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the three men are vaqueros who caetting upset over an oversight At the ti care of little Arthur and Webb It hardly seemed important”

“What about that new Hereford bull you bought last Septe it at Mary and Ely’s” Lorna fought to hold the squirlance swept Benteen with an impatient look “Can’t you at least take your hat off at the table?”

“Sorry” He removed his hat and hooked it on a chair back

“I thought you were going to turn that bull out with the cows,” Lorna returned to the subject

“That bull’s too valuable to have one of those range-wild Longhorns kill hi the purebred “Ely’s going to select a s That way he won’t have to compete to have his own private harem”

“Webb, use your spoon,” Lorna warned when she caught hi with his hands

“Don’t want to!” He hid his hands behind his back

“What’s gotten into these boys?” Benteen frowned at the pair of defiant youngsters “Can’t you make them behave?”

It was the final spark to set off her temper Lorna pushed away from the table and shoved a startled Arthur onto Benteen’s lap “Here You can do everything else by yourself You ht as well raise your own sons!”

While Benteen was still trying to recover from the shock of her unexpected action and hold on to a squealing boy as well, Lorna grabbed her shawl and went stor out of the cabin Webb started to slide off his chair, crying with alarm, “Mommy!”

“Stay right where you are,” Benteen ordered in a harsh tone that stopped the tears instantly He sat Arthur on Lorna’s chair and stuck a spoon in his hand “You’re old enough to feed yourself” Then he stood up and pointed a warning finger at the two shocked and silent youngsters, staring at him with rounded brown eyes “Eat your supper and neither of you move”

Long, angry strides carried him to the door Lorna had so recently slammed Before he stepped outside, he sent one last look at his silent and un sons, then closed the door behind hiainst the corner of the cabin, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs The rage that had filled him when she had walked out the door faded She hadn’t really left hi on her shoulders with a kind of fierceness

“My God, as the idea of walking out like that?” Benteen oing?”

“It hardly o very far” Her voice quavered

“You’d better come back inside It’s cool out here,” he said