The Rogue

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Authors: Janet Dailey
only about four horses, maybe less. It ain’t likely to be a wild stallion and his harem. It’s more apt to be some yearlings forced out of a herd, if you ask me. Don’t know of any herds that range this close to the ranch. Those wild studs usually like more distance between them and humans, unless it’s a dry year and we’ve had some good rains so far. Not like a few years ago when—”
    “We remember how dry it was, Rube,” the Major interrupted.
    “Yes, sir, I know you do.” Rube nodded respectfully. “I s’pose now you’ll be sendin’ me back out there to find that mare. If she’s got the roamin’ itch, ain’t no tellin’ how far she might have wandered. Why, she could be—”
    “No, I don’t think it will be necessary,” Holt stated. “She’ll probably come back in a day or two—few-water, if nothing else.”
    “She might not,” Rube argued. “I told you, we’ve had us some rains. She wouldn’t be needin’ to come back here for water. She could find it up there, especially if she joined up with some wild ones.”
    “This is her home range. The mare isn’t likely to stray far from it. She has never shown any inclination to wander before,” Holt pointed out.
    “That don’t mean nothin’.” Rube started to spit out a stream of tobacco juice in disgust and remembered in time he was in the Major’s house. “There ain’t nothin’ that can get wilder than a tame horse after it’s tasted its first bit of freedom. Every wild horse came from your so-called tame stock. There weren’t no such thing as a wild horse until them Spaniards brought over their ridin’ horses. A few got loose and—”
    “Lunch is ready.” Sophie’s announcement came just in time to spare them from a history lesson on the introduction of the horse to North America.
    “Well, if you don’t think I need to go a-lookin’ for that mare, I’ll get back to my work. I won’t be keepin’ you from your food,” Rube said and sniffed the air appreciatively. “Sure smells good. I don’t remember the last time I et food that didn’t come from a can.”
    Diana took the broad hint and suggested, “Why don’t you join us, Rube? There is plenty for all of us.”
    “I wouldn’t want to be imposin’ on you.” But he was already moving toward the table. “As long as you’re sure you have enough, it’d be a real treat for me.”
    “Of course we do,” Diana assured him and hid a smile at the Major’s exasperated, yet twinkling, look. “You just sit down anywhere, Rube, and I’ll bring in another place setting.”
    When everyone was seated, Diana was at the opposite end of the rectangular table from her father, with Guy on her right and Rube Spencer on her left. Afterthe Major had said grace, everyone was too busy passing the dishes of food to talk.
    The concentration remained on the food until Guy recalled, “You used to catch wild horses when you were young, didn’t you, Rube?”
    “Sure did,” he answered between mouthfuls. “But that was way before your time. Hel——” A glance at the Major and he quickly changed it to: “Heck, I was just a kid myself back then, younger than you. Those were the times, racin’ pell-mell through the sage after a band of bangtails, knowin’ if your horse put a foot wrong, you’d both break your neck.” His eyes were shining as he talked, remembering the danger and the excitement. Then he sighed and came back to the present. “Course, that was before they made that law to protect ’em.”
    “But if it wasn’t for the law, there wouldn’t be any mustangs left,” Guy pointed out.
    “Yeah, well, there’s a sight too many of ’em now,” Rube insisted. “A wild horse ain’t got no more natural enemies now, ’cept man. Oh, there’s a rare mountain lion around here and there. An’ once in a while, a coyote will bring down a cripple or an old horse. But the rest of the mustangs—” He shrugged to indicate there were no predators to threaten them.
    “There

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