Stand Proud by Elmer Kelton

Author:Elmer Kelton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Published: 2011-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

He did not have a good night’s sleep during the trip back to the Clear Fork. He lay awake far into each night, excitement rolling like a river in flood, his dreams for the valley taking precedence over his need for rest, though he knew they might be years in coming to pass. He bubbled with anticipation, planning how he would tell Homer.

He did not even stop at the Akins place, letting Luke and John drop out, then spurring on. A mile short of the dugout he heard cattle bawling in a thicket. Homer hailed him and rode out to intercept him, waving. He asked how the drive had gone. Frank assured him it had been completed without a serious hitch and asked, “Any news around here?”

Homer shrugged. “Not much. George Valentine heard the Yankee army’s got a bunch of Indians penned up on the Pecos out in New Mexico and needs beef for them. He’s gathered a bunch of his own and got some other fellers to go in with him. They’ll be headin’ their cattle west pretty quick.”

Frank mused. “West? Sounds risky.”

Homer nodded. “But he says if you can drive cattle east, he can drive them west. He didn’t ask me for no advice.”

“Any other news?”

“Circuit-ridin’ preacher come by, is about all.”

Frank reined up suddenly as he came within sight of camp. He saw the two older Akins boys setting big picket posts into the ground fifty paces from the dugout. It was obvious they were building a cabin.

“What happened?” he demanded. “Did the dugout cave in?”

Homer’s grin spread wider than Frank had ever seen it. “I told you the preacher come by lookin’ for work. Me and Naomi Akins, we let him marry us.”

Naomi stepped through the door of the dugout and shaded her eyes with her hand. The wind lifted and waved her apron. Even at the distance Frank could see flour on her hands.

He felt as if a horse had kicked him. Not once had he considered the possibility of living close to that sharptongued young woman. “This is one secret you kept real good, Homer. I never expected such a thing.”

Homer said, “You know a lot about cattle and horses, Frank, but you don’t pay much attention to people. If you’ve got a failin’, I expect that’s it.”

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