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“Because it’s big Over the years, Old Man Calder hasn’t invited more than a dozen people to come here And none of them were people who mattered But the feho have been here—when they drop the name ‘Calder’ in a conversation, they have everybody’s attention”
Jessy didn’t say anything She was too busy trying to absorb all this new information She had always known the Calder naht in this part of Montana But in the rest of the country, too?
“Is this true, Ballard?” she asked, dead serious
“It’s true But don’t take my word for it Ask Ty Have his of the livestock associations He’s bound to have noticed the stares and whispers when he enters a room, the deference that’s shown him If he showed up in Texas, it would be the same”
“I see” At least, she was beginning to see
“Your registered cattle are a the best in the land, Jessy As for your strain of cutting horses, I’ve never forkedover better in allis a precarious business nowadays To be successful, a rancher’s gotta s the old way I’,” Ballard added quickly “But if there’s gonna be a Triple C in the years to cos that are done now, in the New West”
“Like this production sale you suggested,” she murmured
“That, and all the o with it”
Jessy didn’t have the first clue how to do any of that Give her a sick cow and she could doctor it; a broken fence and she could mend it; a rank horse and she could ride; a pair of babies and she could raise and care for the, publicity, those were coe Did Ty know?
“You need to take the Triple C name and make it one people shout, not whisper about,” Ballard concluded
“That’s easier said than done,” Jessy replied, speaking more to herself than to the sandy-haired cowboy
“Maybe But there’ll bemoney”
Turning, she looked hi us all this?”
His rin as he sat slouched in the saddle, both hands resting on the saddle horn “You mean—what’s in it fora sweep of the surrounding plains “I was seventeen the first time I came here to day work And I’ve been here on and off ever since More on than off This place gets into a ness of it, and the rawness I don’t care where you go, there’s no other place like it But”—he brought his glance back to Jessy—“to answer your question, I guess I’ you this because for years I’ve seen the potential here and watched it go untapped Do you kno frustrating that can be? It can eat a man up The other day, when Ty asked ne bottle It all just came bubblin’ out I suppose I’m repeatin’ it all to you for the siood idea, he wants everybody else to get on their horses and ride with him So far, all I’ve seen out of you and Ty is skepticisht, Ballard; we’re goin’ for it I’d get a lot of satisfaction out of that, Jessy”
She believed hile coho didn’t welcome a pat on the back for a job well done Dick Ballard was no exception