Free Gather My Horses by John D. Nesbitt Page A

Bring all of yours along, though, so you can at least keep track of ’em.”
    Lodge spoke up. “Did you get anyone else?”
    â€œI’ve got a wheat farmer named Mullins and his twelve-year-old kid lined up to do the cookin’ and wranglin’. Him and his brother farm together, and they take turns hirin’ out. They don’t want to take any horses off the farm if they don’t have to, though. They don’t have many to begin with, as far as that’s concerned, and they’re probably all plugs and nags anyway.”
    After a couple of seconds, Lodge said, “That gives us a little more than twenty-five head.”
    â€œWe should be all right,” said Selby. “We’re not goin’ to be ridin’ long and hard every day.” He looked around the table again. “Mullins and his kid are comin’ down this afternoon. I’ve got all the grub, and they’ll double-bag it and load it in the wagon.” He paused. “What else? Tom, what do you think of a tent?”
    Fielding had raised his coffee cup and now set it down. “I’ve got a couple. I think the bigger one would be good for a mess tent or other general purposes, even sleeping. Do you have poles?” He pictured a typical chuck wagon with a couple of long poles tied alongside.
    â€œNo, I don’t. Can’t we use yours?”
    â€œThey’re kind of long to pack down here on horses. I could drag ’em, but that might not be good. I usually just leave ’em put, and use ’em the next time I’m there. Make new ones if I go to a place I haven’t been. But I don’t think we’ll see many lodgepole pines where we’re goin’.”
    Lodge spoke again. “Is it too much trouble to send a wagon up to his camp?”
    Selby moved his head back and forth. “I guess I could. I didn’t have that much time figured in for such a little thing.”
    â€œI don’t see anything wrong with it,” said Roe as he rubbed his face.
    â€œAh, hell. Go ahead. Richard, maybe you can take my buckboard up there. I’ve got to stay here for Mullins. It’ll be worth it to have a good tent, though. Do you sleep in it, Tom?”
    â€œI do now, but I’ll bring along a tepee tent for me and the kid to sleep in. This big one will sleep half a dozen, though. That’s why the poles are so long.”
    â€œYou think that kid’s all right?” asked Selby.
    â€œI think so. He catches on pretty quick.”
    â€œHe looks like he eats a lot,” said Roe.
    â€œThey all do,” Lodge said. “We’ll be glad to have him along.”
    Fielding spoke again. “One other small thing. I was hopin’ to find a place to store the gear I won’t be using. Packsaddles, panniers, canvas, the gear tent.”
    Selby pushed out his lower lip. “We’ll find a place in the barn.”
    â€œWe can bring all that stuff in the wagon, too,” said Lodge. “Save you the trouble of packin’ ’em all up.”
    Selby laid his hands flat on the table. “That should be pretty good, then. You boys come back this afternoon or evenin’, and we all roll out in the mornin’. This ought to be an easy job.”

Chapter Five
    The roundup camp came into view as Fielding pushed the cow and calf down the last draw toward the valley. Bracken the day herder, on Fielding’s white horse with speckles and dark mane, was easy to pick out on the other side of the small herd. He waved to Fielding and worked his way around.
    â€œLooks like dinner’s ready,” said Fielding.
    â€œI think it is,” said Bracken. “The others came in a little while ago.”
    â€œI’ll go eat, then, and I’ll come back and relieve you.”
    â€œSounds good.” Bracken reined the white horse around to watch the cow and calf that had just come in, and Fielding headed for the chuck wagon.
    Selby, who