assigned toGabrielle's wagon, a gray-bearded man with the diminutive stature and ready wit of an elf. After walking around on the pretext of speaking to his fellow drivers, he'd come to the conclusion that the prettiest girls were in his care. Knowing that voicing such an opinion aloud would create rivalry and unnecessary strife, he kept his thoughts to himself. Still, he was pleased.
While Gabrielle had been busy supervising the packing of her group's wagon. Jason had spoken with the head of each family and had made certain all the wagons were adequately prepared to b^n the journey at sunrise. As always there were men who faced what lay ahead with remarkable good humor while others were so taciturn by nature he could not tell what they were thinking. And, unfortunately there were a few chronic complainers. These last he knew would not be satisfied no matter how swift or how easy their journey might be.
Now clad in his comfortable buckskins, he was far more confident that the trip would be a success than he'd been in Kansas City and he was as anxious to leave as any of his fellow travelers. He looked forward to the excitement of the trail for while he recognized its dangers he enjoyed meeting these challenges. He'd unsaddled Sunny soon after they'd arrived at the campsite but had left his bridle on, the reins tied to the rope confining the other mounts. While the stallion had not proved to be difficult, Jason planned to side-tie the horse, placing hobbles on his left legs so the stallion could be turned out to graze during the night without any risk that he would run away. Sunrise, however, saw Jason approaching with the leather thongs in his hands. Letting out a wild cry the horse
reared up on his hind legs, ready to strike the young man with his hooves should Jason dare to come any closer.
Jason hegan to swear as he leaped out of the way; he had more than enough problems to handle without an unmanageable horse. But Gabrielle heard the commotion and came running. She was certain Jason had used a whip on Sunny and she grabbed his arm only to see he held no more than the hobbles.
"Why didn't you call me rather than attempt to do that yourself?" she asked heatedly, her outrage as plain as her stallion's.
Sunrise had yanked loose the rope by which all the horses had been tethered and had sent more than two dozen mounts scattering in all directions. He stood motionless, however, all four hooves firmly planted upon the ground, his ears laid back against his head, his nostrils flaring, and an evil gleam in his dark eyes as he dared Jason to touch him.
"It is not too late to geld that beast, you know!" Jason shoved Gabrielle's hand from his arm, as disgusted with her interference as he was with the mischief her stallion had caused, for although he considered himself to be an expert horseman he had not anticipated the trouble Sunrise would cause.
"Don't be absurd!" Gabrielle responded defiantly. Still dressed in her elegant black suit she pushed past Jason, grabbed her horse's reins, and, lifting her skirt aside, swung herself upon his back. She rode as easily bareback as most men did in the saddle, and using Sunny's speed and agility to every advantage, she began to circle the stray horses, forcing them back toward the wagons where Jason and Clayton caught them easily. By the time the last one had been recovered, both she and Sunny had regained their composure but, unhappily, Jason had not. Seeing his furious expression, Gabrielle slipped down from her stallion's back and led him to the young man's side.
"I should have warned you how greatly he distrusts
strangers, but I thought since you were with me at the stable this morning and saw how badly he behaved you would have realized that. Still, no harm has been done, you have all your horses back/'
Jason's piercing gray gaze swept Gabrielle's svelte figure slowly. She'd put on quite a spectacle but seemed to be totally unaware of the stares of the curious crowd which had
While Gabrielle had been busy supervising the packing of her group's wagon. Jason had spoken with the head of each family and had made certain all the wagons were adequately prepared to b^n the journey at sunrise. As always there were men who faced what lay ahead with remarkable good humor while others were so taciturn by nature he could not tell what they were thinking. And, unfortunately there were a few chronic complainers. These last he knew would not be satisfied no matter how swift or how easy their journey might be.
Now clad in his comfortable buckskins, he was far more confident that the trip would be a success than he'd been in Kansas City and he was as anxious to leave as any of his fellow travelers. He looked forward to the excitement of the trail for while he recognized its dangers he enjoyed meeting these challenges. He'd unsaddled Sunny soon after they'd arrived at the campsite but had left his bridle on, the reins tied to the rope confining the other mounts. While the stallion had not proved to be difficult, Jason planned to side-tie the horse, placing hobbles on his left legs so the stallion could be turned out to graze during the night without any risk that he would run away. Sunrise, however, saw Jason approaching with the leather thongs in his hands. Letting out a wild cry the horse
reared up on his hind legs, ready to strike the young man with his hooves should Jason dare to come any closer.
Jason hegan to swear as he leaped out of the way; he had more than enough problems to handle without an unmanageable horse. But Gabrielle heard the commotion and came running. She was certain Jason had used a whip on Sunny and she grabbed his arm only to see he held no more than the hobbles.
"Why didn't you call me rather than attempt to do that yourself?" she asked heatedly, her outrage as plain as her stallion's.
Sunrise had yanked loose the rope by which all the horses had been tethered and had sent more than two dozen mounts scattering in all directions. He stood motionless, however, all four hooves firmly planted upon the ground, his ears laid back against his head, his nostrils flaring, and an evil gleam in his dark eyes as he dared Jason to touch him.
"It is not too late to geld that beast, you know!" Jason shoved Gabrielle's hand from his arm, as disgusted with her interference as he was with the mischief her stallion had caused, for although he considered himself to be an expert horseman he had not anticipated the trouble Sunrise would cause.
"Don't be absurd!" Gabrielle responded defiantly. Still dressed in her elegant black suit she pushed past Jason, grabbed her horse's reins, and, lifting her skirt aside, swung herself upon his back. She rode as easily bareback as most men did in the saddle, and using Sunny's speed and agility to every advantage, she began to circle the stray horses, forcing them back toward the wagons where Jason and Clayton caught them easily. By the time the last one had been recovered, both she and Sunny had regained their composure but, unhappily, Jason had not. Seeing his furious expression, Gabrielle slipped down from her stallion's back and led him to the young man's side.
"I should have warned you how greatly he distrusts
strangers, but I thought since you were with me at the stable this morning and saw how badly he behaved you would have realized that. Still, no harm has been done, you have all your horses back/'
Jason's piercing gray gaze swept Gabrielle's svelte figure slowly. She'd put on quite a spectacle but seemed to be totally unaware of the stares of the curious crowd which had
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