by Kate Whitsby
“Well, that’s the end of that horse,” Jude remarked. “I hate to see him go, ‘cuz he’s a good horse and he knows his business. But that leg is ruined. I can see it sticking out from here.”
“What do you want to do?” Alma asked.
“There’s nothing to do,” Jude replied. “I’ll have to put him down.”
“We’ll tie up the steer,” Allegra put in. “We can leave him in here until we’re ready to take him back to the house. Then we can take the rest of the herd down to the river for their morning drink. We shouldn’t leave that too late. They’re used to watering before it gets too hot.”
“We can’t leave the steer in here,” Jude pointed out. “There’s nowhere to tie him, and I won’t be much good to you herding the cattle without a horse. I’ll take the steer back to the house.”
“How are you going to take him?” Amelia asked. “Are you going to walk the whole way? That could take all day. We’d meet you on the way when we came home this evening.”
“I’ll walk it,” Jude replied. “You three need to take the cattle to the river. There’s no two ways about that, and I don’t have a horse. There’s also nowhere else to tie up the steer out on the range without him standing out in the sun all day. He has to go back to the house now, and I’m the only one who can take him. Now stop arguing, and get out there to your herd.”
The three sisters looked at each other.
“He’s right, you know,” Allegra told them. “I hate to admit it, but he’s right.”
“You hate to admit it?” Jude laughed.
“Okay. I don’t hate to admit it. But you’re right. We’ll do it your way.” Allegra turned to Alma. “Let’s go.”
“What are you going to do about your horse?” Alma asked.
“I’ll take care of him,” Jude replied. “He’s mine. I owe him that much. I’ll take care of him and then I’ll walk the steer back to the house.”
“Are you sure you can handle him on your own?” she asked. “He might try something on you.”
“I don’t think so,” Jude replied. “I’ve seen big brutes like this before. When they’re facing a horse and rider, they’re demons. When they’re facing a man on foot, they turn into pussycats. He’ll follow me.”
“You call out to us if you need help,” Alma told him. “We’ll hear you and come lend you a hand.”
“I’ll be fine,” Jude assured them. “Now stop stalling and get out there. Your herd comes first. I can handle myself in here. I’ll see you back at the house or somewhere in between later in the day. Now go!”
The three sisters glanced at each other one last time. Then Amelia and Allegra turned their horses around and galloped out of the canyon to their waiting cattle.
Alma hesitated. “I don’t like leaving you alone like this. You could get hurt and there would be no one to help you. That steer could turn vicious and trample you to death.”
“Well, then,” Jude replied. “I reckon you could get yourself another mail-order husband.”
“I don’t want another one,” Alma shot back. “I want you.”
Jude raised his eyes from his stricken horse and smiled at her. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. Now get out of here. You’re a cattle puncher, and you have a job to do. I have a job to do, too, so leave me to it. I’ll call you if I need help.”
Alma fixed him with her eyes one more time, and then she tugged on her reins to turn her horse back toward the plain. She called out to her horse and cantered after her sisters.
At the entrance of the canyon, she saw her sisters fanning out across the plain, driving the cattle toward the gulley leading to the river. She fell into her usual place, racing alongside the lumbering cattle and waving her hat over her head to keep them moving.
The thunder of a thousand hooves reverberated off the hills and heights around the range land, and the herd shot into the gulley. Alma reined in her horse, letting the cattle stream past her. One beast followed the one in front of it, and the last swishing tails vanished into the gulley. Amelia and Allegra pulled up next to her.
In the sudden silence, a gun shot rang out across the landscape. Alma spun around in her saddle, although there was nothing to see. But the next minute, a small figure emerged from the canyon, leading a steer on a rope.
Allegra laughed. “I guess he knows his business. That steer is following him like a puppy.”
“We should have known to trust him,” Amelia remarked. “We shouldn’t have doubted him.”
“Come on up to the top of the hill, you girls,” Alma told them. “You stay up there and guard the cattle. I’m going to walk back with him.”
“You just can’t leave him alone, can you?” Allegra teased.
Alma didn’t take the bait. “If you had a husband, you would know how it is. I’m worried about him taking that steer all the way home by himself. The steer might be a puppy dog now, but all he has to do is try to get away, and he could crush Jude like a bug. You both know this yourselves.”
“All right,” Amelia agreed. “We don’t need you here. We can guard the herd ourselves.”
“Just be careful,” Allegra added. “I don’t know about you, but those things Papa told us about Jude have got me thinking.”
“Don’t tell me you believe Papa’s accusations,” Alma shot back. “You know Papa’s not in his right mind half the time. He got that idea about Jude from somewhere, but there’s no basis for it. You know how Papa is.”
“You have to admit, Alma,” Amelia put in. “Papa wouldn’t go after Jude like this if he doesn’t have some reason to believe it. He won’t tell us what it is, but he must have his reasons.”
“He could have imagined the whole thing, for all we know,” Alma reminded them. “Jude told me himself he was too young to be in the war. He wasn’t even born when Papa fought the Battle of Little Crooked Ridge. All Jude has to do is tell Papa that, and we can put this whole misunderstanding behind us.”
“Then why doesn’t he tell him?” Amelia asked. “Does he have some reason to keep it to himself?”
Alma’s eyes flew open. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this! I thought you two were starting to come around to liking Jude. Now you’re backing up Papa.”
“It isn’t anything to do with liking Jude,” Allegra replied. “I could like him ‘til the cows come home. But you have to admit that Papa is right. We have only Jude’s word for where he comes from and what he’s done. He could have made up any old thing to put in his letters to you.”
“I don’t believe this!” Alma cried. “And here I was telling Jude he could count on you two for support. I should have known you would stand with Papa against us.”
“We aren’t standing with anyone against anyone,” Amelia told her. “We’re just pointing out that Papa has a point. You have to admit that.”
“I don’t have to admit anything,” Alma fumed. “And I’m not going to stand here listening to any more of this! I’m going to help my husband bring in the steer that you wanted, Allegra. He’s doing this for you. Just remember that when you start throwing accusations around.”
Both Amelia and Allegra opened their mouths to respond, but Alma didn’t wait to listen. She hauled her horse’s head around and tore away from them at top speed.
Chapter 30
