Read Online Cowboys 08 - Luke by Leigh Greenwood - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Leigh Greenwood
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holding out a canteen.
Valeria recoiled at the idea of drinking from such a vessel. "Where did you get that thing?"
"At the hotel. The landlord said there would be no water in the desert, that we all ought to have canteens."
"There has to be water out here," Valeria said. "If I had needed a canteen, I'm certain Mr. Attmore would have said so. That looks exactly like the kind of thing he would take pleasure in forcing me to drink from."
Valeria lifted the leather curtain. After the dimness of the interior, the sunlight nearly blinded her. She closed her eyes, then opened them gradually until they adjusted to the light. Distant mountains rose abruptly out of the flatness, almost as though God had punched his fist through the earth's surface without disturbing the surrounding land. They didn't form a chain but were scattered, breaking up this seemingly limitless, parched plain.
Nowhere did she see any sign of shade. They hadn't crossed a single stream, creek, or wash containing a drop of water. Nor did she see any sign of animal life. If the native animals had forsaken this part of the Arizona Territory, how were people supposed to survive?
She put her head out of the window and was able to see the wagons that went before and behind her coach, but not Luke. She pulled her head back inside and lowered the leather curtain.
"He must be on your side," she said to Elvira. "Exchange places with me."
Elvira stood up to allow Valeria to slide across the seat. The coach lurched, throwing Elvira into Hans's lap. Valeria couldn't decide who was more embarrassedHans, who blanched white, or Elvira, who plopped down in the seat next to her, red-faced, her gaze fixed on the floor of the coach.
Valeria raised the leather curtain and stuck her head out. The landscape looked remarkably similar, with one exception. A belt of lush green meandered across the plain only a few hundred feet away. She didn't know the name of the tall trees with deep green leaves that rustled in the light breeze, but she thought they were incredibly beautiful. Trees meant shade. And water. The grass grew thicker, the bushes taller. The sight of a bird appearing momentarily above the trees before diving back into the shady coolness cheered her considerably. She didn't see Luke.
"Stop the coach," she said to Hans. He pounded on the roof with his walking stick, but the coach continued to bump along. Repeated pounding did not good.
"How do you stop a coach in America?" Valeria asked. "I don't know," Hans said.
But Valeria knew who could stop it. She stuck her head through the window. She didn't see Luke. "Mr. Attmore." He might be the most obnoxious man in the world, but she couldn't believe he'd abandoned them. "Mr. Attmore!" she called again, more imperatively. Still, he didn't appear.
She drew her head back inside. "He is the most insufferable man, forcing us on this horrible journey, then leaving us to others."
"I'm sure he's close by," Hans said. "I don't believe he's a man to take his obligations lightly."
"He takes the rest of us very lightly indeed," said Otto, still angry over Luke's overpaying the landlord.
Valeria sometimes wondered if the money Otto saved didn't manage to find its way into his pocket. "If he's here, I wish he would do me the courtesy of answering," she said.
She stuck her head through the window again and came practically nose to nose with a horse. She jumped back with such force she nearly knocked Elvira off the seat.
Luke leaned low in the saddle until the window framed his face. "Did you want something?"
Valeria struggled to regain her composure. Even though she'd nearly been kissed by his horse, she didn't want Luke to know it had upset her.
"Pull this coach into the shade of those trees," she said, pointing to the inviting belt of green. "We're hot and thirsty."
"We're all hot and thirsty," Luke said. "We'll stop for a short rest in a couple of hours."
His head disappeared from the window. His horse moved away from the
Valeria recoiled at the idea of drinking from such a vessel. "Where did you get that thing?"
"At the hotel. The landlord said there would be no water in the desert, that we all ought to have canteens."
"There has to be water out here," Valeria said. "If I had needed a canteen, I'm certain Mr. Attmore would have said so. That looks exactly like the kind of thing he would take pleasure in forcing me to drink from."
Valeria lifted the leather curtain. After the dimness of the interior, the sunlight nearly blinded her. She closed her eyes, then opened them gradually until they adjusted to the light. Distant mountains rose abruptly out of the flatness, almost as though God had punched his fist through the earth's surface without disturbing the surrounding land. They didn't form a chain but were scattered, breaking up this seemingly limitless, parched plain.
Nowhere did she see any sign of shade. They hadn't crossed a single stream, creek, or wash containing a drop of water. Nor did she see any sign of animal life. If the native animals had forsaken this part of the Arizona Territory, how were people supposed to survive?
She put her head out of the window and was able to see the wagons that went before and behind her coach, but not Luke. She pulled her head back inside and lowered the leather curtain.
"He must be on your side," she said to Elvira. "Exchange places with me."
Elvira stood up to allow Valeria to slide across the seat. The coach lurched, throwing Elvira into Hans's lap. Valeria couldn't decide who was more embarrassedHans, who blanched white, or Elvira, who plopped down in the seat next to her, red-faced, her gaze fixed on the floor of the coach.
Valeria raised the leather curtain and stuck her head out. The landscape looked remarkably similar, with one exception. A belt of lush green meandered across the plain only a few hundred feet away. She didn't know the name of the tall trees with deep green leaves that rustled in the light breeze, but she thought they were incredibly beautiful. Trees meant shade. And water. The grass grew thicker, the bushes taller. The sight of a bird appearing momentarily above the trees before diving back into the shady coolness cheered her considerably. She didn't see Luke.
"Stop the coach," she said to Hans. He pounded on the roof with his walking stick, but the coach continued to bump along. Repeated pounding did not good.
"How do you stop a coach in America?" Valeria asked. "I don't know," Hans said.
But Valeria knew who could stop it. She stuck her head through the window. She didn't see Luke. "Mr. Attmore." He might be the most obnoxious man in the world, but she couldn't believe he'd abandoned them. "Mr. Attmore!" she called again, more imperatively. Still, he didn't appear.
She drew her head back inside. "He is the most insufferable man, forcing us on this horrible journey, then leaving us to others."
"I'm sure he's close by," Hans said. "I don't believe he's a man to take his obligations lightly."
"He takes the rest of us very lightly indeed," said Otto, still angry over Luke's overpaying the landlord.
Valeria sometimes wondered if the money Otto saved didn't manage to find its way into his pocket. "If he's here, I wish he would do me the courtesy of answering," she said.
She stuck her head through the window again and came practically nose to nose with a horse. She jumped back with such force she nearly knocked Elvira off the seat.
Luke leaned low in the saddle until the window framed his face. "Did you want something?"
Valeria struggled to regain her composure. Even though she'd nearly been kissed by his horse, she didn't want Luke to know it had upset her.
"Pull this coach into the shade of those trees," she said, pointing to the inviting belt of green. "We're hot and thirsty."
"We're all hot and thirsty," Luke said. "We'll stop for a short rest in a couple of hours."
His head disappeared from the window. His horse moved away from the
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