Free Blue Bonnet by Fay Risner Page A

going to be stiff and sore for a
few days. Keep them elevated as much as possible until the swelling
goes down. I'm sending out a crutch from town for you to use for
support when you get up. I'll leave some sulfur for Billie to put
on the burn.” Doc, a gray haired distinguished man, winked at
Billie. “Bat, when you run a cattle ranch, you really should do a
better job of teaching your young cowhands what to brand. Let me
clue you in. It ain't the boss.”
    Bat put his arm over his eyes and
said dryly. “Ha, ha! The two ya would make a good pair of
clowns.”
    The week passed with Bat
struggling to walk. His legs had a mind of their own, and his lower
legs were painful. At first, the crutch wasn't much help. It wanted
to go one way, and he went the other. By Friday noon, he was
finally getting around better.
    After dinner, he announced, “Sis,
I've decided to spend the weekend in town at the girls. I'm tired
of bein' shut in this house.”
    “Are you sure you're up to
traveling to town?” Billie asked. She watched him move slowly,
limping on one foot then the other from the table back to the
settee.
    “I am,” Bat said through clinched
teeth.
    “All right, if you say so. I'll
have one of the cowhands hitch up my buggy and tie your horse on
behind.”
    Once they arrived in Dead Horse,
Billie helped Bat into the his daughters house and drove her buggy
to the livery stable.
    Sunday morning, Bat was determined
to go to church like usual. He had to get away from his girls. They
were about to mother hen him to death. When the girls left for
church, he told them to stop by the livery. He wanted Billie's
buggy prepared and brought to the house. He'd drive over to
Billie's from there.
    With a little effort, Bat managed
to walk up the church steps and back down them. While he ate dinner
with Billie, she asked him what his plans were for the next
week.
    “I'm going back out to the ranch.
By golly, ranch life isn't so bad,” Bat declared.
    Billie steepled her fingers under
her chin. “You're going to be more choosy about which jobs you
volunteer for from now on I hope.”
    “I might be,” Bat
uttered.
    “You are the boss you know. As
such you can pick and choose your jobs,” Billie lectured, looking
down her nose at him.
    “We'll see. It might just be a
matter of me being more careful when I do a job,” Bat said
stubbornly.
    That next week, he enjoyed the
time he spent on the ranch. Hunker told him he needed to take it
easy until his brand wound healed, and he was walking better. If he
wanted, he could rode along to keep the cowboys company.
    Leisure time in the evenings was
especially fun, spending time with the cowhands at the bunkhouse
card parties. Bat suddenly found himself wondering what he needed a
wife for?
     

Chapter Nine
     
    Another week went past. Bat didn't
feel up to riding back to Dead Horse for the weekend. Saturday
morning, he decided to go fishing. He caught a mess of bullheads in
the pond. He cleaned the fish and fried them and a large cast iron
skillet of fried potatoes. For bread, he baked a pan of
cornbread.
    When Bat heard the cowhands ride
in, he went out on the porch and watched them dismount by the barn.
He beat the triangle dangling from the porch eave to get their
attention.
    “What's up, Boss?” Hunker
called.
    “I caught a
whoppin' platter of fish, and ya all are invited to come over and
eat supper with me,” Bat yelled. “Hunker, make sure to bring the
cards.”
    Bat was pretty sure that evening
was the most fun that old house had seen in years, including when
Hannah was alive. He knew she would have approved.
    The next week, Hunker said they
didn't require Bat's help with anything. The foreman surmised that
his boss was walking a little tender yet. He could ride along as
long as he didn't get the burn wound dirty.
    Monday of the next week Bat was
eager to be helpful. Hunker made him roll up his jean leg so he
could inspect the wound burn. The scabs weren't much, and the red
area