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Quint wasn’t surprised that Jessy would seek the facts first There was a lesson to be learned fros

Details she wanted, and details he provided, everything fro away to the shot he’d fired and their efforts to check the blaze prior to the arrival of the firefighting crews Through it all a part of hi on in the kitchen, water gushing fro his hands, Dallas collecting plates and silverware and placing theue hum of their voices

“Most of the stock ed to escape the fire, but we did find three cows that were cut up pretty bad They had soed skin More than likely they went through the barbed wire fence to get away froainst his forehead and struggled to organize the daes into a coherent list, but nearly thirty-six hours without sleep was having its effect on hiht now none of their injuries look to be serious, although one of the cows did abort her calf The fire weakened nearly all of the wooden posts along the inner fencing,” he continued “So all of it will have to be replaced”

At the stove, Dallas turned the burner down under a pot of corn and strained to catch Quint’s words A chair leg scraped across the floor, cutting across the sound of his voice She darted an irritated glance at her grandfather when he took a seat at the table Her annoyance vanished the instant her glance fell on the haggard lines etched in his face

Yet exhausted as he was, Ehttime had always been when the next day’s as planned “First thing toet that burned hay out of the corral,” he stated “It’s the s the back in We’ll need to catch theet close to them in a truck”

Unaware that Dallas had overheard Quint’s account of the injured cows, E the wounds they’d doctored and which salve had been applied on the burns, his forceful, se out Quint’s ed to snatch bits of Quint’s conversation, soh for Dallas to assume it was about the hay that had been delivered

Butthat made sense There was frustration in that At the salad

Not until the end of the phone conversation did Empty fall silent and Quint’s voice was the only one in the rooood, Jess I’ll talk to you then,” he said and hung up

His hand stayed on the receiver for a thoughtful moment Then he rolled to his feet and went to the sink to wash up, a tired and distracted look to his expression Dallas busied herself dishing up the eveningit to the table, sett

ing the platter of roast beef in front of her grandfather to carve By the time Quint joined them at the table, all was in readiness

“So what’s the word?” As always, E to order more hay from the same outfit that sold you the last bunch?”

“By now Rutledge is bound to have done so to cut off that source” Quint reached for his napkin and absently draped it across his lap

“You’re probably right there” E of corn onto his plate “Likely you’ll have to buy it from another outfit”

“We’re still talking about it and et back with ht We’ll know more then,” Quint stated and took the platter of carved beef Dallas passed to hiood”

“Ah, but can you stay awake long enough to eat it?” she teased lightly, oddly relieved that as yet she had nothing to report