Read Online Gather My Horses by John D. Nesbitt - Free Book Online Page A

said Fielding. “If you don’t make enough on this cattle work, we can carry it over when you work for me.”
    â€œThat’s a ways off, isn’t it?”
    â€œA ways, maybe. But you’ll need at least a pair of riding boots and a change of clothes. I can fix you up with a bedroll out of my gear.”
    Fielding looked the kid over. He was a tallish young fellow, not filled out yet. He was wearing a drab cotton work shirt, wrinkled and too short in the sleeves, as if it had belonged to someone else at one time. His brown canvas pants were holding up but needed a wash, and his scuffed clodhopper boots were breaking out at the toes.
    The kid didn’t say anything, so Fielding spoke again. “Come on, don’t feel bad about it. We’ll get you fitted out.” He turned to Lodge, who stood by with reins in hand. “Thanks again for dinner,” he said.
    â€œGlad to.” Lodge turned on his heel. “I’ll see you fellas later.”
    Fielding untied his horse, and Bracken fell in alongside as Fielding and the sorrel walked toward the main street.
    â€œIs he really your uncle?” asked the kid.
    â€œNo, he’s just a good man. Knows a lot, too.” Fielding recalled the shine in Lodge’s eyes as the older man exchanged pleasantries with Leonora. “I’m beginning to get an idea, though, of where he gets some of his information.”
    The kid seemed determined to make a good impression. After Fielding had bought the clothes and a little more grub, Bracken insisted on walking the four miles to camp rather than have Fielding saddle a horse and come back to pick him up on the road.
    â€œI’ll get there just as soon,” he said, “and it’ll be less work for you.”
    Fielding relented and rode out of town. Once at his camp, he put the horses out as usual, thenstored the provisions and rummaged around for bedding. He set out two blankets and a piece of canvas to serve as a ground sheet and cover. He put the parcel of clothes on top of that, along with a cotton sack for a duffel bag.
    The kid came walking in a little while later. He had wasted no time. “This looks all right,” he said. “Tents and everything.”
    â€œWhen we’re on the trail, we don’t usually set up this larger tent. That gear tent can be set up with just a rope between two trees, and we sleep in a tepee tent. Right now, though, it’s all the luxuries.”
    The kid looked around. “What can I do? Do we need firewood?”
    â€œI believe we do. You’ll have to go up the creek a ways. It’s picked pretty clean around here.”
    â€œI can do that.” The kid craned his neck. “How many horses have you got?”
    â€œNine.”
    â€œOh. That’s a lot.”
    â€œUntil you need ’em. Then you’d be surprised how many you need to haul a little bit of stuff.”
    Bracken made three trips with firewood while Fielding started a fire, put on a pot of beans to boil, and cut up bacon rind. The beans would take a couple of hours, and he could work up some biscuits toward the end.
    When the kid set down his third armload of wood, Fielding said, “That should be enough. We’re not goin’ to be here that long.”
    â€œAnything else I can do?”
    â€œHere.”
    Fielding led the way into the main tent, where he handed Bracken the cotton sack. “Here’s yourwar bag. Use it for your personals and your extra clothes.” Fielding pointed at the parcel. “There’s your new clothes. You might want to go down to the water, get cleaned up, and change into these. Then wash out the ones you’re wearin’ right now. We’re more than an hour away from grub, so you’ve got plenty of time. Oh, and here’s your bedroll, just so you’ll know.”
    The kid hesitated. His eyes clouded up, and he had to look away and swallow before he could speak. Then he looked