belt gun; his carbine was at the cabin. Otto did not speak until Shan said: “They might not find that bull for a week.”

Otto looked grim. Up on his big bay horse, wide, massive shoulders squared into the north, face frozen in a mask of wary unpleasantness, his appearance made a better answer than his words. “I heard from Will O’Brien the Blessings bought two fine imported Durham bulls.

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