to do with it? It’s no use to us on the road.”
“We’ll sell it. Likely there’s some lazy man around who’ll take it off our hands. Did Albert get the corn shelled for you?”
“That boy’s been working his fingers to the bone—not to mention his tongue—with all his questions. I reckon he’s anxious to go west.” Julia hugged the girls. “How’s Mary? Were you a help to her? Is Rulon on the mend?”
“He’s up and about, Ma,” said Marie. “Soon he won’t even limp no more.”
“Mama, Clay’s going to quit his job. Papa told him to,” Julianna reported. “Mary always looks sick, and she didn’t want to go when Papa told her about his plan.”
“I wonder what’s making that girl feel so poorly?” Julia glanced over at his husband, catching his eye. “Just how well is Rulon?”
“Well enough, and surely home enough, I reckon,” he replied, winking over Julianna’s head. “And high time, too.”
“Hush now, Rod,” Julia cautioned.
~~~
Carl took the horses to the pen and stripped off the saddles. Hearing a faint scraping sound behind him, he crouched in the brush. A short ways off he saw a young man seated on the bank of the creek, stropping a razor. At his side he had a basin of water and a pistol. After a while he laid the strop down and began to remove the curly black beard from his lanky face.
“James!” Carl called out. He rushed from the bushes and ran to the creek. The younger man threw down the razor and grabbed the pistol, then dropped it and gave a rebel yell.
Meeting on the bank like two young bulls, the brothers crashed together in a welter of arms and heads, wrestling each other to the ground.
Laughing, Carl declared, “You’re just the feller I want to see. And you got you a razor, besides.” He rubbed his red stubble while James punched him fondly in the side. “You be through shaving when I’m finished with the horses, you hear?”
“Carl, you coon-faced old lard bucket, we thought you got took prisoner or something. Pa was ready to go to Washington City to see what become of you.”
“You’re joshing me!”
“No sir, not me. He and Ma were sure worried some. I never seen them so worked up about a body. I reckon Ben going and getting himself killed there at the end of the fighting took some of the sand out of both of them.”
“You old liar, you. Pa never had more sand than now. He’s ripping us out of this valley, lock, stock, and barrel, and taking us to Colorado. Says we’re going to raise beef cattle for the miners.”
“He’s what?”
“We’re going to find Uncle Jonathan and set up a cow ranch, or somethin’ like that. Pa’s spoken to a bunch of men, and they’re goin’ with us.”
“You mean we’re leaving Ma and the young’uns here?”
“No!” Carl tapped James on the head. “You got mush for brains? We’re all going west. Ma and the girls, and everyone. Rulon, too.”
“Which men did he talk to?”
“Rand Hilbrands, Ed Morgan, um, Angus Campbell, and Chester Bates.”
“Not Joseph Bingham?”
Carl frowned at his brother. “Mr. Bingham lost his legs at Shiloh, James.”
“I know that.”
“Even though he’s Pa’s good friend, he’s not fit for a trek over the countryside. I’m sure that’s why Pa didn’t ask him.”
“Then I’ll speak to Pa. I can tend to a wagon and chores for the Binghams. I have to change Pa’s mind.”
“You’re fussing about something, James. What’s nettling you?”
“Miss Jessica. I can’t leave here without her.”
Carl nodded. “You’ve been sparking her, I take it?”
“She’s let me walk out with her. I think she’ll marry me if I ask her.”
“You’ve got yourself a lot of talking to do, brother. Good luck on changing Pa’s mind.”
“I’ll take the offer of luck. Hey, you better finish with them horses, or you’ll need the luck back with Pa after you. You know he sets great store by dumb animals.”
“That must be
“We’ll sell it. Likely there’s some lazy man around who’ll take it off our hands. Did Albert get the corn shelled for you?”
“That boy’s been working his fingers to the bone—not to mention his tongue—with all his questions. I reckon he’s anxious to go west.” Julia hugged the girls. “How’s Mary? Were you a help to her? Is Rulon on the mend?”
“He’s up and about, Ma,” said Marie. “Soon he won’t even limp no more.”
“Mama, Clay’s going to quit his job. Papa told him to,” Julianna reported. “Mary always looks sick, and she didn’t want to go when Papa told her about his plan.”
“I wonder what’s making that girl feel so poorly?” Julia glanced over at his husband, catching his eye. “Just how well is Rulon?”
“Well enough, and surely home enough, I reckon,” he replied, winking over Julianna’s head. “And high time, too.”
“Hush now, Rod,” Julia cautioned.
~~~
Carl took the horses to the pen and stripped off the saddles. Hearing a faint scraping sound behind him, he crouched in the brush. A short ways off he saw a young man seated on the bank of the creek, stropping a razor. At his side he had a basin of water and a pistol. After a while he laid the strop down and began to remove the curly black beard from his lanky face.
“James!” Carl called out. He rushed from the bushes and ran to the creek. The younger man threw down the razor and grabbed the pistol, then dropped it and gave a rebel yell.
Meeting on the bank like two young bulls, the brothers crashed together in a welter of arms and heads, wrestling each other to the ground.
Laughing, Carl declared, “You’re just the feller I want to see. And you got you a razor, besides.” He rubbed his red stubble while James punched him fondly in the side. “You be through shaving when I’m finished with the horses, you hear?”
“Carl, you coon-faced old lard bucket, we thought you got took prisoner or something. Pa was ready to go to Washington City to see what become of you.”
“You’re joshing me!”
“No sir, not me. He and Ma were sure worried some. I never seen them so worked up about a body. I reckon Ben going and getting himself killed there at the end of the fighting took some of the sand out of both of them.”
“You old liar, you. Pa never had more sand than now. He’s ripping us out of this valley, lock, stock, and barrel, and taking us to Colorado. Says we’re going to raise beef cattle for the miners.”
“He’s what?”
“We’re going to find Uncle Jonathan and set up a cow ranch, or somethin’ like that. Pa’s spoken to a bunch of men, and they’re goin’ with us.”
“You mean we’re leaving Ma and the young’uns here?”
“No!” Carl tapped James on the head. “You got mush for brains? We’re all going west. Ma and the girls, and everyone. Rulon, too.”
“Which men did he talk to?”
“Rand Hilbrands, Ed Morgan, um, Angus Campbell, and Chester Bates.”
“Not Joseph Bingham?”
Carl frowned at his brother. “Mr. Bingham lost his legs at Shiloh, James.”
“I know that.”
“Even though he’s Pa’s good friend, he’s not fit for a trek over the countryside. I’m sure that’s why Pa didn’t ask him.”
“Then I’ll speak to Pa. I can tend to a wagon and chores for the Binghams. I have to change Pa’s mind.”
“You’re fussing about something, James. What’s nettling you?”
“Miss Jessica. I can’t leave here without her.”
Carl nodded. “You’ve been sparking her, I take it?”
“She’s let me walk out with her. I think she’ll marry me if I ask her.”
“You’ve got yourself a lot of talking to do, brother. Good luck on changing Pa’s mind.”
“I’ll take the offer of luck. Hey, you better finish with them horses, or you’ll need the luck back with Pa after you. You know he sets great store by dumb animals.”
“That must be
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