the Lonesome Gods (1983) by L'amour Louis

Author:L'amour, Louis [L'amour, Louis]
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2010-12-12T06:26:32.765000+00:00

Chapter 33

It will never be that easy again," Monte commented. "They just aren't used to people. Nobody's tried to catch them before."

"And they always drink from that stream," Jacob agreed. We sat our horses, studying them. We would have to cull them, turn the rejects back to their freedom, and then start breaking the others.

Watching them from where we were, we could see a few that could be turned out, but by and large they were in good shape, a well-built bunch of horses. "Give 'em a few years," Monte said, "and you'll look a long time to find any horses you want to keep. We'll cut this bunch for culls, and the next bunch, too. Then along will come some other wild-horse hunters, and they'll cut for the best stock, too. It won't be no time at all until all you find out there will be culls."

"Do you suppose Miss Nesselrode was thinking of that?" I wondered.

Jacob shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. I've given up trying to second-guess that woman. I just know that seven times out of ten she's right, and when she makes a mistake, she swallows it and never tries to blame anybody else." The quicker we could get rid of the culls, the better off we'd be, as there would be that much more grass for what remained. We stayed away, watching from a distance, letting them get settled down.

"Funny thing about wild horses. Folks think it's the stallion who keeps them together. It's true that he herds them around, fights off varmints and any other stallions who want to take over, but there's something more going for them. Take away the stallion, and the others will fight to get back together.

"They've become a family. Good neighbors, at least, and they want to stay with their friends. Watch 'em, you'll see."

Jacob indicated the black stallion. "That one's a troublemaker. He's too smart. I think we should get rid of him."

"I want him," I said.

"Look," Jacob warned, "that stallion is anyway six years old. He's been runnin' wild all that time. He's tough and he's smart, and he looks to me like a fighter. He'll make you no end of trouble."

"He's right, Johannes," Monte said.

"I want him," I insisted. "Leave him to me."

"Your funeral," Jacob said, "and it could be just that." The weather held. It was bright and clear, day and night, and we took our time. Nobody was in a hurry, nobody was waiting for us. Nobody had a watch and nobody had a calendar. We just forgot all about time except for dawn and sunset.

When we quit work, we'd eat, and then I'd stroll down to the corral. I'd already learned that singing will quiet a herd, mostly because it knows where that sound is coming from and that you're not some varmint sneaking up on them.

I'd lean on the gate and keep my voice low. I wanted them to get to know me, and especially that black, who seemed to know that gate was the way out.

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