River Range by L. P. Holmes

Author:L. P. Holmes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
Published: 2008-10-21T00:00:00+00:00

III

For the next two weeks, as soon as the newness of things wore off, Jeff Hawn was happier than he had ever been in his life before. Pete Manners was a fat, kindly, incredibly lazy individual. He had let the stable and corral run down considerably, so there was plenty to do. Jeff worked from dawn to dark, caring for horses, soaping harness, greasing buckboards and livery rigs, fixing the corral, re-swinging doors on the stable, and numerous other things that needed doing.

Jeff had said from the first that he aimed to earn his keep and he meant it. He had a good bunk and all he could eat, and he began to take on weight. The swelling and bruises left his face and his old life began to fade into the limbo of forgotten things. All except Sarah Hagee. He knew he’d never forget her.

Twice that slim, bright-haired girl, Janie, came down to the stable in riding clothes, and Jeff it was who saddled up a trim little pinto mare for her. Her clear, bright smile of thanks abashed Jeff, but from then on that pinto mare received double attention, being brushed and curried until its sleek hide shone like silk. And her saddle and other riding gear were kept in meticulous order.

Several times Jeff saw Sheriff Bill Jacklyn and grew to have a tremendous admiration for the deep-voiced officer of the law. One day, after Jacklyn had had a talk with Pete Manners, Pete sought out Jeff and handed him a couple of gold double eagles.

"You’re plumb particular, Jeff, how you keep the stable broncos brushed and curried, especially"—and here Pete’s eyes twinkled—"that pinto mare of Miss Janie’s. Now you could stand a currying yourself. You go down to Frenchy’s barbershop and get your own mane curried. Then you go to Ed Porter’s store and get yourself a new outfit of clothes, from toe to topknot. ’Cause you’re done with stable work. Bill Jacklyn’s got a new job for you. When you get all prettied up, you go over to Bill’s office."

Jeff had his first haircut in a real barbershop. Always before, Sarah Hagee had kept his thick, tawny mane under control with her old scissors. When he had an armful of new clothes, including a new, genuine Stetson sombrero and a pair of new cowboy boots, Jeff remembered something else Sarah Hagee had told him: "There’s self-respect in honest soap and water, Jeff."

So Jeff carried his new purchases, along with a towel and soap, out to a sheltered pool in the little creek that ran east of town and gave himself a rare scrubbing. Dressed in his new clothes, he realized the shabbiness of the old and threw them away. Then he headed for Bill Jacklyn’s office.

As Jeff was about to pass the Oberon Saloon, Blackie Crowe came out. He looked Jeff up and down and a sneer twisted his swarthy face.

"Well, if it ain’t the horse thief himself…all prettied up. Them new clothes ought to be christened by a roll in the dust.

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