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With thepace that brought her to the front of the tent as the valet lifted the netting to guide Boston out She nodded to hiht bow at the waist While he walked away, she paused, aware the Duke of Middleton was alone in his tent, and debated whether she should speak to him as planned

But the turn of events had stimulated her mind It seemed much less imperative that the party resume its journey So she returned to her own private tent and disining what she would do with a ranch in Montana—where and how money could be made Most of the beef was sold for shipment to Eastern cattle markets, which put the rancher at the mercy of their prices How could that be controlled? A rancher could sell directly to the US government

However, Canada wasa railroad across the Rockies, she recalled, plus the outposts for the Mounted Police, and all those Indians on reservations to be fed There was the vague overnment, a second or third cousin of her late husband, the Earl of Crawford She had h the West He had tried to borrow er Dunshill, that was his naent

Elaine laughed at herself If Judd Boston only knew it, his new partner had valuable connections as well, but she had no intention of bringing the information to the duke’s attention Why should she make him a fortune? Eventually someone would see the market for cattle in Canada It was a pity she wouldn’t share in the killing that could be made

Trying to fund two operations had stretched Judd Boston’s resources thin With the unlined by the Duke of Middleton and bearing his seal, he had all the reeal ways to drain away funds to be bothered about splitting profits

Patience It was only ahe wanted Including those three clai his new otten to ht to the claims

Aro Boston to take out his vest watch and check the time In another twenty minutes it would be proper for him to present hi the wagons in no particular hurry while the sun went down behind hie approaching the ca a team of matched sorrels

Boston waited until the carriage had stopped and the bigover to meet him Two of the horse handlers came forward to take care of the teae wheels

“You here again?” Bull remarked dryly when Boston came up beside him

“I told you I’d make it worth your while if you kept the duke and his friends in the area for a couple of weeks” He lifted a bag of coins from his pocket and dropped it into Giles’s hand

There was a weighing gesture of the hand before he slipped it into a pocket “It just worked out that way,” Giles insisted

“To the mutual benefit of both of us,” Bostonsecond “I don’t understand you” Usually he could read any man, but Bull Giles didn’t follow any accepted pattern

“Is there any reason why you should?” the man asked with a trace of derision

“No, I don’t suppose there is,” Boston admitted with a narrowed look “But you were here before most of the others You knew the potential of this country You could have done the sa house just like he is You have the knowledge and the ability, but you don’t use it Why?”

Bull shrugged indifferently “I reckon I don’t have your kind of areed”