where he sat at a right angle to Joseph.
Joseph laughed softly. “That’s one.”
The family was hushed. Joshua’s mouth had dropped open. Matthew looked shocked. Becca was torn between sorrow for Nathan and joy that Joseph had performed as expected. Melissa and Mary Ann were shaking their heads. It had happened so fast. Benjamin leaned forward. “Come on, Nathan. Watch your grip.”
Nathan crawled back around in position, still a little dazed. He spat on his hands, wiped them on his pants, then sat down again. Much more carefully now, he placed his feet against Joseph’s, then took the stick. By the unwritten rules of the game, the hand position changed each round, so he took the wide position now.
More subdued now, Joshua again stepped forward. “Ready?”
This time Nathan was ready, but the power of Joseph’s initial pull still shocked him, and he felt himself lifted off the ground slightly. He locked his knees, using the tremendous thrust of Joseph’s boots against his feet as leverage for his upper torso. The muscles along his jaw stood out like cords, and his biceps pushed at the sleeves of his shirt. It gave him a quick burst of satisfaction to hear Joseph grunt in surprise and rise an inch or two off the ground himself.
“Pull, Nathan! Pull!” Through the pounding of the blood in his head, Nathan wasn’t sure who was shouting at him. Matthew certainly. Perhaps his father. Maybe even his mother. His legs started to quiver with the strain, and his arms felt like they were about to snap. He opened his eyes for a moment. Joseph’s face was a brilliant scarlet, his teeth were clenched, the muscles along his neck like those of a draft horse.
Nathan grunted, inwardly screaming at his body to give him one more thrust of effort. Then suddenly he felt the stick give a little, coming toward him a fraction of an inch. Joseph’s grip was slipping! With an inward cry of triumph he took a quick breath, thirsting for the kill. And in that split second of lost concentration, Joseph yanked back hard. Nathan literally flew upward, almost crashing down on Joseph’s legs. His hands ripped free from the stick as Joseph jerked it upward, clear and free.
They lay there for several seconds, both men gulping in huge draughts of air, bodies trembling, sweat pouring down their faces. The Steeds stood silently, staring down in disbelief. Finally, Joseph rolled over, turning just enough so his face looked across at Nathan’s. “That’s two,” he gasped. And he reached out to grasp Nathan’s shaking hand.
Benjamin walked over and, taking each one by the hand, pulled them both up. He slapped Nathan on the shoulder, then turned and gave Joseph an appraising look. “Next time we’ve got one of them hickory stumps to come out, I think we’ll just hook you up and spare the mules.”
“That’s as close as I’ve come to losing in a long time,” Joseph managed between breaths.
Nathan shook his head. “If that’s supposed to make me feel better, it ain’t working.”
Joseph put his arm around him, trying to laugh between his gasping. “Next time, I think I’ll stop at Matthew.”
Chapter Three
Joshua pulled the mules up, stopping the wagon across the street from McBride’s dry goods store. He handed the reins to Nathan. “Look, we could save some time if I go in and get the supplies Ma needs while you and Joseph go on down and get the seed.”
Nathan guffawed. “Since when were you worried about saving time while you were in town?”
Joseph Smith, who sat on the wagon seat between the two brothers, looked at the younger Steed soberly. “I don’t know, Nathan. I understand this Lydia McBride girl is real slow when it comes to waiting on certain customers.”
Joshua, who had jumped down from the wagon, looked up sharply, but he couldn’t hold it and a sheepish grin stole across his face. “Well, there’s no sense all of us going in.”
Nathan had gone as serious as Joseph. “Don’t know ‘bout that.
Joseph laughed softly. “That’s one.”
The family was hushed. Joshua’s mouth had dropped open. Matthew looked shocked. Becca was torn between sorrow for Nathan and joy that Joseph had performed as expected. Melissa and Mary Ann were shaking their heads. It had happened so fast. Benjamin leaned forward. “Come on, Nathan. Watch your grip.”
Nathan crawled back around in position, still a little dazed. He spat on his hands, wiped them on his pants, then sat down again. Much more carefully now, he placed his feet against Joseph’s, then took the stick. By the unwritten rules of the game, the hand position changed each round, so he took the wide position now.
More subdued now, Joshua again stepped forward. “Ready?”
This time Nathan was ready, but the power of Joseph’s initial pull still shocked him, and he felt himself lifted off the ground slightly. He locked his knees, using the tremendous thrust of Joseph’s boots against his feet as leverage for his upper torso. The muscles along his jaw stood out like cords, and his biceps pushed at the sleeves of his shirt. It gave him a quick burst of satisfaction to hear Joseph grunt in surprise and rise an inch or two off the ground himself.
“Pull, Nathan! Pull!” Through the pounding of the blood in his head, Nathan wasn’t sure who was shouting at him. Matthew certainly. Perhaps his father. Maybe even his mother. His legs started to quiver with the strain, and his arms felt like they were about to snap. He opened his eyes for a moment. Joseph’s face was a brilliant scarlet, his teeth were clenched, the muscles along his neck like those of a draft horse.
Nathan grunted, inwardly screaming at his body to give him one more thrust of effort. Then suddenly he felt the stick give a little, coming toward him a fraction of an inch. Joseph’s grip was slipping! With an inward cry of triumph he took a quick breath, thirsting for the kill. And in that split second of lost concentration, Joseph yanked back hard. Nathan literally flew upward, almost crashing down on Joseph’s legs. His hands ripped free from the stick as Joseph jerked it upward, clear and free.
They lay there for several seconds, both men gulping in huge draughts of air, bodies trembling, sweat pouring down their faces. The Steeds stood silently, staring down in disbelief. Finally, Joseph rolled over, turning just enough so his face looked across at Nathan’s. “That’s two,” he gasped. And he reached out to grasp Nathan’s shaking hand.
Benjamin walked over and, taking each one by the hand, pulled them both up. He slapped Nathan on the shoulder, then turned and gave Joseph an appraising look. “Next time we’ve got one of them hickory stumps to come out, I think we’ll just hook you up and spare the mules.”
“That’s as close as I’ve come to losing in a long time,” Joseph managed between breaths.
Nathan shook his head. “If that’s supposed to make me feel better, it ain’t working.”
Joseph put his arm around him, trying to laugh between his gasping. “Next time, I think I’ll stop at Matthew.”
Chapter Three
Joshua pulled the mules up, stopping the wagon across the street from McBride’s dry goods store. He handed the reins to Nathan. “Look, we could save some time if I go in and get the supplies Ma needs while you and Joseph go on down and get the seed.”
Nathan guffawed. “Since when were you worried about saving time while you were in town?”
Joseph Smith, who sat on the wagon seat between the two brothers, looked at the younger Steed soberly. “I don’t know, Nathan. I understand this Lydia McBride girl is real slow when it comes to waiting on certain customers.”
Joshua, who had jumped down from the wagon, looked up sharply, but he couldn’t hold it and a sheepish grin stole across his face. “Well, there’s no sense all of us going in.”
Nathan had gone as serious as Joseph. “Don’t know ‘bout that.
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