up. “They will be happy to have her home.” He and Gabe began to carry the supplies to his wagon. “So, amigo, you must be good with horses or Mr. Burke would not have hired you.”
“He likes the way I work them. And I like his horses. I like the Burkes very much too,” added Gabe as they got the sacks of flour inside.
“He is a good man, Michael Burke. A good neighbor, too. Do you want something to eat before you head back, Señor Hart?”
“Call me Gabe. And sure, I could use something. I’ll be getting back to the ranch after they’ve finished off supper.”
It was the usual beans and biscuits, but Eduardo had added chile to the beans and his wife had sent him some homemade chokecherry jam.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to move after all those biscuits, Eduardo,” said Gabe, licking his fingers. They sat there, drinking their coffee until Gabe broke the silence.
“Have you seen any of Mackie’s men around lately, Eduardo?”
“The other day, dos hombres over on that ridge,” Eduardo said, gesturing to the southwest. “Will you stay around if there is trouble?”
Gabe swallowed the last of his coffee and stared into the fire. “I suppose so, amigo.”
“Are you good with your gun, Gabe?”
“Some might say very good, Eduardo,” he said with a wry smile.
“You can’t be too good with that Juan Chavez around.”
“Tell me something about this Chavez.”
“No one knows much about him, señor . He is maybe Mexican, maybe not….”
“What do you mean?”
“He could be from one of the older families, with his light hair and green eyes. He speaks Spanish like a Mexican. But he speaks English sin accento too. Anyway, Anglo or Mexican, whatever he is, he is one bad hombre. They say Mackie hired him because he is so good with a gun.”
“Well, you’d better take care of yourself then, Eduardo. Mackie’s more likely to go after Burke’s sheep than his horses.”
“ Yo se, Gabe, y tengo una pistola as well as a shotgun,” said Eduardo, pointing to the pistol tucked into his belt.
“Thanks for supper, Eduardo. And tell your wife her jelly was the best thing I’ve had on my biscuits since I left home.”
“She’ll be happy to hear that, amigo. ”
“Do you have any children?” Gabe asked as they walked over to the horses.
“ Tres hijas y uno hijo ,”said Eduardo with a proud smile.
“I thought sheepherders didn’t get home much,” joked Gabe.
“Yes, but those times that I do…” Eduardo answered with a wink.
“ Adios, Eduardo.”
“ Adios , Gabe.”
He hadn’t said much, this Gabe, thought Eduardo as he watched the man ride off. But somehow he gave the impression that he was damned good with his gun, too.
Gabe rode slowly, the almost full moon lighting his way. It was past midnight by the time he got back to the ranch and he had to unsaddle the horses and water and feed them before he could fall into his own bed. He didn’t sleep well. Maybe it was all the coffee he’d drunk or all the chile he’d eaten. Or maybe it was because of what was going on in this valley, he thought, as he awoke from another dream of Lincoln County.
* * * *
It had all seemed so clear in the beginning. He’d found a job with John Tunstall, an Englishman who owned a small ranch near Lincoln. Gabe had hit it off with him immediately because of their shared love of horses, and Tunstall had won him over completely when Gabe saw him with Colonel, a chestnut the army had rejected because of blindness. Tunstall had taught Colonel how to obey voice commands and could even make the horse understand when they were coming to an uphill or downhill part of a trail.
After years of wandering, Gabe had thought he’d found a place to call home. He’d fallen in love with the schoolteacher, Caroline Bryce, and joked in his letters to Sadie how he was following in his pa’s footsteps. He’d saved a little money over the years and figured he might even be able to buy himself a small spread.
“He likes the way I work them. And I like his horses. I like the Burkes very much too,” added Gabe as they got the sacks of flour inside.
“He is a good man, Michael Burke. A good neighbor, too. Do you want something to eat before you head back, Señor Hart?”
“Call me Gabe. And sure, I could use something. I’ll be getting back to the ranch after they’ve finished off supper.”
It was the usual beans and biscuits, but Eduardo had added chile to the beans and his wife had sent him some homemade chokecherry jam.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to move after all those biscuits, Eduardo,” said Gabe, licking his fingers. They sat there, drinking their coffee until Gabe broke the silence.
“Have you seen any of Mackie’s men around lately, Eduardo?”
“The other day, dos hombres over on that ridge,” Eduardo said, gesturing to the southwest. “Will you stay around if there is trouble?”
Gabe swallowed the last of his coffee and stared into the fire. “I suppose so, amigo.”
“Are you good with your gun, Gabe?”
“Some might say very good, Eduardo,” he said with a wry smile.
“You can’t be too good with that Juan Chavez around.”
“Tell me something about this Chavez.”
“No one knows much about him, señor . He is maybe Mexican, maybe not….”
“What do you mean?”
“He could be from one of the older families, with his light hair and green eyes. He speaks Spanish like a Mexican. But he speaks English sin accento too. Anyway, Anglo or Mexican, whatever he is, he is one bad hombre. They say Mackie hired him because he is so good with a gun.”
“Well, you’d better take care of yourself then, Eduardo. Mackie’s more likely to go after Burke’s sheep than his horses.”
“ Yo se, Gabe, y tengo una pistola as well as a shotgun,” said Eduardo, pointing to the pistol tucked into his belt.
“Thanks for supper, Eduardo. And tell your wife her jelly was the best thing I’ve had on my biscuits since I left home.”
“She’ll be happy to hear that, amigo. ”
“Do you have any children?” Gabe asked as they walked over to the horses.
“ Tres hijas y uno hijo ,”said Eduardo with a proud smile.
“I thought sheepherders didn’t get home much,” joked Gabe.
“Yes, but those times that I do…” Eduardo answered with a wink.
“ Adios, Eduardo.”
“ Adios , Gabe.”
He hadn’t said much, this Gabe, thought Eduardo as he watched the man ride off. But somehow he gave the impression that he was damned good with his gun, too.
Gabe rode slowly, the almost full moon lighting his way. It was past midnight by the time he got back to the ranch and he had to unsaddle the horses and water and feed them before he could fall into his own bed. He didn’t sleep well. Maybe it was all the coffee he’d drunk or all the chile he’d eaten. Or maybe it was because of what was going on in this valley, he thought, as he awoke from another dream of Lincoln County.
* * * *
It had all seemed so clear in the beginning. He’d found a job with John Tunstall, an Englishman who owned a small ranch near Lincoln. Gabe had hit it off with him immediately because of their shared love of horses, and Tunstall had won him over completely when Gabe saw him with Colonel, a chestnut the army had rejected because of blindness. Tunstall had taught Colonel how to obey voice commands and could even make the horse understand when they were coming to an uphill or downhill part of a trail.
After years of wandering, Gabe had thought he’d found a place to call home. He’d fallen in love with the schoolteacher, Caroline Bryce, and joked in his letters to Sadie how he was following in his pa’s footsteps. He’d saved a little money over the years and figured he might even be able to buy himself a small spread.
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