Page 132 (1/2)

Benteen had figured the tree of beef at the market and drive the price up He took what cash reserve they had and partially restocked the herd Then he’d sent Shorty Niles to Canada to purchase some draft horses and turned fertile bottomlands into hay Shorty had cohter as his wife

The gamble had paid off, and there was hay to feed the cattle if there was another such severe winter Ranching beca

“Mr Calder!” Jessie Tru up, one of a handful of second-generation Triple C riders

Ely and Mary Stanton’s firstborn was a girl named Ruth Ann Woolie Willis had married a little red-haired schoolirl and had a seventeen-year-old son working the roundup Barnie Moore, Vince Garvey, and Zeke Taylor were allchildren There was a sense of continuity and belonging, an established order that lent a feeling of pers

Benteen turned his horse toward the approaching rider and waited until Dick Tru walk “What is it?”

“Pa wants you to co his horse in a circle to lead the way

A ret came from Lorna as she reined her horse to follow after Benteen The old Longhorn had led the trail drives up from Texas until the influx of settlers had finally closed it off They had retired the brindle steer to pasture soo

About a half-mile from the pens, they saw Jessie He had dis at the riesture of respect for the loss of a coers had picked the carcass clean, leaving a partial skeleton, a few pieces of loose hide, and a set of long twisted horns

It was a sober-faced Jessie who looked up at Benteen “It’s Captain I’d know those mossy horns anywhere”

The announce silence that Benteen finally broke “We’ll take the horns back to the ranch” His glance went to Lorna “They belong above the mantel”

She nodded a ree of the ranch It was fitting that his memory be honored—and that of his breed

“Dick, cliave the order to his son “Take theon”

The young rider swung off his horse, dropping the reins He went down the e walk to reach the carcass and its horned skull

“These horns must be five feet across or more,” he declared as he hefted a tip and realized they were nearly as long as he was tall

Jessie walked to the side of his horse and e,” the cowboy observed “I sure do miss seein’ them They sure weren’t slick and pretty like those Herefords”