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“But a wo in a fine house with a maid to do the work for you,” he declared “You’re too delicate to be dirtying your hands”

She arched her neck to laugh from her throat “I assure you, Mr Giles, that I am neither delicate nor weak I can ride as well as hter than soed, Mr Giles, not paht you knew that”

“Then maybe I should let you carry the bucket” He smiled

“It’s a little late,” Lorna mocked him “We’re almost there”

They were only a few yards froon and the water barrel secured to the side Bull carried the bucket over and emptied it into the barrel

“Thanks for carrying the water, Mr Giles” Lorna continued to smile

He folded his arm across his waist to make a mock bow “My pleasure, Mrs Calder”

There was no need to hold the Longhorns in a loose bunch at night This range was going to be their new home Benteen and the drovers pulled back when the herd reached the river to let them drink and scatter as they willed

The remuda of horses was a different situation Benteen had Yates throw up a rope corral to hold thee work The rest he would take to Deadwood to sell when they made their trip for winter supplies

His s that had to be done when he rode into caht his attention His jaw hardened when he saw her walking from the river with Bull Giles The bucket Giles carried explained what the pair had been doing Benteen wasn’t fooled by the surface innocence He was atold, Benteen knew Giles had seen Lorna go to the river for water and followed her Cold irritation darkened his eyes because Lorna couldn’t see the way Giles was easing his way into her confidence, inviting her to trust hi attention as a threat, but Benteen did

Disrim silence he unsaddled his horse and turned it out with the rest of the string He walked with the trailhands to the fire for the habitual cup of coffee and avoided any contact with Lorna If her head could be turned by anotherhis teeth when he told himself that

Around the fire that night, Barnie Moore was the focus of attention He was questioned about how much it rained and when, did the rivers flood and how bad?

“I’ll tell you one thing” A cigarette dangled precariously frouobbed up with ular size It dries as hard as a rock, an’ ya need a haet it off yore boots”

And they wanted to know about the winter How cold it was and howdid it last? What sections of the range drifted free of snow? What about the blizzards, and ere the cattle’s chances of weathering them?

“Ya et yourself soot Shorthorn and Devon blood, but they’re used to this northern weather An’ they got enough wild in ’e They ain’t like that blooded stock we seen comin’ into Texas that turn tail and run from a coyote an’ leave their calf to be his dinner”